Heart of Justice Chapter 19
5/17
It was afternoon, school had ended or the day, and Kyoko and Ryuji had now found themselves waiting for Ann at their new hideout of the Teikyu Building Accessway of Shibuya.
"I'm so hyped," Ryuji remarked as he guzzled down a soda he'd bought. "Finally, a new, big target!" As he glanced around at the crowds of people, though, he started to frown a little. "Still, this place ain't exactly private."
"Considering the Student President has closed off access to the rooftop, and has been hounding us ever since, a public place was our best option," Kyoko replied.
"Yeah, good point. Did Mishima tell ya anything about what she asked him?" Ryuji asked, recalling when they spotted her talking to him after school.
"Not a whole lot, apparently," said Kyoko. "Mostly about the Phansite because she suspected he was behind it, and if he was, that meant he knew who the Phantom Thieves were. He swears he didn't tell her anything about us and denied having anything to do with the site."
"Heh, good to know he's got a pair!" Ryuji said with a laugh.
Kyoko gave a nod. "Yes, that's a way to put it, I suppose. He assured me he'd never sell out the people who saved him from Kamoshida and expulsion. She seemed rather annoyed but didn't press the matter."
Ryuji smirked. "Guess he's not so bad. Just kinda wish I coulda seen the look on Miss Uptight's face when he blew her off!"
Kyoko couldn't help but smile a little in amusement at Ryuji's choice of words. "Still, it's a relief we have nothing to worry about from him."
"Be that as it may," Morgana said, poking his face through Kyoko's school bag, "...seems she's not giving up any time soon. If she's still suspicious of us, coming here was a good choice as she'd probably expect to find us somewhere more quiet, private, and closer to school then this."
"Hidin' in plain sight, eh?" Ryuji asked. "Damn, didn't think about it that way. Guess our spot by the vending machines at school would be the first place she'd look."
"Exactly. It's probably best we aren't there too frequently," Morgana replied.
"Still, we should occasionally spend time around eachother at school," Kyoko said. "If we were to suddenly stop meeting up there altogether, she'll only grow more suspicious and look for us even harder. We'll coordinate our times and where we meet from now on."
Ryuji gave a nod. "And in the meantime, with Ann havin' that modelin' thing for Yusuke set up today, we can dig up dirt on Madarame!" the boy paused and looked at his phone. "Jeez, speakin' of Ann, what's takin' her?"
"Right here! Sorry!" Ann shouted, rushing over to join the group. "I was thinking about some stuff and I guess I sorta lost track of time!"
"Thinkin' about what?" Ryuji asked.
"About what's keeping Kitagawa-kun there," Ann replied. "Don't you think maybe he's protecting Madarame? I mean, they live together, and it's been since he was a child, so he'd have to know about Madarame's true nature and what happened with his other pupils, right?"
"Plus, there's his reaction to the painting you looked at during the exhibit," Kyoko said. "You said he seemed unhappy, and with the likelihood that it was his, I hardly suspect it's his own dissatisfaction with its quality."
"That'd mean Madarame's doing the same thing to him that the Palace showed us he did with all his other pupils, and it goes in line with the post on the Phansite," Ann replied. "...And he's still protecting him."
"It's why we're gonna check it out!" Ryuji said. "Ready to be a model?"
"Um... yeah... I'm... prepared," Ann said hesitantly.
"Something wrong?" Kyoko asked, raising her eyebrow. "We'll be with you the whole time."
"Yeah, if that guy gets any ideas, Lady Ann, I'll scratch him up good!" Morgana declared.
"Thanks, I guess," Ann said, still clearly a little uneased. "...At least he seemed really happy I agreed so fast, but I guess we should wait till after he's finished drawing me, that way he might open up to us more."
"Well, we'd better get goin' so we're not keepin' him waitin'." Ryuji said, the group then heading down to the subway stations.
"...I thought it would just be you coming, Takamaki-san," he said after wordlessly escorting them inside to his studio room when he'd discovered Ann was not alone when her friends had shown up with her cut his greeting short. Kyoko noted the studio had a noticeably worn, rolled up futon in the corner, but little else in the way of personal comforts. Everything else in the room purely fell into the realm of art supplies: Canvas rolls, easels, frames of various sizes, and a counter that seemed to have nearly every last trace of its surface occupied with cans of brushes, empty bowls, and containers for a variety of colors and bases, and a few wooden stools to sit on in the corner.
"...Well, wouldn't you feel nervous too if it was only the two of us?" Ann asked, looking away nervously.
"We're just here to keep an eye on you, so don't try anything perverted, alright?" the boy, who'd introduced himself as Ryuji when they'd arrived, said as he and Kyoko sat down in two of the wood stools.
The dark-haired boy let out an exasperated sigh. "Stop making such odd assumptions. I have absolutely no interest in her as someone of the opposite sex," he said, making his irritation all the more clear as he looked over at Ann's two companions he'd been growing more and more familiar with against his wishes for this project. The boy, Ryuji, in his opinion, was insufferable in how crass, loud, and quick to assumptions he was, and clearly was getting some degree of amusement out of Yusuke's frustration. The other girl, who'd introduced herself as Kyoko, was another matter entirely... she was rather quiet and had an incredibly mysterious air about her, choosing to observe rather then interact. Yusuke could never feel certain what she was thinking unless she voiced it, and when she did her gaze was always like an eagles, as though going right through him that just stood out from her impassive frown and otherwise fair, ethereal appearance that sharply contrasted Ann's more vibrant, exotic one. Perhaps such a contrast, like fire beside ice, was not something he should allow to go to waste, and Yusuke stored away the possibility of, if all went well with his current project, requesting an attempt to capture Kyoko's mystique on his canvas as well should they meet again.
On the note of Ann, herself, she blinked in surprise at Yusuke's statement, tilting her head in confusion.
"...Is there a problem?" Yusuke asked, unsure if he had offended her somehow. Did she value approval and worth from sexual attraction directed towards rather then the bright, powerful spirt that expressed itself through her, bringing such life to her brilliant azure eyes and statuesque form and producing a sort of beauty he felt deserved to be immortalized? It seemed, however, she could not give him an answer to that as she just shook her head.
"Very well, then, let's get started!" Yusuke stated, "Give me a pose that feels natural to you, so I may capture this fully."
"Umm... okay, I'll try," Ann said, sitting down on a leather stool and crossing her legs, resting her left hand on her lap and her chin in her palm. Yusuke, in return, positioned himself on his own wooden stool by his canvas, looking towards her and holding out his pencil and studying her position carefully before setting to work.
"Um, Kitagawa-kun?" Ann asked, suddenly, but got no response.
"Hello?" she asked again, but once more Yusuke gave no answer, his gaze fixed firmly on his canvas as he sketched.
"Hey, can you hear her?" Ryuji asked, a little louder and a bit annoyed, but having no better luck getting an answer then Ann did.
"He's remarkably focused," Kyoko said, folding her arms as she watched him work.
"Tell me about it," Ryuji whispered. "I don't think he even knows we're here anymore!"
"This isn't what we planned!" Morgana protested, poking his head out of Kyoko's schoolbag. "We were gonna try and catch him off-guard and make him spill about Madarame weren't we?!"
"We certainly can but I doubt any method of doing so will come with any cooperation from him," Kyoko replied.
"Guess we just gotta wait till he's done, then," Ryuji said, taking out a manga from his schoolbag. "What an effin' pain in the ass, I tell ya..."
"You two stay here, I'm gonna scout around a bit," said Morgana, climbing out of Kyoko's bag, "There may be a clue in this place that can prove what we saw, something Yusuke won't be able to deny about Madarame..."
Kyoko answered with a nod as she watched Yusuke continue to work, and Morgana immediately made his way out the room, Yusuke seeming to take no notice of him as he disappeared around the corner.
Morgana's search did not take long to yield potential results, however, as he turned another corner and his eyes caught notice of one particular door at the end of an especially long hallway that stood out completely to the point it looked absolutely out of place in such a simple and barely furnished shack.
"Weird," the cat mused as he came closer to examine it. By contrast to the rather plain design and features of the rest of the shack, the door looked incredibly gaudy like it would have belonged in the Palace in the metaverse rather then here, with a lustrous gold frame surrounding its cobalt blue coloration and an intricately painted design of a peacock with its tail feathers fanned out to cover much of the door's front decorating its surface with an almost equally metallic sheen. "...Why is this door so flashy-looking?"
Morgana's gaze also took note of a hefty golden padlock set in place on it to prevent the door from being opened. "Very weird... why would it be locked like that?" he wondered aloud, "...A door like this, with such a hefty lock... what could Madarame have in there...?"
Yusuke's defeated sigh quickly seized the attention of the nodding off Ryuji and Kyoko. Even Ann looked like she was getting weary from holding her pose for what seemed like forever.
"It's no use!" Yusuke snapped in frustration, glaring at his sketch angrily. Kyoko tilted her head and craned her neck to get a better look, noticing it had experienced many attempts of erasing and correcting.
"Is it me?" Ann asked apologetically. "I'm sorry..."
"No, it's not that at all," Yusuke explained, his tone now defeated and just as apologetic. "I'm having trouble staying focused today," the boy shook his head, digging his fingers into his hair as he leaned forward in frustration. "I'm so sorry, we can resume this another time."
"Oh, HELL NO!" Ryuji shouted, rising from his chair instantly and glaring lividly down at the seated Yusuke. "You have ANY idea how many hours you made us wait?!"
"I'm sorry," Ann said, standing up as well, Kyoko standing up after. "We... had another reason for seeing you today, as well..."
"It's about these rumors regarding your sensei!" Ryuji stated.
Yusuke shook his head and immediately rose from his seat as well, his demeanor growing even more dour as he faced the three teens in front of him. "This again?!" he asked, his tone low and with a hint of rising anger.
"That painting I saw at the exhibit when you were showing me around, the one I'd come to see," Ann explained. "...You're the one who actually painted it, right?"
Yusuke looked away, his stern expression quickly fading to a look of discomfort and, by Kyoko's assertion... shame.
"Th-that's..." Yusuke stammered.
"I knew it!" Ann declared. "...And your sensei... he submitted it to the gallery under his name, didn't he... and no one knows that it's actually yours, right?"
Yusuke didn't respond, but Kyoko noticed his hands tremble ever slightly as the boy struggled to keep his composure.
"It was wrong of him and you know this, don't you?" Kyoko asked, folding her arms. "...And by my deductions he's been doing this for quite some time, both with you and other pupils, but you refuse to confront him about it or speak out..."
Yusuke immediately turned away completely, clenching his hands, his shoulders now trembling as well as he lowered his head. "N-no..." he stammered.
"C'mon, man! Your sensei is seriously messed up! He just thinks of his pupils as tools!" Ryuji snapped. "That's why he doesn't give a damn whether he steals their work or physically abuses them!"
"...Stop..." Yusuke hissed through his teeth, still facing away from them.
"It's no use hidin' it!" Ryuji protested, taking a step closer as Yusuke finally turned around, a despondent look on his face.
"I... h-have no idea what you're talking about!" Yusuke said, letting out a bitter, forced laugh.
"...You're afraid to go against him, aren't you?" Ann asked, a sympathetic frown on her face as she, too, stepped closer. "I'm sure we can help, though..."
"Stop it, right now," Yusuke said, his tone regaining its firmness. "...It's just as you all say. We're... our sensei's "artwork", but understand this: I willingly offered my ideas to Sensei myself! As such, it can't possibly be called plagiarism!"
"But..." Ann began, Yusuke gently raised his hand in request to continue.
"...Sensei is suffering artists' block right now," Yusuke explained.
"But still!" Ryuji protested. "Why the hell're you still stickin' around?! All his other pupils, the ones he didn't personally kick out, ran away! Aren't you the only one left?"
"I told you, Sensei is suffering from artist's block!" Yusuke snapped, now completely livid as he glared back at Ryuji. "With his reputation and status, the art world demands new work from him at a great pace! Should he not be able to do so, for any reason, do you know what that would do to both?! What's wrong with a pupil wanting to help his sensei?!"
"Kitagawa-kun..." Ann's eyes were full of concern as she spoke cautiously.
"Understand, there are no victims, here!" Yusuke said sternly. "Stop pushing your self-centered righteousness on me!"
"What about his other pupils?" Kyoko asked, glaring at him critically. "The ones that are no longer here?"
Yusuke paused a moment, struggling to find a response. "Th-they... all left on their own. They were... selfish... rejecting Sensei's... teachings and leaving when they... grew dissatisfied." The boy shook his head. "...But myself? I am supporting Sensei as his pupil! Where's the wrong in that?"
Before anyone could respond, Yusuke sat himself back down on his work stool, staring down at the floor. "Don't ever come here again... if you do, I'll sue you for causing a disturbance," he said, his tone low but not looking up at them.
"Hey! We're not done talkin' here!" Ryuji protested angrily, clenching his fist.
"Then you'll leave me with no choice," Yusuke replied sharply, taking his phone from his pocket. "I'm reporting you to the police. I asked Takamaki-san to model for me. I don't recall ever inviting you two here, but for Takamaki-san's sake I was willing to be tolerant... yet now you have more then worn out what welcome I was willing to concede to you with such slander!"
"Hey, calm down, alright!" Ann said, holding her hand out to Ryuji and Yusuke. "Both of you, please."
"Very well, I won't report you," Yusuke said, slowly putting his phone back in his pocket. "...But only on one condition..."
"And what's that?" Ann asked, eager to diffuse the situation as much as she could.
"I want you to continue to be my model, Takamaki-san," Yusuke replied. "It wasn't working out because I was... unconsciously being modest for your sake..."
"The hell you talkin' about?" Ryuji asked.
"Simple," Yusuke explained. "Takamaki, I have nothing to worry about anymore, if you are willing to bare everything to me!"
The boy clenched his fist, his expression one of earnest, and surprisingly to all before him, honest resolve and determination. "I will pour my heart and soul into creating the best nude painting ever made!"
Even Kyoko was left completely dumbstruck by the boy's proposition as both her and Ryuji's mouths were now open, their eyes noticeably wider in shock.
"NUDE?!" Ann cried out, recoiling in horror and disgust.
"It's incredible!" Yusuke stated with a smile, seemingly lost in thought and speaking to himself. "To think, I'd be able to create a nude painting with my most ideal model!"
He immediately turned to face Kyoko and Ryuji, both of whom continued to stare in silent disbelief. "...Of course, you two won't be allowed in, I'll also have to ask you forget about our discussion today, as well..."
"But... NUDE?! As in without ANY clothes?! Why... HOW did it escalate to that?!" Ann protested, her face now turning completely red in embarrassment.
"Because those are my terms," Yusuke replied matter-of-factly with a proud smirk. "Sensei will be out all afternoon during the art exhibit, so I can use this place freely and you needn't worry about anyone seeing you, if that's what you're concerned about. I'll be happy to make time, whenever you're free for it, so long as it's before the exhibit ends, of course!"
"Are you serious?" Kyoko snapped, finally finding her words.
"E-excuse me?" Yusuke asked, shocked and looking at the other girl, who now once more had her arms folded, her already piercing gaze now looking noticeably more dangerous.
"You honestly find nothing wrong with this?!" the young detective asked, her tone noticeably more sharp now as she began to approach until she was right in front of the boy, Ann and Ryuji staring at her in concern. Instinctively Yusuke stepped back. "...You're blackmailing her into exposing herself in front of you for some art project, under threat of arrest?"
Yusuke seemed to deflate a little, a guilty frown slowly forming on his face. "...Please understand, if I... if I don't submit a new piece to Sensei soon... there will be... inconveniences," he explained, his voice shaking with fear, though by Kyoko's observation it did not seem to be of her. Still, Kyoko persisted.
"...Understand she was one of the victims of the Kamoshida scandal that's been all over the news, Kitagawa," Kyoko explained, her tone cold as ice and her glare equally so. "...That was less then a month ago. Do you still feel like taking advantage of her, now?"
Yusuke was silent, staring down at the floor and feeling the girl's glare on him like knives slowly driving themselves into his body as he slowly turned away to face the counter. "Very well..." he said softly, his hands slowly gripping the counter.
Ann looked at Yusuke with a hint of relief, but also uncertain of what to do or say. Yusuke seemed to feel her eyes on him as well, as he then addressed her.
"...Forgive me, Takamaki-san... for being so insensitive... the deal is off," he said, his voice quiet and devoid of emotion. "I will... think of something else to submit to Sensei..."
"H-hey, you shouldn't have to be doin' this period!" Ryuji protested, but Yusuke still kept his back to them.
"...He will be back soon. Please... leave..."
Kyoko glanced back at her two friends and gave a nod, all of them gathering their bags and walking out into the hall to the front door and leaving the young artist with his thoughts, pausing only briefly at the sound of an easel hitting the floor in the room behind them.
"There you are! She done being a model?" Morgana asked, trotting up to the group as they emerged from Madarame's atelier.
"More or less," Ryuji said, running his hand through his hair. "Still, pretty smooth back there, Kyoko. Who knows what woulda happened if Ann got blackmailed into that shit!"
"Blackmailed?" Morgana asked.
"We tried to press him to tell us about the abuse and the plagiarism, and he threatened to call the police on us for trespassing if Ann didn't return to model nude for him for his new painting another day," Kyoko explained.
"He WHAT?!" Morgana screeched, his hair standing up and his claws bared. "Oh, he thinks he can do THAT to Lady Ann?! Lemme back in there, I'll show 'em!"
"It's fine, Morgana, Kyoko talked him down from it," Ann replied. "...To think he'd demand that of me, though!"
"For real though, for a moment he was really willin' to go THAT far just to appease that abusive asshole?!" Ryuji asked.
"He thinks he owes his life to him," Ann said, looking down at the pavement. "From the sound of it, Madarame's the closest thing to family Yusuke has..."
"Lemme explain somethin', from a guy whose old man was a real piece'a shit that I'm glad is gone!" Ryuji said firmly. "...That bastard Madarame is no different from Kamoshida! He's usin' Yusuke who hasn't got any parents! We can't just ignore this no matter how he feels about him!"
"We saw the Palace, and that sculpture," Kyoko explained, bringing her hand to her chin. "It's clear what Madarame will do to him as soon as he's no longer useful to him... the same thing he did to his other pupils. Kitagawa, lift debt or not, he clearly knows he's not exempt, you remember he said there'd be "inconveniences"."
"You're right, we can't leave this be," Ann replied with a nod.
"Then we're clear we gotta go after this guy!" Ryuji said. "Madarame's exactly the kinda target we've been waitin' for! We'll find a way to help Yusuke come to his senses, too."
"We still gotta look into Madarame some more, too," Morgana said. "If he's preoccupied with the exhibit, his attention won't be on us, and it'll be easier to infiltrate his Palace!"
"...And there's the whole Kitagawa-kun having wanted me to model for him thing! That thing about "inconveniences" if he doesn't submit a new piece to him," Ann wondered, looking over at Kyoko, "...You think, maybe, Madarame's planning to announce it as his next work?"
"Very likely, it'd explain the pressure he's under," Kyoko replied. "No doubt his "deadline" is right before the final day of the exhibit, often such shows conclude with the unveiling of a new masterpiece."
"Makes sense to me," Ryuji said, before his eyes suddenly went wide in shock at Ann. "...Wait, hang on! You ain't considerin' goin' back and sayin' you'll actually do it, are you?! The whole country's gonna see you nude then!"
Realization hit Ann instantly as a horrified look quickly appeared on the blonde's face.
"...Personally, I think we need an alternative," Kyoko said dryly. "...And it would seem our only option now is trust that Mishima will get back in touch with me soon on tracking down Nakanohara."
"Well he needs to hurry up on that. If we're going to stop Madarame when the attention's on him, then Madarame has to be dealt with before the exhibit ends!" Morgana explained.
"Let's meet up after school, tomorrow, then!" Ryuji said. "...But guess we'll wanna use the expressway again what with Miss President still prowlin' the campus an' all..."
"Indeed. It also suits our mission fine as it's closer to Madarame's," Kyoko replied with a nod.
"Um, hey, could I talk to you kids a sec?" a female voice asked from behind them, prompting Kyoko and the others to turn.
A young woman, perhaps in her early or mid-20s, stood before them. She had short dark hair in a bob cut topped with a pair of orange sunglasses, and rather casual wear with jeans and tennis shoes, and a white longsleeve shirt under a black t-shirt, a camera around her neck and a fanny pack with a water bottle around her waist.
"Yes?" Kyoko asked, her arms folded and regarding the woman in curiosity.
"From the looks of things, you kids really don't seem like the ordinary stalking fans," the woman said.
"I'm... not following," Ann said, running her hand through her pigtail with a look of unease on her face.
"Oh, sorry! I should have been more clear!" the woman said, flashing a big smile and putting her hand to her hip. "I was actually looking for anyone who might know Madarame's pupils!"
"Yeah? Whyzat?" Ryuji asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Glad you asked!' the woman said, smirking. "...There's this painting of his called "Sayuri", that was supposedly stolen in the past, you see. There's this rumor that the thief was one of Madarame's pupils, who took it in retaliation for being abused by him. Any chance you know anything about that?"
Kyoko glanced at the others, then at the woman. "This is news to us," she said, her tone neutral.
"I see," the woman said, clear disappointment on her face. "Well, there's no case if there's no victim, and if there's no proof of the abuse then I can't write, either."
Reaching into her pocket, the woman took out a card and handed it to Kyoko. "I apologize for taking your time. I'm a journalist, you see. If you have any leads, or know anyone who I can talk to about it, would you mind contacting me, here?"
The young detective looked over the card, noting the name and number printed on it, and gave a nod. "I will," she said, sliding it into her blazer pocket.
The woman smiled big again. "Great, thanks! Seeya then!"
Seemingly satisfied, she turned and left the three teens and Morgana to themselves once more.
"...Well, we should probably get outta here, too," Ryuji said, watching as the woman left.
"No doubt Madarame will return soon, yes. We don't need him to catch us loitering here," Kyoko replied, taking the lead as the group began to make their way back to the station.
No sooner had Kyoko returned to Leblanc when her phone began to chime, taking it from her pocket and noticing Mishima's name, the teen made her way upstairs quickly to get some privacy before she answered. "Yes?"
"Hey! Got a minute?" Mishima asked over the phone. "I got some good news!"
"What would that be?" Kyoko asked.
"Well, I contacted the poster and all, turns out your hunch was right!" Mishima said. "Anyway, he said yes, regarding that he'd share his story with you and verify whatever questions you got on Madarame and his post."
Kyoko took a moment, a little surprised it happened this fast, but it did make things a good deal easier for the group's planned mission. "Good work, Mishima."
"Thanks!" Mishima replied, Kyoko could feel his enthusiasm through the phone. "Oh, he also said it'd be easier and safer to meet and tell you guys in person, because it might complicate things if he were to post any more about Madarame online, especially with the exhibit going on and all. Is there a time and place you guys can meet up with him, tomorrow?"
Kyoko looked over at Morgana, who had been leaning in to listen, before turning her attention back to the phone in her hand. "Have him meet us at Shibuya Station after school is over. I told him to approach you, I can give him your description so he knows what to look for."
Kyoko gave it some thought. Nakanohara would know what the Phantom Thieves looked like, but with the exhibit setting a time limit they were running low on options. "...Make it so."
"You got it! Hope everything works out!" Mishima said. "I'll seeya later!"
Once Mishima hung up, Kyoko noticed the chat log had become active courtesy of posts from Ryuji, and promptly opened it.
[Hey! Just found out something really insane about Madarame!] Ryuji's first post read.
[Someone's saying a student of his offed himself when he couldn't speak up about Madarame stealing his work!]
Kyoko brought her hand to her chin as she read it. Admittedly it was only someone's hearsay, but after what they'd already seen in the Palace, it was not outside the realm of possibility.
[There was that journalist looking into Madarame as well,] Ann messaged.
[It could be real] she added.
[Someone died thanks to him, though?!] Ryuji answered.
[Gotta wonder if it's being covered up. No one else is talking about it] he added.
[Maybe Kitagawa-kun knows? It'd be great if he'd be willing to talk to us again] Ann said.
-I doubt that. Kyoko messaged. -After today I can't imagine him wanting to talk to us anymore.
[Yeah, true] Ann replied.
-That said, Mishima got back to me. Nakanohara has agreed to meet with us at Shibuya Station after school. Perhaps we can ask him about that, Kyoko messaged.
[For real? Awesome!] Ryuji responded.
[Totally!] Ann replied. [Seeya tomorrow!]
5/18
School finally over, Kyoko had gathered up her bag and made her way out of the classroom into the Shujin hallways. Ann was currently on the phone with Shiho, and said she'd be out to meet with her and Ryuji at the front gates in a few minutes. Kyoko had barely just stepped out into the hall when she heard an unwelcome voice.
"And where are you off to, Kirigiri?"
Kyoko glanced to the right, finding Makoto Niijima leaning against the wall, her arms folded as her crimson eyes met the young detective's.
"Is that any business of yours?" Kyoko asked.
"That all depends," Makoto said, her tone and expression stern as she then approached the other girl. "I saw you, Sakamoto, and Takamaki disappear from the vending machine area yesterday afternoon, when I believe you spotted me talking to Mishima, would I be correct?"
Kyoko's expression remained neutral and unreadable as she stared back at the brunette. "I have no idea what you're talking about regarding Mishima, but Ann asked us to meet her there, she had a modeling appointment and asked if we could accompany her for added support. She has been through a rather difficult time thanks to Kamoshida, and then there's her friend's road to recovery that she's still concerned about, after all," she said.
"I suppose that can't be argued with," Makoto replied, though the look on her face made it clear she was not fully convinced. "...I hope she's been seeing Dr. Maruki about that as well. It is the reason he was brought in, after all. How has she been, seeing as how you and Sakamoto seem to spend the most time with her nowadays?"
Kyoko's gaze narrowed slightly. She knew and worked with other detectives in the past, and from her experience of being interrogated for the incident that put her here, from her perspective it seemed more like the other girl was trying to bait her into letting something slip that'd ruin her alibi.
"You can ask her yourself, she's right in there," Kyoko said, brushing back her hair. "...Though if you'd take my advice, I don't think she'd respond well to you harassing her about that..."
Makoto glanced into the classroom for a moment, noticing Ann was seated and busy on her phone. "...Look, I have a student council meeting in a few minutes, Kirigiri, so if you could just-" she looked back and noticed Kyoko was already heading down the stairs at the end of the hall.
The brunette sighed in annoyance. Kirigiri's assertion about Takamaki was probably true, and Makoto wasn't about to embarrass herself by trying to chase Kirigiri down a crowded hall especially when she'd already put a decent amount of distance between them. She'd have to find another, more subtle way to confirm her suspicions about this girl, it seemed...
"Hey, is that him?" Ann asked, glancing past Kyoko, and Ryuji as they stood waiting by the trains at the Shibuya station, Morgana peering out of Kyoko's school bag. The others turned and noticed a familiar, suited man approaching them, the same man whose Shadow they had encountered on their first trip into Mementos.
"Excuse me, you're the one the Phantom Aficionado Website's administrator told me about?" he asked, looking at Kyoko. "You... match the description he gave me. Girl, Shijun uniform, long hair with a braid on the left side... and a cat...?"
"Natsuhiko Nakanohara?" Kyoko asked, approaching him.
"Yes, that's me," the man replied with a faint smile and a nod. "I believe I was... posted about on the website a while back?"
"I guess the change of heart must've worked," Ann whispered to Ryuji. "He seems pretty okay, not the stalker type."
"So, if my guess is correct, you're... planning to trigger a change of heart in Madarame, correct?" Nakanohara asked.
"That all depends on you," Kyoko replied.
"Well, in that case, I'm requesting it," Nakanohara said. "...I was indeed one of Madarame's pupils, and everything I said on that post the administrator asked me about was all true."
"So, everything about the abuse, and working his pupils like slaves to produce art that he plagiarizes," Kyoko said, bringing her hand to her chin. "I was at the exhibit, and I did notice none of the paintings there had the qualities that allow one to spot a counterfeit, but something about the technique of each style seemed different, as if they were all done by different people."
Nakanohara chuckled a little. "That's quite an eye you've got there. You one of those detectives that specializes in plagiarism and counterfeiting or something?" he asked, though his tone had a hint of sarcasm implying his question was not a serious one.
"Not exactly," Kyoko replied. "Anyway, continue."
"Well, he gave me lodging at his home, where I thought only about art," Nakanohara explained. "I genuinely wanted to become an artist... it was something I'd always been so passionate about... back then, anyway..."
Kyoko nodded. "We heard a rumor about one of his pupils committing suicide as well, do you know if there's any truth to that?"
Nakanohara was quiet a moment, looking down at the floor, frowning before giving a slow nod. "Yes... it's true. He was another pupil, multiple years my senior. Very talented man," he explained. "...Obviously, Madarame kept tabs on him. Everything he made was claimed as a "Madarame original", and in response to Madarame's actions, that senior pupil committed suicide."
Nakanohara shook his head, Kyoko glanced downward as her thumb pressed her chin, processing the man's words with what she already knew and could now confirm.
"That poor man, he must've been unable to bear seeing all the work he put his heart into being praised under Madarame's name," Nakanohara said. "When he took his life, I disobeyed Madarame's orders and left."
"And then he retaliated against you," Kyoko asserted.
"Yes," Nakanohara confirmed. "With his status in the art world, Madarame has a lot of connections there. He pressured them, blacklisting me to every one of them, told them I stole from him, and then my life... all my dreams as a painter were over. I tried turning over a new leaf by working at a ward office, but it was no use..."
"What do you mean?" Ann asked.
"This job earns me a living, but it's absolutely miserable for me," Nakanohara replied. "I never stopped being attached to art, and that attachment warped my emotions. Soon, I started getting attached to everything just to fill that empty hole in my life... and in the end that turned me into a stalker..."
"Madarame exploits people to elevate his own fame and fortunes, and then ruins them once they no longer are of use to him, or choose to defy him," Kyoko observed. "You and the other pupil are far from the first, I imagine. Nor will you be the last."
"That's why I ask again, please, change his heart," Nakanohara said. "Not only for me, but to save the life of another, a young man he still has in his grip..."
"Another? You mean Yusuke?" Ann asked.
Nakanohara nodded. "Yes, Yusuke Kitagawa... Madarame's "favorite", so to speak. He took him in as a child when his mother passed and he's exceptionally talented... a real prodigy, I think he's about your age. I take it you've met him?"
"Yes, he... wanted me to model for his new painting," Ann explained, a slight blush coming to her cheeks. "He was... a bit pushy on it. There was a painting at the exhibit that I think Madarame stole from him judging from how he acted when I walked up to it, and he said if he didn't submit a new piece to Madarame soon he'd face "inconveniences"..."
"And he thinks he's got no choice but to listen!" Ryuji said.
Nakanohara glanced over to the side, scowling. "...Figures. With that exhibit going on Madarame's probably pushing him for some kind of new masterpiece he'll claim as his own, and with his other prodigy gone, too, it seems Kitagawa's all that's left and shouldering all the work..."
"Have you spoken to him recently?" Kyoko asked.
"No, I haven't," Nakanohara replied. "Not since I left last year. Following the suicide, it was just me, Kitagawa, and one other remaining, but it seems he's gotten rid of her as well..."
Kyoko nodded. "You mentioned an "other prodigy", yes."
"I did," said Nakanohara. "...It seems he got rid of her fairly recently, maybe a month or so ago since I started seeing her around Shibuya. Actually, if you go and talk to her, she might be able to tell you more about Kitagawa. She may be a bit odd, but she'll tell you whatever else you need to know."
"I see," Kyoko replied. "Where can we find her?"
"She's probably in Central Street right now, she's usually out there in the afternoon, selling crafts and such she still makes... I'm guessing Madarame's done the same thing to her he did to me, so..." Nakanohara shook his head. "Anyway, her name's Angie Yonaga. A bit on the short side, Very light blonde hair, very tan, usually wears a yellow smock. About your age, too, actually..."
Kyoko glanced back at her friends, recalling a portrait she'd seen in the Palace that fit the girl's description and its fairly recent "completion date" it had listed. "Thank you."
Nakanohara managed a small smile and gave a nod. "I've no right to say this due to my prior cowardice, but... I think if Kitagawa can finally be free of Madarame, he'd have a bright future ahead of him, so if changing Madarame's heart will do that, then you can thank me by doing so," he said. "Please consider that when you decide what you'll do... Anyways, I need to get going."
As Nakanohara left to board one of the trains, Kyoko looked back at her friends. "Wait for me at the accessway, I'm going to go look for this other former pupil he mentioned and see if she's around..."
It didn't take long for Kyoko to spot the girl in question fitting the description Nakanohara had provided, and the portrait, as she was seated on a picnic blanket spread out on the sidewalk at one of the alleys, hair hair tied below her shoulders and wearing her yellow smock over a white dress shirt and black skirt that suggested she'd gotten out of school fairly recently as well. All around her was a variety of arts and crafts, most of them quite small and trinket-sized. Kyoko slowly approached, gazing at the girl's collection before said girl took notice of her, her large blue eyes meeting Kyoko's stare.
"H-hey, wanna buy something? I promise, I'm real good! I need the money!" the girl offered, a nervous, and rather forced smile on her face as she struggled to fight off her anxiety. "...Please! I'll even take a pint of your blood as an alternative if you don't have any! Maybe Atua will be pleased and save me then!"
Kyoko blinked, recalling how Nakanohara had described this girl as "a bit odd", and the last part certainly was unexpected. The young detective wondered if this was the result of Madarame's abuse but she suspected she'd find out soon enough.
"Very well," she replied, crouching down to get a better look at the girl's wares, her eyes resting on a small charm of some kind shaped similar to a flame. Her knowledge told her little of it, but she couldn't help but find it somewhat... cute. "I'll take this one."
The girl's smile grew wider and more genuine as she clasped her hands together. "Oh really? Nyahahaha! What a delight! Atua's blessings be upon it, he loves fire, after all! You'll never suffer a sunburn again with that on!"
Kyoko gave the girl a stare. Nakanohara's description was slowly becoming an understatement. "From a charm?"
The girl stroked her chin, looking to the side. "Well, it's supposed to, I did kinda craft it out of mahogany obsidian rock from the volcano back home," she explained. "Kinda surprised I had some left! But you know that means it won't come cheap. You're looking at a thousand yen for that one."
Kyoko blinked, the girl seemed to be completely serious about the price, and did not come off as if she were lying about the charm's chosen alloy. Considering what she was probably about to put this girl through with the conversation she'd come to have with her, she may as well play along. "I'll pay double if you can answer some questions for me..."
The girl's face lit up fast as Kyoko took out two thousand yen. "Oh, absolutely! Perhaps this is, for once, a truly a blessed day! What did you wish to ask?"
"Your name is Angie Yonaga, correct?" Kyoko asked, passing one of the thousand yen notes.
Angie nodded. "That's me!" The girl raised an eyebrow. "...Your uniform doesn't bear the Kosei emblem, how do you know me?"
Kyoko took a breath. "I'll be frank I had had ulterior motive to approach you," she explained. "...In light of the art exhibit happening right now, as I understand it, you're a pupil of the artist Ichiryusai Madarame, correct?"
In an instant, Angie's excitement faded, her expression falling with it into a deflated frown. The girl's blue gaze crept downward to her lap. "Yes... I was... once. Awhile ago," she said, her tone soft and barely above a whisper.
"Awhile ago?" Kyoko asked.
Angie nodded. "Well... after I came to Japan, and enrolled at Kosei for its fine arts division, I also became his pupil, he said with his connections he could easily get me scouted for Hope's Peak if I follow his lessons," she explained. "...I even found a rival in a student Sensei had adopted, but then... things happened..."
"What do you mean?" the young detective pressed.
"Sensei asked to borrow some of my paintings in exchange for his lessons... since obviously I could not afford them on my own," Angie continued. "...But once my artwork started to get attention, he began to claim they were all his and that I was passing off his work as my own..."
"He threw you out and blacklisted you when you tried to stand up to him," Kyoko replied.
The blonde's eyes began to water as she nodded once more, she quickly brought her hands up struggling to wipe them dry, but all it did was cause her to break into barely controlled sobs. "I-I just wanted to m-make a living doing what I love!" she wept. "...I didn't m-mean to overshadow him!"
"Just like with the senior pupil who committed suicide," Kyoko mused aloud.
"H-how do you know about that? Who sent you?!" Angie demanded, looking up at Kyoko in suspicion through her tears.
"Natsuhiko Nakanohara. He told me about Madarame, and about you," Kyoko replied, giving Angie another thousand-yen note.
Angie wiped her tears with her smock sleeve. "Nakanohara-san. Yes. He left after... that happened. Sensei would say they were both ungrateful and selfish. Then he said the same of me! Now here I am!" she said, giving a bitter laugh as she struggled to dry the rest of her tears, forcing a smile. "But why did Nakanohara-san want you to speak with me?"
"Right now as we speak Madarame is taking advantage of his last pupil, Yusuke Kitagawa, pressuring him into making an art piece for him before the exhibit's over," Kyoko said. "Unfortunately, Kitagawa refuses to speak against him, to the point he continues to outright defend Madarame and insists he's only helping his sensei."
"HA! Absurd! Yusuke-kun lies to himself about Sensei!" Angie snapped, rather suddenly and abruptly.
"In that case, can you tell me anything about him? At least the last you saw him?" Kyoko asked.
Angie's now bitter mood seemed to worsen. "As I said, Yusuke-kun and I were rivals... Then, when Sensei cast me out, I lost everything. The fine arts division of Kosei cast me out as well, people whisper about me in the halls, now. They call me a thief! Yusuke-kun didn't even defend me from Sensei, let alone try to! He just stood there, looking away as Sensei condemned me," she explained, letting out another bitter laugh. "I confronted him at school the next day, I warned him Atua would not forgive his cowardice nor his betrayal and he would face nothing but suffering from here on in, and you know what he said to me?!"
Kyoko stared, silently indicating Angie continue.
"...He said... "No more then I already am!"," Angie continued, looking down at her lap again. "...I admit, that was kinda surprising, so I asked him if living with Sensei was really so bad when he was adopted by him, and that's when he looked me in the eye and said... "I owe Sensei my life. If I could leave, I would!"..."
Kyoko brought her hand to her chin, giving a nod. "Then that confirms everything..." Sighing, the young detective took out a five-hundred yen note. "Thank you for telling me this, I'm... sorry this happened to you. I imagine it wasn't easy to share."
"...If I keep my faith and trust in Atua, then surely I shall pass his test and he shall smite Madarame, and avenge me and all others he has wronged!" Angie declared, attempting a smile again as she accepted the money. "Atua thanks you for your generosity! Come again, sometime, he appreciates your business!"
Kyoko wasn't sure how to respond. Nakanohara certainly wasn't wrong at all in describing the girl as odd, but Kyoko did feel sympathy towards her for what Madarame had done to her. She settled for giving her a polite nod before turning to leave.
"Hmm," Morgana mused, peering out of Kyoko's bag as she made her way back to the subway. "That charm you bought... she says it came from an island volcano?"
Kyoko looked at her purchase and held it up for the cat to see.
"Wow! She is pretty good!" Morgana marveled, looking the flamelike charm. "You know, if she really believes in its power, that might actually have some use in the Metaverse! Maybe we should check it out when we go into the Palace..."
"Perhaps," Kyoko replied, "...Now that we have two of Madarame's victims we identified in the Palace asking that he be brought to justice, and both confirming a suicide, I feel there's no need for further deliberation."
"Of course," Morgana said. "Let's let the others know what happened and then I say we head on in..."
"Damnit!" Ryuji snapped as Kyoko finished recounting Angie's story at the accessway. "Madarame really is a total piece of shit who preys on the weak!"
"And that Yonaga girl confirmed the suicide... that's horrible!" Ann stammered. "...And the way she described how Kitagawa-kun really feels, what if Madarame pushes him to that point as well..."
"I say we head on in there right away and give that sonovabitch what-for!" Ryuji said, gritting his teeth.
"Our first course of action, just as we did with Kamoshida, is we secure an infiltration route in the Palace," Morgana explained. "After that, we send our calling card, and once the Treasure has appeared, we steal it!"
"Ooh! Question!" Ryuji shouted suddenly. "Madarame doesn't know we're doin' stuff in his Palace, right? But our Phantom Thief outfits appeared right away. So it's like Kyoko said, like he's more cautious then Kamoshida?"
"That's probably an understatement," Kyoko said. "Judging from what he's done to his past pupils, the lengths he goes to leave them in ruin, Madarame likely doesn't trust anyone. Kamoshida was arrogant and certain he had all the right people handling any enemies he may have had for him. Madarame is more shrewd and is acting alone to cover up his crimes.
"Then this Palace may be tougher to sneak around in?" Ryuji asked.
"You learn well, Ryuji," Morgana replied, "We've barely scratched the surface, but I suspect this Palace will likely have many more security measures in place, so we'll have to be extra careful in avoiding alerting Shadows if we're going to secure our infiltration!"
"As bad as I feel for Kitagawa-kun, we'll need to be careful with him, too," Ann said. "Anything he says will likely be passed on to Madarame."
"Most likely," said Morgana, "Despite how he's being treated, he still feels indebted to Madarame enough to protect him."
"What do you suppose Madarame's treasure will be, anyway? Another crown?" Ann asked.
"I doubt that," Morgana explained. "Treasures are based on what the Ruler's distorted desires come from, so it could look like anything, but my sixth sense will know it when I see it!"
"And our time limit is when the exhibit ends, right?" Ryuji asked. "That'll be when Madarame's expectin' that new art piece from Yusuke to show off as his!"
"That'd be... on June 5th," Ann replied, looking over at her phone.
"A little over two weeks, and we don't know what we'll run into while we're in there that may force a withdraw, so let's be ready for anything," Kyoko said, leading the way to their destination and in a matter of moments, the group once more found themselves within the Metaverse and standing before the flashy, otherworldly museum of Madarame, their Phantom Thief outfits immediately materializing over them.
"After everything Madarame's done, we can't mess this up!" Panther said, glaring at the towering, golden structure that bear the man's name on its front. "...People are counting on us!"
Ace gave a nod. "Indeed. Madarame must be stopped at all costs," she said. "With any luck, once we've changed his heart and he confesses, then those he smeared will have their names cleared as well."
"What about Yusuke, though?" Skull asked. "What's gonna happen to him if Madarame goes to prison?"
"Whatever happens, I doubt it'd be anything worse then the situation he's in. He's still a victim, regardless," Ace replied, tugging her glove into place. "...We can't allow him or anyone else Madarame's already preyed on continue to suffer like this."
"Are we ready, then?" Mona asked, now back in his cartoonish anthropomorphic form. "Let's get going!"
No sooner had Ace taken a step as a flash of blue happened before her eyes.
"Our master would like a word with you, come this way," Justine said, stepping out of the blue-bathed gateway, clipboard in hand as she stared up at Ace.
The teen soon found herself falling through blue light, countless chains clearing away before she was once more in a dingy prison cell, clad in scrubs and shackles as she made her way to the door separating her from the center of the panopticon where the warden was seated. The long-nosed entity grinned at her as he drummed his fingers on his desk, Justine and Caroline standing just a few feet from the door.
"So you've come," he stated, resting his chin over his other hand. "Your rehabilitation seems to be going quite smoothly..."
Kyoko narrowed her eyes at Igor. "I suppose it can be put that way," she said. "We've found another Palace."
"Indeed," Igor replied, "...In fact, that is why I have summoned you here, now. You must be getting more and more accustomed to infiltrating them now, yes?"
If not for the shackles, Kyoko would have been folding her arms and glaring at the warden for his seemingly condescending demeanor. "I've infiltrated places before as a detective, which has been beneficial."
Igor chuckled, Kyoko wasn't sure if he considered her naïve or if he could sense her annoyance. "Regardless, you've yet to obtain a truly acceptable number of Personas. You've still only just begun to realize the power of the Wild Card, Trickster."
The warden's fingers drummed in precise succession, his wide grimace unchanging. "Let us use this as a prime opportunity to further your rehabilitation, shall we? Understand, however, this assignment will not be mandatory and can be done on your own good time. Think of it as a... test of your strength..."
"Explain," Kyoko replied, bringing her hands to the bars as Justine and Caroline approached.
"You will bring us a mask which we specify," Justine explained.
"Whichever Persona we ask for!" Caroline clarified.
"There is a Persona you may be able to find lurking within this very Palace you are infiltrating, it is called Jack Frost," Justine continued.
"Don't think we'll make it that easy, though, inmate!" Caroline snapped. "Make sure it's reasonably strong, too! One with enough power to strike multiple foes at once with its ice magic! You know the skills the Personas you carry all possess, correct?"
"I do," Kyoko replied. "You wish for me to find this Persona and return here with it?"
"Precisely!" Caroline said, smirking. "Just don't make us wait too long, inmate!"
"Carry out the requests these two assign you, and you shall be handsomely rewarded," Igor explained. "...So do try your hand at this whenever possible. Doing so will help familiarize your with the many facets of the heart that all dwell within you, and propel you to greater heights, and in turn your Personas will grant you further strength as you work towards rehabilitation."
Kyoko still felt wary of the warden, but saw little option. If following his and the twins' requests would give her more strength, then she'd comply for now and hopefully give her more insight on this place and its inhabitants, as they continued to remain carefully vague with her. It annoyed her.
"Very well."
Igor gave a deep chuckle. "Very good. Go forth, now. I have high expectations of you..."
The prison began to fade around her once more into blackness, and slowly the entrance of Madarame's museum began to materialize into view around her once more.
"Hey, Ace?" she heard Mona's voice call out to her, prompting her to turn and noting her Phantom Thief attire had returned as well.
"Were you spacing out?" Mona asked, looking at Ace in concern as he approached her. "Get with the program, alright? You're a vital member of this team, you know!"
Noticing Skull and Panther approaching as well, Ace glanced back at the faint blue light where the gateway to the Velvet Room had been before looking back at her teammates and nodding. "...Let's begin."
A/N: And thus concludes another chapter. Next time, into the Palace! Thanks everyone who's continued to stay with me!
0 - The Fool: Rank 3
I - The Magician: Rank 2
V - The Hierophant: Rank 2
VI - The Lovers: Rank 2
VII - The Chariot: Rank 3
XII - The Hanged Man: Rank 1
XIII - Death: Rank 3
XVIII - The Moon: Rank 2
1 - The Councilor: Rank 2
Kyoko's Personas: Agathion, Cait Sith, Saki Mitama, Genbu, Succubus, Berith