7/26
"...So, in conclusion, we know Medjed acts on August 21st. We'd send Futaba the calling card no later then the 19th. Therefore, we need to reach the site of where the Treasure is located by the 18th," Kyoko explained to her fellow Thieves, drawing a red "X" over the selected date of the calender she'd bought on the way home the previous night, marking it on the 21st, then circling the day of the 18th.
Not that Kyoko intended to wait that long, of course.
"...Not only that, but we don't know what could change or any roadblocks that may appear inside her Palace, so we'll want to prepare and enter as soon as possible," Morgana said.
"Yes, there is that to consider as well," Kyoko replied. "Futaba may not be a criminal, but she's not mentally well. Anything could suddenly impede our infiltration that requires a solution in the real world."
"Still, I'm honestly surprised at the Palace this time around," the cat said. "Everywhere we looked was just desert!"
"Yeah, true, the other ones until now had normal cities outside the distortion itself," Ann remarked.
"Yeah, thanks to that, Kyoko and I had no idea we were even in a Palace the first time we ended up in Kamoshida's," Ryuji said.
"The school was the only place Kamoshida had real power in, so it stands to reason everywhere else looked the same." said Kyoko.
"It's all still part of the Palace, though," Morgana explained. "The city itself may not have been distorted but it was still a cognition. The Palace rulers may have been criminals, but they were social enough to know the city layout."
"It makes sense," Kyoko said. "Madarame's is set in the evening, and looked like a grand opening event, so while he doesn't necessarily feel influence or power over the city itself, his status, unearned as it was, of a renowned artist means he knows he has it over the people themselves."
"...And Kaneshiro had control over people in Shibuya through his blackmail scams, and by extension, the places they worked or lived," Makoto said. "...Which would explain why the buildings of the city below the bank even had a distorted quality as he viewed everything there as just things holding what he saw as his money."
"Though his Palace did include part of Shibuya that expanded beyond the areas of Kamoshida or Madarame's," Kyoko replied. "...Though it was mainly due to that his operation's sphere of influence spread through the entire area so he'd naturally be keeping close watch over it that it'd constantly be on his mind."
"Futaba, however, doesn't have any of those qualities," said Morgana. "In fact, I'll bet she isn't even interested in the outside world."
"...Hence the whole thing is a bleak, empty desert. Understandable considering her lifestyle," Yusuke lamented.
"Yes, it reflects how she isolates herself, away from civilization by being a shut-in," Kyoko explained. "Also... a desert is a harsh environment that is difficult to live in. It may also reflect that Futaba sees the outside world the same way."
"I doubt especially famous criminals would, though," Ann said. "Hopefully it means we won't have to deal with this desert business again in the future!"
"That may not necessarily be the case," replied Makoto. "A lot of upper-class citzens travel by limo or helicopter in the city, or use planes to travel outside of it, so they don't care about city life."
"A plane?! Damn, that sounds pretty cool!" Ryuji gasped. "...I mean, wouldn't you wanna go to a Palace wayyy up above the clouds if you could?"
"...Based on their own desires and how they'd see the world around them, I imagine such a thing existing is possible," Kyoko mused.
"...I think a flying bank was enough," Makoto replied anxiously. "No need to have our tolerance for heights tested again!"
"Still, the topic of the area outside the distortion is fascinating," Yusuke mused. "Depending on the target, there may be an exact replica of Tokyo within their Palace, unlike the more oppresive and bleak atmosphere of Mementos."
The boy chuckled to himself approvingly. "...I admit, I'd love to examine the aesthetics of such a strange place at least once!"
"You don't got a damn thing but art in that head of yours, do ya?" Ryuji sighed, earning a confused look from the other boy.
"Either way, it's true that an observant criminal could have a true-to-reality city in their Palace due to their familiarity with it," Morgana said. "But even if such a place existed, we'd have no use for it."
"Correct. You said a Treasure would be at the heart of where the distortion is strongest, with it being a Palace's core. At any rate, on the subject of Mementos, we have a new target," Kyoko stated. "Much as I want to begin infiltration of Futaba's Palace, I feel this situation is high-priority."
"Oh, right!" Morgana said. "We heard about him when we were out in Shinjuku the other night!"
"What's going on?" Ann asked.
"A man named Yuya Uchimara is abusing his girlfriend, but she's too afraid to break up with him," Kyoko explained. "When I encountered the girlfriend seeing that fortune-teller in Shinjuku, she refused to go to the police, and the fortune-teller warned if he's not dealt with soon, she could end up in the hospital and he'd get arrested and sent to jail for assault."
"Fortune-teller? You mean that one you n' I saw when we were lookin' for info on Kaneshiro?" Ryuji asked.
"Yes, her," Kyoko said. "Her prediction for you was rather accurate, wasn't it?"
Ryuji shook his head. "...Please don't remind me," he grumbled. "...But you're thinkin' she's right about this?"
"...I have no reason not to. We can't leave it to chance," Kyoko replied.
"That's awful, though!" Makoto gasped. "We need to take care of this right away! There's no telling when a worst-case scenario can happen!"
"I agree," said Kyoko. "I think it'd be best we go into Mementos today and take care of it."
"Totally! Even still, we can't let her keep dealin' with this!" Ryuji said sharply. "I've seen what this shit looks like, if this'll put a stop to it, we gotta go for it!"
"Then it seems we're decided," Yusuke said with an approving nod, standing up. "I say we beat this rubbish mentality into submission at once!"
"I'll message Mishima to prep a calling card on the Phansite right now," Kyoko said, taking out her phone as the others gathered their things for the trip out to Shibuya.
"...That must be Uchimura's Shadow," Ace said as she emerged from the Morganamobile, followed by her fellow Thieves before the van transformed back into Morgana's cartoonish catlike form.
Up ahead further down the dark corridor stood a young man in khaki pants and a pink dress shirt, his features illuminated by the glowing, artery-like tubes lining the walls and ceiling feeding into a round tunnel beyond.
"...And he's abusing his girlfriend," Panther sighed, frowning at the Shadow facing away from them at the end of the corridor.
"That fortune-teller said she'd be hurt bad," Skull replied, glaring at their target. "Let's take care'a this before that happens!"
With a nod, Ace began walking towards the Shadow, followed by the others as she approached him. "Yuya Uchimara?" she inquired sternly, prompting the Shadow to turn.
Yuya glared angrily at the group before him, his gold eyes gleaming brightly. "Whaddya want, damnit?! I just gambled away all my money again!" he snapped, cursing to himself furiously. "Where the hell is she?! Get over here so I can beat you!"
"Stop taking your own mistakes out on her," Ace said, glaring at him as she took a step closer. "...And maybe try not gambling either while you're at it."
"What?! Don't you dare lecture me, you prissy bitch!" the Shadow snarled, red and black smoke beginning to rise up around where he stood. "She's mine, and so's my money! I'll do whatever I want with both!" A cruel sneer spread across his face as the smoke spread further around him. "...And just between you and me, she enjoys it, too!"
"No, she really doesn't," Ace said coldly, folding her arms. "She cares about you and doesn't want you throwing your life away. Personally, I think she should have left you behind a long time ago if this is how you repay that..."
The Shadow's smug expression changed to pure rage, his eyes glowing brighter now as the ground began to tremor violently, shaking the corridor around them. "This was never your business, kid! But if you wanna get involved, then you can just DIE!"
Yuya's form suddenly melted down into a mass of red and black ooze, the puddle suddenly swelling up and bursting an explosion of smoke and what stood in its place was a blue-skinned, faceless giant with a double-edged blade similar to the creature the Thieves recalled from Kaneshiro's Palace.
"I'LL BEAT YOU ALL! THAT'S A PROMISE!" the Shadow bellowed, twirling its blade.
"Let's see how YOU like gettin' hit!" Skull shouted back, his mace ready.
"Let's go!" Ace ordered, leading the charge with her dagger drawn, the other thieves following suit with their own weapons as they promptly engaged the berserk Shadow to change Yuya Uchimura's heart.
Chihaya glanced up in surprise when she felt she was being watched at her booth, finding the girl Kyoko standing over her.
"...Oh, you?!" she gasped, quickly regaining a stern, expectant look. "...Well, did her fate change?"
Kyoko folded her arms. "Are you able to do a reading on her even if she isn't here?"
"I can, actually!" Chihaya said sharply. "Just know you're using up my time by having me do that, so if you have 5000 yen on hand, I can do it for you on her behalf."
Kyoko took out some yen notes, but pulled them back as Chihaya reached for them. The young detective's brow furrowed, causing the fortune-teller to flinch a little under her icy gaze. "...Let's make a deal, shall we? If her fate hasn't changed, it's yours. If it has, I keep it. Fair enough?"
Chihiya's anxiety was quickly replaced by a glare of her own. "Fine! Just remember you're making this deal with someone who has 100% accuracy on a reading's outcome! Please, have a seat and we can get started," she said, laying out the cards as Kyoko obeyed and sat down across from her. No sooner had the fortune-teller begun, her eyes went wide as she started to turn over the cards.
"Goodness gracious!" she shrieked.
"Did something change?" Kyoko asked in a perfectly neutral tone to match her neutral expression as she folded her arms expectantly.
"Th-The demon is gone... he's stopped abusing her entirely! I-I don't believe it!" Chihaya stammered out in shock. "...But even if he did stop, her fate should still be heading down a path to misery, unchanged! I'll show you, this last card will tell us of her..."
Chihaya's mouth hung open in disbelief as she turned it over, going silent as though something passed through her mind. "...The sequence of the arcana has changed. "Death" has moved off to the very far future, promise of a full life..."
"Maybe fate's something that can be changed?" the young detective offered.
"You're just skeptical of this sort of thing aren't you?" Chihaya protested. "Or did you pull some kind of scam or something? Make a deal with her boyfriend?!"
"I've never approached him," Kyoko replied.
Not the real him, anyway.
"Oh come on! You must've done something to scare him straight!" Chihaya snapped indignantly. "You are Yakuza, aren't you? Did you plunge the boyfriend into Tokyo Bay tied to a cinderblock, or cram him in a metal drum and dump bugs on him?"
"Didn't we already have this discussion?" Kyoko asked, quirking an eyebrow. "I already told you I'm not part of the mob, and why would the mob waste their attention on one dysfunctional relationship that isn't connected to them?"
Chihiya opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out save for a defeated sigh as it closed and she stared at the girl seated across from her a moment before her attention turned to her cards. "...I guess that is a bit outlandish, and you don't seem like you'd be associated with... dangerous people... but how else could something have happened to make him stop so abruptly without breaking the law somehow? There's no way! You even swore you weren't going to the police either and... you seemed to mean it. How can some high school student change the course of fate?"
The young woman looked pensive a moment, before looking back up at the girl sharply. "Fine, if you're telling me the truth that you aren't some mob boss's daughter or have connections with the police, and fate was changed through some other way, then I want to verify your ability!" she stated. "Understand... your actions, whatever they were, completely reversed the last tarot reading!"
"You sure you weren't just wrong to begin with?" Kyoko asked.
The woman's expression hardened instantly with a hint of anger. "Is that supposed to be funny?! Listen, whether I like it or not, I'm! Never! Wrong!" she snapped, gritting her teeth tight. "What happened was how I saw it, and somehow it got changed, and you're somehow behind it! This is a serious situation for a fortune-teller like me and I need to get to the bottom of this. If you want to prove to me this talent of yours..."
Chihaya looked uneasy for a brief moment, trying to think of how to word it. "...If it's not inconvenient, let's exchange numbers. When I have a chance for it, come up here and just... stay close by while I read fortunes. If another unopposable fate of promised ruin comes up, then I'll test your power," she explained.
"And what do I get out of this?" Kyoko asked, tilting her head skeptically. While, admittedly, the fortune-teller's readings and apparently flawless accuracy on them could provide the Phantom Thieves with more Mementos requests and improve their image particularly in wake of Medjed's threats and the police's investigation, it wasn't exactly something she could disclose with her.
"Well, if you want a fortune read, I can do those for you, prioritized over my regulars at the price I asked earlier. The more I do readings and get to know you, the clearer what I see in your future will become!" Chihaya explained. "...Tell you what, if you do this for me, and prove this power to change these fates, I'll... g-give you a r-refund... f-for that Holy Stone..."
The fortune-teller sighed again, more deeply as she buried her face in her hands, her fingers running through her long hair. "Please... otherwise... I won't be able to go on," she muttered softly.
The young detective stared at her a moment, none of what she said seemed dishonest, rather desperate, bitter, even, as if there were some belief of her own she wanted proven wrong rather then trying to show Kyoko up.
As if to drive that point further, the woman trembled ever-so-slightly, as though trying to suppress it before finally sitting up again, crestfallen. "...I beg of you, show me fate truly can be changed..."
Her voice was barely a whisper, Kyoko could hear it nonetheless, the girl's eyes flickering to the left in thought. Chihaya did indeed seem genuine, and the fact she was offering a refund on top of it, despite what she'd done earlier, it seemed she was truly in distress over something, which did pique the detective's interest as a potential case like the others she'd involved herself in the matters of, and as she'd considered a moment ago, it would lend the possibility of finding other Mementos requests she and the others could save the victims of as well.
Her mind made up, Kyoko gave her a reassuring nod. "Very well."
The young woman's face promptly lit up, her hands steepling with joy. "Y-You will?! Really?!" she asked, there was something else Kyoko noticed now in the fortune-teller's eyes: Hope.
"I will," she said.
"Wonderful! I look forward to verifying your "skills", then!" Chihaya said with a relieved smile as she took out her phone. "Just don't blow me off, alright? We made a deal, after all!"
?/?
"...Unless you were lucky, there's no way you could have repeatedly done so many crimes," the prosecutor stated, her stern gaze on the disoriented girl seated across from her.
"Tell me, Kirigiri... was it your own detective's intuition that helped you be so precise, or was there also someone you were consulting for answers?"
Kyoko, through the murk of the serums she'd been overdosed on, looked up at the woman, but said nothing. Though Niijima had begun to trust her, she had no intention of divulging any names.
Niijima seemed to pick up on this as well as she folded her arms, her attention briefly turning towards the camera, though it'd since been shut off. "Kirigiri, if you have any intention of getting out of this, I hope you understand it'll take a lot more then mere luck!"
7/26
Reality slowed down to a halt around Kyoko, her surroundings darkening as she heard the soft voice echo from within her mind once more.
I am thou, thou art I...
Thou hast acquired a new vow.
It shall become the wings of rebellion
that breaketh thy chains of captivity...
With the birth of the Fortune Persona,
I have obtained the winds of blessing that
shall lead to freedom and new power...
The sound of a chain shattering rang through the recesses of Kyoko's mind as reality returned to normal.
"Is fate really something that can be changed, though?" she saw Chihaya muse to herself aloud. "If it's really possible, then..."
She brushed back her hair anxiously as she became downcast once more, as though thinking of something deeply troubling. "...Kirigiri, right? Um, yeah, let's share numbers then you're free to go. You don't wanna get home late, right?" she asked, laughing a little, though more out of anxiety then the happiness she'd shown earlier.
The number saved and putting her phone away, Kyoko rose from her seat. "Is something wrong?" she asked.
"Nothing to concern yourself over!" Chihaya said with a slightly forced smile. "If it gets busy, or if I get any readings I'd like to test these skills you say you have, I'll let you know! I do have 100 percent accuracy you can trust my readings, after all!"
"I'll be waiting," Kyoko said with a nod, and made her way back to the train stations for the trip back to Leblanc for the evening.
7/27
Another day of summer break had come upon the city of Tokyo. Kyoko had wound up sleeping in a little due to having stayed up adding what she'd gathered about the fortune-teller, Chihaya on her laptop and going over her cases again. It seemed so many people she'd established one of the bonds Igor spoke of had a compelling case of their own for her to solve and it made her restless that evening till she'd gotten a call from Yusuke regarding his painting being put up in an exhibit today and asked if he could stop by for coffee before they attended.
Coming down at Sojiro's call that he'd arrived while Morgana remained curled up asleep on her bed, Kyoko entered the dining area where Yusuke was already enjoying a cup and looking in good spirits.
"A long evening?" Yusuke asked with a smile.
"How'd you guess?" Kyoko asked, sitting down with him.
"You still look like you're waking up, Kyoko," said Sojiro. "I got some extra here so why don't I pour you a cup?"
Kyoko smiled and gave a small nod. "I'd appreciate that,"
Once she'd gotten her cup and took a sip, she glanced over at her friend. "You mentioned you had news about your painting and an exhibit?"
"Why, yes!" said Yusuke. "It's going to be making its debut today and I'd like you to come. After the work I've put in, I'm certain that "Desire"'s impending success is exactly what I need to save myself from this dreadful slump."
"Oh?" The young detective raised an eyebrow, taking another sip.
"I'm quite confident it will stand out splendidly, and I'll get that affirmation quickly as well because in addition to the exhibition aspect of the show, there's also an evaluation portion," Yusuke explained, finishing his cup.
"You're confident it will go well?" Kyoko asked.
"Why wouldn't it? You saw the painting yourself. Be it desire, despair, or whatever else, I know it's certain to grab peoples' attention and intrigue!" Yusuke said with a self-assured smile. "I look forward to telling Yonaga-san all about it after! I believe she's actually going to be there as well."
"You're hoping for her validation as well?"
"Why wouldn't I?" Yusuke asked. "You heard her yourself, she has declared we are rivals, now. I must prove I'm worthy of it and there's the phrase of how a picture's worth a thousand words, with "Desire", I'm certain it will be all she needs to see I've escaped this slump and can share true beauty with countless people again."
"...Strange, why has no one come to see it?" Yusuke wondered as he stood by his painting, Kyoko at his side with her arms folded and scanning the crowds. In the entire time they'd been there, people merely gave it passing glance or seemed uncomfortable rather then awed by it.
Yusuke brought his hand to his chin pensively. "...Hm, perhaps they are so afraid of the truth held within that they dare not take a closer look?" he mused.
"People do tend to look away from unpleasant truths, or deny them entirely for the sake of comfort," Kyoko replied. "Still... I'm hardly an art expert, but I have heard all art is purely subjective."
"It must be it, then," Yusuke said with a nod. "Could it be so many are willfully blind?"
"In my line of work, you'd be surprised," the young detective said.
"Oh my," a middle-aged woman said, approaching the painting with her husband. "There's such a dark, sinister aura emanating from this painting!"
"Yet the title is "Desire"?" the man asked, looking quizzically at the nameplate next to it. "...I agree with what you say, but I see no desire here!"
The man then scoffed as he looked about at the other paintings. "Ahh, I believe this is the students' area, isn't it? No doubt it was merely painted on a whim!"
"You're right, there's no real emotion or elegance from this piece!" the woman said with a haughty laugh. "Let's go elsewhere, where more detailed paintings surely are!"
Kyoko noticed Yusuke attempting to fight off his crestfallen look.
"I'm... I'm not bothered in the slightest. When you present your work, criticism both positive and... harsh... are inevitable," he said, forcing a smile to his face. "It's... merely the drivel of unrefined commoners who've not seen what I've seen! Nothing more! Why pay them any mind?"
"Yusuke," Kyoko began, but he gently held his hand up in reassurance.
"No, it's nothing to worry about, so long as those in the know understand my work for what it is, I'll be happy!" Yusuke replied softly, though it was evident the couples' criticism of his work had shaken him. "Oh! Someone else is coming!"
Kyoko turned and saw a distinguished, older gentleman approach the painting and look it over with precision and care.
"A knowledgeable patron! Look at how he studies it, Kyoko!" Yusuke whispered softly, yet the young detective noted how anxious he still sounded. "His word will be worth more then a thousand of those two who'd come before him!"
The man continued to examine it in silence, but gave no statement.
"Excuse me, sir?" Yusuke asked, getting his attention. "If I may get your opinion, what are your thoughts of this piece?"
"Hm," the man said, glancing over at it again. "...I can certainly see why it was accepted, if anything the technique is excellent," he explained. "...However, the composition as a whole, which truly matters to draw people in... is mediocre at best."
Yusuke stood frozen in place for a moment, stunned. Shock, however, was soon replaced by anger.
"What did you say?!" he protested. The man, however, did not appear fettered.
"Ah, are you the artist?" the man asked. "Well, the title is listed as "Desire", but the idea itself is quite overused, to the point some may even call it stale. If you wish to paint an abstract work with such an old theme, then you must inject some individuality to it."
"What are you talking about? I did exactly that!" Yusuke insisted indignantly.
"Did you, now?" the man asked. "Take another look, if you would, but try to remove yourself from the artist's bias. These brush strokes are absolutely splendid given your age, you show technique, but technique is only part of it.
"W-What do you mean...?" Yusuke's expression fell as he stammered out his words.
"Does this painting really tell you anything?" the man asked. "...It's empty and devoid of meaning. I don't see desire, rather if anything... an utter lack of it."
Yusuke's stance slowly deflated, staring aghast as he listened to the man's words.
"If you wish to progress as an artist, take my advice and look at your work with a more critical eye in the future," the man explained. "...And ask yourself, if desire is what you truly wish to capture, think of what truly guides it. If I were to be especially generous, I'd say you've confused gloom and despair for desire, which I assure you is unlikely to inspire the response you were seeking."
As the man turned and left, Kyoko watched Yusuke remain in stunned silence.
"My work... empty of desire?" he protested, his shock once more turning to anger and disbelief as he studied his painting. "How can that be? I know for a fact I poured my heart and soul into this piece and captured the very essence of desire! It was supposed to lay bare the reality of the world!"
"Art is subjective after all," Kyoko mused, looking at it. "...To be frank, though, he may have been right. He said what I'd thought regarding its appearance in contrast to its title."
"But is Mementos not the embodiment of desire?" Yusuke asked, turning to face her.
"...I've wondered that, honestly," Kyoko said. "My pessimistic side would say yes, but at the same time, there's something very grim and oppressive about it as a whole, akin to how I felt when I was in jail after that evening..."
"N-No, it can't be! If it resides within the heart, and Mementos is the collective heart, then surely...!"
"What is this?!"
Yusuke and Kyoko turned to see Angie Yonaga now stood before the painting as well.
"Why, it's my painting, of course!" Yusuke stated, forcing a proud look to his face. "Surely you're impressed, correct?"
Angie only frowned, tapping her chin as she looked at him. "Are you?" she asked.
"Of course I am! It was my intent to expose the true nature of desire through my work!"
"Then you've failed on all accounts. Atua will be disappointed!" Angie stated sternly, folding her arms.
"F-Failed?!" Yusuke gasped.
"Atua senses the dark, gloomy presence still oppressing you, Yusuke! You can never overcome your test if it still dominates your perspective of the world around you!" Angie replied. "Atua rewards my trust in him by allowing me to see through the murk that still covers your eyes and I am able to see the hope he offers and the beauty he shares with me!"
She pointed past Yusuke proudly, to where a crowd was gathered before another painting Kyoko deduced to be hers.
Yusuke looked at Angie's painting, then at his own, shame appearing on his face. "There's no mistaking it... perhaps that man from earlier was indeed right... it is empty, after all."
"What you have depicted, Yusuke, is your perception of desire because this is the hungry demon that sucks out your passion and deceives you!" Angie explained, pointing at the painting. "Atua's test is a journey, Yusuke, not one mere task to be rewarded! By failing to see the journey and what Atua expects of you, how could you hope to reach it?"
"...Can Atua give me an answer how?" Yusuke asked hopefully, getting a sigh of exasperation from Kyoko.
"Well, you are not his follower like myself, so he cannot guide you to beauty so directly," Angie mused, tapping her chin pensively again before turning and looking him in the eyes intensely. "...However, he declares you must have a care, Yusuke! You were led astray by this demon as you were Madarame, and it, too, will seek to use a false concept of desire to lure you into its maw and claim you, like a gigantic, hungry anglerfish! Open your eyes to the journey set before you rather then stumble about blindly grasping for the prize!"
With a spin of her heel, the young artist walked off to her painting. Yusuke, however, stood trembling in place.
"Yusuke?" Kyoko asked, approaching, only to pause, herself, as the boy promptly collapsed to his knees in complete defeat.
"She... she is right. Both of them were. I've not captured desire... Desire has captured me!" he wept. "How could I have fooled myself into believing otherwise?! You were correct, too, Kyoko... this isn't desire... it's despair! The empty, hungering void of apathy and aimless desperation that exists in the absence of desire!"
Kyoko frowned in concern at her friend, crouching next to him and after a moment, gently placed her hand on his shoulder. "You're not apathetic, Yusuke, I've seen how driven you can be."
"Am I, Kyoko?" Yusuke asked, not looking at her. "I realize now, all I thought of was escaping my slump, my passions were shallow, like the very kinds one pursues to fill despair's emptiness! Yonaga-san has Atua granting her, inspiration after inspiration! She found hope again with Madarame's downfall... but the gods of art have forsaken me in turn! This mistake will be the end of me! I have no future waiting for me in this world! Without art, what will remain of my being? What's going to happen to me?"
Kyoko withdrew her hand and stood back up, folding her arms. "Hope... isn't that what the Phantom Thieves are meant to inspire? How can one inspire it when they don't believe in it?"
Yusuke went silent a moment, blinking in surprise as he looked up at his friend. "Y-You're right, you found people who stood by you, and you found me... surrendering myself to a fate of despair after I'd escaped one, all over one lone failure rather then learning from it would be unlike me."
"From what I could discern from Yonaga's Atua sermons, it's clear she still believes in you as a worthy rival, Yusuke," Kyoko said, looking back at the other girl showing her work to the crowds.
"Indeed," Yusuke said, looking over in Angie's direction as well. "She said to be mindful of the journey, not the prize. And then there is what that man said... to be criticized by such a keen eye is truly painful..."
"It's easy to feel spite towards a critic. Receiving harsh words from someone who holds all the power to judge you and decide your worth regardless of all you do to find your place as though you were lazy or incompetent," Kyoko replied, looking away. "...can feel very disheartening."
"...You're no stranger to that," Yusuke said softly, not elaborating but certain he knew what was on Kyoko's mind. "Yet, his words can motivate me, now, and give me all the more reason to break out of my slump. I must prove my worth to him! If I can change his mind about me, then surely my work can do the same for others as well!"
"By focusing on the journey?" Kyoko asked, giving him a faint smile, getting a small chuckle from the boy.
"Exactly. I will start by painting. After that, I will paint, beyond which, I shall paint some more. That is how I will learn to capture the essence of emotion, a part of this journey to help me conquer this... hungering void of despair you see given form on the wall, here," Yusuke explained, gesturing to his painting. "As a detective, Kyoko, logic is your sword in conquering the mysteries you are faced with, but a moment ago, when I was on the precipice, you sought to comfort me and help me pick myself back up. Logic only goes so far in analyzing the mystery that is the heart, and perhaps we can't rely on that only to do so."
Kyoko blinked, starting to fold her arms again but decided against it, letting them hang freely at her sides. "...My grandfather lives and works entirely by logic, he said feelings were a weakness that can blind you from following the truth."
"And yet, look what relying entirely on it alone has made me blind to," Yusuke said. "While logic is essential to counter the irrational assumptions of blind emotion, without emotion and passion, we'd be without hearts, and little more then machines without hopes as empty as this void." The boy smiled in resolve. "...I'll look at this as a learning experience to help me through this journey!"
Kyoko heard a chain link shatter within the recesses of her mind at Yusuke's renewed determination.
"Now, I must return home and start anew!" Yusuke declared. As he and Kyoko made their way to the doors, however, the young detective looked back and noticed the gentleman from before return to the painting, glancing at it again, then at them as they departed.
Glancing back at Yusuke, who now looked more confident then before, she could not help but think of his words before they'd left, so similar to something she could now imagine Yui saying, and had wanted her to understand that had allowed Yui to have made it as far as she had back then. With all that had happened, she could agree with those words.
Evening had since arrived, Kyoko folded up her umbrella as she stepped into the Kanda cathedral. Another downpour had been laying in wait for her soon as she'd made it back to Yongen-Jaya that made her almost consider staying in for the night, but Hifumi Togo had messaged her asking she could meet up and play a match with her as the rainy weather actually helped her think sharper and focus more on trying new moves.
"Oh! Thank you for coming!" Hifumi smiled up at Kyoko from her spot in the pews, her board and pieces already laid out as she'd been studying it before her arrival. "...I'm sorry, I wonder if this was a bad idea, actually... you probably noticed the rain's gotten way worse and the noise is making it harder to focus, now," she apologized.
"It'd be pointless of me to leave, now, after just getting here," Kyoko said, glancing at the pouring rain outside.
"I suppose you're right, still, I feel maybe I should have given more thought. I had devised some new moves to try, I hadn't counted on it getting this bad," Hifumi sighed.
"I promised to be your playing partner, didn't I?" Kyoko asked, folding her arms as she looked down at her.
Hifumi frowned a little. "Y-You did, but that doesn't mean..."
"I'm here, now, so may as well make use of it, right?" the young detective asked.
"Very well," Hifumi replied, managing a small smile of gratitude. "I appreciate it. Let's get started then..."
The experience that followed proved, just as last match Kyoko had done, that Hifumi Togo was extremely passionate about her game.
"Vanguard of my Togo Kingdom, go forth to the front lines! TRAMPLE THEM ALL!" she declared, raising her piece and slamming it down on the board in its intended place as she gave Kyoko that same eagle-eyed gaze much like the one she'd had last time when the match grew tense as she made her own move to counter.
"I won't fall so easily," Kyoko replied, her brow furrowing. Hifumi, however, did not appear daunted in the least.
"...You think to protect yourself with such paltry defense? Ha! Useless!" the other girl announced triumphantly as she once more countered with a move of her own. "Awaken, dragon! Let your shadowy hellfire consume them all! Dark Inferno Rook!"
The young detective slowly closed her eyes, this really was nothing like Othello. The guide had done her little good; Hifumi wasn't just a skilled player, but also incredibly sharp with her improvising for any situation and turning any small win Kyoko got it in her favor entirely.
"You have fought fiercely, but can you hear it?" she asked as Kyoko made another move. "...The wailing of dying soldiers echoing on the battlefield. You are indeed cunning, and analyze your situations with a keen logic that saved you from complete destruction for this long, however, is your heart within your pieces? They pledged they would lay down their lives for their Queen, but are they not also human beings who have families and loved ones she'd wish they see again when the war has ended?"
Kyoko raised an eyebrow quizzically at her opponent but said nothing.
"Therin lies your flaw, Kirigiri," Hifumi interrupted sternly, still very much clearly caught in the moment. "...That incompetence stops a soldier from discovering his true bravery! Now the price shall be paid!"
The girl raised her next piece in the air, glaring with determination. "With all in place, my right hand trembles as I release my full power!" she announced. "I summon forth the forbidden move that shall bring forth your demise: Ultimate Excalibur Attack!"
With a resounding clack of wood against wood, Hifumi's hand released its grip on her piece as she gazed triumphantly at Kyoko. "Checkmate."
"Isn't this a little much?" Kyoko asked, staring back at her, causing the girl to blush heavily and look away.
"Sorry... y-you're right... I did it again, didn't I?" she asked sheepishly. "It's... an embarrassing habit of mine. During a match I get a bit carried away, I guess. It's as if I assume the role of a queen of a kingdom and I tend to really get in character about it."
There was a time where Kyoko Kirigiri would have found such an idea absurd at best, or outright childish at worst, and would not have minced words about it to the other girl, but with her experiences as a Phantom Thief, and how much she knew she got into her own activities in the Metaverse and the rush and satisfaction they gave her, she knew she had no room to talk, now, and didn't necessarily see it a bad thing anymore, either.
"Does it help? It seems to put you in the proper mentality to carry out your strategies," she said instead.
Hifumi smiled gently, all traces of her ferocity she'd shown during the game gone now. "It does, actually! My father had me do image training exercises when I was younger, to help me learn the rules, so I gradually began to view the shogi board as though it were my own kingdom and I'd have fun coming up with stories and strategies for my... um... subjects."
The girl looked at her lap, downcast and quiet a moment. "...But then I..." she paused again. "...I hear about how people make fun of me on the internet. They call me weird, an otaku, or just crazy... maybe they're not wrong, when I look back at it I think I'm pretty weird, too. You don't see other players do it."
"I can't say I do that when I play Chess or Othello, but that's just my approach," Kyoko replied, her gaze turning as she realized her words probably weren't what Hifumi needed right now, and she certainly didn't stand for demeaning words regarding her skill and methods as a detective. "Togo-san, don't... let them get to you. The more you let them, the more they'll demand out of you. People like that point fingers without knowing or caring how you feel or what you do to get through life," she said, remembering the Yusuke's disasterous exhibit though in this case such criticism was far more shallow rather then constructive.
Hifumi looked over at her, giving a small but warm, trusting smile. "Thank you, Kirigiri. Your positivity is... a welcome relief. I may have more to learn from our matches then I thought... it's nice to have someone to talk to," she said, the sound of a chain link breaking resounded in Kyoko's mind at Hifumi's gratitude.
"The storm looks like it's starting to break for a bit," she said, glancing out the window. "...I should probably let you head home before it starts up again, plus there's an interview I need to be at tomorrow morning, so that'll be all. Thank you again for joining me!"
"Of course," Kyoko said, rising from her pew and gathering her things, only for Hifumi to get her attention once more.
"Kirigiri? Um, if I may, there's something I wanted to mention," the other girl said. "Do you read weekly magazines by any chance?"
Kyoko looked at Hifumi, puzzled. "Not unless there's anything I think may be important to know about in them. Why?" she asked.
"Oh, um... well, I'm... doing a photoshoot for one," Hifumi replied. Kyoko noticed right away, however, the girl did not look at all enthusiastic about it.
"I take it you're not looking forward to it, though," she stated, folding her arms.
"...You could tell," Hifumi nodded, frowning. "I just... didn't want you getting shocked if you end up seeing it on the newstand and wondering why I didn't say anything."
"I'll be frank I would be curious, but it's not my business if it's that personal a matter to you," Kyoko replied.
"Yes, but... in all honesty, I'm very reluctant about it," Hifumi sighed. "...But at the same time if my image can draw more attention to shogi, maybe the game will become more popular!" she said, trying to smile again, though it didn't last as the young detective could see the discomfort in her body language that betrayed it.
"...At least, that's how I'm justifying it to myself," she said softly, her smile a little more forced but looking more like she simply didn't want to trouble Kyoko with her insecurities. "I appreciate you playing with me. I'll let you know when I'm ready for new moves again."
"You know, if you just want a playing partner when you're free," Kyoko offered. "I did study a guide but as I've found with the games I have experience in, I've found playing against someone has taught me far more."
Hifumi's smile became more genuine. "I've noted how sharp and observant you are despite your inexperience in the game, Kirigiri. I'd be happy if you'd be willing," she said.
Kyoko gave her a small smile. "I would. Despite neither match going favorably for me, I still do enjoy playing and I appreciate the challenge you give me. It's a good way to give my mind exercise."
Hifumi's eyes flickered to her phone as she heard it hum and looked at the screen a moment before looking back at Kyoko. "I hope you'll tell me more about yourself sometime," she said with a small giggle, standing up as well and gathering her things. "I admit, I'm curious of such an opponent I now have!"
"As am I," the young detective said, giving Hifumi one last nod before she left, opening her umbrella and preparing for the trip back home.
7/28
[Everyone.] Kyoko posted, opening the Thieves' chat that afternoon after she'd returned upstairs to her bedroom once she'd finished a late lunch.
[Sup? We heading back into the Palace yet?] Ryuji asked.
[You think Futaba is alright?] Ann messaged next.
[Boss hasn't said anything about Futaba, so I would imagine she's as she was.] Kyoko replied back.
[So what's going on?] Makoto asked.
[For starters, the boyfriend's change of heart worked. Second, we'll begin our infiltration this Saturday.] she added.
Morgana looked at the messages as Kyoko typed, before glancing up at her. "Good idea, that'll be plenty of time for her Palace's security to dwindle. Plus we found some things in Mementos going after that abusive boyfriend so we can gear up, too!"
Kyoko nodded. "Exactly."
[So Saturday it is, then?] Yusuke messaged.
[Saturday, be ready and meet here. Take time to rest and prepare till then.] she messaged.
[Gotcha! Cya then Kyoko!] Ryuji answered back.
[Works for me. I'll keep my day open.] Makoto messaged.
As she was about to put her phone away, she noticed she'd received another message, this one from Dr. Takemi of all people.
[You home? Get down here now. We need to speak.] the message read.
"Hm, what do you think she wants?" Morgana asked, reading it. "Gonna go head over?"
"Yes," Kyoko said, pocketing her phone. "Whatever it is, it sounds urgent." The young detective made her way back down the stairs, making a mental note to buy some medicines from the doctor as well while she was visiting for the Palace as well.
As she'd made her way through the humid streets of Yongen-Jaya that had yesterday's downpour and today's clear skies in the middle of summer to thank, Kyoko found Takemi outside her clinic speaking with a patient, the young doctor shooting her a brief look before returning her attention to the patient, an elderly woman.
"...It was right in front of me so it's no trouble," she said, resuming her conversation.
"Still, thank you so much, dear. It's my favorite handkerchief, and there's no need to be so shy, either," the old lady said with a grateful smile.
"Shy?! I'm not "shy"! What are you talking about?!" Takemi protested, her face crinkling slightly in embarrassment and confusion.
"What you were saying earlier, of course," the old lady said. "My neighbor speaks very highly of you! She told me how your medicines work even better then those in the big hospitals!"
"I'm sure she's... being hyperbolic," Takemi said, brushing back her short hair anxiously, her gaze briefly flickering back towards Kyoko before once more going back to the elderly patient.
"Nonsense. It's honestly very reassuring to have such a distinguished doctor here in our neighborhood! I'll see you again, soon!" the old lady said with a thankful nod as she turned and left the stunned Takemi standing there speechless.
"...What the heck," she muttered after a few moments.
"Doctor?" Kyoko asked, approaching. "I saw your message, you seemed like it was something important. Did something happen?"
"Why yes, something did, no thanks to you," Takemi said sharply, turning and giving the girl a steely glare.
"Excuse me?"
"Remember when you got me to help that little girl for her dad?" Takemi asked. "Well, her recovery's been excellent, but there's now a lot of talk going on around town about me as a result started by them both... about how I can make all these amazing medicines and remedies..."
"And it's gotten you more business, I take it?" Kyoko asked folding her arms. "I'd like to point out it's jarring that I of all people fail to see a problem in this as I imagine it's had to have done a lot for the bad reputation you told me about before."
Takemi scowled. "More business is an understatement. My number of patients has gone up dramatically, even ones outside Yongen-Jaya," she explained. "Plenty of them are just seeking treatment, sure, but I dunno what some of them are thinking though... I got a lot of crazy requests like a "sweet-smelling compress", and another for a "cold-buster"?! If I could invent something like that, I'd have a Nobel Prize right now!"
Kyoko said nothing, but she could empathize. Some of the cases the DSC received were either ones the police could have solved, or were identified as blatant hoaxes or conspiracy theories born out of tabloids simply by how outlandish they were. "...I can imagine that'd be frustrating."
"Have you been required to do consultation on a cat, before? What could have made anyone assume I'm a vet?!" Takemi asked, though her tension suddenly broke into an expected laugh. "...Like I'm this super-genius heal-all doctor or something."
She quickly shook her head. "...But I'm not, I'm a blacklisted nobody and this interferes with my development. My new drug I've been testing with you is the only thing I'm interested in."
"That said, you must be doing something to earn it even with the more unusual requests," Kyoko said.
"What do you mean?" Takemi asked, before running her hand through her hair again. "...Honestly, it's too humid out here let's go back inside."
"I mean maybe "The Plague" isn't earned. It's something your old superior at the hospital used to defame you for a mistake he made," Kyoko said as she followed Takemi inside, the doctor, however, continuing onward into the exam room.
"It doesn't matter. Sometimes, it's the ones who have the right connections and know the right people who win in the end, no matter what credibility you earned," Takemi said, frowning as she sat down, crossing her legs as she turned to face the girl. "...Tell me something, Kyoko Kirigiri... You mentioned you wanted to go to Hope's Peak, correct? On what grounds? I assume it's not that new Reserve Course they've been promoting given the cost, so you clearly must have some sort of exceptional talent or your chances are practically non-existent."
Kyoko quirked an eyebrow at the seated doctor. "Let me answer that with another question: Does my last name sound familiar at all?"
The doctor looked up at her a moment, before an amused smirk formed on her face. "...Right. The granddaughter of Japan's greatest living detective of his generation, living in a café out here in the middle of nowhere suburban Tokyo going to a normal prep school? That's a story worth hearing," she chuckled.
Kyoko folded her arms, frowning coldly. "You think I'm joking? Have I come off as someone who makes jokes in the time you've known me?" she asked.
"No, no, I'm sure it's interesting, it's not my concern, but I'll say this," Takemi stated, leaning forward with a serious expression. "...Hope's Peak may clear the path for you by graduating there, but not absolutely. It's not a shield from people who have sway in that world you try to get yourself into, and they'll use it to ruin or control you."
Kyoko scoffed. "...I'm familiar with that," she said, recalling Kaneshiro's words and how he'd trapped several in his scams before he'd been stopped.
"...Are you, now?" Takemi's lips flattened into a straight line as she slipped a manila envelope from the bottom drawer of her desk, passing it to Kyoko as though it were merely a used tissue and an expectant look. Kyoko opened it and her eyes widened in surprise.
Tae Takemi
Certified Hope's Peak Alumni
Super High School-Level Pharmacist
"...You went to Hope's Peak?" Kyoko asked, looking at the graduation date below.
"...Don't I look a tad young for someone with my credentials I've told you about? Yeah, I'm a Hope's Peak alumni, and look where I am, now!" Takemi said with a bitter laugh, reclaiming the document and sliding it back in the folder before discarding it in her bottom drawer without even looking at it. "I went from where I was, defined by my talent and what I had to show for it with graduating there and passing med school at the top of my classes, even had the new one attending there now interning with me as part of honing her talent and high hopes for the future... to this..." She shook her head as she stared down at her lap in thought. "...Kimura-chan's face... if there was anything that got to me anywhere close to what failing Miwa-chan did... it was that. I bet she's so ashamed she ever looked up to me so much once the stories spread and my reputation was ruined."
"...I'm sorry this happened to you," Kyoko said.
"...I didn't come from a long line of famous, world-revered doctors or anything to get scouted, guinea pig. I was an ordinary girl with a gift who just really wanted to do this and found I was really good at it and gave it everything I had and eventually I was scouted," Takemi explained. "...As I said, you can have those and your future can still be taken by someone who has it out for you with just a few lies and the right network of people to spread it. Whatever life I had then, all I can do now is try and at least atone for this as "the Plague". Whether my supervisor rushed it or not, it was still my work, so my responsibility. Even a lifestyle profession of town doctor's beyond my reach, now, so... a lot of good talent did me..."
"Maybe that's wrong." the young detective mused.
"What?" Takemi raised an eyebrow in annoyance. "Are you pitying me?"
"No, nothing like that," Kyoko said shaking her head. "...I mean, it's more then talent, it's using it in the way that helps others and thinking of those it helps."
Takemi gave a bitter laugh. "That's sappy. But all I learned was I wasn't meant to change the world, and I was punished for hoping to. That diploma's just spare paper to me, now."
"I'd have probably found it silly, too, once," Kyoko said glancing off to the side and tightening her self-embrace a little. "...But it was exactly what someone who meant a lot to me, someone who had been scouted but declined to attend, believed. She wanted to help people and it's why she valued her talent... the same as I suspect you did, especially if Miwa or your intern meant that much to you."
Takemi was silent. It was evident to Kyoko she had a lot on her mind she wanted to say, for better or for worse, but she chose not to. Eventually, she found her words, though.
"...Kirigiri, is the headmaster at Hope's Peak..."The doctor shook her head. "...Nevermind, I won't pry. Regarding the clinical trials, however," she said quickly, changing the subject abruptly. "...This new influx of patients has slowed me down on analyzing data so I'll need to catch up..."
Scooting her chair over to the mini-fridge Takemi took out a beaker and unsealed it, holding it out to Kyoko. "This is a bit on the stronger side, but I'm sure you'll be fine," she said, her mischievous smirk at long last returning. "...I shared another intimate part of my life with you, guinea pig, one I expect confidentiality from you as well on. You owe me for this. If there's anything you need after, we can work that out, then. Now bottoms up!"
Kyoko heard a chain link shatter within her mind before looking down at the beaker held out to her, then at Takemi before accepting it and chugging it down.
"...And in case you're wondering, that little girl who came in with her father? Her recovery's been a success. Seems that treatment was a good match for her," Takemi said, still smirking though now she looked more at ease, Kyoko though, as though perhaps she were now considering her words after what she'd revealed. "Even with what it's brought me, I can at least breathe a little easier, I suppose..."
Kyoko couldn't help but smile to herself as well as she made her way to the examination bed, the drowsiness from the medicine quickly beginning to take hold while Takemi took out her clipboard and began jotting down notes, watching her as the young detective felt herself nodding off.
Kyoko's eyes fluttered open and she saw Takemi take notice and get her a bottle of water.
"Here," she said. "I should have probably pointed out I did double the dosage and halve the activation time, so I imagined it'd be a lot to handle," she mused aloud. "That said, I feel more hopeful, now. Thanks to that last trial, I know I'm right at the end of all of this. Just be ready for when I call again. With any luck I'll be ready again, soon."
Reaching into her cabinet, Takemi took out another small bottle Kyoko recognized as the salve the doctor had given her for her hands. "Here, little added thanks, and I'll give you an extra discount for being a good sport as well..." Her expression grew serious at that moment, however. "...What I told you, though, about myself? No one hears about it, understand? That stays between us."
Kyoko accepted the water bottle and took a sip, nodding as she slowly stood herself up. "You don't have to worry about that," she said, frowning a little as she noticed the medicine had given her a two-and-a-half-hour nap in the process judging by the clock on the wall and deciding she'd stay in for the evening, having laundry to do anyway. "...He is, by the way."
"Hm?" Takemi glanced back at her.
"The headmaster at Hope's Peak. He's my father," Kyoko said. "He's why I want to go. It's not about my own skills I was raised in... not all of it. He's what I need to make it into Hope's Peak for."
"Oh?" Takemi asked, raising an eyebrow in slight fascination.
"Unresolved matters," Kyoko replied, folding her arms. "I think you may understand that."
Takemi gave a small smirk. "...I suppose I do. Anyways, I have a lot of work to do, thanks to my new popularity, so head on home, I suggest taking it easy the rest of the evening, though. Call if you feel any side-effects."
The young detective gave a nod and headed back outside for the walk home to Leblanc, glancing back at the clinic a moment. In truth, she did feel sympathetic towards the doctor, the thought of someone with a very bright future practically within her grasp ripped away by someone well-connected was something she could understand. Big Sis, however, entered her mind, someone who'd rejected attending but still was content with what she could do and find meaning, and thoughts of her own life, now.
Kyoko paused, leaning against a building wall a moment to catch her breath from the lingering fatigue brought by the medicine. "Big Sis..."
The life Yui was already happy with, using her talent to help others, even Takemi was doing that now even if she couldn't fully see it, or her own misfortunes were still having a hold over her prospects, something Kyoko had felt when she'd first come.
"Maybe a path doesn't remain closed forever," she mused to herself as she thought of all the people who now trusted Takemi despite her lack of trust in herself courtesy of her old boss's slander and her own feelings of guilt, and her own use of her detective skills as a Phantom Thief. "...Maybe sometimes it really does just change a little... or open new ones." she thought aloud as she resumed her trip home.
7/29
Sun had been replaced by a heavy overcast for Friday as Kyoko roamed the travelers' hub known as Shinagawa, her gaze on her her phone's GPS and her handbag over her shoulder for her umbrella. Her destination, she deduced as she examined her surroundings, shouldn't have been far away...
Sharp eyes took notice of a large hotel bearing the name she'd been looking for and approached, soon spotting the one who had asked her out here last night after she'd gone to bed for the evening.
[Behind you.] she messaged, causing Akechi, who'd been facing away, to look at his phone and turn in surprise.
"Kirigiri! Hello!"
"I hope I didn't make you wait long," Kyoko replied, giving him a small smile.
"Not at all! I arrived just a few minutes ago, myself, actually!" the boy said, scratching the back of his head bashfully. "Thank you for accepting my invitation, I hope I've not pulled you from anything you may have otherwise had planned today."
"I didn't have anything planned for the day, no," Kyoko replied. "You say a work acquaintance gave you these tickets?"
"Correct. Told me it was a great place to bring someone, having already gone," Akechi explained. "...Normally I go and see things on my own, but... I thought perhaps having company may make the experience more interesting and worthwhile."
Kyoko quirked an eyebrow but said nothing, causing the boy to fidget a little.
"Oh, I guess our conversation at the subway with your friends just made me think of you when I was told about this exhibit. I wasn't meaning to make you feel uncomfortable," he said.
"It's fine, I'm... very flattered by the gesture and this sounds like a worthwhile way to spend some freetime," Kyoko said, glancing sideways briefly and brushing back her hair.
"Well, we'll know once we go in, won't we?" Akechi chuckled, taking out a pair of tickets and leading the way inside the lavish hotel.
Moments later, Kyoko looked around in fascination at the vast, blue-lit tunnels of the massive aquarium exhibit of the hotel. Large windows showed into huge, clear tanks where schools of fish of all kinds, native and exotic, swam about among lush underwater plants and beautiful coral and filters blowing bubbles below. Placards described the many species of flora and fauna within and their history were stationed alongside each window, and light trickling in from their surfaces far above added to its blue hue. The young detective couldn't deny to herself all of it was absolutely breathtaking.
"Is that awe I detect?" Akechi quipped playfully beside her, glancing over at her with an amused smirk. "It is quite lovely, isn't it? It's actually been quite a while since I've been to a place like this... have you ever been to one, before?"
"No, I haven't, actually," Kyoko said, looking at the tank in front of her and approaching the window, the faint reflection of Akechi and herself shining from it amidst the undersea life swimming before them. "My grandfather only gave me free reign to go where I wished if it was relevant to a case, none of which ever brought me to an aquarium unfortunately. That said," she glanced back at him, smiling faintly. "I do like it. Even with other people here it has a very relaxing feel to it getting to see nature up close. It's a nice first experience."
"Well, I'm glad you're enjoying it!" Akechi said with a grateful smile. "I was worried at first if I would be dragging you to something that'd be of no interest to you, but it appears my intuition that it'd be something you'd enjoy served me well, didn't it?"
Kyoko closed her eyes a moment, her smile growing a little before she looked back at him with an approving nod. "...I suppose it did."
"I'm happy to hear that," Akechi chuckled. "This place certainly is very remarkable, to think I've never been here... Maybe I just needed the right person to experience it with."
Kyoko blinked, glancing back at him, just in time to see Akechi hastily turn his attention to the windows again but not continuing. Kyoko opened her mouth to speak, but paused, feeling a hint of red developing on her face.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, I guess I said a quiet part out loud, didn't I?" he asked with a nervous laugh, bringing his hand to his face and smiling sheepishly.
Kyoko took a step forward, but said nothing, folding her arms once more and looking away as she tried to keep her own face from getting redder. "...Maybe you aren't wrong." she said at last.
A moment of silence went between them before a female voice suddenly called out to Kyoko.
"Kirigiri?!"
Kyoko and Akechi turned, Kyoko immediately recognizing Ichiko Ohya, the reporter from Crossroads standing there in surprise, a camera hanging from her neck and the woman herself looking significantly more sober then usual.
"I thought you looked familiar! And who's thi-" The reporter's eyes went wide. "...Th-the second Detective Prince?! Here with you?!"
Kyoko's gloved hand flew up dismissively. "Please... keep it down, Ohya-san," she said sharply, her face now noticeably redder then before. "...What are you doing here, anyway?" she asked, attempting to change the subject.
"I am a reporter, Kirigiri. The exhibit here just started up again so I'm here getting photos and all for a column I'm doing on it!" Ohya explained, holding up her camera. "...Now my question, what brings you here with Akechi-kun?! I had no idea you two knew eachother!"
"We do, yes!" Akechi said with a humble smile. "We've grown fairly close in the past few months and I invited her out here with me."
"Ooh, you mean you're on a-" Ohya started only for Kyoko to promptly step forward.
"No... just... spending time together, is all. He had an extra ticket from a co-worker and invited me," the young detective said abruptly, her gaze indicating she wanted Ohya not to press on the matter as her face turned red once more despite her trained stoicism, and she noticed even Akechi looked like he was trying not to look embarrassed either.
"My apologies, was just curious was all, seeing you two of all people here," Ohya said.
"I don't believe we've had the pleasure, Miss...?" Akechi asked, quirking an eyebrow and managing a polite smile.
"Ichiko Ohya," the reporter said with a smile. "It certainly is a pleasure, Mr. Detective Prince!"
"Likewise," Akechi said with a nod. "You and Kirigiri-san know eachother?"
"We do, yeah. She helps me with articles from time to time," Ohya explained. "Again, apologies for disrupting you two. I just... had no idea you two knew eachother as well! Friends with a famous teen detective? Talk about a shock! Especially when you got such contrasting stances on these Phantom Thieves that've been in the news lately with all the Medjed stuff!"
Kyoko couldn't help imagine how Ohya likely would have found it far less unusual if she knew her own family ties. Of course, the idea that the Detective Prince was spending time with the granddaughter of the Kirigiri detective clan and estranged daughter of Hope's Peak's headmaster probably would have been deemed story of the month that she could only imagine what attention it'd put on her had she been attending the school, now, and for that reason she was very relieved she'd never divulged anything about herself to the reporter.
"What of it?" Kyoko asked, speaking up.
"Oh, well, it'd sure give me a major scoop if you'd ask a couple questions I have about you two!" Ohya said with a big grin.
Kyoko gave the reporter a cold look. "...That depends, do you suspect you'll never require any more help with your articles, Ohya-san?"
Ohya promptly put up her hands defensively, laughing nervously. "Whoa, just kidding, Kirigiri! I'm not a model reporter, I know, but I'm not heartless enough to pry into a highschooler's personal life, especially at a time like this!" she said with a playful wink, causing a brief twitch to reveal itself in Kyoko's otherwise stone-faced stare. "I was just here to cover the aquarium exhibit and got a nice surprise out of it was all. I'll leave you be, enjoy the rest of the exhibit you two! I'll let you know when I need info again, Kirigiri!"
"So, you have friends in the media, Kirigiri?" Akechi asked as Ohya departed down the halls ahead, deciding to break the silence that followed. "...And if I heard right, some sort of professional agreement?"
"It's a long story," Kyoko said, taking a breath and ensuring her face had regained its neutral, fair look.
"Seemed she thought we were..."
"I'm not experienced on it, but I imagine in hindsight a place like this would be a popular place to bring a girl on a date," Kyoko said, looking to the side and brushing back her hair. "So... I suppose it's an easy conclusion to come to."
"Hm, now that I think about it..." Akechi pinched his chin pensively. "It probably is. I hope things weren't too awkward for you."
Kyoko gave a small smile. "They weren't. Even with the unexpected arrival of familiar faces."
"You have friends who seem to come from a variety of walks of life," the boy detective observed. "I didn't mean to pry, just... you really do never fail to amaze me, Kirigiri-san."
"It didn't become awkward for you, either, did it?" Kyoko asked.
The boy shook his head, chuckling. "Not particularly. I'm a celebrity, so it's necessary I become accustomed enough to it," he said. "Still, the interviews and time in front of the cameras, even adoring fans, they don't... feel as fulfilling, I suppose the word is, as spending time with you... whether it's for conversation on our stances or simple outings like this."
"The Kirigiris stayed out of the limelight and only operated privately," Kyoko said. "Still, at some point I'd been hoping to change that, even briefly."
"Oh?" Akechi asked, cocking his head. "Why break tradition, do you feel there's something to gain of it?" He laughed a little, but unoffensively. "...Should I be worried I'll have a rival who is in the open as I am?"
Kyoko shook her head. "Nothing like that. It's for a different reason... Hope's Peak. To be frank, I'm surprised you've not been scouted based on your success and fame and aren't currently spending your last year, there."
"I was scouted, actually, last year!" Akechi said with a sheepish smile. "However, I respectfully declined. It took a great deal of effort on my part to get where I am, now, and I'd like to continue proving that by my own merit and, of course, solving this terrible malady's case once and for all."
Kyoko nodded. "I knew someone who felt a similar way. She was someone I... looked up to when I was younger," she said. "My reasons aren't about being branded as the Ultimate Detective, however. Like you, it's something I'd like to achieve on my own merit rather then simply because of who my grandfather is... now, anyway. It's... a more personal reason."
"Is that so?" Akechi asked, bringing his hand to his chin again in curiosity. "If you're not comfortable telling me, I understand."
"You're a detective, and we have a sense of curiosity with an unsolved mystery to help drive us, so it's likely you'd find out on your own if I don't which I'd prefer you not do," Kyoko said, turning to face the aquarium windows again, though looking at her own faint reflection, now. "The headmaster of Hope's Peak... is my father. My grandfather says he'd abandoned me to him because I was an unwanted child, and pursued his own goals. I want to know the truth from him and I can do that by being accepted in, he'd have no choice but to face me and tell me the truth."
Akechi frowned, folding his arms. "You seem skeptical in your words."
"I've been asking myself a lot of questions on what I believed then and what I'm starting to wonder now, Akechi-kun," Kyoko replied, her gaze furrowing slightly.
"...And now you're searching for the truth, one I suspect worries you what its answer is," Akechi said, his expression, however, briefly but noticeably darkened. "...Unfortunately, there are indeed parents out there that are terrible disappointments..."
Kyoko glanced back at him, her gaze showing a hint of curiosity at his words, Akechi took notice and shook his head. "Nevermind, I shouldn't bring down the mood. Your business for wishing to attend Hope's Peak is your own, and it appears to be a case you wish to solve, despite your concerns what it might reveal, correct?" he asked, managing a smile.
Kyoko nodded, before turning her focus back on the window in front of her. "Essentially."
"Well, I do hope you find what you're looking for and it turns out for the best!" Akechi said. "If you became a Hope's Peak alumni, then I'd better solve this case if I'm to leave a mark of my own on my last year of high school, shouldn't I?" he asked, chuckling.
Kyoko nodded. "I appreciate it. I wish you luck on your endeavor, as well, Akechi-kun."
"Thank you, Kirigiri-san," Akechi heard a chime from his phone, frowning as he looked at the screen. "I apologize, I'd almost forgotten I have another TV appearance regarding the Medjed situation... still, I've got time and the studio's not far. Why don't get both get our mind off such matters and see the rest of the exhibit?" he asked, pocketing his phone. "...I'd hate to have brought you out here only having gotten to see less then half of it! If it's a place suited for dates, it must be worth getting to experience in its entirety!"
Kyoko turned, quirking an eyebrow.
Akechi blushed lightly. "Poor choice of words. I simply meant complimenting the quality and splendor of this exhibit!" he said, laughing a little. "Anyways, let's proceed, shall we?"
Kyoko nodded and followed, feeling a warmth in her face she quickly suppressed as they continued further into the halls where more aquatic fauna waited to be seen.
Kyoko folded her umbrella as she'd arrived at Leblanc, having decided to stop by Bikkuri Boy in Shibuya for dinner and supplies at Untouchable before going home. The café had no patrons at the time, so Sojiro was taking a break as he watched the TV, cigarette in hand and Morgana curled up in one of the booth seats.
"Welcome back," the former said, glancing back at Kyoko with a small smile.
"Thank you," Kyoko said, running her hands through her damp hair. "Boss?"
"Hm?" Sojiro looked back, taking a drag of his cigarette.
"About Futaba... how's she been since...?"
Sojiro signed, lowering his cigarette. "Well, she seems back to normal... normal as she was before you and your friends met her, anyway," he said, frowning. "Is that what you wanted to know?"
"Yes. Tell her we didn't mean to scare her back there," Kyoko said
"I'll let her know, but..." Sojiro went quiet a moment. "...Look, just don't pry, alright? She sometimes eats a little, sleeps the rest of the day from what I can tell, now. Frankly, though, I'd rather not discuss it. Got plenty more going on in this country, anyway..."
Kyoko noticed Morgana now up, as much of a look of deep concern on the cat's face from where he stood as Sojiro turned up the TV.
"There has been no new response from the Phantom Thieves to Medjed, what do you make of this?" the newscaster on TV asked, prompting Kyoko and Morgana's attention and an image of the Phantom Thieves' logo dominating the screen, which then cut to Akechi, seated at the TV studio stage.
"Most likely, the Phantom Thieves simply don't have a means of confronting them," Akechi explained. "...After all, Medjed is quite different from anyone they've gone up against so far... it would seem their best option would be to reveal their identities before more people are needlessly harmed by this "cleanse" they speak of."
Kyoko sighed as she watched the news cut away. After her time spent with him at the aquarium that had been a nice break from everything before the impending trip into Futaba's Palace, it still stood that Akechi held an unfavorable opinion of the Phantom Thieves, she thought to herself as she made her way to the stairs to head to her room.
"He really hit is where it hurts, Kyoko," Morgana said, walking beside her as they reached the attic. "We're going to beat them, though! We're prepared for tomorrow, right?"
"As we'll ever be based on what we know," Kyoko said, setting her bag down which contained the things she'd bought from Untouchable. "Until Futaba can help us beat Medjed, Akechi's stance on us looks more and more reasonable."
"How did that all go, you hanging out with him again?" Morgana asked. "He share anything new about the investigation?"
"Nothing of note," Kyoko said. "We just... spent the day out at the aquarium."
"I wanna see, sometime! All those fish!" he licked his lips happily before noticing Kyoko had not moved. "Something on your mind? Is it Futaba?"
"Something else," Kyoko said, shaking her head. "Dr. Takemi was a Hope's Peak alumni... Akechi declined when he was scouted. And here I am waiting for my record to be cleared again and my detective license reinstated so I can get myself scouted just to confront my father."
"Talent seems to be seen as a big thing in your world," Morgana said, looking down at the bed covers under his paws.
"It is, society would have a hard time advancing without it," Kyoko said. "But here I am, not going because I want what I was raised for to be recognized by the country... not... entirely... but a personal matter. Takemi went because medicine was the thing she loved, she worked to become worthy so she could prove herself, then her old superior used his connections to rob her of that thanks to his own mistake."
"...Like what happened to you," Morgana said, looking at her in concern.
Kyoko scowled, remembering that fateful night and the humiliating trial that followed. Two of her biggest desires snatched away before she could even taste them. Yet Akechi had made a name for himself on his own to the point he was a celebrity despite what was known of his unfortunate beginnings, and Takemi whether she saw it or not, had rebuilt some of what she lost with the attention she now received in town as a doctor. The world she'd lived in these past months, she'd deemed, had opened her eyes to a lot she'd deemed unimportant or not paid notice to, as even Igor seemed to expect of her to "rehabilitate".
"Still, you as a Phantom Thief, her getting attention as a town doctor... and other people we've met, it proves it's not the end, right?" the cat attempted a smile.
Perhaps that was what it was, she thought, hope was another part of the rehabilitation Igor spoke of. She thought of when Yusuke had pledged to start over after the failed exhibit.
Speaking of rehabilitation...
"It's not, and we can't let it be for Futaba, either," Kyoko said at last.
"The chief says she's not had any episodes, which means her Palace's security must've gone down enough we can infiltrate," Morgana said.
"True, but her condition has worsened regardless, if she's now at a point she's losing motivation to do anything at all," Kyoko said. "It's all the more urgent we resolve this."
"You'll save her, Kyoko," Morgana said, stretching on the bed. "Futaba's Shadow... and that she contacted us to begin with, there's a part of her that wants to be saved, I know it!"
Kyoko nodded, glancing at the window. The rain outside indicated the bathhouse would be having the special again, and taking the trip out before tomorrow's plans did feel more and more like a good idea.
Taking up her phone, Kyoko typed a message to the others to meet at Leblanc tomorrow at noon before getting her things for her trip back outside for the evening.
A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry for such a long while since updates. Ever since getting off medical leave and returning to work, IRL's just been VERY hectic and tiring with work being extremely busy lately, hopefully things will settle down again, soon, though.
As for the twist on Takemi, it was something I'd had planned from the beginning hinted from Kyoko's first interaction with her. Who was interning in her past, however, that just came to mind thanks to who I included in Fenrir's Masquerade. As a sidenote, I'm very excited for P3 Reload, even if we're not getting a remaster of FEMC route.
The slow burn of Kyoko and Akechi remains one of my favorite things to write. Neither are particularly good or experienced in such interaction and being people used to keeping others at arms length I love developing their interactions... and makes all that will transpire later hit oh so much harder...
0 - The Fool: Rank 6
I - The Magician: Rank 6
II - The Priestess: Rank 3
IV - The Emperor: Rank 3
V - The Hierophant: Rank 4
VI - The Lovers: Rank 7
VII - The Chariot: Rank 9
VIII - Justice: Rank 3
X - Fortune: Rank 1
XI - The Strength: Rank 3
XII - The Hanged Man: Rank 3
XIII - Death: Rank 6
XIV - Temperance: Rank 7
XV - The Devil: Rank 2
XVII - The Star: Rank 2
XVIII - The Moon: Rank 4
XIX - The Sun: Rank 4
XX - Judgement: Rank 2
1 - The Councillor: Rank 5
? - Faith: Rank 3
Kyoko's Personas: Shiisaa, Nigi Mitama, Suzaku, Flauros, High Pixie, Leanan Sidhe, Orthrus, Sandman, Phoenix, Izanagi