The Phantom Thieves hit the road again, on route to Sapporo. Sendai was fun, but it was time for them to get back to work. Makoto was the one at the wheel, and the drive was going for a while and Ann was getting a little curious. "So…how long until we get to Sapporo?" She had to ask.

"From here, it'll take approximately twelve hours under normal driving conditions, as well as a trip by ferry." Sophia reported.

"No way…! I thought we were closer than that." Ann groaned.

"Guess we'll have to stop and snooze another night before we get there." Morgana surmised.

"Will you two be alright?" Haru looked to Hifumi and Makoto worriedly. Even though the two of them were splitting the driving, it was still a long drive for the both of regardless. "Even after landing in Hokkaido, we still have a long drive ahead of us."

"Don't worry, I'll be able to make it. And I can pass it off to Hifumi when we reach a place to rest." Makoto said firmly.

"You can leave it to me." Hifumi smiled.

"Yeah, you go girls! I like that energy!" Futaba cheered. "Oh, but what about Akechi? Driving that long is probably going to be killer on him…"

"I'll be fine." Akechi replied from Ren's phone. He was on speaker so everyone could hear him while they were on the road.

"Akechi, if you're exhausted too, you should let us know." Sumire frowned. "You're a part of the group too."

"If you're worried about slowing us down, don't." Ren added. "We need the break just as much as you would."

"…." Akechi did not respond. But he was mulling it over. "I will endure for as long as can. Your concern is…noted." It seemed like he was considering it at the very least. That was an improvement.

.

.

A few hours later, the group found a rest stop to take a break. A much needed one, because Makoto was relatively exhausted with all the driving. They were gathered around a bench and Makoto was leaning over it. "Whew…I have to admit, I am kind of exhausted."

"You okay?" Ren asked.

"All this time on the road is starting to get to me. This is the most I've ever driven…" Makoto sighed quietly. Even with all the driving she did, they still had a long way to go.

"You were holding out for a while. Don't worry, I'll take care of the rest!" Although Hifumi wasn't admitting it, driving for that long was going to get to her as well. But she wanted to ease Makoto's burden as much as she could.

"And you should take care not to overextend yourself as well." Yusuke looked towards Akechi. "You must be as exhausted as Makoto is."

"Yeah, dude. Take a break." Ryuji said while tossing Akechi a soda. Akechi caught it with uncertainty on his face.

"…I am doing that now." Akechi replied.

"I wish I could drive in your steads." Haru frowned. Makoto and Hifumi were doing a lot of hard work, meanwhile Haru just barely had experience behind the wheel. With driving like this, she wasn't sure if she'd be much help right now.

"Don't worry, Haru. We don't mind." Hifumi said. "I rather enjoy listening to everyone talking in the back. It's so nice."

"I feel the same way." Makoto laughed a little.

"We will find a way to repay your devotion." Yusuke said.

"Ryuji! Massage their shoulders at once!" Futaba declared. "And obtain the finest soft serve money can buy!"

"Got it!" Ryuji responded eagerly. "Wait…why's it hafta be me?"

"I got you, Fumi! My massage technique will work wonders! You know the one." Ann grinned at Hifumi.

Hifumi did blush faintly, but she nodded. "I like that technique. Don't spare it from Makoto either."

"Of course not! You two deserve the best for all your hard work!" Ann beamed.

"…Makoto. Hifumi. I need to apologize." Sophia chimed in with a frown.

"What? Why?" Makoto looked over to Sophia.

"Because I can't help you, even though I know how effective physical stimulation is at treating fatigue." Sophia said. "But I'm only digital, and can't provide massages. An AI that can't provide assistance cannot be humanity's companion. I'm as worthless as a bug." She was in the middle of a moment. She wished she could do more, but there was nothing she could do without physical form.

"That's not true!" Sumire shook her head. "You're incredibly helpful!"

"A-Are you going through mood swings or something…?" Futaba asked with a surprised sweat drop.

"We all feel down at times." Ren said. "We said it before: there are some things that certain people can do. Don't let yourself feel too bad about that."

"You've been a great deal of help so far. We owe you a lot, Sophia." Makoto said.

"You've done quite a bit already. We would have breezed right past Sendai had you not been able to detect it." Akechi said. He was…trying to help Sophia feel better. "\

"Really?" Sophia's eyes lit up. She was hoping she wasn't useless. "And I do want to try this "soft serve" you speak of."

"Her mood swung right back to normal…" Ryuji slumped over.

"Don't worry, Makoto, I'll handle the driving from here." Hifumi said. "Although, I'll probably be exhausted by the time we arrive, but that's alright."

"Then we should take the time to enjoy the local cuisine." Yusuke suggested.

"Oh! I've always wanted to try wasabi soda!" Haru said excitedly. The others just looked at her strangely.

"Uh, yeah…no thanks." Ann shook her head. Wasabi Soda? Absolutely not.

.

.

August 8th.

"Hang in there, Hifumi! Sapporo's just a stone's throw away!" Futaba cheered Hifumi on. She took on the driving for the rest of the day.

"I can endure!" Hifumi said positively. "I've never been in this area of Japan, but Hokkaido is very large, isn't it?"

"Vast enough to call it huge-kaido by my reckoning!" Futaba joked.

"It's supposed to be a lot cooler up here, so hopefully that means no more stuffy, sleepless nights." Morgana said.

"You said it." Ryuji threw his arms up in agreement. "There's nothing more hellish than sleepin' in a hot, cramped, sweaty tent cramped with dudes."

"Hellish doesn't even begin to describe it. I will not allow myself to be caught in that situation again." Akechi may not have been one for small talk, but this was a comment he could not help but get out there.

"Hellish indeed." Yusuke frowned. "We were so overheated, we'd nearly stripped naked yb morning time. I found it obscenely refreshing."

"You could've kept that last part to yourself." Ren said with a sweat drop.

"Um." Haru wasn't sure how she felt about this. She probably would have felt better not hearing this at all.

"…" Sumire's face was bright red. She did not need to hear any of this. "Er…"

"I never really wanted to know what happened inside of that tent." Hifumi added.

"Just make sure you keep the nudity inside the tent, please." Haru was begging.

.

.

A few hours passed, and finally, they arrived in Sapporo. It was the second time Hifumi closed the distance to a city. That stretch of driving was killer on her back, but she felt better now that she was able stand up. "We've finally made it."

"Hello Sapporo!" Futaba exclaimed.

"So this is Sapporo Central City; a building outpost of civilization, cradled by the untamed wilderness." Yusuke said while glancing around.

"Hey, you think they're still doing the Snow Festival?" Ryuji asked.

Ann immediately looked towards Ryuji with a deadpanned expression. "Are you seriously that dumb?"

"Well, it is certainly cooler here than Tokyo." Haru said with a soft smile. "It should be a nice change of pace. It feels a little familiar, honestly…" Had she been here before? It felt like it. Or maybe it was her imagination.

"I know we just got here, but I want to check whether there's a Jail nearby." Makoto chimed in. Before anything else, she wanted to ensure they were on the right track. "Sophia?"

"I do sense a jail. An intense one." Sophia confirmed.

"Just like Gramps said…" Ryuji was shocked. They really had no way of confirming until this very moment, but it was true.

"So it's true." Akechi crossed his arms. "A solid lead after all. Now, we can only wonder where this will take us."

"That means whoever Zenkichi's looking into is the Monarch of Sapporo…" Morgana surmised.

"Shall we comb the area for info?" Makoto asked.

"Uh, before that…" Ann said. "Can we find a bath first? Seriously, I've been feeling gross and sweaty since yesterday."

"I second that notion." Hifumi nodded in agreement.

"I agree! It would be nice to freshen up a little." Haru felt the same way.

"I'll never say no to a bath. I could one as well." Sumire said.

"Then let me help. I've already located a bathing facility only 300 meters away." Sophia chimed in.

"Wow, Sophia. You work fast as always!" Futaba would never complain about that.

"Guess it's bath time for you guys, then. In the meantime, I'll be on the prowl for that intel." Morgana said.

"Don't worry, Mona-chan. When we're finished, I'll rinse you down too." Haru offered.

Morgana shook his head. "O-Oh, no, no. I can clean myself just fine!"

"It's just as the data says: cats hate getting wet." Sophia said.

"Don't lump me in with those other furballs! I demand you rewrite that data with you full might!" Morgana declared.

"You are, for all intents and purposes in reality, a cat." Akechi hated pointing this out, only because of how annoying it was. Even when Morgana accepted being called a cat, he had to be a cut above the others!

"I'd like to try a bath too!" Sophia said. "Sumire, would you mind bringing your phone in?"

"Um. I don't know if that's going to work." Sumire said with a sweat drop.

"I'm sure we can work out the details." Makoto said. "So, Sophia, will you guide us?"

"Of course." Sophia said.

As they walked through Odari Park, the group passed by a mother and daughter standing by a light post with some flowers under it. "Mommy…do you think Kaho-chan will like the flowers?" The little girl asked.

"I do." The mother nodded. "She'll say, 'thank you for the pretty flowers'."

"If only heaven wasn't so far away…then maybe I could see her." The little girl frowned.

The group saw this. It was saddening to watch people mourn the loss of another. "Did…something happen over there?" Ann asked.

"They're leaving flowers. Maybe somebody passed away." Haru said.

"Now that you mention it, I do recall there was an accident on the news." Makoto spoke up. "Something about a snow sculpture collapsing in Odari Park? It ended up taking a young girl's life. Maybe that was where it happened."

"…How unfortunate." Akechi mumbled.

"…." Sumire placed a hand over her chest. If that little girl lost her sister, then that was a pain she understood all too well. Such a thing hurt no matter the age.

"What's wrong? Are we not taking a bath anymore?" Sophia didn't know why everyone stopped. So naturally, she was curious.

"Sorry, we're going." Ren said. "We just saw something and stopped to have a look." As they wandered through Sapporo, they could overhear various topics, although most of them weren't paying attention.

Akechi was. Not the mindless topics of day to day life, but he overheard people talking about the Phantom Thieves visiting Sendai. "News travels just as fast as one might expect…" He also heard something about an election and voting for someone named Hyodo. An election?

Although, before long, they did arrive in front of the place Sophia was guiding them towards. "And here we are."

"Ooh, what a fancy spot." Morgana teased. "Okay, go get yourselves cleaned up. I'll be around looking for intel."

"…Keep an ear out for something pertaining to an election." Akechi advised. Morgana nodded and for the time being, everyone went their separate ways.

.

.

The bath was split into two sections: men and women. While Ren, Ryuji, and Yusuke maintained some distance while in the bath, Akechi was off in the corner as usual. "Ahh, now this is paradise…" He looked over to Akechi. "I'm surprised you came to join us."

"And remain unhygienic? Absolutely not. Just because I'm in a bath with you all doesn't mean I have to get any closer than I already am." Akechi replied. Keeping his distance from them was just natural, even in a situation like this.

"But it is a nice bath all the same." Yusuke closed his eyes to relax. "The heat has crept into my very bones."

"The temperature's perfect, it really melts the stress away." Ren sank into the water slightly. "…Makes me miss the place near Leblanc."

"I've learned a valuable lesson on this journey." Yusuke said sagely. "Sometimes you just have to enjoy being naked."

"Er…" The other boys in the bath just glanced at each other from Yusuke's wording. "And that means…what, exactly?" Ryuji wasn't sure if he wanted to know or not.

"Let's not dwell on that." Ren said. "Either way, this bath is nice."

"What's more, we're in the middle of a long journey. We must take proper measure to recover our strength and stamina." Yusuke said, but he trailed off a bit, because….

The girl's side of the bath was where all the fun was. Going back a few minutes while the boys were talking, the girls were in the changing room, grabbing towels while they prepared to get into the water. "I need this soooo badly…" Ann said.

"Me too. I didn't realize how sweaty I was before we got here." Futaba felt gross.

"It's a shame Sophia can't come in with us. But I'd rather not destroy my phone." Sumire sighed. Her phone was waterproof, but not…hot bath proof. The heat would absolutely destroy it.

"We'll find some way for her to enjoy it." Haru smiled.

"Pardon me." That voice was familiar. The girls turned, only to see Lavenza standing there with them. "This is the bath, is it not?"

"L-Lavenza…?!" Hifumi let out a surprised gasp.

"Oh, hello again!" Sumire wasn't surprised. "…What brings you here?"

"I was curious." Lavenza stated. "There are still may wonders of this world that I wish to experience. I, however, could not ask the Trickster to join me for a 'bath'. It felt inappropriate."

"That was a good decision, girl." Futaba nodded. It did feel strange to see Lavenza wandering about with them, but they weren't adverse to the company. "Having a bath with your friends is super nice!"

"It's a surprise, but it will be nice to have you." Makoto nodded. With that, the girls, with Lavenza in tow, made their way to the bath. But they would find that they were not the only ones present. A familiar face was already there.

"Huh?!" Ann's eyes went wide. "Mika?!"

Mika was sitting in the middle of the bath, which she had all to herself. Arms stretched over her head. "Huh?" She then turned to spot Ann, Hifumi, and the others. "Hifumi-chan!" And she zeroed in on Hifumi, completely ignoring Ann for the time being.

"Hi Mika." Hifumi waved to Mika. It completely slipped her mind that Mika was on her own little tour of Japan for a modeling shoot. "I didn't realize we were going to see you here." Hifumi casually decided to get into the water, and so did the others. Ann was the only one who lingered before going inside.

"Neither did I. You never told me you were coming to Sapporo. You and all your friends." Mika looked at the girls, only briefly stopping at Lavenza because she didn't recognize her. "…And this is…?"

'I am Lavenza." She would have bowed her head, but she was so short, that only her head was not submerged in the water. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Mika."

"This feels like a cursed meeting." Futaba remarked.

"I see…" Mika simply nodded "This is a long way from Tokyo. What are you doing here, Hifumi-chan? And Ann, too, I guess."

"Ghh…" Ann furrowed her brows. Mika wasn't wasting any time annoying her. "We're here on a…a trip."

"Yes, a trip!" Hifumi quickly added. It felt very tense for her, with Mika knowing they were all Phantom Thieves, while the others didn't know. "We're working hard…" She put the emphasis on work, hoping Mika would catch the hint.

"Work? I see…" Mika wasn't dumb. She caught it.

"What brings you here to Sapporo, Mika-san?" Haru decided to ask.

"Modeling shoot across Japan for the summer." Mika flipped her wet hair in front of Ann's face, causing her to grumble and scoot away from her. "They said I was the perfect choice, and I don't blame them. I worked hard to get this far. Isn't that right, Hifumi-chan?" Mika then pushed past Ann and wrapped her arm around Hifumi's shoulder.

Hifumi was blushing and just glanced away awkwardly. "Y-you have, yes."

"Oh, and that stuff with Alice? Hah. I wanted her to cry more…" Mika said. She was quickly reminding and introducing her personality to the others. The only part that stood out was how attached she was to Hifumi as a friend. Perhaps her sole redeeming factor.

"You're uh…pretty intense." Futaba said with a nervous sweat drop.

"Ahem." Ann moved to Hifumi's other side, subtlety attempting pull her back from Mika.

"We won't try to bother you too much." Makoto said with a smile. She was being courteous at least. Mika was Hifumi's friend, they knew that much. So she would try being nice.

"We just arrived. So we wanted to wash off our stink after a long drive." Sumire told Mika. "And the water's really nice. I feel so relaxed." She then glanced over at Lavenza, who looked relaxed with her eyes closed.

"This water is very divine. I can feel my worries melting away…" Lavenza felt free to indulge in these things. Igor wasn't present…and she was currently in the midst of her duties to help the Trickster in this mysterious calamity. She could relax.

"This water IS fantastic, isn't?" Mika moved her arm from Hifumi to stretch them over her head. As a result, her assets were revealed briefly. They were all girls here, and she didn't care about showing off.

"Woooo…what the…" Futaba's jaw practically dropped. "Those are huge…! Almost as big as Ann's…!?"

"Thanks. I worked hard for these." Mika said. That statement took a moment to settle in. How exactly did she. "Aren't they good, Hifumi-chan?"

"W-Why are you asking me that…!?" Hifumi looked away. She wasn't sure if she was blushing from the heat or Mika's forwardness.

"Wait, why did you bring mine up…!?" Ann said with a flustered look.

"I mean…have you seen you!?" Futaba looked to Ann. "Did you get cheat codes to get those? You're so skinny, and yet…!"

"G-Go bother Haru! Hers are no different!" Ann deflected this topic elsewhere, feeling embarrassed that her chest was brought to attention.

In response to this, Haru blushed and gasped. "Ah! Stop it…!"

And Futaba did just that. "Whoa, Haru! Not bad! Those could knock someone flat!"

"S-Should we really be talking about this…?" Sumire said with an embarrassed blush.

"The rest of you aren't that bad." Mika said casually. She was looking out of curiosity.

"…I feel inadequate for some reason…" Lavenza mumbled.

Makoto was blushing from the topic. Somehow they were all dragged into this. "Um, Mika…I know you're not aware of this, but we're not the only ones in this bath. The boys are on the other side…we should keep it down…"

"Oh." That was news to Mika. "…Well, they have eyes, so they've probably already noticed."

"Why are you like this…" Hifumi felt so embarrassed. But Mika was her friend. So she had to deal with this.

And on the other side, the boys heard pretty much all of this. There was a moment of brief awkward silence as they absorbed this information. "…..Well, I think that's enough for me." Akechi was planning to leave.

"Hey, the water's still good." Ren said, capable of brushing all of that conversation off. But on the inside he was thinking how great it was.

"Do you think Sophia would like it?" Ryuji asked, also keeping all of that information he heard in the back of his mind.

"I believe she would." Yusuke said while rolling his neck. "Though, I suppose being incorporeal will pose a challenge."

"She's really a mystery, isn't she? What are your thoughts about her?" Ryuji looked to Ren and Akechi.

"She's humanity's companion." Ren replied with a straight face.

"Ugh." Akechi groaned.

"She is attempting to learn about the human heart…that's something I have yet to capture, even in my paintings…" Yusuke knew just how daunting a task it was.

"An AI of unknown origin, somehow capable of sensing Jails who also wishes to learn of the human heart. She has her work cut out for her. The human heart is far too complex for even a single person to learn how their own works." Akechi said while standing up from the water and already planning to make an early exit.

"…Hey, I dunno much about the heart. But I do know that Sophia's been getting' along with all of us." Ryuji told Akechi as he wadded past him. "Gets me thinkin' she might not need to worry about all that."

"And she's growing every second." Ren added. "She can use all the help she can get."

"I can only wonder how little help I would be in her pursuit." Akechi kept walking. He stayed long enough to listen to them, but that was as long as he would linger.

"…I guess he's got the right idea. The heat is getting a little much." Ryuji was trying to see the positive of Akechi's departure. "Wanna ditch the bath and grab some milk coffee?"

"I think I'll take strawberry milk instead." But Ren did nod in agreement. They had been in the water long enough.

"Whoa, that sounds good too! Now I can't make up my mind." Ryuji laughed.

"I protest." Yusuke said seriously. "We are in Hokkaido, as you may recall. It would be a sin to forego its fresh dairy offerings for some artificial substitute. To appreciate it properly, we must partake right as it's squeezed from the udder – the way farmers have done it for millennia!"

Ren and Ryuji just looked at each other. Akechi didn't even lean the bath just yet and he was cursed to hear that nonsense. "…Uh, yeah….knock yourself out, man…." Ryuji said with a sweat drop. Yusuke could do whatever he wanted. Everyone else was just going to be normal.