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

58. Prep Week Filler! Trapped Heiress part 8

A/N: sithlorde1988 here, with another chapter of Persona 5- The Phantom Files! Well, here we are at around the 2/3rds mark for Arc 5, maybe the 3/5ths mark, but we'll see on that one. Either way, I can say for sure that the next at least 2 chapters will be dedicated to the 'prep week' section of this arc, namely the prep for the fifth calling card and Palace Ruler fight, which will have at least one change-up involved for it, more specifically the events following said fight, so be on the lookout for that.

Anyways, so two chapters for the prep week, a chapter for the fifth calling card and fifth Palace Ruler fight, at least one to two, possibly even three, chapters for the post-fight shenanigans and the wait for the change of heart, and a chapter for said 'change of heart', and then arc 5 will be done and arc 6 will begin!

And that arc will be an interesting one since quite a bit is set to happen within said arc, including bringing most of the pairings together formally and covering the join-up of the last new Phantom Thief of OG Persona 5 (even if his role is a bit expanded in Royal compared to OG Persona 5 by all accounts), as well as bringing the 'interrogation room' sequence between Joker and Sae that's been happening on and off throughout the story to a close.

Not only that, but there's even set to be a couple of big bombshell reveals involving a certain member of the Phantom Thieves. So there's all that to look forward to! Now for the disclaimer, per not only usual but per site requirements.

Disclaimer: sithlorde1988 does not own the Persona series in any way, shape or form (barring the OCs Kusa/Draconis, Slim, Kyori, Akira, Mimille, and Lumine, along with any other OCs that might appear throughout the story, as they are all made by and thus owned by sithlorde1988 unless otherwise stated) and the actual credit for owning the Persona series belongs to Atlus, Sega and to a point Koei Tecmo, so all ownership credit to them!

Real quick aside for anyone who actually reads these start-of-chapter A/Ns, rather than skipping past them for the chapter, I have a new poll up on my profile to help decide how to handle the Strikers part of the story, so be sure to cast your vote on it, since it will only be up until I post the end of Arc 5, which as of this point is only roughly 4 chapters away, since chapter 61 is the end of the arc, and this is chapter 58. So be sure to vote on the poll and make your opinions known! That said, on with chapter 58!

Chapter 58- Prepping for Changes of Heart! The Prep Week Begins! Trapped Heiress part 8

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

After sitting to consider their options, Ren sat at a counter seat and looked through his books to see what he had to read, while Kusa headed upstairs to stretch out on the sofa and look at sending a private chat or idly flip through his phone. Ren eventually looked through his books and pulled out his copy of 'Billiards Magician', deciding to read it. Sojiro looked up as he saw Ren pull out a book.

"Ah, gonna read then? All right, in that case, I'm headin' home. Make sure you close up." Sojiro said as Ren nodded before Sojiro left and he started reading from 'Billiards Magician', Morgana curling up on the stool next to Ren to listen as Ren read from the book.

"Right, this looks interesting enough. 'Think of yourself as an entertainer!', it says. Why so many images, though?" Ren said as Morgana spoke up in shock and awe.

"Whoa! Check this picture out, Ren! This is basically a show, considering how crazy this looks! That's nuts." Morgana said as Ren nodded, going back to his reading, a short time later, he finished, looking at the finished book as Morgana spoke up.

"Oh! So, you've finished reading 'Billiards Magician'. I didn't know billiards could be so exciting, to be honest with you! The book even had a detailed explanation and pictures on how to do the masse shot that we were trying to figure out. But we'll have to see if you can actually pull it off. Let's go play sometime soon!" Morgana said as Ren nodded before seeing a notification on his phone that he now had the option of attempting masse shots when playing billiards while he spoke up.

"That's possible. We are about to start our prep week to get prepared for the calling card, after all. So that's very much an option." Ren said decisively. Morgana nodded and spoke up around a yawn.

"Good call. Either way, I'm beat. Let's go get some sleep. It's not healthy to stay up too late, you know." Morgana said as Ren nodded, and the two headed upstairs to bed, Morgana deftly hopping up onto the sofa to curl up on Kusa's chest, making him slightly jump from the impact, but smile as he gently laid an arm on Morgana as he let the not-cat get comfortable on him, while Ren got ready for bed, and the trio dozed off for the night...

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

"Hey, all right! We were all able to get seats today! Why don't you use the chance to get some reading done, Ren?" Morgana asked Ren, who nodded as he looked through his books before eventually pulling out his copy of 'Theme Park Escort' to read it as Kusa pulled his phone out to send a private chat on it, presumably having a chat with Futaba. Ren shrugged it off as he started reading 'Theme Park Escort', while Morgana listened from inside his bag.

"Let's see here. This says, 'Enjoy a world of dreams, filled with popular attractions and fun of all types!'. Rather a lot of build-up for a theme park, I think." Ren said to himself as Morgana nodded and spoke up.

"Man! So that's 'Destinyland' in Maihama, huh? Interesting. According to this, it's a hugely popular spot that's great for families and even going on dates, if you have a special someone. Which I'd say you and Kusa both definitely have special someones, even if you're both dragging your feet on sealing the deal with them in my opinion." Morgana said as Kusa looked up, having heard his name, and frowned at Morgana before speaking up.

"With all due respect Morgana, kindly mind your own business. Do you see us nosing around your love life? That said, there's good reason that we've not yet asked our crushes to be ours, and we'll leave that at that for now." Kusa said pointedly to Morgana, who nodded and spoke up.

"Fair enough, Kusa. My bad. In any case, I could never go there by myself, to be honest. You have to invite someone, otherwise it'd probably be too lonely." Morgana said as Ren idly nodded, eventually finishing the reading as Morgana spoke up.

"Oh! So, you've finished reading 'Theme Park Escort'. Now I'm really interested in 'Destinyland' in 'Maihama', but I don't have anyone to go with, and I wouldn't dream of being a third wheel for either of you two." Morgana said as Ren nodded while the location of Maihaba and more specifically 'Maihama Destinyland' was added to his phone's map for fast-travel purposes. Morgana then spoke up.

"Mwehehe, y'know, you should invite someone to go there with you sometime, Ren. You as well, Kusa. Oh, but if either of you goes, consider taking me with you?" Morgana said as Ren shrugged and Kusa spoke up.

"We'll think about it, Morgana. But you yourself just said you didn't want to be a third wheel, so we'll see what happens." Kusa said, arms crossed. Morgana nodded and spoke up.

"Fair enough. Either way, looks like we're almost at the station. I'd say that was an efficient use of your time." Morgana said as Ren and Kusa nodded, the rest of their train ride going by uneventfully...

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

"Now everyone, listen up! Autumn is for eating, autumn is for art, autumn is for reading. Autumn is for a lot of things. That said, stores will use whatever reasons they can to pull in customers. This season in particular. Ah yes, that's right. People also say that autumn is for sports. A while back, baseball was the national sport, but these days people have been into soccer. As you know, black and white are the common colors for soccer balls. Now then, Amamiya-kun. Could you take a look at this picture?" Usami asked Ren, who looked up on hearing his name called and gave Usami his full attention while Usami held up a picture of a soccer ball while speaking up.

"Do you know this one? How many white and black shapes are there respectively on a soccer ball?" Usami asked Ren, who winced as neither he or Kusa were that big into soccer, so he had no real clue on the answer to this one. He looked at the picture again and noticed that the ratio of white to black looked pretty close to even, but not quite even, so he took a guess at the answer.

"This is it! I'm no soccer buff, but I believe the answer is 20 white, 12 black." Ren said, trying to sound confident in his guess. To his surprise, Usami nodded and clapped before she spoke up.

"Precisely! That's correct. This ball is composed of twelve black pentagons and twenty white hexagons. It's made up of a total of 32 surfaces. By the way, apparently soccer balls used to be only one color. They changed it to black and white so it could be seen better on television at some point, or so I hear, anyway. Television was still in black and white when they started airing soccer in Europe.

At any rate, the contrast of black and white next to each other on one surface is impressive. It's a slick design, don't you think?" Usami said as the usual murmurs about how smart Ren is ensued, complete with a grinning Morgana praising Ren for getting the answer right, making him subtly smile as he mentally decided this was how things should be, even as his Knowledge got another unneeded boost. Usami then kept speaking.

"A recent design that's caught my eye is the Moon Burger, which uses an egg to represent the moon. I'm well aware of the bad rumors surrounding Okumura Foods, but you can't argue with hunger, after all." Usami said as Morgana spoke up so only Ren could hear.

"Hmm, you think someone like her really eats hamburgers?" Morgana asked Ren, who shrugged as the rest of class proceeded uneventfully...

(After school, with Ren and Morgana)

"Hey! There's 17 days left in the deadline, Ren. Aren't you going to send the calling card?" Morgana asked Ren, who shook his head.

"Nah, not today. We're in our prep week right now. We'll send the calling card a week from today, or the 1st of October. Fair enough?" Ren said to Morgana, who nodded before he spoke up once more.

"Also, what's the plan with Mementos?" Morgana asked Ren, who spoke up.

"We only have two targets right now, so we'll wait until we have a couple more to fill the others in on any targets." Ren said as Morgana nodded once more. Ren then remembered he still had 'The Illusory Popess' and headed to the library to return it, at which point he saw his options for books to check out had expanded. He now had four books to choose from: 'The Alluring Dancer', a book that increases Charm and mentions Carmen, 'The Gallant Rogue', a biography of Ishikawa Goemon that boosts Guts, 'Cry of Cthulu', a book about the world of the macabre which also boosts Guts, and 'Woman in the Dark' a book about Milady that boosts Proficiency. After a pause to consider his options, Ren eventually decided to check out 'The Gallant Rogue'.

After doing, Ren did a bit of selling and shopping to re-stock his supplies, leaving himself with a bit over 30,000 yen on hand afterwards. He also had a reasonably good supply of healing stuff and some new accessories to boot. After doing all that, Ren decided to hang out with Takemi since he happened to finish his shopping run in her clinic. Morgana then padded off towards Leblanc as Ren walked over to the counter and caught Takemi's attention, at which point she spoke up.

"The evenings have been getting cooler. It's easy to get sick in that in-between period as the seasons change, so be careful. So, what are you here for today?" Takemi asked Ren, who spoke up.

"I'm here to see about doing a clinical trial for our deal, since it's been a bit since I did one and I don't want you thinking I'm shirking our agreement." Ren said. Takemi winced before she spoke up.

"Oh, the clinical trial. Right. Sorry, but I'm going to pass on it today. Just not feeling it." Takemi said as Ren blinked, noting that Takemi seemed depressed. However, his Charm managed to melt her heart, given that she looked at Ren and spoke up.

"I, to be honest? I need to talk to you. Since this might be the last time we have the chance to do so." Takemi said as Ren nodded and spoke up.

"No problem, Doctor Takemi. That's what I'm here for." Ren said as Takemi gave Ren a grateful nod and spoke up.

"Thank you. Come on in. Please head to the exam room." Takemi said as Ren obliged. Once Ren had a seat in the exam room, Takemi spoke up.

"Hey, Amamiya-kun. Can I be honest? I'm thinking of resigning." Takemi said as Ren's eyes widened and he spoke up.

"I'm sorry, WHAT!? You're resigning!? Is this about Miwa-chan?" Ren asked Takemi, who spoke up.

"Partly. What happened to her was tragic, after all. But also, several of my suppliers have stated that they're going to stop selling to me. If I can't get my hands on medical supplies, I won't be able to get what I need to complete the new medicine. They're probably being pressured by Oyamada to stop doing business with me. So I figure it's over." Takemi said as Ren spoke up.

"Are you sure you're okay with this, Doctor? What about Miwa-chan? Would she have wanted you to give it all up?" Ren asked. Takemi winced but spoke up.

"It's fine. I confirmed with the hospital Miwa-chan was staying at, and unfortunately, Oyamada was telling the truth. Miwa-chan was apparently smiling until the very end. She probably didn't want to worry anyone. I wish I could've cured her, though. I didn't want fame or money. All I wanted, all I really wanted, was to keep her smiling as long as I possibly could. But to be honest, this isn't just about her though, Amamiya-kun.

I was going to help every single person who was suffering from that disease, so they could have a chance at a full recovery! The truth is, I was a sickly child when I was young too, if you can believe that. I was always in the hospital, for long periods of time, and was rarely well enough to attend school at all. Medicine was all that kept me alive during that time. That's why I wanted to become a doctor, so that no one else had to go through what I went through.

So I could save people, just like I was saved back then. As the saying goes though, all good things must come to an end eventually. The same could be said for our deal, as well. It's a shame, but I guess this is where it ends for us. The medical industry is a business, after all, and the chief decides what's best for it. Moreover, I'm all out of allies I can count on, or at least that's how I feel." Takemi said with a forlorn look on her face. Ren spoke up at that point.

"Doctor, look at me. Don't give up! And as far as you having no allies left? Bullshit. I'm your ally, after all." Ren said resolutely. Takemi blinked at this before giving Ren a closed-eye smile and speaking up.

"Hm!? Yeah, that's true. I didn't think of that. You're right. You might just be my one and only ally, to be honest. That said, I really appreciate everything you've done. My practice increased thanks to your nosiness, and in the end, I felt like a real doctor again. So, I guess this is it. Thank you." Takemi said as Ren frowned and spoke up.

"That's it? You gonna run away?" Ren asked. Takemi winced at his words and spoke up.

"You say that like I'm some sort of coward. But to be honest? I just might. As for my patients, there're other doctors that can help them. This is where it ends. As unfortunate as that is to say. Although it frustrates me. In any case, I can't do clinical trials anymore, so you can go home. Thanks again for all your help. And good luck with your entrance exams." Takemi said to Ren, who frowned at the way things were ending. He idly wondered if there was anything he could do for Takemi. Takemi then spoke up.

"Bye, Amamiya-kun. I'll never forget you, my guinea pig." Takemi said as Ren spoke up.

"Hold on just a moment. This chief you spoke of, do you happen to know his full name, by chance?" Ren asked Takemi, who looked at Ren in surprise as she spoke up.

"What're you trying to do? Chief, you said? You mean Oyamada? Why? I hope you're not planning to get revenge for me." Takemi said as Ren spoke up.

"It's for my research. I was curious about him. But also, I might know of some people who can help with your situation, but they require full names for their targets before they can act. It's for record-keeping reasons, you see." Ren said. Takemi chuckled as she spoke up.

"Research? On Oyamada!? You're such a weird kid. Though if the friends you mentioned are who I think they are, that could work. Very well, I'll tell you. His full name is Shoichi Oyamada. He's a very influential Chief of Staff in the world of medicine, and was my superior at one time. Is that all?" Takemi asked Ren, who nodded, before deciding he needed to do something about Oyamada for Takemi. At that point, his phone pinged to signify the receipt of a request titled 'Bad Medicine'. At that point, Ren got up and went home, Takemi softly smiling as she spoke up.

"Thank you for everything, Amamiya-kun! Good-bye, and good luck. Okay, take care." Takemi said as Ren went back to Leblanc...

(That evening at Leblanc, with Ren and Morgana)

As Ren got back to Leblanc, Morgana having hopped into his bag as he left the clinic, his phone went off to signify a group chat with Ren, Ann, Kusa, Yusuke, Makoto, Haru, and Futaba, with Ann sending the first response.

"There haven't been any mental shutdown cases lately, right?" Ann sent as Futaba sent a response.

"Nope, not since Okumura took first place in the rankings." Futaba sent as Kusa and Yusuke sent responses close together, Yusuke's coming through first.

"Perhaps the culprit behind them is being cautious due to the success we've had recently." Yusuke sent as Kusa's response came through.

"As far as I'm aware Ann, the last shutdown case we know of was Kobayakawa, may he rest in peace. And Yusuke, it's more likely the culprit is stepping back to consider their options and see if they have to directly intervene against us. If I'm right, that could mean we might be closing in on the point where we finally come face to face with that bastard Black Mask." Kusa sent as Ryuji sent a response.

"So it's cause of us then! Damn, I'm glad we're famous!" Ryuji sent as Makoto sent a response.

"RYUJI! Focus! And Kusa has a point. They could be stepping back for now, but it's highly probable they'll become active again. Especially if they think the Phantom Thieves aren't actively attempting to do anything about the situation." Makoto sent as Futaba sent a response.

"We're also gonna be in trouble if we let public opinion go down the path it's heading." Futaba sent as Haru sent a response.

"Yes, there have been a great deal more instigating comments lately. And we're all trying so hard to stop my father." Haru sent as Yusuke sent a response.

"Our inactivity must be upsetting. We should keep that in mind." Yusuke sent as Ren sent a response.

"Agreed. That said, I'm letting everyone know right now that today was the start of our prep week. For the next week, we're going to do as much prepping for the calling card as we can. I want us to be at our best going into our next fight. So until 10/1, we won't even talk about sending the calling card. Fair enough?" Ren sent as Kusa sent a response.

"Fine by me. We'll just have to use our time wisely so we're as prepared as possible, that's all. And Yusuke? What's really unsettling is how much you and Ryuji seem to be putting stock into public opinion." Kusa sent bluntly as Ren put his phone away. After looking over his options, Ren decided to go see Iwai at the shop to rank him up, noting as he entered the shop that the twins were standing outside of the Velvet Room, meaning they were ready for their next outing, so that was another thing to do during this prep week. Once there, Ren approached the counter and spoke up.

"Sorry for being slow in getting here, but I'm here to work." Ren said as Iwai looked up and nodded before speaking up.

"Good. All right, I'll tell you about the shop. It should be a piece of cake for a gun enthusiast like you, right?" Iwai said as Ren nodded making Iwai chuckle and speak up.

"Good answer. If you're considered an employee, you won't seem suspicious coming in and out of the shop, right? If you get what I'm sayin', bring the goods to the back." Iwai said as Ren nodded and followed Iwai to the back, where he spoke up.

"Hey! Hurry up and learn this stuff, kid. You've gotta be able to start lookin' like a regular employee. I'm s'posed to be runnin' an honorable business here, y'know. Heh, though honestly, the customers've been runnin' a little thin lately." Iwai said as Ren gave him a confused look prompting Iwai to keep speaking.

"Some guy on the internet's been claimin' all my goods're knock-offs. And once you've got a bad rap like that, it's real tough to shake it." Iwai said as Ren nodded and spoke up.

"I know how that feels. I've been there before." Ren said. Iwai huffed and spoke up.

"Hmph, a kid like you? Heh, is that right? I see. You goin' through something similar?" Iwai said as Ren nodded and Iwai kept speaking.

"Then again, I guess you wouldn't be doin' any of this if you weren't, huh Amamiya?" Iwai said. Before Ren could speak up, Iwai contiuned speaking.

"Don't give me any details. I don't want to know. That's right. Anyways, I should prolly fill you in on what's goin' on here since you'll be helpin' me out. I'd bet anythin' the guy behind that rumor is Tsuda. You remember his name from the diner, yeah? The truth is, he's second-in-command of the Hashiba Clan? The same clan I was in myself, back when I was part of the Yakuza." Iwai said as Ren smirked and spoke up.

"Yakuza, you say? Heh, I always knew you struck me as a thug, Iwai." Ren said as Iwai laughed and grinned appreciatively at Ren before speaking up.

"Heh, you got some nerve. Anyways, Tsuda was my sworn brother back in the clan. I got some, shall we say, unsavory business goin' down with him now, though. Problem is, I'm a known quantity in the underworld. One bad step, and I'd have guys crawlin' all over me. That's why I've got you around. You look normal, sure. I could see that. But even so, you got balls, kid. Makes you perfect for snoopin' on Tsuda. Oh, but I hope I'm not scarin' you off with all this talk." Iwai said as Ren shook his head.

"Not at all. We made a deal, didn't we?" Ren said bluntly. Iwai laughed as he spoke up.

"Heh, idiot. But y'know, I've got a bit of a soft spot for idiots like you. Anyways, you get the gist of what's goin' on now, yeah? You'll be workin' with that in mind. I expect a lot from you, kid. You should be grateful! You know? Oh, and I'll add to the special menu, to thank you for gettin' that info for me the other day." Iwai said to Ren, who nodded as he felt his bond with Iwai somewhat start to deepen. At that moment, the 'Hanged-Man' card appeared in his mind's eye, the 'II' becoming a 'III' to signify that his Hanged-Man confidant link with Iwai had reached rank 3.

As a result of the rank up, Iwai ended up adding the option of 'Camo Customization' to the gun customization menu, making it so that Ren could now customize the camo on the group's guns, enabling the group's guns to inflict ailments. Afterwards, the door opened up as a male's voice could be heard speaking up.

"H-Hello, is this place still open?" Iwai and Ren heard as they turned to face the speaker, a male with short black rectangular glasses, short black hair, and a black uniform with black shoes. Iwai frowned at the new arrival as he spoke up.

"What's the meanin' of this? Huh? I thought I told you to stop comin' around here." Iwai said to the arrival, who winced as he spoke up.

"But..." The arrival said as Ren turned to Iwai in confusion and spoke up.

"Is that one of your customers?" Ren asked curiously. Iwai shook his head and spoke up.

"You keep your mouth shut. This isn't any of your business." Iwai said before turning to the arrival as he kept speaking.

"But nothin. Just go home 'n study, Kaoru. You've got entrance exams comin' up, remember?" Iwai said to the now-named Kaoru, who seemed to deflate as he nodded and spoke up.

"Oh, okay. I'll go home. I guess I'll be going, then. Sorry to bother you." Kaoru said as he turned around and left, at which point Iwai turned back to Ren and spoke up.

"To what you asked earlier, no that wasn't a customer. That's Kaoru, or more bluntly put, my son. He's always askin' me if he can help out here, always worryin' about what I'm gettin' up to. Ugh, but I prolly shouldn't be tellin' a kid like you about this, now that I think about it. Well, you can head home for today. Nice work, kid." Iwai said as Ren nodded, noting that his Proficiency had increased from helping out Iwai, giving his Proficiency an unneeded boost, as other than Guts, all his stats were maxed out. At that point, Ren headed back to Leblanc, but not before Iwai spoke up once more.

"Later, kid. See ya next time." Iwai said as Ren headed back to Leblanc and got comfortable for the evening, Morgana curling up on Kusa. After a bit, Ren's phone went off, catching both Morgana and Ren off guard, as the former frowned and spoke up.

"Huh? Ren, is that your phone? Who could that be at this hour?" Morgana asked as Ren shrugged, checking his phone and being surprised to find it was a message from Futaba.

"You have tomorrow off, right? I'm gonna be on standby at the hideout. So, with that said, we gotta play some games! I'll bring an awesome one tomorrow." Futaba sent as Ren grinned and sent a response.

"And you're sure this isn't just a ploy to be able to come spend time with Kusa? I know you two are getting a lot closer these days." Ren sent teasingly as Futaba's face went red before she sent a response.

"REN! Shut up! That's not what this is about! Besides, isn't Kusa usually out and about on Sundays, anyways? So your question is a bit moot if he's not gonna be there. That said, back on topic, I'll show you the ropes, so you can use it to let out your stress! Oh, but if you're busy, do that first and I'll wait! It's a retro game called 'Power Intuition.' Look forward to it. And on that note, time to make like a tree!" Futaba sent as Ren huffed and put his phone away, making Morgana look at Ren inquiringly and speak up.

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

"Surprisingly that was Futaba. Apparently she's gonna be on standby here tomorrow, and mentioned bringing some retro game for us to try out. I still think she just wants to spend tine with Kusa, which I'm not against if that is the case, since I think we can both agree those two need to admit they're in love with each other already. At least Kasumi and I know how we feel about one another, even if we're just waiting for the opportune moment to act on said feelings." Ren said to Morgana, who nodded and spoke up.

"Ah, I see. You're not wrong about those two, you know. That said, we should get some sleep if Futaba's going to be here during the day tomorrow." Morgana said as Ren nodded and set his phone down as he dozed off while Morgana dozed off on Kusa's chest, both of them unaware that Kusa had been woken up as well by the phone partially, and so had been listening to their conversation in a half-asleep state, a smile on his face at the prospect of Futaba being there the next day...

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

"Hey, Ren! Futaba's down here in the shop!" Sojiro called up to Ren as Morgana spoke up.

"Hm, looks like Futaba's here. Come on, let's go downstairs." Morgana said as Ren nodded. As the two went downstairs, Ren decided to watch the shopping program, pulling out his phone as he did so to order the 'Phantom Thief Set 2', which had a bunch of infiltration gear in it. Eventually, Ren made his way over to where Futaba was waiting, only to be slightly surprised as he saw Kusa sitting across the table from her. Ren blinked as he spoke up.

"Wait, what!? You're still here, Kusa? I thought you went out and about to do stuff on Sundays?" Ren asked Kusa, who chuckled as he spoke up.

"Ha! Don't make me sound so mysterious, Ren! I already did that. And for the record, I'd hardly call a trip to the gym 'out and about'. That's just me keeping myself in shape." Kusa said dryly as Futaba spoke up on noticing Ren.

"Yo! I'm gonna hang around here today, so I brought a pretty ancient game to kill time. It's 'Power Intuition.' A real controller-busting thumb-muncher! You have the courage to meet me in a test of mettle?" Futaba asked Ren, who blinked in surprise as he found out he had a chance to boost his Guts by playing 'Power Intuition' with Futaba, in addition to boosting his bond with her. Ren considered this option carefully while Kusa spoke up.

"I'm sure he has the mettle for it, Taba. The real question is, does he have the ability to keep up with you? Because let's not forget, you're quite the gamer. Hell, I barely keep up with you most of the time! But I also honestly feel like Ren would be a fool to pass this up." Kusa said smugly as Futaba nodded before smiling at Ren as she spoke up.

"C'mon Ren, let's ditch the infiltration and kick back with some games today!" Futaba said as Ren spoke up.

"First of all, we're in the middle of our prep week, Futaba. Secondly. free Guts boost and bond building? Seems like fun. I say that sounds good. I'm in. And given he's hanging around, I'd say Kusa's in too." Ren said as Kusa nodded before smirking as he spoke up.

"Damn right I'm in, Ren. Of course I'm gonna take the chance to spend time with Taba." Kusa said sagely. Futaba grinned as she spoke up.

"Heck yeah! Just me and the Amamiya bros! Sounds great to me! C'mon, let's go!" Futaba said as the three headed upstairs. Futaba stopped to appraise the gaming setup Ren and Kusa had going and spoke up.

"Hm. It looks kinda worn out, but i think it should still work. Kk, game start!" Futaba said as Morgana shrugged and curled up on the sofa to catch a nap while Kusa, Ren and Futaba all grabbed chairs by the game which had been set up, eventually deciding on Kusa and Futaba being the ones to play while Ren just watched, content to watch. He then leaned over to hit the power button as the title screen music fired up and Kusa grinned and spoke up.

"Hold up. Is that the title screen music? Nice! That's kind of a low-key banger, to be honest!" Kusa said with a smirk, letting himself enjoy the music a bit as Futaba nodded and spoke up.

"Yep, it is indeed the title screen music, Kusa. Isn't it totally epic? Here it goes! I'm so pumped!" Futaba said as Ren smirked and spoke up.

"And well you should be! You're getting to play a video game with Kusa, who I'm sure is just ecstatic to be able to spend time with you like this, given how clearly obvious it is that you two are totally into each other." Ren said teasingly as Kusa huffed and flipped Ren off behind Futaba's back so she wouldn't see, though she still saw the subtle hints of red on Kusa's face and giggled as she spoke up.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm playing a video game with a hot guy. Moving on." Futaba said, her brain briefly blinking off as her own words registered.

"Wait, I'm playing a video game? With a hot guy!? In his room!? Holy crap, so intense!" Futaba yelled in her head as the game started, Ren speaking up with a sly smirk on his face as he watched Kusa and Futaba prepare to start playing Power Intuition.

"All teasing aside, try your best, you two. I can always step aside afterwards if you two want some alone time." Ren said jokingly as Kusa huffed and spoke up.

"Ren? Shut up so Taba and I can get to gaming!" Kusa rebuked Ren before looking at Futaba and speaking up.

"Ready, Taba?" Kusa asked Futaba, who nodded and spoke up.

"Always! Let's do it! Mwehehe!" Futaba said as the two started playing 'Power Intuition', which was apparently a fighting game. As the game started to get intense, Futaba frowned as she spoke up.

"What? Huh!? A block into low punch combo, is it? Was that intentional!? Dang Kusa, you're pretty good!" Futaba said as Kusa grinned and spoke up.

"Naturally. I did say I don't lose often, you know. But this game could still go either way." Kusa said sagely as Futaba nodded and spoke up.

"Indeed. C'mon, it's the final round!" Futaba said as Ren spoke up.

"It's the moment of truth, you two!" Ren said. Kusa nodded, swiftly punching in some inputs and effortlessly parrying Futaba's combo and retaliating with a combo of his own, winning the bout and making Futaba groan as she literally put her face in her hand for a moment before looking over at Kusa and speaking up.

"Ugh, I can't believe you actually read my air combo that easily. Are you some kinda god or something?" Futaba asked Kusa, who laughed and spoke up.

"Not at all. I just have rather swift reflexes most of the time. Of course that might be because I practice martial arts. They say it's good for the reflexes and for inner balance as well as focus, and some other stuff I'm too lazy to recall off the top of my head." Kusa said as Futaba huffed and spoke up.

"So you say. I'm not gonna let you quit when you're ahead, though. This next round's totally gonna be mine!" Futaba said as Ren smirked and spoke up.

"Be yours, you say? You mean like how you're in denial about Kusa himself being yours?" Ren joked as Kusa's face flushed and he glared at Ren and spoke up.

"Ren? Shut it! And that's up to her when and if either of us calls the other theirs. Sure, being able to say I have an amazing girlfriend like her would be great, but not before she's ready." Kusa said bluntly, not seeing Futaba's cheeks flush a bit next to him after hearing what he said about her. She then shook herself to focus and the two kept playing games until Futaba was satisfied. Ren felt as if he'd gained some Guts after successfully teasing Kusa and Futaba about their burgeoning romance, netting him a generous boost to his Guts. After a bit, Kusa and Futaba stretched a bit as the game was shut off by Ren, Futaba chuckling nervously as she spoke up.

"Eheh, that was fun! Games are totally the ultimate form of entertainment!" Futaba said as Kusa grinned and fist-bumped her while speaking up.

"Hell yeah, Taba! Spoken like a true gamer! Granted, there are other things that are pretty entertaining, like sparring, working out, or spending time with a beautiful lady getting closer to her. But gaming is definitely a classic past-time for sure." Kusa said sagely as Futaba looked at Ren and spoke up.

"Heh, this is fun. Wish I could hang a little longer. Do you two have plans after this?" Futaba said as Kusa winced and spoke up.

"I don't, but Ren might. Also, it is a school night, so I dunno how much longer you intend to hang around, Taba." Kusa said as Ren spoke up.

"Sorry you two, but I do have other plans tonight. It's a Sunday after all, and I have certain people who're only available to hang with on Sundays. But I think you could sneak off and hang out at her house if you two wanted. I won't stop you. But to be safe, let's not wake Morgana if we can help it, yeah?" Ren said as Futaba nodded her agreement and spoke up, looking disappointed that Ren couldn't let her hang around longer, but smiling at the idea of getting to keep hanging wiith Kusa.

"Aww, that sucks. What a bummer. But at least you and I can hang still, Kusa." Futaba said as Kusa nodded and spoke up.

"Absolutely. Wouldn't miss that for the world. And hey, good job keeping up with me Taba." Kusa said, grinning as he boldly kissed Futaba on the cheek, ignoring the grin on Ren's face at his bold move. Futaba blushed and spoke up.

"I-It was nothing! But maybe we should get outta Ren's hair so he can get to his plans, yeah?" Futaba said as Kusa walked her home, but not before she turned to Ren and spoke up once more.

"Thanks for lending me Kusa, Ren! Lates!" Futaba said as she and Kusa walked back to her house to hang out while Ren put away the chairs from him, Futaba and Kusa hanging out. Ren paid 5,000 yen for a 'Nasty Aojiru' that boosts Guts. Ren smirked as he imagined Morgana telling him to get pumped up and tell himself it's for his health. Ren then got a modest boost to his Guts for drinking the Aojiru. Ren then went back to Leblanc and decided to finish 'Master Swordsman' after getting a Luck Reading done for his Guts stat which he'd gotten prior to getting the Nasty Aojiru. After Sojiro headed home, Ren started reading from 'Master Swordsman'.

"Hm, let's see. 'A heart that believes in one's self is the truth of bushido.', eh? Interesting." Ren said to himself as Morgana padded downstairs and hopped up on a stool next to Ren and spoke up.

"Oh, reading a book? Interesting." Morgana said as Ren spoke up.

"Yep, figured I'd finish up 'Master Swordsman' so I can get more Guts." Ren said as Morgana nodded and spoke up.

"Good idea. Learning about the spirit of the samurai seems useful, but this book looks rather difficult, to be honest." Morgana said as Ren nodded and finished reading. After he was done, Morgana spoke up once more.

"Oh! So, you've finished reading 'Master Swordsman'. I'm sure you must have a better understanding of the resolve that drives a bushido master." Morgana said as Ren nodded, pumping a fist as his Guts got a generous increase from the combo of 'Master Swordsman' and the Luck Reading. Morgana then spoke up.

"Let's get to bed, I think. I noticed Kusa isn't here. I assume he went to hang with Futaba?" Morgana asked as Ren spoke up.

"Yeah, they seemed pretty excited to spend time together, though I expect him back pretty soon here, since Boss went home before I started reading." Ren said as on cue, the door opened up and Kusa walked in, noticing Ren and Morgana at the counter, and spoke up.

"Oh, didn't realize you two would be down here waiting. It's getting late, isn't it?" Kusa said to Ren and Morgana, who nodded as the latter spoke up.

"Good point, it is getting late. We should probably get to bed soon, so we're not up too late. And you seem rather cheerful for a guy who had to come home." Morgana said as Kusa spoke up.

"Yes, well, I did just get to spend a good bit of time with Taba, so that's usually a pretty easy mood booster if I'm being honest." Kusa said as the trio headed upstairs to bed, getting comfortable for the evening, only for Ren's phone to go off as he went to get comfortable, making him blink as he opened it, only to find an unread private chat from Kasumi. He sat down to read it.

"Amamiya-senpai, thank you so much!" Kasumi sent as Ren sent a response.

"You're thanking me? What's wrong, Kasumi?" Ren sent. Kasumi sent a response.

"I'm sorry, I'm just so happy! I just got out of that meet I was talking to you about, and, well, my routine was the best I've ever given so far. So I just wanted to thank you for that." Kasumi sent as Ren sent a response.

"You're welcome, but I didn't really do anything that much, did I?" Ren sent. Kasumi sent a response.

"Nonsense! You're the reason I've come so far, Senpai. You help me so much, even with the mundane things in life. I just can't thank you enough. So please, I just want to thank you again. As soon as I get the results, I'll let you know, Ren-senpai. So I'll be messaging you again sometime soon! Now, I'd better get going. Have a good night!" Kasumi sent as Ren grinned as he put his phone away, happy for Kasumi, and knowing he was definitely having a good night after having heard from her. He then laid down with a grin on his face while Morgana curled up contentedly on Kusa's chest as the three dozed off for the night...

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

As Ren and Kusa got off the first train to school, Makoto walked up to them and spoke up.

"Good morning. Ah, that reminds me. Hey, have you decided what you're doing with the calling card? When will you send it?" Makoto asked Ren, who spoke up.

"We're in the middle of a prep week, Makoto. I'll send it on 10/1, when the prep week ends. OK?" Ren said to Makoto, who nodded sheepishly as she spoke up.

"True, you're right. We do still have some time before Haru has to go see her fiance. We're starting to draw attention, so perhaps we should be extra cautious. Well, let me know once you're done with preparations. I'll be sure to be ready at a moment's notice." Makoto said as Kusa and Ren nodded, before heading to school...

(After school, with Ren and Morgana)

"Hm, seems like Maruki's literally the only daytime confidant I have available right now. So I guess I'll go hang out with him. Are you okay to go find Kusa?" Ren asked Morgana, who nodded before padding off to find Kusa while Ren went to the nurse's office to see Maruki. After he got to the office, he walked over to Maruki, who grinned and spoke up as he spotted Ren.

"Welcome. Hey, good work today. It's already autumn. You'd expect it to get a little less hot, huh? By the way, thanks for helping the other day! You really opened my eyes. Do you think I can ask some more of your time? I think there's more I can learn from you." Maruki said to Ren, who nodded and spoke up.

"I think I can oblige you on that, Doc." Ren said agreeably as Maruki smiled and spoke up.

"Thanks, Amamiya-kun! I've got so much I want to talk to you about! Come now, in you go." Maruki said. Ren nodded and followed Maruki into the nurse's office. Once inside, Maruki grinned and spoke up.

"Well then, shall we begin? For today's topic, let's see here. Ah, I know. I'd like to get your opinion on these Phantom Thieves of Hearts." Maruki said as Ren was suddenly quite thankful he'd not tried to drink anything since he was sure he'd have just done a spit-take at the words that Maruki had said. Maruki kept speaking, not seeing Ren's reaction.

"The ones who 'steal the desires' of others, and reportedly force them to confess their crimes. Maybe it's a little hard to believe, but I guess I've taken an academic interest in them." Maruki said as Ren spoke up.

"I suppose I could say that they're necessary for the sake of peace and justice. Why do you ask, Doc? Are you a fan?" Ren said as Maruki nodded and spoke up.

"Hmm, good question. Yeah, I guess you could say that. I'd love to sit down and talk with one of them. I just get the feeling the Phantom Thieves' work and my own research are rooted in the same principles. That's why I've decided to analyze then from my own perspective. Like, for example, there's the matter of their methods for making these changes of heart occur. According to those calling cards they send out, their stated method is to 'steal your desires', whatever that means. How is such a feat even possible? Any ideas, Amamiya-kun?" Maruki asked Ren, who blinked at the question before he spoke up.

"Honestly? Not a clue. I know about as much as you do, Doc. Actually, how about you, Doc? Do you have any theories or ideas for how it works?" Ren asked Maruki, who blinked and spoke up.

"Hm? A question for a question, huh? That's unusual for you. But let's see here. I suppose it'd be possible if there was some material proxy for those desires. Say, Amamiya-kun, do you remember that story with the cookies? In that experiment, the desire for the cookies actually changed the way people tasted them. I think we can look at this in the same way. They're not something easily perceived, but desires have a tremendous effect on our cognition. Put another way, if that desire is gone, your cognitive perception of the cookies skews back to normal. So. Does that remind you of anything?" Maruki asked Ren, who spoke up in surprise.

"The change of heart? Are those the same thing?" Ren asked. Maruki nodded and spoke up.

"That's right. The Phantom Thieves' own change of heart. That's the basis of my theory. Their 'theft of desire' is not metaphorical, but something more direct. We still don't know exactly how they steal these desires, of course, mind you. But if this idea of physical, tangible desires can be actualized, I think it'd logically follow that they can be taken away. In a world of intangibles, like let's say, a world composed of the contests of people's hearts for example. Well, they're thieves, so simply put, if they could perceive a world like that, they could steal desires like any other treasure you could imagine. Hey, Amamiya-kun. You think I'm getting anywhere here?" Maruki asked Ren, who spoke up.

"Seems rather far-fetched, to be honest. But at the same time, the idea is intriguing, to say the least." Ren said. Maruki nodded and spoke up.

"Oh? You think so too, Amamiya-kun? If it's actually anywhere close to the truth, it'd be incredible. Then again, we'll probably never know for sure unless we could ask one of the Phantom Thieves themselves." Maruki said as Ren winced, a thought running through his mind.

'Shit! Maruki knows more than I thought he would about how we operate. Could he end up being a threat to us at some point later on down the line? I hope not.' Ren thought to himself as Maruki kept speaking, oblivious to Ren's thoughts as he spoke.

"Mm, indeed that makes sense. I think I can construct a solid hypothesis now. It feels like I'm just one step away from finishing this paper. So once again, thank you Amamiya-kun." Maruki said to Ren, who nodded as he could sense Maruki's heartfelt gratitude towards him. At that point, the 'Councillor' card appeared in his mind's eye, the 'VI' becoming a 'VII' to signify that Ren's Councillor link with Maruki had reached Rank 7.

As a result of the rank up, Maruki had helped Ren awaken to the knowledge of 'Flow Boost', which boosted the chance of Flow succeeding. Afterwards, Maruki spoke up.

"Now, today's mental training technique. How about we try something like this?" Maruki said as Ren practiced mental training with Maruki, feeling his mind improve and his max SP go up as a result. Maruki then spoke up at that point.

"Oh, and here. Never a bad time for a snack, right?" Maruki said as he gave Ren a 'Phantom Wafers' item. Ren then got up and left as Maruki spoke up.

"Ah, are you going? Well then, see you. I hope we can chat again some time." Maruki said as Ren nodded and left, heading back to Leblanc...

(That evening, at Leblanc with Ren and Morgana)

"Yo, another box came for you." Sojiro said to Ren, who walked over and opened up the box as Morgana spoke up.

"Hey! Hm? What did you get?" Morgana asked Ren, who reached into the box and removed three 'Calming Aroma' items, 5 'Smokescreen' items and 5 'Lockpick' items. Morgana spoke up.

"Oh! Must be what you ordered off the TV." Morgana said as Ren nodded. After looking over his options, Ren decided to try and hang out with Sojiro. As he walked over, Sojiro spoke up, lightly rubbing his forehead while doing so.

"Ugh, my head hurts, Ren." Sojiro said, making Ren frown as he could see that Sojiro was concerned about Futaba's uncle. Ren hesitated, wondering if it was okay for him to be nosing into such a clearly family matter, but figured with his maxed-out Kindness, it should work out well enough in the long run. Sojiro saw the look on Ren's face and spoke up.

"Hm? What's up? You look like you have something to say." Sojiro said as Morgana spoke up so only Ren could hear.

"So what's the plan? Are you going to help out the chief?" Morgana asked Ren, who nodded and spoke up.

"Yep, I do believe I will do just that, unless he's not in a sociable mood." Ren said as Sojiro spoke up.

"Well, I guess there's no point in worrying. Help me clean up." Sojiro said as Ren nodded, going to set Morgana down upstairs and then came back down to help Sojiro. Not long after the two finished cleaning up, Futaba walked in with her phone in hand, followed closely by Kusa, who went and got a seat in one of the booths as Sojiro blinked at Futaba and spoke up.

"Hm? Futaba, are you okay? What's wrong? It's not like you to come here this late." Sojiro said as Futaba spoke up.

"Hm hm, I'm fine. Look, Sojiro!" Futaba said as she held up a phone article and kept speaking.

"Uncle's bank info, transaction history, credit details, the whole shebang. I've got tons of dirt on him!" Futaba said as Kusa chuckled and spoke up.

"Well, guess we don't need to ask her opinion of her uncle, now do we? Though I'm not sure if I should be proud of her for taking such initiative or disappointed that she did something so risky." Kusa said as Sojiro spoke up.

"No offense Kusa, but shut it! This isn't the time for witty commentary!" Sojiro rebuked Kusa lightly before turning to Futaba and fixing her with a disappointed look while he kept speaking.

"And as for you! How'd you get your hands on this stuff?" Sojiro asked Futaba, who grinned as she spoke up.

"That's easy. Through hacking, of course! Uncle's in loads of debt! He'll never win a suit against us now that we have all this data!" Futaba said as Sojiro spoke up with a frown.

"That's a criminal offense, you idiot! There's no way we'd be able to use this stuff in court!" Sojiro snapped at Futaba, who winced before speaking up.

"But Sojiro, I did this for you." Futaba said as Sojiro huffed and spoke up.

"Jeez. I appreciate the thought, but I've known all along how badly in debt he is. Listen, he's not gonna try and take custody back, so don't go doing stupid crap like this, okay?" Sojiro said as Futaba spoke up.

"But Sojiro, do we know that for sure? After all, you said yourself he's in debt. Who's to say he wouldn't try to do it anyways just to try and use me to pay off his debts somehow? Also, I-I only did 'cause of all that stuff he said to you!" Futaba said as Kusa's eyes widened in realization behind Futaba at what she was implying. Sojiro frowned as he spoke up.

"About that, Futaba. I've been thinking. When push came to shove, I wasn't there to help you. So, you know, to be honest? Maybe there's somewhere better for you out there than here." Sojiro said as Futaba's eyes widened a bit while she spoke up.

"S-Somewhere better? What are you saying, Sojiro? Am I not supposed to be here with you all?" Futaba said. Her face fell as she kept speaking.

"Am I just in the way here?" Futaba said as Kusa frowned and had to stop himself from moving to comfort her for the moment. Sojiro winced and spoke up.

"No, that's not it at all." Sojiro said as Futaba got a really sad look on her face and spoke up.

"You don't want me either, Sojiro? Is that what you're saying!?" Futaba asked as Sojiro winced and spoke up.

"That's not what I meant! I just think it might be better, for your own sake, if you had a place where people could care for you the way you deserve to be cared for." Sojiro said as Futaba huffed and stamped her foot as she spoke up.

"What!? Fine! I still have Ren and Kusa, along with Mona, and all the others! You can just stay here and play with your stupid coffee beans!" Futaba said before running off upstairs, causing Ren and Sojiro to wince as Sojiro spoke up.

"Ugh, I screwed that one up. Clearly, she likes you guys way more than she likes me. Makes sense though, considering you're the ones who saved her, after all." Sojiro said as Kusa frowned and spoke up at that point.

"No offense Boss, but if that's truly what you think, you're not only wrong, you're a fool! Yes, she does like us a lot, to the point we were able to get her out of her shell, but we're not the ones she considers a family! She very clearly thinks of you as a father figure, especially if she was willing to go to all of that trouble to help you keep custody of her!

I think your only mistake in all this was not trying to ask her how she feels about all this, rather than assuming that you're not the best thing for her. That said, Ren? You stay down here and try to comfort Boss, and I'll go on up and try to talk Taba around if I can." Kusa said as he headed upstairs after Futaba, at which point Sojiro sighed and looked at Ren before he spoke up.

"Ugh, tell me someting, Ren. Where did I go wrong?" Sojiro asked Ren, who blinked in confusion while Sojiro kept speaking.

"I really did try to care for Futaba. Heh, look where that got me, though. I told myself she was the reason I kept making Wakaba's curry here, you know. But deep down, I think that was just an excuse to stay distant and not have to get too attached to her. But even so, at the end of the day, the coffee and the curry people love so much are both just, well, they're excuses." Sojiro said honestly as Ren thought about it before speaking up comfortingly.

"That's pretty deep, Boss. And to be honest? You might be right about them being excuses." Ren said. Sojiro nodded and spoke up.

"Yeah, I think I am. I mean, I spent more time in this cafe than I ever did trying to talk to Futaba, as sad as that is to admit to. What's even sadder is that Kusa's right. I haven't been asking Futaba how she feels about things. I've just been making what I thought were the best decisions for the situation. Ugh, I'm gonna go out for a smoke, try to cool off a bit. Also, sorry to lay this on you after everything else, but can you go check in on Kusa and Futaba for me?" Sojiro asked Ren, who nodded as Sojiro headed outside.

Ren decided to head upstairs, since both Kusa and Futaba had headed that way. To his surprise, when he got upstairs, he found Futaba and Kusa laid together on the sofa, the former's face buried in the latter's chest, though Ren could still just barely make out the sound of her sniffling into Kusa's chest, hanging back at the top of the stairs to listen in as he could hear muffled words from Futaba.

"How dare he say that, Kusa!? I would've thought that Sojiro, of all people, would want me around, given how much he was totally in love with my mom. But maybe not? What did I do to deserve this?" Futaba said as Kusa just gently held Futaba against his chest, letting her vent to him while sniffling into his shirt. Kusa then spoke up reassuringly while looking into Futaba's eyes after giving her some comforting head pats.

"Shh, it's okay Taba. I don't think Boss meant any of what he said. I get the sense that he's just worried about what your uncle could try after he basically threatened to try and use not only him, but myself and Ren as leverage against Boss. I won't repeat what he said about either of us, but you probably heard part of it since you were there for it. Regardless though, your uncle is not only wrong, he is in no way, shape, or form at all fit to call himself any relation to you. As for Boss, I feel like he truly does care about you, and even loves you like a daughter, even if he can't really bring himself to say so. So try not to be upset with him for what he said.

But, if worse does come to worst, and he truly does kick you out, you can always come hide out here at night with Ren and I, and we'll try to find someplace for you to go during the day. Worst case, I can probably see about getting Makoto, Haru, or possibly even Ryuji if needed to give you a place to go during the day. We'll figure something out for you if it comes to that. I also want you to know that if I can help it at all, I won't let you be alone with nowhere to go again, Taba. I promise you that." Kusa said honestly as he gently pressed a kiss to Futaba's cheek while lightly running his fingers through her hair briefly before frowning as he spoke up again, his gaze on the stairs where Ren was likely listening in. missing the brilliant smile Futaba gave him for his words as a result.

"Ren? You can come up now. I know you're listening in." Kusa said firmly but pointedly, making Futaba's head snap up in surprise as she spoke up.

"R-Ren's up here?" Futaba said as Ren came up and nodded before looking at Futaba as he spoke up.

"Yeah Futaba, I'm here. And Kusa's right. We won't let anything happen to you. After all, you're like the little sister I never had, and I won't even say how Kusa feels about you, both out of respect for him, and out of appreciation of the gravity of the current situation." Ren said as he gently gave Futaba a hug. Futaba looked into Ren's eyes and smiled before she spoke up.

"Ren, Kusa, thank you both. Not only for being here for me like this now, but also for never giving up on me and making sure you saved me from myself." Futaba said. Ren nodded and spoke up.

"You're welcome. Are you all right, Futaba? Be honest." Ren said. Futaba stood up uneasily before she nodded, a look of mixed disappointment and sadness on her face as she spoke.

"Yeah, I'm okay, Ren. Actually, no I'm not. Y'know, Mom used to talk about Sojiro tons when I was little. How good he was at making curry, how interesting he was to talk to, even how much she cared for him. I remember everything. I even remember how she smiled when she talked about him. Hoo boy, I tell you guys what, Mom really liked Sojiro a lot. I would even dare say that she loved him.

Ugh, I screwed up, didn't I? I said some real mean stuff tonight. It's not his fault Mom's incident happened, and it's not his fault I shut myself away from the world as a result. And because of me, not only did Sojiro have to take me in, but Sojiro even lost a crapton of money from raising me." Futaba said as Kusa spoke up, looking right into Futaba's eyes as he spoke up.

"Taba? Listen to me, and listen well! You did not screw up. You simply let your temper get the better of you. I would know, considering how many times I've done that same thing myself. I doubt that one instance of raised tempers is going to make either you, or Sojiro, love each other any less. Whether either of you want to admit it or not, you two belong together. You two are as good as father and daughter, given how good he's been to you. He rescued you from that hell you were in before, he even gave you space to work through your issues, figuring that was what you wanted.

Hell, he even got into his own pocket to buy you things you wanted, just because he wanted to see you smile. And I can't blame him for that one bit, Futaba. After all, you are a very amazing person, even if you don't always see it. After all, you've been through hell and back multiple times, and managed to come out stronger each time. Sure you had that shut-in phase, but that was a defense mechanism. I think, if you two were to sit down and talk things out, you two might even get along more than you already do.

As for him losing money for raising you? I can't speak for Boss at all on this, but if I were him, I'd consider that as money invested in your happiness, Taba. Because to be honest? Seeing you happy and healthy is probably worth more to him than all the money in the world, as it should be. But you don't have to take my word for it." Kusa said as he gently hugged Futaba comfortingly, causing her to have to duck down so neither Ren or Kusa would see how red her face had gotten from Kusa's words. Futaba eventually managed to speak up.

"You're probably right, Kusa. To be honest, I just thought I'd be able to stay here with him if my hacking worked, that's all." Futaba said as Ren spoke up.

"Let's all talk to him, Futaba. After all, you two won't get anywhere if you can't talk about stuff like this with each other. One of the keys to a healthy relationship is good communication, or so I read once." Ren said sagely. Kusa spoke up with a laugh.

"Gee, did you happen to pick up that little nugget of wisdom from Doctor Maruki, Ren? But you're not wrong. Good communication is a key component to having a good relationship. But for all your jokes, I think you stepped in because you're starting to see these two as something of a second family of sorts. Not that I can blame you, though. Not only is Taba insanely intelligent and a god-tier gamer, she's also beautiful, witty and even unfailingly kind when she wants to be.

As for Boss, he might be gruff and strict, but he's got a good heart in there as well. If he didn't, would he have taken the two of us in when we had nowhere to go after you got yourself in trouble? No, he wouldn't. So you're not wrong to say that we're becoming something of a family of sorts, albeit a bit of a fluster-clucked family as it were. Although, I'm not sure if it'd be accurate in my case to say I see Futaba as family, considering that I care for her a great deal more than just as a sister." Kusa said sagely as Futaba smiled and spoke up.

"Yeah, that's true, Kusa. Yeah, y'know what? Both of you are right." Futaba said as Sojiro's voice could be heard from the stairs at that moment, presumably having heard at least some of what had been said.

"Futaba, um, I'm sorry about before. So, can I come in?" Sojiro called from the steps as Futaba jumped but nodded even as she spoke up.

"Mm-hm. Please do." Futaba said as Sojiro came upstairs and stood next to Ren, while Kusa moved to stand next to Futaba as Futaba spoke up shyly.

"Sojiro, umm, I'm sorry for what I did and what I said." Futaba said as Sojiro nodded before giving Futaba an understanding smile as he spoke up.

"Accepted. Look, I'm sorry about what I said just now. And well, to be honest? If it's okay with you, Futaba, I want you to stay here, forever." Sojiro said as Futaba's eyes widened slightly before she spoke up.

"Forever, you say? Mwehehe, I'm listening." Futaba said as Sojiro spoke up.

"I know it might be more fun living with people your age like Ren, or even Kusa. But I swear to you, I'll do my damnedest to see things from your perspective. So with that said, will you stay with me?" Sojiro asked as Ren and Kusa's jaws both dropped a tiny bit as they heard that. Futaba turned away, hiding a grin at what Sojiro had asked, finding it amusing but also oddly touching.

"Ah, Sojiro. Ahahahaha! Was that supposed to be some kinda proposal? Ahaha!" Futaba said, surprising both Sojiro and Kusa by bursting out laughing. Kusa only spoke up.

"If by proposal, you mean he's asking you to give him another chance to do right by you, then I suppose you're right Taba. Otherwise, that wasn't a funny joke." Kusa said as Sojiro huffed and spoke up.

"H-Hey! I'm being serious here! Quit your laughing! And thank you, Kusa. Nice to know you care." Sojiro said before turning back to Futaba and sighing as he spoke up.

"Ugh, you're as exhausting as ever." Sojiro said to Futaba, who smiled as she spoke up once more.

"Hey, Sojiro. I know I've caused you a lot of trouble recently, and that you've done quite a lot for me since you've taken me in, so thank you. That said, but I really do wanna be here. So, let's keep living together." Futaba said as Sojiro gaped at Futaba in surprise before speaking up.

"Futaba, are you serious? I'd like nothing more." Sojiro said as Futaba spoke up with a smile on her face that made Kusa also smile as he saw it while Futaba spoke.

"Sorry for not saying that sooner. Oh, and I know this is probably really late in coming, but thank you for taking in someone as horrible as me." Futaba said as both Sojiro and Kusa sputtered at Futaba referring to herself as horrible. Sojiro then spoke up.

"You're more than welcome. But Futaba, are you sure I'm good enough?" Sojiro said as Futaba stamped her foot and spoke up.

"Of course you're good enough! I wouldn't want anyone else as my, well, as my dad!" Futaba said as Ren, Kusa, and Sojiro's jaws dropped at what she said. Sojiro chuckled and rubbed the back of his head.

"Heh, no hesitation in that response. Just so you know Futaba, don't come complaining to me if you end up regretting that decision later. No, scratch that. Actually, I'm not gonna let you regret it. If you ever need help Futaba, just tell me. I might not be graceful, or even strong and brave like Kusa, but I'll be there to protect you. And you can stay with me for as long as you'd like. Forever, if you want." Sojiro said as Futaba nodded and spoke up.

"Mm-hm, I will. I'll stay with you, forever." Futaba said before turning to Ren and Kusa, and chuckling nervously as she spoke up.

"I can't wait to keep sorta living with you too, Ren! Same for you, Kusa. I especially can't wait to keep living close to you so we can keep spending time together wherever the chance presents itself. I can't wait to keep getting close to you, the man that I love." Futaba said as all three men's eyes widened at what she said, along with the eyes of the not-cat who'd padded upstairs to see what the commotion was about after hearing voices upstairs. Futaba's phone then went off, making her reach for it to check it, only for her eyes to go wide as she spoke up.

"Ack, it's almost time for the livestream! The director's gonna be on this week! I'm outta here! Byeee!" Futaba said as she darted down the stairs, but not before hugging Kusa gratefully and kissing him on the cheek before darting off towards her house, leaving Ren, Kusa and Sojiro to exchanged confused looks, Kusa trying to get the red out of his face as he processed what had just happened. Sojiro looked at Ren as he spoke up, not looking at Kusa for the moment.

"I was such a fool, Ren. My whole life, I've taken the easy way out to avoid these kinds of conflicts. I didn't stand up for Wakaba when I knew something was off, I didn't try to do more for Futaba when she was suffering, and I damn sure didn't stand up for you either." Sojiro said to Ren, who gave Sojiro a shocked look along with Kusa, but Sojiro kept speaking up before either of them could question what he meant.

"Instead, I went on and on about how you can't fight back about the laws of our society and basically treated you like a burden of sorts. I even told you how you should just accept the hand you're dealt in life, like it was unavoidable or something. But those were mere excuses I made to keep myself in line. They gave me the easy way out I wanted so badly, to be honest.

But, y'know, maybe instead of all that coffee crap, I should've been teaching you not to make the same mistake I did. Heh, there I go, ranting again. But, you know? I feel like I managed to put a lot behind me today. And I owe it to the two of you. Thanks you two, for making me realize what's really important in life." Sojiro said as Ren and Kusa nodded, the former of the two feeling as if his bond with Sojiro was growing deeper.

At that moment, the 'Hierophant' card appeared in his mind's eye, the 'VI' becoming a 'VII' to signify that his Hierophant Confidant link with Sojiro had reached rank 7, but no new skills were gained for the rank up. Afterwards, Sojiro spoke up again.

"All right, I better head home too. Don't stay up too late, okay you two? I don't want either of you oversleeping." Sojiro said to Ren and Kusa, who nodded as Ren got a needless boost to his already maxed-out Kindness. After that, Ren and Kusa started getting laid down for the night, only for Ren's phone to ring as he was getting into his pajamas, prompting him to head downstairs and answer it.

"Hello?" Ren said as he heard Sojiro's voice on the other line.

"Hey, you good to talk Ren?" Sojiro asked as Ren spoke up.

"Yep. Had to slip downstairs so as not to bother Kusa, who's laid down at the moment trying to nod off, though I'll be surprised if he manages that anytime soon given everything that went down tonight." Ren said as Sojiro nodded and spoke up.

"Fair enough. Anyways, I talked to Futaba again after that. Don't know how it took me so long when we've been so close, but to be honest? I finally had an honest conversation with her. How do I say this so you'll get it? It feels like we're a real family now. Not just pretending to be one. And that's only because you and Kusa helped us connect, so even though this doesn't feel like enough, thanks for that." Sojiro said as Ren spoke up and nodded.

"I'm glad to hear that. But to be honest, do you feel like a real dad now, Boss?" Ren asked Sojiro who chuckled as he spoke up.

"A real dad, huh Ren? Sounds corny as hell, but I can't deny it. Heh, look at me. What am I doing? Calling some guy up and rambling about my feelings to him. Ah, but I suppose that's unfair to say that to you. Eh, I could be wrong, but I guess you're not exactly an ordinary guy yourself. All right, I'm hanging up while I've still got some dignity. See you tomorrow." Sojiro said as Ren nodded and hung up the phone as he went back upstairs to lay down for bed, smirking at the sight of Morgana curled up happily on Kusa's chest, even as Kusa was rolled over trying to fall asleep, though Ren could barely see a content smile on Kusa's face through the reflection of the mirror hanging on the wall across from the sofa as he laid down and dozed off for the night...

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

"Wow, what's that smell? Did you get a new perfume? It's nice." A fad-following girl walking in front of Kusa and Ren said as her friend spoke up.

"Yeah, it's a new fall fragrance. It's supposed to be mysterious, like the Phantom Thieves. I thought I'd wear it to show my support while they're out there taking down an evil corporation." The fad-following girl's friend said as the fad-following girl spoke up.

"A show of support, huh? I could post a photo online of all the Phan merch I've amassed. Maybe they'll be motivated by how passionate their fans are." The fad-following girl said as Kusa huffed and spoke up so only Ren could hear.

"Hmph, stupid trend-following sheeple. They have no idea of what actually goes into what the Phantom Thieves do, and it sickens me to see how much they've been commercialized. Sheesh, am I the only one here who realizes that fame and popularity are over-rated?" Kusa huffed as Ren just nodded while the two finished the walk to school in silence...

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

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

"I gotta say, it looks like everything's coming up roses now that Haru's on our side." Ryuji sent as Yusuke sent a response.

"Hm? But flowers die in autumn, do they not, Ryuji?" Yusuke sent as Futaba sent a response.

"Aaand ignore." Futaba sent as Ann sent a response.

"How about you, Haru? Have you gotten used to all of this yet?" Ann sent as Haru sent a response.

"Yes, thanks to all of you. Just chatting like this is great. I never really had a chance to do such things until now. This isn't the time for me to be enjoying myself, though." Haru sent as Ryuji sent a response.

"Don't worry about it. This class is boring as shit anyways." Ryuji sent as Makoto sent an irate response.

"You know I'm reading this, right?" Makoto sent as Kusa grinned at Ryuji and Makoto's responses before he sent a response of his own.

"Wouldn't be the first time he's sent something like that with you reading the chat, Makoto. And in his defense, the class can be a bit lacking at times." Kusa sent as Futaba sent a response.

"And here we go again." Futaba sent as Yusuke sent a response.

"Haru, one's personal resolve paves new paths. It was the same circumstance for me. Regardless, about two weeks remain. We should be on guard." Yusuke sent as Ren put his phone away as the rest of class proceeded uneventfully...

((After school, with Ren and Morgana))

Morgana and Ren sized up Ren's options before deciding to go put in a shift at the Triple Seven for the sake of there not being much else worth doing, plus it was a boosted cash day so the extra cash could be nice. Ren approached the counter and spoke up.

"Hi, I received a message about needing extra help so I figured I'd come in and lend a hand, since I happen to be free today." Ren said as Nanami smiled gratefully.

"You're coming in today? Oh, thank god! That'd be so helpful!" Nanami said as Ren got changed to start his shift. It was a bit more crowded than usual, but Ren pulled through just the same. After his shift, Nanami walked up and spoke up.

"You did great, Amamiya-kun! Good work on handling that all by yourself! You've been such a huge help! Thanks for your hard work. Keep it up!" Nanami said as Ren got a needless Charm boost. Morgana spoke up.

"You've done great dealing with customers today. I'm sure you can look forward to your pay!" Morgana said to Ren, who nodded and received a 7,400 yen paycheck before deciding to change and head home. Once at Leblanc, Ren went to get a Luck Reading for his Guts, before returning to Leblanc and reading 'The Gallant Rogue'. Morgana curled up on the stool next to Ren as he read.

"Let's see here. This says 'The rich quaked in fear as the poor rejoiced.' Is this a book about Goemon, or Robin Hood?" Ren joked as Morgana spoke up around a laugh.

"Wow! Ishikawa Goemon was a thief without peer. So he was a hero of the common people, huh? Whoa, you still got time to read! Let's go a little further." Morgana said as Ren nodded and kept reading.

"Right. Where was I? Ah, yes. 'Striking a pose of defiance, with tobacco pipe in hand, he truly looked like a great thief.' Interesting." Ren said as he finished 'The Gallant Rogue'. After he'd finished, Morgana spoke up.

"Oh! So, you've finished reading 'The Gallant Rogue'. That splendid spirit that pays no mind to the bad guys other than to punish them. He's a true example of a gentleman thief. After reading this, I'm sure you have a better understanding of a chivalrous thief's courage." Morgana said as Ren nodded, getting a boost to his Guts, that to his delight, was enough to rank his Guts up from Rank 4, which was 'Dauntless', to Rank 5, which was 'Lionhearted'. His Guts now read as 'RANK MAX', making Ren grin as he spoke up.

"Well, well. Lookie there. I've finally done it, Morgana! I've maxed every aspect of myself!" Ren said happily as Morgana blinked and spoke up.

"Whoa! You're now Erudite Knowledge, Debonair Charm, Angelic Kindness, Transcendent Proficiency and Lionhearted Guts!? For real?" Morgana said as Kusa came downstairs and spoke up.

"Hey, why's Morgana trying to channel Ryuji in here?" Kusa asked as Morgana spoke up.

"Oh, just congratulating Ren on hitting Rank 5 on all his stats." Morgana said as Kusa grinned and spoke up, blue music notes going up over his head as he spoke for the first time in a while.

"For real!? Nice one, Ren! You've truly perfected yourself, man! Way to go." Kusa said while fist-bumping Ren. Morgana sighed as he spoke up.

"I realize that Ren perfecting himself is cause for celebration, but it is late, and you two have school in the morning, so let's hit the hay, yeah?" Morgana said as Ren and Kusa nodded, the three heading up to bed for the evening...

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

"Hey, we got seats again! Let's read something!" Morgana said to Ren, who pulled out his copy of 'Tokyo Shrines' and started reading it.

"Hm, this says 'A bible for shrine-lovers!'. I thought I knew about the shrine already?" Ren mused as Morgana spoke up.

"Apparently not this one! 'Meiji Shrine', huh? Sounds like a mystical place. It's a famous spiritual spot, well-known for its walking paths. Quiet places like that seem nice. I bet you'd really be able to relax if you took someone there with you." Morgana said as Ren nodded and finished reading his book. Once he was done, Morgana spoke up.

"Oh! So, you've finished reading 'Tokyo Shrines'. Apparently, Meiji Shrine has its own train station. That's how popular this place is." Morgana said as Ren and Kusa nodded as the location of 'Meiji Shrine' was marked on Ren's map for fast-travelling purposes. Morgana smirked and spoke up.

"You know Ren, either yourself or Kusa should take someone there with you sometime. Mwehehe." Morgana said as Kusa spoke up.

"Are you trying to play matchmaker for us, Morgana?" Kusa asked in surprise as Morgana spoke up.

"Yep! Granted, you're doing pretty good playing your own matchmaker, Kusa. Ren, on the other hand, seems to be dragging his feet compared to you." Morgana joked as Kusa sighed slightly and spoke up.

"Morgana, don't tease Ren. He has a good reason for waiting to make a move on Kasumi, after all. If anything, take your own advice and go there with Ann as friends, and maybe you can make a wish to get your true form back while you're there." Kusa said sagely. Morgana flushed and spoke up.

"N-No fair! Don't pull the Lady Ann card on me like that! Though I guess you could just always go alone, if you wanted to make a wish or pray for something." Morgana said as Kusa just nodded, knowing this was the case as he occasionally slipped off that way himself once Maruki had mentioned it to him. Morgana kept speaking.

"In any case, we're almost at the station. I'd say that was an efficient use of your time." Morgana said as Ren and Kusa nodded, the rest of the ride passing uneventfully...

(A short time later, between trains to school, with Ren, Kusa, and Morgana)

"Sheesh, the nerve of that Morgana, trying to play matchmaker for us. He's lucky I'm not pissed at him over misunderstanding that conversation you and Taba had, to be honest." Kusa said huffily as Ren blinked and silently motioned for Kusa to shut up, seeing someone coming. Kusa blinked at this but obeyed, and just in time, as Maruki approached the two, looking at Ren as he spoke up.

"Oh, if it isn't the Amamiya-kun brothers. Good morning to you both. Amamiya-kun the elder, did you know that there are a lot of students here at this hour? It's refreshing to make the work commute at a different time every now and then." Maruki said as Kusa and Ren exchanged unconvinced looks as Ren spoke up.

"Running late, Doc?" Ren asked. Maruki laughed nervously as he spoke up.

"Hahaha, looks like you caught me. Or should I say both of you caught me? I saw that look you two shared. You have some solid teamwork there. That's impressive for the fact you two are brothers. It's rare that brothers get along the way that you two do." Maruki said to Ren and Kusa, who just nodded as Maruki kept speaking.

"But anyways, on my way to work today, I ran into these old ladies carrying some heavy luggage. Three of them, in fact. So I was offering to help carry their things, but then my back made this sound that it shouldn't make, a really scary sound." Maruki said as Kusa grinned at this before looking at Ren.

"Old ladies carrying heavy luggage, you say? I think Ren here's seen something like that before, haven't you Ren?" Kusa said teasingly as Ren flushed and spoke up.

"Shut up, Kusa! No fair bringing up Kasumi when she's not here! But yes, that was how she and I met." Ren said as Maruki smirked and spoke up.

"Oh, yeah? Kasumi, you said? I wasn't aware you and her were on a first-name basis, Amamiya-kun the elder." Maruki said as Kusa laughed and spoke up.

"You have no idea, Doc. This one here is totally head over heels for her. Yet for some reason, he's taking his time asking her out even after they both confessed to one another and have kissed multiple times." Kusa said teasingly as Ren huffed and spoke up.

"Excuse me for being a gentleman and respecting a lady's wishes. Kasumi and I said we'd talk about that when we go to the school dance together, if the student council can get that sorted out." Ren said with a pointed look at a sheepish Kusa who had the decency to look suitably chastised as he winced and spoke up.

"Oh. Eheh, right. We've yet to vote on that. My bad." Kusa said as Maruki chuckled and spoke up.

"Ah, Amamiya-kun the elder and Yoshizawa-san, you say? Interesting. Speaking of her, that reminds me. Have you heard the news from Yoshizawa-san?" Maruki asked Ren, who gave a proud nod as Maruki chuckled and spoke up.

"I'm so happy for her. It makes me feel like doing my best too! Of course, as I say that, I'm running late. Well, hey, we all need to switch it up every now and then! So let's do our best for today, shall we?" Maruki said as Kusa spoke up.

"Would said switching it up be why you happened to find us here, Doc?" Kusa said sagely as Maruki nodded. Ren sweatdropped as the three parted ways on that note...

(On the walk to school, with Ren and Kusa)

"I skipped breakfast, so now I'm hungry. I'm screwed, aren't I?" A hungry female student said to her friend, as Ren and Kusa listened in. The student's friend smiled as she spoke up.

"Not to worry. Have you seen the 'Totem Pole' at the diner in Shibuya yet?" The discerning female student asked the hungry student, who spoke up.

"Haha, yeah I saw that. It really is a 'totem pole'." The hungry student said as the discerning student smiled and spoke up.

"I know, right? It's so colorful. I just love watching people try to eat it!" The discerning student said as the hungry student spoke up.

"You know those people who can eat it without it falling over? I'd never be able to do that!" The hungry student said as Morgana frowned and spoke up.

"Hm. Eating a 'Totem Pole'? Without it falling over, no less? Sounds tough! I wonder why they call it the 'Totem Pole', though?" Morgana said as Ren spoke up.

"Probably the way it looks, if I had to guess." Ren said. Kusa then spoke up.

"That, or because it has some sort of mystical powers of not being able to balance itself well?" Kusa guessed. Morgana frowned at Ren and spoke up.

"Man, what a dumb answer, Ren! Well, what does it look like, really? You didn't really think about that, did you?" Morgana said to Ren as Kusa chuckled in amusement at Morgana roasting Ren before he spoke up.

"He's got you on that one, Ren." Kusa said as Morgana nodded approvingly to Kusa's words before he spoke up.

"In any case, hmm, I suppose for those who're successful at eating it without it falling over, it's possible that you might be able to improve your Proficiency there, not that you need it at this point, Mr. 'Max-Stats'." Morgana said teasingly as Kusa laughed at Morgana before speaking up.

"Good one, but wouldn't it be smarter to call him Master Joker, since being able to max out all his stats kinda means he's mastered himself to some extent?" Kusa said. Morgana nodded and spoke up.

"Good point, Kusa. In any case, the Totem Pole at the diner, huh? Mwehehe, interesting. We should go there at least once and see what it's all about." Morgana said as Ren and Kusa finished the walk to school in silence...

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

"Oh, yeah. Have you ever thought your phone went off, but nothing actually happened? It seems that so many of us have experienced this that a term has been created for it. The English name for that particular phenomenon can be abbreviated to 'PVS'. That said, would anyone like to tell me what that stands for? Hm, how about you, Mister Amamiya? I need an answer! What is this phenomenon commonly called in English?" Chouno asked Ren, who looked up in surprise as Morgana spoke up.

"Okay! Let's remember what she said together. So 'PVS', referring to when you mistakenly think your phone is going off, only to find out that's not the case. What's the P?" Morgana asked Ren, who spoke up so only Morgana could hear.

"Phantom? That's just a guess." Ren said as Morgana did a closed-eye grin and spoke up.

"Right. It's gotta start with 'phantom', since you're only imagining it. So next is the V part. That means it'd be 'phantom' what?" Morgana asked Ren, who quietly spoke up.

"Vibration? Again, just a guess but since this involves phones, that would make the most sense." Ren said as Morgana nodded with another closed-eye grin and spoke up.

"Yeah, that's it! When your phone buzzes, you say it's 'vibrating'. Last is the S. So if we have 'phantom vibration' so far, what could the S stand for?" Morgana asked Ren, who thought about it and spoke up so only Morgana could hear.

"Syndrome? Considering this is a phenomenon and all." Ren said. He then looked over at Chouno and spoke up confidently.

"This is it. The answer is Phantom Vibration Syndrome." Ren said as Chouno clapped excitedly and spoke up.

"Very good! That's right. The correct English term is 'phantom vibration syndrome'. If you're anxiously waiting form someone to contact you, your brain will apparently trick you. This is an affliction that can only affect a modern society, where being connected 24/7 is commonplace." Chouno said as the usual murmurs about Ren's intelligence ensued, mixed in with a few people saying that Ren might not actually be too bad, to Ren's surprise. Morgana then spoke up with a grin.

"Nice going, Ren! You're on a roll today!" Morgana said as Ren's Knowledge got a needless boost. At that point, Chouno spoke up once more.

"When I was a student, I'd get all worked up waiting for my S.O. to call me at night. Nowadays people complain if you don't reply to a text you just saw. Kind of obnoxious, if you ask me." Chouno said as Morgana spoke up.

"Hm, do you think it'll ever get to a point where we'll be able to read each other's minds?" Morgana asked Ren, who spoke up.

"Dunno about you and I, but I think you and Kusa might be close to that point." Ren said. Morgana chuckled in amusement before he spoke up.

"Mwehehe. Tempting, but I think I'll pass on that, thanks. I'd rather not be able to read Kusa's mind when I'm sure at least part if it is full of thoughts about Futaba." Morgana said as Ren silently chuckled and nodded as the rest of class passed uneventfully...

(After school, with Ren and Morgana)

Ren went to the library to swap out 'The Gallant Rogue' for 'The Alluring Dancer', figuring he'd read the rest of the books just to say he read them. He then decided to put in another shift at the Triple Seven, since there wasn't much else to do. Ren reported in for his shift and got changed. After he got started on his shift, he heard the door open and looked up, but his eyes widened when he saw Mishima walk in, blinking as Mishima approached the counter and spoke up.

"Oh, Amamiya. Wow, I really didn't know you work here." Mishima said as Ren blinked and spoke up.

"It was kind of a part-time thing that I only put shifts in for periodically." Ren said to Mishima who nodded as he spoke up.

"Ah, I see. Are you building up funds for the you-know-what? Heroes of justice have to be self-sufficient, after all. Oh, oops. We shouldn't talk about that stuff here. I-I'll see you later at the cashier!" Mishima said as he went to go find what he needed, leaving Ren to blink and shrug as he went back to work. A short time later, Mishima walked up to the register, purchases in hand.

"You know, energy drinks are must-haves for all-nighters! Energy booooost!" Mishima said as Ren chuckled and spoke up.

"I know a few gamers who would be both amused by and offended at you saying that, Mishima. Just saying." Ren said. Mishima winced and nodded as he spoke up.

"Good point. Sorry, I'm being loud, huh? The lack of sleep is messing me up, to be honest. Welp, good luck with the job! See ya!" Mishima said as he left. Not long after, Ren's shift ended as Morgana spoke up, praising Ren on learning to be considerate of others through his interactions with the customers, leading to a needless Charm boost. Ren collected his paycheck, changed, and returned to Leblanc...

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

After Ren got back to Leblanc, his phone went off to signify a group chat with Ryuji, Ann, Kusa, Yusuke, Makoto, Haru, and Futaba, with Futaba sending the first response.

"Things're getting really crazy online. The Phantom Thieves have been trending all over the country." Futaba sent as Haru sent a response.

"Not a day passes that I don't hear people talking about the Phantom Thieves in the city too, to be honest." Haru sent as Ann sent a response.

"That just means people are really starting to count on us, right?" Ann sent as Yusuke sent a response.

"Perhaps, but this fervor may be too extreme. It is a dangerous omen. We could face great danger if anyone manages to discover our true identities." Yusuke sent as Ryuji sent a response.

"Don't scare us like that! Ain't no way somebody's gonna figure that out!" Ryuji sent as Kusa sent a response.

"At least they won't, provided you don't keep talking loudly about how you're a phantom thief again." Kusa sent pointedly as Makoto sent a response.

"While that is a good point Kusa, either way, this excitement has definitely piqued the public's interest in the Phantom Thieves. We'll need to be even more careful from now on." Makoto sent as Ryuji sent a response.

"Why do we gotta be the ones who sneak around? It don't make sense, I tell you!" Ryuji sent as Kusa sent a response.

"That's because operating unseen is kind of implied in the job description Ryuji, hence 'PHANTOM Thieves'. But in any case, so we've managed to pique the public's interest for now. Big whoop. I give it two weeks tops and it'll go the other way if we screw this up." Kusa sent as Ren put his phone away. After a bit, Ren eventually decided to wash the little bit of sooty gear he had on hand, heading to the laundromat with Morgana. As the two put the sooty gear in the washing machine, a chuckle from behind the two made them look up in time to see Kusa standing nearby as he spoke up.

"Heh, washing some sooty armor, eh? Been a hot minute since we did that." Kusa said as Ren nodded and spoke up.

"Indeed. But never mind that, where've you been at all day? Haven't seen you since we got to school." Ren said to Kusa, who smirked as he spoke up.

"Oh, been working out at the gym and also spending time with Taba on the sly where I can. Y'know, making the most out of our prep time." Kusa said with a grin as Ren spoke up.

"I see. Good usage of your time, then." Ren said as the washer started shaking while Ren, Kusa, and Morgana watched, the latter blinking at the washing machine while he spoke up.

"I know I say this most every time we come here, but this thing is really shaking a lot, and to be honest I'm not sure why." Morgana said as Kusa laughed and spoke up.

"That's the spin cycle, most likely. After all, most washers use those to make sure they get all the dirt out when washing clothes, so they're extra clean for the dryer." Kusa said sagely to Morgana, who winced as he spoke up.

"Fair point. Y'know, it would have been nice if you had a washing machine in your room, you two." Morgana said as Kusa spoke up.

"Yes, well, considering we live in an attic, and said attic lacks washer/dryer hookups, your argument is kinda moot, Morgana. Besides, we might not have easy laundry but we're not far from a laundromat, plus we're in easy walking distance of most anything we could want, whether it be groceries, fun, medicine, or even just a cute girl to hang out with, where we live has it all, for the most part.

And I'd like to even think Boss is warming up to us a bit more, especially after the other night. Gotta say, I was impressed at how well Futaba handled herself during all that, even if she did pout a bit at first. I think those two are gonna be just fine with enough time." Kusa said sagely. Ren nodded as the washing machine finished and Morgana spoke up.

"Oh, the shaking stopped! It looks like it's done." Morgana said as Ren opened up the washing machine. Morgana then did a closed-eye grin as he spoke up.

"Aaand, finished! Oooh! Gotta say, this is much cleaner than I expected!" Morgana said to Ren, who nodded as he lifted the cleaned gear out of the washer getting a 'Fairy Cheongsam', 'Old Shocking Scarf', and a 'Ghillie Vest' for his troubles. Kusa grinned as he spoke up on seeing the haul.

"Ooh, not a bad haul. I think we could flip that for a rather tidy sum with some luck, Ren." Kusa said as Ren nodded and Morgana stretched out cutely before speaking up.

"I see. Finally! Let's head home!" Morgana said as Ren and Kusa nodded, preparing to head back after Kusa slipped the clean gear into his bag, only to stop short as they almost walked into someone as they went to turn the corner to head to Leblanc, making Ren and Kusa both turn to face the person, only to relax as they realized it was Sojiro.

"Hm? Oh, well now, it's Ren and Kusa! I couldn't see who it was in the dark. That said, what are you doing here? It's getting late." Sojiro asked Ren, who shrugged as he spoke up.

"We were just finishing up our laundry, that's all. Sorry if we startled you, Boss." Ren said honestly. Sojiro grinned and gave Ren an approving nod before he spoke up.

"Oh, so you're actually paying to do your laundry? Good for you. Maybe you two are more self-sufficient than I thought? Or perhaps that's just Kusa's influence at play? He's always struck me as the better of the two of you with money." Sojiro said before he chuckled and kept speaking.

"Takes me back to my own school days, you know. Man, I'm gettin' old." Sojiro said as Kusa spoke up.

"Nonsense, Boss! You're still plenty young-looking. Hell, you even keep up with Futaba about as well as any of us can, and that's saying something." Kusa said. Sojiro chuckled and spoke up.

"Heh, good point. Welp, I'm gonna head back to the house then. Anyways, don't forget to lock up shop when you get back home. See you two around." Sojiro said as Ren and Kusa nodded before heading back to get comfortable for the night...

(The next morning, in class with Ren, Morgana and Ann)

"All right, listen up. When I went to buy a present for my grandchild the other day, they had a Phantom Thieves costume on sale. It'd spell the end of this country if kids started wanting to become more like the Phantom Thieves. You're already in your second year of high school. You should have a clear vision of your future. If you're looking for safety and stability, a civil servant is a good option. Hey, Amamiya." Ushimaru said as Ren looked up and gave Ushimaru his full attention as Ushimaru kept speaking.

"Why don't you try? I bet you all think that civil service is all office work, right? But the fishermen of Nagaragawa are actually civil servants as well. So, tell me which sector they belong to." Ushimaru said as Ren winced, not sure of the answer to this one, though he vaguely recalled hearing someone complain about this while he worked one of his jobs. He then spoke up to give the answer, sounding unsure as he did so.

"This is it. The answer is 'Imperial Household Agency'." Ren said as he put in his guess. Ushimaru nodded, smirking as he clapped his hands and spoke up.

"Very good! Oho, not bad Amamiya. I'm impressed you knew that. Only the cormorant fishermen of Nagaragawa are officially used by the imperial household. Those fishermen are granted spots on the Imperial Household Agency's Board of Ceremonies. That said, you can't break into that industry even if you wanted to since it's a hereditary occupation. If you want a government spot, try for a spot in the Diet-though some may say that's hereditary, too." Ushimaru said as the usual murmurs ensued about Ren's intelligence ensued, complete with Morgana praising Ren for getting the right answer, making him smirk as he got another needless boost to his Knowledge. Ushimaru then spoke up again.

"I'm honestly fed up with politicians these days. Isn't there anyone who seriously wants to improve this country?" Ushimaru said as Morgana blinked and spoke up.

"Oh yeah, they said on the news that the cabinet's approval rating went down again. They're the complete opposite of us. Our popularity and approval have been going through the roof. I've heard Kusa complaining about it enough. I get he's being a realist and all, but you'd think he'd be happy that everyone's cheering for us." Morgana said as Ren nodded and the rest of class went uneventfully...

(After school, with Ren and Morgana)

"So, what's the plan, Ren?" Morgana asked Ren, who spoke up.

"First of all, at this point it feels like we've not got a lot left we can do during the day at this time. So I think we'll take this daytime and do some billiards with the others, do some activity or other tonight, and then if we all agree, end the prep week a couple days early and send the calling card tomorrow." Ren said as Morgana nodded his understanding and the two went over to the airsoft shop to sell off the gear from the washer.

In the process of so doing, both Ren and Morgana would end up being quite surprised to find they'd turned 400 yen they spent on the washer into around 15,000 yen after selling off the excess armor. After that, Ren and Morgana fast-traveled to Penguin Sniper, where Ren paid 800 yen to book the billiards hall for the group. He then pulled out his phone and sent a group text inviting everyone over to the billiards hall for a group billiards game so they could also discuss their plans. Once the group had gathered, Haru giggled and spoke up.

"Oh my, it's so exciting to be here with everyone! Okay, I'll do my best!" Haru said as Ren nodded before lining up the balls and preparing for a break shot as Kusa spoke up.

"Very nice, Ren. Lining up for the break, are we? Gotta admire that professional-looking form of yours. And Taba, I see you waiting your turn over there. Patience." Kusa said teasingly, while Futaba's only response was to childishly stick her tongue out at Kusa, drawing amused giggles from Ann and Haru, smirks from Ryuji and Yusuke, and exasperated looks from Morgana and Makoto, while Ren just ignored the commentary to hit his break shot. After a bit, Ren lined up for a masse shot, making Morgana gasp as he spoke up with stars in his eyes.

"Whoa! That pose, is that what I think it is? Ren, are you going for that shot in particular!?" Morgana asked as Kusa smirked and spoke up with his arms crossed.

"I say he makes it. He's been preparing himself for it enough. Then again, if he can beat Akechi at billiards, he can make this shot." Kusa said with a smirk as Ryuji's jaw dropped and he spoke up.

"Wait, for real!? Ren beat Akechi at billiards!? Nice one, RenRen! Way to put that stuck-up asshole in his place." Ryuji said as Ren took the masse shot, easily making it and pocketing the targeted ball, making Kusa grin as Morgana did a closed-eye grin of his own and spoke up.

"Now that's what I call a masse shot, Ren! Not bad!" Morgana said as Yusuke gasped and spoke up.

"Beautiful, Ren! What an entrancing sight to behold!" Yusuke said as Futaba spoke up.

"Down, Inari. Ren doesn't swing that way, you know." Futaba teased Yusuke as Kusa spoke up with a smirk.

"Neither does Yusuke, Taba. I get you were teasing, but at least fact-check your teasing before you do it. That way you sound more credible and wise." Kusa said sagely as Futaba huffed and crossed her arms cutely before speaking up.

"Don't patronize me, Kusa! I'm allowed to call Inari on his man-crush on Ren if I want to." Futaba said as Yusuke and Kusa both blinked, mouthing 'man-crush!?' under their breath as the latter spoke up.

"Heh, you're funny Taba. But for real, Ren's turning into a real pool shark over there." Kusa said with a grin. A short time later, the balls were racked back up and Morgana spoke up with a smirk.

"I knew you could do it! You actually pulled off that shot, Ren! That's why you're our leader! Looks like your challenge brought everyone together." Morgana said as Ren noticed the group's Technical rank increased to rank 4, or MAX rank. With that, their Technical hits dealt even more damage and were guaranteed to knock the enemy down. Afterwards, Ren spoke up.

"Yep, I'm pretty good, I know. But I didn't just call us here for billiards. I also wanted to let you all know that we might end the prep week a couple days early and send the calling card tomorrow if we can't find much else to do, since I underestimated how little there is to do around here during the day before a calling card." Ren said as Haru nodded and spoke up.

"Fair enough. Also, wow! I had so much fun just watching the balls rolling smoothly across the table." Haru said as Morgana did a closed-eye grin and spoke up.

"Glad to see everyone had fun. I gotta say though, honestly, thanks to playing billiards, you've gotten more experience with precise hand movements, haven't you?" Morgana asked Ren, who nodded as he felt his Proficiency increase. Ann then did a closed-eye smile before she spoke up.

"Wow, that was so much fun! You gotta invite me again sometime." Ann said as Kusa spoke up.

"Y'know Ren, now that we've maxed out our Technical rank, one wonders when, if at all, you're gonna have us play darts to start ranking up whatever we get for that game?" Kusa said contemplatively as Futaba giggled and spoke up.

"Darts, you say? Mwehehe, interesting. Could be fun to try that out sometime." Futaba said as Kusa smirked and spoke up.

"I see. If you're that interested in darts Taba, maybe I can bring you back here sometime and we can play a few rounds, just the two of us?" Kusa suggested as Ryuji, Yusuke and Morgana's jaws all dropped as Morgana spoke up.

"No way. Did he just do what I think he did!?" Morgana asked Ryuji and Yusuke, who nodded as Ryuji spoke up.

"He totally effin' did. Kusa presumably just asked Futaba out for a game of darts! Damn! Go figure he'd be the first of us to make a move." Ryuji said as Yusuke spoke up.

"To be fair Ryuji, he never specified that he was asking her to this game of darts as a date. For all we know, he could've been inviting her to go to darts with him as friends. We can't automatically assume that he was asking her out on a date, after all." Yusuke said as both Kusa and Futaba's faces went red at Yusuke's remark and Kusa spoke up.

"I actually hadn't thought of that, Yusuke. But that's up to Taba if she'd rather it just be as friends or if we want to make a date of it." Kusa said after a moment. Futaba glared at Yusuke and spoke up huffily.

"See what you did, Inari!? You gave him ideas! Now I have to worry if he wants this to be just an outing between friends or if he wants it to be a date, assuming I accept, which to be honest I probably will since I love spending time with Kusa." Futaba said shyly, her face still slightly red as Kusa spoke up.

"We don't have to make this a date, if you're not ready for that. I was intending that invitation to just be us hanging out together having a good time. This is entirely up to what you're comfortable with, despite what the peanut gallery seems to think." Kusa said, giving pointed glares to Ryuji, Yusuke, and Morgana before Futaba smiled and spoke up.

"Y'know, why not? I'd love to go play some darts with you sometime, Kusa." Futaba said after a bit to think, making Kusa smile and nod as both Ren and Ryuji took turns clapping Kusa on the shoulder before the latter turned to Yusuke and Ann, grinning widely as he spoke up.

"HA! Pay up, you two! I told you someone was gettin' asked out today! I wasn't thinkin' it was gonna be Kusa asking Futaba out, but it is what it is." Ryuji said as Ann and Yusuke both huffed good-naturedly before they each handed some yen over to a grinning Ryuji, while both Ren and Kusa frowned at Ryuji, the latter speaking up.

"How often do you bet on me and Taba's lives, Ryuji? I'm legitimately curious now. And also, you have no room to talk about me asking Taba out, when I know for a fact you have a huge crush on Makoto, so you could be asking her out yourself. Granted, I get it if you're too scared of being rejected, since that's a very reasonable concern to have." Kusa said as he crossed his arms while Ann and Futaba giggled at the horrified look on Ryuji's face at what Kusa had said while Makoto smirked and turned to Ryuji before speaking up.

"Oh, really? Ryuji has a crush on me, does he? Interesting. Maybe he and I should take a page from your book and go do something together sometime?" Makoto said with a soft but shy smile on her face, causing all five male Thieves' jaws, Morgana's included, to drop. Eventually, Ryuji recovered enough to speak.

"W-Wait, am I hearin' this right? Are you askin' me out, Makoto?" Ryuji asked in shock as Makoto smiled and spoke up.

"Yes, Ryuji. I am asking you out. Let's say you and I go grab some ramen together sometime? I recall you have a fondness for that dish, yes?" Makoto said as Ryuji grinned and spoke up.

"I'm down for that! You wanna get some ramen with me sometime, Makoto?" Ryuji asked as Makoto smiled and nodded.

"I'd love to, Ryuji." Makoto said before shyly leaning in and further surprising the other four males, as well as the other girls, by kissing Ryuji on the cheek. Kusa then grinned and turned to Ren and Morgana before speaking up.

"HA! Pay up, you two! Told you that Ryuji was waitin' on one of us to make a move on our crush so he could ride that success to make a move on Makoto!" Kusa said smugly as Ryuji huffed and spoke up while Ren and Morgana both passed some yen to the grinning Kusa, who pocketed his winnings as Ryuji spoke.

"Oh, come on! How come you get pissed at me for bettin' on you and Futaba, but you do the same effin' thing for me and Makoto!? That's both kinda hypocritical and sort of a dick move, isn't it?" Ryuji said as Kusa grinned and spoke up.

"I'll give you it is kind of a dick move on my part, Ryuji. As for it being hypocritical? Not if I knew that's what you were doing, it's not. Also, unlike you, I made my bet with a back-up plan in mind in case you actually proved me wrong and didn't make a move. You see, I don't bet often, but when I do bet? I try to bet responsibly." Kusa said with a smirk before Makoto spoke up.

"Right. Well, as exciting as all of this has been, it's getting a bit late. Shouldn't we start getting home before curfew?" Makoto said as the others groaned but nodded. Makoto then kept speaking, a shy smile on her face at the thought she'd actually asked Ryuji out on a date and he'd accepted.

"Well then, see you guys later. Probably tomorrow, if Ren has his way about things." Makoto said as the group dispersed for the evening, with Kusa splitting off from Ren once they got to Yongen-Jaya so he could walk Futaba home while Ren headed back to Leblanc...

(That evening, at Leblanc with Ren and Morgana)

Once they got back to Leblanc, Ren and Morgana headed upstairs to sit on the sofa and ponder their next move, knowing that with a good degree of likelihood, their next big battle was likely just around the corner...

END OF CHAPTER

A/N: And there we are, another chapter done and dusted! Not as long as some of my chapters, but at least it broke the 20k mark, which is really all I try to do in my chapters these days. And that's still a good length as is. As you might guess from the way I ended the chapter, next chapter will in fact be the fifth calling card and Palace Ruler fight, however like with the fourth Palace Ruler fight, there may be some aspects of it that are changed up. But you'll have to wait for next chapter to see what I mean by that.

That said, thanks to everyone who's been favoriting, following and adding this story to their alerts list. That support means a lot to me. Granted, I can't say that I've been having a lot of reviews as of late. And I'm concerned about that, but I'm operating with the mindset that no news is probably good news mostly. So feel free to leave a review with your thoughts/feedback/opinions/input on the story, or feel free to PM me instead, I take both forms of feedback, and welcome reader input either way! And until next chapter, sithlorde1988 out!

CONFIDANT RANKS AS OF THE END OF CHAPTER 58

FOOL (Igor/Prison Master) - Rank 8

MAGICIAN (Morgana/Mona) - Rank 8

PRIESTESS (Makoto/Queen) - Rank 4

EMPEROR (Yusuke/Fox) - Rank 5

HIEROPHANT (Sojiro/Boss/Coffee Daddy) - Rank 7

LOVERS (Ann/Panther) - Rank 9

CHARIOT (Ryuji/Skull) - Rank 7

JUSTICE (Akechi) - Rank 6

HERMIT (Futaba/Oracle) - Rank 2

FORTUNE (Chihaya/Fortune Teller) - Rank 2

STRENGTH (Caroline and Justine/Twin Wardens) - Rank 9

HANGED-MAN (Iwai/Weapons Dealer) - Rank 3

DEATH (Takemi/Back-Alley Doctor) - Rank 7.5

TEMPERANCE (Kawakami/Becky) - Rank 4

DEVIL (Ohya) - Rank 2

STAR (Hifumi) - Rank 4

MOON (Mishima) - Rank 5

SUN (Yoshida/Man of the People) - Rank 8

JUDGEMENT (Sae/Prosecutor) - Rank 4

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

COUNCILLOR (Maruki/Doc) - Rank 7

WORLD (Kusa/Draconis) - Rank 5 'MAX'

YET TO BE UNLOCKED - TOWER, EMPRESS