Eh, I have nothing going on right now. Hey, UknownHero here and welcome to another chapter of Senran Persona. We're getting to the real exciting stuff, I swear! Just taking care of crap first.

To WX-Lazer: The Hanzo girl won't be coming for a bit until a certain event happens. It won't during the Shido arc but it will take at least a dozen chapters.

And...That's it. Okay, time to ace our exams!

Load Game...Start!


Chapter 76: Recreation Examination


(7/13, Early Morning)

(Hebijo Hideout)

FLASH!

Poochie whimpered as she covered her eyes, blinded by the surprisingly powerful lights before they settled down to a more suitable brightness as she shook her head.

"Who put that light there...?" Hikage grumbled, faint spots still floating in her vision. "I bet someone was fired over that." She then added.

"Arf arf!" Poochie barked out while pointing her stubby tail towards the wall.

SHATTER!

"There's what in the walls?" Hikage got out before looking around. "...No wonder this place was abandoned." She then muttered. At least it wasn't asbestos. Or guano. Or black mold.

"Whine..." Poochie soon whined in concern.

Hikage then began petting her puppy. "Yosh yosh." She got out, a small smile on her face. "For now, I'm going to unpack our stuff before we head out okay? Don't go anywhere out of my sight." She then informed and instructed.

"Woof!" Poochie barked out.

"Good girl." Hikage praised as she rubbed her cute little head. "They really should've made you a ninken with your power..." She then admitted.

"Grrr..." Poochie growled out.

"Sorry. But they lost two loyal weapons that day." Hikage apologised. "And maybe more after today if they keep it up." She then added before she began unpacking her bags.

"Arf! Arf!" Poochie however barked.

"Hm? Not a weapon but a person?" Hikage got out as she thought about it. "...No, Hebijo sees us as weapons. One day we'll make them see us as people." She soon replied.

"Arf! Arf!" Poochie barked and panted out.

"It won't involve fire, Poochie." Hikage got out as she rolled her eyes. "It will involve poison." She then corrected.

To that, Poochie let out what appeared to be a snicker.

"...Maybe a little fire, just for you." Hikage got out as she petted the puppy's head once more. "You're surprisingly violent for a cute little pupper." She then admitted.

"Arf!" Poochie barked out in response.

"...Point taken." Hikage got out with a shrug before focusing on her task. Since she didn't bring all that much, she finished in only 30 minutes. "And that should be it. Now, should we walk our way to our friends' places, or run?" She then stated and asked.

"Woof!" Poochie barked out yet again.

"What? What do you mean it's too early?" Hikage got out as she tilted her head.

"Arf arf!" Poochie barked her reply.

"You heard on the train that there are exams this week. Well, I don't-" Hikage begane before stopping herself.

"..."

"Oh. She'll be busy for the next few days, huh." Hikage whispered to herself.

"Arf!"

"...I guess I'll go see Haruka-san first." The green haired girl sighed out as she made her way to the showers to wash up.

"Arf?" Poochie got out as she tilted her head.

"...You can join." Hikage replied.

"Arf arf!" Her puppy happily barked as she followed the greenette to the showers.


(7/13, Morning)

(Shujin Academy, Classroom)

TICK! TICK! TICK!

The students and teacher watched the clock in anticipation, merely seconds away from the destined time where either it was the beginning or the end for them.

Akira was assembling his mechanical pen like it was a gun while Asuka and Homura twirled their pens between their fingers, all of them with cocky smiles on their faces.

"You can do this, Joker! Destroy this exam!" Morgana encouraged.

"I'm going All-Out!" Asuka thought with a determined expression on her face.

"Here goes nothing..." Ann muttered out as she fiddled with her pencil.

"Don't crash and burn Ryuji. We're counting on you." Homura whispered out.

"Let's bullshit this thing!" Ryuji mentally cheered out as he sharpened his pencil. He wasn't going to college any time soon, but he was gonna do his best regardless.

"And...BEGIN!" The teacher declared on the dot, smacking their hand on the desk to emulate a starting pistol being fired. "Ow..." they then winced as they shook their now red hand.

"Exam...START!" The Thieves mentally declared before turning their papers over.

"Which of these phrases has its origins in this shogi piece?" Akira whispered to himself as he went through all the possible responses. After recalling a conversation he had with Hifumi, he filled in his answer. "Nouveau riche. Also known as douchebags in gold suits." He then added to himself before moving onto the next question: an essay question.

"Goemon was popular because he wasn't just a thief, he was a..." Asuka muttered as she wrote down her essay. "A gentleman thief. A feudal Robin Hood." She thought.

"And the person in power who had it in for Goemon was..." Homura thought as she tried to remember the name. "...Toyotomi Hideyoshi? Yeah, I think that's it..." She then added in her head while correcting the few mistakes of her essay.

"And, Goemon's death after he got captured by Hideyoshi is famous too..." Asuka mumbled to herself. "Because he was boiled alive." She then got out as she put down the conclusion.

"Thank you Yusuke for the weakness." Akira thought as he finished his essay.

"Why do most of the lessons we were taught relate to us in some way." Homura mumbled under her breath as the day continued on...


(7/13, After School)

(Shujin Academy, Second Floor)

"Really? You haven't seen Daidōji-senpai either?" Asuka questioned with a raised eyebrow. They've just finished their last test for the day and decided to talk a bit before heading home.

"Nope. Haven't seen her all day." Homura answered as she shook her head.

"So she's really not here..." Asuka muttered out, feeling slightly relieved.

"She did say she had somewhere to be..." Akira reminded.

"Wow, that's some real shit timing." Ryuji chuckled. He needed a little humor right now, given the fact that he didn't make it past Q3 in his exam.

"We really need to have a real meeting about her..." Akira sighed as he shook his head.

"Well, we don't have time for that." Homura stated before checking the time. "Speaking of which, I need to attend to my committee." She soon informed.

"Are you sure you wanna stay behind? You need to squeeze all the study time you can." Akira asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, the school won't burn down if you're not on patrol for a couple of days." Ryuji pointed out. "And I know that because you're the most likely to burn the school down...next to Yumi." He then added.

"I can't. I have something to uphold here, and I care too much about the students in this school." Homura replied.

"Ew, she's still hanging out with them?"

"Ugh, she's barely done anything other than bring smokers to the guidance counsellor. Probably sucks all three of them off too."

"...Like I said, I care too much about the students. And I'm going to help them...even if I have to bash some fucking heads in." Homura got out through gritted teeth. "...With facts and kindness." She then added as her eye twitched.

"And maybe some spankings." Asuka grumbled, annoyed at hearing what she said about her roommate when she was trying so hard.

"PERVERT!"

SLAP!

"WAAAAAAAH!" A male voice screamed as he shot past the three.

"...I did not mean that seriously." Asuka muttered out as the four blinked.

CRASH!

That caused the group to jump a bit from hearing that.

"Yep, that was a homerun." Akira remarked as the dust settled upon the twitching ignoramus. "So glad we're getting that sport back." He then admitted.

"Yui?" Homura got out before shaking her head. "Welp, duty calls. See you later." She soon got out before cracking her knuckles.

"Make sure he gets a deserving punishment." Asuka suggested as the Disciplinary Head went off to see the commotion.

"What makes you think Yumi would burn down the school?" Akira had to ask with a raised eyebrow.

"I dunno." Ryuji answered with a shrug as they left the school.


(Classroom Building 3F, Hallway)

The tan skinned girl had recently (After giving a small lecture on how not to hit someone without a sufficient enough reason or proof) started her afternoon patrol as she decided to start with the top floor save for the roof for a change of pace. "Remain diligent and you'll find any forms of trouble brewing." Homura thought to herself in a determined manner.

As she continued patrolling the third floor, she spotted her committee member talking on his phone while leaning against the wall.

"Chitose?" Homura called out in a curious manner as she then approached the blond.

"Hmm?" Chitose turned to face her. "Oh, Shinkukage-buchou. Hold on for a minute." He then requested as he held his finger out.

Homura meanwhile raised an eyebrow to the request.

"Sorry, man. I have to go now. My buchou has just showed up and I need to speak with her." Chitose explained to the person on the other line. "I'll meet you back at the usual place later, keep an eye on the kids, would you? Thanks, dude. See you then." He ends the call and turns to the tan skinned girl. "Sorry about that, that was a friend of mine." He then apologized.

"It's not a problem. Your business is your own." Homura replied in a considerate manner.

"Thanks, buchou. So what's up? On your patrols again?" Chitose guessed.

"Of course. Even if it's exam season, it is my duty to the school after all." Homura replied with a nod.

"Can't argue with that. And you've been doing a damn good job at it." Chitose admitted and praised. "I'm surprised it even took someone this long to finally start making some changes." He then added.

"Well Makoto-senpai did have her hands tied thanks to the principal ordering her around with his ridiculous demands and I just wanted to lessen the burden on her." Homura replied.

"Oh right, him. Somehow I'm not that surprised he'd do something like that to her." Chitose groaned in aggravation "I think I even saw her on the brink of death one time last year. She was just so exhausted that I had to call the hospital." He then revealed.

Homura's eyes however widened to that. "Really?" She got out in shock. "Why didn't she ever tell me about that!? I'm her best friend!" She meanwhile thought in a panic.

"Yeah, but she managed to recover and was...mostly back to her normal self again." Chitose explained in an uneasy manner. "But she was still being run ragged by the principal for a bunch of bullshit reasons and I couldn't really help her out." He then added.

"I see..." Homura replied with a nod. "I'm really glad she finally told him off..." She then confessed with a proud smile.

"Same here. He definitely deserved it for making her do all those things just to make himself look good." Chitose replied in agreement. "I really wished I could've seen his face when he shitted his pants at her finally telling him off." He then laughed.

"Same here." Homura got out with a nod. "But now thanks to Makoto-senpai, we basically own the school." She then declared with a smirk.

"Nice. Remind me to congratulate her for finally getting that fat bastard off her back." Chitose responded as she smirked as well. "And it's good to see that she's finally taking control of her life and not letting anyone tell her what to do." He then confessed.

"You and me both, Chitose." Homura replied in agreement.

"So since you're still on patrol, shall I accompany you?" Chitose then offered.

"Sure." Homura responded with a nod as the two began walking the halls together.

"So how are things going with you? Still getting used to being a leader to a bunch of misfits like us?" Chitose asked in a joking manner.

Homura in turn giggled at that question. "Well, it's still a little difficult, but I'm slowly getting used to it." She confessed.

"That's good to hear." Chitose nodded "I was a little worried that it'd be too much for you, but glad to see that you're still getting the hang of it."

"Thanks, glad to hear that." Homura replied. "I mean when I first transferred, I wasn't exactly what you'd consider Disciplinary Head material." She then sheepishly confessed while rubbing the back of her head.

"I'll admit, I did have some doubts about you starting the committee because I was sure Niijima might shut it down at Kobayakawa's orders." Chitose soon admitted. "Like you, I didn't really see you as Disciplinary Committee Head material. So you're not the only one thinking that." He then added.

"Right." Homura got out. "Guessing you saw me as something completely different then?" She soon asked.

"More or less. Kinda like someone I know." Chitose answered and added. "You and him do tend to act so seriously when on the job, but I can see some difference between you two." He then revealed.

"Really?" Homura responded as she raised an eyebrow in a curious manner.

"Compared to him, you're a lot more expensive." Chitose replied. "He's always got this scowl on his face, even when we're not working. But he's always doing what he can to make sure that he and his sister are taken care of." He then revealed.

"I see..." Homura got out in an intrigued manner with a nod. "Wait, expensive?" She then repeated in confusion.

"Yeah...they lost their parents years ago and she's been in and out of the hospital since the accident." Chitose soon revealed. "So he's been doing everything he can to make sure she's treated, but it's just so expensive. So I'm helping him to make sure she's treated." He then explained.

"Oh...I hope things go well for him." Homura got out in consideration.

"Yeah, same here." Chitose replied in agreement.

"I'm surprised you have time for the committee with everything happening with your friend." Homura soon confessed.

"Well, he did say that he can handle most of the jobs so that I have time for our committee duties." Chitose revealed. "Plus, we did add in a new member to our little group, so I can still have more time here." He then added.

"Group?" Homura repeated. "Wait...are you part of a gang or something Chitose?" She soon asked.

"No, it's nothing like that. It's not a gang." Chitose however reassured. "But I'm afraid that I can't really go into detail about it right now. But I can give you a hint." He then stated and revealed.

"Hm?" Homura hummed out in a curious manner.

"The name is the Chinese word for butterfly." Chitose soon revealed in a vague manner.

Homura in response simply nodded as she made the mental note of the hint.

"However, I can't really tell her what really happened to me in the past. Not even Ryuji knows about it." Chitose thought to himself as he clenched his fist.

Homura soon noticed the uncomfortable expression her committee member suddenly gained. "Is something wrong?" She soon asked.

"N-No, nothing's wrong. I'm alright, really." Chitose soon answered, albeit in an uneasy tone.

Homura immediately realized that it must have been a touchy subject, so she nodded. "Alright Chitose." She replied.

"Thanks, Homura. You know, you're not that bad of a leader." Chitose replied and admitted. "You may have had a rocky start with the committee in the first months, but it's been really going well for you." He then stated.

Homura in turn smiled softly at that. "Thanks Chitose, I appreciate the praise." She replied.

"It's my pleasure, Homura. And I'm glad to be working with you on making our school better for everyone." Chitose responded as he smiled back.

Homura simply nodded in response to this as she felt her bond with her committee member improving even more as a result.

RANK UP! HERMIT RANK 2!

"Hey, when you get the chance, come over to Ikebukuro. I can introduce you to some friends of mine." Chitose soon offered. "But if it's too far for you, that's fine. You don't really have to." He then added.

Homura however smirked. "Why Chitose, are you asking me out on a date? How forward you are." She questioned and stated in a teasing manner.

That caused him to blush a little at the sudden question. "N-No, it's nothing like that! I wasn't referring to a date!" Chotise stuttered in embarrassment. "I was just wanting to introduce you to my friends, that's all." He soon explained.

"Riiiiiiight." Homura droned out in a playful manner with a smirk before walking ahead.

"You don't really believe me, do you?" Chitose guessed with a sweatdrop as he joined her.

"I'll leave that to you to figure out." Homura replied with a wink.

"Uh-huh..." Chitose raised an eyebrow while also blushing a little bit more at her winking at him.

Giggling to that, Homura continued on as the two resumed their patrol before heading home for the afternoon.


(Shibuya, Station Square)

"I honestly can't hear the difference between L and R." Morgana admitted as the Leader practiced his English, going through his notes while walking through Station Square.

"It's not that hard. You've got to roll your tongue for R. For L, you've got to press the tip of your tongue against your front teeth." Akira explained as he smoothly dodged past a few people without looking up.

"Oooooh..." Morgana got out in an impressed and intrigued manner.

"Now, I'll say a word and you tell me if it has an R or an L." Akira soon challenged. "Glass." He soon started.

"L."

"Good. Now, right."

"...R?"

"See, you're getting it." Akira praised. "Pray." He continued.

"L."

"Eeeeert! Wrong answer, Mona. That was an R." Akira corrected. Just then, he heard a noise causing him to look up from his notes. Was that...a dog?

"Damn, I thought I got that." Morgana grumbled. "Come on, give me another chance." He soon begged.

"Alright, let's go with..." Akira began before he slowly stopped in his tracks. "...Hikage-san?" He got out in confusion.

"L! No, wait, R!" Morgana tried to answer before he realised something. "Wait, that didn't have an L or an R! It's not even English!" He then complained in annoyance.

"Morgana, I think there's something a little more important than L's and R's." Akira muttered.

"Huh?" Morgana got out in confusion, only to see that a green-haired girl was now standing right in front of them.

"Jiiiiiiiiiiii." Hikage droned out as she looked at the boy with a neutral stare.

"...I blame you for jinxing me." Akira grumbled.

"What!?" Morgana exclaimed in shock and an offended manner.

The Leader ignored the not cat, turning his attention over to the girl. "Ah, Hikage-san." Akira awkwardly greeted while adjusting his glasses. "...It's been a while." He then added.

"Yeah, I think that's what you call 35 days, Akira-san." Hikage nodded. "Mirai told you I was coming?" She then started.

"That obvious huh?" Akira awkwardly got out.

"Pretty much." Hikage told him. "So, what are you doing?" She then asked.

"Going home to study." Akira replied. "I do have exams after all." He then added.

"Cool. Think you'll pass?" Hikage asked, still keeping her neutral expression.

"Gonna try to." Akira responded while shrugging his shoulders, but at that moment...

"Arf!" Suddenly, there was a bark coming from greenette's cleavage as her breasts seemed to jiggle.

"Hm?" Akira hummed out, an eyebrow raised to hearing that as he looked at the green haired girl.

Just then, a head popped out from her cleavage to reveal a small black and white dog. Hikage in turn looked down and began petting its head with her finger.

"Huh? Whose this?" Akira asked, feigning ignorance. "...D-Does it like being in there?" He meanwhile thought, a small blush and sweatdrop to the sight.

"This is Poochie. Imu tried to make me kill her as a Hebijo loyalty test, but I was able to save her and now she's my pupper." Hikage revealed and explained while still petting her head. "Cute, isn't she?" She then added.

"Very." Akira had to admit in agreement before narrowing his eyes. "So needlessly cruel..." He then muttered while trying not to imagine what the green haired girl had to go through.

Morgana then popped his head out from the Leader's bag to see what was going on and noticed Poochie in the greenette's cleavage.

"Arf!" Poochie happily barked out.

"Hey, what's going on here? And is that the dog?" Morgana asked while eyeing the other animal.

"Yup, this's the dog Mirai mentioned, so behave." Akira whispered his instructions.

"Ah," Hikage meanwhile got out as she looked at the self-proclaimed not cat. "I think I remember seeing a cat in your bag." She soon stated as she then looked at her puppy. "Behave." She then instructed.

"Hey, I'm not a pet! I can behave perfectly fine, thank you very much!" Morgana snapped, which only sounded like meowing to the green haired girl.

"Quite a chatty little guy." Hikage simply pointed out.

"Oh, you have no idea." Akira quipped in amusement.

"Hey!" Morgana meanwhile got out in an offended manner.

"Okay, that's enough out of you. Back in the bag." Akira muttered while the not cat mumbled something under his breath (that he was pretty sure wasn't PG-13 language) before going back in the bag.

"What an odd little guy." Hikage got out as she continued petting her puppy. "Right Poochie?" She then asked.

"Arf!" Poochie barked out in an innocent manner.

"At least your little friend is well behaved. Mine tends to act like he's a big-shot." Akira joked.

"I figured as much." Hikage responded. "So, how are Homura-san and Haruka-san doing?" She then asked.

"They've been doing good. Homura's been keeping our school in check and Haruka-chan's really coming along as a doctor." Akira explained to her.

"Hm, good to know." Hikage responded with a nod while making a mental note of this information.

"Mirai did text me with the request to tell the two of them to contact you guys back at Hebijo." Akira soon revealed in a whisper.

"I see. So that's why she was so excited to hear from them again. I guess that explains a lot now." Hikage nodded.

"Yeah, be sure to remind Homura and Haruka-chan again when you see them." Akira replied.

"I'll keep that in mind." Hikage responded with a nod. "This is more for Yomi-san's sake since she feels as though we're growing distant from them." She then explained.

"Sounds like you girls are a lot closer than you originally thought." Akira told her.

Hikage in turn sighed to this. "Maybe, but we just can get really irritated over the beansprout thing..." She soon explained. "That and her taking our clothes in the case they're too rich appearing..." She then added in a grumble.

"Seriously? She's been taking your clothes because they're too expensive?" Akira got out as he raised an eyebrow.

"Yes." Hikage bluntly responded.

"Wow. Sounds like someone has a chip on their shoulder." Akira points out.

"Worst part is, she is stubborn with her beliefs." Hikage concluded.

"You know why she's like that?" Akira soon asked with some curiosity.

"Yeah. It's because she has a really bad hatred for rich people." Hikage revealed with a nod. "She's been living in poverty all her life. Even lost her parents to starvation." She then added.

Akira in response couldn't help but wince at the reveal.

"There was one person who was the only one who had even shown any empathy for Yomi, but she hasn't seen her since then and believes she was only there to help her just out of obligation and nothing else." Hikage continued on.

This in turn got Akira's attention as he listened on with curiosity.

"I'm not sure who this person was, but she's the main reason why Yomi-san has a deep hatred for those with a lifestyle she never had." Hikage concluded.

"So it's jealousy." Akira and Morgana bluntly stated, though for the not cat, it was just meows to the greenette.

"Yeah." Hikage nodded, though while still having a neutral face, she was genuinely sad for her teammate.

"And you have tried talking to her about this?" Akira soon asked. "She might be the one causing your group to separate, besides the other stuff going on." He then pointed out.

"We did, but she's just as stubborn as a mule. No matter what we say to try to convince her, it's just in one ear and out the other." Hikage responded. "She believes all people like her are the same and only think about others when it's convenient for them. Not out of the goodness of their hearts." She explained as she then looked up at the sky. "I suppose it's the same with all of us. The world has taken everything from us and now we're paying it back for all its cruelty..." She then concluded.

"I see..." Akira got out as he took in all this information.

"So, any ideas on what I should do?" Hikage soon asked. "I'm technically the leader for our group since Homura-san and Haruka-san are on their missions and all but I'm not sure what to do." She then explained in the same neutral tone.

"I can see that you're worried about Yomi, so you should do what any leader and friend should do." Akira soon explained. "You should try to continue talking with her about her jealousy and find out what the real reason is. It can also help to just lend her an ear for her to vent out any frustrations she has for this person and maybe then she'll calm down a bit. It's not a real guarantee if she will, but it's best to take some baby steps." He then instructed.

"Arf! Arf!" Poochie happily barked out.

"You too Poochie, spend time with her to at least help her ease up a bit." Akira then instructed with a chuckle.

"And you think that'll work?" Hikage soon questioned.

"Like I said, it's no guarantee it'll work right away, but it's good to start small." Akira replied. "Just try talking with her about whoever this person was and see if there's another reason for her leaving Yomi like that. Sometimes, a leader needs to listen to the words of everyone else before making any big decisions." He then advised as he glanced at Morgana and winked at him.

"Hm," Hikage hummed out, thinking about it for a moment before nodding. "Alright, sounds good to me." She replied.

Akira meanwhile smiled in response as he went and petted the puppy's head.

Rank Up! Wands Rank 3!

Meanwhile, Poochie loved being petted by her master's friend and even began licking his hand to show her affection to him.

"Huh, looks like Poochie likes you Akira-san." Hikage pointed out.

"Yeah, I guess she does." Akira replied in agreement with a small smile.

Hikage in turn gave the faint of a smile as she watched the interaction before coming to a realization. "Ah, we better get going, meeting up with a friend before going to see Haruka-san." She soon informed.

"Ok, then I'll be seeing you again soon." Akira replied with a nod before strapping his bag onto his shoulder.

"Sure." Hikage replied before looking down at her puppy. "Come on Poochie, let's go meet up with Ann-san." She then suggested.

That in turn got the Leader's attention as he raised an eyebrow. "Ann?" Akira repeated in a curious manner...before blinking in realization. "Oh no..." He thought, the feeling of dread sinking down in his gut.

"Wait, does she mean who I think she means? Does Lady Ann know that girl is a shinobi?" Morgana asked as he popped his head out from the bag.

"Hold on." Akira whispered before looking at the greenette. "Uh Hikage-san...what's your friend's full name?" He awkwardly asked.

"It's Ann Takamaki. Why do you ask?" Hikage revealed and raised an eyebrow.

Suddenly, Akira started coughing as he realised that the ash blonde probably wasn't aware of one tiny little detail. "N-No reason." He got out with a sweatdrop.

"You really are a weird guy, you know that, right?" Hikage told him.

"So I've been told." Akira responded, sweating a bit.

"Well, I better get going then. See you and your cat again soon." Hikage nodded before taking her leave with Poochie still riding in her cleavage.

"Not a cat!" Morgana meowed in annoyance.

"You know she can't hear you, right? You're just a regular cat to her." Akira pointed out as he took his leave.

"Yeah yeah..." Morgana grumbled. "That puppy better not charm Lady Ann..." He then added.

Akira meanwhile sweatdropped at that. "Sounds like someone is feeling like a cat already..." He thought to himself as he can see a rivalry between both Morgana and Poochie, though the latter doesn't seem to have the slightest clue.

He felt as though things were going to get interesting from that moment on though as he then headed for the underground.

Meanwhile, the greenette decided to sit by the statue of Buchiko and relax herself while petting her puppy. "That was...nice." Hikage soon confessed.

"Arf!"

"You like the cat? That's surprising." Hikage couldn't help but chuckle softly. "...What was I supposed to do today?" She soon questioned. She went out this morning, decided to get breakfast and then...

Saw a bunch of dresses, shopped around, walked Poochie around Inokashira Park and then headed to Shibuya...

"Oh." Hikage got out before taking out her phone and calling one of her few friends.

"Hello?"

"Where are you? I thought we were meeting at the Buchiko statue."

"Wait, that was today!?" Ann exclaimed as Hikage heard the rustle of...potato chips?

"Yes. I made the date quite clear." The greenette reminded with a frown.

"I'm sorry, I forgot. I have to cancel." Ann apologised. "I can't fail my exams so I'm studying my butt off. Besides, my senpai would actually kill me if she found out if I wasn't."

"..." Hikage blinked before she shook her head. "...You're not studying today." She then pointed out

"H-Hikage-chan! My exams are really-" Ann began with a stammer.

"No, I meant you aren't studying at all. I can hear the TV and the crinkle of your chip bag." Hikage responded. "Strawberry flavored." She then added.

"How do you-" Ann exclaimed before coughing and clearing her throat. "I mean...I er...um...Wait, why aren't you studying for your exams?" She then stammered out as she tried to save face.

"My exams are practical. I have a scholarship." Hikage answered. It wasn't exactly a lie after all.

"Oh. I guess that means you can't help me then. Well, sorry, but maybe we can hang out once exams are over." Ann suggested.

"Actually, I could help you with studying." Hikage however offered. "Even I know that if you study too much, you'll burn yourself out." She then explained.

"That'd be great Hikage!" Ann replied in the relieved manner. "Thanks."

"It's not a problem. I will help you ace your exam." Hikage promised. "...Oh, so that's what initiative feels like..." She then remarked. It felt...weird.

"Excuse me?" Ann got out in confusion.

"Nothing. Just give me your address." Hikage soon responded. Soon enough, the address was sent through IM.

"Erm, my room is pretty dirty. Just give me 10 minutes when you get here..." Ann soon warned, hearing her already cleaning the mess she made.

"Okay. Five." Hikage replied as Poochie barked.

"No, wait-" The ash blonde started, only for her friend to hang up on her.

And with that, Hikage headed for the train station while Ann proceeded to do some spring cleaning...in the middle of July.


(7/14, Morning)

(Shujin Academy, Classroom)

Ann blinked as she stared at her paper. She...actually understood some of it, or could at least recall what she had been taught. Hikage did help out quite a bit.

Now she was guaranteed a D rather than an F.

"...That's supposed to be a penguin, right?" Ann soon thought, not knowing that it was, in fact, a terribly drawn kookaburra.

"Which of the following statements are true of this organism? Multiple choice..." Asuka quietly muttered to herself. "Er...It's not related to crabs." She then hesitantly guessed.

"What is said to be the reason why people began dreaming in color?" Akira whispered out. "Television. Specifically September 10, 1960." He then quietly added as he placed down the answer.

"Wow, they didn't even teach you that in class!" Morgana complimented as the rest of the day passed on.


(7/14, After School)

(Courtyard)

After the tan skinned girl left her office and explored the school for a bit, she went to the outside section to get herself a drink, chugging the contents down with gusto. "Ah, nothing like milk to refresh you." Homura breathed out in satisfaction.

As she chugged down her milk, she noticed something at the corner of her eye and stopped drinking her milk for a moment. "Hm?" Homura hummed out as she noticed the familiar ponytail. "Orimura..." She thought as she noticed where he was going. "The gym." She then muttered.

She soon threw her empty milk carton in the trash and went to investigate what Satoshi was doing at the gym, feeling that her Understanding was at the level she needed to finally interact with the boy.


(Gymnasium)

"Alright Orimura, where are you?" Homura muttered as she softly closed the door behind her.

As she looked around the gymnasium, she saw her target in the center of the court and was muttering to himself.

"Damn it all...Just damn it all..." Satoshi cursed to himself. "Why is it that none of those idiots are getting the hint? Well whatever, they still don't have any idea of what I've got in store for them. So I'll just let them play heroes until I pull the rug from right under their feet." He then grumbled.

"He isn't even being subtle about it." Homura grumbled in her head.

"But it really doesn't matter if they continue with this or not. Once this stupid committee is shut down, I'll move on to the ones responsible for getting Kamoshida-sensei arrested." Satoshi then muttered to himself, not really knowing that the tan skinned girl was right behind him.

Homura however rolled her eyes in response as she coughed into her fist. "Excuse me Orimura-san." She politely called out. "Ok Homura Shinkukage, just act like you're ignorant." She then mentally told herself.

"AHH!" Satoshi jumped in surprise and turned to face her. "Shinkukage?! What the hell? What are you trying to do, get me a heart attack?" He then declared.

Homura in response mentally giggled in amusement at that. "My apologies Orimura-san, I had noticed you were in the gym and it got me curious as to what you were doing." She calmly explained in a well mannered tone.

"What? I can't just go to visit the one place where I can be alone?" Satoshi scolded with his arms crossed.

"Once again, I apologize if I am disturbing you." Homura replied. "Keep calm and act like Yumi-senpai..." She thought to herself as the light grey haired girl came to mind.

"Well, whatever. You found me, so what do you want?" Satoshi asked with a raised eyebrow "I'm assuming it's not just because you found me here, right?" He then added to the question.

"Well, I was just curious as to what you were doing here in the gym since it has not been used since Kamoshida-sensei's arrest and Kobayakwa not even trying to get the other sports back in circulation." Homura responded.

"I guess it's more of a nostalgia trip, if you can believe it." Satoshi calmly replied. "It's where I go whenever I need some alone time to myself without any distractions." He then explained.

"I see..." Homura responded as she glanced around the building before looking back at her committee member. "I am going to have to guess that you were on the volleyball team?" She guessed.

"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that you knew that." Satoshi sighed. "Yeah, I was part of the volleyball team with Kamoshida-sensei. And I don't really need to say what he's done since you already knew when I first joined." He bluntly reminded.

"Just confirming." Homura simply responded. "I'm honestly surprised you aren't like the other students that held secret grudges against him." She then confessed.

"Those pansies? Please, they wouldn't know greatness if it hit them in the face." Satoshi rudely scoffed. "Kamoshida-sensei was someone that this school needed and it really sucked that he was arrested. If they couldn't handle his practices, then it's no skin off my nose." He soon declared with no regret.

Homura's eye merely twitched in response.

"But with him gone, now this school has gone down the shitter. Now everyone seems to be happy now that he's behind bars and the gym has been closed ever since." Satoshi remarked in a rude manner. "They're just pissed that they couldn't handle his practices and are now even lazier than ever." He then declared.

Homura's eye twitched again in response. "He's completely brainwashed..." She thought to herself.

"And to top it all off, it's all because of those Phantom Thieves bastards!" Satoshi shouted. "If they haven't stuck their nose where it doesn't belong, then everything would've been a lot better! I swear, every single student in this school just can't stop talking about how cool or amazing they are!" He then ranted.

Homura in response took a deep breath. "You seemed to have a lot to vent about." She pointed out as she picked up a nearby volleyball.

"Oh, and that's just the beginning of my venting. I still have to vent out my frustration on keeping these same idiots in line and all I get are dirty looks from them." Satoshi grumbled as pinched his temples. "I swear, it's enough to drive a person insane." He soon confessed.

"I see..." Homura replied, feeling somewhat sympathetic towards him.

"So whenever I get the chance, I come here to just get some alone time to myself." Satoshi explained in a more calm manner "It's really just the one place where I can just be myself without anyone watching." He soon revealed.

"That...I can understand." Homura hesitantly admitted.

"But now that you found me, my peace and quiet has been ruined. And I was just starting to relax." Satoshi groaned.

"Ah, my apologies." Homura got out as she tossed the volleyball to her committee member.

Satoshi in response caught it with ease. "Okay, I'll bite. What are you doing now? Why'd you toss me the volleyball?" He soon asked. looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"No particular reason, just noticed it and decided to give it to you." Homura responded.

"Really? Is that all?" Satoshi asked with a suspicious manner as he tossed the ball back to her.

"Yes indeed." Homura replied, tossing the ball back again. "I guess you really liked volleyball, correct?" She then asked.

"It was always my favorite sport growing up. I don't know why, I just really liked it." Satoshi answered, returning the ball back. "Some people like baseball, basketball or even soccer, but volleyball is something I just felt attracted to."

"Well, if you like something, its not exactly easy to break." Homura admitted.

"True, but we both know that it's kind of a niche sport." Satoshi calmly stated. "It doesn't really get any big sponsors or anything like it. Sure there are some like that, but some of the more popular sports just overshadow it with all these big news stories. I just wish that it got more recognition than just how it usually is." He then added while spinning the volleyball on his finger.

"And that's why you had respect towards Kamoshida-sensei?" Homura guessed. "Ok, so he isn't brainwashed..." She thought to herself.

"Yeah, because he's someone who truly appreciates the sport and was one of the reasons why I joined his PE class." Satoshi answered in a somewhat positive manner. "It also helped that he was an Olympic gold medalist and a champion volleyball player, so I thought that he might show everyone how great the sport is." He then confessed.

"But...you have to admit he had to have pushed it when he almost caused Suzui to try and commit suicide?" Homura however questioned. "As well as that video showing the reason why she did, right?" She then added.

"I'll admit that he was going a bit too far from what happened months ago, but he was still someone who could've made volleyball more well known." Satoshi admitted to her.

"And breaking someone's leg just to end another sport?" Homura however questioned while crossing her arms over her chest.

"Ok, I get it. That was also uncalled for, but Sakamoto was asking for it." Satoshi stated. "He was clearly stepping out of line and Kamoshida-sensei had to shut him up. Besides, you know how much of an idiot he is. So why would you care?"

"Hey, he may be an idiot at times, but Ryuji is still a good friend of mine." Homura responded. "And you should know that using physical assault on a student is indeed too far." She then stated.

"But here you are, calling your friend an idiot behind his back." Satoshi pointed out. "And are you sure that he's really your friend? The way I see, he's more of the village idiot and you just decided to take pity on him. Just like that other transfer student. Fucking scum. Should've stayed with the hicks." He then stated.

The tan skinned girl took a deep breath. She was not going to let him under her skin. "It's all a matter of an opinion." Homura however responded.

"Well, to each their own, I guess." Satoshi just shrugged.

"Fine then." Homura replied. He was going to be trouble, she knew it, but she was going to do her best to make him a loyal member of the committee.

And that was a promise.

I am thou, thou art I.

As to forge a new path in crimson flame,

The vow has been made.

With the secrets of the Tower by your side,

The forge for a new path will be formed.

Granting great power in return.

RANK UP! TOWER RANK 1!

"Tower?" Homura whispered out with widened eyes.

"Hmm? What was that? What's this about a tower?" Satoshi got out with a raised eyebrow.

"I-It's nothing." Homura waved off.

"Well, alright. If you say so." Satoshi replied as he shrugged.

"Alright then." Homura responded.

"So what now? You plan on asking me to join you on your patrols like the others?" Satoshi asked.

"No no, I'll allow you to do your thing." Homura replied while shaking her head.

"Huh. Breaking tradition, eh? Not what I expected from our buchou." Satoshi quipped.

"Well you need to vent and I'm allowing you to." Homura responded.

"Thanks, I guess..." Satoshi replied, not really sure how to respond to her actions.

"Not a problem." Homura got out as she turned to leave. "Just remember Orimura-san, there are those that are grateful to this committee for our achievements." She then reminded.

"Yeah, whatever." Satoshi brushed off as he picked up the volleyball and dribbled it. "Hey, Shinkukage?" He then called out.

"Yes?" Homura responded with a raised eyebrow.

Satoshi tried to get the right words out of his mouth. "If...it's possible...that we could meet up like this again...?" He asked, attempting an uncaring tone.

The tan skinned girl merely winked in response. "Sure." Homura replied.

Satoshi let out a sigh that he finally got that off of his chest. "Okay. Same time then?" He then asked.

"Yeah." Homura replied as she then left the gym to go back on her patrol.

Satoshi soon watched the tan skinned girl leave as he passed the ball to himself and it bounced off the wall to him where he hit it back. He couldn't help but feel somewhat happy that he found someone who not only lent him her ear, but also was the only one who had ever talked with him.

Homura meanwhile sighed as she decided to head for one of the other buildings for her patrol before going home for the day.


(Yongen-Jaya, Takemi's Clinic)

"Grrrrr..." Poochie growled out from the greenette's purse.

"You don't have to remind me that I promised we'd see Haruka yesterday. I know that now but you have to admit that you didn't exactly remind me." Hikage got out as she rolled her eyes. "Plus I know you enjoyed your time at Ann's place." She then got out.

"Woof!" Poochie barked out.

"Oh don't be so sarcastic." Hikage sighed. "And be quiet and stay in there, there could be people inside who are allergic to you." She then warned as she got to the front door.

Poochie nodded before going down between her breasts just as Hikage entered. Although, she wasn't too surprised when she saw that the only person here was Haruka, who was flipping through a magazine, her cheek resting on her fist.

RING RING RING!

As soon as Haruka heard the bell ring, she quickly put away her magazine. "We're closing soon but what- ah! Hikage-chan." She greeted.

"Hello." Hikage responded as she approached the counter.

"Ara ara~ Hikage, you are looking fashionable." Haruka praised in an impressed manner.

"Thanks." Hikage replied as Poochie popped out from between her breasts. "I brought Poochie with me." She soon added.

That in turn delighted the blonde as she saw the tiny animal. "Why hello there Poochie!" Haruka cooed out while petting the tiny puppy's head.

"Arf!"

"Is the doctor in?" Hikage asked.

"No, she went out to get herself dinner. I already ate earlier so I'm just holding the place down." Haruka answered as Poochie sat down on the counter.

"It's getting late. You should be closing soon." Hikage pointed out.

"We are." Haruka however replied. "So, are you here to check up on little ol' me?" She soon asked with a playful tone.

"You can say that." Hikage responded as she looked around. "How have things been?"

"Wonderful." Haruka got out with a content look on her face. "I'm making new medicine with Takemi-sensei, discovering new things, helping a few people, and...it's been a fun few weeks." She soon revealed.

"A few weeks? It feels longer than that." Hikage muttered, looking slightly surprised.

"Maybe a month but I don't keep track of the date." Haruka admitted with a giggle.

"Well it's awfully quick to change your entire path in life." Hikage soon stated.

Haruka was stunned for a second, feeling her spine be dipped in ice cold water. "...Pardon?" She got out in confusion with a serious tone in her voice.

"The way you describe what you're doing here, it sounds like you don't want to stop doing it anytime soon." Hikage soon stated.

"Y-Yes. That is right. I mean, it certainly makes my mission more interesting." Haruka replied, regaining her composure rather quickly.

"But you aren't on your mission." Hikage suddenly countered, causing the blonde's eyes to widen. "You are simply living life here as if you don't have anywhere else to go." She then stated.

Haruka narrowed her eyes as she leaned back in her seat. "What are you implying right now?" She questioned.

"I'm saying you wish to stop going down the path of the shinobi." Hikage stated as she crossed her arms under her breasts.

"Didn't say that. I'm just...expanding my horizons..." Haruka hesitantly corrected.

"Given your tone, I doubt that." Hikage however pointed out.

"...So you plan to report me?" Haruka soon questioned.

"It depends." Hikage answered. "Are you willing to abandon your comrades to pursue your dream?" She soon asked.

"Of course not." Haruka responded in a more serious tone.

"But you can't have your cake and eat it too." Hikage pointed out as she narrowed her eyes. "Yomi and Mirai...they have nowhere else to go. It was only because of Imu it was made hell recently so you can't expect to drop everything." She then added.

"So you're going to tell..." Haruka soon accused.

"Give me a straight answer." Hikage bluntly stated. "Your dream or your friends?" She then pressed.

"...Both." Haruka eventually answered. "I'm not going to lose one over the other. If I can't have both, then I may as well abandon both. I wouldn't deserve either friends or a dream then." She then declared in a determined and serious tone.

The greenette paused, giving the girl a blank expression...before it twisted into rage. "...Pathetic!" Hikage spat out.

"Hm?" Haruka hummed out.

"You really think reality would bend to your will, that it will just allow you to take a third option and have everything come out fine in the end?" Hikage questioned, glaring at the blonde. "You wish to have both your dream and your allies, even though I know you know it's impossible. The lives we live require sacrifice, Haruka-san. If you cannot do something as simple as that, you are not worthy to be a shinobi!" She then called out.

"Do not. Call me that." Haruka growled as she stood up from her seat. "I am a worthy shinobi! Even if I will die, at least I will be fighting for what matters to me instead of someone else's idea of what's worth fighting for! I will die with regrets, I will die knowing I will never achieve all I wish, but it will not stop me from fighting everyone in my way...including you."

FLASH!

"So do not hold back." Haruka declared, her puppet cracking its knuckles behind her. "Give me the death you think I deserve! But give me the chance and I will gladly give you yours!" She then cried out.

The two girls soon glared directly into each other's eyes, as if daring their opponent to make the first move before they truly went all out.

"...Srnk!" Hikage snorted.

And the tension was completely broken.

The blonde meanwhile immediately faltered as she looked at the greenette. "Did...Did you just...snicker?" Haruka hesitantly asked, blinking a couple of times as she tried to register what she heard.

Hikage soon relaxed herself as she placed a hand on her hips. "What a performance. Isn't that right, Poochie?" She soon got out.

"Arf!" Poochie happily barked out.

"H-Huh?" Haruka got out, now even more confused than before.

"She's even using that custom training ball puppet. You had no intention to kill me." Hikage soon stated. "Not bad, but you really need to look underneath the deceptions." She then advised in a casual manner.

"I am...so confused..." Haruka mumbled out as she reverted back into her civilian clothing. "I thought you were..." She soon began, but the gears turning in her brain got caught causing her to trail off.

"Was I...?" Hikage interrupted...as a small smirk graced her face.

In response, the blonde's eyes widened as she figured out what just happened. "You...You were testing me..." Haruka realized in disbelief. "You're really gaining more of a personality Hikage. You had me completely fooled." She then got out.

"I'm friends with someone who's trying to be an actress in the future." Hikage informed in a casual manner. "I...tried to help her." She awkwardly admitted.

"Even so, this new friend of yours seems to be a good influence on you." Haruka soon admitted in amazement. "Better than the shampoo experiment." She then added.

"You think so?" Hikage asked with a tilt of her head.

"I know so." Haruka confirmed with a nod before looking a little sheepish. "...But I was going to paralyse you from the waist down by severing your spine. Neck down if we're feeling feisty." She then admitted.

"Ah, water under the bridge. I messed with you first." Hikage however waved off.

"So...you're not going to make my life a living hell." Haruka clarified.

"Not if we're in the same situation." Hikage soon stated while rolling her eyes. "I might not actually feel it, but I feel offended by that." She then informed.

"You just contradicted yourself since I can see you are offended." Haruka giggled out. "But I assure you that I would not abandon Hebijo without my friends by my side." She then assured.

"Good to hear." Hikage responded with a nod. "However, we'll need to talk to Yomi-san and Mirai-san about it before committing to anything." She then added.

"It will take a lot of planning too, should they come along. They will not take our resignations lightly." Haruka soon pointed out. "Besides, they will need something to fall back on. A stable income, somewhere to stay..." She soon listed off.

"And we have to deal with the Yoke Technique." Hikage reminded.

"That as well." Haruka responded with a nod. "...Think you could burn your documents at Hebijo?" She soon suggested.

"Or I could burn the whole damn school down. That would get rid of all our documents in one fell swoop." Hikage bluntly suggested.

"Too risky for the other students." Haruka however stated before checking her phone. "Now is not the time to plan out such things in a single 30 minute break. We'll have to discuss it another time." She then added. "My apartment, Harajuku. I'll text you the address." She soon got out.

"15 minute break? It's 9 PM." Hikage got out with a raised eyebrow.

"I work very late." Haruka automatically answered. "You can crash at my place if you want." She then offered.

"Does your place allow pets?" Hikage asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Should that matter to us?" Haruka quickly pointed out.

"Good point." Hikage replied as she shrugged her shoulders. "...Mind if I keep my clothes there? You know how Yomi-san is and all..." She then requested before sighing in frustration.

"You can." Haruka replied with a smile.

"Thanks." Hikage responded with relief. "It cost me so much money so if it was given away or trashed-" She soon started before it hit her. "...I'm out of money." She grumbled.

"Well, I am paid pretty well so you may borrow some of mine. But please spend it wisely next time." Haruka replied as she gave the greenette some bills. "I have to say, I'm quite surprised you visited me so late. I assume because of the implied shopping spree you went on?" She then remarked.

"And meeting with...someone." Hikage added as she rubbed her shoulder.

"Hikage...did you meet up with Akira-kun already?" Haruka soon asked in a curious manner.

"Yup." Hikage replied with a nod. "Didn't spend a lot of time with him though." She then added in a somewhat disappointed manner.

"I think he did mention he was having exams today..." Haruka remembered. "Still, from the look on your face, I assume it went swimmingly." She then assumed.

"It did." Hikage answered with a small smile. "Gonna try and talk with Yomi-san when I get back...Though maybe when she comes to Tokyo, Akira-san can talk some sense into her." She then decided.

"As long as he doesn't charm her too." Haruka giggled out...before getting a worried expression with a slightly pale face. "H-He wouldn't...would he?" She then hesitantly asked.

"I don't know." Hikage responded as she shrugged.

"Coming from the girl that wasn't charmed by him." Haruka countered.

"No, I was." Hikage bluntly admitted. "Just in a different manner."

"...Eh?" Haruka got out in even more confusion.

"Hey, do you mind if I put Poochie's dog food in your fridge?" Hikage suddenly asked. She did bring at least a pound of dog food.

"We're not done talking about this." Haruka however stated.

"You are." Takemi spoke up as she approached the two from behind Hikage. "Your break is over, Haruka." She then informed.

"Y-Yes, sensei." Haruka stammered out with a nod.

"So she's your sensei..." Hikage got out as she looked at the older woman.

Tae flicked her eyes down at Hikage before staring at her eyes. "...Nice look." She simply complimented.

"Thanks." Hikage replied.

"...What is your diet?" Takemi soon questioned.

"Same as Haruka-san." Hikage simplified while shrugging her shoulders.

"...That does not answer any of my questions." Tae got out in a flat tone.

"Huh?" Hikage and Haruka got out in confusion.

"Time to go now." Takemi declared as she grabbed the back of the blonde's turtleneck.

"Remember, for the Crimson Squad." Hikage soon whispered.

Haruka in turn nodded to that as she gave the greenette her apartment keys. "...Do you still think we need a better name?" She suddenly asked.

"No. It's fine. Homura would like it." Hikage responded with a shrug.

"She does have an obsession with that color..." Haruka muttered before the doctor dragged her into the consultation room.

Hikage in turn left and headed to the apartment. "Guess it'll be better than the hideout." She then admitted as she looked at her puppy. "Right Poochie?" She soon asked.

"Arf!" Poochie barked out.

"...We have to head back for our stuff." Hikage groaned as she headed for the train station.


(7/15, Morning)

(Shujin Academy, Classroom)

"Today is the third day of finals." Hiruta informed before glancing at the clock. "Are you ready? You may begin." He then announced.

"Which one of these was made using the silver ratio?" Ann thought as she racked her brain for the answer. "A4? No wait, B4-size paper!" She muttered out quietly as she put down her answer.

"Define syn and aisthesis, the Greek root words of synesthesia." Asuka got out as she thought it over. "Syn means together and aisthesis means senses." She mumbled out as she placed the answer down while smiling. "Just like me and Homu-nee." She then added to herself. "Wait, don't write that down!" She panicked with a blush on her face as she quickly started erasing that last part from her paper.

"Lookin' cool, Joker! You're gonna ace this for sure." Morgana encouraged.

"Moh...I just hope I haven't failed any of my tests so far..." Asuka muttered to herself.

"Come on Homura. One more set of tests." The tan skinned girl thought.

"Crap, what the hell is this!? Did Kawakami really teach us that!?" Ann thought in a panic before double-checking the words. "No wait, wrong question!" She soon realised as she furiously erased her answer.

Meanwhile, in another classroom, Ryuji and his face were on his desk. "I wanna die..." He groaned.


(7/15, After School)

(Disciplinary Committee Board Room)

Homura was writing out some papers after giving her usually encouraging speech to the members that came in when...

SLAM!

Suddenly, the door opened loudly. "H-Homura-senpai! I-I'm sorry for being late with the report." Hitomi apologized in a meek and shy tone while frantically bowing to the tan skinned girl.

Homura in response awkwardly giggled at this. "It's alright Hitomi, you aren't that late. Just calm down." She replied.

"R-R-Right...C-Calm down..." Hitomi repeated in a mutter with a nod as she took a deep breath to calm herself down.

Homura in turn smiled at the display. "Better?" She soon asked.

"Y-Yeah...Much better..." Hitomi meekly replied.

"So, why were you late?" Homura then asked in a curious manner.

"I was trying to do so much work, but I lost track of time." Hitomi embarrassingly replied. "It was so much that Imai-senpai and Kagurazaka-kun had to remind me about my report to you." She then added as she nervously rubbed the back of her head.

"It's ok Hitomi-san, it happens to the best of us." Homura replied with a gentle smile on her face.

"It does? Even you?" Hitomi soon asked in a surprised manner as she looked up at her.

Homura in turn nodded to that.

"Wow..." Hitomi muttered, her eyes widened in surprise at this.

"It happens to the best of us." Homura simply stated.

"I guess it really does." Hitomi agreed as she started to feel a little better for being late earlier.

Homura then got up from her desk. "How about we go on patrol together?" She soon offered.

"Hai, Homura-senpai." Hitomi replied with a nod.

As such, the two headed out and left the board room.


(Classroom Building 3F, Hallway)

Eventually, both girls went up the stairs as they walked the hallways.

"H-Homura-senpai?" Hitomi mumbled out as she looked towards the tan skinned girl.

"Hm?" Homura hummed out in a curious manner. "What is it?" She then asked.

"W-Well, it's just that I'm really glad that you started this committee." Hitomi suddenly confessed while pressing her fingers together. "It really has been an experience to me and I'm glad that I joined." She then added.

"Oh, why thank you Hitomi-san. I am glad you think that way." Homura replied with a smile.

"You're welcome, senpai. But it's not just that." Hitomi replied and informed.

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

"I wasn't really someone who stands out among everyone else." Hitomi began explaining. "Whenever I want to speak out, I always get so nervous about messing up that I just keep it to myself. That's why I wanted to join you and your committee to help me gain more confidence in myself." She continued and revealed.

To that, Homura smiled after learning this.

"But before that, I had a friend who said that she can help me with my timidness." Hitomi then revealed.

"Really now." Homura responded in a curious manner.

"Yes. She said that she can promise me a world without weakness." Hitomi replied. "I didn't really understand what she was talking about at first, but she said that she can help me in due time." She then added.

"Hmm..." Homura responded as she took that information in. "That sounds sketchy..." She thought to herself in a concerned manner.

"She didn't go into full detail about it, but she also became my best friend before I enrolled into Shujin." Hitomi continued. "I still talk to her every now and then, but I haven't been able to since joining your committee." She soon revealed. "I just hope she doesn't take it too badly that I haven't spoken to her in months." She then got out.

"I see..." Homura replied with a nod as she took the information in.

"T-This was back when I was in junior high, but most of it is kind of a blur." Hitomi explained. "B-But what I do remember is that someone rescued me and I wanted to be brave just like them." She then confessed.

That however got the tan skinned girl's attention. "Rescue? Were you bullied back in junior high?" Homura repeated and questioned as she narrowed her eyes in anger to the thought.

"Unfortunately, yes. I-I was." Hitomi meekly responded as she nodded. "As I said before, I wasn't really someone who stands out from everyone else. So it was easy for them to bring me down because I couldn't stand up for myself." She then explained.

"What a bunch of cowards for bullying you..." Homura growled in disgust.

"I-It was horrible...I-I can still hear all the insults they've spat at me..." Hitomi soon whimpered as wrapped her arms around herself and shivered while remembering all the times she was bullied.

Homura however growled at hearing that as she watched her junior's. "Just like Mirai..." She thought to herself as she thought back to the first year from Hebijo.

"B-But thanks to my friend, I did get a little bit of confidence in myself." Hitomi then revealed as she started to cheer up. "B-But this committee has been a really big help for me and it was thanks to you, Homura-senpai." She then confessed as she looked at the tan skinned girl in admiration.

Upon hearing that, Homura's anger lowered a bit as she smiled at her junior. "Thanks Hitomi-san, I'm really glad you feel that way." She replied.

"I'm glad that you do, senpai. And the best thing about it is that I also got to meet more friends." Hitomi beamed in delight. "I know that we all joined for different reasons, but I really got to know most of the other members and they've been really friendly to me." She then added.

"Well that's good to hear." Homura responded as she rubbed the other girl's head.

Hitomi smiled even more at being petted by her senpai and that she was starting to open up even more than when she first joined the committee.

Homura however just giggled, feeling glad to learn more about her committee member as she felt her bond with her junior improving.

RANK UP! PRIESTESS RANK 2!

Soothing Recovery: Restores a small HP and SP during a fight.

"But I'm also glad that I can help make a difference in the school so that no one else would go through what happened with Kamoshida-sensei." Hitomi soon confessed. "I'm sure the others had already told you this before, but we're already glad to have joined your committee. it has really brought us all together in a way we didn't expect, but are glad it happened." She then added

"Glad to hear that." Homura replied as an idea came to mind. "Hey Hitomi." She soon started.

"Hmm?" Hitomi turned to her.

"Well, I could use a close advisor to help me out on a more personal level." Homura soon revealed. "So, are you interested?" She then asked.

"R-R-Really!? I-I-I can be your a-a-a-advisor!?" Hitomi soon asked with a stutter.

Homura in turn nodded to that as she began rubbing her underclassmen on the top of her head. "Of course, I think you can learn something if you stay by my side." She replied. "That is, if it's alright with you Hitomi." She then added.

"I-I'll d-d-do my best!" Hitomi promised with a salute.

"I'll be counting on you then." Homura replied with a smirk.

"Y-Y-You won't be disappointed!" Hitomi beamed in excitement.

"Then let us be off Hitomi, we have a lot of work to do." Homura advised in a mature tone with her hands behind her back in a more prim and proper manner.

"R-Right, senpai!" Hitomi responded with a nod as she tried to mimic her actions with some minor hiccups.

The tan skinned girl simply giggled as the two continued walking the halls for the rest of the afternoon, finding some small cases of delinquency and resolving them before heading home for the day.


(Harajuku, Haruka's Apartment)

"Zzzz..." Hikage snored. "Suzune-sensei, why do you own so many jumper cables..." She mumbled out.

"Oh yeah! Da-dada-dada, dada-dada! Baby, baby! Da-dada-dada, dada-dada!"

The greenette groaned as she blindly grabbed her phone and turned off the alarm. "...Ah, I slept in..." Hikage realized as she sat up from the bed in her single green dress-like pajamas. "Then again it is a softer bed then back at Hebijo." She then admitted as she patted the bed.

BOING!

"It's also the only bed." Haruka spoke up, causing the greenette to roll over to see the blonde in bed with her...and naked. "Good morning." She happily greeted.

"...I know you have pajamas." Hikage deadpanned before looking around. "Where's Poochie? She was sleeping on my head last night."

"Arf! Arf!" Poochie barked out from within the greenette's clothes, causing her to look down.

"She really likes your breasts." Haruka giggled in amusement.

"It's comfortably warm and soft." Hikage replied.

"Doesn't it get sweaty though?" Haruka however asked before blinking. "...Are you quite literally snake enough to not have sweat glands?" She then asked.

"I have sweat glands." Hikage flatly informed. "Poochie just likes it." She simplified.

"Well, I hope she prefers a little more cushioning." Haruka got out as she pushed her breasts up.

"...My Poochie." Hikage possessively declared while holding the puppy close to her.

"Our Poochie. She's the Crimson Squad's ninken." Haruka corrected as the greenette blinked upon hearing that. "I heard about how she beat the crap out of Imu when she tried to get her from Mirai." She then added.

"As well as her piss and blood." Hikage added, smirking to remember what happened.

"What exactly happened?" Haruka soon asked in a curious manner.

"None of your concern." Hikage responded.

"So, what are you going to do today?" Haruka soon asked.

"No idea, maybe see Homura-san, maybe not. Might just relax here for the day." Hikage replied while shrugging her shoulders.

"Arf! Arf!" Poochie barked out.

"I wish I could do that. However, I have responsibilities so I must go and make myself breakfast." Haruka sighed out before getting out of bed.

Soon enough, the two girls got dressed into their day clothes and got ready for the day.

"Why are you using your flasks and vials?" Hikage had to ask, having left the bathroom to see the blonde using her science equipment to make breakfast.

"Cooking involves a lot of chemistry." Haruka explained as she poured the ingredients into the pan. "...Don't worry, I have cleaned them."

"And this black sludge on the counter here?" Hikage asked as she picked up a vial of some sort of black substance.

"Don't touch that." Haruka quickly got out as she snatched the vial out of Hikage's hands. "I have yet to truly study it but it seems similar to the blood of yōma..." She soon revealed.

"Really? To a yōma?" Hikage replied in a curious manner.

"Yes. How he got his hands on it is concerning..." Haruka muttered out.

"...Akira-san?" Hikage guessed.

"Hai." Haruka replied. "There's a lot more to him than initially thought. Truly a wild card." She remarked.

"Didn't he turn you down?" Hikage soon asked...only to see a small cloud of depression over the blonde's head. "Still getting over it?" She then got out.

"Hai..." Haruka sighed out. "But at the very least, being friends will be enough for now." She then added.

Hikage gave the other girl a small smile and patted her back. "...Your cooking is burning." She then informed.

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP!

"Hm?" Haruka got out before noticing the burning food. "What!? The ignition point should be at least a few thousand degrees more!" She exclaimed as she tried to save her breakfast.

"That's...a weird thing to say." Hikage remarked as Poochie tilted her head in confusion.


(7/16, Morning)

(Shujin Academy, Classroom)

"This is your last exam. Do not falter here." Chouno informed. "Begin." She then declared as the student flipped their exams over, ignoring the sounds of crying in the other room.

Some time later...

"Got it, got it, got that. That question has a spelling mistake. And that one should not have made it into a high school exam..." Akira muttered to himself as he reviewed his answers before he flipped to the next page.

"You've seen all these before. Your pen is barely lifting off the paper." Morgana commented. "This is going good. Looking forward to seeing your score."

"Thank you." Akira whispered to the cat before turning all his attention to the exam paper.

"Is...Wasn't this supposed to be hard...?" Homura whispered as she narrowed her eyes. "It feels like I'm doing a first year test but...no, all the questions are meant for second years." She then thought.

"Dammit, how much time do I have left...?" Asuka meanwhile mumbled before checking the time. "Huh!? I thought it was almost over! Oh my God, I can do this!" She soon mentally cheered.

Suddenly, the three's eyes widened.

"This is the last part!" Akira, Asuka and Homura mentally declared.

It was an essay.

300 words.

Some say that we should not judge people by their appearance. Do you agree or disagree? Support your opinion with reasons and examples.

Akira closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath. When his eyes snapped open, they flashed red as he smirked. He had everything he needed.

Asuka's eyes darted towards the clock before looking back at her exam. After some quick maths, she smiled. This was not going to stress her mental capabilities.

Homura calmly took in a deep breath as she prepared herself. She was confident that not only would she be able to answer the last question, she would make the teacher weep from how beautiful and elegant her answer would be as the school Disciplinary Head.

"PERSONA!" They soon thought as one.

BURNING UP! FULL FORCE!

And with that, the three tackled the last part as if it was a Palace ruler! Slicing through the common misinformation, shooting back with their facts, using reason to press the advantage before finishing it off with an All-Out Conclusion!

WRITE WRITE! SCRIBBLE SCRIBBLE!

"Exam slaughtered! Time!" Akira, Asuka and Homura breathed out before flipping their papers over. First ones to finish.

"Done." Ann whispered only five minutes later. It was on her way home later today that she realised that she managed to finish her exam with a good amount of time left on the clock instead of barely scraping by. She was gonna have another shopping trip with her green haired friend for sure to celebrate.

"...D-Done?" Ryuji mumbled to himself as he flipped through his exam. At least he put in answers for every question this time.

"Time's up! Please put your pens and pencils down." The teacher declared, causing several students to either sigh in relief or groan. "Please place your hands by your side while I collect your exams."


(7/16, After School)

(Aoyama-Itchome, Alleyway)

To most people, a shady alley where people rarely went through wouldn't make for the best spot for a post-exam celebration, but to the Phantom Thieves it was their spot and they wouldn't trade it for anywhere else.

"To finishing exams!" Akira declared as he raised his can.

"To finishing exams!" The rest of the Thieves, tapping each other's drinks before taking large swigs.

"Oh yeah, that hits the spot." Ryuji breathed out before...

BURP!

"S-Sorry, drank too fast." Asuka apologized, a little red dusting her cheeks.

"Exams are finally over..." Ann sighed out. "I'm so exhausted..." She then breathed out.

"Well, that was invigorating." Homura breathed out in relief as her roommate nodded in agreement.

"Invigorating!? I've never felt more exhausted in my entire life!" Ryuji groaned. "Dammit, we have to go through this next year!?" He then complained.

"And it's much more difficult." Makoto added, looking nowhere as miserable as the two blondes.

"How did your exams go, Makoto-chan?" Asuka had to ask.

"I checked my own answers. I should be in the high 90s in each test, give or take one or two percent." Makoto answered in a confident tone.

"You...You know if you're wrong!?" Ryuji exclaimed before shoving his head into his hands. "Gah...I would kill to have a brain like yours, Prez." He then got out.

"You can. Someday with enough effort." Makoto encouraged.

"But that sounds so effin' hard and boring..." The dyed blond whined. "Nothing like thief shit." He then added as he shoved his hands into his pockets.

"That's because you don't have to run around Tokyo buying and selling crap and making deals." Akira mentally deadpanned.

"Man, school sucks when you don't have a chance." Ryuji grumbled before yawning. "At least I can get back to actually sleepin' in peace..." He then mumbled out.

"Huh. You must have been studying pretty hard if it kept you up at night." Asuka assumed with a proud smile.

"Nah, I was up playin' video games. Slackin' off is just too much fun..." Ryuji however killed that smile, something he felt instantly guilty about.

"I know, right!? I kept cleaning my room instead of studying! It might even be too clean now..." Ann agreed and confessed. "I have a friend from out of town to help, but I think I answered way too many questions with facts about dogs..." She then muttered.

"You two are perfect examples of what escapism can mean." Yusuke stated.

"And I can only imagine what the end result will be." Yumi sighed in a disappointed manner.

"Whatever, it's over now. And who cares about that anymore!? What's real important is the Phantom Thieves' popularity! Ain't it amazin'!?" Ryuji blew off before gushing about how big they were now.

"It kinda feels like our time's finally here!" Ann beamed.

"I have even heard people excitedly speculating about our next target." Yusuke spoke up. "We will have to choose carefully." He then advised.

"There's no need to hurry. We should spend some time thinking it over." Makoto stated.

"Hold up, the most important thing now is our celebration party! I hope you guys didn't forget." Ryuji called out as he pumped his fist, accidently spilling some of his drink onto Yumi's uniform.

"Ryuji-kun!" Yumi chided as she wiped away the drink to at least dry it off. "Have you even sold the case yet?" She soon asked.

"Er...no. But I'm talkin' 'bout the fireworks festival on the 18th! I guess we're good meetin' up in Shibuya, yeah?" Ryuji reminded.

"Well, there's no other convenient place we can meet up at." Homura got out. "What time?"

"At 1700!" Ryuji answered before everyone stared at him blankly. "...Uh, I mean, 5 o'clock." He then corrected.

"You sure are on top of these kinds of things..." Morgana remarked.

"Hey, I can prioritise some shit." Ryuji stated with a smirk.

"But not productive shit." Yumi sighed as she shook her head. "Mark my words, we will get you to at least pass one exam." She soon promised.

"You can try." Ryuji responded with a cocky smirk that became less cocky when the more studious Thieves glared at him.

"Well, we can't right now. Me and Asuka-chan have a shoot." Ann informed as the Vice Leader nodded in agreement.

"It's theme is cute pajamas this time." Asuka revealed with a playful wink.

"I think you should hit the hay when you get home." Akira suggested as the not cat popped his head out of his bag. "I'm heading straight home too for a power nap." He then informed.

"And instead of meeting with my informants, I have to clean this now." Yumi groaned. Her shirt was going to stain by the time she got home.

"How about you, Homura?" Ryuji soon asked.

"Sorry, I got Committee duties." Homura answered.

"And I got Student Council duties." Makoto then revealed.

"And I have a few meetings to attend to." Yumi added.

"Just after exams? Give yourselves a break." Ryuji suggested.

"Our work is never done." Makoto soon stated as Homura stretched her limbs.

"Until the end of the school year." Ann reminded. "Don't exhaust yourselves, okay?" She then added in concern.

"Hey, I learned my lesson about that. I'll see you all later." Homura assured as she and the Student Council President returned to the school.

"Alright, meeting over. Let's enjoy this moment of peace." Akira ordered as the Thieves separated for the day.


(Shujin Academy, Disciplinary Committee Board Room)

Homura narrowed her eyes as she checked the reports today. After several months of her committee doing their work, it was now high time to actually get students' opinions on them on a whole instead of just overhearing people talk about them. Who knows, maybe those idiots that keep calling them unnecessary were in the vocal minority.

"Let's see if senpai has anything to say about us." Homura decided as she got up from her desk and headed to the council room.


(Student Council Room)

The Student Council President of Shujin was diligently working when the tan skinned girl knocked on the door. "Hello, Homura-san." Makoto greeted.

"Hey, erm, Makoto." Homura replied. "Hey, do we have...uh...complaints or anything?" She awkwardly asked.

"Well..." Makoto quickly set aside a pile of her usual paperwork and then pushed over a new set to the tan skinned girl.

"...How many...?" Homura soon asked.

"Half of them are from earlier in the year, just as your guys were starting. The rest are more recent." Makoto answered.

Homura winced at that. This did not look good. "Do we have an apology pile too?" She soon asked, betting on the small chance that she would receive something good out of this.

"It's...smaller than the complaints." Makoto informed before setting aside that particular stack of papers.

"Alright...let's face the music..." Homura sighed out before taking the first one off the stack and began reading it.

"Dear Displinary Head. Fucky you"

...And immediately put it through the shredder...that were her katanas.

"...I have a shredder right here!" Makoto awkwardly informed.

Homura blinked before putting away her weapons. "...Oh. Um, pass it over here." She soon responded and requested.

"Here you go." Makoto replied as she handed it over.

"Thank you." Homura got out in a much calmer tone. "Fucker didn't even have the decency to spell check..." She then grumbled as she worked through the real complaints while shredding the bullshit.

About an hour later, Homura frowned as she processed all the information from all the complaints.

For one thing, there were still many students who felt unsure about the committee itself as a whole. Notably, members like Satoshi, Hitomi and Sakura were bringing down the quality of their work. They have done next to nothing.

Homura however brushed off Hitomi for the fact that the poor girl was shy and was going to help her as her advisor.

Meanwhile, there were others who felt that they haven't scrubbed away Kamoshida's legacy quite yet. That the school was still as bad as it was with Kamoshida around. There were improvements, no doubt, but they weren't going far enough.

However, the most worrying conclusion she made was on the violence.

Some students had begun to complain that some members were getting too rough with them when dealing with trouble. Thankfully, it was limited to bruises, no trips to the infirmary just yet. However, there was no indication on who they were. One of them was most likely Naomi but knew it was probably out of self defense.

Yup, she was gonna have to gather them together to discuss this matter. Not today though since everyone had left for home.

At that moment, Homura sighed as she looked at her friend. "I still have a long way to go, Makoto-senpai. The committee isn't quite the well-oiled machine I hoped." She soon confessed.

"So it would seem." Makoto muttered as she skimmed over a complaint. "Don't worry. You'll figure it out." She then reassured.

Homura nodded and then decided to look at the small apologies pile. "You made sure it didn't have date requests, right?" She soon asked.

"Yes, as well as offers to pay for you for a night." Makoto responded with a nod.

"...They're pranks...don't kill people over pranks..." Homura got out through gritted teeth before taking the first one off the stack.

"Dear Homura. I'm sorry I tried to kill you over boobs at the start of the year. My friend is so shallow, if you could stand in her personality like a puddle my shoes still wouldn't get wet. Sincerely Penni."

"...Okay, that's a start." Homura got out as she continued going through the pile. However, she began to see a few that surprised her. "Huh, some apologies to the both of us Makoto-senpai." She commented. "And now they're referring to both of us as Shujin Academy's Queens?" She then added as she scowled at the paper.

That in turn got the Shujin Council President's attention. "Really?" Makoto got out in a curious manner as she walked over to her friend and read some of the ones mentioning that title. "I didn't think there was anyone in this school who would call me such a thing." She soon confessed.

"Ugh..." The Disciplinary Head however groaned.

"Is something wrong?" Makoto got out, noticing her friend's expression.

"It's just...this just feels like an insult to me." Homura admitted. "Shujin's Queens. Yeah, like it's any better than being the mean girl with big tits." She then spat out.

"It doesn't seem so bad." Makoto got out. "Some might actually be starting to respect you and understand your intentions for the school." She then pointed out.

"Look, the last time someone was referred to as royalty here, they ruined several lives and caused a girl to jump off the roof." Homura pointed out. "I didn't start the committee to rule the school, I just wanted to make things better. It...actually bothers me that we're being called that." She then sighed in a frustrated manner.

"I mean, we aren't Kamoshida though." Makoto reminded. "He's the one who actually thought of himself as the king of Shujin Academy with it being his personal castle. We on the other hand don't think that." She then stated.

"We aren't above other students though." Homura then stated with a frown. "I do want to be a better example but...a pedestal is too much." She added as she shook her head.

"It's probably just a phase that'll pass over the summer." Makoto reassured.

"It better. I'd rather not compare myself to that bastard." Homura grumbled. "Besides, the only Queen here is you. And even then...I still think Brawler or Rider suits you." She then confessed.

"H-Homura-san..." Makoto mumbled in embarrassment. "Maybe I'm just getting tired of not having anyone really respect me. It's usually just jealousy and bitterness. As if I get special treatment and they hate me for it." She then sighed.

"If only they knew what that special treatment was." Homura grumbled. "But rest assured that me and the rest respect you greatly...and not because you're a little scary when it comes down to some things." She soon declared.

"I mean after what I did, Principal Scatface shouldn't bother us anymore." Makoto responded.

"And thank god for that." Homura breathed out in relief. "I mean, who would stoop so low that a full grown adult has to blackmail and even threaten teenagers?" She then asked.

"We know who." Makoto reminded.

"Oh, right." Homura replied with a giggle as they continued performing their duties.

Unaware to the two friends, the former Newspaper Club President was writing down all the details about what she heard the two talking regarding the hardships they recently faced.

"Blackmail and threats, huh?" Tomoko whispered before frowning as adjusting her glasses. This info explained a lot actually in the recent days. "That's definitely a front pager...which I can't use right now because he'll just expel me even if he resigns. Still, something to keep in my back pocket for the future." She soon mumbled to herself as she left.

She was interested in the violent committee members. Maybe she could give the head some direction on how to run it.

Their popularity was going up, so why not help it out?


(Shibuya, Central Street)

Yumi let out a sigh of relief as she walked out of the diner. She had somehow managed to deal with all her highly stressful duties, studying and tests over the past four days swimmingly, although she would really love to go home and take a nap. "And now to shift focus on Asuka's senpai..." She then mumbled.

While Akira was keeping her up-to-date and assuring her she was fine, it was better to be safe than sorry.

...Once her day off was over. She deserved a Sunday to herself.

BZZT! BZZT!

"Please don't be someone from school..." Yumi sighed out as she pulled out her phone to see who the number was. "Oh thank god." She muttered in relief as she answered.

"Hello, it's Inoue. Thanks for picking up quickly. Are you available right now?" Her manager asked.

"O-Oh yes Inoue-san, I can come in for practice." Yumi answered over the phone.

"Great. We're ready to give you some singing lessons before we start writing your debut song." Inoue soon informed.

"E-Eh!? Really?" Yumi stammered out.

"Yes. Really." Inoue chuckled out. "Now hurry to the studio. We have a lot of work to do." He then added.

"This...This is going awfully fast..." Yumi whispered as she held her heart. "But...It's also exciting..." She offhandedly admitted with a smile as she started walking.

"Always a great pleasure to hear enthusiasm from one of our newest idols. We'll see you there, Yumi-chan."

"Hai!" Yumi responded with a nod before hanging up.


(Takura Productions, Recording Booth)

"Good afternoon, Inoue-san." Yumi greeted as she entered the room.

"To you as well, Yumi-san." Inoue replied with a smile. "Rise-san told you she was away for a while right?" He then asked.

"Hai." Yumi responded with a nod.

"Well, we've already arranged a few instructors while she's away. Meet Bīto Hamazaki." Inoue soon introduced. "Not only is he your singing instructor, he is a songwriter." He then revealed.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Yumi-san." Bīto replied with a smile.

"The pleasure is all mine." Yumi responded in a polite manner.

"Well, I have some stuff to do so I'll leave you to it for a bit." Inoue soon informed before leaving the two alone.

"Well, shall we begin?" Bīto soon suggested.

Yumi looked around the place to check for security cameras before nodding. "We shall." She replied.

The singing instructor in turn smiled at that. "Now then Yumi-san, repeat after me." Bīto instructed. "Do Re Mi Sol La Ti Do~!" He then sang out.

"Do Re Mi Sol La Ti Do~!" Yumi repeated, singing out each note and going higher with each note.

"Excellent, your voice is perfect for singing." Bīto praised. "However, your pitch off on Mi and Sol. Do it again." He then informed and instructed.

"Hai. Do Re Mi Sol La Ti Do~!" Yumi responded and sung once more.

"Again!" Bīto once more ordered.

"Do Re Mi Sol La Ti Do~!" Yumi once more sang.

And so, the lesson went on as Bīto tried to perfect Yumi's singing. Eventually, it went on for so long that her voice was beginning to grow hoarse.

"That's enough!" Bīto ordered. "Hm, a little brush up here and there and you should be fine to sing at your debut." He hummed out and then informed while offering her some water.

Yumi in turn took the cup and she drank some before sighing in relief. "Thank you sir." She soon replied.

"Well, we still have an hour or so left. Let's move onto laying the groundwork for your first song."

"Hai." Yumi responded before blinking. "...I can't read sheet music though..." She then sheepishly admitted with a blush.

"There's no shame in that. A lot of our idols can't read sheet music." Inoue soon revealed as he showed that he returned. "However, if you wish to write your own songs you better start now." He soon advised.

"Indeed." Bīto replied in agreement. "So Yumi-san, what song are you going for? Themes, tone and such?" He then questioned while giving off each detail.

"Hmm..." Yumi hummed out as she thought about it. "Songs that can inspire others to better themselves and never give into evil." She soon revealed.

"Ah, sounds like you've been inspired by the Phantom Thieves. Or Super Sentai."

"Um...no, just...I've been trying to make this world a better place since my parents..."

"O-Oh...my condolences..." The instructor got out in an understanding manner. "I'm sure they would be proud of you." He then added.

"Thank you. My grandfather, I'm not so sure about..." Yumi admitted as she rubbed the back of her neck.

"Well, let's show him." The instructor responded. "Now, in order to write a song, we need to call it something. Have a few titles that might work?" He soon asked as he pulled out his phone.

"Erm..." Yumi hummed out as she gave it some thought. "Pretty Prisoner...Sunshine FES...Rainbow Kiss...Resolution of Blooms..." She soon began listing off some random names.

"Well, we're obviously going for a cute song." The songwriter muttered out before shivering. "Urgh...That Guy is a Trick*Star is still playing in my head...and it's still in its development stages." He then added.

"Hm...Trick*Star..." Yumi repeated before shaking her head.

"I think that will be all for today. You seem quite tired." Inoue noticed.

"Well, I did just finish finals as well." Yumi sheepishly revealed.

"Don't burn yourself out now." Bīto soon advised. "Please take a few days to rest. No lessons until you're at 100%." He then instructed.

"Oh, thank you." Yumi replied with a nod. Hopefully she can convince the rest of her associates to give her a break as well.

"Before you go, here's some tips and what you should buy to take care of your voice. We need it in tip-top shape this summer." Inoue advised and informed.

"Of course." Yumi replied with a nod as she stepped towards the door before realising what he just said. "...Wait, what?" She soon got out.

"Your debut is this summer. I didn't tell you before?" Inoue revealed and asked. "We don't have a specific date set just yet but we're thinking before the end of August." He then added.

"O-Oh, I see." Yumi got out, a slight stutter to her tone as her heart began to beat faster. "I guess I should work on writing some song lyrics then." She then admitted.

"Don't worry, we'll take care of the process for now. We'll make sure you're in constant contact with our songwriters and have the final say." Inoue replied and informed with reassurance.

"Y-Yes. Well, I'll see you again soon." Yumi replied as she finally left the place.


(7/16, Evening)

(Shibuya, Shin Megami Apartment Complex)

"And thus, exam week ends..." Homura yawned out as the two plopped themselves down on the couch. "Thank God it's Sunday tomorrow..." She soon breathed out.

"Yep! Tomorrow is the fair and the day after is the fireworks festival!" Asuka cheered out, causing the tan skinned girl to raise her head up.

"Oh crap, I forgot I needed a kimono for that." Homura mumbled out.

"Yukata." Asuka quickly corrected.

"What's the difference?" Homura groaned as she sat down.

"It's the collar. And don't worry, we have plenty of time before the 18th!" Asuka tried to alleviate her roommate's concerns.

"...I could just show up in my alternate Shinobi Tenshin..." Homura realised.

"No!" Asuka suddenly declared, causing the tan skinned girl to jump. "My mama and I spent a lot of time getting mine and I will not let you rob yourself of such an experience!"

"Sis..." Homura got out before giggling. "You're too good for me." She soon confessed.

"That's not true. You deserve people like me and Akira-kun and Ann-chan and Ryuji-kun and I think Mishima-kun and-" Asuka began, however...

"Okay, don't list off all our friends." Homura interrupted with a laugh.

"Sorry Homu-nee." Asuka giggled in a sheepish manner while rubbing the back of her head. "Um...is it bad that I just remembered that Mishima-kun is in our class?"

"It happens Sis." Homura replied in reassurance. "Besides, I don't remember his given name." She then admitted in a sheepish manner.

"Yuuki." Asuka informed.

"Oh yeah, that sounds familiar..." Homura mumbled to herself. "Well, we may as well see if there are any shops nearby that sell kimonos on a budget." She then got out with a shrug.

"Yukata. I will not settle for cheap." Asuka however declared. "I still have money saved up. We're gonna give you the best damn yukata we can find!"'

"That means I'll owe you even more...money..." Homura began before slowing down in depression.

"Homu-nee, you only have to pay Ann-chan back still, not me." Asuka however reminded. "And I want to help you." She then added.

"I...Well..." Homura stammered as she rubbed her shoulder, looking a little embarrassed.

"You really need to learn how to accept help." Asuka suggested with a puffed up cheek.

"I do know how to, just not...yours..." Homura started off strong but ended up whimpering.

"Homu-nee?" Asuka got out in concern.

"Sorry..." Homura apologized.

"There's nothing to be sorry about." Asuka assured as she hugged her roommate. "Come on, it'll fun and you won't think about the stupid price of the kimono."

"So...you won't mind if it's 13,000 yen, or that the obi could cost more than the actual dress." Homura soon informed.

"Hrk!" Asuka choked before putting on a smile. "I-It's...that's chump change compared to the money we make in the Metaverse and what I make from modeling." She then stated.

To that, Homura let out a sigh and closed her eyes. "...Come on, Homura Shinkukage. Stop blocking yourself." The tan skinned girl whispered to herself. "This shouldn't even involve a pep talk. Just accept help from Asuka." She then added.

"There you go. We'll do it tomorrow. I'll call the others bright and early!" Asuka soon declared.

"Well, I don't exactly have the best fashion sense so a second opinion is so valuable." Homura got out as she put her hands behind her head.

"It'll be fun to have the others there." Asuka replied with a nod. "So...what do you want to do tonight?" She soon asked.

"It's a little chilly so let's cuddle up and see if there's a good movie on the old boob tube." Homura suggested.

"Sounds wonderful." Asuka replied before pausing. "Hehe, boob tube?" She then repeated with a giggle.

"Ugh, don't go all Ryuji on me. I think that's what people call it." Homura scoffed as she rolled her eyes. "I think we have some snacks too..." She then muttered as she looked towards the kitchen.

"I'll go get a blanket." Asuka got out as her roommate turned on the TV.

However, they stopped in their tracks when a commercial appeared that drew them in like moths to a flame.

"It's time for the Super Mammoth Lottery! The pot this year is an astounding 800 million yen!" The charismatic disembodied voice declared as the commercial blinded them with various colors and pictures of money. "You can only win if you buy a ticket! Tickets are on sale now until July 31st!" He then declared.

"..." Asuka blinked, her legs shaking as if struggling under the weight of that amount of money.

"..." Meanwhile, Homura's jaw was thoroughly on the floor. That amount would supply the two of them for life and then some!

"Challenge accepted." Asuka decided with a smile before turning to her roommate...who was already gone. "Moh! Homu-nee! Wait for me so we can double our chances!" She called out as she rushed after her.

Just another fun filled and dramatic night in the Shirokage-Shinkukage residence.


(Gessen Academy, Front Gate)

"Yozakura, you've already made me check my bags seven times already. I have everything." Murakumo groaned as she, Yozakura and Shiki walked to the front gate.

"You can never get too cautious." Yozakura pointed out.

"Yeah. I will buy at least a few sets of the latest fashion line." Shiki admitted. "Given our line of work, it pays to have spare clothes." She then reminded.

"How can you afford that...?" Yozakura had to ask.

"I have my connections." Shiki vaguely revealed as they arrived at the gate.

"Well, I'm heading out." Murakumo calmly informed while easily hefting her suitcase over her shoulder.

"Bye!" Shiki happily replied. "You better bring back souvenirs." She then stated.

"I just got you a souvenir." Yozakura sighed out as she shook her head. "Is there something wrong with it?" She then asked.

"No, but don't you want a free gift when I go to Tokyo or not?" Shiki however asked with a grin.

"...You don't need to worry about that Murakumo." Yozakura deadpanned with a thoroughly unamused look on her face.

"What!?" Shiki exclaimed in disappointment.

The oni mask wearing girl nodded as she then looked around. "Where's Minori?" Murakumo soon asked.

"Still taking care of Kurokage-sama." Yozakura answered. His sickness had gotten worse overnight, but hopefully some stronger meds would get him back on his feet soon. "However, she is giving you sweets for the road."

"Tell her I said thank you." The oni-masked girl got out as she put the sweets away.

"When are you coming back again?" Shiki asked.

"In a week. Hopefully nothing too interesting will happen while I'm away." Murakumo responded and stated.

"With the Phantom Thieves around? I doubt it." Shiki got out as she crossed her arms.

"I wonder what they're planning next..." Yozakura whispered to herself, a smile threatening to appear on her face.

"Hey, I saw online people are starting to make Phantom Thief merch. Maybe I should order you a sticker or something. Or maybe you want a shikishi." Shiki informed with a smug smile.

"I don't think that's official merchandise though." Murakumo pointed out with a sweatdrop. "Then again, I don't think official merchandise is an option." She then added.

"It would be ridiculous if they had such things. I mean, imagine if we had merchandise!" Yozakura soon scoffed in disapproval.

Shuki blinked as she looked down. "...I mean-" She began.

"Don't. Finish. That sentence." Yozakura and Murakumo both ordered instantly with disapproval in their voices.

"Aw." Shiki got out with a pout.

"Oh, by the way, the news said there'll be a rainstorm soon so be careful." Yozakura soon informed.

"You told me that ten minutes ago. I brought an umbrella." Murakumo sighed out before hugging the acting leader. "But thank you for looking out for us. I'll see you all later." She then added in a grateful manner.

"Stay safe!" Shiki got out as she hugged the masked girl.

The oni mask wearing girl nodded as she headed out, vanishing like the wind as the howls of hounds were heard.


Save Game...Quit!


Asuka/Yin's Social Stats:

Leadership- Dependable (Level 3)

Knowledge- Expert (Level 3)

Proficiency- Skilled (Level 3)

Diligence- Strong (Level 3)

Courage- Brave (Level 3)

Homura/Yang's Development Stats:

Maturity- Managed (Level 3)

Knowledge- Expert (Level 3)

Femininity- Tasteful (Level 3)

Elegance- Disciplined (Level 3)

Understanding- Generous (Level 3)


We're getting there! Eventually!

UknownHero signing off, my friends!