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"

39. A Week's Work

Heart of Justice Chapter 39

6/27

Kyoko had just finished getting ready for school when she heard the sound of her phone ringing on the stand. Unplugging it and looking at the screen, she saw Makoto was calling and answered.

"Hello?"

"Oh! Kyoko! Thanks for picking up! I have news about Kaneshiro!" Makoto responded.

"Kaneshiro?" Morgana asked from his spot on the bed, his head cocking with interest. Kyoko, admittedly, was also curious.

"Judging from your enthusiasm, I assess it's good news?" she asked.

"It is, yes," Makoto replied. "Kaneshiro called me... not texted but... called me. He said he's calling off our debt and disposed of the photographs as well... also..."

"Go on," Kyoko prompted.

"Well... he was apparently right outside the police station when he called, and then I found out from my sister she'll be home late because he's turned himself in and has been taken into protective custody..." Makoto explained.

"WHAT?!" Morgana cried out, eyes widen in astonishment.

"They don't want anything to happen to him before the trial, correct?" Kyoko asked. "Considering the people he worked with and was likely connected to in his trafficking, it would stand to reason someone may try and silence him."

"True," Makoto said, "So... does this mean we were successful in changing his heart?"

"It's hard to say for sure yet, but that sure does make it appear so," Morgana said as Kyoko held the phone to him.

"I see," Makoto replied. "Hey, with his Palace gone, that'd mean this other Metaverse intruder can't assassinate him with a mental shutdown before he testifies, either, right?"

"No, we saw his Shadow vacate and return to the real him, and his Palace is gone since we took the Treasure as well, so this person shouldn't have any way to go after him anymore," Morgana said.

"I see, then I guess all we can really do is wait until the change of heart becomes clear to us," Makoto said with a sigh. "Still, with the way things are already going today, it gives me plenty of hope, so... thank you."

"It's still something I'm fairly new at, but... we handled it together, Makoto," Kyoko replied with a faint smile.

"Yeah, I suppose your right," Makoto said with a small laugh. "Anyways, guess I'll see you at school. Don't be late!"

No sooner had Makoto hung up when the chat room starting chiming with activity.

[...Oh, I just remembered something] Makoto messaged.

[You recall I've been ordered by Principal Kobayakawa to look for the culprits behind the calling card from back then?] she asked.

[Ryuji, Ann, try not to stand out too much if anything comes up.]

[Yeah, yeah. I'll behave.] Ryuji messaged back.

[Got it.] Ann answered.

[There's already talk around the dorms, Hagakure certainly had quite a skip in his step today] Yusuke messaged.

-Good to know. Seems Kaneshiro kept his word. Kyoko replied.

[Whaddya mean?] Ryuji asked.

[I just called Kyoko a few moments ago. Kaneshiro's called off our debt and turned himself in.] Makoto answered.

[Really? That's great!] Ann answered.

[It certainly explains a lot.] Yusuke replied.

[Sweet! Okay now it's gonna be hard for me to keep quiet!] Ryuji said.

[Well, please try to.] Makoto replied.

[Also, Kyoko, if it'd be alright, can you meet me outside the student council room after classes?] she added.

-Very well. I'll see you then.

[I appreciate it, thank you!]

Putting her phone away, Kyoko finished getting ready as Morgana climbed into her bag and headed downstairs.

---

Once class had ended for the day, Kyoko made her way upstairs to find Makoto waiting outside the door leading to the student council room.

"You wanted to see me, correct?" Kyoko asked, folding her arms in curiosity.

"Right, I did," Makoto said, a gentle smile on her face. "I guess all we can do is see what happens with Kaneshiro, but considering this morning it sounds like something did with him... anyways, that's not what I wanted to ask about, it's something else, actually, now that I feel like I can relax a little..."

"You said the principal still had you investigating us?" Kyoko asked.

"He does, yes, but I deleted everything already," Makoto explained. "It's more a matter of not drawing too much attention as then we'd all be in trouble regardless."

"And yet you wanted to speak to me?"

"I don't think anyone will put much thought in the student president wishing to check in with and evaluate the performance of the rumored delinquent," Makoto said slyly.

Kyoko glanced away a moment. She didn't particularly enjoy the label in the least but admittedly Makoto was right.

"Furthermore, I saw your last exam scores, you're clearly very dedicated to your studies as well," Makoto added.

"I got straight A's in my old school," Kyoko replied.

"Well, if it doesn't get in the way of your studies, I'd like to go somewhere more private we can talk, and also... meet someone important to me," Makoto explained. "Would that be alright?"

Kyoko gave a small, faint smile. "I have nothing else going on."

"I appreciate it," said Makoto. "We'll have to take the train but this is something I've wanted to do. Please, follow me..."

The young detective was intrigued, but followed the other girl out of the school and to the Aoyama-Itchome station.

---

"Right this way," Makoto said, leading Kyoko through a gateway and into what she quickly discovered to be a cemetery.

"I'll wait out here," Morgana said, climbing out from Kyoko's school bag. "You two go on in, take as much time as you need!"

"I appreciate that, Morgana," Makoto said with a smile before leading Kyoko further in to a gravestone.

"Kyoko, I'd like you to meet the man you helped me avenge yesterday..." Makoto gestured to the epitaph engraved on the stone.

Daisuke Niijima

Dedicated Policeman

Beloved Father

1966-2013

"...My father..."

Kyoko looked over the epitaph, then over at the brunette, her impassive frown deepening with concern. "...I'm sorry."

"He was a good man. He believed in justice and trying to make the world a better place," Makoto explained, placing her hand on the stone. "He admired your family's history, too. Your grandfather's status as the greatest detective of his generation, like every Kirigiri before him... my father had a lot of respect for your family."

"There was a reason we acted independently as private investigators... As we saw with Kaneshiro and... what happened to me. There are those who know money and connections talk," Kyoko said, brushing back her long hair as she looked to the side. "...And for that, my grandfather was powerless against the man who had me put on trial and sentenced."

"...Still, you've done more for me then you can imagine by helping me bring down the man who took my father from me," Makoto said with a comforting smile. "Without the Phantom Thieves, Kaneshiro may have never been stopped. It's more then simply avenging him, Kyoko... you helped me finish the task he sought out to do, and now that Kaneshiro's in custody justice can be served."

Makoto smirked a little, folding her arms. "All things considered, a part of me enjoyed it, too. Being a Phantom Thief, being able to tear through all the defenses Kaneshiro put up around him in the real world. I can't help but think you enjoy it as well, don't you?"

Kyoko blinked at Makoto's response, folding her arms as well. "I..." she sighed. "I suppose I do. Much like solving a case, and I suppose there's also a degree of satisfaction in making these criminals pay for their crimes when the law either willfully ignores them or punishes their victims. Before, being a detective was simply a birthright placed on me, and I intended to fulfil it no matter what, but now, after all that's happened..."

"I thought as much," Makoto said with a chuckle. "Either way, I think my father would have supported the Phantom Thieves, they're... his reason he became a policeman is the same. To stop the bad guys and bring hope to those they hurt. Despite what you've said about your approach in the past, I think there was always a part of you that wanted to make the world a better place. Now, with Kaneshiro facing charges and having turned himself in, my father can be at peace..."

Kyoko hugged herself a little. "I've said I'm not good at comforting others, due to a lifetime of taking a professional approach on everything and everyone, but..." she gave a small smile. "...I'm certain he's proud of you, Makoto."

Makoto gave an appreciative smile back and faced the grave again. "...Hopefully, Sis will feel some ease as well once Kaneshiro's convicted. She deserves it, too, after all the responsibilities she's had to handle for the past three years."

Turning to face Kyoko again, Makoto spoke again. "There was another matter I wanted to discuss as well," she said. "I guess I thought after getting to know you and all that's gone on in this past week, and what you've told me about how you used to approach your detective work, that maybe... in a way... you'd get it more then anyone else..."

Kyoko tilted her head slightly. "...I'm listening,"

"Well, until now, I've been the quintessential honor student, and I believe I've been handling my position as a student council president with ease as well," Makoto explained. "Understand, it's not meant in a boasting way, it's... simply how I've thought about it..."

"What do you mean?" asked Kyoko.

"...Thing was, despite carrying out what were essentially my duties on paper, I was unable to make any kind of impact with either Suzui-san, nor was I able to do anything about Kaneshiro back then," Makoto continued, frowning a little. "...Turns out, there's simply no use for a law-abiding honor student when things get rough. Now that I've become a member of this team, I want to do everything I can to help you all, however I can! There's others out there like Kaneshiro the law can't or won't do anything about, and like my father..." She glanced back at the gravestone again for a moment. "...In memory of him, in honor of what he stood for... I'll remain dedicated to stopping them, and bringing hope to those who suffered thanks to them."

"I appreciate your dedication, Makoto," Kyoko replied with a small, but brief smile. "...Though I suspect there's something else to this, regarding what you said about your feelings of inefficiency..."

Makoto gave a nod. "Yes, if I may say, it's something I think we've both felt... all my studying, doing as I was told... it's all kept me quite... I guess the word is "narrow-minded"," she explained. "I feel like, to grow as both a Phantom Thief and a person... I need to broaden my horizons a bit..."

Kyoko was silent a moment, glancing aside again as she thought about her life prior to arriving in Yongen-Jaya. Prior to choosing to go out for a walk that fateful evening. How despite the way she felt about her grandfather forbidding her from visiting her mother on her deathbed, she dared not defy his orders. She'd done everything he told her to, his status and success were to be admired and respected and a child like herself, he'd made clear, had no right to challenge those things.

"...I suppose I could understand that. I've... not really done that particularly often, myself, either. What did you have in mind?" she replied, choosing not to dwell on those thoughts for the moment.

"I guess..." Makoto put her hand to her chin as she thought of how to phrase her words. "...Maybe learn more about the other students?" she offered. "I've found I struggle with that. There seems to be this disparity between my tastes and those of my peers. I guess it sounds like something I'd approach Ann about, but I thought maybe you'd understand where I'm coming from, more, you know?"

Kyoko's self-embrace tightened ever so slightly as she closed her eyes and tilted her head down a little, her impassive frown back in place. "...I suppose with you, I can be frank in saying you're... very perceptive, Makoto. Normally I'd rebuff you or make an attempt to shut down the matter by going cold, but..." she brushed back her hair again, noting a willingness to open up a little. "...I've elected that I can no longer simply wall myself off from others, anymore, despite my instincts to do so from how I was raised..."

"I certainly appreciate that, Kyoko," Makoto said with a smile. "You seem pretty close with Ann, Ryuji, Yusuke, and Morgana, and I'd like to have a chance to earn that sort of relationship with you as well. You could probably tell I walled myself off a lot as well from both people and the world around me outside of what benefit my studies, so maybe this'll be a chance for us to work more on changing that."

"Perhaps," Kyoko said with a small smile of her own. "Was there something you had in mind on where to start?"

"Actually, no," Makoto said sheepishly. "I figured though, you being a detective, you maybe have some ideas of where people go to socialize and... have fun? From my side, I think someone leading the student council needs a grasp on such concepts, to have a better understanding of the student body they serve, like maybe... if you were seeking out a suspect or a potential witness, to think like them and where they might go on their off-time?"

Kyoko gave it a moment of thought. "Perhaps when put that way, I can apply thought to the matter," she said.

"Right, though in this case, I don't mean in a surveillance way like you or I might normally have expected of us. More... a chance to know them as people, and maybe know myself a little more as well. We may be "Phantom Thieves", and I have my presidential duties and you're still planning to be a detective. Maybe this'll help us both in that regard as well?"

"There are several places that people socialize," Kyoko replied. "With Kaneshiro gone, Central Street is probably less dangerous, now, his men will be less organized without him. Shibuya and Kichijoji probably have a few options, actually."

"Hm, how about an arcade?" Makoto asked. "It just sort of crossed my mind, actually. I've seen some students go to one on Central Street but I've never been. Have you ever checked it out?"

"Do I come off as someone who would?" Kyoko asked, her tone indicating her question as rhetorical.

"Right, probably not. I was just making sure," Makoto said, slightly embarrassed. "This just means we'll both experience something broader for the first time, right? At least more then me simply studying in the library or in my room..."

"I suppose it would," Kyoko replied. "It would be a new experience for me, as well."

"Great! Let's go, then!" Makoto said with a smile, giving her father's grave one final, respective bow before leading the way back to the gates. Kyoko paused a moment, before giving Officer Niijima's grave a bow of respect as well and following Makoto to where Morgana was waiting.

---

"Thanks for coming with me, I'd have probably felt a bit... eh... lost coming by myself, actually!" Makoto said as she looked around the bustling arcade in awe, Kyoko standing next to her and Morgana back inside her bag.

"So, this is where everyone comes to enjoy themselves," Makoto mused, noting the place had several high school students, mostly from Shujin, playing several of the games. "...There are more girls here then I expected."

"I admit it's... surprising, given the usual demographic as I understood it," Kyoko said, folding her arms and looking around. "...But, I'll admit I'm not an expert on this sort of thing, so I wouldn't know what appeals to whom. Even manga is something I'm not overly familiar with other then its popularity."

"I see," said Makoto, her gaze turning to a shooting gallery game that a frustrated boy had just abandoned after apparently losing. "Hey, that one over there, you play by aiming a gun at the screen, right? That sounds somewhat realistic, and given our experiences, maybe we can give that one a shot... No pun intended."

"Hey! You know, maybe this game can help us out in the Metaverse!" Morgana said, peering through Kyoko's bag.

"I'm fully proficient with pistols," Kyoko said softly, not wanting to risk anyone overhearing her.

"Still, this sounds like it may help keep your skills sharp!" the cat replied.

"He's got a point," Makoto said, glancing back at the opening in Kyoko's bag and smiling at Morgana. "Maybe this can be useful for that, too!"

Kyoko gave no response, instead electing to approach the game and take up one of the gun-shaped controllers, glancing back at Makoto who took one up as well.

"So, being more experienced in this area then me, you think maybe you can teach me?" Makoto asked.

"I can try," replied Kyoko.

Kyoko soon discovered, as she suspected, the experience proved very different from the shooting galleries her grandfather trained her with. The controller's weight and shape were different then what she was used to, and the game seemed more focused on following and firing when prompted, causing her to mess up a few times and make the normally stoic young detective scowl in frustration before quickly regaining her neutral demeanor to try harder. Makoto, meanwhile, seemed far too engrossed in the game to notice such things and simply kept firing away, occasionally gasping, shuddering, and at times even shouting at the game in frustration next to her which had brought over more then a few spectators.

"Um... people are staring," Morgana commented as he peered through Kyoko's bag at the students who now had their attention on them.

"...Makoto?" Kyoko asked, lowering her gun after losing her last life and glancing over at her companion.

"HA! YES!" Makoto cheered, blowing away the latest batch of enemies with all the excitement of a child in a toy store. Her moment of joy, however, was cut dramatically short when another enemy appeared on the screen and the brunette cried out in horror as it took a shot at her and a game over message appeared soon after.

"So... that's what it's like, huh?" she remarked, placing the gun controller back in its cradle.

"Until that last part you handled yourself rather well," Kyoko replied.

"I think Morgana may be right, though... maybe I can apply some of the techniques I learned here during battle!" Makoto said excitedly.

"It could!" Morgana said. "The Metaverse works differently, I'm sure you noticed. You handled yourself well against Kaneshiro, but when we find ways to improve our techniques, the more likely we can succeed in our missions!"

"I'm admittedly inclined to agree," Kyoko said, putting her own controller back in its cradle. "This was... different, though."

"Still, you had fun, right?" Makoto asked. "I never would have thought of coming here before all this, would you?"

"Unless a suspect or witness could be found at one, I suppose not," said Kyoko.

"And my first question?" Makoto prodded.

Kyoko took a breath, folding her arms and giving a faint smile. "I suppose I did. Doing something outside my element and being challenged in something recreational for reasons that were not revolving around detective work did give me a sense of... thrill," she said, recalling also her time throwing darts with Ryuji and her billiard game with Akechi.

"Well, maybe we should do something like this again, sometime?" Makoto offered. "...Maybe it will lead to more new battle ideas outside of studies, and... you know... just a new experience outside what used to be an overly structured life. I'll make every effort to be of use as well!"

---

?/?

"Still with us?" Niijima asked sternly as she studied the battered girl across the table from her.

"...I am," Kyoko said softly, cradling her head in her hands as she struggled to keep her thoughts together.

"Good, then we can continue," the prosecutor stated. "...Now, I'm certain there were people who obstructed your actions as the Phantom Thieves, particularly as your notoriety grew. Detective or not, I doubt you could have had the ability to overcome such odds on your own..."

Niijima's gaze grew sharper. "...No doubt to focus more on your infiltration, you had someone who could specialize in analyzing enemies and helping assess a situation for the unexpected, isn't that right?"

Kyoko stayed silent, trying not to stifle, within a moment of lucidity, amusement in the irony of the woman being unaware of whom she was speaking of.

---

6/27

Reality around Kyoko slowed to a halt as she heard the soft voice speak to her once more.

I am thou, thou art I...

Thou hast acquired a new vow.

It shall become the wings of rebellion

that breaketh thy chains of captivity.

With the birth of the Priestess Persona,

I have obtained the winds of blessing that

shall lead to freedom and new power...

The sound of a chain link shattering rattled within the young detective's mind as reality once more returned to normal.

"By the way," Makoto said, "...Would I be right in my assertion you visited the red-light district when you were chasing down leads on Kaneshiro, correct? I'd like to go there, as well, sometime."

Kyoko said nothing, but could not hide the confusion on her face at Makoto's statement.

"Whoa! N-Not for my own purposes!" Makoto said urgently, throwing her hands up in front of her defensively. "Look, I may as well share this with you as well... I received a report that one of our students was spotted there. I was skeptical, but I'd like to confirm it for myself and... well..."

"You want me to help with an investigation?" Kyoko asked.

"Well, you do have a set of skills as a detective that would be a big help, I think," Makoto said with a smile and a small chuckle. "...So, if you're up for it, I'd like you to come with me and investigate... another time, of course, I probably need to be heading back home."

"I'll do what I can to help," Kyoko replied, folding her arms. "Let me know when you want to do this, just... let me take the lead on the matter. You didn't exactly pull off "inconspicuous" when you were trying to spy on me, you know..."

Makoto sighed, giving a slight, embarrassed smile. "...I suppose I wasn't. You did bust me a few times, after all."

"I could say more, but we're friends, now," Kyoko replied with a small smile of her own.

"I appreciate that," Makoto said with a chuckle as they headed back outside. "Anyways, also thank you for setting aside time for me today," she explained glancing back at the arcade entrance. "It's hard for me to come to places on my own so even if it's somewhere you've never been either, it's a big help having someone with me."

"Plus it was fun!" Morgana said cheerfully. "That place was real neat! I wonder what other kinds of games it has, Kyoko! We definitely gotta come back here, sometime!"

Kyoko blinked, glancing down at the cat in her bag but giving no reply. Makoto, however, giggled in amusement.

"Enjoy the rest of your night, Kyoko! I'll see you later!" she said, turning and heading back to the stations.

With Makoto having left, Kyoko instinctively looked around at the places nearby for anywhere she could grab dinner and settled for a take-out bento at the convenience store and made her way to the underground walkways as well.

She paused as she came to the foot of the stairs, however, when she noticed an old homeless man in ragged clothes and a long coat, a scruffy beard covering most of the lower part of his face as he sat huddled in a corner at the foot of the stairs, talking to a girl her age with dark hair in a short bob cut wearing a plain-looking gray coat, skirt, and black boots and gloves over her toned form. The girl suddenly took out her phone, frowning at whatever message had been sent to her and bid him farewell as she walked off. Glancing over, Kyoko saw the girl meet up with another that was practically the opposite with her stylish leopard-print coat over a black minidress and tall heels flaunting every asset her perfect hourglass figure had, her strawberry-blonde hair up in twintails and sunglasses mounted atop her head and getting into what looked like an intense conversation with the dark-haired girl.

"...I know you're there. No one sneaks up on me, kid," the man said softly as he turned his head slightly to acknowledge Kyoko's presence. "...It ain't your business."

"My apologies," Kyoko said as the two girls finished their apparent one-sided conversation. The blonde tossed back one her twintails dismissively and started walking away, the dark-haired girl briefly glancing back at the old man before leaving with her. "...You know that girl?"

"...Like I said. Ain't your business," he replied, taking out and opening up what appeared to be a military ration that looked like the ones Iwai sold at his store. Kyoko's gaze also took note of a tattoo of some sort on his right hand partially concealed under his glove. "...Kids today, so damn nosy..."

The old man let out a slight chuckle as he ate.

"...What?" he asked. "I'm where I want to be with all I need. Nothin' else to it. You should get on home, though... that Han-Gure boss may be in custody but his men are still around, who knows what they're up to, now."

"You know about that?"

"I know a lotta things, kid," the hobo replied. "Practically the eyes n' ears of this place, really. Those "Phantom Thieves" sure stirred something up the other day, and the whole thing with the artist, and now those vandals have disappeared, too..."

"Vandals?" Kyoko asked, playing unaware but knowing what he'd been referring to, as their mission in Mementos had put an end to the gang of burglars.

"Yeah, the ones breakin' into restaurants. Just up n' stopped... plus what just happened n' all... guess someone's gotta make a difference when the police don't," the old man mused, a smile creeping on his grizzled face before shaking his head. "...Don't waste your time listenin' to the musings of an old man right now, kid. Get home."

No sooner had she made her way down to the subways where the trains were, her phone began to chime as she noticed a message from Ryuji.

[Check it out! This article just went online!] he messaged.

-What article? Kyoko messaged back.

[Some kid from our school! "Boy M. tells all: Rampant Abuse in the Kamoshida Case!"] Ryuji replied.

[That was the headline, anyway. Mostly about the physical punishment.]

[Here's the link. Go look.]

Kyoko tapped the link once Ryuji had sent it, leading her to the mentioned article. What stood out, however, was the name of the one who'd written it.

"Ichiko Ohya... hm, seems Mishima got that interview after all!" Morgana said with a chuckle as he emerged and read over Kyoko's shoulder.

[Think "Boy M." is Mishima?] Ryuji asked, coming to the same conclusion.

[Guess there's no harm in it. And hey, free publicity for the Phantom Thieves!] Ryuji answered.

"He's right, surprisingly," Morgana said as he read the article over while Kyoko scrolled through it. "Articles like that might be useful to us! More people will hear of us, and believe in us when there's stories like this about the people we've helped painting us in a positive light!"

"...Which would help us in Mementos, and it may help Mishima get us more valid requests on the Phansite," Kyoko mused.

"Exactly! So if we have her write more stories about us, then that's sure to happen!" Morgana said excitedly. "Maybe she's in Shinjuku right now, wanna go see?"

"..." Kyoko sighed, recalling her last encounter with the reporter, but Morgana wasn't wrong.

Her mind made up, she headed to the platform that'd bring her back to Yongen-Jaya, finishing her meal in the process and electing it'd be best to change clothes before going out to her next destination at this time.

---

"Oh, here again, young Miss?" Lala asked, giving an amused smirk and taking a drag from a cigarette as Kyoko entered the Crossroads bar, folding up her umbrella from the rain that had shown up. As the young detective suspected, Ohya was once again seated at the counter.

"Lala-chan, can you not talk so louuuuud?" the reporter muttered, her voice a bit slurred as she tilted her empty glass back and forth with her fingertip till it finally toppled over.

Kyoko folded her arms, her gaze turning towards her school bag where Morgana was and beginning to wonder why she'd agreed to this.

"Hey! Lala-chan! You're not just givin' me water, here, are'ya?" Ohya protested, turning the glass back up and nudging it at the bartender, having paid Kyoko no notice. "If this is you tryin'a rip me off, I'm gonna reveal all'a yer secrets in a feature article!"

Kyoko placed her bag on the floor and sat herself down next to her, the stool making an audible squeak and getting the woman's attention.

"Huh? Ohhhh! It's you!" Ohya said with a wide grin Kyoko was unsure was out of intoxication or just being delighted to see her, or, judging from the smell of booze that practically poured out the woman's mouth with her loud words, both. "Soooo, what brings you all the way out here? See my article? I tellya, that Mishima kid... shoulda seen him when he showed up! Looked like he was goin' on a hot date or somethin'!"

The woman broke into a fit of laughter for a moment before pushing her glass away. "Still, it paid off, you came through for me big time," she said, seeming to become more lucid. "...So, yeah... my publisher, he got me as the beat reporter on these "Phantom Thieves", so if you're commin' up here payin' this place a visit, that mean you got anythin' worth sharin' about 'em?"

"You're really using this kid as an information source?" Lala asked, raising an eyebrow in disbelief.

"I don't mind," Kyoko replied.

"Yeah, give it a break, you killjoy!" Ohya said with a laugh. "Kids today got access to stuff we didn't!"

"Whatever. I'll get you a water, kid," Lala said with a dismissive handwave and getting a glass, placing it by Kyoko after filling it up for her.

Resting her chin against her palm as she placed her elbow on the table, crossing her legs as she seemed to finish sobering up at least for the time being, Ohya gave the girl an intrigued look. "So, if you're gonna be a reliable third-source party, what do you have? Also, not that I have reason to doubt you after you came through on getting me an interview with that kid, but whatever you got better be credible. It's my job on the line, after all."

"I won't lie to you," Kyoko said.

"Well, well! Lucky me, then! My golden goose has appeared!" Ohya cheered giddily. "Now I can take it easy, maybe go on vacation with all my free time, haha!"

Almost instantly, her expression with stern and unamused. "...As if," she snapped. "You said you won't lie to me, so why don't you tell me what's in it for you, huh? Last time you wanted info on Kaneshiro. The office has actually been abuzz lately, and I think it's related to him, actually... a bunch of calling cards addressed to him actually appeared around Shibuya the other day, apparently!"

Kyoko looked over at her glass, giving how to respond some thought. "They did, actually," she said. "And the following morning, Kaneshiro turned himself in and is currently in protected custody."

"Is that so?" Ohya asked, raising an eyebrow. "Makes sense, he's a gang leader, so they'd want to keep him alive so they can catch anyone he's connected to. Hope those he's scammed are alright, though..."

"They are," Kyoko said, taking a drink of her water as she turned, crossing her legs and giving a stern look of her own to make it clear she was serious. "There's word of students at my school being free of people threatening him, and the same is apparently the case at Kosei as well."

"Hm, well... you helped me out before, so I guess I can take your word, there!" Ohya replied, smirking. "You must be a huge fan of the Phantom Thieves, then, right?"

"You really planning to use this kid so you can go on vacation?" Lala asked, glaring a bit at the woman.

"No, no, I was joking," Ohya replied defensively. "That's just my excuse, okay? I'm conducting a private investigation during my off hours. No one at work knows about it!"

Lala's expression fell. "Oh, don't tell me you're still looking into that!"

"Hey, how 'bout this!" Ohya quickly interrupted as she quickly turned to face Kyoko again. "Supply me with some info on Phantom Thief activity, and I'll write articles on them! The better the info the better the articles. These Phantom Thieves gotta be pretty popular at your school, right, considering what that other kid said?"

Kyoko nodded. "They are, yes."

"Then It's a deal! I'll create all sorts'a positive PR for 'em!" Ohya said with a big smile. "...Provided you bring me some decent scoops!"

---

?/?

"I have to say," Niijima stated as she regarded the recovering Kyoko, "...You're reputation certainly skyrocketed after a certain point, didn't it? It's practically unnatural how much your actions were publicized!"

Kyoko rubbed her eyes, trying to keep her thoughts straight despite the drugs in her system as she looked back at the attorney in silence.

"...Did you have someone on the inside in the media?" Niijima asked. "Someone who had the ability to manipulate information for you...?"

Kyoko gave no response, but Niijima was hardly satisfied.

"...Well? Would that be correct?"

---

6/27

Time slowed to a halt around Kyoko once more, as the soft voice began to speak to her yet again.

I am thou, thou art I...

Thou hast acquired a new vow.

It shall become the wings of rebellion

that breaketh thy chains of captivity.

With the birth of the Devil Persona,

I have obtained the winds of blessing that

shall lead to freedom and new power...

The sound of a chain link shattering echoed within the recesses of Kyoko's mind as reality once again returned to normal for her.

"...Alright, just so we're clear, no telling anyone about this, got it? I can't tell people my source for this is some high-schooler," Ohya explained. "Now, I'm guessing you have something worth telling me regarding the Phantom Thieves, correct?"

Kyoko nodded, recalling her conversation with the old man in the subway regarding the restaurant burglers.

"Perfect!" the older woman cheered, grabbing up her empty glass and holding it out to the bartender. "Alrighty, Lala-chaaaaan! Time to celebrate! A bottle and two glasses, my treat!"

Lala gave only a silent glare that spoke volumes of the answer to that, causing Ohya to pout in disappointment.

"Man, her silence is golden!" Ohya muttered, letting out a loud, annoyed sigh. "Okay, fine, won't have the high-schooler drink. You're no fun. Now, young lady, what was your-!"

Ohya suddenly gagged. "...Excuse me. Bathroom!"

Before Kyoko could say anything, the reporter immediately rose from her seat and fled to the restrooms in the back. The bartender watched and sighed mournfully.

"You should probably just head on home," Lala explained. "...She'll be in there a good while. Just share it with her next time or if she calls or somethin', 'cause knowin' her she'll drink till sunrise and probably forget anything you tell her tonight."

"I see," Kyoko stood herself up and picked up her bag.

"Have a good night. Don't worry, she'll probably reach out once she's sober again."

"LALA-CHAAAAAAN!" Ohya's voice whined from the restrooms, followed by a gagging noise, prompting a sigh of disapproval from the bartender.

"Yeah, better get going. She means well but if you're still here when she comes back out... you're in for an all-nighter," Lala explained. "You're always welcome here, so if she calls you over I'll make sure she paces herself so you aren't wasting your time."

Kyoko let out a sigh of her own. She was far from interested in dealing with the ramblings of an intoxicated woman the remainder of the night. Still, something Ohya had mentioned earlier had caught the young detective's interest. "What was this about a private investigation?"

"Leave it be, young Miss," the bartender said. "Ichiko-chan's been through a lot already that I'm not at liberty to discuss. Now head on home before she comes back..."

"LALA-CHAAAAAAN~!" Ohya's voice sang from the restrooms. "I think we may need a mop..."

"Honestly, though... she's gonna be the death of me one day," Lala grumbled, leaving the counter to head to the back. Deeming it her cue to leave, Kyoko headed out the door, glancing back for a moment as she wondered what it was Ohya had let slip was about, and if her laptop was going to need another case file added to it.

Time would tell, it seemed.

---

6/28

[Senpai! Hi! Can we meet up? I'm downstairs and they gave me permission to use the gym so would you like to train a bit?]

A message from Kasumi had prompted Kyoko to head over to the activity hall where she remembered the gymnasium to be. As expected, the redhead was waiting outside the doors, a yellow cardigan over her summer uniform and giving Kyoko a smile as she saw her approach.

"Oh, thanks for coming!" Kasumi beamed, bowing in gratitude.

"Still as overly polite as ever," Morgana remarked from within Kyoko's bag.

"...You wanted to train, correct?" Kyoko asked. "I have time."

"I really appreciate it!" said Kasumi. "Plus, it's just... nice to have someone to spend some time with, you know? Well, first I was thinking maybe we can go grab some food... you hungry? It's actually a good idea not to exercise on an empty stomach."

"Well, it would spare me deciding what to have for dinner, I suppose," Kyoko replied.

"Perfect! We can use the school cafeteria!" the redhead replied.

"Do they even serve any food right now?" Kyoko asked, folding her arms and raising her eyebrow.

"Actually, I've got that covered! Follow me!" the other girl said excitedly, leading Kyoko back down the halls, the young detective unsure what the other girl had in mind, exactly.

---

"I'm sorry to have called you here so suddenly," Kasumi explained after they had sat down. "You see, since our talk, I've been trying to think of things besides gymnastics that I'm really invested in!"

Kyoko's attention, however, was not fully invested on the other girl, or even the bento in front of herself. Rather, her attention was on the gigantic, wrapped bento the redhead had placed in front of herself that looked to be nearly a foot wide and about half as tall.

"Anyways, I also wanted to eat first for that reason," Kasumi explained, seemingly oblivious to Kyoko's divided attention and where the young detective's gaze was. "...I've found I can cook real well, and I really enjoy it!"

"...I noticed," Kyoko said, glancing up at the redhead.

"Here's the thing, it all started when I was told by my coach how you really need to regulate your diet in gymnastics, sooooo... I've been making my own food a lot," Kasumi continued. "Also, for supporting me... I felt I should thank you, so I made you that bento! This is actually the first time I've cooked for someone outside the family, actually!"

The girl brought her hand to her chin as if something suddenly came to mind. "Now that I think about it, do friends normally give friends bento? You don't really see that, do you? Usually when it's food it's for a guy the girl really likes."

Kyoko sat back, folding her arms. "...I wouldn't know. My expertise lies more in investigation and detective work, not popular culture or... social interaction with peers."

Kasumi giggled. "Well, either way, I thought maybe this would be a way to help me get my confidence back!" she explained. "I built this specifically with your body type in mind, and from what I gathered from the exercise programs in gym class and what I heard about you doing laps around the school with that boy Sakamoto."

Immediately, the redhead's pride in her work evaporated and she blushed anxiously. "Sorry, I guess that sounded a bit weird, I wasn't... like... spying or anything, just this school talks about you a lot, so I just sorta overheard things and wanted to make sure this worked and I could get an honest opinion from you," she explained before pointing out the different foods in Kyoko's normal-sized bento. "The chicken and eggs help with fatigue, and there's also beans, and it's on brown rice as well. Weight control is important for gymnists, but we also need to make sure we have plenty of energy and stamina, too!"

"High-protein and low-fat, then?" Kyoko asked.

"Basically, yes! As well as plenty of iron to maintain stamina, and vitamin B for energy!" Kasumi said with a smile. "You're familiar with those things?"

"Somewhat," Kyoko explained. "Living with my grandfather my diet was carefully regulated, to ensure I could work on cases at full efficiency for longer periods of time. Fish and leaf vegetables were a common component."

"Ahh, "brain food", right... Well, I'll keep that in mind, next time!" Kasumi replied, unrapping her own gigantic bento and removing the lid before taking up her chopsticks. "Now, let's dig in!"

Kyoko paused, staring in disbelief that judging from what she could determine, Kasumi had to have been able to fit two whole meals worth of food in there... perhaps more. Even more baffling was the ample amount of various sashimi and rice balls Kyoko knew to be rather filling in her experience.

"...Something wrong, Senpai? You haven't touched yours," Kasumi asked, concerned.

"My apologies," Kyoko answered, struggling to regain her stoic expression again and find a tactful way to explain herself. Fortunately, the redhead seemed to catch on and not appear too offended.

"Oh, is it my bento?" she asked. "It looks like a lot, I suppose, but trust me, I'll need every last grain of rice! There's another tray underneath, it's actually a little less then my usual, to be honest..."

A little less then her usual?! Kyoko thought to herself through her otherwise neutral poker face she'd only just recently managed to get back, only for Kasumi's latest statement to cause brief and slight widening of her eyes in disbelief. The notion a girl as petite-looking as Kasumi was implying a bento that would have likely filled Ryuji's, or Ann's, or possibly both's stomachs was less then her usual meal sizes, particularly after her less then pleasant experience at Big Bang Burger with the twins, was testing her suspension of disbelief on things that were not Metaverse-related.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine!" Kasumi assured her, devouring a whole rice ball with little difficulty. "I did the math on the calories, so I'll burn all this off during practice! Anyways, eat up! You'll be done before you know it!"

Kyoko watched as Kasumi practically inhaled one sashimi piece after another from her massive bento. Electing to put her inquisitive nature aside for the time being and focus on her own food, Kyoko decided to try the first piece, pausing as she took in the flavor that felt familiar to her somehow but didn't quite match the appearance of the food or what Kasumi had described.

The food was excellent, but the flavor had simply caught her off-guard as she tried to analyze it as she took in another piece, finding they all carried a very similar theme to their flavor.

...Something with a familiar kick to it.

...A kick that was rapidly growing in intensity.

Kasumi was watching, concern growing on her face. "...Senpai? Your eyes are starting to glaze over," she said. "I didn't go heavy on seasoning or anything, I determined that may be bad for you. Is it too light? Lemme see..."

Helping herself to a smaller piece, Kasumi savored the taste a moment as she checked. "Hm, yeah that is the flavor I was going for," she said once she finished and appearing not the least bit affected. "I was trying to decide how to season them and thought, "Everyone likes curry!", so I went with that and did maximum curry flavor!"

Kyoko offered no response as she rose from her chair and silently excused herself, her face becoming increasingly flushed and her eyes widening noticeably despite her sincere efforts as she hurried to a nearby vending machine and bought herself a bottled milk she wasted no time opening and quickly drank as much down as she could slosh the kick from her mouth as she could without pause before sitting back down.

"Oh gosh, I'm so sorry!" Kasumi cried out, apologizing frantically. "I... guess you're not a fan of that flavor? Probably a good thing I didn't peg you as a fan of the super spicy kind."

"There's a spicier option?" Kyoko asked, instinctively, finishing the rest of her milk.

"I-I'm really, really sorry!" Kasumi rose from her chair, bowing and trembling in embarrassment and guilt. "I made an awful mistake, I know some condiments that will fix the flavor for you! O-Once I do that, I'm sure y-you'll enjoy it more, Senpai! Maybe mayonnaise? Soy sauce? Miso? Maybe Dr. Maruki has some salt packets?!"

Kyoko blinked in confusion at the other girl's sudden and very abrupt change in demeanor that left her at a loss of how to respond right away.

Kasumi continued rambling, visibly anxious and Kyoko quickly realized her pause was doing nothing to resolve that, so she rose from her seat as well, gently placing her gloved hand on the girl's shoulder. "Calm down, it's alright. Not your fault."

"Y-You're right!" Kasumi said, taking a deep breath. "Don't worry, I can just buy you something new you can eat right now! O-Or have mine! Whatever you'd like that can make up for this!"

Kyoko was even more curious, now as her words seemed to do little for her. It reminded her of when Kamoshida had made his confession and the redhead, albeit briefly, became a complete nervous wreck and broke down into her chest recalling how uncomfortable he'd made her feel and what could have happened. Kasumi was a very talented and kind girl and meant well, and an honor student... yet her self-esteem truly seemed utterly abyssmal, Kyoko assessed, to the point it seemed to strangely contradict her otherwise sunny demeanor like she became an entirely different person.

"Kasumi, it's fine, let's sit back down and we can keep eating... we need to before we train, correct?" she asked, trying to word things as carefully as she could and taking a moment to let the other girl catch her breath. Kyoko kept to herself how relieved she was there was no one else in the cafeteria at the moment. "...I like curry, it just... caught me off-guard and it's spicier then I'm used to. I... know I can come off as very blunt, but I didn't mean to offend you..."

"B-But..." Kasumi looked away a moment, before taking a breath and nodding. "...Th-thank you... for being patient with me. That was... I-I don't know what came over me, there. Usually I'm more in control when faced with stress... you gotta be if you're a gymnist, after all."

"Have you spoken with Dr. Maruki about this?" Kyoko asked.

"I have seen him, yes," said Kasumi. "I don't know why I never brought it up. Maybe it just... slipped my mind with everything else on my plate, you know?"

"I suppose it's possible," Kyoko replied, sitting back down. "I'm not a therapist by any stretch so perhaps bring it up with him next time you can. In the meantime, let's finish eating."

"You sure about that?" Kasumi asked, growing a little anxious again.

"I'll be fine. I'd like to give it another chance, now that I'm prepared," said Kyoko.

"Well, alright. I guess now we can really eat!" Kasumi said with a smile back on her face as she sat herself back down as well. "If it ends up too much for you, I'll buy you another milk. It's the least I can do!" she said, though her tone more playful, now as she took up another rice ball and the two resumed eating.

---

"...Well, thank you so much for finishing, Kirigiri-senpai!" Kasumi said with a big smile and a slight blush, feeling flattered as Kyoko took her last bite.

Kyoko's gaze fell on Kasumi's bento box, which she'd somehow managed to fit the entire contents of into her stomach at an alarming speed with no apparent sign of having overfed herself, but just gave a silent nod as she finished her own food.

"Um... I'm sorry again, that what I made you didn't turn out perfectly," the redhead said softly, looking at the empty black box that held Kyoko's meal and a guilty frown on her face. "I came up with the idea of making bento and just couldn't decide on a flavor I thought you'd especially like. Maybe I should have asked, first, the last time I saw you... or texted you, maybe? Either way, I'm really sorry."

"We went through this, Kasumi. There's no need for further apologies," Kyoko replied. "You think I..." she let out a small sigh as she tried to word it right and not sound blunt, thinking how her friends, or Sojiro, or Dr. Maruki would approach it. "...You think I started off with my skills?"

"You're able to make it to Hope's Peak, though, right, so wouldn't that mean you're a natural with them?" Kasumi asked, curious.

"While detective work does require a natural inclination for deductive reasoning, memory, and observational skills, they're still skills, and require practice and training. I've been raised since childhood on those," Kyoko explained. "...I may be able to assess things from people, but I'm not a psychic, I don't magically know everything about someone... and I'm not always right the first time, either..."

"But..." Kasumi still seemed unsure.

"Regarding your food, it was an honest mistake. You just try again," Kyoko replied. "...Even fictional detectives like Sherlock Holmes have to reassess a situation from scratch, I suppose. Sometimes a case turns out to not be what I thought it was, the suspect wasn't the culprit. I didn't stop until the case was solved."

Kasumi smiled again, Kyoko relieved her words and her analogy, as awkward as she felt them to be, seemed to cheer her up. "Thank you, you're very kind, Kirigiri-senpai."

"Not the first word most use to describe me, but..." Kyoko brushed back her hair and gave the other girl a faint smile. "...I can accept that."

"Next time, I'll ask you what you like, and maybe throw in some of that "brain food" to go with it. How's that sound?" Kasumi offered. "...Or I could go buy that super-spicy "Megido-Sauce" and we can both see if it lives up to its reputation!" she said with a playful giggle. "...You seem to always be helping me move forward, Senpai... if I didn't have you, I might have a harder time getting through... whatever's going on with me. Maybe that's why I fell into that spiral of pessimism... I can't let negative thinking like that get in my way, this kind of confidence can maybe help me figure out who I really am, after all."

The redhead looked at her finished bento, more relaxed, now before smiling gratefully at Kyoko. "Either way, I suppose all I can do is keep moving forward!" she said. "...I have all my trust in you helping me with that, and I hope I can do the same for you however I can!"

Kyoko heard the sound of a chain link shattering within the recesses of her mind as she sensed the passion in Kasumi's promise she'd made herself and for her.

"...And on that note, now that we got all our nutrients, it's time for the next phase, and know that means I'll need to train you harder then before, so make sure you keep up!" she said with a playful smirk as she stood, ready to lead the way to the gymnasium.

---

"Thanks so much for spending time with me," Kasumi said as she finished getting changed out of her gym clothes. "...I really appreciate it."

"You seem bothered by something," Kyoko inquired, back in her school clothes and glancing back at the other girl.

"N-No, it's nothing!" Kasumi replied anxiously. "Nothing worth stressing yourself over, Senpai!"

"You wanted me to "investigate" for you, correct? I need to know anything you feel is relevant," the young detective faced the redhead, folding her arms.

"Hm..." Kasumi grew quiet a moment. "Well... remember when I mentioned not having any friends? The other students whispering about me, seeming sort of... I dunno... put off by me. Seems... it's not even about me being a gymnist or an honor student it's like there's something about me that makes them uncomfortable but thing is I barely talk to anyone..."

The girl looked at Kyoko, worry on her face. "...We're friends, right? If there was something wrong with me, you'd tell me, right?"

"I would," Kyoko replied. "While you do tend to get rather anxious over honest mistakes easily, that's hardly something that'd warrant such behavior towards you."

"I see..." Kasumi looked down, trying to hide the embarrassed look on her face.

Kyoko sighed a little. "I'm not a therapist, nor am I... as I said before... good at this, so... don't feel offended if I'm..." she paused a moment to figure out an appropriate response. "Blunt, or come off as cold or unsure how to respond," she explained. "Next time you see Dr. Maruki maybe he can help you with that."

Kasumi looked back up at her, smiling. "I really appreciate your efforts, though. I can see you still mean it. I hope when I'm out of this slump maybe I'll feel more confident again and be more accepted... It gets lonely. My coach keeps telling me I need to "find out who I really am", and it's what I want to do, and I hope this can get me closer to that."

"Would you like me to ask around? Perhaps then I can find out something," Kyoko offered.

"N-No! No! I can't ask that of you!" Kasumi replied anxiously. "With all you're dealing with and... how people here talk, I couldn't. I don't want you getting into any trouble over me, so please don't... I-I'd never forgive myself if things got worse for you because you did that..."

The redhead took out her phone, checking the time. "...You're probably a bit worn out, so I wouldn't want to keep you much longer. I gotta be getting home, anyway, so dad's not worried more then usual! Thanks again for spending time with me!"

As Kasumi left, Kyoko finished gathering her things and made her way outside the gym, greeted by Morgana.

"Hey, I saw Yoshizawa head by, guess you're done?" Morgana asked.

"I am, yes." Kyoko set down her bag for the cat to climb into.

"I heard some students... one of them was like "Yoshizawa-san's lost it, hasn't she?" and another's like "Can you blame her after what she went through?" She say anything about something happening to her?" the cat asked.

Kyoko paused. She didn't recall Kasumi mentioning anything serious happening to her. Patient confidentiality meant Dr. Maruki would not tell her, and snooping in his office would be far too much risk.

"No, she never has. Not even hinted at it. But she has noticed how others act around her and it's bothering her," she replied, picking her bag back up after Morgana had climbed in.

"Think we should ask around?" Morgana asked.

Kyoko shook her head. "With my reputation here? She insisted I not risk causing trouble for myself over her. Furthermore, I don't think with her trust in me that she'd appreciate that if word got back to her if I did so without being asked," she explained. There had been a time where she wouldn't have cared about certain ethics like that, but the way Kasumi seemed to really value and trust her as a friend had made the young detective decide against going too far behind her back. "...For now I have some things to add to the case file I have on her. Anything I simply overhear at the right time and place, however, will be fair game."

Kasumi's odd swings between cheerful to overly anxious, and someone implying something devastating had happened to her, yet she seemed fully genuine in being unclear what was causing her decline in her gymnastic performances. Then there was her unusual and extreme depressive fits she fell into over any mistake, real or perceived, leaving Kyoko wondering if she may have been repressing or in denial about whatever it was, so outright approaching her about it may have been out of the question as well. Whatever it was, Kyoko vowed she'd get to the bottom of it one way or another.

She winced, feeling a hint of fatigue and soreness from the rigorous training exercises Kasumi had given her, dictating she'd be staying in the rest of the evening.

---

"So, "Master"," Kawakami said as she finished her tasks of cleaning up the room while Kyoko typed away on her laptop. "If there's any other services you could use, I'd gladly earn my pay on them."

"What do you mean?" Kyoko asked, glancing over at her.

"Well, I couldn't help but notice you twisting your shoulders a lot. It's not my business to ask what you've been up to before coming home, but I am a trained masseuse," Kawakami explained. "Something I picked up back in my college days, I actually worked in a spa for a while..."

Kyoko raised an eyebrow at her. "...Perhaps another time."

Sighing, Kyoko rested her chin on her palm as she looked at her notes she'd typed up.

"I take it you've never been. It feels like forever since I've ever actually been the client of one, honestly but point is you'd find it does wonders relieving stress as well," Kawakami continued. "...Sorry... just, I've tried talking to my boss about more shifts but he prioritizes the younger ones. The new one, she's about your age and she's gotten a lot of the preferential treatment. I mean, she's incredible at her job, but still... did he need to say this to my face? It's not like I've hit thirty yet!"

Kawakami shook her head in embarrassment. "Right, I shouldn't unload that sort of stuff. My point is, whatever gets me requested more helps if you decide it's worth spending money on. Heck, I even do a great job with hair styling if you want that, I even do the latchkey kid next door to my place's hair all the time."

"I'm sensing a lot of self-doubt," Kyoko replied dryly, turning her chair and facing her, now. "You seem like you have a rather wide set of skills, Ms. Kawakami... how is it you've not married yet?"

Kawakami sighed. "...You want the truth, Kirigiri? Maybe I just don't feel like I'm worth being loved, alright?" she asked, a forced smile on her face followed by a slight, yet equally forced laugh before facing away from Kyoko.

"...Here you are, requesting my services, and yet I just... vent to you! My double life as both a teacher and a maid is so exhausting!" Kawakami muttered. "...You're my student, so shouldn't that last part be the other way around? I should be someone you can confide to!"

"You seemed fine with letting your guard down around me, even though I'm hardly someone people would go to first," Kyoko said. "Least of all with the reputation I have at school..."

"Maybe it's because you know both sides of me," Kawakami suggested. "...Not to mention you've let me relax, as well. That's another thing, it's my job to help you relax, but yet here you are doing that for me instead..."

The older woman gave Kyoko a sad, apologetic smile. "...I appreciate it, but I'm not much of a maid, am I?"

Kyoko heard the sound of a chain link shattering within the recesses of her mind, as it seemed Kawakami trusted her more, though there was something else that appeared to be troubling her.

"Kirigiri... I have to confess something," she said, folding her arms and facing away again, looking deeply ashamed, now. "...The reason I needed the money? I lied about why..."

"What do you mean?" Kyoko asked, her brow furrowing as her gaze grew tense.

"A trained detective and you couldn't see that?" Kawakami asked, still facing away but feeling the girl's gaze. "...Or maybe you have been suspicious all along. Thing is, I don't have a sick sister, alright? All the stuff about medical fees and charges were a lie, too! I don't get requested as much if I don't come up with those types of stories!"

Kyoko's gaze grew sharper. As much as she expected this to anger her, something else came to the young detective's mind that held those feelings at bay. "Ms. Kawakami... who was that you were talking to on the phone the last time I had you here?"

"N-No one, alright?!" Kawakami said sharply, turning to face the girl with a stern glare of her own. "Just accept that nothing good will come of involving yourself with a terrible person like me! There's a lesson from your teacher, okay? Learn it well..."

Without another word, Kawakami took up her coat and headed downstairs, leaving Kyoko to herself as she heard the door close.

"She's hiding something," Kyoko said, turning her attention to Morgana, who was curled up on her bed.

"You're thinking about that phone call," the cat replied. "...What could be going on?"

"She may have lied about why she needed the money," Kyoko mused, opening her laptop again and typing away on the file labeled under her teacher's name. "...But it doesn't change the fact that someone's still demanding money out of her that she needs to provide frequently if she requires it so often and quickly."

"Maybe it's debt?" Morgana offered.

"Possibly," Kyoko replied, thinking back to a similar situation with Sojiro and that man who visited a few times. "...Or something else. She clearly hates this job and it's taken its toll on her health as well... the need of fast money outweighs those concerns."

Alibi false - still requires fast money

harrassed by phone calls - large money sums demanded - debt?

Kyoko thought about what she and her Phantom Thieves had just recently put an end to as well and another thought came to mind.

amount increases - possibly extortion - reason?

She brought her hand to her chin as she looked at the screen and her notes. "She claims it's not my business, maybe it's just how I am about a mystery but regardless she's made it my business by having me hire her through the maid service those times to help pay off whoever's harassing her," she said, frowning as she reread her screen. "I'll deal with this tomorrow. If anything, she owes me an honest explanation. It's evident there's a lot more to this then she's saying..."

---

6/29

To Kyoko's disappointment, and to her suspicion, Kawakami had called out sick that day, which meant she was denied her opportunity to approach her after class. She couldn't help but suspect it had to do with the previous night and it was possible her teacher had elected to avoid giving Kyoko a chance to corner her, and by the young detective's intuition, it was also likely Kawakami had seen through her claims as well and did not want to face her about them right now.

The opportunity not accessible to her for the time being, Kyoko checked her messages. A new one from Makoto stated Kaneshiro was still in custody but otherwise no updates on him. Ann was leaving to visit Shiho, and Yusuke was working on his planned masterpiece.

This left Ryuji, who had sent her a message that he'd seen Yamauchi near the entrance, which would have given Kyoko a chance to intercept him as Yamauchi would have spotted him easily. Her mind made up with her original plan on delay until she saw Kawakami again, Kyoko made her way downstairs after Ryuji sent her a description of who to look for.

Stopping as she spotted a middle-aged, clean-shaven man in a dark suit and gray tie matching Ryuji's description, the young detective bought herself a drink from the vending machine.

-I found him. Call my phone and play along. she messaged.

The moment her phone chimed when she was certain she was in earshot of Yamauchi as he talked with another teacher, she answered.

"Hello? Yes, it's me. Yeah... yeah..." Kyoko said, pretending to be interested in a conversation while she kept her attention on Yamauchi nearby.

"So, we up for the usual place?" the other teacher asked him.

"Kichijoji this time?" Yamauchi asked.

"No, no, I meant Tsukishima!" the other teacher replied. "Was in the mood for monjayaki to go with it."

Yamauchi smirked. "Works for me. It's been a while since I went there. No one'll bother us if we get there around 6."

"Perfect, I got some papers to finish so I'll let you know when I'm on my way there," the other teacher said before leaving as Yamauchi went in the other direction.

"...They're going to a monjayaki place in Tsukishima," Kyoko said. "You familiar with any of that?"

"Oh, damn! Yeah, I think I know exactly where they're goin', been there myself," Ryuji answered. "I guess we'll put trainin' an' all till another time. I'll keep an eye out for when Yamauchi leaves and we'll make our move then! Thanks again, Kyoko!"

"It was simple enough," Kyoko replied with a faint smile. "I'll see you later."

"Seeya then!"

Hanging up, Kyoko noticed she'd received a message and saw that Maruki had contacted her.

[Kirigiri! Hello! If you're free, do you think you could stop by the nurse's office? I think I've made some more progress.] the message read.

With time to kill until Ryuji got back to her, Kyoko typed a quick acceptance response and made her way over.

---

"Make yourself at home!" Maruki said with a smile as he gestured to the couch while he sat himself down in his armchair.

"Thank you," Kyoko said, sitting down. "You mentioned you'd made some progress on your research?"

"That would be correct, yes," Maruki replied. "Though for that, today's going to be another back-and-forth, as usual, I think..."

The man's smirk grew. "...Or will it!?" he said suddenly and dramatically despite already being fully relaxed in his chair. "Today's your lucky day, Kirigiri-san! Go take a look at what's on the table this time!"

Kyoko noticed there was a napkin covering the bowl Maruki usually kept the snacks he brought in, staring at it and then Maruki for a moment in curiosity before silently removing it.

"I think I've put you through more then enough listening to me go on about traumas, pain, and grief lately, so... I got these cookies and thought we'd have a little break! They're pretty fancy, actually... found them in a pretty popular sweets shop that caught my eye called "Ando's"!" Maruki explained. "The girl at the counter... Ruruka, was it? She was about your age, seemed real nice and offered a free sample to prove her point I'd want to buy some. I have to say... she wasn't wrong. They're pretty amazing so I bought a few!"

"Very generous of you, doctor," Kyoko said, regarding the sweets in the small basket.

Maruki chuckled warmly. "Don't try and flatter me, Kirigiri. You've been kind enough to indulge me with my research all this time which involved some pretty gloomy stuff, so it was the least I could do to ensure you got a little something nice out of it! Go on! Enjoy as many as you like!"

Deciding to humor him, Kyoko took up one of the cookies and removed it from the paper sleeve, taking a bite. Admittedly, they did taste amazing. Better then any sweets she'd had even with the limited number of them she experienced.

"They're really good," she said with a smile as she took another bite.

"I got plenty for seconds, so take all you want," Maruki replied with an approving smile. "So long as we're talking about cookies, though, it crossed my mind that they reminded me of this psychological experiment..."

"Hm?" Kyoko finished her cookie, starting on another.

"Hey! Hey!" She heard Morgana speaking softly from her bag as he peered through. "Save one for me! C'mon!" the cat pleaded as softly as he could as to avoid Maruki hearing him as the doctor continued.

"Well, the scientists prepared two containers, you see," Maruki explained, "...But the thing is, they put the same kind of cookies in both of them! In one container, they placed only a single cookie in. The other, they put in ten and filled it!"

Kyoko remained silent, but intrigued to where Maruki was taking this next.

"Anyway, the experiment was that they then had their subjects try cookies from each container, then asked how their tastes compared," Maruki continued, leaning forward. "...Now, which container's cookies do you imagine got marked for tasting better?"

Kyoko finished her latest. "Was it a tie?" she asked.

"Actually, no, Kirigiri!" Maruki replied, shaking his head. "On the contrary, everyone loved the single cookie more, despite them actually being the same kind of cookie with the same kind of taste to them!"

He leaned back again in his chair, resting his hands on his lap as he relaxed again. "Are you familiar with the "Law of Scarcity", Kirigiri?"

Kyoko closed her eyes a moment in thought, before looking back at the doctor once the answer had come to her. "Ah, yes... that the rarer something is, the stronger its appeal?"

"Exactly!" Maruki said with an approving smirk. "This law is seen in action probably most often in things like how excited people get over limited-edition merchandise!"

Kyoko smiled a little herself. "Its scarcity raises its value. It's why criminals go after expensive and rare things as the scarcity ensures they will make more off it, and find more who would be willing to buy it off them."

"I suppose that's a workable comparison, yes," Maruki chuckled. "Being experienced as a detective, I'm sure you'd be no stranger to such a thing. It's a fascinating thing, though, isn't it?"

"I suppose it is," Kyoko replied with a nod. Granted, her experiences pawning things to Iwai had admittedly been another, more recent example as well as discovering how Madarame profited off his Sayuri scam, though she was not about to divulge either to the doctor.

"Indeed, in becoming aware of scarcity," Maruki explained, looking pensive as he leaned back in his chair, "...We tend to trigger our own desires, and that can cause quite a change in our cognition, sometimes so much so, it affects our senses, and creates a subjective, observable difference in our reality... basically, your very perceptions can be changed by your cognition or preconceptions. It may be below the conscious level but it's still really incredible, isn't it?"

Kyoko folded her arms, gazing at the doctor. "I'm no stranger to the concept. A detective's work involves looking past those things to determine the truth," she said.

"Well, whether we're someone of exceptional talent in something or otherwise, in the end we're all only human, Kirigiri," Maruki replied with an assuring smile. "I can imagine anyone, even a detective, no matter how skilled and how well-trained, carries their own desires as well as certain biases and preconceptions. Alternatively, Hope's Peak is rather selective, where those who have outstanding talent at something prove themselves able to be scouted and accepted, correct? That'd be another example at scarcity and I can imagine there's many who'd desire a chance of entry."

Kyoko's position softened a little, as she looked down at the table. Somewhere deep down, she felt a pang of some sort... perhaps it was guilt. She knew she excelled as a detective for her age due to being born into a family who'd carved a place in Japan's history for said career and trained by her grandfather to succeed that lineage, and if she could attend Hope's Peak it'd likely cement that and quash any doubt about what she was meant for... but her reasons for going had to do with a personal, family matter and resolving it. Meanwhile there was Goro Akechi, who had apparently come from very humble beginnings yet taken the media by storm with his own natural skills and the fame he was gaining from the cases he'd solved because of them. It was odd he'd chosen not to attend, perhaps to prove he could succeed without them, just as he seemed eager to prove himself to her as well being the latest Kirigiri.

"You alright there, Kirigiri?" Maruki asked, suddenly, breaking Kyoko from her thoughts. "Sorry, I didn't mean to say anything that'd get you lost in thought like that..."

"Don't worry about it, I just got sidetracked," Kyoko said.

"You're wondering about Hope's Peak?" Maruki asked. "If there's anything troubling you, you know you can tell me."

Kyoko managed a small, polite smile. "Nothing I've not already shared. I believe we were talking about scarcity and an experiment involving cookies?"

Maruki nodded, deciding Kyoko was unlikely to share anything she didn't want to and prying would only make her less willing to, he chose to continue. "Yes, incidentally, based on hearing the original story, I'd like to ask you, do you think your own unconscious desires may have changed the taste of the cookies you had as well?"

"What do you mean? They tasted good to me," Kyoko replied.

"I thought as much," Maruki said. "See, I employed a small tactic beforehand, though, when I hyped them up before you had them, remember? I mentioned they came from a place that was very popular and that they were fancy and very good, as well as presenting them as a gift with confidence you'd like them, all of these play on that law of scarcity and caused you to desire them more even if you may not have noticed right away! The girl who makes them pretty much did the same to me, as well!

"She offered a free sample, and hyped them as well, and you were impressed enough to buy plenty after?" Kyoko asked. "...In a way, affecting your preconceptions."

"Exactly!" Maruki proclaimed excitedly. "Some may call it manipulation, but at the same time, there's something about all of it that's beautiful to me... The human heart can falter, or even be unreliable at times, but this experiment proves that even a simple preconception can be enough to bring someone real joy, even a little, and that's what matters, right?"

"Now, there's no question, these cookies are incredible, I'm sure I'll want to stop by there again, sometime," Maruki explained. "But still, what if you'd eaten just one, and it was the best you'd had in your life, and... well... maybe it is... but my point is, say I never revealed the trick behind it? That cookie would have remained more delicious then it may be to someone who simply bought it on a whim without any prior engagement, it would have been a subjective truth of your reality, Kirigiri."

Kyoko remained silent, mulling it over a moment. "I believe I get what you're saying, but does this lead to something else regarding your research?"

Maruki nodded. "It does. What I'm going on is how if this idea of a positive form of preconception can be studied further, and actually applied to treating people," he explained. "I feel like it could help a lot of people, honestly... maybe even more then I can help counseling."

"It sounds manipulative," Kyoko replied skeptically.

"That is true, it does rely very heavily on perspective, after all," Maruki replied, frowning a little as he looked down at the remaining cookies again. "There are those who would likely call it a lie, and running from problems... but even if it's true, that method could surely save a lot of people.. When you think about it, would it not be a way that can inspire hope in someone to recover during treatment? You'd be amazed how often one's physical health can correspond to positive and negative thinking..."

Maruki sighed, facepalming in embarrassment before Kyoko could respond. "Sorry... once again we wound up in an academic conversation, didn't we?" he asked. "I guess I need to watch myself talking to you, don't I? I keep finding myself pulled back to the darker things my research is focused on."

"You're passionate about it," Kyoko replied, brushing back her hair. "While I do see where such an approach can be looked at negatively, I can't say it's something I've never done. Least of all before I came here. I was used to solving a case no matter what, and doing and saying what I believed would get the response and truth I was after from those I spoke with." She sighed. "It'd be... hypocritical of me to fault you for it, but I can see your intentions are noble and you want effective ways to help others, for their sake, would I be correct?"

"You are, Kirigiri," Maruki said with an apologetic smile. "Thank you for understanding that, or at least indulging my perspective on it and why. Hope is really an important part of the healing process from the pain I've spoken of, and can embolden that in both mental and physical ways, I believe. I'm very grateful for all you've done, not just because I'm able to get your opinion on these things, either!" he explained. "It's more like... I guess... talking to an old friend, I suppose!"

He laughed sheepishly, scratching the back of his head as he stood up. "Okay, maybe an analogy like that's too personal. After all, this is all for the sake of our deal, right? So we say, anyway."

Kyoko smiled, giving a nod, and the sound of a chain link shattering echoed within her mind from his growing trust in her and seeing her like a friend and thus, more of an equal rather then a child or student.

"Now, then," Maruki said, sitting back down. "...For starters, feel free to take as many cookies as you like home with you. It's the least I can do for you getting dragged into depressing subjects!"

Kyoko heard the faint, but eager meow from her bag near the door.

---

Arriving home, Kyoko immediately headed upstairs to change while Morgana eagerly helped himself to one of the cookies.

"Lady Ann definitely needs to try one of these!" the cat declared excitedly while Kyoko went through her things to find something to wear for the impending mission of spying on Yamauchi. There was time to spare, but Tsukishima was, according to her map, a bit of a ride.

Moments later as Kyoko finished restyling her hair to a ponytail and zipped her boots on, she heard a chime from her phone, as expected, from Ryuji.

[Hey! Think Yamauchi is on his way to the Tsukishima Monja!]

[Just saw him and another teacher leaving. You ready?] the message read.

-I am, yes. I'm leaving home now i'll be on my way. she replied.

[Awesome! I'm already on my way there now.] Ryuji answered.

"I'll be back later," Kyoko said, heading for the stairs. "...Please don't eat all of those."

She ignored the disappointed sigh from the cat as she made her way downstairs.

---

The train ride had taken a while, but Kyoko soon found herself in Tsukishimi, in front of the restaurant Ryuji had directed her to.

"Hey! Kyoko!" Ryuji came out from around the building. "Ya ready?"

The girl folded her arms. "You think I've not done things like this before?"

"Oh. Right." Ryuji gave a sheepish laugh. "Anyways, 'fore you go in, you're gonna be on your own here. I'll hole myself up in the bathroom till they leave since Yamauchi would recognize me right away, and I bet by now he's heard about me talkin' to the track team..."

"Most likely," Kyoko said, draping her ponytail over her shoulder and taking out a pair of glasses and putting them on.

"Goin' for the librarian look, Kyoko?" Ryuji said with an amused scoff as he looked her over.

"I can't run the risk of him recognizing me right away, either," Kyoko said. "I'll call you once I'm seated and leave the phone on.

"Gotcha, and don't worry, he prolly won't. He may have heard about ya but I don't think he's ever really seen ya. Anyways, good luck!"

Kyoko made her way inside, relieved the table next to where she saw Yamauchi and the other teacher sitting was open and took a seat, her gaze briefly flickering towards the door as she saw Ryuji sneak by and head towards the back where the restrooms presumably were. Thankfully, Yamauchi was already apparently on his first drink and began talking with the other teacher.

Turning her phone on, Kyoko called Ryuji's phone and slid it to her side, reading over the possible selections on the menu and deciding on a monjayaki to eat in the meantime as to avoid looking suspicious.

"Wow, you can really hold your liquer, Yamauchi!" the other teacher laughed as Yamauchi finished.

"Mmm, I got some experience," Yamauchi replied, chuckling. "Back in my college days, we'd rent a yacht for the weekend and have massive parties... though I must say, the sake's tasting particularly sweet lately!"

"Heh, no surprise, there," the other teacher said. "Things have gotten much calmer on campus with Kamoshida gone. Those were some pretty dark times for Shujin, weren't they?"

"Indeed they were," Yamauchi agreed, pouring himself more sake.

"Still, now that he's gone, this is where you finally get the chance you deserve, isn't it, Yamauchi?" the other teacher asked.

Kyoko kept her neutral expression glued to her menu as she placed an order. Yamauchi was already making her feel ill as she recalled the way Ryuji described the man was a massive kiss-up to Kamoshida. She gathered it was hardly surprising Yamauchi would gladly seize what power Kamoshida once had and lost, now.

"Oh, you flatter me too much," Yamauchi smirked, taking a drink. "While Mr. Kamoshida certainly had his strengths, because of him, our school's volleyball team is forever scarred and connected to the scandals he caused, thus the only real option now is to abandon it completely."

"So what are you proposing?" the other teacher asked.

"There has to be a way to restore Shujin Academy's reputation for its athletic programs, and bring it back into the limelight, correct?" Yamauchi asked, taking another drink. "Well, that's where I come in..."

"Oh, you're referring to the track team, right?"

"Of course!" Yamauchi said with a laugh. "The poor students who went through some of the worst hardships under Kamoshida, now able to rise again to their former glory, thanks to a caring new advisor!" He poured himself another drink and held it up proudly. "The glorious rebirth of Shujin's true pride and joy, a team that found themselves in the depths of despair... with all the sympathy directed on Shujin's students, do you have any idea how much the public will love it?"

"So how will you manage? Those aren't your usual area of expertise, are they?" the other teacher wondered.

"Oh, don't worry about that, Sato-san!" Yamauchi chuckled, taking a drink from his glass. "Despite my lack of track and field knowledge, I'll form a tight bond with the students, and become the protagonist of my own tear-jerking tale. For that, all the praise and credit for reviving them will all go to me, their incredible, loving advisor!"

Kyoko glanced over at her phone, which was still on. Thankfully Ryuji had managed to remain silent but she could imagine how he was feeling. It seemed their suspicions about Yamauchi's motives were wholly affirmed, now.

"...Of course, I'll have to hire an excellent coach if I want to pull this off, though," Yamauchi explained to his companion.

"So... you'll be pretending to coach them while having someone else do all the actual work? Pretty clever, Yamauchi!" the other teacher, Mr. Sato, laughed, sounding slightly tipsy now from his own drink.

"Of course, the praise is merely part of it," Yamauchi continued. "You see, for starters, such stunning achievements like that will look great when comes time for Principal Kobayakawa to start thinking about who to hand out bonuses to. Why stop there, though? I'll have a book deal in no time! I may even get invited to other schools to give motivational speeches!"

"Sounds like you got a set plan, Yamauchi!" the other teacher said. "Still... what about the troublemakers on the team? I've been hearing that Nakaoka kid is especially bad..."

Yamauchi scoffed at the man's question. "Nakaoka? Oh, you mean the one who asked them to try and bring back the coach from before Kamoshida? Don't worry about that, I've already taken care of him..."

Kyoko's interest grew, her gaze turning towards him without turning as she took up her phone and pretended to text.

"...You see, there's this other boy, Takeishi. Doesn't really excel at much of anything, really," Yamauchi explained. "I said I'd make him the new captain if he could get rid of that troublemaker, Nakaoka." He smirked darkly. "I... may have also mentioned something about how Nakaoka was working with Kamoshida as well... subtly, of course!"

"And? What happened?" the other teacher asked, leaning in eagerly as he took another sip of his sake.

Yamauchi chuckled, turning his drink. "As expected, Takeishi chased him away! The plan worked perfectly!"

Kyoko's gaze furrowed. As she and Ryuji suspected regarding the fight they'd come across between Takeishi and Nakaoka...

"Now, Takeishi may be a mediocre athlete, but his parents are quite loaded," Yamauchi explained, "...and on top of that, his mother's president of the PTA!"

"I see, so he works as a pawn of sorts!"

"Perhaps, but unfortunately a nothing like him would never be able to captain a successful, championship-winning team," Yamauchi stated, finishing his drink. "...He may need to have an unfortunate "accident" at practice one day, but until then he can last long enough to show the others the value of obedience."

"Heheh, you're incredible!" Sato replied, chuckling as he finished his own drink before the two paid their tab and made their way to the door. Kyoko watched them leave in silence before holding her phone up.

"They're gone. You hear everything?" she asked.

"Most of it, yeah!" Ryuji said. "I'll be right out!"

Hanging up, Kyoko saw her meal arrive to her table and Ryuji shortly after, sitting himself across from her.

"Mind if I have some? I'm gonna need it after hearin' all that!" Ryuji growled, his leg trembling as he sat.

Kyoko slid the plate across the table to him. "Help yourself."

"Thanks," the boy immediately dug in. "Man, that effin' asshole! If we don't do somethin' fast, Yamauchi's gonna get rid'a Takeishi, too, damnit!"

"Are you suggesting we try and find Yamauchi in Mementos?" Kyoko asked, folding her arms.

"Nah, it's the track team's problem. Don't gotta bring everyone else into this," Ryuji said before continuing to eat. "...I think first we oughta go tell Takeishi and the rest of the team all we found out. Then it's up to them. We should let 'em decide what they wanna do on their own..."

Kyoko raised an eyebrow as she saw Ryuji had pretty much eaten the entire meal.

"Heh, sorry. Guess ya get hungrier the more stressed out ya get, huh?" he asked.

"I'll let it slide," Kyoko said, removing the glasses she was wearing.

"...Hey, when ya think about it, track ain't exactly a team sport, ya know?" Ryuji asked, frowning as he thought it over. "...At least sprintin' wasn't... You've got teammates, sure, but you're really just lookin' out for your own time... guess that's why I never thought about askin' people for help or tryin' to solve our problems together..."

"..." Kyoko's expression faded to its normally, impassive frown as she gave no response, but it was all Ryuji needed.

"...You know that feelin', too, huh?" he asked. "...I guess it makes sense you would. Tryin' to prove your the best if you're gonna make a career outta bein' a detective..."

Kyoko remained silent a moment, thinking about the things Akechi had listed off that the greatest detectives needed most to prove their worth to society that she knew all too well. "Something like that," she said at last. Not just a great detective, but the best of her generation, like every Kirigiri who'd followed the tradition before her. "...Detective and track are rather different, though. It's more then simply helping uphold the law but about proving one's worth as one."

"Heh, tell that to talent scouts!" Ryuji said with a chuckle. "Gotta be the best of the best if you wanna make runnin' your life."

He looked down at the near-empty bowl. "...Y'know, before Kamoshida, my old coach said the rate I was goin', I coulda gone professional one day with the times I was breakin'!" His smile faded quickly, though. "...But then Kamoshida came along, and couldn't stand the idea of anyone but him achievin' somethin' for the school. It's why I can't ignore the stuff the team's goin' through now... even though we have our own goals n' shit, we were still runnin' together either way! They suffered with me, grit their teeth with me, and I think it was only 'cause of them I was able to run like I did at all! Maybe I don't got a shot anymore, but who knows if any'a them do and I don't wanna see that get ruined for 'em with Yamauchi takin' advantage of 'em and screwin' 'em over! I can't just turn my back on 'em now!"

The boy chuckled, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. "...Okay, maybe that's not the coolest thing to say, but it's how I feel!"

Kyoko couldn't help but give a very small, but still present smirk of assurance. "I won't hold it against you."

"For real?" Ryuji asked, surprised, before breaking into a laugh. "Thanks, I appreciate it!"

The sound of a chain link shattering resounded within Kyoko's mind, as if in response to Ryuji's gratitude.

"Y'know, I really owe ya for this, Kyoko. Couldn't have done it without one slick detective!" he said with a smirk. "I'm still feelin' a bit hungry stressin' over that dick Yamauchi so why don't we order somethin' else? I'll treat ya this time since I kinda ate the other one."

Kyoko pulled the menu back over and brought her hand to her chin as she thought over what may have been worth a try and made her selection.

"Heh, good choice! You're gonna love it," Ryuji said, placing the order as well as one for himself, prompting a look from Kyoko that made him chuckle again. "Told ya, still hungry."

"So, how do you wish to resolve this?" Kyoko asked, folding her arms again as she sat back.

"Well, on one hand, I'm way pissed at Yamauchi and what he's got planned. I can't let him do this shit and I gotta get the team to see it too!" Ryuji explained, clenching his fist but then letting out a sigh as he frowned. "...But at the same time, I don't wanna make a huge scene. I can't let myself mess up their chance to start the team again while tryin' to help make it happen... and I doubt the guys're gonna listen to what I have to say, anyway."

"It's still worth a shot. I'll vouch for you however I can, as well," Kyoko said. "We already know the truth about Yamauchi and we've verified his intentions as well. Furthermore..."

She held up her phone, and pressed a button, playing a part of Yamauchi's conversation.

"...After Makoto, I've deemed it'd be a good idea to figure this feature out," she explained.

"Aw, HELL, yeah!" Ryuji said with a grin. "The ace detective does it again!"

Kyoko gave a small smile again, though more visible then the last as she put her phone away.

"Hey, let's try n' see if they'll listen first. That doesn't work, we'll show 'em the proof," Ryuji said. "I wanna at least try n' show 'em some good faith, first, alright?"

"Whatever you feel is best," Kyoko said. "I'd advise finding out when they'll be meeting again, and we confront them then. The sooner the better before Yamauchi can cause more trouble or endear himself to them more."

"Hey, I'm all on top'a that!" said Ryuji. "I'll let'cha know soon as I hear anythin'!"

The two friends exchanged a nod of agreement as their food arrived, a plan now set.

---

6/30

Kyoko trudged through the downpour of another rainy day as she made her way to Takemi's clinic once school had ended. The doctor had sent her a message about another clinical trial and she'd elected to accept with Ryuji saying the weather would have stopped the track team from meeting and Makoto had nothing new to report on Kaneshiro. The rain pattering hard on her umbrella, Kyoko closed her eyes as she gave a small sigh of relief when she reached the door and entered.

"Long time no see, Guinea Pig," Takemi said with a devious smirk as Kyoko stepped inside and set her bag down. "I've refined the formula a little, so with any luck you won't be spending a better part of the day on your back this time... though I can't promise anything."

Kyoko gave no response, simply giving the doctor a look, to which Takemi chuckled in response.

"I suppose if anything the old formula can do wonders in treating insomnia, can't it?" she joked. "...But that's not what it's for. Follow me to the exam room."

Fortunately, the doctor's calculations seemed to be correct as Kyoko had remained conscious and did not end up either in a coma or feeling like one could be on its way after drinking the newest concoction Takemi had devised for her to try out and the twenty minutes of examination and study that followed.

"Well, no sign of any major side effects," the doctor said as she examined Kyoko's eyes. "Are you dizzy or anything?"

"No," the teen replied, folding her arms as she sat on the small spinning stool.

"Well in that case, that's all for today," Takemi stated, setting her clipboard and her notes away. "If you're really feeling okay, you're free to go home, now..."

The exam room phone suddenly rang, catching the doctor by surprise. Takemi glanced at it a moment in suspicion before picking up. "Hello, Takemi's Clinic of Internal Medicine," she answered. The woman's eyes suddenly went wide. "...Huh? Again? That's... well... that ship's already sailed, so..."

She hung up, leaning forward against her desk and running her hand through her hair as she sighed in irritation. "...What a pain."

"Is something the matter?" Kyoko asked, intrigued.

"Well, remember that little girl from the last time you did a trial?" Takemi asked. "...Chief of Staff Oyamada's patient?"

The young detective was more curious, now. "...The one he misdiagnosed? Did something happen to her?"

"Yes. As for the other question... no... not exactly," Takemi explained. "...You see, ever since I saw her back then, her father's been bringing her here ever since for treatment even though I referred them to another hospital, even when I told them about the... medical error I made, once..."

Kyoko's gaze furrowed in suspicion. "The one that got you that nickname?" she asked. "What happened, exactly?"

"You want to know? It's well-documented. Everyone in my field knows about it," Takemi said dismissively, turning her attention back to her notes, shaking her head after a moment and glancing back at the girl. "...If you must know, I suppose there's no harm in telling you when you'd probably just look it up online if you wanted," she began. "...I was leading the development of a new drug that was intended for an incurable illness called "Crawford-Ende's Disease"... Although I wasn't the one who administered it for the first time, it was the cause of the error."

Kyoko nodded. "...And?"

Takemi leaned on her desk again, resting her chin in her palm as she gave Kyoko a harsh gaze. "...You see, with Crawford-Ende's, certain cells indiscriminately attack other cells throughout the body, " she explained. "...And soon as it reaches the muscles, well, the patient slowly begins to die. Unfortunately, there hasn't been much progress made on treating it, partially because there's so few cases of it... however, back then I worked with a Pharmaceutical company that had reached the final stage of production, but..."

The doctor sat back up, her expression softening. "...One day, I was suddenly removed from my position, and that Chief of Staff Oyamada, my superior at the time, took over the whole operation..."

Kyoko blinked in confusion. "Why would he do that?"

Takemi clenched her hand, her gaze growing harsh again. "I don't know. My guess, he wanted all the credit and the glory for himself of developing a new drug, maybe get rich and famous in the process..."

The young detective thought back to her mission with Ryuji the previous night, and about Yamauchi who had been willing to exploit and sacrifice others to take advantage of a troublesome situation for similar reasons. "...Would I be right in suspecting things didn't go as intended for him?"

"You're pretty sharp, Guinea Pig," Takemi said, her form still tense as she looked over at her notes, her angry expression softening again but this time to a look of tremendous guilt. "...He made careless mistakes and rushed its completion, then used it on a patient named Miwa..." Takemi tightened her fist again, trembling as righteous anger came on her face. "...And as a result that poor girl had a reaction and lapsed into critical condition! Oyamada panicked and laid all the blame on me by lying to the medical board that I claimed it was ready when he took over... and Miwa-chan's family resented me completely for what happened. Nothing I said could change how they felt about me."

Takemi looked away a moment, bringing her hand up to where Kyoko knew her eyes to be and taking a breath before facing her again. "...Because of that, the development of the medicine was suspended, and so I had no reason to stay at that hospital," she explained. "I suppose it worked out in a way as now I can at least keep working as a general practitioner, on my own terms, with a free guinea pig."

"Is that what this medicine you've been having me for trials was for?" Kyoko asked.

"Right again," said the doctor. "At this point, the medicine's in its final stage of testing. It searches for all the cells that take the offensive and destroys them upon detection. You don't need to worry, though, it's totally harmless to people who don't have the disease from what I've gathered with my data."

"I'd certainly hope so," Kyoko replied, brushing back her hair. "There are people who wouldn't be particularly happy if that were the end of me," she said dryly.

Takemi chuckled, her mood improved by the amusement she took from Kyoko's remark. "You agreed to it, remember?" she asked. "Still, I appreciate the faith in me, seeing as how you've still continued to come by regardless, and I'd be even more appreciative if you're not planning to back out at this point. I know I'm close, and I need your help to reach it, in return I'll offer more medicine options at special prices you can afford, for whatever you need them for... and one more thing..."

Takemi reached into the nearby cabinet and took out a bottle. "...More of my special burn salve, free of cost. My thanks for sticking with me this long."

As Kyoko accepted the bottle, she heard the sound of another chain link shattering within her mind.

"That just leaves me with handling that girl and her dad," Takemi mused. "Being mean and scaring them hasn't worked at all... it's been a while since I've had to deal with this sort of nuisance and it's stressing me out."

Takemi suddenly turned and raised an eyebrow at Kyoko. "...My apologies, we're finished for now. You can head on home. That long talk there, I didn't really mean to unload all that." The doctor gave a small, bitter laugh. "You're the first one I've shared everything regarding Miwa-chan with, actually... but I guess it's just as well. A reminder of what I have to do as "The Plague"..."

Taking up her bag and sliding the bottle of salve in, and seeing Morgana inch out of the way, Kyoko glanced back at the doctor. "I'm no stranger to feeling like there was more I could have done for someone," she offered. "...Especially nowadays."

"Well, there's no issue with this latest sample, so I'd say we're right on the edge of finishing it, actually," Takemi said with a small smile, just in time for her phone to ring again and she picked up right away. "Yes, Takemi's Clinic of Internal Medicine? ...What? ...I see, very well."

She glanced back at Kyoko. "Seems I got another patient. Strange, didn't sound like the girl's dad. Anyway, you should head on home. I'll let you know when I'm ready again..."

Heading outside, Kyoko opened her umbrella and stepped into the downpour. Hopefully rainy season would be over soon, she thought to herself as she made her way back to Leblanc.

---

"Welcome back," Sojiro said, taking a smoking break as he stood behind the counter while a young couple talked amongst themselves in one of the booths.

"The internet in the whole area went down out of nowhere for a while today!" the young woman said to her boyfriend seated across from her. "Didn't this happen before?"

"Yup. I heard it went down because it was attacked from somewhere" the boyfriend said. "If that's why, hope they get caught soon!"

"Yeah, tell me about it! It's real inconvenient!" the young woman said.

"Still, wouldn't put a lotta faith in it. Supposedly it was done by some scary foreign organization. Can't put a lotta faith in the police for that!" the boyfriend replied dismissively.

Kyoko put her hand to her chin in curiosity. Fascinating, she mused, before heading upstairs to change out of her school clothes, pausing again when she saw what and who was on TV.

"...I'm tellin' ya! I dunno who she was but this lady was nuts! She was laughing like a maniac and tried to cut off my... y-you know... with a pair of shears! WHO DOES THAT?!" the middle-aged creep Kyoko vaguely remembered tried to awkwardly proposition Kasumi in Shibuya during the cleanup event ranted anxiously in the interview, looking dealthy pale and deeply traumatized. Sojiro said nothing, nor even look back at the TV, but shook his head and sighed regardless.

Kyoko herself said nothing, either, taking out her phone and noticing Mishima had just messaged her before resuming her journey upstairs.

---

The rain had let up by the time Kyoko found Mishima out on Central Street with him saying he had a special treat in store for completing the mission regarding Kazuya while he went over new strategies as the Thieves "manager". Needless to say, Kyoko had not expected much from the boy, but those expectations were swiftly outdone when she once more found herself within the high-rise buffet restaurant that she, Ann, Ryuji, and Morgana had celebrated Kamoshida's downfall at and decided to continue on as Phantom Thieves. The aroma was pleasing, but something was bothering her as she looked around.

"What's wrong, Kirigiri? Phantom Thieves are all about fancy stuff like this, right?" Mishima asked eagerly. "That's why we're here!"

"Oh my gosh! Are we here again?" Kyoko heard Morgana eagerly mew from within her bag, causing her to shoot a look at him to be quiet. Thankfully, Mishima did not seem to notice.

"It'll be just the two of us, so I can cover it easily! Don't be afraid to go all out!" Mishima declared with a big, excited smile.

"...This isn't a date, is it?" Kyoko asked dryly as she glanced back at him in suspicion.

"W-What?! No! Of course not!" Mishima stammered nervously, his face going beet-red. "I mean... eh, nevermind! What do you wanna go grab first?"

"Seafood!" Morgana whispered as he peered through Kyoko's bag, causing the girl to give him another look.

"No need to be unsure! It's all you can eat and this place is second to none on its quality!" Mishima stated proudly.

"...For a peon like you, perhaps," a well-dressed, blond-haired boy their age with ice-blue eyes behind wire-framed glasses suddenly interjected at him with a condescending gaze as he walked by accompanied by two large, suited men who were presumably bodyguards. "...Passable for someone like myself..."

"...Geez, what a snob!" Mishima whispered to Kyoko as he watched the boy leave.

"This place does seem to draw in a particular kind of crowd," the young detective muttered, folding her arms as memories of the last time she'd come passed through her mind.

"H-How dare you! Don't ever speak of Master that way, you damn eunuch! Same goes for you, too... hussy!" Mishima and Kyoko turned to find a rather irate-looking girl, also their age, with dark merlot hair in two long braids and wearing large round glasses and an old-fashioned plum-colored sailor-style school uniform with a lengthy skirt that made her look completely out of place standing before them and pointing at them, her other hand clenched anxiously at her chest as she gave a disapproving glare before looking past them and gasping in horror. "C-Crap!"

The two watched her rush off in the direction the boy and his bodyguards had gone, a moment of awkward silence following before Mishima decided to speak up again.

"Where'd she come from? The heck's that even mean, anyway? Reminds me of that Mogami girl I see in the halls at school sometimes," Mishima mused to himself before looking back at Kyoko. "...So, you decide on what you want first or just gonna take in the view? We wanna get our money's worth, right?"

"Speaking of money, Mishima, how did you afford this place?" Kyoko asked, her arms still folded and giving the boy a suspicious look as she chose not to give any more comment on what had just transpired in hopes those who'd started staring would go back to minding their own business.

"Simple! I just posted on the Phan-Site that I had connections to you guys and had a direct hand in helping ensure requests got answered!" Mishima said proudly. "...Needless to say, the Phandom really ate it right up! No worries, though, I didn't say anything that'd point out my real identity!"

Kyoko closed her eyes and sighing. "...You got them to donate to you to pay for this?" she asked, her tone growing sharp as she gave him an equally sharp glare.

"H-Hey! I just mentioned how expensive it gets to run our little organization is all!" Mishima insisted, throwing his hands up anxiously and wilting a little from Kyoko's withering gaze. "...Then just like that, the donations just sorta poured in, they were pretty generous too especially after the whole thing with that Kaneshiro guy the calling cards said was behind the blackmail scam! It just means our loving sponsors wanted to show some support! Not bad for strategic management, right?"

"Mishima, you just admitted to a trained detective that you conned numerous people out of money so you could spend it on yourself," Kyoko said sternly as she approached him, Mishima crumpling a little more as he felt like Kyoko's iron glare could melt him at any second.

"C-C'mon! Don't word it like that, Kirigiri!" Mishima pleaded, blushing in embarrassment. "Everyone was glad to donate if it meant supporting the Phantom Thieves. You don't think the bill of our meal here is a fine place to start taking advantage of that support a little?"

"Do I need to explain to you how using donations for anything other then what's publicized is a serious crime, Mishima?" Kyoko asked, reaching the end of her patience and her tone becoming more stern to emphasize it. "I already have an assault charge to deal with, are you trying to add being an accomplice to embezzlement to my record?"

"W-Well, food is an acceptable business expense," Mishima stammered, before hanging his head in shame. "...I guess the same can't be said of an expensive buffet, though..."

A nervous smile came to the boy's face as he looked back up, by Kyoko's assertion, a pitiful attempt to preserve what dignity he had left. "...You know what? The more I think about it, the more I realize maybe we shouldn't use donation money here! It's like when politicians get caught using tax money for personal luxuries. I'll return all the money right away and say we aren't taking donations... last thing we wanna do is tarnish the Phantom Thieves' name, we gotta keep their image clean in the fans minds, after all."

"See to it you do," Kyoko said, her gaze still present but losing some of its tension.

"Yeah! I'll return the money, and thank the Phandom for their generosity!" Mishima said, cheering up a little. "They'll love that for sure! May be a waste of some real nice resources, but it's all good so long as it boosts our popularity, right?"

"..."Our" popularity?" Morgana muttered from Kyoko's bag. The girl's gaze flickered to her bag then back at the boy. Morgana's remark wasn't without reason as Kyoko felt a growing concern about Mishima's behavior developing with how he worded things not to mention nearly embezzling money.

"Hey, Kirigiri, think maybe I was born to do this stuff?" Mishima asked hopefully. "I mean, okay, that wasn't the right thing to do, and I'll fix it, but... this strategy thing? I think I'm honestly getting pretty good at it! Not to mention I'm still gathering info on the form with some solid leads!"

"Solid leads?" Kyoko asked, her neutral expression and tone but with a hint of suspicion to both, though Mishima did not appear to notice still on his new high.

"Yeah, on some good requests!" Mishima explained, grinning, "...Everything so far's been close to home, but these next ones are gonna totally blow your socks off!"

Kyoko heard a chain link shatter as she observed the boy's tremendous amount of enthusiasm as he spoke.

"...Wait, if we return the money how'll we cover our meal? I'm flat broke otherwise!" Mishima suddenly wondered.

"We aren't having one. Let's tell them we're cancelling and go," Kyoko replied, now truly at the end of her patience and already turning to leave.

"K-Kirigiri! Wait up!" Mishima cried out behind her, following to the elevators. "L-Look... as strategic image management rep for the Phantom Thieves, I just wanted to splurge a little to boost morale..."

"And risk, as I mentioned, embezzlement charges if anyone found out?" Kyoko asked, turning to face him as she waited for the elevator to arrive.

"Well, hey, look at it this way! The money's getting returned, and that means it ended up pretty good for our PR, right?" Mishima offered. "Just leave it all to me! We'll consider today an investment for our future!"

"...I think I'll use the stairs," she muttered, shutting her eyes briefly and walking past the boy to find the alternative way down. They were several floors up, but it was preferable to listening to Mishima dig himself any deeper with her.

"Kirigiri! Wait, please!" Mishima insisted. "I don't mean it like that! There's just... there's so much more I have to do for you guys! I'll make it up to you, I wanna... just be a real asset to you..."

Kyoko turned sharply, her gaze meeting his. "...Just start with returning the money as soon as you get home, and we'll see."

"I will!" Mishima nodded as he turned to make his way back to the elevators. "I promise! I-I'll see you later, Kirigiri!"

Kyoko sighed as she found what she was looking for and started making her way down, electing to find a floor she could use the elevators without running into Mishima again.

"He's starting to worry me," Morgana said, poking his head out of Kyoko's bag. "He said that stuff but he sounds like he's just using us to make himself feel like a celebrity or something."

"He's insecure about himself, and likely the amount of time he endured being bullied by Kamoshida did him no favors," Kyoko said, taking a breath as she stopped at a floor. "Still, yes, this is rather concerning. Hopefully he takes a good hard look at himself and isn't pulling anything like this next time he wants to talk to me..."

"...Hopefully," Morgana muttered. "...Guess no special dining, though. For now, anyway. Maybe we can see if the others want a special dinner again when we sell off that briefcase?"

Kyoko paused from Morgana's words as she prepared to open a nearby door. "...We'll see."

Till then, Kyoko mused, it looked like they'd be picking up general store bento again. The month was about to end, and with any luck, she hoped, the remaining days till next weekend would be less stressful...

---

7/1

"Everyone open your textbooks!" Mr. Inui said cheerfully in front of the class. "Today we'll be talking about the Three Kingdoms Period, a time where a variety of heroes battled for dominance... truly an "epic" time!"

Ann groaned from where she sat in front of Kyoko at the teacher's pun. The young detective herself meanwhile let her gaze flicker to inside her desk where Morgana was, the cat himself shaking his head in disapproval.

"You see, charismatic rulers and warlords with command of a thousand men may have their own appeal," Mr. Inui continued. "...But personally, I think the strategists who support them can't be ignored!"

Glancing over in Kyoko's direction, Mr. Inui gave her a smirk indicating he'd selected her to answer the impending question before even calling on her. "...Kirigiri, in the book, Zhuge Liang of Shu is famous of his exploits during the Battle of Red Cliffs, but he's also the inventor of the baozi, a kind of round dumpling... but their original name was based on their appearance," he explained. "What's the meaning of the original phrase that these dumplings' name came from?"

Kyoko folded her arms. "...Barbarians' heads," she said.

"That is correct!" Mr. Inui said with an approving clap of his hands before turning to the rest of the class. "...The original name, "mantou", came from a phrase meaning "a barbarian's head". You see, at one time, one region's barbarian would use a person's head as an offering to soothe the deity of a flooding river, but Zhuge Liang instead made a baozi in the shape of a head as a substitute!" he explained. "Well done, Kirigiri!"

Kyoko filtered out the whispers that followed as Mr. Inui continued.

"You know, nowadays you can find baozis with cute faces on them, so when you think about the origin, it's not too far off the mark!" he explained cheerfully, though Kyoko noting from the students' own faces that this was information they would have preferred not knowing with lunchtime so close by...

---

Kyoko checked her phone once she'd gotten back to Leblanc after school. Makoto had suggested they take the trip to Shinjuku on Sunday since there was no school that day, and Ryuji had overheard the track team was going to meet up on Saturday, which left her day otherwise mostly open and after updating her case notes, the young detective had decided to go through some brochures she'd picked up at the stations to give herself a better idea of different places in Tokyo. Morgana had even suggested taking one of the others to them sometime, though as Kyoko had suspected it had also been because he was eager to check them out as well after reading through a few, mostly ones he thought Ann would want to see, of course.

As she took a break laying back on her bed, Kyoko heard another chime on her phone and saw Yusuke had sent her a message.

[Kyoko, I would like to speak to you.] the message read

[The painting I developed in Mementos, I believe I have finished.] he continued.

[May I bring it over to Leblanc to show to you if you have time?]

"After what we dealt with helping him make it a reality, I kinda wanna see it!" Morgana said, reading the message.

Nodding, Kyoko typed up a response.

-Very well. Show me.

[I appreciate it. I'll be over shortly. Hopefully you won't find it too disturbing.] Yusuke replied.

Within an hour, Yusuke had arrived, apologizing for the busy nature of Shibuya at that time of day as he brought a cloth-covered canvas upstairs and unveiled it after setting it down against the couch.

"Here it is... the completed form of my draft from earlier!" Yusuke said, giving it a proud gesture. "I would like your honest opinion... if you would."

Kyoko looked over at the now revealed painting, as did Morgana from his spot on the bed. While she hardly considered herself an art critic, Kyoko was already assessing what Yusuke had put on campus. It was dark and sinister, through Yusuke's usage of different shades of gray and black to depict one of the twisted gateways of Mementos that lead to where Shadow Selves that the Phantom Thieves targeted resided, giving the appearance of an ominous vortex pulling in swirling winds and waves accentuated by flecks of red.

"It's... very mysterious," Morgana stated.

"Hm, as it should be," Yusuke said with a smile. "And yourself, Kyoko, what is your take on it?"

"Foreboding," Kyoko said.

The boy gave an approving nod. "As I'd hoped. I do not paint for the sake of others' comprehension," he explained. "Regardless, this is how I choose to interpret the idea of "desire", the foul charm held deep within the abyss of the heart. I believe that elegant sense of mystery and dread assert it well... neither of which would have been possible without our foray into Mementos as it has ensured I grow to understand the intricacies of the heart in a way I had once thought impossible, which is why I intend to submit this piece to an upcoming public art exhibition... no one has seen the abyss of the heart in such a raw manner before, I'm certain the discourse will be fascinating, and more importantly, ensure it is the spark that revitalizes my slumbering career!"

Kyoko looked the painting over again. "Hopefully people will like it," she said.

"My thoughts exactly, Kyoko," Yusuke replied, chuckling. "...I'll admit, this slump has started to become quite aggravating. Angie referred to it as a "test" and now, I believe, I am on the verge if finally passing it, as this piece is certain to be the most sensational experience for those who opt to undergo it!"

Kyoko stared at the painting, feeling a small sense of discomfort as its dark spiraling shape at its center seemed to pull her in, much in the way the cavernous tunnels of Mementos did. "You think so?" she asked, folding her arms as she looked over at him. "If anything, for me it depicts a feeling of something I spoke of with our school counselor a while back."

"Oh?" Yusuke asked, smiling with interest. "Remarkable, my latest work has already inspired something from within! Please elaborate."

Kyoko pushed back her hair, giving a brief glance at the painting. "...Despair."

"Of course!" Yusuke stated, his eyes wide with awe. "Despair is a powerful, crushing emotion, a grotesque oblivion formed the heart being robbed of necessary desires and held forever out of reach, and in turn, distortion is birthed from it..."

"Something like that," Kyoko replied. "That not everyone can be a straight-A student, or become the heroes they dream of being, because they lack the opportunities, resources, or raw talent to do so, leading to further pain and bringing some to what he referred to as very dark places..."

"Very interesting," Yusuke observed. "It reminds me of what Madarame and Kaneshiro's Shadows had said after we had overcome them..." The boy chuckled to himself. "...This will go even better then I imagined. Thanks to your assistance, I was the one able to bring this raw, unbridled look into the abyss to life. I owe you my sincerest gratitude for that, Kyoko."

A chain link shattered within the recesses of Kyoko's mind in response to Yusuke's words of thanks to her.

"This leaves me very excited with anticipation of how the public shall respond to its unveiling at the exhibition!" Yusuke said with a smile. "...When I am liberated from my slump, I will look forward to depicting you, after, Kirigiri."

Kyoko blinked. "That's still on your mind as well?"

"Absolutely," Yusuke declared. "But as I said then, I feel I am incapable of doing so until I have escaped this slump, and truly asserted my ability to properly perform such a task."

Placing the cloth back over the painting and tying the cords around it, Yusuke carefully picked the canvas back up. "I'll be certain to let you know when the exhibition is. I wish for you to be there with me for it if it won't be too much trouble."

"I'll be there," Kyoko said as Morgana hopped into her bag and they prepared to head back to the station.

Once Yusuke had boarded his train, however, Morgana poked his head out.

"Despair..." he muttered to himself.

"Hm?"

"Sorry, just... thinking," the cat said. "You got that feeling from the painting, it definitely gave me a gloomy sensation, too. Mementos is everyone's Palace, and reflects the collective unconscious. Desire fills it, just like any Palace..."

"The way it's shaped, though, its design," Kyoko mused as they made their way back to the streets of Yongen-Jaya. "...The way it seems to be leading somewhere, pulsing red light feeding further down like it were fueling something, and Shadows willingly sending themselves deeper... I wonder..."

"You think that's what Mementos is indicating? Humans are feeling less and less hopeful?" Morgana asked. "Like what you said about a conversation with Dr. Maruki?"

"...Possibly. With Palace Rulers in positions of power that allow them to oppress others freely without consequence, and others who aren't meant to be "elite" feeling enslaved to a society that doesn't care about them..." Kyoko paused, feeling a sense of unease she hid behind her neutral expression. "It's possible Mementos reflects that."

"If so, we'll put a stop to it!" Morgana said suddenly. "It's why we're Phantom Thieves, after all! Bringing these people hope! Once Kaneshiro's crimes are exposed to everyone we'll be able to proceed even further and get to the bottom of all this!"

Kyoko gave the cat a faint, amused smile before continuing her way back.

---

Kyoko's phone chimed after she'd finished sending an email to the address on Ohya's business card about the information she'd gotten earlier that week but the reporter was too drunk to hear. Curious, she noticed that the screen had the blue and gold emblem of the Velvet Room's carpet, immediately confirming who was calling her.

"Yes?"

"Hey! Inmate! Meet us in the alley in the Shibuya area! We have another place we'd like you to take us!" Caroline snapped.

"If you're planning to make me risk killing myself by overfeeding again, I'll have to decline," Kyoko replied flatly, the bad memories of her experience at Big Bang Burger making it clear they wouldn't be leaving her any time soon.

"Don't be ridiculous! This place we have in mind has nothing to do with food!" Caroline replied sharply. "Now hurry on over!"

Before Kyoko could respond, the childlike guard had already hung up on her.

"That person sounded pretty impatient. You going somewhere?" Morgana asked, laying on the bed.

"I'll be back later," Kyoko replied, picking up her bag and heading downstairs.

---

"Good of you to show!" Caroline said with a big smirk as she sat atop the glowing blue doorway, swinging her legs back and forth playfully as Kyoko approached her and Justine in the alley. "...Now for the location! Justine, do the honors!"

"Very well. Listen closely, Inmate," Justine began, looking over her clipboard. "The place we wish to evaluate for your rehabilitation is... one that many young people like yourself are said to visit. This is a place where one has the opportunity to view the fantasies of humans brought to life..."

"Furthermore, we hear there are a variety of fantasies available for perusal at this place, and all outside a Palace! How strange!" Caroline observed.

"Indeed. These fantasies, they are the cognitions of others given form. They will undoubtedly support your efforts," Justine stated. "Does such a location sound familiar to you?"

Kyoko paused a moment, from the way they described it, it sounded like they were thinking of the movie theater just down the street. "...Are you referring to a movie theater?"

"Moving Theater?" Caroline asked, cocking her head in confusion. "Is it a place cursed to wander the land or something?"

"No, it's not," Kyoko said matter-of-factly.

"Then why call it such a name?" Caroline demanded.

"...Why don't we just confirm the intel for ourselves?" Justine asked, glancing up at her sister with a smirk.

"In that case, lead the way, Inmate!" Caroline declared, hopping down from her perch and grinning up at the young detective eagerly, Kyoko sighing in annoyance and still unable to believe she was being roped into this. The last film she'd seen there was embarrassingly terrible and as she led them out of the alley and to the theater, she hoped she wasn't about to waste her time being subjected to more of the same.

---

"Well, that was rather enjoyable, Inmate!" Caroline said, smirking as she, Kyoko, and Justine emerged from the auditorium two and a half hours later. "...We won't underestimate the human imagination again!"

"You may claim to have enjoyed yourself, but your screams tell quite a different story... to anyone who could hear," Justine remarked, frowning at her twin sister. "It's no wonder how everyone mistakes us for elementary school students."

"Shut up!" Caroline snapped lividly. "It was only because that huge beast suddenly made that deafening roar that shook the whole theater! You were scared, too!"

"It was... startling, yes," Justine conceded. "Its form was so vast, more force of nature then beast, as if it could consume me whole and not notice. It was called a "dinosaur", a creature older then humanity, though it was far larger and breathed Almighty spells as it rampaged unimpeded through the city!"

"My knowledge of the genre is limited, but it was referred to as a "kaiju"," Kyoko explained.

"Ah, is it a deity of some sort?" Caroline asked. "The final battle between it and the dragon that breathed Zio spells from its three heads was of incredible scale!"

"Indeed, you were on the edge of your seat the entire time, sister," Justine commented. "Though you seemed uncertain who to root for."

"I was just in the moment, alright?!" Caroline protested, before turning her attention back to Kyoko. "...So tell me, Inmate, why is it humans create these profoundly large and elaborate fabrications in the first place? Isn't the imagining of these things satisfying enough? Even dreaming seems like a preferable pastime."

"I admit I'm rather curious as well," Justine said. "Why do humans go so far as to spend money just to witness entirely fictional events?"

"For the most part? For fun," Kyoko answered, folding her arms as she looked down at the two guards.

"That's a rather naïve notion, Inmate," Caroline stated. "Humans are so simple-minded if that is why."

"Hm... perhaps, sister, the reason humans immerse themselves in imaginary worlds as a means of escaping reality?" Justine offered.

"Don't tell me you're plotting an escape of your own, Inmate!" Caroline said sharply.

"Indeed, that'd be foolish. No matter how much you rail against it, you shall remain our inmate until such time as your rehabilitation has come to pass," Justine said with an amused smile. "...Or perhaps, that line of thinking is yet another avenue of escaping reality?"

"-Hmph!- What a pathetic fantasy!" Caroline huffed. "Do you believe yourself able to simply smash down the cell door as easily as those great beasts did entire structures in that "movie", Inmate?"

"Come now, sister. If she were to even try, either our master or ourselves would take notice immediately," Justine assured her. "Were it me, maybe I'd use a spoon to dig a hole in the wall and cover it with a distinctive image..."

"Still, blowing open the cell door would be more impactful," Caroline said with interest. "...Perhaps a bazooka like one of those shorter, abbreviated "movies" we saw at the beginning demonstrated?"

Kyoko sighed, closing her eyes in irritation. "...Even if I had the ability to do so, that'd be rather short-sighted on my part. Where would I even go? I didn't see any exits or much of anything other then the panopticon center where the warden is sitting and you perform your fusion rituals."

"So you get it!" Caroline said with a sneer. "Escape before rehabilitation would be a hopeless endeavor on your part! Don't forget it!"

"Furthermore, a recaptured escapee would be executed on the spot. Freedom or death are the only options for an inmate on the lam," Justine explained. "...It would seem suspense and excitement are the necessary elements of any "escape". Did you not learn that from the movie, Caroline or were you too busy enjoying yourself?"

"What?!" Caroline protested, her eye going wide before turning sharply to Kyoko once more. "How would you escape? Explosive force or a spoon?"

"I think you're completely missing the point," Kyoko said, staring down at her. "You don't escape to the reality of movies literally like the Metaverse. They simply show you a story you observe, typically one that appeals to your interests."

"I see," Caroline replied, tapping her chin in thought. "Well, I suppose there's no harm in fantasizing a little bit every now and then if you're behaving yourself."

"Indeed, today we've learned much about the power of human imagination. It's truly no wonder such vile Palaces now plague humanity," Justine stated.

"So, what do you fantasize about, Inmate?" Caroline asked. "Was that movie we selected to your preference?"

"It's not," Kyoko said, pushing back her hair. "Still it was... entertaining, I suppose."

Compared to the last one she'd seen, she thought.

"...And the first question? Do you enjoy the opportunities to do so that your rehabilitation allows you? Surely toppling these atrocious Palaces and the entities within them gives you a degree of excitement similar to what we witnessed between those two godlike beasts!" Caroline declared with a smug smirk before pointing her baton at her. "Answer honestly, Inmate! I order it!"

Kyoko glanced over to the side a moment, her arms tightening slightly around herself. "...I suppose it does."

"Ha! I suspected so!" Caroline said proudly. "You're welcome to fantasize as you wish, but keep in check, Inmate! Your job is to focus on your rehabilitation!"

"For indulging us, here is your reward," Justine said, taking a pair of more engraved cards like the one the twins provided before from her pocket and handing it to Kyoko. "...Use them well."

"Oh, um, excuse me?" a female voice asked behind them, prompting the three to turn. Standing there was a girl Kyoko's age with short red hair with a simple white blouse and dark green jumper, a high-quality film camera around her neck she held in her hands. "Sorry, I was hired to take photos around the theater to help promote the new kaiju movie's big opening this weekend, they your family?" she asked Kyoko.

"I guess you could say that," Kyoko replied, though curious what the girl was on about. Justine and Caroline looked just as baffled by her.

"Just wondering, I love their costumes! A bit off from anything from the movie but I appreciate their enthusiasm! Mind I get a shot of you two?" the girl asked with a big, eager smile.

"A "shot"?" Caroline asked. "Do you intend to fire upon us? It'd be a fatal mistake against our power!"

The girl just laughed. "Wow, they're dedicated! I just mean get a photo is all."

"A photo, like those images on the walls depicting the movies... I see," Justine said with a satisfied smile as she assessed the situation. "Very well, we find your request acceptable."

"Wonderful! Just think of a really exciting pose and I'll take the picture!" the girl said, holding up her camera. "You too! You're all a family here together having fun, after all!"

"As part of your rehabilitation before we return, we order you to participate in this, Inmate! And look like you enjoyed your escape while you're at it!" Caroline snapped, glaring up at Kyoko with her one good eye.

Kyoko sighed, deciding to make this as painless as possible as she stood behind the twins while they proceeded to do a strange dance together before striking a pose together with Justine leaning against Caroline while the latter brandished her baton before both looked back at her expectantly. The young detective quietly struck her own pose from whenever she'd finish a group attack in a Palace, turning slightly sideways and adjusting her glove with her usual stern look, hoping she never had to look upon the resulting picture as the girl's camera snapped and she thanked them excitedly before heading off to take more photos.

"I rather liked her. That was certainly an... enjoyable experience," Justine said approvingly, turning her attention back to Kyoko. "Now, please escort us back to the Velvet Room..."

All in all, for better or for worse, Kyoko decided after getting home, it had been a rather productive week.

SSSSSSSSSSS

A/N: Hope you all enjoyed this nice long chapter of various confidant adventures! I appreciate every one of you who's stayed with this story so far, and you keep me going. Of course I had to include THAT Danganronpa character for the last cameo, considering she and the twins share the same English VA! Seeya all next time!

0 - The Fool: Rank 6

I - The Magician: Rank 5

II - The Priestess: Rank 1

IV - The Emperor: Rank 2

V - The Hierophant: Rank 4

VI - The Lovers: Rank 5

VII - The Chariot: Rank 7

VIII - Justice: Rank 2

XI - The Strength: Rank 3

XII - The Hanged Man: Rank 3

XIII - Death: Rank 5

XIV - Temperance: Rank 4

XV - The Devil: Rank 1

XVIII - The Moon: Rank 4

XIX - The Sun: Rank 3

1 - The Councillor: Rank 5

? - Faith: Rank 3

Kyoko's Personas: Shiisaa, Nigi Mitama, Suzaku, Flauros, High Pixie, Leanan Sidhe, Orthrus, Sandman, Phoenix, Izanagi