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!

62. The Plot Thickens! Crow's Gambit part 1

A/N: sithlorde1988 here, with another chapter of Persona 5- The Phantom Files! Here we are at the start of arc 6! Hard to believe we're only just now at around the 25% finished mark for this story as a whole, but yep we are that far in. That said, this next arc is going to be an interesting one in that not only is the events of the sixth Palace covered in it, but there'll also be some extra stuff sprinkled in intermittently throughout this arc.

However, keep in mind that a good chunk of arc 6 is meant to serve as set-up for some plot points in arc 7, which is where the really big bombshells start coming into play. Basically, arcs 6-8 are going to both advance the story and also gradually set the stage for arc 9, which is where the really big change-ups come into play. But that's enough long-term previewing for now. Let's do the disclaimer, while I'm thinking of it.

Disclaimer: sithlorde1988 does not own the Persona series in any way, shape, or form (barring the OC Kusa/Draconis, and the minor recurring OCs Somasi/Slim, Mimille, Lumine, Kyori, and Akira, along with any other minor OCs that might appear throughout the story, all of whom are made and owned by sithlorde1988 unless otherwise stated) and the actual credit for owning the Persona series belongs to Atlus, Sega, and to a point Koei Tecmo, so all credit to them!

Before I start the chapter, let me real quick give a shout-out to the guest reviewer from chapter 42, as they left another review in chapter 61 confirming what I mentioned in that chapter about the 'rent-a-girlfriend' that I mentioned near the end of that chapter, and even gave some more details about it and clarified some things on it. Apparently it's dialogue only and you can't actually rent her, so it is what it is there. But I thank you for the information regardless, as it was quite helpful! So thanks for the review and the information!

That said, on with chapter 62, and with it, the start of arc 6: Crow's Gambit!

Chapter 62- Preparing for Midterms! More Phantom Shenaniganry! Crow's Gambit part 1

(At Leblanc, in the evening, with Ren, Kusa and Morgana)

Kusa got comfortable on the couch to do some private chatting while Ren and Morgana went downstairs, Ren eventually deciding to brew some coffee just to bolster his supply of high-effect SP recovery items. After he approached the brewing machine, Morgana spoke up.

"Ah, gonna brew some coffee, Ren?" Morgana asked as Ren nodded and spoke up.

"Yeah, why not? Not a lot else going on tonight, plus I can always stand to better my brewing skills. Not to mention, it's a good use of my time." Ren said sagely. Sojiro looked over at Ren as he saw him at the brewing machine, smirking as he spoke up.

"Yo. You're really taking to brewing coffee, aren't you? Can't say as I blame you, though. It's pretty fun once you get started, am I right? Not to mention, there's a lot to know and enjoy about coffee. Well, whatever, you have fun with that. All right, I'll leave the shop to you for a bit. I'm headin' out to buy some more cigarettes." Sojiro said as Ren nodded and set up the brewer and started brewing some coffee.

After a bit, he poured himself a cup of the finished product as Morgana spoke up excitedly from where he was standing on the counter, his front paws touching the surface of the counter while his back paws were being used to stand him on the stool, his tail flicking back and forth excitedly while he spoke.

"Whoa, that's pretty insane, Ren. I never get tired of seeing you brew coffee. Not to mention, the smell is quite enjoyable when it's good coffee." Morgana said as Ren nodded, sitting down to sip from his cup, pumping a fist as he spoke up.

'YES! All right! Another well-brewed cup!" Ren said to himself as Morgana spoke up with a closed-eye grin.

"Heh, I can see you look pleased with yourself. And well you should be. The way you're drinking that makes it look quite delicious." Morgana said as Ren got 2 'Master Cofffee' items for his efforts. Morgana smirked as he spoke up.

"Heh heh. Y'know, I know you've maxed everything out stat-wise, but you still somehow manage to make yourself more charming with each cup of coffee you make. It might be the effects of the chief's influence, but it seems like you never stop bettering yourself." Morgana said as Ren's Charm got a needless boost. After a bit, Sojiro walked in and chuckled as he saw Ren at the counter, sipping his own coffee, making him speak up.

"Heh, looks like you're at it again, eh Ren? Well, how's it going? Here, I'll have a sip." Sojiro said as Ren nodded, carefully passing the cup to Sojiro, who slowly took a sip of the coffee, savoring the taste a bit before eventually speaking up.

"Mmm. Hm? This aroma, there's no mistaking it. This is Brazilian No. 2/18. Let me explain! Brazil produces the most coffee in the world. Their beans are known to be of high quality, have balanced acidity, and a bitter finish. Also known as Santos, No. 2/18 is one of the most popular Brazilian coffees. 2 stands for the quality, and the 18 is for the bean size. That said, this is delicious, Ren. I'm impressed.

Although, to be honest Ren? At the pace you're going, it's unlikely you'll ever catch up to me, but that shouldn't deter you from continuing to try and catch me. It could happen eventually if you keep the hard work up. That said, I've found what's important to me. You three are my priorities. Don't worry, I'll protect you, Kusa, and Futaba." Sojiro said to Ren, who blinked in surprise at this before slightly smiling and nodding as Sojiro left. After a bit, Ren put away the leftovers for later consumption, and did the dishes, as Morgana spoke up.

"Heh, not bad Ren. But we should rest now, since we have a big day tomorrow." Morgana said as Ren nodded, and the two headed upstairs after Ren finished the dishes, getting comfortable for the evening as Morgana hopped onto the sofa, carefully curling up on Kusa as the trio went to bed for the night...

(The next morning, in the attic of Leblanc, with Ren, Kusa, and Morgana)

After Ren and Morgana woke up and got ready for the day, Kusa groaned as he sat up slowly and started getting up for the day, and after he got dressed and ready, his and Ren's phone's went off to signify a group chat with Ryuji, Ann, Yusuke, Makoto, Haru, and Futaba, with Haru sending the first response.

"I'm sorry for worrying all of you. I won't be able to respond for a little while longer." Haru sent as Kusa and Makoto sent responses close together, Makoto's coming through first.

"You don't need to mind us." Makoto sent as Kusa's response came through.

"You're fine, Haru. We understand you've had a lot to deal with recently, so we're not mad that you're not able to respond. If anything, we just want to see you stay strong through this rough time you're going through." Kusa sent as Yusuke sent a response.

"I agree with Kusa. More importantly though, are you doing all right?" Yusuke sent as Haru sent a response.

"Kusa-kun, thank you for being so understanding. And I'm OK, Yusuke. I'm more worried about the people at the company, to be honest. It seems everyone's having difficulty with not only the clients, but the press as well. They're even handling the preparations for my father's funeral. I just feel so guilty that I'm unable to help out at all with any of it." Haru sent as Makoto sent a response.

"You shouldn't. Like Kusa-kun said before, everyone understands this is a trying time for you. And we're here if anything happens." Makoto sent as Haru sent a response.

"I know. I'll get in touch once things settle down." Haru sent as Ren sent a response.

"We'll be waiting patiently for that time, Haru." Ren sent as Kusa sent a response.

"Yeah, but don't push yourself too hard. The important thing is that you worry about yourself. After all, you won't do anyone any good if you don't take care of yourself first and foremost." Kusa sent. Haru sent a response.

"I'll take your words under advisement, Kusa-kun. And thanks, Ren. I'll talk to you all later." Haru sent as Ren and Kusa put their phones away while Morgana spoke up.

"Bless that girl, worrying about others even at a time like this, when she should be worried for herself." Morgana said as Ren and Kusa nodded before gathering their bags to start heading to school...

(A bit later, on the train to school with Ren, Kusa and Morgana)

Ren and Kusa frowned as they could hear an angry businessman speaking to his friend near where they were standing.

"I bet they killed Okumura to make an example out of him. It's impossible to be anything else! Why else would they kill him during a press conference?" The angry businessman said as an angry parent near him spoke up.

"I read somewhere that Okumura raised his daughter alone. Maybe he wasn't a great manager or CEO, but as a parent I feel for him, having to be a single parent." The angry parent said as the angry businessman nodded and spoke up.

"Right? And murdering someone to make a point is textbook terrorism. Like Shido and that Akechi kid say, the Phantom Thieves are a menace." The angry businessman said as Kusa, Ren and Morgana all frowned at this, Ren fixing both Kusa and Morgana with a look that seemed to say 'it's not worth it.', to which Morgana just sighed as he spoke up.

"How dare they? We're not terrorists! And since when is everyone suddenly pro-Akechi, anyways?" Morgana said as Kusa sighed and spoke up.

"Remember when I said fame is fickle and fleeting, Morgana? Welcome to the downswing of that fame. And I'm not at all surprised by this. At this point, everyone's gonna suddenly do a 180 on their stances and those who denounced Akechi before will probably start singing his praises while reviling us as terrorists, which the three of us know is total horse shit, but whatever. Not sure who this 'Shido' is that guy mentioned, however. But I feel like I recognize that name from somewhere." Kusa said as Ren shrugged and the three finished the train ride in silence...

(That afternoon, in class with Ren, Ann, and Morgana)

As Ren and Ann sat in class, their phones vibrated in their pockets to signify a group chat with Ryuji, Kusa, Yusuke, Makoto, Haru, and Futaba, with Yusuke sending the first response.

"Who on earth set us up? Does anyone have any ideas?" Yusuke sent as Ryuji and Kusa sent replies close together, Ryuji's coming through first.

"Course not." Ryuji sent as Makoto sent a response before Kusa's response came through.

"If I were to guess, I would say the culprit behind the mental shutdowns." Makoto sent as Kusa's response came through.

"I agree. And given the circumstances, I feel like this would most likely be the handiwork of Black Mask. It would fit that his next move is trying to turn the public against us and use us as scapegoats for what he did to the Shadow of Haru's father." Kusa sent as Ryuji sent a response.

"Wait, how do we even know we got set up to begin with?" Ryuji sent as Makoto sent a response.

"They found a calling card in Principal Kobayakawa's office." Makoto sent as Ann sent a response.

"Someone else had to have planted that, obviously." Ann sent as Yusuke sent a response.

"In the worst case scenario, it's possible they know our identities." Yusuke sent as Ryuji sent a response.

"This is bad, guys." Ryuji sent as Yusuke sent a response.

"Yes, our state of affairs is looking quite bleak." Yusuke sent as Ren sent a response.

"Indeed. At this point, our only course of action is to find a way to prove our innocence." Ren sent as Ryuji sent a response.

"How're we gonna do that though?" Ryuji sent as Makoto sent a response.

"It looks like our only choice now is to find the real culprit. Although, we don't have any leads to really go off of, do we?" Makoto sent as Ryuji sent a response.

"Dammit, why's this gotta happen to us, of all people?" Ryuji sent as Kusa sent a response.

"Honestly? It's because, as many of the songs that talk about it point out, there's often a price to be paid for fame. And in this case, being framed for murder is apparently the price we have to pay for our fame, even if I didn't personally agree with or want said fame at all." Kusa sent as Ren put his phone away, the rest of class passing uneventfully...

(After school with Ren and Morgana)

"Ugh! I wish we could prove our innocence, but we can't afford to make a dumb mistake and get ourselves caught. We'll just have to keep lying low and wait. Let's not do anything conspicuous, okay?" Morgana said to Ren, who nodded as his phone went off to signify a private chat with Mishima, which Ren opened up.

"Hey, sorry for bringing this up when things are so chaotic and all. I know it's been tough after what happened to President Okumura and all, but this is the perfect time for smaller changes of heart to restore your reputation. Anyway, here's the info I have for you. If true, this one is pretty crazy. Apparently an ex-mercenary who works as an assassin is hiding out in the Shibuya underground. He acts like a homeless person during the day, but then goes about his 'work' at night. He hasn't left any trace of his identity though, so there's nothing the police can do." Mishima sent as Ren frowned and sent a response.

"Hm. This guy sounds dangerous, I think." Ren sent as Mishima sent a response.

"Right!? I can't breathe easy knowing he's out there. Well, according to the rumors, his name is Yohei Kiritani. I'm seriously scared. I don't want anything to do with this if I can avoid it, to be honest. As such, I'm leaving this to you, Phantom Crew!" Mishima sent as Ren put his phone away and Morgana spoke up.

"Mm. Mishima really does get some amazing info for us sometimes, doesn't he? Our reputation may have taken a hit after Okumura's death, but we can still prove our justice in Mementos. We should discuss this with everyone when we have time. Oh, and we have to meet up with Haru before we can go in!" Morgana said as Ren's phone pinged to signify the receipt of a request titled 'The Killer Who Cleans Up Trash'. After thinking about it, Ren decided to go to the arcade in Shibuya to see about getting a target ID on the cheating gamer Mishima had told him of previously. Once there he was stopped by an angry gamer who spoke up.

"What? You wanna play this? I'm playing Gun About right now, so don't bother me." The angry gamer said before turning to another nearby gamer and speaking up angrily.

"Hey! Did you get change yet!?" The angry gamer said to the other gamer, who spoke up in a flustered-sounding voice.

"No. It, um, it won't take my 1,000 yen bill!" The flustered gamer said as the angry gamer spoke up.

"Whatever. Oh, now's my chance! The cheater's logged in! Hey, hurry up and bring me back some change!" The angry gamer said to the flustered gamer, who ran off to get change as Ren blinked and spoke up.

"Hm? The cheater? There's a cheater?" Ren asked the angry gamer. The angry gamer nodded and spoke up.

"Yeah! Some people online found his real name on a social media site, and now they're all raging. I think his real name is Yoshikuni Nejima. That dirtbag is 40 years old and jobless. Well, I'm gonna crush Nejima and be a hero." The angry gamer said as the flustered gamer spoke up.

"But you don't seem to be winning at all?" The flustered gamer pointed out uncertainly as the angry gamer spoke up.

"Shut up! Just go and bring me back some change already!" The angry gamer said to the flustered gamer as Morgana spoke up so only Ren could hear.

"So that's the malevolent player that Mishima was talking about, eh? He's the infamous cheater. It's one thing to cheat if you're playing alone, but it's wrong to mess with other people like that. We got his name, too. It looks like 'Yoshikuni Nejima' is going to be our next target." Morgana said as Ren's phone pinged to confirm that the target for one of his requests had been ID'd.

After that, Ren decided to go hit the practice building to hang out with Maruki, but not before he found Kusa to hand Morgana off to him, which Kusa nodded as he took the not-cat off of Ren's hands as Ren headed to the practice building. Once there, he saw Maruki standing outside of the nurse's office and walked over to him, at which point Maruki spoke up.

"Ah, hello there Amamiya-kun the elder! Looks like it's raining today, yeah? Do you like the rain? If you're feeling down, it's probably the weather's fault. Oh, do you have time right now? Can I talk to you about this theory I've come up with?" Maruki asked Ren, who nodded as he spoke up.

"Yeah, I can help you out with that. I don't have a lot else going today, so I've got some free time. As such, I'm willing to listen to this theory of yours." Ren said. Maruki blinked at this before smiling as he spoke up.

"Oh? Sounds great! Haha, I'm so glad to hear that. Come on in, take a seat. I'll tell you all the details." Maruki said as he stepped aside to let Ren head into the nurse's office. *1*

(Inside the nurse's office, with Ren and Maruki)

"Thank you for coming, Amamiya-kun the elder. So today, I'd like to start off with our usual topic, if you don't mind." Maruki said as Ren shrugged before Maruki smirked and spoke up.

"Not! I had you going there didn't I?" Maruki said to Ren, who frowned as he spoke up.

"Um, no? Not really? I wasn't really bothered that much by that, to be honest." Ren said. Maruki shrugged and spoke up.

"Eh, fair enough. But anyways, Amamiya-kun, you're in for a real treat today! I know it's been a while since you had one, too!" Maruki said to Ren who spoke up.

"Uh, Doc, I think you lost me. What do you mean?" Ren asked in confusion. Maruki chuckled as he spoke up.

"Oh, uh right. Heh, good question. So, I recently found this delicious-looking buffet. It's apparently very well-regarded, has all sorts of cuisines, stuff like that. Well, thanks to your input, I'm making some real progress on my paper. I'd like to take you to that buffet, as my way of thanking you. How does that sound?" Maruki asked Ren, who spoke up in surprise, a polite smile on his face as he spoke.

"Ooh, really?" Ren asked as Maruki nodded with a smile of his own as he spoke up.

"Of course! Honestly, I feel like this won'i even cover what I owe you after all you've done for me. Well, that settles it, then! Okay, let's go! We should head over there now, before they get too busy." Maruki said as he and Ren headed to the buffet Maruki had found...

(At the Wilton Buffet with Ren and Maruki)

"Okay, all right! Now, this is all on me today! No holding back! Eat as much as you please!" Maruki said as Ren nodded and spoke up.

"If you insist, Doc. Thanks for the food!" Ren said as Maruki nodded and spoke up.

"Mmhm! Dig in!" Maruki said before he chuckled and kept speaking.

"Although come to think of it, maybe I went a bit overboard for my first trip? Hahaha, can you go overboard on something like this though?" Maruki said as Ren blinked in confusion before speaking up.

"Doc? This is a buffet. There's not such a thing as going overboard at a buffet, unless you put all of one thing on several plates or something like that." Ren said as Maruki nodded and spoke up.

"Oh, right! Sorry, would you mind if I asked you about something before we eat? It's about my paper, you see." Maruki said before blinking as he saw a familiar face walking past making him blink as he kept speaking.

"Wait, could that be who I think it is? Hm? Is that you, Shibusawa?" Maruki said to the short-haired man with black hair and a slight hint of facial hair, like Maruki's, who was apparently called Shibusawa. The apparently-named Shibusawa blinked, his brown eyes wide in surprise as he recognized Maruki and spoke up.

"Huh? Maruki!?" Shibusawa said in surprise as Maruki blinked and spoke up.

"Huh? I knew it! Shibusawa, in the flesh! What are you doing here?" Maruki asked Shibusawa, who chuckled and walked over before he spoke up.

"That's my line. It's rare to see you in a restaurant like this one." Shibusawa said before blinking as he saw Ren and spoke up.

"Ah, but you're not alone. Oh? And who might this be?" Shibusawa asked Maruki, who blinked as he spoke up.

"Oh, he's, uhhh, hm, how do I put it?" Maruki said as Ren spoke up.

"I'm basically a client of his, but we're here because we've made a deal, and he's treating me as a reward for helping him." Ren said by way of explanation to Shibusawa, who blinked as he spoke up.

"Hm? A deal? You and he made a deal? Not over anything shady, is it?" Shibusawa asked Maruki, who chuckled as he spoke up.

"Ahaha, no, not at all. Anyway, this is Amamiya-kun." Maruki explained to Shibusawa, who nodded and turned to Ren as he spoke up.

"Ah, I see. Well, nice to meet you, Amamiya-kun. I'm Shibusawa." Shibusawa said as Maruki spoke up.

"Shibusawa was one of my colleagues back in college. He's the one who recommended I pursue a counseling career." Maruki said as Shibusawa smiled and spoke up.

"And I hear it's been doing you some good, too. I catch wind of your goings-on every so often. Honestly, it's a big relief. You have so much more compassion than most, but you can also be a bit too carefree." Shibusawa said as Maruki winced before frowning at Shibusawa as he spoke up.

"You don't have to mention that part, you know. Not that I can refute it, though." Maruki said as Shibusawa spoke up with a smile.

"But anyway! Tell me more about how you've been, and fill me in on this guy too!" Shibusawa said as Maruki blinked and spoke up in surprise.

"Oh, uh, but aren't you here with others? What about them?" Maruki asked as Shibusawa shook his head and spoke up.

"Eh, it's fine. We just happened to swing by here. They won't mind my being away for a bit. And do you think you two are really gonna be able to tackle all that food on your own?" Shibusawa asked Maruki, ignoring the slightly offended look on Ren's face at his implication that Ren couldn't handle this much food. Granted, he's not got quite the appetite that Kasumi does, but he can hold his own when it comes to eating. Maruki, for his part, blinked and spoke up.

"What? Oh, that's a good point. Uh, right." Maruki said as Shibusawa joined them, sitting next to Maruki as the two filled him in on things to an extent. Shibusawa then spoke up.

"So you're a student at Shujin Academy, Amamiya-kun? They've been on the news an awful lot this year. Wait, come to think of it, didn't I hear about an Amamiya on the news recently as well?" Shibusawa asked as Ren spoke up uncertainly.

"If you did, that was likely my younger brother Kusa you heard about, since he did make the news briefly this summer after getting jumped by some of his former teammates from where we used to live. But he's since made a full recovery from his injuries and what have you." Ren said by way of explanation as Shibusawa nodded and kept speaking.

"Ah, I see. Glad to hear things worked out for him. Anyways, and that's where you're counseling now, Maruki?" Shibusawa asked Maruki, who nodded and spoke up.

"Yeah. But only part-time." Maruki said as Shibusawa spoke up.

"So what are you two doing out at a place like this? This isn't some kind of private counseling session, right?" Shibusawa asked Maruki, who chuckled as he spoke up.

"No. He's, well, I suppose the best way to put it would be he's been giving me a hand with my research. I just brought him here as a thank-you for all his help." Maruki said as Shibusawa blinked and spoke up.

"Hm? He's given you a hand with some research?" Shibusawa said as Maruki spoke up, seemingly addressing both Ren and Shibusawa with what he said next.

"I had meant to mention this earlier, but to be honest? My paper is finally almost finished." Maruki said as Ren smiled and spoke up.

"Oh, yeah? Congratulations, Doc." Ren said honestly. Maruki smiled and nodded as he spoke up.

"Thank you! Mm, but it's all thanks to you, though." Maruki said as Shibusawa blinked and spoke up.

"Paper? The one you were doing research for before, right? You mean you're still working on that?" Shibusawa asked Maruki, who smiled and nodded before speaking up.

"Yep, that's right. I'm still at it. Even after all of what went down. You remember what I told you? That I'd finish this paper no matter how long it took me." Maruki said to Shibusawa, who gave him a shocked look as he spoke up.

"Maruki, wow. Hahaha! You blow my mind sometimes! I swear, you've gotta be the most stubborn man in the world!" Shibusawa said to Maruki who frowned and spoke up.

"Hm. Is that supposed to be a compliment?" Maruki asked Shibusawa, who nodded as Maruki kept speaking.

"And anyway, it's not 100% complete yet. I haven't even begun the peer review process." Maruki said as Shibusawa blinked and spoke up.

"Oh, seriously? I'd be more than happy to review it for you. I mean, I did perform all the peer reviews for your publications in college!" Shibusawa said, to Maruki's surprise.

"Huh? Really!?" Maruki asked Shibusawa in shock as Shibusawa smiled and nodded before he spoke up.

"Of course, man, why not? In fact, that's it. This is now officially a celebration! The meal's on me today!" Shibusawa said happily as Maruki chuckled uneasily and spoke up.

"Oh, I couldn't do that. I'm supposed to be treating Amamiya-kun today, you see." Maruki said as Shibusawa chuckled and spoke up.

"Oh, don't worry so much." Shibusawa said before turning to look at Ren as he kept speaking.

"Don't you wanna congratulate him too, Amamiya-kun?" Shibusawa asked Ren, who nodded as he spoke up.

"I sure do. And frankly, I wasn't really helping Doctor Maruki for the thanks. I was doing it because it was the right thing to do. So if he wants to thank me, he can let you treat us, since that seems to be your way of thanking him. So, I figure his thank-you to me can be letting you thank him on this occasion." Ren said sagely. Shibusawa smiled and looked at Maruki as he spoke up.

"See? He's up for it too." Shibusawa said as Maruki chuckled and spoke up, chuckling nervously as he spoke up.

"I-I do appreciate it, but I have to say, I have mixed feelings about this to be honest." Maruki said as Shibusawa spoke up.

"Oh, don't sweat the details! C'mon, let's go up for a second round. We've gotta hit up the meat section! And the vegetables. And the beans!" Shibusawa said as Ren and Maruki nodded and the three ate their fill before Maruki spoke up with a smile.

"That was great! Whew, what a feast that was. I think I've hit my caloric intake for the entire week." Maruki said as Shibusawa nodded and spoke up.

"Yeah, you're not wrong. Maaan, am I gonna get an earful for piling on the pounds." Shibusawa said as Maruki blinked and spoke up.

"Hm? By who?" Maruki asked as Shibusawa chuckled and spoke up.

"My girlfriend. Well, my fiance, to be more exact. I'm getting married soon." Shibusawa said as Maruki blinked and spoke up.

"Ah, I see. Congrats, Shibusawa. Wait, married!?" Maruki said in shock, his eyes widening as Shibusawa chuckled and spoke up.

"Yep, married! Now you're the only one left from school who's still flying solo." Shibusawa said as Maruki had an unreadable look on his face as he spoke up.

"Flying solo. Right." Maruki said after a moment, making Shibusawa blink as he spoke up.

"Sorry to pry, but I feel I need to ask after what you just said. Are you still-? Actually, forget I said anything." Shibusawa said as Maruki blinked at him and spoke up.

"Hm? Ah, you were going to ask about Rumi, right? Don't worry, it's fine." Maruki said. Ren blinked at this as he spoke up.

"Ah, is this one of those things that I'm not meant to be privy to? If so, should I leave you two to talk?" Ren asked. Maruki smiled at Ren and spoke up.

"It's okay, there's no need for that. Rumi was my girlfriend back when I was still a student. Well, I was just too spineless at the time, and we broke up in the end." Maruki said as both Ren and Shibusawa winced before the latter gave Maruki a shocked look and spoke up.

"You? Spineless?" Shibusawa asked skeptically as Maruki went wide-eyed and spoke up.

"Hold on! I-It's not like it's a tragedy or anything, though! She's totally happy now! It's just that, after how that relationship ended, I don't feel ready to enter another relationship of that sort right now. Heh, imagine that. This was supposed to be a celebration, yet I've thoroughly killed the mood. Sorry about that." Maruki said sheepishly. Shibusawa shook his head and spoke up.

"No, no, it's my bad for bringing it up in the first place. Why don't we wrap things up here? I have to say, it's really good to see you doing well, and with your paper almost finished, too! Hey, Amamiya-kun. Keep an eye on this guy for me, all right? I mean, it's pretty rare to see him open up to someone like he has with you." Shibusawa said as Maruki frowned and spoke up.

"Hmph. You're talking about me like I'm some sullen kid, or something. But I do need to express my appreciation properly. Thank you so much for helping someone like me make their dream come true, Amamiya-kun." Maruki said as Ren nodded, feeling as if he could sense Maruki's intense trust in him. At that moment, the 'Councillor' card appeared in his mind's eye, the 'VII' becoming a 'VIII' to signify that his Councillor Confidant link with Maruki had reached rank 8. However, no new skills were gained from the rank-up. Afterwards, Maruki spoke up.

"Well, should we get going?" Maruki said as Shibusawa spoke up.

"Don't forget to send me that paper, okay? I'm seriously going to review it for you." Shibusawa said as Maruki chuckled and spoke up.

"Haha, I won't. I'll be in touch soon." Maruki said as Ren nodded and made to leave, at which point Maruki spoke up.

"Ah, are you leaving? If so, thanks for spending some time with me. Make sure you're careful on the way home." Maruki said as Ren headed back to Leblanc, at which point his phone rang as he got to the doorstep, and he answered it.

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

"Hey, it's me. I was supposed to treat you out today, huh? Sorry things didn't go as planned. Shibusawa's always been quick to offer me his help. Well, he could have his reasons. And maybe it's because he knows I'm a little careless, though." Maruki said as Ren spoke up.

"Eh, don't worry about it, Doc. He's a good friend, from what I saw. You should appreciate that he's there for you, in my opinion." Ren said. Maruki spoke up.

"Heh, that's true. He's actually helped me out a lot. Running into Shibusawa was quite a coincidence, but a very lucky one. He was the best in the department when it came to peer reviews. Maybe you're bringing me good luck with him, too, Amamiya-kun? Or maybe I'm doing too much magical thinking. Well, see you later." Maruki said as Ren hung up and headed into Leblanc. As he walked into Leblanc, Sojiro spoke up.

"Yo. I hear the Phantom Thieves killed someone. It's all over the news and everything." Sojiro said as Ren frowned and spoke up.

"It is?" Ren said in surprise. Sojiro nodded as Ren then pondered his options before deciding to hang out with Sojiro since he was available for ranking up. Sojiro blinked as he saw Ren walk up to the counter.

"Oh, uh, hey Ren. Can I ask you to help today? And just so you know? When it comes to what happened the other day, neither you or Kusa are to blame. I'll chase out anyone who says otherwise." Sojiro said as Ren smiled and nodded as he spoke up.

"Sure thing, Boss. I've got time tonight, so I don't mind helping you out." Ren said as Sojiro smiled and spoke up.

"Heh, thanks. I'm letting you handle today's curry." Sojiro said as Ren nodded and went upstairs to set down Morgana in the attic, blinking as he saw Kusa and Futaba sitting together on the couch, seemingly watching TV.

"Oh? Didn't know you two were hanging out up here. Sorry for dumping this furry little one on you two, but Boss asked me to help and I figured he didn't need to be underfoot for that." Ren said as Kusa and Futaba nodded their agreement as the former of the two spoke up.

"Funny you should mention Boss, Ren. He asked me to keep Futaba company up here since he planned on making a meal for the four of us, assuming that you got home in time, which obviously you did. As if he has to ask by now. I'm happy to spend time with Taba if she ever wants me to." Kusa said as Futaba smiled and spoke up.

"I think what Kusa means to say is that we'd be more than happy to keep Morgana company while you help Sojiro out, Ren." Futaba said as Ren nodded and headed downstairs to start helping Sojiro. After a bit, Sojiro served up curry to Ren, Kusa, and Futaba, all three of whom heartily ate their fill. After a bit, Futaba's head slightly rested on her arms as she looked over at Kusa, whose attention was grabbed by the sound of the door opening, at which point two official-looking people in uniforms, a male and a female, walked iin. Sojiro frowned at the two and spoke up.

"Sorry, but we're closed for today." Sojiro said as the female spoke up in an uptight-sounding voice.

"Sojiro Sakura, I presume? Our apologies for coming so late. We're investigators from the domestic affairs court." The uptight female said as Futaba, Ren and Kusa winced, Futaba gaping as she darted over to stand by Ren, who protectively put an arm around Futaba as Kusa frowned at the investigators while the female investigator spoke up.

"We've received a report that one of your customers was assaulted by one of the two young men you have residing here. Moreover, this report stated that you are abusing your child, whose name based on this report is Futaba-san." The female investigator said as Futaba winced and spoke up.

"N-No, it can't be. We didn't make it in time?" Futaba said as Kusa huffed before looking at the investigators as he spoke up.

"I'm not sure what your report said, but if you're referring to what I believe you're referring to, then your report is grossly incorrect and in need of a serious fact-checking." Kusa said dryly. Futaba looked at Ren and spoke up so only he could hear.

"Uncle sent his report to the police before we could make him have a change of heart, didn't he?" Futaba said to Ren, who shrugged. The male saw Futaba's concern and spoke up, also giving Kusa an uncertain look while he spoke.

"However, the anonymity of the report has led us to question the validity of its content. May we have a word?" The male investigator said as Sojiro nodded and spoke up.

"That's perfectly fine by me. I've got nothing to hide. Please, take a seat." Sojiro said as the two investigators sat in a booth across from Sojiro while Ren and Futaba moved to stand next to Sojiro, the latter standing next to Kusa, who gave Futaba a reassuring smile as he stood to lightly put an arm around her for comfort as the female reporter spoke up after Sojiro finished speaking.

"You're saying the report was falsified?" The female investigator asked Sojiro, who nodded as he spoke up.

"Yeah, that's exactly what I'm saying. It's true that Futaba was living as a shut-in, but she overcame that weakness under her own power. And, to be honest? I would never abuse her. She's like a daughter to me." Sojiro said, not seeing Futaba quietly gasp as Kusa gently gave her hand a slight squeeze of reassurance as the female investigator spoke up.

"And what about the assault claim? The young man in the glasses has a criminal record which points to a history of such violence. Though from his reaction earlier, I'm guessing it wasn't him, but the other young man sitting next to Futaba-san who was the one to commit the assault?" The female investigator said as Futaba spoke up huffily.

"That's not true! You're wrong, Miss Investigator! Ren did nothing wrong! And Kusa here was acting in my defense when he did what he did!" Futaba said as Sojiro nodded and spoke up.

"Futaba's correct. Ren never laid a finger on the guy, and neither did Kusa. The most Kusa did was to gently separate the guy from Futaba when he made to attack her after calling her some very messed-up things, and also insulting Kusa. If anything, these young men acted to protect Futaba." Sojiro said in Ren and Kusa's defense, as the investigators nodded and the male investigator spoke up.

"To be honest, Amamiya-kun the elder, we looked into your current reputation at school, and from what we've found, there have been no issues whatsoever. Now then, that said, it's our job to make sure children like you are safe. How is it for you three, living with Sakura-san? Please, you can speak honestly." The male investigator asked Ren, who spoke up with a smile.

"Honestly? Boss here can be a bit of a hardass at times, but overall it's been great living with him. Even if he comes off as strict at times, I know he does it because he cares. And to be honest, both myself and my brother have come to somewhat warm to living with him, even if we technically stay here at Leblanc since there's not room where Boss lives for us all, but we make it work. As unlikely as it might seem, we've become something akin to a family of sorts, even if my brother might not see Futaba as family, strictly speaking." Ren said as Kusa huffed and spoke up.

"Very funny, Ren. Just because I happen to like Futaba, doesn't mean I don't see Boss as family of a sort. And besides, I wasn't about to sit idly by and do nothing while that man advanced onto Futaba like he was going to lay hands on her, especially after what he said about her. He's lucky I have self-restraint and that I wasn't trying to frighten Futaba. That's all I'm saying for now on that." Kusa said. Sojiro smiled at Ren and Kusa before looking at the investigators as he spoke up.

"Well, I think that about speaks for itself. And there you have it." Sojiro said as the female investigator turned to Futaba and spoke up.

"I see. And what do you think, Futaba-san?" The female investigator asked Futaba, who spoke up after Kusa gave her an encouraging nod.

"I think Sojiro's great! And I'm okay. I couldn't go out for a while, for my own reasons, but everyone helped me get better. I'm not afraid anymore. Th-That's why, to be honest? I'm really happy living with my dad!" Futaba said as both Kusa and Sojiro gave her surprised looks, and Sojiro spoke up in a mix of shock and awe.

"Futaba, what did you just call me?" Sojiro asked in shock. Kusa spoke up with a smirk.

"I do believe she just called you her dad, Boss. But I could be wrong on that." Kusa said with a nod. The male investigator smiled as he spoke up.

"Aha, I see. It's quite obvious there was no truth to the report we received. I don't think we'll need to schedule any additional check-ins for Amamiya-kun the elder either. And Amamiya-kun the younger seems like a good kid as well." The male investigator said as the female investigator blinked at the male investigator and spoke up.

"Oh? And you're sure about this?" The female investigator asked as the male investigator nodded and spoke up.

"I am. Were they attempting to deceive us, they wouldn't have been nearly so earnest. Besides, meeting them only served to reaffirm my suspicions that whoever sent the report was the real villain here. Moreover, these children are the real victims in this whole thing, being made to suffer over someone being petty enough to file a clearly false report on Sakura-kun here. The truth of these things will be clearer to you once you're a little more experienced." The male investigator said to the female investigator before turning to Sojiro as he kept speaking.

"Anyway, thank you for your cooperation. We'll see ourselves out." The male investigator said as the two left. Once they were gone, Futaba smiled at Sojiro as she spoke up with a giggle.

"Sojiro, we did it!" Futaba said, before blinking when Sojiro didn't respond right away.

"Uh, Sojiro?" Futaba said as Ren spoke up.

"Looks like everything worked out for the best. Gotta say though Boss, you have a great daughter, so congrats." Ren said. Sojiro chuckled as he spoke up, his next words slightly surprising both Ren and Kusa, but moreso Ren, while he spoke.

"Heh, it's not just her, idiot. You and Kusa are becoming like sons to me too, you know." Sojiro said as Ren and Kusa both blinked, the latter smiling softly as Sojiro kept speaking.

"There's a couple of other pretty important people living here too, after all." Sojiro said as Futaba smiled at Ren as she spoke up.

"Yeah, yeah! He's talking about you, Ren! And you as well, Kusa! Though I think I could've already said that he saw himself as close to you at least, Kusa." Futaba said as to Ren's slight surprise, Kusa genuinely smiled and spoke up, looking at Futaba as he spoke.

"I had a feeling that was the case. And somehow, I still find myself oddly touched to hear Sojiro actually say it." Kusa said with a smirk, surprising Ren, Futaba, and Sojiro by referring to the latter by name. Sojiro then spoke up, blinking back tears as he sniffed while speaking up.

"This is 'cause you punks just had to go and say all that cheesy stuff before, you know." Sojiro said as Futaba huffed and walked over to lightly swat Sojiro on the arm as she spoke up.

"Hey! It wasn't cheesy! It was the truth! Anyways, I hungerrr! Give me some curry!" Futaba said as Sojiro smirked and spoke up.

"Heh, so much for the sentimental moment." Sojiro said before he smirked at the three and spoke up.

"All right, sit your butts down, all of you. This is where you three belong." Sojiro said as Futaba smiled and spoke up.

"Mwehehe! Come on, Ren! Kusa! It's time to eat!" Futaba said as Kusa nodded, putting an arm around Futaba as they went to get their seats, Ren following close behind, all while feeling as if his bond with Sojiro had grown even deeper. As a result, the 'Hierophant' card appeared in his mind's eye, the 'VIII' becoming an 'IX' to signify that his Hierophant Confidant link with Sojiro had reached Rank 9.

As a result of the rank-up, Ren found himself receiving 'Curry Tips' from Sojiro, which allows him to start learning how to make curry that moderately restores the SP of all allies. Afterwards, Sojiro spoke up.

"Oh, and uh, if this isn't too awkward, Futaba? What you said before, y'know, when you called me your dad. Do you, um, think you could say that again for me?" Sojiro asked uncertainly. Futaba looked at Sojiro as she spoke up, smirking as she spoke.

"Sorry, I didn't catch that. My stomach was too grumbly! What'd you say?" Futaba asked as Kusa spoke up.

"I think he was saying he wanted you to call him dad again. Though I think you might just be teasing him?" Kusa said in confusion as Sojiro sighed and spoke up.

"Ugh. Oh, never mind, the moment's gone." Sojiro said as he served the three up some curry. Once they'd eaten, Sojiro and Futaba went home while Ren and Kusa headed upstairs to get comfortable for the evening, as the former's phone rang, prompting him to go downstairs to answer it.

"Hello?" Ren said as he answered his phone, smiling as he heard Sojiro's voice on the other line.

"Sorry, you got time right now? I just wanted to talk. It's hard to say some things right in front of Futaba, and Kusa for that matter. So, I'm sure you heard, but she called me 'dad'. Hell of a title. Not one I thought I'd ever get, but, it is what it is. It's kinda nice having someone to sit and eat with. Especially when she's such a big fan of my cooking. God, I'm a joke. Getting all sentimental like this? At my age?" Sojiro said as Ren chuckled and spoke up.

"Honestly, you both did great. But I don't think either of you realized this before now, but you two were already family, or as good as family. After all, it takes a lot to be willing to take in someone else's child that you have no relation to, and even more to take care of them the way that you have. You've been nothing but great to her. Granted, having me and Kusa around probably made it tougher on you at first, but I'm glad things seem to be working themselves out for the most part now." Ren said as Sojiro chuckled and spoke up.

"Heh, you're not wrong, you know. But to be fair, as I said earlier, I consider you and Kusa to be family as well, to a point. And to be honest, it's what I've always wanted to see, a group of kids being able to rely on me and call me dad. Oh, but whoa, it's pretty late already. Sorry to make you listen through all that." Sojiro said as Ren spoke up.

"Nah, it's fine Boss. I don't mind letting you vent to me if needed. That's what family's for, right? To be each other's sounding boards when needed?" Ren said with a smirk. Sojiro chuckled as he spoke up.

"Heh, good point, Ren. Still, I guess there's nothing wrong with a little sappiness now and then. Even from an old grump like me. Alright, I'm gonna head to sleep. Don't catch a cold, okay? See you." Sojiro said as Ren nodded and hung up the phone, heading upstairs to lay down for the evening, smirking as he saw Morgana curled up on Kusa as the three went to bed for the night...

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

"This sucks! I wonder when Okumura-san will start coming back to school. I know the funeral's soon for her dad." A third-year male walking in front of Ren and Kusa said to the girl walking next to him, who nodded as she spoke up.

"True. It must be tough, organizing the funeral for a bigwig CEO. Okumura-san is usually pretty quiet. Do you think she's okay? Hard to believe the dad of such a nice girl could be so evil, but he was indeed evil in the end." The third-year girl said as the third-year guy spoke up.

"Yeah, but still. I didn't expect this from the Phantom Thieves at all. That was straight-up a full-blown public execution, on live TV and everything." The third-year guy said as Kusa huffed in annoyance and spoke up so only Ren could hear.

"I can't believe people are that quick to believe the worst of us. And we don't even do public executions. What a douche! Ugh, whatever. Let's get to school, yeah?" Kusa said as Ren nodded, the two finishing the walk to school in silence while Morgana took a nap in Kusa's bag...

(That afternoon, in class with Ren, Ann, and Morgana)

Ren and Ann's phones buzzed to signify a group chat with Ryuji, Kusa, Yusuke, Makoto, Haru, and Futaba, with Futaba sending the first response.

"Things are looking rough online, guys." Futaba sent as Ryuji sent a response.

"They're just calling us a bunch of murderers." Ryuji sent as Makoto sent a response.

"All the celebrities who supported us are being criticized now too." Makoto sent as Futaba sent a response.

"Looks like Kusa was right about fame being fickle. It's all gone up in flames at this point. People are posting about this stuff everywhere." Futaba sent as Yusuke and Kusa sent responses close together, Yusuke's coming through first.

"Agreed. I highly doubt that anyone who supported us did so honestly." Yusuke sent as Kusa sent a response.

"First of all Yusuke, that's not entirely true. Near as I can tell, Mishima's been pretty honest in his support of us. Also, I get the sense that we support each other pretty honestly. Secondly, welcome to the dark side of fame, Taba." Kusa sent, seemingly offended at Yusuke's response. Yusuke then sent another response.

"That's a fair point, Kusa. Also, there must have been many who simply went with the winning side." Yusuke sent as Futaba sent a response.

"I get mixed feelings about this when you put it that way." Futaba sent as Kusa sent a response.

"To be frank with you, that would be why the term 'sheeple' was coined in the first place. That's the perfect term for what you just described, Yusuke. And also, who cares what those people think?" Kusa sent as Ann sent a response.

"Good point, Kusa. Either way, it does make me rethink a lot of things I thought about previously." Ann sent as Yusuke sent a response.

"That aside, we need to deal with our situation first. Our state of affairs continues to worsen." Yusuke sent as Ryuji sent a response.

"We can't just sit back and watch this happen." Ryuji sent as Makoto sent a response.

"I know how you feel, Ryuji. Still, we can't make a move when we don't have any leads." Makoto sent as Ryuji sent a response.

"True. What're we supposed to do then?" Ryuji sent as Futaba sent a response.

"Right around when your exams end will be the perfect timing." Futaba sent as Ryuji sent a response before Kusa could do so.

"Uhhh, for what?" Ryuji sent as Kusa sent a response.

"Good question, Ryuji. What're you talkin' about, Taba?" Kusa sent as Futaba sent a response.

"Mwehehe, don't you two worry about it. For now, just wait and see what happens." Futaba sent as Makoto sent a response.

"For the time being, let's discuss things after our exams end." Makoto sent as Ryuji sent a response.

"Ugh, there's no way I can focus on exams like this." Ryuji sent as Futaba sent a response.

"Can you ever?" Futaba sent as Kusa sent a response.

"Normally I'd laugh at jokes like that, Taba, but in this case I don't think that was called for. Sure, Ryuji's grades aren't as good as the rest of ours, but he at least passes his subjects. So let's try and cut him some slack here. Also, I seem to recall the last exams we took, he was distracted because we were busy helping a certain someone change her heart, so I think he deserves a bit of leeway from us if his grades aren't the best." Kusa sent as Ren quickly put his phone away as Ushimaru spoke up.

"HEY! ARE YOU LISTENING!? Hey, Amamiya! You! Pay attention! Is that how you listen when someone's talking to you!?" Ushimaru said to Ren, who winced as he could feel a murderous intent as Ushimaru pulled back his arm and tossed a stick of chalk at Ren, who easily dodged it without much effort, making the class murmur at how skillfully he dodged the chalk, some saying he might be a ninja. Ushimaru scoffed and spoke up.

"Tch, not bad. Well, whatever. Moving on." Ushimaru said as Morgana praised Ren on getting the class' attention, making his Charm have a needless boost. The rest of class passed uneventfully from there...

(After school, with Ren and Morgana)

"Ugh, people are saying terrible things about us, calling us murderers and stuff." Morgana said as Ren patted him reassuringly on the head before he spoke up.

"I'm used to it, Morgana." Ren said as he looked at his options. After weighing his options carefully, Ren decided to go rank up Futaba, who he saw was available to rank up. As he approached Futaba after getting to Yongen-Jaya, Futaba smiled and spoke up.

"Yo, Ren. You got some time? Let's keep going on that promise list." Futaba said to Ren, who spoke up.

"Yeah, I have time for you, Futaba. Let's hang out." Ren said to Futaba, who nodded as she spoke up.

"All right! Okay, then let's hold a strategy meeting in Leblanc. Don't worry, there aren't any customers around right now." Futaba said to Ren, who shrugged as he followed Futaba into Leblanc, where she frowned as she spoke up.

"Hmm, so the next promise on the list is 'go to school'. Right. Pretty hard stuff for the second boss, to be honest." Futaba said before looking at Ren as she spoke up.

"It's gonna be even harder knowing there are people there too, though. Welp, ain't no time like the present! Come on, let's go!" Futaba said as Sojiro blinked and spoke up in surprise.

"Huh? You're going to school!? Oh, um, don't mind me. Never mind. Just go have some fun." Sojiro said to Futaba, who nodded while pushing her glasses up her nose before the two headed over to Shujin. Once there, Futaba spoke up.

"Ugh, here we are, the boss that most call school. And Shujin Academy, no less." Futaba said before wincing as she spoke up.

"I think my heart's gonna pop out of my chest, to be honest." Futaba said as a pair of first-year students happened to walk by, both of whom Ren recognized, the two stopping near Ren and Futaba as the male of the two spoke up in surprise while the female smiled at Ren.

"Uh, Ren? Am I going crazy, or did you bring Taba with you to Shujin?" Kusa asked Ren as Ren spoke up, blinking as he voiced why the female with Kusa looked familiar.

"No, Kusa, you're not going crazy. Though I think my question would be why you and Kasumi are walking around school together. Isn't she usually at training around now?" Ren asked as Kasumi giggled and spoke up, looking at Ren as she spoke.

"Oh, hi Senpai! Nah, I actually had today off so I decided to take a walk around the school with Kusa. I was gonna ask you, but apparently you went back to Yongen early for whatever reason? But it makes sense, if you needed to help someone. Speaking of, who's this with you?" Kasumi asked cheerfully as Futaba blinked at Kasumi before she spoke up, grinning at the obvious attraction between Ren and Kasumi as she spoke.

"Who, me? M-My name's Futaba Sakura. You don't have to worry about me. I'm basically Ren's sister, from what he's told me." Futaba said as Kusa spoke up while giving Futaba an amused smile while he spoke, ignoring the surprised look on Kasumi's face and the amused look on Ren's face in favor of looking directly at Futaba.

"Oh, don't be like that, Taba. You know Ren and I love you. Oh, right. Kasumi, that's Futaba Sakura, Boss' daughter. And Futaba, meet Kasumi Yoshizawa, though she asks most people she knows to call her Yoshizawa. Wasn't expecting this to be how you two met, but I suppose it is what it is. And Kasumi, I think Ren's helping Futaba with a promise list. Not sure why she asked Ren and not me, but I suppose these two have to bond somehow." Kusa said with a shrug as Futaba blinked at the mention of Kasumi's full name, but just nodded as she spoke up.

"I would've asked you, but as I recall, you were off at the gym at the time sparring training dummies. But I can't be mad at you for trying to stay in shape, especially when the results speak for themselves." Futaba said as Kasumi giggled and spoke up.

"Ah yes, that's right, now I remember why your name sounds familiar to me. So you're the 'Taba' that Kusa's so hung up on, I take it? Nice to meet you, Futaba-san. I'm Kasumi Yoshizawa, but you can call me Kasumi if you like." Kasumi said to Futaba, who nodded as Kusa spoke up, his face flushing bright red in embarrassment as he spoke, ignoring Ren laughing at him.

"Kasumi! You don't have to make it sound so much like I've been in love with her or anything like that! I just happen to have had something of a crush on her, that's all. But she knows that now. With any luck, the upcoming dance will allow all of us to find happiness where we're meant to find it." Kusa said sagely as he and Kasumi nodded to Ren and Futaba, walking off to resume their walk, not long before Ren heard a gasp from nearby, turning to see Makoto walking up as she spoke up.

"Huh!? Wh-What are you doing here, Futaba!?" Makoto asked as Futaba spoke up warily.

"Ummm, well, Ren's helping me work on a promise list. And one of the items on the list was 'go to school', so he brought me here since it was apparently the closest school. It was my idea, since making promise lists was kind of a thing me and my mother used to do." Futaba said as Makoto smiled and nodded as she spoke up.

"I see. A promise list, like what you used to make with your mother, hm? Interesting. Ah. Well, do you want to come in?" Makoto asked as Futaba spoke up.

"Ummm, can I? I mostly just wanted to go here and look around, but if you're inviting me in, I might as well take you up on your offer." Futaba said. She then looked at Ren and spoke up.

"Can I use a Goho-M instead?" Futaba asked Ren, who shook his head and spoke up.

"No, Futaba. This isn't the Metaverse, so you can't use a Goho-M instead. If I'd have known your nerves would be this bad, I'd have invited Kusa and Kasumi to join us for this when they stopped to talk to us during their walk around the school. That said, let's do this together, if it'll make you feel better." Ren said to Futaba, ignoring the confused look on Makoto's face at the mention of Kusa and Kasumi walking together. Futaba smiled as she spoke up.

"I was hoping you'd say that." Futaba said as Makoto giggled and spoke up.

"I'm sure you'll be fine. Most of the students have already left, and all the teachers are in a meeting. Oh, and I'll join you, if that's okay. I can use my position as student council president to avoid any problems that may arise." Makoto said as Futaba blinked and spoke up in surprise.

"Really!? That's incredible, Makoto! You're incredible! If I've got you two with me, this place is gonna be as easy as fighting a trash mob!" Futaba said as Makoto blinked and spoke up in confusion.

"A trash mob? I'm not sure I understand. That's a good thing, right? Anyway, come on. I'll show you around the school." Makoto said as she started showing Futaba around the school. First stop was the cafeteria, where Makoto spoke up.

"This is the cafeteria, where some students choose to eat lunch." Makoto said as Futaba winced and spoke up.

"Lunch, you say? Hm, this reminds me of the time I was the only kid who didn't get a pudding with my meal when I was younger. Oh, and this other time I ate a strawberry with ketchup on it, which for the record tastes as gross as it sounds. I didn't notice 'cause they're both red. It was really gross, to be honest." Futaba said as Ren and Makoto sweatdropped and Makoto spoke up again.

"U-Um, anyway, moving on. The cafeteria's pretty boring, huh? Let's move on." Makoto said as she led Ren and Futaba to the library next and spoke up.

"This is the school library. We have all the regular academic fare here: textbooks, encyclopedias, study guides, and so on. But we also have a few manga and light novels at the request of some especially vocal students." Makoto said as Futaba smiled and spoke up.

"Wow, so many books in one place." Futaba said as Makoto did a closed-eye smile and spoke up.

"Do you like to read, Futaba?" Makoto asked Futaba, who nodded and spoke up uncertainly.

"Mm-hm. Back in elementary school, I memorized the titles of all the books on a shelf in just one glance. The other kids thought I was making it up when I told them though. But when I recited all the titles to prove it, it didn't help. They just laughed and called me a freak afterwards. Be honest. Am I weird, Ren?" Futaba said as Ren smiled and spoke up.

"No, you're talented. They probably made fun of you because they were so insecure about their own inadequacies that they did that to feel better about themselves. Either way, probably just as well you're not in elementary school anymore, yeah?" Ren said. Futaba winced as she spoke up.

"Thanks, but I don't wanna be talented if it's gonna creep people out. Ugh, what a bummer. School is the worst, to be honest." Futaba said as both Ren and Makoto sweatdropped and the latter spoke up.

"W-Well, should we move along? Only the classrooms remain. However, I'm not sure how much you'd enjoy them. Also on second thought, maybe we should pass on those today. Hmm. Well, shall we head back to the entrance?' Makoto said as the trio went back to the entrance, where Makoto gave Futaba an apologetic look as she spoke up.

"I was hoping to make your experience here enjoyable, but I think I just made you feel worse instead. I'm sorry, Futaba." Makoto said as Futaba shook her head and spoke up.

"Don't be. It's my fault, Makoto. I remembered all that sad stuff on my own, and probably brought the mood down doing so." Futaba said, shyly scuffing her foot on the ground as she kept speaking.

"I guess dwelling on the past is just a bad habit of mine, huh?" Futaba said as Ren smiled and spoke up.

"Not at all. I think it's cute, Futaba. A bit quirky, but cute." Ren said, making Futaba's eyes widen briefly as she recoiled and spoke up.

"Huh? Wh-What kinda weird fetish stuff are you into, Ren!?" Futaba said, not realizing she'd raised her voice slightly until a rather familiar voice spoke up from behind Futaba, their tone one of mixed amusement and confusion.

"Fetish stuff? Why would you be asking about fetish stuff, Taba? Much less asking Ren about it? Should Kasumi and I be worried?" Kusa asked, having heard Futaba's comment as he and Kasumi were walking around the corner, and walking over with Kasumi after sharing a look of concern with her. Futaba looked at Kusa and spoke up.

"O-Oh, nothing. Ren just said he thinks it's cute that I dwell on the past, that's all." Futaba said as Kusa grinned and spoke up.

"To be fair Taba, it kinda is cute. But I think he was saying that to make you feel better more than anything else. Oh, I see you managed to recruit Makoto for your little school tour. Thanks for showing her around, Makoto." Kusa said, giving Makoto a nod of respect that she returned while speaking up.

"Not a problem, Kusa-kun. And honestly, Futaba, don't be embarrassed. It's clear how much you've improved recently. You would never have gotten so worried about this before." Makoto said as Futaba blinked in surprise and spoke up.

"Huh?" Futaba asked as Makoto kept speaking.

"What I mean is, worrying about something is the first step towards changing it. Coming to school like this is a huge breakthrough, Futaba. You're doing great at that list, right Ren-kun?" Makoto asked Ren, who nodded as Futaba blinked and spoke up.

"Ooh, a new discovery. Wait, so you're happy with me even though I got totally depressed?" Futaba asked, Kusa blinked at this, but Futaba kept speaking before he could question what she was referring to.

"Hmm, mwehehe. Is this like that saying about when life gives you lemons? Maybe I could make lemonade for the Phantom Thieves! Er, figuratively speaking." Futaba said as Makoto gave Futaba a closed-eye smile and spoke up.

"You're right. That would be wonderful, Futaba." Makoto said as Futaba chuckled and spoke up.

"Aw yeah!" Futaba said, making Ren smirk as he noticed that Futaba seems enthusiastic. At that point, the 'Hermit' card appeared in his mind's eye, the 'III' becoming an 'IV' to signify that his Hermit Confidant link with Futaba had reached rank 4.

As a result of the rank-up, Futaba had awakened to the power of 'Position Hack', which affords her, and by extension Ren, a chance to instantly Hold Up enemies when starting a battle. Afterwards, Makoto spoke up reassuringly.

"I'm sure you would make a lot of friends if you decided to come to school now, Futaba." Makoto said as Kusa nodded and spoke up.

"She's right, you know. If nothing else, you'd have myself, Ren, Kasumi, Makoto, and even Ryuji and Ann, since they go to school here. So you'd have quite a few friends here already. Oh, and I suppose you'd also have Morgana as well. After all, he tends to tag along in either my bag or Ren's, depending on what mood he's in, and comes to school with us." Kusa said as Futaba winced and spoke up with an unreadable look on her face.

"Friends, you say?" Futaba said as Makoto blinked and spoke up.

"Futaba?" Makoto asked worriedly as Futaba blinked and spoke up.

"Oh, uh, forget I said anything! It's nothing!" Futaba said as Makoto nodded and looked to Ren as she spoke up.

"I see. Well, if you think you've got it from here, I'll leave you two to it." Makoto said to Ren, who nodded and spoke up.

"I'm sure I've got it. Worst case, I have Kusa and Kasumi there for back-up." Ren said as Kusa and Kasumi nodded on hearing their names, the latter smiling at being noticed by Ren. After Makoto walked off, Futaba looked at Ren and spoke up.

"All right! I went back to school, so that means promise number two is done!" Futaba said as Ren smirked and spoke up.

"Right, and I believe that leaves four more promises on that list?" Ren said with a smirk as Kusa blinked and spoke up.

"Four!? What else is on that list?" Kusa asked as Ren spoke up.

"I think if I recall correctly, the things she has left are 'Have a normal conversation with a stranger around my age', 'Learn about my generation', 'Being okay without Ren around', and one I suggested she add in, which would be 'Figure out how I feel about Kusa', since I think we both can tell she's totally into you, Kusa." Ren said as Kusa blinked and spoke up.

"Isn't that her choice to make, though? Also, why specifically you for the third thing you said? Is she already okay without me hanging around? And didn't she basically already accomplish the first one earlier when she had that brief conversation with Kasumi?" Kusa pointed out as Futaba blinked and spoke up, looking at Ren as she spoke up.

"A-Anyways, let's retreat for now, Ren. Heading home? Let's leave Kusa to finish escorting Kasumi around the school." Futaba said as Ren nodded. Futaba then kept speaking.

"That said, what're you feeling for dinner? How about curry?" Futaba asked Ren, who just nodded before turning to Kasumi and speaking up.

"Sorry about her. She gets easily excitable. I mostly put up with her for Kusa's sake, since if he can talk me up to you, I can at least talk him up to Futaba." Ren said as Kusa flushed at this and spoke up.

"Shut up, Ren! And who says I need to talk you up to Kasumi? Maybe she's already sweet on you on her own?" Kusa pointed out smugly as Kasumi just frowned at Kusa and spoke up while flushing slightly.

"Not funny, Kusa." Kasumi said before walking over to Futaba and speaking up.

"Remind me why we like those guys again?" Kasumi asked Futaba conversationally as she chuckled and spoke up.

"Mwehehe, that's easy. It's because they make great eye candy. That, and they treat us like queens for the most part." Futaba said mischievously as Kasumi flushed and spoke up.

"I-I see. I didn't know you were so candid, Futaba-chan. But I respect that about you. Nice meeting you, by the way." Kasumi said as Futaba nodded and spoke up.

"Likewise, Kasumi. Oh! Why don't we swap contact info? If nothing else, I'm sure you could always use more gal pals to talk to." Futaba said as Kasumi smiled and nodded.

"I'd love to." Kasumi said as the two exchanged contact info, at which point she and Kusa continued their walk as Ren and Futaba headed for the entrance and Futaba spoke up.

"All right! Time to make like a rabbit and hop on out of here!" Futaba said as she and Ren went back to Yongen. After Ren escorted her home, his phone rang as he got to the doorstep and he answered it.

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

"Hoy. Thanks a bunch for showing me around school today! Feeling crazy fulfilled, but also super tired, to be honest with you. I can't believe everyone runs such a high-level dungeon every single day, Ren. You guys are OP. I get the sense I'll level up faster if I stay close to you. But at the same time, I still think I'd run out of MP way too fast. The real world is a scary place, Ren." Futaba said as Ren spoke up. *2*

"Not to worry, Futaba. We'll take it slow. You can ease into things at your own pace." Ren said. Futaba laughed as she spoke up.

"Yeah, that would help. Geez, how'd you get so calm? Is that a class feature? Show me your ways, Ren! But I do feel like I'm making a lot of progress thanks to you, Ren! I'm gonna keep going at my own pace for my next goal too. Gotta focus on healing when you need to, right? And I can't just keep getting carried through all this. I gotta learn how to fend for myself. Okay, later!" Futaba said as Ren hung up the phone and headed into Leblanc, at which point Sojiro spoke up.

"Hm. So the Phantom Thieves are murderers, are they? I guess all the praise they got before doesn't amount to much now, does it?" Sojiro asked Ren, who shrugged as he pondered his options. Ren decided to check his chats, seeing he had chats from Ann and Hifumi. He disregarded his chat from Hifumi since he had very little yen on him, and opened the chat from Ann.

"I'm already bummed about tests coming up, to be honest. I'm in trouble for anything that's not English. I haven't been studying at all, Ren. Oh! Maybe we can make some progress if we keep an eye on each other! Wanna study together?" Ann sent as Ren thought about it, and nodded to himself as he sent a response.

"I don't got much else going on tonight, so why not? Let's do it." Ren sent as Ann sent a response.

"You're a big help! Then, let's meet at the diner in Shibuya." Ann sent as Ren nodded to himself and headed over to Shibuya. Once at the diner with Ann, Ann spoke up.

"Wow! Oh, so that's how you solve that one! Where'd you learn that? Oh, right. In class, huh? Ermm, ahaha, of course you learned it in class. Anyway, I'm impressed with you, Leader! Who know you were so good at studying too?" Ann asked Ren, who smirked as he spoke up.

"I knew. After all, there's a reason I was top in our year on the last exams. But I don't mind helping you get your marks up so you can give me some competition, if you're up for it." Ren said. Ann smirked and spoke up.

"Ah, what's this? Hanging out with the ladies making you more confident or something, Ren? Not bad. Keep that up, and you should be right in there with Yoshizawa-san! That said, yeah! I think it's easier to get motivated when I'm studying with other people. I definitely feel more competent thanks to you! That being said, there's still a lot to learn though. Let's study!" Ann said as Ren nodded, and the two spent several hours studying. By the time they were done, they were ready to go home. Ann spoke up as they left.

"We got so much done! I'm exhausted from all that studying. Bye, Ren!" Ann said as Ren went back to Leblanc and laid down for the night after getting comfortable, smirking at the sight of Kusa and Morgana curled up together as he went to sleep...

(The next day, with Ren and Morgana inside Leblanc)

Ren heard his phone go off to signify a chat, seeing it was from Futaba, asking for help with her promise list. After he put his phone away, Sojiro spoke up.

"Yo. I'm gonna be opening shop soon, so I'll need you to do the dishes once you're done with that." Sojiro said as Ren nodded and spoke up.

"Sure thing, Boss. I'll get right on those when I'm done." Ren said as Morgana spoke up.

"Hey! I guess we can respond once the dishes are done. And make sure you thank the chief for breakfast, okay?" Morgana said to Ren, who nodded, proceeding to finish eating, thank Sojiro for breakfast, and then do the dishes as he agreed to do...

(Later that morning, in the attic of Leblanc with Ren and Morgana)

After Ren went back upstairs to sit down, his phone once more went off to signify a private chat. However, this time it was a chat from Haru, to Ren's surprise. He opened it to read it.

"Can I bother you for a moment? Now that the funeral is over, it feels like a small burden has been lifted from my shoulders." Haru sent as Ren sent a response.

"This must be tough for you to be dealing with this on your own. My condolences on your loss, Haru. Are you all right?" Ren sent. Haru sent a response.

"It is, to be honest. But I'm OK. I actually feel bad having everyone worry about me like they have. How about you? Are you doing OK?" Haru sent as Ren sent a response.

"I'm managing to get by, for the most part. Glad to hear you're doing okay, though. That's a relief to be sure. I don't like seeing my friends hurting." Ren sent. Haru sent a response.

"You sure are strong. I'll come back, don't worry. I think I'll be able to rejoin everyone around when exams end. Umm, sorry if that seems like I'm skipping out on exams. Well, see you." Haru sent as Ren put his phone away and Morgana spoke up.

"Haru, why are you so selfless? She's the one who should be in pain right now, yet she's still trying to cheer us up, Ren." Morgana said as Ren spoke up.

"True, but she's just selfless that way. She kind of reminds me a bit of Kasumi in that respect. They both worry about others before themselves. However, unlike Kasumi, Haru has an almost mother-like vibe to her, if that makes sense." Ren said to Morgana, who nodded as he spoke up.

"It does make sense. Also, your exams start tomorrow, don't they? You should just focus on those, for now. We'll get to work once your exams are over." Morgana said as Ren nodded and looked his options over. After deciding there wasn't anyone he particularly wanted to rank up, Ren decided to put in a shift at the Triple Seven. Ren got checked in and put on his uniform as his shift started. Said shift was uneventful, and had Morgana compliment Ren on his dealings with the customers, leading to a needless Charm boost. After his shift, Ren changed out of his uniform, collected his pay of 3,500 yen, and headed back to Leblanc...

(That evening at Leblanc, with Ren and Morgana)

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

"This isn't much of an update, to be honest. But I think I'm going to go back to school, starting tomorrow. I'm sorry for worrying all of you until now." Haru sent as Ann sent a response.

"Are you really OK, though?" Ann sent as Yusuke sent a response.

"Be sure not to push yourself too hard in this time of grief." Yusuke sent as Haru sent a response.

"No, I actually need to push myself. My mind always wanders if I have nothing to do, it seems like." Haru sent as Futaba sent a response at that point.

"Yeah, I totally get you, Haru. Kusa and I are the same way, though probably moreso me than Kusa." Futaba sent as Kusa sent a response.

"She's not wrong. However, at the same time, she doesn't mention that it rarely happens for either one of us." Kusa sent as Haru sent a response.

"That makes sense, Kusa-kun. Besides, to be honest? There's nothing I can do while I'm at home." Haru sent as Ryuji sent a response.

"Well, uh, to be honest? I dunno how to put it, but try not to think about that stuff too much." Ryuji sent as Ren sent a response.

"Count on us anytime. We're on your side, Haru." Ren sent. Ann sent a response.

"Yeah, you can come to us for anything!" Ann sent as Haru sent a response.

"Um, thanks. But, to be completely honest with you? When I ended up alone for a bit, I did doubt you all a tiny bit. But it's so horrible for me to doubt you. I mean, I'm the one who asked you all to do this." Haru sent as Makoto sent a response.

"Your father just passed away, Haru. It's natural to feel a flood of emotion at such events." Makoto sent as Futaba sent a response.

"Yeah, it's really hard when you lose someone like that. Both Makoto and I can relate to some extent." Futaba sent as Haru sent a response.

"Thanks, you two. But I'm OK now. You've all helped me out so much." Haru sent as Futaba sent a response.

"Right back at ya!" Futaba sent as Kusa sent a response.

"What Taba said. You've been just as helpful to us, if not more helpful, just since you joined. After all, you're the only reason we were able to successfully affect that change of heart, even if it did end up going awry in the end. So don't doubt that we appreciate you, Haru. Glad to hear you're getting through your loss." Kusa sent as Haru sent a response.

"Thank you both. Those words are truly reassuring. Well then, I'll see all of you at school, at least those of you who go to Shujin anyways." Haru sent as Ren put his phone away and Morgana spoke up sadly.

"Haru, bless you. I'm not surprised she seems down. You should keep her in your thoughts, Ren." Morgana said as Ren nodded while Morgana kept speaking.

"Still, despite how she looks, Haru has quite the backbone. I'm sure she'll be okay." Morgana said as Ren nodded. Ren then checked his chats, seeing chats from Yoshida, Iwai, and surprisingly so Ryuji. After pondering his options, Ren decided to study with Ryuji for the extra needless Knowledge. Afterwards, he came back to Leblanc and got laid down for the night, smirking as he saw Morgana lay on Kusa, while the three went to bed...

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

"Ugh, pulling all-nighters is the worst. I really should've started studying sooner. At least the school festival's soon. It's the thing I'm looking forward to most right now, to be honest." A procrastinating girl in front of Ren and Kusa said to her friend who spoke up calmly.

"Yeah, but with everything that's happened, are they still going to hold it? It might get canceled, you know." The calm girl said as the procrastinating girl frowned and spoke up.

"Don't say that! You're bummin' me out before the exams even start. Things are bad enough as is. If they cancel the festival, the students will riot!" The procrastinating girl said as Kusa and Ren both just kept walking, both thinking that the procrastinating girl was just a drama queen. The rest of the walk to school was a silent one...

(That morning, in class with Ren and Morgana)

"The Phantom Thieves have gone off the deep end, don't you think? I thought they were going to change that CEO's heart like they did their other targets, but they ended up killing him instead." An excited student standing next to another student a bit in front of Ren said, as the excited student's friend spoke up in a frightened tone.

"Haven't people been saying they killed Principal Kobayakawa, too? I thought they were bad, but I never expected they'd turn out to be murderers, you know?" The frightened student said as the excited student spoke up in realization.

"True. Oh man, does this mean anyone who gets targeted is screwed!?" The excited student said as Inui walked into the classroom and spoke up.

"Quiet down! I'll now be handing out your exam booklets." Inui said as the exams began...

(The next morning, in class with Ren and Morgana)

"You're still rooting for the Phantom Thieves? You know they're murderers, right? " A bandwagoning female said to her friend at the front of the class as her friend spoke up.

"Perhaps, but that doesn't mean that criminals should be left to do whatever they want, either." The Thieves-supporting female said as the bandwagoning female spoke up.

"Still, couldn't they have at least left the principal to the police? And I mean, did you see that press conference? No way allies of justice would do that." The bandwagoning student said as the Thieves-supporting student spoke up, surprising Ren with what she said next.

"Perhaps. I wonder if Akechi-kun has been right all along about them." The Thieves-supporting student said. The bandwagoning student spoke up with a nod.

"Maybe. But he's so admirable, sticking to his guns even though so many people were against him." The bandwagoning student said as Usami spoke up.

"That's enough. If you don't quiet down, I'll have to ask you to leave." Usami said as the exams continued...

(The next morning, in class with Ren and Morgana)

Ren frowned as he heard a pair of females speaking at the front of the class.

"The Phantom Thieves have gotta be students here, right? I mean, they killed our principal! This is insane! There are murderers among us!" An obsessive female student said to her chatty friend, who then spoke up.

"Hm. Now that you mention it, there was a guy in Shibuya who told me he's a phantom thief the other day." The chatty girl said as the obsessive girl spoke up.

"For real!? You gotta report that." The obsessive girl said as the chatty girl spoke up.

"Oh crap, you think so? I snapped a pic, so I should probably put it online just in case. I hope the cops catch him!" The chatty girl said as the exams continued...

(The following morning, in Ushimaru's class with Ren and Morgana)

"So today's the last day of exams, huh? Well, it hasn't been a problem for you so far. This has been so easy I might start yawning. Mwehehe. You did perfectly. I can't wait to see your score." Morgana said as Ren nodded and the rest of class went uneventfully, until he heard a pair of students at the front of the class speaking.

"The police are here again?" A frightened male student said as the irritated male next to him spoke up.

"Yeah, seems like it's for real this time. Apparently one of our students is a phantom thief." The irritated student said as the frightened student spoke up in surprise.

"Seriously!?" The frightened student asked as the irritated student nodded and spoke up.

"Yup. I read the same thing online. Apparently Public Security is already on the move to catch them." The irritated student said as Ren's phone went off with a private chat from Futaba.

"It's me. There's something I want to talk about. I'll be at the hideout, or rather I mean, our place." Futaba sent as Ren nodded and put his phone away, curious what Futaba wanted to speak about...

(At lunchtime, at Maruki's office)

Maruki blinked as he heard a knock at the door and spoke up.

"Come in, it's open!" Maruki said as the camera panned to show Haru walking in.

"Um, I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" Haru asked. Maruki looked over and smiled as he spoke up.

"Not at all! Welcome! Ah, you're the third-year Okumura-san, correct? So good to see you. Please, have a seat." Maruki said as Haru nodded and shyly stepped into the office, having a seat as instructed. After a bit, Maruki spoke up, seeing the unease Haru felt in her body language.

"Are you okay?" Maruki asked Haru, who blinked and spoke up.

"Huh!? Ah! Y-Yes!" Haru said, before shaking her head and speaking up.

"I'm sorry, that's not entirely true. To be honest, I did come here because I wanted to, but I'm not exactly adept at saying what's on my mind." Haru said as Maruki spoke up.

"Oh, that's perfectly fine. I'm not all that great at chatting with people either." Maruki said as Haru blinked at this and spoke up.

"Oh? Excuse me!?" Haru said in shock as Maruki chuckled nervously and spoke up.

"Eheh, whoops. Oh, maybe I shouldn't have said that. How about some snacks? No need to be modest here." Maruki said as Haru spoke up.

"You have my thanks. Thank you, but I'm all right, though." Haru said, before going quiet as she pondered how best to say what she had to say next, Maruki also going quiet to listen. Haru eventually spoke up.

"Umm, um, I must be pretty weird, right? I came here for counseling, but I can't seem to say anything, really." Haru said as Maruki spoke up reassuringly.

"Well, that's fine. You're not weird in the least. Just take your time. We'll go at whatever pace you need. And if you don't feel comfortable by the end of our time, well, then, just have some tea and head on home for the day." Maruki said as Haru smiled at the mention of tea and spoke up.

"Hm. I do enjoy teatime, truth be told. Perhaps I'll feel more relaxed if I think of all of this in that way." Haru said as Maruki nodded, doing a closed eye smirk as he spoke up.

"Quite! Absolutely. Nobody's going to de-stress if they come in here all worked up like, 'I HAVE TO TALK! RIGHT NOW!' Thinking of this as just sneaking away to relax with some tea would probably help you feel more open." Maruki said as Haru nodded and spoke up.

"True. Relaxing with some tea is rather nice. I do that quite often, but on my own more often than not." Haru said as Maruki nodded and spoke up.

"Do you find that more relaxing?" Maruki asked as Haru smiled and nodded before speaking up.

"Yes. The people closest to me in my life, well, they don't really feel like people I could sit and enjoy some tea with. Even my family was always focused solely on work, to be honest." Haru said as Maruki blinked and spoke up.

"I see. So, that said, was mealtime essentially the same setup as teatime?" Maruki asked as Haru smiled and spoke up.

"Now that you mention it, yes. Yes it was. Meals where we actually ate together were almost always uptight dinners at work-related events." Haru said as Maruki frowned and spoke up.

"I see. I can't really relate to that much, as I've never been to upscale social events, so I'm not sure if I should ask this, but I guess I will anyway. The thing is, well, to be honest, didn't you ever feel lonely?" Maruki asked Haru, who blinked at the question and spoke up.

"Lonely? Mm, I hadn't thought about that, but yes, I think so. If I were given the chance, I would've only wanted to spend more time with my family." Haru said as the bell rang and Maruki spoke up.

"I see. Why don't we call it a day now? Feel free to stop by again, anytime you like." Maruki said as Haru nodded and spoke up.

"Oh! Yes, I do apologize. It seems I extended this teatime longer than I had intended." Haru said as Maruki chuckled and spoke up.

"Hahaha, no problem at all. If anything, I'm happy to hear it. I'll make sure to pick up snacks that pair well with tea." Maruki said as Haru nodded and left on that note...

(Back with Ren and Morgana, after school)

Ren blinked in surprise as his phone went off with a private chat from Haru, which he opened up to read.

"I received word from Futaba-chan about our upcoming meeting. There's still some time until we meet though, so I am going to go take care of my flowers first. See you later." Haru sent as Ren put his phone away and Morgana spoke up.

"Heh, leave it to her to be watering the plants. I suppose plants do need watering after all, Ren. Ah, I know. You should go help Haru, Ren. I'll let the others know." Morgana said as Ren nodded and headed up to the rooftop, while Morgana padded off to find Kusa...

(On the rooftop with Ren and Haru)

"Ugh, how troubling this is." Haru said to herself, not realizing Ren was there until he spoke up.

"Do you want some help with that?" Ren asked Haru, who blinked as she heard the question, looking up at Ren as she spoke up.

"Oh, Ren-kun, hi there. Have you come up here to assist me? You, um, heard that just now, didn't you?" Haru asked as Ren spoke up.

"Not if you didn't want me to hear it, I didn't." Ren said as Haru spoke up with a frown.

"I suppose it doesn't matter. And I'm not worried about the garden, in case you were wondering. It's just, to be honest, so much has happened to me lately." Haru said as Ren spoke up.

"Any way I can help? Even if it's just to lend an ear to vent into, I don't mind. I have some time as well before our meet, so I figured I'd offer my services if you needed them. If not, you can tell me so and I'll leave you be." Ren said. Haru hesitated at this but then spoke up.

"Hm. Well, perhaps I could share this with you, Ren-kun. I mean, it would be nice to have someone who is aware of my current situation in life. The source of my worries is my father's company. Dealing with the aftermath has been, to put it mildly, difficult for me. Given how unexpected the accident was, my father didn't have a will. As such, all of his stocks transferred to me, meaning I'm effectively now holding a ton of stocks for Okumura Foods. Which means suddenly, I'm the biggest shareholder in a company of over one thousand employees out of nowhere. But the truth is, I don't know the first thing about business direction or fund management, Ren-kun." Haru said as Ren spoke up.

"That sounds tough, Haru. I couldn't imagine going through what you do, to be honest with you." Ren said. Haru nodded and spoke up.

"It is tough, Ren-kun. I may be the president's daughter, but I never expected I would end up involved with company matters, if I'm being honest. Because of that, lately I've been meeting with all the various officers and lawyers my father employed. They've been giving me advice on all the things I'm not entirely sure about. Assets, stocks, all that stuff. It's clear some people only want to get on my good side, though. I don't know who I can trust, honestly. They try to say comforting things like 'don't worry,' or 'leave it to me,' but, to be honest? It feels like they're only being nice so they can get their hands on my bank account.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I never realized I could be this distrustful of other people, Ren-kun. Ah, but I'm ranting, aren't I? I'm sorry for ranting on about this matter. I feel as though doing so has helped me calm down a bit, though. The only people I've consulted up to this point have been employees, like people around my father's age. But I think what I really needed was someone closer to my own age, or more aptly put, someone closer to my own viewpoint. Hm. Um, Ren-kun? If it isn't too much trouble, could we speak about this again some other time?" Haru asked as Ren nodded and spoke up.

"That's fine with me, Haru." Ren said as Haru smiled and spoke up.

"Thanks. In return, I'll, uh, hm. That's odd. What can I do to help you, Ren-kun? I don't have any unique talents. Oh, but, how about this? You know, gardening. I'm actually quite skilled at it. A few years ago, I even managed to grow a tropical fruit on the balcony at my house somehow. To be honest, Ren-kun? This is what I do when I'm alone, to take my mind off of everything that's happened. Oh, that's right. I stored some vegetables in the refrigerator down in the home economics room. Ah, but you still have some time, yes? Would you mind waiting here a moment?" Haru asked as she walked off, returning later with a bag in hand as she spoke up.

"I grew these right here in these very planters, and harvested them myself not too long ago. There's not much consistency to their colors or shapes, but to be honest? I'm proud I was able to harvest them." Haru said as Ren spoke up.

"I'm impressed you were able to harvest anything at all up here. Way I hear it, they don't exactly make rooftops an ideal place for gardening. That said, what kinds are there?" Ren asked. Haru smirked as she spoke up.

"You'll find out once you eat them! Hee-hee, just kidding. It's mostly normal things like tomato and zucchini. They're definitely unique though. Oh, speaking of which, I have a favor to ask of you." Haru said as Ren looked at Haru in confusion as she spoke up.

"I'd like to get Sakura-san's opinion on my vegetables. Do you think I could bring my next harvest over to the cafe?" Haru said as Ren spoke up.

"That's a great idea, Haru. I'd have to run it by Boss first, but I think he should be okay with it, though." Ren said. Haru smiled and nodded.

"Thank you. I'm sure Sakura-san will give me his honest opinion. I'll make sure this next harvest is particularly good." Haru said as Ren nodded and Haru spoke up again.

"Oh, look at the time! Well then, shall we head over to the hideout?" Haru asked as Ren nodded and the two went to the hideout...

(At the hideout, with Yusuke, Makoto, Ann, Haru, Ren, Ryuji, Morgana, Kusa, and Futaba)

"Congrats on surviving midterms." Futaba said as Ryuji spoke up.

"Ugh, I think I'm screwed up for real this time. I couldn't concentrate at all, honestly." Ryuji said as Kusa spoke up.

"Oh? Were you also distracted by a bunch of ignorant sheeple talking shit about the Phantom Thieves during exams? I swear, I had to stop myself from snapping at them so many times with what they were saying about us. I mean, come on! Us, murderers!? What do they think we are, assassins? We don't kill people! Not even that asshole Black Mask, even if he might deserve it for what he did. We're not stooping to his level, though." Kusa said angrily. At that point, the voice from before was heard outside.

"-gathering everyone's opinions and immediately acting upon them in a timely manner. In order to make that natural course of action a reality, I will-" The voice said as Ryuji spoke up.

"Ugh, again? It's so damn loud!" Ryuji said as Ren blinked as he noticed Kusa with a pensive look on his face, speaking up.

"Why the contemplative expression, Kusa?" Ren said to Kusa, who spoke up.

"Hm? Oh, just thinking. Is it just me, or does that voice sound familiar somehow, Ren? To be honest, I think I've heard it before, but I can't quite put my finger on where." Kusa said. Ren blinked and nodded while he spoke up.

"That's true. But that's probably not important just now." Ren said as Ann spoke up.

"Exactly. So, Futaba, what's this you want to talk about?" Ann asked as Haru spoke up.

"I recall you said something was on your mind before, but were you able to figure out what it was?" Haru asked as Futaba nodded and spoke up.

"The Medjed that I banned, as it turns out, wasn't the real one." Futaba said as the group gave her a series of confused looks and Ryuji spoke up.

"Huh? Aren't you the real one though?" Ryuji asked Futaba, who winced as she spoke up.

"Oh, uhh, I did say that, didn't I? The guy who called himself Medjed after me isn't the one from the other day!" Futaba said as Yusuke frowned and spoke up.

"What do you mean?" Yusuke asked as Futaba spoke up.

"The code written by that guy the other day is different from any past Medjed." Futaba said as Ryuji spoke up.

"And that means, what?" Ryuji asked as Kusa spoke up.

"I'm no computer expert, but I'm pretty sure code is another word for electronic signature, which is unique to the person whose code it is. Put simply, no two people have the same code as far as I'm aware." Kusa said as Futaba nodded and spoke up.

"Exactly, Kusa. A code is like your own fingerprints. No matter how you try to disguise it, your own quirks appear in it. The one from the other day was cut and pasted with no consistency. No skill at all." Futaba said as Makoto frowned and spoke up.

"But aren't there multiple people across the world that are part of Medjed? Couldn't it have been done by someone that joined recently?" Makoto asked as Futaba frowned and spoke up.

"Hm, how do I put this? That code was so not done by anyone interested in cracking. At all. At the very least, there's no way it was an official Medjed member." Futaba said as Yusuke frowned and spoke up.

"So someone used the Medjed name to provoke the Phantom Thieves? For what purpose?" Yusuke asked as Ann spoke up.

"Could they have been doing it for fun? It was around the time our group started getting popular, so maybe they wanted in on the hype or something?" Ann asked as Makoto's eyes widened in realization as she spoke up.

"Wait a moment, Ann. What if, instead of what you just said, it's the other way around?" Makoto suggested as Haru blinked and spoke up.

"Hm?" Haru said as Makoto spoke up to voice her realization, a worried look on her face as she spoke.

"Perhaps they used the Medjed name to make the Phantom Thieves known, for whatever reason." Makoto said as Ryuji frowned and spoke up.

"What? That makes no sense." Ryuji said as Kusa spoke up.

"To you, perhaps. But that doesn't mean it doesn't make sense to whoever did it." Kusa said as Futaba nodded and spoke up.

"Exactly, Kusa. I actually thought the same as Makoto." Futaba said as Ann spoke up.

"Oh? Why's that?" Ann said as Futaba spoke up.

"Know how I just said that code is like fingerprints? I found those same fingerprints somewhere completely different." Futaba said as Yusuke spoke up.

"Oh? Where's that?" Yusuke asked. Futaba spoke up, her next words stunning most of the group.

"The Phantom Aficionado Website. There were traces of it being illegally tampered with from the outside." Futaba said as the others all gaped and Ryuji spoke up.

"For real?" Ryuji asked as Futaba nodded before she kept speaking.

"Yup. Before summer vacation, the access counter was made to be much higher than the actual number. Same with the rankings. Particularly the time when President Okumura ranked first." Futaba said as Haru spoke up.

"So then, the one who provoked the group and the one who tampered with the site are the same person?" Haru asked as Makoto spoke up.

"Oh, my. I think I'm starting to see the bigger picture. Both Medjed's provocation and the tampering brought attention to us as a result. On top of that, our reason for targeting Okumura was influenced by the public and the rankings, was it not? The perfect timing, and the perfect target. If both of those had been set up, it makes so much sense." Makoto said as Yusuke spoke up.

"Agreed. It would all make sense." Yusuke said as Kusa nodded before his eyes went wide as he recalled an important detail that could be a clue.

"Also, and someone can correct me if I'm mistaken on this, but wasn't all this at the same time that Akechi was pretty close to the top of those same rankings that Okumura was first in? I doubt it, but what if he set it up to take the target off himself?" Kusa mused as the others blinked at this, as it made sense. Ann then spoke up.

"Perhaps, Kusa. But back on topic, so the culprit was planning to put the blame on us from the start!? No way, is that for real?" Ann said as Makoto spoke up.

"True, but keep in mind this is all hypothetical, even Kusa-kun's observation. We lack any hard evidence to definitively link a culprit to this." Makoto said as Morgana spoke up in surprise.

"Perhaps, but if all your deductions happen to be correct, that would mean we've been playing right into their hand for the past two months or so, right?" Morgana said as the others blinked at this as Ryuji spoke up.

"W-We gotta be overthinkin' things. I mean, we're talking both the rankings AND Medjed! Everyone made a big deal about it! If this was all set up, then what kind of guy did we make an enemy of?" Ryuji asked as the others shrugged, before Yusuke spoke up.

"Good question. Either way, there's no point in getting anxious over speculation. Regardless, we'll be falsely charged at this rate, and with murder. We must overcome this." Yusuke said as Haru spoke up.

"But even so, we don't even know who we're up against at this point." Haru said as Ryuji spoke up.

"Hey, am I being paranoid, or do you think we're fallin' into another trap, even at this very moment?" Ryuji asked as Ren spoke up.

"We don't know for sure yet. But I get the feeling we'll figure it out in time. After all, between myself, Makoto, Futaba, and Kusa, we've got a lot of smart people in this room, so if we sit and think about it, we can probably puzzle it out if we worked at it long enough." Ren said as Makoto nodded her agreement and spoke up.

"Indeed, we don't. It'll be more dangerous jumping to conclusions and assuming we figured it out. Even if this is the actions of a meticulous enemy, we'll just have to get back at them. We need to find clues about who we're dealing with, no matter what." Makoto said as Futaba and the others nodded their agreement...

(At that same time, at the SIU Director's office, with Sae and the SIU Director)

"Me? I was told you recommended this reassignment yourself, sir. Why would you choose someone as inexperienced as myself?" Sae asked as the SIU director spoke up.

"When the case of the Shujin principal was ruled a suicide, you thought to reopen it, did you not? And on top of that, you proved its connection to the Phantom Thieves. This is based primarily on that achievement." the SIU Director said to Sae, who smiled as she spoke up.

"I see. In that case, I'm honored, sir." Sae said as the SIU Director spoke up with a frown.

"The Phantom Thieves issue is now a national crisis. Expectations are exceedingly high for us public prosecutors, as we are the executors of justice. Personnel and planning will be up to you on this case. You will also have the police under your command." the SIU Director said to Sae, whose eyes widened as the enormity of the assignment hit her. The SIU Director smiled as he kept speaking.

"I'd like you to oversee this operation." The SIU Director said as Sae gasped in surprise while the SIU Director spoke up.

"You've yet to give an answer, you know. Will you accept the task of eradicating the Phantom Thieves?" the SIU Director asked Sae, who gave a firm yet resolute nod and spoke up.

"I will, sir. I will give it everything I have." Sae said as the SIU Director spoke up with a smirk.

"We'll have to prepare a higher position for you as well in the event you succeed. I don't wish to apply extra pressure on you or anything, but I assume your odds of success are high. Naturally, failure to accept this task is unacceptable. Do you understand?" the SIU Director asked Sae, who nodded as she spoke up.

"Of course! I will live up to your expectations, no matter what it takes!" Sae said as the SIU Director turned away while speaking up.

"That is all then. I expect good results from you." the SIU Director said as Sae nodded...

(A short time later, in the Niijima house with Sae and Makoto)

"I'm home!" Sae called out as she got home, where Makoto was sitting at the kitchen table eating by herself. Makoto stood up as she heard Sae's voice and spoke up.

"Hi, Sis. Should I warm up dinner for you?" Makoto asked as Sae spoke up.

"No, it's okay." Sae said as she walked in as Makoto spoke up.

"How about a bath?" Makoto asked as Sae smiled and spoke up.

"No need. I just came home to get a change of clothes." Sae said as Makoto blinked in surprise and spoke up.

"Are you going to stay at work, then?" Makoto asked as Sae nodded and spoke up.

"Indeed. I've been entrusted with a very important task." Sae said as Makoto spoke up with a frown.

"You look awful though, Sis. Aren't you tired?" Makoto asked as Sae spoke up bluntly.

"As an adult, there will be times when you will accept an assignment for which failure is not tolerated. It's all over for me if I can't win this." Sae said as Makoto spoke up.

"Still, if you were to collapse from exhaustion, you wouldn't do anyone any good, Sis." Makoto said as Sae frowned and spoke up.

"This is my one chance to get a promotion! Anyways, I heard detectives have been coming to your school. That must make it hard to focus on your studies. Don't worry though. It will all be over soon." Sae said as Makoto spoke up.

"What do you mean?" Makoto asked, before gasping at what Sae said next.

"I'm going to catch the Phantom Thieves myself." Sae said as Makoto spoke up warily.

"Is that the important task you mentioned?" Makoto asked as Sae frowned and spoke up.

"It's none of your concern." Sae said as she turned on her heel and left, at which point Makoto gasped in realization as she spoke to herself.

"Oh my god, is this for real? Sis has her sights set on the Phantom Thieves, and not just them, but Shujin Academy in particular. This is bad, very bad. I need to let everyone know!" Makoto said to herself...

(Back at Leblanc, with Ren and Morgana)

Ren's phone went off to signify a group chat with Ryuji, Ann, Kusa, Yusuke, Makoto, Haru, and Futaba, with Makoto sending the first response.

"Things have become somewhat troublesome, everyone. Just try to stay calm." Makoto sent as Haru sent a response.

"What's wrong, Makoto?" Haru sent as Makoto sent a response.

"Sis told me she's been entrusted with an important task regarding the Phantom Thieves." Makoto sent as Futaba sent a response.

"That means only one thing." Futaba sent as Makoto sent a response.

"Yes, it means exactly what you think it does. The SIU must surely be on the move at this point." Makoto sent as Ren sent a response.

"I've no clue what an SIU is, but from how you're acting, that's probably bad." Ren sent. Ann sent a response.

"Wait, weren't they already investigating us though?" Ann sent as Makoto sent a response.

"The police were doing so in secret. This operation is on a much different scale." Makoto sent as Ryuji sent a response.

"Hold on a sec. What's this SIU thing anyways?" Ryuji sent as Kusa sent a response.

"I agree with Ryuji on this. I'm not familiar with that acronym either. And am I the only one who feels like this whole thing reeks of Akechi-kun's influence? After all, he's a detective, and he's openly stated his anti-Phantom Thief opinions in the past. So who's to say he's not involved in all this?" Kusa sent as Makoto sent a response.

"Wow, a rare time when I know something Kusa-kun doesn't. That said, it stands for the Special Investigations Unit. An elite team that deals with huge cases like government scandals." Makoto sent as Yusuke sent a response.

"I have heard that name on the news. They make headlines often." Yusuke sent as Futaba sent a response.

"The real insane part is, they haven't lost a case against a suspect in like fifty years. If they come after you, you're screwed. They're the best investigation force in Japan." Futaba sent as Haru sent a response.

"Are we going to be arrested then, do you guys think?" Haru sent as Yusuke sent a response.

"Hm, doesn't this countermeasure seem somewhat extreme?" Yusuke sent as Makoto sent a response.

"Right or wrong, I think we're just way too famous at this point. As this is a country governed by law, they can't afford to ignore us for any longer." Makoto sent as Haru sent a response.

"We may be the Phantom Thieves and all, but this is just miserable to think about." Haru sent as Futaba sent a response.

"They must have a pretty narrow suspect profile by now too." Futaba sent as Ryuji sent a response.

"Hey, don't scare us like that!" Ryuji sent as Futaba sent a response.

"It's OK though. They don't have any evidence." Futaba sent as Makoto sent a response.

"Yes, I expect they're frantically searching for some as we speak." Makoto sent as Futaba sent a response.

"No way they're gonna find anything though." Futaba sent as Makoto sent a response.

"It's only a matter of time. We have to hurry and do something about this before it's too late." Makoto sent as Ren put his phone away and Morgana spoke up uneasily.

"It's okay. E-Everything's going to be fine. Unless they know about the Metaverse, there's no way they'll get any info on us." Morgana said as Ren nodded and put his phone away as Morgana spoke up once more.

"Some real convenient timing for the prosecution, though." Morgana said as Ren nodded. After considering his options, Ren decided to brew more coffee just for the sake of it being a good use of his time since he couldn't leave the cafe that evening for whatever reason. After Sojiro went out to buy some cigarettes, Morgana stood on the counter to watch Ren brew, smiling as he heard Ren pouring himself a cup of the finished product. Morgana then spoke up.

"Whoa! You look so professional pouring that! Man, that smell though! Mmm, I love the smell of good coffee in the evening." Morgana said as the door to Leblanc opened up and Kusa walked in, smirking as he spoke up.

"Ah, brewing more coffee there, Ren? Interesting. Sorry I'm home so late, was out at the gym and lost track of time, then went to hang out with Futaba for a bit before heading back here." Kusa said as Ren nodded and spoke up.

"Sounds about right. You know, I'm surprised at how much more laid-back and observant you are of late, Kusa. Usually you're quick to speak up on things, but not as much recently." Ren said as Kusa shrugged and spoke up.

"Eh, what can I say? I've had a lot of time to think, and it made me realize that maybe I need to not be so opinionated. That, and that business with Haru's dad also brought it home, so to speak, that none of us is perfect. So that was a real eye-opener for me. Made me realize I need to up my own game, as well as enjoy every moment I can with those I care about, since we never know when we won't have that luxury anymore." Kusa said honestly as Ren nodded and spoke up.

"This is true, Kusa. We never do know when we'll have that luxury. That said, I was impressed with that guess you made about Akechi at the meeting. I see you're managing to keep your opinions to yourself for a change, which is nice." Ren said as Kusa nodded and spoke up.

"Eh, you know how it is, Ren. Besides, is there really a point to constantly getting myself worked up? As it is, we need to work together if we're going to get out of this, and that means putting our differences aside as well as coming together as a team. If that means I owe Ryuji a free shot or two later on for knocking him out, well so be it. But the important thing is that we stay united as a group right now.

Especially if my thought earlier was right, since we could be dealing with a foe that could destroy us very easily from within if we gave him the opportunity to do so. That said, I have to agree with Morgana. That coffee does smell good." Kusa said as Ren nodded, smiling as he spoke up.

"Yeah, I'm getting a lot better at it. Maybe at some point soon, Boss will start teaching you how to brew this while he teaches me how to make the curry so we can trade off when needed on who does what?" Ren said as Kusa nodded, speaking up agreeably.

"That's an option, Ren. In any case, nice to see we're starting to repair our bonds, even if it's going to be a slow process." Kusa said sagely, as Ren nodded, feeling the first signs of his and Kusa's renewed bond deepening. At that point, the 'World' card appeared in his mind's eye, the 'V' becoming a 'VI' to signify that his World Confidant link with Kusa had reached rank 6. From the rank-up, Kusa gained the power of 'Harisen Recovery', making it so that he could occasionally heal an ally from a status ailment, much like Ryuji, Ann, and Morgana all were also capable of doing. After that, Kusa spoke up with a nod.

"But for real, I wonder how long it'll be before Boss makes you a coffee master, or at least a professional brewer. I doubt you'll ever completely surpass Boss, but you can get close to it." Kusa said with a smirk as Ren shrugged, sitting down to sip his finished product, smiling with a pumped fist as he spoke up.

"Yes! All right!" Ren said as Kusa spoke up with an amused grin.

"Y'know, something about the way you pump that fist like that makes me think you get a lot of enjoyment out of making good coffee, Ren. Maybe you've got more of Boss in you than we both thought?" Kusa said with a shrug as some blue music notes went up over his head. Morgana nodded his agreement as he spoke up.

"Agreed, Kusa. Not to mention, the way he drinks it makes it look delicious." Morgana said as Ren got 2 more 'Master Coffee' items for his efforts. Kusa then spoke up.

"Careful, Ren. I don't know how much more you can take of Boss' gentlemanly charm rubbing off on you before it becomes too much for you to handle and you overload from all of Boss' incredible coffee-making powers." Kusa joked as Ren's Charm got a needless boost. Around that point, the door opened and Sojiro walked in, surprised to see both Kusa and Ren down in the bottom floor, making him speak up.

"Heh, this is a surprise. Both of you are down here. I see Ren's at it again, though. How's it going this time, Ren? Here, I'll have a sip if you don't mind." Sojiro said as Ren passed the cup over and Sojiro took a sip, savoring the flavor as he spoke up.

"Mm, what a rich flavor, Ren. Without a doubt, this is Colombian Bucaramanga Supremo. Let me explain! The high altitude, rainy climate, and soil of the Colombian mountains creates a strong foundation for their high quality coffee. Supremo indicates the large size of the bean, and Bucaramanga is where it is grown. it has a rich, sweet taste and a mild acidity. Yeah, that said, this is delicious, Ren. I'm impressed. Although, you realize you'll never catch up to me completely, I hope.

Ugh, and here I thought you were just a punk kid this whole time, but I was wrong. It's pathetic coming from an adult, but you guys are teaching me so much. You, Futaba, and Kusa all are. In turn, I'll teach you everything I know, as a sign of my appreciation. I know you can do it. Train hard. And, for the record you two? I was scared. Let Futaba know, too." Sojiro said as Kusa nodded and spoke up.

"You got it, Boss. I'll pass it along next time I see her." Kusa said as Sojiro nodded approvingly before he went home and both Ren and Kusa tag-teamed the dishes and clean-up as Morgana spoke up.

"Pretty solid teamwork, you two! That said, we should probably rest now, since we have a big day tomorrow." Morgana said to Ren and Kusa, who nodded as the trio went upstairs and got comfortable for the evening...

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

"Damned Phantom Thieves! Haven't they found the Phantom Thieves yet?" A dissatisfied youth said near where Ren and Kusa were standing as a nearby arrogant youth spoke up.

"The government and the police are useless. Are they even trying? I wish they wouldn't spend tax dollars just to sit on their asses and do nothing." The arrogant youth said as the dissatisfied youth spoke up.

"A mysterious group of murderers, an inept government. It's buffoonery everywhere you look. What's the world coming to these days?" The dissatisfied youth said as Morgana frowned and spoke up.

"Dammit. Everyone's talking trash about us these days." Morgana said as Kusa spoke up quietly.

"Let them talk, Morgana. We know we're right, and we did nothing wrong. So who cares what a bunch of fickle sheep think? Let's keep our heads held up and not let what we hear bother us." Kusa said sagely as Ren nodded and the rest of the train ride went uneventfully...

(Later that morning, in class with Ren and Morgana)

"They were there today too, right?" A frightened student near the front of the classroom said as an irritated student spoke up from nearby.

"Yeah, that's right. Who do those damn cops think they are? They can't just stare us all down like that." The irritated student said as the frightened student spoke up.

"Maybe the rumors are true? Maybe there's a phantom thief at our school after all." The frightened student said as Kawakami walked into class at that point and the rest of the students, including Ann, filed in as well. A bit later, Kawakami spoke up to address the class.

"Okay, quiet down! Listen up! The police are here at the school, so be sure not to get in their way. Oh, and one more thing. For various reasons, the school festival got moved to the 25th. There was talk of canceling it, but we couldn't just do that. I'm sure the preparations will be rough, but don't push yourself too hard." Kawakami said as a male student spoke up.

"Really? On a weekday? What kind of reasons are there?" The male student said as a female student spoke up.

"With all this stuff about the principal and Kamoshida this year, I guess it's no surprise that there'd be talk of canceling the festival." The female student said as the rest of class went uneventfully from there...

(At that same time, in the first-years' classroom, with Kusa and Kasumi)

"...And as such, you all need to be on your best behavior while they're here, understood? As long as you all cooperate and do as you're told, you'll all be just fine." Hiruta said to the first-years, at which point murmuring broke out among the first-years, which Kasumi took advantage of to lean over and speak to Kusa.

"Kusa-kun, do you think this is related to your friends at all?" Kasumi asked Kusa, who thought about it and nodded before he spoke up at a level that only Kasumi could hear.

"Could be. But anything's possible. Either way, as long as we keep our heads down, we should be in the clear I think. But it's times like this where it's more important than ever we stick together, Kasumi." Kusa said so only Kasumi could hear. Kasumi nodded and spoke up.

"That's fair. And I have you guys' backs, no matter what." Kasumi said honestly as Kusa nodded approvingly to this and spoke up.

"I know you do. On another topic, did you hear about the festival getting pushed to the 25th? Total horse shit, if you ask me. But it is what it is. At least the dance wasn't moved. As far as I know, that's now one of the first parts of the festival, set for right before the sharing festival. Hopefully this won't change your plans of being Ren's date for the dance. And yes, I know about that. Don't underestimate how much bros talk, Kasumi.

Not that I have room to talk, considering I managed to convince Futaba to accompany me to said dance. Now to hope I can make it a memorable experience for her." Kusa said honestly as Kasumi smiled and spoke up, making sure to keep her voice down.

"I'm sure you'll be just fine, Kusa-kun. Just be yourself, and you'll have her falling all over you in no time. With any luck, I'll have Ren falling all over me too." Kasumi said as Kusa grinned and spoke up.

"Between us? You won't have to do much. He's already smitten with you, even if he doesn't realize it fully yet. Just make sure to be yourself, and above all else, be honest with him about how you feel. If you do that, I think you two could really make something special happen at that dance." Kusa said sagely. Kasumi winced slightly at Kusa's mention of 'be honest with him', but said nothing as she nodded and spoke up.

"I see. Well, guess we both have reason to anticipate this dance, don't we?" Kasumi said to Kusa, who nodded agreeably as they turned their attention back to Hiruta, who'd started speaking at that point, as the rest of class passed uneventfully...

(At lunchtime, with Ren and Morgana)

Ren's phone buzzed to signify a group chat with Ryuji, Ann, Kusa, Yusuke, Makoto, Haru, and Futaba, with Makoto sending the first response.

"Apparently, the police are going to be interrogating all of the students here." Makoto sent as Ryuji sent a response.

"Seriously!?" Ryuji sent as Yusuke sent a response, his response conveying his confusion well.

"The police are at Shujin? They haven't come to my school." Yusuke sent as Makoto sent a response.

"It seems they're calling students individually out of class to speak with them." Makoto sent as Ann sent a response.

"Wait, what!? Does that mean we're gonna get called in too!?" Ann sent as Kusa sent a response.

"Most likely. They're apparently starting on the third-years and working their way down the line, ending with the first-years, so odds are Haru and Makoto will be the first of us called in. At least, that's how Mister Hiruta told it earlier, which surprised the crap out of Yoshizawa-san, unsurprisingly. Luckily, I was able to talk her down before she panicked. So I think I have that angle covered." Kusa sent as Makoto sent a response.

"Kusa-kun is correct. They're interviewing the third-years now. Luckily, Haru and I have names next to each other in the alphabet so we'll likely be called in together. Second years will follow in the afternoon, then first years will probably be called in after school, so I wouldn't make any plans for this afternoon, just to be on the safe side, Kusa-kun. Make sure you prepare yourselves mentally for this." Makoto sent as Ryuji sent a response.

"They've gotta be looking for the culprit, right guys?" Ryuji sent as Makoto sent a response.

"Who knows, Ryuji? Given my sister's presumably heading this up, anything is possible." Makoto sent as Futaba sent a response.

"Be careful, guys. You should probably try to not say much. They'll see through any lies you might try telling." Futaba sent as Ryuji sent a response.

"I know." Ryuji sent as Makoto sent a response.

"In any case, don't tell them anything unnecessary." Makoto sent as Futaba sent a response.

"Exactly. And in light of this, we can move our plans to tonight or even tomorrow if needed, Kusa." Futaba sent as Kusa shook his head and spoke up.

"Not necessary, Taba. My last name starts fairly close to the start of the alphabet, so odds are good I'll be one of the first called in for the first-years, and I'll try to be done as quick as possible so we can still hang out." Kusa sent as Ren put his phone away at that point, preparing himself for when he was called in...

(That afternoon, in class with Morgana, Ren, and Ann)

"Well then, next up is Takamaki-san and Amamiya-kun. You two will go together." Kawakami said to Ren and Ann, who blinked at being called on together, but nodded as Ann blinked and spoke up.

"Huh? Why together?" Ann asked as Kawakami rubbed the back of her head before she answered Ann.

"Why? They'll probably have one of you wait outside. That's how they've been doing it so far." Kawakami said as Ann chuckled nervously and spoke up.

"Oh, yeah, right, forgot about that." Ann said. Kawakami put a hand on her hip and spoke up.

"Either way, those are the instructions the detectives gave us. Just don't say more than is necessary and try to get it over with quick." Kawakami said as Ren and Ann nodded as they went to be interviewed, Ren being called in first as Ann waited outside. When Ren came in, an overbearing detective spoke up.

"Take a seat." The overbearing detective said as Ren sat down as the other detective spoke up kindly.

"We're sorry to take your time. This will be over quick. Let's see here. Ah, you're Ren Amamiya, are you? According to this, you have a younger brother who's a first-year here, is that right?" The nice detective asked Ren, who nodded. The nice detective then kept speaking.

"Ah, yes. You're the one currently under probation. It says here you had a dispute with Mister Kamoshida?" The nice detective said as Ren spoke up

"Yeah, that happened. Way I understand it though, a lot of the students had disputes with him before I got here." Ren said off-handedly. The nice detective blinked at this and spoke up.

"You're more hot-blooded than you look. That said, you spend time with quite an interesting group. Yusuke Kitagawa and Haru Okumura? The more friends the better, right?" The nice detective said to Ren, who nodded as the nice detective exchanged a nod with the overbearing detective as the former spoke up.

"That said, I'm sorry to have taken your time. You're free to go now. Oh, I almost forgot. There's just one more thing I have to ask you. Do you think the Phantom Thieves are associated with this school?" The nice detective asked Ren, who shrugged and spoke up.

"Who knows, Detective? To be honest though, I hope not. The rumors about them of late haven't been the nicest." Ren said conversationally. The nice detective nodded as he spoke up reassuringly.

"Don't worry. We're here to keep all of you safe, okay?" The nice detective said as the overbearing detective spoke up.

"Thank you for your time." The overbearing detective said as the nice detective spoke up.

"Your responses will serve as great reference material. Takamaki-san is next. Could you ask her to come in?" The nice detective said to Ren, who nodded as he got up and left the room, stopping to tell Ann that she was up next before he headed off elsewhere to chill for the rest of the school day...

(After school, at the hideout with Haru, Futaba, Kusa, Ryuji, Ann, Yusuke, Makoto, Ren, and Morgana)

"I got so nervous I almost stuttered a few times, to be honest. I thought I was used to police questioning by now too, so this is unfortunate." Haru said as Kusa spoke up.

"Does one ever truly get used to police questioning though, Haru? As for me, I just mostly nodded and said 'yes, sir' or 'no, sir' as the questions demanded. Luckily for us, Kasumi and I were interviewed together, so I was able to guide her through the interview and keep her calm. I think she was almost as worried about it as we were, and she's not even really one of us. But I suppose given how close Ren and her are, she's as good as one of us." Kusa said sagely. Makoto nodded as she spoke up.

"Agreed. That said, it seems we were all asked the same questions." Makoto said as Ryuji spoke up with a nod.

"That's how they get you. They do that on purpose, then wait for someone to slip up." Ryuji said as Futaba frowned at Ryuji and spoke up.

"I hope you didn't." Futaba said to Ryuji as Kusa spoke up with a smile.

"Be nice, Taba. I'm sure he kept his head and didn't say anything incriminating. I might give Ryuji crap a lot, but even I can tell he's got a lot of street smarts, so he'd know what not to say. Not to mention, if any of us were apt to slip up, it'd probably have been Ann, given that her acting isn't exactly the best. No offense, Ann." Kusa said as Ann spoke up.

"None taken, Kusa. You're not wrong either. I was kinda nervous when Ren called me to go in, but I got through it faster than I thought I would." Ann said as Ryuji gave Kusa a grateful smile before he spoke up.

"Thanks, Kusa. But for real, it was prolly fine. I woulda been done for if they saw how sweaty my hands were, though." Ryuji said as Yusuke frowned and spoke up.

"To think my name would come up as well, when I'm not even a Shujin student." Yusuke said as Kusa frowned and spoke up.

"To be fair, I did have to keep my temper in check when that one cop asked Kasumi about her relationship with Ren, as if that was at all relevant to anything." Kusa said dryly. Ren frowned at this and spoke up in slight annoyance.

"They asked WHAT!?" Ren asked in shock and slight rage, before Morgana spoke up.

"Ren, calm down! Sounds like we can't take the police lightly either." Morgana said as Kusa spoke up.

"Indeed we can't, Morgana. And Ren, chill. Kasumi just said you two were close, without going into details. Not that I'd have let her go into a lot of detail. I'd have stepped in if they got too personal with their questioning. I've got your back, bro." Kusa said. Ren smiled and nodded gratefully as Ann spoke up.

"Hey, didn't you think that detective guy was scary?" Ann asked as Ren spoke up.

"Yeah, he kinda was, if you mean the overbearing detective. The nice detective seemed rather chill, honestly." Ren said. Ann nodded as she spoke up.

"Right? Especially those eyes, those were the creepiest. it was like they were smiling, but not smiling at the same time." Ann said as Makoto spoke up.

"I'm sorry for all of this, you guys. It's because of my sister being asked to track us down." Makoto said. Haru frowned as she shook her head and spoke up.

"That's not true, Mako-chan." Haru said reassuringly as Makoto spoke up.

"It's not as though I hadn't predicted this would happen, and to be honest, I think even Kusa-kun saw it coming to an extent as well." Makoto said as Kusa nodded and spoke up.

"I did indeed. However, I'll admit, the scenario I'd foreseen was one where Akechi was leading the charge, rather than your sister, Makoto." Kusa said as Makoto nodded and spoke up.

"Fair enough. But now that it's become reality, I'm unsure of what to do about it." Makoto said as Morgana spoke up.

"That's easy. We need to make sure we don't draw suspicion, and work to clear our names quickly. Right?" Morgana asked as Makoto nodded and spoke up.

"Yes, that's right." Makoto said, a sad look on her face, which Ryuji saw as he spoke up.

"You know, it ain't your fault, Makoto. So don't blame yourself." Ryuji said, smiling encouragingly at Makoto as Futaba spoke up.

"I'm gonna try to see how far along this investigation really is." Futaba said as Ann spoke up.

"I'm worried about the police too, but as of now, anyone in this city could be a mole for them." Ann said as Futaba sighed and spoke up.

"And we were so popular, too. What a bummer." Futaba said as Kusa smiled at her and spoke up.

"And this, my dear Taba, is why popularity is both overrated and not worth striving for. You'll have it one moment, then it'll get snatched away with no warning the next. Take it from someone with prior experience, it's not worth getting fussed over." Kusa said sagely as Makoto turned to Haru and spoke up.

"Haru, can I ask you to search your father's belongings for clues about a possible culprit? I'm sorry to ask, and I know it may be tough on you, but you're the only one I can ask." Makoto said as Haru smiled and nodded.

"No, it's okay. Now isn't the time for me to look away." Haru said as Makoto turned to the others.

"As for everyone else, you need to be cautious of how you spend your time at school. As such, I've decided to temporarily enlist Ren, Ann, and Ryuji as extra second-year helpers on the school festival executive committee. But you three won't be alone, as I've also enlisted Kusa-kun and Yoshizawa-san as some of the first-years to help with the project." Makoto said as Kusa nodded.

"That's correct. And honestly, I was happy to agree. After all, what better way to keep a low profile than helping out with the school festival? Besides, it made sense given I'm on the student council and all to help out. Plus, it makes Makoto enlisting Yoshizawa to be on the committee with Ren less suspect. You're welcome, Ren." Kusa said with a smirk. Ryuji blinked at this and spoke up.

"Not that I mind Makoto, but why us!?" Ryuji asked as Makoto spoke up.

"Kusa-kun is correct. Doing this will allow us to gather without drawing suspicion. Plus, trying to blend in will only do the opposite." Makoto said as Kusa spoke up.

"Cheer up, Ryuji. We did mention that you're being partnered directly with Makoto for this, right? Granted, I have to partner with Ann as a trade-off, but I think I can live with that, since it lets Ren be partnered with Yoshizawa-san." Kusa said slyly as Ann smiled and spoke up.

"Cool, I was hoping I'd get you for a partner honestly, Kusa." Ann said happily as Ryuji huffed and spoke up.

"Ugh, for real? Fine, I'll do it. You're lucky you led with me being partnered with Makoto, since admittedly that is a pretty good selling point." Ryuji said with a smirk as Makoto flushed slightly at Ryuji's remark and spoke up.

"I-I had no idea you were that excited to be paired up with me, Ryuji. But I'm flattered." Makoto said as Ann spoke up.

"I agree. Plus, the more time I have to kill, the more time I'll spend worrying about all this stuff. No matter what happens from here on out, I don't want to regret my decisions." Ann said as Ryuji frowned and spoke up.

"C'mon, Ann! Don't jinx it!" Ryuji said as Yusuke frowned and spoke up.

"It would be no surprise if they came directly to our homes for questioning. They showed up at your school, after all, so it's possible. I should remain cautious." Yusuke said as Morgana spoke up.

"For now, our best option is to stay on the defensive, and try to plan ahead to outwit whoever's setting us up. Granted, we won't make much progress at this rate. Let's try and figure out who the real culprit is somehow, okay?" Morgana said as the group nodded and Makoto spoke up.

"Of course, Morgana. Mm." Makoto said, seemingly hesitating as the others nodded, and the group dispersed at that point, most of them heading to their homes while Kusa escorted Futaba back to her house at her request, leaving Ren and Morgana alone in the attic, at which point Morgana spoke up.

"Man, this is bad. Someone totally framed us, Ren." Morgana said as Ren nodded. After that, he had a seat on the bed to ponder his next move...

END OF CHAPTER

A/N: And boom! Another chapter done and dusted! Yeah, this arc started off swinging, much like arc 3 did! However, this time said swinging wasn't as fluffy and sweet as that of Arc 3. But there was some overtures to some plot points that are lined up for later in the arc, and even some additional Confidant rank-ups (Sojiro, Kusa, Futaba, and Maruki), as well as some prep for one of the remaining two Confidants (Haru), so with any likelihood, all Confidants will ideally be unlocked by the end of arc 6.

And to anyone patiently awaiting the start of the relationships for the story, not much longer. I have an event lined up in the next chapter that will bring at least two of the couples, possibly three, together finally. So your waiting is almost over! Hang in there a little while longer! That said, thanks to everyone who's followed the story, added it to their favorites list, or even left a review on it, as your input is both appreciated and welcomed, as it lets me make the story better.

So don't be shy if you want to leave a review or PM me with your thoughts/opinions/suggestions/feedback on the story, I welcome either form of reader input! And until next chapter, sithlorde1988 out!

NOTES

*1* - For the first time in a bit, we have a correction that I had to make in the story here. In the actual script of Royal, Maruki says to Ren 'tell me the details' when inviting him in during this rank-up, but I think the writers meant to put 'come on in, and I'll give you the details' instead, since Maruki was saying he had a theory to discuss with Ren before that. Oh well, even great games like Royal have their flaws at times I suppose.

*2*- Here we have a case of the devs trying to fit textspeak into Royal, which wasn't the wisest decision. At least if they were gonna do it, keep it subtle, like when they have Ann say 'kk' or random posters say 'lol'. But having Futaba blatantly say 'tbh' when she could've easily just said 'to be honest'!? That seems a bit lazy to me. At least if you're gonna have her using textspeak, you could've had a more gamer-worthy instance of it, like 'SMH' or 'ohai', something like that. Yeesh.

CONFIDANT LINKS AS OF THE END OF CHAPTER 62

FOOL (Igor/Prison Master) - Rank 9

MAGICIAN (Morgana/Mona) - Rank 9

PRIESTESS (Makoto/Queen) - Rank 5

EMPEROR (Yusuke/Fox) - Rank 5

HIEROPHANT (Sojiro/Boss/Coffee Daddy) - Rank 9

LOVERS (Ann/Panther) - Rank 9

CHARIOT (Ryuji/Skull) - Rank 8

JUSTICE (Akechi) - Rank 6

HERMIT (Futaba/Oracle) - Rank 4

FORTUNE (Chihaya/Fortune Teller) - Rank 3

STRENGTH (Justine and Caroline/Twin Wardens) - Rank 9

HANGED-MAN (Iwai/Weapons Dealer) - Rank 3

DEATH (Takemi/Back-Alley Doctor) - Rank 7.5

TEMPERANCE (Kawakami) - Rank 5

DEVIL (Ohya) - Rank 2

STAR (Hifumi) - Rank 5

MOON (Mishima) - Rank 6

SUN (Yoshida/Man Of The People) - Rank 9

JUDGEMENT (Sae/Prosecutor) - Rank 5

FAITH (Kasumi/Sumi/Yoshizawa) - Rank 5 'MAX'

COUNCILLOR (Maruki/Doc) - Rank 8

WORLD (Kusa/Draconis) - Rank 6

YET TO BE UNLOCKED: EMPRESS, TOWER