Another day, another step closer to the beach episode! Hey, UknownHero here and welcome to another chapter of Senran Persona! Happy Easter to everyone, and I hope you have a happy 4/20!

You know the drill. Senran Persona: Ninjas of Hearts had a TV Tropes page. Make it awesome.

Onto the reviews. To bosterflaming: We'll determine when Akira can create a Shinobi Kekkai. We'll just say it's not any time soon. To Autistic-Grizzly: Yeah, I haven't watched the original trilogy of Star Wars. I have watched the prequel trilogy, and The Force Awakens. The prequels aren't that bad really.

And that's it for the reviews! Time to imagine teenagers in swimsuits!

Load Game…Start!


Chapter 98: Swimming with the Swimsuits


(8/26, Early Morning)

(Hebijo Base)

Murasaki struggled her eyes open as a yawn escaped her lips before sitting up from the bed. "U-Uhhnnn..." She groaned as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. Sleeping in a bed really did feel better then in a sleeping bag though.

"Wake up sleepyhead!" Bebeby called out. "The sun is...well the birds are...the-the beansprouts are holy shit they're growing...a-and the clouds are..." She then stammered and sputtered while attempting to get the purplette's fat ass out of bed.

"Huh?" Murasaki got out in confusion

"Look, we're in an abandoned underground train station with no windows and a constantly growing crop of pink beansprouts. It could be midnight and we could not tell the difference." Bebeby bluntly stated.

"Phone clock." Murasaki reminded.

"Ignoring your damn phone for once." Bebeby grumbled. "My failed encouragement still stands!" The plushie then declared.

The purplette frowned. "Bebe-tan, you've been so mean lately..." Murasaki mumbled in growing annoyance.

"Because you haven't even made any moves towards finding this dumbass." Bebeby countered in a frustrated tone. "I bet that if it wasn't for Haruka, you would've stayed inside with your laptop and then head back with no one the wiser that you were gone. Different place, same routine." The plushie then accused and stated.

"I...I..." Murasaki stammered.

"You got two weeks here. Two! Most of the students who got to visit Tokyo have only gotten one!" Bebeby soon reminded. "You should be spending it doing something productive." The plushie then declared.

"It's only been three days..." Murasaki reminded as she went to the fridge. "...And I've been trying to get used to eating other food first..." She then mumbled as she nibbled on an apple after washing it off.

"You could do that while you're looking for him." Bebeby countered. "Now get off your ass and go outside! That is an order, young lady!" The plushie then instructed.

"But..." Murasaki meekly began, however...

"NOW!" Bebeby loudly ordered, interrupting the purplette.

"H-HAI!" Murasaki yelped in a nervous manner before suddenly feeling determined. With that, she marched over to the door, threw it open with all her might, stepped outside...

SIZZLE! THUD!

...And almost instantly collapsed to her knees. "S-So...hot..." Murasaki moaned before struggling back to her feet. "N-No...I-I won't...let this...stop...me..." She muttered, panting in an exhausted manner.

"The heat stroke might though. God you're pathetic..." Bebeby deadpanned. "We'll try tomorrow!" She then decided.

"N-No..." Murasaki responded, shaking her head as she unzipped some of her top. "I...I can't...stay...like this..." She responded, recalling the blonde doctor's words.

"But you are overstepping your boundaries." The plushie then pointed out. "What will happen if a stranger talks to you?" Bebeby soon asked.

Murasaki whimpered at the thought. She did not want a stranger danger moment.

"Take it slow." Bebeby soon got out. "Now go back inside and start doing something you should've done in the first place." The plushie then instructed.

Murasaki blinked. "What?" She asked.

"Research." Bebeby answered in a serious tone. "If you want that boy to tolerate you, maybe even like you, you're gonna have to work for it dammit!" The plushie then explained.

Murasaki immediately blushed to a glowing scarlet in response. "B-BEBE-TAN!" She exclaimed.

"Just head back in." Bebeby then ordered in an exasperated tone.

With a sigh of disappointment and shame, Murasaki trudged back through the door and shut it before her...only to spot a basket covered in cellophane with a pink bow on it and a card on her bed.

"Hm?" The two hummed out as they then noticed a note.

"Dear Murasaki-chan, here's a gift to help motivate you to work out and get some shame training practice in. With love, your friend Haruka. 😉

P.S. Darling likes curry and coffee, and has a cat."

"H-Haruka-san..." Murasaki breathed out, tears forming at the edges of her eyes. Not even her sister treated her like this.

"This was not here before." Bebeby noted. "She must've snuck it in while you were dying outside. Guess she couldn't stay since she's working too. Doctors don't get many holidays after all." The plushie then deducted and reminded.

"Mmhm." Murasaki hummed with a nod and a hint of a smile. Also, with that little postscript at the bottom, she now had a lead on how to identify the boy. "I'll text her my thanks later..." She then decided.

"Hey, there's stuff in the basket too. Not just encouraging words." Bebeby reminded as she jerked over to the basket.

The purplette nodded before she unwrapped her gift. "Hmmm...a fruit basket...shampoos...conditioners...body wash...a gift card to a gym...gym clothes...a QR code to a workout video...a card with Haruka-san's phone number." Murasaki listed off in awe as she sorted through the items.

"And magazines." Bebeby noticed before the purplette pulled it out and opened it...only for the centerfold to roll out. "...Oh." She then got out in a quiet manner.

"O-Oh my..." Murasaki got out as she and the plushie tilted their heads, blushing all the while. "Do...Do men usually move their legs like that?" She then muttered with curiosity...and interest.

"You're asking the wrong bear..." Bebeby answered while shaking her head slowly. "...Why do all these guys wear glasses?" She then idly wondered.

"I-I don't know." Murasaki replied as she put down the Hot Dudes Weekly magazine. "I guess...I should take Haruka-san's advice..." She soon decided.

"Huh, actually gonna work out for once huh?" Bebeby remarked in an impressed tone. "Does that mean you're going outside too?" The plushie then asked.

"...No. Not yet." Murasaki responded as she shook her head. "But...at least I won't be starving for a while." She then added before taking a pear and biting it. "A-Ack!" She then gagged before swallowing.

"Hey, you didn't spit it out! Progress!" Bebeby pointed out and praised.

"U-Urgh..." Murasaki groaned.

"You'll be eating like a normal human being in no time!" Bebeby encouraged. "It's just human interaction that is the problem." The plushie then reminded.

Murasaki whimpered at the thought. She then looked at the magazine and opened it back up again. "M-Maybe I can use this...to practice talking to pe-" She then started to say...

And then the centerfold rolled down again...except this time a smaller roll of paper rolled down all the way to the ground.

"Pe-Pe-Pe-Pe...!" Murasaki's head soon became a glowing pink at the sight. "I-I'm gonna go work out a bit!" She squeaked out, dashing away with her new workout clothes gifted to her.

"...We'll just say this is shame training." Bebeby eventually decided with a sweatdrop to the reaction.

"...How do these fit so well!?" Murasaki suddenly asked in amazement.

"She took your measurements yesterday, idiot!" Bebeby called back before sighing. "This is gonna be a long few weeks..." The plushie then muttered as she watched the purplette get herself ready to work out, who was now wearing a purple top that barely covered anything and even had an open hole that exposed the center of her bust and a pair of purple and black panty-like bloomers with white socks and sneakers. "...Not bad." The plushie soon admitted in an impressed tone.

"I...I think I'll start with-" Murasaki started, however...

GRRRR...

"Breakfast." Bebeby finished. "You may wanna finish that apple." The plushie suggested.

And with that, Murasaki's day began, feeling surprisingly more motivated than usual as she went to eat.


(Shibuya, Shin Megami Apartment Complex)

"Aaaahhh..." Homura got out in satisfaction. "Another wonderful breakfast, Sis." She then praised in approval.

"Thank you." Asuka replied with a smile. "I mean, it was just a fruit salad." She then got out.

"And damn if it wasn't filling." Homura replied in satisfaction. "...So, what are we doing today? Back to helping Futaba and her crippling anxiety?" She soon asked.

"Well...I think today is..." Asuka began…

BZZT! BZZT!

Only for their phones to buzz. "Our turn." Asuka concluded as the two looked at the girls only group chat.

[Sweetkat06: To all the girls of the Phantom Thieves!]

[Sweetkat06: We're going out swimsuit shopping!]

[FireGirl20: Ann, I know that you have at least 20 sets of swimsuits already.]

[Sweetkat06: N-No!]

[Sweetkat06: It's more like...25.]

[Sweetkat06: They're all from last season, okay! I need new ones.]

[Road2Queen: I don't think that's necessary. I already have a set.]

[SushiRoll23: Really?]

[Road2Queen: Yes, it's right in the bottom drawer of my closet.]

(...)

[Road2Queen: Oh. That's...a lot smaller than I remember.]

[Sweetkat06: How small?]

[Road2Queen: ...For 6 year olds.]

[Road2Queen: I might come, actually.]

[SushiRoll23: Yeah, it seems fun!]

[Negative8Degrees: I shall come as well. I didn't bring any from home.]

[FireGirl20: Another shopping spree with the girls? That I can't turn down.]

[FireGirl20: You'll pay, right?]

[Sweetkat06: No, not for you anymore.]

[FireGirl20: Damn. Well, I have some cash anyways. Let's do this!]

[DarkEyeXI: Meh. Alright.]

[Sweetkat06: Yes! Girls' Day Out! Meet me at the underground mall by six!]

[Road2Queen: Wait, what about Futaba?]

(...)

[Road2Queen: Hello?]

[DarkEyeXI: She's offline.]

"Do we really need new swimsuits?" Asuka quickly asked her roommate. "I usually wear a bikini under my shinobi clothes..." She then recalled.

"Yes we do. To be honest, I was kinda hoping your modeling job would let you bring some home. " Homura replied and confessed. "Let's get dressed and head out." She then decided.

"Hai." Asuka responded before getting up from the seats.

With that, the two got into their best clothes and headed out of their apartment just as Miyabi locked the door to her own.

"Ah, good morning Miyabi-chan." Asuka greeted with a polite bow. "You got Ann-chan's text too?" She then asked in a curious manner.

The white haired girl in response simply nodded to that. "Yeah. I actually need to get a new swimsuit myself." Miyabi replied and admitted. "All my old ones don't fit me anymore..." She then revealed in depression.

"It makes sense thanks to a three year coma." Homura got out in a sympathetic tone while her sister nodded in agreement.

"Yeah." Miyabi replied in agreement as she cupped her breasts in her hands. "Not every coma patient packs on an extra few pounds in the boobs." She then added.

"...You got fatter?" Asuka innocently got out with a tilt of her head.

"I don't know. Does it look like I did?" Miyabi responded as she twisted around to look at her ass. "Homura?" She then got out.

"Why are you asking me? I barely remembered you existed until you told me you're gonna be my best friend for an indeterminate amount of time." Homura reminded.

"I mean with how I look right now. Do I look fat?" Miyabi responded and asked once more in growing concern.

"The only thing that's fat is your ass, which should already be heading out to the city right now before Ann wonders where we are." Homura bluntly countered. "Can we please go now?" She soon asked.

"Yeah, yeah." Miyabi mumbled as she put away her key before following the roommates out of the apartment complex.


(Underground Mall)

"They should be here somewhere..." Asuka mumbled as they looked around.

"It shouldn't be that hard to spot her." Miyabi stated. "Who else do we know has her hair color? And she certainly is not in the sports store." She then asked and pointed out.

"Ah, I see Ann over there." Homura got out as she pointed to the familiar head of ash blonde hair standing by a clothing store, looking down at the screen on her phone.

"Hey Ann-chan!" Asuka happily greeted.

Homura meanwhile giggled in amusement. "Shopping together again." She quipped out with a smirk.

"With some new friends." Ann added as she saw the white haired girl. "Makoto and Yumi said they'll be here soon as well." She then informed as she put away her phone.

"Cool." Miyabi responded with a nod.

"I can't wait to see Futaba-chan in her swimsuit. I know whatever she'll be in will be sooooo cute." Asuka got out with sparkling eyes.

"Yeah. Although, without her here, it'll kinda be difficult. Plus, she might not like it." Homura muttered.

"It would. That's why I took the liberty of bringing her here." Ann stated with a proud smile on her face.

SHATTER!

"Wait, you brought Futaba here!?" Miyabi exclaimed. "Are you an idiot!?" She then asked in a panic.

"Huh?" Ann got out in confusion.

The white haired woman suddenly grabbed the ash blonde's shoulders and glared directly into her eyes. "Where the hell is she?" She growled.

"Oh, she's right-" Ann began, only to spot the orangette crouched in a dark corner facing away from everyone, shivering and sobbing. "What the!?" She got out in shock.

"Ann! What. The. Hell!?" Miyabi exclaimed as she glared at the ash blonde.

"S-She was fine on the train here..." Ann awkwardly got out.

"Fuckin'-" Miyabi groaned, nearly choking the model before stopping herself. "We're talking about this later." She then stated.

The sisters meanwhile quickly ran up to the girl and crouched down. "Hey, Futaba-cha- AH!" The Vice Leader began, only to yelp as the scared girl turned and stuffed her head in-between her boobs. "Moh..." She mumbled.

"What made you think this was a good idea!?" Miyabi soon questioned.

"W-Well, after the thing at Leblanc, I thought she'd be able to handle something like this." Ann explained in a guilty manner. "And a friend of mine said that sometimes drastic measures have to be taken." She then added, remaining an on the phone discussion with a certain green haired girl.

"Ann, you just nearly ruined the past four days of progress!" Homura exclaimed. "God, did you even tell Akira you were doing this beforehand!?" She then questioned.

"..." Ann's silence said everything.

"Dear god..." Miyabi sighed out before going over to the orangette, who soon clung onto her. "It's okay, Futaba. We're here." She softly got out.

"T-There's too many people here..." Futaba mumbled out.

"Shhhh, it's ok Futaba, it's ok." Miyabi assured while rubbing her head.

"Plus, it's only 6:30AM. There's barely anyone here right now." Homura added as she looked around. "Not all the shops are even open yet." She then pointed out.

"W-We'll get you sweets later!" Asuka called out.

"...That is an acceptable apology..." Futaba responded, sniffling a little while rubbing the head in the white haired woman's bust.

"I'll pay." Ann sighed in relief. "It's the least I can do." She then muttered.

"...I want extra toppings." Futaba soon got out. "And it better be chocolate." She then growled softly while shaking her fist.

"She instantly took advantage of her!" The shinobi mentally exclaimed while the ash blonde sweatdropped.

"Well...maybe this could be a good thing." Asuka spoke up. "Look, she's outside of Yongen and in public. Maybe we can use this as more training!" She then added as she pumped her fist.

"Maybe." Miyabi repeated before turning to the youngest of the Thieves. "I can always take you back home though. We can hang out in your room until these guys are done shopping." She then offered.

"This difficulty curve is a wall." Futaba whined. "But...I wanna be here...out in the city..." She soon admitted.

"That's great, Futaba-chan." Asuka replied with a smile.

"Besides...there's a thing going on in Akihabara and I can't get it online so I have to go there..." Futaba soon got out before shivering. "IRL." She then mumbled.

"Huh?" The other girls minus the ash blonde got in group confusion.

"She means going there physically." Ann informed. "Now come on. We have to pick out the perfect swimsuits before more people come." She then decided.

"Good idea." Homura replied in agreement with the other girls also nodding to that as they headed into the swimsuit store. "Man, this underground mall really does have a lot of stores..." She then added.

"We're in the middle of Shibuya. Of course there'd be a ton here for every want and need." Miyabi pointed out. "Pretty sure I passed by a store that just sells instant ramen..." She then recalled.

"!?" Futaba immediately perked up to that.

"...Which we are not going to. We're already getting ice cream." Miyabi countered and reminded.

"Aw..." Futaba groaned in disappointment.

"Hi, welcome to UniSlo. You're the first customers of the day. Can I help you with anything?" The salesperson greeted the group with a bright smile.

"You're awfully perky for six in the morning." Miyabi noted with a raised eyebrow.

"Because I have more coffee in my blood than blood itself!" the salesperson happily informed, her eye twitching a little. "Now, can I help you with anything?" She asked once more.

"Yes. Can you point us to the swimsuit section of the store?" Homura soon requested.

"It's right over in the corner to your right." The salesperson informed, pointing over to the right corner of the store. "If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask me again. And if you cause trouble, you will get tased." She then stated and informed as she then purposely revealed a taser.

"We'll...try not to..." Ann responded, stepping away from the woman nervously. "Let's go girls!" She then declared.

"Hai." Asuka replied with a nod as they headed over to the direction they were pointed towards. Soon enough, there were already taking some swimsuits and trying them on at the dressing rooms.

"Wow, never really been here before..." Homura meanwhile informed while looking around. "This place seems really good despite how small it is..." She then added.

"Yeah, this place has a lot of good styles for swimsuits and what the actual hell, why do they have that in stock!?" Ann began before she interrupted herself as noticed the white haired woman opening the dressing room.

"Hey, Ann, what do you think of this?" Miyabi asked as she showed her the...swimsuit.

"U-Um...That is called a banana hammock." Ann informed with a bright red blush on her face. "And that is not used for females." She then added.

"Huh?" Miyabi got out in confusion. "What do you mean?" She then asked.

"Guh...Well...er...here, this suits you better!" Ann quickly replied as she shoved a black two piece into her hands and pushed her towards the dressing rooms.

"W-Whoa! Hey!" Miyabi exclaimed to the sudden action as she looked at the swimsuit she was given. "...Huh, this looks good." She admitted in an impressed tone as she started taking off her clothes to try it on.

"For the record, in America, those kinds of swimsuits have another name." Ann started.

"Huh? What name?" Miyabi asked in a raised eyebrow.

"Nuthugger." Ann bluntly revealed. "Take it from a literal quarter-American here." She then added with a hand on her hip.

Miyabi immediately paled to that before going slightly green. "Noted." She responded in a disgusted tone.

"But, a swimsuit is a swimsuit." Homura started with a raised eyebrow. "Right?' She then asked.

"Nuthuggers are for guys to wear." Ann then stated. "In fact, they mostly see it as a bikini but for guys." She then revealed.

Immediately, the other girls in the group went green in the face.

"Let's just end this discussion here and now." Miyabi quickly decided.

"Agreed." The others responded with nods.

And with that, the group separated to look for good swimsuits to wear for the beach trip.

After about thirty minutes, the group got back together at the changing rooms.

"Whew, I think I got some good ones." Homura breathed out in relief.

"I'll say." Ann replied in agreement.

"You taught Homu-neechan well, Ann-chan." Asuka giggled out.

"Oh it was a lot of work. Teaching a tomboy to be more of a girl was a challenge." Ann giggled.

Homura however pouted to that with a puffed up cheek in response.

"Oh, there they are!" A familiar voice called out.

"You started without us..." A calmer voice meanwhile noted.

"Ah! Makoto-chan! Yumi-chan!" Asuka happily greeted as the two in mention joined the group.

"Sorry we're late. We had to take care of personal matters beforehand." Makoto apologized. "So, who's here?"

"Uh, me, Homu-neechan, Ann-chan, Miyabi-chan and Futaba-chan."

"You brought Futaba-san outside of Yongen?" Yumi got out in disbelief.

"Yeah...We-" Ann began, only to see the white haired woman glaring at her from the changing room. "I learned my mistake." She then corrected.

Yumi could only sigh and shake her head. "Where's Futaba-san now?" She then asked.

Upon hearing that, the white haired woman popped her head out of the changing room. "Oh, she's right- where the hell is she?" Miyabi got out as she looked around.

"She should be in the other dressing room." Homura answered as she looked at the floor to see the young girl's bare feet. "Yeah, she's here." She then confirmed with a nod.

"U-Umm...hi everyone." Futaba greeted from her dressing room.

"Good morning Futaba." Makoto replied. "Are you trying out the swimsuits we brought you in there?" She soon asked.

"They're...er...cute, I think." Futaba awkwardly responded in an unsure tone.

"Are you still putting it on or can we see it?" Yumi assumed and asked.

"It's okay. I'm sure you'll look great. After all, Ann-chan did give you those swimsuits." Asuka replied and pointed out with a smile.

"Uhhhhh..." The hacker swallowed some saliva before walking out of the dressing room in her swimsuit...s.

The former shut-in had wrapped a bunch of bikinis and bottoms around her face, leaving only a small slit for allowing her to see. She also had placed her glasses over her makeshift mask to indicate who she was.

"...Futaba..." Miyabi groaned as she got out of the changing room in the bikini she was currently wearing and walked towards her, her breasts bouncing from every step made. "Why are you covered up like that?" She bluntly asked.

"What? This is perfect. Thanks Ann." Futaba replied, though her voice was muffled.

"I gave you those swimsuits to wear, but not like...that." Ann deadpanned as she glanced towards the white haired girl. "Wow, Miyabi's got a rockin' bod in that swimsuit." She thought in an impressed manner.

"Miyabi-chan would make an awesome model..." Asuka muttered in amazement.

"As expected of the daughter of Hebijo's principal." Homura meanwhile thought as she looked towards the black bikini cladded white haired girl.

The white haired girl meanwhile noticed that she was the center of attention as she turned towards them. "...Why are you all staring at me? Help me with Futaba!" Miyabi called out.

"Hey, wait, Miyabi, we can talk about this!" Futaba tried to convince the white haired woman before deciding to implement a certain family's technique.

Run away.

"Get back here right now and take off all those bikinis, young lady!" Miyabi called out in a chiding manner.

"Never!" The bikini cocoon covered Futaba countered in defiance.

And so a busty woman in a black bikini chased the younger girl around the store, her breasts barely supported and flopping around wildly with every movement.

BOING! BOING! BOING!

"GGGAAAAHHHH!" A staff member of the store suddenly screamed out, her legs giving out from underneath. "Oh God there's more of you..." She cried out in obvious envy and a hot red blush on her face. "That's what you get for working at the same place your old job was..." She then grumbled as she headed for the employee break room.

"Miyabi-san, Futaba-san..." Yumi muttered in disbelief.

"Give it a second, Futaba hasn't had any exercise in about two years so she should be..." Homura started, however...

TRIP! CRASH!

"Gah! I've fallen and can't get up!" Futaba exclaimed from somewhere in the store.

"There you go." Homura finished as she saw clothes go flying.

"This is our group of girls." Makoto meanwhile sighed out in an awkward manner.

"Well, at least normal life is never boring." Asuka tried to cheer up the Shujin President.

"HA! I GOTCHA!" Miyabi declared as she smothered the orangette in her breasts...before realizing her bikini top fell off and the girl's head was against her cantaloupes. "EEP!" She yelped out in an unintentional feminine manner.

"So...firm..." Futaba got out in a daze...right before flopping into unconsciousness.

"Futaba? Futaba! Hey, wake up!" Miyabi called out and exclaimed in a panic.

"...Are we getting kicked out? Or tased." Ann asked a nearby salesperson.

"No. You're getting discount coupons." The salesperson suddenly informed.

"Wait, really? Why would-" Ann began to ask in confusion before spotting the various people staring at them, drooling and bleeding from their noses while drifting into the store. "Oh..." She awkwardly got out.

"You've gotta be kidding me." Homura deadpanned.

"I can't believe this." Yumi muttered in disappointment.

"...Even the security guard got affected as well." Makoto stated in disbelief as she noticed said guard.

"Probably because they rarely see a well-developed figure of a girl, especially at a young age." Ann deduced. "Never underestimate the power of desire." She then added with a sigh.

"Hai." Asuka responded with a nod of agreement.

"That would mean more perverts and gropers in the city." Makoto groaned out. "But then again, people like you are very lucky no one can touch you." She then added as she gestured towards the shinobi girls of their group.

"Yeah. They'll get their arm broken before they even realize what happened." Homura stated.

"Uuuuugh..." Futaba soon groaned as she came back to consciousness.

"Ah, finally woke up." Miyabi sighed out in relief. "You got that out of your system?" She soon questioned.

"Y-Yeah." Futaba replied before coughing into her fist. "U-Um, let me change back into my clothes."

"Sure." Miyabi nodded as she helped the orangette to her feet.

"Oh, there are definitely gonna be videos of us on the internet in the next two minutes..." Futaba sighed. "I'll erase them later." She then added.

"You better." Miyabi muttered as they headed back to the dressing rooms, just as the light gray haired girl was walking out with her swimsuit.

It was a simple two piece that barely fit the light gray haired girl. Light blue with white polka dots, frills with blue ribbons tied to each arm.

"Where in the world did you get that Yumi-senpai?" Homura asked as she stared at the Kosei President's swimsuit.

"I just saw it and I just knew it would increase my cuteness, Homura-san." Yumi explained as she then striked a pose she did as an idol. "Am I cuter in this swimsuit, Homura-san?" She soon asked.

"I don't know about cute, but it definitely expresses everything you need to know about you." Homura answered. "You look great." She then praised.

"But is it cute, Homura-san? I need to know!" Yumi once more asked in a more curious tone filled with anticipation for an answer.

"I think it is Yumi-chan!" Asuka happily replied as she revealed her own swimsuit, a black solid two piece similar to the white haired woman's own set. "I think I'm gonna get this one along with a few others. What do you think, Homu-neechan, Ann-chan, Yumi-chan?" She then asked while also striking a pose she did while modeling.

SPRAY! THUD!

Immediately the tan skinned girl was on the ground with swirls in her eyes and a goofy grin on her face.

"WAH! Homu-neechan!" Asuka got out in a panic.

"Homura-san!" Yumi called out in a panic as well.

"Asuka struck Homura's weakness!" Futaba exclaimed. "Is this an opportunity for an All-Out Attack?" She then asked.

"What's an All-Out Attack in this context?" Miyabi however questioned with a sweatdrop.

"Hardcore sex." Futaba answered with a nudge on her glasses along with a glint and a smirk on her lips.

"!?" The others soon stared at the orangette in disbelief.

"Okay, you need to go..." Miyabi countered in a blunt manner. "Seriously." She then added.

"Homura's nosebleed meanwhile just ruined your swimsuit." Ann pointed out as she saw the blood splatters on it.

"Don't worry, I know how to wash out blood." Miyabi informed as she looked at the downed girl.

"...I should've just assumed she knew that already." Ann muttered to herself.

"I think my kit is at home though..." Miyabi soon remembered.

"You should be more prepared, Miyabi-san." Yumi sighed before pulling out her own blood-washing kit. "Never leave home without it." She then stated.

"Um...do you know where we could buy one?" Makoto had to ask. "You know, just in case." She then added.

"Sorry. Only available to shinobi." Yumi got out in an apologetic tone.

"Man, I told you they'd be here."

"Yeah. It's pretty easy to spot them even at school."

"Japan has no shortage of beauties..."

"Hey, have you seen that new show?"

"You think they'll start selling Phantom Thieves t-shirts?"

Futaba began to whimper as more and more people entered the store, slowly going behind the girls for protection.

"Ugh, why do people keep talking about us?" Ann groaned.

"Dammit, we took too long. There's too many people here." Miyabi grumbled. "Let's just buy the other swimsuits we have left and try them on somewhere more private. It's good to have spares anyways."

"Leblanc it is then." Homura soon decided.

"Ann promised me ice cream today." Futaba reminded in anticipation.

"Hai hai..." Miyabi sighed out while taking the orangette's hand. "Come on, let's get you out of here."

Futaba nodded as the girls changed back into their normal clothes, went to the counter to pay for their swimsuits and then left the store for more open areas.


(Station Square)

"Oh yeah. That's the stuff." Ann moaned in pleasure before licking more of her ice cream.

"Man, it got hot fast around here." Miyabi muttered.

"Heh, and I see our little addition to the skyline remains." Ann giggled as they looked up at the Phantom Thieves logo still on the building, still looking as good as new.

"It would cost quite a bit of money to remove." Makoto pointed out. "I don't think there's enough money to spend on cleaning it up. Plus, it makes a good tourist attraction." She then added.

"Tourist attraction?" Homura repeated, glowering a little. "It's supposed to represent our rebellion against those who crush the weak, a symbol to represent hope, and a promise to anyone that we're always here." She then declared and explained.

"It also makes for great photo opportunities." Futaba spoke up, staring at all the people taking photos and posing with their phones.

"The Phantom Thieves are not a tourist attraction." Yumi mumbled with a frown.

"I don't think people share that sentiment." Miyabi muttered as she listened to all the comments.

"Hey, miss! Want me to steal your heart?"

"Is that a pick-up line? Don't make me laugh."

"Apparently they're even famous overseas! Isn't that nuts?"

"I wish I could join the Phantom Thieves..."

"This still feels so weird..." Asuka muttered as she licked her vanilla ice cream pole. "Only a few months ago, people were afraid of us." She then recalled.

"Well, not specifically us." Miyabi reminded. "Just our very existence." She then added.

"Yeah, and people should stay afraid of us." Homura added. "It'll make them think twice before indulging in their desires." She then stated.

"Through hope and fear, through justice and vengeance, only the people can truly change the world." Yumi muttered.

Immediately, everyone stopped and stared at the refined girl. "...Huh?" Futaba was the first to voice her confusion.

"I...I got off my ice cream cup." Yumi soon informed as she turned her cup to show the others. "It seemed relevant at the moment."

"It is, but that's probably just marketing crap to make companies seem more relatable." Ann pointed out.

"It doesn't take away from the meaning." Makoto however stated. "Even people can find meaning in nothing." She then pointed out.

"Ugh, that just reminded of Madarame..." Ann groaned. "That Palace was a complete disaster. And the man himself..." She then grumbled and recalled.

"Fuckin' murderer..." Homura quietly growled. She had killed people before, but that was to further her own goals (or someone else's), but the fact he let someone due over more money was something she couldn't stand for.

"Homura-san..." Yumi sighed, but understood her friend's anger.

"Hey, we're here to enjoy the day." Futaba suddenly spoke up. "Let's not talk about those idiots and talk about this ice cream. Mmm..." She decided as she went back to licking her Quintuple Mega Scoop Gelato Sundae with Banana and Chocolate covered in powdered sugar.

"Um, are you sure you can eat all that? We can't bring food onto the train." Asuka meanwhile asked.

"You underestimate my power." Futaba got out with a cocky smirk right before taking a huge bite out of her ice cream. "Ah...teeth! Cold!" She yelped out.

"Futaba-chan, you're supposed to lick it." Asuka chided with a frown. "Like this." She then instructed before...essentially deepthroating her ice cream, splattering her lips with white stuff.

The Thieves simply stared in disbelief as they watched the Vice Leader...lick her ice cream.

"S-Sis..." Homura got out.

"...Who taught you to lick ice cream like that?" Miyabi questioned.

"Jii-chan." Asuka replied in an innocent manner. "Huh, I haven't seen him since summer started. I wonder what's taking up so much of his time?" She then recalled and asked.

"Eh, I don't mind it." Homura admitted with a shrug. "For a legendary shinobi, he's quite the pervert." She then got out in an exasperated tone.

"Do not talk ill of the legendary shinobi." Yumi however warned with a frown.

"He's my gramps now, I can say what I want about him." Homura waved off. "I'm thankful for what he's done, but that doesn't stop me from acknowledging his eccentricities." She then stated.

"He sounds like fun." Futaba meanwhile remarked with a smirk. "When are we gonna meet him?" She soon asked.

"Um...no...you're not." Miyabi stated in a protective manner.

"Aw come on..." Futaba grumbled with a pout as she then went back to her ice cream.

"It seems Futaba communicates more freely if she's excited about something." Yumi soon noted.

"Being around the shinobi gives her a boost in confidence as well." Makoto meanwhile noted.

BZZT! BZZT!

"This better be important." Miyabi sighed out as they all took their phones and entered the group chat.

[All4Painting: Hello, has anyone seen Futaba this morning?]

[Alibaba9: You could just ask me, Inari.]

[Negative8Degrees: That's not Yusuke-san's codename, Futaba.]

[Alibaba9: Yeah. That's my personal name for him.]

[Alibaba9: Anyways, I'm in Shibuya.]

[TheWildJ0ker: What!? By yourself!?]

[Alibaba9: No, I'm with the girls too. Swimsuit shopping.]

[SushiRoll23: It was Ann-chan's idea. ^^"]

[Shut7heFUp: How did that turn out?]

[DarkEyeXI: She freaked out for a while, and she can't be out of our sight for more than a minute.]

[Road2Queen: Caused a lot of attention to be drawn to us as well.]

[Alibaba9: Technically it was more caused by Miyabi and her bouncing bazongas. Her bonkhonagahoogs. Her humungous hungolomghnonoloughongous.]

[SushiRoll23: What?]

[Sweetkat06: You running around with bikini tops on your head didn't exactly help!]

(...)

[Sweetkat06: kedfokols]

[Sweetkat06: Why did I text that!?]

[FireGirl20: Wow, face palming with your phone. That's new.]

[Negative8Degrees: Please don't go into specifics anymore...]

[Road2Queen: Anyways, despite all that I think you're ready for the beach, Futaba.]

[Alibaba9: But my bravery stat is still so low.]

[DarkEyeXI: Is that a game reference?]

[Shut7heFUp: No...just...general gaming lingo, I think.]

[Road2Queen: Futaba, you can't view everything as a video game. Life doesn't work like that.]

[Alibaba: Ever heard of gamification? Makes my brain run smoother.]

[Alibaba9: Plus, you have a motorcycle that nukes monsters. You have no right to determine what reality is.]

[Shut7heFUp: Wait, why are you girls textin' if you're all standing right next to each other?]

[Alibaba9: Shut up, Skull. It's a girls thing.]

[TheWildJ0ker: Well, if you don't want Boss to have a heart attack, you guys better head to Leblanc right now.]

[Shut7heFUp: Yeah, we're waitin' here right now.]

[FireGirl20: Already was planning on it, Leader.]

[SushiRoll23: We'll see you there.]

"Did you really need to mention my breasts?" Miyabi questioned in disapproval.

"Better than lying." Futaba replied, her eyes focusing on the white haired woman's bust with a smirk on her face.

"Some lies are worth telling." Homura meanwhile sighed. "Or, you know, to not include in the goddamn group chat." She then added.

"Aw, you're too uptight, Homura." Futaba grumbled.

"You're too relaxed." Homura countered.

"Isn't that the point why I'm here?" The hacker reminded as she went back to her ice cream...now licking it more like how the Vice Leader does.

"F-Futaba-chan!?" Ann exclaimed in shock at the sight with a blush on her face.

"I can't...get it...around...my mouth..." Futaba responded as she kept going at it.

"It would be better if she just ate it..." Makoto muttered as she also blushed.

"Well, well, well..." A rude female voice called out. "Off to go to daycare?" She then asked.

This in turn caused the group to turn to see a brunette in a fashionable skin tight blue dress. "Urk! Mika!" Ann jolted and called out in annoyance as she noticed her co-worker holding a smoothie cup in her hand.

"Ooooh, a model." Futaba got out in a fascinated tone.

"Oh, Ann-senpai." Mika greeted. "You're eating something wonderful today, too." She soon noted.

"I was just treating Futaba here to ice cream, Mika." Ann scoffed as she glared at the woman. "I mean, ugh, why do you even care?" She then corrected and groaned.

"You're right. There's nothing wrong with sweets...on occasion. But you seem to be shoveling that down on a daily basis. When you're at my age, you're definitely going to feel it, you know." Mika however replied and pointed out. "Meanwhile, whenever I'm hungry, I go for nuts and dried fruits. It's good for the skin too." She then bragged before sipping her honey and kale shake.

This meanwhile caused the other girls to sweatdrop. "Insecure, much?" They all thought at the same time.

However, the hacker wasn't exactly the best at reading the room. "Wow, I just eat whatever I want as much as I want." Futaba admitted before licking up some of her Quintuple Mega Scoop Gelato Sundae with Banana and Chocolate covered in powdered sugar. "I'm on my computer all of the time, so I don't exercise much either. I stay up as late as I want, and I wouldn't be able to give up cup noodles and sweets. Models are incredible!" She then added and declared while looking completely adorable.

SHATTER!

It was right that moment Mika's pupils shrank into tiny little dots.

"...Damn." Miyabi thought, resisting the urge to laugh her ass off.

"Did...Did Futaba just unintentionally cause Mika-san to spawn a Palace!?" Asuka thought in disbelief.

Ann began to feel a little concerned given how still her rival was. "Uh...are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Takamaki-san!" Mika squeaked with a frozen smile on her face. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be crying in my car." She then informed before storming off away from the group.

"...What a strange lady." Futaba got out before licking her ice cream again.

"And you're a strange girl." Yumi thought.

Meanwhile, Ann pulled out her phone and opened the MetaNav. "Mika Miyashita." She whispered.

[Candidate not found]

"...Is that good?" Ann whispered to her friends.

"Eh, I don't give a shit who this chick is or what she does." Miyabi casually admitted. "Now let's head to Leblanc. The boys are waiting for us." She then decided and reminded.

"Hai!" Asuka responded as the girls headed for the train station.


(Hanzō Academy, Elites Room)

SIZZLE!

"Uuuggghhh..." Katsuragi groaned as she lounged about in only her blue underwear. "Stupid heat wave. Stupid global warming. Stupid...uh...third thing." She grumbled in annoyance.

"As eloquent as always." Ikaruga sighed out. "And put some clothes on!" She then ordered.

"My underwear is enough." Katsuragi responded.

"We have air conditioning." Ikaruga soon reminded.

"Which isn't working." Yagyū spoke up, sweating buckets but still as cool as ice.

"And the inflatable pool we have broke..." Hibari mumbled out while fanning herself.

"Everyone, we have been trained to fight in any environment. In rain, snow, sleet or heat, a shinobi's resolve never falters." Ikaruga however reminded.

"It still sucks!" Katsuragi complained. "I'll spend that energy when I need to, but right now doing nothing seems so much better." She then added.

"...I think we should follow Katsuragi's footsteps." Yagyū eventually got out as she began unbuttoning her clothing.

"!" Katsuragi immediately perked up upon hearing this with the usual perverse grin returning to her face with a vengeance.

"Oh no..." Ikaruga groaned out as she palmed her face.

"It's the only way we can survive this heat wave until it cools down later in the day." Yagyū stated as she threw off her top. "Plus, we've, u-uh, all seen each other before and any state of undress should not distract us from our activities." She then added, her eyes glancing towards the pinkette.

"Yeah, she knows what she's saying!" Katsuragi remarked in agreement. "Come on, Ikaruga! Live a little! We only have four more days of summer vacation!" She then reminded.

"I...would rather not strip in the middle of the room." Ikaruga however stated. "I have a sense of shame."

"Don't be like that! Join us! Join us! Join us!" Katsuragi chanted out, her fingers ready to rip some clothes off. "Come on, Yagyū!" She then encouraged.

Yagyū in response sweatdropped as she then stopped. "No." She bluntly responded.

"E-Erm...I'll join!" Hibari got out, not wanting to be left out.

"H-Hibari!?" Yagyū gasped out, her nose threatening to bleed.

"The heat is getting to her..." Ikaruga however stated in a concerned and serious tone. "Have you been drinking enough water?" She then questioned.

"Hibari drinks plenty of milk." The delirious pinkette responded.

"Woohoo! Majority rules!" Katsuragi cheered. "Underwear-only party! What a way to beat the heat!" She then declared in growing excitement.

"...We could just go to the school's pool." Ikaruga soon suggested in a mutter.

SHATTER!

"...You see, this is why Asuka left you in charge." Yagyū responded with a sigh of relief.

"...Well, it still involves going tits out, so I say that's a win!" Katsuragi declared. "Let's go, everyone!" She then ordered while pumping a fist into the air.

"Hai." Hibari responded as they began to leave the room.

"Wait, are you going to go swim without swimsuits?" the acting leader questioned.

"Eh, saving it for a special occasion." Katsuragi responded with a grin. "I always wanted to go skinny dipping in the school pool."

"...Ugh, alright, I'll allow it." Ikaruga sighed. "But only because no one will surely be there."

"I'll go ahead just in case." Yagyū offered, vanishing in an instant.

"I'll go get the towels!" Hibari called out before vanishing as well.

"And I'll..." Katsuragi started before realizing she didn't have anything to do. "I'll just go to the pool." She then decided, disappearing from sight.

"You go do that." Ikaruga deadpanned as she watched the blonde leave. It only occurred to her now that they were all in their underwear, but at this point she was ready to float around in the pool face down. "Next time there's a heat wave, we're going to the beach..." She soon sighed as she shook her head before heading out of the room.


(8/26, Daytime)

(Yongen-Jaya, Cafe Leblanc)

The cafe was currently peaceful at the moment, along with the fresh smell of coffee beans lingering around the establishment. Akira, Ryuji, Yusuke, and Morgana were sitting on a free table, waiting for the girls to arrive.

Akira was currently attempting to complete a crossword puzzle, while Ryuji was reading manga. Morgana was now chilling on the side, observing the whole group, while Yusuke, on the other hand, was simply enjoying a decent cup of coffee that the Leader prepared for him.

"Hmm...A ten-letter word for when it's too hot to sleep..." Akira trailed off as he stylishly spun his pencil around his fingers while staring at the crossword puzzle page of a folded newspaper.

"Hah, what's taking them so long?" Ryuji suddenly sighed and complained as he set down his manga for the moment. "I know they're just buying some swimsuits, but..." He then started, however...

"Have some patience, Ryuji." Morgana sighed out. "They'll be here soon." He then stated.

"That reminds me...should I buy a better swimsuit?" Akira thought as he listened in on their conversation. "Maybe some jammers would be nice..." He then added in his head.

RING RING!

The boy instantly stopped what they were going and raised their heads to see the girls enter the cafe with several shopping bags and half-eaten ice cream in hand.

"Hey guys!" Asuka happily greeted.

"Hey girls." Akira replied with a wave. "Futaba, you went out with them?" He then asked in a curious manner.

"Y-Yeah." Futaba answered with a nod, feeling relieved to have survived that encounter.

"Today's the fourth day already." Ryuji remarked. "You gettin' a little better at dealin' with other people?" He soon asked.

"Hrmm...I dunno. I can't really tell." Futaba admitted with a shrug.

"People cannot change their deep-seated habits that easily." Yusuke remarked.

"She did relatively well today." Miyabi praised in approval.

"Well, let's just say you've made some progress for now." Morgana decided, only for the hacker to pinch his cheeks. "Ack! S-Stop it! You're gonna pull my cheeks off!" He then got out.

"Futaba, stop that." Makoto chided.

"Sorry." Futaba sighed as she let go.

"Hey, do you mind if we borrow your room, Leader?" Ann spoke up as she stepped forward.

"Can I ask why?" Akira questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"There were too many people at the mall, so we decided to finish checking out our swimsuits here." Miyabi explained.

"Wait, w-we're trying them on right now!?" Futaba exclaimed, a hot red blush instantly flooding her cheeks.

"You can't go to the beach if you don't have a good-fitting swimsuit. We don't have much time left, you know." Ann reminded.

"Uh, but...Ummm...Uhhhh...!" Futaba stammered as she blushed redder and redder.

"And for all those comments, you can't even handle the real thing..." Homura deadpanned. "So, can we?" She soon asked.

"As long as no one messes with my stuff." Akira replied with a shrug.

"Come on, girls." Ann soon started. "Let's go try out our swimsuits upstairs." She then suggested.

"Yeah!" Asuka got out excitedly.

"And you four." Homura then got out as he glanced at the males. "Don't even think about it." She then ordered.

"Wouldn't even." Akira replied while adjusting his glasses. "Ever since what happened back at the Pyramid while you were getting some sand out of your Thief outfits." He then reminded.

"You really had to remind us about that." Homura responded in a deadpan tone.

"Well, Morgana had it worse than the rest of us that time, so...yeah." Ryuji meanwhile got out.

The not cat couldn't help but wince as he remembered that particular time.

"Anyway, we're gonna be borrowing your room, Akira-kun, if that's ok." Asuka informed.

"Sure, go ahead." Akira replied with a nod. "Just take your time." He then advised.

"Thanks." Asuka got out before she and the other girls went upstairs in the attic.

Leaving the male Thieves alone in the cafe.

"..." The boys awkwardly looked around the cafe, attempting to take their minds off the sounds of rustling clothes.

"...Wanna go get something to eat outside, guys?" Akira suddenly suggested as he set his pencil down on the table.

"Yeah, I could use some grub right now." Ryuji replied with a nod. "Triple Seven would be nice." He then added.

"Me too." Morgana responded in agreement. "Don't wanna get wiped out again by Homura or one of the ladies." He then admitted.

"But I haven't finished my cup yet." Yusuke however reminded.

"Eh, you can bring it along with you if you want." Ryuji suggested.

"Are you nuts, Ryuji!?" Morgana exclaimed as he stared in shock at the dyed blonde. "Boss'll kill us if we bring his stuff outside the cafe!" He then declared.

"Jeez, I was just kidding, alright!?" Ryuji countered. "Okay, we'll wait for ya to finish your coffee and then we'll go." He then decided.

However at that moment...

"Ooh~ That's so tight!" A voice which sounded like Futaba's got out from the attic upstairs. "Feels like my boobs are gonna get flattened." She then confessed.

"Don't pull those with much force, Miyabi-san." Makoto's voice however instructed.

"Ah, sorry, Futaba." Miyabi's voice sheepishly apologized. "I'll try to loosen them up a bit." She then added.

"I am honestly surprised the store has some appropriate swimsuits for our body sizes and shapes." Yumi's voice then got out as well. "Lessening the hassle of going to multiple stores in one day." She then stated.

Three of the guys immediately blushed to this while the blue haired boy raised an eyebrow.

"...They do know we can literally hear them from here, right?" Akira thought with a sweatdrop.

"Uh..." Ryuji trailed off, head slightly red. "Tight?" He then repeated.

"How vulgar, Ryuji." Morgana muttered in disapproval.

"Ah!" The dyed blonde got out in shock. "Don't...think about them, dammit!" He then muttered to himself as he mentally smacked himself to retain his focus.

"Nevertheless, we'll eventually see them in swimsuits, so..." Akira pointed out.

"...Huh, good point, dude." Ryuji replied with that realization. "Let's get out of here."

"Mmm. Alright, I'm finished with my coffee." Yusuke suddenly got out as he set his cup down on the table. "Now let's go." He then breathed out before they headed out the door.

RING! RING!

Meanwhile, in the attic upstairs...

"Huh? Did the guys just leave or someone came in?" Homura soon asked as she heard the bell ring.

"I don't know...Ann, can you check downstairs?" Makoto responded and asked. "You're the only one still wearing decent clothes." She then explained.

Ann simply nodded as she went downstairs to check the guys. After a short while...

"Looks like the guys went out." The ash blonde soon informed as she came back up. "I don't know where though." She then added before taking off her skirt.

"Huh, well that's good." Homura replied. "Alright, let's all see what we got." She soon ordered.

With that, the girls stripped down and got into their new swimsuits.

"Not bad Ann-chan!" Asuka complimented in amazement.

"Thank you, Asuka-chan." Ann responded as she did a quick twirl. "So glad to wear this before summer break ends. Might even wear this for the next time we go to the beach."

"You'd save so much money if you didn't buy new clothes every week." Futaba deadpanned. "I've seen your bank account, it's-" She began, only for Asuka to cover her mouth.

"You what!?" Ann exclaimed.

Meanwhile, Makoto, Yumi and Homura were admiring each other's swimsuits. "Nice choice Makoto." The tan skinned girl complimented with a thumbs-up.

"I dunno...I thought it'd make me look more mature, but I feel more...exposed." Makoto muttered with a blush.

"You look fine." Yumi assured before pulling up her bikini bottoms. "But do you mind telling me if this is too small. My bottoms feel like they don't go high enough." She soon asked.

"Don't worry, they do. That really suits you, Yumi-senpai." Homura praised in approval while giving her equal in elegance an up-down.

Yumi in turn giggled. "Why thank you, Homura-san." She replied. "Yours suits you too." She then informed.

"Both of you look great!" Asuka meanwhile declared with a smile.

"Why thank you Sis/Asuka-san." The two replied at the same time in similar well-mannered tones of voices.

Miyabi on the other hand raised an eyebrow as she looked at the now giggling duo. "Perfectly synched?" She thought in a curious manner.

"Gah...this feels like it barely covers anything..." Futaba on the other hand whined as she covered her relatively small chest.

"Wow! That's a really nice swimsuit Futaba-chan." Asuka complimented with a smile.

"Man, even Mirai would be jealous of you Futaba." Homura admitted in amusement and a smirk on her face as she looked at the orangette.

"M-Mirai's the one with the eyepatch, right? The loli?" Futaba got out, slightly stuttering and fidgeting in embarrassment at being in a swimsuit.

This in turn caused the tan skinned girl to snort in amusement. "Yep." Homura got out in amusement.

"Don't call people that." Makoto chided with a frown.

"But from what I saw of her, she's a literal smol girl." Futaba countered. "You'd easily mistake her for a 7 year old." She then pointed out.


(Hebijo Academy, Elites Room)

"...I feel a sudden and violent urge to spray down my enemies..." Mirai bluntly and suddenly informed while checking all her guns.

Hikage blinked as she stopped pouring dog food into Poochie's food bowl. "...Mirai, I think you need sleep." She replied.

"Huh, you have moments like that too?" Ryobi meanwhile asked while doing maintenance on her rifle.

"...I think this school needs therapists." Hikage eventually concluded while Poochie began eating.

"Hah! Good one!" Ryobi laughed before going back to cleaning her rifle.


(Yongen-Jaya, Leblanc Attic)

"It's still not something you should call someone behind their back." Makoto sighed as she shook her head in disappointment.

"Makoto, when she came here to Tokyo with the others in my group, she was literally wearing an outfit for kindergarteners." Homura informed in an awkward manner. "I-I mean, she didn't look happy in it-" She awkwardly began to add.

"Please stop trying to justify calling someone a child." Makoto soon requested. "You're being, excuse my language, an asshole." She then added.

"...Sorry." Homura apologized in shame. "I'll stop. Really." She reassured.

"Thank you." Makoto breathed out before seeing the white haired woman in her new swimsuit. "Okay..." She got out in awe.

"Man Miyabi, that suit fits you really well." Homura admitted in an impressed manner while rubbing her chin.

"You think?" Miyabi however asked as she looked at herself. "It's a little tight around the chest." She soon admitted.

"No, you just need a little adjustment." Ann responded. "We just need to push these a little more this way..." She then instructed as she went to the white haired woman's side.

"H-Hey, don't touch me! I can adjust it myself." Miyabi stammered in an embarrassed manner.

"Don't worry. I've worn plenty of swimsuits like this. You just need to...hmph!" Ann assured before pulling on the bikini and tucking in the woman's breasts.

"Are you supposed to move them with that much force...?" Makoto meanwhile questioned in concern.

"You just gotta put some oomph into this stuff...especially with how big and bouncy these things are." Ann responded before squeezing the breast a little before it finally fit in comfortably. "There! Good to go!" She eventually declared with her hands on her hips.

"...Huh, that actually feels much better. Thanks." Miyabi admitted with a smile.

"Whoa, even I'm impressed...!" Futaba soon got out in awe. "Whoever made these are wizards if they managed to fit these funbags." She then stated while adjusting her glasses.

"Fu-Futaba..." Makoto responded, wide eyed at the orangette's words.

"We need to work on that mouth of yours." Miyabi sighed in disapproval.

"You know, looking at everyone..." Ann started as she looked at all the girls in the room. "We look good." She then complimented.

"Yeah, with all of us standing half naked in a boy's room - no, not even that - an attic in a cafe..." Homura muttered. "I'd hit on us." She soon admitted.

"Eh!?" Asuka exclaimed.

"H-Hit?" Futaba repeated, withdrawing herself a little.

"...Yeah..." Makoto muttered as she narrowed her eyes. "We'll definitely catch a lot of attention wearing these. Something we don't really need." She then stated.

"I agree." Miyabi responded with a nod. "If we keep getting hit on by strangers or ogled at, our trip to the beach will be..." She then started before trailing off.

"Annoying." Yumi finished.

"Maybe we should go to a different beach. I mean Miura Beach will probably be too packed since it's summer and all." Asuka suggested.

"Yeah, people would have the same plans as us towards the end of summer." Makoto added. "Plus all the people might be too much for Futaba to handle." She then pointed out.

"Hey, I have a suggestion." Ann suddenly started.

"What is it?" Yumi responded with a raised eyebrow.

"It might take two to three hours to get there, but how about Shirahama Beach in Shimoda City?" Ann soon suggested. "We just have to take a train from Shinjuku Station to get there." She then added.

"I'm up for that." Homura replied in agreement.

"You think there won't be as many people there?" Miyabi however questioned.

"At the very least, it might." Makoto answered.

"Let's hope it is. Too many people would mean potential stalkers or perverts." Homura sighed out. "Not to mention random guys trying to hit on us." She then added.

"Yeah...I'd rather not deal with that after last year." Ann sighed out.

"Last year?" The other girls repeated.

"Ugh, just a terrible shoot I thought was going to be fun. Nothing more." the ash blonde groaned as she shook her head.

"Wait, what makes you think that Shirahama Beach will be any different?" Miyabi had to ask. "It's not exactly in the middle of nowhere." She then added.

"Eh, it doesn't have a seaside restaurant and there was a shark attack in it last year." Ann casually explained. "But the shops there are just as good. Come on Miyabi-chan, give it a chance." She then got out.

"...Okay, I'm trusting on this." Miyabi sighed. "Don't screw up like today." She then ordered.

"I won't." Ann assured with a nod.

"Shouldn't we discuss this with the boys?" Makoto however pointed out.

"...Yeah, we probably should." Homura awkwardly replied in agreement.

With that, the girls all got their phones to text the boys.

[FireGirl20: Hey guys.]

[TheWildJ0ker: What's up?]

[Sweetkat06: We're thinking about going to Shirahama Beach in Shimoda City.]

[Sweetkat06: It's a longer trip, but we think there'll be fewer people there to perv at us.]

[Negative8Degrees: What do you guys think?]

[TheWildJ0ker: I don't care what beach we go to, as long as there are some good shops around.]

[Shut7heFUp: Yeah, me too. I don't know shit 'bout beaches.]

[All4Painting: As long as the view is good.]

[TheWildJ0ker: And Morgana says he wants a fishing spot.]

[Sweetkat06: I think Shirahama has all that.]

[Shut7heFUp: Cool. So, are we going tomorrow?]

[DarkEyeXI: That's up to Futaba.]

"Do you wanna go tomorrow?" Miyabi asked as they looked up from their phones.

Futaba instantly shook her head.

[DarkEyeXI: Nope.]

[Shut7heFUp: Okay. But she better choose soon. I don't wanna go back to school without going to the beach at least once.]

[Road2Queen: Be patient, Ryuji.]

[Sweetkat06: We'll be done once you guys head back.]

[Shut7heFUp: Nah, I'll be heading home from here.]

[All4Painting: Me too.]

[TheWildJ0ker: Let's try and make our beach trip the best it can be.]

"Alright." Asuka breathed out as the girls put away their phones.

"Hey, what's all that ruckus upstairs?" They suddenly heard a voice call out.

"Uh oh. Boss." Ann swallowed.

"I-It's just us, Boss!" Asuka responded, staying where she was to not give the old man a heart attack. "We're just preparing for a beach party, nothing much." She then explained.

"We're trying out swimsuits!" Ann soon revealed.

"Really?" Sojiro got out, slightly shocked. "Futaba's going to the beach...I didn't think I'd ever see her take that much interest in going outside again..." He then admitted.

"Well then, it seems we're good to go with the swimsuits." Homura meanwhile concluded.

"All flattery aside, I think it looks really great! Now you just gotta get rid of those round shoulders. Come on, straighten out your back." Ann soon praised.

"R-Right..." Futaba stammered.

The cafe owner simply shrugged as he went back to work. "She might be some trouble, but I hope she can make some great memories with you guys." Sojiro encouraged.

"We'll make sure she does!" Asuka replied with a smile. "Now is that all? I kinda wanna go get lunch now." She then asked and requested.

"Yep." Ann replied. "Where are our clothes?" She soon asked.

"Over here." Miyabi informed as she pointed to the Leader's bed. "Someone had to place our clothes somewhere while we were trying on new swimsuits." She then added as she went over to grab her clothes. She then paused as she looked out the window...to see a familiar blonde mid-climb, staring back at her.

Without another word, Miyabi stepped away from the window without any change to her expression. "Probably should've folded these." She soon admitted.

"It's fine." Homura replied as the white handed woman handed them all their clothes. "Now let's get dressed and put these swimsuits away until the day we go to the beach." She then instructed.


(8/26, Evening)

(Yongen-Jaya, Futaba's Room)

Asuka let out a breath as opened the unlocked door into the Sakura residence, having already told Boss what she was doing. After getting out of the cafe, everyone separated for the day, with Yumi particularly eager to leave after a text message. From there, she and Homura went to get lunch at the diner. A steak and Frui-Tea never failed to hit the spot!

Anyways, Homura was (weirdly) feeling tired so she decided to head back home while the Vice Leader decided to head back to Yongen to visit the NEET.

"Good evening Futaba-chan." Asuka happily greeted as she entered the former shut-in's room.

"Hey, Asuka. Nice of you to come by." Futaba greeted and twirled in her chair. "Didn't expect you to v- well, actually, I did. I saw you cameras around the house. So how are you doing?" She casually asked.

"Yeah, it's been good." Asuka replied with a nod and a smile. "I had an amazing dinner with Homu-neechan." She then revealed.

"That's good to hear." Futaba replied with a smile. "So what's up? I mean, we just called a day earlier?" She then asked and pointed out.

"I just thought that I'd visit you because it's a nice thing to do." Asuka answered. "She said she had a fun time with you, so I wanted to join the fun." She then added.

"Mwehehe, ain't that the truth." Futaba replied with a giggle and a witty grin. "So the tokusatsu like girl wants to know what we do huh?" She then jokingly asked.

"Toku- what? What's that?" Asuka asked and tilted her head in confusion.

This in turn caused the orangette's eyes to widen in shock. "Seriously Asuka, you never watch a tokusatsu show!?" Futaba asked in disbelief. "Sentai and Rider shows are right up your alley when it comes to being a good guy!" She then declared.

"Tokusatsu? Sentai? Rider?" Asuka repeated in confusion once more.

"Oh, come on! How can you not know about that?!" Futaba exclaimed. "They're the best shows when it comes to being the good guy! I'd thought you'd at least see one of them! What kind of childhood did you even have?!" She then declared.

"Training to be a great shinobi." Asuka simply answered with a sweatdrop and an awkward grin. "So basically I've been missing out?" She soon guessed.

"Oh, you have no idea! You've been missing out on the best kind of cheese ever produced!" Futaba nodded "So I'm going to help you out and show you what you've been missing out." She soon decided.

"H-Huh!?" Asuka got out in confusion to the sudden declaration.

"Here, let me show you." Futaba jumps off from her chair and goes over to her shelf.

"W-Wait a minute Futaba-chan!" Asuka got out, but was completely ignored in response as she watched the orangette going through her shelves.

As Futaba rummages through her shelves, she picks up a boxset of Neo Featherman. "Here we are, 50 episodes of complete awesomeness in one package!" She soon declare.

"5-50 episodes!?" Asuka repeated in disbelief.

"Yep! All 50 episodes!" Futaba happily replied with a nod as she took out the first disk and inserted it into her computer.

"And...we're gonna watch all of them?" Asuka soon asked.

"You know it! Just sit back, relax and enjoy the show!" Futaba nodded and pressed play.

Asuka in turn sweatdrop as she decided to make herself comfortable. "Well, at least Futaba-chan's enthusiastic." She thought to herself.

The episode begins with the usual spiel where a group of teenagers are chosen to defend the world from mysterious invaders by fighting off each monster of the week and the generals of the invaders.

"I know the format seems to be generic, but it gets better over time." Futaba soon informed as she waved her hand.

"Well...Alright...If you say so." Asuka replied, raising an eyebrow as they continued watching. She then noticed two of the heroes were actually girls as she could see their cleavage from the suits while one of them was wielding a bow. "Huh, two girls in the group." She pointed out.

"Oh, you mean the pink and blue ones?" Futaba got out as she looked at the two members mentioned. "Oh yeah, I see what you mean. I guess they've actually got girls to play them as some of the heroes." She then added.

"Well that's a good thing." Asuka replied as they continued watching.

Throughout each episode, the Feathermen took out every monster, including any revived ones, until they've reached the final showdown with the main villain and, despite being beaten to near death, the heroes were able to win the battle and save the world.

And all the while, Asuka just became more and more excited as each battle went on while becoming like a starry eyed child.

"Well? What do you think? Pretty awesome, right?" Futaba asked smugly.

"Yeah it was!" Asuka excitedly replied.

"See? I told you that you'd like it." Futaba nodded and smiled confidently.

Asuka soon stood up and she pumped both of her fists with a green fiery aura around her.

"Mwehehe, looks like you're pumped up." Futaba giggled with a smirk.

"Oh yeah! I sure am!" Asuka declared as she did the same pose as the Feathermen. "Feather Change!" She dramatically shouted.

Futaba meanwhile just giggled as she watched her friend do the pose as she then decided to join her.

"Go Phoenix Featherman, go!" Asuka and Futaba cheered out in unison while posing.

Both girls then fell back onto the orangette's bed while still laughing and having a blast. "Hahaha! I knew you'd like watching shows like this!" She soon got out.

"Yeah! Hahaha! You were right, Futaba-chan! I had no idea what I was missing!" Asuka agreed with a smile. "I can't believe I missed out on something so awesome! I feel like a kid again!" She then declared and confessed.

"Well be sure to come here again so we can watch some more. Other tokusatsus can be very different and that just makes them more exciting." Futaba soon replied and revealed.

"Oh? So there are other tokusatsus? That sounds awesome!" Asuka beamed with a starry look in her eyes.

"Mwehehe~!" Futaba giggled out.

"I'll be sure to come back next time. I can't wait to see what other tokusatsus you've got in store for me." Asuka smiled as she sat back up on the bed. "Though now it's getting late, Futaba-chan. I better get home now." She then informed.

"Yeah, okay. I'll be seeing you, then." Futaba nodded and hugged her.

Nodding to that, Asuka returned the hug and patted her head with a grin.

Futaba meanwhile loved the pets and snuggles in her breasts, something she hasn't done since the death of her mother.

Asuka on the other hand looked at the orangette and smiled, glad she and the others were able to save her from herself and her own distortions and traumas.

And she is no longer alone and has a new family in the Phantom Thieves.

Eventually, the orangette ended the hug and the two went their separate ways for the night.

Both girls were excited to watch the next tokusatsu when Asuka came back for another visit.


(Sakamoto Residence)

Miyabi let out a breath before knocking on the door to the dyed blond's home.

The door opened to reveal Ryuji wearing a singlet and shorts. "Hey, you came!" He happily got out.

"So why did you invite me over this time?" Miyabi asked with a raised eyebrow as she allowed herself in.

"Well I just felt like we should hang out." Ryuji simply replied as the two headed for his room. "Do you need any other reason?" He then added.

"Money." Miyabi answered automatically. "Is your mom here?" She soon asked while looking around.

"She's sleepin' right now. Long day at work." Ryuji answered. "We better keep it down."

"Right, it's just you and her." Miyabi responded in a sympathetic tone with a nod as she recalled this information. "Now, what plans do you have for this little hang out?"

"Well, considerin' you've been asleep for a while, I wanted to make sure you're caught up in popular culture." Ryuji awkwardly replied.

"One, I was only asleep for three years. The world hasn't changed that much. And two, you just want someone with you to hang out with." Miyabi reminded and stated.

"You say that like it's a bad thing." Ryuji got out.

"I dunno, I could be doing something more productive like training or...training. I don't really have much of a social life outside of Akira..." Miyabi soon mumbled before blinking. "...Ok, I see why you want to hang out now..." She then realized as she dropped her head in shame.

"Alright!" Ryuji cheered as he patted the woman's shoulder. "Now let me introduce to you the greatest trilogy of movies to ever exist...discounting all other prequels or sequels that may, may not have, or will come out." He soon started before grabbing the remote. "STAR WARS!" He then declared as he hit a button on the remote.

Miyabi stared flatly at the TV as the speakers blared the series theme into her unamused ears.

"...This is what I missed out on in three years?" Miyabi deadpanned. "A movie that came out in the 1970s?" She then asked.

"I mean, I wasn't sure if you done stuff like watchin' movies. It was like that for Asuka and Homura when it came to video games since all they did was train." Ryuji awkwardly admitted.

"I watch movies." Miyabi however revealed. "Like Psycho, American Psycho, Psycho Cop Returns, Gekijouban Psycho-Pass, Psycho Ward..." She began listing off, and would've continued if the dyed blond didn't interrupt her.

"I have no idea what any of those are." Ryuji awkwardly revealed. "But who cares about that dumb shit, it's all about Star Wars these days!" He then added.

"Well, I wouldn't know. I've never seen any of those stupid movies." Miyabi sighed out.

"...Eh?" Ryuji got out in confusion.

"Not everyone is interested in the same things as you." Miyabi sighed out. "It's like how I can barely stand The Last Samurai." She then stated.

"That's not a psycho movie." Ryuji pointed out.

"Look, I just watch whatever the hell is on." Miyabi simply concluded.

"Come on, give it a chance." Ryuji soon requested.

Miyabi sighed as she shook her head. "Hey, that's why I'm here in the first place. I could've just gone home." She pointed out before sitting down. "I'll try out one of these movies, alright?" She then decided.

"That's all you need!" Ryuji got out as he pumped his fist.

"How many times have you seen these movies?" Miyabi soon asked.

"Eh, once. Twice." Ryuji answered before thinking about it. "26 times." He then remembered.

Miyabi blew a raspberry in disbelief. "You need hobbies." She then coughed.

"I had to pass the time with somethin' when Kamoshida busted my leg." Ryuji countered.

Miyabi immediately winced. "Well...you could've at least watched a different movie." She awkwardly pointed out.

"Limited choices in the hospital." Ryuji bluntly revealed.

"But why 26 times? You have a phone, I thought movies and TV would be obsolete by civilian standards." Miyabi soon pointed out.

"Shitty wi-fi." Ryuji answered.

"Okay, now you're just making up excuses." Miyabi stated with a frown.

"Nah, being completely serious here." Ryuji sighed out.

"Then why do you wanna watch it again!?" The white haired woman called out.

"You're just complainin' because you don't wanna watch it." Ryuji pointed out. "This entire conversation is just you stalling. We're still on the main menu!" He soon stated. "Either that or you're just scared to watch it." He then added.

"...Or I could just leave. I'm fuckin' fine with that." Miyabi deadpanned as she stood up.

"Please don't!" Ryuji got out as he pulled the woman back down. "Please..." He then got out, his eyes sparkling from the light of the TV in an attempt to look...cute, I guess.

"Ugh, fine!" Miyabi decided in annoyance. "Can we just start the damn thing so I can go home sooner?"

"Thank you." Ryuji breathed out before hitting play.

HORNS!

"GAH! Fuckin'-" Miyabi yelped and swore. "Do those horns need to be so loud!?" She exclaimed.

"And welcome to the world of Star Wars." Ryuji sighed. "Now come on, you're missin' the opening." He then got out.

"Is...Is that just exposition?" Miyabu questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah. You have to read it to understand what's happening." Ryuji explained.

"There are better ways to set up your story than let text scroll through space." Miyabi deadpanned.

"I don't know. 1980s thing." Ryuji replied as he shrugged his shoulders, hoping this was the last time he needed to speak for the next hours or so.

However, as the movie went on, Miyabi had...several other comments.


(Fast Forward)

"How can he understand the trash can if it communicates in beeps and boops?"

"Wait, what's with all the CGI? It doesn't look like it's from the time. You know what, it makes the scene better."


(Fast Forward)

"WHY ARE YOU POINTING THE LASER SWORD AT YOUR FACE YOU JACKASS!" Miyabi screamed in frustration.

"Miyabi-san~" Ryuji's mom suddenly popped her head out from the door. "Please use your indoor voice. People are trying to sleep...including me." She soon requested and stated. "And you won't like me when I'm cranky." She then warned while cracking her knuckles.

Immediately the white haired woman blushed in an embarrassed tone. "Y-Yes mo- er, ma'am..." Miyabi mumbled while the dyed blond snickered after the parent left. "Aw, shut up." She grumbled.

"Dude, you're a ninja and you're afraid of an accountant." Ryuji chuckled.

"Shut up." Miyabi repeated as she crossed her arms under her breasts. "It's not like that..." She then mumbled, recalling her own mother doing something similar to what the dyed blond's mother did.


(Fast Forward)

"Wow, he did not grieve about the death of his aunt and uncle for very long, did he?" Miyabi remarked.

"Guess he didn't have the time." Ryuji assumed while shrugging his shoulders.


(Fast Forward)

"Why did they kiss? They literally just met not even ten minutes ago."

"And...he's dead. Man, hire a goddamn choreographer...or younger dudes..."

"He said Carrie. I could hear it, he said Carrie! They left it the fuck in there!"


Finally, they reached the credits...and went past the credits as the next movie started.

The white haired woman shook her head in confusion as she saw another opening scroll. "Huh? Episode V?" Miyabi mumbled. "Did you start the next one?" She soon asked.

"It autoplayed!" Ryuji answered.

"That's a thing?" Miyabi got out in surprise before sighing. "Ugh, well, it already started. May as well keep watching." She then mumbled as she settled back in.


(Fast Forward)

"God, his face looks like it got reconstructed after a car crash." Miyabi grimaced.

"He...He was in a car crash. In real life." Ryuji awkwardly informed.

"Tch, drive better next time." Miyabi scoffed.

"It's been, like, 40 years!" Ryuji called out before groaning.

When was this movie gonna end again?


(Fast Forward)

"Just because it's a puppet doesn't make it look better."

"Why is there suddenly a romance between Hans and Leia instead of Luke and Leia?"

"This is the slowest fucking epic battle I've ever seen."


(Fast Forward)

"Why is he wearing Hans' clothes?" Miyabi questioned.

"Limited costuming." Ryuji deadpanned.

"Ah, makes sense." Miyabi replied with a nod.


Finally, Episode V ended with the characters, minus Han, staring out into space with an uncertain future ahead.

"Wait, that's it!?" Miyabi got out in shock. "That's how it ends!? The Empire actually wins!? The only thing that went well was that these idiots survived, and even then one of them is probably dead!? What the fuck!" She then ranted.

"That's the gist of it." Ryuji replied with a shrug before frowning and staring at the woman. "You sound...passionate." He noted.

"N-No! Just...unsatisfied!" Miyabi stammered with a blush forming on her face. "U-Uh, we're already two movies into this thing, may as well finish it." She then mumbled as she crossed her arms.

Ryuji meanwhile sweatdropped. "She's into it." He thought to himself.


(Fast Forward)

"Oh, real classy filmmakers." Miyabi sighed as she shook her head. "May as well take the damn bra off if you're gonna do all that." She then added.

"This bounty hunter guy literally did nothing for two whole movies and then died by a blind guy." Miyabi noted. "Way to build up to nothing."

"Oh, Wow. Incest. That wasn't decided at the last minute during the writing process." Miyabi got out as she rolled her eyes.


(Fast Forward)

"Why does he even love him? He cut off his hand! He killed a lot of people, including the only family he's ever known by proxy, and let's not forget that he blew up a planet. All he's seen of him is being evil and not being there." Miyabi deadpanned. "He's the definition of a deadbeat." She then added.

"I feel the same way." Ryuji admitted. "Family isn't determined by blood, it's determined by the type of connections you make with others." He then declared.

"You sound like Akira." Miyabi soon noted.

"Heh, it really does, doesn't it?" Ryuji chuckled.


(Fast Forward)

"...Okay, I have to admit, it's pretty cool to see those living teddy bears murder the fodder...and also kind of funny, huh." Miyabi admitted as she couldn't help but begin snickering.

"Right?" Ryuji chuckled in agreement.


(Fast Forward)

"What the- Who's this young asshole?" Miyabi exclaimed, jumping up from her seat. "Isn't Darth Vader supposed to be old!?" She then added.

"Oh, that's...he's from other movies." Ryuji answered while shifting his eyes around.

Miyabi frowned before grabbing the box set. "There are six movies total here." She reminded before remembering the numbers of the three she just watched. "...Ah, these must be 1 through 3. Prequels." She then deducted.


And with that, they finished the original trilogy, and the white haired woman knew what she would put in her review as she left the apartment.

"Thanks for the marathon. I hated it." Miyabi...thanked the dyed blond.

"I could tell. See ya." Ryuji responded with a sweatdrop.

"Yeah, good-bye." Miyabi replied as the dyed blond shut the door.

She decided not to show that she had borrowed the entire set of movies the dyed blond had.

No one must ever know.

No one.

"Oh, so that's why four through six seemed older then one through three..." Miyabi realized as she looked at the publication dates before leaving the premises.


(Shinjuku, New Moon Apartment Complex)

The light gray haired girl, meanwhile, was at home finishing her dinner of grilled fish and rice. "Aaaahhh..." Yumi breathed out as she put down her chopsticks and clapped her hands together. "Gochisosama." She whispered before grabbing some green tea from the fridge.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

"Ah, give me a moment!" Yumi responded to the knocks on her door before quickly dumping her plates into the sink. After straightening out her outfit, she went to her door and opened it. "Ah, Makoto-san. You made it."

"Well, you did call me to come here." Makoto reminded as she entered the apartment. "It's getting rather late, so do you mind if I sleep here together? I already told my sister I would be staying over if I couldn't make the last train." She then requested and revealed.

"My door is always open." Yumi replied. "Uh, do you mind shutting it though? I need to clean some dishes first." She then requested and explained.

"No problem." Makoto giggled as she did so, locking the apartment up tight while the info broker cleaned up. "It has been a while since we stayed together." She then reminded.

"And now it's under better circumstances." Yumi also giggled. "And we don't have anything to do tomorrow, do we?" She then recalled.

"I don't think so." Makoto responded as she thought about it.

"Wonderful." Yumi responded with a delighted tone. "So tomorrow we can simply enjoy each other's company." She then added.

"Of course." Makoto replied. "By the way, why do you need help, Yumi?" She questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"I've...neglected my studies this summer." Yumi shamefully confessed. "Even though I won't attend university after this year, I at least want to graduate from Kosei with high marks before I return to Gessen." She then explained.

Makoto in response nodded. "It's understandable given how busy you are, correct?" She replied and assumed.

"Hai." Yumi replied with a nod. "So...are you going to help me? At least until 8PM?" She soon asked.

"That's why I came." Makoto responded with a nod. "Alright, what do you need help in?"She soon asked.

"Um...social studies. Japanese civics to be exact." Yumi replied and stated.

"That's quite simple." Makoto responded. "Let me put my stuff here, if you don't mind." She then requested.

"I don't." Yumi responded as she sat down at the table and grabbed her school bag. "Okay, let's get to work." She then got out.

With that, Yumi pulled out her textbooks and started studying with her fellow student council president.

Makoto cleared her throat and read a question from the back of the book. "The 1950s were marked by political turbulence in Japan. The center-right cemented its political dominance over the Socialists and Communists by uniting to form the Liberal Democratic Party in 1955. The third LDP prime minister, Kishi Nobusuke, was hated by the Japanese left, not only for his policies - such as negotiation of an enhanced Security Treaty with the United States in 1960 - but also for his wartime past. In what role had Kishi once served the Tojo government?" She soon stated and then questioned.

"Uh...that would be...the Minister of Commerce and Industry." Yumi answered. "He held the Commerce and Industry portfolio in General Tojo Hideki's cabinet from October 1941 to October 1943. The Allied Occupation authorities arrested him as a suspected war criminal, but after several years he was released without having been brought to trial. It was as if Albert Speer had been let out of Spandau Prison, joined the CDU, and became chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1957." She then explained.

"That's correct, Yumi-san." Makoto replied with a nod. "I guess you didn't need the help in the first place." She then noted.

"No, I did." Yumi admitted. "I haven't memorized everything yet, so having you here helps." She then stated.

"You're welcome." Makoto replied with a smile as she began writing before the tip broke. "Damn, my pencil needs sharpening. Give me a sec." She muttered and stated.

"Why don't you use pens?" Yumi meanwhile asked in a curious manner.

"Pencils allow you to fix your mistakes." Makoto explained as she zipped open her pencil case and got out her sharpener. "Pencils for personal writing, pens for professional settings." She then stated.

Yumi merely giggled at the Shujin Student Council President's pencil case. "I like your pencil case Makoto-san." She revealed.

"Thank you." Makoto replied with a nod as she sharpened her pencil.

"Buchimaru-kun, is it not?" Yumi assumed. "Isn't that merchandise quite rare nowadays?" She then recalled.

"Yes. It's no longer being produced due to the company going bankrupt." Makoto responded with a nod while looking at it with a nostalgic smile. "Also, it's a gift from my father, so I can't replace it even if there was any still in stock." She then revealed.

"That's quite nice to have something to remember your father by." Yumi got out with a smile. "These days, I can barely remember my parents." She soon confessed.

"...What do you remember, then?" Makoto eventually asked.

"Only the stories my grandfather has told me." Yumi answered as she sighed wistfully. "They were shinobi. Both of them. They had to infiltrate an underground bunker that had been developing a special technique that allowed the user to manipulate their target by overcharging their testosterone and estrogen. They had gotten hit with the technique, but they completed the mission anyways, and uh..." She explained before blushing heavily.

"Hm?" Makoto hummed out with a raised eyebrow.

"Erm, let's just say I wasn't conceived in a conventional place." Yumi vaguely stated.

"...Ah." Makoto realized, blushing as well. "They...They must've been quite good people." She then assumed.

"I couldn't tell you that. When they were around, they weren't around very long." Yumi replied and explained. "But even then, I knew they loved me a lot." She then confirmed.

"I hope they did."

"...I feel like I brought the mood down." Yumi awkwardly admitted.

"No, it is good to reminisce a little about the past." Makoto stated as she shook her head. "And although they may be gone, they'll always be in our hearts." She then added.

"Hai..." Yumi breathed out. "But to make that past mean something, we have to move towards the future. In that case, what was the undoing of LDP stalwart and former prime minister, Uno Sosuke?" She soon asked with a raised eyebrow.

"A Geisha scandal." Makoto answered. "He had been underpaying her. This prompted the Geisha to go public with her story, and the public turned on Uno for being both tawdry and stingy." She then explained in further detail.

"If only things were that easy in the modern day..." Yumi giggled as they continued studying.


(Hebijo Base)

Murasaki was panting a lot as she had her hands on her knees.

"Huh, not complaining? You usually would be at this point." Bebeby remarked.

"What...What time is it?" Mursaki panted out before grabbing her phone.

"10 PM." Bebeby informed. "You've been training all day. I'll give it about..." The plushie began...

THUD!

"...Negative two seconds." Bebeby concluded as the plushie watched the girl go to her knees. "You need rest." The plushie stated.

"I...feel good...though..." Murasaki admitted in awe and with a sparkle in her eyes as she smiled and stood back up with a hop.

"Training for an entire day is not healthy." Bebeby however warned. "It'll hurt you more than it will help. Now get into a shower, you smell like actual shit." The plushie then stated and informed.

"Hai." Murasaki responded with a nod, already stripping off her clothing.

"And you better do laundry too! Your gym clothes are soaked in sweat!" Bebeby ordered.

"Hai." Murasaki replied with a nod as she went and did as instructed. "Hmm~! Hmm~! Hmm~!" She happily hummed as she did so.

The plushie meanwhile looked at the purplette, who seemed to be more active despite being exhausted. "...I got a bad feeling about this..." She sighed while shaking her head, noticing the slight change in the girl.


(Yongen-Jaya, Leblanc Attic)

"Whew!" Akira breathed out as he went up the stairs. "Nothing like an onsen visit after a workout." He soon stated.

"You're getting some muscle." Morgana soon noted. "But the clothes you wear every day hide it so well." He then added.

"Hey, I have to stay unassuming somehow." Akira reminded.

"Welcome back darling~" Haruka greeted.

"And Haruka's here." Morgana informed the Leader.

"That I can see. Hey." Akira replied with a wave. "Did you use the front door this time?" He soon asked.

"Do you know who you're talking to?" Haruka countered before looking more bashful. "...But, yes, I actually did this time. After the owner left." She then revealed.

"Gotta tell Boss to change the locks to this place." Akira eventually decided.

Haruka however pouted. "How cruel." She got out in an offended tone. "No matter what lock you may hide behind, I'll always find my way to you." She then reminded.

"But it won't be fun unless there's a new challenge along the way." Akira countered in amusement before sitting himself next to her and took her hand. "So, doing well?" He soon asked.

"Yes." Haruka responded...before frowning. "Well, maybe. Uh, no." She then sighed.

"Cancer still kicking your ass?" Akira assumed.

Haruka in response groaned in annoyance and frustration. "Yes. I understand how it ticks and how it attacks, but there is no magical bullet that can truly kill it." She revealed and stated. "And it's not like I can just make the cure by accident." She then added with resigned look on her face.

"So you're giving up?" Akira eventually asked.

"...I don't know." Haruka soon confessed in sadness. "What if...being a doctor isn't my real calling?" She then asked in a concerned and worried tone while her body began shivering with fear.

"You're seriously going to let something like this get you down?" Akira however countered, surprising the blonde with how serious he was as he then placed his hands on her shoulders. "Haruka, doctors lose people all the time but they don't stop what they're doing. They don't give up." He soon added and stated.

"Darling..." Haruka breathed out as she looked at the boy in admiration with a blush on her face. It was like she was falling for him all over again.

"Besides, the Phantom Thieves exist and they do the impossible every time." Akira soon reminded. "It may be hopeless now, but who knows, maybe there is that magic bullet out there, waiting to be loaded." He then concluded.

BANG!

Haruka soon jolted as it felt like she was being shot with something. "T-Thank you. I needed that." She stammered in a meek manner.

"No problem." Akira replied with a nod. "A cute girl like you shouldn't give up just because of a setback or two." He then added with a charming smile.

BANG!

Haruka's blush immediately flared up the compliment towards her. "D-Darling..." She stammered out with steam coming out of her head.

"How you do that I'll never figure out." Morgana remarked with a sweatdrop.

"Me neither." Akira muttered, though smiled at seeing the girl's reaction. It was like he was seeing the real girl underneath how the blonde usually acted around others.

"Hehehe..." Haruka eventually giggled. "I guess you are my magic bullet." She then added.

"That's...a weirdly endearing thing to call me." Akira chuckled.

BZZT! BZZT!

"Hm? Someone's texting you Haruka-chan?" Akira hummed out and asked.

"Yes. A new friend." Haruka responded with a nod.

"A shinobi?" Akira assumed, causing the not cat to perk up.

"Don't let me spoil the surprise." Haruka responded. "Give me some privacy, if you don't mind." She then requested with a wink.

"I always wondered if you knew what that word meant." Akira jokingly remarked as he got out his phone and started playing one of the games had on it.

Haruka simply giggled to that as she looked at her own phone.

[cute_shutin: Hello.]

[DrSeduce: I didn't expect that you'd be the one to initiate the conversation.]

[cute_shutin: I'm a lot better at typing than I am speaking.]

[DrSeduce: Honestly, I'm not surprised.]

[DrSeduce: So, how was your day today?]

[cute_shutin: I went through that workout video you gave me.]

[cute_shutin: Um, I think you linked the wrong one.]

[cute_shutin: It was from a kids show...]

(...)

[DrSeduce: No no, that was right.]

[DrSeduce: Did it motivate you? :3]

(...)

[cute_shutin: Hai.]

[cute_shutin: I really worked up a sweat as a result. Bebe-tan was complaining all through it though.]

[cute_shutin: I feel really good now.]

[cute_shutin: I can eat some fruit without gagging now!]

[DrSeduce: Good! Be sure to keep at it while you're here in Tokyo and even when you return to Hebijo.]

[cute_shutin: Hai!]

[DrSeduce: But you aren't here just to train, are you?]

[cute_shutin: No. I need to find Akira Kursu.]

[DrSeduce: And what's your goal once you do find him?]

[cute_shutin: I just want to meet him.]

[DrSeduce: No one just meets him.]

[DrSeduce: I'll look forward to seeing your progress later.]

[cute_shutin: Thank you though...Haruka-chan...]

[DrSeduce: It isn't a problem, Murasaki-chan. Remember to keep at it.]

[cute_shutin: Hai! I will! :D]

[DrSeduce: And send me a pic of you in your new work out clothes!]

Haruka smiled as she looked over at the discussion. She could already tell there was progress.

"Hey, do you mind moving a little?" Akira soon requested. "Morgana wants to sleep on my stomach." He then explained.

"Aw~ That's adorable~" Haruka cooed out as she began petting the not cat, who instinctively purred in response.

"God, I need a bigger bed..." Akira sighed as he laid down flat as the blonde hugged his arm.

"Hear, hear." Morgana agreed.

"I could help you by funding one." Haruka meanwhile offered.

"No, don't." Akira however got out. "A few friends of mine promised to get me a nicer bed earlier this year." He then informed.

"Homura-chan being one of them?" Haruka guessed.

"Yep." Akira replied with a nod. "Ah, it doesn't matter. I'm used to sleeping on milk crates now. I wouldn't mind if I don't get one." He then replied and admitted.

"Still, you deserve better darling." Haruka responded with a puffed up cheek.

"No stealing a bed for me." Akira ordered in playful disapproval.

"Aw~" Haruka responded in disappointment.

BZZT! BZZT!

"Hm?" Haruka hummed out. "Your friends?" She assumed.

"Uh, yeah." Akira answered, while opening the Phantom Thieves chatroom. "It's a private thing, special summer plans, so do you mind...?" He awkwardly informed before looking a little sheepish.

"O-Oh, of course." Haruka got out before turning away and laid down.

"At least she's loyal to you. A benefit." Morgana remarked.

"Thanks." Akira replied with a smile as he focused on the group chat.

[Sweetkat06: Alright, everyone's got swimsuits right?]

[FireGirl20: Yep.]

[Negative8Degrees: Hai, though it also turns out one of my sisters snuck it into my luggage.]

[DarkEyeXI: I think so.]

[SushiRoll23: Hai.]

[TheWildJ0ker: I really didn't expect to go to the beach at all during probation, but I did bring my pair anyways.]

[Sweetkat06: Sweet! We're all totally ready to hit the beach!]

[Road2Queen: All that's left is for Futaba to prepare herself mentally.]

[Alibaba9: I can do this. I can... I think. Maybe.]

[All4Painting: So you're not confident.]

[Alibaba9: Shuddup, Inari.]

[Shut7heFUp: Ahhh, it's finally starting to feel like summer vacation.]

[FireGirl20: Yeah, with only five days left of it.]

[Road2Queen: Still, I've been thinking about some things now that matters have calmed down a little more...]

[TheWildJ0ker: Like what?]

[Road2Queen: The psychotic breakdowns, cognitive psience...]

[Road2Queen: And Black Mask...]

[DarkEyeXI: There has to be a goal at the end of their madness. Palaces are too dangerous to be picking whoever they want on a whim.]

[Negative8Degrees: Yeah, this has to be all connected somehow. Especially when there could be someone abusing the Metaverse.]

[All4Painting: And I doubt the goal is anything good.]

[Road2Queen: That said, we don't have enough information right now...We'll need to investigate more.]

[FireGirl20: I'll help out too.]

[Shut7heFUp: Can we talk about this some other time? I'm so damn sleepy...]

[SushiRoll23: OK, good night then! Futaba-chan, good luck tomorrow too!]

"Darling, it's time to sleep..." Haruka mumbled out in her sleep.

"Yeah." Akira replied in agreement as he laid down in the bed after plugging his phone in, the blonde soon clinging onto him as a result.

SMOOSH!

"Good night Morgana, Haruka-chan." Akira whispered.

"Night, Joker." Morgana breathed out as he then glanced upward. "And good night, Futaba." He then added before resting his head.

Time to sleep. It was quite hot tonight, but nothing that wouldn't stop him sleeping comfortably.

Yeah, hot...

Hot...

Too hot to...

"...Sweltering! Dammit!" Akira suddenly swore, causing the two in the bed with him to jump awake, before going back to sleep.


Save Game…Quit!


Asuka/Yin's Social Stats:

Leadership- Mastermind (Level 4)

Knowledge- Professor (Level 4)

Proficiency- Masterful (Level 4)

Diligence- Thorough (Level 4)

Courage- Daring (Level 4)

Homura/Yang's Development Stats:

Maturity- Adult (Level 4)

Knowledge- Professor (Level 4)

Femininity- Natural (Level 4)

Elegance- Gentlewoman (Level 4)

Understanding- Motherly (Level 4)


Whew! Done! I just want to say that the beach episode will be a doozy. I mean, looking at all the prewritten crap, it easily reaches 18,000 words. And that's with a lot of stuff missing. It has a ton of interesting developments, so let's treat it as a celebration! It will take a while for it to be in a releasable state so stay tuned for (probably) Chapter 100.

UknownHero signing off, my friends!