Chapter 1

Mission Start

Saturday, June 11th, 2016

"Are you sure you have everything?" Fuuka asked.

Shinjiro-san sighed, but his lips twitched into a smile.

"Fuuka, stop worrying. Besides, even if we did forget anything, you could just mail it to us," he said.

"I know, I know!" Fuuka-san sighed, before smiling sheepishly at him. "I just can't help but worry."

Shinjiro-san's eyes softened and he gave her that fond smile that he reserved only for her.

"Shouldn't I be worried about you? I'm not gonna come back with the kitchen burned down, right?" he teased lightly.

Fuuka-san's face turned pink. "Shinji! That hasn't happened in years."

Koromaru trotted over to Ken, letting out a bark. Ken smiled at him, before kneeling to pet him. He was going to miss Koromaru while they were in Tokyo. He knew that he had surprised everyone by deciding not to take Koromaru with him but he felt guilty enough about having Shinjiro-san come with him. Fuuka-san needed some company.

"You'll be good for Fuuka-san, won't you?" Ken murmured as he scratched behind Koromaru's ears. Koromaru let out an affirmative bark before licking his hand. "Hopefully Fuuka-san can bring you up for a visit for the summer."

Koromaru let out a happy bark, before lunging at Ken, knocking him down in the process. He began to furiously lick at Ken's face.

"Koromaru!" he groaned.

Ken held up a warding hand but Koromaru wasn't to be deterred. He continued to happily give Ken a bath with his tongue.

"Koro-chan, what are you doing?" Fuuka-san scolded.

Shinjiro-san grabbed Koromaru by the collar and hauled him off Ken.

"Thanks..." he muttered as he sat up.

Fuuka-san knelt to offer him a handkerchief to wipe off his face.

"Jeez, we look away for two minutes and Ken's on the ground," Shinjiro-san muttered, shaking his head.

Koromaru just sat on his haunches and let out a yip. Ken just glared at him, letting out a little huff.

Shinjiro-san just shook his head, but he was smirking in amusement, "And Koro isn't even sorry about it."

"When is he ever?" Ken grumbled, before climbing to his feet.

He then folded the handkerchief and handing it back to Fuuka-san, before thanking her.

The intercom above their heads suddenly crackled.

"The train headed for Tokyo is now boarding at station 3..." The announcer stated, "I repeat, the train headed for Tokyo is now boarding at station 3."

"That's our train." Shinjiro-san sighed; he then turned to face Fuuka-san with a frown. "We should get going."

Fuuka-san smiled sadly but after taking a deep breath, she gave them a nod.

She stood on her tiptoes, kissing Shinjiro-san on the cheek. "You don't want to miss the train. Text me when you get to Tokyo, okay?"

"Of course. And I'll call you tonight." Shinjiro-san dipped his head to quickly kiss her.

Even though it was just a peck, Ken couldn't help but make a face. He couldn't help but feel a bit self-conscious whenever any of his senpai did PDA in front of him. It was just embarrassing to watch.

Shinjiro-san caught sight of the expression on Ken's face, and an annoyed glare appeared on the older man's face.

"Don't give me that face, Ken. We could do worse and you know it. Like—"

Ken immediately clapped his hands over his ears, "I am not listening!"

"Really, Ken?" Shinjiro-san glowered at him.

"Shinji, don't pick on him. And Ken-kun, don't egg him on like that," Fuuka-san gently chastised.

Shinjiro-san huffed, "Ugh, whatever."

He reached down to pick up his duffel bag, before glancing back at Ken.

"Come on, we really should get going," he said.

"Give me one second with Ken-kun first?" Fuuka-san asked.

Shinjiro-san raised an eyebrow, but nodded. He kissed her on the top of her head.

"See you, Fuuka," he said.

"Bye Shinji." Fuuka-san kissed his cheek one last time.

Shinjiro-san gave her a quick smile. Then he scooped up their bags, before heading for station three.

Ken turned to her. Fuuka-san looked troubled.

"Fuuka-san, what's the mat—"

"Please be careful, Ken-kun," Fuuka-san suddenly blurted out, before she bit her lip. "You'll be the one looking for the Phantom Thieves. You'll be the one to find the Shadow nest. Please, promise me you won't do anything reckless."

She looked up at him pleadingly.

Ken swallowed hard. She was more worried than she let on. He should have expected this. They were essentially treading on unknown territory.

"I will..." he said quietly.

Fuuka-san smiled at him, before squeezing his hand. "Call home often, okay?"

"I'll try," Ken said sheepishly.

Fuuka-san frowned at him, obviously displeased by that.

"If I can call at least twice a week during university—"

"Why do you always pull that card on everyone?" Ken grumbled.

Fuuka-san giggled. "Because it's effective."

Her eyes softened before leaning up to kiss his cheek as well.

"Bye, Ken-kun," she said softly, sincerity and worry both shining in her eyes.

Ken bit his lip, but he forced himself to look at her.

"Goodbye, Fuuka-san."

"'You don't need to worry about the cost, Shinjiro. It's nothing..." Shinjiro-san said in a mocking voice, poorly imitating Mitsuru-san; then he scoffed. "Yeah right."

He scowled up at the building in front of them while he crossed his arms.

"It's… not the Yakushima mansion, at least?" Ken offered.

He was still scowling, "It's too much. It's still a fuckin' penthouse!"

Kikuno-san cleared her throat, but she looked rather amused at Shinjiro-san's griping. "Now, if you're done complaining, Shinjiro-san…"

"Shinjiro-san never stops complaining."

Ken quickly sidestepped to dodge the swipe Shinjiro-san aimed at him.

"Smartass," he grumbled.

She ignored their antics and just shook her head.

"Please follow me." Kikuno-san smiled politely.

It was nice for Mitsuru-san to send Kikuno-san to escort them from the train station. He was pretty sure that they probably would have gotten lost. In all honesty, Ken wasn't expecting Tokyo to be that huge. It was the capital of Japan and everything, but it made Port Island look positively tiny.

Kikuno-san unlocked the door when they reached the top. Ken's eyebrow rose when he took in the living room. While it was well furnished, it wasn't in that obscenely opulent fashion that Mitsuru-san's residences usually were decorated in.

"Mitsuru-san ordered for new furniture when she decided this will be where you're staying," Kikuno-san offered as an explanation, before walking inside.

Ken removed his shoes, leaving them outside by the door. Shinjiro-san quickly followed suit.

"The kitchen has been fitted with state-of-the-art appliances," Kikuno-san continued, before reaching into her pocket and laying down two card keys. "These are the keys to the suite, please don't lose them. And your bedrooms will be in the very back."

The suite included a washing room, two bathrooms—both having a bathtub larger than any Ken had ever seen—and even an entertainment room.

"And that's everything..." Kikuno-san finished.

She then reached into her pocket again, handing another card to Ken. Ken raised an eyebrow, examining the card. It looked like… some kind of ticket.

"It's a train pass. You'll have to pay a couple hundred yen every time you use the train station, but it gives a discount," Kikuno-san informed him.

"For crying out loud…" Shinjiro-san grumbled. "I could have paid for that. I don't give a shit on what Mitsuru says, I'm paying her something."

Kikuno-san just tilted her head, an amused smile coming to her lips. "Hmm... I believe you'll have to bring that up with Lady Mitsuru, Shinjiro-san."

"Believe me, I will," he muttered darkly.

Kikuno-san just smiled, before curtseying. "If that is all… I must take your leave."

Her eyes then moved to Ken.

"And good luck, Ken-san."

"Thank you..." Ken mumbled.

Kikuno-san then left the suite, firmly shutting the door behind her.

Shinjiro-san flopped onto the longer sofa, belly first, with a groan.

"Ken, go find a place to order something for dinner," he said, burying his face into a pillow. "I'm too tired to cook tonight."

"You're willingly ordering takeout?" Ken raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, yeah, yuck it up," Shinjiro-san said coolly, before rolling onto his back, "We're going grocery shopping tomorrow after we go see the principal."

After looking up a delivery place, Ken retreated to what would be his room. He looked at the bare walls. It had been properly furnished—this was from Mitsuru-san, after all—but it felt so different from his room back on Port Island.

Ken sighed, reaching into his pocket. He drew out a small golden badge.

The Shadow Operatives badge. Mitsuru-san had returned it to him just a few days after he agreed to the mission. It was… weird, holding it again. He still remembered holding it, talking to Koromaru, about being a Shadow Operative—right before Kikuno-san had whisked him away to go save Mitsuru-san, Akihiko-san, Aigis-san, Minako-san, and Fuuka-san.

He couldn't help but feel a little nervous. Everyone was counting on him to discover the truth about the Phantom Thieves.

His fingers closed around the badge. He couldn't let them down.

Sunday, June 12th, 2016

Shujin Academy just looked plain in comparison to Gekkoukan.

Though Ken supposed that most schools would. Gekkoukan was all steel and glass, fitted with the top-of-the-line technology. Mitsuru-san had commissioned for a fountain to be placed in the courtyard as well, in honor of Minato-san.

And during Minako-san's third year, she pushed for a garden on the roof soon after she was elected class president. She said that the roof didn't have to be just a place of death, it could be a place for life too.

It didn't take them long to find the principal's office. He rose when they entered, a genial smile on his face. It took all of Ken's willpower to not stare at the man.

"Ah, Amada-kun, correct? We've been expecting you!" he greeted.

His smile just oozed insincerity. Ken chanced a glance at Shinjiro-san. He remained silent, but he looked utterly unimpressed with the principal. He just couldn't be bothered to hide how he felt.

"It's an honor to meet you," Ken said, before bowing his head.

He didn't know how, but he managed a polite smile. He couldn't give the principal a reason to suspect him.

"It's wonderful to meet you as well. I am Principal Kobayakawa." He nodded then said, "From your records, you would be a marvelous addition to our school. An honor student who constantly made it to the top ten, if not the very top rank. An athlete as well, and a member of the student council… a very impressive track record if I must say, young man."

"Really laying it thick, isn't he?" Ken thought to himself.

Was that really all he was concerned about? Then again, the school did let Kamoshida get away with his crimes. He supposed he shouldn't be surprised.

Shinjiro-san looked completely unimpressed with Kobayakawa.

"I'm glad that you know of Ken's accomplishments, but Ken isn't too interested in joining any clubs now," his guardian said flatly. "He's been focusing on studying for entrance exams."

The principal actually looked slightly crestfallen. Ken had to force himself to keep a poker face; he didn't want to look rude, after all.

"Oh… Of course!" He swallowed hard, slightly shifting awkwardly under Shinjiro-san's stern gaze. "Absolutely, entrance exams to get into a university is very important."

He was just too easy to read. Ken fought back the urge to roll his eyes.

"Is there anything else?" Ken spoke up.

"Well… there's your school uniform." He said, picking up a white box, "And your classroom is 3-D. The student council president is in your class. If you have any questions, you should ask her. And please come to the office early tomorrow so you can meet with your homeroom teacher."

"Thank you, sir. I hope I'll do well at Shujin."

Ken bowed his head while saying this, before he accepted the school uniform.

"I'm sure you will." He nodded.

Shinjiro-san didn't take long to speak once they had left the office.

He didn't bother to hide the scorn from his voice. "And I thought Ekoda was obsessed with reputations. He was such a brown-noser."

"At least he's not my teacher. And it's not surprising... considering this school looked the other way concerning that coach." Ken muttered.

Shinjiro-san just stuffed his hands in his pockets, scowling at the horizon. "

"Good point. Come on. We still need to go grocery shopping." he said.

Ken covered up a smirk, fighting back a laugh from escaping as an amusing thought came across his mind.

"Oh yes, nothing like the great past time of trying to stop Shinjiro-san from picking a fight with the butcher over just how fresh the meat is," he joked to himself.

Monday, June 13th, 2016

Ken tugged at the collar of his dress shirt, trying not to squirm under his classmates' gaze. It was difficult... considering that they were blatantly gawking at him.

"It feels so weird to not wear the Gekkoukan uniform though…" he thought ruefully.

The Shujin uniform wasn't a drastic change from the Gekkoukan uniform but still. He figured that it'd be better to wear the uniform properly, however. He had to blend in.

"Class, we have a new student," the teacher announced. "Ken Amada, hailing from Tatsumi Port Island."

"Port Island? Hey, isn't that where that famous rich family is from... what are they called again? The Kirijo Group, right?" one student whispered.

There continued to be whispers, though everyone wasn't doing a very good job as Ken could still hear them. Especially the girls.

"Forget that! He's so cute!"

"Look at how soft his hair is!"

"He's much better than the first transfer we got!"

"Isn't it kinda a weird time to transfer though?"

Ken fought the urge to hang his head. Of course he couldn't escape it. He didn't even know what about him attracted girls like bees to flowers.

"Wait... what was that about another transfer student?" Ken thought.

"Hey, wouldn't you say he kinda looks like Akechi-kun?"

"Ugh…" he mumbled quietly.

Ken tried not to grimace. He really never understood the people who made that comparison. Their hairstyles were totally different. They both have brown hair, but his hair color was a completely different shade of brown. Just what were these girls seeing that he wasn't?

Junpei-san, of course, found it absolutely hilarious and loved teasing him for that.

Then there was the sound of a throat being cleared. "Shouldn't we find a seat for him?"

The speaker was a girl with short dark brown hair and piercing red eyes. She was pretty in that prim, bookish kind of way.

The teacher nodded, resting her chin in the palm of her hand.

She looked thoughtful as she mulled it over. "Yes, of course. In fact, the seat next to you is open, isn't it, Niijima-san? Amada-kun can have that seat then."

"What?! But my seat is closer to the front!" one girl whined.

"That's enough!" the teacher snapped. "My decision is final."

She then smiled encouragingly at Ken.

"Go ahead, Amada-kun."

Ken nodded, before shifting his school bag on his shoulder and walking down the aisle. Everyone's eyes remained plastered on him, making him feel incredibly self-conscious.

"Ugh. How annoying. And Minato-san and Minako-san probably had to put up with something similar…" he sighed to himself.

It felt like an eternity before he reached his seat, setting his bag on the ground and then sliding into his seat.

His neighbor offered him a hesitant smile.

"Never mind them. They just… gossip too much," she murmured.

"That describes most of the teenage population," Ken replied, keeping his voice low as well.

This earned him a quiet giggle.

"Now then!" The teacher clasped her hands in front of her. "Open your book to page 101. We'll start by translating the entire page."

This earned a collective groan. Ken reached for his bag, drawing out his English textbook and then flipping it open. It looked around the same difficulty as Gekkoukan's curriculum from the looks of it. Gekkoukan had prepared him well, at least. He had heard that Shujin was an elite college prep school.

Ken sighed as his classmates continued to gossip in loud whispers. This was going to be a long day.

The first few classes just dragged on, so it was a relief when the lunch bell rang. But before he could even blink, he found himself surrounded by girls.

"What school did you used to go to?"

"Have you ever met Mitsuru Kirijo?!"

"Do you have a girlfriend?"

"Are you interested in joining any clubs? We have some openings!"

Ken inched his chair back, even though it wasn't much help. Did he have the words 'please flirt with me' plastered on his forehead?

He managed a polite smile, before speaking.

"I used to attend to Gekkoukan, and yes, I know her. We used to live in the same dorm, because of special circumstances. And no, I don't have a girlfriend, but I'm not interested in one right now. And I'm sorry, but I don't want to join a club right now."

"Hey, what do you think of the Phantom Thieves?" one of the girls demanded.

"That's enough, all of you." A stern voice, so similar to Mitsuru-san's, cut through the air. "You need to give him some breathing air."

The girls grumbled but backed away. They parted to reveal that it was his seatmate.

"Why do you have to hog him?" another girl huffed.

Hogging him? That was a strange thing to accuse the short-haired girl of. Teenage girls were so confusing. All she did was exchange a couple of sentences with him and ask he be given just some space.

She just raised an eyebrow at the girls, looking at the speaker sternly.

"I am not 'hogging' him. You're invading his personal space, so I'm telling you to leave him alone," she said plainly.

The girls began muttering to themselves but thankfully began to disperse. Ken couldn't help but sigh in relief.

"Niijima-san, was it?" Ken asked.

She smiled at him. "That's right. I'm Makoto Niijima, the student council president. It's nice to meet you, Amada-kun."

"Likewise. And… thank you for getting the girls to back off." Ken nodded.

"It was nothing." She waved a dismissive hand. "You looked overwhelmed… I'm not sure how none of them picked up on it."

"They probably don't care," Ken muttered under his breath.

"What was that?" Niijima-san frowned.

"Oh, nothing..." Ken waved it off.

"How are you holding up?" she inquired. "It has to be overwhelming to start at a new school."

Ken managed a weak smile.

"It is but… I'll do my best to get settled as soon as possible. But um… it was kind of you to check up on me."

That comment seemed to fluster her slightly, her cheeks turning pink.

"I was just doing my duty as student council president," she dismissed.

"Hmm… if she's the student council president, maybe she has some idea on what the Phantom Thieves were about," he thought to himself.

"Niijima-san?" he began, before he could chicken out and stay silent.

"What is it?" she asked, frowning slightly.

Looking closer at her made Ken realize that she looked tired. Dark rings were under her eyes. Unless this was her natural coloration, she seemed pale too.

Ken said slowly, "Ah… I was wondering what you knew about the Phantom Thieves. Since well… Kamoshida was their first target."

Niijima-san's face became ashen.

"It's… not something the faculty is proud of," she mumbled, her gaze lowering to the ground. "Kamoshida had hurt the entire volleyball team. Not to mention Amamiya-kun, Sakamoto-kun, and Takamaki-san..."

Three names already. A possible clue he could follow up with, maybe these students could be people he could ask about the situation. There is a possibility they could know something.

"I didn't realize his targets weren't just the club he coached," Ken said.

He remembered when Kamoshida had confessed, the newspapers had been all over that. But they had only focused on the abuse he had heaped on the volleyball team.

"He… had more victims and enemies than you would be led to believe..." she trailed off for a moment.

Niijima-san then seemed to freeze before she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Why are you so interested in these Thieves anyways?" she asked, sounding suspicious.

"Ah…"

Ken scrambled for a quick excuse because that stare was rather frightening. Not on the level of Mitsuru-san, but still... he had to be careful about the questions he asked too.

"It's just… the Phantom Thieves are like real life superheroes, aren't they?"

"I suppose you could think that," Niijima-san said, relaxing her entire stance.

Ken released the breath he didn't realize he was holding. That was... a close one. He needed to be more subtle than that from now on. He couldn't be broadcasting that he was interested in the Phantom Thieves like that.

Niijima-san straightened her posture. "But if you're okay now, Amada-kun... I should probably get going. I have a lot of work to handle."

She turned to leave, but Ken found himself stopping her.

"Wait!"

Niijima-san turned, eyebrows raised.

"Yes?"

"It's just… ah… you looked tired."

Ken felt like facepalming. Why couldn't he be more eloquent with his thoughts?

"Have you even eaten lunch yet?" He asked.

"I… didn't bring one today," she admitted with a wince. "I woke up late this morning, so I didn't have time to make lunch."

"Well, you could always share mine," Ken offered as he flashed her a small smile. "My guardian always makes me too much… and I should repay you for helping me back there with those girls."

Niijima-san's eyes widened. "Oh, I don't know… that may create more rumors."

"Was what you said this morning again?" he pointed out, raising an eyebrow at her.

Niijima-san opened her mouth to protest, but he spoke up before she could.

"Please, it's not healthy for you to skip out on a meal."

Shinjiro-san was rubbing off on him, it seemed.

Niijima-san tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, before smiling shyly at him. "Well… if you insist."

The latter half of the day went by fast. Before he knew it, the bell was ringing, signaling the end of the day. He got up to leave but was stopped. Niijima-san caught his sleeve, holding him in place.

"Amada-kun, I know that you're not particularly interested in joining clubs right now but… I thought I let you know about the clubs that are accepting new members right now, since you transferred later in the year."

Ken raised an eyebrow.

"I'm listening." He nodded.

Niijima-san began to recite, "There's the newspaper club, the track team, and well… the student council could always use more help. I heard from the principal that you've been pretty active in student council since middle school."

"It was nothing, really..." Ken rubbed the back of his neck. "I only was elected in my last year at middle school and the past two years."

And he decided not to run for student council president this time because he thought it'd interfere with his studies. But he thought the track team disbanded? Maybe it got reinstated because of Kamoshida's confession.

But there was a newspaper club—that was interesting. Maybe someone there could tell him just who Amamiya-san, Takamaki-san, and Sakamoto-san were. And possibly any other victims outside the volleyball team.

He'd like to meet with those other three she mentioned by name though; it would be a long-shot if they knew anything but… Being victims of Kamoshida didn't necessarily mean they'd have intel on the Phantom Thieves. But it never hurt to ask.

"You don't have to be so modest, you know. But um… you shouldn't really talk to me." Her voice was soft, her eyes lowering to the ground.

Ken frowned. He had noticed that people had steered clear of Niijima-san for no reason, how people had been whispering about her throughout the day. He had no idea why, since she seemed nice enough.

"Why?" he couldn't help but ask.

"Umm… it's just…" Niijima-san winced, then let out a sigh. "I have a certain reputation."

"And…?"

"And what?" She blinked at him.

Ken sighed, making sure he had all his belongings.

"Niijima-san, believe me when I say that I know about bad reputations. My guardian was viewed as a delinquent, but he's not. Rough around the edges, sure... but not a delinquent."

Ken couldn't help but grimace. He remembered his teachers muttering about Shinjiro-san. Several times. It was upsetting at first, but he eventually learned to ignore it. Shinjiro-san didn't really care about the rumors anyways.

"A delinquent look-a-like… who cooks delicious food?" Niijima-san said slowly.

She giggled, a smile tugging at her lips.

"That's… an interesting image."

Ken chuckled as well, nodding toward her.

"Yeah, he gets that a lot," he stated.

Niijima-san opened her mouth to reply, only for her eyes to grow wide. "Ah! I'm so sorry, Amada-kun, but I have to speak to Miss Kawakami about something urgent."

Ken nodded, even though he had no clue who this Miss Kawakami was. She must teach one of the other grades.

"Of course. I'll see you tomorrow," he said with a wave.

He watched her leave the classroom, before he looked back down at his desk. The newspaper club could be a good lead to find those three individuals he mentioned. If those three, Amamiya-san, Takamaki-san, and Sakamoto-san, don't have anything concrete... he supposed he could always talk to members of the volleyball or track team. Surely someone had more of an idea about the Phantom Thieves.

It took him a few minutes to find out where the newspaper club met, but he soon found himself face to face with a dark-haired girl wearing a pair of glasses.

"Can I help you?"

She frowned uncertainly, tilting her head slightly only for her eyes to widen.

"Oh… you're the new transfer student, aren't you?"

"Yes, that's right." Ken bowed his head. "My name is Ken Amada."

She giggled. "You don't have to be so polite. You're my senpai after all."

She then pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose, raising an eyebrow at Ken.

"Is there something you needed?" she asked.

"Oh, I was just wondering…" Ken began.

What should he say? Why didn't he think of what to ask first?

"Who's this other transfer student? I was just curious, since… people keep comparing me to them," he replied.

"Oh, hmm... that's a bit of a complicated question…" She sighed, adjusting her glasses again. "His name is Ren Amamiya, the same grade as me. He supposedly assaulted someone and he got put onto probation. He was sent here and Kamoshida took an instant disliking to him."

Her expression darkened.

"He tried to expel Amamiya and Sakamoto—who was the former track star—for trying to assault him. At least, that's what the rumors were. But considering the kind of man he was... Kamoshida also admitted that however was a lie, so...."

Was she serious? Kamoshida thought he could've gotten away with it? He probably would've, if it wasn't for the Phantom Thieves.

"Listen, I know what other students will say, but Kamoshida is still a liar. Sakamoto is... reckless and kind of crass in my opinion, but it's clear that he was a victim like everyone else. And as for Amamiya..."

Amamiya and Sakamoto would have a grudge against Kamoshida. He remembered being told about some Phan-Site. Was it possible they enlisted the help of the Phantom Thieves? Or was the timing of them being saved from expulsion a coincidence? Anything was possible he supposed.

"You know, I once thought he was kind of scary. He doesn't look scary; I just believed the rumors and what my teachers said about keeping minimum contact with him. I know what the rest of the school will say, but I think there is more to his assault case. He's not a bad person. At least, not to me," she said sincerely.

Ken remained quiet, eager to absorb all she was recanting.

"We've talked quite a few times when classes are over when he passes me in the hallway. In fact, he's one of the few people who consistently sought me out to talk to me and hear what I have to say about any rumors or current events, even when I misjudged him. No... he's the only person who did. Nobody really cares about me or my club, but he still made time to talk to me, someone who wasn't very nice to him at first."

Ken wanted to say something but found he was momentarily speechless. Hearing this description, he couldn't help... but be reminded of Minato-san.

"I know what others are going to tell you about him, and it isn't my business to tell you what to think. However, I only please ask you don't make the same mistake as me, and if you do run into him, be willing to give him a chance," she said with a bittersweet smile.

Ken's mind wandered to Shinjiro-san and understood completely. He needed to say something to dispel the awkward silence that fell from her contrite admission.

"Well, never judge a book by it's cover as they say." He shrugged.

His guardian was one of the kindest people Ken had met—though Shinjiro-san would probably want to smack him if Ken ever expressed that sentiment. It seemed like it was a similar deal with Amamiya-san.

She smiled, placated by his response.

She played with her pen in her hand, smile widening a little more. "You know… we're accepting new members. For the newspaper club I mean. Are you interested?"

Ken offered a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sorry… but I'm not particularly talented in writing."

"Oh…" She looked disappointed. "Maybe I'll see around then."

He felt guilty. She was pretty nice. But he wasn't lying, he wouldn't exactly be the newspaper type.

"Yeah—"

The girl suddenly grabbed his sleeve. "That's him actually—with the student council president!"

Wait, what? Ken followed her gaze to see that Niijima-san was following a boy who was probably slightly shorter than him. Though he didn't know what about him was intimidating like the rest of his classmates said. The newspaper girl was right, he really didn't look all that scary. He had dark hair that was wavy, bordering being frizzy. His huge glasses just seemed to magnify his dark gray eyes.

He was even carrying a cat in his bag. It was a cute cat too, its black fur sleek and its bright blue eyes. The cat only popped his head out for a moment, before jumping back in, but it was long enough for Ken to catch a glimpse. He was pretty sure animals were not allowed in the school. But sneaking in a pet cat didn't seem like something a stereotypical delinquent would do.

Regardless, he looked… harmless. He didn't look too happy to be with Niijima-san however.

"I wonder why…?" the girl mused. "I thought Amamiya and Takamaki had a thing for each other."

That was right… that was one of the other people Niijima-san mentioned. Too bad he didn't think of trying to ask about Takamaki-san. But Ken wondered if he should follow them. He wasn't sure why, but his gut instincts were urging him to follow after.

He was about to leave but realized how rude it was to not get her name.

"I need to head out, but I realized I never got your name."

She just smiled. "Oh, my name is Kaori Sato. You can always find me here after class if you ever want to catch up on gossip or current events. I pride myself on getting as much facts as I can."

"Thanks, I appreciate it."

He bid the girl farewell, before following Niijima-san and Amamiya-san. And they were leaving the school, the Amamiya boy looked intense, and not happy at all. Niijima-san looked very stern and serious. Something didn't feel right. He shadowed after them all the way to the trains and even as they got off. It was a bit difficult with the crowds but he still managed to keep up.

They led him to a populated walkway. Leaning against the railing were three teenagers. He discreetly kept a distance, pretending to look at his phone. The tallest looked like… a beanpole. He had dark blue hair and dark gray eyes. The second tallest was a boy with bleached blond hair and brown eyes. The shortest was a girl with blonde hair that had to be natural and minty blue eyes (though she was on the taller side for a girl). The two blondes wore the Shujin uniform, while the taller boy was wearing some kind of other uniform.

"Is that a friend of yours—?" the blue-haired boy was interrupted.

"What are you doing here?!" the blonde female demanded.

She was all tensed up, her hands clenched tightly into fists. Her eyes narrowed at Niijima-san.

"Ren, what happened?" she demanded.

While they were distracted, Ken ducked behind a pillar. He wasn't exactly close, but whatever works. And they were talking just loud enough to hear. Though he had to wonder why the girl was being so hostile.

"She was… talking to me when I got the call from Ryuji," Amamiya-san said.

The girl immediately rounded on the boy with bleached hair, glaring daggers at him.

Maybe it was his imagination, but he was getting Yukari-san and Junpei-san vibes.

"Hey, how was I supposed to know that Miss President was around?!" he defended. "Why are you getting mad at me?!"

"That's why I told you to wait, Ryuji!" she snapped, smacking his arm.

Definitely Yukari-san and Junpei-san vibes. The only thing missing was a foot stomp.

Niijima-san cleared her throat.

"Ren Amamiya. Ryuji Sakamoto. Anne Takamaki… all three of you were victims of Mr. Kamoshida… and you're constantly seen in each other's company. Isn't that a bit strange?"

"What's it to you?" Sakamoto-san scowled, crossing his arms over his chest.

"And Yusuke Kitagawa…" Niijima-san turned to look at Kitagawa-san. "The former apprentice of Madarame."

"Kamoshida and Madarame… wait, what is she getting at?" Ken thought anxiously.

Kitagawa-san's mouth tightened at her statement, before looking away.

"Seriously, what is your problem?" Takamaki-san demanded, her stance still tense.

"Anne." Amamiya-san put a hand on her shoulder. "You need to calm down."

Takamaki-san scowled, but slowly nodded. It was clear that she was obviously very reluctant about it, though, as she slowly dropped her arms to her sides.

"You're the Phantom Thieves, are you not?" Niijima-san calmly made her accusation.

Ken felt his eyes widen. No, they weren't victims? They were the perpetrators themselves?

"You sling accusations without any proof," Kitagawa-san bit out, but he looked nervous.

"Oh really?" Niijima-san said confidently, before pulling out her phone.

She played a recording. The voices were tinny, but obviously belonged to Sakamoto-san and Takamaki-san.

Did they really talk about this... in public? Ken couldn't help but let out a quiet sigh. The other three all slowly turned to Sakamoto-san. He had a good idea who had the big mouth out of the group.

But this created another question. Niijima-san was investigating the Phantom Thieves... why?

"Now, I want you to listen to me carefully..." Niijima-san said flatly. "This doesn't have to be released to the public."

Amamiya-san's expression was wary. "What do you want, then?"

"I want you to prove your justice," she said, folding her arms over her chest.

"Who's the target?" the blonde girl asked.

"So, you're not saying it's impossible. Well, how about this, I will delete everything if you help catch a criminal. It is a good deal, isn't it?"

She was… blackmailing them. But why? Why was it so important for her to take care of some criminal that she'd need to force the help of the Phantom Thieves?

"So, who do you want us to target?" Kitagawa-san asked slowly.

Niijima-san clasped her hands behind her back. "I'll tell you but not here."

They all glared.

"Look, talking in public like this is dangerous as it is. It's best for everyone if we meet somewhere more... discreetly. I'll contact you all tomorrow," Niijima-san said.

Ken felt his brow furrow together. Okay, so he knew the identities of the Phantom Thieves. That was a plus. But he didn't know who they were going to target. Then again, he did luck out with this. He would just have to keep tabs on them.

Either way, he was going to have an interesting first report to give Mitsuru-san.

Update in honor of Shinji's birthday~

But thank you so much for the positive feedback!

But for my decision for Koromaru not joining Ken and Shinji in Tokyo... there are a few comments in Ultimax that Koromaru is getting older and since this is 4 years after Ultimax, Koromaru is most likely too old to fight on a constant basis. But don't worry, Morgana and Koromaru will have their interactions in the future. As for whether Ken and Shinji will be able to understand Morgana... you'll find out in the next chapter, hehe.

Edit Notes (6/7/20): This has a few big changes, such as Makoto not revealing who she wants to target. Newspaper-chan now has a name, Kaori Sato, courtesy of my lovely beta, angelrin89 (which was her headcanon name for Newspaper-chan to begin with). She heavily changed the conversation about Ren, so thank you for that! Many thanks to my wonderful beta for her edits!

But anyways, please review! I'd love to hear your thoughts about this chapter.