Chapter 13
Resolution
Monday, August 8th, 2016
"I'm home—" Ken paused as a familiar scent hit his nostrils.
"We had too much leftover rice." Shinjiro-san was as nonchalant as he could be, turning to glance at him before turning his attention back to the stove.
But he knew better. Shinjiro-san must have remembered what he had talked about the last time they went into Futaba-san's Palace. Though Mitsuru-san had been far from… happy, hearing about what exactly had happened to Futaba-san.
He had yet to tell either of them about… this however. Mitsuru-san wouldn't like this either. She'd probably just worry more… he was now debating on whether or not he should bring it up. Obviously, he'd have to talk about what they learned in her Palace. But the other part… the part involving him…
He was distracted from those thoughts when the sound of a metal spoon clanged on the ground. He glanced over and saw Shinjiro-san silently curse to himself. He was carrying the dishes, empty cups, and the utensils on the plates over to the table. One of the spoons fell off the plates. Shinjiro-san shook his head and placed everything on the table, and bent down to pick the spoon back up and place it on the table. He moved back to the stove after that.
Ken sighed to himself, welcoming the distraction. He moved to fill the electric kettle with water before grabbing two cups for himself and Shinjiro-san.
While Shinjiro-san finished cooking the omurice, Ken just ended up brewing some green tea. It was… a good distraction, as the scent of the omurice just made him think of Mom.
And despite the omurice being as delicious as always, Ken found himself forcing himself to take large bites. He didn't even register the taste of the green tea as he sipped it in between bites.
He only could think of how he had a flashback of when his mom died. And Makoto-san had to see him… like that. Why did it affect him so badly? He thought he had moved on from his mother's death.
"Ken…" he lifted his head at Shinjiro-san's voice. "Don't force yourself to eat like that."
"Sorry," Ken mumbled out, before pushing away the plate.
Omurice was one of his favorite meals, but it just tasted like ash to him right now. The large bites he forced himself to down just felt heavy in his stomach.
Ken's eyes shut for a moment. "I just…"
"Don't apologize," Shinjiro-san said, all while scrutinizing his face. "What exactly happened at the Palace today?"
There was a long… pregnant pause.
Ken didn't know what to say. Seeing what Futaba-san had gone through was just horrifying. But hearing how Futaba-san had reacted to her mother's death had been the worst for him. It had just… hit too close to home.
"We… finished the Palace today," Ken finally said. "We'll be going after the Treasure soon…"
But Shinjiro-san didn't say anything. He just waited. Ken folded his hands in his lap before taking in a shaky breath. He started to twiddle his thumbs as he spoke.
"You know… how I told you about how we saw a mural during our last visit? And how we heard voices, connected to the scene depicted in the mural?" Ken said slowly. "We saw two more today. And the first…"
Ken bit his lip. His heart ached, thinking about it.
"We heard Futaba-san's reaction to her mother's death," he finally got out.
Shinjiro-san sucked in a breath. "What happened?"
"She was… hysterical," Ken said quietly, his hands untangling so he could instead grip his knees. "She was begging her mom to wake up…"
"Ken, are you—" Shinjiro-san stopped short, giving a single shake of his head, before he spoke again. "I'm sorry you had to hear that kind of shit."
He heaved out a sigh, rubbing at his face for a moment. Then he looked to Ken, his expression grave.
"Look, Ken, I know I'm kinda shit at talking 'bout stuff with feelings, but you can always talk to me 'bout this." His expression darkened. "…I know hearing that had to hit you personally."
That's right. He always had Shinjiro-san. All of SEES flashed through his mind as well. He couldn't help give of a small smile as each face came to mind. His smile faltered for a moment when a new face appeared into his mind. Makoto-san's concerned face made its way there. He paused for a split moment, and the small smile returned. He had many friends who cared about him. It wasn't shameful for him to still remember his mother…
And this only meant it was more important for them to save Futaba-san. They had to save her. To give her a similar peace of mind.
"It's okay if you're not hungry, you should just get some rest," Shinjiro-san continued. "You look beat."
Ken managed a more relaxed expression. "Thank you, Shinjiro-san."
Ken sucked in a breath. He must look pretty awful if Shinjiro-san told him not to feed himself. But he got up to put away the meal Shinjiro-san just cooked. No sense wasting it, he can have leftovers later. Ken cleaned up his dishes and then headed for his room.
He fell onto his bed with a sigh. Going into the Metaverse was exhausting. He felt like he could sleep now, actually. But a buzzing sound caught his attention. He dug out his phone and winced when he saw he had… several messages.
Message From: Makoto Niijima
[Makoto Niijima]: Ken, I just… wanted to check up on you.
[Makoto Niijima]: I know that you seemed fine after we caught up with the others, but…
[Makoto Niijima]: I can't help but worry.
[Makoto Niijima]: I understand if you need space but… I'd be more than happy to listen to you if you need someone
[Makoto Niijima]: Am I assuming too much…?
[Makoto Niijima]: Sorry…
Despite himself, Ken found himself smiling. He honestly hadn't expected this.
[Ken Amada]: Thank you for checking up on me.
[Ken Amada]: I'm… okay. Not great, but I can handle it.
[Ken Amada]: Sorry for not responding earlier, I was talking to Shinjiro-san…
[Makoto Niijima]: Oh!
[Makoto Niijima]: I'm glad…
[Makoto Niijima]: But if you do need to talk, I'll listen…
[Makoto Niijima]: I… already failed once in not listening to people.
[Makoto Niijima]: I don't want to do it again…
Ken frowned at the last part. This… was about the whole thing with Kamoshida, wasn't it? He supposed that this would be weighing on Makoto for a long time.
[Ken Amada]: Makoto-san, you really shouldn't blame yourself like that…
[Ken Amada]: But thank you… I appreciate your concern.
[Ken Amada]: And I'll keep that in mind.
[Ken Amada]: But… I'm honestly really tired. I think I'm going to bed soon.
[Makoto Niijima]: Okay. Sleep well, Ken.
[Ken Amada]: Thanks. You too, Makoto-san.
But before he started his usual routine before bed, he checked his other messages, which happened to be in the group chat. Everyone had sent him some kind of message, asking after him. Their concern was… touching.
And yet… he felt a pang of guilt. Was it really okay to be lying to them about this? Shouldn't he be more honest about the reason why he even came to Tokyo?
What was he thinking? Mitsuru-san was counting on him; not to mention that Shinjiro-san warned him. But… he couldn't help it. They really seemed like they were good people. He was finding it more difficult to find reasons to doubt them with each day.
And if they ever found out the truth… they would probably resent him for lying to them about the whole thing.
Wednesday, August 10th, 2016
Shinjiro stifled a yawn, before zipping up his duffel bag. That was everything. He swung it over his shoulder, before leaving his bedroom. He went to the living room, dropping it by the door, before making a quick breakfast. Just some eggs and toast, nothing too fancy. He finished eating, before his eyes moved back to the hallway. It was still kinda early—eight—so Ken was probably still sleeping.
"Shinjiro-san, wait!" Ken all but stumbled into the living room, clutching a box tightly.
Or not…
He was dressed in his usual street clothes, but his hair was sticking up everywhere.
"Ken?" Shinjiro frowned at him. "Jeez, you look like a mess."
Ken retorted, "I'm going to ignore that. Did you really think I would sleep in when you were leaving today?"
Shinjiro rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, it's kinda early…"
"I've gotten up earlier," Ken said, shaking his head. "Come on, let's get going."
"Go brush your hair first, Ken," Shinjiro said dryly. "I'm not late, so I can wait for you to make sure your hair doesn't look like a bird's nest."
Ken grumbled for a moment, before trotting back to his bathroom. He came back a few minutes later, his hair a lot neater now.
The walk to the station was brisk. That was one thing he didn't like about Tokyo. Everyone was in a rush. Port Island wasn't exactly sleepy like Inaba was, but he didn't feel like someone would knock him over because they were late for work.
"Be careful, okay?" Shinjiro said lowly as they approached the train station.
Ken huffed, grumbling at Shinjiro's fretting, but he didn't care.
"Don't go to bed too late. You don't have schoolwork to worry about, so you don't have to stay up. And eat everything I prepare for you. And—"
"Shinjiro-san," Ken cut him off, shooting him a look. "I know, okay? I won't get into any trouble while you're gone… I'm not the same little kid anymore, remember?"
"You can't blame me for worrying. Especially since you're preparing to help Isshiki's daughter soon," Shinjiro grumbled.
And this will be Ken's first major fight in a long time. Not counting that rouge Persona-user who tried to kill Ken, of course… (which only added to his points of worrying). There was Kaneshiro too, but that was mostly side line assistance. And fighting the Shadows in that Nest and the Nest of Isshiki's daughter were small potatoes compared to the one ruling the place.
Would they even fight Isshiki's daughter's Shadow? Didn't the Investigation Team's Shadows go berserk because they were denied? But Isshiki's daughter wouldn't be there… not that didn't mean she wouldn't be dangerous.
Ken's voice cut through his worrying thoughts.
"I know, I know," Ken grumbled. "But um…"
Ken then stopped in his tracks, before he suddenly held out the box he was carrying since this morning to Shinjiro.
Then he smiled faintly. "Happy early birthday, Shinjiro-san."
"Thanks…" Shinjiro said slowly, before taking it from Ken.
He gave it a little rattle, but it didn't give him any hint of just what it was.
"Ah, don't open it yet!" Ken yelped, his eyes filling with panic.
Shinjiro stared and Ken began to fidget.
"Just wait until you get on the train," he said.
Shinjiro blinked at the request. Weird but… whatever.
He then glanced at the clock. Shit. He had to get going before the train took off.
Shinjiro reached out, ruffling Ken's hair.
"Shinjiro-san!" he whined out, swatting at Shinjiro's hand.
He always hated when any of that did to him. Which is why it was fun, even he had to agree with Minako on that.
Shinjiro cracked a smirk, "I'll see you in a week, Ken."
Ken grumbled, but he gave a little wave. Shinjiro then hastened for the station that would take him back to Port Island, but an unfamiliar voice suddenly spoke right behind him.
"So, you know Amada-kun pretty well."
The unfamiliar voice made Shinjiro turn around. It was a gray-haired woman, who was surprisingly tall, even with her heels she was definitely over 160 cm. Even though she was still shorter than him, she stood tall with her back straight, looking up at him with a firm gaze.
"What of it?" Shinjiro asked. "How do you even know about Ken?"
The woman just folded her arms over her chest, eyeing him critically. Shinjiro couldn't help but feel a twinge of annoyance. The woman had barely spoken but she was already rubbing him in the wrong way.
"He was with my little sister once," she mentioned. "I take it that you come from Port Island as well?"
Little sister…? He squinted at the woman, until it hit him. She resembled Niijima, mostly in the face. They both had red eyes, but the younger sister's eyes were a brighter shade of red.
But Shinjiro suddenly registered her comment about Ken and Niijima. Though what the hell was that question about? What, did this woman think they were on a date or something?
"What of it?" Shinjiro asked. "That's none of your business."
The woman clicked her tongue, looking irritated with Shinjiro now, which was nothing new. "There's no need to be rude. Though I'd like to know… just what are Amada-kun's intentions to my sister?"
"Intentions?" Shinjiro repeated, staring at the woman. "They're friends. You've heard of that, right?"
He knew that, even though it was too fun to heckle Ken about the possibility, after all of the crap Ken has given him and Fuuka. He was entitled to a little payback.
But besides that, he didn't like what this woman was implying. Ken would never be the type to take advantage of a girl.
"My sister never calls a boy by his first name," Niijima deadpanned.
Ken rarely called his peers by their first name either, but that didn't mean they were secretly making out. Niijima was making him remember Mitsuru's prissy princess act when he had first met her.
Shinjiro just rolled his eyes, unable to hold back a scoff.
"Apparently kids aren't allowed to have friends of the opposite sex these days without a family member coming up with conspiracy theories. Look, I'm not here to be harassed about who your sister befriends, but Ken is a good kid who isn't the type of guy you're thinking of. And if you didn't notice, I have a train to catch, and I don't want to miss it," Shinjiro said flatly.
He had no patience for a woman like her. Without another word, he walked away, ignoring the woman's brief sputtering. Once he was settled on the train, he opened the box Ken had given him. On top was a piece of paper, folded into two. Shinjiro picked that up, unfolding it. He had to squint a bit to make out Ken's handwriting. He really didn't know why Ken wasn't looking to become a doctor. He had the practice with him being one of the team's dedicated healers and he was definitely smart enough to become one. And he definitely had the handwriting for it sometimes.
Dear Shinjiro-san,
First of all, happy early birthday. Or happy birthday, depending on when you open this. But anyways… I wanted to give you something special this year. Especially… after the move and everything. I know you prefer simple presents. Presents that you'll use on more of an everyday basis. But I wanted to give you something special this year, to thank you for everything you've done for me over the years…
So, I'm giving you my mother's old engagement ring. I don't know why my parents divorced, but I still think that Mom still loved Dad in her own way. She always hated to hear him being bad mouthed. She continued to wear the ring. And I know… how much you want a ring special for Fuuka-san.
He… what?! Shinjiro looked back into the box, and sure enough, there was a dark blue velvet box. He picked it up, popping it open. Nestled inside the white lining was a platinum ring. The setting were two flowers, the petals being pearls and the centers being sapphires. It had a vintage look to it, the band twisted into almost resembling vines.
And I know what you're gonna say. 'You should use this when you wanna propose' or 'This is too much, what the hell Ken'. But it's not. It's really not. You've changed my life in so many ways. You literally yanked me onto the right path, by saving my life. You took me in when most people your age are worried about university or having fun… This is my thank you for the past seven years.
(Also, if you try to give the ring back to me, I'm just going to keep shoving it in with all your cooking utensils. Or maybe in your shoes? Or even your sock drawer. You will never be able to return this, I'll make sure it always finds its way back to you, count on that. So don't even think about it talking me out of it.)
Ken
Shinjiro just sighed, shaking his head. He could be such a stubborn little shit sometimes…
He didn't even do anything special. It was only the right thing to do, after what happened with Ken's mom, accident or no. He started looking after Ken as a way for atonement… but that stopped being the case a long time ago. Ken needed someone to look after him. And… the kid was basically family now. He was doing what only came natural at this point.
But if Ken really did mean what he said… he would absolutely refuse to take it back. There was no chance Shinjiro could talk him out of it, he clearly meant that threat. He didn't even want to think about how mortified he'd be if Fuuka would come over during one of her visits and discover a ring in with all the whisks.
Shinjiro examined the ring again. This ring… it would suit Fuuka well. He might as well use Ken's present well.
Anne took in a few deep breaths and steeled herself.
Today, she would get Ren and Makoto to stop hiding about their relationship. There was nothing to be ashamed of. She didn't even know why they were keeping it on the downlow in the first place.
After greeting Boss with a smile and wave, Anne scaled the stairs leading up to Ren's room. Ryuji was the only one in the room, surprisingly.
"'Sup, Anne!" he greeted her cheerfully, giving a little wave. "You're here early!"
Anne stuck her tongue at him.
"You're one to talk, Ryuji! You've gotten how many tardies over the years?!" she huffed.
Ryuji scowled at her. "Hey! I've gotten better lately!"
"Suuure, Ryuji." Anne couldn't help but feel a little better, teasing him; it was a welcome distraction.
Unfortunately, Ryuji switched gears. "But hey, do you think we'll be going in today? I mean, RenRen called us here for a reason, right?"
"Where is Ren?" Anne asked.
"Went to run an errand with Makoto," Ryuji answered with a shrug. "He'll be back soon."
"Right…. an errand," Anne thought to herself sarcastically.
Why did they feel like they had to sneak away and hide it from everyone? She really would not want to see Ren kiss Makoto, but they didn't have to make up excuses like that.
Ryuji squinted at her. "What's with that look on your face?"
"Whaaaat?" Anne did her best to blink innocently at Ryuji.
Though judging by Ryuji's annoyed expression, she was pretty sure that she had failed.
But Anne just pressed forward. "Me? This is just my face."
"Right." Ryuji eyed her suspiciously. "Seriously, Anne, Ren's been tellin' me you've been acting kinda weird lately. Something on your mind?"
Anne sucked in a breath. Ryuji had no idea what he had just asked. But… Ryuji was Ren's best friend. They had been attached to the hip since the first day of school. If Ren had told anyone… it would be Ryuji, right?
"Hey, Ryuji… Ren would tell you anything… right?" she asked tentatively.
"Uhh… what?" Ryuji frowned. "Okay, seriously, what's up, Anne? I know that you were down 'bout Suzui leaving but this has gotta be beyond this."
"Does he talk girls with you? Because I saw him on a date with Makoto several days ago," Anne blurted out.
"Him… and Makoto," Ryuji repeated, his eyes wide. "Dude, are you sure 'bout that? Because he told me—"
He then shut his mouth, panic filling his eyes.
He blurted out, "Uhhh… never mind. It's nothing!"
"Never mind what?" Anne demanded, eyes narrowing at Ryuji.
She advanced on him, grabbing him by the shirt. Ryuji yelped but Anne didn't care. She shook him a little.
"What did he tell you?!"
"I can't tell you!" he yelped, all while squirming in her grip. "It's the bro code! Have mercy on me, Anne!"
Anne let out a frustrated growl. So, Ren told Ryuji and not her?! Ryuji! She knew that Ren and Ryuji were best friends but come on!
Before she could grill Ryuji any further, there was a sudden cough. "Um… am I interrupting something?"
They both turned their heads to see that Ken had arrived. He was carrying one of those tiered bento lunchboxes.
Ryuji then broke free of Anne's grasp, all but sprinting to Ken. "Ken! How are you doing today?!"
He then leaned in, whispering frantically to Ken. Ken just raised an eyebrow at Ryuji, before giving him one of those sorta sarcastic smiles Ken seemed fond of using.
Anne growled under her breath. Ryuji so knew something. Well fine then… he couldn't run forever. She would get it out of him, one way or another!
"What's with the huge lunch though, dude?" Ryuji asked.
"You need to help me finish this," Ken groaned. "Shinjiro-san's cooked so much for me because he apparently doesn't trust me, and for some reason he expects me to just order takeout while he's on Port Island. However he ended up cooking double portions, I think he autopiloted and made meals for two for all the meals he made."
"Port Island?" Anne parroted, looking at him curiously. "What's he doing there?"
"Just visiting for a week," Ken said quickly.
"Wait a minute…" Ryuji squinted at Ken. "Isn't his birthday coming up? Like reallyyyy soon?"
Anne gasped, "It is? Is that why he's visiting Port Island?"
Though, she had to wonder how Ryuji knew that. Ken would have had to tell him that.
"Yeah, that's the reason," Ken said slowly, looking at her warily.
Ryuji sighed, before rubbing at his face. "Dude, why didn't you say somethin' to Ren? He would've understood. You must miss Port Island. And everyone back there."
"It's… it's okay." Ken's voice was quiet. "Futaba-san is more important. I couldn't ask Ren-san to delay things just so I can visit home… that would be just selfish. There will be other times I can visit, like during winter break… but Futaba-san's situation is a lot more urgent."
Anne huffed. "God, you're stubborn."
"Oh, I'm the stubborn one?" Ken quickly glanced at Ryuji, before looking back at Anne with a raised eyebrow.
Well… he had a point there.
"HEY!" Ryuji protested. "Don't drag me into this too!"
"Oh, hey, almost everyone's here." Ren and Makoto came up, arms filled with paper bags, and Morgana jumped out of Ren's shoulder bag.
"What took you guys so long?" Ryuji asked.
Ren and Makoto took the moment to relieve their burdens before Ren spoke up.
"Picking up some new upgrades on guns from Iwai," Ren explained. "And some new powerful medicine, courtesy of Takemi."
"Takemi?" Ken repeated.
"Oh, she's a doctor who works here in Yongen-jaya," Ren answered. "Been doing her some favors in return of some really good medicine that we use in the Metaverse. She gives me some nice discounts too."
"Though, honestly, I don't really approve of the 'favors' you do for her…" Makoto sighed. "She calls you a guinea pig of all things…"
"She… what?" Ken looked startled for a moment.
Then he gave Ren one of those flat eyed stares of his.
"Ren-san…" he ground out, drawing out Ren's name, "What exactly have you been doing?"
"First of all, all her stuff are herbal medicines that she has me test so you both can cool it. And besides… gotta do whatcha gotta do," Ren said with a shrug. "But anyways, we're just waiting on Yusuke, from the looks of it…"
Then he noticed Ken holding onto a bento box.
"Bringing lunch again?" he asked with an amused smile.
"Courtesy of Shinjiro-san," he answered, though he didn't look too happy that Ren had sorta dodged his question.
Anne had to admit that she was a little… taken aback when Ren had explained to her and Ryuji how exactly he got ahold of the medicine, back when they were dealing with Kamoshida. But he assured them both that Takemi's medications relied more on herbal concoctions than anything and were completely safe. She trusted him, and they did help out a lot in the metaverse.
"Shinjiro-san cooked me way too much food… so I thought I'd share with you guys," he finished.
Ren just grinned. "Nice. Shinjiro-san is an awesome cook. Gimme a sec, and I'll grab everyone some utensils. I'm sure Sojiro won't mind if I steal them for a bit."
He then disappeared down the stairs again, and Anne took the time to look over Makoto. She seemed a bit flushed, though it could be from the heat more than anything. She didn't appear to have any hickeys and her lips didn't seem swollen…
"Is… there something on my face?" Makoto asked hesitantly.
"O-Oh, it's nothing!" Anne did her best to laugh, but she didn't think it worked, judging from the face Ryuji made.
She then coughed, clasping her hands together. She would have to gently steer Makoto in the right direction.
"But sooo… any reason why you went with Ren today?" she asked innocently.
"Because… there were a lot of things to carry…?" Makoto raised an eyebrow, but then her expression became apologetic. "Sorry for making you wait…"
"Nonono, it's okay!" Anne said hastily not wanting to make Makoto feel bad. "We didn't wait too long, you know! I was just surprised that you went with Ren! Though, you have gotten closer lately."
Makoto still looked confused. "Um… yes? We have been spending more time together lately…"
Frantically behind Makoto's back, Ryuji was slashing at his neck and mouthing "no" at Anne.
"What? Why the heck was he backing her and Ren up about hiding their relationship?!" Anne thought with annoyance.
"Oh, you have got to be kidding me…" Ken suddenly uttered.
"Kidding me?" Makoto repeated. "About what…?"
"Come on, Makoto, you really should stop trying to hide it!" Anne exclaimed, starting to feel frustrated now.
Why did she feel so ashamed? Ren had to be an amazing boyfriend. Didn't she want to hold his hand in public? Or maybe even give him a kiss on the cheek?
"Hide what?" Ren asked, having returned upstairs, completely oblivious to their conversation.
He had grabbed napkins, plates, knives, and forks, and he set it down on the table. For some reason, Ken was starting to glower at him.
"Ren, we're your friends, right?" Anne demanded, hands on her hips as she stepped closer to him.
"Oh, dear god," Ken suddenly sighed out.
She glanced at him to see that he was pressing a hand to his forehead.
"This is just a mess," Ken said and shook his head.
"You don't hafta tell me," Ryuji muttered.
This annoyed her more. They both knew something. So either she was the only one things were being hidden from, or they probably figured some stuff out before she did, but also said nothing.
"Uh… yeah?" Ren said slowly all while raising an eyebrow at her, before looking over to the other boys. "Mind telling me what's going on?"
"You'll find out soon enough," Ken said flatly, folding his arms over his chest. "You brought this on yourself. You should've just listened to my advice."
Anne felt irritation flare inside her. Ryuji at least seemed to imply he knew something but not the whole thing. But Ken was definitely implying he talked to Ren about this. So he knew! And Ren made him agree to keep quiet? That made no sense!
Well, that only gave her a bigger reason to get them to admit it!
"And friends don't hide things from each other!" Anne continued, pressing on.
Ren gave her a baffled look, but Anne just kept pressing forward. She would get them to understand, like it or not!
"There's no need to be ashamed, okay?! It's something to be embraced! We're all friends! Why did you have to hide it from us?!"
"A-Anne, you're really not making any sense…" Makoto said, her eyes wide. "Just what are you talking about…?"
Anne slammed her hands on the table, making it rattle for a moment. Makoto jumped at the sudden sound.
Anne was tired of beating around the bush if they were gonna keep being stubborn and not admit the truth.
"Look, I know you guys are dating, okay?!" she yelled out.
The room was completely silent. And the silence continued far longer than Anne would have liked. She felt herself internally shrinking.
"…What?" Makoto said weakly, as the blood drained from her face. "Wait, Anne, we're not… this is just a misunderstanding!"
Despite the awkwardness she felt, Anne knew she had to press forward. She can't let them continue pretending like everything is normal.
"Don't lie to me, Makoto! I saw you two at the diner!" Anne retorted, pointing an accusing finger at her. "I don't know why you're trying to deny it! You're so, so lucky, okay?! Ren's so kind and thoughtful and he'll probably come up with the best dates and—"
Anne bit her lip as her chest constricted painfully. She had to take the moment to start rapidly blinking to hold back tears. Didn't Makoto know how fortunate she was?
"This… is why I told you to ask Anne-san out already, Ren-san," Ken interrupted. "Do you need any more proof now?!"
And all Anne's thoughts came crashing to a halt. Ken told Ren what now?
"Wha?" Anne said weakly.
"You told Ren to do what?!" Morgana cried. "Why would you—"
"EFF THIS I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!"
Ryuji suddenly shoved Anne, causing her to stumble forward. She would have fallen flat onto her face if Ren hadn't caught her.
"Ryuji!" Makoto gasped, her eyes growing wide. "Anne could've been hurt—"
But Ryuji just ignored her. "Come on, man! You've liked her since freakin' June, prolly longer—"
He what? He liked her back? For that long?!
"JUST KISS HER ALREADY DAMMIT!" Ryuji yelled out.
"Ren, I-I…" Anne's face began to burn with embarrassment.
And Ren? A small smile crept onto his face, only to quickly morph into a smirk.
"So…" he drawled out, "you thought that I was dating Makoto?"
"B-But… the diner… and you have to work closely together," Anne blurted out.
She was babbling. She knew she was babbling. But she had to try to explain herself! Just—he liked her?!
"You've been spending a lot of time with her ever since we beat Kaneshiro and… and…"
"Anne, Ren and I are just friends," Makoto sighed. "He was just… helping me with a favor."
"But I saw you holding hands!" Anne cried out. "And you guys were obviously nervous! That was like your first date, right?! That's why you were double dating with that weird older guy and the other girl! To put less pressure on you guys!"
Her head was spinning. That look he was giving her. He was holding her. What Ryuji and Ken had said—none of this made sense?
Ren just leaned in close, and her eyes went wide. Their faces were four, five centimeters apart. Her face felt so hot that you could probably fry an egg on it.
Ren's grasp on Anne just tightened before he smiled at her. "You really don't have to worry about Makoto… or any other girl. You've had me captivated since the day I met you."
He… what? Back on the very first day?
"Though… I'm just glad the feeling's mutual." Ren's smile suddenly morphed into a mischievous smirk. "You've really fallen for me, huh?"
"Dude, really?" Ryuji whined. "Why you gotta do this here?"
"And using that awful pun," Ken grumbled.
"C'mon, Ryuji, you're the one that told me to kiss her already." Ren said jokingly.
"I didn't mean obnoxiously flirting and shit!" Ryuji huffed as he rolled his eyes.
During the banter, Morgana started to dart out of the attic.
"Um… should we give you some privacy? Wait, Morgana, where are you going?!" Makoto asked.
"Anywhere but here!"
"This just… kinda exploded." Ken suddenly sighed. "I'll go talk to Morgana."
Ren frowned, before releasing Anne. "Ken, I don't know… maybe I should be the one to talk to him—"
"You…" Ken ground out, pointing at Ren, "are going to do what I told you to do two weeks ago."
He looked at Ren sternly. Anne couldn't help but straighten up under his stony stare.
"I'll talk to Morgana. I know how it feels when you like someone, but they like another friend." Ken finished saying.
And without another word, he disappeared down the flight of stairs. Anne just fiddled with her pigtails, her face still burning.
"We'll just… er…" Makoto stammered out. "We'll just get some coffee from Boss!"
"But I hate coffee!" Ryuji protested.
"Just come on!" Makoto hissed, before grabbing his wrist and dragging him toward the stairs.
"Ow ow ow!" Ryuji yelped out. "Holy shit, you need to trim your nails, Makoto!"
"Then take the hint next time!" Makoto retorted, her voice fading away as they descended the stairs.
And this left them completely alone.
"Anne—" Ren began, but Anne cut him off.
"You really… you really like me?"
Shock was clear in Ren's dark eyes.
"Anne… why are you so surprised?" he asked incredulously.
"It's just…" Anne bit her lip, before looking at him in the eyes. "I… I only have my looks going for me. Makoto's a genius, she helps you lead the Phantom Thieves, she's pretty elegant, knows those kickass moves, and I…"
"Hey." Ren tilted her chin up, cutting her off.
Anne's breath hitched at his touch. Then he smiled at her again, summoning the butterflies in her stomach once again.
"That is not true, Anne," he said earnestly. "Yeah, you're beautiful. I'll admit you left me breathless when we had first met. But most importantly, you're kind. You care so much for the people you love. You gave me a chance, when you didn't know a thing about me except for the rumors. Ryuji only gave me a chance after I saved his life from Kamoshida's goons. He was actually kinda an ass to me when we first met… not that he's a bad person. I understand how jaded he was. But you… you still showed me kindness first when others wouldn't."
Ren rubbed the back of his head with his free hand.
"I love how passionate you can get. Anyone would have been pissed at the shit Mika pulled… but not you. You just wanted to outdo her by your own merits."
Anne felt her eyes filling with tears. Growing up, she was always complimented on just her looks.
Oh, look how beautiful your hair is!
Your eyes are just so lovely…
Your skin is flawless… just like a porcelain doll.
But Ren… he saw past that. He saw her. Just like how he had seen past the rumors about her, when he had comforted her at the diner…
"Anne… please don't cry." Ren's quiet plea snapped her out of her thoughts.
"Dummy…" Anne wiped at her eyes, before offering him a watery smile. "I'm crying because I'm happy."
Ren's eyes softened, and he reached out to cup her cheek.
"I'm glad," he said, as his thumb brushed away the last of her tears. "I want nothing more to see you smile. You have a beautiful smile."
"Then kiss me."
"As my lady commands," Ren breathed, before leaning in.
Unsurprisingly, Ren tasted of coffee. He had really developed a taste for it ever since he started living in LeBlanc's attic. But he kissed her again and again, leaving her breathless. It honestly left Anne weak in the knees.
Lack of oxygen eventually forced them to come up for air. Anne's cheeks were warm as she looked at Ren.
"So… I'm your lady now?"
"Do you want to be?" Ren asked, reaching to take her hand.
"Of course I do!" Anne slid her arms around his neck, and his hands went to rest at her hips. "A million times yes."
"Good." Ren's lips curved into a smile. "Shall we celebrate it then?"
"What do you have in mind?" Anne raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, I think you know what I mean," Ren said airily, before leaning to close the distance between them.
Ken was glad that Morgana was a cat in this instance. It made it all too easy to find him pawing at the door. Ken quickly scooped him up, ignoring Morgana's protests.
"Put me down this instant!" he hissed out, squirming in Ken's arms. "I don't want to talk to you, especially after what you told Ren… and Ren! He knew that I love Lady Anne! How could he do this to me?!"
"Uh, kid, is everything okay?" Sakura-san said with a frown as he started at the hissing cat.
"It's fine," Ken said to the older man, giving him a reassuring smile. "Morgana is just feeling… antsy. I'm going to take him out for a bit."
Once he stepped outside, Ken exhaled deeply. He really did not sign up for this crap, but he had to do damage control. He took Morgana to just outside the train station. He was thankful that Yongen-jaya was a quiet area. Less of a chance for people to come out of the station and see him talk to a cat. While Ren-san seemed fine with talking to Morgana in public on a daily basis, he rather not be seen as a crazy cat whisperer.
"I can't believe you did this!" Morgana snapped out.
Ken sighed in exasperation. "Morgana, I just told Ren-san that if he likes Anne-san, he should ask her out—there was no sense in waffling about it."
This past March—March 5th to be exact—Ken had overheard a conversation between Yukari-san and Junpei-san. They were talking about Junpei-san's upcoming wedding to Chidori-san and how Yukari-san was surprised that they hadn't gotten married sooner, with how much they loved each other. Junpei-san had just laughed and said that he wanted to be more confident that he could provide for Chidori-san. At that… Yukari-san just smiled.
"I understand that, Junpei but… you should make your time with her count. Don't let yourself have any regrets. Sometimes I wish…"
She had trailed off at that point and Junpei-san put a hand on her shoulder.
"You made him happy, Yuka-tan. That's what really matters."
But that conversation had… struck him. He had known for a long time that every day should count, but to show the people you love that you do love them… that was what's important.
Morgana looked away, sulking. "Do my feelings not matter? I bet he was laughing at me all along! I told him so many times how much I love Lady Anne! And then… I find out you were pushing for it too! How is that supposed to make me feel?"
"Morgana…" Ken sighed.
He needed to try and figure out how to make Morgana understand. As tempting as it was to get a spray bottle and spritz some water on Morgana, he doubted that it'd help matters. Not to mention that wasn't exactly empathetic.
"Don't 'Morgana' me, Mister Perfect!" Morgana snapped out. "I have a right to be upset about this!"
That comment took Ken aback a little.
"I'm not perfect," Ken said with a frown. "Where did you get that from?"
"Like you don't know," Morgana hissed out, glowering at him.
He really didn't. But whatever. He'd deal with that later.
"Morgana," he sighed, "look, I know that you like Anne-san. A lot. But—"
Morgana glared at him. "How could you tell Ren to go after Lady Anne? There's no other girl for me! Ren… he hangs out with so many girls. Surely, there has to be someone else that's interested in him…"
"Are you listening to yourself?" Ken demanded, feeling irritation surge through him.
He knew it sucked when you liked someone, and they couldn't see you in that kind of light. He remembered being so jealous when Akihiko-san and Minako-san started dating. At the time he had hated that Minako-san had only seen him like a little brother. He understood the feeling.
But he didn't want a rift to form within the group because of how upset Morgana was. If you loved someone—you looked out for their well-being first. To do otherwise would be just selfish.
"Do Anne-san's feelings not matter?" Ken asked coolly, gazing sternly down at Morgana.
Normally, Ken would not be so blunt. He was always conscious of being polite, even when he was not fond of the other person. However, gentleness would not work here.
This seemed to cause Morgana to pause. Good, that meant he could be willing to listen.
"What about Ren-san?" he added.
"I—" Morgana's eyes went huge, before he lowered his head. "O-Of course… Ren—he's my best friend…"
"It is not fair to think Ren-san has a duty to not act on his feelings just because you like Anne-san and you're friends. You just said that his feelings don't matter and there are plenty of other girls he should go chase," Ken couldn't help but lecture. "And Anne-san likes Ren-san. If you really love someone, you need to put their happiness first. What you deem perfect for you will not be the case for the other party sometimes."
"I… I didn't mean it like…" Morgana sounded so dejected as he trailed off. "Of course… of course their feelings matter… it's just…"
Ken took a deep breath so that he could calm down. Because Morgana did get his hopes up for nothing. But he still couldn't help but pity him.
He said gently, "I'm sorry that Anne-san doesn't see you in that kind of light, but it's not fair for you to expect Ren-san to take a step back just because you like Anne-san too. And it's not fair to Anne-san, she clearly is in love with him. And besides… don't you agree that both Ren-san and Anne-san deserve some happiness? After Kamoshida? And how Ren-san's reputation has been dragged through the mud because of his record?"
Morgana was silent for a long time. "Does… Ren really like Lady Anne? Would he treat her well?"
Morgana must be really infatuated with Anne-san, if he didn't notice the way Ren-san looked at her.
"Come now, you know that answer better than I do. You live with him, you know his character," he said. "And you know that Ren-san and Anne-san deserve this. I know right now you feel that Anne is the only girl for you but… there will be other girls in the future, I promise."
Morgana sighed, before his ears lowered, all but folding against his skull.
He mumbled out, "You're right. I'm sorry for blaming you… and… yeah, Ren would treat her very well."
Ken sighed for the umpteenth time today. He really hated drama.
"I'm not the one you have to apologize to, Morgana." Ken said as he scratched the side of his neck.
"I know, I know…" Morgana ducked his head. "Let's go back so I can get this over with…"
He gave Morgana a crooked smile, and took him back to LeBlanc. Yusuke-san had apparently arrived during their absence. Honestly, he wished he was in Yusuke-san's shoes.
"Morgana!" Ren-san rushed up to them, before looking uncertain at Morgana.
"Ren… I…"
Morgana raised his head to look at Ren-san straight in the eyes. He then took a deep breath.
"I'm sorry for reacting the way I have been. It was unfair and… well… uncouth and ungentlemanly and I…"
He sighed, before he tensed up in Ken's arms. Morgana looked down at the ground for a moment, taking another deep breath. He looked back up again more resolute.
"Treat Lady Anne like she's royalty!" he said firmly. "You better make her the happiest girl in the world! Or else I'll… I'll claw your eyes out in your sleep! And I'll scratch up your face good! I'll make sure that no other girl will look your way!"
Ren-san then stared for a moment before he threw back his head and laughed.
"You've got it, buddy," Ren-san said after his laugh died a bit down.
Ren-san then started patting Morgana on the head. Since Morgana couldn't see, Ken just rolled his eyes.
"And no need to worry about that. Anne means a lot to me." Ren took a step back and gave Morgana a thumbs up.
Morgana smiled a little and nodded his head.
"I'm… sorry again. You and Lady Anne's happiness should matter more than… well…" Morgana trailed off.
Ren-san shook his head and took Morgana from Ken. He started to rub his head and Morgana started to look embarrassed.
"I get why you reacted the way you did. Bygones?" Ren-san gave him a small smile.
Morgana relaxed a little, the tension in his little body melting away. "Yeah… bygones…"
Ken couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. Then he caught himself, just why was he getting so worried about romance and dramas between this group? He's supposed to be spying on them for Mitsuru-san and the others. A familiar twist in his gut appeared as the guilt set in. As well as previous words warning him about being careful about his bias and not getting attached.
Makoto-san cleared her throat, pulling him out of those thoughts.
"Now that's taken care of…" She looked at Ren-san expectedly.
Ren-san nodded. "Right. Our preparations are complete. Yusuke, do you have the calling card?"
"What do you take me for?" Yusuke-san scoffed.
He pulled a bright red card out of his sketchbook. The familiar emblem of the Phantom Thieves was emblazoned on the back.
"Yusuke-san, can I see?" Ken asked.
Yusuke-san nodded, before holding it out to him.
It was like Kamoshida and Madarame, at least from what he heard. Accusing of the host of the palace of a sin. In Futaba's case, her sin would be "sloth". Too bad he can't really take a picture without looking suspicious…
But then he realized something… the café's proprietor was missing.
"Um… did Sakura-san go somewhere?" Ken asked.
"Oh yeah, Boss stepped out," Ryuji-san informed him. "Said something about getting something at the convenience store real quick, he told us we could hang out but he flipped the sign to closed to the rest of the customers."
He nodded towards the door.
Ken gave a nod. That made sense. Though that meant they'd have to wait for him to get back…
Anne-san finally came down the stairs. She looked over at Ren-san and Morgana, worry in her eyes. Ren-san just smiled at her and gave her a nod. He then walked over to her with Morgana in hand. Anne-san held her hands out and he passed Morgana to her. Morgana then leaned forward to mumble something in her ear and she had a sad smile on her face. She whispered something back and gave him a hug.
If Ken had to guess he was probably apologizing to her too.
Anne-san looked over and noticed the calling card that Ken handed back to Yusuke-san.
"So, we're doing it today?" Anne-san asked as she set Morgana down on the counter, her eyes growing bright. "We'll be saving Futaba-chan?"
"What do you think we'll be facing?" Ryuji-san asked. "Futaba's Shadow is so… weird. Like she helps us sometimes but then she tries to kill us other times!"
"I think that's because of her fear of people," Ken mentioned.
"Yes, all those traps feel like a manifestation of a defense mechanism. She is probably so used to pushing people away who want to reach her," Yusuke-san added.
Ren-san nodded and placed his hands in his pocket. "Right… which is why no matter how much Sojiro tried, he wasn't reaching her."
"She wants help, but she's also terrified of getting hurt…" Makoto-san said sadly. "That's why she seems to be flip-flopping from two different attitudes."
If that was how Futaba-san felt, Ken could definitely sympathize.
Morgana nodded. "Yeah, that makes a lot of sense."
Then he narrowed his eyes before he began to pace on the counter.
"Though we have to be prepared. Futaba's Shadow will be prepared to defend the Treasure. And the Shadows we've faced in her Palace were stronger than any we've seen. We can't let our guard down," he said seriously.
Yusuke-san frowned. "Though… isn't it strange that we haven't encountered to what Futaba's Shadow referred to her as her mother?"
That's right… Shadow Futaba had mentioned her when they first managed to visit the Palace. It seemed almost… monstrous if it was strong enough to make the Palace shake. Though the question was… why haven't they seen it?
"Hopefully whatever that is, doesn't end up as an obstacle for us," Ren-san suggested. "Though… it may be tricky convincing Futaba to open the door to us…"
"We have to!" Anne-san exclaimed, her hands clenching into fists. "Futaba-chan is counting on us… we can't stop now!"
Yusuke-san let out a thoughtful hum. "Perhaps… we should be just straight with her. Explain why we need her to open the door to us, so we can steal her heart."
"It may work…" Ken said slowly, before he grimaced. "Or Futaba could panic and call Sakura-san on us."
"Oi, stop being so negative, Ken!" Ryuji-san swatted his shoulder. "I mean, it's worth a try, ain't it?"
"As of now… it's our best bet," Makoto-san said. "The reason that door is there is because of her cognition. We need to change it. She has to open it for us."
They had a point, he had to admit.
Ren-san stood up. "Agreed. Come on. Let's pay Futaba a little visit."
It's been sixteen days since the Phantom Thieves had last spoken to her. If they were planning on taking her desires… wouldn't they have done it by now?
What was the point? They can't fix her. She was a hopeless case. She killed her mom. Matricide… she was guilty of matricide. And she could never forget it, with how Mom would show up from time to time. And the voices; they never stopped. Futaba squeezed her eyes shut, wrapping her arms around her legs.
Maybe it'd be easier if she just gave up. Sojiro wouldn't have to worry about her. She was slowly dying anyways. What was the point in dragging it out…?
Futaba blinked. There was… another her? She was wearing Egyptian clothing for some reason.
"What's going on? This isn't… I never had one like this…"
"I am the other you."
Her gaze was stern. Just like Mom's.
Was this just another hallucination? But… this felt… different.
"How long are you going to keep blaming yourself?" the illusion demanded, staring at her with those strange golden eyes. "How long are you going to shut yourself from the world?"
Blaming… herself… for Mom dying… but it was the truth. If she had never been born, Mom probably would have been happier. She could throw herself completely into her work.
"You need to wake up!" she said sharply. "You need to realize the truth already. What happened to your mother…"
But… she already knew the truth.
"Why rely on the Phantom Thieves? Do you really think you're that incapable of doing anything? Are you just going to simply give up and hide away from the world forever? Are you going to avert your eyes from the truth?" she demanded.
But she felt so powerless. There was a voice hissing in her ear. That she made her mom's life miserable. She did nothing but drained money from Sojiro's pocket.
Her other self slowly exhaled. "Fine. I guess I'll kill them in the other world…"
Without another word, the other Futaba disappeared. Futaba blinked once. And then twice.
W-What was that about?
The sound of knocking jolted Futaba out of her thoughts. But she remained silent. Maybe if she ignored them, they would just go away…
"Futaba?" It was Ren. "Futaba… Alibaba… it's me."
Panic spiked through her. It was them?! They were here?! And then there was the sound of meowing. It was that cat again.
"Alibaba, we have to talk to you!" It was Makoto now. "Please… even if it's through text, it's urgent that we talk to you!"
Futaba grabbed her phone and started tapping out an answer.
Message Sent To: Ren Amamiya
[Alibaba]: You should've warned me.
"Allow us to explain," Yusuke began. "We need you to open the door if you desire for us to steal your heart. You must let us in! I know you're frightened, but we only have your best wishes at heart."
Futaba gulped. T-They weren't serious, were they? How could they just drop a level twenty encounter on her when she was just a measly level five?!
"You have to do this if you want us to change your heart," Makoto spoke up again, but in a gentle tone.
"Please Futaba-chan. We're here to help," begged the other girl.
The loud one, Ryuji, then spoke up. "Come on Futaba, it's no biggie. Just take a deep breath and open the door."
Futaba just shrunk back at his words, her stomach churning at the mere thought. Easy for him to say!
[Alibaba]: I'm not mentally prepared!
[Ren]: You have to. You can do it.
Futaba huffed to herself, glaring at the door.
"You want to open the door, don't you?"
Futaba's breath hitched in her throat, before her eyes widened. It was him. Ken Amada.
"You know, deep down, this is what you want. You want to change… that's why you contacted the Phantom Thieves in the first place."
"Stop tryin' to resist!" The loud voice coupled with a loud thump against the door startled Futaba. "We wouldn't do this if we didn't have to! We wouldn't make you do this if you didn't want to."
That Ryuji guy again! He was so pushy!
"Ryuji!"Anne hissed.
She heard Ryuji yelp, "Why the hell did you pinch me?!"
Anne hissed again in response, "God, don't you have any sense of tact?!"
Futaba had a heavy frown. They all sounded like… characters on a tv show. Ones that all got along and knew each other for a while. Probably picked each other up when they needed it most, but more importantly, had the strength to grab the hand extended. But she wasn't like that. She wasn't a character in a show that could rely on their friends and weaponize the bonds they built.
She shut her eyes and shook her head. She took a deep breath to try and steady her shaking and snapped her eyes open, before typing out a response, asking for some more time. They then accepted it, but Makoto threatened to kick down the door if she didn't open up after they give her a ten second head start.
What happened to that girl's gentle tone a minute ago?!
Futaba frantically looked around for the head replica of one of her favorite tv show characters. She could face them if she wore it, right?!
"Where is it?!" she thought in panic, as she dug through her things.
She didn't have time for this! Wait! There was the closet! Of course. You had to have a strategy outfitted for every encounter! Futaba scrambled to the closet, opening the closet's door before pushing her bedroom door open ever so slightly. She then dashed for the closet door, shutting it close.
"Holy craaaap…" Ryuji breathed.
Futaba could hear the frown in Ren's voice. "Just what is this?"
"How old is Futaba again?" Makoto asked. "Look at some of the books she has!"
"Medical science, information technology, biology, psychology…" Ken said thoughtfully. "She is only fifteen, right?"
Futaba puffed out her cheeks. It's not her fault she was born in February! They weren't that much older than her!
"But hey…" Anne began, "…where did Futaba-chan run off to?"
"Uh… underneath the desk or bed?" Ryuji suggested. "I mean, she's prolly little, if you look at her Shadow…"
Futaba glared at that. She was not little! She was just a slow grower! This Ryuji really did have no tact.
Then Yusuke spoke. "I do not see anyone under the bed. Oh, perhaps the closet…"
Futaba's eyes went wide as she heard footsteps approach. The closet slid only a couple centimeters, before Futaba's hands shot out, grabbing the handle, and yanking it shut.
"I let you in!" Futaba shouted. "Now steal my heart already!"
And only a few seconds later, she heard meowing again.
"He's right… this probably added another barrier to the Treasure," Ren muttered.
What did he mean by that? Then there was more meowing from that cat. Why did they bring that thing anyway?
"Explain yourselves!" she demanded. "What are you even talking about?!"
"We need to change your cognition to steal your heart, Futaba-chan," Makoto said calmly. "It won't help if you hide away from us."
"That's right, Futaba-chan," Anne added, her voice gentle. "Please… won't you come out? We won't hurt you—I promise!"
Futaba just burrowed deeper, all while scowling. Why did this have to be so complicated?!
Makoto wondered aloud. "Would she even understand if we explained…? Honestly, sometimes I have a hard time wrapping my mind around it and I've witnessed it firsthand."
They mentioned her cognition… Wait… was this related to that stuff her mom was researching?
"So basically…" Futaba said slowly, "My cognition is a hindrance, keeping you from the core of my cognitive world?"
There was a pregnant pause before one of them spoke up again.
"Damn… she got it?" Ryuji's voice filled with disbelief. "Didn't expect that."
Despite herself, Futaba smiled proudly. Well, of course. She had absorbed what she was allowed to hear about from her mom's research like a sponge.
Makoto asked. "How do you know about that?"
Futaba clamped her mouth shut. She didn't feel comfortable answering that.
"Futaba-chan… why didn't you just ask us for help?" Anne asked calmly. "We're dedicated to helping people who can't help themselves. We would've listened to your request."
Futaba bit her lip as her cheeks started to burn.
"Was… embarrassed…" she mumbled out.
"I get it, Futaba-san."
Futaba heard some lighter footsteps approach. She heard a hand being dragged along the door. It was that Ken Amada guy.
"Asking for help isn't easy. I completely understand where you're coming from…"
Futaba bit her lip. Somehow, she doubted that.
"But… how do you know about the cognitive world?" Makoto asked. "Honestly, I never would've thought such a thing existed had I not stumbled into it…"
"Makoto-san, is this really the time to ask?" Ken sighed. "We're wasting time…"
"But we have to get her to trust us…" she retorted.
"Wait a sec…" Anne said slowly. "Ren, didn't you mention Boss getting grilled by that one lady…?"
"Yeah, that's right," Ren confirmed.
Futaba winced at the memory of hearing the woman harass Sojiro. The idea of her orchestrating Sojiro losing custody just… terrified her.
Ren let out aggravated sigh, "Sojiro was pretty agitated about that…"
"Are you saying… your mother was researching into cognitive science?" Yusuke asked.
"What exactly is that? Studying the brain?" Ryuji asked.
Futaba couldn't help but roll her eyes. Despite herself, Futaba found herself correcting them.
"It's cognitive psience, with a psi in front! Less science, more supernatural. That's the important part."
"I'm… surprised that you know so much about it," Ken said. "You were fairly young when your mother was researching into it."
"Please, I wasn't a baby!" Futaba scoffed.
Mom may not have always liked Futaba peeking into her research but she couldn't help herself. Reading it made her feel closer to her mom.
"But hey… Futaba-chan," Anne began, "…did you really kill your mother?"
Futaba stiffened, before she wrapped her arms around herself. Why did she have to bring that up…?
"Anne, what are you—" Ryuji began, only to be cut off.
"Shush!" Anne snapped. "It was an accident. The people who came and read her suicide note claimed otherwise. Maternity neurosis? That can't be true! Your mother… your mother that your cognitive world showed us is completely different from the mother Boss told us about! What's the difference? Please… tell us."
"My… mom…" Futaba choked out, as her head throbbed painfully.
Why did it hurt so much…? This was worse than a migraine.
"T-The one… who killed her…"
Futaba felt a tear trickle down her cheek and she wrapped her arms around her torso even tighter.
It was her… right…?
Makoto sighed. "She can't remember… because her heart has become distorted. We shouldn't press her further."
Anne sighed as well.
"I'm sorry, Futaba-chan. I shouldn't have pushed you…" she said mournfully.
Futaba's hands clenched into fist after wiping away her tear. She needed to know. The distortions in her mind… they could remove it. She would just have to do her part in it. They said she was creating barriers, then she must remove it quick. One and done. This was a co-op attack!
She shoved the door open and jumped out.
"Steal it already!" she shouted.
She was standing on one leg, hands extended, her head facing downwards while her eyes shut tight. Her whole body trembling as she struggled to balance on one leg.
There was another pregnant pause.
"Uh… is she serious?" Ken said slowly.
"Don't make fun of me!" Futaba exclaimed, keeping her eyes screwed shut. "Hurry it up! I revealed myself, so steal my heart already!"
She heard Ren's voice, sounding amused. "Well… I'm not surprised that she doesn't fully get it. It's not exactly a straight and cut process. It took me a couple of times to understand when Morgana explained it to me…"
"How do we explain this…" Ken muttered.
"Ah, Futaba-chan…" She felt a hand on her shoulder.
She opened her eyes to see Makoto looking down at her, smiling apologetically. She couldn't help but freeze up and tense at the contact.
"W-We can't steal it here. You just really had to open the closet door…" she said awkwardly.
What?! Why weren't they clear about this?!
"Um, look, Futaba." Ren sighed. "Sorry we weren't clear about the process. But we don't steal your heart here."
So, they managed to travel to her cognitive world then? Her mother's theories were correct then!
But more to the point. The silence stretched on; she felt all the eyes on her. She put both feet on the ground and lowered her arms as Makoto let her go.
"I-I see…" Futaba said shakily, feeling her cheeks burn with embarrassment.
Time to find a hole to crawl into and never come out… her closet worked. She walked backwards and slammed the closet door shut.
"F-Futaba-chan, wait!" Anne cried, before she rapped lightly on the door. "Don't go back inside!"
"Futaba-chan, please come back out," Makoto pleaded.
"Why did you trick me?!" she demanded.
"Okay, that's enough!" Ken suddenly snapped, sounding rather aggravated now.
Futaba couldn't help but flinch at his sharp tone.
"Listen, Futaba-san, we have a perfectly good reason for this. It's like how you put it. Your cognition is blocking our way to the core. Just how much do you know about the cognitive world?" Ken sounded tired.
"I-I know there's a world of cognition. I don't know how to get to it though…"
"That's where we come in," Ryuji said.
Futaba blinked. Were they going to tell her how to do it then?
"That's how we'll change your heart. But you've gotta keep the door open or else it'll block our way!" Ryuji explained.
"How do you do it then?" Futaba asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.
"Oh, um…" Makoto said, "we use a smartphone app. I-I know it sounds crazy, but it's true!"
"An… app?" Futaba echoed.
What kind of person could even create such a thing?
"Yes, we need to enter the right information and it'll take us to the cognitive world," Makoto answered.
"A name, a place, and a distortion… that's what we need to use the app," Ryuji said.
"I-I don't think it's wise to share this information…" Ken said slowly.
"She doesn't have the app," Yusuke pointed out. "What would she do with this information?"
Ken then sighed. "I suppose so. But I think we should really get going…"
"Wait!" Futaba blurted out. "Can… Can I come?"
"Is that… even possible?" Ren asked. "I mean, a host in their cognitive world... it seems like a contradiction to me. I'm sorry, Futaba… but no. We don't know if it's safe for you."
The cat began to meow again. Talkative kitty, wasn't it?
"Never mind that she doesn't have a way to defend herself," Ken muttered.
Defend herself? What was he talking about?
Futaba grumbled to herself. But if she couldn't come, that was that…
"I'll leave it to you, then," she mumbled out.
"Good!" Ryuji said cheerfully. "And don't forget your promise!"
She heard the bedroom door open and as fading footsteps came to stop to linger by said door.
"Ken, don't forget to give her the calling card! Look Futaba, just close your eyes and open that closet door, kay?" Ryuji offered in a friendly voice. "We'll leave your house as soon as Ken here gives you the calling card but we need you to leave that door open for just a moment while he's still here."
Maybe that Ryuji guy wasn't so bad after all. He was still too loud though; his near-shouting made her ears hurt…
"Don't worry, Ryuji-san. I will," Ken answered.
The sound of footsteps appeared again but were getting further away by the second.
Futaba's breath hitched as she heard Ken's footsteps approach. She shut her eyes and opened the door a little so that way an arm can fit in.
"Futaba-san. I know deep down you know what you want. You wouldn't have reached out to the Phantom Thieves if you didn't have the desire to help yourself. You don't really want to die. Not like this."
She didn't know what to say as she kept her eyes tightly shut. The way he talked… it almost sounded like he actually understood how it felt.
Ken's voice softened. "I can understand what it's like. I know you're scared. We'll help you as much as we can, but you have to take the final step. You want to live—truly live, don't you?"
They were alone. She could ask him just who the Shadow Operatives were. But he sounded so earnest. He was here to help her… there would be other times to ask him…
"You can't stay in here forever. You have your whole life ahead of you… I can tell you have a brilliant mind. Don't waste it, Futaba-san."
"I…"
"It's okay. I know… we kinda dumped a lot of information on you. But I promise that we'll do everything in our power to help you."
She felt a piece of paper placed in her hand.
"We need you to read this, so your cognitive core will manifest. I'll leave you to read it, okay?"
Futaba didn't move for several moments. She waited until his footsteps disappeared too. She fully opened the door, and true to his word, Ken was gone. Futaba stepped out and looked down at the red card in her hands. His words suddenly echoed in her mind.
You want to live—truly live, don't you?
You have your whole life ahead of you…
For some reason, those words really resonated with her…
Futaba took a deep breath before she slowly began to read the card.
Okay, so the boss fight/Futaba's awakening ended up being a lot longer than I had expected. So! I ended up splitting the chapter because I didn't want the chapter to be an absolute monster.
But I hope my fellow Ren/Anne shippers enjoyed seeing how they get together!
Edit Notes (7/28/24): Sae's height has been changed to reflect her canon height, at the time of writing the chapter I was under the impression she was 6'0". All future references of her height will be corrected to reflect this. Thank you to angelrin89 for her wonderful edits!