Chapter 15
Waiting Game
Saturday, August 13th, 2016
"Are the Phantom Thieves really going to do nothing about Medjed?"
"It's kinda scary… I couldn't access my bank account this morning."
"But it's more than a week away from the twenty-first!"
Makoto pursed her lips, trying to tune out the discussion. Everyone… was really counting on the Phantom Thieves, weren't they?
But they couldn't do anything. Not with Futaba fast asleep. But… she was worried, even though Sakura-san seemed to think that this was normal. She had been exhausted after awakening to Johanna, but… It had been three days. Ren had promised that he would keep an eye out for her, but there was still no news.
They still had over a week, at least…
Even though her family didn't really observe the holiday Obon, Makoto still liked to visit the shrine and pray to both of her parents during the holiday. Sae had joined her in the past years but… not this year.
Sae… had been staying over at work more and more… Sae had snapped at her a few days ago when she had attempted to suggest that she should slow down, and at least rest at their home.
She had hoped that her sister would be able to change her mindset without her Treasure being stolen, but the odds weren't looking good. But at the same time, she was hesitant to bring it up to everyone…
It just felt selfish.
Makoto shook her head, trying to push the thoughts out of her mind. She slowly took a deep breath, to try and loosen the knots forming in her stomach. She shouldn't be focusing on that. She should try to keep her mind off of that and Medjed…
The train finally pulled to a stop. Makoto waited for the way to clear up before stepping outside. As she looked towards the way to the shrine, she noticed Ken stepping out from another compartment.
She blinked in surprise. She was surprised that they had missed each other completely.
Makoto picked up the pace so she could catch up to him. "Ken!"
Ken looked surprised as he turned his head. "Makoto-san? What are you doing here?"
"Oh, I was just… I was going to visit the shrine today," Makoto said. She then glanced at him. "Are you planning on doing that as well?"
"I was," Ken confirmed. "Had to look it up, though, since the last time I asked, Ren-san could only tell me about Meiji Shrine."
"Ren has only been here two months longer than you," Makoto said. "You probably should have asked Yusuke or me, since Anne told me that her parents are just… out of the country, and both of Ryuji's parents are alive…"
Ken nodded. "Sometimes I forget that, with how Ren-san seems to know how to navigate Tokyo so well…"
"I can understand that." Makoto nodded. "He took me around Tokyo a few times, and it still surprises me how well he seems to know the area already. And I've been living in Tokyo all my life."
"I visited Tokyo once, when I was pretty young…" Ken mused. "I was only five at the time. My memories of that visit are pretty blurry, though."
Makoto laughed. "Wouldn't it be ironic if we had met back then?"
"I doubt it," Ken chuckled, "…but it's a nice thought."
They finally reached the shrine, and took turns to pray.
"If you don't mind me asking…" Ken said slowly, turning to her after he finished, "…what did happen to your mother?"
Makoto bit her lip. "She got sick, when I was six. There was nothing that could be done…"
It wasn't as dramatic as her father being murdered so Kaneshiro wouldn't be brought to justice. Or Madarame cruelly allowing Yusuke's mother to die so he could steal her work. Or how Ken's mother was murdered.
But you couldn't fight an illness either.
Ken didn't say anything, but Makoto could see the understanding in his eyes. And she was grateful for that. She despised hearing I'm sorry, when she knew that they didn't really mean it.
Sometimes… she struggled to remember how her mother was like before she became ill. She knew that Mom was quite the beauty from photographs—and looking at Sae. Sae had inherited her gray hair from Mom, though they both had red eyes from their father. But Makoto couldn't remember what her voice sounded like. Or if she wore perfume. Or if she liked to sing.
But the thing she remembered the most vividly was… how her death had affected Dad and Sae.
Though Ken's question had sparked a curiosity in her. About his mother.
"Do you… have a picture?" Makoto asked hesitantly. "Of your mom."
Ken just nodded, before pulling out his phone. It took him about a minute of scrolling, but he handed Makoto his phone. On the screen was a picture of a faded photograph. Despite Ken being… eight or nine, from the looks of it, he was easily recognizable. She didn't realize that his face used to be so cherubic. He honestly looked adorable, but Makoto kept that to herself. Somehow, she got the feeling that Ken would not appreciate her voicing that.
Though looking between the woman in the picture and the boy standing before her, she could really see the family resemblance. Ken seemed to take after his mother, especially with his facial features. They had the same hair color. Her bangs even swept in the same way as Ken. She had an… unique eye color. Maroon? It was almost… reddish brown. Though something… nagged at Makoto. She couldn't put her finger on it, though…
But looking at the bright smile on Ken's face just… made Makoto sad. She had seen Ken smile, truly smile, and it always made her feel warm when she saw it. But it didn't quite match that smile in this photograph. Though she supposed that was just childhood innocence. Though he didn't deserve to have it stolen away from him so young…
"She's beautiful," Makoto finally said, handing the phone back to him. "And she really looks like you."
"A lot of people say that…" Ken said, shaking his head.
Better that than the disbelief she often got, when people found out that Sae was her older sister. She had gotten, You look nothing alike, all too often.
But something suddenly struct Makoto.
"But Ken, couldn't you have visited Port Island for Obon?"
Ken's smile was sad. "I couldn't," he said. "Not with Medjed, and worrying about Futaba-san…"
"Ken?"
"Truth be told, Shinjiro-san is out of town right now." Ken looked straight at her. "…He's at Port Island."
Makoto's eyes widened. "Ken… just how long has he been gone?"
"Three days."
Three days ago… That was the tenth. Makoto's heart sank. The tenth. The day they completed Futaba's Palace. If they had been a little faster, maybe Ken could've visited Port Island. Did he even have homesickness? But he had prioritized Futaba and Medjed over visiting Port Island.
Even though it hadn't been her call, Makoto couldn't help but feel guilty.
"Makoto, don't blame yourself for this." Ken gently placed a hand over her balled up fist. When had she started doing that…? "Or anyone else. Futaba's wellbeing is more important." He smiled slightly. "…It's okay, really."
His smile didn't reach his eyes. But Makoto didn't push it. She had a feeling that Ken would just… clam up about it, if she pushed things.
"Okay," Makoto said reluctantly. "Would you like to get lunch, then? I don't know if you ate before you left, but I had a pretty light breakfast this morning."
Surprise flashed in his eyes for a moment, only to be replaced by relief.
Then Ken nodded. "Sure. What do you have in mind?"
"Oh, let me take a look…"
Even as Makoto pulled up restaurants nearby on her phone, her mind was racing. She felt… that Ken needed to be made up to, somehow.
Well. Ken did need to be welcomed into the Phantom Thieves officially still. Maybe a party was in order…
Sunday, August 14th, 2016
"There's still no news on Isshiki, is there?"
Shinjiro sighed. Medjed, Medjed, Medjed.
He was just sick and tired of hearing people talk about it. You'd think that there would be other news to focus on, but no. When Aki had called him up, asking if he wanted to hang out, he hadn't expected to be brought into Mitsuru's penthouse. Or to be grilled about Isshiki's daughter.
"Far as I know of, no," he said. "But both Minato and Minako got knocked out for a week, didn't they?"
"Yeah, but isn't it different with them?" Aki asked, before he took a sip of his beer. "Because they're Wild Cards."
"There are too many… anomalies with her," Mitsuru admitted, before drumming her fingers along the tabletop.
Shinjiro just rolled his eyes. That was putting it lightly. Ken was starting to get seriously worried about Isshiki's daughter waking up. He hoped that she'd be able to recover.
Mitsuru then heaved out a sigh. "We hardly know much about Palaces, to begin with. But the fact that her Shadow had become her Persona… perhaps that could be a reason why things are so different here."
"Not really," Shinjiro deadpanned. "Ken told me that she kinda has shitty eating habits from what he saw. And doesn't exercise."
"No wonder that she's still sleeping then," Aki said. "Though they're running out of time… There's a week left."
"It is… rather odd, though," Mitsuru said.
"What do you mean, Mitsuru?" Aki asked, turning to look at her.
"Medjed's threat… feels more like baiting," Mitsuru said slowly, brushing a stray strand of hair out of her face. "Only a week passed after Kaneshiro's downfall, and then they come out with this? Why? Why didn't they speak out earlier?"
"Well, Kaneshiro kinda brought them under the radar," Aki pointed out. "I mean, a school teacher isn't much, even if he was an abusive asshole. And a plagiarizing artist, even one who was abusing his students… it's not extremely impressive."
"I suppose…" Mitsuru sighed, but she still sounded unsure. "Though I'm more concerned about Isshiki. Perhaps if I had…"
"Oi, Mitsuru, don't pull this again," Shinjiro cut her off.
It was better for everyone if he cut her off before she started to really think things over. She really thought of the what ifs and maybes way too much.
"You wanted to help her, but Shido was just being a pain in the ass. There wasn't anythin' you could do," Shinjiro pointed out.
He really had to nip her guilt in the bud. Though if he voiced it, Mitsuru would probably bring up his own issues with guilt.
"I suppose…" Mitsuru muttered, before resting her cheek in her hand. "I just wish there was something more I could have done…"
"Though…" Aki's brow suddenly furrowed, all while frowning deeply. "I am a bit worried about when she wakes up."
Mitsuru frowned, curiosity filling her red eyes. She then glanced at him.
"What are you talking about, Akihiko?" she inquired.
"She knows about the Phantom Thieves…" Aki said slowly, "and if she's Alibaba… she knows that Ken's a Shadow Operative."
…Shit. Shinjiro fought the urge to groan. Of all times for Aki to be right…
Mitsuru immediately sat up, panic filling her face. "I… I didn't think about that, but Akihiko's right. What are we going to do about that?"
Dammit… He should've known there would have been consequences to Ken's choice…
"I think… Ken will just have to play dumb." Shinjiro grimaced. "The Shadow Operatives are a secret organization. What would a high school student have to do with that?"
He then sighed heavily, before rubbing his face. What a pain. He couldn't blame for Ken wanting to help but ugh. Shinjiro couldn't help but feel irritated at the situation. He couldn't blame Isshiki's daughter for wanting to know more about her mom, but this put them in a complicated situation.
"I'll have to warn Ken when I get back to Tokyo," he muttered out.
He just hoped that Ken would be able to keep up the front…
"If Isshiki doesn't awaken by then," Mitsuru said doubtfully, pursing her lips together. "Granted, there's only two more days, but still…"
"Fine, I'll talk to him about it when I call tonight," Shinjiro grumbled.
They could just hightail it back to Port Island, but it'd look too suspicious. Dammit. And Isshiki's daughter wanted to know about Isshiki's research. They knew of her research, the gist of it. But they didn't know the gritty details. But Isshiki's daughter… she didn't know that. And she was determined as hell. There was no way she'd accept an excuse.
"Though, Shinjiro…" Mitsuru began. "…Have you gotten the chance to visit the Meta-verse?"
"Nope." Shinjiro took the moment to take a drink. "Why would I?"
"Why wouldn't you—Shinjiro!"
"I know what my name is, Mitsuru," Shinjiro deadpanned.
"Stop picking on her." Aki elbowed him on the side, shooting him a look.
Shinjiro rolled his eyes, unable to stop the twinge of annoyance. He could guess what Aki was gonna say.
"But seriously, Shinji, you've been there for two months, and you're seriously telling me that you haven't asked Ken to show you the Meta-verse or anything?" Aki incredulously asked.
Shinjiro sighed, feeling a headache going on.
Not this again. He could respect his friends' decision, but he didn't like getting bugged about this.
"You know I don't like getting involved with Shadows. The last time I got involved was because somebody—" he stared at the other two, "—got their asses kidnapped, and someone had to save them."
"Shinjiro, your Persona… it's stable," Mitsuru argued, after a quick glare for the mention of the Sho Minazuki incident. "It's been stable ever since Castor became Aeneas. You don't have to be afraid about losing control again—"
"That ain't it," Shinjiro cut her off. He then sighed. "Look, I ain't like you, Mitsuru."
He had only joined SEES the first time, because Aki seriously didn't know what he was getting into. Somebody had to watch his gung-ho ass. Mitsuru had to twist his arm to agree to being listed on the Shadow Operatives database, when the organization was founded in 2011. After all of the shit with Tartarus, he just wanted to move past that. Sure, he'd step up if his friends got into some deep shit, but he already dodged death once. Going for a second time would be pushing it.
"And if Amada needs you?" Mitsuru countered, raising an eyebrow. "Would you change your mind then?"
Shinjiro just scowled at her. He didn't need to confirm something that Mitsuru already knew. Sometimes he didn't know who was more annoying about being able to read him, Mitsuru or Minako.
"B-But anyways…" Aki cleared his throat. "Um, Mina decided that she wanted to find out the gender after all. At the last visit to the doctor."
…Was an obvious way to change the subject, but whatever.
"Oh?" Mitsuru raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"
Aki answered, "We're uh… we're having a girl."
Aki fidgeted for a moment, before an almost goofy smile spread across his face.
"Still haven't picked a name, though," he added.
"Would've thought you'd go for Miki," Shinjiro said.
Aki didn't look surprised, before he shook his head. "Nope… I thought about it, but I've decided that I want my kids to have their own identities. Mina agrees too. We won't name any boys we have after Minato."
"Already planning for more, Aki?"
"Oh, shuddup, Shinji." Aki halfheartedly punched him in the shoulder. "What about you? Have you even gotten your hands on a ring yet?"
"…Sorta." Shinjiro dug out the velvet box, sliding it to Aki.
Aki popped it open, raising an eyebrow. "Hey, this is pretty nice. Kinda vintage, though. Where did you get it from?"
"That's… Amada's mother's ring, is it not?" Mitsuru tilted her head, studying it closely. "Yes… I'm sure of it."
He should've figured that Mitsuru had sorted through Ken's inheritance.
"It was… Ken's birthday present to me this year." Shinjiro let out a frustrated sigh. "He wrote me a note and everything. Threatened to just throw it away if I try to give it back."
He shook his head, letting out a little huff. It was just… utterly unexpected. He knew how much Ken still revered his mom, so he never would've expected this coming.
"That kid can be stubborn as a mule when he wants to be…" he grumbled out.
"And who do you think Amada learned it from?" Mitsuru closed her eyes, all while a smile formed on her lips. "You can give Amada a run for his money… by far."
"Tch, you're one to talk," Shinjiro retorted, before he rolled his eyes at her. "Remember your whole 'I must take on my family's burden on my own' shtick?"
Mitsuru opened her eyes to glower at him, before biting out, "I do not sound like that, Shinjiro. Where on earth did you get that from?"
"I dunno, Mitsuru, I think it's not as far off as you think," Aki said, his face breaking into a grin.
Shinjiro snorted as well. "You really don't remember what you were like, huh?"
"I was fifteen," Mitsuru said through gritted teeth. "I ought to execute you both for that implication…"
"Bring it on, Mitsuru," Shinjiro taunted with a smirk, even as all color drained from Aki's face.
Ken just stared blankly at his friends gathered at the door. "Um… is something the matter?"
"We're gonna do your welcome party now, man!" Ryuji-san cheered, smiling brightly before pumping his fist. "Plus we've gotta make up for your birthday too!"
"T-That's not really necessary—" Ken began to protest, only to be cut off.
"Denied!" Anne-san announced.
Ken blinked, before uttering, "What?"
"Your protests have been denied," Anne-san said, hands on her hips. "We welcome every member of the team, so that's what we're doing right now!"
"You're… not going to take no for an answer, are you?" Ken said slowly.
"Nope~!" Anne-san all but sang out, before she smiled sunnily at him. "Glad to see that you get the picture!"
…God, she was really channeling Minako-san right now…
Ken just shook his head. But despite himself, a smile tugged at his lips. It was pretty nice of them… And honestly, he's been feeling restless lately… Though he couldn't help but notice that Makoto-san looked somewhat… nervous, with how she was fidgeting and biting her lower lip. Like she was gauging his reaction.
He sighed softly before he opened the door further and stepped aside to let everyone in.
"I still can't get over this place," Ryuji-san said, flopping onto the sofa.
"Indeed, its aesthetic is rather off," Yusuke-san said absently.
Ryuji-san shot him an incredulous look. "Uh, that wasn't what I meant."
"I stopped by the video rental shop, and grabbed a few movies." Ren-san waved a plastic bag at Ken. "Dunno what your taste is exactly."
"Ooh, did you get Bubbly Hills?" Anne-san asked, her eyes growing bright. "I loved it the first time we watched it together!"
"Why would Ken want to watch a stupid romcom?" Ryuji-san scoffed, rolling his eyes at Anne-san. "Action is where it's at!"
"Just because you don't like romcoms doesn't mean everyone does!" Anne-san retorted, hands flying to her hips.
"Come on, you guys—" Makoto-san began to say, but she was cut off.
"And besides, what's so fun about watching buildings blow up?!" Anne-san said.
"Pretty sure Ken would side with me!" Ryuji-san fired back.
"He would not!" Anne-san shot back, before turning to look at him. "Right, Ken?"
Ken just sighed, pressing a hand to his forehead. Those two could be just as bad as Junpei-san and Yukari-san… And they just had to drag him into their little argument…
(But for the record, he hated romantic comedies.)
"Come on, don't argue," Makoto-san chided. "And don't drag Ken into your argument…"
The two juniors just grumbled, before Ren-san shot his best friend and girlfriend a playful smirk. Anne-san responded by sticking her tongue out at him.
"But either way…" Ken began, "we could watch a movie. Or…"
"Or what?" Yusuke-san asked, raising an eyebrow.
"We have an entertainment room," Ken explained. "I thought you'd might enjoy that more—"
"Holy shit, are you for real?!" Ryuji-san gasped, his eyes growing wide. "Where?!"
Ren-san grinned, as he was the only one who had been inside the entertainment room before.
"Yeah, that was pretty fun." He glanced at Makoto-san. "We have got to teach Makoto about Nario Kars."
"Nario… Kars…?" Makoto-san repeated slowly. "It's that racing game, right?"
"You already have tons of experience with knocking people outta your way. You'll be a total natural!" Ryuji-san snickered.
"H-Hey, those are Shadows, not people!" Makoto-san protested, before her cheeks went pink.
Teddie-san would be so offended if he heard that. He'd probably say something along the lines of… "Shadows are people, too!" Now that he thought about it… Teddie-san wouldn't take too well to the Shadow negotiations. Or maybe he'd be happy because more cognizant Shadows…
…Maybe he should stop thinking about this.
"But the room's the one all the way down this hallway," Ken pointed to the hallway that held the entertainment room and laundry room (as well as a couple of other rooms).
"Sweet!" Ryuji-san's face broke into a grin. "Come on, let's see what they have!"
"I don't know how to play these video games, though…" Poor Yusuke-san looked bewildered at the whole conversation.
"We'll teach you then!" Anne-san chirped, grabbing his arm and already tugging him down the hallway. "Come on!"
Morgana sighed. "Not that I can enjoy that. I really wish I could return to my human form already…"
"Oh, Morgana…" Makoto-san sighed. "We'll just have to keep exploring Mementos…"
"Mementos?" Ken repeated.
"It's where we clear the smaller requests posted on the Phan-Site," Morgana explained. "Have you met Mishima? He's a friend of Ren's. A second-year at Shujin like Ren, Lady Anne, and Ryuji. He runs the website."
That was pretty impressive. Anything programming related was beyond him. He remembered Fuuka-san attempting to teach him, after he showed some interest in some of her projects. It… hadn't turned out well. It was like Fuuka-san was speaking French to him.
"Can't say I have," Ken admitted.
Mishima… hm. Doesn't ring a bell.
"Though from what I've heard, Ren does tend to let the requests build up," Makoto-san said. "We may be waiting a little longer..."
Morgana then sighed. "I'll just… watch them play, I guess… I have nothing better to do."
Ken winced, as guilt suddenly twinged inside of him. He didn't realize just how alienating it'd be for Morgana. Maybe he shouldn't have suggested it in the first place, but he wanted to break up Ryuji-san and Anne-san's arguing.
"Though we do have some fish in the freezer, Morgana," Ken said, "Do you want some later?"
Morgana's face lit up at his suggestion, immediately perking up. Ken had to stifle the urge to chuckle—he doubted that Morgana would appreciate that.
"Can I, really?"
"It's the least I can do." Ken glanced over to Makoto-san, after Morgana thanked him and darted after the juniors. "Are you planning on joining them?"
"Maybe later…" Makoto-san chewed on her lip for a moment, before her eyes flicked to Ken.
She looked nervous still. She opened her mouth several times, only to quickly shut it.
After several attempts, Ken quickly cut in. "Is something the matter?"
Makoto-san pursed her lips, before glancing towards him nervously.
"Um, Ken… I know that we kinda jumped this on you but I couldn't stop thinking about us being the reason why you couldn't visit home… So I thought…" she trailed off after that, but Ken could guess what she was going to say.
"You're not intruding or bothering me, Makoto-san." Ken gave her a reassuring smile. "It was… thoughtful of you."
It was kind of her. He remembered seeing how guilty she had become.
"Things have been… rather monotonous lately," he admitted, rubbing his arm for a moment.
"They'll do that to you," Makoto mused, a fond smile forming on her face. "Even though they can be so… rambunctious sometimes."
Ken raised an eyebrow, shooting her an amused look. "Uh huh. Like you're one to talk, Miss Fists of Justice."
Makoto-san blushed, before she smiled sheepishly. "It… It just comes out, okay?"
When Makoto-san smiled like that, it was… endearing. It was often shy… almost hesitant. But it made her entire face light up. Just looking at it made him feel warm. Sometimes Ken still found it mind-boggling to see Queen and Makoto were one and the same, but it suited her in a way. He could understand the need of hiding a certain facet of your personality…
"You don't have to be embarrassed about it," Ken said with a wry smile. "There's nothing wrong with having a little fun while fighting Shadows."
He couldn't help but think of how Junpei would sometimes yell: "Junpei has leveled up!" during Tartarus runs.
"I suppose it's just hard to remind myself of that," Makoto-san sighed out, wrapping an arm around herself. "Even though it's been nearly two months since I've awakened to Johanna."
Then she suddenly blinked.
"Oh… we met a little over two months ago," she mused.
At Ken's questioning look, she blushed slightly, before tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.
"I was just thinking that it does feel longer than that," she admitted with a sheepish smile. "That I've known you longer."
Well… she was right. Minako-san's visit felt so long ago, almost a lifetime ago.
Had it really been a few weeks since he joined the Phantom Thieves? It had honestly blurred together. Even though they had only spent a few days in the Palace, it felt like they had been worrying about Futaba-san for ages, far longer than just a couple weeks.
He hoped that she woke up soon, even if… that could also lead to some issues. Ignoring the Medjed problem, he just wanted her to be okay.
"Ken?"
Ken looked up, to see Makoto-san looking at him in concern. Ken winced. He had completely zoned out, hadn't he?
"It's nothing." He quickly gave her a smile that he hoped was reassuring. "I was just thinking that you were right."
"Am I that boring to talk to?" Makoto-san joked lightly.
Ken's eyes widened before waving his hands at her. He didn't want her to get that impression at all.
"No, not at all!" he said hastily. "It's just—"
He pursed his lips.
"I was just thinking about Futaba-san. I hope she wakes up soon."
Makoto-san smiled softly, before placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Try not to worry about her so much. I know we're all worried about her, but don't stress yourself out over this," she said with a kind smile.
Ken gave a little sigh. "I'll try—"
"Heyyy!"
The sudden call from Anne-san made them both jump and Makoto-san jerked her hand off of Ken's shoulder.
"Jeez, what's taking you guys so long?" she huffed, hands on her hips. "Ren challenged me to a dance-off on the BBR machine, and everyone else is gonna be judging! Come on!"
"Should've known that you and Ren-san would be insanely good dancers." Ken shook his head.
"Well, yeah, but I'm gonna leave him in the dust!" Anne-san boasted, pressing a hand against her chest.
"We'll see about that, Anne!" Ren-san called back, his voice muffled from the distance.
Ken huffed at that, before rolling his eyes.
"It's rude to eavesdrop, Ren," Anne-san shot back as she scowled. Then she whipped around to look at Ken and Makoto-san. "But come onnnn! Let's get started!"
"Honestly…" Makoto-san sighed. "They're all such a handful."
"Yeah, but would you have it any other way?" Ken asked, quirking a brow at her.
Makoto smiled, before shaking her head. "No."
"So… you really haven't explained what exactly happened between you and Makoto."
Anne twirled one of her pigtails, watching her boyfriend rummage through the drinks they brought and selecting one. They had spent nearly an hour competing with each other on the BBR machine. But they were both tired… and very thirsty from all the dancing.
It was just amazing how there was a room completely dedicated to games. It was like… a haven to her. She preferred playing on handhelds, but still.
Ren looked at her, before he nodded.
"I haven't," he agreed, before motioning for her to join him at the dinner table.
Anne sat next to him, looking at him expectantly.
"Makoto and I started hanging out, but then she asked me to help her stake out Shinjuku," he explained. "To follow some rumors. We ended up meeting Eiko Takao, who's a third-year like her and Ken. Makoto found out that she was dating a host, and she tried to warn Eiko about the dangers, but she wouldn't listen. She said that Makoto was inexperienced with romance, so she wouldn't understand."
"Ouch." Anne winced. "That was kinda mean of her to say that."
Just… there was nothing wrong with being inexperienced with dating. And Makoto was just trying to look out for this Eiko girl…
Ren frowned. "Yeah, she's not exactly the most tactful person.
Ren then explained that Makoto asked Ren to pose as her boyfriend, and asked Eiko to do a double date with them and Eiko's boyfriend. And that they went on their first "date" at the diner, which was probably what Anne had seen.
Anne looked at him cautiously.
"So you don't see Makoto in that kind of light… at all?"
She fiddled with her hair again, looking down at the table. She found it a little embarrassing to look at Ren right now. He had told her that he had eyes for nobody but her but…
Anne mumbled out, "I mean, you had to pretend that you were her boyfriend…"
Ren just laughed softly, making Anne look up. He was shaking his head, his eyes glimmering with amusement. He took her head, lightly squeezing it.
"…No. I don't," he spoke with such confidence that it caught Anne off guard.
He twirled a strand of his hair, drawing Anne's attention. It was a tic that Ren had—he did it when he was in deep thought or trying to think of how to phrase something.
"Really, Makoto's more like a nagging older sister to me. Like, when I first asked her if she wanted to hang out… she wanted to know how my grades were first. She thought that if they weren't high enough… I should focus more on studying."
Anne sighed, shaking her head. "That sounds a lot like her. Remember how she was tutoring Ryuji before our summer exams happened?"
Ren nodded in agreement. Anne did appreciate Makoto's help, but there was just no way that Anne could ever match her in smarts.
Ren then met her gaze. "And it just… didn't feel right, either. It was weird to just pretend. So you don't have to worry about Makoto or any other girl, I promise."
Anne's breath caught at his declaration, her eyes growing wide.
Ren smiled warmly at her. It was like Anne had drunk a cup of hot cocoa. Ren's smile made her feel warm all the way down to the tip of her toes.
Ren's fingers tightened around Anne's hand. "You didn't quite have me at love at first sight, but my attention has always been on you."
Anne drew her hand away, feeling her face flush. Even though he had said those incredibly sweet words to her last Thursday, she still had a hard time wrapping her mind around it.
"How… How can you say those kind of things without even blushing?" she finally grumbled out.
Ren just flashed a smirk at her. "Because it's me."
"So modest." Anne rolled her eyes at him. "But um… how long do you think that we will have to date in secret?"
Ren's expression grew somber. "…I don't know," he admitted. "Makoto's still gathering info on Tsukasa—the guy Eiko's dating. I'm hoping it's not that much longer, but we'll have to see how it goes…"
He then sighed, before uncertainty flashed in his eyes. But then his next statement made Anne wince.
"Not to mention the whole thing with Medjed…"
Anne winced. "I… I hope Futaba-chan can help us… Or else we'll have to give up our identities…"
She tried to not think about how her parents would react to that kind of news…
"No."
"No?" Anne parroted, before she looked at him in confusion.
"You won't," Ren said, his expression suddenly steeling. "If worse comes to worse… I'll go to the police and turn myself in. Hopefully they'll be satisfied with the leader."
"WHAT?!" Anne clamped her hand over her mouth, even as panic washed over her.
That… came out a lot louder than she had wanted.
"Anne…"
"Don't 'Anne' me, Ren Amamiya!" Anne stood up and dropped his hand.
She stomped over to him and poking him hard in the chest. Anne's chest suddenly felt tight.
"You can't… You can't just give yourself up like that!" she choked out.
"My future is pretty bleak, Anne." Ren shrugged, as if it was just a fact of life.
That statement made her heart sink. She could recall Ren talking about his past to the boys, back at the hotpot party. He still didn't feel that helpless, did he?
"Nobody will want to accept a criminal in a good university, and that means no good job… Anne, I've seen you at your best. You would have a bright future as a model. Yusuke has his talents as an artist. Ryuji could easily become an athlete again. Makoto and Ken, they're both pretty damn smart. You saw that they tied for first at exams, didn't you?"
"That is not true!" Anne said fiercely. "Shujin is a well-known school! You're smart! You're amazing, too, Ren! Any university would be lucky to have you! It's not fair for you to just throw your life away just to protect us!"
"It is," Ren contradicted. "You guys are the first real friends I've made… It'll be worth it, if I can protect you guys."
"We're a group, Ren," Anne fired back. "If one goes down, we all go down. We've been hell or high water from the start."
She then seized one of his hands, holding them in her two hands. Anne looked at him with begging eyes.
"Ren… promise me you won't turn yourself in just to protect us."
"Anne…" Ren looked taken aback by her plea.
"Please!" she begged, her grasp on his hand tightening.
Tears were beginning to prick at her eyes. The idea of losing Ren—never getting to see him again because he had turned himself in to the police—was terrifying.
"I don't… I don't want to lose you," she confessed. "You promised that you wouldn't leave me, remember?"
Ren's eyes softened, before he sighed. He ran an agitated hand through his hair.
"All right. You win, Anne," he relented. Then he gave her an apologetic smile. "Sorry for scaring you like that."
Anne bit her lip. "It's okay, Ren… Just please don't scare me like that again…"
They still had a week left to go. It would be fine. Futaba would wake up in time… right?
Tuesday, August 16th, 2016
"So... how was the trip?"
Shinjiro-san dropped his duffel bag on the coffee table, before answering. "Nothing too special."
He then sank down onto the loveseat. Ken looked at him expectantly. He could hear a but in his guardian's words.
"But it was pretty tense with people freaking over Medjed. The summer festival was cancelled."
Ken's eyes widened. "They did? I didn't think people would be panicking so far away…"
Shinjiro-san shook his head. "Port Island isn't that far away. It's not like it's in Hokkaido. But yeah." Shinjiro-san rubbed his face. "People are panicking. It's… weird. Almost cult-like, with how they're talking about whether or not the Phantom Thieves are gonna take action."
"I think that's a bit of an exaggeration," Ken protested. "I've overheard a little but… it's not like we're doing anything bad. Not… Not like the Cult of Nyx."
Not that Shinjiro-san had the joy of experiencing that. But he was well acquainted with Strega, more acquainted than the rest of them, really…
Shinjiro-san inhaled for a moment, before looking back at Ken.
"Right. Sorry. But Fuuka's been taking care of your mom's grave pretty well. We made some mochi for her as an offering."
"I'm glad to hear that," Ken said, giving him a thankful smile. But that quickly faded as a thought struck him. "I hope Mitsuru-san hasn't been stressing so much about everything, though..."
Shinjiro-san scoffed before rolling his eyes. "Have you met Mitsuru? She's still blaming herself with Isshiki's daughter. Speaking of that… Is she still asleep?"
"Far as I know... yeah," Ken confirmed with a nod of his head. "The group chat has been asking Ren about her every day."
"Figures," Shinjiro-san muttered, absently rubbing his arm. "But I know that we talked 'bout this before but..."
Ken exhaled. "Do we really need to talk about Futaba-san again?" he asked quietly.
Shinjiro-san reminding him about that little problem hadn't been fun on Sunday night. It was quite a problem. Even if he made a point to never be alone with Futaba-san, given with what Sakura-san has told him about her, she may just blurt it out in front of everyone.
And that would be simply disastrous. If the truth came out like that, they would be rightly furious, they'd probably hate him for hiding the truth from him. And just the thought of it made Ken's insides twist.
Shinjiro-san said flatly, "She hacked your phone."
Shinjiro-san rested his hands on his knees, looking at him seriously.
"She's probably hellbent on finding out what you know. She wants to know what the hell happened to Isshiki's research. What it was, since I doubt she knows the full extent, given how she was barely a teenager when Isshiki died."
"But I didn't even know..." Ken muttered. "Not until you and Mitsuru-san explained things to me."
Shinjiro-san sighed. "She doesn't know that. And she's at least sorta informed 'bout what Isshiki researched, from what you told me. She'll probably assume that you know 'specially since you're older."
Ken bit his lip. How much did Futaba-san even know about the Shadow Operatives? What had Isshiki-san known, if she was a former Kirijo scientist? Had Futaba-san even met any of them in person?
But… maybe he could use the same tactic as before.
"What if... I gave her some half-truths?" Ken suggested tentatively. "Like SEES was meant to fight Shadows that lived on Port Island... The Shadow Operatives is SEES's successor…"
It was sad that telling half-truths was the closest he'd get. But he seriously doubted that anyone would take it well if he did tell the truth.
Shinjiro-san folded his arms over his chest, thinking it over. Ken fidgeted nervously as his guardian seemed to mull it over.
"Mitsuru doesn't want civilians to know about us," Shinjiro-san said finally. "But I don't know if you really have a choice, like with the Phantom Thieves giving you the third degree after Kaneshiro's Palace blew up."
He then heaved out a sigh. Ken frowned.
So… this was really his only option.
Now that he had to just think what exactly to say to Futaba-san...
"You know, I would've been fine with another cookbook." Shinjiro-san's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
He had the velvet box out now, it resting in the center of his palm.
"Seriously, it's a nice present and all, but it was your mom's. Don't you wanna keep it?" Shinjiro-san asked.
"What am I going to do with a ring now?" Ken looked at him flatly. "Shinjiro-san, I am serious about throwing the ring into the trash if you try to give it back to me."
"Fine, fine, you win," Shinjiro-san finally gave in, letting out an exasperated sigh.
He tucked the ring box away. Ken smiled, pleased. He was glad that he could convince Shinjiro-san to keep the ring and use it to propose to Fuuka-san.
"I just thought you'd might want to keep it as a memento, at the very least," his guardian grumbled out.
Ken started to shake his head, but one word made him remember his short conversation with Morgana.
"That reminds me. I found out where the Phantom Thieves have been fulfilling those small requests, the ones on the Phan-Site."
For some reason, Shinjiro-san suddenly smirked.
Ken then faltered. "What? Did I say something wrong?"
"It's not that." Shinjiro-san waved his hand, his smirk deepening for some reason. "Have you checked the website lately?"
"Um… no?" Ken said slowly.
A sudden snicker escaped Shinjiro-san. "Someone requested Mitsuru. Claiming that she was abusing her power as CEO. Minako seems to think a business rival or something had submitted her name to eliminate her as a threat."
…What.
"Are they really this stupid?" Ken thought with incredulity.
Mitsuru-san had established herself as an anomaly. She donated several million yen to charities, she pushed for Gekkoukan to accept more scholarships, targeting students from poor or broken families, she was known to treat her employees well…
"Mitsuru-san must have been thrilled," Ken said dryly.
"She went into the training room and froze all of the dummies before attacking them with her rapier," Shinjiro-san said. "Minako had to go in and calm her down."
"Minako-san really is the best person for that," Ken muttered.
"Pretty much." Shinjiro-san then got to his feet and stretched. "Fuuka's gonna visit again next week, by the way."
He said so nonchalantly that it took Ken aback.
He stared blankly at Shinjiro-san. "Wasn't last time an emergency?"
"It'll be short, like last time." Shinjiro-san shrugged. "'Sides, Takeba's got that fan event coming up at the near end of the month, and Fuuka would like to see her. And the twins."
Oh. Right. He had completely forgotten about that.
This fan event was going to be one of Yukari-san's last. After the new season concluded at the end of the year, she was leaving. She was planning on moving back to Port Island, because her schedule now made her insanely busy, sometimes rivalling Mitsuru-san at times. She said she didn't want to miss more of the twins' childhoods.
It just had slipped his mind, with him worrying about Futaba-san.
Shinjiro-san snorted. "I can't believe you forgot. I still remember when Takeba had surprised you with that tour of the area for your birthday. You nearly passed out when the whole group gave you that autographed poster."
"I was fourteen!" Ken protested. "And the poster was a limited edition, meant to commemorate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the franchise! And nobody gave me a warning!"
Shinjiro-san just smirked. "You do know what the meaning of surprise, right?"
"That's… you…" Ken glowered at him.
Ugh. Why did everyone take such joy from teasing him?
Shinjiro-san just smirked, before mussing up Ken's hair. "Never gets old."
Ken just scowled at him before smacking his hand away. He then began to smooth his hair back to how it was originally. "Shouldn't you be getting some rest?"
"I dunno, this is pretty relaxing."
"Not to me!" Ken protested.
"That ain't my problem, then."
"…I'm going back to my room."
Friday, August 19th, 2016
Futaba had been asleep for nine days. Nine. It was officially getting ridiculous.
He had promised Anne that he wouldn't turn himself in, but Ren was afraid of the consequences for everyone if he didn't.
Ren sighed to himself, rubbing his temples. He was the leader. He had to do something. Because hell would freeze over before he let anything bad happen to his friends. Morgana suddenly crawled into his lap, rubbing his head against his arm but Ren barely registered it.
"Are you really brooding?"
Ren jumped at the sudden voice. Standing at the top of the stairs was Ken, all while smiling wryly.
"Ken?" Ren tilted his head. "…What are you doing here?"
"Just thought I'd come by." Ken shrugged. "Sakura-san just gave me the okay to come up here. It's okay if you're not free today, though."
Ren rubbed the back of his head. "I don't mind. What do you want to do?"
"How about… a video game?" Ken offered. "I don't have much experience with retro games, though."
"I'll be your senpai in this field, then," Ren quipped. "Come on."
Ken just rolled his eyes but joined him on the floor. "So what games do you have?"
"Star Forneus and Gambla Goemon," Ren answered, as he connected the console to the TV set and booted both up.
"Goemon?" Ken raised an eyebrow. "Like Yusuke's Persona? And isn't Forneus a Persona too?"
"Is it?" Ren frowned. "Forneus, I mean. Haven't run into that one yet." But then he shrugged. "But anyways, Forneus is more fun. It's one of those starship games. You know, at the arcade?"
"The arcade… at Port Island didn't quite have retro games," Ken commented.
He accepted the game controller Ren handed him.
"We had a haunted house, a photo booth, a quiz game…"
"Sounds kinda boring to me," Ren said as the game came to life on the screen. "What did you even do on Port Island, if your video games suck like that?"
Ken rolled his eyes at him before starting up the level.
"We had a karaoke place. The arcade had more games, I just didn't really go to the arcade. I have a couple of video game consoles, so… why spend money at an arcade? I did both soccer club and student council up until the school year started up this past April."
"You're helping Makoto with student council, aren't you?" Ren asked as he watched Ken play.
He fumbled for a few seconds but since this was level one, he didn't die from the delay.
"What made you quit?" Ren asked.
"I thought I should focus on my studies," Ken said absently, his eyes focused on the screen. "I wanted to get the grades so I would be accepted into Tokyo University."
"What are you aiming to be, a doctor?" Ren asked, eyebrow quirked. "You do have the experience, with your healing abilities… And you do have the discipline for studying to become one."
"Nope. I want to study to become a defense attorney."
Huh. A defense attorney? Somehow, it was kinda fitting. Ren couldn't quite put his finger on why though.
"And yet, you're a Phantom Thief now," Ren remarked. "But becoming an attorney… it won't be easy."
Ken just hummed in agreement. "That's why I wanted to become one. One of my senpai—Shinjiro-san's best friend, works as a police officer. And some of the things I've heard over the years… I want to give people wrongfully accused a voice."
Huh. This was kinda a surprise. Ken was rather pragmatic minded. Sometimes Ren thought that he was more levelheaded than Makoto, since Makoto had some… hotheaded moments. But at the same time, he was surprisingly… optimistic.
"What about you, though?" Ken suddenly asked. "Anything in mind?"
"I haven't really thought about it," Ren admitted, watching the animation of the mothership imploding. "Kinda hard, with my future being so unsure."
"Don't talk like that."
"Huh?"
Ken then paused the game, turning to look at him
He said sternly, "You don't have to demean yourself… I saw your score for the exam. You ranked number five in your year for this exam. You're smart… you're charismatic… Who knows? Maybe you're a politician in the making."
"Me, a politician?" Ren said in disbelief. "You're joking, right? A politician is the reason why I'm here in the first place. He indirectly caused me to awaken to my Persona."
Ken just arched an eyebrow. "It'd be a good way to give him a middle finger, wouldn't it?"
Ren just laughed. That was rather blunt, but given how Shinjiro-san didn't mince words… maybe it shouldn't be such a surprise.
"Yeah, good one, Ken. That idea—it's crazy, if you ask me," he stated.
"It's just a thought." Ken shrugged. "You're already trying to create change. You're laying a good foundation already."
Just… him? A politician? Sure, it'd be great to be in power, to change things so that there wouldn't be a reason for the Phantom Thieves to be created. But nobody would give him the chance. No way in hell.
"Riiiight, and Akechi is gonna join the Phantom Thieves." Ren snorted. "I'll be lucky if I make it to the end of the school year and complete my probation."
Ken suddenly leaned over and swatted him at the back of his head. Ren yelped. That swat actually stung a little.
"What did I say earlier?" he scolded, narrowing his eyes.
Ren grumbled at that, but Ken's next words made him sit up.
"And you will. Especially since you're like them… you'll probably accomplish the impossible, if you set your mind to it."
Wait. Them? Just who was Ken referring to?
"What are you talking about?"
Ken froze for a moment, looking like a deer in headlights.
"Nothing!" he said hastily. "Don't mind me."
Hmm. Ken had told him before that he reminded Ken of… someone he knew. And now this person had done the impossible…? Just what was that supposed to mean?
RANK UP! Adjustment Confidant has reached Rank 5.
Veteran Talk: If Ren fails in Shadow negotiation, Ken may step in and allow for another chance.
Obon has been previously mentioned, during a discussion between Shinji and Fuuka. Obon is a Buddhist holiday, meant to honor deceased ancestors. And given that all of the main cast come from a broken family in some kind of degree, I thought it should have a small focus in this story.
And yes, Shinji has an ultimate Persona in this story. Shinji mentions in PQ that he doesn't want Castor to change, so he doesn't forget Ken's mother's death. But since Shinji and Ken have long made amends and have moved past October fourth for the most part, I think that would merit Shinji gaining a new resolution.
Until next time! And happy holidays, everyone!