Chapter 20
Aloha!
Wednesday, September 7th, 2016
Group Chat: Former SEES
[Junpei Iori]: Dude, the fact that Shujin gets to go to HAWAII of all places
[Junpei Iori]: IS SUPER UNFAIR
[Minako Sanada]: I've gotta say I'm kinda jelly :(
[Yukari Takeba]: Why are you complaining…?
[Yukari Takeba]: I mean, we went to Yakushima. Multiple times!
[Junpei Iori]: BUT HAWAII YUKA-TAN
[Junpei Iori]: HAWAII!
[Yukari Takeba]: ugh you're unbelievable -_-
[Akihiko Sanada]: Ken, you should try and set an alarm! Get up then, so you don't get jet lag
…Leave it to Akihiko-san to say that. Ken shook his head, before tapping out a reply and then stowing away his phone. He wouldn't be missing out on much.
"So… where exactly are we going?" Ren asked, catching his attention. "Hawaii has multiple islands, doesn't it?"
Makoto glanced at him, before answering, "Oahu. It's where the capital Honolulu is at. There are some historical landmarks, such as Pearl Harbor."
"Pearl Harbor, huh…" Ren winced.
Ken couldn't help but join him in wincing. It wasn't… a pleasant part of history.
Ren then sighed. "Though I guess it makes sense that they'd pick that kind of area for a school trip. Gotta educate us somehow."
"At least they won't be dragging us from temple to temple, like we did last year." Ken rubbed the back of his neck. "Kyoto wasn't the most exciting place to go to. The hot springs were nice, at least."
…Though, at least he didn't have a traumatizing experience like Minato-san, Akihiko-san, and Junpei-san apparently had.
"You'd think an elite school like Gekkoukan would be able to come up with a better trip," Makoto mused.
"Well, sometimes Port Island is the school trip," Ken said. "One of Inaba's schools had a partnership of sorts with Gekkoukan, so they come to visit Port Island around October. There's been talks of a student exchange program, even."
"Port Island is pretty famous already," Makoto mused.
"Maybe we can visit someday," Ren suggested. "What do you think, Anne?"
Ren turned to her. Anne simply let out a yawn before she rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand.
"I'm so sleepy… Thank god that the flight is on time at least…" she mumbled out.
Ren just laughed, before wrapping an arm around her waist and then kissing the crown of her head. "You should sleep on the plane. It's what—six hours long?"
"More or less," Ken answered. "Miss Kawakami mentioned that it'll be around mid afternoon when we make it to the hotel. But that's no surprise. International flights are always late, to accommodate the time change."
"Jet lag is gonna suck though," Ren remarked.
Anne leaned against his shoulder to rest her head, even just for a little while.
"I don't even know what even is the time change, now that I think about it…" Ren said.
"Probably close to half a day," Ken sighed. "So better get ready for a long ride…"
Hawaii… A completely different country, even though Hawaii was separated from the main United States by the miles of ocean. Though, it'd be nice to take a little break from hearing about Phantom Thieves.
"Is there any change on Futaba's analysis, though?" Makoto asked. "It's a pity that Morgana couldn't come…"
"What, and get me busted for trying to smuggle a cat onto a plane?" Ren huffed out a laugh, before he shook his head.
"And yet you find it okay to sneak him to school," Ken said dryly.
"Hey, it's way easier to hide that," Ren retorted. "But seriously, my record can't take another hit. And Futaba promised me to take care of him while she works on decrypting whatever you had copied onto the drive for her."
Makoto winced. "That's true…"
"At least you managed to sneak Morgana into a theater," Ken mused. "Minato-san and Minako-san had tried with Koromaru, but they ended up getting kicked out of the theater."
Anne lifted her head from Ren's shoulder to snicker. "Everyone in SEES are dog people, huh?"
"It's hard not to love Koromaru." Ken shrugged.
"I can't argue with that logic." Anne giggled, pressing a hand to her cheek. "He must have been even cuter back then."
"I can't believe that an ordinary dog is a Persona-user, though…" Makoto shook her head. "The concept is just… mind boggling."
"Ren carts around a talking cat who can turn into a bus in the other world," Ken said dryly, raising an eyebrow at her. "How do you think I feel?"
"…Point taken," she conceded.
Makoto then raised an eyebrow at Ren and Anne.
"Though, I'd watch it if I were you. Our classmates will talk if you two continue to act like that. I know that the thing with Eiko cleared up, but I assumed that you would wait a little longer until you were open about your relationship..."
"Let them talk," Anne grumbled, tossing her head.
Ren just narrowly missed being smacked by one of her pigtails.
"They thought that Ren and I had a thing from day one, after all…"
"Well, I wouldn't go that far," Ren said.
He then smiled fondly at Anne.
"But I am looking forward to spending some free time with Anne. I mean, Hawaii is a top choice for honeymoons for a reason," he said, his tone turning flirtatious.
"More like that he was looking forward to seeing Anne in her swimsuit again," Ken snarked to himself.
Anne just playfully gave him a shove. "Watch it, mister."
Makoto coughed into her hand. "I don't mean to change the topic, but… where is Ryuji?"
Makoto took a quick look around, but Anne was the only blonde in the vicinity.
"He's late…" She frowned. "We'll have to check in soon…"
As if her words had summoned him, Ryuji suddenly appeared, all but tripping over his feet.
"Speak of the devil…" Ken muttered to Makoto.
"Crap, I'm sorry!" he gasped out, keeling over and grasping his knees, as he panted for air. "Didn't mean to make a mad dash like that…"
Makoto just folded her arms over her chest, staring at him sternly. "Where have you been?" she scolded.
Ken was honestly surprised that she wasn't tapping her foot out of impatience.
"Punctuality is a virtue, Ryuji," she said, her tone turning lecturing.
"Sorry, sorry…" He straightened up before he held up his hands. "I got too excited last night, couldn't sleep at all. So… I…"
He rubbed the back of his neck before letting out a sheepish chuckle.
"I kinda stayed up the whole night playing games…" he mumbled out.
"Really?" Anne shifted away from Ren, staring at him unamused. "Coming late on a day where we're getting away on a trip?"
Ken found himself staring at Ryuji's bag. Sure, Shinjiro-san had only packed a duffel bag when he visited Port Island in August, but he had some of his belongings back at the apartment on Port Island.
"Did you even pack enough, Ryuji?" Ken inquired.
"Whataya mean, Ken?" Ryuji scrunched up his face. "Dude, we're only staying four nights! This is plenty!"
To punctuate his point, he gave his bag a firm pat.
"He'll make it work," Ren said, with a shrug.
"See?" Ryuji slung an arm around Ren's shoulder with a wide grin. "I knew that RenRen would have my back!"
"Any time, buddy." Ren grinned at him in return.
Anne just turned unamused eyes onto her boyfriend, displeased with how he was enabling Ryuji's laziness. Ken just sighed to himself. Well, he hoped that Ryuji was right. For his sake.
"There you are." Miss Kawakami then approached them. "We'll be boarding the gate soon, so get ready."
"Yes, Miss Kawakami," they chorused.
Anne tugged on Ren's sleeve. "Let's take a selfie when we're in Hawaii!" she suggested. "It'll look really pretty!"
"Okay, okay," Ren laughed. "We will… in like eight hours."
"Ugh, don't remind me," Anne huffed.
Thursday, September 8th, 2016
They had finally made it. Going through customs was a huge pain, but it was a relief to finally climb off the bus and enter the hotel. And while the younger students got to relax a little, Miss Kawakami called all of the third-years to go over the itinerary and what they were expected to do, over the trip.
"That settles almost everything…"
Miss Kawakami ran her pencil along her clipboard, her lips pursed. Ken couldn't help but feel a little bad. She looked rather… stressed.
"We just need to settle rooming arrangements. The students will have to stick to people in their homeroom, but since the chaperones are much fewer in number… you can pick your roommate without that limitation. And while it'd be preferable that you have a roommate who is the same gender of you…"
Miss Kawakami glanced around, as there were more girls than boys, narrowing her eyes for a moment.
"I'll let it slide. Just don't try anything funny," she said flatly.
…Crap. He could already see a few of his female classmates staring at him like he was a piece of prime meat.
"That'll be all. Dismissed."
"Ken, do you want to room with me?" Makoto interjected the moment Miss Kawakami had walked away, earning a few irate glares from their female classmates, but Makoto ignored them.
Relief immediately flooded him.
"I'd love to."
He didn't want to have to deal with girls trying to latch onto him, so he was thankful that Makoto had been so quick about asking him.
"Okay, why don't we get our room key and then check up on the others?" Makoto suggested. "Somehow, I imagine that their picking out their roommate won't go as smoothly…"
"I just hope that Ren or Anne don't do anything like sneak into each other's room," Ken muttered.
Makoto's expression grew stern, before she folded her arms over her chest. "They better not… They'll have some explaining to do if that's the case."
"I'm sure they're not going to go that far," Ken said hastily, before he lowered his voice. "They've only been together for a month, after all."
And honestly, he'd prefer not to be privy on what exactly Ren and Anne have been doing. He had walked in on too many making out sessions to be comfortable with hearing about that kind of thing.
Sometimes he wished mind bleach was an actual thing. He could have really used that during a certain incident…
"I would hope so…" Makoto mumbled, almost under her breath. "They shouldn't even be considering that. There are too many factors to consider and we already have a lot on our plates…"
After checking up on the juniors, and promising to meet up later to explore the nearby area, they headed to their hotel room. It was rather nice, wide and spacious… topped off with a nice view of the beach.
"Wow, it looks so nice," Makoto breathed, gazing outside.
Ken had to agree with her. It definitely had a different look than Yakushima, with the palm trees swaying in the breeze, the gleaming white sand, and the clear blue ocean…
"I honestly didn't expect it to be this nice." She then chuckled. "It almost feels surreal. We're actually in Hawaii."
"Junpei-san was complaining that it wasn't fair on the group chat. Gekkoukan went to Kyoto both school trips for him." Ken laughed, perching on the edge of the bed closer to the exit.
"There's more than one school trip for Gekkoukan?" Makoto asked, before sitting next to him.
Ken nodded. "Yeah, second-years and third-years attend the same school trip."
Though speaking of that, the incident that happened when his senpai went to Kyoto for their school trip came to mind…
He then cleared his throat before looking to Makoto. "Um… look… if you need me to step out when you're… in the shower, I completely understand."
It would probably be for the better for them to set boundaries… He didn't want to do anything that made Makoto uncomfortable.
"No… no, that's not necessary." Makoto's expression softened as she turned to face him. "I know that you wouldn't dream of doing anything inappropriate… I trust you, Ken."
"Makoto…" Ken felt his face warm up, before looking away.
It felt… nice that she trusted him so implicitly.
"Um..." She fidgeted for a moment, before she nodded towards the door. "Shall we, then? Today's a free day, so I think it'd be nice to just spend time on the beach with everyone."
Ken nodded. "Yeah, let's go."
They returned to the lobby, where the juniors were lounging in the seating area. Ryuji was texting on his phone, while Anne had stolen Ren's glasses from him and was now currently wearing them. It looked almost comical on her, the glasses magnifying her eyes. Ren definitely pulled it off a lot better.
"I can see just fine, you know," she said. "Is your vision even bad?"
Ren snatched them back before sliding them back onto his face. "That's because they're just glass. I thought it would help me blend in. Jeez, I thought you knew."
Anne stuck her tongue out at him in response.
"At least you don't need them… at all," Ken said dryly.
"Oh, yeah, that's right…" Ren said. "When Anne and I met you for the first time, you were wearing reading glasses."
"Hey to you too," Ryuji snickered, before pocketing his phone.
Ken just shrugged. "Shinjiro-san claims that I shouldn't have spent so many nights staying up to study or work on student council tasks."
Ryuji snorted. "He kinda has a point, y'know."
Ken just stared at him. "And you were late to arrive at the airport, why?"
Ren snickered, before poking Ryuji in the side. "You walked right into that, Ryuji."
"Ugh, shuddup RenRen!" Ryuji retorted, which only made Ren smirk.
That was when a couple girls wearing the Shujin uniform passed by. They stopped at Ryuji's outburst, their eyes honing in on Makoto for some reason.
"I can't believe they asked her to chaperone," the taller of the two whispered, but they heard her perfectly clear. Some people just really didn't know how to whisper. "What were they thinking?"
"She's a total teacher's pet, that's why," her companion huffed. "I really hope she's not going to chaperone our group."
The first girl sniffed in disdain. "You'd think she'd stay at Shujin during all of this, with Kobayakawa in hot water."
Ken gritted his teeth, his hand clenching into a fist. From what he understood, Makoto had made a lot of mistakes with how she handled Kamoshida. But it was on the authority figures to deal with it, not hers. And she was deeply contrite once she had realized the truth. But either way, she didn't deserve to be badmouthed like that.
"Hey!" Ryuji leapt to his feet, glaring at the girls.
They jumped at his voice, and stared at him.
"How about you shut your damn—"
Makoto reached and grabbed his arm.
Makoto's voice was barely above a whisper. "Ryuji, don't." She was staring down at her lap. "…It's okay. Really."
Ryuji scowled, but reluctantly sat down.
"Whatever, Sakamoto," the first girl said with a scoff.
Her friend nudged her in the side, staring at Ken now. Ken couldn't help but feel uncomfortable.
"I hope that Amada-senpai is our chaperone, though. He's so cute," she whispered excitedly.
It took all of his willpower to not facepalm right then and there. It felt like he'd never escape that. Ugh. Not to mention… he'd never be interested in a girl who badmouthed Makoto.
"Let's go, guys," Anne interjected, shooting the girls a quick glare.
For someone as nice as Anne, she had one nasty glare.
"We have better things to do than hang around here, don't we?" she added.
"Yeah, we could be having fun now," Ren agreed, before standing up. "Let's go."
They left the hotel, though Makoto stayed awfully quiet.
"You didn't deserve that," Ken said, the moment they came to a stop under the shade of some palm trees.
"I don't know about that…" Makoto answered, folding her arms over her chest.
Her expression was rather guilty.
"I let down a lot of people. I should've known there was more to Kamoshida."
She gestured to Ren, Anne, and Ryuji.
"I let all three of you down."
"Makoto, stop," Ren interjected. "Would it be nice to get the fresh start at a new school? Yeah, it would've. But that was on Kamoshida, not you. You had no control over that!"
A bittersweet smile crossed Makoto's face. "But it did lead to me befriending you all, even if our start was rather… rocky. I am grateful for that. I know better now—I won't ever turn a blind eye again."
"Hey, we believe in ya!" Ryuji said cheerfully.
"Hehe…" Anne smiled brightly, giving Makoto's shoulder a light squeeze. "We're glad to have you."
"I just hope that neither of us have to chaperone those girls," Ken grumbled.
Their behavior left a bad taste in his mouth still, even if Makoto seemed to take it in stride.
"Though I've got a question…" Ren said, glancing at Makoto first and then Ken. "Which one of you are going to chaperone us during the class outings?"
Ken shifted on his feet. "Well, given the behavior of those girls, and how I doubt that they're in the minority… I think Makoto would be the better choice if Miss Kawakami gives us a choice."
Makoto's expression soured for some reason. "And girls taking the opportunity to harass you in hopes you'll find one of them attractive is better?"
Ken just sheepishly smiled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Okay, you have a point. Though it's nothing I've dealt with before…"
Makoto just scowled. "That doesn't make it okay. You're obviously not interested!"
"Hey, it might be divided in classes," Ryuji offered, before he abruptly slung an arm around Ken's shoulders. "I can protect Ken from the scary, terrifying girls who want him to take them out on a date."
"Your sacrifice is well appreciated, Ryuji," Ren said solemnly, placing a hand over his chest. "I wish you good luck on this task."
"Honestly, you two…" Makoto sighed, as their serious façade broke and they started to crack up.
"Aw, just let them have their fun," Anne laughed, before her eyes lit up.
She snagged her boyfriend's sleeve, giving a light tug. When Ren looked at her questioningly, she clarified.
"Ren, remember how I wanted to take a selfie of us in Hawaii? We should totally do it now!" she exclaimed.
"Good idea, Anne," Ren laughed, pulling out his phone.
"Will we be able to fit in though?" Makoto wondered.
"Eh, we'll be fine as long as we squish a lot," Ryuji said.
"We'll make it work!" Anne said, determination filling her face.
Ren was right though. It was a tight fit, but they finally managed it. Ren raised his phone in triumph.
"Say aloha!" he exclaimed.
"Aloha!"
Friday, September 9th, 2016
"YUSUKE?!"
Ryuji's outburst earned them a few (actually, several) stares. But Yusuke didn't seemed bothered by it.
"Overseas travel has been quite an eyeopener," he declared. "I do wish that we would be staying here longer."
"What are you doing here?!" Anne cried, her eyes wide with shock.
"Didn't you mention that your school would be going to Los Angeles?" Makoto asked with a frown.
Yusuke simply gave a shrug. "They apparently couldn't land on the west coast, due to a terrible storm. There were no signs of it letting up, so the destination was changed to here."
"A storm…?" Ken asked. "I thought that was more of an east coast thing, with hurricanes. Isn't the west coast more known for earthquakes?"
He then sighed, shaking his head. "And I thought we had bad coordination on this trip."
Ryuji's head drooped before he let out a groan. "Do you just… bring rain everywhere you go?!"
"It did rain heavily at the fireworks festival too…" Makoto added, her eyes wide.
"I think that's a bit of a jump," Ken said, frowning at the two of them. "I'm sure it's just a coincidence."
"Well, just think of it as a good thing." Ren smiled at Yusuke. "I mean, it'll be nice to hang out, right?"
Ken coughed. "There aren't any plans after this. Is there anything you want to do? Ryuji mentioned wanted to go diving before…"
"Oh, wait!" Ryuji interjected, his eyes growing wide. "I've gotta go shop for souvenirs. Promised my mom I'd get her something nice."
"Just don't beg me for money this time, Ryuji," Anne ribbed with a playful smile.
Ryuji huffed. "That was one time! Will you ever let that go?!"
Ren nodded. "But that's a good idea, Ryuji. I should get some things for everyone back in Japan."
They both had a good point. What would Shinjiro-san like? Macadamia nuts? Coconut oil…? Though, despite how much he had harped Ken for not drinking that much coffee when he was younger, he always did prefer drinking coffee over tea… And there was everyone else too. Mitsuru-san would probably like Kona coffee… But then again, Minako-san would probably get on his case for encouraging her to drink coffee…
"Thinking about what to get Shinjiro-san?" Makoto asked, raising an eyebrow at him.
"That, and everyone else…" Ken shook his head. "…I have a big list of people to shop for."
"Yeah… I don't envy you, Ken," Anne said with a wince.
Ken shrugged. "I mean, they've given me a lot over the years. It's only fair."
"So… it's decided?" Yusuke raised an eyebrow. "We will go shopping in our spare time today."
Ren nodded in agreement, before tucking his hand into his pocket. "Yeah, it's pretty much unanimous. Let's get going then. We're burning daylight."
Ryuji just shook his head. "Dude, you don't have to make it sound so serious…"
Shopping was… interesting with Anne. She had dragged them to practically every store, even though most of the time, she was just window shopping. (She'd get along swimmingly with Yukari-san and Minako-san.) But Ken had managed to find souvenirs for everyone (mostly food), and Ren had bought gifts for the Sakuras and Morgana as well. But it was still afternoon when they had managed to finish their shopping, so Ryuji had offered a tourist spot for them to go see.
"…This is your recommended tourist spot?" Anne didn't bother hiding her disappointment.
Ren nodded. "From what you said, King Kamehameha's statue felt more… impressive."
"I thought it'd be like… the Buddha statue," Ryuji said sheepishly. "You know, like the one on Nara?"
"It is rather magnificent, though," Yusuke commented.
At least there was one person who liked it…
"Though I'll admit that I would love to see the jade Buddha in Hong Kong," Yusuke remarked.
"You want to take a picture, Ren?" Ken asked. "For Futaba."
"Might as well," Ren agreed, before snapping a picture with his phone
. A few seconds later, his phone went off. He snorted with laughter.
Ren reported, "She's completely unimpressed. Said that she could've just googled a picture right on her phone."
Ryuji sighed. "I mean, it is just a dude wearing a loincloth."
"And just who recommended this place?" Anne asked flatly.
"You don't have to keep giving him a hard time, Anne," Ren laughed, resting a hand on her shoulder. "You pick on him enough already."
"Oh, and what about you, huh?" Anne quirked an eyebrow at him, before she poked him in the chest. "You mess with everyone."
Ren took on an offended expression, pressing a hand over his chest. "Excuse you, that's part of my charm."
Ken couldn't help but roll his eyes at that.
Anne's eyes twinkled before she let out a giggle. "Uh-huh. Sure, Ren."
"This man is responsible for a great achievement, though," Makoto commented, gazing up at the statue. "He created a law called Kanawai Mamalahoe. It stipulated the protection of human rights of non-combatants in times of battle."
"Guess we're having an impromptu history lesson, huh?" Ren quipped. "I had a lucky guess when I was asked about this guy in class just a few days ago. Asked me what he was holding in his right hand."
Ryuji commented, "It's pretty cool, though. Protecting the weak and all that."
"You sure know a lot though," Anne said, looking at Makoto. "Wait… is this kinda guy your type?"
That was a bit of a… jump. Though… what was even Makoto's type?
…Why was he thinking about this?
Makoto didn't seem to hear her though. "Remember how my sister's a public prosecutor? That's why I'm interested in legal history."
"Psst, Ken." Ryuji prodded his shoulder, his voice a whisper now. "What would you do if Makoto seriously had a thing for older guys?"
"…Why are you asking me this?" Ken whispered back.
"Uhh… maybe because you're rooming with her?"
"What does that have to do with anything? She asked me so I wouldn't get bugged by the other girls!" Ken hissed, feeling his traitorous face heat up.
At least he could claim it was the heat.
"Ohhh I get it…" Ryuji nodded seriously. "I mean, you've got some pretty gorgeous lady senpai." He began to tick off his fingers. "There's Mitsuru Kirijo, Yukari-san is a model and actress, and Fuuka-san was really pretty. And Minako-san is pretty cute when she was our age, from the pictures. Guess older women make everyone else pale in comparison, huh?"
"You—that has nothing to do with that!" Ken retorted.
It took some restraint to not let his voice go above a whisper.
He may have crushed on Minako-san as a kid, but he had let go of his feelings ages ago! And while Ryuji was right, they were all beautiful, he didn't see them like that at all. They were like his older sisters.
And besides that, Makoto was pretty.
…Wait, what was he thinking?
"What are you two whispering about?" Makoto blinked at them, apparently oblivious to everything.
"Nothing. Nothing at all," Ken said dryly, shooting Ryuji a glare.
"Haha, yeah!" Ryuji seconded with a grin.
Ren just raised an eyebrow at them, tilting his head ever so slightly. "Huh."
Gah. How did he manage to infuse such curiosity in a one-syllable word?
Yusuke was still staring at the statue, though. His eyes were filled with awe. "The raised right hand, the spear in his left… His sharp gaze piercing the horizon…"
His eyes then closed, before a satisfied smile came onto his face.
"So this… this is the aloha spirit!" he exclaimed.
…Sometimes Yusuke was really on an entirely different wavelength.
A ping pierced through the air. Ren took out his phone again, before he begun to read aloud.
"Inari is the epitome of a Japanese weirdo." He then looked up. "At least… according to Futaba."
"Wait, how can she hear us?" Makoto asked with a frown.
Another ping.
Ren then looked up. "She said that she put an app on my phone that lets her hear us. And see us."
Ugh. Was she serious?
Ken just stared at Ren's phone, unimpressed.
"Futaba…" he ground out, "what did we talk about hacking?"
Yet another ping. Ren glanced up at him, an amused smile on his face now. "I'm not a messenger, you know."
It was then Ken's phone went off. There was a text from Futaba.
You're such a killjoy sometimes.
Ken couldn't help but make a face. Maybe this was why Shinjiro-san was so grumpy sometimes, with how he had to play impulse control to almost everyone in SEES. He remembered one time where Junpei-san wondered aloud what would happen if he had poured coffee into his cereal, rather than milk. Shinjiro-san then confiscated the entire coffee pot from him.
"Hey, do you think we can get into the building behind the statue?" Ryuji pointed to a rather ornate building, which was indeed behind the statue. "Looks pretty damn fancy!"
"That's the judiciary building," Makoto explained. "The Hawaii Supreme Court is inside."
"Sounds like a place we should avoid then," Ren quipped.
"Well, this was a bust…" Ryuji groaned, hanging his head.
"Again, whose idea was it?" Anne retorted.
"Ugh, are you gonna let it go?!" he fired back.
"Ryuji, I believe you know the answer to that already," Yusuke intoned.
Ryuji shot Yusuke a look of utter betrayal. "Gah, you too, Yusuke?!"
"Okay, okay, enough," Ken sighed, shaking his head at them.
If he didn't diffuse the argument, he had a feeling that they'd be here all day.
"It's nearly six… do you want to get dinner and call it a day?" he suggested, knowing that food would be something that Yusuke and Ryuji would both want.
"I noticed a Big Bang place while we were walking," Anne noted. "I'm surprised that they're all the way in Hawaii."
"Okumura Foods has expanded enough for them to go international," Makoto mentioned. "It's surprising with how rapidly they expanded."
"Okumura…" Ren repeated.
"Does it ring a bell with ya?" Ryuji asked.
"Well, Mishima mentioned to me this morning that he has climbed to the top of the poll," Ren clarified. "You know, the one where people can vote who we should target first?"
Anne made a face. "This isn't a popularity contest…"
"It's pretty great, though, isn't it?" Ryuji asked. "People actually know about us here! All the way in America! We've really made it big!"
"It is quite amazing." Yusuke nodded. "We've come a long way."
"Next thing you know, we'll be getting gaudy Phantom Thief merchandise," Ken said dryly.
Ren elbowed in the side. "Quit being such a grump about this. It's a good thing that the people are starting to see how hard we've been working."
"Yeah, we can't let people down!" Ryuji added, his eyes burning with fervor. He then pumped his fist. "We've really gotta wow people when we make our next move!"
"Keep it down, Ryuji," Makoto admonished, her voice turning chiding. "But still… I do agree. People are expecting great things now…"
"Don't worry, we'll do great," Ren reassured. "We just gotta take it one step at a time."
"We should proceed with caution, though," Yusuke warned.
But then he suddenly reached up, patting his stomach for a moment.
"But anyhow, that's enough talk of that for today. I am rather famished."
"It is close to lunch time in Japan, I believe, so it's not surprising." Ken said. "Where do you want to go?"
"Let's do something that's really Hawaiian!" Anne suggested. "Like Hawaiian barbeque! Ooooh, or poke bowls!"
"Jeez, and you're supposed to be on a diet?" Ryuji mocked. "Better watch it."
Ken couldn't help but cringe a little. Poking fun at a woman's diet was never a good idea. He would know.
…As would Junpei-san.
Anne let out a little growl, scowling at him as her hands clenched into fists.
"Ugh, shut up, Ryuji!" she snarled out.
"Anne, you look fine the way you are," Ren reassured her, before flashing her a smile. "Perfect, in fact."
Anne's cheeks took on a pink hue, but she suddenly ran into Yusuke's back.
"Oh, sorry, Yusuke!" she hastily replied.
"Is something the matter, Yusuke?" Makoto asked, a concerned frown appearing on her face.
Yusuke turned to look at them. "Isn't that the girl we met at the festival?"
"Huh?" Ren glanced at their friend, before following his line of sight. "I think you're right. Same hair."
Ken looked to see that it was Haru-san. She was gazing at the Big Bang Burger restaurant, her expression almost… mournful. Oh, that was right… she was a chaperone too. Maybe he should've said hello earlier.
"She really is cute," Ryuji remarked, staring at her. "Wonder why she's so bummed out about—"
Ryuji then suddenly snapped his fingers.
"Ohhh, right… She's a girl. She probably cares about her figure and has sworn off burgers! But burgers taste really good, so she wishes she could eat 'em!"
There was a very pregnant pause. Both Anne and Makoto gave him unimpressed stares.
If he had dared to say that in the presence of any of his female teammates, he'd probably come out with some kind of physical damage. Well. Save for Aigis-san. Aigis-san would probably lament that she doesn't know what burgers taste like.
Ryuji looked between the two girls, bewildered. "What? Ain't it true?"
Ken just sighed.
"…Really, Ryuji?" Anne deadpanned.
"I do not believe you are supposed to say that, Ryuji," Yusuke said, his eyes solemn. "I believe you have made a faux pas."
"W-What's that supposed to mean?!"
Haru-san then heaved out a sigh, interrupting the bickering, before trudging down the sidewalk. Ken couldn't help but frown, watching her go.
"She seems… lonely," Makoto said softly, her eyes filling with pity.
"Let's catch up with her, then," Ryuji suggested, his expression becoming determined. "Invite her to dinner!"
Without warning, he rushed after Haru-san.
"H-Hey, Ryuji, wait!"
All of her classmates and juniors seemed to be enjoying themselves but… all Haru could think of is how Sugimura had dropped heavy hints that he would like to visit a tropical paradise for their… honeymoon. Just the idea of him having his hands on her… even more than he did now just made her skin crawl.
Everything felt like a countdown… slowly dwindling to the day where she would have to walk down the aisle, vow to tie herself to a man whose very gaze made her shudder. Just thinking about it made Haru want to cry. She just felt trapped… doomed to a future that she just knew would make her absolutely miserable.
"Hey! Haru-senpai! Wait up!"
Blinking in confusion, Haru turned to see Sakamoto-kun skid to a stop right in front of her, his friends not too far behind. It was a bit startling for him to stand so close to him, if she was being honest. Haru quickly took a step backwards, so that he wasn't in her personal space.
"Is there something you need, Sakamoto-kun?" she asked, trying her best to infuse some kind of energy in her voice.
She wasn't sure if she had succeeded but it just… was so hard. Pretending that everything was okay still.
"Uh, yeah!" He bobbed his head.
But then he rubbed the back of his neck, looking a little sheepish. Haru couldn't help but wonder what it was that he wanted.
"We were talking 'bout heading for dinner now, and it looks like you're… uh…" He flashed her an almost nervous smile. "Do you wanna join us?"
Haru just stared at him. They… They wanted her to join them…?
"Jeez, you can be fast when you wanna, Ryuji," Takamaki-san huffed to her fellow blond, before flashing Haru a brilliant smile.
She had been… indifferent to the rumors about the foreign blonde, but seeing that smile… Haru couldn't see how anyone could view her as a stuck-up… um…
An… unpleasant person.
"Whataya say?" Sakamoto-kun asked, giving her a friendly smile as well.
"I… I don't mean to intrude," Haru said hesitantly, watching as the others caught up.
"Nah, the more the merrier!" Amamiya-kun interjected, giving her a friendly smile.
Haru couldn't help but blush a little. She had never seen him up close except that one time at the festival. She had to admit… he was quite handsome. Much more handsome than Sugimura, though all four boys present could boast that, in her opinion.
"But Ren's correct," the blue haired boy—Kitagawa-kun—added. "We simply wish to enjoy your company as well." He then smiled gently. "Nobody should be eating alone, especially when on an outing."
Haru just blinked. They were… this was a new experience. She could see the sincerity shining from each and every face. It wasn't because of her father. They didn't even know her surname.
"All right," she agreed.
"The tomatoes were delicious by the way," Amada-kun informed her. "Shinjiro-san really was impressed. He said that he could taste the vitamins."
"Thank you." Haru couldn't help but smiled, pleased at the compliment. Gardening was one of the few joys she indulged in now, and to hear that someone had enjoyed the fruits of her labor so much...
"And um… if you don't mind…" She bit her lip. "…Can we not go to Big Bang Burger?" she asked.
She didn't want to see how foreigners ran the chain here. She didn't want the reminder…
"See, what did I tell ya?!" Sakamoto-kun whirled on his friends, triumphant over… something. "I was right!"
"Ryuji." Niijima-san just folded her arms over her chest, her stare flat. "No. That is definitely not the case."
"Say what?!" he cried out.
Haru couldn't help but laugh softly. She had noticed that they had gravitated towards each other over the past few months… They were definitely close.
"Do I… want to know?" she asked.
"No," Amada-kun said dryly. "No, you don't."
"I'll have to take your word for it, then." Haru offered them a shy smile. "Shall we, then?"
Morgana was bored out of his mind. Not even the lectures he sat in with Ren were this bad. All he was doing was watching Futaba typing, her fingers practically flying over the keyboard.
"Ooh, found it! And another…" the girl chuckled to herself, before leaning in close to the screen.
"What did you find?" Morgana asked.
Maybe he could talk things out with Futaba then. He'd finally be able to do something—
"Still working. Can't tell you," Futaba said flippantly.
Morgana just sighed to himself.
"She can handle this without me…" he thought miserably to himself.
First it had been Ken. He was only a year older than Ren, but apparently had years of experience. Even though Morgana was… irritated by Ken's lack of knowledge regarding the Baton Pass, he caught up quickly. And even before he had told them, he just needed to take a look and he'd be able to guess the Shadow's weakness.
Ren used to look to Morgana for that kind of advice… but now he looked to Ken.
And now… there was Futaba. The young girl could do everything Morgana used to. Her Persona apparently had no skills in combat, but she by-far surpassed him in scanning. And not to mention, they would've been sunk if Futaba hadn't done the counter-hack against the fake Medjed. And she could figure out the real reason why Mementos was expanding…
"All I'm good for is driving them around in Mementos… I'm basically useless..." Morgana couldn't help but lament.
But Futaba suddenly gave him an annoyed look.
"Kitty! Your mumbling's distracting me! If you got something to say, just spit it out," she said flatly.
"It's nothing," Morgana said stiffly.
Futaba narrowed her eyes at him before suddenly grabbing him and forcibly petting him.
"Let me go!" Morgana snapped, trying to squirm away from her.
Futaba just grinned in response. "You feel so nice, though."
"I do not!" Morgana scowled.
This was so demeaning…
"So smooth and silky. It's kinda hard to believe fur this soft belongs to a human," Futaba chuckled.
Morgana jerked away from her.
"Don't make me say it again! I'm a human," he spat out, laying emphasis on the final word.
Futaba raised an eyebrow.
"Couldn't you just be assuming that? I had the wrong assumptions about my mom for the longest time."
Morgana shook his head. "That's not the same! I understand myself better than anyone!"
Futaba shrugged. "That's true."
She then turned back to her computer, back into her element.
Morgana just tiredly looked at her. He… didn't know what to do. The dreams he's been having… could it be the truth?
Was he really not human? Was he… a monster?
Did he even belong with everyone…?
Saturday, September 10th, 2016
It was the third day of their trip, but it felt like it had passed by in a blink of an eye. This would be their last final day.
"Are you ready to go, Makoto?" He rapped lightly on the bathroom door.
"One second!" Makoto responded, her voice muffled by the door.
Moments later, the door swung open and Makoto stepped out, smoothing down her uniform.
"Sorry, my hair was being a bit unruly today."
"I can understand that," Ken said with a laugh. "But you look great."
After grabbing what they needed for the day, they headed out. The hotel offered free breakfast, buffet style. Though Ken couldn't help but think that Shinjiro-san would side-eye most of the available choices.
Today seemed to be pretty lax, though, since it was technically the last day. They would have several hours to themselves, after returning to the hotel. They had a half day tomorrow, but they would be flying back to Tokyo tomorrow night.
"Do you have any plans for the free time?" Makoto suddenly asked, as if she had been reading his thoughts.
Ken paused at that. "No. Nothing really."
"Oh, I was just thinking… it'd be nice if we could spend that time together. Especially since our duties have us separate for the most part…"
Well, he couldn't deny that wasn't the truth. It turned out that Ryuji was right, and the groups were restricted by classes. Ken ended up being responsible for Ryuji's group, while Makoto took care of Ren and Anne's group. It would be nice to spend time with Makoto.
...Besides that, Ryuji might get it in his head that he wanted to go and hit on girls during their free time too.
"Sure. I'd love to—"
The door in front of them suddenly opened, and out stepped… Ren and Anne, the former's arm around the latter's waist. They stared at Ken and Makoto in horror, very much like deer in headlights. Anne quickly scrambled away from Ren, blood draining from both of their faces.
"Uh… h-hey?" Anne stammered out.
"Good… good morning?" Ren looked unnaturally nervous, too.
"Ren Amamiya… Anne Takamaki…" Makoto ground out, before tapping her foot impatiently. "You have thirty seconds to give me a good explanation."
Anne paled even more. "C-Come on, Makoto—"
"Twenty!" Makoto snapped out, glaring at her.
Anne just shrunk back with a squeak, before ducking behind Ren and using him as a shield.
"I-I just got locked out of my room, because my roommate took the key with her when she went to be with her boyfriend so I went to stay with Ren?" she said nervously.
Anne began to fiddle with her pigtails, looking at Makoto nervously from behind Ren.
"And you didn't ask us for help…?" Ken raised an eyebrow. "Or maybe go to the front desk? Or—"
"Okay, okay, I get it!" Anne groaned, continuing to fidget. "I may have wanted to see Ren a teensy, tiny bit…"
"We didn't do anything, just so you know," Ren said. "Kinda kills the mood with Ryuji and Mishima there."
…He didn't need to know that.
"Well…" Makoto's frown softened. "I suppose that's fine. Just take care to not repeat this."
Both juniors' shoulders slumped in relief but Ken eyed Ren carefully. He didn't know just how far their relationship had gone so far, and frankly, he didn't care to find out. If he had it his way, all the couples he knew wouldn't broadcast it to him. But still he better make sure that Ren knew the meaning of protection.
"Okay, let's go get breakfast now then!" Anne smiled brightly now. "Don't want to miss out on the good stuff!"
"Read: pancakes," Ren intoned. "The closest we have to crepes, after all."
Anne scowled at him for a moment, before she smacked his shoulder. "Oh, shush, Ren!"
The girls then headed off, but Ken grabbed Ren by the shoulder. "Ren, a word please."
"I thought—"
"You don't get off that easily," Ken said flatly, raising an eyebrow at the younger boy. "Look. I don't particularly care if you and Anne are sleeping with each other or if you want to do it with her in the future."
Ren's only answer was a sheepish smile. Ken then narrowed his eyes. Yeah, that's what he thought.
"But I do care if you're being stupid about it. None of this pullout nonsense. If you're going to sleep with Anne… Use. Protection," he ground out.
Ren held up his hands. "Come on, Ken—"
"I mean it, Ren." Ken stared at him. "Don't be stupid about this. I lived with a group of teenagers for a year and a half. I've had the… misfortune of learning that they usually forget to lock the door."
He loved the twins, but he really would prefer not to deal with another teen pregnancy.
It was Ren's turn to stare. "Wait, did you learn—"
"Take it as you will. I'm not going to confirm anything," Ken said dryly.
After that, Ken refused to talk any more on the subject, despite Ren's prodding, and they eventually caught up with the girls. They then met with Ryuji and Mishima and ate breakfast together at one huge table.
"Sooo…" Ryuji began, "what's the plan today?"
"It's a half day, really," Ken answered. "The entire afternoon will be yours to do whatever you want… within reason."
Ren immediately turned to Anne. "So, Anne, could you free up your schedule for little ol' me?"
Anne giggled. "Depends. What do you have in mind?"
"Me, you, and the beach." Ren grinned at her. "Sounds perfect, right?"
Anne let out a hum, before she offered him a bright smile. "I'd love to."
She then pushed her plate away from her, glancing past them for some reason.
"I see my roommate though, gonna ask her for the key so I can freshen up a bit before we go," she said.
She then gave Ren a quick kiss on the cheek, before standing up and walking up to a dark haired girl. Ren watched her go with an almost goofy smile.
"I… I can't believe you two are together…" Mishima said slowly.
"We were keeping it quiet at first," Ren explained. "Sorry for not telling you."
"No… it's okay." Mishima shook his head. "I mean, you kept quiet because of the rumors… with Kamoshida, right?"
"…Yeah. Something like that."
Ren then leaned over, stacking his empty plate over Anne's abandoned one. He then stood up.
"Gonna grab seconds. I'll be back."
The moment Ren walked away, Ryuji started to grin like crazy.
What was he planning?
Ken sighed. "Ryuji..."
"Whaaaat?"
He did his best to go for innocent. It didn't really work.
Ken just stared, feeling exasperated.
"What are you planning?" he said flatly, looking at him suspiciously.
"It's just…" Ryuji's smile turned sly. "This is Ren and Anne's first real date, yeah? I mean, sure they've done dates at LeBlanc, where they're probably all cutesy with each other and feeding each other dinner, but this is a totally different level! Don't you wanna spy on them?"
Makoto shot him a sharp look. She looked scandalized. "Ryuji, you shouldn't spy on them!"
"Do I want to watch Ren and Anne making eyes at each other and possibly make out or do I want the afternoon to relax?" Ken asked rhetorically, eyeing his friend. "What a tough decision."
Mishima let out a snicker. "Good one, Senpai."
"Aw, c'mon, don't you wanna see what Ren does?" Ryuji cajoled, leaning closer to Ken. "For when you're dating someone?"
"That probably won't happen in a long time, Ryuji," Ken said dryly, before he picked up his coffee and took a small sip. "And if Anne finds out? It's your funeral."
"Actually Sakamoto has a good point…" Mishima said thoughtfully.
"So, you're in?" Ryuji asked with a grin.
"Honestly!" Makoto sighed, before pinching the bridge of her nose.
She then gave him a stern look, staring at him hard.
"Ryuji, you are not to spy on Ren and Anne. They deserve some private time together and as you said… on a proper date."
"But—" Ryuji began to protest.
Makoto's stern look turned into a glare.
"Ugh. Fine!" Ryuji groaned, before muttering under his breath that sounded suspiciously close to killjoy.
Makoto narrowed her eyes. "I heard that."
"Niijima-senpai really doesn't give you a break, huh, Sakamoto?" Mishima mused before another snicker escaped him. "Then again, you are the type to be totally scared of women."
"Ugh, shuddup, Mishima! You're one to talk!"
"H-Hey!"
It was nice… to get a breather. Organizing everyone, making sure nobody got left behind… it was more stressful than he had imagined. He had a new respect for their teachers.
At least he was assigned a group of boys to chaperone.
"You too?" Makoto sighed.
"This trip has been fun, but not exactly lacking in stress," Ken answered. "Though I enjoy our free time more, since that leaves us able to spend time with everyone."
"That is nice," Makoto agreed with a soft smile. "Though…"
She tilted her head, suddenly curious.
"A shirt today?" she asked.
Ken shrugged. "Usually I prefer to wear a shirt, actually. Last time at the beach, it was just… too hot. Comparable to outside of Futaba's Palace, if you ask me."
He was not going to explain what happened that led him to want to pull off his shirt…
Makoto just gave an affirmative hum.
"Though speaking of Futaba…" Her expression notably darkened. "Do you think she's done analyzing the data I got from Sis?"
Knowing Futaba… the answer was probably yes. Her talent honestly made her… terrifying. What she had done to Ren's phone couldn't help but make him feel a little paranoid that she had done something to his phone.
But her voice had… gone all quiet.
"Makoto…" he said, gently putting a hand on her shoulder "do you need to talk about it?"
"There's nothing really to say…" Makoto shrugged, before biting her lip. "We… We need to know what Sis's plans are. So we're one step ahead of her…"
…It sounded like Makoto was more trying to convince herself. But it looked like Makoto wasn't too eager to discuss this. Her relationship with her older sister seemed… complicated. Really complicated. Then again, he couldn't really talk, with Shinjiro-san… He couldn't imagine sneaking around his senpai, either. More so Mitsuru-san, but the point still stood.
"I'm here, if you ever need to talk about it," Ken said finally.
Makoto offered him a smile, but it didn't reach her eyes.
"…I know. Thank you, Ken." She then sighed, wrapping an arm around herself. "We… We should be trying to enjoy ourselves. I didn't mean to bring down the mood."
"I am enjoying my time with you," Ken contradicted, before he raised an eyebrow at her. "Unless I'm boring you, of course…"
"That's not—" Makoto then narrowed her eyes, before she smacked his shoulder. "Don't tease me like that," she grumbled, but she couldn't fight back a smile now.
"It made you smile, didn't it?" Ken asked.
"I think you've been spending too much time with Ren," Makoto huffed.
Then her eyes stopped at a stall selling fruit smoothies. She then gestured at it.
"Want to get one?"
"Sure."
"Hi there!" The stall vendor was a young woman, in her mid twenties. She looked like she was Polynesian, with her jet black hair, dark eyes, and tanned complexion. Her smile was friendly. "What can I get you two?"
"Hmm…" Makoto rubbed her chin. "I'll try pina colada. That's pineapple and coconut, right?"
"Yep!" she answered. "Though your accent…" She tilted her head. "You're Japanese, aren't you?"
"That's right," Ken answered.
The woman laughed. "I have to admit, I'm a bit envious of you. You may not be from Tokyo, but I bet you hear news of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts a lot faster, don't you?"
Makoto blinked. "You've heard of the Phantom Thieves all the way here?!"
"Oh yeah." The woman pressed a button on the blender. "It's pretty exciting news." She then sighed. "If only they would target Americans too. I can think of a few politicians that I'd love for them to target," she suddenly remarked, her expression darkening for a mind.
Ken blinked. That was… unexpected. Then again, if he remembered right, the USA was having their presidential election in November, so maybe it was understandable that it was on her mind.
The woman gave a delicate cough, as she released her hold on the button. "Sorry, I shouldn't be rambling like this on the job." She then looked at Ken. "And what about you? Do you want a smoothie too?"
Ken did a quick glance over the menu, as the woman poured out Makoto's smoothie.
"I'll take a strawberry smoothie," he decided.
She quickly blended up a smoothie for Ken.
"That will be eight dollars and fifty cents," the woman announced, handing the smoothie to Ken. "Or do you want to split the check?"
"I've got it," Ken said, reaching for his wallet in his pocket. He handed the woman a ten dollar bill. He had to say, it was a bit weird how many coins the American currency had.
"Let me pay you back later then," Makoto said.
"That's not necessary," Ken replied. "That's not even five hundred yen."
"But—"
"Makoto, it's fine."
The woman just laughed, looking amused for some reason. "But anyways, your change will be one dollar and fifty cents." She smiled brightly. "Enjoy the rest of your stay!"
"We will," they chorused together.
Ken hadn't drank smoothies all that much, but this one was pretty good. Too bad it wasn't that much of a thing in Japan.
"Do you want to try some?" Makoto suddenly asked, holding out her cup to Ken.
Ken blinked. Wouldn't that be weird?
He remembered one time, right before Minato-san and Yukari-san started dating. Minato-san stole Yukari-san's milkshake to drink and Yukari-san started getting mad at him for it. Then Junpei-san started teasing Minato-san for wanting to steal an indirect kiss from Yukari-san. Then that led to Yukari-san to getting mad at Junpei-san…
Wait, what was he thinking? Makoto just was offering him a drink, maybe as thanks for paying for her. He was just overthinking this!
Ken just nodded, before offering her to drink from his smoothie. After that, they sat quietly. But it wasn't awkward.
It was a pleasant quiet, one where they were enjoying each other's presence.
"I'm honestly surprised," Makoto suddenly spoke, after taking another sip from her smoothie. "That a place as far as Hawaii has heard of the Phantom Thieves."
"Well, Futaba seemed to imply that Medjed is a world-wide thing," Ken said. "It is surprising but… it was probably inevitable."
"No pressure there, right?" Makoto chuckled.
Ken just offered her a smile. "We can handle it."
But Ken couldn't help but sigh. Where had the time gone? Soon, they would have to return to Tokyo, and resume their lives…
Sae's eyes were narrowed on her. "How could you?" she spat out. "Becoming a Phantom Thief…" She shook her head. "It was all to spite me, wasn't it?"
"No, Sis, please…" Makoto took a step closer to Sae. "It's not that."
"No sister of mine would become a criminal," Sae spat, before turning on her heel.
She looked over her shoulder, her eyes colder than ice. A pit was beginning to form in Makoto's stomach.
"So, I suppose you're no sister of mine," she spat out.
Makoto felt like she had the rug yanked from underneath her feet. "W-What?"
"Goodbye, Makoto."
Makoto… Makoto…
She couldn't mean that, could she…? Sae still cared for her, didn't she? Then why had she—
Makoto, WAKE UP!
Makoto's eyes snapped open with a gasp. She realized that Ken had been shaking her awake.
It was a dream. It was just a dream. Sae didn't hate her, thank goodness-
Something wet splashed onto her hand. Makoto blinked and another wet droplet splashed onto her hand.
Makoto then quickly turned away from Ken, hastily wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. It was bad enough that Ken had to see her having a nightmare, but the fact that he had seen her crying… just made it doubly worse.
"Makoto, look at me." Ken lightly grasped her shoulder.
"Go back to bed, Ken," Makoto said hoarsely, before she swallowed thickly. "It… It's nothing."
"It's not nothing!" Ken snapped, suddenly climbing onto Makoto's bed so that he was in front of her again.
"It's just a dream, I'm stupid for being so affected by it—"
"You're not stupid, Makoto!" Ken retorted, shaking his head. "You're allowed to get upset over something. You're not weak for crying about something that distresses you."
"But I…" Makoto bit her lip. "I feel like a scared little girl," she mumbled out.
She then swiped at her eyes again. She hated crying. It made her feel helpless and not… in control.
Ken was quiet for a moment. "You don't have to talk about your dream," he said carefully. "But… something is bothering."
Makoto bit her lip, before forcing herself to meet Ken's gaze. Even in the dim light, she could see Ken's concerned expression.
"Sis… she's so important to me. She's the only family I have left… but at the same time, I can't agree with what she's doing. And the Phantom Thieves have been the first people to accept me in the longest time… It's silly that I worry about her opinion so much…"
"It's not," Ken said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "She's your sister. And you love her."
Of course he could say that... He didn't feel like he'd have to choose…
"I know I'm lucky," Ken said quietly, as if he had read her mind. "Mitsuru-san almost said no to me. I don't know if I would have it in me to defy her, if she had told me no. She's done so much for me over the years. And… I don't know if I could choose between the two of you."
That made sense. From Ken's story, she knew that SEES had forged a tight bond due to the tribulations they had faced together. They had become a family, a family that none of them had when they were younger…
"And…" Ken continued, "even then, I still worried… that you would be hurt… feel betrayed about me masking the truth. I was scared that you would… hate me for this…"
Ken's expression… it was so raw. He hadn't been this open, even when he had spilled the entire story. Ken had been struggling to keep it together, but he had managed it.
"Ken, I…" Makoto swallowed hard, slowly placing a hand over one of his. "I don't think I could hate you. Ever."
A soft smile touched his lips. But then his expression grew somber.
"I don't know your sister," Ken continued carefully. "But I do believe that she does love you and just wants the best for you. I don't think that she'd hate you over this…"
"I hope so…" Makoto murmured.
She wanted to believe that it was the truth. She didn't know if she could handle it if it wasn't.
Ken was quiet for a moment.
"Tell me more about your sister," he said finally.
When Makoto looked to him in surprise, he clarified.
"Back before… she had to step up and become your guardian."
Makoto pursed her lips. "You know already that she's a pretty big fan of Neo Feathermen. She would sometimes ask me to play me hero with her. I would act as the civilian in danger while she swooped in to save the day…"
She talked for what felt was a long time. Memories that she hadn't thought of in years came bubbling to the surface. Sometimes, she desperately missed those days. It had never been easy, with their dad as a single parent… But it had been easier.
Sae had mothered her even back then due to the death of their mother, but... Sae was different then. More optimistic. She had remembered more than one dinner conversation when Sae had enthusiastically discussed her law classes, and how she couldn't wait to become a prosecutor so she could punish wrong doers. Just like their father.
She had honestly forgotten how many good memories she had with Sae. Their strained relationship had occupied her mind completely.
Eventually, she felt her eyelids droop, as exhaustion covered her like a cloak. She felt Ken's weight on the bed shift, probably to climb back into his bed, but she reached out and grabbed at his shirt. He inhaled sharply, looking at her wide-eyed.
"Stay here," she murmured.
"Makoto, I don't know…"
She just… she felt steadier with him around. His presence was just… comforting to her.
"Please, Ken," she pleaded with wide eyes.
Ken was silent for what felt like forever. "Is this what you really want?" Ken asked quietly.
"It is."
She heard him sigh.
"All… All right," he murmured and he shifted back to lie on the bed. "Good night, Makoto."
"Good night, Ken."
Sunday, September 11th, 2016
Makoto blinked sleepily at the already bright sunlight streaming through the window. She felt so... warm and comfortable. Even her pillow felt nice and toasty. Which was odd, since the pillows were actually kinda flat—
...Wait a minute.
Makoto felt her cheeks grow warm before she quickly inched away. This was... This was definitely a don't ask, don't tell moment. Her pillow was... Ken. Just a few minutes ago, she had buried her face against his shoulder. When did that happen?!
Then the memories of last night started to flood in. Makoto pressed a hand to her now burning face. She had all but begged him to sleep with her. Er, sleep in the same bed as her—not... the other activity...
Why was she thinking that? Makoto quickly shook her head, to try and shake the thoughts out of her mind. That kind of thinking was just inappropriate!
Makoto rubbed her still hot face, before she grimaced. She must have it on her mind because of seeing Ren and Anne leaving his room together. And the conclusions that she had jumped to just yesterday morning. Yes, that was it.
Still, Ken was rather... cute when he was sleeping. Ken had gotten up earlier than her the past two mornings since they had roomed together. His cheeks were flushed pink from sleep, and he looked... more peaceful while he slept. His bangs fell into his eyes. Makoto eyed his hair. Both Fuuka-san and Yukari-san had been fond of mussing up his hair, even though Ken hated it. Fuuka-san claimed it was rather soft. Ken was asleep, so... why not?
Makoto ran her fingers through his hair. In the sun, there were glints of russet in his hair. And honestly... his hair was softer than hers. Though she had to wonder why Ken hated his hair being touched. She could see why Fuuka-san and Yukari-san liked to ruffle his hair—
"Having fun?"
Makoto let out a squeak, dropping Ken's hair in an instant and quickly scrambling to her side of the bed.
Ken huffed out a laugh, before he sat up. Ken's hair stuck up in several places, a far cry from his usual neat hairstyle.
"Good morning to you too," he said dryly, running his fingers through his hair in an attempt to tame it somewhat, before he stifled a yawn. "Just so you know, I hate it when Fuuka-san and Yukari-san did it because I hate my hair getting all mussed up. I'm not saying I love waking up to you playing with my hair, it's not annoying."
"O-Oh... I guess that makes sense."
An awkward silence fell between them. Makoto began to fidget. Of course it'd be awkward, they had shared a bed last night—
"How are you feeling?" Ken suddenly asked.
Makoto blinked. "Oh... much better." She hesitantly met his gaze. "Um... thank you. For everything last night."
"Anytime, Makoto." He just gave her a tired smile. "I'm glad that you're feeling better."
He then rubbed the back of his neck, his expression pensive.
He said softly, "And... I meant what I said last night. I don't think I can ever express how much your and everyone else's acceptance means to me."
"Ken..." Makoto breathed.
Ken coughed, his cheeks turning slightly pink. "I... I better go freshen up," he mumbled out, before making a hasty retreat.
Makoto watched him go. She... She supposed that Ken just wanted to move past this whole thing. It was a one time thing, after all.
...But why did she feel a little disappointed?
Monday, September 12th, 2016
Makoto was glad that she had the afternoon and evening to rest up. When she had gotten home, she had showered, napped a little, before preparing dinner. She was studying when the door opened and Sae stepped through.
"Hey, Sis," she greeted.
"Hello, Makoto," she said.
She then glanced at the textbooks spread in front of Makoto. She smiled, looking pleased.
"You just got back from your trip and you're already studying." She shook her head. "Color me impressed."
"I got a souvenir for you," Makoto said, before standing up. "I should get it for you—"
"Wait, Makoto," Sae said tautly, before her grasp on her bag strap tightened.
"There's something you need to know." When Makoto looked up, she continued. "Just yesterday... Principal Kobayakawa passed away."
"P-Passed away?" Makoto repeated. "From what?"
The principal was middle aged and... obese, but it wasn't like he'd just drop dead from a heart attack...
Sae folded her arms over her chest, her expression troubled.
"He was crossing the road, when he suddenly stopped. He was hit by a truck, head-on. Death by external trauma. And some people... they believe it was suicide. From all of the investigations into Shujin."
"He... He really committed suicide?" Makoto managed to spit out.
"I don't believe that," Sae said. "He was walking towards the police station at the time of his death. If he was really suicidal... why would he be walking there? He had even taken a taxi there. No..." Sae shook her head, her lips pursed. "There's something suspicious about this."
"Wait..." Makoto said slowly. "You think this is another incident? A mental shutdown...?"
"Even if he had a sudden shift of his mind... it's unnatural," Sae answered. "I can only think of a change of a heart."
"Are you really saying that he was targeted by the Phantom Thieves?!" Makoto exclaimed. "That's just impossible!"
Sae narrowed her eyes. "Makoto, you still don't hold that childish notion that the Phantom Thieves are just misunderstood heroes, do you?" she asked icily. "The Phantom Thieves are nothing but menaces. They pervert justice."
"But...!" Makoto began to protest.
She had to calm down. She didn't want a repeat of what happened before... She took a deep breath to steady herself.
"Sis, you can't deny that they've done a lot of good... And... I don't think that's the case. Didn't they always send a calling card before? And their purpose was to make the person confess to their crimes."
Sae rubbed her chin, suddenly thoughtful. "Well, you had to have spoken with him lately... had Principal Kobayakawa seemed any different?"
Had he? He had seemed nervous for some reason. But anyone would be, with the investigations.
"I see..." Sae sighed, before her expression became determined. "I... I have to catch them," she said in an undertone.
But Makoto heard it loud and clear. Just hearing it made Makoto's heart sink.
"But Sis..." Makoto began to protest. "You don't have to—"
"Yes, I do," Sae all but snarled out, making Makoto flinch at the fierceness of her tone. "I'm being charged with stopping the Phantom Thieves, and should I fail... I don't know what will happen."
She then sighed again, folding her arms across her chest.
"You're busy studying. I'll leave you be," she said quietly.
Makoto's stomach twisted into knots as she watched her elder sister leave. She wasn't particularly religious, but she prayed that she wouldn't have to choose between her sister or the Phantom Thieves...
Happy Valentine's Day! Finally got this chapter done.
Some of you may recognize the scene with the Kamehameha statue. I took it from a deleted scene in P5, and tweaked it.
I was asked this here, so I thought I'd clarify to anyone who is curious. Out of the Phantom Thieves, there are going to be only two canon ships: Ken/Makoto and Ren/Anne.
And the updates will be slowing down a little bit. I intend to update at least once a month, but I've also started to work on oneshots for the Shuann/RenAnn/AkirAnn week that me and my friends have been organizing. I want to make submissions for each day, so I need more time to work on them. If you're a fan of the ship and are interested in participating, you should check out the tumblr (shuann-week) or twitter ( ShuannWeek)!
Edit Notes (1/8/21): General cleaning up. Also added back in the Morgana and Futaba scene.