I... I promise that I'll update other stories. UknownHero here and welcome to another chapter of Senran Persona! You know, the story that seems to be freakishly updated frequently due to massive overwriting? Yeah, that.

Let's get straight onto answering some questions. To kerrowe: We'll see if anyone is ready for Homura's training. There's a reason that Homura's Confidant costs money other than increasing Akira's HP and SP. To Jacob9594: Have to reiterate that I did not write a majority of the model scene. That was JGResidentEvil's thing. I just... did my own things.

Well, that's it. Let's show the world cuteness is justice!

Load Game... Start!


Chapter 27: The Artist and The Artesian


(5/11, Early Morning)

(Shibuya, Shin Megami Apartment Complex)

"Hmmhmmm...hmmm...hmmm...hmmm~" Asuka happily hummed to herself as she cooked breakfast...to the tune of Galactic Mermaid.

Ryuji was right. It was rather catchy...if you ignored the lyrics that is.

Anyways, as she grilled some fish and waited for the steam rice to be ready, she couldn't help but remember how the last two days had been.

Homura was actually quite proud of herself after studying with the Student Council President as she looked through her notes in a diligent and professional manner.


(5/9, After School)

(Shujin Academy, Library)

"I wanna die. I wanna die in a hole and cover it in concrete." Homura quietly cried in despair.

"Homura-san, are you alright?" A familiar voice asked in concern.

"No." Homura bluntly replied as she raised her head to see a very concerned Student Council President. "Ah, good afternoon Makoto-senpai." She awkwardly greeted.

"Hello." Makoto politely replied before glancing at all the books on the tan skinned girl's table. "...Is that an American comic?" She then asked.

"Yes." Homura shamefully replied. For some reason, Wolverine was begging her to read it and...it turned out her Persona was an amnesiac prostitute in it. Just great.

"I didn't take you as one to read such a thing." Makoto admitted before frowning. "However, you should be studying for exams." She then advised.

Homura in turn nodded to that statement. "Hai...however I'm having...difficulty doing so." She soon confessed.

"I can see that." Makoto replied as she sat down next to her. "Do you need any help?" She then offered.

"Yes. Oh thank God, yes!" Homura got out in relief before clearing her throat. "I-I mean, um...Thank you, Makoto-senpai. I will gladly accept your help." She replied.

Makoto in turn nodded to that as she smiled. "Well then, let's begin with something basic." She soon suggested.

"Alright...though what do you define as basic?" Homura however asked.

An hour soon passed as the two continued their study session.

"And...there you go! You did it!" Makoto praised as she looked at the tan skinned girl's well made notes.

"Hm, I believe I'm starting to get it Makoto-senpai." Homura confessed in an impressed and interested manner.

"You're welcome. Well, I think you should be prepared enough to study on your own. I need to go and study for midterms myself." Makoto got out as she stood up from her seat.

"Thank you, Makoto-senpai. You've been a huge help." Homura soon confessed in a grateful manner. "No thanks to Akira..." She then mumbled under her breath. "How about we exchange numbers now Makoto-senpai?" She suddenly suggested.

"G-Guh! S-S-So soon!?" Makoto stammered out.

"What do you mean So soon? We should've done it back at the interviews." Homura pointed out.

"R-Right..." Makoto awkwardly replied as she took out her phone while sighing. "Well, alright." She soon decided with a nod.

After a quick exchange of phone numbers, Makoto went off to another section of the library to study in silence.


(5/11, Early Morning)

(Shibuya, Shin Megami Apartment Complex)

For the Vice Leader, it was a surprise seeing her roommate's new and improved notes as she studied them with renewed determination and vigor, like ancient texts for a long forgotten religion.

And then there was the time she actually fully paid attention in class.


(5/10, Morning)

(Shujin Academy, Classroom)

"You have exams starting tomorrow. It's too late to cram, so don't even try it." Mr. Inui stated.

"I concur." Akira thought as he glanced at the shinobi girls, who were going over their notes for three classes at once.

"Now then, picking up from last time...The end of the Heian period marks the rise of the samurai, which I'm sure you've all been waiting for. As described in "The Tale of the Heike," it was a time when all that was great would fall from grace." Mr. Inui informed. "It wasn't unusual for the heroes of yesterday to be struck down as rebels of the present day. By the sympathizing with the loser or the weak is called magistrate's patronage. That term came from the name of the position that a certain hero held." He then revealed as he looked around the room.

Only for eyes to settle on a student barely looking up, her head in a subject completely different from this class.

"Now then, Shirokage-chan." Mr. Inui started, getting the brunette's attention.

"Hmm?" Asuka hummed out as she looked up from her notes.

"Who do you think is the origin of the term magistrate's patronage? soon asked.

"Oh...Um..." Asuka got out as she stood up and thought about it.

"You need help?" Akira whispered out.

"No I got this. I know this..." Asuka quickly and quietly responded before racking her brain. "Er...Minamoto...Minamoto no Yoshitsune!" She soon answered.

"Exactly! Well done, Shirokage-chan." praised with a smile. "Magistrate was Minamoto no Yoshitsune's title, which later became a nickname. Although Yoshitsune helped defeat the Taira, he was driven out by his brother and killed himself. However, in the centuries that followed, Yoshitsune became more popular as a tragic hero." He soon explained.

"No good deed goes unpunished..." Homura grumbled out.

"Rather than siding with the one who has overwhelming power, people prefer the underdog opposing them. It's sort of like rooting for a minor-league baseball team instead of an all-star, major-league one."

"I can understand that. It's like, if I don't root for them, then who will?" Morgana got out.

"Everyone likes an underdog story." Akira stated with a smirk, feeling a little smarter from learning this as Asuka smiled brightly, also feeling smarter as a result.


(5/11, Early Morning)

(Shibuya, Shin Megami Apartment Complex)

Asuka couldn't help but smile. The past few days had gone rather swimmingly and she felt more prepared than ever for exams.

Until she checked the time.

7:57AM.

"EXAMS!" Asuka shouted out. "WE'RE GOING TO BE LATE!" She soon exclaimed in a panic.

"Huh? Oh crap!" Homura swore out as she packed up her things. "Darn it! I swore!" She then got out in shame.

"We do not have the time to lament your minor harsh language! RUN FOR IT!" Asuka called out.

"R-Right! To school!" Homura called back before they rushed out the door...before walking back into the apartment.

"Forgot our uniforms." Asuka awkwardly got out.

"Yes." Homura replied in the same awkward manner. "Um...our food's burning too." She then added.

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP!

"Oh crap!" Asuka exclaimed as the fire alarm went off.

And thus, their first day of midterm exams had begun.


(5/11, Morning)

(Shujin Academy, Classroom)

TICK! TICK! TICK!

It was exactly one minute before midterm exams would start and everyone was anxiously watching the clock.

"Let's get these exams done, Joker." Morgana got out quietly, with the Leader nodding in response.

"Okay, here goes nothing!" Asuka thought with a determined expression on her face.

"You can do this Ann. Show them you aren't just a pretty face." Ann silently encouraged herself.

"Hope you don't crash and burn like me, Ryuji." Homura whispered out as she twirled her pen around.

Meanwhile, in another classroom, Ryuji was trying not to cry.

"You may turn your paper over and start...now." Mr. Inui instructed.

And with that, the students turned over their paper. Some groaned. Some panicked. Some smiled with confidence. But in the end, they all put their pencils down onto the paper and started putting down their answers.

"Although the line connects A to C it looks like it leads to B instead. What is this phenomenon called?" Ann muttered as she looked at her test before smiling. "That's right, an optical illusion." She then quietly got out as she filled in the answer.

"If how they're seeing things is different, it probably has to do with this sort of information..." Morgana whispered to the Leader.

"Visual information." Akira answered.

"What takes the visual information from your eyes and processes it is the," Asuka mumbled to herself as she tapped her pencil on her chin. "Uh...Brain..." She got out as she placed the answer down.

"The brain processes visual information. So, the reason why people see things differently is..." Homura thought as she tried to recall any information related to the topic before her eyes widened.

"They have different cognitions." Akira, Asuka and Homura realized as they wrote down their answers. "Thank you, Morgana and the Metaverse." The three simultaneously thought.

The day continued on, with the Thieves going home as soon as possible to study for the next day.


(5/12, Early Morning)

(Shujin Academy, Classroom)

As the second day of the midterms began, everyone instantly got to work putting in the answers for each of the questions.

"Which of the following expressions came from the name of the position that Minamoto no Yoshitsune held?" Homura whispered out as she narrowed her eyes. "Darn, I forgot..." She muttered in frustration.

"Magistrate's patronage." Asuka whispered to her roommate, which most people can't hear.

"You're really letting me cheat?" Homura quietly asked in disbelief before shaking her head. "Thank you." She soon whispered in a grateful manner while putting down the answer.

"What is the origin of the English word talent?" Ann muttered out as quietly as possible. "The name of a sum of currency. That was easy." She whispered to herself as she pumped her fist.

And with that, the day continued on...


(5/13, Early Morning)

(Shujin Academy, Classroom)

Third day of exams and the pressure was starting to get to people.

"THIS QUESTION IS BULLSHIT! Sorry." A student screamed out, their voice echoing down the hallways. However, it was ignored as exams continued.

"What did the Greek philosopher Socrates say that evil is born from?" Ann whispered to herself. "Right...Ignorance." She soon muttered while placing the answer down.

Asuka closed her eyes upon seeing that she needed to write a paragraph about a famous figure from the Edo period, and instinctively went for Hittori Hanzō. "Hittori Hanzō was a feared man during the unification of Japan, known across the land as a..." She quietly read as she twirled her pencil while thinking about it. "Demon." She then muttered with a nod as she wrote the rest of the paragraph.

"What's the least number of colors needed to paint Japan so no two adjacent areas are the same color?" Homura thought as she narrowed her eyes. "Is this really a geography question? Four." She then mumbled out as she wrote down her answer before sighing. "Why in the world did we need to know this? None of us are taking art classes..." She mentally groaned in annoyance before going on with the rest of her test like everyone else.


(5/14, Early Morning)

(Shibuya Station)

The two shinobi groaned in unison, barely keeping themselves awake as they drank the last of their coffee.

"Ugh...We stayed up too late last night..." Asuka groaned out as she and the tan skinned girl made their way to the next train. "Too much reviewing..." She then mumbled out.

"We're in the home stretch now. We're almost there." Homura reassured her roommate as they saw the black haired boy conversing with the dyed blond. "Morning guys." She greeted.

"Good morning." Akira greeted her back.

"Yeah, mornin'." Ryuji yawned out. "So sleepy..." He then muttered.

"You don't look so good Ryuji." Homura remarked.

"Are the exams getting to you?" Asuka asked in concern.

"Kinda. I ended up pullin' an all-nighter once I realized today's the last day of exams." Ryuji explained.

"You? Staying up studying?" Morgana got out with a slight chuckle.

"I thought we all had that study session together." Asuka then reminded.

"Nah, I gave up on the exams. I was playin' some games, then before I knew it, it was morning." Ryuji sighed out.

The brunette however pouted to hearing this with puffed up cheeks. "Ryuji-kun, that's no good." Asuka responded in a chiding tone.

"Sorry, just never been a theory guy. I'm more practical." Ryuji soon admitted.

The tan skinned girl merely rolled her eyes to that as she then looked at their Leader, though more specifically the not cat. "By the way Morgana, can you please stop encouraging Joker every time he answers a question? It gets annoying..." Homura sighed out.

"Hey, someone has to make sure he keeps his grades up." Morgana defended.

"By cheating?" Homura remarked.

"It's not cheating, it's just...guiding him to the right answers." Morgana corrected.

"Mona-chaaaan..." Asuka droned out in the same chiding tone.

"Hey, don't think I didn't hear you help Lady Homura cheat too!" Morgana however reminded.

"I...I was reminding her of stuff she already knows." Asuka weakly replied with a blush on her face.

"Yyyyeeeaaahhh... .Sure you do..." Akira deadpanned as the ash blonde approached the group.

"Morning everyone..." Ann yawned out.

"Yo, look who else is yawnin'." Ryuji remarked. "You pull an all-nighter too?" He soon asked.

"Not his version of what an all-nighter is, mind you." Homura snarked out with a smirk.

"Hey!" Ryuji got out in an offended manner.

"Exams are almost over, so I thought I'd make one last effort across the finish line. I don't know when I slept last night." Ann mumbled out tiredly.

"Impressive, Lady Ann. Yours is quite different from Ryuji's strategy." Morgana complimented.

The brunette however puffed up her cheek to that last bit. "Mona-chan, no need to insult Ryuji-kun." Asuka chided while wagging her finger at the not cat. "If we have time, me and Homu-nee will give you a few tips before the test." She then offered as her roommate nodded in agreement to that.

"Thanks." Ryuji replied with a smile. "Still prolly gonna get a shit score though." He then admitted.

"Hey, a bad grade is always better than an outright fail." Asuka stated while rubbing the back of her head. "I always got...average grades back home..." She then admitted.

This in turn caused the glasses wearing boy to raise an eyebrow. "...You mean in school or the other thing?" Akira asked in a curious tone.

"Um...the other thing." Asuka meekly replied.

"Ugh, can we please not go into another tangent? You're gonna make me forget everything I memo-" Ann started before pausing as she turned around.

"Hm? Ann?" Homura got out with a raised eyebrow.

"Am I imagining things...?" Ann whispered to herself in concern.

"What's wrong? You need the bathroom?" Akira asked.

"Huh? No!" Ann answered with a blush.

"You spot a suspected molester then?" Asuka then guessed.

"No, that's not it. It's...nothing." Ann replied while shaking her head. "Our train's coming soon, we better get on." She then reminded.

The tan skinned girl in turn nodded in agreement to that. "Alright..." Homura muttered out just as the train arrived at their platform, leading the group to get on.

However, they didn't notice a slender boy with dark bluish hair following them in.


(Aoyama-Itchome)

"You know, I'm surprised someone hasn't tried to cop a feel of either of you in a train yet." Akira admitted as the group walked off the train.

"That's because they're not stupid and if they are, they'd have to deal with me." Homura replied.

"Shouldn't you set a good example for others though since you're in charge of the Disciplinary Committee?" Ann however asked.

"That's only in school Ann. Plus, it's not even active yet so-" Homura started, but she then stopped herself as she looked around. "Okay, now that's weird..." She suddenly got out.

"You feel it too, Homu-nee?" Asuka asked in a serious tone. "I think someone's following us." She soon revealed.

"What?" Ryuji got out as he looked around. "Since when?" He soon asked.

"Since we got on that train." Asuka answered. "But I'm not sure who..." She then added.

"I think I have an idea, but we better keep going." Ann muttered as they continued making their way to school, taking an escalator up to the exit.

And that's when the ash blonde spotted him.

"I can see him. He actually got off here." Ann stated in concern. "Isn't this bad?" She soon asked.

"Who is it?" Akira asked as he felt his dagger in his blazer.

"Dark blue hair. Kinda skinny. He's using the escalator right now." Ann listed off.

"Yep, I can see the guy." Homura replied. "What do you wanna do about this stalker?" She soon asked.

"I don't know..." Ann whispered out.

However, Ryuji just yawned casually, as if nothing interesting was happening.

Asuka in turn looked at the dyed blond. "Ryuji-kun..." She whispered.

"Hey, this might be serious." Akira told the dyed blond.

"Yeah, at least act like you care!" Ann scolded.

Ryuji rubbed the back of his head before a serious expression appeared on his face. "Fine. Come on." He told the others as he walked up the escalator. The rest looked at each other before following.

"Ryuji-kun?" Asuka whispered in confusion as they all got to street level.

"Asuka, Homura. You go over there. Ann, pull out your phone and act like nothing's wrong. Akira, come with me." Ryuji ordered quickly.

To that, the tan skinned girl realized the plan. "Ah, I get it now. Come on Sis." Homura replied while instructing her roommate, who nodded in response to this and followed her. "He came up with that pretty quickly..." She then remarked in a slightly impressed tone.

"Well, he did say he's better at the practical stuff..." Asuka reminded as they went into their hiding spot.

A few moments later, someone came up the stairs, their keyring jingling as he approached his target.

He reached out for the ash blonde...only to be stopped when two boys appeared in front of him and two girls appeared behind him.

The tan skinned girl narrowed her eyes in a serious manner. "Sup." Homura greeted sarcastically. "Okay, creepo, what flavor of beatdown do you want?" She soon asked while cracking her knuckles, causing the blue-haired boy's eyes to widen as he put up his hands.

"Hey, hold on. He looks like he bleeds easily." Akira got out, trying to calm the shinobi down.

To hearing that, the tan skinned girl's eyes widened as she then coughed into her fist and calmed down. "I-I apologize..." Homura soon muttered.

The dyed blond then looked at the ash blonde in a confused manner. "Are you sure it's this guy? Or are you just that self-conscious?" Ryuji questioned.

The ash blonde however took offense to that. "Argh, I'm not that-" Ann started, however...

"Is there something you want?" The boy soon asked in a polite manner.

"You be quiet." Homura however ordered. "You're the one stalking us, aren't you?" She soon accused.

"Stalking you...?" The boy got out in surprise and confusion. "That's outrageous." He then stated as he brushed his hair out of his eye.

"Yeah? Well then explain your actions." Homura all but ordered in a mature yet demanding tone as she crossed her arms over her chest.

The brunette meanwhile nodded in agreement as she looked at the boy. "Why were you stalking our friend?" Asuka then questioned.

However, before they could continue their interrogation, they were interrupted by the sound of a car horn. Everyone turned their attention to the black car, which pulled over to them.

One of the car's windows rolled down to reveal an old man wearing a traditional yellow kimono. "My goodness...I had wondered why you left the car. So this is where your passion led. All's well that ends well." The old man stated before laughing heartily.

"...What in the world is going on?" Homura asked, no longer mad but confused and lost as she raised an eyebrow.

"I saw you from the car...and I couldn't help myself from chasing after you." The unforeseen boy explained. "I didn't even notice the calls from Sensei...But thank goodness, I caught up with you." He then added.

"...Come again?" Akira got out with a raised eyebrow.

"So you just...jumped out of a car just to follow us?" Homura asked. "Yeah...totally not a stalker..." She then muttered out while rolling her eyes in a sarcastic manner.

"What?" Ryuji got out in confusion.

"You're the women I've been searching for all this time!" The boy declared in a passionate manner.

"...You're not referring to me, right?" Akira soon asked. "I've been told I'd make an awesome crossdresser." He then quipped out.

The dark blue haired boy then gave a blank expression to the glasses wearing boy. "No. I am not referring to you." The boy deadpanned. "I am referring to these wonderful specimens of humanity." He declared as he turned to the girls. "Please, won't you..." He started.

"W-Wait a minute...I-" Ann got out in surprise.

"W-Well...you seem really nice b-b-b-but..." Asuka stammered out in an awkward manner.

"Alright, if you're gonna ask us for a date..." Homura started in a threatening tone.

The boy then walked over toward the group once again...before rudely shoving the tan skinned girl out of the way for the brunette and ash blonde. "I want youtwo to be my models for my next art piece." He soon requested.

"Huh?" Ann got out in confusion.

"Eh?" Asuka also got out in the same amount of confusion.

"WHAT!?" Homura however exclaimed in shock to that request. That wasn't what she was expecting, especially since it excluded her from the offer, not that she was focusing on at the moment.

The glasses wearing boy merely raised an eyebrow to this. "Why not all three?" Akira meanwhile thought in confusion.

"All that I've drawn till now has been lacking, but I feel passion from both of you unlike anyone else. It is truly one-in-a-million to meet two subjects with such artistic potential, especially together!" The boy passionately explained.

"This man's highly suspicious!" Morgana called out from the Leader's bag.

Ryuji meanwhile at the others in an uneasy manner. "Ain't this a recruit for some shady-ass business?" He soon asked.

"Will you two cooperate with me? What do you say?" The boy soon asked in an anticipated tone.

"How about no!" Homura mentally roared in anger but held herself back in case this became an assault charge.

"We don't even know who you are!" Ryuji pointed out. "Who are you anyways?" He soon asked.

"You really need to work on your social skills." Akira stated. "Strangers don't usually go up to people ask to be models." He then added.

Asuka in turn nodded in agreement to that. "Though she wasn't exactly a stranger, I did help Ann-chan that one time." She thought to herself.

"Oh, where are my manners?" The boy apologized. "I'm a second-year at Kosei High's fine-arts division. My name is Yusuke Kitagawa." He soon introduced himself.

Homura then narrowed her eyes to that. "Yeah. Nice to meet you. Go away." She thought in the same angered tone, though it was very clear what she was thinking just by looking at her eyes.

"I'm Madarame-sensei's pupil, and I am being allowed at his residence." Yusuke then revealed. "I'm striving to become an artist." He soon declared.

"An artist?" Asuka repeated.

"Should we care who your sensei is?" Homura mentally remarked, wanting this to be over already.

"Huh!? Do you mean that Madarame? The one who was on Good Morning Japan the other day?" Ann soon suddenly asked, apparently recognizing the name.

"The very same. He's actually in that car over there." Yusuke replied as he pointed at the black car parked nearby.

"Oh, now I remember that name. Not sure where though..." Asuka muttered.

"Wait, you guys know who that is...?" Ryuji asked.

"He was introduced as a super-famous Japanese-style artist who's been recognized all over the world." Ann explained before remembering something.

Homura then narrowed her eyes. "Wait...Madarame..." She muttered before her eyes widened slightly. "Sis, we heard about him in Mementos the other day. From the guy with the dumb haircut." She whispered.

"Huh? Oh right!" Asuka got out in a surprised whisper.

But before anything else could be said...

"Yusuke-san, what are you doing this time?" A polite female voice called out, letting out a long-suffering sigh.

To that, everyone present turned to see a beautiful light gray haired girl with a white bow in her hair as she was wearing a female Kosei High uniform as she approached the group.

Though, they all couldn't help but let their eyes drift downwards as they saw the girl's...blessings.

Her bouncy, firm, squeezable pair of blessings.

"Ah, senpai, good morning. It's a surprise to see you here." Yusuke greeted in a polite manner.

"Yeah, good morning senpai..." Ryuji got out as the Shujin students noticed how...well-endowed the girl is.

WHAM!

"Down boy." Homura deadpanned after jabbing him in the stomach.

"Y-You're staring too!" Ryuji wheezed out in pain.

"Vulgar." Morgana meanwhile remarked, however he proceeded to stare at the new girl.

The light gray haired girl however shook her head to that. "You do not need to worry about it, I am rather...used to all the attention." She soon revealed.

"We know the feeling." Asuka and Homura muttered out in unison.

"Yumi-senpai, why are you here? This isn't your usual route to Kosei." Yusuke asked.

"Well, after I saw you on the train, I had the feeling something was going on and I didn't want you involved in yet another misunderstanding." Yumi answered.

The others in turn sweatdropped to hearing that explanation. "Another?" They all thought in confusion.

"It was only a minor incident senpai." Yusuke politely responded.

The light gray haired girl however crossed her arms over her chest in an authoritative manner. "You caused a fire!" Yumi soon reminded in a disapproving tone.

"A small one." Yusuke corrected as his friend just sighed in slight annoyance.

"Um... okay...who are you?" Akira soon asked.

"Ah, my apologies. My name is Yumi Tsukikaze, I am the Student Council President of Kosei High School. It is a pleasure to meet all of you." The light gray haired girl introduced herself with a polite bow. "It is nice to see that Yusuke-san has possibly made some new friends." She then added as she smiled in a delightful manner.

"Er...I wouldn't say we're fr-" Ryuji started, only for the glasses wearing boy kick his shin. "Ow! Why!?" He winced in pain.

"We actually just met Yusuke-kun." Asuka soon revealed. "I'm Asuka. It seems like you've known him for a long time, Yumi-chan." She replied.

The light grey haired girl in response shook her head. "Not really. I only met him in June last year." Yumi explained. "I was a transfer, you see." She then revealed.

"You too, huh?" Homura spoke up. "Well, that's a coincidence. Name's Homura and Akira, Asuka and I only transferred here in April." She replied.

"Hm, well how are you finding Tokyo?" Yumi asked in a curious tone.

"...Great, honestly." Akira admitted. "It's been fun so far. Really love the people." He added.

"Well, I'm glad to see that even with the controversy with your school." Yumi stated with a nod, slightly narrowing her eyes at their uniforms.

"It's getting better. I heard they're starting a disciplinary committee with a real awesome, trustworthy individual in charge of it." Homura proudly declared with hands on her hips.

"I don't know, I heard they're gonna be kind of a hard-ass." Ryuji remarked...only to earn another kick to the shin. "Ow! Okay, that one was unnecessary!" He got out as he winced in pain.

"Yusuke!" Madarame called out.

Yusuke then gave off a respectful bow. "I'm sorry, Sensei! I'll be right there!" He replied.

"Well, it's not every day you meet a world-renowned artist..." Ryuji muttered out.

"Ah Yumi-san, as elegant as always." Madarame complimented her from the car with a kind smile. "I expect to see you at the exhibition?" He then guessed.

"You had given me a free ticket, of course I plan to attend. I mean your artwork is wonderful to analyse for assignments Madarame-san." Yumi replied.

"Well, considering how often you take Yusuke out for lunch, I had to repay you in some way." Madarame replied. "Though I sometimes wonder if there's something more between you two." He then got out in amusement.

Yumi however blushed in embarrassment to that accusation. "P-Please Madarame-san, we are merely friends. I just happened to be there when Yusuke-san collapsed from hunger that day." She soon reminded in a flustered manner.

"Yes, he often spends more time on his art than taking care of himself. Admirable, yet foolish." The world-renowned artist sighed out.

"S-Sensei." Yusuke got out in slight embarrassment.

Meanwhile, the group of Shujin students looked on in an awkward manner.

"I feel out of place Homu-nee..." Asuka admitted.

"We should leave before we're late..." Homura suggested. "Exams, remember?" She then reminded.

"Erm, yeah. We need to get going." Akira replied in agreement.

"Damn, and I was hopin' for some help." Ryuji got out.

"Sorry..." Asuka apologized as they started to walk away.

"Hold on, wait!" Yusuke called out as he caught up to the group. "Madarame-sensei's exhibition will be held at the department store near the station tomorrow. I'll be there to help out on opening day. Both of you, please come by." He soon requested as he took out some tickets.

"Er...why...?" Homura asked in a hesitant tone.

"Well, it would be great if they could give me their answer in regard to being a model then..." Yusuke replied.

"Yusuke-san, you aren't planning anything are you?" Yumi questioned in a concerned tone.

"No. Nothing of the sort." Yusuke assured the Kosei Student Council President as he pulled out some more tickets. "I bet you have no interest in the fine arts, but I'll give you tickets too." He then added as he gave three tickets to the tan skinned girl.

The light gray haired girl however sighed in slight annoyance to that. "Yusuke-san, be nice." Yumi ordered in a chiding tone. "I apologize for his bluntness." She then got out in a polite manner.

"It's okay. As long as he doesn't do anything." Homura answered through gritted teeth.

Ignoring the massive amounts of killing intent coming from the tan skinned girl (or more likely never noticing it in the first place), Yusuke started making his way to his mentor's car. "Well then, I hope to see you there tomorrow! Yumi-senpai, would you like to come with us?" He got out followed by the offer to the light gray haired girl.

"Of course." Yumi replied with a bow as she followed.

"...What in the world just happened!?" Homura asked as the car left.

"I think we just got insulted and then invited into an art exhibition." Akira answered. "And asked Asuka and Ann to allow him to draw them like one of his French girls." He then added.

"I-It's not gonna go that far." Ann stammered out with a blush before her eyes widened. "Right?" She weakly added.

"Uh...What do you mean by French girls?" Asuka then asked in a more concerned tone.

"It's a...It's a movie reference." Akira awkwardly explained before coughing.

"How dare he go after Lady Ann and Lady Asuka...I've memorized that stupid handsome face of yours, Yusuke!" Morgana meanwhile declared in an angered manner.

"Handsome?" Akira repeated in a whisper.

"Shut up!" Morgana exclaimed.

"Anyway, we better get going and finish the exams." Homura suggested.

"Yeah, maybe we could celebrate after!" Asuka added as they walked off to Shujin.


(Fast Forward)

"So, you became acquainted with Madarame's pupil by chance?" Sae repeated.

"And by the attraction of two beautiful girls...Damn it, I still don't know why he didn't pick Homura as well..." Akira grumbled out.

Sae narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms. "That's a little too convenient. It makes me wonder if you're even telling the truth. But so be it. What I want to know most is your method." She however stated. "It's true that Madarame was an unforgivable criminal worthy of the scorn thrown at him. He was an adult who cultivated his own fame and fortune by sacrificing the livelihood of children..." She soon reminded. "But how did you discover such horrible deeds that were hidden all these years in such a short time?" She then asked.

"In the Metaverse." Akira answered.

"This Metaverse business again?" Sae muttered in slight frustration. "...Fine. Let's suppose that people's hearts can be changed by stealing their Treasure, like you've said. If so, a different suspicion arises. People have gone mad or lost consciousness, never to recover...like the subway accident in April. Depending on how you look at it, that could be taken as a phenomenon for a sudden change of heart too..." Sae then stated. "Were you related to those as well?" She soon asked.

"Hell no." Akira growled out before wincing in pain.

Dammit...not now...!

"I mean...I don't know..." Akira muttered out.

"And this girl...the one acquainted with Yusuke Kitagawa...The one you described to have abnormally large breasts as well...If I were to look her up, would I find nothing, just like Asuka and Homura?" Sae guessed.

Akira in response just silently narrowed his eyes at the prosecutor.

"...I see." Sae got out before checking her watch. She needed this to hurry up or else she'd lose the chance to finally solve the case of the Phantom Thieves. "Fine. Continue telling me about Madarame's case. Keep it concise and only of the truth."

"Oh, you'll get your truth alright..." Akira thought as he continued recounting his discovery and eventual takedown of Ichiryusai Madarame.

(Rewind)


(5/14, Morning)

(Shujin Academy, Classroom)

That morning, the Phantom Thieves were finishing their exams.

Akira's hand was nothing but a blur as he wrote answer after answer on his page before flipping his test facedown, having completed his exam with confidence.

A few minutes later, Asuka finished her exam and rested her head onto her desk, quickly falling asleep after nights of studying and reviewing caught up to her.

At the same time, Homura finished her exam as well and started looking up stuff on the internet about Madarame.

Some more time passed and Ann finished her exam eventually, sighing in relief as she just beat the buzzer.

And meanwhile, Ryuji was...well, he...he didn't finish and that's all that could be said about his performance on the exams.


(5/14, After School)

(Shibuya, Teikyu Building Ginza Line)

The Thieves had met up in the underground and were currently relaxing after a long week of exams, rewarding themselves of surviving the ordeal with food and drinks.

"Mmm...it's over!" Ann cheered out.

"It's over..." Ryuji sighed out.

"...It's over." Akira stated with a smile on his face.

"It's over." Homura muttered out before yawning.

"It's over...!" Asuka got out in relief. "I think I did pretty well." She then admitted in a pleased manner.

The tan skinned girl meanwhile nodded in agreement to that. "Yeah, same here honestly." Homura revealed. "How'd you do, Akira?" She soon asked.

"I think I did a passable job." Akira replied.

"He finished his exam before everyone else." Morgana deadpanned.

"Just because I finished first doesn't mean I got all of them right." Akira pointed out. "Though I am confident I did well." He mentally admitted.

"All of you are traitors!" Ryuji called out in depression.

"Oi, quiet down Ryuji! Just because you didn't do well and didn't study as much doesn't mean we're traitors." Homura responded as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Well, there's always finals Ryuji-kun. You'll do better then when it comes around." Asuka comforted the dyed blonde.

"Can we please stop talkin' about exams! Like it or not, they're gonna come back graded next week." Ryuji groaned out. "Rather than focus on stuff that's over with..." He then started as he took out his phone.

"What're you looking at?" Ann asked.

"The usual site." Ryuji answered as he showed that he was on the Phan-site. "...It's no use. There ain't any useful info. The number of posts are getting less and less too..." He then got out.

"Look, the poll's dropping..." Homura sighed out. It went from a steady 15% to a shaky 10-12%. "Though this was expected." She then admitted.

"Guess the Phantom Thieves hype is dying now..." Akira muttered out.

"I am not letting this end as a one-hit wonder, okay?" Morgana spoke up.

"So, we should find a new big target?" Asuka then suggested.

"That sounds like a good idea, but who?" Homura soon asked as she crossed her arms over her chest as she looked at the others. "Any ideas?" She then added to her question.

"Well, the obvious one is on the screen right now." Akira answered as he pointed at the advertisement the dyed blond was standing next to, of a very familiar old man.

"You mean Yusuke-kun's sensei?" Asuka soon asked.

"We don't exactly have much of a reason to go after him, despite hearing his name in Mementos. We need a little more info." Homura pointed out.

"Yeah, we shouldn't just choose targets based on gut feelings." Morgana stated.

"Well, there's no point in getting antsy though. We still have plenty of time to find a target." Ann replied with a shrug. "I know! Why don't we go eat lunch somewhere? We still have some money left over from the buffet." She then reminded.

"I want sushi then! Or domestic-raised eel!" Ryuji called out.

"Ryuji, we spent all of the medal money on the buffet. Homura had to pickpocket some bitchy lady so we could afford it." Ann reminded as she casually high-five the tan skinned girl.

"And I can make us sushi at any time, Ryuji-kun." Asuka pointed out. "Moh...You know, you're making me miss Jii-chan's girthy and thick sushi..." She then whined out.

"...Ignoring that..." Ann muttered under her breath with a small blush on her face. "Oh right. There are those tickets to Madarame's exhibit!" She soon reminded.

"That sounds like a great idea, Ann-chan!" Asuka replied with a nod.

"Oh, the ones Yusuke gave to us?" Homura got out as she frowned. "That's tomorrow, guys." She then reminded.

Suddenly, Morgana gasped. "Don't tell me. Was it love at first sight with that Yusuke guy...?" He got out in disbelief.

"It's not like that." Ann groaned out.

"O-Of course not!" Morgana breathed out in relief.

"Didn't you call him handsome?" Akira pointed out.

"SHUT UP!" Morgana exclaimed.

"Well, it would be good to know more about Madarame if his name got mentioned in Mementos..." Homura muttered out.

"Yeah, and we do have free tickets. From what I saw on TV, his artwork looked really nice." Ann added. "If we don't get anything out of it, we could at least enjoy the art." She then encouraged.

"I am curious too." Akira admitted. "Alright, I guess we're going to an art exhibit tomorrow." He soon decided.

"Ugh...sounds so boring..." Ryuji complained. "The only art that I've actually enjoyed is the stuff on the school." He then admitted.

"Hey, appreciating the fine arts builds character." Morgana spoke up. "A Phantom Thief who can't identify a fake from an original is lame." He soon informed.

"But we aren't stealing art. We steal hearts." Ryuji pointed out.

"Yeah, and all the art we're gonna steal is probably going to be fake." Homura stated. "Still, it would be nice to see what all the fuss is about." She soon got out.

"Then it's settled." Ann declared before giggling. "Just the phrase Going to an art exhibit sounds so mature." She then admitted.

"Not fun, but mature nonetheless." Ryuji mumbled under his breath.

"Ryuji-kun...art can be fun." Asuka chided as she puffed out her cheeks. "There might even be a funny one. Like...uh..." She added as she tried to think of an art piece.

"We'll...We'll find it when we get there." Akira assured the dyed blonde.

"Let's meet at the exhibit entrance tomorrow." Ann concluded as the others nodded in agreement.


(5/14, Evening)

(Shibuya Shin Megami Apartment Complex)

The tickets didn't seem like anything special at first glance. Plain white, info about the place and time on the right side, but it had a nice little drawing of Madarame on it. Seemed like a self portrait.

"Ichiryusai Madarame: An Infinite Font of Ideas..." Asuka mumbled to herself as she stared at the tickets. "Don't they mean Fountain of Ideas?" She then asked.

"Eh, it's probably some artsy crap." Homura replied with a shrug.

"Um...a font is a mini fountain...I think." Asuka corrected.

"Why in the world should I know what a font is? One, it should've been a fountain. And two...I don't have a point two but that's not the point here!" Homura called out.

"What is the point?" Asuka then questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"...I forgot, but that does not diminish what I just said." Homura stated, causing her roommate to giggle in response.

BZZT! BZZT!

Suddenly, their phones vibrated. Not wasting any time, they pulled out their phones and checked the group chat.

[Sweetkat06: So I keep thinking about what Nakanohara's Shadow said...Could he have been talking about the famous artist Madarame?]

[TheWildJ0ker: That sounds about right.]

[Shut7heFUp: Seconded.]

[FireGirl20: Do we know any other Madarame?]

[SushiRoll23: Well, I'm sure there are other people with the name Madarame out there with a Shadow or a Palace.]

[Sweetkat06: Madarame isn't exactly a common name though... If what we heard is true, Kitagawa-kun is studying under a corrupt teacher.]

[Shut7heFUp: You mean a teacher who treats people like tools.]

[SushiRoll23: Moh...that sounds like a Kamoshida all over again...]

[Sweetkat06: Kitagawa-kun's life is probably pretty terrible...]

[FireGirl20: Well, at least he has that Yumi chick to look out for him.]

[SushiRoll23: Yeah. Hm, but don't you think Yumi-chan would've done something about it if Madarame's abuse is true?]

[TheWildJ0ker: Hm. Not sure. We only just met her. Maybe Yusuke is managing to hide it from her? I don't know...]

[Shut7heFUp: All the more reason to look into this.]

"Mmm..." Asuka hummed out.

"Is something the matter?" Homura meanwhile asked.

"Just...No. Nothing." Asuka started before shaking her head.

"Sis, remember our apartment room, no secrets." Homura however reminded.

The Vice Leader in response winced to the reminder. "Just...Yumi-chan...I don't know how to put it into words but...there's just something about her..." Asuka informed in an unsure manner.

"There's something to her?" Homura repeated with a raised eyebrow before narrowing them. "You too?" She suddenly asked.

"Yeah, but I'm not sure what-wait, what did you say?" Asuka started before stopping herself from realizing what her roommate said.

"Honestly, I felt it too." Homura revealed. "Just something about her eyes...it felt like...she knew us already..." She then explained.

"...Maybe we're being paranoid." Asuka sighed out. "We just started the Thieves and this is the first time our actions will be known by the public. We should calm down." She soon suggested.

"R-Right." Homura got out as she shook her head. "But...I can't shake the feeling that there's more to her than what meets the eye." She thought as she frowned. "In any case, we might be busy at this rate." She then pointed out.

"Huh? Oh right, when is your committee starting up again?" Asuka asked in an excited tone.

"In a few days. Makoto-senpai said she'll text me when it's official." Homura replied with a grin. "So, discipline and order will come to Shujin Academy." She then added in her own form of excitement.

"Maybe next time the principal will approve of a therapist." Asuka got out. "...And I just realised how stupid that sounded..." She awkwardly admitted.

"Hey, I'm sure Principal Meatfucker will eventually get one...maybe...if the riot wasn't enough..." Homura grumbled out.

"You swore Homu-nee." Asuka pointed out.

"Principal Shitsack is an exception." Homura stated. "God, I hope the police arrest him soon..." She then muttered.

"Me, you and everyone else." Asuka mumbled out. "Well, he'll get his just desserts soon." She then added.

"I'm pretty sure he already ate the entire dessert bar." Homura laughed out. "...Or the entire buffet to be frank, I really wanna go to the Wilton Hotel buffet again..." She then admitted.

"I think you're just hungry. I'll go get dinner started." Asuka giggled out as she got up from the couch. "Moh...I still haven't gotten around to scraping down the pan yet..." She got out.

"Do we have any leftovers then?" Homura asked.

"No...but we can always order takeout tonight." Asuka suggested. "Anything in particular Homu-nee?" She soon asked.

"Do we know any good places that do takeout?" Homura pointed out.

"No," Asuka replied as she then took out her phone. "Which is why I'm gonna look up a place to get take out from." She then revealed.

"As long as it has reasonable prices." Homura soon suggested. "I can probably pay for half. I gotta check my bank account soon..."

"Um...Oh! Here we go, um...alright, the only food available at this time is...pizza, chicken...nope, that's it. Just pizza and chicken." Asuka informed. "So...you want pizza or chicken?" She soon asked.

"...Nothing...healthier?" Homura counter questioned in concern. "I mean, we really should stay in shape." She then pointed out.

"Uh...there's vegan...chicken?" Asuka replied, though was confused at what she read. "Uh...you know what, let's just get pizza..." She soon decided.

"Sure." Homura replied in agreement. "If we're going unhealthy, I want a meat lovers." She then requested.

"Hehe, you sure do love meat, huh." Asuka giggled out.

"Yeah..." Homura replied while rubbing the back of her head. "I should really expand what I like." She sheepishly admitted.

"Well, we are in the middle of Tokyo, I'm sure there's a lot of flavors and types of food you can try out." Asuka stated as she called the pizza place. "Yeah, hello? Yes, I'd like uh...one meat lover's pizza please." She soon requested. "...Thank you. When is it coming? ...30 minutes, got it. Okay, thank you again." She replied with a nod before hanging up.

"Alright, now to figure out what to do until pizza arrives..." Homura informed.

"Well, we can always do some quick research on Madarame..." Asuka suggested.

"I already did some in class Sis." Homura replied. "All I could dig up was just articles about how great he is and how varied his art style is. Honestly, it was similar to how the other students thought of Kamoshida before his confession..." She then revealed.

"Hm...that's concerning..." Asuka admitted. "But nothing that would say he has a Palace..."

"...Think we could check?" Homura suddenly suggested in a more serious tone as she looked at their charging phones.

Asuka however shook her head to the suggestion. "No...We can't rely on the internet for solid evidence." She replied.

"...I meant using the App." Homura soon stated.

"What? Oh, the MetaNav?" Asuka got out. "Hm...we shouldn't mess with it too much by ourselves. And I doubt we're anywhere near his Palace...if he has one, that is. We're basing it too much on assumption here." She then replied.

"I guess you're right." Homura responded with a nod. "Won't want to accidentally go into the Metaverse." She then added in a joking manner.

"Like last time..." Asuka groaned.

"Exactly Sis." Homura replied. "It feels like so long ago since it happened." She then admitted.

"Yeah, like...3 years..." Asuka muttered out.

"That's...oddly specific but I can't argue with that." Homura sighed out. "Guess it goes to show how awful the days were with Kamoshida around." She then stated. "And we still have an entire year to go..." She soon reminded.

"This is either going to be a great year...or the worst one of our lives..." Asuka replied as she frowned. "But...at least we're together Homu-nee." She soon got out.

"Yeah! We're going to take down every corrupt person together!" Homura declared in a determined manner. "And I'm gonna forge my own path!" She then added to her declaration..

"Me too!" Asuka happily replied. "And maybe Homu-nee might come to a decision to Jii-chan's suggestion." She then thought.

"But first, we have to focus on the present. And the present being that I am presently hungry for pizza." Homura replied.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

"And that must be them." Homura got out. "Wow, those thirty minutes went by quick." She thought she got up and answered the door.

"One medium meat lovers?" The delivery guy questioned as he read out the order.

"Yep, right here for me and Sis. Have a nice day, sir." Homura stated with a kind smile as she was handed the pizza.

"Don't tell me what to do." The delivery guy replied before walking away.

Homura's smile instantly dropped and sighed to this as she closed the door. "And here I was trying to be nice..." She muttered.

"There there Homu-nee, he was being mean." Asuka replied.

"Yeah..." Homura replied. "However, I have to be better then them and not stoop to their level." She then reminded herself as she brought the pizza to the kitchen while sniffing it. "Mmm~! It smells great!" She soon got out in anticipation before opening the box after placing it on the table.

"Oh yeah." Asuka got out as she took a slice. "So, what are you expecting out of the art gallery?" She soon asked.

"Well...not much really. I'm sure there'll be tons of great art, but probably nothing about his corruption or the reason he threw the guy with the bowl haircut out. Hm, if he was a student of his, would that Yusuke guy know him?" Homura replied followed by her own question.

"We don't know all that much about Yusuke-kun or Madarame, so I can't really say." Asuka muttered out with a shrug. "Maybe I have to take up his modelling offer if push comes to shove." She then suggested.

"...Eh? Are you sure about that Sis?" Homura however asked in concern.

"It's just another modelling job like I've done with Ann-chan. Except this time I probably won't get paid…" Asuka answered.

"A painting will never match the real thing…" Homura mumbled under her breath.

"Homu-nee, you better eat before the pizza gets cold." Asuka soon advised.

"Huh? Oh right." Homura got out before grabbing a slice for herself.

Well, whatever the deal with Madarame was, they could do it together.


Save Game... Quit!

Joker's Social Stats are under the assumption that they are all maxed out, or at least at the appropriate level he needs to access certain Confidants and dialogue options.


Asuka/Yin's Social Stats:

Leadership- Pushover (Level 1)

Knowledge- Oblivious (Level 1) Learned (Level 2)

Proficiency-Bumbling (Level 1)

Diligence- Callow (Level 1) Persistent (Level 2)

Courage- Average (Level 1) Reliable (Level 2)


Homura/Yang's Development Stats:

Maturity- Underdeveloped (Level 1)

Knowledge- Oblivious (Level 1) Learned (Level 2)

Femininity- Boyish (Level 1)

Elegance- Nonexistent (Level 1)

Understanding- Lacking (Level 1) Kindly (Level 2)


Decided to show their social stats on a whim, if people wanted to know. But finally, we get the official introduction to Yusuke and Yumi and we have some seriously fun things in the works for them. How will the Phantom Thieve affect their lives? Massively! But find out how on the chapter of... I should play DMC3 now... SENRAN PERSONA!

UknownHero signing off, my friends!