Author's note:

Hold on... A happy(ish) chapter? Couldn't be me.

PS. For all intents and purposes I swapped english and Japanese in this story, as mentioned in an earlier chapter. I.e. the characters are speaking Japanese most of the time but it is written in english, and any english is written in Japanese.

Chapter 39: Soothing waves, Healing bonds

Wednesday, September 7th, 20XX Noon

Ren covered his eyes with an arm. The atmosphere in the hotel room was leaden. Laying on one bed, Ryuji lay on the other with Mishima watching discontentedly from a position in the middle.

"So, are we moving? We are in Hawaii! Let's go pick up hot American girls!"

Mishima's comment drew a grunt from Ryuji. "Yeah… Yeah, maybe… Isn't it weird that we flew all night, landing in the morning… and it's the same day?"

Forcing himself from the bed, Ren took it upon himself to answer the question. "That's what crossing the international dateline does. On the way back, we leave Saturday before noon and land Sunday afternoon."

"For real!?"

"For real," Ren confirmed. Turning to Mishima, Ren gave the boy a half-hearted smile. "Lead the way."

"You got it!" Pumping a fist, he did pause and glanced awkwardly at Ren. "Umm, do you think tonight we could talk about the Owada thing? I kept expecting to get a message from you guys about what really happened…"

While Ren often forgot about the blue-haired boy, it was moments like these that he remembered Mishima was the main moderator for the Phansite. From what Ren had heard, the site now had traffic in the millions. It must be an incredible ordeal for Mishima to be in charge of.

This boy is almost single-handedly responsible for how a large number of people view us… In a world where the trust of news outlets was sinking rapidly and the majority of the public got their news on social media sites, many people would be visiting the website for the truth about what happened to Owada Jun.

"Oh, sorry about that. I'll request a statement from them for you to post. I forgot."

Mishima paused, his face pointed downwards and hidden from view. "Oh. You forgot. I thought that you had just seen what I put on the Phansite and it was correct…"

Sharing a furtive glance with Ryuji gave Ren no answers as the boy shrugged. Popping off the bed, he slapped Mishima on the shoulder. "Come on, let's go look at the blond beauties! As an apology, I'll get Ann to wink at you."

Huh, you can do that?"

"Yep! She'll even do it a bikini for you!"

Following behind the boys whose moods were steadily improving, Ren could only sigh. If you make too many promises on Ann's behalf you'll get punched. Ren's thought was likely not transmitted to Ryuji.

In moments they had returned to the beautiful hotel lobby. It was unlike anything that Tokyo had to offer. One would probably have to go to Okinawa to find sights like this in Japan. A mostly open structure with multiple palm trees and the sea breeze rolling across them. There was what looked like a supervisory meeting going on between Makoto, Haru, Ms. Kawakami, and a few others.

Ann stood off to the side, clearly waiting for it to end. Even here in Hawaii, where her beauty was well exotic, she still stood out. Dressed in a loose tank top and short shorts, there was no hiding the fact that she was a model.

Ryuji whistled. "How bout it Mishima, want to cash out your prize?"

"Y-You mean it?"

"Yeah!" Ryuji answered happily, leading him over to Ann. Ren watched on from a few meters back. Close enough to listen, far enough away to be creepy. Pulling out his phone to lessen the effect, Ren first made sure he was on wifi before looking through the map and nearby attractions.

Before Ren had managed to find anything, Ryuji was clapping him on the shoulder. "Mission accomplished, let's head out."

"Huh? You're done?" Mishima wore a stupid expression on his face. Eyes distant, his mouth hung slightly open. "What did Ann do, kiss him?"

"Nope, just a smile and a wink!" Ryuji sounded proud for some reason. "Wrapped little Mishima here right around her finger."

"It is so much more stimulating in person…"

That was all Ren needed to hear to know that he did not want to hear the rest of whatever slipped out from Mishima's subconsciousness. Tuning out the stricken boy, Ren reveled in the feeling of the sun on his face. It would still be early morning in Tokyo and Ren had not slept well on the plane, but that latent exhaustion and jetlag were being driven back by the refreshing atmosphere of Hawaii.

"So, we doing this as a team, or solo?"

Ren spent a good ten seconds trying to figure out what the hell Ryuji was talking about.

During that time, Mishima responded. "As a team! Surely the three of us have better luck together!"

Is that even possible? Ren wondered. Shrugging, he followed behind them as they looked for women to talk to. It did not take long for Ryuji to spot a pair of women that appeared to be taking a break from jogging. They were standing in the shade of trees by the beach fanning themselves and checking their watches.

"Hey there, nice outfits! How's the running going?"

"ああ、ごめん、日本語を話せません。"

"…Huh?" Ryuji said, completely baffled by the woman's response.

"I believe she said that she doesn't speak Japanese," Ren tried to translate for Ryuji. However, his own abilities were already stretched. The natural English had flowed far more rapidly and with a native pronunciation that left his brain whirling.

"B-But… How am I supposed to pick up girls that don't speak Japanese!?"

"すみません、何かを探していますか？"

"W-Wait, do you understand Ren?" Ryuji asked desperately, "you can do it for us!"

It was the last thing that Ren wanted to do. His nightmares were already haunted by how badly things had gone with Sumire. He didn't need a fling with an American girl he would never see again.

But before the desperate eyes of Mishima and Ryuji, Ren could not say no. Stepping forward Ren tried to put his rudimentary English to the task. "あのう、僕の友達は女性たちに付き合って。"

I hope that meant my friend is trying to ask you ladies out… Nervously, Ren watched their faces as the women looked at each other. Then they both started laughing. Oh shit.

"ねえ、ねえ、あなたのアクセントはとてもかわいい。友達を捨てて、私たちと一緒に来る！"

It was too fast, too complex. Left completely baffled, Ren shook his head slightly and backed up a step. "I did not catch a word of that…"

The women gave Ren a disbelieving look, clicked their tongues and then took off.

"I think they thought you turned them down…" Mishima wondered. "How did you manage to pick up girls in a language you basically don't speak?"

"Uhh…" Ren shrugged. "I honestly have no idea."

"You don't understand," Ryuji began to lecture. "My man here is insane. Dude could literally get anyone. Language is no barrier for him."

"Whoa…" Suddenly, Mishima was bowing deeply to Ren. "Please introduce me someone! I'm begging you."

"We'll think about it if you buy us a snack from a vendor," Ryuji answered instantly for some reason.

Shooting him a glare, Ren could not call Mishima back before he was off running for food. "Why did you do that?"

Ryuji smiled playfully. "All we have to do is introduce him, yeah? Makoto or Haru will work well enough. Maybe Futaba."

"Not Ann?" Ren asked, teasing.

"He already knows Ann. They are in the same class. It won't be a real introduction."

"I see… You distorted the meaning of introduce… I like it," Ren nodded content. Ryuji's manipulation of Mishima was deft. They should keep the boy closer though, he played a big role for them.

"More importantly," Ryuji frowned, "why haven't you made up with Sums yet?"

"That's the most important thing? What about the fact that we've done nothing for weeks and can't reach a consensus?"

Ryuji finally flinched at that. A shadow of guilt crossing his face as the smile slid off. "You aren't wrong but… I don't know, I feel like if you and Sumire could stand together and talk to us as one like you used to… we would be able to find the best answer."

There was none of the angry outburst that Ren had expected. "How set are you in changing Shido's heart?"

"Honestly? I think he deserves a change of heart. But I'm in no rush. We just need to find a way to get their sister out."

"But something happened there," Ren murmured. "The reward for information for them was lifted. It seems like the police got the information in that letter."

Ryuji shrugged, smile returning. Clapping Ren on the back with a hearty slap, he pointed at the panting Mishima darting their way. "Can't do nothing about that right now. Let's enjoy the vacay!"

"You got it." Slapping Ryuji right back, Ren was feeling better than he had all week.

Wednesday, September 7th, 20XX Night

Legs curled up underneath her, Futaba stared at her computer screen with the newest anime episode playing. It was one of her favorite shows, she had almost danced when it had been renewed for a second season. Now, it played while her eyes were unfocused. The words were reaching her ears, she could take in all of the spectacular visuals and yet… she was absorbing none of it. Her usually near perfect memory could not tell her what happened half a minute ago.

"Hey, Morgana… Do you think they're having fun?"

He rose his head, eyes blinking away sleep. "Probably. It's a tropical island."

The bitterness in his voice was not lost on Futaba. "Do you… hate me?"

"Huh?"

Futaba shrunk down further. "S-Sorry. That was a silly question. I'll just watch my show."

"Because you took my role in the group?" Morgana said before Futaba could resume the show she had paused when she spoke up originally.

Freezing, she eventually retracted her hand and nodded. "Yeah… The girl's have told me some of your previous adventurers…"

"Despite what a certain oaf would have you believe; I am useful to the group. Those uses are now more combat focused since you joined, that's all."

"I am glad you don't hate me… kitty." Unable to help herself, Futaba reached out and smushed Morgana's fuzzy head. Yowling, he jumped away hissing.

"Are you trying to make me hate you!?"

Futaba giggled. "Come on, you know you like it."

"I'm a human! People don't do that to each other!"

Futaba could not restrain the question. "Are you?"

"What?"

"Human."

"Of course I am! I have a human mind, emotions, soul, everything but the body that was stolen from me!"

Futaba considered the claim, comparing it to the books that she read on her mother's research. "The question of what makes us human huh… Yet it is said that even if a dog calls itself a bird, it still cannot fly."

"Is that said?"

"Umm, I think so?"

That got a small laugh from Morgana. While Futaba was still considering Morgana's humanity, the cat changed to an even more serious subject. "Why are you so insistent on targeting Haru's father?"

"What confuses me," Futaba responded, the words that she had considered for weeks rising immediately, "is why she is so against it. Don't you think it is weird? Haru doesn't want her Father's heart changed and Makoto supports her. But Makoto wants her sister's heart changed and Haru supports that? How does that make sense?"

"Hmm…" Morgana mused on the question, tail swishing lazily through the air. "It comes down to their relationship with the person, yes? Haru was able to close the distance with her father and doesn't want to risk that. Makoto is unable to get closer to her sister and wants to solve that by changing her heart…"

"But that isn't logical!" Futaba complained, "It's like they can't agree about the risks of the change of heart! All it does is support Sumire's claims…"

Hugging her knees tighter, Futaba felt once more the guilt and confusion she first felt when listening to the girl rant on the other side of the phone.

Morgana sighed heavily, his tail flicking growing more and more irritated. "I don't understand that girl. She was one of the first one's recruited. But I suppose she wasn't there when we decided that shutting down Kamoshida's mind was worth it…"

"The point is," Futaba added on, "is that we know how to properly change hearts. Owada was a mistake, yes, but we all survived! We went through hell to get that opportunity!"

"Agreed," Morgana hissed, the mannerisms more cat-like than human. "She seems to think that she was the only one that had a rough time."

Futaba could not agree more. Compared to her own life, Sumire's was one of indulgence and smiles. She did not like getting lectured by her. On the otherhand… "Do you think what she said is right? Are we losing our way? Haru and Makoto's dissidence, Ryuji's lust for revenge…"

"Ren's indecision," Morgana added on. "Our great leader is growing less great by the day."

Futaba did not like hearing the slander against the boy who saved her, almost like an older brother to her, however… "I think that whatever happened with Sumire really hurt him…"

"Tsk, how can he be heartbroken? Didn't he dump her?"

"I don't know," Futaba replied honestly. Laying her head on her knees, her eyes closed.

"Hmm… anyway, why do you want to target Haru's father?"

Futaba shrugged. She had laid out her reasons before. "He is the most logical target. Currently there is a wave of building public outrage against his company's policies. Changing his heart solidifies our position as allies of the public. It provides much needed legitimacy."

"Legitimacy," Morgana scoffed. "You're a hacker, when have you cared about that?"

"I want to change though!" Futaba cried out. Jumping up, she suddenly felt claustrophobic in her room. The place that had been her tomb for the past year, Futaba wanted to be able to leave it behind. "Inari agrees with me. We need some way to make the public trust us. To trust us, they need to feel like we have accountability. A force that can bring people to justice that the police cannot or will not reach!"

Morgana reluctantly nodded. "Which is why you want to target him first. An obvious sign that public opinion will influence our decisions."

"You don't like it though, right?"

"Correct," Morgana nodded. "We are the phantom thieves. We do what we want! Why should we sacrifice our freedom just for the public to argue over our actions? We would turn into the exact same thing that the police now are."

"Urgh," Futaba winced. "Why does it feel like there are no correct options? Why is it so hard?"

Morgana contemplated the question for awhile. "I have only been in your world for a short time… trying to find my memories, my true form… I have found that everyone has problems in their lives. From the poor college student working a customer service job to your teachers and beyond. Every time someone tries to improve and make their life easier… they step on someone else."

"So that's it?" Futaba demanded, whirling on the cat. "We will never make a difference in the world!? We need to pray that a god deigns to descend and solve our issues for us!?"

"Hell no!" Morgana responded loudly, turning to face her. "We just need to find our own justice! Inspire people to take their lives into their own hands!"

Futaba frowned. "But then, you should agree with my plan?"

"If that's what we decide, I am fine with it," Morgana said, defeating Futaba's expectations. "Our hesitation and pettiness have gone on for too long. When we assemble on Monday, we need to make a choice. I only hope Ren has snapped out of it by then."

"That at least we agree upon… kitty." Rushing forward, Futaba mused Morgana's head before he could escape. Heart a little more content, Futaba restarted the episode and let herself relax a little.

Thursday, September 8th, 20XX Noon

"Whoa! What a view!"

Ren could only chuckle as Ryuji leapt forward closer to the edge as he gaped down upon Honolulu and the coastline of Hawaii. It was a gorgeous view from the peak of Diamond head. It may not have been quite as distinct as Mt. Fuji, but the view and the weather combined made for an excellent day.

"He's such a child," Ann said from beside Ren.

"Yeah, but it's hard to be mad at him."

"Mad? I think it's wonderful. He is so much better this way than when that deep seated anger comes out…"

Ren gaped at the girl. "Ann, do you…"

Seeming to realize the way she was talking, Ann blushed and turned away. "I-I mean, you have to admit it as well!"

"You've been through a lot, you deserve to be happy, Ann."

Ren's whispered words only increased her blush. Unexpectedly for him, Ann actually turned and glared at him. "And what about you? What about your happiness!? You should have confessed to Sumire!"

Finding the conversation flipped back on him, Ren raised his hands in surrender. "We discussed this before. It wasn't what she needed at the time."

"And now?" Ann asked, eyebrow raised. "Are you really going to let her quit?"

"…If that's what she wants." Ren forced himself to say. It was almost a reality anyway. Ren would just need to find a way to move on.

"Why do you refuse to be happy?" Ann stomped her foot. Waving at the beautiful scenery, Ann spoke with a voice filled with awe. "We are in Hawaii, we have a beach, a break from school, a fun hike up a volcano… and here you are looking more depressed than when school started and everyone was harassing you."

"I didn't have time to be depressed, I was angry and scared." Clamping his mouth shut, Ren sent an accusatory glare at Ann. Of everyone, she was also the best at making him say things that he did not mean to.

"Now you do," Ann nodded as if she had said something profound. "But I bet you would be less depressed if you had a pretty girl at your side…"

Ren gave her a dead-panned stare. "Are you serious?"

Ann laid a hand on his shoulder, her face serious. "Yes, Ren, I am. Our group is on the verge of falling apart. You all helped me with Kamoshida, and I think we have done a lot of good since then, but we need a leader to continue. There are far more people out there that need aid. Our aid."

Ren shot a look past Ann to Ryuji who was only now turning back to them and trying to wave them to the edge. "Go find your happiness, I'll head back early."

"Hey, it's not like that!"

"Sure, sure," giving her a parting backhand wave, Ren descended the volcano alone, deep in thought.

After taking the shuttle back to the hotel, Ren went for a walk to the nearby Waikiki beach. As expected, it was bustling in the midday heat. Natives and tourists from all over were crowded together. Not that it was incredibly packed. Compared to the Tokyo metro during rush hour it was pleasantly empty.

Removing his shoes and socks, Ren carried them as he walked along the hot sand and felt it squish between him toes. Conversations in English and other languages flitted to his ears. It was a sharp change from the predominantly—nearly exclusive—Japanese conversations that he was used to. With his mind not getting distracted by the other people, his thoughts could freely wander.

People were enjoying themselves; the sun was shining, life was good. Here, standing in the midst of human contentment, Ren felt that yawning chasm of darkness more clearly. A place he had not even entered when his life had been ruined. Then, he had clung to the edge, surviving getting pushed over. It had been Ryuji, Ann, and Morgana who had helped him climb out. Got him into a position where he had been able to help Sumire.

That was why everything going wrong now was so much more devastating. He had fought and put his life on the line to help people. Ren still woke up in a cold sweat as memories of his night in Futaba's palace, surrounded by powerful shadows overtook him. To let the phantom thieves collapse now would be to admit that they had never truly helped people. It would be an acceptance of the way things were right now.

"I need to talk to Sumire again. I need to teel her what I was thinking. Explain…"

A flash of brown hair tied in a ponytail shook Ren from his reverie. There, cartwheeling across the sand was a beautiful Japanese woman in a bikini. "Kasumi!?"

His call of surprise was enough to grab her attention as the Japanese word differentiated itself from the consistent English stream. Turning to him, she somersaulted over and stopped a meter away.

"You!"

"Me?" Ren asked puzzled.

"Come!"

Ren was still trying to catch-up when Kasumi had grabbed his wrist and began tugging him toward the tree line at the back of the beach. Before long, Ren found himself seated on a bench with Kasumi beside him, her whole body rotated so that she could glare at him.

"Err, funny seeing you here?"

"Funny? I didn't want to drag you into a private conversation at school, but I've thought about it."

"W-Why?"

Kasumi gave him that characteristic deadpanned look of hers. The one that made you question whether you had just stated that the sky was red.

"You broke my sister's heart! Why wouldn't I be upset with you!?"

Ren flinched. "That was never my intention. She went through… some things. I just wanted to support her. I didn't want to hurt her."

Kasumi was silent for a long moment. "I took you for a lot of things, but a coward was never one of them."

Ren reeled back. A punch would have hurt less. His stomach contracted as the guilt roared back up. "I couldn't! She wasn't it a state of mind to start a relationship!"

Kasumi did not appear to be buying it, shaking her head. "You have been through a lot, haven't you? I hope you are able to trust someone at some point prior to ending up alone and angry."

"I have friends," Ren retorted angrily, feeling completely exposed before this girl's scathing criticisms. Ann may have been the one that could get Ren to say things, but only sitting here, did he remember back to the early months of the schoolyear and his talks with Kasumi. Of everyone, she was the one that seemed to see through his masks the easiest. The one that could penetrate through his falsehoods and fake smiles.

Rejecting that, Ren lashed out instead, desperate to deflect. "More than you."

Kasumi's lips pursed to a line, her brown eyes hardening. "You are correct there. I recently found out that there is only one person how will understand me. So hate me if you want Ren, that's… That is fine." Kasumi's voice broke slightly but she soldiered on. "But I love Sumire and she loves you so, so much. If you don't share the feeling that's fine but I think you do."

"I… I do need to talk to her."

With a rush of motion, Kasumi's face was beside his, her hands cupping his cheeks, her forehead pressing against his. Is she going to kiss me!? Heart beating like a drum at the possibility, Ren froze. After ten of those strong rapid beats, Kasumi spoke, her voice barely audible. "She'll be here at this bench at 7 tonight. I can no longer care for her… so please, please do your best."

Ren was still in shock from the sudden closeness, their breathes mingling, the heartfelt words when he realized that Kasumi was gone. He felt flayed to the soul from the interaction. Kasumi really was a wildfire of passion and light. "And who will take care of you, Kasumi?"

Muttering after the fairy-like girl, Ren collapsed against the bench back, eyes closing.

One person at a time.

Thursday, September 8th, 20XX Noon

"Oh, these clothes are so cute!"

Makoto, stood awkwardly by Haru's side, her arms already filled with bags from their previous stores. To say it was not exactly the Hawaii trip that Makoto had envisioned would be an understatement. As the days ticked by, Makoto's tension was gradually rising.

Watching Haru pick out flashy sundresses from a high-end store with little to no care was the last nail that forced Makoto to speak. "Haru, don't you think that this is excessive?"

"The amount? Oh, don't worry, my checked bag is mostly empty. I planned for this."

"Why do you need them though?" Makoto pressed. "Are you ever going to use half of these clothes?"

"Probably," Haru replied, her voice still having a vaguely confused tone. "I have various functions coming up that will require less formal clothes like these. Or… did you want me to buy you something?"

"Haru!" Makoto pled. Dropping the bags in her right hand, she grabbed the girl's wrist. "Where is your compassion?"

"Mako-chan?"

"I can't get their faces out of my mind! Those girls trusted us so much! We have done nothing to help their sister in over a week… I can barely function during the day with worry… How? How can you just shop and pretend like nothing is wrong?"

Haru's face contorted. Her fist clenched around the garment she had grabbed. The force of the grip on a delicate area causing permanent damage. "I am not the villain here, Mako-chan. I just want to live my life happily!"

"Even if you crush other people beneath you as you ride along on your gilded palanquin? You may be able to fool the others, but I am your best friend. I am the one that you talked to! The one you cried to about Mariko's departure, about your father's vision for your future! Why won't you talk to me about this!? What happened with your father?"

"We reached… an understanding," Haru said slowly, still not looking at Makoto. "I am the scion of Okumura foods and must prepare myself for those responsibilities. I cannot concern myself with every single complaint and ill-fortune of the world."

"Do you hear yourself?" Makoto pled. She could not restrain the desperation and fear that filled her voice. "Do you want to abuse people like your father is? To make them collapse from exhaustion while trying to feed their families?"

"I can change that…" Haru whispered. "When I am CEO I can change the policies and create—"

Vision going red, Makoto grabbed Haru roughly by the shoulders and spun her to face her. The slap of flesh on flesh rang clearly through the store as Haru fell backwards to the ground, the shape of Makoto's palm imprinted across her left cheek.

"People need our help now, Haru. Why can't you understand that?" Looking in disgust at the remaining bags in her left hand, Makoto dropped them and left the store. Haru could deal with her purchases alone or hire someone. That was the life that she wanted clearly.

Thursday, September 8th, 20XX Evening

Ren's heartbeat filled his ears as he approached the beach. Matching the frantic pace was his near hyperventilating breathing. Ren's calm exterior was on the verge of breaking down. Each step brought him closer to a final encounter. He had thought that the encounter in Kyoto would be his last, but Kasumi had bought him another one. Not for his sake, but for Sumire's.

Trying to remember that, Ren approached the bench from behind. Breaking through the spread-out trees, Ren froze when we saw her. Hair tied back in a ponytail, with her glasses forgotten somehow, she stared out over the waves at the setting sun. The last orange rays cast a magical appearance, illuminating the sky a fiery red. Ren could not help but dismiss the sight as he stared at Sumire, her transcendent beauty and pearly skin boldly exposed in her bikini far more beautiful to Ren than any scenery could ever hope to be.

He stared at her for almost a minute until Sumire frowned and looked at her phone. Forcing his feet into motion, Ren got within a dozen steps before Sumire heard his approach and rose. "Ann, you really didn't need to be so secretive about this meeting. So, what do you…"

Ren watched with bated breath as her pleasant smile slid off her face and was slowly replaced with horror.

"Sen… pai…"

"Sumire, I—" Reaching out desperately with a hand, Ren knew exactly what she was going do. Clamping her hands over her mouth she stumbled backwards. "Wait, please!"

She did not wait. Turning, she sprinted away from him. Her flip flops flying off and getting left behind as she hit the sand running. Cursing, Ren ran after her. There was nothing girly or comedic about her flight. It was the hard sprint of an elite athlete. Despite not being in as good shape, Ren height advantage was enough compensation to not lose distance. Shoes pumping against the soft sand, Ren felt muscles he did not know he even had begin to flex in agony as his chest burned from the exertion.

Thank you, Ryuji! Trained on hard workouts with his best friend, Ren continued even after the first minute. At that moment, Sumire looked back and somehow sped up. "Please, Sumire!"

"No, I can't!"

"I can't leave things like this!" Gasping desperately for the words, Ren knew that his body was going to give out on him soon. There was no way he could maintain this pace across an uneven surface for long. Muscles screaming, breaths labored, Ren fought. With an intensity and determination he rarely felt even in palaces, Ren pushed through the barrier that he encountered. It felt like slogging through a viscous wall. Each step should be the last, but Ren took another one and then one more.

Each step brought Sumire a little closer. He felt like she was the only thing he could see. His vision was consumed by her hair like a flame drawing him on and on. Stopping was no longer a possibility. Ren had to catch that fire, draw it close to himself, protect it, nurture it.

Thought and time began to blur together as agony and instinct burned his body and soul. Yet he marched relentlessly through that hell for the one in front of him.

I won't… let you go…

With a thump, Ren suddenly crashed into someone. Vision spinning, Ren inhaled sharply, trying to regain a semblance of thought and function as he tumbled to the ground. "Su… Sumire?"

"I'm here."

Once more, Ren forced his body to move. Pushing himself up, Ren found the girl laying on the sand beside him, arm slung across her face. The last rays of the sun had fallen behind the horizon, but it did not matter. It was still bright enough to see her.

Unable to stop himself, Ren ran a tender hand along her cheek.

"STOP!" Exploding with emotion, she used the arm covering her eyes to slap his arm away. "Why do you always do this!? You reject me and then race after me like a hero! Why… Why don't you make sense!?"

Ren wished he could catch his breath as easily as she seemed able to. Sumire was panting wildly, but Ren could barely string two words together. "Sorry, I… only want… your happiness."

"My happiness!?" Sumire grabbed at Ren's collar forcing him to the ground. He no longer had the strength to resist her as she got the upper position easily. "You were everything to me! Everything! You saved my sister, you sought and fought for justice, you were kind…"

Her tears were now slowly wetting his cheeks as she cried from above him. Each one fell upon him like a punch only far more painful.

"So why!? Why can't you at least be honest? Tell me I'm not good enough for you! Tell me I am not worthy! Just… free me, please."

"I can't."

Sumire gasped, pulling back with a flinch. "So cruel…"

Ren could not let this happen. The tears, the pain. Ren no longer knew if what he was doing was correct and no longer cared. He was bad at expressing his emotions. He always hid behind a mask.

Crushing it, Ren grasped Sumire by the shoulders and pulled her to him. The kiss was not so much passionate as desperate. Nothing about it was how he had imagined it would be like. There was no magic, no sparks. All Ren wanted was to express his emotions.

How he had no idea how to support her.

How to tell her about how his chest ached when he thought about her.

When Ren let her go, he expected a slap, more tears, a rant. Instead, all he saw was Sumire's stunned face. A dopey expression that Ren had never seen before. "Hello? You okay?"

Poking her cheek, Sumire finally restarted.

Jumping backwards, Sumire covered her cheeks and mouth with both hands. Despite that, her eyes never left his. "Sen…pai?"

The words were muffled through her fingers, but Ren still smiled at her. "I hope you understand now."

"Under… stand?"

Chuckling at her cute mannerisms, Ren scooted closer to her. He could not get too close as she kept rotating so that her mostly covered face was staring straight at him. After a few adjustments, Ren gave up and laid a hand on her knee.

"Eep!"

She scuttled backwards and Ren pursued her. "Is something wrong?"

"Mrgh!"

"If you don't use your words, I'll never know what I'm doing wrong…" Ren pressed, poking her calf.

"Cut it out!" Sumire yelled, finally using her words. Lunging forward, she grabbed at Ren's wrists, stopping him from continuing his barrage of pokes. "You… You would do something like that…"

"I did, didn't I?" Ren answered calmly, finally able to see her face as she held his wrists. Sumire seemed to realize that as she glanced up and down repeatedly.

Using the only thing she could as a cover, Sumire leaned forward further to hide her face against his chest. "Do you… honestly like me? You aren't just doing this to spare my feelings? Or just to have a girl to do things with?"

"Do you honestly think I would do either of those things?"

"I… No." Sumire's voice was small. When she looked up at Ren again, the blush was mostly gone but there was a fear replacing it. Of what, Ren did not know. "I had given up on you… How am I supposed to accept this?"

Frowning, Ren realized the problem that had developed. One kiss could not correct everything instantly. As the grip on his wrist had slackened, Ren raised his right hand to stroke her head gently. "How… we have all night. Do you want to talk?"

"…Ah, I would like that." Sumire replied quietly, snuggling in deeper. "Nee, do you remember when—"

Settling in, Ren listened and talked in equal parts. The matching scars on their hearts slowly healing as hours ticked by.

Friday, September 9th, 20XX Morning

"You totally lied to me…"

Kasumi let out a shocked squeak at the growling like a bear's. Turning to find what beast was approaching her, Kasumi froze. It was no bear but a ghost. No, maybe an oni? It did have horn-like protuberances of a flaming red material. Either way, it was time to run.

"Get back here Kasumi!"

Was that Sumire's voice? It was buried inside a harsh croak, but it was partially there. Feeling inspired, Kasumi stopped and rotated, facing the beast. "Stop monster! Release my sister from your spell!"

The monster did in fact, not stop. Kasumi thought that she had made a horrible mistake as it was suddenly inside her reach. The cold fingers of death wrapped around her throat… and then slid past.

"Huh?"

Kasumi found herself solidly hugged by her sister. Bodies pressed together, there was no way that Kasumi would ever mistake her for another.

"So… are you not a monster?"

"What are you talking about? I'm trying to thank you."

The voice was still wrong though. Grabbing her sister's shoulders, Kasumi pulled Sumire away slightly so that she could examine her face. "You look awful. And what is wrong with your voice?"

"I talked all night," she croaked with a smile. "I don't understand though… how? Why?"

Kasumi ignored the questions. "All night!? H-Hold on, did Ren and you…?" Kasumi could not give voice to her impure thoughts. The thought that while she had been sleeping in a bed, her precious little sister had…

"W-We just talked. Although I guess he did…"

"Ren…" Seeing red, Kasumi growled, her hands tightening around his imaginary throat.

"C-Calm down, sis!" Sumire pled, grabbing at Kasumi's clenching hands. "T-This wasn't the first time I've spent the night with him after all…"

That blush. Those demurely lowered eyes. "He deflowered you and then rejected you!? Oh, when I find that boy…"

"I said that didn't happen!" Sumire continued, her voice finally cracking back to its usual high-pitched tone.

"Hmm, I suppose that is more likely. If he had gotten a taste of you he never would have left you…"

"What is that supposed to mean!?"

With it now being her turn to get yelled at, Kasumi laughed weakly, stepping away from her sister. "So, all made up now then? That's good!"

"Hmm, kind of…" Sumire frowned, staring at the ground. Putting a hand to her head, she looked completely exhausted. There was no way that she would survive the rigorous training of the day. "There is still a gap between us. We both want to close the distance, but something is missing."

"What?"

"That's the thing, I don't know what is missing."

"Oh, that is not what I was asking." Putting on her best smile, Kasumi delivered the words with the accuracy of an expert archer. "The two of you are sickeningly cute together. The only thing missing is the rest of your brain cells."

"Urgh!"

"Oh well, I'm shocked that ploy with telling you Ann wanted to meet worked, but I'm glad it did." Patting her sister on the head once, Kasumi turned and walked away to the training arena. "Go take a nap, I'll tell them you are sick and can't come."

After a brief flurry of footsteps, Sumire was there again.

"What are you doing?"

"Proving that I can do both." Sumire replied.

Well, that's vague. Still, Kasumi could only shrug and accept it. "It's your death."

"More importantly… It is my life."

"Well said my rival. Well said."

Sunday, September 11th, 20XX Night

"Father, I have returned. I hope all is well?"

"All is well!? Well!? Are you blind, girl!?" Kunikazu raged. Slamming an empty shot glass on the table, he refilled it with the highest quality of whiskey. Based on the amount missing from the bottle, he was a good half a dozen deep already. "Those assholes are raking my company over the coals in the papers!"

"Father…"

Kunikazu let out a disparaging laugh. "As if any of the others are better! Slander! All to halt my political ascension! Well, we will show them, won't we? However…"

Haru wilted before that gaze. It was just like the cold calculating ones from before. He had been smiling at her, musing her hair. How could the same man stare at her in this manner?

"Your trip was a major nuisance. We have overused your schemes at getting men in trouble, however, there is an alliance that I could use your help in securing. We are in good enough footing that I definitely have a chance of getting elected. Especially with Masayoshi losing momentum."

"Yes, that is good…"

"But my position is being eroded by my company's falling reputation. An agent tells me that you go to school with the daughters of a television exec. Use your abilities tomorrow to arrange a meeting and secure yourself a spot on the show. You will go on unaffiliated with the company and soothe over our reputation. Wear something cute and the men will forget all about the allegations."

"W-What?"

"I have the details here, now go and prepare. Do not fail me like so many other fools have."

That was it. Taking the paper in shaky hands, Haru could not look at it. No smiles, not even a welcome back. Staring at him, the words of everyone, but mainly Makoto, came rushing back through her. Holding her tears just long enough to leave the room, Haru knew what she had to do.

Monday, September 12th, 20XX After school

The mood in Ren's room was far different from their last meeting. Not necessarily in a good way, just different. For the first time in a long time, they all gathered in his room. Fresh off their various trips, Ren slowly looked around the room.

Sumire standing awkwardly near the stairs in her gym clothes. She smiled awkwardly when she saw him looking.

Ann was sitting on the couch, legs crossed with an expectant smile on her face. She gave him an encouraging thumbs up.

Ryuji was sitting next to Ann, his arm slung around the back of the couch, not quite around her shoulders. He gave Ren a big wink and a confident smile.

Morgana was of course, right beside Ryuji, looking over at Ann with a surly expression. Despite that, he did have time to nod in a distinctly human fashion.

Yusuke was sitting backwards on Ren's desk chair, blue eyes intently focused on him. Ren had not gotten a chance to talk to him before now, but there was something different about the boy today.

Futaba was sitting on the foot of the bed, closest to Yusuke. She looked bored as usual, but her eyes had a piercing seriousness to them.

Beside her was Makoto. The student council president kept stealing looks at Haru who was sitting beside her. For a large part of the Hawaii trip she had worn that same conflicted expression.

Haru did not even register Ren's gaze. The girl just sat on the head of his bed with a distant expression.

Having made his survey, Ren did something that he had failed to do for a long time; he took charge. Roughly in the middle of the room, he spread his hands. "Everyone, thank you all for assembling here. I know that we have had some issues recently, most of which was my fault."

"Huh? What are you-?"

Ren silenced Ryuji and some of the more quiet voices that tried to counteract him. "You will all have a chance to talk. First, allow me to say sorry for failing to give our group a direction. Because of my hesitation we almost completely fell apart and have failed three sisters. Sisters who are hurting because of our initial mistake."

"My mistake…"

"No." Ren sent a harsh glare at Sumire. Walking over to her, Ren grabbed her by the hand and dragged her to the center of the room. "I made mistakes, but there is something that all of you need to say as well, yes?"

Finally, Ren seemed to have gotten everyone's attention. Some were still confused but one by one, they understood. Ann was the first to stand up and approach. Wrapping Sumire's left hand in both of hers, Ann raised it to her lowered head.

"I am sorry we did not understand your pain, Sumi. But we unanimously agreed to every decision made in that palace. Any sin you committed there is not only yours to bear. It is all of ours."

"That's right!" Ryuji agreed. "You are one of us!"

"Obviously," Yusuke smiled.

"Everyone…" Sumire's body shook under his hands. "B-But it was my hand that held the blade. I was the one—"

"Enough," Makoto said harshly, grabbing that very hand that Sumire thought was bloodied. These were the wounds that Ren could not heal by himself. The wounds that required support from an entire group.

"You were not alone," Haru agreed, adding her hand to Makoto's. In moments, they were all there, grabbing the hand, admitting to their own taint, dividing the sin. Ren was the last, slipping past Sumire's shoulder and grabbing her hand from below.

"Senpai…" Staring into her upturned, watery eyes, he nodded encouragingly. Her fingers closed around his, locking hands while everyone supported them from above.

"I… Please forgive me for my selfishness… I was so rude last time."

"No, you were right." Morgana said from his position atop their linked hands. "We were not quite correct in our reasons. We were being selfish with only a veneer of selfishness. We all wanted the path that pushed our own needs the most with helping the Owada sisters as a convenient excuse."

"That," Ren agreed, steering the conversation in the new direction, "is what we need to discuss. I would like to go over the presented options again and truly find the path that we should take as the phantom thieves. Before that however, there is a question that Sumire raised last time that we need to discuss. Can we accept the risks that we have discovered and continue to delve into palaces?"

Ren expected immediate yeses from a few people, Ryuji chief among them. Instead, the whole group nodded thoughtfully, actually considering the topic. Still, it was Ryuji who spoke first. "I kept denying it, but we have gotten lucky, haven't we? Ren probably should have died in Futaba's pyramid, Ann and I at the least in the bathhouse… And then Owada Jun did actually die."

"We have done a lot of good," Ann spoke up next, laying a hand on Ryuji's shoulder. "Maybe it is time to hang up the masks and focus on what we have gained."

"I… actually disagree," Sumire spoke up. "People need our help. Those sisters still need justice. Plus, we can't allow this country's next prime minister to be corrupt enough to order the mental shutdowns."

"Are you sure?" Ren asked softly.

Sumire met his eyes and nodded. "I was being selfish before. How can we possibly stop now?"

"Is the sentiment unanimous?" Everyone nodded.

Taking a deep breath, Ren felt a small knot of fear began to loosen. He had given it fifty-fifty odds that they would not even get past this point. Apparently, he should have had more faith in his friends. But… taking another look, Ren was certain of it. It was not just faith, there was something different about each and every one of them. Whether it was the gentle waves of Hawaii or something else, this week spent relatively far apart seemed to have changed each of them in some way.

"Well, I suppose we discuss our next target then. We will discuss it until we have a unanimous answer. So, Haru, is your father still off the table?"

"…No."

"Well, with us not being able to—Hold on, what did you say?"

"I said that we can target him," Haru sighed, not looking at any of them. "I… was wrong about him. I thought… I thought I could change him. I'm sorry."

"Haru…" Makoto breathed, reaching out a hand to her friend.

Haru flinched away, burying herself in a corner of the room. "I feel unworthy to be here. I'm as much a villain as any of our targets."

"You have a persona, not a palace," Futaba pointed out.

Haru only smiled upon receiving the callous words. "And is a palace that makes someone a horrible person? I have no respect or knowledge about the struggles of the common person. I was completely intent on continuing my father's methods…"

"A horrible person would not refer to themselves as such," Sumire said, flashing her a smile. "You are incredibly kind, Haru-senpai."

Sniffing, Haru looked past them to a boy that had said little sitting in the corner. "And what are your thoughts, Yusuke? Do you not hate people like me that flaunt their extravagance while you have nothing?"

Yusuke did not respond immediately. He barely even looked taken aback. Almost as if he was expecting this to come at some point. "Does your father's wealth come from ill-gotten means?"

"N-Not really…"

Yusuke shrugged as if that solved everything. "Then why bother worrying about it? He provided a product that people found valuable. I am a starving artist because people do not value my work. It is as simple as that."

"As simple as that…?" Haru wondered, shaking her head. "I suppose that I can't complain… I'll just have to prove my worth by continuing to work with you all."

"You don't have to prove anything, Haru." Makoto smiled at the girl, laying a hand on her shoulder.

"Yes, Mako-chan, I do." Haru rejected the kindness, grabbing her hand with her own.

"Well, if that's what it takes to keep you around, I certainly won't complain." Ren declared. "It seems like Haru has changed which person she wants to target. Do you want to supplement why we should change Okumura's heart, Futaba?"

Ren was proud of himself. Things were flowing well, he felt in charge, no one was arguing. It seemed like they would get through it all and determine a target unanimously.

Then Futaba spoke. "I'm not so sure. The more I looked into Kunikazu, the odder the information that began to appear. Somehow, it feels like we are being guided to change his heart. Since we have other options, maybe we should wait…"

"Ehh?" Ryuji asked, voicing Ren's disbelief. "But that was our best option!"

"Best?" Yusuke said perplexed. "Isn't Shido the one that has the most power?"

"Nah," Ryuji waved a dismissive hand. "We will need to get the truth of the mental shutdowns from him, but the guy's reputation is nowhere near good enough to win an election."

"S-So, we count on Makoto's sister?" Ren asked desperately.

"W-Well I've been thinking about that, and I am less certain now…" Makoto laughed nervously. "I mean, she is pretty low down all things considered. With how much time we have wasted already, a more direct approach may be better…"

And there goes the third option… Ren wanted to facepalm. He didn't understand how this happened. How did they go from three nearly equal opportunities to none? Gaping at them, Ren had no words.

"N-Now hold on everyone!" Sumire spoke up for him. "Why are you all being so negative? Futaba, can you be sure about that? And Ryuji, it is really important to figure out why and how he is causing the mental shutdowns. Lastly, Makoto, are you not underestimating your sister's abilities?"

"W-Well, I just think the other two take priority while I find more concrete evidence!" Futaba exclaimed.

"Meh, I'm just saying that helping the three sisters take priority." Ryuji shrugged.

"As Ryuji said!" Makoto concluded. "My sister's ways are too slow!"

There was an awkward silence. Then, slowly Ann began to chuckle. It eventually broke into a gale of laughter that brought the others in after her. "You lot really are useless…" Ren broke in when he could contain his laughter.

"Ah, but we are a team again!" Morgana replied. "You all never cease to surprise me with your growth…"

"Yeah, that is true." Walking forward so that he was in the center, Ren continued talking. "Ryuji is correct, Shido is a big target that we need to take our time with. So before that, we will be targeting both Okumura Kunikazu and Nijima Sae. We will solve the keywords today and enter tomorrow. In the meantime, I have someone I need to apologize to tonight. Any objections?"

"B-Both!?"

"Didn't you hear what I said!? Kunikazu could be a trap."

"Exactly," Ren addressed Futaba's complaint first. "We can prepare for it and try to trap this person that has access to the metaverse."

"Then we should be focusing on that!" Makoto protested. "Splitting attention with my sister's palace will—"

"She is our insurance," Ren explained, cutting her off. "The earlier we change her heart, the sooner you can confess to her and bring Sae on our side. If her way is slow, then the sooner we start it the sooner it finishes."

"So how do we explore two palaces at the same time?" Ryuji asked, logically.

"Two teams," Ren continued, confidence building as the meeting went on.

For the first time in a long time, things felt right again. No one was throwing vitriol at each other; Sumire was by his side again. Things were not perfect: Hifumi deserved an apology and help, Mishima needed assistance, and things with Sumire were not where he wanted them. A long list, but Ren was now confident that he could tackle them.

"Haru and Makoto, you will captain the teams. Each of you will be most familiar with the owner and able to discern solutions that the rest of us won't. I will leave it to you to pick the people you think will be most beneficial to clearing it. If it turns out that we need to switch, we will discuss it at the hideout the next day before entering."

"Umm…"

Ren laid a hand on Sumire's shoulder, knowing what she would say. "Sumire is our ace. She will not be on either team so she can focus on gymnastics. If we need her help for something, we will ask at that time."

"W-What about me?" Futaba asked. "I can't navigate for both groups."

Ren raised an eyebrow at Morgana.

Stretching, the cat had a very pleased expression on his face. "Hmmf, I thought I was retired from navigating but if you guys are so desperate…"

"Oh yeah," Ryuji cheered, "this will be just like the old days! Let's get em, Morgana!"

"H-Hey, don't muse my head so hard!"

"Ahh, come on, you like it!"

"When Lady Ann does it!"

Ren sighed. "The bickering never really does end, does it?"

"Maybe not," Sumire replied quietly, "but its warmer than usual… the whole room is."

"Hmm, maybe it is just you?" Ren teased, running hand down her back.

"Eep!" Jumping away, she pouted at him while blushing deeply. "I-I told you not to do that yet…"

That makes me want to do it more! Ren protested silently but gave it up. Her words and reactions were at complete odds with each other. The sly glances, the blushes, the small touches on his arm…

"Oh, are you two not hiding it anymore?"

"Urk!" Of all people, it was Yusuke that called them out. Those damn artist eyes! Ren cursed the boy. Everyone else was too busy dealing with Ryuji and Morgana. That promptly ended as everyone looked at the two of them.

"Ohhh so you two are more there than just friends again," Ann chuckled evilly, "I could have guessed."

"W-What are you talking about!?" Sumire replied with an obvious lie, her voice cracking as she frantically avoided eye contact.

"Huh? Haven't they been together for awhile now?"

Ryuji's blatantly wrong statement heated Ren's cheeks while Sumire hid herself. "N-No! And its… umm, complicated. A-Anyway! Are there any questions or objections!"

When there were none, Ren fled his own room to escape the snickers.