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

46. Waiting Game! Traumatized Oracle part 10

A/N: sithlorde1988 here, with another chapter of Persona 5- The Phantom Files! At this point, we're basically just on the 'wait and see' portion of Arc 4, though that's not to say that there won't be plot points still aplenty for this part, because there will! It just means that for at least a bit, the focus will moreso be on Ren and the other Phantom Thieves that aren't Kusa and Futaba.

However, there will be points where they get touched upon since I do plan to have a little more unique stuff added to this bit of the arc. Also, unlike most arcs, this won't end when Medjed is dealt with. There's also the fact that it's going to cover the group accepting a new member into its' ranks, even if one of them is initially reluctant to do so. That said, time for the disclaimer!

Disclaimer: sithlorde1988 does not own the Persona series in any way, shape, or form (barring the OC Kusa/Draconis, and the recurring minor OCs Slim, Kyori, Mimille, Lumine, and since he's technically an OC in this instance, Akira Kurusu), while the actual credit for owning the Persona series belongs to Sega, Atlus, and Koei Tecmo! So all credit to them!

That said, real quick, since I did give Futaba a secondary Persona during her Awakening in the form of Nostradamus, I might as well go over their learnset here a bit, along with their affinities.

Persona: Nostradamus

Arcana: World (YES, I know Futaba herself is the Hermit arcana, but her other Persona is Hermit arcana, so yeah. Not to mention, there are so few World arcana Personas as is in Royal, and none that I can recall in Strikers, so I figured this could be the start of correcting that.)

Starting Level: 30

Stats: ST-23 MA-26 EN-21 AG-25 LU-24

Affinities: Gun-Neutral Phys-Neutral Fire-Strong Ice-Strong Lightning-Repel Wind-Neutral Psy-Weak Nuke-Null Bless-Repel Curse-Weak

Learnset

Starting Moves: Zionga (Elec), Psio (Psy), Eiga (Curse), Rebellion (Support), Mediarama (Healing), Spell Master (passive)

Level-Up Skills

Level 35- Matarukaja (Buff)

Level 40- Curse Boost (Passive)

Level 45- Diarama (Healing)

Level 50- Marakukaja (Buff)

Level 55- Null Psy (Passive)

Level 60- Ziodyne (Elec)

Level 65- Masukukaja (Buff)

Level 70- Mediarahan (Healing)

Level 75- Null Curse (Passive)

Level 77- Heat Riser (Buff)

Level 80- Psiodyne (Psy)

Level 85- Eigaon (Curse)

Level 87- Diarahan (Healing)

Level 90- Samarecarm (Healing)

Level 92- Curse Amp (Passive)

Level 93- Divine Grace (Passive)

Level 95- Salvation (Healing)

And that's the learnset, affinities, stats and starting moves for Nostradamus! That being said and done, on with chapter 46!

Chapter 46: Waiting Game! Of Confidants, Filler and Recovering! Traumatized Oracle part 10

(Shibuya Arcade, with Ren and Morgana)

Ren and Morgana looked at one another as they walked into the Shibuya Arcade, and the not-cat spoke up.

"Why are we here again, Ren?" Morgana asked as Ren shrugged before he saw Ryuji leaning against a crane in the back and smirked as he spoke up.

"I wasn't sure at first, but given we've not hung with him in a minute, and he's here, I suppose it's a sign that it's time to hang with Ryuji." Ren said as Morgana nodded, and the two walked over to Ryuji, who looked up as he saw Ren approach and spoke up after yawning.

"Sup? I'm really not diggin' all this sittin' around crap. Hey, uh, do you remember that guy Yamauchi I was talkin' about before?" Ryuji asked Ren. Ren thought about it before speaking up.

"Kind of. Was he the one you called the mini-Kamoshida?" Ren asked with a smirk. Ryuji grinned at Ren's description and nodded his agreement while he spoke up.

"Oh yeah, that's him! Well, he's gonna be the new track team advisor. He don't give a rat's ass about the sport, though. Or even the students, for that matter. So y'see, I heard this rumor about Yamauchi. Apparently, he's got in trouble at school before with his drinkin', but that hasn't kept him from goin' out. I was thinkin', maybe he'd let some shit slip when he's drunk. We should totally try and tail him sometime. I'll look into where he goes to drink. What's the plan for today though? You gonna train with me?" Ryuji asked Ren who thought about it while Morgana spoke up.

"So, what's the plan, Ren? Want to hang out with Ryuji?" Morgana asked Ren, who nodded as he spoke up.

"Yeah, why not? He and I haven't hung out in a bit, so it could be fun." Ren said to Morgana before turning to Ryuji.

"Yeah, I'm down to hang with you. Didn't have much of anything else planned for my day, if I'm being honest." Ren said. Ryuji nodded his agreement and spoke up.

"Makes sense. I mean, we just finished a Palace, and with Kusa's leg keeping him bed-ridden to a point, you don't exactly have the option of hanging with him. That said, let's get changed then. We can meet at, uh...oh. The school's probably unoccupied, since it's a day off. Wanna get goin'? Let's go sneak in." Ryuji said as the two snuck into Shujin. Once there, Ryuji spoke up after a bit.

"Hmm...Man, we really don't got a good place to train, huh? I mean, we'd prolly run into Nakoaka and them if we stuck around here most likely. You got any ideas?" Ryuji asked Ren, who thought about it before speaking up.

"Eh, we could go train at my place. Granted, we'd have to not be too noisy, since it is a restaurant and all, but there's places we can train in the attic if nothing else. Plus we could jog around the backstreets if we decided to run." Ren suggested. Ryuji frowned at the suggestion and spoke up.

"I like that you offered, but let's be honest. You seriously think we'd get any trainin' done there? I bet we'd just end up eatin' ice cream and playin' video games all day long. That's just kinda what happens, y'know?" Ryuji asked Ren who nodded.

"Fair. Granted, I doubt Boss would let us just laze around upstairs all day per se. But I suppose that was a bit of a bad suggestion on my part. My bad." Ren said as Ryuji smiled and spoke up.

"Nah, it's fine man. Eh, I guess it won't hurt to peek 'round the gym. If they ain't there, maybe we can-" Ryuji said as he and Ren started walking towards the gym, only for Ryuji to cut himself off mid-sentence as they heard a familiar voice crying out in pain.

"Hrgh!" Nakaoaka's voice could be heard grunting as Ryuji's eyes widened and he spoke up.

"Whoa! Nakaoka?" Ryuji said as he and Ren dashed towards where Nakaoka's voice had been heard, in time to see the track team beating up Nakaoka, making Ryuji frown before he spoke up.

"Takeishi? The hell you guys doin'?" Ryuji asked Takeishi, who turned to face him as he spoke up to reply.

"We just have a few questions for Nakaoka here. It's none of your business." Takeishi said to Ryuji, who scowled as he spoke up.

"So what, you gonna ask him questions with your fists? And anyways, ain't a three-on-one kinda cowardly?" Ryuji asked Takeishi, who huffed and spoke up.

"The only coward here is Nakaoka! All the shit Kamoshida put us through is his fault, as it turns out. He was telling that bastard secrets about us the whole time!" Takeishi said to Ryuji, who gasped before he frowned and spoke up.

"WHAT!? Huh? That's a load of bull!" Ryuji said as Ren spoke up.

"You guys should trust Nakaoka. After all, a lot of things concerning Kamoshida wound up being massive lies, so what's to say Nakaoka telling secrets about you guys to Kamaoshida wasn't a lie as well?" Ren said. Ryuji nodded his agreement as he spoke up.

"Hell yeah, Ren! That's right!" Ryuji said to Ren as he turned to Takeishi while he kept speaking.

"You've been trainin' together for freakin' forever! Plus, ain't the track team comin' back? You don't gotta fight!" Ryuji said as Takeishi huffed but kept speaking.

"Sh-Shut up! I'm tellin' you, this piece of shit sold us out! How do you think Kamoshida found out about your parents, Sakamoto?" Takeishi said as the brown-haired member of the track team spoke up from nearby as Ren and Ryuji exchanged shocked glances.

"He's gotta be a snitch!" The brown-haired track member said as Ryuji spoke up.

"Whoa! H-Hold up!" Ryuji said, moving to protect Nakaoka as Takeishi frowned and spoke up.

"Move out of the way, Sakamoto! We'll be the shit outta you too if we need to." Takeishi said as Ryuji frowned while speaking up.

"If you think that's gonna make you feel better, then go for it. But you know something? You're gonna wish you didn't. Trust me, it feels bad lookin' back on shitty stuff you've done." Ryuji said as the brown-haired track member spoke up in surprise.

"Huh?" The brown-haired track member said as Ryuji kept speaking.

"Look, that was in the past. And besides, even if Nakaoka WAS workin' with Kamoshida...ain't it fine now? The bastard's gone, so you guys can just put this crap behind you. There's no reason to fight, yeah?" Ryuji said as Takeishi frowned and spoke up.

"We can't keep someone around who's gonna try and undermine our team." Takeishi said as Nakaoka frowned and spoke up.

"But, I didn't do anything. I wasn't working with Kamoshida. No matter how much you hit me, my answer's gonna stay the same." Nakaoka said as Takeishi smirked while he spoke up.

"Oh yeah? We've got proof. Yamauchi told us all about it." Takeishi said as Ryuji blinked before speaking up.

"Huh? Yamauchi?" Ryuji said as the short-haired track member, who'd been quiet up to that point, spoke up.

"C'mon Takeishi, we gotta get out of here. It'd be real bad if anyone else showed up." The short-haired track member said as Takeishi nodded and turned to Nakaoka before speaking up once more.

"Whatever. Hey, Nakaoka! Shit like you isn't welcome on our new track team. You'd better remember that." Takeishi said as he and the other two track members walked off. After they were gone, Ryuji turned to Nakaoka and spoke up.

"Ugh, that was rough. You okay? What the hell was all that?" Ryuji said to Nakaoka, who frowned and spoke up.

"Just stay out of this, Sakamoto. It has nothing to do with you." Nakaoka said to Ryuji who blinked before frowning as he spoke up.

"But..." Ryuji said as Nakaoka spoke up and cut him off before he could finish speaking.

"When you hit Kamoshida, you were really hitting all of us who tried so hard to endure his bullshit. You might've felt relived, but it only made life harder for us afterwards. And 'cause of you, we lost the one place we could vent our frustrations, or more accurately the one place we could really belong. Tensions got pretty high after that, and things've just been kinda rough from then on. So, you really think it's all fine now, huh? Well, what if I told you they're right about me? Would you still think it's 'fine' if I was the one who told Kamoshida about your parents?" Nakaoka asked Ryuji, who crossed his arms and huffed before he spoke up, a frown on his face while he spoke.

"To be honest, Nakaoka? Yeah. If you told him, you told him. I'm over all that stuff with my parents anyways. Besides, you know what? I've realized something, Nakaoka. I might've messed up with Kamoshida back then, but hangin' on to the past ain't gonna help anythin'. I'm just gonna focus on bein' myself now, and on bein' free." Ryuji said as Nakaoka blinked before speaking up.

"What're you talking about? Free, huh? Haha. You're something else, Sakamoto." Nakaoka said as he walked off, after which Ryuji turned to Ren and spoke up.

"Hey, Ren. I know that was a bit odd, but you get what I'm tryin' to say, yeah?" Ryuji asked Ren who spoke up with a nod.

"Yeah, more or less. I mean, your point about not holding on to the past is a very valid one, and it makes sense. And I guess your whole 'bein' myself and bein' free' bit also made sense, to a point." Ren said. Ryuji nodded and spoke up, a grin on his face while he spoke.

"Right? Wait, whaddaya mean 'more or less'? You're s'posed to know, man! Anyways, I guess bein' free is like, it's like how I feel when I'm talkin' to you, man." Ryuji said as Ren blinked as he spoke up.

"Uh, if you say so? I don't get it, though." Ren said honestly. Ryuji blinked before he spoke up.

"Uhhh, I don't know what else I gotta say. I just feel surprisingly free." Ryuji said as Ren blinked and spoke up.

"Huh? Maybe I'm just being naive, but I don't get it." Ren said. Ryuji laughed as he spoke up.

"What, we stuck on repeat or something? Hahaha!" Ryuji said as Ren and Ryuji laughed at that, the former noting that it felt as if his bond with Ryuji is growing deeper. At that point, the 'Chariot' card appeared in his mind's eye, the 'V' becoming a 'VI' to signify that his Chariot Confidant link with Ryuji had reached rank 6. As a result of the rank-up, Ryuji had gained the ability to use 'Harisen Recovery', much like Ann had previously learned. Afterwards, Ryuji spoke up after he finished laughing.

"Mannn, that was some funny shit. Oh, but so much for trainin' though, huh? C'mon, let's get outta here. Oooh, we should grab ramen on the way home!" Ryuji said as Ren nodded and headed back to Leblanc after getting ramen with Ryuji, and once he hit the doorstep, his phone rang and he answered it.

"Hello?" Ren asked as sure enough, he heard Ryuji's voice speak up on the other end.

"Yo, you good right now?" Ryuji asked Ren who nodded as Ryuji kept speaking.

"All that mess with the track team being the case, I guess I was right about my gut feeling. And Nakoaka can get weirdly stubborn sometimes. He'll keep his mouth shut whether or not someone's punchin' him." Ryuji said as Ren spoke up.

"So, you're sayin' he should've punched back then?" Ren asked, making sure he understood Ryuji correctly. Ryuji gaped at this before speaking up.

"Whoa, hey, that's not what I'm saying! No violence, period! I thought you're supposed to be the pacifist here!" Ryuji said to Ren, who laughed and spoke up.

"Me? A pacifist!? Ryuji, I think you've got me confused for Ann, or possibly even Yusuke. After all, the latter only fought Madarame because he was basically cornered into it by Madarame. Besides, if I was a pacifist, Kusa would be a freaking monk. And the last time I checked, he's not so much a monk as he is a martial artist with the temper of a dragon, so I'm no pacifist." Ren pointed out in an amused tone as Ryuji kept speaking up.

"Fair enough. But look, I'm just sayin' there's gotta be another way to solve this instead of just goin' dark! And that bastard Yamauchi's name came up again. I swear, somethin' about that dude is so shady, like really shady! Actually, you know what? 'Kay, that's it. I'm gonna do a full investigation." Ryuji said as Ren laughed again and spoke up.

"You, do an investigation? If you can pull that off, maybe you might surprise people Ryuji. After all, investigations are usually Makoto's 'schtick', so to speak." Ren pointed out as Ryuji laughed and spoke up.

"Truth, man! To be honest, though? I think I can pull this off! And if I can manage to surprise or even impress Makoto in the process? All the better. Anyways, I'll hit you up if I find anything! Later!" Ryuji said as Ren chuckled before hanging up and heading into Leblanc. Once inside, Ren's phone rang once more, making him blink in surprise as he answered it.

"Hello?" Ren said as he answered his phone, only to wince as he recognized the shrill tones on the other end.

"Hey, Inmate! You haven't forgotten about your special assignment, have you!? You better not keep us waiting long! We're waiting in front of our door!" Caroline said as Ren winced and hung up his phone after nodding, as it went off once more, this time to signify a group chat with Ryuji, Ann, Kusa, Yusuke and Makoto, with Ryuji sending the first response.

"Hey, is Futaba still asleep? It's been a whole day already." Ryuji sent as Ann and Kusa sent responses close together, Ann's coming through first.

"You're way too impatient, Ryuji!" Ann sent as Kusa's response came through.

"For real, what Ann said! Also, you DO recall that Boss said she's been known to sleep for days on end at a time, right Ryuji? So it's not that big of a shock to me that she's still asleep. Not to mention, what she went through in the Palace probably also drained her a lot too. So she's got a bit of recovering to do, if you ask me. And as for me, all I can do is post up on the effing hide-a-bed and keep vigil while hoping she pulls through! We may have helped her somewhat overcome her past, but will it be enough!?" Kusa sent in a distinctly annoyed tone as Makoto sent a response through at that point.

"Calm down, you two." Makoto sent. Ren chose that moment to send a response.

"I'll be honest, I'm a bit anxious too, if only to see if she comes out of it in time, but also to see if she ends up better off for what we did. If nothing else, I know Kusa's hoping she pulls through! But if we're being honest with ourselves, we just have to wait and be patient while keeping the faith that she'll pull through." Ren sent. Yusuke sent a response at that point.

"Yes. Let us drink some tea and calm our minds. Oh, some rice crackers with the tea would be lovely as well." Yusuke sent as Ryuji sent a response.

"Huh? What?" Ryuji sent as Yusuke sent another response that had most everyone blinking at it in shock.

"I am most certainly in the mood" Yusuke sent as Kusa frowned and sent a response.

"Dude, keep that to yourself, man! That, or fix your spellcheck if that was a typo. And shut up, Ren! I guarantee you that you'd be on edge too, if it'd been Yoshizawa we'd just saved instead of Futaba. So don't even try to poke fun at me for being worried for Taba." Kusa sent as Makoto sent a response.

"ANYWAYS, back on topic, we should wait a little longer for Futaba to wake up." Makoto sent as Yusuke sent a response that Kusa realized was the second half of his previous response, but he still winced on reading it.

"for something salty today." Yusuke sent as Ren's eyes went wide before he quickly put his phone away, visibly disturbed by Yusuke's response. Morgana then spoke up.

"I understand why you guys feel nervous, but we'll just have to wait for now. Well then, that reminds me. The home shopping program is airing today, and we've not checked it in a bit. You wanna check out the TV?" Morgana asked Ren who shrugged.

"We could do that. Also, I need to check the aojiru stand real quick while I'm thinking of it, since that's on sale today as well." Ren said. He then checked the TV, but passed on getting anything since they didn't have anything that caught his interest. He then fast-traveled to the Underground Walkway to hit up the aojiru stand. He was then shown that they had 'Beauty Aojiru' which ups Charm, which Ren wasted little time in shelling out 5,000 yen for. Morgana winced as he spoke up.

"That doesn't look very appetizing. Still, you really need to get yourself pumped up and tell yourself it's for your health, maybe for your charisma as well." Morgana said. Ren nodded and knocked back the glass, quickly chugging the aojiru in a single go as Morgana grinned and spoke up.

"Excellent! Nice chugging! That's how you do it!" Morgana said, making Ren choke a bit on the drink but swallowing it just the same, prompting the not-cat in his bag to laugh as he spoke up.

"Good job! I was watching you try so hard." Morgana said as Ren nodded, slicking his hair back with a smirk as his Charm went up a bit. Ren nodded as he spoke up at that point.

"True. Well, I suppose at this point, we should go see what the twins want, shouldn't we?" Ren said to Morgana, who nodded.

"Good idea. You do that, and I'll take a nap in your bag while you do that." Morgana said as Ren nodded, going to the entrance of the airsoft shop, where he knew the closest Velvet Room door to be, idly wondering as he did so what Kusa was up to...

(Around that same time, in the living room of the Sakura household, with Kusa)

"Hmph, being laid up like this sucks. But I suppose I have no one to blame but myself for this. Welp, might as well see what's on the news." Kusa said, his eyes going comically wide as he recognized the boys on-screen being led off in handcuffs, prompting him to give the screen his full attention as he listened to what the newscaster had to say.

"In breaking news, three members of the Okinawa Academy karate team were arrested after being identified as suspects in the recent assault case of a first-year Shujin student outside of a diner a few nights ago. The student, whose name is not being released at this time, was a former teammate of theirs that previously led the Okinawa Academy karate team. This reporter can only express their disappointment that something like this could happen over something as petty as moving away. The suspects' names are also being withheld at the prosecutors' request, as they are still assembling a case against the suspects.

The student in question was also found beaten up in a back alley by two of his former teammates a short time after the attack, and it was their quick thinking that led the student to get the medical attention he needed at the time. At this time, our thoughts and prayers go out to that first-year student, and we can only hope he makes a swift and speedy recovery.

One source we interviewed, who requested anonymity, claims that the suspects were acting in revenge as apparently the student in question had broken their sisters' hearts when he moved away, which is not something that he could probably control, if you ask this reporter. That's all we have on this story for now. We will endeavor to bring you updates as they become available. And now, on to the weather." The newscaster said as Kusa's jaw dropped, not expecting what happened to him to make the news.

He then huffed, as he surmised that Maruki was probably the source that was interviewed, and he shrugged on realizing Mimille and Lumine were probably the two to find him and get him medical attention, making him feel a sense of gratitude to the two females. Kusa then shrugged as he flipped to another channel, reminding himself that he wasn't the only one that was recovering in the house at that moment, and put his focus on hoping for Futaba to pull through...

(Back with Ren and Morgana, by the Velvet Room door)

Ren walked up to the twins, as Justine spoke up.

"Greetings, Inmate. Nice of you to heed our call." Justine said as Caroline spoke up.

"Agreed. So, what're you gonna do? All right, time to name the location. Justine? You do the honors." Caroline said. Justine nodded while speaking up.

"Now, listen closely. The place we wish to evaluate for your rehabilitation this time, is somehow capable of simulating the ocean despite being indoors." Justine said as Caroline spoke up.

"Rumor has it that sea creatures from all around the world have been gathered in this one place." Caroline said as both Ren and Justine frowned, the latter speaking up.

"What an incredulous claim, recreating something as vast as the ocean within a building like that. Does such a location sound familiar to you?" Justine said as Caroline spoke up.

"Well? If you know where this is, then kindly escort us there immediately!" Caroline said to Ren who blinked but shook his head as nowhere came to mind. Justine sighed as she spoke up.

"It appears as if you're unaware of such a location." Justine said as Caroline frowned and spoke up.

"Are you REALLY working hard at your rehabilitation? If you don't know the place, then you'd better find it quick!" Caroline rebuked Ren as Justine spoke up.

"If there is a limit to what you can discover on your own, you may want to turn to the knowledge of others. We've heard that you can acquire a book containing such knowledge in a place where young people gather, unless I'm mistaken. Perhaps you should begin your search there." Justine said as Caroline frowned and spoke up.

"You should report back to us the moment you find it! Got it!?" Caroline said as Ren nodded. Ren then checked his chats and found one from Yoshida, which he opened up.

"Good evening, Amamiya-kun. I'll be giving a speech in front of Shibuya Station. If you're able to help, I'll be waiting." Yoshida sent as Morgana spoke up.

"Sounds like the plan to see what the twins wanted fell through. That said, Yoshida appears to be waiting for you in front of the station. You wanna go help him out?" Morgana asked Ren, who nodded as he spoke up.

"Yeah, why not? I've not helped him out in a couple weeks, so I should go give him a hand." Ren decided. He then sent a response to Yoshida.

"As it happens, my night is actually open, so I have no reason not to help you out. I'll be right there." Ren sent as Yoshida sent a response fairly quickly.

"Great, I appreciate it, Amamiya-kun! I'll see you in front of the station." Yoshida sent as Ren headed to Station Square, and walked up to Yoshida and leaned against the trolley as he heard Yoshida speaking.

"Everyone! Facing civic disorder and economic uncertainty, not to mention these reports of students being beaten up outside of diners, our citizens are in turmoil." Yoshida said as Ren blinked at the indirect reference to what he guessed was Kusa getting jumped by his ex-teammates, but kept listening while Yoshida continued to speak.

"It is imperative that we resolve this situation, and social reform must be led by the government. However! Who can the people currently depend on at this time? Yes, the Phantom Thieves! The fact that they're being lionized is proof that the government is malfunctioning! The mismanagement by authority figures is what has led us to this terrible condition, after all." Yoshida said, before blinking as he spotted Ren nearby and smiled as he spoke up.

"Oh, Amamiya-kun. Good evening! Thank you for coming! Tell me, what kind of friends do you spend your time with? You can withstand difficult times if you have friends who support you through them. I received a dinner invitation from Councilman Matsushita. He would like for you to come as well. Let me know if you would like to attend. I'd be delighted if you would consider this as helping with my campaign and join me, Amamiya-kun." Yoshida said as Morgana spoke up.

"So, what's it gonna be? You gonna go help out Yoshida?" Morgana asked Ren, who nodded.

"Yeah, I think I will." Ren said to Morgana before turning to Yoshida as he kept speaking, while Morgana ducked into Ren's bag to lie down.

"I have nothing going tonight, since my friends went home and my younger brother is laid up in bed healing from being jumped by some cowards, so I'd be delighted to help you with this." Ren said to Yoshida, who smiled and spoke up.

"Right away then! Wait, your brother was beaten up? Is he the one that they were talking about on the news earlier? Apparently some Okinawa Academy students were arrested this afternoon for being up a Shujin first-year behind a diner a few nights back. They wouldn't release the name of the victim or the suspects, however." Yoshida said as Ren nodded, speaking up despite his surprise at finding out that Kusa getting jumped had made the news.

"I was unaware it made the news, but yes, that was my younger brother Kusa that was the victim, and the suspects were some of his former teammates from when he led Okinawa Academy's martial-arts team. Luckily, he's more or less okay and home, but he's dealing with a sprained knee that he has to wear a knee brace for, plus a busted nose." Ren said honestly as Yoshida gasped and spoke up.

"I see. I had no idea. I'm sorry to hear that. I'll pray for him to make a full recovery. Back on topic though, right away then! I'll make the call. It'll be at a hotel nearby." Yoshida said as Ren nodded and the two went to join Matsushita at the hotel in mention for the dinner...

(At the hotel buffet, with Ren, Yoshida and Matsushita)

"So, Kuramoto's been in and out of the hospital. I hear he's not going to run in the upcoming election." Matsushita said as Yoshida frowned and spoke up in a disappointed tone.

"I see. That's unfortunate to hear." Yoshida said as Matsushita spoke up at that point.

"He plans for his grandson, who's also in our party, to take his place, for who knows why." Matsushita said as Yoshida nodded and spoke up.

"Yes, I heard. Unfortunately, this is all beyond me now since I'm no longer in a position to do much about it." Yoshida said as Matsushita spoke up in surprise.

"Yoshida..." Matsushita said before he turned to Ren, whose plate was empty, and spoke up.

"Hey, you have to keep eating. You're still growing, you know!" Matsushita said to Ren, who nodded while he leaned back as Matsushita turned to Yoshida and kept speaking.

"Anyways, I invited you along because I wanted to ask you something. Yoshida, what do you think about the Phantom Thieves?" Matsushita asked, making Ren blink in surprise at the mention of the Phantom Thieves, making Matsushita smile as he turned to Ren and kept speaking.

"You've heard of them, right? They've become quite popular as of late, what with Medjed declaring war on them and all. That said, I'd like to hear your honest opinion. As a young man, are you for or against them?" Matsushita asked Ren, who spoke up honestly.

"Honestly? I don't really care one way or the other. Yes, they're helping society by changing the hearts of criminals, but at the same time, they're risking themselves falling victim to the lure of fame and recognition that I've heard corrupts many." Ren said honestly. Yoshida chuckled as he spoke up.

"I see. So you follow your own path, without being influenced by public opinion, huh?" Yoshida said as Matsushita turned to Yoshida and spoke up.

"And what about you?" Matsushita said as Yoshida spoke up with a smile.

"However they manage to change hearts, I respect their belief in crushing evil and saving the weak." Yoshida said as Matsushita blinked and spoke up.

"True. Come to think of it, isn't that similar to what you advocate?" Matsushita asked Yoshida, who nodded and kept speaking.

"You're right. I can't deny that. But that's not why I support them at all. I bet they're a group of young people. Young people who have experienced cruelty and injustice, possibly more than once even. They bravely face the societal ills that plague our world without thinking of the consequences. Brave, yet pitiful if you think about it, I suppose." Yoshida said as Ren blinked at hearing Yoshida basically call him and his friends pitiful, making Matsushita smirk as he spoke up.

"So, the former Diet member who was disgraced by scandals is going to side with them, huh?" Matsushita said as Yoshida frowned but nodded as he spoke up.

"Indeed. But tell me, is this what you asked me here to speak to me about?" Yoshida asked Matsushita who shook his head and spoke up.

"No, not at all. The party has decided which candidates it will back in the various electoral zones." Matsushita said as Yoshida blinked and spoke up.

"Hm?! And?" Yoshida said as Matsushita spoke up.

"One of our main candidates will represent this area, according to the party's election strategy. I'm sorry to say, you have no chance of winning." Matsushita said as Yoshida frowned before speaking up.

"Hm? So you're saying I should give up my campaign to become a Diet member?" Yoshida said as Matsushita spoke up.

"You know what? I won't beat around the bush anymore. Drop out of the election, and become my right-hand man." Matsushita said, making Yoshida gasp as Matsushita kept speaking.

"It won't all be for naught. I'll put in a motion to have you reinstated as a party member. And I will perform an extensive investigation into your expense misappropriation accusations." Matsushita said as Yoshida gasped and spoke up in surprise.

"WHAT!? Matsushita, are you being serious right now?" Yoshida asked Matsushita, who nodded and spoke up.

"I am being quite serious. Also, you'd finally be able to clear your name. Think about it." Matsushita said before he turned to Ren and kept speaking.

"I'll see you again soon, Mister Secretary." Matsushita said before he left, leaving Yoshida to sigh as he looked at Ren and spoke up.

"Ugh, he likely has an ulterior motive. If he felt hopeful, he wouldn't ask me to not run for the Diet. I expect he's trying to take advantage of me. And to be honest, that happens a lot in this world. What would you do at a time like this, Amamiya-kun?" Yoshida asked Ren, who thought about it before speaking up.

"To be honest? I'd decline. The offer sounds good, but who's to say he'd keep his word if you were to accept? After all, if you dropped out, there'd be no take-backs, and he wouldn't have to keep his word, while you'd be powerless to do much about it if he went back on his word." Ren said honestly. Yoshida smiled as he spoke up.

"So, you're telling me to take control of my destiny, hm? You're very inspiring. Amamiya-kun? Thank you for telling me your honest opinion. Don't worry. I won't stop giving speeches. Above all, I wish to continue speaking with you. You have such a fresh outlook on the world." Yoshida said to Ren, who smiled and nodded as he felt his bond with Yoshida get deeper. At that point, the 'Sun' card appeared in his mind's eye, the 'V' becoming a 'VI' to signify that his Sun Confidant link with Yoshida had reached rank 6, though no new skills were gained for the rank-up. Afterwards, Yoshida kept speaking.

"Let's finish up for today. Sorry I made you tag along for that, Amamiya-kun." Yoshida said as Ren smiled and spoke up.

"Don't worry about it. It was a nice change of pace." Ren said honestly as Yoshida smiled and paid the tab as the two parted ways for the evening, Yoshida speaking up once more as they left the hotel buffet.

"I will contact you another time. I'll see you again soon." Yoshida said as Ren headed back to Leblanc. Once he got to the door, Ren's phone rang and he answered it.

"Hello?" Ren said as he answered the phone, smiling as he heard Yoshida's voice on the other end.

"Hello again, Amamiya-kun. Sorry I made you tag along today. I'm sure you'll end up having to face something similar someday, so let me share my thoughts. When people come to you with negotiations, you need to see what's really on the table. Do you see the offer as a risk, or an opportunity? And do you take the offer? You'll have your own major decisions to make, in time. The most crucial thing is that you don't lose sight of who you are." Yoshida said as Ren spoke up with a smile.

"I'll keep that in mind. But you know something, Yoshida-kun? You make quite a case." Ren said honestly. Yoshida chuckled at that as he spoke up on his end.

"It comes from experience. I don't want you to make the mistakes I did. And just remember, even when you're surrounded by opposition and opinions, hold onto your own convictions. Oh, I'm giving a speech again, aren't I? Ah, I'm sorry. Maybe I'm getting a little too worked up about this. Well then, until next time. Good night." Yoshida said as Ren nodded before hanging up the phone and heading into Leblanc to lock up and get comfortable for the night, only for his phone to once again ring as he and Morgana were laying down, making the not-cat sigh as he spoke up.

"Ugh, huh? Who could that be at this hour of the night?" Morgana asked as Ren checked his phone. Surprisingly, at least to Ren, it was Yusuke.

"I shall be on standby at the hideout tomorrow. Truth be told, I found something interesting. It's a DVD that talks about paintings from around the world. Although I bought it, I don't have a device to play it on. And even if i did have one, the cicadas are noisy at my dormitory. As such, I'd like to borrow your room. Don't worry if you already have plans. I'll be stopping by either way. I'll go to your place tomorrow to hang out, if that's all right." Yusuke sent as Ren rolled his eyes but said nothing as he put the phone down and Morgana spoke up.

"Hm? Yusuke's coming tomorrow, huh? Might be nice to hang out with him." Morgana said as Ren nodded and the two went to sleep for the night...

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

Ren frowned as he woke up to his phone going off, checking it to see it was a private chat from Mishima, which he sleepily opened up.

"Do you hear those cries of joy? I'm talking about the sudden burst of posts we just got on the Phan-Site. It must be because of how popular the Phantom Thieves are." Mishima sent as Ren sent a response.

"Good for them, I'd say." Ren sent. Mishima nodded and sent a response.

"Right? Wait, hold up. Why are you talking about it like you're not involved? Anyway, let me tell you about the most interesting thing I've found so far. Indiscriminate acts of violence in Shibuya. Pretty scary, huh? I can't find much more than that, though, for whatever reason. All of the posts mention rumors they heard in the underground mall in Shibuya, but nothing else. It's not super reliable or anything.

It'd be good if we could find out more about those rumors, but my presence is limited to the web. You might want to try and learn more on your own if you're interested." Mishima sent as Ren's phone went off to signify the receipt of a request titled 'Who's Been Assaulting People?' as he put his phone away, only for it to once more go off, this time with a private chat from Ryuji.

"Yo, I've been looking into Yamauchi lately. Thought I'd give you an update. Apparently he's been hanging out at a monjayaki shop a lot. I heard he gets real drunk there and brags to his coworkers. So, seems like the perfect opportunity, right? If we can get close, we might get some intel outta him." Ryuji sent as Ren sent a response.

"True, but he'd probably notice you if you tried getting close enough to eavesdrop on him." Ren sent. Ryuji sent a response.

"Right! That's where you come in. He knows me, so I ain't gonna be able to get anywhere near him, as it happens. But he wouldn't give two shits about you! I bet you could even sit next to his booth if you wanted! Prolly. Sooo, I'll let you know once I figure out when he's going drinking. Till then, we're gonna put a hold on our training. Well, I'll be counting on you!" Ryuji said as Ren put his phone away. At that point, Morgana spoke up.

"Yup! Sounds like we won't be hanging out with Ryuji for a while, huh? I guess you'll just have to be patient." Morgana said as Sojiro's voice called up the stairs.

"Hey, Ren! One of your friends is here to visit!" Sojiro called out as Morgana spoke up.

"Sounds like Yusuke's here. Come on, let's go downstairs." Morgana said as Ren nodded. Ren then decided to have a seat and hang out with Yusuke, who spoke up as Ren sat down.

"Hi, Ren. I have been waiting here for you. I brought a wonderful art DVD that we can watch together." Yusuke said as Ren blinked, realizing that this could be a good opportunity to both increase his Charm AND get extra bond points with Yusuke. Yusuke then kept speaking.

"If you do not plan to gather the others, why don't we discover the truth held within?" Yusuke asked Ren who thought about it, and nodded.

"You know what, Yusuke? Why the heck not. We've got some free time for now since we're just waiting on the deadline, and for our allies to get back on their feet, so to speak, so let's do it." Ren said decisively, being careful not to mention anything Phantom Thief-related with Sojiro in earshot. Yusuke nodded and smiled as he spoke up.

"Indeed. Truly excellent! I hope you'll enjoy it." Yusuke said as Ren nodded and the two headed upstairs to watch the DVD Yusuke had brought. Once Ren hit play, Yusuke spoke up to provide commentary.

"Hm, beyond the more historically renowned European arts, the works of South America are quite intriguing, as their vibrant colors are integral to their unique style. You would never see such radiance in a Japanese work. Although I must say, your television fails to accurately reproduce their brilliant allure. Might I suggest that you perhaps invest in a newer model?" Yusuke suggested to Ren who nodded as he spoke up.

"That's fair. I've been pondering that myself. The thing is though, Kusa's birthday is coming up, so I have to put some money aside to get him a nice gift. But a new TV is definitely on the to-do list." Ren said honestly as Yusuke blinked before smiling as he spoke up, some sparkling blue music notes going over his head while he spoke.

"So, that's what you mean. Ah, I see. So you are already partaking in the search process. In this era of endless commodities, you prefer to shop for the greatest bargain possible. A fine attitude indeed." Yusuke said as Ren spoke up.

"True, but that's also partially because Kusa's been tutoring me on how to stretch a budget since we moved here. And he's a solid teacher at it, too. Maybe when he's done teaching me, or during if you want, I can speak to him about giving you some tutelage on how to stretch a budget, given how often your budget is eaten up by art supplies and food. But that's your decision to make, Yusuke." Ren said as Yusuke nodded and spoke up.

"Indeed. Either way, I am surprised you even managed to get your hands on such an old television. How did you pull it off?" Yusuke asked Ren, who spoke up once more.

"Simple. Kusa and I found it when we were cleaning this room up after we moved in here. It was actually Kusa who spotted it while we cleaned it, and the both of us moved it where it is now, while he hooked it up. Luckily for me, Kusa's a dab hand with electronics. So he knows a thing or two about setting them up." Ren said fondly as Yusuke nodded, while the two enjoyed a program about art on Ren and Kusa's CRT television, which left Ren feeling as if he was starting to see the world a little differently, giving his Charm a sizable boost. Afterwards, Yusuke spoke up, smiling at Ren as he spoke.

"This was a wonderful experience. To have come all this way, only to depart? That thought fills me with profound sorrow. Do you have some time? Or might you have plans after this?" Yusuke asked Ren who gave him a regretful look as he spoke up.

"Sorry man, but I like to keep my night open most nights. The only reason I invited you to coffee the last time you were here was because I knew my nights were empty at that time. Tonight, however, I want to keep my night open in case others need me. I hope you understand." Ren said apologetically. Yusuke winced, but nodded as he spoke up.

"I see. That's truly disappointing, but I suppose it can't be helped. I suppose it was too sudden a request, so I understand that you want to keep your schedule open. My apologies. I shall head home at once." Yusuke said as Ren nodded and escorted Yusuke to the station, at which point he spoke up once more.

"I must express my gratitude for your escorting me here. Let us part ways here, though. Now then, fare thee well." Yusuke said as Ren went back to Leblanc. After he went back, he sized up his options, before blinking as he recalled the bag Iwai had given him back when he sold off the gold medal from Kamoshida's Palace. Back then, Ren didn't have the Guts to ask about it, but with his current Guts, he should be good to ask Iwai about it. Mind made up, he walked out of Leblanc and headed to Untouchable, where Iwai looked up as he saw Ren come in and spoke up.

"You again? So, what're you here for, kid?" Iwai asked Ren who spoke up.

"I'm here to speak to you. As I recall, some time ago, I came in to sell you a certain something. That same day, you then handed me off a certain something else to take care of. Well, now I'm here to inquire, discreetly of course, about what exactly that was about, if you feel you can tell me. If not, you can tell me to mind my own business and I'll completely understand." Ren said as Iwai huffed but then grinned as he spoke up, impressed by Ren's Guts in asking about the bag.

"Oh yeah? S'that right? Well, I don't see any harm in telling you, so here goes. That was a custom gun that I modified to look as real as possible. I had a customer who was interested in it. You then helped me out by smuggling it outta here so that I didn't get caught by those detectives." Iwai explained as Ren nodded and spoke up.

"Ah, I see. That makes a lot of sense. By the way, you do great work. I had the bag come open on me, so I saw inside of it, and I thought it was real at first." Ren said as Iwai chuckled and spoke up.

"Oh yeah? That so? You're an accomplice now, so don't go snitchin'. I got everything on my security camera." Iwai said as Ren nodded and spoke up.

"I see. You can relax, I'm no snitch. To be honest, I'm rather interested in guns." Ren said honestly as Iwai smirked and spoke up.

"Oh, really? You're into guns, huh? That could work. Hey, you wanna talk in the back?" Iwai asked Ren, who nodded and followed Iwai to the back of the store. Once there, Iwai spoke up, frowning at Ren in mixed curiosity and uncertainty while he spoke.

"Be honest with me. Who the hell are you?" Iwai asked Ren, who spoke up.

"Oh right, sorry. I don't think I ever introduced myself. My name is Ren Amamiya, and I'm a gun enthusiast. I used to have quite an impressive collection of model weapons before my folks found them and confiscated them all, which sucked. But I suppose it's my own fault for leaving them where they could be spotted and seized." Ren said simply. Iwai chuckled and spoke up.

"That sucks about your collection. But really, a gun enthusiast? At your age? Hmm...Well I guess you got the heart of an enthusiast, at least. Heh, you're a strange one, kid. Actually, wait a sec." Iwai said before chuckling as he had an idea come to him and he spoke up, looking at Ren as he spoke up.

"Yeah, this could work." Iwai said as Ren looked at him in mixed surprise and confusion as Iwai kept speaking.

"Hey, I can grant that 'wish' of yours. But you better have the money. These things are worth hundreds of thousands of yen per unit." Iwai said as Ren blinked before whistling lowly as he spoke up.

"Damn, that much? I didn't realize guns were such a lucrative business. I guess that's my own fault for being naive, though." Ren said as Iwai chuckled, giving Ren an amused smirk as he spoke up.

"You have no idea, kid. Sometimes they even reach the millions, depending on how I feel." Iwai said as Ren frowned and spoke up.

"Impressive. Sounds like you make yourself a pretty tidy income off this shop. Yet, at the same time, I can't help feeling like the timing of this is a bit sketchy. I mean, I come in to ask about the bag, and you escort me back here to talk? If I didn't know better, I'd think you were waiting for me to ask about that bag." Ren said, though the smirk on his face betrayed his lack of suspicion of Iwai. Iwai chuckled at Ren's response.

"Heh, s'that right? Look, I ain't a bad dude. I've been known to compromise, from time to time. For example," Iwai said as he walked over to whisper into Ren's ear.

"You help me out with my 'business', namely smuggling goods and destroying evidence, and as a reward, I'll introduce you to the 'special menu', with special prices for a punk like you. Whaddya say? Not bad, huh?" Iwai said, making Ren's eyes widen slightly in surprise, before grinning as he spoke up.

"Sounds pretty good to me. Granted, I'm on probation at the moment, so I'd rather not be caught breaking the law if I can help it, for obvious reasons. Regardless, I don't mind helping out where I can." Ren said as Iwai laughed and spoke up, amused at Ren's answer.

"Ha! That's a good one. You tryin' to act all innocent now? Gotta fight evil with evil, you know. I need a pawn of my own." Iwai said as Ren blinked before Iwai kept speaking.

"Don't talk to no one about this. Got it? Just follow my orders." Iwai said as Ren thought about it, before realizing that it wasn't the worst idea to take the offer since it might be the best way for the Phantom Thieves to get even stronger than they currently were. Iwai then saw Ren thinking and kept speaking.

"So, what's it gonna be? You gonna take my deal or not?" Iwai asked Ren, who nodded as he spoke up.

"I'll take the deal. I'll even do what I can to help out, where needed. I'd be a fool not to take that offer, really." Ren said honestly. Iwai chuckled as he spoke up.

"Heh, you got guts, kid. That's fine. Okay, I'll work on that 'special menu' for you. You should be grateful." Iwai said as Ren spoke up and nodded.

"I should be grateful, and indeed I am. Thank you. I'll do my best to get things done to the best of my ability." Ren said sincerely. Ren then smirked, as he realized he'd cut a deal with a weapons dealer, which is useful for the Phantom Thieves, since it could make it easier to get them upgraded weapons for the Metaverse, which makes customizing guns even easier as a result of the deal. Ren smirked at how successful this move had been for the group...

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

"It seems you had model guns in your possession as well. Their detail goes beyond a simple hobby. I'm sure some people believed those guns were real. You'll tell me how you procured them, won't you? Of course you will. Now spill it!" Sae said to Joker, who blinked at the venom in Sae's tone, while inwardly laughing at how absurd Sae was to ask him about that...

(Back in the present, with Ren, Morgana and Iwai)

Ren smirked as he heard the by-now familiar voice go off in his 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 Hanged-Man Persona, I have found the winds of blessing that shall lead to freedom and new power..." Ren heard as a new card appeared in his mind's eye, this one simply saying 'Hanged' on it with an 'I' under the word 'Hanged', signifying that his newly-forged Hanged-Man Confidant link with Iwai was at Rank 1.

As a result of this new link, Ren was given access to 'Starter Customization', allowing Ren to customize his guns and install upgrades on them. Afterwards, Iwai kept speaking up.

"Oh, yeah. When I don't got any business goin' on, I"ll have you do some miscellaneous chores. Clean, run errands, and so on. There's plenty for you to do around here. Must be pretty excitin' for an enthusiast like you, huh?" Iwai said as Ren sweatdropped and nodded, not sure if he'd bitten off more than he could chew on this one, but knowing he couldn't back out now. Iwai then escorted him outside where he spoke up once more, putting some info into Ren's phone while he spoke.

"Hey! That's my contact info. When I text you from that ID, it'll be 'cause I need help around the shop. Also, just so you know, if you get caught or anything, I never met ya. Nothin' to do with me. We clear?" Iwai asked Ren, who nodded and spoke up.

"Crystal. Not that I'd get caught, though. But, on the off chance I did, I would naturally take the heat. I'm not one to roll on my friends/associates." Ren said understandingly, making Iwai chuckle as he spoke up.

"Well said. However, if you want somethin', you're gonna have to work for it." Iwai said as Ren nodded and spoke up.

"Honestly? That's more than fair. So, what, or when, is my first job?" Ren asked, clearly excited to get started. Iwai chuckled at Ren's enthusiasm and spoke up.

"Yeesh. Take it easy there, cowboy. You're that eager to get into it, huh? I'll send a message when everything's ready. Hope I can count on you, kid." Iwai said as he saluted casually and spoke up once more.

"Okay, that's it for today. Head on home, part-timer. Later!" Iwai said as Ren nodded, and headed back to Leblanc...

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

"Damn, it's way too hot, Ren." Morgana said as Ren nodded, his phone going off with a private chat from Mishima.

"This one's a bit difficult. There have been some strange happenings in the back alley off Shibuya's Central Street. Apparently people have been finding dead or hurt cats back there pretty frequently. It happens so often, people are starting to think someone might be abusing them." Mishima sent as Ren sent a response.

"I don't know why that's happening, but the fact that it is is absolutely unforgivable. Both my brother and I are very much cat people, and I take offense to the idea someone would be abusing cats." Ren sent. Mishima sent a response.

"Yeah. Only the scum of the earth would take their aggression out on weak, innocent animals. Anyway, there's only so much info I've been able to get from the forum. If you're worried about this, I think you'll need to go investigate it yourself. Maybe some of the employees down on Central Street would know more details about it." Mishima sent as Ren's phone went off to signify the receipt of a request titled 'Calling for Justice for Cats'. Ren then put his phone away. After pondering his options, Ren decided to take a trip to the underground mall to do some fact-finding on one of the targets Mishima had messaged him about. Once there, Morgana spoke up.

"Hey, hey! We still have a target we haven't identified, right? That said, I did hear some rumors at the underground mall, so maybe that'd be a good place to start our fact-finding? Perhaps by working at the flower shop?" Morgana suggested as Ren nodded and spoke up.

"That's definitely an option. And it does raise Kindness, so there's that to consider as well." Ren said as he pondered his options. Ren then fast-traveled to the convenience store to put in a shift, as Morgana spoke up.

"Hey, hey! We have a target we've not identified yet, right? Perhaps you can gather some info while putting in a shift at the Triple Seven?" Morgana suggested as Ren nodded, figuring it was a good idea, plus he wanted to put a shift in at the Triple Seven anyways. Ren then headed inside and let Nanami know he was there to work a shift, at which point she spoke up.

"Oh, thank god! That's so helpful! We're not exactly slammed, but the more hands we have helping out, the better." Nanami said as Ren nodded and got ready for his shift. After a while, Nanami sighed before she turned to Ren and spoke up.

"Hey..." Nanami said as Ren blinked before speaking up.

"What's wrong, Nanami-senpai?" Ren asked. Nanami spoke up uneasily.

"Y'see, the thing is, I saw a cat on the road a little while back, but the messed up part is, it was injured badly. When I got close, it got scared and ran off, dragging its leg, which was very clearly hurt. Anyway, I just overheard some college-aged people in our store talking, as they're apt to do, and they said there was a college student living nearby who abuses animals to relieve his stress, which is messed up if you ask me. And then I remembered that injured cat that I saw. I'm thinking maybe he was the one who hurt that cat. You don't think he's dangerous, do you?" Nanami asked Ren who frowned at this and spoke up.

"He could very well be, if he's going around abusing animals, especially cats. That's unforgivable. Of course, given that my brother and I are both big-time cat people, I might be slightly biased in saying that." Ren said. Nanami nodded as she spoke up.

"That's what I thought. And I agree, it is unforgivable. I know how you feel, but the police can't do anything without any proof to speak of. I've been thinking about that cat ever since. It's hard to keep smiling. You know, this is a bit of a reach, but if the police can't do it, do you think these Phantom Thieves that have been all over the news could help?" Nanami asked Ren, who smiled and spoke up.

"Perhaps. Out of curiosity, do you have any info on this guy, like his name?" Ren asked Nanami, who blinked at the question while she spoke up.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I heard the students I was overhearing mention his name. I think they said the guy's name is Kazuo Tsuboi, if I recall correctly." Nanami said to Ren, who nodded and spoke up.

"Good to know. Don't worry so much Nanami-senpai, have faith that everything will work out, because it will. I wouldn't be surprised if this guy ends up brought to justice, one way or another." Ren said ominously. Nanami smiled slightly as she spoke up with a nod.

"Yeah! I hope so! I couldn't stand it if he kept hurting animals like this. Someone needs to stop him, before any more animals get hurt. Good work today, by the way. Oh, I'm sorry. It's almost the end of your shift, right? Way to put in the hard work today, Ren-kun!" Nanami said happily as she walked off, letting Ren finish out his shift on his own, at which point Morgana spoke up.

"Hey! Good work out there. You got to learn more about how to be considerate of others through working with the customers." Morgana said as Ren nodded, his Charm increasing from working at the Triple Seven. Morgana then spoke up once more with a frown.

"You remember what you talked about earlier today, right?" Morgana asked Ren, who nodded his agreement while speaking up.

"Yep. You're referring to what I found out from Nanami-senpai, right? I remember. We definitely need to do something about it, if for no other reason that to prevent that scumbag from coming after you. Granted, Kusa would probably kick the guy's ass if he tried, but I'd rather that not have to be a consideration at all if possible." Ren said. Morgana nodded approvingly as he spoke up.

"Right! Yeah! We can't allow this guy to abuse animals. And he's doing it only for stress relief, which is just terrible. He's exactly the type of man we should punish. There's no way I'm just letting this go. Kazuo Tsuboi, was it? Let's steal this creep's desires before he can harm any more innocent animals! YES! Let's get our pay and then begin the operation!" Morgana said, Ren nodding as he made a quick 3,500 yen before deciding to change and head back to Leblanc. Once there, Ren blinked as he spotted Kusa at the counter having some curry. Ren then spoke up.

"Hey Kusa, I thought you were at Boss' house getting your knee healed up?" Ren asked Kusa, who smirked as he spoke up.

"I still am, but I went in for a follow-up appointment today. And as it turns out, despite smacking my kneecap on that opening the other day, I didn't damage it. That swelling was apparently just what the doctor called 'water on the knee', so it wasn't harmful, per se. Also, they took the gauze out of my nose, which made quite a difference, even if I didn't realize it was in there. They also said I can start walking around more on my leg now, but I shouldn't over-do it. So Boss decided to bring me here and feed me, so we didn't wake up Taba while we discussed what the doctor said." Kusa said to Ren, who nodded as he spoke up.

"Ah, I see. Fair enough. Well, once you're done eating, why don't we have a quick word upstairs?" Ren said to Kusa, who thought about it and nodded his agreement before he spoke up.

"Yeah, I've got time for that, I believe. Granted, I don't want to keep Boss waiting too long, since he'll probably want to head back sooner rather than later once he closes up." Kusa said as Sojiro nodded and spoke up.

"Exactly. Though I can wait around awhile if needed, should you and Ren decide you want to go do something together." Sojiro said understandingly as Kusa nodded. After he finished eating, Kusa followed Ren up the stairs and Ren spoke up once upstairs.

"Okay, so as you might remember, that night Ryuji, you, and myself went to Shinjuku to get that intel on Kaneshiro, we ran into a certain fortune-teller back then who had made some rather ominous predictions about you and Ryuji, and again this was shortly before his run-in with Julian and Angel, so I feel as if her predictions might be accurate. Plus she did give that prediction about you having 'strife and uncertainty' ahead.

Which, as I recall was also not too too long before you got jumped by your ex-teammates, which would probably be the strife that she spoke of. Though, I've no clue what she could have possibly meant by uncertainty? Anyways, I was thinking we could go look into her tonight and see what she's about, if you think your leg can handle that much walking." Ren said to Kusa, who grinned as he nodded his agreement before speaking up.

"You know what? Yeah, let's do it, bro. I've been curious to look into her skills myself as well. Also, between us? While she's got nothing on Taba, she was kinda cute if I'm being honest. But again, she's got nothing on Taba." Kusa said as Ren chuckled and spoke up.

"Of course she doesn't. Then again, I'm not surprised you noticed her at all, since you've always been partial to blondes and redheads, Kusa." Ren said as Kusa huffed in annoyance and frowned at Ren while he spoke up.

"Not true! Or need I point out that I had that short-lived hook-up with that one black-haired check a couple years back, and she was neither a blonde nor a redhead. And also, I think you remember the time I had that one blue-haired seventh-grader hit on me when I was in the fifth grade. So, no. I'm not 'partial', as you put it, to blondes and redheads." Kusa pointed out as Ren shrugged and spoke up.

"Fair enough. Now, let's go check out this fortune-teller, yeah?" Ren said as Kusa nodded, the two fast-traveling to Shinjuku. Once there, Ren and Kusa headed through town until they spotted a familiar blonde sitting at a very makeshift-looking booth across the way from the flower shop, at which point Morgana spoke up as the duo started walking towards the booth.

"Oh! Hey, it's that fortune-teller everyone talks about. Are you and Kusa gonna get your fortunes read?" Morgana asked Ren, who nodded as he spoke up.

"Yup. After all, she gave us those correct predictions about Kusa and Ryuji. So might as well at least give her a try and see what comes of it." Ren said as Kusa nodded and spoke up.

"Agreed. Plus, I'm curious to see what she predicts next." Kusa added as Morgana nodded before the duo approached the booth. At that point, the fortune-teller looked up and saw Ren and Kusa and smiled widely before speaking up.

"Ah, if it isn't the guys from the other night! Please, have a seat. I'm disappointed your blonde friend isn't with you, but he did say he's not into this. So I'm not surprised." The fortune-teller said as Kusa and Ren nodded, before sitting on the chairs in front of the fortune-teller's booth. The fortune teller then spoke up once more.

"Hello there! This is the first time here for the both of you, yes? It's not often I get such young men stopping by my stand. Anyways, my name is Chihaya Mifune. I will be reading your fortune today." The now-named Chihaya said as Ren and Kusa politely nodded as Chihaya kept speaking.

"Um, if it's not too rude, you can start by telling me your names." Chihaya said as Ren and Kusa nodded, the latter speaking up for the both of them.

"Ah, yes. How rude of us. My name is Kusa Amamiya, and this one here is my older brother, Ren. Nice to meet you, Hifune-san." Kusa said politely to Chihaya, who chuckled as she spoke up.

"Oh my, aren't we the polite ones? Kusa and Ren Amamiya-kun, eh? I see. Your names sound quite lucky, Ren's especially so. That being said, what type of consultation can I interest you in today?" Chihaya said, as she gave the two a closed-eye smile that even Ren had to admit was kind of cute, in a professional sort of way. Ren and Kusa looked at each other, as the latter spoke up.

"To be honest? We came here because of that prediction you made about us the last time we saw you. Y'know, the one where you predicted 'troubles' for our friend Ryuji, and I believe it was 'strife and uncertainty' for myself? You didn't really have much of a chance to predict anything for Ren here, but that's fine." Kusa said before turning to Ren.

"What do you think, Ren? Should we get the full package and get a good idea of what she's about?" Kusa asked Ren who thought about it and nodded his agreement before speaking up.

"I don't see why not. If it's not too pricey, the full package could be a good way to gauge her abilities for ourselves, though given she was more or less correct in both her predictions, given what ended up happening to Ryuji, not to mention that bit of bad luck you had recently." Ren said before turning to Chihaya and speaking up.

"That said, we'll take the full package. Give us your best shot, Hifune-san." Ren said after nodding to Kusa. Chihaya chuckled before frowning as she nodded her understanding before speaking up.

"Oh, very well. I suppose the life of high-schoolers like yourselves are difficult, after all. Now then, let's start with an initial reading to test the waters of your fates. Here we go. O divine power, bring forth these young men's fortunes!" Chihaya said as she started flipping over the cards in front of her that she'd dealt out.

"Your first card is...Hm, I see. As for the second...oh! And next is..." Chihaya said as she flipped over the next card and spoke up.

"Yes, I've seen everything. A stream of light obscuring the sun, much like an arrow tearing through the sky and going out of sight. Here it is. I see. There seems to be new wealth in your future. Your financial fortune is looking good today. This wealth of which I speak will come from, ready for it? From your house. Head home without detour, and precisely five thousand yen will await each of you there!" Chihaya said as Kusa smirked and spoke up.

"Wealth, you say? Sounds good to me." Kusa said approvingly as Ren frowned and spoke up.

"That it does. And given she was right about what she predicted with you and Ryuji, I'd be inclined to believe her on this as well. Granted, I doubt she predicted you getting jumped and having your knee sprained in the process, but she got the 'strife' part right, even if I don't know what she meant by 'uncertainty'." Ren said as Kusa nodded before speaking up once more.

"Fair point, Ren. But you can't deny that 10,000 yen between us would be pretty sweet right about now. Plus it'd make quite the tidy start on money saving." Kusa said happily. Ren then turned to Chihaya as he spoke up.

"We'll do just that, Hifune-san. And thanks for your predictions the other day. They actually proved quite accurate, even if I don't think you intended to predict our friend getting accosted by a couple of drag promoters. Much less predicting my brother getting jumped." Ren said honestly as Chihaya giggled and spoke up.

"As you two should. And to your comment, Amamiya-kun the elder, I did foresee your blonde friend having a dicey run-in with the drag world, which from your words has happened. As for your brother there, I had predicted strife and uncertainty. The strife already happened, if what you said about him being jumped is any indication. As for the uncertainty, that's yet to happen.

All I can safely say on that front is that there will come a time when your brother will have to make some difficult decisions and take a few risks, though those risks may well prove to be for the greater good and work out in the long run if he takes them. But that's for him to decide on if these risks are ultimately worth taking." Chihaya said before giggling as she kept speaking, her next words making Kusa sputter and have to keep from profusely blushing in embarrassment at what Chihaya said next.

"But I must say, I wasn't expecting the cards to point to him having such a potentially prosperous romantic future. But then, who could predict someone saving a red-head and managing to not only change her heart, but also steal it in the process? Have fun with the lucky lady when and if you meet her, Amamiya-kun the younger! Hee hee!" Chihaya said as Kusa blinked before speaking up, managing to keep his expression neutral, ignoring the knowing grin on Ren's face while he spoke up.

"I see. Well, thank you for your honest prediction, Hifune-san. I'm sure it will come true, much as the rest of your predictions have so far." Kusa said as Chihaya nodded and spoke up.

"Indeed it will. Fate is absolute!" Chihaya said ominously, making Ren and Kusa exchange skeptical looks while Chihaya frowned and kept speaking.

"But, wait. What is this? How strange. Amamiya-kun the elder, the general flow of your future seems to indicate, at least to me, that you have ruin awaiting? And an inmate, locked away in a lonely cell. How odd. You seem to be a good person, Amamiya-kun the elder, at least that I've seen, but are you perhaps mixed up with the wrong crowd?" Chihaya asked as Ren and Kusa exchange shocked looks, the former realizing Chihaya had somehow seen his times in the Velvet Room. Chihaya then kept speaking.

"And beyond that, well, my reading says that, at least so it seems, that continuing on your current path will lead to your death." Chihaya said as both Ren and Kusa gaped and spoke up simultaneously.

"EXCUSE YOU!?" Kusa and Ren both sputtered at the same time, the latter speaking up more after calming himself.

"Is that so, Hifune-san? Is there any way to avoid that?" Ren asked Chihaya who frowned as she spoke up.

"Alas, I'm afraid I cannot offer advice to that end, Amamiya-kun the elder. It's frankly impossible. Hm. But, if the divination is coming to me this clearly, then the truth of it is simply undeniable." Chihaya said as Ren and Kusa both winced, making her frown before smiling slightly as she spoke up again.

"Although, there might be a way. Now that I think about it, there could be a way you can attempt to counteract your destiny." Chihaya said as she reached behind her back and produced an object that she set down in the table as she spoke up, her bubblegum-pink eyes seeming to twinkle slightly as she spoke.

"All you need is this. It's my special spiritual object, or more simply put, the Holy Stone! With its power in your control, you can avoid even the most unfortunate of futures...probably!" Chihaya said as Ren sweatdropped and Kusa spoke up with a frown, crossing his arms while he spoke.

"Oh yeah? And how far back will one of those set us financially? Because I'd be very surprised if you're giving those out free of charge, Hifune-san." Kusa said, crossing his arms with a raised eyebrow, having a bad feeling about the 'Holy Stone' as Chihaya called it. Chihaya, for her part, giggled at Kusa's question as she spoke up, ignoring Kusa's jaw dropping as she spoke, before he frowned as he listened to what Chihaya had to say.

"Ah, you're quite perceptive for your age, Amamiya-kun the younger. I typically only recommend this to my more experienced customers. However, I feel your situation is too dire to ignore, Amamiya-kun the elder. You see, the stone itself is imbued with an aura of joy that will sap away all the horrible energy surrounding you. All you need to do is keep it wrapped in cloth and be sure to recharge its power in moonlight every three days. And as for the cost? It's only one hundred thousand yen! Not bad for an item that can change your very future, yes?" Chihaya said as Kusa spoke up before Ren could answer, eyes widened slightly while he spoke.

"It sounds viable, yes. But 100,000 yen for an object we have to do a bunch of stuff to keep charged up!? You do realize we live in the attic of a cafe, right? So we'd have to go outside to get the needed moonlight to charge the stone up. And even then, I don't think we keep a lot of cloth handy where we live. And as for the aura? It'd have to be pretty robust to sap away all of this one's bad luck. However, I feel as if that's a bit pricey for a stone." Kusa said uncertainly as Ren nodded and spoke up.

"Agreed, Kusa. But also, something about this honestly seems suspicious to me. I doubt it, but could this 'Holy Stone' be a scam?" Ren asked Kusa, who nodded approvingly to Ren's skepticism and spoke up.

"It's very much possible, Ren. However, we should give Hifune-san the benefit of the doubt, at least for now. If it does come out later that the Holy Stone was in fact a scam, we can deal with it then." Kusa said as Ren nodded. Chihaya winced at Ren and Kusa's discussion and spoke up.

"I-It's legitimate, I promise!" Chihaya said as Ren and Kusa looked at each other before Ren shook his head and spoke up.

"Sorry Hifune-san, but not this time. Maybe next time I head this way, if you've still got one, I'll look into procuring it. But for now, I'm going to have to regretfully decline your offer of a Holy Stone." Ren said honestly as Kusa nodded approvingly. Chihaya frowned as she spoke up.

"So Amamiya-kun the elder, you truly don't want it? Is that so? What a shame it will be to see the flames of youth snuffed out so soon. What a shame indeed." Chihaya said as Kusa frowned as he spoke up.

"If I didn't know better Hifune-san, I'd think you just threatened Ren." Kusa said skeptically as Chihaya spoke up.

"Take that how you like, Amamiya-kun the younger. Well, come see me again if you change your mind, Amamiya-kun the elder. I really can help you, if you'd like." Chihaya said as Ren and Kusa frowned at each other, but just shrugged as they headed back to Leblanc...

(At Leblanc, with Ren, Kusa, Morgana and Sojiro)

As Kusa and Ren walked back into Leblanc, Sojiro smiled at them and spoke up.

"Ah, you're back! Oh, you're both home. I've been waiting for the two of you." Sojiro said as the two approached the counter, Morgana poking his head out of Ren's bag to speak up at that point.

"Oh? The chief seems strangely happy. I wonder what's going on." Morgana asked as Sojiro spoke up at that point.

"Hey Ren, Kusa, how's your pocket money situations been looking?" Sojiro asked as Kusa spoke up.

"I can't speak for Ren, but I'd like to think I've been doing rather well for myself, saving up whatever odd money I get for doing jobs around the area, so I have a little bit saved up. Ren, though, might not be so savvy at saving his money just yet." Kusa said as Sojiro chuckled and spoke up, an odd grin on his face.

"Is that so? Heh, you're hopeless Ren!" Sojiro said before proceeding to slap two stacks of yen down onto the counter as he kept speaking.

"Here! One for each of you. Consider it a thank-you for all the work you do around here." Sojiro said as Kusa counted his stack and he and Morgana both got wide-eyed at the amount, the not-cat speaking up to sum up Kusa's thoughts.

"Wait, FOR REAL!? What? Is this...Is this FIVE THOUSAND YEN!?" Morgana said as Kusa nodded and spoke up.

"Seems that way, Morgana. Also, dang Boss, when did you come into money like this? Did you win the lottery or something!? If so, congrats to you and to Futaba, since I'm sure she'll benefit from it as well somehow." Kusa said with a chuckle. Sojiro smirked as he spoke up.

"As it so happens, Kusa? I did actually win some cash from the lotto, and I felt like sharing my winnings with the two of you. As for Futaba, I put some of it into a college fund for her, in case she ever decides she wants to go to a public school someday." Sojiro said as Kusa nodded approvingly while Ren spoke up.

"Thanks. How much did you win, if you don't mind my asking?" Ren asked Sojiro conversationally as Kusa lightly slugged Ren on the arm and spoke up.

"REN! You don't ask something like that when you were given money! You just say thank you! Also, thank you for this generosity, Boss." Kusa said as Sojiro chuckled and spoke up.

"It's quite all right, Kusa. I expected that from Ren, to be honest. And see, Ren? I can be nice sometimes." Sojiro said as Kusa laughed and spoke up.

"Sometimes!? That's not how Futaba tells it, Boss." Kusa said jokingly as Sojiro smirked and spoke up.

"She's different, as you well know. That said, the rest is on you, Ren. Anyway, make sure you close up the shop like always. And Kusa, once you're ready, we'll head back to the house so you can get off your leg. The doctors did say you'd be good to stop resting it probably in about a week and a half or so, so not much longer of being laid up." Sojiro said as he headed into the back to put some stuff away as Morgana spoke up in shock.

"Hey, so, umm, does this mean that fortune-teller was right!?" Morgana asked as Kusa frowned and spoke up.

"Seems like it to me, Morgana. But at the same time, while I hope she's right about Taba and I, I don't know if I want her to be right about Ren. Death being in his path seems rather ominous to me. Still, not bad, eh Ren? Easiest 5,000 yen apiece we've ever made, if nothing else." Kusa said as Ren nodded approvingly while speaking up.

"I think so. But to be honest? This is kinda scary, you guys." Ren said. Morgana nodded approvingly to Ren's reaction before speaking up.

"I agree, but still, she even got the amount spot on! Maybe that Chihaya lady can seriously read into the future!" Morgana said. A moment later, his eyes went wide as realization set in and he spoke up in a horrified voice, looking right at Ren while he spoke.

"Wait...Oh crap! This is bad! Didn't she say you're gonna die, Ren!?" Morgana asked in shock as Kusa nodded his agreement and spoke up.

"She did indeed. However, she never said how, or when, so I wouldn't think Ren has to be worried right away. But clearly he'll have to be wary from now on just to be safe." Kusa said with a smirk as Ren nodded his agreement before he spoke up.

"I couldn't have put that better myself, Kusa." Ren said as Morgana spoke up.

"Maybe. But come on, we need to go talk to her again and figure out what to do! Oh, and maybe while we're there, maybe I can have her read my compatibility fortune with-" Morgana said as Kusa spoke up.

"With who, Morgana-sensei? If you were about to say Lady Ann, I'm gonna stop you right there. I doubt all the compatibility fortunes in the world will help you get her, unless your real form is that of a woman. Or need I remind you that Ann's not attracted to men that much after what that scumbag did to her and Suzui-san a few months ago?" Kusa said pointedly, frowning at Morgana trying to use Chihaya's fortune-telling abilities for his own simpish ends. Morgana winced at the look on Kusa's face and spoke up.

"U-Um, never mind!" Morgana said sheepishly as Ren and Kusa looked at each other and Ren spoke up, grinning slightly as he looked at Kusa while he spoke.

"Seems to me like Chihaya Mifune can actually see into the future, don't you agree Kusa? If so, perhaps Morgana and I should go back and have her read my fortune again. You don't have to go along this time, if you don't want, since you got the clarification you wanted." Ren said as Kusa nodded and spoke up.

"True, I probably will give the rest of your trips to see Hifune-san a miss for now, since I'm thinking I should be worried about making sure Taba pulls through right now. Also, I don't know if I like that she tried to charge you 100,000 yen for a 'Holy Stone' as she called it. Who's to say it's not just some dinky rock that she's trying to hype up to make some quick cash?" Kusa said skeptically, still wincing at how much Chihaya had asked Ren to pay for the Holy Stone. Meanwhile, he and Ren each pocketed 5,000 yen. After that, Kusa and Sojiro headed back to the house while Ren and Morgana got laid down for the night...

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

"Hey, shouldn't we tell the others about that target in Mementos?" Morgana asked Ren, who shook his head and spoke up.

"Nah. Not yet. We have other targets to ID first, and even then we only have four targets. Let's try to get at least a couple more targets piled up before we hit Mementos, though we probably are due for a trip there to be honest." Ren said to Morgana, who nodded before the two headed downstairs. Once downstairs, Sojiro stopped Ren as he spoke up, looking at Ren with a serious expression while he spoke.

"Hey, Ren? Don't worry about Futaba. She'll probably take her time coming to. She's done this before, to be honest. Oh yeah, I have a message from Futaba for you. She said to tell you, 'Just don't worry about it. Leave it all to me!' So, if you can tell me, what's that all about?" Sojiro asked Ren, who spoke up. *1*

"Oh, um, basically we helped Futaba out with some stuff recently, so in return she said she'd help us out with a few things, and by us I obviously mean myself and Kusa. Though I get the sense Kusa won't let her push herself too too hard, to be honest. So I wouldn't worry about it too much, Boss. Just trust Futaba to know what she's doing." Ren said as Sojiro thought about it and nodded.

"I suppose that's fair. I already told Kusa this, but if I find out you've been doing ANYTHING to take advantage of her? You'll be outta here on your ass! Got it!?" Sojiro said to Ren, who nodded sheepishly as Sojiro smiled and spoke up.

"Good, as long as we understand one another. Now, go have a good day, yeah?" Sojiro said to Ren, who nodded. He then looked at his options before seeing with a smirk that Kasumi happened to be available to hang with in the Promenade of Kichijoji. Ren smirked as he decided, why not? He then set his bag, which had Morgana in it, down on his bed and headed into the bathroom to freshen himself up a bit before he fast-traveled to Kichijoji to surprise Kasumi, idly wondering as he did so how Kusa was holding up...

(At around that same time, at the Sakura household with Kusa)

Kusa shrugged to himself as he laid on the sofa and watched TV, idly pondering Chihaya's words from the night before, wondering if she was correct about her prediction for Ren. Kusa frowned as he realized the only way for Ren to possibly overturn his fate is to basically throw away 100,000 yen to buy a stone that might not work. Well, it'd actually be 90,000 after taking out the 10,000 yen he and Ren had made the night before. After pondering it a bit, he shrugged and decided it didn't matter in that moment. All that mattered was being sure Futaba would pull through. Unbeknownst to Kusa, Futaba was having an interesting occurrence of her own, albeit in her dreams, quite literally...

(In Futaba's dreams, with Futaba)

"Uh, I get I'm in my dreams, but why am I here, specifically?" Futaba asked herself, realizing she was looking around at a replica of her old house that she and her mom used to live in before her mom passed and she went to live with a bunch of others before finally finding a relatively permanent place with Sojiro. To her surprise, another voice answered her, one she wasn't expecting to hear.

"Ha! That's an easy one to answer, Futaba! You're here because your mind still needs closure from that fateful day I was taken from you. And honestly? I'm sorry you had to see me go out like that, my daughter. I'm sure that must have been quite traumatic for you." Futaba heard behind her, blinking as she spun around and gasped, as standing there was none other than the ghost of her mother, making Futaba blink as she spoke up.

"M-Mom!? I thought you were gone!? How then, are you here, if that's the case?" Futaba asked in surprise. The ghost of Wakaba Isshiki chuckled in amusement at Futaba's question as she spoke up.

"My body might be gone, but my spirit continues to live on as I chose to remain here to watch over you and make sure you're not taking my death too hard. Though from what I've seen, I don't think you've had the best time of things since that day. And I apologize for leaving you and causing that to happen." Wakaba's ghost said to Futaba, who smiled and spoke up, looking at Wakaba's ghost as she spoke.

"It's fine, Mom. While it's sad you're gone, I know you're in a better place, more or less. Doesn't mean I don't miss you, however. Because I do." Futaba said as Wakaba smiled and spoke up, looking at Futaba as she spoke.

"Oh, I have no doubts you miss me, Futaba. But that doesn't mean you get to shut yourself away from the world over it either. I know it'll be hard, but you have to learn to open up to others again, and stop hiding away in fear. I get that our relatives weren't the best to you, and I'm livid with them over it, but you're safe now, with Sojiro. And he's not going to let anything happen to you. He might not seem it at times, but Sojiro is a good man deep down.

To be honest, I'm glad I took a chance on getting to know him, even if he was a bit persistent about it at first. But back on topic, you should be able to feel comfortable opening up, if not to him, then to that young man you've recently befriended. I think you called him Kusa? He's both very kind, unfailingly loyal, and dedicated to those he cares about. Not to mention, from what you've seen, I think you're quite impressed with him." Wakaba said, smirking knowingly as she giggled at the subtle traces of red in her daughter's face as she thought about Kusa. Wakaba then kept speaking, a triumphant smirk on her face as she looked at the red-faced Futaba while she spoke.

"Uh-huh, I knew that would happen. Whether you want to admit it or not, I think someone's got their first serious crush going on. Granted, I thought for a split second that you might have had a crush on that Kana girl you were friends with, but thinking about it, I don't think you liked her that way at all. However, I've no doubt you actually do like Kusa that way, even if you haven't admitted it to yourself yet. If nothing else, I think he's made his stance on you quite plain to see, given how staunchly he came to your defense the other day! And given how much you were blushing just now, I think you took notice of it." Wakaba said slyly, making Futaba sputter as she spoke up, finally managing to get the red out of her face before she spoke.

'Wh-What!? I don't know what you're talking about, Mom! I don't like Kusa as more than a friend? Er...do I? I will admit he is rather handsome, and he has been taking good care of himself, if what I saw under his shirt that one time is any indication. Plus he is always good about having my back if I need it. Hmm...DO I like him? I dunno. I do admire that he's always there for me, if nothing else." Futaba said as Wakaba spoke up.

"That, I cannot answer for you. Only you can truly decide how you feel about him. But keep in mind, you could definitely do a lot worse than him if you do decide to take a chance with him. I think he's been keeping himself from making a move on you, purely out of respect for you. And that takes a special kind of selflessness in and of itself, if you ask me." Wakaba said as Futaba thought about it and nodded her agreement before speaking up.

"True. That is a good point. I guess I'll give it a think? If nothing else, I owe it to Kusa to figure that out sooner, rather than later. But still, I won't deny that I miss you." Futaba said as Wakaba smiled and hugged Futaba as she spoke up.

"I know that, and I miss you as well. However, you can't dwell on what you've lost forever. You have to learn to let things go eventually if you're going to be able to look to the future and enjoy the life you still have left to live, while you can." Wakaba said to Futaba, who blinked and thought about it before nodding her agreement as she pondered her mother's words while spending some quality time with her...

(Back in Kichijoji, with Ren)

Once he got to Kichijoji, Ren smirked to himself as he slicked his hair back with one hand, before grinning as he spotted Kasumi, looking over a stand of goods. Ren then grinned as he walked over to her and spoke up, enjoying the cute squeak of surprise he got out of Kasumi, who jumped slightly as she heard Ren's voice.

"Well, well. What have we here? Hey there, beautiful." Ren said charmingly as Kasumi blinked on hearing Ren's voice and turned to face him, her cheeks slightly pink with surprise as she spoke up, pleased to see Ren, if also slightly mortified at being surprised by his being there.

"O-Oh! Hello, Senpai! It's pretty sunny today, so be sure to stay hydrated! Um, this might be somewhat sudden, but would you like to go hang out someplace today? It's good to take breaks every now and then, so, um, if you don't mind, maybe we could spend some time together?" Kasumi asked Ren who nodded and spoke up.

"I'd be delighted to spend time with you, Kasumi. And it works out nicely that you asked, since I find myself with quite a bit of free time today, and who better to spend it with than you, the girl I've come to quite admire and respect, if not outright appreciate?" Ren said suavely, making Kasumi flush slightly as she spoke up shyly.

"O-Oh, I see. Well, thank you, Ren-senpai. What should we do today? Is there something you'd like to do?" Kasumi asked Ren, who thought about it before smiling as he spoke up, smirking as he realized Kasumi was calling him by his name, even if she did attach a 'senpai' to the end of it, but it was still steps in the right direction.

"We could always talk, but we've been doing that a lot lately. Hm, decisions, decisions. Ah, I know! Why don't we hang out? We can also talk some while we do so, if you wanted to talk. But I figure we can easily do so while spending time together. And if I recall right, you DID say that you wanted me to reach out to you more for stuff, so consider this me starting to make good on that request." Ren said honestly. Kasumi gave Ren a closed eye smile as she spoke up.

"Yes, I quite agree. That would be great, Ren-senpai. I think it'd help us both de-stress a little. And given what you said happened to Kusa recently, I think you could especially use the de-stressing." Kasumi said as Ren nodded, before opening up a map on his phone to look over potential places to invite Kasumi to. Ren then looked towards the south part of the map, and his eyes fell on an out-of-the-way location, in the form of the 'Seaside Park' that he'd read about previously but not had a chance to look at before now. Smiling as he made up his mind, he spoke to Kasumi once more.

"Well, looking at this map I have on my phone, I notice a couple of potential places we could go to. One of those is Inokaishira Park, though we go there a lot. And the other is an out of the way place known as the 'Odaiba Seaside Park', a place which, according to my map, has a Ferris wheel on it. If you wanted to, we could go to one of those places, unless you have somewhere else you'd like us to go to?" Ren said to Kasumi who thought about it and spoke up.

"I agree we go to Inokaishira Park a lot, so let's give that a miss this time. But the Seaside Park? I don't think I've been there that I can recall, and a Ferris wheel does sound rather nice. So yeah, why not? Let's go there." Kasumi said to Ren, who nodded and spoke up.

"Sounds like a plan to me. Would you care to accompany me to the Seaside Park so we can check it out together, milady?" Ren said, putting on a mock-posh, gentlemanly accent as Kasumi giggled at Ren's attempt at being gentlemanly, finding it amusing, and nodded before she spoke up, smiling at Ren while she spoke.

"I'd love to, Senpai! It's been so long since I've been on a Ferris wheel! C'mon, Ren-senpai. Let's go!" Kasumi said excitedly as Ren smirked and nodded, extending a hand to Kasumi, which she took as the two went to the Seaside Park...

(At the Seaside Park, with Ren and Kasumi)

"Wow, we're so high up! You know, I haven't been on a Ferris wheel since I was a kid! This is so nostalgic!" Kasumi said happily as Ren smirked and spoke up, slyly wrapping an arm around Kasumi's waist, taking advantage of his and Kasumi's closeness to let himself hold her at least briefly while he spoke, smirking at how prettily Kasumi had blushed from his bold move.

"I'm sure it is. I can easily imagine a younger you, sitting up in a Ferris wheel on your own, probably either excited for the experience, or terrified out of your young mind from the heights. Then again, for all I know, maybe you didn't go on it alone." Ren said teasingly as Kasumi went slightly red and spoke up, though the smile on her face betrayed her true amusement at Ren's description of her younger self, which she found quite flattering for a reason she couldn't put her finger on while she spoke.

"S-Senpai! Behave! And I did indeed go on it alone! The only other person I knew couldn't stand heights and thus begged off of going with me. That said, it always used to terrify me when the gondola shook in the wind." Kasumi said as Ren smirked and nodded before speaking up.

"I know how you feel. I'm not always the best with heights either at times, though I can handle it if I have to. Not that I'd let you fall, Sumi." Ren said honestly as Kasumi blushed slightly at Ren using his nickname for her as she spoke up shyly.

"R-Really? I wouldn't have pegged you for being uneasy with heights, Ren-senpai. Then again, to be fair, I always figured nothing would get to you. To be honest, Ferris wheels used to scare me. But now, I'm actually having fun." Kasumi said, idly tucking some hairs out of her face to give Ren a good view of her eyes as she kept speaking.

"Also, I'm actually have a great time right now, in fact. Maybe it's because I'm with you, Ren-senpai?" Kasumi said as Ren smirked and spoke up.

"Who knows, Sumi? Anything's possible. And if I'm being honest, I'm having a pretty great time myself. Of course, I usually have a great time regardless when I'm with you." Ren said with a coy but charming grin that made Kasumi flush slightly as she looked at him, blinking as she felt her heart both skip a beat and go a bit faster as she took in Ren's roguishly handsome grin, eventually speaking up once she got herself under control and managed to look away from Ren.

"Well, that's probably a little much. Oh, are we already on our last rotation? I wish the wheel would move a little slower, to be honest. Anyways, thank you so much for coming here with me, Ren-senpai!" Kasumi said as Ren smiled and spoke up.

"You're quite welcome, Sumi. I'm glad to spend time with you. In fact, if I'm being honest? I always enjoy spending time with you." Ren said honestly, smiling as he looked into Kasumi's eyes as she smiled a closed-eye smile and nodded as she spoke up.

"I feel the same, Ren-senpai. And again, thank you so much for today! I hope we can do this again sometime!" Kasumi said as Ren smiled and spoke up.

"I hope so too. Don't be a stranger about asking me out though, Kasumi. I always enjoy spending time with you." Ren said as he smiled at Kasumi before coyly leaning in to kiss her on the cheek as the two parted ways, Ren smirking at how red Kasumi's face got after he kissed her as he headed back to Leblanc...

(At Leblanc, with Ren and Morgana)

Once Ren walked into Leblanc, Sojiro giving him a casual greeting and complaining about the rain, Ren's phone went off to signify a group chat with Ryuji, Ann, Kusa, Yusuke, and Makoto, the latter sending the first response this time.

"This is bad. The cleanse is fast approaching." Makoto sent as Ann sent a response.

"We're not gonna make it if we can't come up with a solution." Ann sent as Ryuji sent a response.

"Speaking of that Medjed shit, people're talking about those leaks everywhere I go." Ryuji sent as Makoto sent a response.

"The noose is starting to tighten around our necks, isn't it?" Makoto sent as Ren sent a response.

"First of all, I have faith in Futaba saving us, as does Kusa no doubt, even if he and Yusuke are oddly quiet so far. That said, we still have time. And I'm open to them if anyone has a better idea." Ren sent as Kusa and Ann sent replies close together, Ann's coming through first.

"I have my hopes on her, as well. But isn't it dangerous to put all our eggs into that one basket?" Ann sent as Kusa's response came through.

"First of all, Futaba will come through! We have to believe that! Secondly, who said we're putting ALL our eggs into that single basket!? Technically we do know another guy who's good with the net, though I don't know if he has nearly the hacking experience Taba does, considering he moreso runs the Phan-Site than anything else. That said, Ren is correct that we still have time." Kusa sent. Yusuke then sent a response at that point.

"Our only saving grace is that Medjed seems quite intent on sticking to their planned date. And I agree Kusa, Mishima could be an option to consider to some extent, though I don't know how much help he'd be against Medjed." Yusuke sent as Ryuji sent a response.

"Truth, Yusuke! Anyways, we just gotta keep trying till that day comes, yeah?" Ryuji sent as Makoto sent a response.

"Yes, I agree. There's no point in complaining about it now. Let's continue our efforts." Makoto sent as Kusa sent a response.

"Very well. On a more positive note however, I can confirm that I won't be laid up much longer. My doctors told me when I went in for a follow-up yesterday that my knee was healing nicely, and that I might be able to lose the knee brace in around a week and a half. And, if I'm being truthful with you guys? It would be rather neat if I could ditch it on my birthday, which is around that point, but I won't get my hopes up.

Actually, to be quite honest, I'd much rather see Futaba wake up, since seeing her okay would be an excellent birthday present." Kusa sent as Ren put his phone away at that point, smiling at the rare honesty from Kusa. After he put his phone away and considered his options, Ren decided to go hang out with Mishima, after grabbing an umbrella because of the torrential rain. Once he got to Shinjuku, Mishima spoke up.

"Oh, hey there, Amamiya the elder. This rain came out of nowhere, didn't it? Speaking of rain, some guy from the Phandom was even asking you guys to bring him an umbrella. Sheesh! The Phantom Thieves aren't some kind of delivery service, after all. Ah, I see you did the request I asked you to do. Thanks a lot! Oh, right! You need to prepare for your next move, right? I've been doing the same, actually. Preparing for what, you ask? I could tell you, if you have the time that is." Mishima said as Morgana spoke up.

"So, you gonna hang out with Mishima then?" Morgana asked Ren, who nodded as he spoke up.

"Yep. I think the last time I hung out with Mishima at all was around two months ago when we were getting dirt on Kaneshiro. So it's probably time to hang out with him a bit more." Ren said before turning to Mishima.

"Yeah, I got time for you, man. Sorry I've not been hanging with you as much recently. Had a lot to deal with, between the Thieves and other stuff. Also, did you hear about that ambush that happened last week that those scumbags got arrested for?" Ren asked Mishima, who nodded as Ren kept speaking.

"Well, guess who their victim was? And before you ask, it wasn't me, but I know the guy since he used to go to school with those guys." Ren said as Mishima's eyes went wide in realization and he spoke up in shock and horror.

"Wait, if that's the case, then that could mean only one thing. But, that's improbable! Are you saying they beat up your younger brother!? That's insane! How's he holding up, anyways?" Mishima asked as Ren spoke up.

"Not too bad. He got rather lucky that those guys have worse aim than our cat, and he's kind of bad at darts. Good thing too, since they were aiming to bust his kneecaps and cripple him. As it is, they sprained his right knee in two places and left him laid up the last about week and a half. That and they busted his nose, but that already healed. Luckily for him, he gets to recover at Sakura-kun's house in the interim. And to be honest, that is quite convenient for him, especially considering the fact that he totally has a crush on Sakura-kun's daughter." Ren said with a smirk as Mishima spoke up.

"Ah, nice. But back on topic, we gonna hang out?" Mishima asked Ren, who nodded as he spoke up.

"Indeed we are. I was just explaining why I haven't been able to hang out with you as much recently. And besides, you kinda got me curious about what you mean now." Ren said as Mishima grinned and spoke up, amused at Ren's reaction.

"You really wanna know, huh? I think you'll like it! C'mon, let's get going! Anyways, let's head over to the diner! It's lame just standing around here." Mishima said as Ren nodded and the two headed to the diner...

(At the diner, with Ren and Mishima)

"So, how go the activities? Actually, I already know! The Phan-Site has been crazy busy thanks to you guys. This book here is all about the latest security techniques, and this is, um, well this is a model gun." Mishima said, setting his gun on the table as Ren's eyes went wide in surprise, as it looked quite real to him. Mishima chuckled and spoke up.

"Looks rather realistic, doesn't it? It should, considering it cost me a lot of money and all." Mishima said as Ren grinned and spoke up.

"I see. Probably a stupid question, but is it for me?" Ren asked, already having an idea of the answer, but asking anyway to see Mishima's reaction. Mishima frowned and shook his head.

"Hell no! Well, not exactly. I just told you how expensive it was, didn't I? Apparently they had to completely halt production because people kept mistaking it for a real gun. It was suggested to me by this military buff from the Phandom. I figure I could use a bit of security, since I'm the sole admin of the whole Phan-Site." Mishima said as Ren smirked and spoke up.

"Fair enough. I guess investing in a gun is easier than getting a guard dog, too." Ren said with a smirk as Mishima shrugged and spoke up.

"That's not a bad idea, but with how much time I spend on the Phan-Site, I doubt I'd be able to give a dog the attention and care it needs. A gun, on the other hand, doesn't need any attention, and only minimal care. So in the long run, it's probably a smarter option." Mishima said before he kept speaking.

"And I mean, you guys are getting really popular. There's been a lot more info on the forum lately too, probably because of Medjed calling you guys out. Some of the stuff up there is pretty scary, so much so that it seemed like I might need a little protection." Mishima said as Ren nodded and spoke up.

"Gotta say, that's a good idea, Mishima. As long as you're smart about it and don't do anything stupid." Ren said to Mishima, who nodded and spoke up. *2*

"Yeah! I may just be your background support, but I need to be able to protect myself." Mishima said as Ren spoke up.

"Too bad you didn't bring this to my attention before you bought that, since I could've probably asked Kusa to give you some martial arts tips, and he probably would've done it for free, since he's a nice guy like that. He might not look it, but he's actually an insane martial artist, so much so that had we not had to come here, he'd probably be a black-belt by now. Not to mention, there are some who hold him in high regard for his martial-arts skills." Ren said as Mishima blinked and spoke up in surprise.

"Wait...is your brother Kusa 'Kung-Fu Dragon' Amamiya? I've heard about him...not only has he only lost a select few spars, he's said to be the next Bruce Lee, since he always makes it a point to praise his opponents after a spar, and he even gives them pointers on how to get better, just so they give him more of a challenge in future. I had no idea that was him. And besides, I'm the kinda guy who goes the whole nine yards once he decides to do something." Mishima said as Ren nodded and spoke up. *3*

"Fair enough, Mishima. And yeah, he's that Kusa. Granted, I've not heard about him being a legend before now. But at the same time, that would track that he's modest enough to hide his reputation from me out of embarrassment." Ren said as Mishima nodded and kept speaking.

"True. But anyways, as I was saying, we've had a pretty massive influx of new posts on the forum lately. One of them seems particularly worthwhile. It's bigger than anything we've done so far, and I mean ANYTHING. But if we want to really make the Phantom Thieves famous, we'll need to go after some flashier targets. Leave this to me though. I'll get all the info we need, even if I have to put myself in danger to do it!" Mishima said as Ren nodded, noting as he did so that Mishima seemed extra motivated.

At that point, for the first time in a while, the 'Moon' card appeared in his mind's eye, the 'IV' becoming a 'V' to signify that his Moon Confidant with Mishima had reached Rank 5. As a result, Ren became cognizant of 'Mishima's Desperation', which increases EXP gained by backup party members. Afterwards, Mishima kept speaking.

"By the way, um, can you be honest with me? Do I look any different to you?" Mishima asked Ren, who looked at him in confusion as Mishima kept speaking.

"Actually, people keep telling me it seems like I've changed recently. I guess I can't hide my newfound confidence, huh? My true worth will finally-" Mishima said as another voice could be heard, cutting Mishima's sentence off mid-sentence as he turned to face the speaker.

"Well, well, well! If it isn't Mishima!" Mishima heard as he winced at the sight of a burly looking dirty blonde male approaching him and Ren, flanked by two other males, one brown-haired with messy hair and the other wearing short dark blonde hair and glasses. Mishima looked at the burly guy in front as he spoke up.

"Akiyama-kun, it's you." Mishima said, his voice sounding decidedly flat and unhappy. The now-named Akiyama chuckled and spoke up.

"Long time no see, zero. Y'know, we've been sitting just over there the whole time, but we didn't even notice you sitting here!" Akiyama said as the glasses-wearing guy spoke up.

"You're exactly the same as you were back in middle school, Mishima." The glasses-wearing high-schooler said as the messy-haired high schooler next to him spoke up.

"Yeah! Once a zero, always a zero!" The messy-haired high-schooler said, making Mishima wince as he spoke up.

"Y-Yeah, haha, good one." Mishima said, making Ren frown at the clear bullying going on as Akiyama spoke up before he could say a word, looking at Mishima while he spoke.

"You haven't changed your cell number, have you?" Akiyama asked Mishima, who blinked as he spoke up.

"Hm!? Huh? N-No, I haven't changed it." Mishima said as Akiyama frowned and spoke up.

"Then why didn't you come to our hangout? All our ex-classmates were there, y'know! Oh, wait, that's right. Nobody even remembered you existed! Can't invite a guy you can't remember, right?" Akiyama said to Mishima, who chuckled uneasily as he spoke up, ignoring the frown on Ren's face.

"R-Right, ahaha. Good one." Mishima said as Ren frowned and spoke up at that point.

"Just because your lot can't remember Mishima, doesn't mean there aren't others who do! After all, I hear Mishima-kun here is a close friend and associate of the Phantom Thieves! Rumor is he's actually their manager and the one who calls the shots, so I'd be careful about who you pick on!" Ren said, looking at Mishima and mouthing 'play along!' as Mishima gave him a perplexed look as Akiyama looked at Ren and spoke up, scowling at Ren while he spoke to cover up the shock he felt at Ren basically confirming that Mishima was an associate of the Phantom Thieves.

"Shut up, four-eyes! No one asked you! C'mon guys, let's go. Let's leave the losers to their zeroness." Akiyama said as the group left without a word, leaving Mishima to look at Ren in surprise.

"A-Amamiya the elder...Thank you. But, it's not what it looks like, okay? You know that one guy in every class who ends up being the butt of all the jokes? That guy was me, unfortunately. Dammit! But I've changed now. I can help you guys. I'm not going to be that boring guy anymore. I'm going to make something of myself!" Mishima said. Ren spoke up at that point.

"What those guys did to you is just messed up. I think I might have to have a word with Kusa about teaching you some martial arts, if for no other reason than so you can better defend yourself if those dicks pick a fight with you. Besides, I'm quite sure they'd back off real quick if they knew you were being tutored by a martial arts legend." Ren said as Mishima blinked and spoke up, giving Ren a look that was both grateful and stunned as he spoke.

"Amamiya the elder...Thank you! And, sorry about that. If he wants to teach me, I won't turn him away. Anyways, it's getting late. We should probably head home before we miss curfew." Mishima said as Ren nodded and the two settled the bill and split up for the evening, Mishima speaking up once more as the two parted ways.

"Well, see you later, Amamiya the elder. And remember to message me with his answer once you speak to your brother about that martial arts training." Mishima said, Ren nodding as he headed back to Leblanc, at which point his phone rang as he got onto the doorstep. Ren answered it.

"Hello?" Ren said as he answered the phone, not surprised to hear Mishima's voice on the other end.

"Hello! Oh, Amamiya the elder? Just so you know, I'm going to work even harder. Not just in managing the Phan-Site, but also help make the Phantom Thieves household names! I'm gonna do everything in my power, so you can just kick back and relax!" Mishima said as Ren spoke up with a smile.

"All right, if you say so. But keep in mind, the Phantom Thieves aren't in this just for such things as fame, recognition, glory and rewards. We're also doing it because someone has to do it, it's the right thing to do, and because it gives courage to those who need it. But mostly, it's the right thing to do." Ren said sagely. Mishima chuckled as he spoke up.

"Heh, that sounds like something someone related to the'Kung-Fu Dragon' would say. Thanks, Amamiya the elder! I'm really lucky to have a friend like you. You just go ahead and focus on changing those bad guys' hearts!" Mishima said as Ren nodded and Mishima kept speaking.

"Okay, I better go. But we'll talk again soon, okay?" Mishima said to Ren, who nodded as he hung up the phone and headed inside to get out of the rain and get laid down for the night. However, just before he and Morgana could doze off for the night, Ren's phone went off and made them both jump, the not-cat groaning as he spoke up.

"Ugh, huh? Who could that be at this hour?" Morgana asked Ren, who shrugged and checked his chat and saw it was Yusuke.

"I will be on standby at your place since it's summer vacation. Furthermore, I found something interesting. It's a DVD that talks about the life of a painter. I thought we could share in our appreciation of art. Don't worry if you already have plans, though. I'll be stopping by either way. See you tomorrow, then." Yusuke sent as Ren frowned and put his phone down while Morgana spoke up.

"Yusuke's coming tomorrow, huh? Might be nice to hang out with him." Morgana said as Ren nodded his agreement and spoke up.

"Perhaps, but depends on what else I have going tomorrow as well. Also, I'm getting the feeling that he's low key trying to convert me into an art enthusiast." Ren said with a frown as Morgana laughed.

"I doubt that, Ren. If that was his plan, he'd be spending time with Kusa, not you. And speaking of Kusa, since when is he a karate legend?" Morgana asked Ren, who shrugged.

"I dunno. Mishima and Hifumi are the first I've heard about that from. You'd have to probably ask Kusa that, but if I had to guess, he's probably just too modest to mention it." Ren said as Morgana nodded and the two laid down for the night...

(The next morning, in the attic of Leblanc, with Ren and Morgana)

Ren was woken up the next morning by a call from Caroline, reminding him about the Persona he'd left in lockdown, namely Arsene, and that he'd better not forget about it. Justine then added on that he had to come for it today, lest he lose it. After that, he heard Sojiro's voice call up from downstairs.

"Hey, Ren! One of your friends is here to visit! Also, Kusa's down here eating breakfast if you want to hang out with him!" Sojiro called up to Ren as Morgana spoke up.

"Sounds like Yusuke's here, and surprisingly so Kusa too. Come on, let's go downstairs and say hi to them!" Morgana said. Ren nodded and headed downstairs, where Kusa and Yusuke were waiting...

END OF CHAPTER

A/N: And boom, another chapter done and dusted! Not as long as some, I know, but at least it's over 20k words in length so I count it as a good length chapter! Also, considering I had to split the typing out of it over two days since the site glitched and cost me some progress on the chapter and made me have to re-work some things, I'm pleased to have it done tonight (for reference, it's currently 7:56PM at night on Friday, January 6th as I type this end-of chapter A/N even though I started said chapter yesterday, January 5th).

And despite the longer completion time, I got quite a bit in this chapter, between the handful of Confidant rank-ups, additional goodies such as optional dialogues and bonus hangouts, and even a new Confidant in the form of the Hanged-Man Confidant or Iwai! I considered starting Ohya's confidant in this chapter too, but I decided against it because other things took priority for me.

That said, I appreciate everyone who views, favorites, follows and/or reviews this story, as seeing the input and support for this story is amazing and makes me feel like I'm actually making a story people enjoy. As a fun fact, as of this chapter, this story is my most viewed story on my account, though I thought i had one other story that broke 10k views (and as of this end-of-chapter A/N, Phantom Files has a whopping 9,084 views, less than a thousand off of 10,000 views), and it presently has the third most reviews of any of my stories at 38 reviews after 35 chapters have gone up (again, as of this end-of chapter A/N. By the time this actual chapter goes up, that number should be at at least 10 higher, and maybe my views will have broken the 10k mark by the time this goes up), so that's nuts!

Anyways, feel free to leave a review with your thoughts/opinions/feedback on the story, along with any constructive criticism you might have, since such things let me see where I need to improve the story and are appreciated and welcomed! Or you can leave that info in a PM, I welcome the input and feedback from my readers either way! That said, until next chapter, sithlorde1988 out!

NOTES

*1* - Referring to what I said in the end-of-chapter A/N about optional/extra dialogues, the line here that Sojiro says about Futaba leaving him a message for Ren is literally one I had no idea existed until I happened upon it while talking to Sojiro to see what he had to say while waiting for Futaba to recover. Though I also feel like this is slightly a plot hole since near as I can tell, the game implies that depending on when you finish the fourth Palace, Futaba could be asleep for as long as 3 to even 3 and a half weeks if you speed through the Palace and don't stop for prep or other stuff.

On top of that, Futaba is then also implied to only wake up at the very end of the deadline for plot reasons. However, the line Sojiro said about Futaba leaving him a message implies she either left it before she passed back out, or that she woke up long enough to leave it with Sojiro. Either way, this line feels slightly contradictory to how the game handles the time after the fourth Palace but before the fourth deadline.

*2*- Personally, I feel like this line here shouldn't have been the three-note option for this response, considering Mishima literally brandishes a model gun right before this. And, without going into spoilers, let's just say Mishima isn't exactly the first person I'd want to see with a gun. Granted, he is a good person, but he has some serious character flaws that come into play later that make me feel like the better response here would've been 'Don't do anything stupid.', but that's just my opinion.

*3*- Yeah, of course I'm gonna have some people familiar with Kusa's martial-arts skills. As for his nickname being 'Kung-Fu Dragon'? That was both a nod to the fact that in a lot of martial-arts films, dragons are often treated as being impressive and even in some instances revered, and to the fact that his code name is Draconis, while his Persona (at least his current Persona) is a literal dragon.

No telling about his tier 2 and tier 3 yet, since those aren't gonna appear for quite a while, depending on how long it takes to get to his max rank. And Kusa's nickname being 'Kung-Fu Dragon' is also a nod to the movie series 'Kung-Fu Panda', which is a great series with Jack Black about a panda who yearns to become the Dragon Warrior, managing to do so through the most hilarious and unlikely of circumstances. If you've not seen any of the movies or the TV series, you should at least give the movie trilogy a watch, since all three movies are both funny and great.

CONFIDANT RANKS AS OF THE END OF CHAPTER 46

FOOL (Igor/Prison Master) - Rank 6

MAGICIAN (Morgana/Mona) - Rank 6

PRIESTESS (Makoto/Queen) - Rank 4

EMPEROR (Yusuke/Fox) - Rank 4

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

LOVERS (Ann/Panther) - Rank 6

CHARIOT (Ryuji/Skull) - Rank 6

JUSTICE (Akechi) - Rank 5

STRENGTH (Caroline and Justine/Twin Wardens) - Rank 6

HANGED-MAN (Iwai/Weapons Dealer) - Rank 1

DEATH (Takemi/Back-Alley Doctor) - Rank 6

TEMPERANCE (Kawakami) - Rank 3

STAR (Hifumi) - Rank 4

MOON (Mishima) - Rank 5

SUN (Yoshida/Man Of The People) - Rank 6

JUDGMENT (Sae/Prosecutor) - Rank 2

FAITH (Kasumi/Yoshizawa) - Rank 5 'MAX'

COUNCILLOR (Maruki) - Rank 5

WORLD (Kusa/Draconis) - Rank 4

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