AN: I figured I should give an outline of Urano's daily schedule.
Wake up, read until Morgana wakes up, exercise at Morgana's insistence, eat breakfast with Sojiro and Futaba, go to school (she reads on the subway, relying on Morgana to let her know when it's her stop), visit the school library if she needs a new book, attend morning classes (reading between classes), have lunch (if she isn't eating with someone else, Morgana has to force her to eat instead of reading the whole lunch period), attend afternoon classes (reading between classes), go home (again reading on the subway and relying on Morgana), work at Leblanc for a bit, eat dinner with Sojiro and Futaba, hang out with Futaba and Morgana, prepare infiltration tools (if needed), read until bedtime (enforced by Morgana).
Essentially, Morgana is the book gremlin's minder.
AO3 – Thank you SaulAxel.
April 25 – Monday
Haru Okumura's PoV
"Thank you for your assistance," Haru said to Urano, smiling. "I know that doing this favor is cutting into your reading time."
It was lunch time at Shujin. The two girls had already eaten and were currently tending to Haru's little rooftop garden.
"It's fine," replied Urano. "Friends help each other out. I haven't done any gardening recently, though, so I doubt I'm helping that much."
"Nonsense," dismissed Haru. While Urano was slower-going than the heiress, she was still doing a good job. "You're still quite Knowledgeable and Proficient."
Urano smiled at the praise. The bookworm then made a puzzled expression as she asked Haru a question.
"Although, don't you normally garden after school? Do you have something going on today?"
"No, my afternoon is free," answered Haru sheepishly, making Urano more confused. The heiress's cheerfulness began to fade, leaving guilt in its place. "In truth, asking for your help was merely a pretext. There's something I need to tell you…"
During her conversations with Urano, the heiress had come to realize that the bookworm had yet to connect the dots between 'Haru Okumura' and 'Okumura Foods.' And, while it was nice to not have to worry about being treated differently than others, it wrong to hide something like that from her friend.
"My family…" continued the heiress nervously. "…is the 'Okumura' of Okumura Foods.
"Who?" asked Urano, who had only become more perplexed by Haru's confession.
Haru felt her face light up. It hadn't even occurred to her that the bookworm wouldn't know the name 'Okumura Foods.' The heiress let out a flustered laugh.
"Oh, right! I guess not everybody would recognize the name. Umm… They're the company that runs Big Bang Burger. My father is the CEO."
By the final sentence, Haru had gotten her embarrassment under control. As such, she clearly saw when Urano shuddered and made a look of disgust. Haru's heart plummeted…
"…The Big Bang Challenge," whispered the bookworm in a traumatized tone.
…but only momentarily.
Urano's gloom didn't last long, either. It was quickly replaced by shock as the bookworm registered the rest of Haru's statement.
"Wait, does that mean your family's loaded!?" she cried in surprise.
"Yes," answered Haru.
As the bookworm's face shifted between confusion and embarrassment – truly the themes of this conversation – the heiress prayed that her friend wouldn't start treating her differently.
"…Ah, right!" went Urano, slamming her fist onto her palm. Haru could practically see the book with a picture of a lightbulb on the cover over her head. "I forgot that Shujin was a private school. I guess it makes sense for a rich heiress to go to school here." The bookworm glanced at Haru. "So… do you still need my help gardening?"
"Huh?" went Haru, baffled by the bookworm's reaction.
"I'll stay here if you need me," continued Urano. "But… I mean… you were the one who mentioned my reading time."
Haru had been expecting anger; curiosity about her life if she lucky. Therefore, the complete and utter apathy Urano was showing left the heiress completely flatfooted.
"…aru? Are you there?" asked Urano. She waved a hand in front of Haru's face, causing the heiress to blink. "You froze up like a crashed computer."
"Oh, I'm sorry!" apologized Haru hastily. "I was just expecting a bigger reaction from you, so your disinterest toward my confession left me a bit shocked. …Does my family name truly not matter to you?"
"Why should it?" responded Urano. "It doesn't change who you are. Unless you want me to treat you differently…?"
Haru vigorously shook her head no.
"…Still, I wouldn't have expected an ojou-type girl to have a hobby like gardening," observed Urano idly. Then, in a quieter voice, "Have I been spending too much time with Futaba?"
"Why not?" replied the heiress, genuinely confused. "Gardening is wonderful, and I'm actually quite skilled at it. A few years ago, I even managed to grow a tropical fruit on the balcony at my house."
"Eh, fair enough," shrugged Urano, thankfully not really caring about what was and wasn't 'proper' for a young lady.
"By the way, can I ask a small favor of you?" started Haru, deciding to ask the bookworm something she'd been thinking about ever since being told about Café Leblanc. "I stored some vegetables in the refrigerator in the home economics room. I grew them right here in these very planters and harvested them myself not too long ago. If you don't mind, I'd like to get your father's opinion on them."
"Okay," agreed Urano easily. She didn't even ask why Haru wanted her father's opinion. "Aside from a shift at Leblanc, I'm free this afternoon. Does that work for you?"
"This afternoon is perfect," accepted Haru, practically buzzing with excitement. "Thank you. I look forward to meeting your father. From what you've told me, I'm sure he'll give me his honest opinion."
An opportunity to meet Urano's family and get an actual café owner's professional opinion of her vegetables. Haru couldn't wait!
Urano Motosu's PoV
After school, Haru grabbed the paper bag containing her vegetables out of the home economics fridge and followed me to Leblanc. As the bell attached to the door jingled, announcing our arrival, Sojiro looked over and greeted us.
"Welcome back, Urano," said Sojiro with a small grin. "I don't think I've seen this one before. It's nice to meet you, Miss…"
"Haru Okumura. It's nice to meet you too, Mr. Motosu," greeted Haru politely, causing Sojiro to make an awkward expression. "Your daughter has told me all about you."
Ah. While I did explain my family situation to Haru, I might've forgotten to tell her that 'Motosu' is my mother's family name, not Sojiro's. Oops?
When I told this to Haru, she blushed and stammered out an apology to 'Mr. Sakura.'
"So, is there any reason why you two came here instead of home?" asked Sojiro, moving past the mix-up. "Are you hoping to have some curry and coffee?"
"Actually, we were hoping that you would try something," I answered, piquing Sojiro's interest. "Haru has been growing some vegetables at school." I pointed to her bag, which she placed on the counter. "She wants your opinion on them."
"I'm sorry if this is too sudden," added Haru, slightly apologetic. "I'd like an honest opinion from a culinary professional, and you are the only one that I knew personally… well, knew of personally."
"It's all good," replied Sojiro. "Not like I have any customers to deal with. So… this is what you grew?"
"Yes."
One short tasting later, Sojiro rendered his judgment. The taste and flavor weren't market-grade, but it was oddly refreshing. He compared it to taking bitter medicine, which I could understand (there were a few times I'd needed medicine after skipping to much eating or sleeping to read).
Haru took the review in stride, mentioning that the plant the vegetables originated from was possibly an experimental breed created by Okumura Foods.
I tried one myself and found that it gave me a burst of energy, just like Sojiro said. Hmm… maybe these would be useful in the Metaverse.
"Hey, Haru, could I have some of these?" I asked, gesturing to the remaining vegetables. I felt a bit like I was taking advantage of her kindness, though, so… "I can pay for them, or maybe do you a favor."
"There's no need for that," she responded. "You can have all of them. We're friends, after all." She paused for a moment. "…Actually, there is one thing you can do for me. People normally behave differently around me because of my family name. So, can you please keep treating me the same as always?"
"Of course," I said instantly. "We're friends, after all."
"Then it's a deal!" giggled Haru.
.
I am thou, thou art I…
Thou hast acquired a new vow.
.
It shall become the wings of rebellion
That breaketh thy chains of captivity.
.
With the birth of the Empress Persona,
I have obtained the winds of blessing that
Shall lead to freedom and new power…
.
Confidant: Haru Okumura. Arcana: Empress. Rank: 1.
.
We continued to chat for a while longer. Eventually, when some customers entered Leblanc, Haru decided to leave and I began my waitressing shift.
Sojiro Sakura's PoV
The day had been going pretty well. He'd been spending more time around Urano at Leblanc, and he'd even been introduced to another of her friends. It felt like she'd completely settled into living with him and Futaba.
Maybe Urano would finally call him 'Dad' soon. A father could hope…
Unfortunately, the good atmosphere didn't last. During a lull in business, when the only people in Leblanc were him and his daughters, Futaba's scumbag of an uncle came barging in.
"Why haven't you answered my calls?" demanded the scumbag, not even bothering to greet them.
"…Leave now, or I'll be forced to contact the police," replied Sojiro in a firm voice. "I'm not giving you a penny."
"What was that…?" asked Futaba's uncle. "Quit fucking with me!"
The phrase, 'a cornered rat will bite,' came to Sojiro's mind. The scumbag was clearly getting desperate. Was he running out of time to pay his debts?
"Stop it!" yelled Futaba. It made Sojiro proud to see her stand up to the uncle who had previous left her paralyzed with fear. "Sojiro didn't do anything wrong!"
"Shut your mouth, brat!" retorted the scumbag. "It's your fault I'm in this mess!"
Futaba backed up a few steps, prompting Urano to move between her and her uncle.
"I didn't know that Futaba was giving you financial advice," interjected Urano dryly.
Sojiro walked out from behind the counter and over to his daughters. While he was happy to see Urano stand up for her sister, she was pouring gas onto a fire. Sojiro had a bad feeling that the scumbag might try something out of desperation.
"Look, Futaba's my daughter," began Sojiro. "You may be her uncle, but you have no connection to her anymore. We can take this to court if you really want. Don't underestimate how hard I'm willing to fight."
Like he told Urano the other night, he was done taking the easy way out.
"Not only do you have a massive debt," he continued. "But I heard you failed in your most recent business venture. How do you think the court would respond if they knew how wasteful you were with your money…?"
The shoe was on the other foot now, and Sojiro could tell from his expression that Futaba's uncle knew it.
"This is all your fault, you bitch!" the scumbag screamed at Futaba. "You cursed little…!"
He approached Futaba and attempted to throw a punch at her. However, Urano pulled her sister out of the way and the scumbag ended up missing and falling on his face. Sojiro hoped that the scumbag would finally realize that it was over and give up, but apparently, he was overestimating the man.
"Th-this is assault… I'll sue!" shouted the scumbag as he got to his feet.
"What are you talking about?" asked Sojiro. "You clearly fell down on your own."
"You attacked me!" he retorted. "You've escalated from making bastard children to violence, and I'll make sure that the court knows it! This café's finished, you hear me!? I won't let you get away with this!"
Bold words from a man who ran away immediately afterward. Not that fleeing wasn't the smart choice, considering that he just called Urano a bastard and threatened to spread the knowledge that she was born out of wedlock in court.
"God damn…" cursed Sojiro, sighing. "What a pain in the ass. Why does that scumbag have to try dragging the rest of us down with him? Doesn't he have enough problems already?"
"I'm sorry, Sojiro," apologized Urano, clearly worried about the scumbag's threat.
"Nobody said you did anything wrong," reassured Sojiro. Seeing some tension drain from her shoulders, he turned to his other daughter. "Are you okay, Futaba?"
"But Uncle said he's gonna sue…" she said, also worried.
"No matter what ends up happening to me or this store, I won't let them lay a finger on you two," promised Sojiro. "I'm your father, after all. I have a duty to protect the both of you. So don't go worrying about anything."
.
Rank Up!
Confidant: Sojiro Sakura. Arcana: Hierophant. Rank: 6.
.
"Anyway, I'm done for the day," Sojiro told them. "Can you two take care of closing for me?"
As he left for home to begin on dinner, he heard Urano mutter to herself.
"…We aren't worried about ourselves."
Morgana's PoV
After dinner, Urano, Futaba, and Morgana had an impromptu meeting in the former's room. Well, maybe not a 'meeting' per se, so much as the two girls panicking over the threat that Futaba's scummy uncle made.
"That scumbag is going to sue Sojiro, and Sojiro's going to sacrifice himself to protect us! What do we do? What can we do!?"
"I know! We go back to Plan A and use his bank data! We can threaten him into not suing!"
"Futaba, no! That'd only give him more ammunition!"
Morgana felt sorry for the two. Despite the power they possessed in the Metaverse as Persona users, they were completely powerless to help a loved one in the real world.
…What was his father like? Similar to Sojiro, maybe? Did he even have one?
"Urgh, this sucks!" complained Urano. "We can't give into that scumbag's demands, or he'll keep demanding more! But if we don't, then…"
The bookworm trailed off, then gave a frustrated scream.
"…Maybe there is another option," suggested Morgana reluctantly. Both girls looked at the not-cat, their eyes pleading for him to explain. "Urano, can you open the MetaNav?"
The girls stiffened at this. Urano hesitated for a moment, then spoke.
"…We can't. Even if that scumbag has a Palace, we still don't know if it's safe. Not to mention, who knows how long or difficult the infiltration would be, especially if the others refuse to go."
"Yeah, what big sis said," agreed Futaba. She then grew uncomfortable. "Plus, uh… I don't really wanna tell everybody about the time I spent living with him… Maybe someday, sure… but today's not that day."
Well, that was about what Morgana had expected from them.
"We don't need the others," said the not-cat hastily, making Urano look at him oddly. "I doubt somebody who gets freaked out about outstanding debts would have a full Palace. The three of us will be enough… I think."
The tension drained from Futaba's shoulders when he said that she didn't need to tell the other Phantom Thieves of Heart about her uncle. And with her unease subsiding, the hacker's curiosity surfaced.
"Enough for what?" asked Futaba, causing Morgana to grin.
"I'm glad you asked. You see, there's a type of Palace that's different from the normal ones. It's called Mementos…"
As the not-cat explained the general public's Palace, he continued to push for them to change the heart of Futaba's uncle. He needed to help them!
"I don't think going to Mementos is a good idea," said Urano, visibly reluctant to carry out Morgana's plan. "At the very least, shouldn't we wait until we know if Kamoshida's heart was changed?"
"We don't know how long that will take," retorted the not-cat. "And, with how cornered Futaba's uncle was acting, we don't have the freedom to wait and see. He might try something as soon as tomorrow."
"But still… if you're wrong about stealing the Treasure, we'd be killing him."
"If that's the case, then we've already killed someone!" snapped Morgana, agitated by the implication that he was an even worse failure than believed, unable to provide accurate information on the Metaverse. "What difference would a second death make!?"
The not-cat felt disgusted with himself as soon as the words left his mouth. He wanted to take back his words, to say that of course a death would be horrible even if that person was a scumbag, but shame turned his tongue into lead.
Urano and Futaba silently gazed at Morgana with matching looks of concern. After a few seconds, the bookworm asked the not-cat a question.
"Are you okay?"
"Of course!" he responded immediately, though he could tell that nobody believed it. An obvious lie was better than the truth, though. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"Because you seem kind of… off," replied Urano bluntly. "And this isn't the first time, either. You tried to pretend you were fine, but you were also out of it after the fight with Shadow Kamoshida."
"Asmodeus," corrected Futaba.
"Not now," said Urano, glancing at the hacker before returning her gaze to Morgana. "Back then, I'd assumed it was because of your head injury, but that clearly isn't the case. So tell me…" she crossed her arms, glared, and spoke in a stern voice. "…Are. You. Okay?"
Morgana winced. He hadn't realized that Urano had noticed his mood after the Asmodeus fight. That meant he wouldn't be able to brush this off as a one-time outburst.
"I'm just…" started the not-cat, struggling to come up with an excuse. "…scared about the future of the Phantom Thieves of Heart."
Urano gestured for him to continue.
"We don't know if Panther, Queen, or Skull will stick with us now that Kamoshida's Treasure has been stolen, regardless of the outcome. On top of that, Futaba's scummy uncle is threatening to ruin Sojiro, which could get you sent back to your mother and Futaba sent who-knows-where. I'm worried… about our deal."
What Morgana said was true. He was afraid of the others… of his friends leaving. Even Ryuji.
Yet, he was also afraid that the three of them joining would reduce him to nothing but dead weight, his promise with Urano turned into a ball and chain around her ankle. Futaba was already a better navigator than him, and Makoto was taking over in the strategy department.
Fortunately, Urano took his words at face value. Well, mostly. He could practically hear her saying 'You don't have to be a tsundere about it. Just admit you don't want our friends to leave.'
"…Fine, I don't want our friends to leave, either," admitted Morgana.
.
Rank Up!
Confidant: Morgana. Arcana: Magician. Rank: 5.
.
"I understand… neither do I," said Urano. She gave a soft smile, though it hardened into a grimace after a moment. "And you aren't wrong about Futaba's uncle. Urgh, I hate to admit it, but I don't think we have another choice. We have to track down his Shadow in Mementos and hope nobody dies. Maybe it's best that it'll only be the three of us…"
"If both of you are for it, then I'm in too," agreed Futaba. The hacker tried to act nonchalant, but Morgana could hear the unease in her voice.
The trio spent a little longer ironing out the details. On Friday (Showa Day, which meant no school), Futaba would use a little hacking magic to send 'Youji Isshiki' an anonymous message about how his distorted desires were being targeted. Then, they would enter Mementos and finish things.
None of them were particularly happy about the plan. The fact that they might be about to trigger a mental shutdown weighed heavily on all of them. As did the fact that they weren't going to tell the others until after the deed was done.
Regardless of whether or not a mental shutdown occurred, Urano, Futaba, and Morgana would be facing some harsh consequences for their actions.
April 26 – Tuesday
Ann Takamaki's PoV
"Hey, should we hang out? Just the two of us?"
Outside of phantom thief business, Ann and Urano didn't interact much at school. Ann spent most of her time distracted by thoughts of Shiho and whether the change of heart succeeded, while Urano spent most of her time reading or hanging out with someone else.
As such, when Urano suddenly started speaking to Ann at lunchtime instead of burying her nose in a book, the blonde girl was bewildered. The bookworm's phrasing certainly didn't help, either.
"Huh?" went Ann, her cheeks getting a little warm. "Why?"
"I mean, we're friends, but we've never hung out when it was just the two of us," explained Urano hastily. "I was thinking we could go to shopping for clothes or something."
As Ann calmed down, she noticed that the bookworm looked a little uncomfortable. Then, the blonde girl realized that Urano hadn't suggested buying books.
"Are you hiding something?" asked Ann, narrowing her eyes at the bookworm.
"Bwuh!? O-of course not!" answered Urano, chuckling in a nervous manner.
Yeah, she was definitely hiding something. And Ann knew exactly what is was.
"You're trying to get my mind off of Shiho's condition, aren't you?" accused Ann. As the image of her best friend's comatose state surfaced in her mind, the blonde girl lowered her eyes.
Had Ann continued to look at the bookworm's face, she would have seen confusion followed by concern.
"I don't think I ever talked to Shiho," started the bookworm. "But I doubt that she'd be happy waking up to find out that you spent most of your time wracked with guilt."
"No, she wouldn't," admitted Ann, meeting Urano's gaze. She gave her friend a weak smile. "I'm free after school today. We could get ourselves some cute new outfits."
"Umm… I kind of already made plans for this afternoon with Makoto," replied Urano sheepishly. "I can reschedule, though."
"No, it's fine," dismissed Ann. Makoto's 'student council' work had increased with Kamoshida's self-imposed exile, so she should be allowed to take advantage of her free time. "Hmm… I have modeling work Wednesday, so how about Thursday?"
"It's a date," agreed the bookworm, again making Ann blush.
Did Urano not notice? Probably, considering that she immediately pulled out a book and started reading without a hint of redness on her face.
Urano Motosu's PoV
I felt bad that I'd misled Ann about the reason I wanted to hang out with her — especially when the real reason was to preemptively make up for hiding the Mementos mission from her — so I promised to make our shopping trip as fun as possible!
That wasn't for another two days, though, so my attention quickly shifted to a more immediate matter. My plans with Makoto weren't until a bit later in the afternoon, meaning that I had time to take care of an… errand.
"…Huh? You again?" spoke Mr. Iwai as I walked through the door of Untouchable. "Here for more stuff already?"
"Yup," I confirmed.
If it was only Morgana, Futaba, and me going to Mementos, then it would be best for us to upgrade our gear. I'd seen a few items in Mr. Iwai's shop that had been too expensive for my budget at the time. Fortunately, thanks to the cognition of defeated enemies dropping money, Kamoshida's Palace had provided me with enough cash to purchase them.
Because I had an idea of what I wanted, it didn't take long for me to finish my shopping. However, as I paid for the gear, Mr. Iwai did something strange.
"It's almost time…" he muttered to himself before handing me a paper bag. "Here, take this with you. It's a thanks for being a repeat customer. Not many girls are into model guns. But, uh… best not to open it. Just bring it with you next time you come back here."
Wow, that was a major red flag. Like, an Igor-level red flag.
"What's inside…?" I asked apprehensively.
"It's all fine. Trust me."
I don't. But, before I could tell him that, he glanced at the front door and frowned.
"…They're here."
My heart hammered in my chest as two stern men entered the store. I'd been trying to ignore it since he seemed like a good (if curt) person, but Mr. Iwai had a 'criminal' vibe to him. Did I stumble into the middle of something serious?
"Munehisa Iwai, yes?" spoke one of the men. "There are some matters we'd like to discuss with you today."
Wait a second, am I in a yakuza film!? Makoto, help me!
"…Go, kid," Mr. Iwai whispered to me.
His words helped me calm down a little. Whatever I'd gotten myself into, Mr. Iwai was on my side. Granted, his motive was probably just getting rid of whatever was in the bag, but that still meant he had a vested interest in me getting out of here unscathed.
As I followed Mr. Iwai's advice, the two men walked past me and began speaking to him.
"Do you know why we're here?" asked one of the men.
"I dunno, looking for evidence?" quipped Mr. Iwai. "You tell me, Mr. Detective."
"Watch your attitude!" snapped the other man. His sudden shout made me freeze right in front of the doorway.
"Well, you guys gonna search me?" said Mr. Iwai flippantly. "Go ahead, do what you gotta do."
"…What was that?" said the louder detective, sounding genuinely confused.
"An upstanding citizen's supposed to cooperate with the cops, right?"
Wow, Mr. Iwai definitely had Guts. If I didn't know better (because I was carrying the evidence), I'd think he really had nothing to hide. And I wasn't the only one.
"Hey, you sure that lead was legitimate?" asked the first detective.
"I could've sworn it was…" responded the no-longer-angry detective.
"Can you two hurry it up?" asked Mr. Iwai flippantly. "I got a business to run here."
Huh, this was beginning to feel like when that police officer showed up at Takemi's clinic. Which means I should probably get moving again and get out of here before…
"…You bastard," said the second detective, his anger stoked back up by Mr. Iwai's disrespectful attitude. He turned to glare at me and yelled. "Hey you! What's in the bags, huh? Show me!"
…Aaand I've been dragged into another mess by an embarrassed police officer grasping for straws. Worse, there were actually straws for him to grab this time.
"…The kid's just a regular old customer," interjected Mr. Iwai. "You can check the tapes if that'll convince you. They'll show you everything that's gone down here today."
Thank you, Mr. Iwai! I can sneak away while they're watching the surveillance video.
"I won't let you get away that easily!" shouted the angry-again detective. "Show me what's in the bags!"
Mustering my own Guts, I decided to play it cool like Mr. Iwai. I set down the sketchy bag and opened the bag with my latest purchases.
"It's none of your business… just some model guns and stuff," I told the detectives, showing them the bag's contents. "Untouchable is a model gun store, after all."
Mr. Iwai stifled a chuckle as the angry detective face turned red with a mixture of rage and embarrassment. Fortunately, the calmer detective stopped his buddy before he could lash out at me or demand to see the other bag's contents.
"Hey, cool it. You're talking to a kid, remember? Besides, she's not the one we're here to see."
The short-tempered detective groaned, though he did calm down.
"That's right Mr. Detective," agreed Mr. Iwai. "Maybe next time try not harassing my customers, see how that goes." He glanced at me. "Safe trip home, kid."
I took that as my cue to leave. I didn't even get ten steps away from Untouchable, however, before Morgana spoke up and convinced me to look in the bag, radiating the childish excitement that made his true age so blatant.
(I guess that, to little kids like him, mysterious bags were like treasure chests waiting to be opened.)
Inside, we found a crazily realistic-looking gun. I felt kind of guilty after seeing it, since it made me realize I'd been assuming the worst of Mr. Iwai.
I took a moment to silently apologize to him, promising that I'd pay him back somehow. And also that I'd pay for the model gun the next time I visited Untouchable, because I was definitely using it for the Mementos mission.
.
Maybe, if Morgana and I hadn't been distracted by the gun, one of us would've noticed a certain blonde-haired delinquent enter the alleyway and get so surprised by our presence that he forgot about his plans to sell Kamoshida's Treasure.
Makoto Niijima's PoV
Makoto met up with Urano in Shinjuku – the biggest red-light district in Asia. Their purpose for being there? To investigate a report Makoto had received about a Shujin student being spotted there.
Unfortunately, their investigation went poorly. A number of shady men approached them, attempting to scout them for hostess clubs and other establishments. At one point, they had to run away from a particularly persistent scout, with Urano throwing in a cry of 'Help! This pervert won't leave us alone!' for good measure.
"That was… dangerous," panted Urano afterward. Her stamina was improving, but it still needed some work.
"For him, maybe," stated Makoto. "I thought I was going to have to knock him out… I'm glad nobody had to get hurt, though." She thought back on the tactics the man employed. "Hm, I guess that's how they do it… I've learned something new today. Oh, and thanks again, Urano. It seems you have a knack for helping me out. I hope I can do the same for you someday."
.
Rank Up!
Confidant: Makoto Niijima. Arcana: High Priestess. Rank: 2.
.
Oddly, Urano responded to Makoto's thanks by making a troubled expression.
…Come to think of it, Urano was the one who came to Makoto that morning before school, asking if she'd decided on what to do next as per their deal to try new things together. It was a bit strange for the bookworm to suddenly bring up their deal out of nowhere.
Makoto considered asking Urano about what was on her mind. Before she could figure out how to approach the subject, however, she spotted a Shujin uniform being worn by someone she recognized.
"Ah!" gasped Makoto. Distressed, she turned to Urano. "That was… I used to be in the same class as her! But why is she here…?" Makoto glanced at a sign on the building. "'The After School Salon'?"
"Wow, that's a suspicious name," commented Urano.
"I agree," said Makoto. Only a shady business would include the word 'school' in its name despite being located in a red-light district. "I'll have to ask her about it. Oh, and I'd like you to be there too, as my witness. Would that be okay?"
"No problem."
"Well, we're spent quite a bit of time here," observed Makoto. "Let's head back to the station."
.
Only after arriving home did Makoto remember that she never questioned Urano about her unusual behavior.
Chihaya Mifune's PoV
Chihaya felt depressed as she told her latest customer's future. The woman had an abusive boyfriend, one who would soon be arrested after beating her to the point of hospitalization. Yet, despite Chihaya's warnings, the woman wouldn't leave that man.
Then again, Chihaya shouldn't be surprised. She knew better than anyone, except possibly the Chairman, that destiny was immutable.
Nevertheless, she offered the woman a Holy Stone for 100,000 yen, hoping that her Fortune would miraculously change.
"Seriously?" asked an incredulous voice. "Do you know how many books you could buy for that much money?"
Chihaya and her customer turned to see two high school girls, who had apparently been eavesdropping on them.
"True," agreed the first girl's friend. "It does sound rather suspicious."
Chihaya scowled at the eavesdroppers.
"I don't appreciate your insinuations!" snapped the fortuneteller. "100,000 yen is a cheap price to change your fate!"
Neither of the girls looked convinced.
"U-um, I'm not sure who you girls are…" started Chihaya's customer. "But unless you have another way to approach this problem, I think I'll just buy the Holy Stone."
One of the girls, the one who had spoken first, made a pensive face. After a few moments, she asked a question that surprised her friend.
"What's your boyfriend's name?"
The woman reluctantly answered 'Yuya Uchimura' and asked the girl for more information. The girl didn't answer, only asking that the woman wait for a week or two before purchasing a holy stone.
"Do you honestly think you can do something?" asked Chihaya scathingly. "Fate isn't something that can be changed, especially not with that meagre information."
"I don't really know about fate," responded the girl. "But I do know that nothing will change if you just sit around hoping for a miracle, and I'd rather depend on my own power than on some expensive rock."
The girl's words carried a weight, one that prevented Chihaya from retorting.
"…Although, personally, I'd just dump the guy," finished the girl. Her and her friend left after that, as did Chihaya's customer.
Before another customer could arrive, Chihaya conducted a swift divination of the assertive girl's name.
"Urano Motosu, huh? Could she really…? No. It's impossible… I already know that…"
Yet, try as she might, Chihaya couldn't forget the girl's words.
AN: To clarify, Urano's reaction to learning Haru was an "ojou" was a mixture of her thinking "why is an ojou hanging out at my school?" and becoming embarrassed as she remembered various un-ojou-like things she did around Haru.
Also, wow, did this chapter end up being longer than expected.
Confidants: Morgana (Magician, Rank 5), Igor (Fool, Rank 3), Sojiro Sakura (Hierophant, Rank 6), Ryuji Sakamoto (Chariot, Rank 4), Tae Takemi (Death, Rank 3), Futaba Sakura (Hermit, Rank 3), Makoto Niijima (High Priestess, Rank 2), Shinya Oda (Tower, Rank 1), Caroline and Justine (Strength, Rank 1), Toranosuke Yoshida (Sun, Rank 2), Ann Takamaki (Lovers, Rank 1), Haru Okumura (Empress, Rank 1).