Persona 5: The Phantom Files

by sithlorde1988

Will cover the events of Persona 5 Royal, with the sequel set to cover 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!

53. Hawaiian Fallout? Trapped Heiress part 3

A/N: sithlorde1988 here, with another chapter of Persona 5- The Phantom Files! Not really a lot to say here, other than to acknowledge a guest reviewer that reviewed chapter 42 to point out that you actually visit Okinawa during the events of Persona 5 Scramble/Strikers, which I really should've remembered, being as I've played through that game before.

Granted, it was only the once and the full playthrough was some time ago, before I played through Royal the first time. So I kinda forgot about that. And we'll say for the purposes of the story that when we get to the arc with said Okinawa Jail, that it's not going to be the same Okinawa as the one that Kusa and Ren both left when Ren was ordered to move away for Ren's probation. That said, thanks for that review, guest reviewer!

Having said that, let's hit up the disclaimer!

Disclaimer: sithlorde1988 does not own the Persona series as a whole in any way, shape or form ((excluding the OCs Kusa/Draconis, Mimille, Slim, Kyori, Lumine and Akira, who he made and thus does own (or made based off of an existing Persona character in Akira's case), along with any other OCs that might crop up unless otherwise noted.)) and the actual credit for owning the Persona series belongs to Atlus, Sega, and to some extent Koei Tecmo! So all credit to them!

That being said, on to chapter 53!

Chapter 53- Aloha, Shujin! Phantom Thieves Do Hawaii! Vacation Before a Fallout! Trapped Heiress part 3

(On the flight to Hawaii, with Ren, Makoto, Ann and Ryuji)

As everyone got onto the plane, the students eventually found their seats, with Ryuji and Ren sharing a row with Mishima, while Ann and Makoto ended up finding seats elsewhere. Ryuji, unsurprisingly, immediately dozed off once the plane got moving, eventually having his head flop over to land on a shocked Mishima's shoulder, who shoved him off gently with a mild 'Ack!' of annoyance. At that same time, Ann asked a passing attendant for some iced coffee.

As for Makoto, she was reading a magazine, unaware that Okumura was doing the same thing a few seats over, having also been chosen to help chaperone for who knows why. Ren, for his part, just stared out the window, having slept a good bit prior to the flight, but also sleeping a bit at the start of the flight, to the tune of an around 2 to 3 hour power-nap that he woke up from around the back half of the flight. Ren was then stirred from his musings by the sound of the intercom coming on.

"Attention, all passengers. We have begun our initial descent into Hawaii. All passengers are asked to return to their seats and get settled in." The intercom said as Ryuji woke up, having been woken up by the intercom, and looked out the window over Ren's shoulder, both Ren and Ryuji's eyes wide in surprise as they got their first glimpses of Hawaii, the latter's jaw dropping as he spoke up with a gasp.

"Huh? Whoaaa!" Ryuji said in surprise as the plane began the landing sequence. After a bit, the group got off the plane, as a ticket processor spoke up to the group at the baggage claim.

"So, how long will you be staying here?" The ticket processor asked the group as Ryuji spoke up.

"Yeah! I'm so excited! I have no idea though!" Ryuji said, pumping an arm back with a thumbs-up and a grin, not seeing Ren and Ann both wincing behind him at how stupid he looked in that moment, the latter of the two sighing in a mix of disappointment, frustration, and annoyance. After they got their baggage and walked outside, Ann smiled a closed-eye smile and spoke up.

"Hawaii! Mmm, I love it! The tropical air, the relaxing atmosphere, and everything." Ann said, blinking as a dark-skinned man walked over to the group and spoke up.

"Hi! Aloha! You can find your buses that way." The dark-skinned man said as Ryuji blinked in surprise and spoke up.

"Daaamn, you speak Japanese!?" Ryuji asked the man, who nodded, while Ann just sighed in annoyance. Eventually the group filed onto a bus as Ryuji spoke up from the seats he and Ren had claimed next to one another.

"Whoa! I see it! The diamond-thing!" Ryuji said, before looking out the window that Ren was next to as he kept speaking.

"Huh!? Oh man! The ocean is so blue! Ahaha!" Ryuji said as the camera panned to a shot of the various beach-goers, including more than a few bikini-clad females, and a guy on a surfboard surfing, before panning back to a softly smiling Ren who was taking in the view from the window next to him as the buses kept moving.

(At the hotel, with Mishima, Ann, Ren and Ryuji)

Ryuji grinned happily as he spoke up with a fist pumped.

"Yes! We're here! Hawaiiiiiiii!" Ryuji said excitedly as Ann winced and spoke up, rubbing her forehead with a finger while she spoke.

"Ugh! I am SO embarrassed." Ann said as Ryuji took a sniff and spoke up with a grin.

"Ah! Is this the smell of Hawaii? Actually, I've been wondering since the airport, but what is this smell?" Ryuji asked as Mishima spoke up.

"Supposedly? The lingering scent of carpet-cleaner. It's coconut-scented. Plus, I'd say the scent of plumeria for the leis are amplifying the tropical atmosphere here." Mishima said as Ryuji chuckled and spoke up.

"What are you, the king of random facts!?" Ryuji asked Mishima, who rubbed the back of his head nervously as he spoke up.

"Eheh, I'm the type that likes to look up stuff beforehand." Mishima said as Ryuji grinned and spoke up.

"Oh? Then tell me a cheap, but good, place to eat." Ryuji said as Ann groaned and spoke up.

"Ugh! Do that AFTER we've figured out room assignments. We can't go out until we get our keys!" Ann said as Ryuji nodded and spoke up, looking at Ren as he spoke.

"Oh! I wanna room with this guy!" Ryuji said, nodding towards Ren while he spoke to indicate who he meant by 'this guy'. A sigh from nearby led to another voice answering his question.

"Ugh, you belong to a different class, Sakamoto-kun." Kawakami said as she walked over with Makoto. Ryuji frowned as he spoke up.

"I can't?" Ryuji said in surprise. Makoto shook her head as she spoke up.

"Unfortunately, that's correct. It complicates roll call." Makoto said as Ann did a closed-eye smile as she giggled and spoke up.

"True. Everyone butts you out, after all. I bet there aren't many people who'd be okay rooming with you." Ann said to Ryuji as Ren nodded and spoke up.

"That's true. Though, had they both been able to come, either Kusa or probably Yusuke would've roomed with him if they were able to. However, with both my luck and Kusa's, Yusuke would've ended up rooming with another Kosei student and Kusa would've probably somehow found himself rooming with Yoshizawa, had both been able to come, though I'm pretty sure they don't usually do co-ed room assignments? I could be wrong on that, though." Ren said sagely. Ryuji huffed as he spoke up.

"Shuddup, Ann! We both stick out like a sore thumb, you know. And thanks, Ren. You're probably right." Ryuji said. At that point, a pair of female students walked up and spoke to Ann.

"Takamaki-san, have you decided on which room to stay in?" The taller of the two students asked Ann, who blinked as she spoke up.

"No, not yet." Ann said as the taller student spoke up, the bespectacled student next to her not saying much.

"In that case, how about rooming with me?" The taller student suggested as the bespectacled student next to her spoke up.

"And if it's okay with you, do you want to walk around together once we're free to go about? We've never gone overseas before, so we thought it'd be reassuring if we had someone who knows English." The bespectacled student said to Ann, who did a closed eye smile as she spoke up.

"Oh, sure, of course!" Ann said before she winked at the others and spoke up.

"Well, see you guys later!" Ann said as she walked off with the female students. At that point, Kawakami huffed and spoke up.

"C'mon, can you just hurry up and make your decision?" Kawakami said as Mishima blinked before looking at Ren as he spoke up.

"Oh! Well, since we're in the same class, and Sakamoto can't room with you, is it okay if I room with you?" Mishima asked Ren, who thought about it before speaking up.

"That's fine with me. Sure, there's something to be said for having a room to myself, but what benefit would I possibly draw from such a thing? It's not like I have a special someone here to spend time with, since she's off at training camp. So yeah, I don't mind you rooming with me, Mishima." Ren said. Mishima nodded with a smile as he spoke up.

"It's decided then." Mishima said as Kawakami spoke up.

"Anyway, don't do anything stupid, okay? This isn't Japan, you know." Kawakami said as Ren smirked and spoke up.

"No problem, Miss Kawakami. What are we gonna do, help Ryuji invite some random girl to his hotel room?" Ren joked. Ryuji blinked at the joke, but nodded as the group got checked in...

(A short time later, at the beach with Ren, Ryuji, Makoto and Ann)

"Ah, so this is Waikiki!" Ann said as Ryuji nodded, speaking up as he enjoyed the sight of Ann and Makoto in their bikinis before he spoke.

"There sure are a ton of people here. And, there're also a lot of tall buildings, like hotels." Ryuji said as Ann nodded and spoke up.

"True. It's a little too clean here. It feels like an artificial resort." Ann said as Makoto did a closed-eye smile as she spoke up.

"That's a good point. Still, look how clear the ocean is. The palm tress definitely give off a tropical vibe too." Makoto said as Ryuji spoke up with a grin.

"Damn! I thought Ann was pretty impressive, but compared to the foreign ladies around here? Egh, she's about on par with them." Ryuji said as Ann huffed, stamping her foot a bit as she spoke up.

"Then stop looking! And why were you looking at me specifically?" Ann said to Ryuji as Makoto spoke up.

"Be fair here, Ann. Ryuji is a hot-blooded male, so of course he's going to be taking in the view of all the bikini-clad women here, us included hopefully." Makoto said sagely as Ryuji turned to Ren and spoke up.

"Dude, you think so too, don't you? Like, these ladies are massive, unlike the girls in Japan!" Ryuji said to Ren, who thought about it before speaking up.

"Eh, the girls around here aren't ugly, but I dunno if they're really my type, Ryuji. I have nothing against massive girls, but I quite think I prefer my girls a bit more on the petite yet slender side. Of course, it helps if they have an amazing personality too. Looks aren't everything, after all." Ren said sagely. Ryuji nodded as he spoke up.

"Ah, I get it. You like 'em slim, huh? Kinda like how both Futaba and Yoshizawa are built. Come to think of it, was that you and Futaba I saw in Akihibara looking rather close and cozy the other day?" Ryuji asked Ren, who blinked and spoke up.

"Wait, when were you in Akihibara, Ryuji? I don't recall seeing you there. But yes, I did go there with Futaba recently so she could buy a game. You'd think Morgana would've noticed you, since he was riding in my bag with us at the time." Ren said with a frown, ignoring Ryuji's mention of him and Futaba getting 'close and cozy', unaware of Morgana having seen the same, but due to only hearing some of their conversation, mistaking it as Futaba asking Ren to be with her. Makoto flushed a bit as she spoke up.

"Anyways, moving on, take a look over there. Isn't that Diamond Head?" Makoto said as Ryuji nodded with a grin as he spoke up.

"Ohh, I saw it from the bus too! But, why's it called that? Are diamonds a local product?" Ryuji said. Ann blinked but spoke up.

"Wouldn't it say online?" Ann asked as the group shrugged, pulling out their phones to look it up. After a bit, Ryuji spoke up.

"Ah, there we go. Uh, wait, people long ago mistook volcanic rock for it? The eff?" Ryuji said as Ann spoke up with a closed-eye smile.

"Might as well look up recommended places in Waikiki too. Oh, right. I wanted to eat pancakes." Ann said, making Ren laugh as he was reminded of the last time the subject of pancakes had come up before he spoke up.

"Heh, pancakes. Imagine if saying that word three times was enough to summon a certain ace detective out of nowhere? And imagine Kusa and Morgana's faces if that was the case?" Ren said with a grin. Ryuji laughed and spoke up while fist-bumping Ren. *1*

"Truth, Ren! That would be so hilarious. Though I'm pretty sure Akechi isn't able to be summoned by saying the word 'Pancakes' if that's what you were getting at. Otherwise, it'd be too easy for Kusa to use the guy as a punching bag." Ryuji pointed out as Ren nodded before he spoke up.

"Good point, Ryuji. That would be too easy." Ren said as Makoto spoke up.

"Anyways, back on topic, I wonder if there are any online recommendations of scenic spots." Makoto said as Ryuji grinned and spoke up.

"Oh, then we should check for cheap and popular restaurants in that case." Ryuji said as the group as Makoto blinked and spoke up with an amused yet annoyed look on her face.

"Wait a second. Hey, we're on our phones and chatting. This is no different from when we're in Japan." Makoto said as Ren spoke up.

"Not true. In Japan, we'd probably have Morgana, Yusuke and Kusa here adding in their two cents, and the latter probably having to break up Ryuji and Morgana when Ryuji manages to offend Morgana for the umpteenth time with his remarks. Not to mention, Futaba would've probably been hiding behind Kusa from all the strangers around if it were Japan." Ren pointed out sagely. Ryuji nodded as he spoke up.

"Truth, Ren! Anyways, even if we're overseas, we can see all the news in Japan if we got our phones, right? It's like, this ain't what I was expectin', to be honest." Ryuji said as Ann nodded and spoke up.

"We should do something that's more Hawaii-like." Ann suggested as Ryuji blinked and spoke up.

"Okay, but what's something that's Hawaii-like?" Ryuji asked as Ann shrugged and spoke up.

"I dunno, hula dancing?" Ann suggested as Ren and Ryuji blinked, the latter wincing as he spoke up, even if he did briefly let himself picture the girls in hula outfits, moreso Makoto than Ann, but Ryuji shook his head as he spoke up.

"Uh-uh! I ain't down for that, especially not if I have to wear a skirt for it." Ryuji said, having flashbacks to when Angel and Julian tried to chase him down with a dress. Ren nodded as he spoke up.

"True. If anything, surfing would be much more Hawaiian-like from what I heard. But I doubt we'd have enough time to learn while we're here. Though I bet Ryuji would enjoy showing off on a surfboard if we did." Ren said with a smirk as the girls laughed at the contemplative look on Ryuji's face before the group headed back to the hotel...

(That evening, in the hotel room, with Ren and Mishima)

"Ah, we can finally take a breather, Amamiya-kun. Oh, by the way, you know how the polls for the Phan-Site's ranking's started, right?" Mishima asked Ren who nodded as he spoke up.

"Yeah, I've heard about it. Was that the new function you were alluding to the last time we hung out?" Ren asked Mishima. Mishima nodded as he spoke up.

"Yup! That's the one. It's been really lively, huh? I'm the one who made the website, but even I'm surprised. I can't believe I'm part of such a huge thing! I'm so glad I've been rooting for the Phantom Thieves! On the contrary, did you hear about Akechi, that detective against the Thieves? You know, the good-looking one. His popularity plummeted after Medjed was dealt with. Supposedly his official blog's up in flames. He posed as some hero of justice, but that's what he gets for not seeing eye to eye with them. To be blunt, I can't focus on this trip. I keep thinking about the Phantom Thieves. Don't you think about them too?" Mishima asked Ren who blinked and spoke up.

"Honestly? Yeah, I think about them. But I don't do it every moment of every day like you seem to." Ren said sagely as Mishima winced and spoke up.

"Yeah, I probably do take it a bit far, I suppose. Still, you sure are calm. Something this amazing rarely happens, you know? But, then again, I think I'm feeling a bit tired too, Amamiya-kun. Ahh, let's go to bed. Good night." Mishima said to Ren, who nodded as he wondered how Kusa's first day without the group went...

(Earlier that day, back in Japan, in Yongen-Jaya, at Shujin with Kusa and Morgana)

"Hopefully they're having fun in Hawaii." Kusa said in a conversational tone as Morgana nodded and spoke up from his bag.

"I'm sure they are. Personally, I'm not that worried about them. But back on topic, don't you have a Student Council meeting to get to?" Morgana said to Kusa, who blinked and nodded as he spoke up.

"Right! Thanks for the reminder! You need to stay in the bag and out of sight while that's happening, Morgana. I think Makoto would be okay with you listening in, but I dunno about the rest of the council. Plus, Makoto's not here, so I have to be cautious of how the others feel." Kusa said as Morgana nodded understandingly before disappearing into Kusa's bag to take a nap as he walked into the Student Council room.

"Morning, everyone. How're we holding up while our fellow council members are off on vacation?" Kusa said conversationally to the rest of the council. He mostly got a lot of nods of recognition as Minamoto, the acting leader in Makoto and Okumura's absence, spoke up.

"We're all holding up. I'm a bit shocked that President Niijima and Okumura-san were selected to be part of the third-year chaperone group. But I guess it makes sense, given that they have a high rapport with some of the staff. That said, in their absence, it falls to me to ensure that the rest of us keep the student council running in an efficient, professional manner. And with the help of Kanbara-kun and hopefully yourself, Amamiya-kun the younger, we can do just that.

That said, onto the first order of business. The trip is only expected to last for five days, and we're on day 1. So we'll have to keep this up for a few more days, and then probably another day or two after the others return so they can get over jet lag and the like while re-acclimating to our timezone after the few days in Hawaii's time zone.

Having said that, we also at some point this week need to start discussing plans for the upcoming student panel late next month. I know that some of the clubs had suggestions for activities, but we can't really vote on anything without the full council present, however we can toss out ideas to consider and eventually put the best ones up for consideration. So feel free to speak up if you have suggestions." Minamoto said. The other first-years murmured amongst themselves while Kanbara got a thoughtful look on his face as he spoke up.

"Minamoto-kun? If I might, I recall that usually we have a sharing festival after the panel, but I wonder if that tradition isn't getting a tad bit outdated? Plus I heard that the dance club had plans for some sort of an exhibition, so maybe we can look into that? That could be a good way to change things up." Kanbara said as Kusa blinked and spoke up.

"Sharing festival? Dance club? It might be the fact that I'm still only a first-year and still on my first year after transferring at that, but there's such a thing as a sharing festival? Also, we have a dance club? Interesting. But if they're planning on some sort of exhibition, why not just try to put together some kind of school dance for the night of the panel to happen afterwards? The exhibition from the dance club, if that's actually something they've got planned, can be the opening act for it, if nothing else. Plus, why not give Shujin some positive publicity by having something akin to a prom? Could be interesting.

Also, I don't know the rules on something like this, but if we do go with that idea, why not have it set up so that those who want to do so can ask people that aren't from Shujin to go to the dance with them. Or even people who transferred out of Shujin? Because, I know for a fact that quite a few people were into Suzui-san before her accident. Also, I hear she's rehabbing rather well.

That being said, maybe we can also use this dance to find out how much truth there is to the rumors on the school grapevine about her and Takamaki-san being closer than sisters. I personally put no stock in rumors, but when you hear something bandied about enough, well, it's only natural one would feel curious, am I right?" Kusa suggested as both Kanbara and Minamoto blinked in surprise, their faces adapting contemplative expressions as Minamoto nodded and spoke up.

"Those are all excellent suggestions, Amamiya-kun the younger. And to your questions, yes we have a sharing festival. It's a bit where people take turns sharing things about themselves. Like how last year, Okumura-san mentioned she was being considered for an arranged marriage, though we've heard nothing about that since. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if the purpose of the 'sharing festival' this year was to get dirt on that? And yes, we have a dance club. Though I wouldn't have taken you for being into dancing." Minamoto said to Kusa, who chuckled before he spoke up.

"Oh, I'm not. I was just surprised by it, that's all. Granted, considering that I practice the martial arts, that comes with a bit of needed footwork that could be seen as similar to dancing. That being said, I hear that some of the female first-years, such as Yoshizawa-san, apparently like to dance in their spare time. So if nothing else, a dance could be a great way to see people's moves. While I myself do dance a bit from time to time, I'm much more of a singer and writer than a dancer." Kusa said honestly, as Kanbara spoke up.

"Good point, Amamiya-kun the younger! Looks like President Niijima's gamble in choosing you is already paying dividends for us." Kanbara said as Minamoto nodded. After a while, a bunch more suggestions were made, and in the end, the only ones to get serious consideration were Kanbara and Kusa's suggestions, after which the student council meeting dispersed for the day. After the meeting, Kusa headed back to Leblanc with Morgana, where the former spent the rest of the day helping Sojiro while the latter just napped in Kusa's bag, then curled up on his chest as the two slept...

(The next day, back in Hawaii, with Ren, Ann, Makoto, and Ryuji, at the hotel lobby)

"Man, it's nothing but Japanese people 'round here. I thought we were gonna be getting alohas comin' from all directions and stuff!" Ryuji said as Ann spoke up with a smile.

"It costs money to enjoy that atmosphere, you know. There's not much we can do as students." Ann said as Makoto walked over and spoke up.

"I see. I guess it's the same no matter where we go, isn't it?" Makoto said flatly as Ryuji frowned in concern and spoke up.

"Hey, what's with the low energy, Makoto? You don't quite seem like yourself today." Ryuji asked Makoto, who frowned as she spoke u

"Sorry, just frustrated. I just had to listen to the taxi driver complain for thirty minutes straight. I'm used to dealing with students' troubles, but I never expected to have to do it overseas as well, to be honest." Makoto said as Ryuji, Ren and Ann all winced, the latter frowning sympathetically as she spoke up.

"Oof. That must have sucked." Ann said as Ryuji huffed and spoke up.

"True. You know, we should be doin' some more excitin' stuff! I mean, we're in freakin' Hawaii, for god's sake! Isn't the school supposed to plan stuff? I wanna go divin'!" Ryuji said as Makoto sighed and spoke up.

"I know how you feel, but it seems there wasn't enough time to come up with any kind of coordinated travel plan. That lack of coordination is what led to them using students, and third-years no less, as their proxies so that there'd be plenty of chaperones as well." Makoto said as Ryuji nodded before speaking up, turning towards Ren while he spoke.

"I see. Sorry I asked then. By the way, Ren, you said you're rooming with Mishima, right? How is it? Anythin' interestin'?" Ryuji asked Ren, who spoke up.

"To be honest? He almost never shuts up once he starts talking. Most of the time, it's about the Phan-Site, though he did let slip an interesting tidbit about one Akechi who's fan base is apparently dropping him, to borrow a turn of phrase I hear a lot from Kusa, 'like a bad habit', now that he's come out as against the Phantom Thieves. Apparently it's gotten to the point that his fan-blog is up in flames, whatever that means." Ren said honestly. Makoto blinked in surprise as she spoke up, eyes widened in slight surprise while she spoke.

"Really? Mishima-kun is the one who made the Phan-Site, correct?" Makoto said as Ryuji blinked and spoke up.

"Phan-Site? Oh yeah, Mishima did make that, didn't he? Y'know, I do hear people talking about the Phantom Thieves every so often around here." Ryuji said as Makoto blinked and spoke up, Ren's eyes widening at what Makoto said next.

"Really? Are they really mentioning us?" Makoto asked. Ryuji nodded and grinned as he spoke up, both him and Makoto ignoring the deadpan look on Ren's face while Ryuji spoke.

"I think so! We've already made our international debut! Man, just talkin' about that makes me wanna go back to Japan so bad!" Ryuji said as Ren spoke up.

"Dude, don't be in a rush. We're only here for five days, four at this point since yesterday was basically day 1. So chill out already. Japan will still be there when we get back. Besides, it's not like Kusa can't handle things while we're gone. And, if by some chance some sort of Metaverse shenanigans happen while we're gone, he's got Morgana and Futaba for back-up, and I have faith those three can handle it. So don't worry so much." Ren said to Ryuji. Ann nodded as she spoke up.

"I agree with Ren on this one. Ryuji, you've really got no chill." Ann said as Makoto frowned while speaking up.

"Come on, let's try and forget about those things for now." Makoto said as Ryuji huffed and spoke up, unaware of the new arrival who'd walked up next to him, despite Ren, Makoto and Ann all going wide-eyed in surprise as they noticed the new arrival.

"But people're waiting for us to fix society! We don't got time to be relaxin' over here! Ain't that right, Yusu-Wait. What the hell!?" Ryuji said as he finally noticed Yusuke next to him, who smiled as he spoke up.

"Overseas travel provides a great opportunity for new insight. I'd prefer we stay here a bit longer." Yusuke said as Ann blinked and spoke up in surprise.

"What are you doing here!?" Ann asked Yusuke, voicing her thoughts as well as those of Ren, Makoto, and Ryuji, in that one sentence. Makoto nodded.

"Exactly, Ann! And Yusuke, wasn't your school supposed to be going to Los Angeles!?" Makoto asked Yusuke, who frowned as he spoke up.

"That was the plan, yes. However, apparently they couldn't land the plane due to a terrible storm brewing on the west coast. There were no signs of it letting up, so our destination was changed on the spot to Hawaii." Yusuke said as Ryuji slumped over as he spoke up.

"Do you just bring rain wherever you go!?" Ryuji asked Yusuke as Makoto frowned and spoke up.

"Hm? If that's the case, could it be that what happened at the fireworks festival was his fault as well?" Makoto asked as Ann frowned and looked at Yusuke while speaking up.

"Regardless, don't go bringing any storms here, you got that Yusuke?" Ann said to Yusuke who nodded as he spoke up.

"Understood. I'll do my best, though I don't think I agree with you trying to say that rain is my fault." Yusuke said. Makoto then spoke up at that point.

"By the way, there's nothing planned after this. What are you all going to do?" Makoto asked the others as Ryuji blinked and spoke up.

"Uh, what? Oh yeah, I still gotta buy souvenirs. My mom asked me to grab some stuff for her." Ryuji said as Ann blinked and spoke up.

"Oh crap, I totally forgot about that! We also need to pick things up for Kusa, Futaba, and Morgana as well." Ann said as Yusuke nodded and spoke up.

"I was hoping to do some shopping myself." Yusuke said as Ren chuckled and spoke up, unable to resist a joke.

"With what money? Did you save up pocket change to have spending money for this trip, Yusuke?" Ren asked, making a reference to Yusuke being bad with a budget. Makoto spoke up with a smile, not hearing Ren's remark.

"Then it's settled. I wonder what Morgana would want for a souvenir, never mind what Futaba and Kusa would want." Makoto said as Ryuji huffed and spoke up.

"Man, our group's totally the same, even outside of Japan. This isn't much of a vacation." Ryuji said as Ann and Makoto laughed as the group went out shopping...

(A bit later, in the shopping area with Ann, Makoto, Ryuji, Yusuke, and Ren)

"Huh, I didn't realize Big Bang Burger was in Hawaii, too." Ann said as Ryuji spoke up.

"Yeah, it's been gettin' real popular in Japan lately. I guess they wanted to branch out." Ryuji said as Makoto smiled and spoke up.

"That's true. Now that you mention it, I read a news article recently about the success of Okumura Foods." Makoto said as Yusuke nodded before he spoke up.

"Ah, yes. The company that owns Big Bang Burger." Yusuke said as Ryuji blinked in surprise as he spoke up.

"Okumura, you said? Ain't that the guy who's at the top of the Phan-Site rankings?" Ryuji asked as Makoto blinked in surprise at this.

"Is that true?" Makoto asked Ryuji, who nodded confidently while speaking up.

"I guarantee it. I don't make mistakes about that kinda stuff." Ryuji said as Ren spoke up.

"Sure you don't. That said, Okumura Foods? Isn't there also an Okumura who goes to our school? I wanna say I remember Kusa and I hearing someone addressing an Okumura-san once while we were headed up to meet Ryuji up on the rooftop back when the three of us started exploring the Metaverse." Ren said. Ryuji huffed as he spoke up in slight annoyance while Makoto stifled a giggle behind her hand as Ryuji spoke.

"Do I hear sarcasm?" Ryuji asked Ren, but Yusuke spoke up before Ren could.

"Hm? What's the matter?" Yusuke asked as Makoto got her giggle under control before she spoke up.

"Oh, it's probably nothing. Just a rumor I heard about Okumura Foods. And Ren, to your question, yes there is an Okumura-san at our school. She's a third year, like me. She and I serve on the Student Council together. That said, let's get back on topic. Supposedly, if the rumors are true at least, all of their overseas competition has mysteriously pulled out. Never mind, I'm surely just overthinking things. Sis's habits seem to be rubbing off on me." Makoto said as Ryuji spoke up with a grin.

"Rubbing off, you say? I didn't think that was a thing sisters did? But in all seriousness, why don't we take a pic together!? Y'know, so we can remember the trip and all!" Ryuji said as Ann spoke up before Makoto could do more than frown at Ryuji's comment about rubbing off and it not being a thing sisters did, smiling a closed eyed smile while she spoke.

"Ooh, good idea!" Ann said as Ren spoke up with a nod.

"I agree. I can even take the picture, since I took the last picture." Ren said as Makoto blinked and spoke up.

"Are you sure you don't want to be in it? Thanks." Makoto said as the group lined up together in front of Ren while Yusuke spoke up with a closed-eye smile.

"I only ask that you ensure the composition is well-balanced." Yusuke said as Ann frowned and spoke up.

"Ugh, can you not worry about that stuff for one second?" Ann asked Yusuke as Ryuji grinned and spoke up.

"Go for it, Ren." Ryuji said as Ren nodded and spoke up.

"Okay. Hopefully this one turns out as well as the other one did. Anyways, smile for the camera!" Ren said as he took the picture, which had Ann doing a closed eye smile and Ryuji doing a 'rock-on'/'hang ten' type hand gesture while smiling. Afterwards, Ann spoke up, still smiling a closed-eye smile.

"We still have some time to spare, right? Where to next?" Ann suggested as Ryuji spoke up.

"There's a convenience store down by the beach. How 'bout there?" Ryuji suggested as Yusuke nodded and spoke up.

"That sounds lovely. I would quite like a short rest." Yusuke said as Makoto nodded, speaking up with a smile.

"All right, let's head over there." Makoto said as the group headed to the convenience store...

(A short time later, at the beach, with Ryuji, Yusuke, Ren, Ann, and Makoto)

"Don't you think the food 'round here's kinda salty?" Ryuji asked as Ann nodded and spoke up.

"You might be right, Ryuji. Oh, shoot! I forgot my sunscreen. Oh well, I'm going to go buy another bottle at the convenience store." Ann said as Makoto spoke up with a closed-eye smile.

"I'll go with you." Makoto said as she and Ann walked off, after which Yusuke spoke up.

"I guess we will need to wait for them to come back." Yusuke said as Ryuji spoke up in a whiny tone.

"I'm so bored, though. By the way, you think we're the thieves everyone here's been goin' on about? It'd be pretty freaking crazy if that was true, right?" Ryuji said with a grin as Ren spoke up.

"That would be rather crazy. Still, there's no way that's the case. I doubt the Phantom Thieves are that popular yet that we've gotten overseas recognition." Ren said. Yusuke spoke up at that point.

"Hm? I had not heard of such rumors. It sounds wonderful. We are already here, so why don't we confirm if that is the case?" Yusuke suggested as Ryuji grinned and spoke up.

"Oh! Good idea! Let's try askin' around while we wait for Ann and Makoto!" Ryuji said as the group nodded. They found a man nearby that they asked about the rumors. The man smiled as he spoke up.

"Hm? Oh, I've heard of the Phantom Thieves, In fact, I'm a big fan! It's so awesome how they kick the bad guys' asses! I wonder how they steal hearts, though." The dark-skinned man said as Yusuke spoke up in surprise.

"Huh. He actually seems to be quite knowledgeable." Yusuke said as Ryuji spoke up with a grin.

"Dude! Damn, it's crazy how many people know about us! This is freakin' awesome!" Ryuji said as Ren approached another man and asked him about the Phantom Thieves.

"Phantom Thieves? Oh, like the ones from Japan?" The light-skinned man said as Ryuji spoke up in surprise.

"Whoa! Oooooh!" Ryuji said as the light-skinned man kept speaking.

"I read about them in a news article recently. What of it?" The light-skinned man said as Ryuji grinned and spoke up.

"That's actually all I wanted to know. Thanks!" Ryuji said as the group kept moving. Eventually they asked a dark-skinned lady about the Phantom Thieves, and she spoke up.

"Phantom Thieves? I've never heard of them. You kids are from Japan, right? Are these Phantom Thieves special people like samurai or geisha?" The dark-skinned lady asked as Yusuke frowned and spoke up.

"Hm, I suppose that understanding isn't necessarily incorrect for someone from a foreign country like yourself." Yusuke said. After that, the group looked around before blinking as they spotted a familiar-looking poofy-haired brunette sitting on a nearby bench wearing a purple dress and black stiletto heels with white knee-length socks. Ryuji blinked and spoke up as they got closer to the brunette.

"Huh? Hey, ain't she kinda cute? Maybe we should ask her some questions too." Ryuji said as Ren spoke up with a frown.

"Ryuji, are you really that oblivious? That's the girl you almost walked into the other day when we got to school. Remember? She was watering some flowers. Plus, as I recall, both Kusa and Makoto mentioned she's on the student council with them. If I'm right, she's a third-year, and thus a bit older than us." Ren said to Ryuji who blinked then gasped as he spoke up.

"Huh!? Oh crap, you're right! She totally is that girl! Well, no wonder she's so cute. I recall I called her fine that day." Ryuji said as Ren and Yusuke winced before the three approached the poofy-haired brunette, who looked up in surprise as she spoke up.

"Ah, you're all second-years, right? Though I don't remember seeing a blue-haired second year on the trip, aside from Mishima-kun, but he very clearly wasn't wearing blue. That said, free time is almost up. Shouldn't you be heading back soon?" The brunette asked as Ren spoke up.

"True. But first, are you a Shujin student? Both Makoto and my younger brother Kusa seem to recognize you, considering you apparently are on the student council with them, which would actually render my question a bit moot. So instead, what about you?" Ren asked the brunette who blinked in surprise as she spoke up.

"Oh, yes. Wait, did you say Kusa? Are you Amamiya-kun the elder, by chance? I've heard about you a bit, but not had a chance to really put a face to the name really yet. And by the way? Your blond friend seemed very excited on the airplane coming here." The brunette said with a giggle as Ren winced and spoke up.

"Yep, that would be Ryuji for you. He gets easily excitable, but he's a good guy despite that. And to your question, yes I am Amamiya-kun the elder." Ren said conversationally as Ryuji spoke up.

"Y'know Ren, I wasn't sure you were right when you mentioned it at first? But now that I look at her, I think you're right." Ryuji said to Ren before turning to the poofy-haired brunette as he kept speaking.

"Hey, you're that girl we saw watering the plants!" Ryuji said in surprise as he realized Ren was right. The brunette smiled as she spoke up.

"Sorry to surprise you. I'm another third-year who was asked to come chaperone this trip. I accepted the task to take my mind off of things, but I wasn't sure how to spend my free time while I'm here." The poofy-haired brunette said as Ann's voice could be heard at that point.

"We're here!" Ann called out as she and Makoto returned from the store. The brunette winced as she spoke up.

"I think that's your friends? In that case, I think I should be going. See you." The brunette said as she walked off as Ann and Makoto walked over, the former speaking up.

"Sorry, were you waiting long?" Ann asked. Makoto blinked as she spoke up.

"Hm? That girl you were talking to just now, Ren-kun. Do you know her?" Makoto asked as Yusuke spoke up before Ren could do so.

"No, that was my first interaction with her. She said she was a third-year. Same as you, Makoto." Yusuke said as Ren spoke up.

"To your question, I don't know her personally. But apparently Kusa at least somewhat knows of her, since he pointed her out to Ryuji and I the other day when we saw her out in front of Shujin watering some flowers." Ren said as Makoto nodded while speaking up.

"Mm-hm. I've never really spoken to her though, even though we're on the student council together. Ah, but it looks like our free time is over. Unfortunate, but it is what it is. Let's head back to the hotel." Makoto said as the group headed back to the hotel...

(Around that same time, back at the hotel)

Kawakami posed in front of a mirror as she looked at herself while wearing a bikini with a white tropical shirt to cover the top. She then frowned as she spoke up.

"Ugh, what am I doing? I feel like such an idiot for getting psyched like this and all. Then again, we ARE on a trip, so it's not a bad thing." Kawakami said as she heard footsteps entering her room before she heard a female voice speak up.

"Excuse me, Miss Kawakami? About the post-beach plans-" Okumura said as Kawakami turned around and gasped as she spoke up.

"Aaaaah!" Kawakami said in shock as Okumura blinked and spoke up in surprise.

"Um, did I find you at a bad time?" Okumura asked. Kawakami shook her head quickly as she spoke up.

"N-Not at all! What's the matter!?" Kawakami asked as the two spoke...

(A bit later, back in Yongen-Jaya, at the Sakura household with Kusa, Morgana and Futaba)

"Aha! Found it! One after another too. How easy." Futaba said as Morgana spoke up.

"What did you find?" Morgana said as Futaba spoke up.

"Still working. Can't tell you." Futaba said to Morgana as Kusa chuckled and spoke up.

"You walked right into that one, you know, Morgana. Of course she can't tell you. But when she can, she probably will tell you, so be patient." Kusa said sagely as Futaba nodded and chuckled as Morgana frowned and spoke to himself.

"I see. She can handle this without me, then." Morgana said to himself as Futaba spoke up.

"Oooh, so much." Futaba said as Morgana spoke up in a dejected tone.

"All I'm good for is driving them around in Mementos, and maybe instructing the occasional newbie to the group. Otherwise, I'm basically useless to the group." Morgana said as Kusa frowned and spoke up.

"Not true, Morgana-sensei! You're also the veteran Persona user that the rest of us turn to for guidance from time to time. Plus, you're that oddly comforting presence in Ren and I's lives that has made us both better for knowing you. Really, we've all been made better for knowing you, Morgana. Don't feel so bad." Kusa said as he gently scooped up Morgana and set him on his lap as he gave him some comforting pats. Futaba frowned as she turned to look at Morgana and spoke up.

"Kitty! Your mumbling's distracting me! If you got something to say, just spit it out." Futaba said rebukingly as Morgana frowned from in Kusa's lap as he spoke up.

"It's nothing." Morgana said as Futaba got up to pet Morgana a bit while playing with his face in the way she tended to do, speaking up as she did so.

"What were you saying!?" Futaba asked Morgana who huffed at Futaba's attentions and spoke up.

"Lemme go!" Morgana said as Futaba spoke up with a smile.

"You feel so nice." Futaba said as Kusa laughed at Futaba's remark before smiling at Morgana as he spoke up.

"Ignoring how potentially awkward that wording choice is, there you go, Morgana. You've got the ladies showing you affection already. So there. You're not useless!" Kusa said with a smirk. Morgana frowned as he spoke up, frowning as he spoke up.

"I do not! And Kusa, this is NOT what I meant when I said I wanted the ladies to like me!" Morgana said as Futaba spoke up.

"So smooth and silky. It's kinda hard to believe fur this soft belongs to a human." Futaba said as Kusa spoke up.

"It's probably so silky because I gave him a bath recently with some fancy shampoo I found in my bag. Apparently it's moisturizing and makes your hair feel smooth and silky to the touch. So the fact you said that means it's doing its' job. Hm, maybe I should try using it myself once in a while, just to see if it makes any difference with my hair?" Kusa said, getting a contemplative look on his face. Morgana huffed as he spoke up, slightly annoyed at Futaba calling him a cat.

"Don't make me say it again! I'm a human, not a cat!" Morgana said as Futaba spoke up.

"You say that, but could you just be assuming that? I had the wrong assumptions about my mom for the longest time." Futaba said to Morgana. Morgana frowned as he spoke up.

"Yes, well, that's not the same! I understand myself better than anyone!" Morgana said as Kusa frowned and spoke up.

"I get you're in a bit of a mood Morgana, but kindly keep your tone at least conversational when you're speaking. In a mood or not, I'll not have you being rude to Taba." Kusa said as Futaba spoke up.

"That's true, Morgana." Futaba said as Morgana sighed and looked at Kusa before curling up on Kusa's lap while Futaba went back to her work...

(Back in Hawaii, in the evening, in their shared hotel room with Ren and Mishima)

"There are even more posts now than there were before. Oh, wow! The president of a company called Okumura Foods is rising very quickly up the rankings!" Mishima said as Ren spoke up.

"You're looking now? I didn't think the Phan-Site was updated so late at night?" Ren said. Mishima spoke up with a frown.

"Come on, you can't let this chance pass you by! It's rumored that Okumura Foods exploits their employees. Stuff like underpaying staff to reduce labor costs. That's how they have so many stores, supposedly." Mishma said as there was a knock at the door, followed by a familiar 'wassup?' from outside as Ren and Mishima blinked before the latter got up to let Ryuji in. Ryuji spoke up once he sat down on the bed.

"Yo." Ryuji said as Mishima blinked before speaking up in confusion.

"Why are you here?" Mishima asked as Ryuji spoke up, a surprised look on his face.

"Just hear me out! The guy I'm roomin' with went and brought his girlfriend back to his room! I felt totally awkward stayin' in there with them. I'm just gonna sleep here tonight." Ryuji said as Mishima frowned and spoke up.

"Even though there are only two beds?" Mishima said as Ren spoke up.

"There's also a sofa in here as well, and a good bit of room on the ground. So if we had to, we could easily fit at least one more in here, maybe two if whoever else comes is okay with possibly sleeping on the floor." Ren said. Almost as if on cue, another knock was heard on the door as Mishima got up and spoke up.

"Coming!" Mishima said as he went to get the door. Ren blinked as he spoke up to Ryuji.

"Wait, for real? I was totally joking, Ryuji. I didn't actually think someone else would show up." Ren said to Ryuji, who nodded, before both their eyes widened at what Mishima said next.

"Takamaki?" Mishima asked, making Ren and Ryuji exchanged surprised looks, before sure enough, Ann walked in and sat down on the other bed as she spoke up.

"Ugh, the girl I was sharing with took off to her boyfriend's room!" Ann said as Ryuji blinked and spoke up.

"Damn, I know that feelin'!" Ryuji said as Ann frowned while she kept speaking.

"AND! She took the key! I stepped outside for just a second, and the autolock kicked in! I can't get back in my room!" Ann said as Ren spoke up.

"That sucks, Ann." Ren said as Ryuji frowned at Mishima and spoke up.

"Huh? You're lookin' at stuff online even over here?" Ryuji asked as Mishima nodded.

"Yep. Ever since the Medjed case, many people from overseas have been accessing the website. Isn't it crazy? The Phantom Thieves are finally making their worldwide debut! Oh! What should I do about overseas requests?" Mishima asked as Ann spoke up.

"Huh? O-Oh, I don't think we're the ones you should ask about that, Mishima-kun. Besides, how would they get overseas to handle said requests? It's not like they can just travel overseas with a phone app or anything." Ann said. Mishima spoke up at that point.

"That's a fair point. But more importantly, they took down Medjed! I wonder who they'll bring justice to next? It's not just Japan anymore. The whole world's waiting to see the Phantom Thieves' next big move." Mishima said as Ann spoke up.

"Oh, that reminds me. What time is it?" Ann asked as Ryuji yawned and spoke up.

"Ohh, so sleepy. And I dunno. I'm feelin' pretty pooped. You think this could be that jet lag thing?" Ryuji said as Ann spoke up, unaware of the reactions her next comment would get.

"It'll be too much hassle for me to go anywhere else. I'll just sleep in here tonight." Ann said as Ryuji and Mishima's eyes went wide at this while Ren shrugged and spoke up.

"I mean, I have no problems with that, but it's also up to Mishima, since it's his room as well. And I guess we'd be hypocrites to a point, if we let Ryuji stay and not you." Ren said as Ryuji blinked and spoke up.

"Wait, what!? I-I dunno if that's such a good idea." Ryuji said as Ren frowned at him and spoke up.

"Are you serious, Ryuji? Ann got locked out of her room. And considering the people at the desk probably left for the night, odds are she can't ask them to let her back in. So where else does she have to go?" Ren said. Ann nodded, speaking up with a closed-eye smile.

"Don't worry. Ren and I consider each other like siblings, and I trust the two of you, Ryuji and Mishima-kun." Ann said with a closed-eye smile as Ryuji sighed and spoke up.

"I saw that one comin', to be honest." Ryuji said as Mishima frowned and spoke up.

"That's fine with me, but still, there's only two beds. Even if someone sleeps on the sofa, two of us will have to share, unless someone makes a bed up on the floor." Mishima said as Ryuji spoke up.

"Dude, none of us are gonna share! One of us is gonna have to sleep on the floor. So, who's that gonna be?" Ryuji said as Ren spoke up.

"Before anything else, I think common courtesy and good manners both dictate that Ann gets one of the beds by default, since she's a lady. And since Mishima and I are the ones actually assigned to this room, one of us should get the other bed. Meaning, one of us guys will be sleeping on the floor." Ren said as Ryuji blinked as he noticed something and spoke up.

"Oh, hey. Playin' cards! Why don't we use these to decide?" Ryuji suggested as Mishima nodded. After a quick draw, Mishima had drawn the high card out of the three guys, giving him the other bed. And because of Ren's point about it being his and Mishima's hotel room, Ren got the couch and Ryuji had to take the floor. Ryuji huffed and complained about it.

"Oh, come on! I know it was fair and square, but dammit! I'm all the way in Hawaii, and I'm stuck sleeping on the floor! This blows! Oh hey, where'd Mishima go?" Ryuji asked as Ann spoke up from where she was laying on one of the beds.

"He's in the bathroom." Ann said as Ryuji spoke up with a frown.

"Ain't he been in there a while?" Ryuji said as Ren spoke up.

"I'm not surprised. Between the fact he was drinking the tap water, and the fact there's a pretty lady in the room, I can probably take a pretty educated guess on why he's been in there so long. But I'll spare Ann the details, since that's not the sort of thing one typically mentions around a lady." Ren said sagely. Ann smiled as she spoke up.

"The school trip. This is unreal that we're here now. To be honest? Shiho was really looking forward to this. It's a shame she had to transfer and thus missed it. I kinda wish she could've gotten to come with us, if only so I could've roomed with her." Ann said in an almost sad tone as Ryuji sat up and spoke up with a frown.

"Ann, that's terrible. Though maybe if you had gotten to room with her, maybe you'd have been able to confess to her while you two were here?" Ryuji said. Ann flushed a bit as she spoke up.

"R-Ryuji! Not so loud! I don't think Mishima realizes I swing that way! And I know he doesn't realize I like Shiho that way. That said, sorry. I didn't mean to drag the mood down. But it's already been almost six months since then, hasn't it? This all feels so strange." Ann said as Ryuji spoke up, his next words making Ann and Ren's eyes both widen in shock at what he said next while he spoke.

"Right? Hard to believe the rowdy kids at school are now famous all over the world." Ryuji said as Ren spoke up.

"Ryuji! Not so loud! I don't think Mishima's put two and two together about us yet!" Ren quietly rebuked Ryuji. Ann smiled as she spoke up.

"Right? That said, don't you two think we still have a lot to learn about each other, though? You know, thinks like what kind of people we like, crushes, things like that. So, time to come clean, Ryuji." Ann said as Ryuji's eyes went wide in surprise while he spoke up.

"Me!? Uhhh, well, I suppose there IS someone I like. But she's kind of a little older than I am, so I dunno if she has that high of an opinion of younger guys or not. That said, where it comes to girls, they've gotta have a good personality. I'm okay with anyone who's modest and nice, to be honest." Ryuji said as Ren grinned and spoke up.

"Dude, you sound SO much like Kusa right now. That's nearly verbatim the sort of answer he'd have given to that question, though he'd have also mentioned that he doesn't just focus on such things as looks and personality. He also bases his opinions of girls on what he called inner and outer beauty. Though he tries not to do so that much. That said, I think we ALL know who he's got his eyes on." Ren said with a smirk. Ann blinked at this and spoke up.

"Oh? What about if two girls with equally good personalities confessed to you at the same time?" Ann asked Ryuji, who frowned as he spoke up, not seeing Ren wince at his response while he spoke.

"If they're equally nice? I guess, then it'd hafta be the one one with the better bod. While I do look for personality and character in a girl, looks are also a key factor in how I look at a girl." Ryuji said as Ann spoke up with a frown.

"So looks are what's most important to you?" Ann asked as Ryuji frowned and spoke up in surprise.

"WHAT!?" Ryuji said as Ann giggled and spoke up.

"You heard me. Your first answer was just superficial. The second answer was your true beliefs. Huh, so you really are that type of guy, eh Ryuji?" Ann said as Ryuji huffed and spoke up, while Ren was trying not to laugh on the couch at Ryuji's put-out expression while Ryuji spoke.

"That ain't fair!" Ryuji said huffily as Ann sat up to look at Ren while she spoke up.

"What about you, Ren? C'mon, spill the beans. What kind of girl is your type?" Ann said as Ren thought about it before he spoke up.

"To be honest? I dunno if I have a 'type', per se. But I suppose if I had to describe the kind of girl I like? I'd say one who's both very intelligent, but also not afraid to be herself, and has a great personality. If she happens to be athletic and have an amazing figure? That'd just be the icing on the cake. As long as they're nice, and pleasant to be around, I only look at a girl's looks as an afterthought. After all, not every relationship is going to be an instantaneous one based on looks alone. I say that from experience. One time in fifth grade, I saw this really pretty red-head and tried to impress her by solving some puzzles.

Needless to say I spectacularly failed at doing so, and had to have Kusa bail me out by doing the puzzles for me. Luckily, the red-head in question just patted me on the shoulder and said she was impressed I tried at all. She thought I wouldn't have had the guts to do it, but she was impressed that I did. Of course, her words were made moot a few days later when it was found out she was into women after she got caught in a closet making out with her best friend, who is also a girl. Bit of a nasty shock for me, but I was just as happy that she was happy.

Although, I never did get her name, but I vaguely recall a few of the girls at the party referring to her as Yoshzawa-san? So maybe she's related to the Yoshizawa I know? I know for a fact they weren't the same girl though, since the one I knew had a darker shade of red for her hair color and a beauty mark on one side of her face, whereas the one I know now has a lighter shade of red for her hair color and no beauty mark. So maybe they could be related?" Ren said with a shrug. Ryuji frowned as he spoke up.

"You totally dodged the question, Ren! Although you did mention that you prefer your girls smart and made a mention of being athletic. I wonder, could you be talking about who I think you're talking about!? Well, whatever. We answered the question honestly, Ann. It's your turn next. So, what kinda guy do you-" Ryuji started to ask before Mishima's voice could be heard inside the bathroom.

"S-Someone help me." Mishima said as Ryuji spoke up once more.

"So, what kinda guy do you-" Ryuji started to say again before Mishima's voice once more cut across what he was trying to say.

"Ugh! M-My stomach! Hrgh, bleagh!" Mishima said, sounding like he was being ill as Ann frowned and spoke up.

"That doesn't sound good at all." Ann said as Ryuji frowned and spoke up.

"Y'know, didn't Ren here say that Mishima was drinkin' the tap water earlier? That's like, the ONE thing you're not supposed to do when you're outta the country." Ryuji said as the others shrugged...

(Meanwhile, back in Japan, in the SIU Director's office)

"No, I believe that is a wise decision. Though it was some third-rate tabloid's article, unnecessary information was leaked, after all. Besides, his investigation of the Phantom Thieves showed no progress since then, despite being warned about it numerous times." The SIU Director said as he listened to the voice on the other end and spoke up.

"Yes, there's a possibility that he'll betray us out of spite since he was let go." The SIU Director said before going silent briefly as the voice on the other end spoke and he nodded before speaking up once more.

"Oh? Well then, we'll make it so that it was a 'heart attack'. As usual, he'll be left to deal with the-" The SIU Director said before the voice on the other end spoke up to cut off what he was saying making the SIU Director smile as he spoke up.

"Oh? I wouldn't have thought of that. Well played, sir. It no longer matters if we deal with one or two of those connected to us." The SIU director said ominously...

(Around that same time, at the Sakura household, in Futaba's room, with Futaba, Kusa and Morgana)

Futaba idly hummed to herself as she kept working, Kusa smiling as he got comfortable while he watched Futaba work. Morgana, for his part, curled up inside Kusa's bag, which he'd left on the floor by Futaba's bed, and took a nap. After a bit, Futaba smiled and spoke up.

"Hm? Well, that should be a good enough point to leave off at for the night. Can't be up all night working on this, after all. Plus, that would be rude of me to ignore my company all night. Then again, I get the feeling present company is okay with watching me work, aren't you Kusa?" Futaba said with a wry smirk on her face as Kusa blinked before he nodded and spoke up

"You're not wrong at all, Taba. Plus I realize you have a lot of work to do, so I was trying to just stay quiet and let you get as much of it done as you could. However, I was planning to speak up if I thought you'd been working for too long. But you seem to have that figured out rather well for yourself. I'm impressed. How far did you get, anyways?" Kusa asked Futaba, who smiled at Kusa as she spoke up.

"I got a bit over halfway through the work. I figure, another couple of steady days of working on it and I'll have it done. With any luck I'll have it finished by the time the others get back from their trip. But for tonight, I think I've earned a bit of a break. And, as much fun as cuddling with you on the hide-a-bed is, I think I'm feeling a bit more adventurous, so what say we go back to Leblanc, and we can curl up together on the bed or sofa upstairs tonight?

I doubt Sojiro will mind, especially if I help out around Leblanc a bit tomorrow before heading back here to continue working on this. And since we're supposed to be watching Morgana, we'll just let him sleep it off downstairs." Futaba said as Kusa smiled and spoke up.

"If you think you can work that out, I have no objection whatsoever to you coming back to Leblanc with me, Taba. As long as you're happy, that's enough for me." Kusa said with a nod and a smile. Futaba giggled and spoke up.

"Don't be silly, Kusa. I'm always happy when I'm with you." Futaba said as she got up to hug Kusa gently, smiling as she looked into his eyes.

"Plus, without Ren there, we could technically use the bed to cuddle on if we so chose." Futaba said mischievously, making Kusa flush a bit before he frowned and spoke up.

"That's true, we could do that. But what do you expect Ren to tell Yoshizawa if she asks him why his bed smells like other women if he invites her to see his room at some point down the line?" Kusa asked Futaba, who giggled and spoke up.

"He can tell her it was his maid, since it's the truth. He's had a maid fall asleep in his bed at least once so far that my bug's caught. Though I don't know why he called the maid Kawakami at one point. That's an odd thing to call a maid." Futaba said as Kusa's eyes went wide in realization before he spoke up in a mix of shock and surprise.

"Did you say Kawakami!? No way! If what you said is right, and I have every reason to trust that it is since it's coming from you, that means Ren's mystery Confidant is his effing homeroom teacher!? Damn Ren, you know how to play with fire, don't you sir?" Kusa said in wide-eyed horror, making Futaba giggle as she spoke up.

"I think you mean that Ren could be mistaken for being 'hot for teacher'? Hee hee." Futaba said as Kusa groaned before speaking up with a smile.

"Taba, that was a terrible pun. But the sad part is, you might not be wrong? However, I believe he only sees her as a friend. He told me himself he's in love with Yoshizawa, so I doubt he'd risk that for his teacher. Not only would that be idiotic of him, but it'd be the height of hypocrisy. After all, the first target we went after was a teacher who was having illicit relations and affairs with his students. Why would Ren then partake of the same stuff we targeted Kamoshida over? I don't think Ren's that big of a hypocrite. Ryuji, MAYBE, though I doubt it, but not Ren." Kusa said as Futaba nodded.

"Good point. So, shall we head over to Leblanc then?" Futaba said as Kusa nodded before he spoke up.

"Actually, first, if you're planning to stay overnight, you should bring some pajamas to change into, unless you just plan to sleep in your underwear?" Kusa said as Futaba blinked at the comment before smirking as she spoke up.

"Don't tempt me, Kusa. I've not tried that around others yet, but it could be interesting to try, if only to see your reaction to it." Futaba said as Kusa flushed and spoke up.

"Don't tease me like that, you silly minx! And for the record, I sleep in a muscle shirt and boxers, so it's not like I have no experience with that being a form of pajamas. And to be quite honest? That would probably make for a rather glorious view if you did do that, Taba. But for real, probably grab the PJs, if only to spare us both a pissed-off Sojiro if he comes to check on you and has a heart attack when and/or if he sees you like that with me. Very easy to confuse something like that as untoward things happening, after all." Kusa said, as Futaba nodded and spoke up.

"True. Good point, Kusa. Very well, let me grab those real fast, then we'll go. You can carry Morgana when we go." Futaba said as Kusa nodded, carefully slinging his bag over his shoulder as he got ready to go, being careful not to wake Morgana as he did so. After Futaba picked out a slinky but comfortable set of pajamas, the two headed back to Leblanc, where Sojiro blinked on seeing Futaba with Kusa, prompting him to speak up.

"Oh? What's Futaba doing here with you, Kusa?" Sojiro asked as Kusa spoke up.

"She got done with her work for the evening, and then decided she wanted to come spend some time with me up in the attic, probably hanging out watching TV and stuff. I told her she should clear it with you first, since the last thing any of us wants is you feeling like we're trying to undermine you or go against your wishes." Kusa said honestly as Sojiro smirked and spoke up.

"Honestly? As long as you go to school during the day, and Futaba's happy, I don't much care what you do, within reason. All I ask is that you keep her wishes in mind with whatever you decide to do." Sojiro said as Kusa nodded his agreement as Futaba spoke up.

"Relax, Sojiro! I asked him if I could come here. Besides, I'd have thought you'd be happy seeing me out and about like this?" Futaba said knowingly. Sojiro nodded and spoke up.

"That is true. I do like seeing you out and about. Well, it's fine with me. Go have fun, you two. But not TOO much fun. I get you two are smitten with one another, but don't go too far, too fast." Sojiro said as Kusa and Futaba nodded before disappearing upstairs, the latter setting his bag on the ledge by the steps as he got upstairs and turned to Futaba.

"So, bed or the sofa?" Kusa asked Futaba, who looked at the TV and smiled at Kusa before she spoke up.

"Considering how small that TV is, I'd say the sofa. We can both fit on it, plus I doubt we'd be able to see the screen from on the bed. Plus you had that point about Ren using the bed most of the time, and I do actually think he and Yoshizawa are super adorable together." Futaba said as Kusa nodded, turning on the TV and trying to get a cable signal on it, when Futaba spoke up.

"If you have nothing else to watch, we can watch that movie that's out on the counter. I believe it says it's called 'Mouse, M.D.'?" Futaba suggested as Kusa nodded.

"Good idea, Taba. Let's do that. Much faster than dealing with cable setup." Kusa said as he put the movie in and hit play before getting comfortable on the sofa with Futaba. As the movie went on, the two watched it attentively, even if it was the part Ren and Kusa had already watched. As the movie ended, Kusa looked down, smiling as he saw Futaba dozing off contentedly, her head laid cutely on his chest.

Kusa smiled as he turned off the TV with a yawn and leaned over to gently press his lips to Futaba's before he could stop himself, quickly pulling away as he smiled and positioned Futaba so she was comfortable on his chest, eventually falling asleep for the night with Futaba in his arms, neither aware of Sojiro coming upstairs to drape a blanket over the two, smiling at the rather peaceful and contented look on Futaba's face as she laid in Kusa's arms...

(The next day, back in Hawaii, with Mishima, Ren and Ryuji at the hotel)

"Our trip is almost over, guys. By tomorrow night, we'll be in the airplane heading home." Mishima said as Ryuji frowned and spoke up.

"Dammit, this isn't how stuff was supposed to go!" Ryuji said as Mishima frowned and spoke up.

"What do you mean?" Mishima asked uncertainly as Ryuji huffed and spoke up.

"What I mean is that we ended up walkin' around, much the same as we always do in Japan. I thought vacations meant a departure from the usual routine? I mean, we even ate at a freakin' Big Bang Burger. It's like we never left!" Ryuji said. Mishima frowned as he spoke up.

"While that is true, whine all you like, but that's what the trip was supposed to be." Mishima said as Ryuji frowned and spoke up.

"But weren't some other guys gettin' all cozy with their girlfriends or some shit?" Ryuji asked as Ren scoffed and spoke up.

"Even if they were, that shouldn't mean anything to us. After all, neither of you even has a girl interested in you, well Mishima doesn't at least, and while I DO have a girl I'm interested in, she's off somewhere else for her training camp, so the odds of finding her here in Hawaii are pretty well slim to none." Ren pointed out dryly as Mishima spoke up.

"I think you're right, Amamiya-kun. And also, if you mean Yoshizawa-san, don't be so sure. I saw online that the team she was picked for has their training camp here in Hawaii this week, by some crazy coincidence. That said, maybe you're right too, Sakamoto." Mishima said as Ren blinked at this, only for Ryuji to speak up before Ren could do so.

"Then that's it! That's what this trip is missin'! C'mon, we totally got get moving during our free time in the afternoon." Ryuji said as Mishima spoke up.

"What are we going to do?" Mishima asked as Ryuji spoke up with a pumped fist and a determined frown.

"Make a once-in-a-lifetime summer memory, of course! Hawaii's famous for it's beaches, and y'know what they say. 'What happens in Hawaii STAYS in Hawaii!" Ryuji said with a grin. Ren huffed at this but Ryuji kept speaking before he could voice his opinion.

"We can get some girls' numbers during the day, then sneak away to 'em at night! You in or what?" Ryuji asked Mishima, who spoke up while Ren wore a disapproving frown, making his stance on Ryuji's idea quite clear.

"Me too?" Mishima said as Ryuji nodded with a smile, though it looked more like a frown, as he spoke up.

"It'll be great! Neither of us have girlfriends who'd get mad about it either!" Ryuji said as Ren spoke up finally.

"While that might be true for Mishima here, I do believe you told me you were crushing on a certain third-year student council president? So you might not have a girlfriend, but you damn sure have a girl you might be throwing away any chance you have of getting with for this. Just so you know." Ren said dryly to Ryuji as Mishima spoke up.

"I guess that's true, Sakamoto, but at the same time Amamiya here has a point. Everyone with eyes can see the looks you and Niijima give each other in the halls. I think this is your way of rebelling and running from your crush on her. Besides, won't she be crushed if you do this?" Mishima said to Ryuji. Ryuji grinned and spoke up, turning to Ren as he spoke.

"So what? C'mon, I know you're actin' all cool, but you're totally comin' with. No question about it." Ryuji said as Ren's phone went off at that moment to signify a private chat, making Ryuji blink as he spoke up.

"Oooh, you get a message? Who could that-? Uhhh actually, you don't gotta answer that. It might be something about you-know-what, after all. C'mon Mishima, lets go!" Ryuji said as Mishima turned a wide-eyed gaze of shock on Ryuji while speaking up.

"Wait, what just happened!? It's only going to be the two of us, Sakamoto!?" Mishima said as Ryuji frowned and spoke up.

"Don't gimme that look! We're going to Waikiki! Try to get a little more excited!" Ryuji said as Mishima sighed and spoke up.

"Ugh, man, how did I get roped into this? Fine." Mishima said as he and Ryuji walked off, leaving Ren to ponder the message he'd gotten. Could that have actually been a Phantom Thieves message? Ren decided to wait until he was back in his hotel room to check, so that there'd be nobody else around to see. On getting to his room, Ren saw it was his alarm. But he also saw that he'd gotten a message from Ryuji. *2*

"What was that message earlier? Was it from Futaba? Wait, don't tell me, Ren. Was it a girl!? C'mon, you gotta make memories with us instead! We bombed it on that beach in Japan, after all!" Ryuji sent as Ren put his phone away before another message came in, and to his surprise, this one was from Kasumi. *3*

"Senpai? You said your trip was to Hawaii, right? As it turns out, my training camp is currently in Waikiki and I have some time off of training, so if you're free, maybe we can meet up at the beach and spend some time together? And besides, Ren-senpai, I seem to recall that you made a comment about seeing me in a swimsuit? Well, you might get that chance. Who knows? But in all seriousness, do you wanna spend time together on the beach?" Kasumi sent as Ren smiled at the message, blushing a bit at the mention of Kasumi in a swimsuit.

Ren then frowned as he realized this is his last moment of free time. He questioned who he should spend it with. Does he go play wingman for Ryuji and Mishima? Or does he go and spend some time with Kasumi, and possibly get to admire the view of her in a bikini? The more Ren thought about it, the more he realized it was a no-brainer. Ren then mentally apologized to Ryuji before he opened up his private chat with Kasumi, and sent a response.

"Yes Kasumi, we're in Hawaii, specifically at a hotel near Waikiki Beach, as it so happens. So I have no problems at all spending time with you. So I'll see you at the beach then?" Ren sent as Kasumi wasted no time sending a response.

"YAY! I mean, thanks so much, Senpai! I look forward to seeing you, especially if you're wearing swim trunks!" Kasumi sent with a giggle. Ren smiled and nodded, getting changed into his swim trunks before heading to the beach to meet Kasumi...

(At the beach, with Ren and Kasumi)

"Hm? She did say the beach, right?" Ren said to himself while he waited for Kasumi, only for his eyes at that moment to be covered by a pair of hands as he heard a voice speak up, smiling as he recognized the giggle the voice did while it spoke.

"Guess who?" Ren heard, making him smirk as he spoke up teasingly, grinning smoothly while he spoke.

"Gee, I dunno. Could it maybe be the beautiful and amazing Miss Kasumi Yoshizawa, future gymnastics champion?" Ren said with a playful smirk as the hands were removed and he did indeed see the giggling, slightly flushed face of Kasumi as she smiled at Ren and spoke up.

"Good answer, Senpai! And that's sweet that you think that highly of me." Kasumi said happily before blushing as she only then noticed the sight of Ren's abs on display, as well as his blue swim trunks, making her smile as she spoke up while looking Ren over.

"Well, Senpai, I have to say, I wasn't sure what to expect, but that sure wasn't it. Yet, I find it much more satisfying than what I'd imagined. What do you think?" Kasumi did as she did a bit of a twirl to show off her silky two-piece baby blue bikini with black polka dots all over it, with the top hugging her figure quite nicely even while the bottoms, in addition to hugging her hips and butt nicely, could be seen visibly having a small bit of frill around them to make them look like a micro-skirt of sorts, making Ren's eyes go huge as he zoned out for a moment, feeling his heart skip a beat as he blushed a bit before smiling happily as he spoke up.

"What do I think!? Damn Sumi, I didn't think you'd look that stunning in a bikini, but when I'm right? Hoo boy, I'm so effing right! In all seriousness though, you look amazing, Kasumi. You quite took my breath away for a moment there. Well worth the wait, I'd say. Am I the only one who gets to see you like this, or do you show it off a lot? I stand by what I said before, though. If gymnastics happens to not work out for you, god forbid, you could always fall back on a career in modelling, because you look absolutely mesmerizing right now." Ren said seriously, making Kasumi shyly smile before flushing prettily from Ren's compliment as she spoke up.

"S-Senpai, thank you. You're always so kind and supportive of me, which means a great deal to me. So, thank you, for always having my back. To be honest? I think I'm starting to fall for you. Maybe, when we're back in Japan, we can go out again sometime, just the two of us? Kinda of like that day we went on the Ferris wheel, or the day we went to that aquarium? I kind of enjoyed those little outings a lot, honestly.

Plus, who knows? Maybe there'll come a time where we both find we won't mind being something more than friends? But at the same time, let's not be in too much of a rush to get there. I like the pace we've been moving at, Ren-senpai. And, y'know, since we've got some time, why don't we put some sunscreen on each other while we lay out and tan together a bit?" Kasumi said shyly as Ren's jaw dropped at hearing what Kasumi said before he spoke up, his face a bit red from how much he was blushing in embarrassment after hearing Kasumi's surprisingly bold suggestion while he spoke.

"Did I hear that right? You want to lay out and tan, with me? This isn't a dream, right?" Ren said playfully as Kasumi cutely huffed and lightly swatted Ren on the arm before she spoke up.

"Quit teasing me, Senpai! I'm serious! You wanna try it?" Kasumi said as Ren smiled happily as he spoke up.

"For you, Sumi? I'd do most anything, within reason. So if you want to put sunscreen on each other, then let's do so, by all means." Ren said suavely as Kasumi flushed prettily before she spoke up.

"Okay. You want me to get you first, or would you like to apply it to me first?" Kasumi asked as Ren smirked mischievously before speaking up.

"You can go ahead and start. Wouldn't dream of making you wait for a chance to slather sunscreen on me. Plus I can see you wanting to get an up-close and personal look at my physique. I worked on it just for you, you know." Ren said smoothly as Kasumi blushed while speaking up.

"R-Really? That's so flattering. Well, go ahead and get laid down and I'll go ahead and put your sunscreen on." Kasumi said, trying not to blush too much as she put some sunscreen on her hands and proceeded to gently but eagerly apply it to Ren's chest and back, trying not to let her hands linger too much on his abs, even if she did find herself enjoying those parts the most. After a bit, she carefully cleaned the sunscreen off her hands and laid down on her stomach, speaking up as she did so.

"Your turn, Ren-senpai. Want me to undo the back of my top so you can get my entire back?" Kasumi asked innocently, not seeing Ren's face flush crimson at her question, part of his mind blinking off at her question, before he shook himself and shyly nodded, making Kasumi give a muffled giggle as she did as requested while remaining face-down.

"There we go. Go for it, Senpai." Kasumi said as Ren nodded, carefully but affectionately rubbing sunscreen onto Kasumi's back and shoulders, before putting some onto the backs of her legs, deciding not to apply it to her feet unless she asked him to. After that, he spoke up.

"Did you want me to get the front of you too?" Ren asked Kasumi, who shyly nodded as she flipped over, fixing the back of her top as she did so before smiling and speaking up.

"Okay, now you can get the front of me, Senpai." Kasumi said. Ren blushed but nodded as he applied the sunscreen to Kasumi's stomach and frontal legs, trying not to linger his hands too much on her hips and thighs as he put the sunscreen on, having to keep himself from going even redder as his mind briefly flashed on an unbidden image of applying lotion to the entire front of Kasumi's chest, making him shake himself as he finished applying the sunscreen as requested. Kasumi smiled as she looked up at the red-faced Ren before giggling at the blush on his face while she spoke up.

"Oh, Senpai. You're so red right now. I see that blush. Not thinking of anything TOO naughty, I hope?" Kasumi asked teasingly. Ren spoke up shyly while smiling at Kasumi.

"N-No. And even if I was, you're the one who started it by untying the back of your top. You have to know that's going to make a man blush, especially when you have a sexy figure like you do. To be honest, I was shaking myself because I may or may not have caught myself taking the mental imagery of putting sunscreen on you to a, shall we say, inappropriate level.

Not that I would be adverse to that if it ever happened, but I'm not trying to have that be all you think I think about when it comes to you, Sumi. Because my thoughts about you are much purer and far more wholesome than that. Then again, who's to say you didn't think that same thing about me?" Ren said teasingly as this time Kasumi was the one to flush red before speaking up with a bit of a squeak in her voice while she spoke.

"S-Senpai!? Isn't that a bit sudden considering we're still just friends for now, albeit close friends? But I'm pleased you find me that attractive, though. And I can't exactly be mad at you for admiring my figure, considering I found myself tempted by those abs of yours. So I guess it's just a sign we're attracted to one another. So that's good. Well, now that the sunscreen's on, shall we go find an out-of-the-way spot to lay in and tan together?" Kasumi suggested as Ren nodded his agreement.

The two then found a nice little cliff to lay on that was out of the way, and laid together while looking at the clear blue sky, smiling as they enjoyed their time together. As they laid together, Kasumi smiled before impishly laying her head on Ren's chest as she looked up into his eyes and spoke up.

"Ren-senpai? Isn't this nice? Just the two of us, out in a nice tropical location, laid together under the sun? Am I being selfish to say I kinda wish this could last forever?" Kasumi asked Ren, who laughed as he spoke up, gently wrapping an arm around Kasumi's waist and looking into her eyes while he spoke up.

"Not at all. You're just being Kasumi, the quirky little adorable dork of a cutie that I quite adore. And to your question, I've wished that same thing before many a time. I think it's because we both know we fit together like this, perhaps too well. Maybe it's also because, as cliche as this sounds, it was fated to happen?" Ren said with a smile. Kasumi blushed but nodded as she spoke up with a shy smile.

"I wouldn't at all be surprised to find out that's the case, Ren-senpai. W-wait, did you just say you adore me!? I mean, I shouldn't be surprised that's the case, considering you've already also said you love me. However, does that mean you're IN love with me? That I'm not sure about, at least as of yet." Kasumi said honestly as Ren spoke up with a smile, gently brushing some hairs out of Kasumi's face so he could look into her eyes as he spoke up.

"Honestly, Sumi? I'm not sure of that either, but I do know that I'm much happier when I'm with you, if that counts for anything." Ren said happily as Kasumi smiled and looked into Ren's eyes while speaking up.

"It counts for quite a bit, in fact. To be honest? I'm enjoying being in your arms like this, Ren-senpai. You know, I heard that there's rumors that the dance club might petition the student council to turn the sharing festival into a full-on school dance instead. If that happens, would you happen to at all plan on going to it?" Kasumi asked Ren, who spoke up honestly.

"Depends. Are you planning on it?" Ren asked Kasumi, who flushed prettily as she nodded.

"Honestly? Yes, I was planning to go. Maybe, if you do decide to go, we could go together?" Kasumi asked Ren, who blinked at this, but smiled and nodded.

"Absolutely, Sumi. I'd be honored to go with you to this school dance, if it happens. I'd love nothing more than to be able to have the prettiest, most sexy girl I know on my arm for the occasion. And before you get self-conscious, Sumi? That's you, by quite a large margin. And no, I'm not biased in saying that, regardless of what others might say." Ren said making Kasumi giggle at Ren as she spoke up.

"Thank you, Ren-senpai. That makes me so happy that you feel that way about me. So it's a promise then? If the sharing festival becomes a school dance, we go together as each other's date. Agreed?" Kasumi asked Ren, who smiled as he spoke up.

"Agreed, Sumi. And to prove it..." Ren said, smiling at her and trailing off as he noticed the sun setting in front of them, prompting him to lean in and briefly but tenderly brush his lips against Kasumi's, making her flush bright red at what Ren had done, but then she let herself smile as she let herself return the kiss happily for a moment, the two letting themselves act on their affection for one another amidst the backdrop of the setting sun. After the sun was about finished setting, Ren and Kasumi broke apart, both blushing as the latter spoke up.

"W-Wow. That was amazing. That's also three times now that we've done that, two of the three times having been initiated by you. And is it bad that when we do that, you leave me wanting more?" Kasumi asked Ren who smiled as he spoke up.

"Absolutely not, since that's the way I feel whenever we spend time together. But we can wait until the dance if you need more time to figure out how you feel about me, and about the idea of us together. I just wanted to express my affections in a meaningful way, plus with that sunset, it seemed too perfect an opportunity to let slip away.

And to be honest? It was worth crossing that ocean, just for this moment right now. You and me, in each others arms watching a beautiful sunset. How more romantic can you get, am I right?" Ren said as Kasumi spoke up shyly.

"I agree, Ren-senpai. This is rather nice. In fact, if you don't mind, why don't we take a photo together to have something to remember the occasion by?" Kasumi suggested as Ren smiled eagerly before he spoke up.

"I'd love that idea, Sumi. We can even each take a photo so we have it on both our phones, if you like." Ren said as Kasumi giggled before speaking up.

"How brilliant, Ren-senpai! Let's do that." Kasumi said as she and Ren laid together, posing cutely as Ren took a picture of the two of them smiling happily in each other's arms, after which Kasumi snapped a photo with her phone, praying it'd turn out since her phone was being rather finicky of recent. After the photos were taken, Kasumi sighed as she spoke up.

"Well, as much as I don't want this to end, it is getting late. We should probably get to heading back by now, Ren-senpai. But for what it's worth? I enjoyed this chance to spend some quality time with you, just the two of us. Nothing against Morgana or Kusa, because they're great, but sometimes a moment's just best expressed without third and fourth wheels. Hee hee, hopefully we can do this again sometime." Kasumi said happily as Ren nodded and spoke up, privately agreeing with Kasumi about Kusa and Morgana being third and/or fourth wheels at times as he spoke.

"Definitely, Sumi. I'd like that very much. Honestly, if not for the fact we'd both get into a mountain of trouble for it, and the fact my roommate is an over-talkative prude who doesn't know the meaning of the term 'third wheel', I'd say you could come back with me to my hotel room and we could spend more time together, but I know you have a training camp to get back to, and you'd probably be missed if they did a bed check, or head count, or however they take attendance. And as much as I enjoy being with you, I wouldn't want to get you into trouble over it." Ren said smoothly as Kasumi blushed but nodded as she spoke up.

"Unfortunately, you're right, Ren-senpai. And since I have no idea which hotel room is yours, it'd be too unlikely I could get in, out, and back to training camp in the morning without being caught. And you're absoiutely correct that we'd both be in a ton of trouble. But, at the same time, it's nice we both have this fond memory of Hawaii to look back on, especially that kiss we shared. Surely that's worth something?" Kasumi said to Ren, who nodded and spoke up.

"That's true. Similarly, I don't know where your training camp is, or I'd offer to walk you back." Ren said politely and smoothly as Kasumi nodded and spoke up.

"I could tell you if you really wanted to walk me back, but what if you get locked out of your hotel room because you didn't have your key? As much as I'd love to let you walk me back to my training camp, I wouldn't want you to end up without a place to sleep tonight." Kasumi said with a smile as Ren spoke up.

"That's true. Well, I guess see you in Japan?" Ren said to Kasumi, who smiled and nodded as the two got up, hugged, and went back to their respective rooms...

(Back in their shared hotel room a short time later, with Ren and Mishima)

"Ugh, it was terrible getting dragged around by Sakamoto all day, I tell you what. Do you think I'll have to go through this on future schooling events as well?" Mishima asked Ren, who spoke up.

"It's a definite possibility. But if it was terrible for you, what's to say it wasn't also terrible for Ryuji as well?" Ren suggested as Mishima blinked and spoke up.

"True, but wasn't he the one who invited me in the first place? Ugh, I don't know, Amamiya. It's fun hanging out with Sakamoto, but he might be too different from me, you know? Is getting a girlfriend my only way out of this situation?" Mishima asked Ren, who shrugged and spoke up.

"It would certainly help things for you, if nothing else. But no Mishima, it's not the only way out of your situatation. You can also just tell Ryuji no, if you don't want to hang with him. You are able to make your own choices, after all." Ren said agreeably as Mishima spoke up.

"Fair enough. Say, where were you all day? You didn't show up to hang out with Ryuji and I." Mishima asked Ren, who slyly grinned and spoke up.

"Sorry Mishima, but you know what they say. A gentleman never kisses and tells." Ren said happily as Mishima blinked and looked at Ren in surprise while he spoke up.

"Wait, what!? You mean to tell me you were off with a girl all day? Damn, you move fast when you want to, don't you Amamiya?" Mishima said to Ren, who nodded and spoke up.

"Heh, don't I know it. Then again, I think we both know Ryuji's delusional if he thinks any of his schemes to make girls fall for him are going to work. The sooner he wises up and accepts that he's in love with Makoto, and lets her show him she feels the same, the better off everyone involved will be. And I include you and I in that, for the record." Ren said as Mishima nodded.

"That's true. Oh well, no use worrying about it now. Anyway, we need to wake up early tomorrow, so let's get some sleep, okay?" Mishima said as Ren nodded, laying down on his bed, his last thought before falling asleep being an idle curiosity of if Kusa was enjoying the mini-break from overseeing him...

(Meanwhile, around the same time, at Leblanc with Kusa, Futaba, Morgana, and Sojiro)

"Hey, we're still open for business. Get that cat upstairs." Sojiro said as Kusa nodded before he spoke up respectfully.

"Yes, Boss. I'll get right on that." Kusa said before gently lifting the sleeping Morgana on his shoulder and carrying him upstairs to lay him gently on the sofa, smiling as he walked back downstairs after settling Morgana on the sofa. As he came back down, he heard Futaba sigh as she spoke up, making him chuckle at what she said next.

"Aww, but it's not like anyone's coming in anyway. Plus if someone does come, you can just tell 'em it's a cat cafe!" Futaba said as Kusa sat back down in the stool next to Futaba. Sojiro sighed as he spoke up.

"I get what you mean, Futaba, but that line's not gonna work. You know that restaurants as a whole aren't allowed to have pets or vermin on the premises. That's how most places usually get shut down, more-so the vermin than the pets though." Sojiro said as the door to Leblanc opened up, and Kusa's eyes got huge on seeing who had walked in, making him speak up, while turning to face the person who had walked in, which would be one Takuto Maruki, while he spoke.

"Wait, hold up. Doc!? What brings you here?" Kusa asked Maruki, who smiled on recognizing Kusa and spoke up.

"Oh, I didn't realize you lived here, Kusa. And excuse me, but is this Leblanc?" Maruki asked as Sojiro's eyes went wide as he spoke up to Futaba.

"S-See! What did I tell you, Futaba? And Kusa, thank you for getting the cat upstairs. I take it you know this man?" Sojiro asked Kusa, who nodded as he spoke up.

"Correct. Boss, Taba, meet Doctor Takuto Maruki, the counselor Shujin hired to give people therapy after all that crap that went down with Kamoshida. Doc, meet Sojiro and Futaba Sakura, the owner of this cafe and his daughter. I'll admit I didn't exactly warm to him at first, but over time, I came to realize he's not such a bad guy, if a bit of a dork at times. No offense, Doc, but we both know it's true. I mean, come on! Your first impression was literally you making jokes and then unintentionally headbutting your mic. Pretty hard to take someone seriously after that." Kusa said with a laugh. Maruki blinked as he spoke up.

"Oh no, please, there's no need to go to that trouble on my account! I'm sorry!" Maruki said as Futaba blinked and spoke up.

"Hm? Wait, is this the doc you told me about before, Kusa? The one who you said spoke up for you after that incident at the diner?" Futaba asked Kusa, who nodded and spoke up.

"That's correct, Taba. Doc here was the one who blew the whistle on those cowards and got them arrested. And from what I was told, apparently I was found by a passing pair of girls who found me unconscious and made sure I got medical attention that day. If I ever see Mimille and Lumine again, I owe the both of them a huge thank-you, since who knows where I'd be know if they'd not found me when they did?" Kusa said. Maruki nodded as he spoke up.

"That's quite correct, Kusa. And as to why I'm here, I was told that Kusa's brother Ren is lodging at a cafe in the area. And I just happened to be passing by, so I figured I'd check this place out and see if he was here, and if he's not, I'll still sample the food on offer." Maruki said as Sojiro nodded and spoke up.

"I see. Please come, have a seat, Mister Maruki, was it?" Sojiro asked Maruki, who nodded as he sat down. At that point, Sojiro kept speaking.

"So, you know Ren and Kusa from school? I see. Does that mean you teach there?" Sojiro asked Maruki who shook his head as he spoke up.

"No, not really. I'm just a counselor." Maruki said as Sojiro spoke up.

"Fair enough. In any case, I apologize if you heard me telling these two to get a cat upstairs. Normally Morgana stays upstairs, but I felt sorry for him, so I let him rest on a stool for a bit." Sojiro said to Maruki, who chuckled as he spoke up.

"Nah, that's fine by me. I love animals, as it happens. Unfortunately so, though, they don't seem to share the sentiment, haha." Maruki said as Futaba spoke up shyly.

"I-If you're looking for Ren, Maruki-san, he's off on a school trip to Hawaii still. I apologize if I come off shy and quiet, but you're technically still a stranger to me, and an alien-level stranger at that." Futaba said as Kusa laughed and put an arm around Futaba's waist as he spoke up.

"It's okay, Taba. You'll get used to him eventually. He might seem weird and quirky at first, but you learn to get used to him. Kinda like how I learned to get used to your cute quirkiness when we first met, Taba. Granted, I have no room to judge you for your quirks, considering Ren and I spend a lot of time talking to Morgana." Kusa said to Futaba as Maruki chuckled and spoke up.

"Ah, is that right? You talk with your cat? That's so neat." Maruki said to Kusa, who nodded as Futaba winced at Maruki addressing Kusa. Maruki noticed this and spoke up.

"Oh, um, did I frighten you, little one? My apologies. I just find it impressive that Kusa over there can speak to his cat, that's all." Maruki said as Sojiro sighed and spoke up.

"Sorry about the cold shoulder over there. Futaba's like this with everyone she meets at first, until she gets used to them. Kusa was an exception, but I think there was a reason for that. Kusa, just take Futaba upstairs for now, yeah? I'll call you two back down later, when it's all clear." Sojiro said as Kusa nodded, gently leaning down to look at Futaba before he spoke up.

"All right, Boss. C'mon Taba, let's go hang out upstairs for now, yeah? Maybe you'll be more comfortable up there? Oh, and in case you're not here when we get called back down, it was nice seeing you, Doc." Kusa said to Futaba while aiming the back half of his remarks at Maruki, who nodded and spoke up.

"The feeling's mutual, Kusa. Maybe we'll see each other at school?" Maruki said as Kusa shrugged before speaking up conversationally.

"Maybe. We'll see, Doc. Depends on what my schedule looks like." Kusa said as he and Futaba headed upstairs to the attic, only for Futaba to stop short as she noticed the book that Maruki had out, before gasping and speaking up in surprise, not seeing Kusa and Sojiro both looking at her in mixed surprise and shock while she spoke.

"Oh! That book! Is that a book on cognitive psience?" Futaba asked Maruki in surprise, not seeing Kusa and Sojiro both blinking in shock at her speaking to Maruki. Maruki, for his part, just smiled and spoke up in a friendly tone.

"Oh, this? That's correct, it's a book on cognitive psience. Any interest?" Maruki said as Sojiro frowned at the subject and spoke up.

"Wha-!? You're studying cognitive psience? I'm sorry, but you need to leave. Don't worry about the bill." Sojiro said as Maruki blinked and spoke up.

"Huh!? I-I'm so sorry if there was anything I said to offend any of you." Maruki said as Sojiro frowned and spoke up.

"The cafe's now closed. I'll have to ask you to-" Sojiro said as Futaba spoke up.

"Sojiro! I'm okay! He stays. Besides, what good is driving your few customers away gonna do you, anyhow?" Futaba said as Sojiro blinked at Futaba in surprise.

"Futaba, are you sure?" Sojiro said as Futaba nodded before looking at Maruki as she spoke up.

"S-S-So, that book! Is it what you teach, uh, Sir-I mean, Mister!?" Futaba asked Maruki shyly, not seeing the shocked look on Kusa's face at her speaking to Maruki voluntarily, nor the soft smile on his face as he watched her speak to Maruki, who blinked at the question and spoke up.

"Huh? Well, I don't 'teach', really. But I do study it for my research. Why do you ask? That said, no, not at all. I'm not a teacher." Maruki said as Futaba nodded before speaking up in a slightly more confident tone.

"I see. What's it for then, if you don't mind my asking?" Futaba asked Maruki who smiled as he spoke up.

"It's just a personal interest of mine, that's all. I've been studying it for years now. It's difficult to grasp at times, but it's quite useful. Fun to study, too." Maruki said as both Kusa and Futaba blinked at Maruki describing his research as 'fun'. Futaba spoke up to voice their thoughts, though.

"It's fun, you say?" Futaba asked in surprise as Maruki nodded and spoke up.

"Yeah. Well, of course it is. It's a wonderful division of science that can help many people. That makes it pretty fun, right?" Maruki said as Futaba giggled and nodded.

"Mweheheh, yep! Mom thought the exact same thing!" Futaba said, making both Kusa and Sojiro gasp at Futaba voluntarily bringing up her mother like she was. Maruki frowned as he spoke up.

"Mom?" Maruki questioned in surprise as Sojiro nodded and spoke up.

"That's right. Her mother studied it too. What I don't get is why you're studying something like that, though. Well, I guess you are a high school counselor, right? I guess it does make some sense, being related to your field an' all, to a point." Sojiro said, wincing at what Maruki said next, along with Kusa.

"Your mom thought that too, huh? She sounds like a wonderful woman." Maruki said, but to Kusa and Sojiro's surprise, Futaba just smiled and nodded while speaking up.

"Hell yeah, my mom owned. She loved me SO much!" Futaba said, not seeing the wide-eyed looks on Sojiro and Kusa's faces, neither expecting her to speak so openly of her mom, much less swear in front of a stranger. Maruki frowned as he spoke up.

"Oh, past tense, huh? I see. I apologize for bringing up a sore subject unintentionally, then. But in any case, well, I'm sure she'd be very proud." Maruki said as Futaba spoke up.

"C'mon Kusa, let's go! Off to an adult-free room!" Futaba said with a smile as she headed upstairs, Kusa blinking after her as he spoke up.

"Hey, wha-Taba! Hold up!" Kusa called up the steps before turning to Sojiro and Maruki and bowing as he spoke up.

"Sorry about her, she gets like that when she's excited. Please excuse us. And nice seeing you, Doc." Kusa said as he headed upstairs after Futaba. After they were out of sight, Sojiro spoke up as he looked at Maruki.

"Sorry about before. I was just trying to protect her. Would you care for another?" Sojiro said to Maruki, who nodded as he spoke up.

"Yes, I think I would quite like another, thank you. And no need to apologize, you were just being a concerned father. I get it. Kusa and Futaba are both good people, if a bit young and inexperienced. But I think they have the best possible support system in each other, even if they haven't wised up to it yet. Or was I imagining the mixed fond/proud/protective look on Kusa's face as he watched Futaba speak to me?" Maruki said to Sojiro, who chuckled as he spoke up.

"Hoo boy, you have no idea how right you are on that point, Doctor Maruki. I've actually walked in on those two asleep in each other's arms looking very content multiple times now. I think the only reason they're not already a couple is because Kusa's a very patient man, and isn't trying to force Futaba into anything she's not ready for, and as you can guess, she's been through quite a bit recently. But that's not my place to discuss that without her permission." Sojiro said to Maruki, who nodded as he spoke up.

"I see. I quite understand that. By the way, your coffee truly is amazing." Maruki said to Sojiro who smiled as he spoke up.

"Hah! That's nice of you to say. But thanks just the same. And thanks for what you did for Kusa before. You have no idea who shocked I was when I heard about him getting jumped." Sojiro said to Maruki, who smiled as he spoke up.

"You're welcome, Sakura-san. I was happy to help Kusa out." Maruki said as Sojiro spoke up once more.

"Even so, I appreciate what you did. Heh, man, I tell you what, those two up there are something else. Man, things sure are changing around here." Sojiro said as Maruki nodded agreeably...

(The next day, in the lobby of the hotel with Yusuke, Ren, Ann, Ryuji, Makoto, and Mishima)

"Wow, the school trip is finally coming to a close. Can you believe it? I never thought I would have the chance to go on one this year as well, to be honest." Makoto said as Ryuji huffed and spoke up.

"It barely felt like I was outta the country though, to be honest." Ryuji said as Ann nodded before speaking up with a smile.

"I know, right? Even Yusuke showed up. Um, no offense, Yusuke." Ann said as Yusuke smiled and spoke up.

"No offense taken, Ann. I am simply glad the storm didn't make it's way over here as well." Yusuke said as Makoto nodded and spoke up.

"It may not have been the most exciting trip, but we still had a good time." Makoto said as Yusuke spoke up again.

"Honestly though, I'm thankful we didn't have to deal with the storm. They truly are dreadful, from what I've heard." Yusuke said as Ann looked at Ryuji and spoke up.

"You know, I saw you and Mishima hanging out all by yourselves last night." Ann said as Ryuji frowned and spoke up.

"And so what if we were? Is there a problem with that!?" Ryuji said defiantly. Ann frowned as she spoke up, slightly offended at Ryuji's tone.

"No. You two just looked kinda bummed. That's all." Ann said as Ryuji spoke up with a frown.

"Shuddup! And why're you so interested? Something good happen to you?" Ryuji asked Ann irritably as Ann smiled and spoke up.

"Um, no, not really. Though from what I could see, I think something good might have happened to Ren yesterday, though. I'm not sure, but I think I saw what looked like him and a girl heading up an out-of-the-way cliff together yesterday to spend time together. Was it anyone we know, Ren?" Ann asked Ren, who spoke up with a content-looking smile, to the surprise of the others.

"Honestly? Yeah, it was. But it was someone I wasn't expecting to see in Hawaii, considering she was supposed to be at training camp as far as I knew. Little did I know, said camp was in Waikiki." Ren said as Ann gasped while she had a realization and spoke up.

"Oh! So that was you and Yoshizawa!? Wow." Ann said as Ryuji smirked at Ann and spoke up.

"Aha! So you're in the same position as Mishima and I, Ann! Also, hell yeah, Ren! Way to score, man!" Ryuji said happily, fist-bumping a grinning Ren.

"Thanks, man. I wasn't expecting it, but I'll be damned if it wasn't an incredible time, and a great way to make a fond memory to look back on." Ren said happily. Ryuji nodded as he spoke up.

"I bet! Hey, Ren, say something to this lonely girl, won'tcha?" Ryuji said as Ren spoke up with a frown, not sure Ryuji had any room to call Ann lonely .

"Should you really be the one calling Ann lonely, when you're the one who's struck out how many times with girls on beaches? I think you're the lonely one, Ryuji." Ren pointed out dryly. Ryuji blinked at this and spoke up.

"What!? But we hung out most of the other night in your hotel room, man!" Ryuji said, omitting the part with Ann also being there as well. Ann chuckled as she spoke up.

"Honestly? Ren's right, though. You're way more desperate than any of us, Ryuji! I bet even Yusuke would have an easier time finding a lady than you would. Actually, come to think of it, I think I saw him talking to some dark-haired girl in a bathing suit near sunset yesterday, and they looked like they were sharing dinner? Maybe Ren's not the only one who found a good time?" Ann said uncertainly as Yusuke shyly looked away, hoping no one saw his red face as he realized Ann had probably caught him spending time with Hifumi, who happened to also be there yesterday. Makoto frowned as she checked the time and spoke up.

"That's enough, you guys." Makoto said as Ann smiled and spoke up.

"But seriously, it felt like this trip went by in a flash. And to be honest? I'm not sure if I want to go home or stay here longer at this point." Ann said honestly with a smile. Ryuji spoke up as he had an idea.

"Hey, since we've not done so yet, why don't we shop for souvenirs together before it's time to go?" Ryuji suggested as Ann did a closed-eye smile before pumping a fist and speaking up.

"Ooh, count me in!" Ann said as Yusuke spoke up, looking sheepish as he spoke up.

"Allow me to join you as well, though to be honest? I have no funds for souvenirs, since I spent the remainder of them last night to be able to take a friend out for a good time." Yusuke said honestly. Ren grinned as he spoke up with a mischievous smirk.

"Talking about Togo-san, are we? I swear I saw you two on the beach yesterday while I was waiting for Yoshziawa." Ren said with a smirk. Makoto frowned at Yusuke as she spoke up, giving Yusuke a worried look while she spoke.

"Um, you're going to be able to get back to Japan, aren't you? Right Yusuke?" Makoto said worriedly to Yusuke as he nodded and the group detoured to a nearby shop to shop for souvenirs. Once there, Makoto spoke up again.

"What do you guys think Futaba and Morgana might like? I'd have listed Kusa, but I think we can trust Ren to pick out Kusa's souvenir, since he knows him best." Makoto asked as Ann smiled and spoke up.

"To be honest, the traditional souvenir from Hawaii is usually chocolate of some sort. Oh, but Morgana can't eat chocolate because of his current form, can he? Well, he tells us that he's NOT a cat, sooo maybe it's fine?" Ann said as Ren shook his head and spoke up, purposely not bringing up the fact that Kusa was a closet chocolate addict at that point while he spoke.

"Nope. I'm giving that plan a hard veto. Whatever Morgana might think, I'm not chancing that he has a negative reaction to it. I'd rather not have Kusa pissed at us all for accidentally killing Morgana, thank you." Ren said sagely. Ryuji nodded and spoke up.

"Truth! If we're gonna get Kusa, Futaba and Morgana souvenirs, we gotta pick stuff they'll really wig out over." Ryuji said as Yusuke spoke up.

"Hm, in that case, why don't we split up and look around, then?" Yusuke suggested as the group split into groups to search for souvenirs...

(With Ann and Makoto)

"Look, they have coffee with butter in it. Do you think it tastes good?" Ann said as Makoto shrugged and spoke up, neither Ann or Makoto seeing Okumura browsing through some shelves a few rows ahead of them as Makoto spoke.

"There's acai powder over here." Makoto said as Ann did a closed-eye smile and spoke up.

"Doesn't it feel like you could just spend forever at places like these?" Ann asked as Makoto chuckled, doing her own closed-eye smile as she spoke up.

"I know what you mean." Makoto said happily as the girls looked through the shelves...

(At the same time, with Ren, Ryuji, and Yusuke)

"We've come all the way to Hawaii. As such, I think it'd be best for our gifts to focus on impact, rather than taste." Yusuke said as Ryuji gave him an impressed grin before he spoke up.

"Ooh, well said. In that case, how about this? Let's find somethin' we wouldn't buy ourselves but we'd be happy to get as a gift." Ryuji said as Ren nodded, Yusuke wandering off on his own as Ryuji and Ren browsed around. After a bit, Ryuji spoke up.

"I'm not seein' anything, Ren. I mean, this is Kusa, Futaba, and Morgana we're talking about. Kusa might be easy-going for the most part, but the other two have really high standards for happiness, way too high if we're being honest." Ryuji said as Yusuke walked back over, an object in one hand. Ryuji blinked and kept speaking.

"Yusuke, you find somethin'?" Ryuji asked as Yusuke nodded before he spoke up, holding up the object in his hand as he spoke, which was an hourglass of sorts.

"Indeed. I have found this hourglass, which measures three-minute increments." Yusuke said as Ryuji frowned and spoke up.

"Uhh, ok, but wh-why?" Ryuji asked Yusuke, who smiled as he spoke up.

"Well, Futaba loves instant yakisoba. It brilliantly meets the requirements of an item I wouldn't buy for myself, but would please me to receive." Yusuke said as Ryuji frowned and spoke up.

"True. But can'tcha just by one'a those in Japan?" Ryuji asked Yusuke before blinking as he saw the time and spoke up.

"Aw, crap! We're almost outta time! Okay Ren, here's what we'll do. Yusuke and I will find Futaba's souvenir, and we'll leave Kusa and Morgana's souvenirs to you." Ryuji said as he and Yusuke walked off, leaving Ren alone to browse through the wares on offer, mulling on what Morgana and Kusa might like, before seeing a really funny catnip toy that looked like an anago fish, which Ren knew he had to get for Morgana, since Morgana loves anago.

After that, he blinked as he spotted one of those fancy two-piece yin-yang necklace sets on offer that most people usually buy for a special someone, making Ren blink as he realized that could be a good souvenir for Kusa and Futaba both since it splits into two pieces, and if he recalled his lore correctly, those types of things are meant to bring good luck if you give part of it to someone really special to you and they accepted it while you both kept your pieces on at all times after you put them on.

Ren smiled as he picked it up, knowing he had to buy it for Kusa and Futaba. Afterwards, he winced as he felt as if someone was staring at him from behind. He didn't have long to wonder who, though, before a familiar voice reached his ears.

"Hellooooo, Senpai!" Ren heard Kasumi call out from behind him, making him turn around, smiling as he saw Kasumi looking like she was trying to jump-scare him. Ren smiled at Kasumi as he spoke up, noticing that instead of the cute bikini she'd worn the last tine he saw her, she was now in her black and yellow track jacket with a grey sweat outfit under the jacket, with pink leggings and white tennis shoes, making Ren smile while he spoke.

"Aloha, Sumi. Didn't think I'd run into you again so soon. You look so cute right now. Also, were you trying to scare me? If so, oh noes! My feelings! I needed those!" Ren said jokingly as he smirked at the cutely pouting Kasumi, who chuckled shyly as she spoke up after Ren did a 'hang ten' gesture with his hand, which a local had shown him while he waited for Kasumi the day before.

"Ahaha, that's actually a much more appropriate greeting. Aloha!" Kasumi said with a closed-eye smile, also doing the same gesture Ren had done while Ryuji and Yusuke walked over, the former gaping as he spoke up.

"Huh?" Ryuji said as Yusuke blinked and spoke up, not recognizing Yoshizawa while he spoke.

"Hm? Who's that?" Yusuke asked Ren, but Ann and Makoto walked back over before Ren could answer Yusuke's question, Makoto speaking up to cut him off before he had a chance to do so, neither Makoto nor Ann having noticed Yoshizawa at first.

"Find anything suitable?" Makoto asked Ren, who nodded as he held up the souvenirs he'd picked out, and as he figured, Ann and Ryuji both laughed out loud at the stuffed anago he'd picked out for Morgana, especially when Ren mentioned it was a catnip toy, which made Ryuji really laugh. Ann, however, sobered up when she saw Yoshzawa and spoke up.

"Hm? That girl! Isn't she the girl I saw Ren with yesterday?" Ann said in surprise. Yoshizawa blinked as she spoke up.

"Ah, are you friends of Ren-senpai's? Sorry to be a bother! I'm Yoshizawa, a first-year. It's nice meeting you all." Yoshizawa said as Ann gasped in surprise.

"Yoshizawa? Oh! You're that gymnast!" Ann said as she recalled the article Mishima had showed her previously about Yoshizawa. Yoshizawa smiled and nodded as she spoke up.

"Yes, that's right! Our club's here at a training camp to get ready for the next big meet, and I just happened to find Amamiya-senpai here." Yoshizawa said as Makoto spoke up. *4*

"The last meet was only a short while ago, though. You're already training for the next one? You seem to be making quite the effort." Makoto said as Ren spoke up with a smile.

"Of course she is! Yoshizawa here is trying to become a champion gymnast to fulfill her long-cherished dream! So of course she's putting in quite the effort to achieve her goal." Ren said proudly as Yoshizawa nodded and spoke up.

"That's quite right, Senpai. Also, I absolutely have to get the results I'm looking for at the next competition. The team's been training with a famous coach who lives here on the island. She's working us especially hard, so much so that we end up in tears almost every day." Yoshizawa said as Yusuke did a closed-eye smile and spoke up.

"Your dedication to training even when overseas is admirable. We should all learn from your example." Yusuke said as Ryuji grinned and spoke up.

"Yup!" Ryuji said as Ann did a closed-eye smile and spoke up with a fist pumped.

"Good luck at the next meet- we're all rooting for you!" Ann said as Ren spoke up.

"All of us are rooting for you, Yoshizawa-san. But I'm especially going to be rooting for you, so just do the best you can. As long as you do that and enjoy yourself, I'll be proud of you regardless of the outcome." Ren said sincerely to Yoshizawa, who smiled as she blushed slightly while speaking up, giving the group a closed-eye smile as she spoke.

"Thank you, everyone. Your kind words may be what keeps me from crying today, especially yours, Amamiya-senpai." Yoshizawa said as she smiled at Ren while Ryuji spoke up.

"Hey, uh, just so you know? It's fine if you do cry, though. You know what they say: 'What doesn't thrill you makes you stronger.' Or something like that. Agh! I almost forgot we're outta time here. Ah, welp, I'm gonna go pay for my stuff." Ryuji said as Ann nodded and spoke up.

"Ooh, I oughta do that too. See you later, Yoshizawa-san!" Ann said to Yoshizawa, who did another closed eye smile as she spoke up.

"Yes. It was nice meeting you all, especially given you're such good friends of Amamiya-senpai's!" Yoshizawa said as the group left. After the group left, Kasumi turned to Ren and spoke up.

"Your friends seem like a nice bunch." Kasumi said to Ren who nodded agreeably before he spoke up.

"Yeah, they can be nice when they want to be, but make no mistake, they're also weird too. I mean, let's see here. Ryuji has probably the worst luck with the ladies I've ever seen, Ann has a huge crush on her best female friend but is too shy and scared to confess to her, Yusuke's main lot in life is art, food, and occasionally propositioning people for nude paintings, and Makoto's a student-council president who has a lot to learn about people skills and tact.

And then you already know about Kusa and his shameless yet blatant attraction to Boss' daughter. And I don't think I need to say anymore than Morgana is Morgana. So yeah, they're good friends of mine, but they're also a very quirky bunch. But I suppose they're my quirky bunch." Ren said fondly. Kasumi giggled as she spoke up.

"True, but you must moreso mean they're 'unique'!" Kasumi said with a smile as she kept speaking.

"Well, I know for sure I'm going to win this time. I'll prove to everyone what I'm made of." Kasumi said as Ren nodded and spoke up encouragingly.

"I know you can do it, Sumi. I believe in you. And know, no matter what happens, I'm here for you if you need someone to talk to. But just try to do your best and have fun at that meet. Try not to let the pressure get to you so much, yeah?" Ren said, smiling as he looked into Kasumi's eyes as she shyly nodded before pulling out a red charm with gold kanji on it as she spoke up.

"Good point, Ren-senpai. Still, considering the rank I got last time, though, I also got this souvenir as a sort of insurance." Kasumi said as Ren looked at it and spoke up.

"A good-luck charm? I didn't know Hawaii sold Japanese souvenirs?" Ren said in surprise. Kasumi nodded as she spoke up.

"Yes, well, I bought it earlier today at this branch of a Japanese shrine here in Hawaii. I always used to buy some kind of charm before a big competition. My sister was even more stringent with her own superstitions. The thing is, to be honest? I forgot to pick one up before the last meet. I'll be fine now, though. I just know it. Between you, and this good-luck charm, and the well-wishes of your friends, I'm confident I'll be fine." Kasumi said as she tucked the charm in her pocket as she spoke up.

"Ah, but as much fun as this has been, I should probably get going. I almost forgot that I still need to pick up souvenirs for my family." Kasumi said as Ren nodded.

"I get it. That's actually why the others and I were here. We were picking up souvenirs for Morgana, Kusa, and Futaba, who all couldn't join us on the trip for various reasons." Ren said honestly. Kasumi smiled at Ren as she spoke up.

"Aw, that's sweet of you to think of your family as well, Ren-senpai! Sorry for keeping you so long." Kasumi said with a smile. She then spoke up once more.

"I'll see you later, all right?" Kasumi said as Ren nodded and spoke up.

"Count on it, Sumi. I look forward to it." Ren said before he smiled and quickly kissed Kasumi on the cheek as she walked off red-faced, before Ren paid for his souvenirs as he and the others boarded the flight back to Japan. Unbeknownst to them, at that same time, tragedy was afoot back in Japan...

(The next day, at Leblanc, with Sojiro, Ren, Morgana, Kusa and Futaba)

Kusa and Futaba were talking about stuff when they heard the door of Leblanc open up, smiling as they saw Ren walk back in, a lei around his neck while he toted his bag behind him. Sojiro smirked as he spoke up.

"Yo, welcome back Ren. You get tanned a bit?" Sojiro asked as Kusa smirked and spoke up, grinning as he saw the satisfied smile on Ren's face while he spoke.

"Something definitely happened! Ren's looking much more hale and hearty than when he left. Then again, maybe he just had a really good time?" Kusa said with a smirk. Futaba smiled at Kusa as she spoke up.

"You might be right, Kusa. He has the look of someone who's had a fond memory happen on the trip. But I won't pry for details. After all, they say that what happens in Hawaii STAYS in Hawaii. But that aside, how was Hawaii?" Futaba asked Ren, who smirked as he spoke up.

"It was surprisingly fun for how it started out. And Kusa, shut up. Just because I had a fun time and made some fond memories doesn't mean something happened." Ren said with a mock-offended glare before he chuckled and clapped Kusa on the shoulder as he spoke up.

"Nah, but for real, it's great to be home." Ren said as Sojiro smiled and crossed his arms while speaking up.

"Oh? I'm glad I paid for your travel expenses then." Sojiro said as Morgana frowned at Ren and spoke up.

"Yes, well, while it's great that you guys had fun and all, things weren't so great back here. While you guys were off having fun, things here have gotten a bit more complicated." Morgana said as the news came on at that point.

"So, I've heard the surprisingly hot items at the moment are 'masks' and 'calling cards'?" A male host asked as his female co-host nodded and spoke up.

"Correct. Here is a graph of the profits for stores handling these items." The female host said as the male host's jaw dropped and he spoke up.

"Whoa. Double from last year!? Phantom thief goods seem to be in especially high demand." The male host said as Futaba blinked and spoke up.

"I didn't know they sold that kind of stuff?" Futaba said as Sojiro spoke up with a smirk.

"Should we try too? I mean, selling phantom thief merchandise. Sojiro said as Ren spoke up.

"Hm? You mean, like Phantom Thief curry?" Ren asked as Kusa frowned and spoke up.

"I can see wanting to drum up business Boss, but isn't all this merchandising and profiteering just going to make the fame go even more to the Phantom Thieves' heads, whoever they might be? Would it not be more productive to support them without buying the merchandise?" Kusa said dryly. Sojiro chuckled as he spoke up.

"Maybe I'll toss some dry ice on the side. Y'know, give it that phantom-y effect? And good point, Kusa. Too bad you're not a phantom thief, since I can see you have a strong sense of right and wrong, and would never let such things as fame or recognition go to your head. You're too grounded and humble for that." Sojiro said approvingly. When Kusa blinked at Sojiro, Sojiro kept speaking.

"Uh, I'm just joking, all right?" Sojiro said as the group listened to the TV once more.

"I wonder how our guests consider this recent phenomenon?" The female host asked the male host, who chuckled as he spoke up to another person off-screen, though when the male host spoke, Kusa huffed as he heard what the male host had to say.

"What do you think, Akechi-kun?" The male host asked the off-screen person, who was now revealed to be Akechi, as he spoke up.

"Well, to be honest?" Akechi said as Futaba smirked and spoke up.

"There he is, the anti-thief detective." Futaba said as Kusa laughed and spoke up.

"Too true, Taba. But you left out the 'and resident douchebag' at the end of your sentence." Kusa pointed out with a grin. Futaba nodded and laughed before she spoke up.

"Oops, my bad. You're right, Kusa. Either way? I hope he slips up and self-destructs." Futaba said as Ren winced while Kusa laughed and spoke up.

"Damn, Taba, you're in a ruthless mood today, aren't you? I like it. Get 'em, Taba!" Kusa said with a chuckle. However, when Akechi spoke up next, his words made everyone present pause as they listened to what he said.

"I can sense some chivalry behind their actions. They are clever to take the silent resentments of the public into account and relieve them. I believe that may be the secret to their popularity." Akechi said, making Kusa arch a surprised eyebrow at Akechi's stance. He wasn't the only one though, based on what the male host said after that.

"Well, this is surprising. Your stance seems to have softened." The host said as Akechi spoke up.

"This doesn't change the fact that they ARE dangerous. However, given recent circumstances. No, I shouldn't say any more on TV about that." Akechi said as the male host smirked and spoke up.

"Come on, you can say it." The host said to Akechi, who did a closed-eye smile and spoke up.

"Oh no, I won't be falling for that! I've learned my lesson after the previous backfire, thank you." Akechi said as Kusa spoke up in surprise.

"Well, well. I'll be damned. Akechi can be reasonable? First time for everything, I guess. Aside from Ryuji getting higher marks than everyone. That's never gonna happen." Kusa said flatly as Sojiro spoke up.

"Good point. But also, these thieves are more popular than the police or politicians. What's the world coming to?" Sojiro said as Futaba frowned and spoke up.

"Um, rude!" Futaba said huffily as Sojiro chuckled and spoke up.

"What're you so angry about?" Sojiro said to Futaba as Kusa spoke up with a laugh.

"Ever since they saved her from herself, Taba here's become a big-time fan of the Phantom Thieves!" Kusa said with an amused grin. Sojiro nodded as he spoke up.

"Fair enough. Hey, I'm gonna go to the bathroom. Take care of any customers that show up." Sojiro said, and once he left the room, Futaba stood up and spoke to Ren.

"I finished the analysis. You know, of the data Makoto got off her sister's PC? Wanna meet now?" Futaba said to Ren, who started nodding off in place, to her surprise and Kusa's amusement, as Futaba spoke up in annoyance.

"Ugh! Seriously? Jet lag? Fine then. Tomorrow." Futaba said to Ren, who nodded...

(That evening, in Leblanc's attic, with Morgana, Kusa and Ren)

"Ugh, got a minute, Ren?" Morgana said as Ren nodded, even while yawning. Morgana spoke up.

"You look sleepy." Morgana said as Ren and Kusa's phones went off to signify a group chat with Ryuji, Ann, Yusuke, Makoto, and Futaba, with Futaba sending the first response.

"Attention, all ye jetlagged. Someone from Shujin came to Leblanc yesterday." Futaba sent as Ann sent a response.

"What? Who?" Ann sent as Kusa sent a response.

"Would you believe it if we said it was Doctor Maruki?" Kusa sent as Futaba sent a response.

"Was that his name? All I remember about him was that he had messy hair and glasses." Futaba sent as Ren sent a response.

"I dunno, just sounds like Ren to me." Ryuji sent. Morgana then spoke up.

"Hm? Oh, that's right. Maruki did stop by yesterday, according to Kusa and Futaba." Morgana said as Ren blinked, shrugged and then sent a response at that point.

"When you say Doctor Maruki, do you mean like our counselor, Doctor Maruki?" Ren sent as Makoto sent a response.

"You mean Doctor Maruki?" Makoto sent as Futaba sent a response.

"I think so. At least I recall he introduced himself as Doctor Maruki, the counselor. He said he was studying cognitive psience." Futaba sent as Makoto sent a response.

"He's in that field too?" Makoto sent as Yusuke sent a response.

"You don't think he's connected to the incident with Futaba's mother, do you?" Yusuke sent as Futaba sent a response.

"Oh, no. I didn't get that vibe from him." Futaba sent as Kusa sent a response.

"Ah yes, that's right. I keep forgetting you were able to have a conversation with him when he was here. Still honestly shocked that you pulled that off, but also very proud of you Taba." Kusa sent. Futaba sent a response.

"Mm-hm. He seemed actually interested in cognitive psience. It wasn't like he was just using it." Futaba sent as Makoto sent a response.

"You two got talking, then?" Makoto sent as Kusa sent a response.

"Oh, they got talking, alright! Shocked the hell outta me, to be honest. But I'm glad Futaba's trying to start speaking to others. It's a huge step for her." Kusa sent as Futaba sent a response.

"Yeah, we talked a little bit. He seemed nice." Futaba sent as Kusa sent a response.

"He can be quite nice when he chooses to be, Taba. But even so, I also got the slight sense that there's more to him than meets the eye, if you'll pardon the reference there." Kusa sent as Yusuke sent a response.

"For a stranger to connect with Futaba is no easy feat. He must have quite a talent for this." Yusuke sent as Ann sent a response before Kusa could send a snarky response.

"I'm not sure that 'talent' is the word for it, but yeah, he's cool." Ann sent as Ryuji sent a response.

"What, you wanna get him to counsel you too?" Ryuji sent as Yusuke sent a response.

"I see no point in having my heart probed by an utter stranger." Yusuke sent as Ryuji sent a response.

"Truth, man." Ryuji sent as Yusuke sent another response.

"Still, I am curious as to how he managed to negate Futaba's usual reticence." Yusuke sent as Kusa sent a response, followed by Futaba.

"Don't make it sound like it was such a big deal, Yusuke! He just got Taba to open up to him by speaking to him, like any decent person should do. It's not that big of a deal." Kusa sent conversationally as Futaba sent a response.

"Kusa's right. And I dunno. We just talked normally." Futaba sent as Ann sent a response.

"But he's such a good listener, right? Maybe you ended up talking more than usual." Ann sent as Yusuke sent a response.

"So it's true! He does have some extraordinary effect! Surely he must have some greater insight, the better to espy the innermost truths of the heart!" Yusuke sent as Ryuji sent a response.

"Holy shit, this dude has ESP!?" Ryuji sent as Kusa laughed despite himself at Ryuji's response while Makoto sent a response.

"NO! Not ESP, 'Espy'. It means to see or perceive." Makoto sent as Yusuke sent a response.

"Makoto, is there any way you could arrange for me to meet him?" Yusuke sent as Makoto sent a response.

"What? Me? You want to meet him that badly?" Makoto sent as Yusuke sent a response.

"Please. I feel there is something here I must confirm for myself." Yusuke sent as Makoto blinked before sending a response.

"Well, I can't make anything happen instantly, but, once I get caught up on what I missed during our trip, I'll see what I can do." Makoto sent as Yusuke sent a response.

"My sincerest thanks. I'm looking forward to finally meeting him." Yusuke sent as Ren closed the chat, only to groan as he saw another group chat with the same group, this time with Makoto sending the first response.

"I'm posting a picture I took in Hawaii." Makoto sent as she sent a picture of Ren laying back in a lawn chair with a flower in his hair, cheerfully sipping what looked like a virgin daiquiri, or some other form of pineapple-based drink, looking both smug and happy, while Ann was smiling giddily as she tried to stick a flower into a horrified Ryuji's hair. If you looked, you could see a few other beach-goers in the background. Yusuke sent a response.

"Ah, the hibiscus. Truly a flower of singular beauty. The vivid color compliments the water, too." Yusuke sent as Ann sent a response.

"Right? Too bad Ryuji had to ruin the shot." Ann sent as Ryuji sent a response.

"Dude, get real! A guy can't wear a flower in his hair! It's weird!" Ryuji sent as Kusa sent a response.

"I call total bullshit on that, Ryuji! Guys can so wear flowers in their hair! I recall this one time about three years ago, when Ren and I went to the beach and this one really cute blunette in a bikini came up to us and put flower crowns on our heads. I felt foolish at first, sure, but by the time we were done, I eventually forgot they were there and totally enjoyed myself. And if I recall correctly, that was also the day Ren had like four girls hit on him. That may or may not also have been the day he had an eighth-grader hit on him even though he was himself only in sixth grade at the time, so there. Guys can SO wear flowers in their hair!" Kusa sent as Futaba sent a response.

"I dunno, the guy next to you wears it like a champ." Futaba sent as Ann sent another response.

"Oh, one more to share." Ann sent as she sent a photo of Ryuji sneaking up on what appeared to be Yusuke with a weird mask on his head, making Kusa and Futaba both burst out laughing as they saw the photo, the latter sending a response.

"The heck is that!? It's intense! Not my style, though." Futaba sent as Kusa sent a response.

"I might be wrong, but I think that's what's referred to as an oni mask. Those are said to be beneficial to the wearer, though also said to be very scary to look at. But if you ask me, that mask just looks straight-up badass on Yusuke! Respect, man!" Kusa sent as Yusuke sent a response. *5*

"Thank you, Kusa, for those words of praise. And Futaba? If you're going to be that rude about it, I'm not lending it to you." Yusuke sent as Ryuji sent a response.

"Wait, hold up. You actually bought that thing?" Ryuji sent as Yusuke sent a response.

"Yes. For sketching purposes." Yusuke sent as Ryuji sent a response.

"You're kidding? Did you seriously have the cash for that?" Ryuji sent as Ren sent a response.

"Considering he was broke when it came time for souvenirs, I'd say he did, but it was everything he had." Ren sent as Kusa sighed and spoke up.

"Really? Not again, Yusuke! For real, I need to make a point to make some time to teach you how to stretch a budget, man. That way you don't keep running through your cash so quickly. Ask Ren how good I am at teaching that. Since he's started learning from me, he's gotten a lot better at stretching his budgets. Incidentally, do you still have that wad of cash you made from our last Mementos run, Ren?" Kusa sent as Ren sent a response.

"I still have some of it, yes. Admittedly, most of it went into various other shenanigans before the trip, but I still have a 5-digit amount of money left." Ren sent as Yusuke sent a response.

"That's quite impressive. I'll have to look into it sometime. But back on topic, when I showed them how much money I had, they lowered the price. Truly, a land of generosity indeed." Yusuke sent as Futaba sent a message at that point.

"Wow, Inari. That's like, I dunno, a max-level haggling maneuver." Futaba said as Ryuji sent a message.

"For real. Man, I wish I had gotten a price cut." Ryuji sent as Kusa sent a response.

"Taba, don't be impressed by that. And Ryuji, don't be so naive. That was no price cut. That was some scumbags taking advantage of Yusuke's naivete and matching the price to every penny the man had. He most likely got worked by some bastards that're lucky I wasn't there, or I'd have had some very pointed and very choice words to say about taking advantage of sheltered and naive fools who don't know any better. No offense meant to present company, of course." Kusa sent as Yusuke sent a response.

"Indeed. It was nothing of the sort. I simply expressed my passion to them. Language barriers are surprisingly easy to break through, as long as you can convey your feelings well enough." Yusuke sent as Kusa sent a response.

"Perhaps, but be that as it may, I'm still making it a point to give you, and probably Taba and Ryuji as well, lessons on how to stretch a budget, just to be on the safe side. I don't think Ann or Makoto need that lesson since they seem to have it well in hand on their own, and Ren's already learning from me rather well. And Morgana? Well he's Morgana, and doesn't have money so why would he have to learn to stretch what he doesn't have at the moment? I mean, I can teach him, but it'd be more of a 'just in case' thing with him." Kusa sent as Ren closed the chat. Ren then went to do stuff downstairs, but Morgana spoke up.

"I know you're eager to get re-acclimated Ren, but you just got back from Hawaii, you know? Just stay put. Actually, there's something I need to talk to you about, Ren. No, never mind. You should probably get some rest. Don't worry, it's nothing important." Morgana said to Ren, who nodded as he laid down for the evening, Morgana sighing as he laid on Kusa's chest as the three dozed off...

(Around the same time, at the Niijima household, with Makoto and Sae)

"Hey, Sis." Makoto said to Sae as Sae walked into Makoto studying at the table. Sae chuckled as she spoke up, sounding a mix of impressed and amused while she spoke.

"You just got back from your trip, and you're already studying? How diligent." Sae said as Makoto spoke up.

"I have souvenirs for you." Makoto said cheerfully as Sae spoke up with an unreadable look on her face.

"Thanks, but I'm afraid I have some news that can't wait, Makoto. There's no easy way to say this, so I'm just gonna give it to you straight. The principal of Shujin Academy has passed away." Sae said as Makoto gasped, whimpering in shock and disbelief as Sae kept speaking.

"He suddenly stopped while crossing the road and was struck by a large vehicle. Death by external trauma. They say suicide seems to be a strong possibility, but I wonder if he could've been another mental shutdown victim instead." Sae said as Makoto gasped and spoke up.

"No way. Principal Kobayakawa committed suicide!?" Makoto asked Sae who spoke up with a shrug.

"That's what they're saying. But what I don't get is, would someone about to kill themselves try to go to the police station? He even used a taxi to get there." Sae said as Makoto gasped in surprise before she spoke up.

"No! Do you mean to say that this might be another incident?" Makoto asked Sae, who nodded grimly before she spoke up.

"That's what my instincts are telling me, at least. Even if he had a sudden shift in his state of mine, or a possible change of heart, it's still unnatural. As I just said, I can only suspect that he had a 'change of heart'." Sae said as Makoto gasped and spoke up

"Are you saying he was targeted by the Phantom Thieves!? But that's impossible!" Makoto said vehemently as Sae frowned before speaking up.

"Oh? How are you so certain?" Sae said as Makoto spoke up with a slight wince.

"W-Well, I just don't think the Phantom Thieves would be so brazen as to turn to inducing fatal changes of heart in their victims. That doesn't strike me as their MO at all. Also, in prior cases, the changes of heart seemed to be done to make people confess their crimes. It's hard to explain, but as I said just now, this incident seems contradictory to their usual modus operandi, and really to what they stand for." Makoto said, not voicing her thoughts that not all of the Phantom Thieves had gone on the trip to Hawaii, since the three left behind shouldn't have been able to affect such a huge change of heart on their own. Sae nodded before she spoke up.

"Did Principal Kobayakawa seem any different to you lately?" Sae asked Makoto, who shook her head as she spoke up.

"I don't really know. He rarely contacted the students, after all. So he could've been different for all I know." Makoto said. Sae nodded as she spoke up.

"I see. My condolences on your loss, Makoto. Hm, could something have happened during the school trip?" Sae mused, making Makoto blink in surprise while Sae kept speaking.

"Oh, um, you're studying. I'm sorry to bother you. Oh, and Makoto?" Sae said as Makoto looked over and spoke up.

"Hm?" Makoto said as Sae winced and spoke up.

"A-Ah, never mind. It's nothing. Just don't get dragged into trouble, okay?" Sae said to Makoto before turning and leaving the room, as Makoto sighed to herself and spoke up.

"Ugh, this is bad. Really bad. I'd better tell the others next time we meet up." Makoto said to herself as she kept studying...

(The next morning, on the walk to school with Ren, Kusa, Morgana and Ryuji)

Ryuji sighed as he walked up to Ren and Kusa before speaking up.

"Ugh, it's our first time at school in a while. Ugh, I'm so sleepy. You over your jet lag?" Ryuji asked Ren, who yawned a bit before speaking up.

"Not quite yet, but getting there." Ren said as Ryuji nodded and spoke up.

"Still sluggish, huh? Well, same here, dude. Just don't let Ann or Makoto hear you say that, or they might frown at you. At least Kusa's understanding, so he won't be too mad that we're both sluggish." Ryuji said as Kusa spoke up with a frown.

"He's also right here, but I get that you're still adapting to the time zone difference again, so I can understand a bit of a slow process getting back on this time zone again. But don't expect the others to be as understanding." Kusa said. Ryuji nodded as he spoke up.

"Fair enough, but never mind that. Did you know about this? The Phantom Thieves are popular now! I was surprised when we got back to Japan." Ryuji said as Kusa spoke up.

"He knows, all right. He saw the news talking about the merchandise yesterday. He also saw Akechi do a massive backpedal and seemingly soften his stance on us on live TV. I was confused as hell, but also amused at how hard Akechi's trying to backpedal to cover his own ass. Nice to see him squirming for a change." Kusa said with a smirk as Ryuji spoke up.

"Truth! Also, people're actually payin' attention to who we're gonna target next. Ain't that amazin'?" Ryuji said as Ren shrugged before Kusa spoke up once more.

"Yes, and no. It's amazing we've garnered that much attention, but at the same time I feel like the other side of the proverbial double-edged sword's about to come out and stick us all when we least expect it, so I wouldn't get too cocky or mad with fame and power if I were you, Ryuji." Kusa said with a wary frown. Ryuji shrugged before he spoke up, not able to argue with Kusa's point.

"If you say so, Kusa. Personally, I'm gettin' really psyched. This is where we work hard! Let's do something big again and surprise the world!" Ryuji said as Ren nodded, but Kusa chose not to frown at Ryuji's remark as he saw a certain first-year walk over and smile at Ren and Ryuji as she spoke up.

"Oh! Good morning Amamiya-senpai and, I think your name was Sakamoto-senpai, correct?" Yoshizawa said as Kusa spoke up.

"That's correct, but I dunno if I'd call Ryuji 'senpai', unless he's teaching you how to buy into fame and recognition or how to strike out with the ladies. That said, you're correct on his last name, Yoshizawa." Kusa said to Yoshizawa, who blinked as she spoke up.

"Oh. I see." Yoshizawa said as Ryuji grinned at Yoshizawa and spoke up.

"Oh, mornin'. You're back today too, huh?" Ryuji asked Yoshizawa, who gave Ryuji and Ren a closed-eye smile as she spoke up.

"Yes! It's good to see you both. Um, may I join you three on the way to school?" Yoshizawa asked as Kusa spoke up.

"I don't think that'll be a problem, Yoshizawa-san. If nothing else, I can walk a ways ahead of you with Ryuji if you and Ren want some time to yourselves." Kusa said to Yoshizawa, who smiled as she spoke up.

"That's very considerate of you Amamiya-kun the younger, but not necessary. As I was saying, I want to talk a bit more about the trip, and I want to hear all of your stories from Hawaii!" Yoshizawa said as Kusa spoke up with a smirk.

"To tell the truth, I'm a bit curious to hear some of these stories myself. These guys were rather jet-lagged yesterday so we didn't get to talk much." Kusa said. Ryuji grinned at Yoshizawa as he spoke up.

"You got it! Should I start with all the heroic stuff me and this dude did for the people of Hawaii?" Ryuji said as Kusa laughed and spoke up.

"Heroic!? I'm gonna stop you right there and pre-emptively call bullshit right now, since I doubt very much you and Ren did anything that was remotely heroic on a 5-day trip. I could see Ren having a heroic moment perhaps, but not you, Ryuji. At least not without a big deal being made about it." Kusa said in a dry but amused tone. Yoshizawa blinked at Kusa's tone as she spoke up.

"Umm, I think Amamiya-kun the younger here might have a point, but yeah, sure, that sounds great!" Yoshizawa said as the group walked to school together...

(At school that morning, in the assembly hall, with Makoto, Ren, Ann, Kusa, and Ryuji)

"This has to be about you-know-what, right? With the principal dying and all." A long-haired female student could be heard saying as Kusa blinked and spoke up to Ren and Ryuji with a confused look on his face.

"Oi! What's this about Kobayakawa passing away?" Kusa asked Ren and Ryuji, who shrugged as the former spoke up.

"Your guess is as good as mine, Kusa. We just got back from our trip, remember?" Ren pointed out to Kusa, who huffed but nodded. At that point, the vice principal walked out on stage, quieting the speaking immediately as he spoke up.

"Ahem, good morning students! We will now begin the emergency morning assembly. As many of you may already know, tragedy has befallen Shujin! Principal Kobayakawa passed away yesterday." The vice principal said as murmurs broke out and Ren heard a gossiping female student speak to her friend nearby.

"I wonder if that suicide rumor's for real or not? It happened in front of the police station, didn't it?" The gossiping female student said as her well-behaved friend nodded and spoke up.

"I think I was passing through there at the time, to be honest." The well-behaved female student said, making Kusa frown in surprise, wondering if this was just a random accident, or possibly part of another, larger, incident. Before he could muse on his train of thought further, the vice principal spoke up again.

"The principal had been working hard to restore peace ever since the incident with Mister Kamoshida. He only wished for everyone to be able to lead a normal school life, and because of that love..." The vice-principal said before Kusa heard a large male student near him speak up.

"Love? Bullshit. He was covering something up. Everyone's been talking about it." The large male student said, making Kusa nod approvingly at the student's skepticism. The gossiping female student heard this and spoke up in uncertainty.

"Maybe it wasn't suicide? Maybe it was a change of heart? Oh! Do you think the Phantom Thieves took him down!?" The gossiping female student said as a bored male student next to her spoke up while Kusa huffed in annoyance at the gossiping female student's accusation.

"The Phantom Thieves? Do they kill people?" The bored male student said as the large male spoke up.

"Possibly? I mean, Kamoshida did say he was gonna kill himself to make up for everything he did." The large male student said as the gossiping female student spoke up.

"That would be amazing! Either way, it serves that principal right!" The gossiping female student said as Ryuji huffed and spoke up, turning to Kusa as he spoke.

"Hell no. We didn't do jack shit." Ryuji said as Kusa nodded and spoke up.

"I get it. I think this might be the part where our fame is about to turn back around and bite us on the collective ass if we're not careful. That, and methinks this could be a setup." Kusa said warily. Ann frowned as she spoke up.

"Are people gonna blame us for this too?" Ann asked uncertainly as Kusa spoke up.

"Maybe, but this would be why I never buy into such fleeting things as fame and recognition. See how fast they can change tracks on a dime?" Kusa said huffily as the vice principal spoke up once more.

"I would like to see everyone live up to our late principal's wishes as proud Shujin students, and do our best to make Shujin a place to be proud of." The vice principal said as Makoto sighed and whimpered, still stunned at the news that the principal had died out of nowhere...

(Fast forward to the interrogation room, with Sae and Joker)

"I had noticed traces of tampering. Does that mean you truly took the data from my laptop? No matter how I think about it, that would've been impossible unless Makoto was helping you to do it. But, that makes no sense. She would never do something so foolish, would she? And is it true that you were completely uninvolved with the Kobayakawa case?" Sae asked Joker, who frowned as he spoke up.

"It's true. As you just heard me say, most of us weren't even in town at the time. And while it IS true some of us didn't go on the trip, those who remained behind shouldn't have had the power to do anything on their own, even if they had the founding member of the team with them." Joker said. Sae frowned at this as she spoke up.

"I believe you. But, what does this mean, then? Ugh, but I suppose targeting someone at Shujin again and actually taking their life would be nonsensical." Sae said as Joker spoke up.

"Correct. Everything I've told you thus far has been the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Whether you believe me or not is your decision, however, but you should know that I'm not lying to you." Joker said. Sae spoke up.

"That may be, but I have no reason to believe everything you've said. That said, however, it seems like you aren't the type of person who would lie just to protect themselves. I will acknowledge what I must. It's more efficient that way." Sae said to Joker, who nodded as he felt his bond with Sae starting to grow deeper. At that moment, the 'Judgement' card appeared in his mind's eye, the 'III' becoming a 'IV' to signify that his Judgement Confidant link with Sae had reached Rank 4, though like all the other ranks thus far, he got no new abilities for the rank up. Sae kept speaking at that point.

"Regardless of whether you're lying or not, that's not important. In any case, let's move on to the topic at hand. If you saw my investigation data, you would've had the same suspicions I did about Okumura. And if you looked into his Palace, you should've seen the answer to those suspicions. Tell me. What did the Phantom Thieves do to Okumura? What did you learn from him? Why did it turn out as it did? I need you to tell me everything." Sae said to Joker, who nodded, sighing as he recalled that the next bit would involve a particularly rough part for him to recall, since it involved one of the few times that he'd really lost his temper that he could recall.

And not only was it not a particularly proud moment of his, but it had very nearly not ended very well for all involved parties...

(Back in the present, after school in the attic of Leblanc, with Ann, Futaba, Ren, Yusuke, Makoto, Ryuji, Morgana, and Kusa)

"Before we talk about the data we got from Sis, we need to discuss the incident with the principal that happened recently." Makoto said as Ann frowned and spoke up.

"People are already talking about it online." Ann said as Ryuji spoke up with a frown.

"Nobody's saying it's because of the Phantom Thieves, at least so far." Ryuji said as Yusuke spoke up with a frown.

"People think he did it because that tabloid exposed how he was covering up Kamoshida's abuses." Yusuke said as Ann frowned and spoke up.

"Could it be? Is it possible that we're responsible for Principal Kobayakawa's suicide?" Ann said as Kusa huffed and spoke up.

"Hell no! That's not true for a second! And I don't want to hear you saying that it is, Ann! I've been pondering this all morning, and it seems to me like Kobayakawa, the dirty great scumbag that he was, might have known something he wasn't supposed to, and thus was silenced by whoever's causing these mental shutdowns. From what the news showed, it looks to me like he had a mental shutdown before he stopped in the middle of that road.

So it's highly possible whoever's causing the mental shutdowns was threatened by his knowledge and wanted him silenced. And if they could do it in a way that paints us in the worst possible light at the same time? All the better for them, since that'd be killing two birds with one stone, as it were." Kusa said with a frown. Ryuji frowned as he spoke up.

"Whaddya mean, Kusa?" Ryuji said as Kusa huffed and spoke up.

"Think about it, Ryuji! Who have we been spending the last week and a half wanting to look into because of their potential link to the death of Taba's mom? Black effing Mask! And isn't it convenient how not long after that, Kobayakawa turns up dead from an apparent suicide? No, I think he knew something he shouldn't have, and was silenced! Was it Black Mask? I can't say one way or the other at this time, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was.

No, I think it could be related to him, since I sense he knew something about whoever was causing these mental shutdowns. And it would make perfect sense to have someone like that silenced to prevent a data leak. Hopefully that makes sense to you, Ryuji." Kusa said bluntly. Ann spoke up with a frown.

"You could be right, Kusa. Still, I feel like if we hadn't changed Kamoshida's heart, this never would've happened, possibly?" Ann said as Kusa frowned and spoke up.

"Come off it! That's just being naive, Ann! And if we hadn't done it, what's to say Kamoshida wouldn't have turned his creeper ways onto you or Yoshizawa next once he was done with Suzui-san? No, we did the right thing changing that dirtbag's heart! And I don't want to hear you doubting that, Ann!" Kusa said as Ryuji nodded his agreement as he spoke up.

"Truth, Kusa! You're right." Ryuji said as Futaba spoke up.

"True. There's a lot of opinions online. 'It's only natural that he died.', 'Covering up crimes is wrong.', and so on." Futaba said as Yusuke nodded and spoke up.

"The comments I've seen online are similar as well. 'Only the Phantom Thieves are on our side!', 'I wish the Phantom Thieves would take down the police and politicians of this country!', and so on." Yusuke said as Ann spoke up.

"It's not just the news. There's even Phantom Thieves merchandise now. I never expected we'd end up such a big deal, to be honest." Ann said as Yusuke spoke up.

"True. It seems like the public would rather believe in us than in the adults. People are trying to get the Phantom Thieves to solve societal problems, not just personal ones." Yusuke said as Ann spoke up.

"This is kinda scary, if I'm being totally honest." Ann said as Kusa spoke up with a nod.

"I don't blame you one bit for feeling that way, Ann. You're seeing now how fickle and demanding the public can really be. Sure, they're on our side right now, but what happens the first time we eff up a heart change and someone dies? Picture how fast Akechi's fanbase turned on him this summer, and multiply that by like I'd say 10 or so, and that's how fast we'd go from celebrated to hated! This is why we shouldn't let ourselves be caught up in hype and popularity! Besides, we do what we do because it's the right thing to do, not to get rich and famous, right!?" Kusa said bluntly. Makoto frowned at that point as she spoke up.

"Are we really doing the right thing?" Makoto asked as Kusa glared at her and spoke up.

"Are you asking us that NOW, Makoto? Did we not prove already that what we do is usually the right thing, if not with how we handled Kaneshiro, then with how we went above and beyond to help Taba here overcome her trauma and suffering to be able to be sociable and outgoing again? How is anything about that NOT the right thing?" Kusa asked flatly. Ryuji spoke up with a frown.

"I mean, the principal was coverin' stuff up, right? I guess, if you think about it, he got what was coming to him." Ryuji said as Kusa spoke up again.

"Wrong! He might have been a scumbag, and all-around messed up to most everyone he knew, but murder is never what's coming to someone, no matter how effed up they are. I wouldn't even wish something like that on Akechi! So no Ryuji, he did NOT get what was coming to him! He got dealt a messy end that could end up coming back to cause problems for us even when we had nothing to do with it! So stop trying to simplify things!" Kusa said as Makoto spoke up.

"That's a good point, Kusa-kun. But I also feel like you're getting a bit too worked-up about this." Makoto said as Morgana spoke up.

"Whoa, guys, let's get back on topic. Weren't we going to discuss the data we obtained from Makoto's sister?" Morgana asked as Futaba winced and spoke up while looking at Yusuke.

"You tell them, Inari. I don't know if I have the strength for it." Futaba said as Kusa frowned in concern at Futaba while Yusuke spoke up.

"Hm? Why me?" Yusuke asked. He then sighed and walked over as he spoke up.

"First, Prosecutor Niijima has been looking into the continued cases of people suddenly collapsing. It seems she is searching for a common thread to tie them all together. Some parts seem to be speculation, but she has cited a beneficiary of the majority of all these incidents. The corporation Okumura Foods, or more prominently, it's CEO, one Kunikazu Okumura." Yusuke said as Ryuji frowned and spoke up.

"Okumura? I feel like I've heard that name somewhere before." Ryuji said as Yusuke spoke up.

"From Big Bang Burger." Yusuke said as Ryuji gasped in surprise as he spoke up.

"Big Bang Burger!? For real!?" Ryuji said as Ann nodded and spoke up with a smile.

"You know, they only got famous sometime in the past few years. They even had a branch in Hawaii, surprisingly enough." Ann said as Yusuke spoke up.

"It says here they benefited both from scandals and the resignations of their competitors' executives." Yusuke said as Makoto frowned and spoke up.

"Hm, that would seem to be the case, at least at first glance." Makoto said as Morgana spoke up.

"This is too suspicious, though. Only one CEO is profiting from these seemingly accidental incidents.I think it's natural to suspect he's intentionally causing them." Morgana said as Makoto spoke up with a frown.

"I get that, but still, can we be sure these are linked?" Makoto asked as Morgana nodded and kept speaking.

"Oh yeah! We have even more evidence than that. Tell them, Futaba." Morgana said as Futaba nodded and spoke up.

"While you guys were gone, Kusa and I used his phone's MetaNav to check some names, such as Okumura and Akechi. Akechi didn't have a Palace, to our surprise, but Okumura? He has a Palace for sure." Futaba said as the others, bar Morgana and Kusa, blinked in surprise before Ryuji spoke up.

"That settles it, then! He's totally our next target!" Ryuji said as Morgana nodded and spoke up.

"That's right! Okumura is at the top of the rankings, after all." Morgana said as Yusuke spoke up.

"Hold on. That doesn't necessarily mean he's evil. After all, Futaba here is proof that not just evil people can have Palaces. That said, if we jump into this too carelessly, it could come back to haunt us, in my opinion. And beyond that, I have to say that I agree with Kusa on something. This Phantom Thieves fad is, to be honest, unsettling." Yusuke said as Ann nodded her agreement before she spoke up.

"Yeah, I agree. The excitement levels don't feel normal. We might want to let things calm down a bit first before we do anything reckless." Ann said as Kusa spoke up.

(POV Shift-Kusa's POV)

I nodded approvingly to what Yusuke and Ann had said, deciding to speak up to voice my opinions of what they'd said.

"Exactly. You two are being smart about this. We should let some of this furor die down before we make any bold moves, maybe take some time to do extra research into this Okumura person, possibly see if we can get a link between him and Black Mask. Because, if nothing else? Someone THIS high profile? I'd be shocked if he wasn't also high up on Black Mask's hit list. So if we go after this guy, there's a better than fair chance we might happen upon the mysterious Black Mask at last, so we should be as prepared as possible before we do this." I said sagely as Ryuji frowned and spoke up, the look on his face as he spoke suggesting that he disagreed with my assessment.

"What!? You too, Ann!? You're just gonna go against what people want!?" Ryuji said, making me give him an uncertain look before I frowned and spoke up.

"No, she's not! She's just trying to suggest, as is Yusuke, that we simply think this through before we make any further moves, and I agree wholeheartedly with her. The enemy of a warrior is often recklessness. After all, the saying goes 'you are your own worst enemy' for a reason. More often than not, things like overconfidence and excessive self-doubt can be one's own undoing if one isn't careful." I said wisely. Ann nodded her agreement of my remark before she blinked and frowned at Ryuji.

"Huh? No, but Kusa has a point. We should be smart about this, not brazen, reckless and stupid." Ann said. Ryuji frowned and spoke up.

"What? For real? Are you serious?" Ryuji said as Futaba winced nervously as she spoke up.

"L-Looks like we're not gonna agree today, then, which is fine." Futaba said as I felt Futaba's nervousness and gently gave her a reassuring hug, but to my surprise, Morgana frowned at the group as he spoke up with a frown on his face.

"Sheesh, really? Some team you are! What's with all the hesitation? I can't stand this!" Morgana said as I stood up and turned to face Morgana, arms crossed as I spoke up, not entirely sure I agreed with Morgana's outburst or his rebuking of the rest of us, fixing him with a lightly rebuking glance while I spoke.

"Now hold on one minute, Morgana! I agree that some of us don't know what the eff they want, but isn't that a bit unfair to sneer at us just because we're trying to be cautious about this? I'd think you'd be proud we're trying to keep calm and think things through before we act. After all, was that not one of the first things you taught us about phantom thievery?" I said to Morgana patiently, hoping to make him see reason since I could see he was getting agitated for some reason. Unfortunately, it was not to be as Morgana frowned at me in what I took to be an uneasy but agreeable way as he spoke up.

"You're correct that you are being smart about things, but there's such a thing as being too smart! And as for YOU, Ryuji! You're just an over-confident, feeble-minded, weak-willed plebian who panders to whatever the trend is at the moment! Hell, you're so wishy-washy, you just back down the second someone disagrees with you!" Morgana said as I glanced warily at Morgana and spoke up with a frown, crossing my arms disapprovingly as I spoke, since I knew Morgana was going a bit far with what he'd just said.

"Now that's a bit much, Morgana! Yes, it's true that Ryuji is tactless, idiotic and a bit slow at times, however, he does have his moments where he's great as well. Off the top of my head, I can recall a time where he ran head-long into danger with Ren to get a certain door open to help change Madarame's heart! And more recently, I can recall he actually was kind enough to help talk Futaba through acclimating to her new circumstances. So even if he is a bit of a shallow and fickle person who is preoccupied with fame, he's still a good guy deep down! So let's not go too far with this, Morgana." I said warily to Morgana, hoping to prevent a fight between Ryuji and Morgana. Ryuji, for his part, glared at Morgana as he spoke up, not hearing what I had said to Morgana as he spoke up.

"What did you just say?" Ryuji said as Morgana huffed at Ryuji as he spoke up, seemingly ignoring what I'd said to him previously while he spoke, though when he spoke, my jaw dropped as I gave him a horrified look at what he said next.

"Whatever! I guess all you've been talking about is using the Phantom Thieves name to pick up girls, anyway. And if what I saw in Akihibara is any indication, you've even influenced Ren to be that way! After all, I heard him agreeing to be Futaba's key item when she asked that of him, and given how close they were afterwards, who's to say 'key item' isn't another word for boyfriend!?

Sorry Kusa, but I think Ren might have snapped up Futaba already. How he can do that while being interested in Yoshizawa, I have no clue, but apparently he can." Morgana said as my jaw dropped in horror at what I'd just heard from Morgana.

I stood there in shock, my eyes wide in a mix of disbelief, horror and betrayal as I looked from Morgana, to Ren, to a horrified-looking Futaba, and back to Ren before he lowered his head, shaking in horror and anger while I could only think to myself 'Ren did WHAT!? Why would he lie to me like that!?' even as I found myself in shock at what Morgana has just said, all while Morgana kept speaking, seemingly oblivious to the effects his last remark had had on me.

I then mentally tuned out of the conversation, my mind flashing back to when I'd had to uproot my life the first time, then to Ren's promise that he had no interest in Futaba, then to Morgana's last remark which echoed in my head.

"Sorry Kusa, but I think Ren might have snapped Futaba already. Looks like he got there first." I kept hearing in my head as I had to calm myself so I didn't project the slight rage and hurt I felt at that moment, not hearing most of what was said next as a result.

"Anyways, being hyped up because of the popularity is fine, but getting conceited over it is unacceptable." Morgana said to Ryuji who huffed as he spoke up.

"Hey! Aren't you actin' for your own benefit here too!?" Ryuji said pointedly to Morgana, who hissed as he spoke up.

"My appearance might have changed, but I'm still an admirable human! At the very least, I'm more admirable than some carnal blond monkey!" Morgana said as Ryuji huffed and glared at Morgana as he spoke up.

"Ugh! WHAT!? You little piece of shit! Shut your effing mouth, you stupid lying cat! And quit trying to make up lies about Ren and Futaba! Ren would never betray Kusa like that! You probably misheard something and are trying to twist the facts to try and hurt Kusa for who knows why!" Ryuji accused Morgana, who huffed and spoke up.

"You know what!? Fine. I can take on some small-time target like Okumura on my own. Sorry, but it looks like I'LL be getting the credit for solving the mental shutdown mystery." Morgana said, flashing back to Ryuji calling him useless at the beach before he glared at Ryuji and spoke up.

"Shut your effing mouth, Ryuji! I'm going to show you who the useless one actually is!" Morgana said as Ryuji spoke up angrily.

"All right then, you fleabag! Bring it on! We don't need you around if all you're gonna do is take cheap shots at me and make up lies that make Ren look like some low-life scumbag and make Futaba look like some sort of easy woman who gives it up for nothing." Ryuji said angrily to Morgana. Ann spoke up as she walked over to break up the fight.

"Ryuji, stop!" Ann said, as I finally tuned back into the conversation in time to hear Ryuji say 'make Futaba look like some sort of easy woman who gives it up for nothing', making me frown at him as I spoke up, unconsciously raising my voice while I spoke, oblivious to the concerned looks on the face of everyone except Ryuji and Morgana.

"Wait, hold up. WHAT THE FUCK DID RYUJI JUST SAY ABOUT FUTABA!? Screw what Morgana said about Ren and Futaba, if it makes Futaba happy. But did Ryuji just seriously say what I think he did about Taba!?" I gritted out angrily in a low, but exceedingly livid voice, my eyes narrowed dangerously as I glared venomously at Ryuji, who turned and spoke up in a blatantly unapologetic tone, unaware that I'd not heard his entire last remark while he spoke up.

"And what if I did, Kusa? As smart as you are, surely you know what Morgana said about her is a load of crap! Ren and Futaba see each other like siblings! And even if they were attracted to each other, Futaba's not so loose and easy that she'd just-" Ryuji said, but 'loose and easy' was all I had heard before I saw red and strode forward before anyone could stop me, much less react to what happened next. Next thing anyone knew, a very distinctly audible and echoing 'SMACK!' echoed throughout the room as Ryuji staggered back, rubbing his cheek, where I had just swiftly open-palm backhanded him across the face before I gave him a very incensed stink-eye while I spoke up in a livid tone.

"You know what, Ryuji!? I can put up with you taking shots at Morgana and calling him useless, since that's your incorrect opinion. But when you exacerbate that by saying such a slanderous remark as Futaba being loose and easy? HELL NO! I draw the line! If all you're gonna do is spew lies about her, keep Taba's name out of your effing mouth, Ryuji! And that said, I think it's time for something that was long past due!

In other words, you and me! Out behind Leblanc! Right now! It's about time you were taught a lesson about shooting that damned fool mouth of yours off about shit you know nothing about! And as for Ren? If what Morgana said about him and Taba is true, I'll deal with him later! But right now, I see a blonde-haired idiot who has now crossed the line one too many times!" I said heatedly as I frowned and kept speaking, deciding to clarify what I'd just said, ignoring the horrified looks that Ren and Futaba had exchanged while I spoke, my focus being on calling Ryuji out.

"So yeah, I'll be waiting out behind Leblanc. Unless you want to back down and apologize now, get ready to put your dukes up as we slug this out." I said angrily, my face slightly red as Futaba and Ann exchanged horrified looks at the borderline-berserk behavior they were seeing from me, as I didn't often show this side of myself, but I was past caring about that at that moment as I walked over to Futaba and spoke to her in a gentle but reassuring tone.

"Taba? Look at me. I don't care if you did ask Ren out. If he truly makes you happy, I wish you two the best. But if you didn't, and Ryuji called you loose and easy for no reason, that's the straw that broke the camel's back for me! Clearly Ryuji's in need of a lesson in humility! And if I have to be the one to deliver it? So be it." I said bluntly to Futaba as I gently hugged her and kept speaking.

"That said, however, I might be walking away for now, but never doubt I'm here for you Taba, now and always. Also, this isn't good-bye. I will be back eventually." I said resolutely, hugging Futaba once more comfortingly before striding off angrily down the stairs to wait for Ryuji outside, not even hearing a sputtering Sojiro who was asking what all the noise was upstairs as I stormed out of Leblanc, I was so pissed at Ryuji...

(POV shift-back to normal POV)

After Kusa stormed out, Morgana huffed and frowned at the others before he spoke up.

"Hmph! Maybe Kusa had the right idea! Looks like neither he, or I for that matter, really belong here after all, and if so? FINE! Who needs teammates like Ryuji! Well, this is goodbye!" Morgana said as Ren spoke up, his anger at the entire situation choosing that moment to boil over as he spoke up, his voice slightly raised in anger.

"Wait, wait. What the hell's gotten into both you AND Kusa? And what's this bullshit you're spewing about me and Futaba getting together? Do you know how much of a mountain of lies that is? And saying that in front of Kusa!? Do you realize how much saying that might've hurt him!? After all, he sees Taba and I as the two closest people to him here. Though after what you said? He might not feel that way now! So, you know what!? If you really feel that way Morgana, then GET OUT!

And don't come back if you're just gonna stir up lies that are meant to turn us against one another! As it is, you might have pushed Kusa into beating up Ryuji over a lie! And all because Ryuji was trying to stand up for not only Kusa, but myself and Futaba as well! How dare you stir up the pot like that, Morgana!? GET OUT! AND DON'T COME BACK!" Ren roared at Morgana, shocking the others with the amount of anger, venom and malice in his tone as Ann frowned and spoke up.

"Morgana, wait!" Ann said as Morgana sighed and spoke up.

"Lady Ann. I'm sorry, but I cannot remain on a team if I'm going to have abuse hurled at me for telling the truth! So I'm sorry, but see you." Morgana said as he darted off as Ryuji huffed and spoke up.

"Ugh. I bet he's back in no time, crying for forgiveness and begging us to take him back. Ugh, dammit! And now because of his lies, we have potentially two of our number storming off angrily. This blows! I suppose I should go downstairs and try to talk Kusa down, if I can." Ryuji said as he headed downstairs and outside to go meet Kusa behind Leblanc, as Kusa asked...

(POV Shift-Kusa's POV)

To Ryuji's surprise, I was waiting for him when he came out, in just my muscle shirt on top, an extremely incensed look on my face as I looked at Ryuji and spoke up.

"So, you actually decided to show up, Ryuji. I'm impressed. Now, since I'm such a forgiving man, I'll give you one last chance to apologize for what you said and we can forget about having to throw hands." I said sportingly as Ryuji huffed and spoke up, seemingly both confused by my anger at him and not really wanting to fight me if I had to guess while he spoke.

"What the eff? Kusa, hear me out, man! I know you're heated at me, and rightfully so, but you have to realize! Morgana lied about Ren and Futaba hooking up! Ren would never betray you that way! And I'm sorry for what I said to offend you! I was saying that Futaba's way better than what Morgana accused her of. I think you heard me rationalizing that and over-reacted to my word choice before. I would never say something so crass and rude as calling Futaba loose and easy. I know full well that's not true." Ryuji said as I frowned in annoyance and glared at Ryuji icily while I spoke up.

"And yet, while denying that you said that, you say it again? Even if I forgive you for that, you still called Morgana a piece of shit! And whatever he might have said to me, and whatever lies he could've told, I will not let you stand there and call him a piece of shit, OR useless! Now apologize for that!" I snapped at Ryuji as he reluctantly huffed and spoke up, giving me an apologetic but resolved look while he spoke..

"I'll apologize for snapping at him in front of you, but I won't apologize for calling Morgana out on his crap. He needed to be put in his place! Not that it matters, since he threw a fit after you left and ran out like a whiny two year old having a tantrum. But you know? If, and I do mean IF, what Morgana said about Ren and Futaba IS true, what about Yoshizawa-san? She's going to be so devastated! You're not the only one devastated here, Kusa! So calm down and think this through before either of us does something we'll regret!" Ryuji said to me, hoping to placate me, only for my eyes to narrow at him as I spoke up, very distinctly annoyed that he had just said that while I spoke.

"I'm sorry, what!? You have the gall to tell me to my face that it might not matter what you said about Futaba, when Yoshizawa could be devastated by this too!? I know that! Why do you think I got so angry and shocked when I heard what Morgana said? Are you really that stupid as to think I wouldn't have realized that?" I said in annoyance as Ryuji spoke up with a huff, seeing I was livid with him, and hoping to calm me down as he spoke up, a regretful look on his face while he spoke.

"No. But you're still angry, which is not good. Calm down, Kusa!" Ryuji said to me, as I frowned at him and spoke up, fed up with him talking down to me like that and feeling the need to put him in his place, both for what he said to me and for all the times he'd been calling Morgana useless lately. I gave him an icy glare while I spoke.

"You know what? NO! I won't calm down! Even if you did apologize for what you said, you're still insulting those I care about! Let's settle this!" I snarled venomously as Ryuji sighed and spoke up, seemingly only then realizing how much he'd pissed me off and giving me a resigned look as he spoke up.

"Fine, I don't want to do this, but if you insist." Ryuji said reluctantly before he rushed at me, which I saw coming and side-stepped his charge, after which I swept my good leg deftly out in front of me, aiming to take Ryuji's feet out from under him, succeeding in knocking him to the ground easily before I glared down at Ryuji icily as I spoke up.

"Yield, Ryuji! Surrender! I don't want to have to hurt you! But if you're going to insist on fighting back, I won't have a choice!" I warned Ryuji, not wanting to mess him up, but also not having any intention of backing down at this point, but apparently neither did Ryuji given what he said and did next as he spoke up.

"Eff that!" Ryuji said, throwing a punch at me, only for me to shake my head in disappointment as I easily caught the fist with one hand and pushed it back, following up with my own right hook that swiftly connected with Ryuji's jaw, snapping his head back as he groaned before slumping over, passing out from the swiftness and force of the punch. I then glared down at the unconscious Ryuji before I spoke up in a disdainful tone.

"For real!? That's all the longer you lasted, Ryuji!? Pathetic! I wasted my time fighting you. However, I won't damage you further, out of respect for our friendship. But consider this a warning. If I EVER hear you talking smack about those close to me again like you did just now, we'll be throwing hands again, and next time I won't be so merciful." I said firmly as I left Ryuji on the ground, only to hear gasping nearby and turning to see a sputtering Ren looking from my livid expression to the unconscious Ryuji at my feet and then back to me before he gaped at me in shock and horror while he spoke up.

"Kusa!? What the hell did you just do to Ryuji?" Ren asked me, making me turn to face Ren with an unimpressed glare on my face as I spoke up in my own defense.

"What do you think I did, Ren!? I put that dumb ass fool in his effing place! And be honest with me! Did you or did you not accept Futaba asking you to be her key item?" I snarled at Ren, recalling in that moment what Morgana had mentioned about Ren seemingly staking claim on Futaba and finding myself incensed with my brother at that moment. Ren, for his part, merely gave a sad sigh before he reluctantly nodded and spoke up.

"I did accept Futaba's request for help, but I also told her that I only saw her as a friend or a sister, and that I knew other people were interested in her, which means I wasn't trying to take her from them. And when I said that, I meant you. Also, why would you knock Ryuji out, Kusa!? He stood up for you to Morgana! He was protecting you!" Ren lectured me, making me laugh hollowly at this and frown at Ren as I spoke up while glaring at Ren.

"Was he really protecting me, Ren!? If what you say is true, why then did I distinctly hear him suggest that Futaba was loose and easy? And don't deny it Ren, I heard him say it myself! How is that the actions of someone who's protecting me?" I snapped angrily at Ren, who frowned at me and spoke up, seemingly not impressed by my outburst.

"Is that seriously what you think, Kusa!? Wake up! He was saying it's NOT like she's like that! He wasn't insulting her! You're just over-reacting and being a hot-headed moron, again! You're lucky Yusuke and Ann were able to calm down Futaba, by the way. You scared the wits out of her with that outburst of yours earlier! You do realize that, don't you, Kusa!? Or were you thinking about that when you decided to snap at Ryuji over that absolute crock of garbage lie that Morgana told you about Futaba and I!?" Ren rebuked me, making me frown at him having the audacity to claim that I was in the wrong to act the way I did, making me huff angrily while I spoke up.

"Was it a lie, Ren!? I seem to recall you told me quite clearly before you left for Hawaii that you have no romantic interest in Futaba! So why then is Morgana saying that you agreed to be her boyfriend, or key item as you apparently called it!? That's fucked up, Ren! Do you see me trying to take Yoshizawa away from you!? So don't be trying to lecture me about over-reacting when you're the one lying to people's face and staking claim to whatever girls you want!

Now, so I don't do something else I might regret, I'm going to go vent this anger at the gym! I'll be back when I've cooled my head, and hopefully we can talk this out like civilized people then! And for your sake, I hope you have a damned good explanation, Ren!" I snarled at Ren, ignoring the look of shock and hurt on his face as I shook my head in disappointment before storming off angrily, leaving a shocked, stunned, and possibly devastated Ren behind as I furiously stormed off...

(Elsewhere, with Morgana, neutral POV)

"I'm human, dammit! I have to be, after all." Morgana said to himself huffily before he sighed and spoke up once more.

"All right. I've managed by myself before, and I can do it again now. I just need to take down President Okumura before those guys do!" Morgana said angrily as he darted off, not seeing the poofy-haired brunette walk by as he ran past, making said brunette blink as she spoke to herself.

"Huh? That kitty. Have I seen it before?" Okumura said to herself...

(At the same time, elsewhere with Sae and Akechi)

"No way! I can't believe this! The public believes in the justice of the Phantom Thieves. They have no interest in that principal." Sae said as Akechi winced and spoke up.

"I'm experiencing equal levels of frustration. My comments on TV turned everyone against me. Everyone, that is, bar perhaps Amamiya-kun the elder, surprisingly enough. Then again, I won't allow mere criticism to break my spirit so easily." Akechi said as Sae nodded and spoke up.

"We won't keep letting ourselves be defeated either. My suspicion after the hacker's case last month is now conviction, thanks to the principal's death. The mental shutdown cases and the psychotic breakdowns are surely the Phantom Thieves' doing." Sae said as Akechi nodded before he spoke up.

"True. I remember the data you showed me about Okumura Foods. Is that the basis for those beliefs?" Akechi asked Sae, who nodded as she spoke up.

"There have been frequent occurrences of mental shutdowns surrounding Okumura recently. If only there was a clear connection between him and the Phantom Thieves, I could use it to prove they're behind everything and bring them to justice! Well, it would be problematic if there wasn't one." Sae said as Akechi spoke up agreeably.

"So, you're jumping the gun here." Akechi said as Sae turned to face him while he kept speaking.

"You really told a man you would terminate his parental authority based purely on your speculation? I'm surprised you would say such a thing, especially to the owner of a cafe that you frequent like you do." Akechi said in a disappointed tone as Sae huffed and spoke up.

"So? It's all for the sake of the case." Sae said as Akechi frowned and spoke up.

"You may have the backing of the SIU's director of late, but even so, you've been far too aggressive, Sae-san. You're trespassing into police territory. Don't say nobody warned you if this becomes an issue later." Akechi said cautiously to Sae, who glared at Akechi as she spoke up.

"My superiors told me the same thing." Sae said as Akechi spoke up with a smile.

"We first need to know what methods the Phantom Thieves are using. The police can't make a move unless that becomes apparent, after all." Akechi said as Sae huffed and spoke up.

"So what? This opponent can't be caught by following the rules. What need is there to stick to formalities?" Sae said angrily as Akechi glared at Sae as he spoke up.

"So, you wish to ignore protocol in order to reform society? I hope you realize that's no different than what the Phantom Thieves are doing. It's a shame, especially since we both want to capture the culprit behind the psychotic breakdowns, after all." Akechi said as he stormed off, leaving a surprised Sae to blink after the retreating Akechi...

(Unknown location, with Morgana)

"Dammit, I really messed up this time." Morgana said as he laid on the ground in pain as a mechanical voice spoke up.

"Shall we dispose of it?" The mechanical voice said as another voice answered it.

"Leave it be. We do not have time to waste on a solitary feline." The second voice said as the mechanical beings moved on, leaving Morgana alone to wince as he spoke up.

"Ugh, crap. Is this really, truly, impossible to do while I'm alone? Have I been a fool all along?" Morgana said. At that same point, a shadow was seen next to him as a female's voice could be heard.

"Oh! How horrible! Are you okay?" The female said as Morgana winced and spoke up.

"Huh? Wh-Who's there? Can't see. Who's that? Who's there? Mas...ter?" Morgana asked before passing out as a familiar poofy-haired brunette approached him...

(The next morning, in Leblanc, with Ren and Futaba)

As Ren came downstairs, Futaba sighed and spoke up while giving Ren a worried look as she spoke.

"Hey, have you seen Kusa or Morgana?" Futaba said as Ren sighed and shook his head while speaking up.

"No, not since they both stormed off yesterday. Someone mentioned seeing Kusa at the gym, but not since then. Knowing him, he probably went to go find a place to sleep. As for Morgana, not a word about him." Ren said to Futaba in a worried tone. Futaba sighed as she spoke up.

"I see. That's not good. I have no clue where Kusa would've gone, but Morgana can't be out there on his own, despite what he may have said. To be honest, I just kinda expected he'd come home when he got hungry or sleepy." Futaba said with a worried look on her face before blinking as a thought occurred to her that she spoke up to voice.

"Oh! Maybe Morgana went to someone else's place? Let's ask." Futaba said as Ren nodded, before Futaba opened up a group chat with Ryuji, Yusuke, Makoto, and Ann, sending a response.

"Neither Morgana nor Kusa are back yet." Futaba sent as Ann sent a response in shock.

"Huh? Neither of them came home yet?" Ann sent as Futaba sent a response.

"Nope. The food's still in Morgana's bowl, and no one we've spoken to has seen Kusa at all, outside of someone spotting him in the gym briefly yesterday." Futaba said as Ann spoke up.

"D'you really think they just took off like that, though?" Ann said as Makoto sent a response that Ren, Ryuji, and Yusuke all frowned on reading.

"After what he did to Ryuji yesterday!? I could care less about Kusa! He can handle himself, anyways! As for Morgana, he's a cat, so it's possible he got into an accident or something." Makoto sent as Yusuke sent a response.

"Don't lie like that, Makoto. While it is true that Kusa's outburst was most alarming, along with the fact he basically knocked Ryuji out with one punch to the jaw, we have to remember that he was in a very devastated mind space after what Morgana revealed about Ren and Futaba. That being said, does Morgana really seem to be the type who would go off and die on us though?" Yusuke sent as Ryuji sent a response.

"Truth! And to be honest, I wasn't expecting Kusa to be that good! He laid me out flat with one good right hook! Those stories about his martial-arts talents aren't just idle bullshit! If anything, I felt like he was holding back while he fought me! And if that's true, that scares me!

As far as Morgana? It's just been one day! Y'all are worrying too much! He's prolly just off doing his own stuff. I mean, he used to live alone, remember? Just don't worry about it! I'm sure he'll come back if something happens." Ryuji sent as Futaba and Ren put their phones away as the former spoke up.

"Aren't they all being way too cold about this?" Futaba said to Ren, who shrugged and spoke up.

"Yes, a bit. But they also had good points. I'm more worried about if Kusa will turn up at school, to be honest with you." Ren said as Futaba nodded.

"Right, that's a good point. Who's to say he wouldn't fall off the face of the earth to prove a point? Or worse, that he got jumped again? Oh well, have a good day at school, Ren." Futaba said as Ren headed to school...

(That morning, in class with Ren and Ann)

"Ah well, that's disappointing. Yesterday, my wife threw out one of my books without asking me first. 'The Okumura Way' was the name of it. And it was even signed! With his logical management skills, he revived his company that was on the verge of bankruptcy. He then started Big Bang Burger, a bold and creative venture. Okumura's words are a philosophy on life itself! How could she sell that to a secondhand shop? But in times like these, getting one's mind to switch gears is key. Wouldn't you agree, Amamiya-kun?" Inui said as Ren gave Inui his attention.

"A second-hand shop is mostly meant for sales of goods and supporting charitable causes, but do you know the answer? What does a pawn shop offer that a secondhand shop doesn't?" Inui asked Ren, who sighed as he knew the answer, but it was because it was one of the last things Kusa had taught him while giving him budget-stretching lessons. Ren spoke up confidently to give the answer.

"This is it! The answer is money loans for collateral." Ren said confidently. Inui clapped his hands as he spoke up.

"Very good! That is correct. Thrift stores are comparatively less focused on money management and budget stretching. But larger businesses could donate unused stock to them, and use them as a tax write-off that way. It takes incredible business acumen to figure out how to be both profitable and charitable at once." Inui said as the usual murmurs about Ren's intelligence ensued.

However, unlike every other time, this time there was no Morgana to give him a compliment on getting the answer right, making Ren sigh as he wondered, not for the first time, if he'd been too hard on Morgana. He idly noted he'd gotten a little smarter from being able to answer that question. As a result, his Knowledge went up even though it wasn't needed. At that point, Inui spoke up once more.

"I just remembered. There are rumors that President Okumura may be getting into politics. It is true that the current administration is incompetent in a number of ways, sure, but even so, I would love to have a charismatic man like him leading the country." Inui said as the rest of class went uneventfully...

(Later that afternoon, in class with Ann and Ren)

Ren's phone went off to signify a private chat from Futaba, which he read.

"Hey, come straight home once school's over, OK?" Futaba sent as Ren sent a response.

"Wny? What's wrong, Futaba?" Ren sent. Futaba sent a response at that point.

"We're gonna wait together in case Kusa or Morgana comes home! Anyway, come straight home! I wonder what's up with those two though, to be honest. They should just hurry and come back. Hopefully they realize that we all miss them both, even if most of us won't necessarily admit to it." Futaba sent as Ren put his phone away...

(That evening, in an unknown location)

"INTRUDER! AFTER THEM! WHERE DID WE GO? WE MUST FIND THEM!" A robotic voice could be heard saying as a figure landed on the ground, though all you could see of it was black pump heels and black thigh-high leggings as another figure, this one far more cat-like, was also seen as another mechanical voice spoke up.

"ANOTHER ONE HAS BEEN LOCATED! BE ON GUARD! THERE ARE TWO OF THEM! DIVIDE AND PURSUE!" The mechanical voice said as another mechanical voice spoke up as a pair of shadows could be seen.

"INTRUDERS DISCOVERED! COMMENCING PURSUIT PROTOCOL!" The mechanical voices said...

(Back at Leblanc, around the same time, with Sojiro, Futaba and Ren)

Futaba sighed as she spoke up, a sad/worried look on her face as she looked at Ren and Sojiro while she spoke up.

"Ugh, Mona's still not home, and neither is Kusa." Futaba said sadly as Sojiro spoke up, giving Futaba a reassuring smile as he spoke..

"I'm sure Morgana will come back when he gets hungry. As for Kusa, I admit his continued disappearance is worrying, especially since Shujin called to report he didn't show up to school at all today, but all we can do is trust he'll be okay and find his way back here eventually." Sojiro said as the news came on at that point.

"On to our next story. Late last night, multiple windows were found shattered at the Okumura Foods Corporate HQ." The newscaster said as Futaba sent Ren a private chat.

"Hey, this is that Okumura." Futaba sent as the newscaster kept speaking.

"Other damages have also been reported, including the destruction of a statue depicting Mister Okumura." The newscaster said as Sojiro spoke up with a frown.

"Huh, odd. Wonder if someone's got a grudge against that guy or something?" Sojiro said as the newscaster kept speaking.

"However, there were no signs of a break-in. Identifying the culprit is expected to be difficult for many reasons." The newscaster said as Futaba sent another private chat.

"You think Mona charged in there by himself?" Futaba sent as Ren sent a response.

"It's possible. Kusa could be with him, but I doubt Kusa's that reckless to do something so brazenly illegal. No, I think in this case Kusa and Morgana went separate directions after they stormed off, which is even more worrisome since Kusa seemed more pissed than normal when he stormed off, even after knocking Ryuji out." Ren sent. Futaba sent a response.

"Yeah. He might not seem like it sometimes, but Morgana's totally a capable cat when he wants to be. Either way, let's go to Okumura's Palace tomorrow. I'll contact everyone." Futaba sent as Ren put his phone away while Sojiro spoke up.

"Hm?" Sojiro said, confused as to why Futaba and Ren were so quiet...

(Later that night, in the attic of Leblanc with Ren)

Ren's phone went off to signify a group chat from Ryuji, Ann, Yusuke, Makoto, and Futaba, with Makoto sending the first response.

"WHAT!? Morgana went into Okumura's Palace? Is that true, Futaba?" Makoto sent as Futaba sent a response.

"Prolly. He did say he'd go alone." Futaba sent as Ann sent a response.

Does that mean he's in danger? And did we ever find out what happened to Kusa after he took off?" Ann sent as Yusuke sent a response.

"The chances of Morgana being in danger if he charged into Okumura's Palace alone are highly likely. As for Kusa, no one knows where he is. Though I did hear that he was last seen talking to Mishima-kun yesterday after leaving the gym, and then apparently he pulled out a phone and vanished? I think it's highly possible that Kusa could've charged off into Mementos on his own for some reason. Possibly he took off after Black Mask?" Yusuke sent. Futaba sent a response.

"Yeah. As much as I want to say let's go after Kusa, he can handle himself for now. I think the bigger priority is making sure Morgana's all right. As such, we should all go into Okumura's Palace after him. The Palace is most likely at their corporate headquarters. I'll look into it a little more." Futaba sent as Ryuji sent a response.

"Yeah. I might be angry at Kusa, but after he laid me out with that right hook, I also respect him a bit more, so I'm worried about him. But he can handle himself. That said, all right, let's do it! We gotta look into those mental shutdown things too. After all, with some luck, those might lead us to Black Mask, and if we're right about what he's doing, to Kusa as well." Ryuji sent as Makoto sent a response.

"True. Normally, I'd prefer a little more caution, but this is an emergency, so an exception can be made here." Makoto sent as Futaba sent a response.

"Then we'll go tomorrow. Don't forget, everyone." Futaba said as Ren put his phone away, sighing as he sat on his bed, hoping that his losing his temper hadn't caused both his brothers to be lost to the group forever, but he was still worried. Hopefully they can find both Morgana and Kusa safe, before it's too late for one, or even both, of them...

END OF CHAPTER

A/N: And boom, another chapter done and dusted! But damn it was a big one! And now you know. While the falling out with Morgana still happened roughly the same as it did in canon Royal, it had some additional complications that caused another member of the group to also storm off angrily after knocking out Ryuji with a single punch. Will Kusa and/or Morgana be found by the group? Or are the Phantom Thieves down two members now? Only time will tell!

That said, thanks to all who've read and reviewed the chapters thus far along with those who've favorited the story, followed it, or even both, as your input and feedback is highly appreciated as it allows me to fine-tune the story and make it the best it can be for the readers to enjoy. So feel free to continue leaving reviews and/or PMing me with your feedback, opinions, suggestions, and even your constructive criticism for the story! Not only do I welcome the feedback and input, but I enjoy hearing from my readers, so feel free to hit me up, whether it be in a review or in PMs. And until next chapter, sithlorde1988 out!

NOTES

*1*- This bit here was a bit of a running gag, as well as a reference to the 90's movie/TV show 'Beetlejuice' about a wacky phantom who appears by having his name called out three times, which Ren poked fun at by mentioning Akechi being summoned by saying the word 'Pancakes', which that bit is also a joke in and of itself that references how a lot of Youtubers I've seen have referred (whether jokingly or not) to Akechi as 'Pancake Boy', which I find hilarious and oddly iconic.

*2*- Technically, at this point, you're supposed to be able to get invites to hang out from Ryuji, Ann, Makoto, Hifumi, or possibly Kawakami, if you have any of their Confidant ranks high enough. I thought the threshold was rank 8, but I have Ann at confidant rank 8 in this story and she didn't send any invite to Ren. Actually, in my current playthrough, Ren literally only got an invite from Ryuji, which is crap.

You should at least be able to get an invite from Hifumi and Makoto, if nothing else. But maybe they have to be rank 9+ (or having reached eligibility for romancing/learning Protect) to send the invite? Though I doubt that since in my original playthrough of Royal, I had Hifumi at rank 8 and she invited Ren to hang out, so I dunno why I only got an invite from Ryuji in my current playthrough. Odd.

*3*- Continuing my little tangent in *2*, I also find it effed up how you don't get an option for Yoshizawa to invite Ren to hang out, despite the fact you can actually get her to 'MAX' rank (or rank 5) well before the trip, and as such, she should be able to send Ren an invite to hang out. She even shows up in Royal during the Hawaii trip, so the devs cannot use the excuse of plot convenience for why it didn't happen. That was just straight-up laziness on their part. Hence why I put in my own idea of a scene at the beach between Ren and Yoshizawa.

Had I actually typed out the scene with Ren hanging with Ryuji, all that would've been seen was Ren, Mishima, and Ryuji all striking out with a pair of older southerner girls (who even have literal Southern accents to boot), and then somehow dragging Yusuke, who happened to just be there having a meal, along for the ride, despite his protests. So, rather than subject the readers to a boring and frankly pitiful and uneventful experience like that, we get the extra-fluffy moment of RenXYoshizawa goodness instead, which also comes with some steamy bits and hints of implied YusukeXHifumi mixed in for good measure! You're welcome!

*4*- Continuing what I said in *3*. the game even further proves my point here by having Yoshizawa literally show up the last day of the trip to surprise Ren while he's shopping for souvenirs, and Yoshizawa herself even literally says, and I quote, 'My training camp happened to be meeting in Waikiki for the current training, so I had some time to surprise you.' to Ren, so that's even more reason that they could've thrown in a scene for Ren and Yoshizawa at the beach. SMH the laziness by the devs here is staggering, IMO. Oh well, that's why we have fanfiction, am I right? Hopefully I did the scene well enough for any Ren/Sumire fans reading it!

*5*- I could be mistaken when I say this, considering the only actual experience seeing Oni masks prior to typing this was in season 3 of Jackie Chan Adventures, and admittedly they weren't that much of a good luck omen in that show, so I might be wrong to have Kusa say what he did in the chapter, so if so, someone correct me in the reviews or by PM, and I'll correct that part ASAP. But until I hear otherwise, that part stays as is.

CONFIDANT RANKS AS OF THE END OF CHAPTER 53

FOOL (Igor/Prison Master) - Rank 8

MAGICIAN (Morgana/Mona) - Rank 7

PRIESTESS (Makoto/Queen) - Rank 4

EMPEROR (Yusuke/Fox) - Rank 5

HIEROPHANT (Sojiro/Boss/Coffee Daddy) - Rank 5

LOVERS (Ann/Panther) - Rank 8

CHARIOT (Ryuji/Skull) - Rank 7

JUSTICE (Akechi) - Rank 6

HERMIT (Futaba/Oracle) - Rank 2

FORTUNE (Chihaya/Fortune Teller) - Rank 1

STRENGTH (Justine and Caroline/Twin Wardens) - Rank 7

HANGED-MAN (Iwai/Weapons Dealer) - Rank 2

TEMPERANCE (Kawakami/Becky) - Rank 4

DEVIL (Ohya) - Rank 2

STAR (Hifumi) - Rank 4

MOON (Mishima) - Rank 5

SUN (Yoshida/Man Of The People) - Rank 8

JUDGEMENT (Sae/Prosecutor) - Rank 4

FAITH (Kasumi/Yoshizawa) - Rank 5 'MAX'

COUNCILLOR (Maruki/Doc) - Rank 5

WORLD (Kusa/Draconis) - Rank 5 'MAX'

YET TO BE UNLOCKED: TOWER, EMPRESS