Sumire ran one final check over her list before heading off to pay for the groceries. It was a good thing she had quickly gotten used to kitchen related chores because leaving it to Kasumi could only lead to trouble. Even the thought of what her twin wound up cooking last time…the redhead suppressed a shudder.

Yeah, it was definitely better this way.

She found herself remembering Subaru's advice. Unlike so many she met, the boy genuinely had faith in her. Being the first in quite a while who never treated her like Kasumi's twin, even reminding her that she had her own good points, something that made her just as special as her sister. Sumire really wanted to believe that but…a big part of her still had doubts. This was a problem years in the making after all.

That didn't mean his support was unappreciated though. Quite the opposite, especially after she heard the true reason behind the arrest from Ryuji and Ann.

He'd saved a woman from that terrible drunk only for her to turn and testify against him. Everyone he ever knew turned against him, even his own parents. And if that weren't bad enough, there were those weeks. She was far from the only one who found that particularly issue worrisome. That he'd simply disappeared, only to be found later, not even knowing all that time passed. What on earth could've happened?

She'd truly come to admire him after that, soon realizing how much she'd enjoyed his company when his interest in gymnastics became evident. Kasumi liked teasing her about it but it was true, talking to him was easy.

Some rising murmurs here and there caught her attention, noticing some passerby looking at something to her far left. Their evident disdain left her curious and she couldn't help but wonder what was going on. That was when she noticed a familiar cat slipping through the onlookers-was that Morgana?

''Yeesh, people really don't like this guy, huh?'' Morgana commented as he joined Subaru near a bench, both watching Yoshida get ready.

Nodding, the boy couldn't help noting how this was nothing new. In fact, Yoshida was clearly more than willing to get started, paying the general mood no mind. Come to think of it, Ryuji had called him Dame Tora before. Ann's mention of some big mistakes he made in his career also came to mind…

Yoshida started talking about the state of things in the city and what they could do to help fix it. He'd even mentioned the situation in Shujin with Kamoshida, expressing sympathy for the students and lamenting that things had to go this far-all because of apathy.

But despite all the good points he was raising, the number of listeners could only be called minimal. A few particularly displeased folks let out some nasty comments about his past, wondering if he was going to be stealing money this time too. One even wondered about the Phantom Thieves possibly targeting him if they were as good as they claimed.

''Jeez…'' Morgana shook his head in disgust.

On the other hand, Subaru focused on Yoshida. The man spotting them as they approached ''Oh, hello again! I assume you saw all that…''

''You mean you trying to reach out to people and everyone practically throwing your efforts in your face?''

''It may have seemed harsh but…the fact is, my past actions have merited such distrust.''

Subaru wasn't convinced ''It's idiotic. I know it's hard to really let go of the past; it's something I'm trying to figure out too. But it doesn't make this any less awful. Everyone messes up sometime, its part of being human. At least you acknowledge your mistakes and you want to make up for them. That's something worthwhile.''

Expression softening into one of gratitude, Yoshida smiled ''Thank you, Namikaze-kun. I'm glad you witnessed my speech. I have a feeling I know the answer but I'd like to hear it from you, what did you think?''

''You had a lot of good points. Especially about things in Shujin…You actually care compared to a whole lot of the people we've seen…''

That made the man remember something ''Oh! Come to think of it, you and your friends were wearing the Shujin uniforms. Speaking of firsthand experience, I see.''

''Yeah, it's only just now that things might start changing for the better. And it took the Phantom Thieves intervening when it could've been avoided.'' Really, as glad as he was to help deal with Kamoshida, it still annoyed Subaru that things had to go that far in the first place. Admittedly, the change of heart working was a good thing but…Subaru wasn't sure how he felt about the process itself. Kamoshida deserved what came to him and he stood by that. It was just…knowing they had the power to do that to someone was…honestly disturbing. But it needn't have come to this in the first place, if people had just done something sooner…

It was another reason that Yoshida's words resounded with him. People could really be apathetic…Just looking for their self-interest and taking the easy way out. Heck, the track team had been on Ryuji's case for that long just because he took a stand in their terrible situation.

''I'm a little surprised you've hardly even questioned my past.'' Yoshida had gotten so used to people holding his mistakes against him that someone simply telling him it was all right; actually appreciating his actions now was bewildering to say the least. Even most of those who hadn't known a thing at first were quick to join the others in scorning him. The ones who did care to listen were a minority and Yoshida knew they mostly wondered why he was still persisting in this.

''I heard a bit, a few mistakes you made back when you were a politician years ago.'' Ann had mentioned something of the sort in passing. The quartet agreed that calling him Dame-Tora was going too far. ''People won't even consider looking past that stuff, it's cruel.''

Morgana didn't miss the man's clear befuddlement, which he felt emphasized Subaru's point. A chuckle finally escaped the man as his gaze lightened ''Thank you, I'm truly glad to hear it. The fact that my words truly reached you was enough. My goal may be difficult but I won't be deterred.''

''That's good, I hope things get better for you.''

Yoshida's smile widened ''Thank you, I will see this through to the end.''

It was as the two were heading off that they ran into Sumire, who greeted them happily. ''I thought I recognized Morgana but it was hard getting through the crowd. Then I heard you two talking and I didn't' want to interrupt…that was a really good thing you did.''

''I just told the truth.'' Sumire almost smiled at the ready response, knowing that this was just how he saw it. Apparently, he had no idea how he helped others just by being himself. He'd done it with her, and while she'd never heard the full story, Ann and Ryuji had both mentioned something similar. Ayumi was all too happy to tell them that the same went for Makoto and to a lesser extent, Mitsuhide, the two of them having hit it off as well.

''So, you need some help with that?''

It took her a moment to realize he meant the grocery bags. ''Oh, no it's fine. Thank you though!''

Morgana tilted his head; it sure was a lot of stuff. Although considering the twins were involved, he wondered how long the groceries would last.

He'd give it three days, tops.

''I'm going to prepare lunch before we head off to practice. I don't think we'd last long otherwise, considering what Coach planned.'' Sumire remarked.

This reminded Subaru of something ''Is your Coach really as much of a slave driver as Kasumi said?''

''Slave driver's a bit much…'' The redhead pondered her next words ''…but I can't think of a better way to put it now…anyway, we've learned so much thanks to her and she thinks we can keep going.''

Although a part of Sumire wondered why her sister was complaining, it wasn't like Kasumi had that much trouble with Coach Hiraguchi's plans. But then she reminded herself of their talk in the gym, her sister faced her own struggles. Just because she hadn't seen any didn't mean they were nonexistent. She'd just gotten so used to people praising and looking up to Kasumi that even something like this slipped her mind.

Sumire soon noticed the case strapped to his shoulder, its shape had her wondering ''Wait, Senpai, is that…?''

''Hm? Oh, yeah-I was just planning to play some music in the park.''

''That'd be great! Oh, ah…'' Sumire feared she might be getting carried away. ''…is it all right if I join you?''

''You don't really have to ask, you know.''

She couldn't help beaming at him ''That's so nice...sometimes I think you're way nicer to me that I deserve…''

''…Wait, is that why you were so awkward the other day?''

Sumire held back a wince, immediately regretting the slip ''I-it's just…I couldn't help it! There's how you helped me and then hearing of that awful night…you didn't even think twice to interfere and that's after I saw so many people look away. Kasumi could've easily handled it but I just froze up-I don't know where I'd be if you hadn't been there, Senpai. But still…my weakness made you deal with…''

''Okay, I'll stop you right there.'' The abrupt interruption made her almost jump ''Look, there's nothing wrong with someone needing help. Even if asking for help isn't easy, it's better than suffering in silence.'' If anything, hearing Futaba's situation's only reinforced the fact for him. For even now, the girl clearly didn't believe she deserved any help. ''And you think you're weak just because you were scared of that creep? You're way too hard on yourself. Look, I did it because I wanted to. I'd already made up my mind; it's not in my nature to look away from something I know is wrong.'' He could feel Aladdin humming in approval, thinking back on his awakening. ''I don't plan to let the past change that. I can't say I'm okay now but I will be. That's all there is to it.''

He really was strong, like Kasumi in a way, both of them wouldn't let the challenges in their way faze them and continued to persevere. Sumire wanted to be like that, to always find a way to face whatever odds she encountered.

But could she…?

The redhead was surprised to find Yuri at the park, her expression lighting up as she spotted the three of them. ''Ah, there you are. Yoshizawa-chan, good to see you.''

''Oh, you as well, Ma'am but please, call me Sumire…it'd probably get confusing with me and Kasumi around otherwise.'' She added jokingly.

Her smile grew ''Then you must call me Yuri-so Ru-chan filled you in?''

''Mm, it'd be great to hear him play again. Senpai's so talented!''

''He is, isn't he? And he made sure to combine that talent with much hard work.'' Both looked back to see Subaru take a seat at a bench, guitar at the ready before he began to play.

Soon, a melodic tune resounded around them. The bright arpeggio slowly rose in volume, Subaru continuing to strum his instrument with care and precision. Hesitation born from lack of practice began to ebb away as Subaru lost himself in his craft, simply content to be able to play again.

''Oh, that's where the music was coming from…''

''Wow, he's good!''

Morgana let out a noise of surprise, looking up to find a pair of women walking over with their kids. A grin settled on his face as it turned out they were just the first, more people gathering out of curiosity and continuing to listen in delight.

''This is just the thing I need after today…''

''Talk about a treat!''

Yuri chuckled to herself, more than elated to hear the sentiments. Subaru used to practice like this in their old home as well. She still remembered the times where he'd just been starting out, where he'd make mistakes more often than not. There were times when he'd gotten depressed and down on himself but he still found it in him to get back up and try again-and that was the most important thing of all.

Sumire found herself imagining what it'd be like to dance to such music. They'd had all sorts of melodies for their routines over the years and so she couldn't help feeling that it'd be a lot of fun. She felt like she could just lose herself in the music. Memories of their beginning days as gymnasts, with their mother putting in so much effort to help them learn, occasionally finding them the most random music CDs on a whim just for a laugh.

That had been so much fun. How often had she wished they could back to simpler times like this? Where she didn't have to worry about how much of a failure she was? How much she could never match up to Kasumi?

The girl held back a groan, realizing that this was exactly what Subaru was just telling her. Not only was she putting herself down, she was acting like those students in Shujin the other day, just looking on enviously and doing nothing to improve themselves. She…she wanted to be better than that. Sumire honestly didn't know if she could but she had to try.

Subaru had gotten so into the music that he hadn't even realized how much attention he'd gathered until moments before the applause began. The gathering crowd was more than happy to show their appreciation however, his face grew warm and he hoped it wasn't as visible as it felt.

Morgana's growing smirk dashed those hopes ''It's not really the first time you play in front of a crowd, right?''

''Yeah, it's just…it's been this long, I didn't see it coming.''

''Someone's modest.'' The cat clambered to his shoulder ''But that's a fair point, people know talent when they see it though. Nice work.''

''Now, now, Ru-chan, it's rude to ignore your audience.'' Yuri teased.

Sumire readily joined along ''That's right, Senpai, you know what you have to do.''

Nodding, Subaru rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly as he offered a bow. A few looked pleased at this while one of the kids came to thank him for the song before they slowly left.

Morgana was about to speak when they heard a low growl, it took him a few moments to recognize the source.

Sumire looked down, her face nearly as red as her hair. Yuri cleared her throat ''Well, it is lunchtime. We were on our way to Leblanc for a meal ourselves. Would you like to join us?''

''Oh, I was actually heading home for the same reason.'' She admitted sheepishly. ''Dad's getting an early break for once so all three of us be having lunch together for the first time in a while. We're going to make it together.''

''Safe to say Kasumi's the only real danger in the kitchen, huh?'' Subaru asked wryly.

A giggle ''Exactly! Oh, but thank you for the invitation…''

''Not at all, you're welcome to join anytime. But I suppose we'll see you later.'' Yuri returned.

She nodded happily ''Goodbye!''

As they were neared their destination, a puzzled Morgana glanced at Subaru every now and then. The boy had gone quiet for a while now, it seemed like his mind was a million miles away.

The brunet was in fact thinking about a message Ryuji sent him and Ann yesterday. What to do about the Phantom Thieves? Did they want to keep the group going?

Morgana had been asleep so Subaru hadn't thought to bring it up to him but the possibility hardly left his mind. Everything they learned only confirmed that there was far more to the Metaverse than it seemed so they definitely could do more if they wanted. Ryuji's enthusiasm was clear; he was more than willing to take the chance. Ann seemed to be the opposite, very reluctant to keep fighting and far less sure of what they could do from here on out.

Subaru found that he was more or less in-between. He did understand Ann's reservations as he wasn't all that eager to battle either. But at the same time, just leaving things this way, turning away after all he recently learned just didn't sit right with him. Looking at the palace they'd already seen…a part of him was dreading to discover what Mementos was really like.

Besides, if they did continue, could he keep it up? There was still his condition to consider. They'd already had to slow down because of him-and that wasn't even getting into the probation. He didn't want to risk troubling his family…

''Hey.'' Morgana prodded his shoulder and looked at Yuri, who he just realized had been addressing him.

Amusement colored her tone as she waved off his apology ''Nothing to worry about, dear, I was mostly thinking out loud. Anyway, we're here.''

Sojiro looked amused ''You really take that cat everywhere, don't you?''

''He'd probably get really bored otherwise; besides, he liked that cream you bought last time. And I'm not about to deprive him of that.''

The implication wasn't lost on any of them; said cream container having been a near constant recently. Sojiro rolled his eyes a bit as Morgana snickered, the man liked to deny it but he really did have a soft spot for cats. ''I swear Itsuki's rubbing off on you…''

Yuri sighed, only shaking her head. Itsuki had made the exact same complaint about the barista repeatedly, but thankfully Subaru was not about to jump into that rabbit hole. The arguments around those two could get so exasperating…

''So I hear those thieves are a huge hit in your school.'' The three looked at the barista. ''Toyama-chan was here yesterday and she told me something about a website being set up to thank them.''

''They did?''

''It's called the Phan-site or something apparently. Barely 24 hours and the thing really took off...''

Curious, Subaru took out his phone, finding a number of messages from Ryuji, Ann, Ayumi and the twins. At least a couple of them had said link to the site. Tapping it, he was greeted with a vivid red and black page with the same mask symbol Ryuji used on the Calling Card. ''Wow…''

Morgana's eyes were wide, a smile coming unbidden to his lips. So many heartfelt statements, thanking them, people expressing their gratitude for giving them hope…he knew Kamoshida's reign had hurt a lot of people but this really went to show how much damage he'd caused.

''Poor kids must have really wanted that miserable excuse of a man gone.'' Sojiro shook his head. ''Surprised your friends haven't told you though, they were over the moon once he was taken care of.''

''I just saw their messages, it looks like they're pretty excited.'' At least Ryuji was for sure, judging by the number of texts that had come in rapid succession.

''The fact that it's already attracted this much attention just how bad the situation really was.'' Yuri pursed her lips. ''And the fact that we have no choice but to leave Ru-chan in a school that let that monster loose for this long is just…''

''It's okay, Grandma. He's gone and I doubt the administration can get away with anything like this again, especially now that the truth's come to light and the school's under investigation.'' Subaru wasn't optimistic about Shujin reforming for the better but he was willing to wait and see what would happen.

Yuri gave him a small smile ''I suppose that's true.''

Sojiro nodded ''So how'd it go at the park? Not that I doubt the answer, but you know…''

Chuckling, Yuri concurred ''It went excellently, just as we expected.'' Subaru wasn't sure what he did to earn this degree of faith they had in him but he hoped he never lost it. ''But you've certainly been keeping busy, Ru-chan. That was you cooking yesterday, right?''

''Ah, yeah-Haru showed me a couple of guides that she said really helped her learn but I messed up and…''

''I'm a little surprised Ryuji isn't planning to talk about the Phantom thieves again.'' Morgana confessed as they headed down a street a while later. The boy 's excitement was still running strong, eagerly talking about how things changed for the better in such a short time. ''It's like he just wouldn't let it go for a while…''

''Now that you mention it, he seemed a bit distracted when-wait, isn't that him?''

Morgana craned his frame to look ''Oh, yeah…'' Sharing a curious glance, the two headed over in a moment.

Having finished his warm up, the blond happened to see them arriving in the park ''Hey, guys! You know how Subaru's been training with the twins lately? It just got me totally fired up and I couldn't stop thinking about…what an idiot I've been.''

''Oh, well that's nothing…''

Morgana's snarky commentary was halted by Subaru placing a hand over his mouth, the boy's pointed look silencing him. He'd just joined the twins a few times out of sheer curiosity but he liked spending time with them. This also left him wondering just what the faux blond had in mind. ''What do you mean, exactly?''

''I let Kamoshida ruin track for me.'' The abrupt confession was unexpected ''After he broke my leg, everything…changed. It was bad enough when I couldn't run anymore but then the team treated me like that and-I just thought it'd hurt less to write it off. Heck, I even stopped looking into ways to help me completely recover…maybe I couldn't run like before but at least I would've had a better chance…I don't know where I'd be without Ann and Shiho, they helped me out a whole bunch, even tried to look for ways to help my recovery. But by then I'd already thrown in the towel…didn't wanna get my hopes up only for them to crash again.''

Morgana was really; really glad Subaru had stopped him now. There was teasing and then there was kicking someone when they were already down. ''So, you mean the three of them inspired you?''

''Exactly! It's really cool how Kasumi and Sumire keep chasing after their dream. And then there's you, buddy-'' He grinned at the startled Subaru. ''-even after all this, nothing kept you down. Sure, you're still figuring things out but you're trying-you didn't give up on your passion. I think it's awesome! I know you guys offered to help but I let Nakaoka and the others ruin that too. I don't want to be like that again, Kamoshida won't get in our way anymore. It's damn high time I start shaking the past off already.''

''Sounds good, really good.'' Subaru amended. ''Anything I can do to help?''

''And me?'' Morgana added.

Ryuji's face lit up ''Actually…''

The following day…

Shiho had no idea how her friends managed to set this up but she definitely wasn't complaining. She and Ann had talked about coming to visit the Wilton Hotel before but she hadn't thought it'd happen soon. Thank goodness for the buffet.

Little did she realize, it was mostly due to the money they'd gotten from selling Kamoshida's treasure to Iwai. Thanks to advice from Morgana and their own savings, they'd even managed to keep more money to spare.

Now that they were sure Kamoshida was going to pay, they wanted to do something to celebrate and this seemed like quite a good idea. Thus, they agreed to meet up in front of the hotel. But she didn't see anyone-was she early?

''Ah, Suzui-senpai!''

The somewhat familiar voice startled her out of her musings, turning as Kasumi ran over with Haru in tow. She was just getting to know the girls, Ryuji and Ann having taken to introducing her to their new growing group over the past few days. It made her happy to know they were expanding their circle of friends. The two of them had been saddled with a terrible reputation but they were really good people and she was glad more people were coming to see it.

''Hey, you two. It's just us here?''

''Sumi said she saw Ann-senpai nearby, she's looking for her.'' Kasumi reported. ''Toni and Ayumi are busy. But Nijima-senpai can't make it though-she just got back to me on our way.''

Shiho bit her lip ''Can't or won't?''

''…Honestly? It kind of seems like both.'' Despite their reassurances, Makoto still felt guilty for the situation with Kamoshida, wanting to do more for the students. It didn't help that a few particularly spiteful bunch held her inability to remedy things against her and believed she only cared for herself.

Shiho was of the opinion that Subaru had summed it quite well. Makoto was a student just like them; it wasn't fair to expect so much of her just for being the council president. It was the administration to blame. The way she went off on Kamoshida at the rally spoke volumes of how she really felt about everything and that was more than enough. Shiho wanted to tell the girl in person but as Makoto had turned down all their attempts to hang out so far, her best chance to do so may as well be in Shujin and…she couldn't go back there. Not so soon.

Haru tried to lighten the mood ''Well, apparently she's been trying to get her sister to relax a little. I think she was planning on cooking a few of her sister's favorites.''

''Oh, that's sweet of her. Come to think of it, Senpai's almost as good as Sumi in the kitchen, huh? I'm actually kind of jealous…'' Kasumi found herself thinking of the time they'd had the chance to try both girls' food just before the vacation started. Even Makoto agreed that Sumire was the superior cook.

''Right, cooking's definitely not one of your talents, right, Kasumi-chan?'' Shiho put in.

A huff escaped the brunette, Haru giggling next to them ''Honestly, you too? Ugh, thanks a lot, Sumi-I'm never going to hear the end of this.''

''Well, considering how much teasing she puts up with, you can stand to handle a little karma.''

''Yeah, yeah…''

It wasn't long before Subaru, Ryuji and Morgana found them, Sumire and Ann coming up shortly behind them.

''Hey, everybody! This is going to be good!''

Kasumi wished she could share the faux blond's exuberance ''I thought we agreed to dress up, you two.''

''Really, Ann.'' Shiho agreed. ''You're just going to attract too much attention.''

''Ah, don't worry about it, we just want to have fun!'' The model waved a hand.

Ryuji nodded eagerly ''Yeah, who cares about this stuff? Let's just go!''

The two found, to their chagrin, that Shiho and Kasumi were right. Their table had already been attracting many glances due to the fact that they were the youngest people here. But Ryuji and Ann's informal choices of wardrobe were attracting a good amount of disdain.

''Can they just leave us alone!? We paid to come here just like them!'' Ann grumbled as she sat down next to Haru.

''I've been here before with Father.'' The heiress had shown absolutely no surprise at the behavior. ''But this happened to me even when they knew who I was, Ann-chan. I don't think there's anything we can do about it.''

''Let's just try to enjoy ourselves. People talk, there's no stopping that.'' Subaru shrugged.

''Exactly, what're they going to do, try to kick a bunch of kids out because they don't like how we look? That's real petty for such high and mighty society elites.'' Sarcasm was clear in Kasumi's tone. ''All they'd is make themselves look bad.''

''I wish I could take it as easy as you two.'' Sumire knew both were speaking out of experience, having had to deal with attention due to their reputation. Sure, she had been in the same situation, but it was all the more reason she had to admire their confidence.

Shiho decided to move things along ''Okay, so I was thinking of telling you all a story from the other day…''

With that, she and Subaru proceeded to recount the day they met Chie. The listeners were pleasantly surprised, Ryuji grinning ''Hey, she sounds cool. Wish I'd seen that!''

''I can see why she made such a good impression, she seems quite kind.'' Haru smiled.

''Wonder if we'll see her after she finishes training, cadets have a whole bunch on their plates, right? One of my old teammates had a friend who wanted to go for the police and he said the training's super strict.'' The former mused.

''It's a big job, lots of responsibility.'' Ann pointed out.

''Now see, that'd have been way more convincing before all the crap we had to deal with.''

Fair enough, she'd give him that one. The fact that the police had been bribed to ignore the situation at school for this long left a bad taste in her mouth. There were also the jerks that arrested Subaru and helped that drunk have his way. Yeah, they'd seen way too much of the corrupt sort.

Talk shifted to other subject as they continued, Sumire bringing up the Phan-site ''I was wondering, did you see the page, Shiho-senpai? It looks like it really took off.''

Shiho nodded ''Ann showed me before. I'm not surprised in the least; the Phantom Thieves did us such a massive favor. Thanking them is only natural, I wish could do it in person.''

If only she knew…

''I think they'd appreciate it either way. Kamoshida's finally facing justice, that's what matters most.'' Her best friend chimed in.

Both girls nodded, Ryuji arching an eye as he looked at the thoughtful Kasumi ''What's up?''

''Just wondering about whoever made it, I can easily picture a student coming up with this especially in such a short while. But they seem to know so much, what with all the messages they posted… I wonder if they were a victim too…''

''That could very well be. I'd imagine it would be another reason they keep their identities anonymous though.'' Haru chimed in.

Kasumi nodded ''Not much in speculating now anyway…'' Her lips quirked in a grin ''…so, moving on! Subaru-senpai, apparently you're just as good at singing as you are with instruments, when are we going to get to see that for ourselves?''

''When it happens, it happens.'' He offered Morgana a piece of sushi. He hadn't exactly planned any of the times he'd played; it was just for fun so he really had no idea.

Sumire bit back a smile, recognizing her sister's disappointment. Subaru had unknowingly stopped what was highly likely to be another of the brunette's teasing attempts; Kasumi was no doubt miffed at being thwarted so quickly. ''Anyway, you really should eat more, Senpai. You said you'd try!''

''I am trying, really…it's just that I think it's better to get as much as I feel I could handle.''

''She means well but I doubt any of us can keep up with their food intake.'' Morgana mumbled, eyeing Sumire's plate.

''That's a good idea though.'' Kasumi's attention was on Ryuji, who had come back with his plate full with meat. ''Is that what you're going to eat?''

''You two don't get to talk about food amounts.''

''Excuse you. We're careful about what we eat, this just looks like you're stuffing your face!''

''That's exactly what he's doing.'' Morgana nodded to Shiho's statement, their expressions deadpan.

''Listen, this is practically the only time I'll ever get to eat meat like this. I've got to make the most of it!''

''That seems pointless if you're just going to eat until you get sick.''

Subaru's remark seemed to fly over his head but the others thought it was likely. Haru was about to vocalize her agreement when she noticed Ann coming back with her plate ''…You too, Ann-chan?''

The girl had a similarly large amount of food to Ryuji, only hers was a variety of desserts instead of meat. ''I'm making the most of this!''

Shiho just sighed as Haru turned her disapproving expression on the pair ''Honestly, you two could really do with some variety. Your eating habits are hardly better in school. And there so many good dishes here…''

''Don't bother, Haru-senpai. They're not listening.'' True to Shiho's word, the two were far too busy enjoying their food to pay attention to a thing. ''Sorry about them, they're too stubborn for their own good sometimes. Best to just leave them to it.''

''…Well, they've got the right idea even if they're going terribly about it-why don't we get some more food ourselves?'' Subaru suggested.

''Thanks for letting me choose.'' Morgana spoke after swallowing his bite. ''I bet if we left it up to them, they'd stick me with what they find first and call it a day, like those beans or something.''

Subaru wondered if that was a bit much but considering their teammates' focus on their preferred food, it may have been justified.

Haru had left after a call from home, thanking them for the invite. Likewise the twins had taken Shiho along to their practice, the girl having expressed interest in watching before. Subaru had been done eating for a while now, a part of him wondering how the others were still at it. Although, he had to admit, the food was excellent. He would've gladly taken some for his family if he could.

A rather irked Ann rejoined them minutes later, prompting Morgana to ask if she was okay. ''No! I knew those people were snobs but ugh! They just dismissed everything at Shujin like…like it was nothing! Even though so many people got hurt, they just don't care one bit!''

Morgana's expression wrinkled in disgust ''…Sad to say, given what I've overheard here, I'm not all that-Uh, Ryuji? What's…?'' His eyes narrowed at the boy's expression. ''Don't tell me…''

The boy quickly muttered something about the bathroom before hurrying off, confirming his suspicions. Ann rolling her eyes ''That's what he gets for not listening…''

By the time he returned, their allotted time for the buffet was over and they were waiting for him in the lobby.

''Do I have to say it?'' Morgana droned. Ryuji was saved from having to reply by what happened next.

''-get a clue, imbecile!''

Startled, the two looked around for the source to find a group of men glowering at the concierge. ''I-I'm terribly sorry but this was an emergency and we had to rent the…''

''And your so called emergency mattered more than Shido-san's wishes? Absurd.'' Another man scoffed, the fearful concierge's eyes meeting the one in the center of the group, who they gathered to be Shido.

Subaru and Morgana immediately remembered the broadcast from the other day, where he was being interviewed. It seemed like an overall pleasant interview with an affable man. Now however…his expression could've been carved out of stone but the contempt in his eyes was unmistakable. It was like looking at a completely different person.

''Hmph, you've wasted enough of my time. We'll simply have to find ourselves a far establishment.''

The concierge stammered as they turned to leave. Ann couldn't help her disgust at this treatment. It was so uncalled for, she didn't care who this guy was-how can he just expect them to prioritize him over everyone? That sort of treatment definitely affect their business in the long run, besides, it wasn't up to the poor guy to decide everything. They can at least not give him such a hard time for something out of his control.

The men were already leaving, a few sparing the quartet disdainful looks and muttering about the lowering standards here. A fed up Ryuji was about to snap when he noticed Subaru's expression, only speaking when they were out of earshot. ''What's wrong? Back there you looked kind of…''

''I…It's nothing…'' Something about that man, Shido, was deeply unsettling and he had no idea what to make of it. It didn't make any sense; he'd never met him before and yet…it felt like he should know him…why…?

Ryuji was clearly unconvinced, only Ann's quelling look stopping him from pushing for an answer. Whatever was going on, it had clearly disturbed the boy. They could wait until he was willing to talk. ''Come on, let's go. We're done here anyway.''

''So you're going to that crazy big palace soon, yeah?''

He nodded to Ryuji ''To regain my true form and memories. I can't shake the feeling that Mementos is connected somehow, I need to get to the bottom of this.''

The cat's determination was nothing new. After all, this was what led to him discovering Kamoshida's palace and seeking the treasure. As for the rest…

''Well, I'm not sure how to go about it but I do still want to help you, you really came through for us back there.'' Subaru thought of his recent visit to the Velvet Room ''And I don't think this whole thing with the Metaverse is anywhere as simple as stopping Kamoshida, we know how Palaces are formed-it's easy to imagine there could plenty out there, don't you think?''

Ann held back a wince ''I didn't think of it like that but yeah…''

''So, you know where I stand, what about you guys?'' Morgana looked at the three teens in turn. ''Kamoshida targeted you all and you took a stand to defend yourselves-where are you going from here?''

Ann restrained herself from fidgeting ''Well…''

The oncoming silence was broken by the smirking Ryuji ''Oh, come on, don't pretend like you haven't been thinkin' about it too.''

Ann mock-glared at her old friend, not willing to admit how much he knew her ''…Yeah, okay fine-I don't like the idea of fighting Shadows in general but I don't want to just call it quits now. It'd mean going back to how I was, restraining myself and doing nothing when I know better. I don't want to be like that again.''

''Well, you guys probably figured me out but I definitely wanna keep going.'' Ryuji had no problem admitting that he'd come off pretty obvious given his excitement about the thieves. Their lack of reaction only proved this accurate. ''It'd be like quitting even before the start line otherwise. I was mostly just really getting carried away with our momentum after Kamoshida but this is huge and I sure as heck ain't walking away now!''

Morgana's smile grew ''Good to know, which leaves…''

''I'm in too.'' Subaru declared ''I don't want to look away from something I know is wrong again. It feels like there's so much good we can do and like I said, I still want to keep my promise and help Mona.''

''That too.'' Ryuji nodded.

''Absolutely.'' Ann smiled.

The cat gaped at them for a moment before looking away bashfully ''T-thanks…'' He cleared his throat ''…anyway, so that's decided!''

''Let's make it official, come on, all in?'' Ryuji held a hand up.

Ann gave him a dry look ''Seriously? You want to do a huddle now, I know you were an athlete for years but come on!''

''Way to bust my vibe, Ann! Come on, it's a way to show spirit and teamwork!''

''You're just proving my point.''

Blinking twice, Morgana turned to the amused Subaru ''What does being an athlete have to do with whatever he's going for?''

''It's mostly seen in sports; teams put their hands together and make some sort of declaration, usually. Something to psych themselves up, I guess…''

''…Lady Ann totally pegged it, that's pointless.''

''You guys are total killjoys!''

Ann and Morgana threw the boy deadpan looks, Subaru shook his head ''I don't really mind but I think you're going to have to let this one go.''

Grumbling in agreement, the boy put his hands in his pockets ''…Okay, so how do we go about this? Mona taught us what we know but it's not the same as being leader.''

''Yeah, definitely not...'' The feline himself agreed ''…but that's why I say it should be Subaru.''

''Me?''

Now this suggestion swiftly earned a unanimous agreement, Ann perking up ''Oh, that'd be great!''

''Yeah, I'm all for that!'' Ryuji grinned.

Subaru was thrown ''Hold on, are you guys sure? That's…''

''Absolutely.'' Morgana cut in. ''Your own abilities aside, didn't you notice? We've taken to following your lead and it worked out pretty well.''

Ryuji was nodding ''Totally, 'sides, going back into the Palace again like that worked out so well 'cuz you were there, buddy.''

''And you cared so much as to take the risk even after all that crap in Shujin, you kept trying to do the right thing. Now, if that's not an example of someone we can count on, I don't know who is.'' Ann chimed in.

''Well said, Lady Ann!''

Frankly, Subaru's doubts about his capability remained but…if they trusted him to such an extent, the least he could do is not let them down. ''…Right then, I'll do my best.''

''Now we're talking, it's settled!'' Ryuji cheered.

Morgana nodded with a smile of his own ''From this point on, we'll be the Phantom Thieves!''

I am thou, thou art I

Thou hast established a new vow

It shall becometh the wings of rebellion

That breaketh thy chains of activity

With the power of the Fool Arcana

I have obtained new wings that shall lead to freedom and a new power…

Well, that's that!

And that wraps up the first arc. I've liked the idea of having the whole group as the Fool Arcana ever since I started looking up the other games so I definitely want to use it here too. Subaru does know the gist of what happened with Yoshida, he just doesn't care since from his perspective, Yoshida's a genuinely nice guy trying to do something good (I should also point out that he knows Nakamura pretty well by now and Yoshida's got nothing on that). He hates the way people treat him for mistakes long gone and well, as you can see, he's not one to mince words when the situation calls for it. He also takes promises really seriously, so he never makes one lightly.

Since they already talked things over and Mona explained more about the Metaverse, they know he was going to keep searching for answers in the Metaverse. That was one of the reasons that made them really think about possibly continuing being thieves for a while. It's a big decision so I think some careful deliberation only makes sense. Ryuji was definitely going to be all for it but even he knows how dangerous it is while Subaru and Ann have reservations of their own. And yeah, Makoto still feels too guilty to face Shiho, even if she knows none of the group blames her. But I'll get to that soon.

To clarify, Shido usually rents a certain suite in the hotel but this time, other people needed it, hence them chewing the poor concierge out. There's a very good reason Subaru's so wary of the guy, it's not just about that night.

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it. Till next time!

Confidants:

Namikaze Itsuki and Yuri (Charity Rank 3)

Sakamoto Ryuji (Chariot Rank 2)

Morgana (Magician Rank 3)

Takamaki Ann (Lovers Rank 1)

Nijima Makoto (Priestess Rank 1)

Yoshizawa Sumire and Kasumi (Hope Rank 2)

Sakura Sojiro (Hierophant Rank 2)

Takemi Tae (Death Rank 2)

Yoshida Toranosuke (Sun Rank 2)

Konoe Akira (Adjustment Rank 1)

Isoshima Mitshuhide (Faith Rank 1)

Suzui Shiho (Temperance Rank 2)

Toyama Natsumi (Apostle Rank 1)

The Phantom Thieves (Fool Rank 1)