Heart of Justice Chapter 31
6/11
"I can't believe it! We were actually on TV yesterday... with Akechi-kun! It was like a dream come true!" the short-haired girl walking in front of Kyoko said to her friend, the girl with longer hair, both of which Kyoko remembered gossiping together a few days ago as they all made their way to school.
"Can you believe it? A high-schooler moonlighting as a Detective?" the girl's friend asked in awe. Kyoko sighed a little. "And those looks, my god he really is deserving of the term "Detective Prince"!"
"Smart AND handsome! He's almost too perfect!" the short-haired girl cried out in giddy excitement.
"And the fact we both got front-row seats!" her friend fawned. "I could almost reach out and touch him! I was so nervous getting his autograph I almost fainted!"
"The way he works that uniform, too, and never comes off like a snob! He's always so polite and courteous!" the short-haired girl replied. "He's a natural at public speaking, too! The fact he's so humble and doesn't like the media shows he doesn't do it for the fame either!"
"I hear he's an orphan who grew up poor, too!" her friend said. "That's part of what makes him so amazing, having risen to such a gorgeous star from that! He wants his last high school memory to be capturing the Phantom Thieves, so this isn't a game to him!"
Kyoko paused, her hand to her chin as she heard the first statement the girl's friend said as it quickly took her interest. Whether it was true or merely a rumor, it did intrigue her when she thought of her last interaction with him, and the cynical side he'd shown her.
Kyoko's thoughts were interrupted, however, when she felt someone bump into her from behind nearly causing her to lose balance.
"Oh! I'm so sorry! I-I wasn't watching where I was going!" a soft, polite female voice apologized behind her, causing Kyoko to turn. Standing behind her was a girl a little shorter then her, with fluffy reddish-blonde hair, wearing a lavender knitted top with purple lacing over her school uniform.
Kyoko brushed back her long hair. "No, it's fine. I shouldn't have stopped so suddenly," she said. "I was... caught up in my thoughts is all."
The other girl blushed in embarrassment, holding her school bag up to herself. "E-even still, I wish to apologize. I guess I was... doing that as well, I suppose, being lost in my thoughts," she said, bowing politely.
"As I said, it's fine," Kyoko replied, giving a faint, but reassuring smile.
"Thank you, I appreciate it!" the girl said with a smile. "...Well, I should probably get going, I don't want to be late!"
The fluffy-haired girl gave Kyoko a polite bow as she stepped around her and picked up her pace, heading to the school gates. As Kyoko watched her disappear around the corner, she thought again about what the two girls had said about Akechi. An orphan who grew up poor, he'd not given any indication of it when they'd spoken, but it was apparently fairly common knowledge, whether it was true or not. She herself had been raised in a well-to-do atmosphere in her grandfather's estate when she hadn't been abroad... she could barely remember at all when she'd lived with her parents...
A "throwaway child" her grandfather had called her. Abandoned by her father, her mother had died when she was a child and she'd been forbidden by her grandfather from being there to see her in her last moments. For a moment, she wondered...
Shaking her head, the girl quickly made her way to Shujin's gates to begin her next day at school, leaving those thoughts behind.
Once lunchtime had come around, Kyoko had found herself listening to Ryuji vent in front of the vending machine.
"Seriously, Kyoko! I was just calmin' down from everythin' then word's all over the whole goddamn school they're gonna re-air the interview from last night!" the boy protested. "AND to top it off, a buncha them are goin' along with what that detective boy said! Have these people forgotten that if it wasn't for us bein' Phantom Thieves, Kamoshida would still be effin' runnin' this place?!"
Kyoko gave no response as Ann arrived, dope-slapping Ryuji on the back of the head as she walked past him, eating her cup ramen.
"Would you keep it down, you're being way too loud," the blonde said.
"I'm inclined to agree on both ends," Kyoko said, frowning. "It is frustrating how... easily... people seem to be swayed, but at the same time with the police beginning to investigate we need to remain more discreet."
"But wouldn't it be more suspicious if we're just whisperin' to eachother?" Ryuji asked, raising an eyebrow.
"She's right, though," Morgana said, peering through an opening in Kyoko's school bag. "The police are getting involved, now."
"You think we'll be okay? If the police are looking for us, then can we still safely do this?" Ann asked, concerned.
"To be perfectly honest, it'd be a very difficult thing to prove when it's unlikely any of them have seen or know about the Metaverse," Kyoko replied, closing her eyes a moment as she let out an annoyed sigh. "Still, they may keep an extra close watch on us if they peg us as suspects."
"Even so, we can't let the cops scare us outta bein' Phantom Thieves," Ryuji said.
"...And we still don't know anything about the person in the black mask," Ann remarked.
An audible click of a phone camera. Kyoko's eyes snapped open and became a stone-cold glare as she looked past Ann and Ryuji, prompting them to turn and see Makoto Niijima standing there holding up her phone.
"...I believe we had a discussion about this, Niijima?" Kyoko asked sharply as she approached the other girl, unfortunately Makoto did not appear intimidated this time.
"Sorry, you three just sounded like you were all under a lot of stress and I was curious," the brunette replied as she responded to Kyoko's glare with a blithe smirk.
"I'd hardly consider that any of your business," Kyoko asked, folding her arms as she stood inches from the girl.
"Are you attempting to intimidate me, Kirigiri?" Makoto asked, showing a remarkable amount of confidence compared to last time they'd interacted. "You know, it's making me wonder if you have something to hide..."
"Friends aren't allowed to have private conversations?" Kyoko replied.
"it was certainly a very intense one if it was able to draw my attention," Makoto stated, her smirk unwavering. "If you have something troubling you, as Student Council President I can assure you my ears are always open to my peers' grievances."
Ann's brow furrowed noticeably at Makoto's words. "You're really that hungry for a good letter of recommendation aren't you?" she seethed, clenching her fists. "...Of course you are. Nobody would take on your annoying job if they weren't, right?"
"What are you getting at?" Makoto asked, glancing from Kyoko to Ann in curiosity.
It was now Ann's turn to approach, Makoto shifting noticeably as the blonde joined Kyoko's side.
"As you just said, you're Student Council President, after all, right?" Ann asked, glaring daggers at the other girl. "...Then surely you would have known about Kamoshida, correct?"
Makoto shook her head anxiously. "Of course not! H-he was honestly a good teacher until that day!"
Kyoko's gaze darkened noticeably. "...You're lying, Niijima," she said. "You seem pretty sharp, you can't tell me you never questioned Ann about the claims around her allegedly dating him? Or about what happened to the track team soon as he took over coaching it? Or what about all the injuries the volleyball team was sustaining? Don't try to convince me you're that oblivious to what was going on well before what Suzui did to herself."
"Of course she isn't!" Ann snapped lividly. "She's just doing what a good little Student Council President would, being the principal's gofer and always taking the teacher's side!"
Makoto clenched her fists, glaring back at Ann. "What about you? Did you do anything for her? You were closer to her then anyone else!"
"Are you now saying this wasn't your problem to address?" Kyoko asked sharply. "It seems Kamoshida had everyone who knew what he was doing either too afraid to stand up to him or too eager to gain something from him. Which one were you, Niijima, because you can't make me believe you didn't know."
Makoto instinctively stepped back, trying not to wilt under the girls' words and remembering her discussion with the principal. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out, instead she looked away, frowning, and, from Kyoko, Ryuji, and Ann's observation... ashamed.
"...Y'know, if those Phantom Thieves're out there helpin' people no one else is gonna help, I'd root for 'em, no questions asked!" Ryuji said. "...They gotta be more dependable then some people I know after all!"
Makoto turned, hiding her face from the others but still noticeably downcast. "...Just make sure you show up to your classes, alright?" she asked, her voice trembling despite her efforts as she walked away without another word.
"Kyoko?" Ann asked, turning to face the other girl as soon as Makoto was gone, a determined glare on her face. "Remember how I was worried if we'd be alright with the police investigating us? I don't care anymore. I take it back. I'd be no better then she is if I let anything scare me out of this."
"Hell yeah!" Ryuji said. "All we need's a new target, one so bad they'll have to agree we're the heroes!"
"I'm sure we'll find one," Kyoko said. The bell suddenly rang, signifying the end of lunch period. "...For now, we should return to class. The longer we stand around the more suspicion we might gain."
As the group disbanded to go back to class, Makoto had remained in place at the walkways, thinking of what Kyoko and Ann had said to her. What they'd accused her of. What Principal Kobayakawa had said and the way he'd strong-armed her at every opportunity.
"...What difference could I have made...?" she muttered weakly to herself, the memory of seeing Shiho Suzui throw herself off the roof, and seeing her prone form in the courtyard after passing in her mind once more. She wasn't even sure how she'd meant those words.
"It seems comments are truly flooding in," Yusuke observed, looking at his phone. "However, it seems the negative ones are much more prominent..."
"I suppose it's to be expected, with how the TV interview went yesterday," Kyoko asserted, folding her arms.
"Indeed. This one here describes the Phantom Thieves as "a criminal group of unknown goals that does whatever it wants in the name of justice"," Yusuke replied, reading a post on his phone. "...One of the few that aren't at least openly suspecting us of being connected to the other incidents such as the mental shutdowns and psychotic breaks..."
"Thanks to what Akechi went and said," Ryuji grumbled. "TV's got some crazy sway."
"Furthermore, someone as high-profile and successful a detective as Akechi would likely be taken at his word all the more," Kyoko replied.
"So, kinda like... don't take it the wrong way, but if like you or your gramps were to go on TV and say it?" Ryuji asked.
"Something like that, yes." Kyoko replied. "His number of successful cases he's acquired, and in so quick an amount of time, people would have no reason to doubt his judgement, least of all when we've only made ourselves publicly known so recently."
"...Well, either way, he's certainly free to deny our actions, but you're right that being cursed by his influence in the media is certainly another matter entirely," Yusuke agreed.
"And just when we were starting to get people to believe in us, too," Ann sighed.
"But all we gotta do is take down another hotshot, right?" Ryuji asked. "Like yeah, we gotta catch this black mask guy, but goin' after someone worse then Madarame's gotta at least make people start trustin' us again maybe they'll start disagreein' with him!"
"Well, do you have any ideas what kind of criminal this "hotshot" could be?" Yusuke asked, rhetorically.
Ryuji let out a sigh, shaking his head. "No, no idea. It's so irritatin' though!" he snapped. "Also, was wonderin'... what's up with the luggage?" he asked, noting the briefcase and wrapped canvas Yusuke had brought with him.
"I admit, I was curious," Kyoko stated. "I thought you'd moved into Kosei's student dormitories?"
"I did, actually," Yusuke replied. "However, I came just in time for some renovations they are doing. I was able to arrange with them to have me moved by the end of tomorrow at the earliest, but until then I won't be able to stay there. The other students will be going back home until their respective dormitories are finished."
"Where will you go, then?" Ryuji asked. "I mean there's that shack of Madarame's, but..."
"That, unfortunately, is still being investigated by the police, so it is off-limits and therefore won't be an option either," Yusuke replied. "With any luck I have enough for a hotel room, those delectable Japanese sweets were impossible to resist on the way here..."
"Well, as a member of our team, I think we need to lend a hand!" Morgana said, emerging from Kyoko's school bag.
"Well, my place is way too small, and don't even get me started on my room," Ryuji said.
"My place is outta the question. Home or not my parents would never allow me to have a boy spend the night!" Ann stated.
"Hey Kyoko, you think Boss will let him stay the night at the café?" Morgana asked. "It'd only be one night and we can't just leave a teammate with nowhere else to go, plus the cafe's close to the station."
Kyoko brought her hand to her chin as she regarded Yusuke, pondering the best way to go about a response. "...It... might require some leverage to persuade him," she said.
"I do have something I brought I'd be willing to part with as a gift," Yusuke suggested.
"Not exactly what I mean," Kyoko replied flatly.
"...What if we host a welcome party for Yusuke?" Ann offered.
"Oooh, yeah! Maybe that'll work!" Ryuji cheered. "What'll we have, though?"
"We can worry about that later," Kyoko said, before glancing over at Ann. "By my assertion, it's unlikely he'd say yes to me having a boy stay over, either, unless there is more then just him. You think you and Ryuji could work out staying over as well?"
"Yeah, it'll be just one night, after all!" Morgana said. Kyoko glanced back at the cat, suspecting his eagerness had more to do with Ann staying over.
"...Eh, if it works, I'm all for it," Ryuji said with a shrug. "Tomorrow's Sunday so no school."
"I'd be for that!" Ann said with a smile. "I've actually been kinda curious about where you're staying anyway. Maybe you can show me that bath house?"
"If that works, then I don't see why not," Kyoko replied. "That said..."
"Yeah? What's up?" asked Ryuji.
"...I've never done parties before," Kyoko replied, brushing back her hair.
She wondered what she was getting into when she saw Ann and to a lesser extent Ryuji get big smiles on their faces, while Yusuke simply regarded both in confusion.
"Welcome ba-Oh, who are they?" Sojiro glanced around at the three teenagers accompanying Kyoko as she walked in and approached the counter.
"These are... my friends," Kyoko said. "Ryuji Sakamoto, Ann Takamaki, and Yusuke Kitagawa."
"Hello! Great to meet you!" Ann said with a smile. "Kyoko's a wonderful friend, she's really helped us out, lately."
"Heh, is that so?" Sojiro asked. "Well, it's certainly nice to see you've made some friends, Kyoko." The man raised a concerned eyebrow. "Do they know about...?
Kyoko nodded, folding her arms. "They do, yes. To be frank, they've had to endure their own share of... troubles as well, and we've... been able to find support among eachother in it."
"True that," Ryuji said. "Honestly, if it wasn't for her, I don't wanna think where I'd be."
"Me either, to be honest," Yusuke said.
"Hm, seems you're getting the boys' attention despite it all, huh, Kyoko? With your looks you shouldn't be too surprised, honestly," Sojiro asked with an amused smirk. "...Better watch yourself, you might get anonymous letters in your locker at some point."
Kyoko blushed. "...It's nothing like that. They're as much my friends as Ann, here, is," she replied, brushing back her hair and giving an annoyed sigh.
"I kid, I kid," Sojiro said teasingly. "...Well, if you're friends of Kyoko and have been keeping her out of trouble, then why don'cha all sit down. This round'll be on the house." He then glanced back at Kyoko, a more serious look on his face. "However, you're going to help out, they are your guests after all..."
Kyoko silently nodded in response as she set her bag down. Given the favor she was going to ask, Kyoko assessed it was in her best interests to be on his good side.
When the coffee was finished, Kyoko having followed Sojiro's steps he'd taught her earlier, she'd poured each of her teammates a cup. Sojiro had given her an assuring look that if she'd remembered how he'd trained her, she had nothing to be worried about. Still, she maintained her neutral expression to conceal a small hint of anxiety. This was, after all, a significant step up from the types she'd simply brewed up back home when she needed to stay up.
Fortunately, it seemed her efforts had paid off.
"Wow, I've never had coffee before but this is delicious!" Ann said with a smile as she took a sip.
"Indeed, there's great depth to its acidity," Yusuke said approvingly.
"Now that I think about it, I do remember a Leblanc café being mentioned in the papers once," Ann mused as she took another sip.
"It was a long time ago," Sojiro said, scratching the back of his head sheepishly.
"Alright, for real though, gimme a taste!" Ryuji said, helping himself to Ann's cup. Right away, the boy's face scrunched as he swallowed. "Bleh! Too bitter for me! It's gotta be cruel and unusual punishment!"
"I suppose coffee isn't for everyone," Kyoko replied. "Some take to it quickly, either out of necessity or because they're curious. For others it can be an acquired taste."
"No offense but I doubt it's one I'd be "acquiring" any time soon, Kyoko," Ryuji said, taking a gulp of his soda he'd ordered.
"If you ever decide to give it another chance, try what I do and drink it with a piece of chocolate in your mouth," Kyoko said.
"Eh, that actually work?" Ryuji asked, raising an eyebrow.
"It may. I normally use it for an added amount of energy when I'm required to stay up, while also helping relax my nerves," Kyoko replied.
"I dunno, think I'll stick to this for now," Ryuji said, taking another sip of his drink.
"I didn't drink coffee as a kid, either, so don't feel too bad," Sojiro said. "Anyways, once you're all finished, you all head on upstairs. No need for you all to stay down here."
"Ooh, I'd love to see your room, Kyoko!" Ann said cheerfully as she finished her cup.
"It's... really not much, honestly," Kyoko replied, brushing her hair back.
"Uggghhh, that bitter taste just won't leave," Ryuji said, finishing his soda. "Thanks for the soda, by the way!"
"Thank you very much for the drink," Yusuke said. "...And thank you for your hospitality, sir," he added, giving a polite bow to Sojiro as he stood.
"Don't worry about it. You all seem to have helped Kyoko open up a bit, and I appreciate that," Sojiro said, turning and giving Kyoko a reassuring smile. "You head along. I'll take care of the dishes."
"I appreciate it, thank you," Kyoko said, returning a faint smile of her own. "Up these stairs," she said, taking her bag containing Morgana with her as she led the others up the stairs while Sojiro began filling the sink.
"Hmmm, I dunno where to begin on this room," Ryuji said, looking around the attic. "I mean, it's cleaner then my room, but it's kinda... I dunno... what's the word?"
"Sparse, perhaps?" Yusuke asked. "It seems quite ordinary. Minor furnishings but with the exception of the house plant and the plush rabbit on the shelf the personal touches are practically non-existent," he observed.
"I did say it wasn't much," Kyoko said, folding her arms.
"Still, the smell from the café gives it a nice, relaxing feeling," Ann remarked. "That said, we're gonna need to pick up where we left off," she said with a smirk as she noted the bunny plush. "A girl's room deserves a lot more touches to it no matter where it is!"
"That said, on closer inspection," Yusuke said. "The way it's organized, and how everything is arranged still gives it a personal feel. One's living space should always have that."
"My room back home was nothing remarkable," Kyoko said as she leaned against the wall, arms still folded.
"But ain't the Kirigiris pretty well-off?" Ryuji asked.
"My grandfather felt I had no need for anything that didn't benefit my development as a detective, so aside from references, study books, and basic furnishings necessary for work or a living space, there was nothing that you might associate with luxuries," Kyoko replied.
"Hm," Yusuke looked down a moment. "...Madarame wasn't so different with me in that regard, admittedly. He wanted me to focus only on art. Worldly pleasures and luxuries were considered a distraction from refining my craft. Of course, I suppose now I know why he had me live that way..."
Kyoko's neutral expression wavered, her impassive frown deepening slightly. "...I had an obligation my father chose to abandon."
"Honestly, it feels like you both missed out on some things," Ann remarked, concerned.
Kyoko gave no response. Ann's statement had made her think about when she'd last spent time with her, as well as when she'd had Kawakami over. She noticed Ryuji's concerned look as well, by her assertion he likely was thinking about the brief argument they'd had at the TV station.
Yusuke, however, chose to break the tense silence, perhaps intentionally, as he looked at his phone. "...Hm, it seems we're all over the news," he said.
"What're they saying?" Ann asked, sitting down on the couch.
"To put it plainly," Yusuke said, scrolling on his phone, "...Even those who previously believed in us are being influenced by what was said on TV."
"All thanks to what effin' Akechi had to go and say!" Ryuji grumbled tensely. "Kyoko, I'm tryin' to get what you said about how he'd see us, I am, really, but sayin' that stuff on national TV, LOOK WHAT IT'S DONE TO US IN JUST ONE DAMN DAY!"
"Keep it down," Yusuke said sternly.
"We already know the steps we need to take to overcome this," Kyoko said, frowning.
"I looked on Mishima's Phansite, but there ain't anythin' good on there," Ryuji said, sighing. "It's like all just people wantin' changes of heart for petty reasons an' stuff you could handle yourself."
"...Furthermore, even with the Phansite, our sphere of awareness is limited no matter how you put it. A truly dangerous target that'd put our name all over the news again isn't going to be out in the open twirling a mustache while committing crimes like some children's show villain or the police would deal with them readily," Kyoko explained. "...They'd either have people willingly covering up their activities like Kamoshida, or be effective at concealing them like Madarame... people who the police wouldn't be able to handle that has required our touch in the first place."
"So, we'd need to investigate anything out of the ordinary," Ann said.
"I have had the rumors about Shibuya growing more dangerous on my mind," Kyoko said. "But we'd need more information on the nature of the crimes, and, of course, the identity of a leader orchestrating them to have a target for us to go after."
"Then why not go out and investigate the area then?" Ryuji asked. "Maybe we'll run into some shady type connected to it? A gang leader causin' trouble in a busy area like Shibuya would be a helluva target!"
"Absolutely not," Kyoko replied sharply. "We're not the police, so we won't get anything approaching random strangers, and it could also put us at risk if we don't know what to look for. A group of high school students snooping around so aimlessly would only get their attention and even being out there could become more dangerous for us. If this is an organized criminal gang causing this, then the consequences of carelessness would be far worse then that of what we faced from Kamoshida and Madarame."
"They could just suddenly jump us on the way to or from school, then, if they know who to look for," Ann sighed, frowning.
"Furthermore, it may also attract unwanted attention from the police who are actively looking for the Phantom Thieves. We'd need more information to make our investigation both quick and discreet," Kyoko replied.
"Then we just gotta sit tight till something we can use to our advantage comes up?" Ann asked.
"Damnit, then there's no way we're gonna prove Akechi wrong any time soon!" Ryuji protested.
A loud, reverberating grumble, loud enough for everyone in the attic to hear, suddenly made itself known. Even Kyoko looked rather put off as she gazed over at its source.
"...Sorry. I haven't had a proper meal since yesterday," Yusuke said apologetically.
"That reminds me!" Ann said with a smile, glancing over at Yusuke and Kyoko. "You two have never experienced any kind of party? Well I'd say we get on with that, already!"
"You're certainly enthusiastic on the matter," Kyoko said, glancing over at the blonde.
"Why wouldn't I be? This'll be a new experience for you both!" Ann said with a giggle. "And hey, there's even a portable stove up here!" she added, pointing to a corner where several miscellaneous things had been tucked away to make space for Kyoko's room. "We could make hot pot with it!"
"That sounds great! I've overheard something about eating hotpot brings people closer together when we were out and about!" Morgana said eagerly.
"Hey, so long as it's got meat, that's fine by me!" Ryuji said with a grin, clearly invested in the idea, now, as well.
Yusuke folded his arms, chuckling in approval. "In that case, I ask we finish it off with porridge. Extra parsley, of course."
"So, whaddya say, Kyoko?" Ann asked with a smile.
Kyoko glanced away a moment. "I've never had it before, admittedly. That said..." She brushed back her hair, giving her friends a small smile. "...I'd like to give it a try. It may prove an interesting experience for me. What goes into it, exactly?"
Ryuji chuckled. "Well, well! Somethin' Miss Detective isn't a total expert on, huh?" he asked, grinning wider. "...Well, for starters, it's gotta have protein and that means meat, so my vote's on beef!"
"Gotta have vegetables, too," Ann said. "A mixed bag of them should do the trick. Then we need some noodles. I figure rice stick noodles oughta be perfect!"
"There's a food market right near here, actually! We can pick up our ingredients there!" Morgana said excitedly.
"Well, since we got the experience on what goes into one, just leave buying ingredients to Ryuji and I," Ann said. "Kyoko, you think there'd be a large pot we can borrow downstairs?"
"There should be," Kyoko said with a nod. "I know he uses them to make curry, I imagine he'd have a spare one we could use."
"Great! We'll leave that up to you, then!" Ann asked.
"I'll come with you, I should have enough left to help on ingredients," Yusuke said. "Perhaps ginko nuts and wonton wrappers..."
"You know how to cook?" Ryuji asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Of course. Madarame did see to it I knew how to prepare his meals, after all, and I have a copy of Teruteru Hanamura's cookbook to help me now that I'm on my own," Yusuke said. "...You can leave the actual preparation to me. It's the least I can do, after all."
"Perfect! That settles it!" Ann said. "Seeya soon, you two!" Ann said with a wave to Kyoko and Morgana as she led Ryuji and Yusuke downstairs.
"Personally, I can't wait!" Morgana said excitedly. "Are you excited as I am, Kyoko?"
The girl folded her arms again, looking out the window. "I am... intrigued, yes," she said. This was already feeling like new territory to her, not like the dining after Kamoshida had been dealt with. It felt more down to earth, having it here and away from those who might judge her and her new friends. Then there was the fact she'd never had hot pot before.
"Well, tonight is about celebrating! Let's forget about what Akechi and the news are saying for now, alright?" the cat asked. "In the meantime, let's ask Boss for that spare pot we can use."
With a nod, Kyoko headed downstairs, where she found Sojiro finishing on washing up the dishes from the coffee earlier. "Hey, I heard about how you were planning on making hot pot for dinner?" he asked. "Your friend, Ann, was it? She mentioned it."
"Yes, that is the plan... would you like to join us?" Kyoko asked.
"Don't you know how busy I am?" Sojiro said, chuckling. "I appreciate the offer but you kids oughta have your fun. Especially you."
Kyoko blinked. "What do you mean?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Sojiro asked. "Learn to relax a little for a change. Also, she mentioned your friend doesn't have anywhere to go for the night, and asked if I'd be alright with him staying."
Kyoko raised an eyebrow. It seemed Ann had gone out of her way to handle this for her.
"I guess she felt bad about having you ask if you're already freeloading," Sojiro said with an amused smirk as he folded his arms. "Obviously, I can't let a girl be here alone overnight with a boy, can I? Still, I was willing to accept provided everyone stay the night and you guys behave and stay upstairs when you're all here."
"Fair enough," Kyoko replied with a nod. "We just need a spare cooking pot for our dinner, do you have one we can use?"
"Of course, should be one in the bottom cabinet near the refrigerator in the back," Sojiro replied.
Heading to the supplies, Kyoko crouched down and checked the lower cabinets, and sure enough there sat an old earthenware vessel. By her observation, it was likely what he'd referred to, and should be large enough to be suited for the job of making a meal for four plus Morgana.
"This it?" she asked, removing it from the cabinet and holding it as she stood back up.
"Yeah, that's the one," Sojiro said, glancing over and giving an approving nod. "That oughta work perfectly with that portable stove you've got upstairs."
"Thank you. I appreciate it," Kyoko replied, giving a small smile.
"Just be careful with the fire, alright? And remember, relax and have fun," Sojiro said, giving a warm smirk back as he returned his attention to the dishes.
Kyoko gave a silent, if somewhat uncertain nod before heading back upstairs to get ready and wait for the others to return.
At the modest but well-furnished apartment that was the Niijima home, however, things were anything but relaxing. Makoto had since finished her homework and dinner was ready by the time her sister had come home, but she had been unable to get a single word out of her even when she'd welcomed her back.
Tall, refined, and still wearing her business suit from work, her almost silvery mane down her shoulders and her sharp, crimson eyes fixed on the television as she ate her rice, Sae Niijima sat in silence across from her younger sister at the dinner table. It brought a level of tension Makoto could practically feel even from the other side of the table.
Attempting to divert her attention from it, the brunette attempted to turn her focus on the TV as well, which was now replaying the interview with the teen detective Goro Akechi from yesterday.
"This seems a bit bland," Sae remarked, putting down her rice bowl and finally speaking for the first time since she'd gotten home. "...Still, I'm relieved. A lot's happened but it seems your grades haven't dropped despite all of it."
"Oh, school's been going fine, actually!" Makoto said, managing a smile and relieved as well, though rather to see her sister seeming to finally relax a little after the cold reception she'd gotten when she'd arrived home. "Honestly, though, I'm more worried about you, Sis... are you tired? You might be lacking sodium."
"Do I seem so?" the elder Niijima asked, looking at her and frowning. Makoto had noticed the eyeshadow Sae had used, which even then did little to hide the dark circles starting to form.
"...Still, hypothetically speaking, if these Phantom Thieves are in fact real," Akechi said on the interview playing on TV, folding his arms and gazing at the announcers, "...I believe they should be tried in a court of law..."
Makoto turned to the TV, watching intently as the interview continued. Sae, meanwhile, seemed to turn her attention back to her food.
"That's... quite a statement!" the male announcer on the interview replied, "Do you feel they're committing any crimes? Some people even say the Phantom Thieves are actually helping their targets abandon their evil ways."
"Considering the severity of the crimes committed by Madarame, as well as those of Suguru Kamoshida, whom we remember was also supposedly targeted by these Phantom Thieves, was exposed as guilty of a number of scandals as well," the female announcer added as well.
"Make no mistake, the crimes of both Madarame and Kamoshida were truly unforgivable!" Akechi responded, a stern glare on his face as he spoke, "...However, taking the law into one's own hands to judge them is far from justice, and more importantly... forcefully changing one's heart is another matter that comes into question as well..."
Makoto took both the announcers' and Akechi's words in. She felt her stomach tie in knots as she remembered her earlier conversation with Ann, Ryuji, and Kyoko at school, and the guilt she felt from what had happened to Shiho Suzui. The brunette suddenly felt her appetite start to wane as she thought about her. Shiho throwing herself from the rooftop because nothing stopped Kamoshida from doing something horrible and unforgivable to her, and no one would make him pay for it. No one, until...
"...Is it... really a crime to change someone's heart?" she wondered aloud.
Sae looked over at her, having overheard her sister's words. "Depending on the means, yes. He's absolutely right." she replied.
"Even if it made someone... someone who otherwise might never get caught... confess to their evil deeds, and helps them pay for their crimes?" Makoto asked.
"...Why the sudden interest?" Sae asked, raising an eyebrow at her sister.
"I-it's nothing," Makoto said softly, hoping she'd drop the matter.
"You believe these "allies of justice" exist?" her sister asked, her tone growing more stern, as if judging her.
"Of course not," Makoto said hastily, shaking her head, feeling as though she were getting smaller under her sister's gaze from across the table.
"You don't need to think about such unnecessary things," Sae replied. "You understand what I'm trying to say, right?"
"Study hard and go to a prestigious college," Makoto replied with a knowing nod. "...I haven't forgotten."
"Normally people expect you to find a husband who'll be able to provide for you, but that isn't guaranteed to happen. Regardless, it makes moving up in the world difficult as a woman," Sae explained. "...You can't do much if you don't have the authority, and I'll use every method necessary to make that happen. All you need to do is remain focused on what must be done now for your future's sake."
"I'm sorry," Makoto said softly, feeling herself wilt a little from her sister's lecture.
Sae paused as her phone rang, standing up and leaving the room as she answered, Makoto now beside herself at the dinner table with only her thoughts to keep her company.
"...What must be done," the teen mused to herself as she looked over at Akechi on the TV. "...Justice..."
...Y'know, if those Phantom Thieves're out there helpin' people no one else is gonna help, I'd root for 'em, no questions asked!
Ryuji's words played in her mind.
"...What do I want to do?" she asked herself. She'd thought about what Kyoko had said to her, and every conversation they'd had prior. That girl despite her situation seemed so driven to her goals, unlike herself. Makoto was driven but had no idea what her goals even really were.
She looked in the direction her sister had walked off to, sighing. She suddenly no longer felt certain of who she was even doing this for. Makoto could feel her appetite wane as she thought again of what had transpired thanks to her inaction, and what Kyoko had asked. Was she afraid of what Kamoshida would do if she stood up to him, or that Kobayakawa would do nothing, or did she fear what she'd lose if she did...
It made her feel even more ill the more she thought about it.
"Ohhhh man, can't eat another bite!" Ryuji groaned, sitting back in his chair and the group having just finished dinner. The café had since closed for the evening and a now-empty pot sat atop a fold-out table, while the Thieves were seated around it with Ann sitting on the sofa while Ryuji, Kyoko, and Yusuke sat in fold-out chairs with Morgana on the stool from the workbench.
"That was delicious! Lady Ann, you'll make a wonderful bride someday," Morgana said. "Also, Yusuke, thanks for giving a hand, and that book was a big help!"
"Indeed, it came out a truly exquisite meal," Yusuke said with an approving smile, before a frown slowly set in. "...Though we never made it to the porridge..."
"I appreciate it but... I feel a food coma coming on," Ann remarked. "I'm gonna just gonna... lay down a sec, alright?"
Before anyone could respond, the blonde rather clumsily slid down sideways on the sofa, barely cushioning her head in time with her arm as she closed her eyes. A second later, it was evident to the others she was out for the count.
"That was rather fast," Kyoko stated.
"Hey, trust me, eating a lotta food can do that," Ryuji said, watching the girl sleep. "Back in the day, after trainin' or a race, when the team would go out for ramen, all I'd wanna do after is crash!" he said with an amused laugh. "So, whatcha think? Pretty fun time, huh?"
Kyoko looked at the empty hot pot and gave the boy a genuine smile, less faint then usual. "It was. I appreciate you all coming and... having us do this. It was a... very pleasant experience after all we've dealt with."
"Hey, it's what friends do!" Ryuji replied with a grin. "Ain't always gotta be at theme parks n' stuff."
"It was certainly a new and enjoyable experience for myself, as well," Yusuke remarked. "...By the way, Ryuji... how do you know Ann?"
"We went to middle school together," Ryuji replied.
"What was Lady Ann like back then?" Morgana asked.
"Eh, not so different to now, honestly," Ryuji explained. "Once we got into high school we went to different classes. I got on the track team and we just sorta grew apart from there."
"She told me about that," Kyoko said with a nod.
Ryuji gave a small, but sad smile. "...Yeah, I did love track. Still, lookin' back, I don't think she had many friends, 'cept Suzui. For one she grew up overseas, and there's her looks, so the popular kids hated her and the quiet ones stayed away..."
"Regardless, she also told me she was happy for you that you'd found something you loved doing," Kyoko replied.
"Heh, really?" Ryuji asked with a small laugh. "Still, wish things coulda gone better for her, then. But I guess now that we're friends again, that's somethin'. I may miss runnin', but... I got you guys, now and we help people as Phantom Thieves... that's plenty for me!"
"So, what about you two, then?" Yusuke asked, looking at Ryuji and Kyoko. "You already know every detail of my past, it's only fair you share your stories with me."
"Alright, mine's really nothin' more then a normal story about a rotten kid, really," Ryuji explained. "My dad left when I was young. He was... a piece'a shit, really. Drank a lot. Guess him leavin' wasn't such a bad thing, but after that it was just me n' my mom. The whole thing about track, well, when I got into it, I loved it. Had a real talent for it... changed me and, well... I wanted to try and go for a track scholarship so I could make things easier for my mom."
"And what happened?" Yusuke asked, curious.
"...In the end, I screwed it all up. Turns out I'm a pretty bad son after all, huh?" Ryuji asked, shaking his head. "When I was a first-year, my mom got called out to school for me raisin' my hand at Kamoshida... after I was outta the hospital. The other teachers kept houndin' her, but she kept quiet the whole time."
The boy sighed, hanging his head. "...I'll never forget the look she had on her face... on the way home she just... k-kept apologizin' to me... for bein' a single mom n' all." Ryuji's hands tensed. "She looked like she wanted to cry... like she thought it was her fault her son messed it up by givin' that bastard exactly what he wanted."
"So that's what happened," Yusuke mused. "...I'm sorry this happened to you. They say at school everyone is equal but in reality that is a gross oversimplification."
"When it comes to gettin' labeled, Kyoko here got it worst," Ryuji said.
"Is this about her past?" Yusuke asked.
Kyoko folded her arms, but Morgana and the two boys noticed that it seemed more as if she were hugging herself given how tight it was, despite her neutral expression. "I suppose I haven't given you all the details, have I?" she asked, her tone calm yet the discomfort was there. "Very well, it's... a very long story..."
"You damn BITCH! I'll sue!"
"You're done for! You have no idea what kind of hornet's nest you just went and kicked over!"
"Cuff her!"
"Idiot child! Just what were you thinking?!"
"...What am I supposed to do?"
"Your foolish decision has already done enough to this family, Kyoko, pray it doesn't do more,"
The young detective spent the next several minutes explaining herself. Her childhood, her training under her grandfather, and her goals of being accepted into the country's most exclusive school, and moreso her real reason why... followed by that fateful night and what followed. The girl's brow furrowed noticeably as she described the man she'd come across threatening some woman, and how his lawyers had railroaded her in court and her grandfather could do nothing but send her here with the assault charge on her record having gotten her kicked out of the private school she'd been attending.
"Still pisses me off just listenin' to it!" Ryuji growled. "You got an assault charge on your record and lost everything just for that?!"
"That woman sounds quite horrible as well. She was willing to stay quiet this whole time and let this happen to you," Yusuke remarked.
Kyoko lowered her head, staring down at the table, both boys and Morgana were surprised, seeing someone so normally poker-faced as Kyoko look so... broken from thinking about it.
"I can't fault her... despite what she chose to do," she said. "I've seen many cases where a witness has been sufficiently threatened into silence, and you'd be surprised what's done to make that happen. Why put her own life in danger for some stranger, especially when the one who was threatening her was able to get his way regardless?"
"That man is exactly the kind of person whose heart we should steal!" Morgana snapped, his fur standing on edge in anger. "You have no idea who he is, either?"
Kyoko shook her head. "...I don't know. It was dark. Whoever he was, though, he was extremely well-connected. The police seemed to know him, and when I encountered him and the woman he'd said he had control over them as well. He didn't attend the trial and his name was never mentioned by his lawyers, the woman, or the police. My grandfather was also blocked from investigating despite his status, with threat of charges being put on him if he were caught conducting an independent one of his own."
"Someone with enough reach to stop even him?" Morgana asked, his ears drooping. "And you were probably shook up from getting arrested as well..."
Kyoko's gloved hands fell to her lap, clasping tightly. "My grandfather was furious with me. He told me I'd completely embarrassed him, and our family's name and reputation by acting so recklessly. He left me to stay in jail until the trial." The girl's neutral expression fell more. "...I hadn't even shown my license or anything when I confronted the man... though I hadn't brought it with me as I was merely going for a walk around the area. I just... acted in the heat of the moment without thinking, so I can't blame him for being so angry."
"Still, you bein' a detective n' all didn't matter?" Ryuji asked.
"Like I said, Ryuji," Kyoko said sternly, her form tense. "This man was very well-connected. No investigations were permitted and it took only the most minimal observation to see that the judge... everyone involved... was in favor of him right from the beginning as if he had the entire courtroom in his pocket already. That trial was little more then a formality... as if that man wanted nothing more then to humiliate me as much as possible simply because he could!"
The others looked at Kyoko in concern. Her stoic demeanor they'd become accustomed to was gone for a moment as she spoke, replaced with anger and bitterness all her skill at normally concealing her emotion couldn't hide as she brought her breathing back to normal.
"...The victim's personal information would be kept secret. Not to mention one with such connections would likely be all the more difficult for anyone to find, let alone get access to," Yusuke said. "Besides, whether this was a rigged trial or not, the courts already made their decision, didn't they?"
"Yes," Kyoko replied, closing her eyes. "I'm no stranger to the courtrooms. The justice system would no doubt rather choose to spare their image over my own. Overturning their judgement and what it has done to my record would be a lost cause even if I were able to go after him now."
"Ain't there anything that can be done?!" Ryuji asked indignantly. "That's so goddamn unfair! Not just that, but just... this whole world is SO messed up! The weak're just left to fend for themselves while rotten adults like him are just free to keep doin' whatever they want!"
"...And those in power don't do anything to help the situation," Morgana added.
"...And because of that, nothing short of serving the sentence would give me any hope of lenience," Kyoko answered. "...Before I left, my grandfather made it clear to me if I was arrested again for any reason he'd disown me entirely, I'd be a failure to our family name even worse then my father..."
Yusuke frowned, glancing down at the table a moment. "The heir to a respected family like yours, I suppose he would have expectations of you..."
"If that comes to pass, everything to the Kirigiri name, and all he spent the last decade raising me over, all dies with him as the last successor, and I would be to blame for destroying a legacy," Kyoko replied.
"Despite what's at stake, you couldn't leave criminals like Kamoshida and Madarame be?" Yusuke asked.
"Back then, I knew Kamoshida had to be stopped, so I accepted what I'd been offered... this power, to do so by any means necessary. But even after he was exposed and arrested, I had to continue. There are too many questions. Mementos, this black-masked person... and seeing what Kamoshida had done to other people, being on their level rather then observing from the outside as I would have done once," Kyoko explained, her gaze on the empty pot, and Ann's sleeping form as she remembered her first real conversation with her and what had happened to Shiho Suzui a day later. "...I can't turn my back to any injustice like that. On all fronts, I'd be ignoring the truth I swore to seek and uncover as a detective."
"I had feared what Madarame would do to me, and all I stood to lose if I defied him, both as my sensei and the man who raised me," Yusuke said. "I feared then I'd have nothing... and be nothing. Yet in the end I did defy him, and brought him to justice, something I admit I don't think I would have had the strength to do without any of you. Perhaps this means together we can fix this... this corruption that has become so ingrained in society that it allows this evil to exist, and show the world what true justice is. We'd make them come to their senses, as you did for me."
"That's right, Yusuke!" Ryuji declared, standing up from his chair immediately. "That's gotta be what our powers are for!" The boy turned his attention to Kyoko. "You're a detective, you made that vow of seeking and uncoverin' the truth? Well y'know what? This is like, the perfect chance to do that on a scale you couldn't before! Maybe not on the job, but like, in the spirit of bein' one! You get me, right?"
"...And the flashier our missions, the cooler we end up looking, which'll get more people rooting for us!" Morgana chimed in.
"Know what else? I don't give a damn what your gramps says, Kyoko! What you been doin', bustin' outright criminals like Kamoshida and Madarame and makin' people see 'em for the scumbags they are? You're doin' exactly what a detective's 'sposed to do!" Ryuji protested.
"Mmm, what're you all getting so excited about?" Ann asked, stirring from her sleep and sitting up.
Kyoko couldn't help but smile, Ryuji's and Yusuke's words having had an effect on her, as had Morgana's encouragement. "Don't mind them. They're just... reinforcing some things I suppose I needed to hear."
"Sorry, we wake ya?" Ryuji asked, frowning in embarrassment as he sat back down and looked over at the blonde.
"Nah, I've been up awhile," Ann replied.
"I take it you overheard our conversation, then?" Kyoko asked.
"Most of it, yeah," Ann said with a sheepish smile. "But still, listening to you all, it feels like I've known you all forever... maybe because we're all so similar in a lot of ways?"
"Similar, huh? I'm the only one who doesn't really fit in, then," Morgana said, his ears drooping as he looked down at the floor. "I don't have any past to look back on, no memories either..."
"-Tch!- Whaddya mean?" Ryuji asked with a grin. "We could search the whole world and we couldn't find a bigger misfit then you! Plus ain't we goin' to Mementos to get your memories back?"
"I'm sure your past will be just as troubled as ours," Yusuke said, sitting back and giving the cat an amused smile.
"We'll see about that," Morgana said, his spirits renewed as he looked around at the others.
"I feel like I've known Morgana forever, too," Ann said, looking over at the cat. "It's hard to explain, though."
"Look, I-I'm helping you all out for my sake, alright?" Morgana declared. "Don't get me wrong on that! If you all don't get stronger and we don't get more famous, investigating Mementos further will be nothing but a pipe dream!"
"Quite a turnaround for ya," Ryuji said. "One moment you're all depressed, then you're actin' all tough."
Kyoko, meanwhile, looked downward again as she found herself in thought. Ryuji coining the term misfit, the others acknowledging similarities even to herself, and the time she'd spent with her new friends, it did make looking back to her life before this seem so... lonely. Other then her grandfather and Big Sis, she'd not really had anyone, nor been close to anyone. Her training as a detective had isolated her from her peers as well, leaving her with no circle of friends like she now had, merely temporary co-workers and contacts regarding whatever her latest case was. Yet now...
"Hey, Kyoko, you alright?" Ann asked, taking notice.
"Apologies," Kyoko said, looking back up. "I was just... thinking to myself. If you overheard most of what we were talking about, I imagine you know my stance on all of this."
Ann gave a nod. "Yup, I was honestly feeling the same way, in that I want to go as far as we can with this," she said. "I want to punish those corrupt adults, and give courage to the people that get hurt by them. It's something only we can do!"
"True that!" Ryuji said with a grin.
"Being a member of the Phantom Thieves will surely help me grow, both as a person and as an artist," Yusuke said.
"Of course it will!" Morgana said. "You're all under my tutelage after all! There's nothing we can't accomplish together!"
"It may be different from how I once did things," Kyoko said, "...But like any mystery, I'll see this through to the end, and lead you there to the best of my ability."
"I think I speak for all of us when I say you have our faith in you, Kyoko!" Ann said with a smile. "Also, it's great Mr. Sakura's letting us all crash here for the evening, so I'll have to thank him again, tomorrow."
"I cannot appreciate his generosity enough," said Yusuke. "Still, I imagine it's getting rather late, now."
"Right, we should prolly turn in, soon!" Ryuji said. "How we gonna do the sleeping arrangements, though?" he asked, looking around the room.
"Ann can share the bed with me," Kyoko said. "As Yusuke is the intended guest, he can use the sofa. There should be enough spare blankets I keep folded up for the cold weather you could use make a space on the floor once we clean up, Ryuji."
"Eh, I guess that works, it's just one night n' all," Ryuji said with a shrug.
"Before we call it a night, however, I doubt I'd be able to sleep well without a bath first," Yusuke said.
"There's a bath house right across the street from here, so you can go there," Morgana offered.
"Oh! Right! I remember you telling me about that, Kyoko!" Ann said, her face lighting up as she looked over at the other girl. "Why don't we go, too?"
"I don't see why not," Kyoko replied.
"Guess I should get one, too, I'll keep Yusuke company, then," Ryuji said.
"First thing's first, though, let's get this all cleaned up," Morgana said, indicating the pile of dishes on the table that now looked slightly more daunting then before...
Ann let out a gleeful sigh of relaxation as she stretched next to Kyoko in the spacious tub of the bath house. "This is incredible, Kyoko! I already love it here!" she said, leaning back and taking in the warmth and fragrance.
"I admit, I haven't been to one until I'd come here, it certainly does help me relax," Kyoko replied.
"It's nice getting to have a friend here with me for my first time in one," Ann said. "...Hope the boys're enjoying it on their side, too."
"I'm sure they are," she said, suddenly hearing a yelp from the other side that sounded like Ryuji's voice, causing her to raise an eyebrow.
"Sooo, I'm kinda curious," Ann said, crossing her legs and looking over at the other girl. "You sure you've never... had any crushes, Kyoko?"
Kyoko responded with a slow blink to go with her usual neutral, impassive frown. "Why do you ask?"
"Just wondering," Ann replied with a shrug. "I mean, sure you've been raised to be a detective but you're still a teenage girl. You can't tell me you've never given someone a second glance and thought "Ooh, that person's kinda attractive!"?"
"I suppose I never really thought about it," Kyoko said. "It was a reason why my grandfather always saw to it I was exclusively in all-girls schools. He also made it clear he'd challenge any boy I took interest in, or took interest in me, to a fight or whatever else would drive them off."
"Wow," Ann's eyes went wide in disbelief. "That's seriously..."
She noted Kyoko's stare, and her look of shock faded to one of concern. "I know parents can be a bit protective, especially with daughters, or grand-daughter in your case, I guess... but seriously isn't that going a bit far?"
"Detective work comes first," Kyoko replied.
"Even still," Ann said. "What if there was someone you really liked, it just... I dunno... just happens by chance. Someone you know is a keeper?"
"It'd be the same way. He'd do whatever it took to make sure I never saw him again," Kyoko said sternly. "...And I'd likely receive a very serious lecture over it for disobeying him."
Kyoko paused, surprised by the hint of irritation that come out as she said those words, it seemed, however, Ann had taken notice as well.
"...Kyoko, does any of that feel fair to you?" Ann asked. "Honestly, it sounds like your whole life revolves around he wants..."
Kyoko remained silent, remembering her conversation she'd had with the others. Thoughts of when her mother died also suddenly played in her mind, and how her grandfather forbade her to see her, or even communicate with her. It was... something that never sat well with her, though she elected not to say it out loud.
Ann gently, cautiously put her hand on Kyoko's shoulder. The young detective looked back at her, surprised by the gesture and looking at the blonde's hand a moment then at her with an unreadable expression.
"...He doesn't want me to go," she said at last.
"Hm?" Ann raised an eyebrow.
"To Hope's Peak. He says the Kirigiris have no business being so out in the public eye and going there will only do that," Kyoko said. "But I... told him if I were accepted I'd go, and he told me I was foolish to think my father would ever allow me in, or even want to see me. That my father got rid of me for a reason and I'm only setting myself up for disappointment."
The blonde's concern grew. "For what it's worth, I think you're making the right choice, Kyoko. A detective's gotta find the truth, right? Isn't that why you wanna do this?"
Kyoko looked down at the water a moment. She'd thought about how she'd pictured her confrontation with her father being her scolding him for abandoning her, and now having no choice but to have her around... and then when Ann had suggested hearing his side the last time they'd spent time together.
"Perhaps," she said, choosing not to elaborate further.
"I'm sorry," Ann said. "I brought the mood down when we're supposed to be relaxing! How about... hypothetically, whaddya think of the boys? You know, Yusuke... Ryuji..."
Kyoko found herself once more in a conversation she wasn't sure how to engage in, the concept of 'girl talk' was hardly something she had any experience in, yet it was preferable to the other subject. "They're both certainly reliable friends."
Ann pouted. "Not what I meant. Like... you find 'em cute at all? Ever have any other thoughts about 'em?" she asked with a playful smirk.
"Not particularly," Kyoko replied.
"Aw, c'mon. Yusuke's a bit odd... probably because of how Madarame raised him, but he's got that tall, dark, mysterious pretty-boy thing going... bet he's got a lotta girls into him at his school!" Ann said, "...And Ryuji's... well..."
"He used to be pretty popular, I recall?" Kyoko asked.
"When he was breaking records for Shujin's track team? You better believe it!" Ann said with a giggle. "Honestly, I think that's one of the reasons I was happy for him even if we stopped talking. He was able to get past that 'problem kid' label he had before then and I think that was one of the things he was most proud of."
"It'd explain why he wants to be seen as cool or popular," Kyoko said. "Kamoshida took all that away from him."
The blonde sighed a little, looking away. "He's a good guy, though, and not even Kamoshida could take that away in the end. ...To be honest, I've always kinda..."
Kyoko could have sworn Ann's face had turned red just a little.
Almost as quickly as that silence had come, Ann quickly looked back at her again with an indignant look. "Hey, wait, you never answered me!"
"What do you mean?" Kyoko asked, confused.
"You got time to think now, right?" Ann asked. "If not Yusuke or Ryuji..." her eyes widened. "What about... um... what about Akechi? You guys seemed to get along pretty well at the studio despite it all. He even gave you his number, didn't he? Do you have any idea how many girls at school must never know that?"
"I've already deduced that concern," Kyoko replied flatly.
"You know, you manage to get him to change his mind on the Phantom Thieves and get all this solved... who knows? A dashing, big-shot ace detective like him, maybe he's the kinda guy even your grandfather can't say no to!" Ann said with a smirk.
Kyoko gave a faint, amused smile. "Don't count on it," she said. Her grandfather had explained the Kirigiri line was carefully bred for the sake of the next in line inheriting the natural talent for their family business, but his opinion of the Detective Prince was far from favorable. Still, her discussion with him had fascinated her, and she had felt flattered from how he treated her... like an equal peer or a worthy rival despite their differing perspective rather then underestimate her or dismiss her as naïve.
"...At any rate," Kyoko stated, "...If we can get to the bottom of these Shibuya incidents, and identify their leader, we may have a target that will hopefully improve our standing with the public and-"
"EEEYYYYYAAAAGHHH! IT'S FREAKIN' HOT!" Ryuji's voice suddenly screamed from the mens' side of the bath house, prompting Kyoko and Ann glanced back at the wall behind them as they heard Ryuji start yelling at someone over turning the bathwater's heat up.
The girls let out a sigh, in nearly perfect synchronicity. Ann took notice and giggled at Kyoko.
"Something tells me we should probably start wrapping this up. I don't think the boys're gonna be sticking around over there much longer!" she said.
Kyoko nodded, slowly rising from the tub to go get dressed, Ann following behind her.
The Phantom Thieves were soon situated in their designated sleeping arrangements. Ann was currently on the left side of the bed, with space for Kyoko on the right, Yusuke was laying on the couch while Ryuji had laid out some blankets on the floor next to him, Morgana meanwhile, had chosen to curl up in on the work desk.
"Oh, I just remembered, lemme show you guys the picture I took from dinner!" Ann said, taking out her phone and fiddling with it. Kyoko, who was facing away from the others as she changed her gloves, heard her phone hum.
"Hey not bad!" she heard Ryuji say, but it sounded like he was also trying to stifle a laugh, which made her curious.
"Look at all the steam!" Yusuke remarked in awe. "It adds a certain charm to the photo, as well as Kyoko's expression."
Once her gloves were on, Kyoko picked up her phone and looked at the photo to see what Yusuke was talking about.
The photo was of Ryuji, herself, and Yusuke... she recalled when Ryuji had chuckled at her being swiftly taken aback by the sudden burst of hot steam from when she'd removed the hot pot lid, and it appeared Ann's camera had gone off at just the right time to catch the startled look on her face when that had happened, prompting her to glance back at the others.
At that moment, Ryuji could hold it in no longer and burst out laughing.
"Sorry, Kyoko! Just... man, your face there is hilarious!"
"It is pretty funny, honestly. My camera really snapped the photo at the perfect time!" Ann said with a chuckle.
"Let me see, Lady Ann!" Morgana said, hopping on to the bed to look at Ann's phone, before glancing back at Kyoko and chuckling.
Kyoko stared in silence a moment, then finally cracked an amused smirk, and a faint, soft, yet amused "Hm."
"Seems Kyoko cannot deny its humor," Yusuke said with approving smile.
"I'm right here, you know," Kyoko said dryly.
"Still, that was a great dinner," Ann said, putting her phone away.
"Next time, though, I say we celebrate with sushi!" Morgana said, walking back to the end of the bed and hopping off to return to the work bench and curling back up.
"We'll see," Ann said, putting her phone away.
"I personally second the notion," Yusuke stated.
"We get this Shibuya guy, we got no reason not to go big!" Ryuji said.
"Perhaps," Kyoko said as she turned the lights off then approached the bed and climbed in, plugging in her phone nearby.
"Any chance we'll have Japanese-style breakfast in the morning?" Yusuke wondered aloud. "It needn't be exquisite. I'm fine with a simple grilled fish and miso soup."
"I'm not sure this cafe does things other then curry, to be frank," Kyoko replied. "A bowl of cereal is what I'm personally used to."
"Same here. We'll figure it out in the mornin'," Ryuji said, pulling the blanket over himself.
"G'night everyone!" Ann said, sliding further under the covers and turning to her side to face the window.
Kyoko herself settled in as well as the others soon fell asleep, taking in the evening sounds before allowing sleep to finally overcome her as well...
Kyoko felt the familiar cool, dank atmosphere before her eyes snapped open. As she'd expected when she'd felt her surroundings, she was no longer in her attic room with her friends, but now on the ragged old mattress of the prison cot of her Velvet Room cell and wearing her prison scrubs and shackles.
Standing herself up, Kyoko approached the cell door, gripping the bars and peering out past Justine and Caroline at Igor, who sat at his desk with that unnatural grin still spread across his face while drumming his fingers in a precise way.
"Hey, show some manners in the presence of our master, inmate!" Caroline protested, smacking the wall near the cell door with her baton. Kyoko glanced at the childlike guard briefly before turning her gaze back to the seated warden.
"I take it you have business with me, again?" Kyoko asked, suspicion in her tone.
"Indeed, Trickster," Igor said, his large, leering grimace unchanging as he spoke and clearly undaunted by the girl's demeanor.
"...Trickster," Kyoko muttered.
"The role you embraced at the beginning of your journey," Igor stated, "...Or do you still see yourself on the side of the "order" that betrayed you?"
Kyoko flinched, taken aback by the warden's words. She glanced down a moment at the shackles on her hands, then back at Igor. "...What's this about?"
Igor gave a deep chuckle. "My notice of the bonds you have managed to reel in. They're certainly quite intriguing," he explained. "...In other words, they're quite similar to yourself, perhaps you've noticed by now how they all appear to have been unfairly labeled by society and standing up against such ill fates. Have you noticed they seem to have influenced you, as well?"
Kyoko looked down again. "Before all this, almost everyone in my life was simply... a witness or a contact that served as a lead. Save one..."
"Do you regret that bond?" Igor inquired. "...Or, did it add, even in its brevity, a sense of meaning into your life?"
"Big Sis..." Those words, Kyoko hadn't spoken them aloud in front of another in what felt like so long. Not since the fire...
"There is no guarantee whether or not something lasts a lifetime," Igor stated. "...Perhaps that is all the more incentive for you, now." The warden gave another deep, gruff chuckle. "Did you ever imagine you'd find yourself able to form such a connection with picaresque dissidents of society once you opened your heart to them as they did to you? Continue to deepen these bonds with them, and you'll find they'll become the strength behind your rehabilitation, which I look forward to witnessing..."
The sound of a chain link shattered within the recesses of Kyoko's mind. The young detective, however, remained silent. The warden wasn't wrong, in that none of those she had connected with over the past few months were people she'd have imagined getting to know on so personal a level. Yet now, in her position she was in, it had opened her eyes more to the world in ways being a detective had not. Her grandfather did not approve of such a thing as he'd stated it'd impair her judgement, and she'd believed it, but now that seemed...
...wrong...
For a moment, she wondered what would happen when this was over, if she successfully served her probation.
She felt Igor's gaze on her, causing her to glance back at him, and the precise, unchanging pace of his finger drumming the desk.
"Be that as it may, you've progressed wonderfully, and expelled one stained in Vanity in the process, avenging the injustices he subjected many lives to," Igor stated. "I believe congratulations are an order..."
"There is another matter we need to address," Kyoko said sternly.
"Indeed, I suspect it's about that man's remarks, isn't it?" Igor asked, his gaze and his grin having a sense of knowing behind them now, "...It seems another has made their way into the Metaverse."
"Do you know who it is?" Kyoko asked, glaring at him in suspicion.
"That, I'm afraid, is beyond my knowledge," Igor stated. "You are the one whom I am observing, not this other individual."
"I suppose I can't be too surprised," Kyoko replied, giving the warden a look of annoyance.
"This individual, it would seem, has caused to much disarray in your world, and I've no doubt you will one day face this person," Igor explained. "...However, your continued growth will be your greatest asset when that time comes, and for that, allow me grant you another gift befitting that growth... as your heart has opened further, you will be able to carry more Personas within it. Use this power well, Trickster..."
The sound of another chain link suddenly shattering went off within the girl's mind. Kyoko felt a surge of power course through her, a faint light briefly emanating from her chest before she turned her attention back at the warden as a ringing was suddenly heard throughout the Velvet Room that interrupted her from asking anything else.
"Now, I believe it's almost time. Continue to grow, Trickster, and rehabilitation will one day be yours..."
Kyoko watched as the Velvet Room and its residences once more faded around her into blackness, leaving her alone with the mysteries she had yet to solve but felt hung just beyond her reach...
A/N: A new chapter at last. Thank you everyone for your comments I appreciate them all and they motivate me to keep going! Hope you all enjoyed this one! Also forgot a rank up from when she visited earlier apparently so I bumped it up to 5 on the Fool. That's my mistake :( Hopefully that'll be the last.
0 - The Fool: Rank 5
I - The Magician: Rank 3
V - The Hierophant: Rank 4
VI - The Lovers: Rank 4
VII - The Chariot: Rank 5
VIII - Justice: Rank 1
XI - The Strength: Rank 3
XII - The Hanged Man: Rank 2
XIII - Death: Rank 4
XIV - Temperance: Rank 1
XVIII - The Moon: Rank 3
XIX - The Sun: Rank 2
1 - The Councillor: Rank 4
? - Faith: Rank 2
Kyoko's Personas: Eligor, Shiisaa, Kusi Mitama, Suzaku, Jack Frost, Ame-No-Uzume, Orobas, Flauros