Heart of Justice

by ShadeJak

Teen detective Kyoko Kirigiri had strived to get into her father's school since she was a child, but one fateful night changed everything and she found herself forced to move and stuck on probation under false charges. But fate had other ideas, for her to take on the role of a trickster and topple corruption. Inspired by EpicLinkSam's P4/DR crossover fic "Nothing But The Truth"

32. A New Mission

Heart of Justice Chapter 32

6/12

"Oh, you're Sae-san's sister, correct? May I talk to you for a moment?"

Makoto Niijima paused as she'd been on her way out of the entrance exam room of the latest university she'd tested at and turned, immediately recognizing the boy that had addressed her.

"...Is it about these "Phantom Thieves", Akechi-kun?" Makoto asked, folding her arms and regarding the boy detective with a hint of impatience belying her polite tone.

Akechi, however, didn't seem to notice, or perhaps care as he gave a nod.

"You're quite perceptive!" he replied. "I was actually wondering if there were any points in common between Kamoshida and Madarame's cases. You do attend Shujin Academy, where Mr. Kamoshida taught prior to his confession and arrest, I believe?"

"...Why do you ask?" Makoto inquired. Hearing that name brought unpleasant memories of yesterday but she did her best to hide it.

"Well, there have been victims, after all, Niijima-san," Akechi said. "The Phantom Thieves must be pursued."

Makoto brought her hand to her chin in thought at the boy's words. "...So you criticize the Phantom Thieves, but don't deny their existence?"

"Ah, so you saw the interview on TV?" Akechi said, chuckling modestly. "...When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."

Makoto gave an amused smirk. "Sherlock Holmes."

Akechi nodded. "Indeed," he said, folding his arms and bringing his hand to his chin as well. "...And quite frankly, many details have become logical when I think on the premise they do exist."

Makoto regarded the boy, her amusement turning to skepticism. "...Is this... because my sister told you to do so?"

"It was just coincidence, actually," Akechi replied dismissively.

"Then why do I get the feeling you're enjoying this?" Makoto asked, still skeptical of the boy.

"You may be right," Akechi said. "Phantom Thieves that use calling cards and succeed in their crimes? As the so-called "Charismatic Detective", wouldn't it be hard for me not to see them as rivals?" he asked.

"You sure do have such high self esteem," Makoto replied, her tone now flippant as she was unsure what Akechi was trying to prove to her, or expected of her that she couldn't imagine he'd already know by this point. "You believe the Phantom Thieves are... simply evil, and you're just?"

"Compared to people who manipulate others' hearts as they see fit?" Akechi asked. "...I believe I am on the side of justice."

"You know what kind of people Kamoshida and Madarame were, though. They had countless victims," Makoto replied. "...Yet, you act like these Phantom Thieves are terrorists."

"Very true," Akechi replied. "...But while Kamoshida and Madarame are indeed terrible criminals who managed to conceal their crimes, there's still the possibility there's a connection between these incidents and the mental shutdowns and psychotic breaks," he explained. "All three are unexplained radical changes in behavior and personality. If these Phantom Thieves are responsible for them as well, then they are indeed outright terrorists. Even your sister hasn't overlooked this."

Makoto looked down at the floor a moment. It was hard to argue with Akechi's point, but based on her own suspicions and suspect pool, it didn't seem right.

"It'd be wrong of me then not to use my natural-born talents for the sake of serving the world and stopping them," Akechi continued. "Don't you think the same of yourself, Niijima-san?"

The brunette gave no answer. The thought of what her investigation had given her, versus how she felt now, and the position Kobayakawa had placed her in, had left her unsure how to answer.

The boy detective shook his head, giving Makoto a pitying look. "It's honestly rather surprising that Sae-san's sister would be such a good-girl type of pushover," he said.

Before Makoto could give an answer or even react to Akechi's remark, he took his phone out and looked it over. "Oh, my exam time's starting soon. I should get going," he said apologetically. "...Give her my regards."

Makoto didn't even look up as Akechi walked past her and down the hall behind her. Instead, she could only think of last night's argument, and the argument from yesterday, and so many others that seemed to pile up, making her feel smaller and smaller.

"Why does everyone have to get on my case?!" Makoto whimpered, hugging herself as she remained frozen in place, trying to avoid tearing up where people could see her.

The girl sighed, her hands clenching into fists. The girl paused as she heard some students walk by, talking about shady-looking guys in Shibuya that approached them on their way over. Her mind was made up, she'd resolve this tomorrow, no matter what.

---

Kyoko had finished changing into clean clothes, Yusuke was waiting downstairs while Ann and Ryuji had since headed home to change as well. It being Sunday they didn't have school to worry about, though it had also meant the day was free. As she slid her gloves on, Kyoko heard Yusuke and Sojiro talking, and glanced over at Morgana before quietly descending the stairs, her curiosity getting the better of her manners.

"It's truly a delight to enjoy coffee of this quality, Mr. Sakura, I am very grateful for you having me for the evening as well," Yusuke said, finishing his cup as he sat at the bar. "Still, I am actually looking forward to settling into the student dorms."

"Is that so?" Sojiro asked, standing across at the counter, the café otherwise empty. "They extra luxurious? I mean I guess they might be a step up from here..."

"They have essentials... a small bathroom, closet, and a cooking area, but otherwise far from it, actually," Yusuke said with an amused chuckle. "I simply realized something after talking with everyone last night."

"Oh, and what's that?" Sojiro asked.

"Perhaps it's my upbringing," Yusuke mused, "...But I realized I... don't know anything about the world, let alone other people," he explained. "...If I'm to depict people in my art, I need to learn more about them; I must interact with them more. Therefore, I'll return to the dorms, and start over by talking to the people closest to me."

"I see," Sojiro replied. "Well, good on you for realizing that for yourself!"

"Then, perhaps, when I am ready, I owe someone who was... perhaps my only friend before I met Kyoko or the others... a heartfelt apology," Yusuke said. "When we were both Madarame's pupils... she respected me as a worthy rival in our passion for art. Then she discovered what Madarame was doing with her work and confronted him, and when she needed my support more then ever... I chose to defend Madarame over her."

"Because you felt you owed him more then you owed her?" Sojiro asked.

"Perhaps, and there were things I lied to myself about," Yusuke said softly, looking down at his empty cup. "...I won't forget that look on her face, before I turned away from her. When she confronted me later at school, after Madarame had discredited her, it wasn't simply with anger, but hurt... betrayal... I can only hope I won't be too late to make amends with her."

Sojiro scratched the back of his head, looking away a moment. "...It is better to do it soon, before you could end up losing that chance forever," he said. "But I can understand you feeling a need to prepare yourself as well. Just... don't wait too long, alright?"

"...From what I've heard, Kyoko has been through a lot as well," Yusuke replied. "Are you related to her?"

Kyoko froze from where she was on the stairs, deciding not to walk in on them and continue to listen and relieved the stairs were sturdy enough not to creak.

"Kyoko?" Sojiro asked, causing the girl's eyes to widen, wondering if she'd been caught.

"...Kyoko, how to describe it..." Sojiro continued, causing the young detective to relax where she was hiding. "We're not... family or anything. More acquaintances, really. One of my customers knew her grandfather and apparently owed him a favor, since this place is near Shujin where she had to transfer."

"I see," Yusuke replied. "I may be overstepping my bounds but... why did you decide to take her in?"

"My reason, huh?" Sojiro mused, folding his arms in thought. "I guess... sympathy makes you do stupid things?" he asked with a laugh. "But getting to know her, she reminds me of someone I knew. She's driven, motivated, and incredibly smart. Honestly, if she can get through this, she could have a bright future ahead of her."

"She certainly is, I can tell," Yusuke said with a smile. "...I'm truly blessed to have her as a friend."

Kyoko quietly folded her arms as she overheard them, unsure what to think. Still, it had given her a... feeling of warmth hearing those words. She noticed Morgana looking down at her from the top of the stairs, but he said nothing. Still, it looked as if he was smiling a little, despite the limits a cat's face would allow.

"Hey, regarding your art instructor... er... former art instructor," Sojiro said, continuing the conversation, "He must have felt something for you, too, besides just stealing your talents."

The boy was quiet a moment, before nodding in agreement. "Truth be told, I cannot hate him from the depths of my heart, either, despite all he's done," he said. "Perhaps, you may be right..."

Yusuke's phone suddenly chimed, prompting him to take it out and look it over. "It's the school. They say my dorm room is ready for me, so I should probably get going," he said, pocketing his phone and getting up from his chair.

"Hey, you sure about leaving this here, by the way? This painting, I mean? It'd be a waste to keep it here," Sojiro asked, indicating the cafe's newest decoration. Kyoko had peered around the corner, noticing Madarame's Treasure, the true and unaltered version of the "Sayuri", now hung on the wall next to the clock, before she moved back around the corner.

"Even if I kept it in the dorms, it'd only be met with skepticism," Yusuke explained, looking over at the portrait. "...I doubt it would want that, but adding a hint of color to an otherwise ordinary day? I'm sure my mother would have done the same."

"Hm, I see," Sojiro said with a nod. "Well, in that case I'll hold on to it for you, then."

"Thank you again for the coffee," Yusuke said with a grateful smile. "May I come by again sometime to partake in it?"

"My door's always open," Sojiro said with a warm chuckle as Yusuke took up his suitcase that had been sitting next to his chair.

"In that case, I'll be sure to return," Yusuke said with a nod.

Hearing the door close with a jingle of the hanging bell, Kyoko silently returned upstairs, smiling faintly as the conversation played in her mind as she took a pair of loafer shoes from her things. It being summer she'd gone for warm-weather clothes for her day off with a simple short sleeved shirt and pullover dress reaching her knees and socks, her hair flowling freely down her shoulders save for her usual side braid. Sliding on her shoes, the young detective made her way downstairs.

"Finally decided to come down, huh?" Sojiro asked with a smirk as Kyoko entered. "Your friend already left, his school just called and told him his dorm is ready."

"He left the painting here, I see," Kyoko said, glancing over where the portrait had been hung.

"Yup, that he did. His way of thanking us for taking him in for the night," Sojiro said. "...And I have to admit, I'm no art buff, but this painting really is amazing. Not only is the mother stunning, but the expression on her face... the regulars would probably freak out when they see it in here," he added, chuckling. "I can't help but feel like I've seen it somewhere before, though it looked a bit different from how I remember..."

Kyoko smiled faintly. "It is a remarkable piece," she said, looking at it as well. The mother's face, Yusuke's mother had done an incredible job preserving her love for her son so he could remember it. It bothered her to think Madarame would be so cruel as to take that away, and deny him that...

It made her wish she could remember her mother more. What she could remember felt more and more like a memory from a dream the more time went by.

"Anyway, I've opened up the shop, so since you're dressed why don't you go find something to do? It's a nice day out, after all! Bring the cat with you while you're at it," Sojiro said with a smirk.

Kyoko nodded and returned back upstairs where Morgana was waiting, only for her phone to start chiming right away. Picking it up, she saw Yusuke was messaging her.

[Thank you again for letting me stay the night, Kyoko] Yusuke's message read.

[I believe now more then ever I'm excited to return to the dormitories.] he continued.

[I have much to look forward to.]

[Furthermore, I've entrusted the unaltered "Sayuri" to your guardian, Sojiro.]

-I saw it, yes. Kyoko replied.

[Wonderful, I believe that is a good home for it. It's a shame that painting should no longer exist in reality, but it is truly what my mother painted.] Yusuke replied.

[I'm simply satisfied we were able to obtain it.]

[It was thanks to you and the others. You have my gratitude for that as well, Kyoko.]

Kyoko gave a small smile as she read the messages before typing a reply.

-You needn't stress on it. Have a good rest of your day, Yusuke. she responded.

-I hope the move into your dorm room goes smoothly.

"I heard the conversation he and Boss had earlier," Morgana said. "Hopefully things will look up for him now, and maybe he can work things out with that Angie Yonaga girl, too, now that Madarame's gone."

"With any luck, perhaps," Kyoko replied. "Still, we have other matters, namely investigating what is going on in Shibuya. Unfortunately with no concrete leads, we'd only get unwanted attention... be it from authorities or whoever's responsible."

"Maaaan, it's pretty frustrating, having to wait!" Morgana protested.

Kyoko looked at her phone again a moment, an idea coming to mind as she sought out Mishima on her contacts and hit Call. The young detective listened to the ring tone before the boy picked up.

"Mishima?" she asked.

"Oh! Kyoko! Hi!" Mishima answered. "What's going on? Sorry, you just kinda woke me up!"

Kyoko raised an eyebrow. It was already well past noon. "Can you get on the Phansite? I want to know if there's any new posts regarding a blackmail scam in Shibuya?"

"Oh, sure! Hang on!" Mishima replied. Kyoko heard some rummaging for a few moments as the boy presumably got out of bed and switched his computer on. "Just a sec!" he said, presumably to let her know he was almost ready.

"Alright, I'm on, let's see," Mishima said. "Oh! Maybe this one... no, wait it's about those restaurant burglars in Shibuya I was telling you about."

"Read it to me."

"Please help! My brother has started getting violent towards people! I'm scared I could get killed at this rate. I'm wondering if he's caught up with those weird people in Shibuya," Mishima read.

"I see. Anything else?" Kyoko asked.

"Yeah, oh this is just wrong!" Mishima protested. "They're calling themselves Phantom Thieves! They keep this up that's just gonna give that Detective Prince guy more leverage to say they're the bad guys!"

"I wouldn't be so sure, Mishima. Petty burglary is a drastic change from the MO that has the authorities concerned," Kyoko replied. "That said, it would likely give them reason to blame the Phantom Thieves for inspiring copycat criminals. See if you can get a name of this "brother" the poster is talking about."

"Will do, Kyoko. You can count on me!" Mishima said.

"I appreciate it. Try not to sleep in too late, Mishima," Kyoko replied.

No sooner had she hung up, however, that Kyoko's phone chimed once more, though this time it was a message from Ann.

[Hey, Kyoko! You still at home?]

-I am, yes. Kyoko messaged back.

[Great! I'm gonna head to the underground mall in Shibuya to buy a gift for Shiho before I see her this afternoon.] Ann replied.

[I was wondering would you like to meet up? Maybe you can help me pick something.]

The young detective raised an eyebrow.

-I don't know if I'd be reliable on such a matter. Kyoko answered.

[Don't underestimate yourself, Kyoko! Besides, having company can make it easier!] Ann messaged back.

[Not to mention, you oughta check the place out if you haven't already!] she added.

[Sooooooo, can you make it?]

Kyoko brought her hand to her chin, then gave Morgana a glance before looking back at the message. She didn't really have much else going on at the time.

-Very well. I'll see you shortly. Meet in the subway. she replied.

[Great! See you soon!] Ann replied.

"A chance to see Lady Ann again? Count me in!" Morgana said eagerly, hopping into Kyoko's bag before she could say anything or object.

---

Kyoko had stepped off the train in the still-crowded Shibuya subways. Glancing about, she noticed blonde and took her phone out, bringing up her chat log with Ann.

-I'm here. I'm by the Yongen-Jaya platform. she messaged.

[Be right there!] Ann replied seconds after and soon the other girl weaved her way through the crowd.

"Lady Ann!" Morgana said, poking his head out of Kyoko's bag.

"Morgana! Kyoko! Thanks for showing up!" she said, greeting Kyoko with a big smile before looking the young detective over. "...I like it! Nice to see you aren't oblivious to your looks, Kyoko!" she teased.

Kyoko folded her arms and raised an eyebrow. "I tend to wear what's comfortable," she said.

Ann gave a playful smirk, giving the other girl the notion the blonde didn't quite believe her. "Whatever you say, Kyoko. Anyways, shall we be off?"

"I admit I'm curious about this mall you mentioned, Lady Ann. Lead the way!" the cat said excitedly. "I'm sure there's bound to be stuff we could even use in the Metaverse if we look around!"

"I dunno about that, but there's definitely a lotta neat stuff there!" Ann replied. "Follow me!"

Kyoko silently followed the other girl through the crowds and to a set of stairs that led down into a spacious, underground shopping center. Patrons roamed about, flags and banners hung above stores and booths of all kinds, selling all sorts of things, lined the walls, including a flower shop, jewelry stores, a sporting goods store, and many others the young detective took note of. Morgana had since retreated back into Kyoko's bag to avoid being seen but Kyoko could feel him shifting about as he looked around in awe.

"Wow... this place is amazing!" Morgana said quietly, peering through an unzipped opening.

"Okay, what to go for," Ann mused as she paused, folding her arms and looking about at the shops around her. "I got her some "Get Well" flowers last time... and I'd gotten her a plush before... well... what happened. Is there anything else?"

Kyoko brought her hand to her chin, thinking it over. "...As I mentioned, I'm not exactly an expert on this sort of thing. As you know I..." She paused briefly, pushing away those thoughts, "...didn't exactly have friends before now. Everyone I interacted with were witnesses, suspects, and occasionally authority figures when I needed their assistance."

"Well, as you know, for a while all I had was Shiho," Ann replied. "Still, I get it. I just... I wanna show her I haven't forgotten her. I wanna give her something special before she... you know... before she moves away."

Morgana decided to forego concerns of being seen as he partially slid his head through the open part of Kyoko's bag. "Lady Ann..."

"...Her family's moving pretty far, somewhere people would be less likely to know her or whisper about her. She gave her testimony about Kamoshida anonymously so the media won't hound her so much, then there's the counseling she'll be going through, but that all also means I won't see her... very often, anymore," Ann said, frowning as she looked away. "...We made a promise, though, we're both gonna do our best and try for the same college, but that's still a long while away. If something happens that changes that, though, I wanna stay in touch and let her know we'll never stop being friends."

Kyoko regarded the other girl, looking the other way as well as she found herself unsure of what to say. This was hardly her area of expertise, either. Fortunately, Morgana took notice of something.

"What about that, Lady Ann?" the cat asked. "Over there, behind you? Maybe one of those... friendship jewelry that sign is talking about?"

Ann turned and her face lit up. "Oh! That'd be perfect, Morgana! Lemme go look!"

As the blonde rushed into the shop and browsed a bit, Kyoko heard Morgana chuckle proudly to himself.

"Satisfied?" Kyoko asked dryly.

"Of course. You know I have an eye for things like this!" Morgana replied, his tone indeed carrying no small amount of satisfaction. "Anything to see her smile like that is worth it to me!"

Kyoko gave the cat a skeptical look before walking over and joining Ann, who had picked out a pair of friendship necklaces.

"These look great! What do you think, Kyoko?" Ann asked, holding one up to herself. "I bet Shiho will love it! ...You think she will?"

Kyoko gave the other girl a small smile. "It has an appeal to it. I'm sure it being from you she'll appreciate it."

"Oh! I just remembered, too!" Ann said, her eyes going wide with realization. "Shiho's started physical rehab! Pushed it up ahead of schedule! Maybe I should get her a card to congratulate her, too! I wanna give her as much encouragement as I can!"

"I suppose you could," Kyoko replied. "I think she'd appreciate that for now. It may be best to save the necklaces for when she's leaving."

"Hm, you may be right," Ann said with a nod. "I'll buy them now and save them till then," she decided, getting some money from her purse and paying.

"You know, Kyoko," the blonde continued, "...I wonder if it's all because I told her how I want to get stronger, too. The way she's moving ahead on her recovery. I've already decided what I want to do and I'm willing to go the distance to get there, I'm glad she can, now, too."

Kyoko nodded, folding her arms as she let Ann finish her business. Their conversation had made her think about her own path as well, both the one she was on then and the one she was on, now. She couldn't deny it to herself, especially with Igor's words when she'd last seen him, how she had changed over the past few months since she'd come here, connecting with others in a way that wasn't purely professional, or merely convenient.

"Well, I've still got time, so... why don't we go grab a snack real quick? I haven't eaten yet and I was thinking of trying out that new cream crepe..." Ann began, only to suddenly be interrupted by her phone ringing. Curious, the blonde answered. "Hello?" the girl's eyes widened in shock. "Oh, I'm in Shibuya, why? ...What?! Now?!"

Kyoko noticed Ann's expression fall quickly as the other girl listened to whoever she was talking to. "I see... Yeah, I am. ...Sure! I-I'd be happy to fill in! Where is it? ...Got it. Be right there!"

Putting her phone away, Ann looked over at Kyoko and sighed. "Well, that's not good."

"What's wrong, Lady Ann?" Morgana asked.

"My agency! They just called, something came up!" Ann replied.

"What happened?" Kyoko asked.

"Well, apparently one of the models didn't show up at all for a magazine shoot they're doing," Ann explained.

Kyoko brought her hand to her chin in thought, recalling a past conversation. "I recall you mentioning this was happening quite often..."

"I did, yeah," Ann said. "...Looks like it's happening again. They wanted me to come over right away and fill in since they're gonna wrap fairly soon, so I should have plenty of time to visit Shiho after."

"In that case, I'll come with you. I may have a chance to get a lead on what's going on," Kyoko replied.

"Awww, I was hoping to get a spa trip for us before I brought you along, though!" Ann sulked, though her frown faded quickly. "...Well, we can do that another time! That trip to the bath house should suffice for now, right? C'mon, let's head on over! It's not too far from here!"

---

Kyoko and Morgana looked around as Ann brought them to the designated meeting spot, which was situated in front of the convenience store at the end of Central Street, right near the movie theater. Two men had greeted her when they'd arrived, one with a camera, the other, Kyoko figured, being his assistant.

The one who had Kyoko's attention, however, was the young woman who was with them. She looked a little older then Ann, perhaps about twenty, in a form-fitting blue minidress, pearl bead necklace, and high heeled boots. With her tall, toned, hourglass figure along with her long, silky chestnut hair that framed her slender face and flowed freely down her shoulders like it'd come straight out of a shampoo commercial, the young detective deduced she was one of the other models who was present for the shoot. She noticed Ann looking at the woman as well, though in complete awe of her and likely a bit of envy as well.

The young woman seemed to take note, and brought her hand up, chuckling. "Like what you see, Ann-senpai?" she asked in a cheerful, pleasant tone as she approached the blonde. "I've been hearing about you and I gotta say I'm soooooo pumped to be getting to work alongside you, today!"

"Y-you have? H-heard of me, I mean?" Ann asked, wide-eyed.

"Of course! After I saw you in that show, I just... oh, wow, I think I'm gonna cry!" the young woman replied, clasping her hands up against her chest. "It is SUCH an honor!"

"Heh, it... i-it wasn't THAT big a deal," Ann said, waving her hands modestly and blushing. "That fashion show was tiny, anyway!"

"I'm Mika, by the way, no honorifics needed! I may be a little older, but you have loads more experience then me, Ann-senpai!" the woman, Mika, said with an equally modest smile before glancing over at Kyoko. "...And who's this? I... wasn't told there'd be three models!" she said, looking Kyoko over.

The young detective looked back at Mika, despite the woman's friendly demeanor, there was something about her smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Kirigiri. Kyoko Kirigiri," Kyoko replied with a polite bow. "A pleasure to meet you, Miss Mika."

"Please, just Mika. Like I told her, no need for honorifics!" Mika replied with a playful wink. "My apologies, I just assumed with accompanying Ann-senpai and those remarkable looks of yours, that you were a model as well."

"No, no, Kyoko's just a good friend who came along to give me some support!" Ann said with a smile.

"I see," Mika replied, glancing back at Kyoko. "I apologize again for the misunderstanding!" she said with an embarrassed smile. Once more, Mika's eyes seemed to betray her smile from Kyoko's observation, making her, for an instant, seem less amiable then she was trying to come off.

"Still, if you take an interest, Miss Kirigiri, we are facing a slight shortage of models lately," the assistant said.

"I'm flattered by your offer, but I must decline," Kyoko replied. "I'm simply here to support my friend."

"If you say so," the photographer said with a shrug. "We'd better call and make sure they got everything ready. Let us know if you change your mind."

"Well, anyways... Mika... feels weird saying it like that," Ann said bashfully, "...anyways, you don't need to use "senpai" with me! It's great to meet you, too!"

"Well, thank you, Ann-chan!" Mika said with a giggle, prompting Kyoko to glance at her again despite it appearing Mika had completely forgotten her presence already. "...So, you excited about doing this together?"

"Oh, sure!" Ann replied with a smile. "I was surprised when they called me up, honestly, I'm actually seeing a friend of mine in the hospital after, she's recovering from a bad injury. I've been... visiting her whenever I had time, b-but make no mistake, I'm happy to be here all the same!"

Mika clasped her hands, giggling. "Is that so? Well, that's very thoughtful of you, Ann-chan! Sounds like you have a very lucky friend and I hope she's well again soon!" she said. "So, on another note... there was something I was totally curious about, with you having so much experience, do you think you can teach me how to be a better model? I'd love to know what diet and exercise regimens you use to look so good!"

"E-exercise?" Ann asked, looking confused. "Well, I... uh... do take walks in the park sometimes," she offered.

Mika's smile quickly withered to a frown. "Just... walks in the park? I... I see," she said. "What about your diet regimen? What kind of meals do you have? I've been looking all over for a place that can import organic green almonds, plus I'm getting, like, suuuuuuper tired of eating quinoa all the time! Do I need to, like, boil it in hard water or something?"

"Almonds?" Ann asked, scratching the back of her head. "I... usually only eat those when they're covered in chocolate... OH! Or when they're sprinkled on ice cream cones!" she said excitedly. "Hard water, though... wouldn't it be kinda tough to boil rice in hard water?"

Kyoko sighed, bringing her palm to her forehead as she could already see the trap being laid out by the other model that Ann was not noticing when she saw Mika's demeanor go from utter disbelief to passive-aggressive in an instant.

"Ann-chan... do you ever weigh yourself?" she asked, her tone flat and far less friendly, now.

"Of course!" Ann said, clenching her fist cheerfully. "Once a year for health exams at school!"

"So... you're keeping it a secret from me, huh?" Mika asked, frowning and looking hurt. "I get it, it's hard to trust someone you just met..."

"N-no! That's not it! I just... don't really think about that stuff!" Ann insisted. "It's not that I don't trust you, I have no reason not to! It's just... I've mainly been doing modeling as more of a hobby lately, till I can move on to other, bigger things!"

Kyoko slowly, but with precision, brought her gloved hand to her forehead in dismay as Mika's shoulders slumped, her head tilting down slightly but her gaze firmly fixed on Ann. Any pretense of friendliness she'd put on earlier was entirely gone, now.

"...Excuse me?" Mika asked, her tone now carrying a hint of malice in it.

"Look, I... I've gone through a lot and it's just been sort of a hobby, but I think I've found a goal in life and I figure being a model is still a good starting point," Ann stammered, feeling herself wilt under Mika's glare.

Kyoko shook her head, even Morgana poked his head out in concern as it was clear Ann was only digging herself deeper with the other model.

Almost instantly, Mika's harsh gaze changed to a look of hurt. "A-Ann-senpai... y-you're so horrible!" she whimpered, wilting in front of the other girl.

"Hey, is something going on over here?" the assistant asked, coming over and looking concerned.

Unfortunately, Mika got her words out first. "I-I was just asking Ann w-what her secrets were, and THEN she goes and says she doesn't care at all about modeling for you guys!" she sniffled. "L-like you guys aren't good enough for her!"

"Y-you... said that, Takamaki-san?" the assistant asked, looking at Ann in surprise.

Kyoko looked over at Ann, expecting her to stand up for herself, but the blonde instead just looked down at the pavement.

"I-I... I didn't s-say that," Ann whimpered.

Mika looked a little surprised from Ann's reluctance to stand her ground. She noticed Kyoko watching her, there was something about the girl's gaze, as if she were analyzing her, that made the model flinch briefly before turning to face Ann. "Ann-chan, I love this magazine, and everyone tries so hard to make it what it is! They gave us their best photographer for today's shoot, too!"

"Hey, Mika-chan, it's alright, no need to get worked up as well," the photographer said, approaching. "We know you always give it your all whenever you shoot with us!"

"I-I'm sorry, j-just... I know how hard you guys work, i-it's not right you be the ones who comfort me," Mika said, giving the two men an apologetic look.

The assistant sighed. For a moment he seemed unsure, but Mika had spoken up quickly and Ann just looked absolutely embarrassed and her friend had said nothing. "Takamaki-san, the truth is, both you and Mika-chan are here as substitutes for our missing model. We did want you both on the cover, but if you aren't really interested in this..."

"Hey! W-wait a minute!" Ann protested.

Kyoko sighed, deciding she'd seen and heard enough and stepped forward. "Ann's words are being taken entirely out of context," she said. As much as she wanted to voice her suspicions, she didn't have enough to go on to make any outright accusations or it'd likely make things worse, though Mika seemed rather oddly prepared for all of this, which only made the young detective more wary of her.

"You're right..."

Everyone's attention was on Mika, now.

"I'm so sorry, Ann-chan. I'm soooo sorry I misunderstood you, like that! You just wanted to go see your friend sooner, right?" Mika asked, looking at the blonde with concern. "I don't blame you, you really should go. Modeling can be very demanding, after all, you should take this opportunity!"

"Are you sure about this, Mika-chan?" the photographer asked.

Mika nodded, smiling. "I've read all the concept papers on the way here, I can handle this on my own, I promise! It's the least I can do for causing this misunderstanding."

"Well, if you're sure about it, then I suppose we can do that!" the assistant said. "You should go see your friend, Takamaki-san. We can handle this. Next time, though, we do ask you try and keep your schedule more open."

"I will," Ann said, nodding but looking noticeably deflated. "Thank you, Mika."

"Don't mention it," Mika said, putting her hand on Ann's shoulder in a gentle, comforting manner as the men returned to finish setting up. The moment they did, however, the model's expression grew dark, and a cruel, condescending smile spread on her lips.

"...I heard about Shujin, don't think for an instant just because you were able to lead on some perverted teacher into wanting to sleep with you that you're above me," she whispered in her ear.

Ann's eyes widened in shock, realizing she'd been played. "Y-YOU TWO-FACED FAKER!" she cried out furiously, clenching her fists.

"Hey, what's going on over there?" the photographer asked, looking over at them again.

"Ann, don't!" Kyoko whispered sharply. She hadn't heard what the woman said but whatever it was, it had certainly pressed a button that ensured Ann had fallen right into the other model's trap. The blonde girl looked absolutely livid, now, her hand twitching like she was seriously considering slapping her, but once more Mika took the initiative and wilted before her.

"Y-you're so mean, Ann-chan!" Mika sniffled, her eyes watering as she cowered back from her. "D-do you really hate me that much?"

"Keep it civil, you two," the assistant said. "We're running behind, now, as it is. Are you ready to go, Mika?"

Mika turned, giving an apologetic look to the man before nodding. "I-I am. Sorry, I just... I suppose Ann-chan isn't well, today. Perhaps it's the stress?"

Ann's eyes widened again, she opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by the photographer.

"Go see your friend, Takamaki-san. Mika-chan can handle it on her own so we won't need you. We'll send you some money for your troubles." the photographer said.

"I... no, I can-!" Ann stammered, Mika turning to look at her again with a look of worry and concern, but Kyoko noticed the model seemed to be looking past Ann at her, now while she upheld her act before leaving with the magazine staff, giving Ann one last triumphant sneer before they were gone.

"I screwed up so badly!" Ann sighed, leaning against a nearby building wall and sinking down into a seated position, resting her arms on her knees. "I should have known she was setting me up!" she grumbled.

"I'm no stranger to the tactic," Kyoko stated, folding her arms. "...Either by provoking a reaction, or using self-inflicted injuries and exploiting cognitive bias to frame the intended target. There have been several cases of the matter I've been involved in where a false victim did this."

"She's pretty amazing at it, though, I'll give her that," Morgana said, poking his head from Kyoko's bag. "...But it doesn't change the fact that she's also rotten to the core! Putting on an act like that and making you look bad, I oughta...!"

"...I fell for it completely," Ann said. "Maybe it's because... even if I know what I want to do, deep down I'm just... not invested enough in modeling..."

"What do you mean, Lady Ann?" Morgana asked.

"I mean... you heard me, I treated it like... a step, or a beginning or something, when I should treat it as if it were my goal so I give it everything," Ann said. "And... I think she noticed that when she was asking me those questions."

Kyoko leaned against the wall next to Ann and closed her eyes, tilting her head downward in thought. "From the looks of things, it seemed by my observation that Mika had this planned from the start. She was just looking for a way to get rid of you so she could have the shoot all to herself."

"But the thing is, I gave her one!" Ann protested, burying her face in her hands. "She had me totally fooled once I mentioned Shiho!"

"There's another matter regarding this," Kyoko said. "I don't have concrete evidence, but given how prepared she was to ensure she was the only one who'd participate in the shoot, how quickly she turned things in her favor as if she'd planned it, and what you told me when we were at the park, I wonder..."

Ann looked up at the other girl, eyes widening. "You think..."

"I can't say for sure," Kyoko said. "I'm a detective, not a psychic. Still, the fact she does have motive can't be ignored..."

"And if we say anything she'll just make me look bad again," Ann fumed. "...Still, could you believe those acting skills she pulled off when she acted like she was doing it all for me? She had me fooled for a moment there, too! Maybe that's something else I need to work on!"

Kyoko heard Morgana cough.

"I guess I do need some work on acting, but I can at least cry on command, that's gotta be something, right?" Ann asked, her mood improving. "Palaces have cognitions, right? What if I need to help us get past those or some Shadows at some point?"

"It's certainly likely," Morgana said. "...Just, you'll need to do better then when we were at Madarame's shack."

"Hey, it worked, didn't it?" Ann asked. To the surprise of both, she seemed amused by Morgana's statement rather then offended. "...What? I gotta turn my failure today into positive energy going forward! I'll do my best and next time, I won't let her best me so easily!"

Kyoko looked over at her friend, noting Ann's resolve and the sound of a chain link shattering echoed through her mind.

"In the meantime, if you get another modeling appointment, let me know. I'll be able to investigate Mika more closely as well," Kyoko said.

"And I'll be taking you to the spa like I promised as well!" Ann said with a smirk. "Anyways, since that's all a bust, I should go and see Shiho at the hospital. I'll find a card I know she'll like, too!"

Kyoko gave the blonde a faint smile. "I'm sure you will."

"Thanks! And thanks for hanging out with me today, too! I'll seeya tomorrow!" Ann said, giving Morgana a scratch between the ears before heading off to the subways, Kyoko watching as she left.

"At least she seems alright, now. I'm still mad at that Mika person for taking advantage of Lady Ann like that!" Morgana remarked.

"My career as a detective has taught me pretty faces can hide dangerous minds incredibly well," Kyoko replied.

"Sure seems like it. Palaces and Mementos are proof of that," Morgana agreed. "Hey! Maybe she'd be a target? It'd be satisfying to get her for what she did!"

"We have motive but not concrete proof. Even if we confirm it, we don't have her full name, or know if that's even her real name. Some entertainers will use an alias, and I doubt she'd give it," Kyoko answered.

"I guess you're right," Morgana said, his ears drooping. "...So, what do you wanna do next?"

looking over at the young detective. Kyoko took out her phone, checking the time. With Ann's shoot having been usurped it was still fairly early.

"Ooh! What about that?" Morgana suddenly asked, Kyoko turned to where he was looking: The movie theater at the end of Central Street, boasting a new movie that'd come out fairly recently called "The Cake Knight Rises", including a poster of what appeared to be a masked, costumed hero in a black, baker-themed outfit, with a pie-wielding, grotesque, clown-like villain in a purple costume that seemed to be crossed with a chef and a jester looming behind him.

"The story of a caped hero fighting a black forest of crime and corruption," Morgana observed. "Kinda like the Phantom Thieves!" he said with a chuckle. "I'm kinda interested, and it looks like a showing's about to start, so how about it?"

Kyoko continued to stare at the poster. "...I'm not sure about this..."

"Hey, I've never seen a movie before, I wanna do it on one of those giant screens these places are supposed to have!" Morgana said eagerly. "Haven't you ever been to the movies?"

"No, I haven't," Kyoko said, brushing back her hair. "Even still, this isn't exactly what I had in mind for my first experience..."

"It's been out a few weeks, now, so it must be pretty good!" Morgana replied. "I say we give it a chance! And look, he's both a baker and a hero detective, kinda like you regarding the last part!"

Kyoko folded her arms, eyeing the poster again. A second passed as she closed her eyes and sighed deeply. "Very well, just make sure no one sees you..."

With that, the young detective made her way to the ticket booth, not entirely sure what she was in for...

---

Kyoko emerged from the theater two and a half hours later with an unreadable expression on her face.

"Everything... everything about that movie... it was so ridiculous," Morgana stated as he poked his head out of Kyoko's bag.

Kyoko's brow furrowed slightly. "...It didn't take any form of deductive reasoning to figure that out right away..."

"...Was it really so bad?" a boy asked her in a soft, whimsical voice. Kyoko glanced over, a tall, white-haired boy wearing a green hoodie over his white tanktop despite the warm weather had emerged from the theater with her, presumably one of the other patrons. "I found it rather inspiring, to be honest. The hero's terrible tragedies may seem harsh and unfair, yet in the end proved necessary."

"Necessary?" Kyoko inquired, staring at him with a neutral, but vaguely unimpressed look. "...His parents died in a kitchen explosion at their confectionary by a disgruntled baker when he was a child..."

The boy chuckled. "Indeed, they were! It was shown in the first one, actually... very tragic," he replied merrily and making Kyoko raise her eyebrow at him due to his odd demeanor. "...Yet he lived. If that hadn't happened, would he have brought hope to the city and overthrow crime as the Cake Knight? The deeper and darker the despair, the brighter and more meaningful the hope that inevitably follows, like my friend who got scammed in the alley the other day!"

The boy immediately had Kyoko's attention. "...Scammed?" she asked.

The boy looked down the bustling street. "He's a mechanic, he'd just been scouted for Hope's Peak, actually. I suppose "friend" is a stretch as far as he sees me but he wanted to buy a gift for a girl he likes. I suddenly needed to use the restroom due to accidentally buying laxative instead of allergy medicine! And here I didn't notice until it was too late!" he said with a sheepish chuckle. "...But... when I came back, he was gone!"

Kyoko folded her arms at the boy. "Did you find him?"

"Well, I didn't look for him, the soda machine I waited by did give me quite a few extras so I didn't want to move," the boy explained in a rather serene tone. "...Plus I gathered he'd be back, and well, fifteen minutes later he returns, panicking that he'd been blackmailed!"

"So you didn't see anyone else?" Kyoko asked.

"No, he just said some guys came up to him and offered him a one-time job to make some quick money, he said yes thinking he'd get all he needs to impress that girl he likes. He wouldn't say what they had him do but he now apparently owes them five-hundred thousand yen," he said with a shrug. "...Such a sad thing, but it only means something good is sure to come eventually, correct?"

Rather then let Kyoko answer, and by her guess he was being rhetoric, the boy then decided to take his leave, musing his thoughts to himself as he disappeared into the crowds.

"I don't really get how he's so okay with that, but at least we got a small lead!" Morgana said.

"It'll do," Kyoko said. "If students are being targeted as well, we know what to ask if we can identify any that were."

"We'll go over it with the others when we meet up tomorrow, then!" Morgana replied. "...Back to the movie, though, personally, silly as the movie's gimmick was, the protagonist's passion to fight for his friends and the city he cares so much for, that was actually pretty touching, honestly!" Morgana said. "That's something I think Phantom Thieves can understand!"

Kyoko gave it a second of thought and nodded. As a Phantom Thief, she'd grown closer to others in a real way, she didn't merely use them to progress through a case. It did make things feel... different, in a way...

Her phone suddenly chimed, and Kyoko saw she'd gotten a message from Yoshida regarding another speech he was giving and if she was available to help. Her mind made up, she made her way down Central Street to where he was waiting.

---

"Understand, people, just because you have free will, this does not mean you can always do as you please!" Yoshida declared in his speech as he stood atop his wood pedestal. "...One cannot only make decisions based solely on loss and gain, to do so is to act like a heartless machine!"

Kyoko peered around at the people gathered from behind the sign she was holding. Despite last time, it seemed more had gathered and come to listen to him speak.

"The reason so few people care about their fellow man is because they no longer have the energy to do so," Yoshida continued. "Furthermore, we politicians, I admit, have fallen short of our goal to change society for the better, we need your support more then ever!"

"That approach isn't going to work, you need to get voters more excited!" an man in a suit watching nearby said. "You're gonna completely lose the hearts and minds of the people!"

"Again, what I'd like to say..." Yoshida turned to look over at the man, only to pause, a look of shock coming to his face. "C... Councilman Matsushita?!"

The other man's expression became less stern, and gained a more friendly look. By Kyoko's observation he looked around Yoshida's age, maybe a little younger. "You remember me! It's been so long since we last spoke, I heard about what you were doing and wanted to stop by and see how you were..." he looked over at the gathered crowd. "I was wondering, if it's alright, do you think we could talk? I don't have much time, unfortunately."

Kyoko looked back and forth at the two men, though kept the sign up. The crowd were also clearly curious as well. Yoshida gave a nod and looked over at the people who'd come for his speech.

"My apologies, everyone," Yoshida said. "If you'll come next Sunday, I will be here for another speech. Something very important has come up, I hope you understand..."

As the crowd dispersed, Kyoko lowered the sign as Yoshida picked up his wood platform and led her and the man around the corner of the building, remaining quiet as they spoke.

"So, I see you have a high schooler volunteering for you, huh? My, times have changed," the man, Matsushita, said, looking over at Kyoko.

"What do you mean?" the young detective asked.

"Well, let me answer that with a question, young lady," Matsushita replied. "Do you know of the Kuramoto Children?"

The girl folded her arms, regarding the man with suspicion. "Yes, I do. Mr. Yoshida told me about them. Is there a reason you feel I should?"

The man, however, gave a small smile. "I see, I must also admit it's nice to see young people take interest in politics. So many are often immersed in studies and trying to find a place in the world's machine," he said. "Thing is, I was a member of the Kuramoto Children as well. Yoshida and I actually joined in the same year."

Kyoko regarded the man, notably his faded blond hair, and rather tall and robust physique his suit didn't completely hide despite his age. The man seemed to notice, however, and chuckled in amusement.

"I guess I don't look like what comes to mind for a Diet member, do I?" he asked. "Thing is I actually made an amazing career change, then, going from a pro-wrestler to politics. To be honest, I was elected quite easily, but had no idea what I was doing... and realized I wasn't elected on my own merit, but rather my part in the Kuramoto Children, and I failed to be re-elected for a second term... something that happened to both of us..." he said, looking over at Yoshida.

"Still, you've made quite the comeback," Yoshida said. "You truly are an inspiration, now."

"So are you, old friend," Matsushita replied. "You're working harder then anyone on the campaign trail..."

"Come now," Yoshida said, shaking his head dismissively, "There's no need for false praise to impress this young lady, here..."

"You truly believe that, Yoshida?" Matsushita asked. "You're very well-informed of the inner workings of politics. I believe you'd make a good teacher for her."

"I wasn't interested in entering the political sphere, actually," Kyoko said. "I apologize for the misunderstanding. I simply felt in my own career choice I needed to improve on my people skills, and thought a competent orator like Mr. Yoshida could help me."

"I see," Matsushita replied, nodding. "Well, he is certainly talented in the matter, though I advise only do as he says rather then as he does."

"...I already know of the nickname, and the story behind it. He's already told me," said Kyoko. "That said, it was twenty years ago, wasn't it? You don't believe he can be a different person, now?"

Yoshida glanced over at Kyoko in surprise, but said nothing. Matsushita, however, seemed unconvinced.

"Listen, regardless of your willingness to be transparent with this young lady helping you, Yoshida, do you really think you can win the election by being totally honest and simply making good arguments?" he asked the other man. "Securing votes is essential, or you'll forever be known as "No-Good Tora" no matter how many speeches you make!"

To Kyoko's surprise, Yoshida did not flinch or recoil at the degrading nickname that had haunted him this time. Instead, he stepped forward, his features hardening as he looked the other man in the eyes and held his ground.

"Listen, Matsushita!" he stated. "If we don't have honesty and good arguments, how can we expect there to be any political justice?!"

The other man exhaled sharply, an amused smirk on his face. "Heh, it's been a while since I've heard one of your grandiose speeches, Yoshida."

"With all due respect, maybe his message does have merit," Kyoko said, stepping forward. "I was raised to pursue the truth, others would surely do the same if expected to harbor any trust in authority," she explained, though staying vague on the other details.

"Kirigiri..." Yoshida said softly, looking at the girl in both surprise and gratitude. Even the other man looked moved by her words.

"You certainly address matters quite directly, and you show remarkable maturity for someone your age as well, Miss. It seems you've been taught well," Matsushita said approvingly.

"I intend to teach her all I know," Yoshida said. "...It's what we agreed on."

Kyoko noted Yoshida's resolve in his words, his solid conviction, and the sound of a chain link shattering echoed within her mind.

"I see, well I wish for the best, then, as an old friend," said Matsushita with a nod. "But, speaking of the past, how have things been between you and Old Man Kuramoto?"

Yoshida looked down, frowning. "I'm afraid we're still not on speaking terms," he said softly.

"I see," said Matsushita. "I asked because... there's something I'd like your opinion on, but it'll need to be at another time if possible. I'll be in touch..."

The man prepared to leave, but paused and looked over at Yoshida again. "...Also... I know you may still distrust me because of what happened with the missing party funds all those years ago, but know I'm not the one who pointed the finger at you... that's all I'm going to say about it..."

He then glanced over at Kyoko. "...Kirigiri, correct?" The man shook his head. "...Yoshida, I'll let you know when I have time to discuss the matter with you. For now, I need to be going..."

As the man left, Kyoko watched him disappear into the crowd before hearing Yoshida sigh deeply behind her.

"Why... why did he have to mention that..."

Kyoko glanced back at Yoshida, who now looked distressed. He took notice of her curious stare and shook his head apologetically.

"Don't worry about it, that'll be all for today. I... I appreciate your help, despite how things played out," he said.

Kyoko nodded, taking up her bag, noting Morgana peering out of it and turned to leave, the things Yoshida's old friend had said now on her mind but knowing he was currently unlikely to share. In another time, she'd have likely pried, or found another way to get answers, but now, it didn't feel right to do anything other then give him space. Without thinking, she glanced back at him one last time before heading into the Shibuya subways, grateful Morgana had chosen to remain silent as well.

As she finally made it back to Yongen-Jaya and approached the doors of Leblanc under the night sky, Kyoko heard her phone chiming, and saw Yoshida was calling.

"Hello?"

"Hello, I appreciate you answering," Yoshida's voice responded. "I apologize for shooing you off like that... I suppose I needed time to process all of it alone."

"It's fine," Kyoko replied. "I... know how that can be, sometimes."

"It was just... such a mess, honestly," Yoshida lamented. "Past mistakes, no matter how hard you try to atone for them, they can really come back to bite you. It's hard to feel like you ever truly have any hope of escaping them, sometimes. There are some like Matsushita who can fight their way back up, but not many... too often they end up suffering under the weight of labels, never able to move forward again. Myself, for instance... no matter what, I'm still nothing more then "No-Good Tora"..."

"I saw more people at your speech then last time," Kyoko replied. "They also allowed you to speak, as well."

"Heh, they did, didn't they? I think that and your willingness to stand by me are why now, more then ever I refuse to give up!" Yoshida said, his tone sharp with determination, but also gratitude. "It is true, I lost a lot, but I did learn a great many things along the way. Somewhere in the middle of it all as I mulled things over, my old stubbornness was tempered into conviction! If anything, that's at least my one redeeming quality!"

Kyoko's lips opened, but no words came out as she thought about his words. It made her think of her own situation, and the things she'd learned as well. "You're... welcome," she said softly.

"Understand, I also want you to use your experiences to forge your own conviction, too, Kirigiri," Yoshida replied. "...However self-assured in your goals as you may be, remember you're still young and I believe there is still more growing and learning in store for you. Anyways, I'm going to head home, no need to listen to be ramble when I'm not doing a speech, right?" he asked with a light chuckle. "Have a good night, Kirigiri. I'll let you know when I have another ready."

"Thank you. Goodnight, sir," Kyoko replied after another pause. Putting her phone away, the young detective approached the door to the café, Yoshida's words both what he'd said before and what he'd said at the end playing over in her mind again, and reminded her of her own situation.

She was an exceptional detective, that much she was certain of, but her recent experiences had allowed her to indeed grow and learn on things she once would have given a second thought to, she'd come to notice it and Igor had acknowledged it of her.

...Her train of thought was very rudely interrupted as she opened the door just in time for a loud, boisterous voice to come from inside... on the TV.

"AWWWWW YEAH! YOU BET IBUKI'S WAY EXCITED TO BE GOIN'!" a very punkishly dressed girl Kyoko's age with bright highlights in her long hair and several stud piercings cheered enthusiastically at the top of her lungs on Sojiro's television set. Sojiro himself had clearly been taken off-guard as well having nearly dropped the glass he was wiping down. Regaining her own breath, Kyoko stepped inside.

"We can... certainly see that, Mioda-san!" the reporter interviewing the girl said, a little cautiously as if expecting another high-volume response as he looked at the burning stage behind them. "...Your latest is a huge hit and in such a short time, which is absolutely remarkable!"

"Wanna hear some?" the girl on TV asked with a wide grin.

"Umm, I-I think we m-may be short on time, but we appreciate your enthusiasm regardless! I think I speak for us all when I say we wish you luck at Hope's Peak!" the reporter said.

"Honestly, some kids these days!" Sojiro said, turning off the TV and shaking his head. His annoyance faded as he noticed Kyoko and gave a slight smirk. "Did the detective get caught off-guard as well?" he joked.

Kyoko gave him a look before folding her arms and letting out a sigh. "It wasn't... what I expected to walk in on..."

"Guess it serves me right for just letting the TV run. Just glad no customers were here, that noisy kid might've cost me a few!" Sojiro said, chuckling. He looked over at the portrait Yusuke had left for him on the wall. "...Which would be especially heartbreaking given how many like the new addition to the place."

Kyoko remained in place, tugging the strap of her bag as she looked down at the floor a moment. Morgana poked his head out, noticing her silence and looked up at her as well.

"Is it about Hope's Peak? I wouldn't worry about it so much. You've done well so far, after all. I'm sure you'll get there when this is over."

Kyoko gave a nod and headed upstairs.

...Strange... why I've never once heard from them...

---

6/13

"Oh, fancy seeing you here!"

Kyoko turned from where she stood waiting at the subway platform and saw Akechi approach. The boy now had a white short-sleeved dress shirt for the warm weather rather then his peacoat, and he had his monogrammed briefcase in hand with him.

"Right, Shujin is in this direction as well, isn't it?" he asked.

"It is, yes," Kyoko said with a nod.

"Still, I didn't expect this. Perhaps it's simply fate we keep running into eachother?" he asked playfully. "...So, how have you been?"

"Still waking up," Kyoko replied. "...I should tell you, I'm not much for idle talk simply to fill in silence."

Akechi chuckled in response. "Neither am I, honestly," he said. "To be frank, I can't stand it, actually. It's dishonest and makes a discussion feel like it's dragging on rather then anything meaningful, and can become a chore to listen to."

The boy slid his free hand into his pocket. "I didn't mean to give that impression, I've... just been getting interviewed a lot lately, and I've been wondering how to answer such questions. I get prompted to give more then a single-word response over it."

"A truthful single word response I'd think would be more meaningful and engaging in my opinion," Kyoko replied. "...That said, how have you been? It's fine if it can be summed in one word."

"You may be right. Aside from all of that, I'm fine, thank you," said Akechi, smiling as he brought his hand to his chin. "...Hm, that did feel satisfactory..."

"It was," said Kyoko, giving a nod. "I won't judge you over a lack of flattery."

"I certainly appreciate it, Kirigiri. I suppose I'm not as experienced talking to peers as I am adults," Akechi replied as the train heading for Aoyome-Itchtome pulled up. "...Perhaps if it's not too much trouble we can speak again soon, sometime?" he asked.

Kyoko gave a small smile and nodded. "I'll look forward to it," she said.

Boarding the train, Kyoko managed to find an available seat and prepared for another, hopefully uneventful day at school, with plans to meet at the accessway after...

---

Kyoko maintained her neutral expression when Ms. Kawakami suddenly called her name and approached her right after class before she could leave.

"Is something the matter?" Kyoko asked, regarding the teacher curiously. "Is it regarding...?"

"No, nothing regarding your... studies," Kawakami said, trying to avoid looking too embarrassed by it. "It's something else entirely. Niijima-san's looking for you, she'd like you to head to the student council room right away..."

Kyoko did her best to maintain her unreadable poker face, but she already had several ideas on why the student president would want to be alone with her. She glanced over at Ann, who had been getting her things and looking at her worriedly.

"Head on over, I'll meet you later," Kyoko said, keeping her wording vague but relieved when Ann gave a silent nod and headed out the door, looking back one last time in concern before disappearing into the halls. Soon as she was gone, Kyoko returned her attention back to her teacher. "What's this about, then?"

"She says there's no report of a lost item, so wants you to fill out some paperwork," Kawakami replied.

Kyoko's brow furrowed in suspicion. "...I didn't lose anything in the first place," she said.

"Well, if there's some kind of misunderstanding, just go and tell her. If you don't I'll only get complained at later, her being the principal's favorite and all, so please hurry," Kawakami replied. "The student council room's on the third floor nextdoor to the library."

Shaking her head, Kyoko headed for the doorway, though pausing upon noticing one of the students had made a doodle of Akechi on the blackboard at the back of the classroom, and made her way into the hall and up the stairs.

"She's been hounding us a while, what do you think she's up to, now?" Morgana wondered, peering through Kyoko's bag as she made her way down the third floor hallway.

"We'll find out soon enough," Kyoko replied, examining the signs on the doors near the library and finding the one marked for student council activity and opening it, finding Makoto facing the door as she leaned against a pair of tables pushed together in the middle of the room, arms folded. A small, polite, but unfriendly smile formed on her face as soon as she looked up and she saw Kyoko standing in the frame.

"Earlier then expected. Very punctual of you, Kirigiri," Makoto said, standing up and gesturing to a chair on one side of the table. "Have a seat..."

Sitting down and regarding the other girl with a neutral, unreadable expression as she sat across from her, she allowed Makoto to speak.

"I'll get straight to the point," the student president began. "...Mr. Kamoshida and Madarame... won't you tell me the truth behind the Phantom Thieves incidents, Kirigiri?"

Kyoko's expression did not change. She knew interrogation and had plenty of experience in it. "Continuing to harass me over your misplaced assumptions, Niijima?" she asked.

Makoto scoffed at Kyoko's remark. "Of course, I figured already you'd never admit to such things."

The young detective folded her arms, her features hardening slightly in annoyance. "We've gone through this several times already, Niijima. Do I need to issue a complaint regarding you?"

This time, however, Makoto surprised her. The brunette did not look intimidated at all this time. "I expected this, too, honestly. Though to be honest, I expected it sooner then you'd think," she said, taking out her phone. "...Have a listen..."

With a press of a button, Kyoko heard Ryuji's voice come out of Makoto's phone speaker.

"...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?!" Ryuji's voice said.

"Would you keep it down, you're being way too loud," replied Ann's voice.

Kyoko glanced down at the phone, then up at Makoto, unimpressed. "You believe that proves a thing, Niijima?" she asked. "Have you roamed these halls at all? There are students everywhere in this school claiming to be Phantom Thieves and taking credit for what happened."

"Oh, really?" Makoto asked, indicating the phone's sound file had not finished.

"...I'm inclined to agree on both ends. 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."

Makoto gave a knowing smirk as Kyoko's eyes widened noticeably, her mouth hanging open in shock as she heard the recording of her response to Ryuji's outburst.

"...I thought as much. Now... what could all this mean?" Makoto asked sternly, pausing the recording and her expression turning serious. "Blackmail? Hypnosis? How in the world were you able to corner people like them and make them confess? Won't you tell me how you did it? Does it have to do with whatever this "Metaverse" you mentioned is...?"

The student president skipped ahead slightly and switched the recording back on.

"You think we'll be okay? If the police are looking for us, then can we still safely do this?" Ann's voice asked.

"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. Still, they may keep an extra close watch on us if they peg us as suspects." Kyoko heard herself say.

"Even so, we can't let the cops scare us outta bein' Phantom Thieves!" Ryuji's voice answered.

Kyoko grit her teeth, left at a loss for words. She tried to think of a response. An alibi. Something. Nothing was coming to her, however. She knew the moment she'd reacted to her own voice earlier, she'd only confirmed the other girl's suspicions.

"Let me guess, you want to say that this doesn't prove anything? That it could be "anyone's voice" because no names were used?" Makoto asked as she switched off her phone. "...I think this gives me all the reason I need to believe you three are the Phantom Thieves. Now tell me this, what do you believe the police will think if they heard this recording?"

"We could end up under police surveillance for this! It'd be very bad for all of us, especially you, Kyoko!" Morgana protested from Kyoko's bag she'd left in the chair next to hers.

You think I don't know this?! Kyoko thought to herself, her expression hardening into a dangerous glare at the girl sitting across from her.

"...I could take your phone right now and delete it," Kyoko said.

"I certainly invite you, someone who's already on probation for assault, to try. See where that gets you," Makoto answered, both unafraid and unimpressed. "If you confess the truth to me, I don't mind just leaving this between the two of us. You'll tell me, won't you?"

Kyoko said nothing, only folding her arms, only for her phone to suddenly ring. Taking it out, she saw Ryuji's name on the screen and looked over at Makoto, who gave an approving nod for her to answer it.

Switching on her phone, Kyoko held it to her ear. "...What is it?" she asked, her tone calm as possible though slightly annoyed due to the situation she'd found herself in.

"Damn, Kyoko, what's goin' on?" Ryuji's voice asked. "Just wanted to tell ya Yusuke and I are at the accessway ready for our next Phantom Thieves meeting! Ann's already runnin' late, ya gonna be here soon? You said you had some lead on the Shibuya stuff!"

"..." Kyoko's expression soured noticeably when she saw Makoto lean forward, elbow on the table and her chin resting in her palm, making it abundantly clear she heard everything. "...I'm gonna have to call you back." she said coldly, facepalming angrily and hanging up before the boy could answer.

"Talk about timing," Makoto remarked. "To be honest, this actually makes this a lot easier and saves me a lot of explaining about why I made you that offer earlier..."

Kyoko glared at the girl across from her. "What are you talking about?"

Makoto's expression became serious once more, though, Kyoko noticed, less threatening. "Take me to your friends, and I'll explain everything."

Kyoko stared at the girl seated in front of her in silence as she stood up, collecting her bag in the process.

---

"Oh..."

"Eh, what's up?" Ryuji asked, looking up from the manga he was reading at Yusuke's surprised look. "Kyoko get here?"

"She's... not alone," Ann muttered, gazing up disapprovingly from a fashion magazine she'd been reading as she leaned against the accessway railing at who Kyoko was arriving with.

"W-what the hell, Kyoko?!" Ryuji protested when he saw what Ann was talking about.

"...Of all the things you could have said when you called me earlier, Ryuji?" Kyoko replied, giving him a distinctly withering look as the realization of what she meant quickly hit him.

"...I had her bring me here," Makoto explained. "Ryuji Sakamoto, Ann Takamaki..." She glanced over at Yusuke. "...and Yusuke Kitagawa. Second-year of Kosei High, and former pupil of Madarame, I believe? I'd like you to listen to this..."

Taking out her phone, Makoto played the recorded conversation she'd shown Kyoko earlier. Once it was over, the student president looked around at the now stunned group, sans Kyoko, once more.

"An extremely similar method was used on both Mr. Kamoshida and Madarame, while those affected by their crimes were just coincidentally meeting up," Makoto explained. "How can that not raise my suspicion?"

"So what, do you intend to report us?" Yusuke asked, glaring at the girl indignantly.

"The principal put you up to it, didn't he?" Ann asked, seething. "The school can't have ties to criminals, after all... while turning a blind eye to suicide, repeated abuse, and sexual harassment, right?"

Ann folded her arms, glaring at the girl as she leaned against the railing. "Adults just use you, you know. At this point, I really do just feel sorry for you."

"...I know."

Ann blinked in surprise at Makoto's response. The others sharing surprise.

"You mentioned an offer when you interrogated me at school, Niijima," Kyoko said. "I brought you here, now why don't you explain yourself what this is about if you weren't planning to report us?"

Makoto took a deep breath as she faced Kyoko. "I need your help..."

"...What?" Ryuji asked, surprised by Makoto's answer.

"I'm the only one who knows about you, and I want to verify your justice, and by proving that justice, I'll erase this. I'm asking for your help because there is someone whose heart I want changed..."

"Who?" Yusuke asked.

"...So you're saying it's not impossible after all?" Makoto inquired. "However it may be..." She looked back at Kyoko. "I'm sure you know about the scams Shujin students, and many other young people, are falling victim to in Shibuya?"

"I've been hearing about it, yes," Kyoko said, recalling her brief conversation with the boy whose friend had been a victim the previous day. "Unfortunately we have very little to go on, let alone anything about their leader."

"So exactly how are you plannin' to "help" anyway?" Ryuji asked, glaring at Makoto. "As Kyoko said, we ain't got much, and we can't just go around randomly askin' people!"

Makoto nodded. "True, you can't just go around asking random students if they were scammed, but what if I told you, as student president, I have the names of a few who were, to narrow it down?"

"You do?" Ann asked, skeptical.

"Remember that flier that came up in the school a while back?" Makoto asked. "It wasn't my doing, but after it came up, I received several letters from students who had fallen victim that tried to get an appointment with me about it. Meet me on the rooftop after school tomorrow and if accept my offer, and I'll give them to you, as well as some other information I've been able to gather before I confronted Kirigiri."

"How do we know this isn't a trap?" Kyoko asked, still regarding Makoto with suspicion.

"What choice do you have?" Makoto asked sharply. "You want to prove your justice after what was said on TV, and these people need to be stopped. I'd think you as a detective would share this sentiment. Personally, I think all of us stand to benefit from this deal."

Makoto turned and left without another word.

---

Kyoko lay quietly in the warm tub of the bath house that evening, having taken advantage of the special being held as it hard started to rain on the way back. Fortunately it didn't seem to bring many patrons this time, so she was able to be more alone with her thoughts once more after all that had transpired, and the awkward conversation that followed.

Makoto Niijima had made her move, and came at her in a way that had taken her completely off-guard. Not helped by an ill-timed phone call. The student president had leverage, now. Something that'd either get her and the others arrested and expelled outright, or at least put under police surveillance... the former would have guaranteed she'd have been sent to juvie and everything she'd worked for would be for nothing.

Yet, she thought, instead of intending to report her outright, Makoto had offered them a new target: the one responsible for the blackmail crimes occurring in Shibuya she had been hearing about, Makoto had seemed sincere, and putting an end to it did indeed, as she pointed out, benefit all of them as it would eliminate a threat to Shibuya's young people as well as provide proof of the Phantom Thieves justice after the interview with Akechi, however well-intentioned he may be, had sowed discord in the opinion on them.

Ryuji was annoyed, as was Ann, as both suspected Makoto may have been setting them up. Kyoko did not rule the possibility out. It would be easy for Makoto to use them, and out them after, and could gain credit and recognition for stopping the crime ring and leading to the Phantom Thieves' arrest.

It made Kyoko think back, however... it was something she'd have likely done as well, once upon a time. She thought about her tirade at Makoto a few days back, and wondered if that was why it had made her lose her normally cool head. It had been a reason her grandfather didn't permit her to have friends, any could turn on you, and any could be used as pawns to reach the truth.

Thinking about it now, however, after being put on their level and knowing more and more people more personally, and finding herself on the other side, it made Kyoko feel a sense of illness in herself. It made her think of part of Yoshida's speech last night, about the true nature of acting purely on gain and loss regardless of the goal.

She tried to calm her mind from those thoughts, taking in the warm water and the pleasant scents that had been added in, recalling meditative exercises Maruki had given her while she sat almost fully immersed.

New thoughts came, namely how despite it all, Makoto's sincerity still stood out to her. They had no choice, and had plenty to gain but also plenty to lose... yet it seemed Makoto truly had come to her for help despite her approach. Unfortunately they had very little to go on, and simply asking random people would only bring them unwanted attention that could endanger them further whenever they were in Shibuya. The solution was to identify the victims, and approach a select few in a subtle way. While Makoto had left her and the others with little choice, she did have names she was willing to share to help in that matter.

Whether she liked it or not, Kyoko knew this would, indeed, be a make or break situation for the Phantom Thieves.

The young detective slowly opened her eyes, another thought now crossing her mind.

This water's getting really hot... she thought, her gaze turning towards a patron turning the hot water dial to fill the tub further with no apparent plans of stopping...

---

6/14

"I was thinking you wouldn't show," Makoto said as she looked over at Kyoko, Ann, and Ryuji as they came through the door leading to the rooftop after classes had ended. Makoto herself was sitting on one of the desks, regarding them with a neutral gaze. "So, do I have your answer?"

Kyoko nodded. "...We accept."

"Very good," Makoto replied with a small, approving smile. "As I promised, first here are the details. Your target isn't simply a petty criminal or a small gang. You're dealing with a mafia boss."

"The... the mafia?!" Ann asked, her eyes wide with horror.

"They at least call themselves such," she explained. "This particular crime ring is believed to be responsible for the rise of crime in Shibuya, primarily through phishing scams. What's worse, once they have you in their sights, they never stop threatening you until they get what they want... threatening your family, forcing you to take part in their scams, and ultimately destroy your life.

"Holy shit... Ya think it's the Kuzuryus?" Ryuji asked. "I hear they're pretty big."

"That's... admittedly unlikely," Kyoko said, looking back at Ryuji. "...Something like this is, admittedly, rather beneath them. First of all, most yakuza still active tend to allow people from troubled backgrounds to come to them for membership or money, allowing them to remain and appear as "legitimate" as possible," she explained. "Also, based on what I do know of them from the DSC's knowledge of them, the Kuzuryus apparently have a very strict and traditional set of codes on the activities they partake in. This, especially preemptively conning people into servitude to them, doesn't match and would violate that."

"I'd thought that over as well, honestly," Makoto said. "And to be perfectly honest, it is strange such a group has continued to thrive without their interference. As you know, this group targets juveniles, and their victims include some of our students. The victims get threatened not to testify, so even the police can't grasp the situation."

"What we are likely dealing with," Kyoko explained, folding her arms, "...Is a rather well-organized Han-gure group. Whoever their leader is, however, would have to be well-connected or have some form of leverage in his favor if the Kuzuryus aren't involved or haven't acted against them."

"...So, you know what his name is?" Ryuji asked, looking over at Makoto.

"No. No one does," she replied. "...But their main hub of activity is in Shibuya, mostly around the Central Street area. It seems they're mostly active around just before and after school starts."

"...When it's crowded as hell and there's plenty'a fresh victims to choose from," Ryuji grumbled.

"Anyways, a deal's a deal," Makoto said, reaching into her schoolbag and taking out a folded piece of paper and holding it out to Kyoko. "...You accepted, so here's a list of names of a few of the students who left me letters about being scammed by them to get you started. I'm sure the righteous Phantom Thieves and a prodigy high-school detective can take it from here..."

Kyoko took the folded paper and looked it over. As promised, Makoto had left a list of students' names on them, and their grade years next to them. Folding it back up and sliding it into her bag, the young detective gave a nod. "...We'll look into it."

"Good. You have two weeks," Makoto said sternly. "...That gives you plenty of time. If this isn't resolved by then, I'll submit my evidence of you to the school and the police. Don't let me down."

Before anyone could respond, Makoto took her bag and disappeared through the doorway heading back into the school.

"She really had the upper hand in this exchange," Morgana said, poking his head out of Kyoko's own schoolbag.

"..."Don't let me down?" She have to go and boss us around?" Ryuji growled.

"Too bad a lot of the students have probably headed home by now," Ann said, shaking her head in dismay.

"We'll have to wait until tomorrow to start our investigation, then," said Kyoko.

"You're right," Morgana said. "Come on, we should get in touch with Yusuke and meet at the hideout."

---

?/?

"The student council president from Shujin Academy?!" Sae Niijima asked, her eyes wide with shock from what the bruised and battered girl sitting across from her had just told her. "...Are you saying that Makoto was sticking her nose into this "Phantom Thief" business?!"

Kyoko couldn't help but savor this a little after what she'd just been through. "You... seem upset," she said between breaths strained from her injuries.

"I'm not...!" Sae protested, before pausing, though the distress was still very visible on her face from the implications this brought. "W-why would Makoto..."

The woman recovered quickly, however, as shock and worry turned to cold but present anger. "Are you bringing up my sister in an attempt to upset me?" she asked sharply. "It seems there's no limit to your duplicity. Do you realize I'm your only chance of getting through this as painlessly as possible?"

"Maybe you should keep... listening, then," Kyoko replied, thankfully she felt a little of the dizziness fade as time went on.

Sae responded by looking at her watch, before giving a stern look at the girl before her. "Fine. I'll listen to everything you have to say before I decide the truth of your statements..."

---

6/14

"So, we really are dealing with a well-organized crime ring on par with the mafia, are we?" Yusuke said, folding his arms after receiving the news after the group had gathered at the accessway.

"That is what she told us," Kyoko said. "To have this many victims and successfully intimidate them into silence, they clearly have eyes all around Shibuya. We can't afford to underestimate them or draw attention of any kind while we investigate."

"This guy, whoever he is, he's a crime boss and he's been doing a pretty good job getting away with this, so I wouldn't be surprised at all if he has a Palace," Morgana said.

"I do believe, as we discussed before, this would be a prime opportunity for us," Yusuke said.

"Still, you heard what Kyoko said!" Ann protested. "Not only do we only have two weeks to get this taken care of, but it's pretty clear this guy is way more dangerous then Kamoshida or Madarame!"

"True," Yusuke replied. "I'm not denying that the risk is certainly greater, considering who we are up against, but even after the Phantom Thieves punished an evil man who seemed to be good, the public didn't acknowledge us. If we take down an actual criminal, let alone one that even the police do not have answers for..."

"Right, something like that would make people believe in us, if we pull it off," Ann said. "I guess it's just... like I said, this guy's a whole level above someone like our last two targets..."

"Yeah, but that means if we do, even Akechi'll have to acknowledge us as the Phantom Thieves!" Ryuji said, before turning to Kyoko with a big smile. "So, far as I'm concerned, I say we stick to it! Whaddya say, Leader?"

Kyoko folded her arms, giving a faint smile as she closed her eyes and nodded. "We've come this far, already. Let's turn this into the opportunity we've been searching for."

"Hell yeah!" Ryuji cheered. "...'Sides, you're an ace detective and all! I'm sure we'll have all the info we need to go after this guy in no time!"

Kyoko gave a sharp, but amused sigh. "I appreciate your confidence in me, Ryuji."

"That said, our time limit is two weeks, correct?" Yusuke asked. "That's still not much, and we can't afford to waste time. There's no telling what we will find ourselves against should we identify him and infiltrate his Palace."

"We'll start the investigation tomorrow," Kyoko replied. "The list Niijima gave us has the names and years of a few students who have asked her for help about having falling victim to them, so we can avoid drawing attention from just asking random people blindly. We'll also want to approach them about it indirectly, which brings me to the next part..."

"Oh?" Ann asked.

"We ran into someone the other day who had a friend who was a victim," Morgana explained. "Apparently he was offered a "job" for some "quick money" he said yes to and apparently it led to him getting scammed."

"...So if we approach the victims about it that way, they may be more cooperative in giving us details on what this "job" entailed?" Ryuji asked.

"Exactly, and moreso, how we can draw out the ones offering it," Kyoko replied. "It may give us a chance at identifying their leader, or give us a clue that can bring us closer to learning his name."

"Well alright!" Ryuji said with a smirk. "Sounds like we got a plan!"

Yusuke brought his hand to his chin, pondering. "...With my limited finances being rather well-known around school, I may be able to believably do the same with students at Kosei and see if any of them have fallen victim as well. I will keep you updated if I find out anything there as well."

"Sounds good to me!" Ann said with a cheerful smile. "I'll see you all tomorrow, then!"

"I'm-a head home, too. Seeya then!" Ryuji said.

As they left, Kyoko noticed Yusuke had not moved.

"Could I have a moment?" the boy asked when he noticed her look.

"Yes?"

"Well... it's..." Yusuke looked uneasy a moment, as if trying to decide how to word what he was going to say. "I... had a yearning to see the true "Sayuri", so if you're heading homeward, I'd like to accompany you if possible."

"You have something on your mind regarding it, I take it?" Kyoko asked.

Yusuke sighed. "Yes, something like that. So, would it be alright with you?"

Kyoko could see her hunch was true, it did look like Yusuke did have a lot on his mind right now, aside from their new mission, and it did draw concern from her. Admittedly, it was best nothing was left unsaid, both for the sake of their mission and his own well-being after what he'd been through with Madarame's abuse and subsequent arrest.

"Very well. Let's go."

---

"Perhaps I should have brought my umbrella," Yusuke mused, drenched from the rain that had shown up by the time they'd arrived in Yongen-Jaya as he sat down in one of the boots of the Leblanc café.

"Being prepared is always a good idea," Kyoko remarked, having wished she'd brought hers as well and finding herself a towel to dry her hair off with. Thankfully the front of her white blouse had not suffered much exposure to the elements on the way back.

Upon entering, Sojiro had stepped out to get some cigarettes and, by Kyoko's assumption, allow her and her friend some privacy to talk as he'd also taken note of Yusuke's troubled demeanor.

"That said," Yusuke replied, smiling as he looked past Kyoko at the painting on the café wall. "...The "Sayuri", in its true, original state, seems to suit this café rather well. I'm glad I chose to leave it here."

Kyoko glanced back at the painting as well. "It does seem right at home here," she said, a faint smile on her face before she turned to face him again, folding her arms as her smile faded. "You had something on your mind you wished to discuss?" she asked.

"Indeed," Yusuke said, frowning. "The truth is, Kyoko, I've found myself in quite a horrible mess..."

"What do you mean?"

"Well to put it bluntly, I need your assistance," Yusuke explained. "So please, listen to what I have to say..."

Kyoko looked away a moment, brushing back her hair. "...I don't consider myself especially good at counseling others due to how I was raised, but..." she gave a small sigh. "...Feel free to speak your mind, to me. I'll listen."

Yusuke gave a slight chuckle. "I suppose I can understand that. I was mostly kept isolated from my peers by Madarame, save for Angie Yonaga but only because he believed she and I would inspire one-another to refine our craft and... produce greater works for him," he said. "...Which brings me to my point: Throughout my artistic career, there have been moments I've struggled with particular motifs and techniques... however, each of those struggles did eventually fade..."

Kyoko gave a nod. "...However?"

"...Well, now I find myself in a similar situation... but the more I try to escape it, the worse it becomes," Yusuke explained. "...It seems I've become... trapped in what we in the art world call "a slump"... I believe I already explained I've been attending Kosei on an art scholarship?"

"You have, yes," Kyoko said, nodding once more. "...You're concerned this "slump" may affect that?"

"Indeed, such coveted grants are not given so sparingly. I must continually achieve within my field to remain eligible. Were I to lose that scholarship, I would likely have no choice but to leave the school as well," Yusuke explained. "...In the earlier days of my career, I would exclusively paint what I desired, when I desired it. The only goal I had in mind was the pursuit of pure beauty... that goal continued to drive me onward. I wanted nothing more then to attain the lustrous allure of the "Sayuri" into my own work."

"Has that desire faded as well?" Kyoko asked.

"That's what I fear, Kyoko," Yusuke replied. "It's like... what reason do I have, now? Holding on to my scholarship? Keeping a roof over my head? Worldly desires are all that spur my brush to move... and the resulting work reflects such impurity of mind," he explained. "...To be honest, I am unsure as to whether I can call myself an artist anymore."

"That may be going a little far," Kyoko replied. "Despite my... current situation, I've not lost sight of my goals of becoming the next great Kirigiri detective."

Yusuke looked down at the table. "...But is it because you seek to bring justice to an unjust world, or because you were told it is your purpose? Did you feel this way when you were first sent here? As though you were unsure of what to do next and if you couldn't find the answer you'd lose all you poured your life into?"

Kyoko sighed, closing her eyes and remaining silent a moment. "...I did," she said at last, opening her eyes and glancing up at the ceiling fan. "...I think, though... I have been selfish. I used to solve cases for the sake of being the one to solve them. I didn't care about those who were a part of them, only how it benefit me... either proving my worth as a Kirigiri heir, or to qualify for Hope's Peak simply so I could face my father..." she explained. "I suppose losing those things motivated me to follow this new path... Because a part of me... wanted an opportunity to hit back, I suppose..."

"I appreciate your honestly, Kyoko," Yusuke replied with a small, approving smile. "...For what it's worth, I think you have shown a devotion to more then simply solving a case for the sake of solving it or proving your worth. You chose to save me from a life of servitude and exploitation even when it was of no personal benefit to you, after all. I believe being a Phantom Thief has helped you find purpose and resolve in what you do, even if you may not receive the acknowledgement by name..."

The girl's gaze shifted from the fan to Yusuke, who once more turned his attention to the table, though she remained silent.

"...My apologies, I suppose what it comes down to is, when it comes to my own work, I refuse to accept this lack of purpose in it," Yusuke explained. "That, I believe, is why I'm so upset with my own indecision. Such vague ambition is, in essence, a sin of sorts... though allowing my own young career to come to an end now would be even more sinful."

Yusuke's head turned back over to face Kyoko. "I only wish to create a work I can be genuinely proud of," he explained. "Look at the "Sayuri" again, Kyoko..."

The young detective turned, looking at the portrait once more.

"...Her incandescent figure, alluring gaze... that, Kyoko, is the meaning of pure beauty," Yusuke explained. "Yet, no matter how hard I try to replicate it, an elegance so sweet remains elusive to me! But why is that, you ask? It is surely because the painter behind the work differs... because the soul differs! By my estimations, though, the soul is merely another way to speak of the human heart... yet... what is the "heart"? How does it bring forth such beauty? that is what I want to understand!"

Yusuke took in a deep breath, sighing at the end of his tirade. "I'm sorry, I suppose I did get a little carried away," he said, now sounding exhausted. "...But... to be honest, I don't know where to start on learning this about the heart..."

He looked up at Kyoko, his gaze meeting hers. "Kyoko... would you be able to provide me assistance? Understand you've already brought profound change to my world," he explained. "...Hence, I believe you of all people may bring me closer to the truth."

Kyoko regarded the boy seated before her, and his asking for her help on this matter. "People normally only come to me for detective work, Yusuke," she said, brushing back her hair with unease. "That said, I suppose such a matter could be... investigated," she added, giving him a faint smile.

"I appreciate it, Kyoko. Perhaps, now that I think of it," Yusuke mused, "...Maybe there is a common goal between artist and detective: That of pursuing truth in the world around them. Madarame lost that pursuit a long time ago, it seems, in exchange for immediate rewards, so instead he chose to lie and twist the truth because it benefit him to do so, in so very many ways... including to those closest to him, for his own gain. I wish to never fall into that abyss myself..."

"Just know, Yusuke, this isn't my usual kind of investigation," Kyoko replied.

Yusuke couldn't help but chuckle a little. "Still, I appreciate your willingness to join me on this journey," he said. "At the moment, my art teacher has yet to notice any drastic changes in my work, but I cannot hide forever. Impurity of the heart will undoubtedly seep onto an artist's canvas eventually."

"Perhaps..." Kyoko began, bringing her hand to her chin, "...You could start with apologizing to Yonaga. Whatever the outcome, you'll have resolved things with her regardless after what happened."

Yusuke nodded. "Perhaps you're right," he said. "At any rate, my curfew draws near, so I'll need to be heading back, now..."

The boy stood, gathering his school bag as he made his way for the door, Kyoko taking out her umbrella as they headed outside, walking to the station in silence. Yusuke paused as he prepared to head into the subways below.

"You said you don't consider myself especially good at counseling others," he said, "...But for what it's worth, I think you did better then you give yourself credit for, Kyoko. I look forward to speaking of the matter again, I'll let you know when I feel ready..."

Kyoko watched as Yusuke retreated down into the busy underground walkway a moment, thinking of their conversation, and his evaluation of her efforts to console him, feeling a degree of satisfaction as she headed back, discovering Sojiro had returned in her absence.

"Welcome back," he said, "Guess you brought your friend to the station? Man I hate the rain sometimes, it brings me down. Guess it's getting a bit late, now, though, so it probably doesn't matter as much, now."

Recalling Morgana was still waiting upstairs, having gone up to give her and Yusuke privacy to talk about what had been troubling him, Kyoko decided not to make him wait any longer. "I think I'll be turning in, now, actually."

"Fine by me," Sojiro replied. "In this complete downpour don't think I'm gonna be seeing any people tonight, so I was thinking of closing up early, anyway. Hopefully tomorrow's weather's better..."

Heading upstairs, Kyoko found Morgana curled up on her bed. The cat took note of her as she came up.

"Hey, how'd it all go?" he asked. "Yusuke sounded very stressed out."

"It's... complicated," Kyoko said. "He has a lot on his mind."

"I see," Morgana replied. "Maybe when you get the chance you can get to the bottom of that. For now, we got an investigation to worry about!"

Kyoko nodded as she fished out her sleeping clothes and started changing for bed. "Yes. Hopefully the list Niijima gave us will lead to people willing to talk, and give us some leads," she said.

"If we pull this off, the Phantom Thieves are sure to be bigger then ever!" Morgana said. "...And when that happens, and more people believe we exist and in our cause, we'll be able to journey further into Mementos!"

The place was indeed still on the girl's mind, but more so what lay in its depths, what the strange tubes resembling veins that filled the place were feeding into. One of many mysteries that had entered her life she intended to solve. She nodded in response to Morgana's words as she finished getting her sleepwear on and undid her braid. As she changed her gloves, Kyoko felt she was being watched, however, causing her to turn.

"You're curious about what happened?" she asked as she slid her cloth ones on for sleeping, covering the sensitive skin underneath.

"...You got me," Morgana said, his ears drooping.

"It happened years ago," she said.

"I see," said the cat, a hint of disappointment in his voice as he regarded her with concern.

Kyoko let out a faint sigh, looking at the window. "...Maybe one day, I'll tell you about it," she said. "For now, we have tomorrow's investigation to handle."

The young detective switched the light off and climbed into bed, Morgana moving to give her room as she watched the lights cut off downstairs and the sound of the door jingling and locking as Sojiro headed home as well.

"Hopefully everything works out!" Morgana said. "Who am I kidding? I know it will! We'll find this guy and change his heart, especially with the team we have, now!"

Kyoko's faint smile returned as she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

---

A/N: Another chapter done! I'm taking next week off from work so I hope to get another chapter written then. I chose to chop out a bit of the fluff to get into the Kaneshiro arc a little faster. Also... I imagine also everyone's heard by now of Billy Kametz, the English voice of Dr. Maruki's passing on June 9th. When it came out he was battling cancer back in April I'd hoped he'd overcome it, but it was not to be. Rest in peace, Billy, and thank you for helping bring this wonderful and memorable character to life for us. 3

0 - The Fool: Rank 5

I - The Magician: Rank 3

V - The Hierophant: Rank 4

VI - The Lovers: Rank 5

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 3

1 - The Councillor: Rank 4

? - Faith: Rank 2

Kyoko's Personas: Eligor, Shiisaa, Kusi Mitama, Suzaku, Jack Frost, Ame-No-Uzume, Orobas, Flauros