Persona 5: The Phantom Files

by sithlorde1988

Will cover the events of Persona 5 Royal, with the sequel set to cover Strikers. What happens when in addition to Ren being sentenced to go live in the care of Sojiro Sakura for a year after being sued for assault, his younger brother is also ordered to go and oversee him? How will this extra character change things? Read to find out! More info in chapter 1! ALL CHAPTERS NOW EDITED

37. Pre-Exam Prep! Traumatized Oracle part 1

A/N: sithlorde1988 here, with another chapter of Persona 5: The Phantom Files! Well, here we are, the start of Arc 4, Pyramid of the Traumatized Oracle, likely shortened to Traumatized Oracle for the purposes of meeting character limits for the chapter titles in this arc! This arc is one I personally have been excited to get to, since not only is it an arc where one of the more unique Phantom Thieves is obtained, but at the same time this is arguably one of the most, if not THE MOST, changed arcs in the entire story. But I'll let the arc in question speak for itself on that point. That said, let's get to the disclaimer, shall we?

Disclaimer: sithlorde1988 does NOT own the Persona series in any way, shape, or form, bar the OC Kusa/Draconis along with any other OCs that might show up in the story, which he created and thus does own, unless otherwise noted. The actual credit for owning the Persona series belongs to Sega, Atlus, and Koei Tecmo, so all credit to them!

That said, sorry I don't have more to say, but I really don't! Maybe the end-chapter A/N will be longer! Anyways, on with chapter 37!

Chapter 37: Finals, Tension and the start of Summer Vacation! Traumatized Oracle part 1

(At the Classroom Building, with Ren and Morgana)

Ren sat for a bit to ponder his options, ultimately deciding to go do a shift at Rafflesia since he wanted to boost his Kindness. After getting changed to start his shift, he rolled his eyes in irritation as Morgana spoke up with a closed-eye smile.

"Mwehehe! That apron's really starting to look good on you!" Morgana said to Ren, who glared at Morgana as he kept working. After a bit Hanasaki walked over and spoke up.

"Here! Well, here's your pay for today!" Hanasaki said as she handed Ren 3,200 yen. Hanasaki then kept speaking.

"Good work, Ren-kun. Come back again when you have the time." Hanasaki said as Ren nodded, got changed out of his uniform, and was stopped as Morgana spoke up.

"How're you feeling? Nice job. You worked pretty hard today. Still, I bet this job making gifts has boosted your Kindness." Morgana said as Ren nodded, his Kindness increasing. After that, Morgana kept speaking.

"Wanna head back? All right, we should head home." Morgana said as the duo headed back to Leblanc, or at least that was the plan until Ren heard his name being called and turned around in surprise to see Yusuke walking up to him, smiling as he spoke up.

"What a coincidence. I thought I spotted a familiar face, but I wasn't expecting to see you. How long have you been working here?" Yusuke asked Ren, who shrugged as he spoke up.

"I've come in a couple of times, but I got the job a few weeks back when I had some free time and not much to do with it. But what brings you here?" Ren replied. Yusuke smiled as he spoke up.

"I was seeking a motif for my still-life painting and ended up in front of this flower shop without realizing it. It may do me good to return to basics and draw a flower? Do you have any recommendations?" Yusuke asked Ren, who spoke up after pondering his response carefully.

"As much as I could see you being able to make a good painting with either a cactus or a carnivorous plant, I don't think this shop carries either of those. So I'll just say go with a rose, since I know for a fact the shop carries those, and has several different colors of rose as well. So you'd have plenty of options for your motif." Ren said. Yusuke looked at this and spoke up.

"Hm, I was thinking of purchasing a lily, but something lustrous like a rose might work too. Now, how many to buy?" Yusuke said as Ren winced and spoke up.

"Unless you're planning on giving them to someone, I'd say not more than one or two, maybe three. After all, you have to be able to take care of what you buy." Ren pointed out as Yusuke nodded and spoke up once more.

"True. Well, this has been helpful. Thank you. That said, I should finish my shopping." Yusuke said as Ren nodded and headed back to Leblanc...

(At Leblanc, with Ren and Morgana)

After exchanging the usual nods of greeting with Sojiro, Ren's phone went off to signify a group chat with Ryuji, Ann, Kusa, Yusuke, and Makoto, with Ryuji sending the first response, as he so often did.

"The deadline's tomorrow...We gonna be OK?" Ryuji sent as Yusuke sent a response.

"The pictures are gone. He has no avenue to threaten us anymore. That is, if we're able to trust what Kaneshiro said." Yusuke sent as Ann sent a response.

"Don't say such scary stuff." Ann sent as Makoto and Kusa sent responses close together, Makoto's coming through first.

"We can't relax yet. He may still end up released from police custody..." Makoto sent as Kusa sent a response, Ryuji sending one shortly after.

"I'm sorry...WHAT!? He could end up released after all we did to change his heart!? What the absolute eff!? That makes no sense!" Kusa sent as Ryuji's response came through.

"Truth, Kusa! Also, FOR REAL!?" Ryuji sent as Makoto sent a response, seemingly ignoring both Kusa and Ryuji's responses as she did so.

"That is, unless they have decisive evidence like a confession." Makoto sent as Kusa and Ren sent responses close together, Ren's coming through first.

"Even though it'll be fine, I can't help but be worried slightly. After all, if he doesn't confess, we could all be screwed if he goes free. After all, what's to stop his organization from having him silenced, then coming after us in retaliation for costing them Kaneshiro?" Ren sent as Kusa's response came through.

"An excellent point, Ren. However, I think at this point we need to have faith that the legal system will run its' course on Kaneshiro. That, and I doubt Makoto's sis will let him slip away that easily, if what Kaneshiro said about the two of them having a history is truthful at all." Kusa sent. Makoto sent a response.

"But there does seem to be some movement. Sis actually sent me a message saying she won't be home tonight. There's a chance the police have found their breakthrough." Makoto sent as Ryuji sent a response.

"Ooh, does that mean it happened!? Also, you gonna be okay by yourself, Makoto?" Ryuji sent as Ann sent a response.

"The timing is perfect. I guess let's just hope for the best!" Ann sent as Makoto sent a response.

"I'll be fine, Ryuji. I can handle myself. But thank you for the concern." Makoto sent as Kusa sent a response.

"No doubt you can handle yourself. After all, you laid me and Ryuji out pretty good during that last Palace. Anyone who can do that is more than able to handle themselves in my book." Kusa sent as Ryuji sent a response.

"No problem, Makoto! Welp, I'm gonna stay up all night watching the news to find out!" Ryuji sent as Ren sent a response at that point.

"Don't do that, Ryuji. Stay up a while if you have to, but just set an alarm and get up early to watch the news, since odds are better it'd make morning news if it happens than late-night news. And we need you rested, not sleep-deprived!" Ren sent as he put his phone away. Ren then fast-traveled to Shinjuku, intending to rank up Mishima, when he saw that Caroline and Justine were standing outside the Velvet Room door, reminding him he'd not done an outing with them in a bit, so he decided to go see what they wanted. As he walked up, Caroline smirked and spoke up.

"Good, you've shown up for the next outing, Inmate! What're you gonna do today? Time to name the location. Justine, you do the honors." Caroline said as Justine nodded and spoke up.

"Ok, now, listen closely. The place we wish to evaluate for your rehabilitation is...where one hones both the body and spirit." Justine said as Caroline spoke up, seeing Ren's confused look.

"Trainees gather there to test and push their limits using various pieces of equipment." Caroline said as Justine spoke up again.

"I had not expected a rehabilitation facility on this side...As wardens, we must see such training for ourselves. Does such a location sound familiar to you?" Justine asked as Caroline spoke up before Ren could respond.

"Well? If you know where it is, then escort us there immediately, Inmate!" Caroline demanded. Ren frowned, guessing that the twins might be referring to the gym in Shibuya. Caroline then spoke up once more.

"What'll it be? So, what'll you do?" Caroline asked Ren, who spoke up.

"Hmm...listening to your description, I think I know what you're referring to. By chance, are you talking about the Protein Lovers gym over in Shibuya?" Ren asked. Caroline nodded as she spoke up.

"So you do have an idea of where it is! Then today, you're getting a special training regimen! Let's go, Inmate!" Caroline said as Justine spoke up, a deceptively happy smirk on her face for what she said next.

"If you don't keep up the pace, you will die. Now take us there at once. Guide me, Inmate!" Justine said, making Ren frown as he escorted the twins to the Gym. Once there, the twins gaped as they spoke up, Ren joining them after quickly changing into his gym clothes. As he joined them, Justine spoke up in shock.

"Oh, my. So this is a training area..." Justine said as Caroline blinked and spoke up.

"This is what you use to train? It's rather different from how I imagined it..." Caroline said as Justine nodded and spoke up.

"Indeed. I imagined the equipment here as having more spikes and chains..." Justine said, making Ren blink at her in surprise as Caroline gaped and spoke up.

"Hey, Inmate! What's that?" Caroline asked as Ren followed her gaze over to a bench press bench before he spoke up.

"That's a bench for bench presses, which is basically an upper-body workout." Ren explained. Caroline blinked and spoke up.

"That's a bench? Then show us how it works!" Caroline asked as Ren nodded, setting his usual amount of weight on the bar and starting to do bench presses, to the impressed gazes of Caroline and Justine, as the former spoke up.

"Aha..." Caroline said, clearly intrigued at the bench press as Justine spoke up.

"By lifting the weight, you strengthen your arm and chest muscles." Justine said as Caroline chuckled and spoke up.

"But that isn't nearly enough for a real workout-you should increase the weight." Caroline said as Justine did a closed-eye smile and spoke up.

"We will assist you with that." Justine said ominously. A short time later, the twins had fastened themselves to the weight as extra weight for Ren, as Justine spoke up.

"Now, you can train to your heart's content." Justine said as Ren frowned and spoke up.

"First of all, don't play with the equipment. Second of all, usually weight increases are done incrementally since trying to lift more than you can handle has been known to seriously hurt people. So I can't just be increasing the weight willy-nilly. I have to take it slow and gradually build up the max that I can press at once. Hence, why it's referred to as 'training'." Ren said. Justine frowned, mistaking Ren's rebuke as him saying the twins weren't taking it seriously as she spoke up.

"We're deadly serious right now. I'm insulted you would think otherwise." Justine said as Caroline smirked and spoke up teasingly.

"Well, it appears we've found the limit for your pathetic arms." Caroline said as Ren finished bench pressing while Caroline looked over in another direction and spoke up.

"Now, what's that over there? Another body training device?" Caroline asked Ren as Ren caught his breath in time for Justine to speak up.

"Demonstrate its use for us." Justine said as Ren followed the twins' gaze to see they were looking at a treadmill, shrugging as he went over to it, put it to his preferred settings and started jogging on it. Caroline looked at this and spoke up in understanding.

"Oh, I see-you run on it to improve your stamina and strengthen your legs." Caroline said as Justine nodded and spoke up.

"What a fascinating contraption. Perhaps we should bring one to our room?" Justine suggested as Caroline smirked and spoke up.

"Ah, indeed. We could force the imprisoned Personas to run on it. Heh, not a bad idea, Justine." Caroline said. She then saw a button and spoke up.

"By the way, what does this button do?" Caroline asked as she hit it, making Ren's eyes go wide as the speed increased, eventually finding himself sprawled out on the floor after being overwhelmed by how much Caroline inadvertently increased the treadmill's speed, making the twins frown at him as they walked over to him, Justine speaking up patronizingly.

"Out of breath already? You have quite a ways to go." Justine said as Caroline did a closed-eye smile and spoke up.

"Okay! All right, on to the next one!" Caroline said. After a bit of walking, they ended up next to a training dummy as Caroline spoke up in surprise and confusion.

"What is this bizarre object?" Caroline asked as Justine spoke up.

"Is that yet another tool for training?" Justine asked. At that point, a gym trainer walked up to the trio and spoke up.

"Hey, you interested in the wooden dummy? Hmm...normally I'd say it's not for beginners, but I did just see you really sweatin' it out, so...Here, I'll show you how to use it." The gym trainer said as Ren then started sparring the dummy as the twins watched, Caroline frowning as she spoke up.

"Hey, Inmate! Your footwork's sloppy!" Caroline said as Justine spoke up.

"Focus more clearly. Concentrate the power in your strikes, Inmate!" Justine said as this kept up until Ren eventually collapsed to the ground, catching his breath as the twins frowned at him, Caroline speaking up in disapproval.

'Was that really all? You couldn't even defeat a stationary wooden post..." Caroline said as Justine spoke up with a huff.

"Were we to try, it would be obliterated almost immediately." Justine said as Ren just focused on catching his breath while on the ground. After a bit, he spoke up.

"That's not the goal. The goal is to improve your technique and gradually build up your kicking/striking power. If you manage to get strong enough to destroy one of those, that's usually a sign that you're pretty well at a good level." Ren said. Caroline blinked as she spoke up.

"You weren't trying to destroy it? So the real purpose is to polish your technique...That's a pretty roundabout method, but I do see how it works." Caroline said as Ren eventually got to his feet and nodded as Caroline spoke up again.

"Hmm...As far as physical training goes, this place leaves much to be desired..." Caroline said as Justine smiled and spoke up.

"But it is admittedly sufficient for your rehabilitation. Here is your reward." Justine said as Ren got the 'Apt Pupil' and 'Counter' skill cards. At that point, Caroline spoke up.

"It's been said that a sound mind requires a healthy body...Don't complain! This has been yet another step towards your rehabilitation. Keep training yourself just as diligently, Inmate!" Caroline said as Ren nodded before escorting the twins back to the Velvet Room and heading back to Leblanc, where he smirked as he saw Kusa sprawled out in the sofa, Morgana curled up on his chest as the two dozed. Ren smiled at how cute they looked together before getting into his pajamas and laying down for the night...

(The next morning, on the walk to school with Ren, Morgana, and Kusa)

"Aw man, it's sooooo hot..." Ren and Kusa heard a guy in front of them complaining to his friend. The guy's friend then spoke up in an unconcerned tone.

"Who cares!? Did you catch the news report this morning about the mafia boss getting busted? Apparently, someone scattered calling cards all across Shibuya just before his arrest. Remember the Kamoshida scandal? They say the same thing happened, that someone left a calling card. Madarame too, if I'm not mistaken." The guy's friend said as the guy spoke up, both him and his friend ignoring the shocked Kusa and Ren behind them as he spoke.

"Do you think it's the Phantom Thieves? If so, I'm impressed. I can't believe they actually steal hearts!" The guy said as the rest of the walk proceeded uneventfully...

(Around that same time, at an unknown location with Sae)

"No matter how hard they looked, even our organized-crime department couldn't catch Junya Kaneshiro. And yet, he simply turned himself in-even confessed all his crimes. Maybe he's finally getting his conscience back and somewhat becoming the man I once knew again. Granted, it's too little, too late, since by this point it's doubtful he'll be out of jail anytime soon once he's sentenced. Ugh, The Phantom Thieves..." Sae said as she flashed back to the day that she and Makoto had had a discussion on this exact topic...

(Flashback, a few days prior, Sae's POV)

"Is it a crime to manipulate someone's heart?" Makoto had asked me. I blinked at the question before swallowing the bite I was on and looking at Makoto, a firm but intrigued look on my face as I spoke up to answer her question.

"Depending on the means, yes. He's absolutely right." I said to Makoto, who frowned at this and spoke up, her words both surprising and alarming me as it wasn't usually something she'd say.

"Even if it makes someone admit their evil deeds and helps make them pay for their crimes?" Makoto had asked as I frowned, but didn't really respond to the question...

(End flashback, back to neutral POV)

"Ugh, I hope she hasn't fallen under their influence...ugh." Sae said as she sighed to herself and kept working...

(In the Underground Walkway, with Akechi)

Akechi growled as he read the article about Kaneshiro's arrest, frowning as he spoke up.

"Ugh, The Phantom Thieves...Damn it!" Akechi swore as he realized that the Thieves were better than he'd given them credit for...

(Later that morning, in class with Ren, Ann, and Morgana)

"Okay, everyone! I heard the leader of the crime ring that was causing trouble in Shibuya got caught. It seems like some of our students had been victimized by them, so we can breathe easy for now. I'm thankful to the police for arresting the perp, even though they've done their job. By the way, 'perp' is police slang. You might have heard the stars in police procedurals say it. It's short for 'perpetrator'. Speaking of stars, can you answer this question, Amamiya-kun?" Usami asked Ren, who gave her his attention as he heard his name called. Usami spoke up, seeing that she had Ren's attention.

"Give me an answer! The sum of angles a through e is the same as the sum of interior angles of a certain shape-180 degrees. Do you know what that shape is?" Usami asked Ren. Ren frowned as he looked at the picture, not sure of the answer at first until he looked at the odd angle out, and blinked as he noticed a similarity to a certain shape as he spoke up, fairly sure he had the answer.

"This is it! The answer is a triangle." Ren said, not as confidently as usual, but still reasonably confident in his answer. Usami clapped approvingly as she nodded and spoke up.

"Very good! That is correct. The sum of interior angles of a triangle will always equal 180 degrees when it is planar." Usami said as the expected murmurs about how smart/intelligent Ren was ensued, complete with Morgana complimenting his intelligence, as Ren's Knowledge increased a bit. At that point, Usami spoke up again.

"By the way, there are rumors that the Phantom Thieves took down the perp this time-Kaneshiro. I remember their name with that bit on Madarame, as well as the incident in May. Is this a new urban legend? Anyway, please prepare for your tests starting Wednesday, and don't be distracted by rumors like that." Usami said as Morgana nodded and spoke up, smirking as he spoke.

"Yup! Looks like we succeeded in changing Kaneshiro's heart! A lot of people are talking about the Phantom Thieves too!" Morgana said as Ren nodded and the rest of class proceeded uneventfully...

(After school that day, in the hideout with Yusuke, Morgana, Ann, Ren, Kusa, and Ryuji)

"Hell yeah! Kaneshiro finally confessed! People've been makin' a huge deal of it since the police announcement!" Ryuji said as Yusuke frowned and spoke up.

"It's difficult to accept that the authorities are taking all of the credit for his arrest." Yusuke said as Kusa nodded and spoke up.

"Agreed, but to be fair Yusuke? What else are they supposed to do? It's not like anyone knows who the Phantom Thieves are to give them credit for it. Besides, as far as I'm concerned, everyone that's in the know knows EXACTLY who to give the real credit to, so I'm not that bothered by the authorities taking all the credit. Besides, we're still getting more notoriety regardless, are we not? So I'd say it's a win-win! We get more recognition, but without the extra fame to go to our heads. Well, MOST of our heads. I think some of us might just be hard-pressed to avoid letting fame go to their head regardless." Kusa deadpanned as Ann nodded and spoke up.

"Good point, Kusa. But at least people're going nuts about the Phantom Thieves online, though. Look!" Ann said as she showed the latest Phan-Site numbers as Ryuji grinned and spoke up.

"It's all comin' together for us!" Ryuji said happily as Yusuke spoke up, clearly surprised as he spoke.

"This is quite the turnaround. All of a sudden, people are expressing their long-standing belief in us." Yusuke said, making Kusa huff and mutter under his breath about 'fickle-minded sheeple' as Ann spoke up, taking the focus off of Kusa as she spoke.

"So this is why Makoto told us to post the calling card anywhere that might stand out." Ann said as Ryuji nodded approvingly and spoke up.

"Pretty smart move on her part. Oh...where is our amazing Miss President?" Ryuji asked. At that point, Ren's phone rang and Ren answered it.

"Hello?" Ren said as he blinked on hearing Makoto's voice on the other end, looking at Ryuji before looking back at the phone, shocked by the timing of that call as he listened.

"Hello? It's Makoto. Apologies, but I won't be able to join you today. I've been called into a meeting with the principal. There's no need to worry though. More importantly, there is a special on TV about the Phantom Thieves!" Makoto said as Ann, who had sat by Ren to listen in on the call, spoke up.

"HUH!? What did it say!?" Ann asked, making Kusa and Ryuji turn to face her in surprise. Makoto heard Ann and chuckled as she spoke up.

"They were talking all about our calling cards." Makoto said as Ann gasped and spoke up.

"For real!?" Ann asked as Makoto spoke up once more.

"Anyways, my apologies about today. I'll have to see you all another time." Makoto said as Ren nodded and hung up the phone, Yusuke choosing then to speak up.

"Who was that?" Yusuke asked as Ren spoke up.

"That was actually Makoto, believe it or not. I still think Ryuji caused that by talking about her, but I digress. Anyways, she was letting me know she wouldn't be able to join us today because Kobayakawa called her into a meeting for who knows why. She also told me about a special that's on TV about the Phantom Thieves. Apparently they're talking about our last few calling cards." Ren said as Kusa huffed and spoke up.

"Hopefully they're giving each their appropriate due, and not just lumping them all together like some people have done. No offense to Ryuji, but his calling cards and the one I did are really not on the same level as one another. And the last one was moreso me and Makoto than Ryuji, but he did help with it, so he gets credit for it too." Kusa said as Ryuji shrugged and spoke up.

"Really!? That's freakin' crazy!" Ryuji said as Yusuke spoke up.

"I hope all this excitement doesn't place us on the police's radar." Yusuke said as Kusa smiled, nodding approvingly at Yusuke's remark as he spoke up.

"Exactly, Yusuke! You're thinking smart, I see. I was thinking that same thing myself. And I doubt I have to point out how bad that would be for Ren, here, if that happened. Hell, I'm still surprised to this day that I wasn't also arrested with him that night, but apparently that bald-headed guy was feeling merciful since he only called for Ren's arrest, and not mine. No idea why he decided not to punish us both, but I'm just as glad he did." Kusa said. Ryuji spoke up, seemingly unconcerned by both Kusa and Yusuke's apprehension and unease as he spoke.

"It'll be fine! No way they'd find out about that weird other world!" Ryuji said, as Kusa frowned, warily remembering a key detail that he spoke up to voice to the others.

"That's assuming a certain someone doesn't tip them off about it. Or need I remind you that we're not the only ones who can understand Morgana, and thus theoretically have access to the Metaverse?" Kusa said, his remark confusing the group initially until Ren and Ann both simultaneously gave gasps of realization as the former spoke up.

"Right...You mentioned that Akechi can understand Morgana. So it's not out of the question that he knows about, and has probably been to, the Metaverse. So he could probably easily tip the authorities off to it if he so chose. Except, if he did that, and he's been there, he'd be screwing himself out of it, so I doubt he'd deny himself access to the Metaverse. So I think, if only because it serves his plans to do so, he won't tip the authorities off about the Metaverse." Ren said as Kusa nodded and spoke up.

"Ah, good point Ren. I forgot that it might be to his detriment to tip the cops off about the Metaverse, even if it would let him get one over on the Phantom Thieves. Still, I have to say, rather interesting that not long after both Madarame AND Kaneshiro told us about some guy in a black mask being able to use the Metaverse for their own purposes, we find out that Akechi can understand Morgana. Kind of sketchy timing there, I'd say." Kusa said as Ren, Ann, and Ryuji blinked while Yusuke spoke up.

"That's true Kusa. But, do you remember what the fake Kaneshiro said towards the end?" Yusuke asked as Ren nodded and spoke up.

"Yeah, the bit about that other Metaverse user...If we go by what Kusa just said, it seems likely Kaneshiro was referring to Black Mask, as we'll call them for now until we get their actual identity." Ren said as Ann nodded and spoke up.

"Yeah, he said we're not the only ones who are doing it..." Ann said as Ryuji shrugged and spoke up, still unbothered as he spoke.

"Eh, not gonna let it bother me. Far as we know, he was just pullin' that shit out of his ass." Ryuji said as both Kusa and Yusuke frowned, the latter speaking up.

"I hope that's the case." Yusuke said as Ryuji spoke up once more in a cocky sounding tone.

"Anyways, in your face, Akechi!" Ryuji said as Kusa reluctantly smiled at Ryuji snubbing Akechi as Ryuji kept speaking.

"Now whaddya wanna do about our next target!?" Ryuji asked as Kusa sighed before speaking up.

"Unfortunately, if any of you remembers that hot-pot party we had back when we first welcomed Yusuke to the team, I think we'll find our next target might well have been chosen for us. Or am I the only one who remembers who was revealed to have a Palace that day?" Kusa said, not really thrilled to bring up the discovery that Ren had unintentionally made while joking around. Ren blinked and spoke up, surprised to hear Kusa be the one to bring that up as he spoke.

"You mean your friend Taba, don't you? Remember Kusa, you yourself said we haven't the first clue of how to get her keywords! But, you might be right about her being the next target. But I say we let time tell the tale on that. If it's like the last three have been, we'll have what we need to know made apparent to us when the time's right. But I can understand why you'd be concerned about her having a palace. I'll admit I'd be worried too if it'd been Kasumi who'd had a Palace instead of your friend, but it is what it is." Ren said as Ann nodded and spoke up, smiling at Ren and Kusa as she spoke.

"Exactly! And don't get ahead of yourself, Ryuji." Ann said. She then did a closed-eye smile as she kept speaking.

"Still, people might expect a lot from our next move considering how excited they're getting." Ann said as Ryuji nodded and spoke up.

"We can't just pick any old schmo now." Ryuji said as Yusuke nodded and spoke up.

"There is no need to hurry though. Counting Kamoshida, we've claimed three consecutive victories, right?" Yusuke asked as Kusa frowned and spoke up.

"If by 'we', you mean myself, Ren, Morgana, Ann, and Ryuji, then yes we've claimed three consecutive victories. For you, you've only claimed two since you weren't on the team yet when we defeated Kamoshida. And Makoto's only on her first victory. So you and Makoto have a bit to go to catch up to the rest of us. Patience, my friend." Kusa said with a smirk. Yusuke nodded as he conceded that point as he spoke up again.

"Fair point. Either way, we should just lay low and wait for all this excitement to blow over." Yusuke said as Ann smiled and spoke up with another closed-eye smile.

"In that case, how about we have another celebration?" Ann said as Ryuji smiled and nodded his agreement before he spoke up.

"Good idea! We can make it a welcomin' party for Miss President too." Ryuji said as Kusa smirked and spoke up.

"Not gonna lie, Ryuji. I think that you and Makoto are cute together, but you really need to work on your pet names. Somehow, I seriously doubt that Makoto would want for 'Miss President' to be her pet name from you." Kusa said with an amused smirk. Ryuji shrugged as he spoke up.

"Eh, fair enough. By the way, that briefcase? It's pretty damn expensive! Let's sell it and drop the cash on our party!" Ryuji said as Morgana scoffed and spoke up.

"Wow...Seems like the 'lay low and wait' idea has gone completely out the window." Morgana said as Kusa nodded approvingly and spoke up.

"Indeed. However, I can't entirely fault him for wanting to show off for his crush. But I agree we could do so more subtly." Kusa said sagely. Ann smirked as she looked at Morgana with a closed-eye smile and spoke up, Kusa wincing at what Ann said next as she spoke.

"So we can count you out then, Morgana?" Ann asked Morgana, whose eyes went wide as he sputtered and spoke up, trying to save face with Ann.

"Uh...What are you talking about? I was just saying we should try and keep our party on the down low." Morgana said as Kusa chuckled, before subtly making a whip sound so only Ren and Ryuji could hear, the latter of which chuckled at the reference but said nothing, thus letting Kusa's subtle dig at Morgana go unnoticed by the not-cat in question. Ann giggled as she spoke up with another closed-eye smile, seeming happier as she spoke.

"That's the spirit! I'm gonna let Makoto know!" Ann said as she pulled her phone up to dial up Makoto. When Makoto answered, Ann spoke up.

"Hello?" Makoto asked as Ann spoke up.

"Hi, Makoto? There's something we forgot to tell you! So-Oh." Ann said, sounding vaguely disappointed. Yusuke frowned as she spoke up after Ann put the phone on speaker so the others could also hear what Makoto had to say as she spoke.

"Hello? I hope you remember we have finals next week. Yusuke and Morgana excluded, of course." Makoto said as Ren, Ann, and Ryuji winced while Kusa just nodded, knowing already about the exams since he and Yoshizawa had their class get tipped off to them in advance by Hiruta so they could prepare, which Kusa had of course done. Makoto then kept speaking at that point.

"If you wish not to stand out, you had best not get bad grades, okay? That is something I simply would not be able to overlook as student council president!" Makoto said as Kusa scoffed and spoke up, both amused and annoyed at the rebuke from Makoto.

"Yeah, yeah. You're student council president. We got that the first time, Makoto. If not for the fact that I doubt any of you have seen it for me to make this reference, I'd say you say that about as often as a certain someone on a cartoon reality show brags about being a CIT." Kusa said, not surprised when most of the others blinked at his remark, though to his surprise Ryuji chuckled at his reference and spoke up.

"Heh, truth Kusa! I'm not surprised you'd have seen that show too. Though I feel like that's a bit of an insult to compare Makoto to that character given how uptight and stuck-up the CIT in question usually is." Ryuji said, making Kusa blink at Ryuji in surprise.

"For real!? You watch Total Drama, Ryuji? That's surprising. And for the record, Makoto does have some common traits with the CIT I was referring to. But we'll leave that at that for now, since we're probably derailing the topic and I doubt Makoto has time to be distracted." Kusa said as Makoto spoke up approvingly at that point, her next words making Kusa's jaw drop in surprise that Makoto also had watched Total Drama.

"Well put, Kusa. And I'll overlook you comparing me to Courtney for now, since you're not wrong that she and I have some similar characteristics. But I am in the middle of a meeting, so I can't really say more than that on that subject. Anyways, for now, behave and concentrate on your studies. We can have fun once finals are over...Understood?" Makoto said as everyone else, aside from Kusa and Morgana, sweatdropped as Ryuji groaned in defeat as he spoke up.

"Urrrgh..." Ryuji said as Ann hung up the phone at that point...

(Around that same time, in the principal's office with Makoto and Kobayakawa)

"Care to explain?" Kobayakawa angrily demanded of Makoto once she walked into his office. Makoto nodded as she spoke up.

"I believe in what I wrote. 'The Phantom Thieves are just'." Makoto said as Kobayakawa spoke up again.

"Have you figured out who they are?" Kobayakawa asked Makoto, who shook her head as she spoke up.

"No, I'm nowhere close. However, after considering all the facts, I concluded there are no errors in their acts or principles. Thus, upon deeming them to be on the side of justice, I have decided to end my investigation." Makoto said as Kobayakawa sputtered at this and spoke up, disbelief clear to see on his face as he spoke up.

"But that's impossible!" Kobayakawa insisted stubbornly. Makoto frowned at this and spoke up.

"Impossible? May I see the evidence you have that leads you to believe so?" Makoto asked Kobayakawa, who sighed and tried a different tact to get her to see things his way.

"I was just speaking to the director of a prestigious college about your letter of recommendation too..." Kobayakawa said, figuring that threatening that would make Makoto capitulate. But he was sorely mistaken, as Makoto's next remark would prove, as she smiled and spoke up, doing a closed-eye smile as she spoke.

"There will be no need for that. I intend on getting into a good college by my own merit. Please excuse me." Makoto said as she turned on her heel and walked out of Kobayakawa's office, leaving him sputtering as Makoto left without looking back, yelling at where she'd been standing even though she was well out of earshot at that point.

"Hey, we're not done here!" Kobayakawa said as the door to his office snapped shut behind Makoto, making Kobayakawa sigh as he slumped in his chair. He then pulled out a phone and dialed a number, frowning as he heard the voice on the other end and spoke up.

"Sir, it's me. I apologize for bothering you like this..." Kobayakawa said as he listened to the voice on the other end before he kept speaking.

"About that..." Kobayakawa spoke up as the voice kept speaking, making Kobayakawa chuckle nervously as he kept speaking.

"Yes, I am making progress. However, I have stumbled upon some difficulties...Still, why would someone as important as you be interested in a petty case like this?" Kobayakawa asked, his eyes widening as he listened to the voice on the other end.

"N-No! That's not what I meant! I will investigate with all the resources available to me." Kobayakawa said as he listened to the voice on the other end before he spoke up again, frowning as he spoke.

"Of course...Um, I should be able to let you know relatively soon. Yes, I will bring good news...Well then, thank you for your-" Kobayakawa said as he got a dial tone as he was hung up on. Kobayakawa winced as he spoke up to himself.

"Dammit..." Kobayakawa said as he held his head in his hands...

(That evening, at the Niijima household, with Sae and Makoto)

"I'm home." Sae said as she walked in, seeing Makoto on the couch watching TV. Makoto turned to face Sae as she spoke up.

"Hi, Sis. You look tired...Is everything okay?" Makoto asked as Sae just nodded and spoke up.

"Don't worry about me. How about you, Makoto? Have you been keeping up with your studies?" Sae asked Makoto who nodded as she spoke up.

"Yes, of course. Though...what is the point of studying?" Makoto asked Sae, to her surprise. Sae blinked at this as she spoke up.

"What do you mean?" Sae asked as Makoto spoke up, a contemplative look on her face as she spoke.

"I was just wondering what will be waiting for me at the end...Even if I manage to push through tough entrance exams, I'm still thrust into a competitive society." Makoto pointed out as Sae frowned and spoke up, clearly not impressed with Makoto's point if her response was any indication as she spoke.

"What else is there besides success? Don't ask me such childish questions." Sae said as Makoto nodded, looking over at Kaneshiro who was on the TV at that moment and speaking up.

"Isn't that the man the Phantom Thieves sent a calling card for? I heard he confessed all his crimes." Makoto asked Sae, who sighed at the mention of Junya but nodded as she spoke up.

"Yeah. Even the police couldn't figure out why. It really...was out of nowhere. And especially considering I wasn't expecting it to be him of all people that was the Kaneshiro in question. But then I think we both know that Junya-kun's personality change came out of nowhere, almost as if he'd sold his soul to the mob for some reason. But I have a hard time believing that." Sae said as she frowned and kept speaking.

"This would only make sense if his personality changed...but that would be impossible. We both know that Junya was always set in his ways, and not the type to change his thinking easily, as I know all too well given how our relationship ended." Sae said, sighing as she flashed back to the day that Junya Kaneshiro had left her and Makoto's lives, seemingly for good...

(Flashback-a couple years previous, Sae's POV)

"Junya-kun? What's this about you being seen talking to members of the mob? I thought you wanted nothing to do with the likes of them?" I asked Junya, very worried about the rumors of the mob approaching Junya with a business offer. Junya looked at me pointedly as he spoke up, making me sigh as I wondered when the kind-hearted, sincere, selfless man that I once knew, or more simply put the man I had fallen in love with a couple years previous, had seemingly been changed into this more unscrupulous, ruthless and deviant man standing in front of me at that moment while hearing Junya speak.

"Frankly, Sae? I fail to see how that's any of your business. After all, with yours and Makoto-chan's father no longer with us, it basically falls to me as the de facto man of the house to keep the two of you safe, as he would have wanted me to do. And sometimes, doing such things comes with its' own forms of sacrifice. Besides, I think we both know playing the goody-two-shoes part is only going to get us so far in life. Maybe it might be time to dirty my hands a bit, for the sake of keeping you two safe." Junya said to me, making me frown as I spoke up, not able to believe what I was hearing and giving Junya a shocked look while I spoke.

"But by joining the mob!? You do realize that mine and Makoto's dad died fighting crime and putting people like that behind bars, right? Isn't working with them going against everything he stood for?" I asked Junya, who huffed and spoke up, giving me an unimpressed look while he spoke.

"Perhaps, but if it keeps you and Makoto-chan off their radar, does it matter if I have to compromise my principles a bit, if it means keeping you safe? After all, I promised not only you, but your father, that I would do everything in my power to keep you and Makoto-chan safe and happy when we got together. And I'd like to think I've done an admirable job of doing that thus far. I apologize if my way of doing so makes you uncomfortable, but I'm doing what I believe to be the best thing for the sake of you and Makoto-chan's protection! I hope you can see that in time, Sae. Because all I want is to keep you and your sister safe and happy." Junya said as he looked into my eyes, smiling at me, even though I frowned at him and spoke up.

"Be that as it may, Junya-kun, what you're doing is wrong! You know full well that mine and Makoto's father wouldn't have wanted either her or myself mixed up with the likes of the mob. So I'm sorry, but if you're so insistent on falling in with that sort of crowd, I'm not entirely sure if I want to be with a man who would basically sell not only his soul, but his very dignity and principles just to do what he perceives as protecting those he loves.

What's to say you wouldn't eventually use that justification to resort to things like murder, theft, and worse? No, I refuse to let myself, much less my 14-year old sister, be a party to that sort of lifestyle. So, what will it be? Will you cut ties with the mob? Or are you going to cut ties with myself and Makoto? It's your choice, Junya-kun!" I said at Junya, looking into his eyes, hopeful he'd see things my way.

But what he said next not only proved otherwise, but also shattered my heart in ways I never thought were possible, as he spoke up with a frown and a glare on his face, fixing me with a disappointed look while he spoke.

"Is that how you feel, Sae!? I would think you, of all people, would understand that once you're in something like the mob, there's no turning back. It's a life of service, or death. There is no other choice to be had when you join the mob. So I'm sorry, but if you're forcing me to choose, I cannot choose you, however much I want to. If I were to turn my back on the mob, what's stopping them from coming after all of us and killing us? So I guess that means this is the end for us. But remember this! One day, somehow, some way, I'll be back to win you back. I refuse to let this be the end for us, Sae!

But thinking about it, it's probably for the best we did this, since even if we hadn't had this talk, we'd have probably ended up at odds eventually anyways. So goodbye, Sae. Don't forget about us." Junya said as he frowned, got up, and walked out of the house Makoto and I shared without looking back, for what I had figured to be the last time. After Junya left, I realized he and I were over, and it had the result of making me shed a silent tear for the end of my first serious relationship. However, I made myself shake it off and resolved to do whatever I had to do to protect myself and Makoto...

(End flashback, back in the present with Sae and Makoto, neutral POV)

Makoto frowned at Sae as she crossed her arms and spoke up to ask a question, her words catching See by surprise.

"Why does it matter? The police still caught him in the end, right?" Makoto asked as Sae frowned and spoke up, her words both very pointed and very painful for Makoto to hear.

"I had plans set for a promotion, but no one can take credit for his arrest now with that confession. Not that a child would understand." Sae said as she turned around and left. Makoto frowned and spoke to herself after Sae left.

"So she was pursuing the case after all. Promotion? You've changed, Sis. And I'm not sure it's for the better. But, I'll be okay. I finally found a place where I can belong." Makoto said, smiling to herself as she turned her attention back to the TV...

(That evening at Leblanc, with Ren and Morgana)

As Ren walked into Leblanc that evening after his meeting with the others, Sojiro frowned as he spoke up.

"Ah, you're back! How're things going? You seem to be keeping on the straight and narrow so far, but just a bit of a heads up? That doesn't mean you can just slack off with summer on the horizon, got it?" Sojiro asked Ren, who nodded as his phone went off to signify a group chat with Ryuji, Ann, Kusa, Yusuke, and Makoto, with Makoto sending the first response.

"This reaction is incredible. I'm honestly shocked to see it." Makoto sent as Yusuke sent a response.

"It is only natural that people are surprised. Even the police were struggling to catch him." Yusuke sent as Ann sent a response.

"Yeah. By the way, you said you were called in by the principal? Did something happen?" Ann sent as Makoto sent a response.

"It was regarding my investigation of the incident with Mister Kamoshida. Don't worry. I didn't mention a word about any of you. I essentially told him I was unable to find any information." Makoto sent as Kusa and Ren sent responses close together, Ren's coming through first.

"Thanks so much, Makoto. Are you going to be OK though?" Ren sent. Makoto sent a response ahead of Kusa's response.

"I will. I've graduated from my role as the exemplary honors student. From now on, I'm going to be more honest with myself. It's quite a refreshing feeling." Makoto sent as Kusa's response came through.

"Riiight, you graduated from being an honors student, Makoto. If you say so. But anyways, how is it that now, a couple of months after we dealt with Kamoshida, we still manage to hear his name brought up in conversation? Sheesh! But more to the point, you really conducted yourself like a true professional in Kaneshiro's Palace, Makoto. As far as I'm concerned, you're one of us for the long haul, if you wish to be." Kusa sent as Ryuji sent a response at that point.

"Truth! So that said, what're you gonna do now Makoto? Wanna stay with the Phantom Thieves?" Ryuij sent as Makoto sent a response.

"That's my intention, assuming it wouldn't be any trouble." Makoto sent as Ren sent a response at that point.

"As far as I'm concerned, I agree with Kusa. You're one of us for however long you want to be. That said, welcome aboard." Ren sent. Ryuji sent a response.

"I agree with Ren and Kusa. It'd actually be a big problem if you didn't stick with us." Ryuji sent as Kusa smirked and sent a response.

"Oh yeah? Is that because you've gotten spoiled by being able to text her easily, Ryuji? Or is it because you'd be genuinely disappointed if she didn't stick around?" Kusa sent as Yusuke sent a response at that point.

"Either way, I think we should allow her to join us. It would be greatly convenient." Yusuke sent as Makoto chose that moment to send a response.

"Kusa, quit instigating! I find it rather charming and adorable that Ryuji's that used to having my presence be a fixture in these chats already. And if that means he has feelings for me, well we can deal with those later. For now, the important bit is that I'm one of the Thieves now. Well then, that said, I hope I can continue getting along with all of you." Makoto sent as Ren put his phone away, wisely not wanting any part of the likely text-fest between Kusa, Makoto, and Ryuji. Morgana then spoke up so only Ren could hear.

"An advisor, huh...? This new teammate of ours is pretty promising! We'll be able to do even more now!" Morgana said as Ren nodded. Ren then headed to the Velvet Room, where he used the 'Counter' skill card that he'd gotten to give his Phoenix the skill Counter, before speaking to the twins.

"What do you want, Inmate!?" Caroline said to Ren, who blinked as he spoke up.

"I was going to check on the status of my current stage of penal labor." Ren said warily as Caroline spoke up.

"What is it, Inmate? Need to check on your penal labor?" Caroline asked as Justine blinked and spoke up.

"Hm!? This presence...It would seem you have brought a Phoenix with 'Counter', just as we asked." Justine said as Caroline chuckled and spoke up as Ren had a seat on the floor of his Velvet Room cell.

"Heh...Very well. Your assignment's done." Caroline said as Justine spoke up.

"The Inmate has grown considerably since we first met him." Justine pointed out as Caroline crossed her arms and nodded as she spoke up.

"True...I guess we've gotta at least admit THAT much. Your Personas are starting to get pretty damn strong too." Caroline said as Justine blinked at this before speaking up.

"Is fostering Personas...truly rehabilitation?" Justine asked as Caroline frowned and spoke up.

"What're you saying that for?" Caroline asked Justine, who winced as she spoke up.

"It is merely a thought I had. Will the inmate truly be rehabilitated...if we help cultivate power within him?" Justine asked as Caroline frowned and spoke up rebukingly.

"Keep it together, Justine! This is the job our master ordered us to do. Orrr, are you gonna try and disobey your orders?" Caroline said as Justine frowned and spoke up.

"That is not what I meant..." Justine said as Caroline huffed and spoke up.

"Hmph! Don't worry yourself too much over one measly little prisoner. All we gotta do is get the most out of his wild card thing, and make him work hard at his tasks." Caroline said as Justine blinked and spoke up.

"Oh! The wild card..." Justine said in surprise as Caroline sighed and spoke up.

"What is it now?" Caroline asked as Justine spoke up.

"What is the meaning of this!? The more I consider this list, the stranger it seems. Its author must have known that the one carrying out these tasks would possess the power of the wild card..." Justine said as Caroline blinked and winced as she spoke up in surprise.

"Excuse me!? You've gotta be kidding me. How would somebody predict that?" Caroline said as Justine just frowned rather than reply. Caroline then kept speaking.

"I mean, even our master didn't know the inmate had that wild card thing before we met him!" Caroline said as Ren just kept listening, figuring his opinion wasn't wanted or needed, even as Caroline turned to him as she kept speaking.

"Hmph. Either way. this'll all get resolved if you just hurry up and finish your rehabilitation already! Justine, give him his next task so he'll quit talking back!" Caroline said as Ren frowned at this, as he hadn't said a word. Justine nodded as she spoke up at that point.

"Very well. It seems that it is time for us to be serious." Justine said as Ren nodded, feeling his bond with Caroline and Justine deepen. At that point, the 'Strength' card appeared in his mind's eye, the 'III' becoming a 'IV' to signify that his Strength Confidant link with Caroline and Justine, or the Twin Wardens, had reached Rank 4, but didn't reward any new skills for that rank up. After that, Justine kept speaking.

"Now, as previously mentioned, here is the second task you must complete before receiving your reward." Justine said as she kept speaking.

"Try to harbor a Setanta with Rakukaja within you. You only need speak with us once you obtain it. We will be able to tell if you did it or not. Farewell." Justine said as Caroline huffed and spoke up.

"Hmph. Go work up a sweat, Inmate!" Caroline said. Ren nodded, and after shuffling his Personas around a bit and doing some management, decided to go rank up Hifumi, fast-travelling to Kanda for just that purpose. Once he got there, he approached Hifumi and spoke up quietly.

"Good evening, Togo-san." Ren said politely, making Hifumi smile as she spoke up.

"Ah, good evening to you as well, Amamiya-kun. It's even hotter this summer. Do you remember our promise? You become my playing partner so I can research new moves. In order to do so, I would like you to start off by learning the basics of shogi. Would you like to play a match?" Hifumi asked. Ren nodded to Hifumi's question, ignoring Morgana as the not-cat spoke up to confirm Ren's plans. Hifumi smiled as she saw Ren nod.

"Well then, I look forward to this match." Hifumi said as Morgana spoke up.

"Well, I'm gonna walk around a bit. Let me know when you're ready to leave." Morgana said as Ren nodded and the not-cat padded off. After a bit, Hifumi spoke up.

"I'll start. Vanguard of my Togo Kingdom...go forth to the front lines! Trample upon them all! You think to protect yourself with that paltry defense? Hahaha...Useless! Awaken, dragon! Let your shadowy hellfire consume them all! Dark Inferno Rook!" Hifumi said as Ren winced as Hifumi kept slaughtering him. Hifumi then spoke up, an unreadable look on her face as she spoke.

"Can you hear them? The wailing of dying soldiers, echoing throughout the battlefield...With an incompetent king, a soldier cannot show his true bravery. Time for you to suffer!" Hifumi said as Ren sweatdropped. A short time later, an audible 'smack' could be heard as Hifumi moved a piece and spoke up.

"At last, everything is in place...My right hand trembles as I release my full power! CHECK! I summon forth the forbidden move that shall bring your end...Ultimate Excalibur Attack! ...Check." Hifumi said. A short time later, Hifumi winced as she spoke up, looking sheepishly at Ren as she spoke.

"Ah, I did it again..." Hifumi said as Ren gave her a confused look, prompting her to speak up more.

"It's an embarrassing habit I have. During a match, I, um...I tend to get very aggressive. It's as if I assume the role of a queen of a kingdom..." Hifumi said as Ren blanched slightly but nodded as he spoke up.

"I see. Well, that's certainly interesting, if nothing else, Togo-san. I can't really judge you for it, though, given you're not the first eccentric person I've befriended. And really, you're not even all that eccentric so much as you are moreso quirky and unique." Ren said after considering his response carefully. Hifumi blinked at this response before speaking up in shock.

"I-It is? You're a strange one, indeed. My father had me do image training exercises when I was younger, to help me learn the rules... I gradually began to view the shogi board as if it were my own kingdom. I had fun coming up with stories and strategies for my, um, subjects. However...I've heard that people make fun of me on the internet." Hifumi said as Ren looked at Hifumi in surprise as she kept speaking.

"People think that I'm weird, or that an otaku, or that I'm just crazy. I mean, I can't blame them for thinking that. Certainly, I think I'm weird too." Hifumi said as Ren frowned and spoke up.

"Have confidence in yourself, Hifumi. You're not the weirdest person I've met, by a wide margin. Between the fact that my younger brother calls our cat 'Sensei' at times, my friend Yusuke tends to get overeager with his art and often scares people with his mannerisms, and my other friends are a student council president, an ex-athlete turned bad boy and a former gossip/model, not to mention an ace detective and a quirky honors student, I can hardly say you're weird, Togo-san." Ren said honestly to Hifumi, who blinked slightly at the mention of Yusuke as she spoke up.

"Yusuke? As in Yusuke Kitagawa? I go to school with a guy by that name, though I don't know that much about him other than he's a widely-regarded up-and-coming artist who's had more than a few shares of scandal in his life. If so, it really is a small world we live in. That said, ignoring what you just said, your positivity is a welcome relief. I may be able to learn more from our matches than I had thought." Hifumi said as Ren nodded, sensing a deepening bond of trust from Hifumi.

At that point, the 'Star' card appeared in his mind's eye, the 'I' becoming a 'II' to signify that his Star Confidant link with Hifumi had reached rank 2, though no new skills were gained for ranking up. Afterwards, Hifumi kept speaking.

"That will do for today. Oh, there's something I need to mention..." Hifumi said as Ren stretched while she kept speaking.

"Do you read weekly magazines...?" Hifumi asked as Ren gave her a confused look, prompting Hifumi to keep speaking.

"Um, well, I'm doing a photo shoot for one." Hifumi said as Ren nodded and spoke up.

"To your earlier question, yes Yusuke's last name is Kitagawa and he goes to your school. Back on topic, I can see that's a big deal. However, I get the sense that you really don't want to do it, am I right?" Ren said. Hifumi blinked in surprise at the response, happily smiling and nodding as she spoke up.

"You're quite perceptive...I thought you'd be surprised if you saw it on the newsstand, so I wanted to let you know beforehand. In all honesty, I'm very reluctant to do it. But, if I can draw more attention to shogi, maybe the sport will become more popular. At least, that's how I'm justifying it to myself. I have an interview scheduled for tonight as well, so let's end here for today." Hifumi said as Ren nodded, feeling his Knowledge increase a bit from spending time with Hifumi. At that point, he stood to leave as Hifumi spoke up once more.

"Until next time! And until our next match, goodbye." Hifumi said as Ren nodded, bowing as he left to return to Leblanc. Once there, he got comfortable and laid down for the night, smirking as he saw Kusa curled up with Morgana, dozing off fairly quickly...

(Fast forward to the interrogation room with Sae and Joker)

"Don't be ridiculous! This new ally you gained was Makoto!? Just tell me the truth!" Sae said to Joker, who looked at her and spoke up.

"If you stop being in denial, I think you'll find that you already know the truth, Niijima-san." Joker said to Sae who sighed but couldn't refute that, as Joker wasn't wrong. She then frowned and spoke up.

"Makoto...That's preposterous. If what you say is true...Was Makoto also running from the police when you were arrested!?" Sae asked Joker who thought about it then spoke up.

"To be honest, I kind of don't want to say, if only because I feel that that's something you and her need to clear up between yourselves." Joker said. Sae nodded, accepting that as she spoke up, stroking her chin in thought as she spoke up.

"Now that I think about it, there were a lot of odd inconsistencies in Makoto's behavior that I noticed around that time, but had shrugged off as Makoto being a teen. Firstly, she did start talking a lot about the investigations from summer onward. And then, she started taking a much greater interest in my work after that. In hindsight, of course she'd be interested in it if she was gathering intel for you. Ugh! Makoto aside, you mentioned one other important detail. Did Kaneshiro really say there was someone using the Metaverse besides the Phantom Thieves?" Sae asked as Joker nodded. Sae then kept speaking.

"Those words could just be taken as you shifting blame to this other person, you know." Sae pointed out as Joker shrugged and nodded his agreement before he spoke up.

"I can't argue that, since you're not wrong. That said, take this how you will, Niijima-san. It is the truth, but I can't force you to believe it." Joker said sagely as Sae huffed and kept speaking.

"But why would you fabricate such an elaborate story and then shift the blame elsewhere? There are two possibilities. Either you've simply been trying to confuse me with your lies, or everything you've stated is true. Have you been telling me the truth from the very start?" Sae said to Joker who looked Sae in the eyes as he spoke up.

"Niijima-san, I've been telling you nothing but the truth. I have no reason to lie to you, do I?" Joker said simply. Sae blinked at this in surprise as she spoke up.

"Oh? Does that mean you're placing your trust in me? Oh, I suppose that's not surprising for you to do that in this situation, if you're telling the truth. But then again, I am investigating a 'thief who steals hearts'. Very well. No how absurd it may seem, I'll reevaluate my stance on believing you, for now. In return, speak the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. It's a fair deal, isn't it? Is that acceptable?" Sae asked Joker, who nodded as he registered that he'd made a deal with the elder Niijima sister. At that point, the expected voice chimed in in Joker's head.

"I am thou, thou art I...Thou hast acquired a new vow. It shall become the wings of rebellion that breaketh thy chains of captivity. With the birth of the Judgment Persona, I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to freedom and new power..." Joker heard as a new card appeared in his mind's eye, this one saying 'Judgment' on it, with an 'I' under the word 'Judgment', signifying that his newly forged Judgment confidant link with Sae Niijima had reached rank 1. However, this rank up gave no new skills. After that, Sae kept speaking, sighing as she spoke up.

"Ugh, we're running out of time. Let's move on to your next target. Actually, I should rephrase that-they targeted your group first, didn't they? The identity of your opponent...is this." Sae said as she spun the folder around so it was opened up to a picture of a green background on a picture with the word 'Medjed' on it with an at symbol in front of it. As Ren blinked at the picture, Sae spoke up.

"We have no pictures. Even their names and identities are unknown. If what you told me is true, then this 'Nav' thing wouldn't have worked in this case. How did you target them? Tell me everything." Sae said to Joker as he nodded and resumed telling the story, not really looking forward to this part, since it was a rather rough part, not just for the Phantom Thieves as a whole, but for Kusa in particular...

(Back in the present, the next day in the attic of Leblanc with Ren and Morgana)

"Hey, you're there, right? Come downstairs." Sojiro called upstairs to Ren who blinked while sitting on his bed, pondering his plans for the day as Morgana watched, both heading downstairs at that point. Once downstairs, Sojiro looked at Ren and spoke up.

"Hey, check the ingredients in the fridge." Sojiro said as Ren nodded, right as Sojiro's phone went off and he answered it.

"Hey, what's up? Huh? It's not right? ...Not cute? That was the one the staff recommended to me though...Won't that printer do?" Sojiro asked as he listened to the voice on the other end, frowning as he spoke up.

"Huh? It'll do, but it's not it? Ugh, okay...I'll be right over. Maybe I should've had Kusa go get the printer instead of me..." Sojiro said as he hung up the phone and turned to Ren.

"Ugh, this might take a while...I'm leaving the store to you. And before you ask, Kusa's at my house. So don't worry about him. Lock up for me if I don't come back." Sojiro said as Ren nodded and spoke up.

"Ah, so Kusa's hanging out with Taba again, I see. That said, got it Sakura-kun." Ren said. Sojiro blinked at Ren mentioning the nickname Kusa had apparently coined for Futaba, but then he recalled that Kusa had said Ren probably knew about Futaba to an extent, so he wasn't that surprised. Instead, he nodded gratefully and spoke up.

"I owe you one. Sheesh, what a handful that girl is at times." Sojiro said as he left to go deal with whatever came up as the news caught Ren's attention as he listened to it.

"...And that concludes the latest news on the suspect Kaneshiro. This case is said to be a result of the Phantom Thieves' actions, but what do you think?" The newscaster asked as a random pundit answered them.

"We don't know their methods, but I believe they are a menace that will threaten this law-abiding country. This dangerous group tampers with people's hearts. It's no different from brainwashing." The pundit said as the newscaster nodded and kept speaking.

"I see. You're absolutely correct." The newscaster said as the elderly customers that were having a meal in Leblanc noted the TV and the female spoke up.

"I wonder what's going on. Didn't this happen a little while ago too? Who was it again? You know, that famous artist..." The female said as the male nodded and spoke up.

"Ah, Madarame, was it?" The male said as the female spoke up once more.

"They punished those awful people, didn't they? The Phantom Thieves aren't at fault then." The female said as the male frowned and spoke up.

"Hmm, that may be true, but..." The male said as the female turned to Ren and spoke up, seeing him standing at the counter and wanting his opinion.

"Don't you think so too, deary? The Phantom Thieves aren't doing anything wrong, are they?" The elderly female asked Ren who spoke up with a smile.

"Of course they're not, ma'am. The Phantom Thieves, from what I've heard of them, only go after criminals for the most part." Ren said confidently. The elderly female smiled as she nodded and turned to the skeptical elderly male as she spoke up.

"See? Even he says that they're doing good. Oh my, look at the time. We should probably head home." The female said as the male nodded and spoke up.

"Ah, you're right." The male said before he turned to Ren and gave a grateful nod as he spoke up once more.

"Thanks for the drink." The elderly male said as Ren nodded and spoke up.

"You're welcome, sir. Come again." Ren said as the elderly couple left, leaving Ren alone in the cafe as he finished the dishes...

(Around the same time in the SIU Director's office with the SIU Director)

"Yes. I've received the reports on Kaneshiro's case. But to think the Phantom Thieves would honestly attempt an absurd idea like social reform..." The SIU Director said as he listened to a voice on the other end of the phone, smiling as he kept speaking.

"..You're absolutely right. I'm not pleased about the general public's support of them either. There's also the danger of the Metaverse being exposed with their continued actions..." The SIU Director said before going quiet as he listened to the voice on the other end for a bit before speaking up once more.

"Actually, there is one countermeasure he brought in that seems usable. It involves having the Phantom Thieves destroy themselves without our direct intervention..." The SIU Director said as he walked over to the window while he kept speaking.

"We'll set things up so that those mental shutdown occurrences are their doing." The SIU Director said as the voice on the other end spoke up making him smile and nod as he spoke up once more.

"Ah, I thought as much. I had a feeling it was too brutal for it to be his own idea. Still, to think you'd go through such elaborate detail to crush them...Their actions must be that much of an eyesore for you. I sympathize with what you're going through. Well then, we'll clean this up quickly and put it behind us. Yes, a grand undertaking like social reform is beyond a group such as the Phantom Thieves. Only a select few are worthy of changing of the world. And who better than the future Prime Minister...sir?" The SIU Director said, chuckling evilly as he looked out the window...

(Back at Leblanc with Ren and Morgana)

Ren frowned as his phone rang, seeing that it was Ryuji. He answered it.

"Hello?" Ren asked as Ryuji spoke up at that point.

"Hey, it's me! Where you at? Whatcha doin'?" Ryuji asked Ren, who frowned as he spoke up.

"I'm at Leblanc, watching the cafe while Coffee Daddy handles some things away from the store, and Kusa's off helping him. Why do you ask?" Ren replied. Ryuji smiled and nodded as he spoke up.

"Gotcha! We're gonna come over right now about the you-know-what. Seeya!" Ryuji said as Ren hung up and finished cleaning up the cafe, right as Ryuji and the others walked in and Ryuji spoke up.

"Sup? We're here to hang out." Ryuji said as Ann spoke up with a frown.

"Odd, I thought Kusa would be here as well, but that's not a big deal. And that's not why we're here, Ryuji! We need to study for finals! Kusa can probably do that just fine on his own!" Ann said. Makoto sighed as she spoke up, frowning as she spoke.

"Ugh, why am I here too?" Makoto asked as Ryuji smirked as he spoke up.

"You're here to help and look pretty. No, but for real, you're one of us now, so of course you gotta help us. We're in trouble if you don't teach us, you know?" Ryuji said as Ren frowned and spoke up.

"While that is true to some extent Ryuji, weren't we getting along fine between studying off each other and having Kusa chime in where he could to help out? But I will say it's nice having Makoto here. The more the merrier. And even though I don't need to study, I'll join in as well." Ren said. Ryuji smirked as he spoke up.

"Ohoho, oh, I'll hold you to that! Wanna see who gets the higher test scores?" Ryuji challenged Ren who just smirked and nodded as he spoke up confidently.

"Is that even a challenge, Ryuji?" Ren said smugly as Ann sighed and turned to Makoto as she spoke up.

"Let's just leave those guys be, and study as best we can while they have their metaphoric pissing contest." Ann said as Makoto sighed and spoke up.

"I couldn't ask the last time I was here, since the owner was here. But what is this place? The storekeeper doesn't seem to be around, so I think it's safe for me to ask about it now." Makoto said as Ryuji spoke up.

"It's where Ren here, as well as Kusa, who's not here for now, lives." Ryuji said as Makoto blinked at this as Ryuji nodded and kept speaking.

"Ren's got complicated circumstances behind his coming here to live with Kusa." Ryuji said before turning to Ren as he kept speaking.

"We can tell her about it, right? Actually, tell her yourself." Ryuji said as Ren spoke up, realizing Makoto didn't know about his and Kusa's circumstances and deciding to fill her in to some extent on it while he spoke.

"Okay, so to simplify things, I'm on probation because I chose to step in to save a woman from being violated by some drunken asshole a few months ago. Kusa, who was there with me at the time, somehow managed not to get into trouble, but was still ordered to come along to oversee me, probably as the court's way of getting him out of the way and subtly punishing him for his part in that night's events, even if they couldn't actually pin anything concrete on him to charge him as well. Add that to Sakura-kun inviting Kusa and I to live in the attic here, as well as the two of us agreeing to take in Morgana here, and there you go. Our circumstances, in a nutshell." Ren explained, as Makoto gasped and spoke up.

"That's...That's terrible..." Makoto said as Ryuji nodded and spoke up.

"Ann, Yusuke, and me are pretty much the same too. I mean, it's not as bad as this guy's though. And from what Kusa said, apparently he used to be the captain of his old school's martial arts team before he was ordered to come here, so he had to give that up, plus apparently some cushy social life he'd built for himself, to come oversee Ren. But he doesn't really seem to complain about it all that much.

But if you ask me? I think that's because he's managed to make a fairly niche life for himself here, between us and his apparent friendship, which I maintain is probably more than that, or going to be, with Boss' daughter, who he apparently befriended by chance when going to Boss' house once on an errand. There's just something we can't ever put up with. That's why we all became Phantom Thieves." Ryuji said. Morgana frowned as he spoke up.

"Hey, don't forget me!" Morgana said indignantly as Ryuji chuckled and spoke up.

"I know, I know. We're all part of this team. By the way, Makoto, ain't there someone you can't forgive either? Like, a heart you wanna change?" Ryuji asked Makoto, who blinked at the question but did a closed-eye smile as she spoke up to answer.

"That's a secret." Makoto said as Ryuji smirked and spoke up.

"Ooh, there's someone like that? You could just tell us, you know. You don't gotta be so cold." Ryuji said as Makoto frowned and glared at Ryuji before she spoke up.

"That aside, do you have ANY intention of studying for the exams?" Makoto asked, as the door of Leblanc opened up and a familiar voice spoke up with a smirk as he saw the group gathered in Leblanc while he spoke.

"Knowing Ryuji? Probably not. But the fact you agreed to come to a study group like this is probably even more surprising to be honest, Makoto." Kusa said as he walked in. Ryuji frowned as he looked at Kusa and spoke up.

"I hate when you can read me that easily, Kusa. But, you're also not wrong. That said, not really." Ryuji said as Kusa went upstairs to set his bag down before walking back down to join the others, figuring he'd join in on the group study session. Makoto smirked as she spoke up, taking advantage of Ryuji's response a bit as she spoke.

"So it's fine if I leave then?" Makoto asked as Ryuji hung his head and spoke up.

"No, no, I'm just joking! Please teach us." Ryuji said humbly as Kusa laughed and spoke up.

"Nice save, Ryuji. Way to not drive off your Senpai." Kusa joked with a light smile. The group then sat down at a table together to study, minus Kusa, who sat at the next table over to study, since the table the others were at was full, but he got a seat behind Ren and Ryuji so he could watch the others over their shoulders if he so chose. Makoto then spoke up after a bit.

"Hmm, what was this term? It's 'phobia', so it's a fear of some kind..." Makoto said as Ann spoke up.

"I think it's a fear of open spaces. You don't hear it that often, though. Leave vocabulary and long sentences to me. I suck at proper grammar, though..." Ann said as Kusa spoke up, smirking as he spoke.

"Do you, though? Somehow, I don't really hear you using bad grammar all that often, Ann. But maybe I don't pay enough attention to hear you do so either." Kusa said with a smirk. Ryuji chuckled as he spoke up.

"Truth, Kusa! Ugh, even if we study English, it's not like I'm gonna use it in the future." Ryuji said as Morgana frowned and spoke up, chuckling as he spoke.

"When it comes to you, your Japanese is questionable too." Morgana said as Kusa gave Morgana a warning look as he spoke up.

"Be nice, Morgana. Is it really Ryuji's fault that he's an idiot most of the time? But even then, and as much as he annoys me at times with his buffoonery, he's still OUR street-wise, cool idiot." Kusa said sagely as Ryuji frowned but then laughed as he spoke up.

"Truth! Also, aw shuddup Morgana!" Ryuji said with a slight pout, ignoring the sounds of Makoto and Ann giggling at him pouting. Ann then frowned as she looked at one of the questions.

"Ugh, 'Explain the writer's feelings...?' What point is there in that?" Ann asked as Ryuji whined and groaned as he spoke up.

"Ugh, it's impossible! I can't memorize all these formulas...Ain't there a good way of cheatin'?" Ryuji asked as Kusa frowned and spoke up.

"Ryuji, you're not allowed to cheat. Besides, a real thief doesn't cheat. Cheating is the absence of honor." Kusa said bluntly. Makoto and Morgana nodded approvingly to Kusa's rebuke of Ryuji, before the former spoke up.

"Why don't we take a break?" Makoto suggested, getting approving nods from Ren, Kusa, and Ryuji, and even Ann, as the group stopped for a bit to look at the TV, where a news report was playing.

"...And that was the follow-up report on the suspect Kaneshiro. Now, Akechi-kun..." The group heard, all blanching at the mention of Akechi as they kept listening to the TV.

"This case is said to be the result of the Phantom Thieves' actions, but in actuality, is this true?" The newscaster asked Akechi who looked at him as he spoke up.

"Considering how a calling card was scattered about, I believe there's no mistaking that. The question is what the Phantom Thieves actually did. If they tampered with a suspect's heart, it casts doubt on the authenticity of any confession." Akechi said, making both Kusa and Ryuji glare at the TV as the newscaster spoke up at that point.

"So then, by tampering with hearts, the Phantom Thieves are fabricating crimes that may not exist?" The newscaster asked Akechi, who nodded as he spoke up.

"We can't deny the possibility. There's no doubt that the Phantom Thieves are exposing hidden injustices in society. However, if this is done by sidestepping the law, their way of thinking is very dangerous." Akechi said as the newscaster blinked and spoke up.

"So in a way, they're outlaws." The newscaster said, as both Ryuji and Kusa gaped at that, the latter's eyes narrowing as the group kept watching the TV while Akechi spoke up.

"Yes. They're no different than the criminals they target. This cannot be overlooked." Akechi said as the newscaster nodded and spoke up.

"I see." The newscaster said as the group turned away from the TV and Ryuji spoke up.

"Oh, really? Who's Akechi think he's kiddin' with that crap? 'I see.', my ass! Why the hell're we bein' treated as the bad guys?" Ryuji asked as Kusa frowned and spoke up.

"Probably because Akechi's such an insecure, condescending, and salty jackass that he'd do whatever he had to do in order to try and get the public back on his side after they started roasting his ass. And to be honest, he'd best watch himself in case he finds himself getting wrecked by us. Screw Akechi and his stupid effing face, anyways." Kusa said huffily, crossing his arms as he frowned and Ann spoke up while Ryuji chuckled at Kusa calling Akechi a jackass.

"I get how you feel Kusa, but just let them say whatever they want. More people are starting to understand that what we're doing is right, after all." Ann said as Kusa spoke up.

"Yeah, for now at least. But how long will that last, I wonder?" Kusa said with a frown as Ryuji spoke up.

"Who knows? All I know is that when I'm walkin' around in town, I hear a lot more people talkin' about us too. And the forum's full of hype! Do you think we made it big time?" Ryuji asked as Morgana frowned and spoke up dismissively.

"Don't get pompous over dealing with some street thug. Save it for after we deal with a bigger target." Morgana said as Ryuji nodded and spoke up.

"Fair enough We just gotta take down a bigger one, yeah? That was the plan from the start, anyways!" Ryuji said as Makoto spoke up.

"True, it may be best if we start thinking about it." Makoto said as Ryuji grinned, nodding as he spoke up.

"I bet we'll find one in no time. The wind's blowin' in our direction and everything! I feel like we won't lose to anything right now." Ryuji said as Makoto nodded and spoke up.

"Well, we'll decide on that eventually. We need to overcome our exams first. Now then, break time's over! Let's get back to-" Makoto said as Ryuji interrupted her by speaking up, smirking as a thought occurred to him while he spoke.

"That reminds me-the celebration party. Weren't we gonna do it after exams?" Ryuji asked. Makoto nodded warily as she spoke up.

"Yes, I believe so." Makoto said uncertainly as Ryuji nodded, grinning as he spoke up.

"Where should we go? I feel like I'll study better if I got something to look forward to." Ryuji said as Morgana spoke up.

"The last one was a buffet at a hotel. We haven't gone anywhere since." Morgana said as Kusa frowned and spoke up.

"Be fair, Morgana-sensei. We've only had two celebrations so far. And the other one we came here for so we could share hot-pot together. Also, screw that buffet! Between those rude asswipes that accosted Ann, plus the douchebags that Ren and Ryuji ran across that day with Morgana, I don't have any desire to go back there anytime soon." Kusa pointed out as Yusuke blinked at the mention of the buffet and spoke up in surprise.

"Hm!? A buffet!?" Yusuke said as Kusa spoke up, realizing as he spoke that Yusuke hadn't been part of the team when they went to the buffet previously.

"That was before you joined us, Yusuke. Perhaps we can make the next celebration another food trip." Kusa said as Ann spoke up.

"I like that idea! Where would be good?" Ann said before her eyes widened slightly as she had an idea while she kept speaking.

"Hey, what about fireworks? A fireworks festival!" Ann said as Ryuji did a closed-eye grin as he spoke up.

"Oh yeah, it's that season, huh!" Ryuji said excitedly as Makoto did a closed-eye smile of her own and spoke up.

"That sounds good to me." Makoto said as Kusa nodded before speaking up.

"I concur, fireworks sound quite lovely. Assuming, of course, that Ren's luck doesn't find a way to screw said fireworks up. Because with all respect to Ren, his luck is such that when it flips, it flips hard. And Ren's had quite a large stroke of good luck recently, in the form of his continued success with Yoshizawa, so I feel like his luck is about due to shift the other way to some extent, though naturally I'm not rooting for it to do so, for the record. I'm just noting what my experience with it tells me." Kusa said sagely. Ren frowned as he spoke up.

"Shut up, Kusa! You say that like your luck hasn't screwed you over before. Or need I point out our current situation as an example of that?" Ren said simply as Kusa just nodded.

"Fair enough, Ren. I'll give you that one, since you're right. But I'd like to think it's gotten rather better recently, between meeting the others and moreso meeting Taba." Kusa said with a smile as Yusuke spoke up with a slight smile.

"It's hard to ignore a buffet, but I'll take the beauties of summer. Still, I demand that we feast during the festival as well." Yusuke said as Morgana did a closed-eye smile and spoke up.

"Do you guys own a yukata? Will you wear a yukata!?" Morgana asked as Ren and Kusa winced, having both left their yukata at home due to how hurried their packing to come to Yongen had been. Ryuji then turned to Ren and spoke up.

"Doesn't a fireworks festival sound good? You think so too, right Ren?" Ryuji said as Ren nodded and spoke up.

"It is a great idea. However, there's the small detail of the fact that neither myself nor Kusa packed our yukata when we packed our things to move here. Additionally, I don't know if either you or Yusuke own a yukata to speak of. I can't speak for Ann or Makoto, however." Ren said to Ryuji, who shrugged before Kusa shook his head and spoke up.

"While you're correct Ren, I likely won't be able to make it to that festival anyways, unless it's scheduled for sometime around the end of the month, since Sakura-kun actually asked me to go stay over at his place once finals are over for a few days earlier. Apparently, Taba's having some sort of issue going on that she needs moral support for, so he figured I'd be the best choice to ask to stay with them and help give Taba moral support. As if he has to ask. I'd have done so regardless. But if it's not before like the 24th, I might be able to make it. We'll see." Kusa said. Ryuji did a closed-eye grin and nodded as he spoke up eagerly.

"All right, fireworks festival it is! Let's look for a good one!" Ryuji said, completely ignoring what Kusa had said. Makoto nodded as she spoke up, having heard Kusa's remark.

"Fair enough, Kusa. I'm sure we can set the festival for the 24th, so you can be there too. That said, study comes first, though. I won't let you off if you fail any of them. Are we clear?" Makoto asked as Ryuji blanched at her tone and spoke up while Ren and Kusa nodded, both smirking at the look on Ryuji's face as Ryuji spoke.

"Y-Yes, ma'am..." Ryuji said as the group kept studying...

(Meanwhile, in Futaba's room with Futaba)

"All right, fireworks festival it is! Let's look for a good one!" Futaba heard as she listened in on the group's conversation, frowning as she heard Makoto speak up next.

"Fair enough, Kusa. I'm sure we can set the festival for the 24th, so you can be there too. That said, study comes first, though. I won't let you off if you fail any of them. Are we clear?" Makoto could be heard saying to Ryuji. Futaba smirked as she listened to the next part.

"Y-Yes, ma'am..." Ryuji could be heard saying as Futaba smirked and chuckled to herself in amusement as she spoke up.

"Hmph, mwehehe! That boy is so whipped, it's not funny. And I didn't know asking Kusa to hang out here for a few days would make him miss hanging out with his friends? Oh, well. At least he's there for me, so that's something, I guess." Futaba said as she kept working at her laptop...

(Later that evening, with Ren, Kusa and Morgana)

"Fireworks and yukatas? Guess it's that time of the year." Morgana said as Ren nodded, before his phone went off, signifying a private chat with Mishima.

"Hey, so there's this dangerous, almost psychotic blog I found that hasn't ended up on the forum yet...'I'll kill him. I'll kill him. I'll kill him.' That's all it says. Rumor has it she's talking about her boyfriend." Mishima said as Ren sent a response.

"Sounds pretty dangerous to me, plus this girl sounds unstable in the head in my opinion." Ren sent. Mishima then sent a response.

"Yeah, it seems like she'll do something real bad someday, right? And, it gets even worse. As it turns out, she's a Shujin student. You know a girl named Yumeko Mogami? She's always up near the classrooms on the second floor...Please, you have to do something before things get worse!" Mishima sent as Ren put his phone away before Morgana spoke up.

"Oh! Heheh! This is a good opportunity for us! Kaneshiro's change of heart has probably opened up some deeper parts of Mementos. Let's make some time and talk about it at the hideout." Morgana said as Ren's phone went off to signal the receipt of a new request, titled 'The Lovesick Cyberstalking Girl'. After that, Kusa spoke up.

"Well, since your day pretty much got taken up by all those studying shenanigans that Ryuji put us all through, and it seems we're not able to leave Leblanc for the night, what's the plan Ren?" Kusa said as Ren spoke up.

"I think I'm going to go see what books I have to read, and probably read a book. Besides, I think I recall you said Sakura-kun asked you to go stay with him and Futaba for the next few days, so you might be leaving with him." Ren said as Kusa shook his head in the negative before speaking up to explain.

"No, not tonight I'm not. I was invited to hang out with Sakuta-kun and Taba for a few days, but not until after finals. Sakura-kun made it clear he didn't want me thinking I could use that invite to dodge having to go to school." Kusa said sagely as Ren nodded and spoke up.

"Aha, I see. That makes sense. In that case, you can either spend some time with Morgana, or you can watch the first half of 'ICU', since I watched part of it the other night with Morgana." Ren said as Kusa nodded, the two going about their respective tasks, Ren going downstairs and pulling out his copy of 'Wise Men's Words' to read it as Sojiro nodded approvingly and spoke up.

"Good, make something of yourself, Ren. All right, I'm headin' home. Make sure you and/or Kusa lock up." Sojiro said as Ren nodded obediently while Sojiro left. At that point, he started reading from 'Wise Men's Words.'

"Excellence is not the result of a single action, but of habit." Ren read as Morgana frowned and spoke up.

"Mmm...Is this philosophy? I"m not sure if I like this writer. He seems a bit condescending..." Morgana said as Kusa chuckled at hearing that, having come downstairs to make himself some popcorn for while he watched the first half of 'ICU' to get caught up to Ren and Morgana. Kusa spoke up as he made his popcorn, unable to resist making a dry quip when he heard Morgana mention the word 'condescending' while he spoke.

"Condescending, you say? I wonder if Akechi wrote that book?" Kusa joked as Ren and Morgana blinked at this before both shrugged as the latter spoke up.

"I don't think so, Kusa, but it's possible. That said, you still got time to read, Ren. Let's go a little further." Morgana said as Ren nodded and kept reading, while Kusa headed back upstairs, popcorn in hand, to get caught up to Ren and Morgana on 'ICU'.

"In your search for truth, ask your own questions. And then, find your own answers." Ren read. A short time later, Ren smiled as he looked at the back cover of 'Wise Men's Words', having finished the book. Morgana smirked as he spoke up.

"So, what're your thoughts? I see you've finished reading 'Wise Men's Words'. I wonder if these old philosophers had many friends? They're always talking to people, but I dunno how many of those people were actually friends with those philosophers. At any rate, reading about different ways of thinking must have made you smarter." Morgana said to Ren, who nodded as he felt his Knowledge get a sizable boost. Morgana then nodded as he spoke up.

"Well, I guess we should go to bed. Staying up too late isn't healthy, you know." Morgana said as Ren nodded, the two heading upstairs right as Kusa finished watching ICU. Kusa nodded as he spoke up, smiling at Ren.

"Have fun reading?" Kusa asked Ren, who nodded as the two got ready for bed and got laid down, Morgana smiling as he curled up on Kusa's chest as the three went to bed for the night...

(The next morning, between trains to school with Ren, Kusa and Morgana)

Kusa and Ren got off the first train, and as they prepared to change lines, Kusa groaned slightly as he saw Akechi walk over and do a closed eye grin as he greeted Ren, seemingly ignoring Kusa as he spoke.

"Ah, Amamiya-kun the elder. What a refreshing morning. How are you doing? I didn't expect the Phantom Thieves would suppress a man that even the police had trouble with. The fact they have so much support online is worrisome. I'm in a bind since I previously denounced them. All the interviews these days ask me about that." Akechi said as Kusa smirked and spoke up, unable to resist taking a cheap shot at Akechi as he spoke up.

"I see. No offense Akechi-kun, but maybe it's time for you to accept you were wrong about the Phantom Thieves? After all, I'm sure a public apology and recanting of your previous stance on the Phantom Thieves could go a long way in making people stop denouncing you. Assuming, of course, you can swallow your pride enough to do that. Also, a smart guy like you should know to pick your battles, surely?" Kusa said as Akechi nodded, reluctantly conceding that Kusa had raised a lot of excellent points in his response as he spoke up.

"Those are all fair points, Amamiya-kun the younger. Still, can we really say the Phantom Thieves are on the side of justice with just this example?" Akechi said as Ren frowned at Akechi's question and spoke up.

"Huh? What do you mean, Akechi-kun?" Ren said, frowning slightly at Akechi's remark. Akechi kept speaking, intrigued by Ren's reaction as he spoke.

"I was originally investigating the mental shutdown incidents. People change suddenly and cause strange accidents or horrible crimes...Don't you think it's similar to the change of heart that the Phantom Thieves are doing?" Akechi asked as Ren shrugged and Kusa spoke up.

"Not really. For one, the Phantom Thieves haven't caused mass property damage or loss of life with their actions, unlike these psychotic breakdowns. Secondly, unlike the Phantom Thieves, the psychotic breakdowns have targeted only innocent people as far as I'm aware. So I feel like the two are in no way connected to one another, and your logic to say so is tenuous at best, Akechi-kun." Kusa said confidently as Akechi winced and spoke up with a frown.

"Perhaps. But now that I think about it, their actions mirror the mental shutdown cases, with the rate of victims. It's impossible not to see a connection there. Ah, sorry. I don't want to make you two late. I'll see you both again, I'm sure." Akechi said as he walked off and Ren and Kusa kept moving...

(On the second train to school, with Ren, Kusa and Morgana)

"Mmm...Ngh, it's even more packed than usual today." Morgana said as Ren and Kusa listened to the Train News. The main headlines were Kaneshiro's arrest, an update on a previous incident that had accrued a new fatality in the form of the driver of the train, and an advertisement for a summer fireworks show on the 18th, unfortunately for Kusa. Morgana spoke up at that point.

"I see...Thanks to Kaneshiro spilling the beans, that organization is falling like a house of cards. Hehehe...We're getting more and more famous!" Morgana said as Ren nodded, the train ride to school proceeding in silence...

(That morning in class, with Ann, Ren and Morgana)

"Good morning! Tests are coming up. Everyone studying? I know some of you rely on all-nighters, but I can't recommend it. That really messes up your information retention. Oh, speaking of! Do you guys know the difference between short-term and long-term memory? The simple answer is that short-term memory's more temporary. Contextual. But long-term memories stick with you. In the short-term, you're working with a hard limit.

You retain only...six, maybe seven pieces of information. But your brain's capacity for long-term memory is huge. It might even be infinite, according to some theories. Okay, so...Amamiya-kun! How about you? What do you make of this?" Maruki said as Ren looked up on hearing his name to give Maruki his full attention as Maruki kept speaking.

"Short-term memories only stick with you for seconds at a time. That said, how long do you think you can retain long-term memories?" Maruki asked as Ren frowned, pondering that as Morgana spoke up so only Ren could hear.

"Umm...So he wants to know how long you keep long-term memories, huh? This is a tricky one. What is long-term memory, anyway?" Morgana asked Ren who frowned and spoke up so only Morgana could hear.

"By definition, long-term memories are memories that last a long time, as well as memories of your whole life, however far back you can remember." Ren said as Morgana nodded.

"Yeah, it was something like that! So anyway, you keep them for a long time. The question is, how long. Maruki mentioned something about the aount of memories you could store, right? Something like..." Morgana said as Ren finished up Morgana's thought so only he could hear.

"Infinite." Ren said with a nod. Morgana nodded as he spoke up with a closed-eye smile.

"Yeah! If you theoretically infinite space for them, then theoretically, you'd be able to retain them for..." Morgana said as Ren blinked, realizing the answer to Maruki's question as he spoke up to finish Morgana's thought so only Morgana could hear.

"Forever." Ren said. Morgana did another closed-eye smile as he spoke once more.

"Yeah. I think so too. So that's it. Long-term memories will never really fade away!" Morgana said as Ren nodded before speaking up confidently.

"This is it! The answer is that you can retain long-term memories forever." Ren said confidently. Maruki smirked and nodded, clapping approvingly as he spoke up.

"That's right! I'm impressed! Basically, stuff encoded into your long-term memory never really goes away. Short-term memories become long-term memories through reiteration. It'd be great if you could encode all the test answers to long-term memory, huh? Ah well. Can't always get what you want." Maruki said as the usual murmurs about Ren's intelligence ensued. Morgana spoke up with a smile.

"Nice going, Ren! You're on a roll today!" Morgana said as Ren nodded, his Knowledge going up slightly. At that point, Maruki spoke up once more.

"But at least you've got summer break once the exams are over! So do your best to study, okay?" Maruki said as Morgana spoke up so only Ren could hear.

"Yeah, memories never really go away...That means I'll remember my past eventually, right...?" Morgana said as Ren shrugged...

(That afternoon, still in class with Ren, Ann and Morgana)

Ren and Ann's phones went off to signify a group chat with Ryuji, Kusa, Yusuke and Makoto, with Ryuji sending the first response.

"7/18. Marine Day. Finals end on the 16th, so that should be good, right?" Ryuji sent as Kusa sent a response.

"If that's in regards to the fireworks festival, I won't be able to go if it's that day, since Sakura-kun has me going to stay with him and Futaba the day the exams end for around a week, so if you do the festival on the 18th, I won't be able to go unless I leave Taba on her own to go, and I'm not doing that." Kusa sent as Yusuke sent a response.

"What are you talking about, Ryuji?" Yusuke sent as Ryuji sent a response.

"The fireworks festival." Ryuji sent as Ann sent a response.

"You're really quick to look up stuff like that, aren't you?" Ann sent as Ren sent a response.

"Impressive, Ryuji. Now get back to studying, before Makoto uses her Fist of Justice on you." Ren sent. Ryuji sent a response.

"I'll do that tomorrow." Ryuji sent as Makoto sent a response at that point.

"Hey, we're in the middle of class. Talk about those things later, Ryuji. And Ren, shut up before I smack you." Makoto sent as both Kusa and Ryuji sent responses close together, Ryuji's coming through first.

"Yeah, yeah. I get it." Ryuji sent as Kusa's response came through.

"Fair enough, Makoto. Well, if you guys do decide on the 18th for the festival, you guys have fun that day." Kusa sent as Ren quickly put his phone away as Ushimaru spoke up, glaring at Ren as he spoke.

"Hey, Amamiya! Are you listening? YOU! Pay attention! Is that how you listen when someone's talking to you?" Ushimaru said as Ren sensed a murderous intent, only barely dodging the thrown chalk as it flew at him, causing murmurs to ensue about his dodging and questions of if Ren was a ninja. Ushimaru huffed as he spoke up.

"Tch, Well, whatever. Moving on." Ushimaru said as Morgana spoke up.

"HEY! Ooh, you've got the entire class's attention! Your Charm has definitely increased." Morgana said as Ren's Charm went up from the epic dodge he did. The rest of class went uneventfully...

(After school, with Ren and Kusa)

As Ren left school, Makoto walked up to Ren and Kusa and spoke up.

"Hey, Ren-kun. Heading home? It's rare running into you at this time, and rarer to see Kusa walking home with you. Usually you two leave school separately. Oh, that reminds me-do you remember the counseling Dr. Maruki's offering?" Makoto asked as Kusa rolled his eyes and spoke up.

"Considering Ren's probably been in there easily a half-dozen times by now, if not more, I'd say he does. Not that I have room to roast Ren, given I've gone in a few times myself, moreso recently." Kusa said with a nod. Makoto spoke up at that point.

"Right, well anyways, it seems to be growing quite popular. I saw someone heading into the nurse's office just as I was leaving the school. The teachers say he's been well worth his time here, but I have a feeling there's more to his popularity than just talent. Maybe I should find out for myself at some point." Makoto said as Ren nodded.

"It's not a bad idea Makoto, but what about your studying?" Ren asked Makoto, making Kusa chuckle at Ren questioning Makoto about her study habits. Makoto giggled as she heard Ren's question, clearly amused by his response as she spoke up.

"Naturally, that'll still happen when I get home. It's part of my daily routine. Excuse me, I appreciate your concern, but how about yourself? Depending on the exam scores, there may not be a fireworks festival for anyone to attend-were you aware?" Makoto said making Ren and Kusa both wince, the former sweatdropping as Makoto giggled before she kept speaking.

"I'm joking. But make sure you study well, all right?" Makoto said to Ren and Kusa, who nodded their understanding of Makoto's suggestion as she spoke up once more.

"All right then, I need to buy some more test prep booklets on my way home. See you later." Makoto said as Ren nodded, while Makoto walked off, leaving Ren and Kusa to continue their walk back towards Leblanc...

(A short time later, in Station Square with Ren and Kusa)

"Is Makoto serious? Of course we're going to study. When don't we study, Ren?" Kusa said to Ren who shrugged, but before he could reply, he heard his name called out from nearby, turning and smiling at who he saw walking over to him and Kusa, as it was a certain red-headed first year honors student he may or may not have a crush on. As she caught up to Ren and Kusa, Kasumi smiled at the two and spoke up.

"Senpai? Oh, hello, Ren-senpai and Kusa." Kasumi said as Ren turned to face her, smiling at Kasumi as she kept speaking.

"What a pleasant surprise! Are you headed home too?" Kasumi asked Ren, who nodded as he spoke up.

"Yeah, pretty much. Not a lot else going on today, plus with finals coming up, I probably need the extra studying time." Ren joked as Kasumi giggled and nodded as she spoke up.

"Fair enough. But same here-I don't have club practice today. That reminds me, there's something I wanted to report to you. Would now be a good time?" Kasumi asked Ren, who shrugged but nodded as he spoke up.

"Sure thing. I've always got time for you, Kasumi. If you want it to be just you and I, I'm sure Kusa can find a way to keep himself busy." Ren said as Kusa rolled his eyes and spoke up, frowning at Ren as he spoke.

"You're funny, Ren. But you're also right. Though, maybe let Kasumi decide for herself if she wants it to be just the two of you before you make assumptions?" Kusa said as Kasumi gave Ren a closed-eye smile and spoke up.

"With all due respect Kusa, I do kind of want this bit to just be me and Ren. But once I report this bit to him, you can keep hanging around with us if you like, so just maybe go off that way for a bit?" Kasumi said politely as Kusa nodded, moving off the other way so that Ren and Kasumi could have some privacy. However, before he could get very far, Kusa groaned as he saw a very familiar brown-haired ace detective walk over to Ren and Kasumi and speak up, making him frown as he walked back over, preparing to step in if needed.

"Huh? Amamiya-kun the elder?" Akechi asked Ren in surprise, not seeing Kusa walking over as he turned to face Kasumi and spoke up more.

"And you are...?" Akechi said to Kasumi, who did a closed-eye smile as she turned to face Akechi.

"It's been quite a while, Akechi-kun." Kasumi said, acting as if she hadn't just sat in on a recording of his the other day as Akechi gave her a closed-eye grin in return as he spoke up, not seeing Kusa frown at this as he spoke.

"And the same for you. Yoshizawa-san, right?" Akechi said to Kasumi as Ren frowned and spoke up.

"You two know each other?" Ren asked Kasumi and Akechi, as the former turned to Ren and smiled as she answered his question.

"As you and Kusa over there might recall, my father works at a TV station. Have you ever seen 'Good Morning Japan'? My father's the director." Kasumi said as Akechi spoke up to continue the explanation.

"I've been brought onto the show as a guest a number of times now. That's how I ended up becoming acquainted with Yoshizawa-san. I didn't know you knew her as well, Amamiya-kun the elder." Akechi said as Kusa spoke up, reminding Akechi he was there with his comment.

"Of course they know each other, Akechi-kun! They go to the same school, not to mention they're pretty good friends!" Kusa pointed out dryly, not amused by Akechi's question. Ren nodded to Kusa's explanation as he spoke up.

"What Kusa said. Yoshizawa-san and I have helped each other out a few times recently, so we ended up making a deal out of it and becoming friends." Ren said as Kasumi nodded happily, turning to give Akechi a closed-eye smile as she explained it to Akechi.

"Senpai helped me out of a jam before, and now he's been offering me guidance." Kasumi said happily as Akechi give Kasumi a closed-eye grin that had Kusa seriously resisting the urge to punch Akechi in the face for how smug his grin was, and how much it gave Kusa the impression he could be subtly flirting with Kasumi, which made Kusa very annoyed with Akechi. Kusa personally felt as if that was Ren's job to flirt with Kasumi, not Akechi's, while Akechi spoke.

"Helped you out of a jam, eh? I see. So, what were you two up to?" Akechi said as Kusa spoke up.

"They were about to have a bit of a private moment before you showed up, Akechi-kun. So if you want to step over that way, you and I can probably chat a bit while Kasumi tells Ren whatever she needed to tell her." Kusa said as civilly as he could manage. Kasumi blinked at Akechi's question before smiling and nodding as she spoke up to answer it.

"Oh, right! I was just about to share some exciting news. It's nothing to keep secret, so I may as well spill it now. About that summer competition I mentioned to you before? I was chosen to be our club representative!" Kasumi said as Kusa blinked at this and spoke up in surprise.

"Oh! FOR REAL!? That's crazy, Kasumi! I knew you could do it! Well done!" Kusa said as Ren nodded and spoke up.

"Congrats, Kasumi. I knew you could do it. I never doubted you for a second." Ren said happily as Yoshizawa smiled and nodded gratefully to Ren and Kusa as she spoke up.

"This only feels like the beginning to me, though." Kasumi said as Akechi spoke up, looking intrigued as he spoke.

"Isn't your club's team considered to be quite prestigious? And you're their representative? I must say, that's extremely impressive." Akechi said to Kasumi, who gave him a closed-eye smile as she spoke up happily.

"Thank you! I'll do my best to make everyone proud." Kasumi said as Ren nodded and spoke up.

"Never mind making everyone proud, Kasumi. Just do the best you can do and don't forget to have fun! And more importantly, never forget that both Kusa and I have your back!" Ren said firmly but encouragingly to Kasumi, as Kusa nodded his agreement. Akechi did a closed-eye grin as he spoke up to add in his two cents.

"I'll be cheering you on as well." Akechi said as Kusa frowned at Akechi, but wisely refrained from pointing out that no one asked him to root for Kasumi. Kusa mostly refrained out of not wanting to sour both Kasumi's good news and the mood by beating up Akechi, even if he deserved it in Kusa's opinion. Akechi then smiled as he spoke up, getting an idea.

"Ah, I've got an idea-since all four of us are here, why don't we go somewhere as a group?" Akechi suggested as Ren and Kusa exchanged uncertain looks at the idea while Akechi kept speaking.

"Let's call it our little celebration for Yoshizawa-san's success." Akechi suggested as Kasumi smiled, giving Akechi a closed-eye smile as she spoke up before turning to face Ren as she spoke.

"That would be wonderful! Does that work for you, Ren-senpai and Kusa?" Kasumi asked Ren and Kusa, both of whom nodded, though the latter did so reluctantly since he wasn't really thrilled about having to share a meal with Akechi, even if it was also with Ren and Kasumi.

'Ugh, how did my afternoon turn into a meal with Ren, Kasumi AND Akechi? I don't mind the first two, but a full meal with Akechi!? Please let me have the strength to go the whole meal without clocking the effing douche if he makes too many insensitive/offensive remarks about Ren, Kasumi, or any of my friends.' Kusa thought to himself dryly as Akechi spoke up.

"That settles it. I admit, I'm intrigued to see how a meal with the three of you plays out. Especially given that Amamiya-kun the younger doesn't seem to have the highest opinion of me. That said, would you mind if I chose the place? There's this wonderful little cafe I know about..." Akechi said, not seeing Kusa's eyes widen at this, thinking that Akechi meant Leblanc, as Kasumi gave Akechi a closed-eye smile again as she spoke up.

"Of course! Lead the way!" Kasumi said happily to Akechi, not seeing Ren and Kusa both exchanging annoyed looks behind her as they subtly glared at Akechi as the unlikely quartet headed to the cafe Akechi had chosen...

(At the cafe in Shinjuku, with Ren, Morgana, Kusa, Akechi, and Kasumi)

"Yoshizawa-san, you drink hot beverages even in the summer?" Akechi asked Kasumi in surprise. Kasumi nodded as she spoke up.

"I have to prevent my body from getting too cold, since the meet's coming up rather soon." Kasumi said as Kusa nodded and spoke up agreeably.

"That's understandable. You'd be surprised how often you hear about people having that problem. One time, back before Ren and I moved here, I knew this one guy at my old school who spent a while hanging around and having fun outside. And then he came back in for class, sat down and got through part of the class period before he started having his body shiver a bit, and next thing he knew, he found himself straight-up going into hypothermic shock.

He was fine eventually though, once he'd sat in front of a heater for a bit to stoke up his internal body heat enough to let him expel the chill from his body. But it wasn't fun to watch, I tell you what." Kusa said sagely as Akechi spoke up before Kasumi could reply to Kusa, making Kusa frown at Akechi's slight rudeness towards Kasumi. *1*

"That's...very interesting, to say the least, Amamiya-kun the younger. That said, I see, you make sure you're covering all your bases, Yoshizawa-san." Akechi said as Ren spoke up, seeing the look in Kusa's eyes and deciding to change the topic.

"So what do you have, Akechi?" Ren said changing the topic by asking Akechi about his drink selections, getting a grateful nod from Kusa, happy for the assist from Ren. Kasumi nodded to Ren's question as she spoke up.

"Good point, Senpai. And that's both interesting and horrible, Kusa. I'm glad that guy was okay. But back on topic, well, some people say coffee can cool you off, even while hot, so I try to avoid that too. By the way, I had this image that you enjoy sweet things, Akechi-san-is that untrue?" Kasumi asked, not seeing Ren and Kusa's jaws drop at the question, the former mouthing 'sweet things!?' under his breath as the latter frowned at the idea of Akechi enjoying sweets.

'Let's be real here-Akechi's about as likely to enjoy sweets as Morgana is to ever have a chance with Ann.' Kusa thought to himself dryly as Kasumi kept speaking.

"I swear I saw you eating fried sweet bread on TV just the other day..." Kasumi said to Akechi who shook his head before smiling at Kasumi as he spoke up to answer her.

"It's all part of a marketing strategy. That sort of stunt is an easy crowd-pleaser." Akechi said as Kusa chuckled and spoke up, seeing a chance to both roast Akechi and make a video-game reference in the same sentence and taking it while he spoke.

"That makes sense, Felix, err I mean Akechi-san." Kusa said, ignoring the confused looks that Kasumi, Ren and Akechi all sent him at his remark, even as Morgana chuckled at the reference from inside Ren's bag. Even as Akechi frowned at Kusa's remark, Kasumi gave Akechi a closed-eye smile as she spoke up once more. *2*

"You seem to have your own bases covered as well." Kasumi said as Ren spoke up with a frown.

"I feel lied to, somehow." Ren said. Kusa nodded agreeably as he spoke up.

"Truth, Ren! Not only do I wish I hadn't learned that, I think we just saw some of the real Akechi, or the crowd-pandering pretty boy hiding behind the mask of a 'Detective Prince', as I've heard him referred to before on TV." Kusa said teasingly, ignoring the frown his remark got from Akechi and the warning look on Ren's face as Akechi turned to give Ren a closed-eye grin as he spoke up, amused at Ren's response.

"Presenting oneself in a favorable light is nothing surprising. More surprising is just how innocent you seem to be." Akechi said as Kasumi spoke up, seeing Kusa about to open his mouth, presumably to make a snarky comment, and cutting him off as she spoke.

"I've been wondering. How do you two know each other, Akechi-san and Ren-senpai?" Kasumi asked Ren and Akechi, as the latter spoke up.

"His social studies class visited the set of a TV show I appeared on." Akechi said as Kusa nodded and spoke up.

"Yes, and as I recall, there was also a first-year class there as well, by request of the director himself. Though Akechi-san might not have noticed them while he was pandering to the hosts and playing the crowd." Kusa said dryly as Kasumi blinked in recognition at Kusa's remark before her eyes widened in realization and she spoke up in surprise.

"Oh, that's right! That was the day that my class sat in on a recording! I forgot it was for your show! Though I should've remembered, since I recall tearing into Kusa here something fierce for the glares he gave the hosts, and you in particular, for most of that segment. Though I suppose considering how much he and Ren-senpai seem to be fans of the Phantom Thieves, I shouldn't be surprised he'd take exception to you calling them out the way you did." Kasumi said as Akechi nodded and spoke up.

"Exactly. Amamiya-kun the elder and I exchanged our opinions during the shoot and his way of thinking intrigued me, even if Amamiya-kun the younger seemed to be a bit immature, opinionated and judgmental for my liking." Akechi said, making Kusa frown at Akechi, very annoyed at the clear shot at him that Akechi took. Kasumi did a closed-eye smile as she giggled and spoke up, seeing Kusa about to open his mouth, probably to either roast Akechi or tear into him, if not both, and wanting to stop him before he could do either one while she spoke.

"I can definitely see that! Ren-senpai's take on things often helps me out as well." Kasumi said as Akechi spoke up.

"That reminds me, Yoshizawa-san. You had mentioned he's been providing you with some guidance." Akechi said as Kusa frowned and spoke up, giving Akechi an annoyed look as he spoke.

"Indeed he has, Akechi-kun. Ren's quite good about giving good advice when he wants to. Though I fail to see how what he and Kasumi discuss is at all your concern, especially given that unlike you, Ren's helped Kasumi through some difficult times recently. So it stands to reason, and also tracks, that the two of them would naturally be quite fond of one another.

And as such, it'd also track that the two of them value each other's opinions a great deal, plus they logically look to each other as confidants of a sort. But I'll let Kasumi decide if she explains that to you or not." Kusa said bluntly as Kasumi smiled, speaking up with an amused chuckle at Kusa's protective reaction as she spoke.

"Yes, like you just said Akechi-kun, his way of thinking is intriguing. I figured I could benefit from his input. And as Kusa-kun just said, Ren and I are getting rather close to one another of recent, if I'm being honest." Kasumi said as Akechi spoke up, a closed-eye grin on his face that had Kusa's instincts all going off big-time to signal danger even while Akechi spoke.

"In that case, let's play a little game. Would you mind if I pose the same question to you that I first asked Amamiya-kun the elder?" Akechi asked Kasumi, who blinked in confusion but nodded as she spoke up, ignoring the mixed skeptical/wary looks that Ren and Kusa exchanged as she focused on Akechi while she spoke.

"No, go right ahead." Kasumi said as Akechi nodded, smiling as he spoke up.

"So, my question was this. What do you think of the Phantom Thieves, Yoshizawa-san?" Akechi asked Kasumi, who blinked at the question but smiled as she spoke up.

"The Phantom Thieves? You mean in the case that they do in fact exist, yes? I admit that the assistance of others in need is a truly great act. But, I simply can't agree with their methods." Kasumi said as Ren and Kusa exchanged stunned glances as they heard Kasumi's answer, while Akechi smiled and spoke up again.

"I see. Care to explain why?" Akechi asked, ignoring the now twin glares that Ren and Kusa were shooting him. Kasumi smiled and nodded as she spoke up again.

"I suspect the Phantom Thieves' existence isn't going to be beneficial to society in the long run." Kasumi said, making Ren and Kusa exchange intrigued looks at this as Akechi spoke up.

"How so?" Akechi asked Kasumi, who kept speaking, not seeing Kusa and Ren listening attentively to her as she spoke, both intrigued by her logic.

"Well, for example, when someone's faced with a problem to overcome, I believe they need to do it themselves. Getting help from others is totally fine, but in the end, it takes a person's initiative to truly create lasting change. If society relied upon a safety net like the Phantom Thieves, I worry that people would stop making a conscious effort. Granted, this depends on how severe the problem is, and it's inaccurate to apply generalizations to an entire population. But, I believe a society where everyone simply leaves matters to the Phantom Thieves wouldn't last for very long." Kasumi said as Kusa and Ren blinked, both realizing that Kasumi had some rather valid points in actuality as Akechi spoke up.

"I see...So, in the sense of a person's growth, their actions actually hinder it. Quite an interesting take on the matter." Akechi said as Kusa nodded and spoke up.

"You're not wrong, Akechi-kun. But at the same time, would the question of whether or not the Phantom Thieves' actions hinder a person's growth not vary from person to person? So I don't think that you could then use that to say that the Phantom Thieves are a hindrance, as I believe you were just trying to do." Kusa pointed out as Akechi nodded and spoke up.

"Good point, Amamiya-kun the younger. As for you, Amamiya-kun the elder, let me ask you-what do you think of Yoshizawa-san's opinion?" Akechi asked Ren, who pondered his response before speaking up.

"To be honest, Kasumi's not wrong. Not to mention, she raised a lot of good points that neither myself nor Kusa had actually considered until now, so I thank her for her insightful opinion." Ren said charmingly as Kusa nodded his agreement to Ren's response. Akechi nodded and spoke up.

"Ah, so you think you should let others come to their own conclusions on the matter." Akechi said as Kasumi nodded before blinking as her eyes widened slightly as she realized something that made her turn to face Ren as she spoke up, suddenly sheepish and uncertain.

"Wait. Could you actually be a fan of the Phantom Thieves, Ren-senpai!?" Kasumi asked Ren, who nodded as he spoke up.

"That's right. Kusa and I both are fans of the Phantom Thieves. But I don't hold it against you that you might not be of the same opinion, Kasumi. After all, you're entitled to your own opinion. That, and I'm not going to be mad that you don't agree with the Phantom Thieves. So relax." Ren said as Kusa nodded his agreement before Akechi spoke up, doing another of his closed-eye grins that both irritated Kusa and made him want to punch Akechi as he spoke.

"I didn't mean to start an argument. I just can't help myself sometimes." Akechi said apologetically as he kept speaking up.

"Let's change the subject to something a bit lighter." Akechi said as the group then started chatting amicably amongst themselves for a time until Kasumi frowned and reluctantly spoke up.

"I'm sorry, I should probably get going. If I'm away from home too late, my parents will begin to worry." Kasumi said as Akechi nodded understandingly and spoke up.

"Right, then let's call it a day. Good luck on your competition, Yoshizawa-san." Akechi said. Ren then spoke up, frowning slightly at Akechi as he spoke.

"I'll be rooting for you, Kasumi! Just do your best. I know you can do it! You've got the heart, the will and the passion to do anything you put your mind to!" Ren said encouragingly to Kasumi, who gave Ren a closed-eye smile that had him smiling slightly while turning away so neither Kasumi or Akechi saw his face go slightly pink from looking at Kasumi's closed-eye smile, though Kusa did notice and gave Ren a knowing smirk as Kasumi spoke up.

"Yes! Thank you!" Kasumi said as the group got up and parted ways at that point, Kasumi stopping Ren to speak up once more.

"Well then, see you later Senpai! And thanks for today!" Kasumi said gratefully to Ren, who nodded, gently taking Kasumi's hand in his and giving it an encouraging squeeze as he spoke up once more.

"No problem. Well, see you around." Ren said as he and Kusa headed back to Leblanc, the latter glad to be away from Akechi...

(That evening, at Leblanc with Ren, Kusa, and Morgana)

"Ah, you're both back. I see you had your friends over for a study session, huh?" Sojiro said to Ren who blinked in surprise as he spoke up.

"How'd you know?" Ren asked in surprise as Kusa chuckled and spoke up.

"You're surprised, Ren? When it comes to Leblanc, Sakura-kun over there doesn't miss a thing. Not to mention, he owns the place." Kusa said as Sojiro nodded approvingly before speaking up.

"Well said, Kusa. Nothing gets by me! I can tell what goes on here just by looking at the tables." Sojiro said as Ren blinked and nodded understandingly. After that, he and Kusa headed upstairs to regroup and plan their next move...

END OF CHAPTER

A/N: And there we go, another chapter done and dusted! Granted, this got split up over two days because I had company over and had to pause the chapter briefly, but I got it done eventually. That said, not bad for a start to Arc 4, am I right? Hopefully everyone's enjoying the story so far! If so, feel free to add this story to your Favorite Stories list and put the story on alert.

Additionally, I accept either PMs or reviews with your feedback, thoughts, and/or constructive criticism for the story so that I can continue to fine-tune it and make it the best it can be, as well as improve myself as a fanfiction writer! Regardless, I appreciate the support from my readers! And until next chapter, sithlorde1988 out!

NOTES

*1*- That story about the guy going into hypothermic shock in class? Literally, the guy in that story was me a few years ago. I went out once in the morning to hang with some friends, had a lot of fun, and somehow managed not to realize I did so with a partially-full bladder, and as a result the contents froze up inside it, and dropped my body temperature enough to put me into a brief bit of hypothermic shock. I had some friends even warn people out of sitting in the chair I'd sat in at the time afterwards, mainly because they thought that the chair in question was what caused the hypothermic episode.

*2*- Yeah, I couldn't help but make a Three Houses reference here. But in my defense, Akechi and Felix are rather similar in personality (despite the fact that it's not Felix, but Hubert, who shares a voice actor with Akechi), at least in my opinion. Both are intelligent, abrasive, and a bit cynical in nature, and on top of that, neither of them are big fans of sweets. Not to mention, both look down a bit on those they deem as unworthy of their time/attention. And both can be quite massive assholes when they choose to be, so I say it's not an inaccurate comparison to make. That and Fire Emblem: Three Houses (or just Three Houses as some call it) is a great game that deserves to be referenced. So yeah.

CONFIDANT RANKS AS OF THE END OF CHAPTER 37

FOOL (Igor/Prison Master) - Rank 6

MAGICIAN (Morgana/Mona) - Rank 5

PRIESTESS (Makoto/Queen) - Rank 2

EMPEROR (Yusuke/Fox) - Rank 4

HIEROPHANT (Sojiro/Boss/Coffee Daddy) - Rank 4

LOVERS (Ann/Panther) - Rank 5

CHARIOT (Ryuji/Skull) - Rank 5

JUSTICE (Akechi) - Rank 5

STRENGTH (Caroline and Justine/Twin Wardens) - Rank 4

DEATH (Takemi/Back-Alley Doctor) - Rank 5

TEMPERANCE (Kawakami) - Rank 2

STAR (Hifumi) - Rank 2

MOON (Mishima) - Rank 4

SUN (Yoshida/Man Of The People) - Rank 4

JUDGEMENT (Sae) - Rank 1

WORLD (Kusa/Draconis) - Rank 4

FAITH (Kasumi/Yoshizawa) - Rank 3

COUNCILLOR (Maruki) - Rank 5

YET TO BE UNLOCKED: DEVIL, FORTUNE, TOWER, HERMIT, EMPRESS, HANGED MAN