Ren Amamiya stared out the train window, gazing through his reflection into the pastoral countryside that he was leaving behind. One thing he'd grown to appreciate about long train rides was the time to think.

His parents had been highly unimpressed that he'd gotten into more trouble while on probation. He supposed he was lucky that they took him back at all. They'd fought about it, he knew. So he didn't tell them about Akechi or the recurrence of the psychotic breakdown incidents. Luckily there was a short school holiday coming up, so all he had to say was he wanted to go visit his old friends in Tokyo for a few days. How much trouble could he get into over a long weekend, after all?

He'd spent a year in Tokyo on probation for a crime he didn't commit, in a strange place with strange people, viewed with suspicion by everyone he met. It should have felt like a prison. Yet, even though he'd gone back home after serving his time, there was a part of the city that never left him. The friendships he'd forged there were the best, most intense connections in his life. Maybe that was why it felt like he was struck by lightning when he got Makoto's text letting him know Akechi was still alive. He touched the glove Akechi had thrown at him, still in his pocket - a challenge, yes, but also a promise to meet again.

What did it mean that he dropped his new friends like hot rocks the second he had an excuse to go back to Tokyo? Why was he so drawn to darkness and grime and violence? It didn't mean he wasn't still a good person, did it?

On the seat beside him, Morgana was watching him carefully. Seeing his expression darken, the cat gave his hand a friendly lick. Ren ruffled his ears and smiled reassuringly.

Makoto greeted Ren at the train station with a motorcycle helmet.

"You got your license!" he said, catching her toss.

"Did you have doubts?" She tried to sound insulted, but it was difficult when she was grinning so widely.

Makoto led him over to her motorcycle - not an extravagant model, but it would do the job - and he hopped on the back, holding her around the waist.

"Ready?"

"Hit it."

They zipped out into the Tokyo traffic and Ren gripped her tighter. He hadn't been sure what to expect, whether they'd have a chance to talk like in a car or not. The answer was not, as there was nothing to hear but the wind in his face and the sounds of traffic. Makoto was more daring than he expected on her bike. Naturally she followed all the laws, but she wove in and out of the car lanes as if they were standing still.

Eventually, they ended up in the Shibuya diner that Ren frequented. It was a good place to talk, plus they always had some strange new dish to try. Today was something called "Five Senses Soup" that promised to deliver a sensation to all five senses at once. So far, he was happy with smell and touch, but taste was losing out to hearing and he had no idea what was supposed to dazzle his eyes.

After a short time catching up, Makoto got down to business: the resumption of the psychotic breakdown cases.

"But you said it couldn't be Akechi?" asked Ren, around bites of soup.

"Well...I've been thinking about that. It's true that the most recent cases appeared while he was in state custody, either in the hospital or in jail. Then I got to thinking, what if he had done it before he disappeared last November? Maybe they were only discovered recently."

"Hmm, maybe. Why worry about it, though? Can't the police handle things?"

Makoto looked unhappy. "The media have stopped even referring to them as psychotic breakdowns. Same with the police. They're denying the whole thing. They're just sending these people away to mental hospitals and washing their hands of it."

"Then how do you know they really are psychotic breakdowns?"

"To tell you the truth, I don't have any proof. There's just something about the way the media and the police closed ranks that I find suspicious. I was supposed to have an internship over the summer, but they canceled it."

Ren sipped his soup, trying to figure out how to diplomatically suggest that her internship might have nothing to do with anything. He wondered idly when he was going to see the "sight" sensation promised on the menu.

"GAH!"

"What?" asked Makoto, alarmed.

Ren tipped the bowl toward her. On the bottom was a mirror, so that when you finished the soup, you'd see your own face looking back at you. There was a cheery "Thanks for eating with us!" written on it, but the overall effect was unsettling. Like maybe he was eating his own face? Or he had sunk into some kind of pond?

"As gimmicks go, not one of their finest," said Makoto, shaking her head. "Anyway, I know what you're thinking. But it's not just me - all police internships are canceled across Tokyo.

"You want to get the band back together and investigate."

"Maybe just the front man and the lead guitar?" She smiled hopefully.

Morgana poked his head out of Ren's bag. "Lead guitar, huh? I guess that makes Yusuke the bass...Ann backup vocals...and Ryuji…."

"Drummer," Makoto and Ren said together, laughing.

Ren rubbed his head. Well, if he could stake out a host club, he could probably handle whatever she had in mind now. He had barely even nodded when Makoto pulled a notebook out of her bag and started flipping through it. Inside were carefully arranged photos, notes, and newspaper clippings.

"You made a murder scrapbook?" he said.

"It's not a scrapbook!" she protested, moving her hand slightly to cover a puffy sticker. "Just come and hit the pavement with me one day. If nothing comes of it, then...I'll try to forget it."

Morgana laughed. "Nyaahaha, 'hit the pavement'. You sound like a detective already."

Makoto primly stowed her murder scrapbook away and they headed out.

The following morning, Makoto picked up Ren and Morgana at Leblanc. Since it was a holiday, the streets were full of kids and teens kicking around doing nothing in particular. But Makoto had never been a "nothing to do" kind of person and she was ready with a plan. They headed out to Shinjuku on her motorcycle.

Ren took a look around, squinting in the daylight. He had spent a lot of time here, but not during the day. It was like a different neighborhood; the shops open at night were all closed during the day, and vice versa.

"What are we looking for?" he asked Makoto.

"Witnesses. Maybe crime scenes," she said, trying not to sound excited and failing. "I have some addresses here…."

"What? How did you get those?" Morgana demanded.

"Through my connections," she said mysteriously, raising her eyebrows.

They walked around the neighborhood, poking around, asking questions. They found that all the victims had a few things in common: they had very little by way of friends or family and often were in debt. Some were transients or sex workers. The thing Makoto and Ren heard most often was surprise. Now that the media had stopped reporting on the story, the neighbors didn't expect that anyone would come looking for these people. The police certainly weren't.

As afternoon squatted humidly over the district, Ren thought of Crossroads. It was close; maybe they could stop in, say hello, get a couple of cold drinks.

Makoto looked at the pink neon sign doubtfully, but Ren assured her it was fine.

"I used to work here," he explained, as they went in.

It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the dimness of the bar's interior, compared to the sunlight outside. He heard the sound of a glass breaking and blinked to clear his vision. There was someone behind the bar, wearing the familiar apron and restocking clean glasses. It was Akechi. Ren knew how he was feeling: like he'd seen a ghost.

"Ah, sorry, Lala-san," said Akechi, ducking to the floor to clean up the glass he'd dropped.

Lala was looking from Ren to Akechi with a shrewd look. "You know what, I've got the bar. Why don't you take a break? Go talk to your friends."

"Um, thanks," Akechi mumbled.

"Don't thank me. I'm doing it for the glassware," said Lala, shaking her head. "You're supposed to have some breaks anyway. Shoo, shoo."

Slipping off the apron, Akechi led them over to the back booth, where they all sat down.

"So you're alive. Looks like the bullet-to-the-head didn't take," said Akechi, arching an eyebrow at Makoto, who just shrugged.

"Uh, ditto," said Ren. "I didn't think I'd ever see you again, after what happened in February."

Akechi shook his head. "Was I...with you? But that's impossible. I was in the hospital. There are records that prove it."

"A lot of impossible things happened that semester," said Makoto with a sigh. "What's the last thing you remember before the hospital?"

"It was...must have been fall? I remember that I was hanging around with you guys a lot at that time. Did we go to the Diet Building?"

Ren nodded. "We did. Do you remember Futaba messing with your phone?"

"Futaba...yes, I remember that. Then things get fuzzy."

Just then, Lala came over with a tray of sodas. "Don't mind me, kids, just keep right on chatting like I'm not even here," she said, making a big production out of setting down cocktail napkins, drinks, straws, garnishes, and finally even a bowl of peanuts.

Morgana poked his head out of Ren's bag and said, "How about me? Do you remember the greatest Phantom Thief of them all?"

"Right, you always had this cat in your bag," said Akechi. "How eccentric."

"Hey! Speak for yourself! I'm the avatar of humanity's hope, I'll have you know," said Morgana.

"I'm just going to pretend I didn't see that," said Lala, drifting back off towards the bar. "Like all the other times…."

"Talkative, isn't he?" said Akechi, reaching out to scratch Morgana's ears. "It's remarkable how he just stays in there all the time. He's the most obedient cat I've ever seen."

Morgana narrowed his eyes and nipped at Akechi's hand disapprovingly.

"Did I offend him?" said Akechi, surprised.

"Obedient isn't how I'd describe Morgana," said Ren, grinning. "He just likes hanging out with me."

"Fair enough." Akechi smiled too, relaxing a little. If Amamiya was okay, then maybe…. "What have you two been up to?"

Ren said, "Well, if you're not caught up since November...you probably know Masayoshi Shido had a change of heart."

Akechi nodded. "He's confessed to a great number of crimes, apparently. Though strangely, he has avoided implicating me in them."

"He probably feels guilty about how he used you," said Makoto, thinking back to how remorseful the others had been after their changes of heart.

"I'd be astonished if that man has a single ounce of compassion in his body," said Akechi bitterly. "I don't care what he's up to. All I know is that Sae-san has some room to maneuver."

"Sae-san…?" said Ren.

"Didn't you tell him?" said Akechi to Makoto.

"Not my story to tell," she said, shaking her head and taking a sip of her soda.

"Sae-san quit her job at the prosecutor's office and is now representing me."

"Wow," said Ren, surprised. "Last I heard, she was going to wrap up the Shido case first...she must see something in you, huh?"

"So it would seem," said Akechi evenly, but a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

"Good thing I moved out so you can have my former bedroom," Makoto couldn't help adding.

Akechi laughed lightly and said, "With all your trophies and books. It's a lot to live up to."

There was a bit of awkwardness between them, and Ren wanted to move the conversation along anyway, so he said, "How can I explain January…?"

"I don't think we should even get into that right now," said Makoto wearily. "Just skip ahead to March."

Ren nodded crisply. "Sure. I went to jail."

"You went to jail?"

"Had to. I told Niijima-san everything I knew about the Metaverse. It was how she was planning to tie Shido to the Metaverse crimes. What with his gunman being dead and all."

"That's why…" said Akechi thoughtfully. "I understand now. Then my confession really isn't needed."

Ren looked at him appraisingly. "You told us that you wanted to tie yourself to Shido. Make him recognize you and your mother and then drag him down with you. That was your revenge. Don't you still want that?"

"I told you all that, huh?" Akechi looked unhappily down at his glass.

"It's too late to be embarrassed. We all know the whole story," said Ren, not unkindly. "What I want to know is, are you still bent on revenge?"

Akechi sighed. "There hardly seems to be much point to it now. Maybe I don't want to let that bastard ruin my life again."

"I hope that's true. I really do," said Ren sincerely. He looked at Makoto, then back at Akechi. "And I guess that brings us to why we're here. Show him the scrapbook."

Makoto took out the murder book and opened it up. "We think these are psychotic breakdown incidents. Do you know any of these people?"

Akechi leafed through the book. "I don't know. They don't look familiar. Why?"

"We were wondering if any of them were among Shido's targets last year. What do you remember about them?"

Akechi frowned, frustrated. "I don't remember...whatever it was I did to them. I know it doesn't make any sense. I've racked my brain, but it's like something is just missing. Time I can't account for. I remember getting an order and then confirming it was done, but in between...nothing."

"It must be the Metaverse," said Morgana. "That would explain why he can't understand me, too. His knowledge of the Metaverse is gone."

"Did you do any...uh, freelancing?" said Ren.

"No, I did not," said Akechi, scowling at him.

The bar door opened and someone new shuffled tiredly in.

"Lala-chan, I need something stronger than usual tonight," said Ohya, making her way down to her usual seat at the bar.

"I've got some cheap bourbon for the hard-boiled girl reporter," said Lala.

"Make it a double," said Ohya. As Lala poured the drink, Ohya peered around the room. "What's this? The new hotness and the old hotness, together?"

"Don't be -" Lala started, but Ohya waved her off. Picking up her drink, she headed over to the back booth.

"Well, well, if it isn't Amamiya-kun!" said Ohya cheerfully. "Aren't you a sight for sore eyes! And you're a cool drink of water as ever, Akechi-kun. Who's the lucky lady getting attention from both of you?"

That struck Makoto as hilarious, but she didn't want to imply anything, so she just pressed her lips together in a clueless-looking smile.

"This is Makoto Niijima, Ohya-san," said Ren.

"No relation to the prosecutor who stepped down recently?" said Ohya, practically licking her lips at the thought of a new source.

Makoto said, "She's my sister," and that did it. Ohya scooted Ren over and joined them at the booth.

"They're looking into some new psychotic shutdown cases," said Goro. "Aren't you working on some kind of story right now too?"

"I sure am. A serial killer," she said with relish. "The cops are as useless as ever, but me, I've got an angle on this one." She slugged down her double shot and continued, "See, this killer's M.O. is the same as one who worked this area ten years ago. Cops called him the Garbageman back then. He was never caught."

"Okay, that is more than enough of that," said Lala, appearing as suddenly as a kimono'd storm cloud. "Ichiko-chan, quit scaring the kids with these ghost stories. Akechi-kun, it's almost time to open for real."

She clapped her hands to emphasize her point, and Akechi hopped up and headed back to the bar to get his apron. Lala gave Ohya a death stare, then turned on her heel and marched back to the bar.

"Whoa," said Ren. "It's like you got sent to the principal's office."

"Ugh, you're so young," Ohya sighed. "I keep forgetting, and then you say something like that. Anyway, it's good to see you back here. Come back and chat sometime, okay? You too, Niijima-san!"

Makoto, Ren, and Morgana left Crossroads and headed toward the train station.

"So what did you two think?" she asked. "About Akechi, I mean."

"Unfortunately, I don't think we can rule him out entirely," said Morgana. "He's too slick. Who knows what kind of angle he might be working."

Ren shrugged. "I think he was telling the truth. He's always said he only killed the people Shido told him to. That story has never changed."

"Except for the part where he conveniently can't remember how he killed them," Morgana pointed out.

"The whole thing is weird," said Makoto. "He's so different than he was in January. I thought we were finally seeing his true self, and now we're back to this."

"Robin Hood was always part of his heart, you know," said Ren. "You can't fake that."

"I suppose he didn't have anything to lose in January," said Makoto thoughtfully. "Now he's back in school and he has a credible shot at ducking the charges against him. He has a future to look forward to. That could change a person."

"I guess so, but I can't shake the feeling that something is off about him. I used to be able to tell…." Ren trailed off.

"Tell what?" asked Makoto.

Ren had the sinking feeling that he'd said too much. "Which Persona to use around which people," he explained reluctantly.

Makoto's eyebrows rose. "Really, you can always tell? For everyone?"

Ren sighed apologetically. "Yeah, everyone. You know how I could switch Personas in a palace? I could do that outside, too."

"You'd switch to a Persona close to mine when we hung out," said Makoto, a tinge of accusation in her voice.

"Hey, Ren was right before - a Persona is part of your soul. It's not some kind of costume," said Morgana.

"It's the same kind of thing people do all the time, y'know?" said Ren. "You're different around your sister than you are around me, aren't you?"

"True...I guess that makes sense," said Makoto. "What kind of Personas did you use around me?"

"Isis, Kikuri-Hime, Scathach...powerful, intelligent women who could roast a guy with a harsh look," he added with a grin.

"Hmm," said Makoto, mollified. "Sounds like me. And Akechi?"

"Angels, if you can believe that. Melchizedek, Dominion, Uriel."

Makoto considered that for a moment, but gave up. "I don't get that at all," she admitted. "Angels?"

"Don't ask me. That's not the weird part, though. I can't sense any kind of Persona in him anymore." Ren frowned, troubled. "It's like...he doesn't know who he is anymore."

Back at Crossroads, Goro tried to wash the dishes and listen over his shoulder at the same time. Lala-san seemed to be reading Ohya the riot act, but she was keeping her voice low and he couldn't make out what it was about.

When she was done, Lala poured two drinks, one for herself and one for Ohya, and they drank in silence. Then Ohya hit the road and Lala brought the glasses over to the sink.

"Everything okay?" said Goro innocently.

"I was going to ask you the same thing," said Lala. "You looked like your soul left your body when Amamiya-kun came in here."

"I...we were rivals last year, before he went back to his hometown. I didn't think I'd be seeing him again."

"No kidding. I had no idea. He didn't talk much about himself when he was in here. He always that quiet?"

"Quiet, are you kidding? He's a total showoff. Always has to be the best in the room, whether it's darts or grades or...anything at all, really. I can't believe he didn't talk about his fan club," Akechi added, rolling his eyes.

"Didn't you have a fan club last year?" said Lala dryly.

"Yes, but I'm not talking about a bunch of girls fawning over him online. His friends are different. They really love him. You know him, Lala-san?"

"Sure. He worked here too for a little while."

Goro couldn't help scowling at that. Dammit, Amamiya. Of all the drag joints in all the neighborhoods in Tokyo, you had to come into mine.

"I bet he wasn't half as good as I am, though," he said.

"Oh, he was. A little clueless, but a champion listener. You're far more reliable. If only I could merge the two of you, I'd have a perfect employee," Lala sighed.

"Whatever he was so good at, I'm sure I could do it too," Goro prodded, feeling his competitiveness flare.

Lala smirked, and Goro suddenly had the impression he'd fallen into some kind of trap. "Well, if you really want to know...what Amamiya-kun was best at was kindness."

"Kindness?" said Goro blankly. "That's not very concrete."

"He made our guests feel welcome. You do that by listening, first and foremost. By tuning in to body language. By showing up enough that you get to know people's preferences. Amamiya has a knack for that stuff."

"Come on," said Goro, irritated. "That's nothing special. Any idiot can show up and listen."

"Any idiot can do it, but not every idiot will do it. What people really want is to know they have a friendly ear waiting when they need it. That's the hospitality business. Hell, honey, that's life."

As he walked alone to the train station and all during the ride home, Goro chewed over what Lala had said. Amamiya has a knack for that stuff. He was perceptive, true. Always seemed to know when to talk and when to shut up. And he was smart enough to keep up without Goro having to dumb things down for him. He made me feel comfortable...welcome. Isn't that right? Isn't that exactly why I liked spending time with him?

By contrast, Goro himself spent his time making himself palatable - choosing his look, practicing his manners, and studying all kinds of things so he'd be interesting to talk to. He polished himself till he sparkled and yet he'd never managed to form more than a superficial bond until he met Ren. Why?

The question bothered him all the way home.

Flopped down on his familiar, dusty old milk-crate bed in Le Blanc's attic, Ren gazed out the window at the moon. Morgana curled up beside him, already asleep. Being here, with the familiar sounds and smells of Le Blanc...Ren felt more at home than he did in his parents' house. He found himself wishing - longing, even - that he could stay here instead of going back there.

Even though he'd known Akechi was out there somewhere, seeing him was a shock. Ren loved his friends with all his heart, but Akechi was complex...intense...exciting...in a way none of the rest of them were. Each of his friends brought out a particular quality in Ren - from Ryuji, loyalty; from Morgana, optimism; from Ann, compassion. But Akechi didn't just bring out a single quality; he hit Ren like sunlight through a prism, refracting all sorts of things Ren didn't even know were there.

After grieving Akechi's death briefly in November, Ren was forced to confront it again in February. It was worse the second time, because on that chilly night when they promised to destroy Maruki's reality and consign Akechi to death again, both their hearts had changed. Akechi's Persona had awakened to a new power, a blend of his heroic and villainous sides, which Ren supposed meant he had finally accepted both as part of himself.

Similarly, Ren realized that he wanted to be with Akechi (who he still thought of that way; they'd never agreed to use each other's first names), whatever that might mean. He wanted to see what other colors Akechi might shine through the prism of his heart and what he might bring out in Akechi as well. His feelings of rivalry and friendship had coalesced into something new.

He hadn't said anything to Akechi in November or February. November because he wasn't sure of his feelings; February because he was sure and he didn't want to make their task any more difficult than he had to. Now, at the beginning of May, he resolved himself not to wait.

The next morning, Sae's entrance at the breakfast table was preceded by an almost-continuous stream of little buzzes and beeps.

"Sounds like some kind of intense chatroom," said Goro, raising his eyebrows.

"It's Amamiya-kun," she said. "He wanted you, actually, but I had to break the news that your phone is in an evidence locker in a police station basement somewhere."

"He should've seen that coming, honestly. What does he want?"

"He wants to meet you in Shinjuku for...um…" she squinted at the phone. "A tarot reading? I suppose he means the fortune-telling cards."

"Sure, why not?" Goro chuckled. "Fits right in with all that time he made me spend in the confessional."

"In church?" Sae looked lost. "Um, never mind. I suppose I don't need to know. Anyway, if you're hanging out with him tonight, I'll expect you late."

Ren and Goro met as arranged in the red light district as evening was starting to get underway. The neighborhood had its own rhythms; nightlife didn't really start until it was dark, but tourist amusements such as fortune telling started and ended a bit earlier.

"What were you up to today?" Goro asked. "More detective work with Niijima-san?"

Ren replied, "We've kind of hit a dead end. None of the new psychotic breakdown cases seem to have anything in common."

"I've been keeping up with the news. They haven't mentioned any new cases either."

"Makoto thinks someone behind the scenes is hushing things up. Do you think Shido could be running things from prison?"

"Maybe...but I doubt it. All the changes of heart were quite genuine, if I recall correctly. Anyway, Shido had a lot of powerful associates. Taking him out is like knocking the top off a pyramid. The base is still there, strong as ever."

Ren made a face. "That's not very encouraging."

"It's the truth. Did you really think you were going to solve all of society's problems by removing just one man?"

Ren sighed unhappily. Goro laughed. "You did, didn't you? Aww."

"Oh, shut up," Ren grumbled, making Goro laugh harder.

They meandered over to an alleyway where a blonde woman had set up a small table. This must be the fortune teller.

"Goro Akechi, this is Chihaya Mifune," Ren introduced them. "Chihaya, this is the friend I was telling you about."

"So nice to meet you," she said cheerfully. "Any friend of Ren-kun's is a friend of mine. What kind of reading did you want?"

"I don't know," said Goro, looking at Ren. "What kind of reading do I want?"

"Do you have one to recover lost memories?"

Chihaya raised her eyebrows. "Ummm…."

Rolling his eyes at Ren, Goro said, "I have a question before we start. How much did he tell you about me? Actually, no - let me be more precise. How much do you know about me?"

"Ah, a skeptic," said Chihaya, eyes sparkling. "Why don't I give you a quick three card reading to start out with?"

She shuffled the deck and had Goro cut them. Then she picked them up and rested a finger lightly on the top.

"What do I know about you? I've seen you on TV," she said. "You were all over the talk shows last year. You're a high school student as well as some kind of investigator."

She flipped over the top card: the Moon.

"Hmm...but not anymore," she said. "Being a detective didn't resonate with your true self. You're done with it now."

"Easy enough to guess, given that I haven't been on TV in quite some time," said Goro. "Do you have anything more specific?"

A little concentration line formed between her eyes as Chihaya focused on the cards, which was interesting, thought Goro. Most cold readers focused on the person they were reading, since that was where their insights lay. But she wasn't looking at him at all.

"No, it's not just that the part didn't resonate... it's deeper than that...the whole thing was a ruse," she said, looking startled. "Just a character you played. Are you an actor of some sort?"

Goro shook his head in amusement, but she wasn't entirely wrong.

She flipped the next card over: the Tower.

"You were struck by catastrophe," she said. "The ruination of all you were hoping to accomplish."

"Right on the money. But again, an easy deduction given my sudden disappearance."

"The Tower stands on shaky ground. That's why it's so easily felled by a single lightning bolt. I'm afraid your plans were flawed from the beginning and disaster was inevitable," said Chihaya. "However, the card is reversed. Although you didn't get what you wanted, all is not lost. You have an opportunity to build something better on a stronger foundation."

"Wonderful, but mere speculation."

She flipped the last card over: the Lovers.

"Ah, the Lovers. A hopeful card to end with," said Chihaya with a smile. "Is there anyone special in your life right now?"

Goro frowned at Ren, who was looking at him with a goofy grin on his face. "Did you put her up to this?" He turned to Chihaya. "Did he?"

"Put me up to what?" she asked, wide-eyed. She looked between the two of them, Goro fuming and Ren trying not to laugh. "Ohhhhhh."

"I didn't tell her anything, but I love that you think I did," said Ren, grinning like an idiot.

"The answer is no. There is no one 'special'," said Goro, scowling at Ren.

"Hmm...well, the final card predicts the future. It shows where your current path is leading. Besides romance, the Lovers also represent healing. Harmony. Integration."

"I was injured in the catastrophe you mentioned and now I'm better, so that's healing, right?"

"Yes, but...I'm getting a very strong feeling from this card," said Chihaya, furrowing her brow. "Many cards represent success or accomplishment in some way. Of them all, the Lovers is the only one that requires more than just yourself."

"Is that so," said Goro flatly, crossing his arms over his chest as Ren nodded like a bobblehead.

Chihaya didn't notice. Again, she was fully focused on the cards in front of her. Suddenly she looked up at him, clarity and purpose in her violet eyes.

"This spread, taken as a whole, says to me that you brought disaster on yourself by embracing lies and hiding the truth. You now have an opportunity to rebuild, but you won't accomplish genuine healing on your own. Seek out companions. People of unusual insight and moral courage."

"Unusual insight and moral courage. Should I try to find a leprechaun while I'm at it, so I can be rich too?"

Chihaya shrugged, smiling. "They're around. You just have to be open to the experience."

"You're...very optimistic," said Goro.

Amamiya and Chihaya shared an amused look at that assessment, then Amamiya thanked her and he and Goro left to walk around a bit.

"That woman...she's a friend of yours. You really didn't tell her anything?"

"I really didn't. She has a genuine gift," said Ren. He stopped and averted his eyes, pretending to look at a movie poster glued to a brick wall. "I'm not going to say I wasn't happy I saw that last card, though…."

"Oh please. You assume she meant you? Your ego is out of what little control you ever had," said Goro scornfully.

Grinning playfully, Ren said, "You sure you want to challenge the Phantom Thief of Hearts? Game on, then."

Goro's heart thumped so hard he was afraid Ren would hear it and tease him. What was he doing? This was totally different than their previous rivalry. Different, but...not entirely unwelcome.

Ren bit his lip and looked up through his long, dark eyelashes. Goro felt something he decided must be annoyance. ...Yes, definitely that.