Ace In The Hole

by eiranerys

Shido has barred the Shadow Operatives from action for two years. But when the Phantom Thieves appear, Mitsuru decides that they have to take action. Luckily, there's a certain former member Shido doesn't seem to be aware of: Ken Amada. But when Ken meets the Phantom Thieves in person, he can't help but agree with their goals. He can't help but befriend them. Phantom Thief!Ken AU.

27. 26: The Inaba Trip

Chapter 26

The Inaba Trip

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Sunday, September 25th, 2016

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"Last stop… Yasoinaba Station… I repeat, Yasoinaba…"

The conductor's voice slowly dragged Ken out of his slumber. He blinked several times, feeling sluggish. That was right… they were on the train riding to Inaba. He must've fallen asleep at some point…

He then shifted, only to realize there was a weight on his shoulder. Ken felt his face begin to burn when he realized just what the source was.

Makoto had fallen asleep on his shoulder. And she looked so peaceful when asleep… He almost felt bad for having to wake her up. Her hair fell in her face as she shifted slightly, and Ken brushed it away without thinking. Makoto was sitting closer than she usually would… if they were sitting closer, it'd be almost like back in Okumura's Palace-

Ken groaned, pressing a hand to his still flushed face. When he had been hit with Evil Smile, what he said was a blur. What he did remember was Makoto comforted him, the way she held his hand, and the way she had hugged him…

Ken normally wasn't fond of being touched. He didn't mind being touched on the shoulder or being briefly touched on the arm—that was usually how his male senpai showed affection anyways. But hugs, even ones from Minako-san or Fuuka-san which were strictly platonic, made him a bit squirmy. But with Makoto… it was different. It felt nice, and he honestly had been a little disappointed when Makoto had pulled away.

But now… he was just confused. Makoto was his friend… why did he feel all of that?

And lately, Makoto had been acting… off. Though he blamed Ren for what happened when they first started exploring Okumura's Palace. He had whispering something to her and then Makoto went and blurted something out… not to mention that she had looked so embarrassed the entire time… Yeah, Ren definitely egged her on.

…Anyways, he'd figure this out later. They would have to get off the train pretty soon.

"Hey, guys, wake up," he said, before reaching to shake Makoto awake.

"Huuuh?" Futaba blinked her eyes open, before yawning. She then patted her face, frowning when she discovered that her face was bare. "Where are my glasses…?"

"Mm… we're here?" Haru asked, yawning herself. She rubbed her eyes, before looking around. "That was shorter than I had suspected."

"Yeah, it is only an hour and a half," Ken answered, before looking over to Futaba. "And Futaba, I took your glasses and put them in the front compartment of your bag," Ken said. "I didn't want them to fall off your face during the train ride."

Futaba yawned again, though she did try to stifle it with her hand. "Thanks. Though early train rides should be made illegal…"

Haru just giggled. "Futaba-chan, it wasn't that early."

"I had to get up at eight today, Haru! Eight!"

He had to wonder if Futaba had forgotten that you had to get up at seven for school…

Makoto suddenly woke up with a gasp, yanking away from him. Her eyes were wide with shock. "S-Sorry! Oh god, Ken, I'm sorry!"

Ken couldn't help but frown. Was sleeping on him so embarrassing? "Makoto, it's fine-"

The door suddenly slid open and Anne stuck her head inside. "Hey, what are you guys doing sitting around?" she asked with a frown. "This is our stop!"

"We had to… wake up Makoto," Ken said, before he stood up. "But yeah, you're right, Anne."

They grabbed their various bags and met up with the rest of the second-years—their group was too big for them to get just one compartment, so they had split into two.

Ryuji looked around the moment they stepped out of the station and into Inaba. He shook his head. "Damn, I knew that Inaba would be kinda sleepy but I didn't think it'd be that quiet."

"I like it," Haru said with a content smile. "It's quaint. A change of pace after Tokyo."

"Indeed." Yusuke nodded firmly. "The countryside is picturesque. I imagine that you could paint some lovely landscape pieces here."

"Eh." Ren just shrugged. "I'm used to that kind of thing. My hometown's pretty much like this."

"Oh, right, I forgot that you came from a country town…" Makoto remarked. "Tokyo must've been a big change for you."

"Pretty much." Ren nodded, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Tokyo was a nice change. A lot more exciting."

"Dude, it looks like you could fall asleep just walkin' around here," Ryuji groused. "What do you even do here?"

"I don't know about that," Ken said, folding his arms over his chest. "Granted, I wasn't in Inaba for too long when I last visited, but the people are quite lively. It makes the town bigger than what it seems."

"But anyways…" Makoto glanced over at Ken. "Shall we get going? Where are we going, by the way?"

"Yu-san stays with his uncle and younger cousin when he visits Inaba," Ken explained. "We'll be going to their residence."

Ren suddenly tensed at that, making Anne frown. She squeezed his arm for a moment, making Ren smile at her in response.

Ken had to wonder what that was about. Though he supposed that given how everyone was a bit cautious about the Shadow Operatives, Ren would be a bit leery of meeting other Persona-users. He had no idea what Yu-san even thought of the Phantom Thieves. Or any of the Investigation Team, for that matter. Aside from Yu-san and Rise-san… who was home? He knew that Yukiko-san and Kanji-san were a given, since they were working with their families' businesses… And Naoto-san was having some trouble finding work lately…

"Helloooo?" The sound of snapping fingers dragged him out of his thoughts. "Dude, why are you zoning out on us like that?"

Ken flinched at the sudden movement. "Sorry. I was just… thinking."

"Ryuji, there's no need to be so impatient," Yusuke chided. "Ken's not all that much more familiar with Inaba than us."

"No, no… he's right." Ken sighed, rubbing his temples. "Come on."

They entered the shopping district. It was pretty lively with several of the denizens coming and going in the family owned businesses.

"That torii gate…" Makoto stared at it with a frown. "Is that gold?"

"Daaaamn…" Ryuji gaped at it. "You're right! How the hell can they afford that?!"

"Oh, you must be new here." A passing by housewife turned to look at them. "This shrine is really special. If you make a wish, it somehow miraculously comes true! We truly have a benevolent spirit watching over us."

"Huh." Ren tilted his head. "Sounds like a bit of an urban myth."

The housewife laughed. "Well, you can believe me or not. Though, if you want a real urban myth, you should hear about the Midnight Channel! It was the craze just a few years ago." She then shook her head, looking wistfully towards the south entrance. "It'd be right about time for Namatame-san to make his usual speech, but he's moved higher up. I do hope that he does visit soon. He made a wonderful mayor."

"Namatame-san…?" Haru questioned, tilting her head.

The housewife shook her head. "Look at me, talking your ears off. You kids probably have some place to go! What brings you here to little Inaba?"

"Oh, we're here to visit with a… friend," Ken said. "Do you know Officer Dojima's nephew?"

"Do I?" she echoed with a laugh. "There isn't a soul in Inaba who doesn't know who Yu Narukami is! He was such a polite young man. It came as a huge surprise when the news came out that he was dating Rise-chan. They've been friends since high school but Rise-chan being an idol had to keep herself at an arms-length apart." She then smiled. "They do make a sweet couple, though."

Right… aha… ahahaha… If only she knew just how long they had been dating.

"But anyways, you shouldn't keep Narukami-kun waiting," she said, with a wave of a hand. "It was nice to meeting you all!"

"It was nice speaking to you," Makoto said politely.

The housewife had barely stepped away when Ken's phone suddenly went off.

Message From: Yu Narukami

[Yu Narukami]: Shinjiro-san told me that you're coming after all

[Yu Narukami]: I know it's around lunch time, so we ordered Aiya's takeout

[Ken Amada]: Um… did Shinjiro-san tell you that we're bringing everyone?

[Yu Narukami]: Yeah he did

[Yu Narukami]: Don't worry about the price. You're high school students after all

[Ken Amada]: …University students aren't much richer

"That was from Yu-san," he said, slipping his phone into his pocket. "He said he ordered lunch from a local restaurant so we should just head straight there."

"Oooh, sweet!" Ryuji cheered, pumping his fist. "I'm starving!"

"Since when aren't you?" Morgana snarked.

"Ugh, shuddup, Morgana!" Ryuji retorted. "How come you never make fun of Anne when she talks about bein' hungry, huh?!"

"Hey, don't drag me into this!" Anne cried, glaring at Ryuji.

Ren just chuckled at the two of them. "Come on, guys, settle down. We have to walk to Narukami's uncle's place still."

"And you're making a scene…" Futaba mumbled under her breath. And then she spoke louder. "But there seriously aren't any trains here? This is seriously primitive."

Yusuke frowned. "I do not see the issue. I usually walk while commuting."

Even though Yusuke had mentioned this before, it was always unsettling. Especially since the train fare always felt like inconsequential.

Haru coughed, shuffling her feet. "This is getting us nowhere. Lead the way, Ken-kun."

Ken activated the GPS on his phone and it took them to the Dojima residence. The metal plaque that read Dojima residence out in front confirmed that they had found the right house, so Ken rang the doorbell. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Ren tensing up again.

Yu-san was really nice… He hoped that Ren wouldn't let his trepidation affect his conversation with Yu-san.

"Coming!" Rise's melodic voice rang out.

"Dude, is that Narukami's cousin?" Ryuji asked. "She has a hot voice!"

Uhhh… this was awkward…

"Not… quite…" Ken began with a voice. "It's—"

The door yanked open, revealing a short woman in her early twenties. Copper ringlets cascaded down several centimeters past her shoulders. She was dressed in a light pink top that bared her shoulders, paired with a pair of beige capri pants, which showed off her toned legs.

"Ken-kun~!" Rise-san said brightly. "You're here!" She then giggled, pressing a hand to her cheek. "Fuuka-chan is right. You just keep getting more and more handsome as the years go by."

"Rise-saaaaan…" he groaned.

"Hey, I'm just stating the truth!" Rise-san winked at him, her brown eyes twinkling. "Sooo… have you been charming the ladies in Tokyo? Or do you have a special lady of your own now?"

"Rise-san!" Ken's cheeks flushed and he fought the urge to start smacking his head against the wall. "I don't… there isn't anyone, okay?!"

Dammit, why was he getting so flustered over this? It wasn't like he hadn't been teased about this before…

"Holyyyy shit…." Ryuji gaped at Rise-san and then back to Ken. "You know… Risette?"

"Am I… missing something?" Yusuke asked, tilting his head.

"Aw, a pure soul!" Rise-san cooed. "It's nice to meet all of you! I'm Rise Kujikawa, but Rise's just fine! Some people—" she looked pointedly at Ken, "—are a tad too formal!"

"Dude! You know Risette?!" Ryuji repeated, before punching Ken in the shoulder. "Dude! Why didn't you tell us?! She's even hotter in person!"

Anne grabbed him by the ear and yanked hard. "She has a boyfriend!" she hissed. "Don't you have any manners?!"

"I mean, Risette's a bit too poppy for my tastes," Futaba interjected, before she shot Yusuke an exasperated look, "but seriously, Inari? How do you not know Risette? Her face is plastered everywhere in the subway! Ren has a poster of her!"

"Hey, don't drag me into this!" Ren protested.

"Ah." Yusuke's eyes lit up in understanding. "You're the one who just released the album… Sapphire."

"Yep, that's me!" Rise-san nodded. "Though I do wish the agency hadn't used my old look. I haven't sported that look in years." She then shook her head. "But here I am, talking your ears off!" She beckoned them forward. "Come in, guys! We can make proper introductions inside!"

They removed their shoes, and Ken was relieved to see that Ren had relaxed slightly with Rise-san's chattering. There was something about Rise-san that made people at ease. There was a reason why Rise-san and Fuuka-san had clicked so easily, even with the three year age difference.

Rise-san suddenly latched onto his arm, tugging him close. "Soo…" Her smile turned devious. "Shinjiro-san is planning to propose to Fuuka-chan soon… right?"

Ken couldn't help but cringe. He should've known that would have gotten out to Rise-san. While Rise-san was very close to Fuuka-san, she was also good friends with both Yukari-san and Minako-san. And they were both in the loop about Shinjiro-san wanting to propose…

"He is… it's not helping that Fuuka-san has only been able to visit for a few days at a time."

"Hmmm…" Rise-san studied him closely. "He better make it a good one. I offered to help him with ideas, but noooo… my ideas are too 'crazy' apparently. And it better be soon. Or else I'm coming after him. I'm having a concert in November, so it's not like I won't have a reason to be in Tokyo!"

Ken just cringed again. "Duly noted, Rise-san. I'll let Shinjiro-san know."

Not. Shinjiro-san always complained that they already had one Minako-san, when Rise-san was around. Shinjiro-san or Fuuka-san haven't even mentioned to him when Fuuka-san was visiting next.

Rise-san just giggled. "I just wanted to let you know. I want Fuuka-chan to be happy!"

"It must be nice to be out in the open about dating Yu-san, huh?"

Rise-san just winked. "Oh, you have no idea, Ken-kun." Then she flashed him a sly smile. "So… you really don't have a lady in mind? Really? With all of your pretty lady friends now?"

Ken groaned. Not even Minako-san teased him about this…

Even if Anne wasn't taken by Ren… he couldn't see himself dating her. Ren may find her silly moments endearing but… not him. And Futaba… she was nearly three years younger. If anything, he saw her more like a younger sister. And Haru… she was nice, but he honestly didn't know much about her still. He supposed if he had to pick… he would choose Makoto. She was smart, pretty, and he always enjoyed spending time with her-

…Wait, what was he thinking?

"Oooh, you're blushing!" Rise-san giggled, all while smiling deviously. "So who is it, hmm?"

…Okay, he understood why Shinjiro-san called Rise-san nosy. Rise-san was always nice to him, but apparently he was a new target to her now.

"We've been making everyone wait," Ken blurted out. "We better go."

"Heeeey!" Rise-san protested. "You get back here, Ken-kun!"

---

Ren hated that he was nervous about this. Why should he care about this random stranger's opinion of him? It's not like many people thought highly of him. Not even his own parents did. Who cared if Yu Narukami thought he was an obnoxious delinquent who had too much time on his hands?

Oh wait, he did. He thought it'd be good for him to meet a fellow Wild Card but the Shadow Operatives were already doubting their intentions. Why would Yu Narukami and his team be any different? Especially since Naoto Shirogane was famous for helping solve the Adachi case at the young age of sixteen. Why would a detective trust him? He didn't know if Shirogane was even part of Narukami's team, but it was kinda suspicious…

Anne silently took Ren's hand and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. Ren looked at her, and she just smiled softly at him. Ren squeezed her hand back. How did he luck out?

They stepped into the living room, which was modestly sized. There was a couch, but Ren's eyes were drawn to the kotatsu. Just like his old house.

Sitting on the couch were three adults, all looking like they were in their early twenties, while another sat on the floor. Ren's eyes were immediately drawn to the man sitting on the couch at the far right.

He had steel gray hair in a bowl cut style—but somehow he managed to pull it off—and his eyes were silver. There was something piercing about his gaze. Confidence radiated around him, and he held himself tall and proud. He wore a light gray v neck and a pair of jeans.

Two women sat with Narukami. The taller of the two had a slender, willow-like build. She had long jet black hair, with the front strands braided around her head, porcelain skin, and dark eyes. She sorta was like Hifumi, in how she looked like a traditional Japanese beauty. She wore a red chiffon top with a bow, paired with a black skirt.

The shorter woman had wispy dark blue hair that she wore down to her shoulders. Even though she was sitting down, Ren could see that she was positively tiny. She wore a dark blue sleeveless top, paired with black slim fitting pants. She had a quiet serious air to herself, and there was an intelligence in her dark blue eyes. She seemed to be observing all of them. Ren honestly felt like he was underneath a magnifying glass.

Leaning against the shorter woman's legs was a tall man. Just… damn. Ren could tell that he was tall, even though he sat on the floor. He was built like a brick wall, with broad shoulders and muscled arms. His appearance was offset by his neat black hair and the glasses he wore. He wore a black leather jacket over a purple top, paired with jeans.

"So… are you just gonna stare at us the whole time?"

Ren snapped to attention. It was the tall man who spoke.

"Kanji-kun…" The blue haired woman nudged his side with her foot. "That was rude."

"…Sorry, Naoto," he grumbled.

…Yeah, that confirmed his suspicions. Ren's hand tightened around Anne's.

That was then Ken entered the living room, looking flustered for some reason. Rise grumbled about him running off before perching herself on the couch's arm next to Narukami.

"I was wondering what took you so long, Rise," Narukami laughed softly. "Pestering Ken about Shinjiro-san proposing, right?"

Rise just giggled, her eyes twinkling. "Something like that~"

Ken just groaned, pressing a hand against his face. "I want to wipe it from my mind," he muttered.

…Okay, what did Rise say to Ken? And he wanted to know her secrets. It was always fun to see Ken being embarrassed by his senpai.

Shirogane coughed. "It's been a while, Ken-kun," she said, a gentle smile on her face. "I hope you've been well."

"Yeah!" Kanji leaned forward, smiling widely at Ken. "How ya been, Ken? Haven't gotten to talk to you in months."

Huh. Shirogane and this Kanji seemed pretty fond of Ken. Similar to how SEES treated Ken as their collective younger brother.

Ken rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, sorry… Things have been kinda crazy."

"Yeah, no kidding," Narukami chuckled. "We never would have expected you of all people to join the Phantom Thieves."

"It's so exciting though!" the dark haired woman exclaimed. "I'm a bit jealous of Ken-kun, I must admit. Being a Phantom Thief… it must be so exciting!"

…Wait, what? She… really thought that? She looked like a traditional Japanese lady…

…Then again, they did have Haru. She looked all demure, but she was pretty vicious with that axe of hers. Not to mention when she had Milady use her gun attack…

"Ahaha…" Ken rubbed the back of his neck. "It's nothing really." He bowed his head. "I hope you're all well."

Kanji just made a face at Ken. "Dude, we're always telling you that you don't hafta be so polite… For crying out loud, you're only two years younger than me."

That reminded him of how Ren had to give Ken a very hard nudge to get him drop formalities. At least Ken didn't use the -san honorific with them. Though if he had to guess, Ken stuck to that since he was the youngest for the longest time.

"Speak for yourself, Kanji," Rise teased, leaning forward all while resting her hand on Narukami's arm. Her smile could only be described as impish. "You're the baby of the group, after all."

Kanji scowled at Rise. "Ugh, shuddup, Rise! We're in the same school year! And I'm born in January!"

"You're still the baby of the group!"

That was when the dark haired woman started to chortle. "Kanji-kun… wearing baby clothes…" She then burst into a laughing fit, clutching her stomach. "That's such a funny sight! Just imagine it…!"

"And you set off Yukiko-senpai," Shirogane sighed, shaking her head.

Narukami cleared his throat. "Settle down," he said calmly, somehow able to speak above the woman's hysterical laughter. "We should introduce ourselves."

"Three guesses who's the leader, and the first two don't count," Futaba muttered.

"Yeah, for real," Ryuji mumbled.

"Seems like you've already figured me out but…" Narukami straightened his posture, before his eyes met Ren's. "My name is Yu Narukami. For the longest time, I was the most recent Wild Card."

"Rise Kujikawa," Rise said with a bright smile, before winking at them. "But you all seem to know me quite well."

"Naoto Shirogane," Shirogane introduced herself, before she grimaced. "…Kindly refrain from using the moniker the media gave me. I don't particularly like being called it."

Huh. Wondered why Shirogane didn't like that title. Though what did she think of Akechi, anyways? Shirogane stayed away from the spotlight.

"The…" Makoto gaped at Shirogane. "The Detective Prince?!"

"Any other celebrities you know, Ken?" Futaba demanded. "Seriously, first Mitsuru Kirijo and Yukari Takeba! And then Risette and the Detective Prince?!"

Shirogane's expression became flat. "…What did I just say?"

"Come on, it's not that big of a deal…" Anne said. "I mean, we have Haru."

"Okumura Foods ain't comparable to the Kirijo Group, Anne!" Ryuji protested. "And seriously… Risette and the Detective Prince?! You've been holding out on us, Ken!"

Ken sighed. "So I should've just listed all the celebrities I know…?"

"Yes," Futaba said brightly. "Glad to know you're catching on!"

Ken rolled his eyes. "Duly noted," he said dryly.

Shirogane coughed. "Moving on." She then smiled at the unnamed man. "You're next, Kanji-kun."

"Uh right… Kanji Tatsumi," Kanji said, before scratching his cheek. "Er… I help run my family's textile business?"

Textile? This guy worked with sewing? Or maybe he handled the business side of things. Though that was weird in itself.

The black haired woman finally calmed down with her laughing fit, apparently regaining her poise. "I'm Yukiko Amagi. I'm the junior manager of the Amagi Inn, a traditional inn."

"The Amagi Inn…" Yusuke said thoughtfully. "It's rather famous for its onsens, isn't it?"

Amagi nodded. "That's the main draw for people staying at the inn. If we have time today, maybe we can use the hot springs. It's been a while since I've soaked in them myself."

"That sounds wonderful!" Haru exclaimed, lightly clapping her hands together.

Narukami cleared his throat. "But now we've introduced ourselves… it's your turn."

They took turns introducing themselves. Narukami's team seemed nice enough at least. Ren found himself relaxing a little.

Narukami invited them to sit around the kotatsu, since the adults had taken the couch. Morgana wiggled out of Ren's bag, jumping on top of the kotatsu.

A strangled sound escaped Tatsumi. "He's so… cute…" He was blushing. "It looks like he's wearing little socks!"

Morgana just hissed. "Don't patronize me!"

"Can I pet him?" Tatsumi pleaded.

"Stop treating me like I'm a cat!" Morgana shouted. "I'm not a cat!"

Ren leaned toward to Ken, who sat to his right. "…They can't understand Morgana, can they?"

Ken shrugged. "Not surprised," he murmured. "Shinjiro-san and Fuuka-san can't understand him either."

Morgana really was an odd case… Though Morgana was pretty convinced that his memories lurked at the bottom of Mementos. That may be connected.

Tatsumi's smile faltered. "…So no?"

"Don't feel bad, Kanji-san," Ken said. "Morgana's prickly to begin with."

"Don't spread lies about me!" Morgana protested.

"Is it though?" Ryuji asked, smirking at Morgana.

"Ugh! Shut up, Ryuji!"

"Settle down, you two," Makoto chided, before she let out a sigh. "Honestly…"

"Are you… arguing with the cat?" Amagi asked slowly.

"Wait… you don't know about Morgana?" Anne asked, her eyes wide.

Narukami shrugged. "It's not like we've been holding a video conference. Yeah, Ken reports to Mitsuru-san, but we're not privy to everything he tells her. Their organization is pretty secret, anyways."

"So says the part-time Shadow Operative," Rise teased.

Narukami just laughed. "Okay, I guess I'm not the best person to say that… But either way, we have a vague way of how you operate in the…" He frowned. "…Metaworld, was it?"

"Metaverse," Yusuke corrected.

Shirogane coughed. "Yu-senpai, I believe that you promised everyone lunch? Perhaps we can exchange stories while we eat?" she suggested. "Before the food gets cold."

Narukami nodded. "Yeah, you're right, Naoto." He then looked over to everyone else. "Sound good to you?"

"Hell yeah!" Ryuji nodded vigorously. "I'm starving!"

It took some time to serve the food, but they settled in the living room and dug into their food. Narukami had gotten the food from a place called Aiya's, a Chinese diner in the shopping district. Ren dug into his share with gusto. It had been a while since he's had Chinese take-out.

"Wait, wait, wait—" Ryuji waved his chopsticks for a moment. "You go inside a TV? That's so weird!"

"Yes, about as strange as accessing a Shadow nest by using a phone app," Ken said dryly, before taking a bite of an eggroll. "Imagine that."

Futaba snickered at Ryuji's chagrined expression. "He got you there, Ryuji."

Tatsumi just laughed at that, smirking in Ken's direction. "I mean, after ya see enough weird shit, you just kinda shrug it off, don'tcha?"

"Pretty much," Ken agreed.

Though Ren had to agree with Ryuji… the whole story of the Midnight Channel was pretty trippy. Turned out that they fought a goddess as well. Though he had to wonder what kind of other bizarre stuff Ken had witnessed.

"You really have accomplished a lot… haven't you?" Haru said.

"Hey, come on, it's not like you've been twiddling your thumbs," Rise interjected. "I mean, you've been choosing your targets because you want to help people who can't fight back, right? That's pretty noble in itself. There's no need to downplay yourselves or compare yourselves to us."

Ren just blinked. He didn't think that they would understand.

"Comparison is the thief of joy, after all," Shirogane agreed.

Yusuke frowned. "Ah, no offense, Shirogane-san, but I thought that you would be the last person to…"

Shirogane let out an exasperated sigh. "I'm by no means, associated with Goro Akechi," she said dryly. "Frankly, my so called successor is…"

"Full of it?" Tatsumi offered.

"Inflated with hot air," Rise added with a giggle. "Seriously, he's got nothing on Naoto-kun."

"I think he has a point with his argument that your actions could make people self-reliant," Shirogane stated. "However… his argument holds less ground for me with his arguing that justice must be upheld through the law. The law is malleable, after all."

She… agreed with them? The original Detective Prince? Ren knew it was rude, but he couldn't help but stare.

"Not to mention how we didn't let the police take care of things for us," Narukami added. "Yosuke, Chie, and I decided to form the Investigation Team to begin with, because we felt we couldn't let the police just take care of the case and let more people die."

They… had taken things in their own hands as well. Ren had to admit that he wasn't expecting that. He had formed all of these assumptions in his head. That the older Persona-users wouldn't know how they felt, how they probably wouldn't come to an understanding…

But… was that any better with how people formed assumptions about him because of his record? Ren couldn't help but feel a bit ashamed of all of his preconceptions.

"Wow…" Anne whispered. "It seems so simple when you put it that way."

Futaba nodded vigorously. "I thought you would be totally giving us the side eye."

Haru winced. "Ah, Futaba-chan, you shouldn't just outright say it."

"No, it's fair," Narukami said. "The confessions of the criminals who personally affected you… it's given you mistrust of adults. I can understand that…"

"But I hope that you understand now that we don't have to be your enemies," Amagi said.

No… they didn't. Ren could see that now. He was still unsure about the Shadow Operatives as a group overall… but the Investigation Team seemed to understand their motivations. They didn't seem so intimidating now…

"But anyways, Senpai and Ren-kun probably have a lot to talk about!" Rise chirped, before winking at her boyfriend. "We'll get out of your hair then. We'll take everyone else around town."

They helped clean the area, before everyone said their goodbyes and left the house.

But before Anne left with the others, she squeezed his hand before whispering to him: "It'll be fine."

When he looked back, he saw that Rise was whispering something to Narukami as well, before she quickly kissed his cheek and left with Anne. Narukami just watched her go with a fond smile.

"…She's not subtle, is she?" Ren asked.

"No, she isn't," Narukami agreed, still smiling rather goofily. (God, did he look like that with Anne? Ken claimed that he looked besotted with Anne sometimes, but he couldn't help but feel Ken exaggerated a little with that.) But then he snapped to attention, his expression becoming serious. "…But you're the newest Wild Card."

Ren swallowed. "…I am."

Narukami suddenly let out a laugh, brushing his bangs out of his face. "This is… still all very new to me," he confessed. "Not being the youngest Wild Card anymore. Having a junior in that regard."

Ren took in a shaky breath. "…It's new to me having a senpai too."

Narukami smiled faintly. "You seem to have gathered a good group of friends." He then closed his eyes. "…It brings back memories of when I was in high school."

Ren raised an eyebrow when Narukami opened his eyes again. "You're not that old… You're what—twenty-one?"

"Twenty-two," he corrected, all while smiling nostalgically. "It feels so long ago and yet not…"

"…How did you do it?" Ren asked. "Not too long ago, when we went to steal Futaba's Treasure… her twisted cognition of her mother nearly killed us. If Futaba hadn't followed us in and awakened to her Persona, we wouldn't have made it out of there. I don't want that to happen again…"

He didn't want to be a failure, not after hearing of the past Wild Cards' feats. Would he even measure up?

"…Ren." Narukami looked at him straight in the eyes. "Don't compare yourself to me. Or Minato-san. Or Minako-san."

"Kinda hard when one of my teammates was led by two of them," Ren muttered.

"Hmm." Narukami tilted his head. "That doesn't sound like Ken," he remarked. "Granted, I didn't connect to him as well as Kanji or Naoto. But has he ever brought up Minato-san to you when you're exploring the Palaces?"

"No…"

Ken only brought up his deceased leader when explaining SEES's story and when Ren had asked him. But still… Ren couldn't help but wonder… In hindsight, he realized that Ren reminded Ken of his two leaders. But was it a good thing? A bad thing? He hated that he didn't know.

"You're not me," Narukami said. "And you're not the Arisatos. I'm not either. I haven't seen you in combat, so I can't say what your strengths are. But your friends listen to you for a reason. You don't have to doubt yourself because you suddenly know that there were Wild Cards before you."

Ren looked back at him. Narukami was right. What was he doing, second guessing himself like this? He had made a resolve to fight against criminals who oppressed those who couldn't fight back. He didn't need to be anyone but himself.

Ren smiled. "…Thanks. I think I needed that reminder."

"You're allowed to have doubts," Narukami said. "I know that it was pretty strange myself when I met Minako-san. I wasn't the only one with this power. But…" He closed his eyes with a smile. "…One thing that the Wild Cards have in common is that your bonds are your true power. Keep your friends close and you can accomplish anything."

Ren just stared. "That's so corny."

Narukami's eyes popped open. His expression could only be described to be like a kicked puppy. "C-Corny?" he repeated, sounding baffled.

Ren couldn't help it. He burst out laughing. God, and to think, just a few hours, he was nervous about meeting this guy. Ren wished that Ken had told him what a massive dork Narukami was.

---

As per Rise-san's suggestion, they were taken around Inaba. Their first stop had been the shopping district. It had been rather lively, with people coming and going out of the shops. The Investigation Team as a whole was well known. They were stopped a couple times by some elementary students, who called Kanji-san "Sensei", quizzing him about advice for a… sewing project they had. Even though he had mentioned working with textiles before, Makoto had a hard time connecting him with traditionally feminine work.

Then they went to the Samegawa River, the water being surprisingly clear. It sparkled under the golden sunlight and Makoto could see fish darting about. Morgana jumped out of Haru's arms, batting at a nearby fish. He then leaned too far when the fish swam out of Morgana's reach, tipping into the river.

Ryuji burst into laughter as Morgana sputtered before crawling back to shore. Morgana was completely drenched, his fur sopping with water.

Rise-san giggled, before fishing out a handkerchief. "Aw, Morgana, you could've sweet talked Senpai into giving you some fish! He's got such a soft spot for cats." She then glanced around. "Anyone else have handkerchiefs? Morgana should be dried off or I think he'll get a cold."

They managed to dry off Morgana with the handkerchiefs they all carried with them, but Morgana's fur was still slightly damp.

Morgana then plopped onto the grass. "Ugh," he groaned out. "Ren makes it so easy when he fished at the fishing pond…"

Anne giggled before sitting down herself, stretching out her legs. She scratched behind Morgana's ear. "I'm pretty sure Ren used a fishing rod, Morgana."

"Oh, Ren-kun fishes a bit?" Yukiko-san asked. "So does Yu-kun. He says it's relaxing."

"Yeah, that sounds like Senpai," Kanji-san said, his voice fond. "But yeah… that's about it for Inaba, I guess." He shrugged. "Must be pretty boring for you city people."

"When we walked around the shopping district… it sounded so lively!" Haru said. "I think that the people here make it worth living here in Inaba. That's just… the feeling I get."

Naoto-san just chuckled, before sitting down next to Kanji-san. "You described it quite well. I always look forward to returning to Inaba for a short reprieve after I close a case."

"And Kanji has nothing to do with that, riiiight?" Rise-san interjected, a sly smile on her lips.

…Makoto would have to be careful and not let things slip around her. She seemed the type to tease people about their crushes.

"This again, Rise?!" Kanji-san glowered at Rise-san, but she didn't look fazed at all. Makoto didn't know how because Kanji-san had a rather nasty glare, but Rise-san just giggled at Kanji-san. "Seriously! We've been datin' for over a year, when are you gonna let it go?!"

"Hmm… probably never."

Yukiko-san just laughed softly. "Hmm, that does sound like Rise-chan."

Rise-san just shrugged. "Guilty."

Ryuji just leaned in close. "Can't believe this is really Risette!" he hissed at them.

Ken just looked at him, exasperated. "Ryuji, Rise-san's just a normal person."

"You've known her for years, man!" Ryuji protested. "You could've given us a warning, y'know!"

Ryuji's outburst caught the attention of the older Persona-users and they glanced at him quizzically.

"Ryuji-kun, you're not very… quiet," Yukiko-san said delicately.

"That's Ryuji to a T," Futaba said lightly.

"Ugh, shuddup!" Ryuji scowled at her. "Besides, you can't really talk with how you totally fangirled over Yukari-san! You were totally babbling 'round her!"

"Um, that's because it's Yukari Takeba!" Futaba scoffed, folding her arms over her chest. "Pink Argus trumps any singer."

Yusuke tilted his head. "Furthermore, I believe that you're only reacting in this way because you find Kujikawa-san rather attractive, Ryuji."

Anne grinned. "She was so his celebrity crush when we were in junior high."

"HEY!" Ryuji scowled at her. "Jeez, why are you throwing me under the bus like this?!"

Rise-san giggled. "I should've expected one of you to be a fan." She winked at Ryuji then. "I'd be more than happy to take a picture with you."

"Seriously?!" Ryuji exclaimed. "Dude… someone pinch me!" Haru obliged him and he yelped. "Shit! Haru, I didn't mean to actually pinch me!"

"Really?" Haru tilted her head. "I wish you had been more clear then, Ryuji-kun!"

Naoto-san just sighed, shaking her head as Rise-san indulged Ryuji and then Anne. Haru rejoined them, since she didn't have much interest in taking pictures. "You've certainly found a… colorful group of friends, Ken-kun," she remarked.

Ken rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah… though you could say that about everyone else."

"She just… commands your attention," Yusuke remarked, shaking his head as Futaba questioned why she was so popular. Rise-san didn't mind though, only choosing to sing a few bars from a song that Makoto didn't recognize.

It was a lovely song though… Makoto leaned backwards, listening to Rise-san's sweet voice. It was about the singer apparently having realized some kind of truth and being excited to start a journey and seeing the world. Makoto couldn't help but chuckle as Futaba was suddenly enraptured by Rise-san's impromptu performance. Rise-san had just earned a new fan.

Yusuke added, "I don't think I can even begin to capture her essence."

"That's Rise for ya." Kanji-san shrugged. "She's a real firecracker."

Yukiko-san nodded. "That much hasn't changed since we've been in high school." Then her lips curled into a soft smile. "I hope we'll be able to get together soon. It was nice to see Rise-chan and Yu-kun for the weekend, but it's not the same without all of us."

Ken nodded. "I can understand that. It was really nice but when everyone came back to Port Island."

Makoto couldn't help but look at the Investigation Team. They had their own lives, but Inaba seemed to keep calling them back. She hoped that she would stay close with her friends after graduation…

"Though I must say…" Haru looked at them. "I'm curious about how you met the Shadow Operatives to begin with."

"Ah…" Naoto-san nodded. "That is quite a story too…" But then she smiled. "But the song Rise is singing… that was actually inspired by something during that incident."

They began to explain about how they met Labrys, Aigis-san's "older sister", who had been pushed into the TV world and she had formed her own dungeon due to her bottled up feelings.

Though Makoto couldn't help but feel intrigued at the idea of the TV world still existing. After all, Ken had said that Tartarus and the Dark Hour had been wiped from existence after Minato-san had sealed away Nyx.

This had led the Investigation Team to meet Mitsuru-san, Minako-san, Akihiko-san, and Aigis-san. But even though they had saved Labrys, there were some unanswered questions, such as who kidnapped Labrys to begin with. Or who had been pulling the strings the whole time.

And they would be shortly answered on the last day of Golden Week. The Shadow Operatives had been kidnapped, so the rest of SEES had to step in.

Though Makoto had a hard time making sense of this red fog… Or these so-called Shadow selves…

"We actually met Ken-kun here on this bank," Naoto-san said with a smile. "Though Kanji-kun… he just threw himself in danger's way for Ken-kun."

"Wasn't gonna let a kid get hurt like that," Kanji-san grumbled.

And Sho Minazuki… he seemed to really lash out at the world with his upbringing. Though Makoto couldn't help but wonder just hard Mitsuru-san took it when she was reminded of her family's sins.

"Seriously, you guys fought another god?" Futaba asked incredulously.

Yukiko-san just shrugged. "Technically, it had been Yu-kun, Labrys, and Minako-san. Labrys and Minako-san worked together to take down Hi-no-Kagutsuchi, and Yu-kun and Adachi-san landed the final blow."

"Yeah, he kinda shot himself in the foot with that." Kanji-san smirked. "He was the one who let Adachi out to begin with."

"Dude… this is just too crazy…" Ryuji shook his head. "I hope that we never have to do any crazy shit like that."

Rise-san just giggled, looking at her friends. "We've seen some crazy stuff over the years, huh?"

Naoto-san just smiled in response. "We have. Though I don't think anything can ever compare to the Midnight Stage…"

Kanji-san groaned. "I don't think we can ever forget that…"

"We'll stick to fighting in the Metaverse, thank you," Yusuke said dryly.

"I do wish that I could visit the Metaverse," Naoto-san mused, rubbing her chin. "It really seems fascinating…"

"We can't take you to the Metaverse…" Morgana said slowly, "but what about the TV world? I'm curious about that."

Makoto just smiled at Morgana. "I was thinking the same thing, actually," she informed him, making Ken raise an eyebrow at her. When the Investigation Team looked at her quizzically, she quickly clarified. "Morgana was saying that he wants to see the TV World. I'm… curious about what your Shadow nest looks like."

For some reason, they exchanged an uneasy look.

"Well…" Yukiko-san said slowly, "I suppose we could take you."

"What's the matter?" Ken asked. "Is something wrong with the TV World?"

Kanji-san rubbed his face. "Ted's been visiting it on and off. He totally freaked out when he saw that the TV World reverted from the peaceful place it was."

Ken frowned. "That's… strange."

"Hmm… I wouldn't say so," Naoto-san said. "When we defeated Izanami, the fog was lifted. We were able to see the beauty in people's hearts…" she pursed her lips, until it formed a thin line, "but lately…"

"People are… scared," Rise-san said with a wince. "The mental breakdowns… Even with us knowing… it's still scary. I can only imagine what it's like to people who don't."

Anne winced, wrapping her arms around herself. "Yeah, all those incidents… they were really scary."

"At least Teddie said there's no fog," Yukiko-san offered. "It's just… there are dungeons if we venture further from the usual spot."

"Do you want to go still?" Ken asked.

Morgana nodded. "Yeah. I really want to see what it's like."

Everyone else added their agreements, so Naoto-san nodded. "All right." She then stood up. "We'll head to Junes then."

---

They were led to Junes, the large department store sticking out like a sore thumb in the small country town.

"Is Teddie-san working today?" Ken asked, looking at Kanji-san.

He nodded in response. "Yeah, he got called in, because some part timers called in sick today. Ted was pretty upset about that…" He then glanced in the distance. "Speak of the devil."

Rise-san intercepted the brightly colored mascot with a laugh. "Hello to you too, Teddie. You're almost done for the day, right?"

"Save me, Rise-chan!" he whined.

Futaba sidled close. "That's… the Junes mascot," she said.

"I remember going to the Junes in Tokyo with my mom…" Ryuji said. "The guy in the costume was griping about it so much, grumbling 'bout who the hell came up with this costume."

Anne giggled. "Guess we have the answer."

"Yeah, no kidding!"

Yusuke's eyes were filled with disdain. "The costume's coloring is blinding. They're so garish."

"Yusuke!" Makoto scolded.

"It's true, you cannot deny it, Makoto."

Makoto just sighed. Sometimes she wished she could convey that just because something was true… you shouldn't say it.

"Woooow!" Teddie-san suddenly pushed forward, looking back and forth. "KenKen! You could've said that you had a bunch of cuties as friends!" But before Ken could even open his mouth, he zipped over to Anne. "What's your name, cutie? You have blonde hair and blue eyes… just like me!"

…Wait, what?

"Teddie-san…" Ken sighed. "Anne's off limits. She has a boyfriend."

"Oh, I see…" Teddie-san suddenly was in front of Makoto, giving her a bit of whiplash. "What about you, hmm? Would you like to score with me?"

Yukiko-san suddenly scowled. "Can you please drop that already?! It's been years!"

Makoto just stared blankly at him. He wanted to… score? What was that supposed to mean? He was… flirting, right? He was flirting. But what did that even mean?

"Teddie-san!" Ken suddenly snapped. "When I told you that Anne has a boyfriend… I didn't mean move onto Makoto!" He then pinched the bridge of his nose. "Can you not flirt with my friends?"

"Oh, KenKen, you're such a wet blanket!" he huffed.

"…KenKen?" Anne echoed. "I thought you didn't like being called that, with how you told Futaba not to call you that."

"I don't," Ken deadpanned.

"But Mako-chan is single!" he protested.

Makoto coughed. "U-Um… that may be true but… I'm not interested, Teddie-san." She smiled apologetically at him, before her face began to burn. "I… I have feelings for someone else."

"You… You do?" Ken's voice was filled with shock. His face could only be described as flabbergasted.

…She shouldn't have said that. But she had to deter Teddie-san somehow… right? Right? God, she hoped she didn't regret opening her mouth like that…

"Oooh, she said it!" Futaba cackled, a knowing grin on her face.

…She was starting to regret it. Futaba's grin was uncannily like Ren's. She was probably spending too much time around Ren…

"Maybe we should head to the electronics department?" Anne quickly interjected. "I mean, we're kinda a big group…"

"Electronics?" Teddie-san echoed with a frown. "Are you going back?"

"Yes." Naoto-san nodded, smiling apologetically. "We'll be careful, Teddie. And when we come back… hopefully you'll be off work." Then she looked at Anne. "However, Anne-san… we're not going to the electronics department. Yosuke-senpai realized near the end of his senior year that the TV would soon be considered obsolete, so he had it tucked away in the back."

"Hmm… okay." Teddie nodded, before he rummaged around and produced a ring of keys, handing it over to the petite woman. "I trust you, Nao-chan! Though, if KenKen brought his friends… who's Sensei's junior?" He quickly scanned the area, his eyes lighting up. "Oh, it's you—" he jabbed a finger in Yusuke's direction, "—isn't it?!"

"Me?" Yusuke blinked owlishly at Teddie-san.

"Ted…" Kanji-san groaned. "What the hell makes you think that?"

"Silly Kanji!" he chuckled. "He looks like Mina-chan's brother!"

"Uhh… that's stretching it a bit," Ken said.

"He's got blue hair!"

"So does Naoto-san," Ken pointed out. "And don't you have a classmate who had blue hair?"

"There's Mishima too," Ryuji chimed in. "Though his hair is more bluish black."

"Why are we talking about this?" Morgana moaned. "This is pointless!"

"Hm?" Teddie-san turned at Morgana's voice. "Oh! A kitty!" He then laughed. "But I bet my fur's silkier than his!"

"Excuse me?!" Morgana bristled at that. "You take that back, you garish colored doll!"

"Translation?" Rise-san asked.

"Um.. Mona-chan says hello?" Haru offered.

"Somehow…" Yukiko-san tilted her head, "…I feel that's not the truth."

"This is looking to be quite a crowd."

Makoto turned around to see that both Ren and Yu-san had entered Junes. Ren looked at ease, a bit of a flip of how he had radiated trepidation earlier.

"Ren!" Anne exclaimed, running over to him. "How was your talk?"

"Good." Ren smiled at her, before taking her hand. But then his smile turned sardonic as he looked over to Ken. "You could've mentioned that he was a huge dork. He was going on about the power of friendship of all things."

"Hmm… that does sound like Yu-kun," Yukiko-san mused.

"Yukiko!" Yu-san protested, but the dark haired woman just shrugged at him.

Rise-san just giggled, before standing on her tiptoes to kiss him lightly on the cheek. "Aw, Senpai, don't pout. It's very endearing."

"It doesn't sound like it," he mumbled. "But anyways, Rise mentioned that you wanted to visit the TV world?"

"I wish I could go, but I'll join you later!" Teddie-san exclaimed, before he heaved out a huge sigh. "I better get back to work before Papa Hanamura yells at me for slacking off…"

"Papa… Hanamura?" Anne echoed, raising an eyebrow as Teddie-san walked away.

Naoto-san chuckled. "Yosuke-senpai's parents adopted Teddie shortly before Yosuke-senpai graduated. He calls Yosuke-senpai's mother 'Mama Hanamura' as well."

"Aww, that's so sweet," Haru cooed. "So Hanamura-san is like Teddie-san's older brother?"

"Yeah, pretty much," Yu-san said with a nod. "Yosuke gripes a lot about him, but everyone knows how much he cares about Teddie." He then shook his head. "But anyways, let's get you to the TV world."

Yu-san led them to the backroom, and they were somehow able to slip past the employees' notice. They entered a room and Kanji-san flicked on the light. A 2010 plasma screen was pushed against the opposite wall, and Yu-san walked up to it confidently. He touched the screen, and his touch sent ripples across the screen.

"Whoa!" Ryuji's eyes were wide with shock. "Daaaamn… even with your story, I wasn't expecting that!"

"Minako-san relayed the story… but it's something else actually seeing it," Ken remarked.

Yu-san pulled his hand away, turning to face them. "Ready to go inside?" he asked, smiling fondly now—it must be bringing back memories.

Without another word, he turned around and plunged into the TV.

"Damn." Ren blinked at the TV. "Didn't know what I was expecting but…"

Rise-san giggled. "It's not something you see every day. See you on the other side!"

She and Yukiko-san jumped in first, quickly followed by Naoto-san and Kanji-san… leaving them alone. Even though Makoto had been the one to broach the idea… she did feel a bit uneasy about the whole thing. Ken hadn't even visited the TV world…

"This is just freaky," Futaba muttered. "I'll take the Metaverse any day."

Ken just let out an exasperated sigh. "Why don't you come me, then?" He then glanced. "If you're still feeling unsure, maybe we should pair off then," he suggested.

"Welllll, since it was Makoto's idea to begin with…" Ryuji gave Makoto a push forward. "She should go with you!"

It took some willpower for Makoto to not glare at Ryuji, since that would probably just confuse Ken. And she had confused him enough already. Just… Ryuji, why?! Why did she ever do to him?!

…Okay, she nagged at him a lot about his schoolwork. And she did think that he could have a more balanced diet, instead of just eating beef bowls. But still…!

"Well, sure," Ken said, though he raised an eyebrow at Ryuji. But then he turned back to Makoto. "Let's go then, Makoto."

They stepped forward and Ken pressed his hand against the screen. His touch sent waves rippling across the screen, before his hand began to sink inside.

Without warning, he used his free hand to snag Makoto by the wrist and pulled her in with him. Makoto let out a squeak, as they were suddenly engulfed in white. It was like they were free falling. But Ken suddenly twisted so that she landed on him when they hit the ground. His arms even went around her to steady her.

Makoto's face heated up. He was touching her waist. His hands on her felt… nice.

…She should shove that thought of her mind. Far, farrrrr away…

For a moment, she just stared down at Ken, whose face was starting to grow pink. Of course he was embarrassed, she was on top of him, for heaven's sake. "T-Thanks," she stuttered out.

At least she knew how to talk still. Ugh. How did someone have a crush on a good friend and not die?

Naoto-san suddenly coughed. "Ah, Makoto-san… you might want to get up so Ken-kun can too," she said delicately.

"R-Right!" She quickly scrambled to her feet, extending a hand to help Ken up.

Ken just rubbed the back of his neck. "It's no problem, really."

Everyone else soon dropped down. Even Ren, who was normally so dexterous, had stumbled. He would've fallen on his face if Yu-san hadn't steadied him. But the most glaring part wasn't even their surroundings…

"Mona, you're in your Metaverse form!" Ryuji said.

"I am…" Morgana twisted around. "That is strange."

"Forget that," Yu-san said, suddenly serious.

"W-What are you doing?" Morgana backed away from the advancing man. "Don't try to pet me or I'll… meowwwww…"

Yu-san rubbed the top of Morgana's head, scratching behind Morgana's ears. He even rubbed Morgana's cheeks. And Morgana seemed to be in nirvana, judging by his blissful expression.

"I'm next, Senpai!" Kanji-san exclaimed, rushing over.

Naoto-san just sighed. "Shouldn't they be more concerned about how we can suddenly understand him…?"

That was a bit strange… Maybe they had to be in a Shadow nest for Morgana to take on his Metaverse form…? This was really confusing.

"They've fought gods," Futaba said flatly. "They don't act like it."

"Well, how should they act like then?" Rise-san asked, raising an eyebrow at Futaba. "Senpai's always been a sucker for cats, and Kanji even more so… for anything cute. You should've seen him when he brought Momo home."

"…Momo?" Haru asked.

"Oh, that's one of Masamune's pups," Yukiko-san answered. "Fuuka-san promised him one."

"Masamune?" Yusuke echoed, eyebrow raised. "As in… the Sengoku general?"

Ken just sighed heavily, pressing a hand to his forehead. "Yukiko-san, we've told you a million times. His name is Koromaru. I don't know why you try to give him such strange names…"

Yukiko-san just frowned at him. "I think Masamune suits him well."

"You've said the same thing when you tried to rename him Chosokabe, Yukimura, and Akechi."

"Damn, she probably confused the crap out of poor Koromaru," Ren snickered.

"You have no idea…" Ken grumbled.

"Soooo cute!" Kanji exclaimed, rubbing Morgana's head rather vigorously. "And so soft!"

Naoto-san just sighed softly, her expression both exasperated and fond. "Kanji-kun… that's enough… He's not a toy."

"You really like cute stuff, huh?" Ryuji asked.

Kanji straightened up, narrowing his eyes at Ryuji. "Yeah? I like cute shit," he said confidently. "So what?"

"You mentioned that you help run a textile shop," Haru said. "I think it's wonderful that you're continuing your family's business."

"And you know how to sew and knit, right?"

"Hold on…" Yu-san stepped forward with a frown. "There's nothing wrong with that kind of thing-"

"Huh?" Ryuji scratched the back of his head. "Whatcha talking 'bout? I think that kinda thing super cool! My mom's always like handmade gifts more! I was thinkin' it'd be cool if I could knit my mom a scarf! She always gets pretty cold so I bet she'd love that!"

Naoto-san then laughed. "Pity you're only here for today," she said. "Perhaps if you were here for longer, you could have enrolled in one of Kanji-kun's sewing classes."

"Dude, that would be so awesome!" Ryuji then hung his head. "Man, why can't Inaba be closer…?"

Haru just giggled. "I didn't know you loved your mother so much, Ryuji-kun."

Ryuji then coughed, his cheeks suddenly growing red. "It's just been me and her for the longest time, y'know…" He rubbed the back of his head. "It ain't a big deal." He then pointedly looked around. "But this is it, huh…?"

Yu-san nodded. "Yeah, this is the TV world." He looked out to the distance. "I bet if we walked far enough, we could actually visit everyone's dungeons."

This earned him a few unamused stares. Oddly enough, Rise-san was the only one who didn't react in such a way.

"You described it earlier…" Yusuke said slowly, "as losing control of your Shadow self. And if they're not rescued in time… the Shadows will kill them?"

"That's the gist of it," Yukiko-san answered. "Our Shadow selves… they represented things deep in our hearts… something we didn't want to admit."

"And facing ourselves just made us stronger!" Kanji-san clenched his fist. "That's how we got our Personas."

Though Kanji-san, Yukiko-san, and Naoto-san all seemed a little… embarrassed by their places. But then again, they represented their dark side…

"That does hold some similarities to Palaces," Ren noted, looking down at Morgana. "That's probably why Morgana took on his Metaverse—Shadow nest?—form here."

"That sounds close to how I got my Persona," Futaba said thoughtfully, tilting her head.

Ren looked back to Ken. "Guess this is how you got your knowledge of Shadow selves."

Ken just let out an exasperated sigh, though pink tinged his cheeks. "You talk like I'm some sort of walking encyclopedia about this kind of thing," he mumbled.

"It seems like you don't know about the Metaverse all too well," Naoto-san noted, tilting her head. "Though perhaps you will find some more information the more you descend Mementos."

"I can't deny that the Metaverse is a… strange place," Haru agreed. "When we come here, we don't change into our Metaverse suits."

"Wellll…" Anne tilted her head. "We stay in our normal clothes, if the Palace ruler doesn't view us a threat. So I guess it makes sense that we don't…?"

"What's this about Metaverse suits?" Yukiko-san asked.

"Oh, um…" Makoto glanced at the older woman. "When we visit Palaces, we transform into a suit, granted to us by our Persona. It comes with a mask, which we have to rip off to summon."

"Waitwaitwait…" Ryuji waved his hands. "If you don't have special clothes… what do you wear?"

"…Our school uniforms?" Yu-san raised an eyebrow. "I've never heard of such an occurrence."

"Yeah, well, we've never heard of jumping into an effin' TV until today!" Ryuji retorted.

"…Okay, you have me there," Yu-san acknowledged, making them laugh.

"What about Ken-kun, though?" Rise-san interjected. "How does he summon?"

"…Like the rest of us?" Makoto asked. "Did you think he used his Evoker?"

"Ohh, so he gets a costume as well!" Yukiko-san's eyes brightened with excitement. "What is it?"

"Why am I suddenly dragged into this…?" Ken sighed.

Futaba just poked him in the side, making him jump. She then flashed him a grin. "I thought you'd be used to it already."

"Special costumes created by your Persona…" Kanji-san muttered under his breath. "What kind of material would they use…? It's gotta be pretty sturdy, 'specially with how crazy strong Shadows can be… Damn! I wish I could see."

Was Kanji-san… gushing about fabric? Then again, he did work with fabrics a lot. It seemed to be his livelihood.

Naoto-san just chuckled, smiling fondly. "It seems that you've piqued Kanji-kun's interest."

"Though if you want to know about Ken's outfit still…" Ren smiled slyly. "Ryuji did compare it to Tuxedo Mask once."

Haru tilted her head. "…There are some similarities, I have to admit."

"Aww, that sounds so cute!" Rise-san cooed, pressing a hand to her cheek. "Now I wish I could see you in the Metaverse!"

Ken just pressed a hand to his face.

"Do you not… like it?" Makoto asked. "Because you look… nice in it."

Anne had once said that Ken looked almost princely as Ace. There was something… dashing about Ken's Metaverse costume. He really did look good in blazers.

Ken lowered his hand. "Um, it's not that… it's just…"

"The girls have always babied Ken a bit," Yu-san offered. "They always found him adorable. Add that with the Tuxedo Mask comparison…"

"Oh, Senpai, are you jealous?" Rise-san batted her eyes at him, which only made him shake his head at her before chuckling. "You know you're the only one for me!"

"Ugh, can you not flirt 'round us?" Kanji-san groaned.

"But anyways, I think we've spent long enough talking." Yu-san rolled his shoulders, before gesturing towards the stack of televisions. "Let's head back."

They took turns exiting the TV world, and Makoto stumbled when they made it back to the real world. But somebody grabbed her by the shoulders, steadying her. She blushed when she glanced back and saw it was Ken. It always had to be Ken…

But then she was suddenly hit by a wave of exhaustion. She winced, pressing a hand to her forehead.

"We didn't even fight any Shadows," Futaba said. "Why are we tired…?"

"Visiting a Shadow nest still will tucker ya out," Kanji-san said.

"Hmm…" Yukiko-san tilted her head, before reaching into the purse that dangled from her shoulder. She drew out her phone. "Oh, it's about to change to the women's time," she noted. "For the hot springs." She then turned to the two older women. "Rise-chan? Naoto-kun? The offer's free to you, too!"

"What about you, Yukiko-senpai?" Naoto-san asked. "Do you have free time left?"

"Oh, Mother gave me the whole day off," Yukiko-san said. "So I can join you too."

A hot springs… Makoto had gone with Sae to go soak in one about… a year ago? Two years ago? Though she did remember that it had been nice.

"I'm game!" Rise-san exclaimed. "What about you girls?"

Anne smiled at them. "That sounds awesome! Thank you, Yukiko-san."

"Well, what are we gonna do then?!" Ryuji demanded.

"…We could always go fishing?" Yu-san offered.

"…Pass."

---

Crystalline water cascaded down in a small waterfall, filling a large pool. Amazingly enough, it was completely empty. Steam rose from the water, making Makoto anticipate that the water was rather hot.

Futaba would confirm that, dipping her foot into the water, only to yelp. "Hot! Hot!" She yanked her foot out, waving it back and forth frantically to cool it off.

"Jeez, you're like a little kid," Anne laughed, perching on the rocks. "Just relax, okay? Your body will adjust."

"This is my first time, okay?" Futaba grumbled, before sitting next to Anne.

"How's your hair, Futaba-chan?" Yukiko-san inquired. "I hope I didn't wind it too tight."

It was etiquette for women with long hair to tie back their hair so it wouldn't drop in the water. Makoto was glad that she didn't have to worry about that. But Futaba was used to just wearing her hair down, so Yukiko-san had done her hair, twisting Futaba's long orange locks into a neat bun, expertly sticking pins in it so it wouldn't loosen.

Futaba shook her head. "Nah, it's good."

Anne loosened her towel, slipping into the water before folding the towel and setting it neatly on the rocks. She let out a blissful sigh. "Oooh, this feels amazing…" She then looked at Yukiko-san. "And you grew up with this? I'm a bit jealous!"

Yukiko-san laughed. "Well, that also came with me having to help my mother with the inn since I was very young."

"Hehe, true."

"You're not hot at all, Anne-chan?" Rise asked. "You just slid in there without even reacting!"

"Well, Anne's element is fire," Makoto explained. "And her Persona Hecate doesn't even react to fire spells."

"Ah, I see…" Naoto-san said, "you're like Yukiko-senpai then. Her element is fire as well."

They all gradually entered the pool, and Makoto winced as the hot water touched her skin. It took a few moments for her body to adjust.

"Oh, when was the last time we were able to do this kind of thing…?" Rise-san asked, looking to her two friends.

"Hmm…" Naoto-san let out a thoughtful hum. "I think it was right around graduation for us…? Though Kanji-kun was the only one to actually graduate from Yasogami…"

"Yeah, it was both online classes for us," Rise-san mused. "But I can't believe it's really been that long! Has it really been three years…?"

"It is a pity that Chie-senpai couldn't get away…" Naoto-san remarked.

"She was pretty disappointed…" Yukiko-san said with a nod. "Though I'm glad that Yu-kun decided to come back to Inaba this weekend."

Rise-san just giggled. "You don't have to tell me! Though we were stopped so many times during our date yesterday."

Naoto-san chuckled. "Well, you and Yu-senpai are very well known around here."

"You're one to talk, Naoto-kun!"

"So… how long have you been together?" Anne asked.

Rise-san's cheeks reddened, as a slow smile spread across her face. "It's been a while."

That was… awfully vague. But then again, idols weren't supposed to date so they could appeal to their fans better. Makoto supposed it shouldn't be a surprise that Rise-san wasn't broadcasting just how long she's been dating Yu-san. They had just met, after all…

"What about you, Anne-chan?" Rise-san asked. "You and Ren-kun make a cute couple."

It was Anne's turn to blush, her cheeks turning pink. "N-Not long," she said sheepishly. "It's been…" she frowned, chewing on her lip for a moment, "six weeks, I think?"

Haru looked at her in surprise. "I… I didn't know that you were together for that long…"

…Was it her imagination or did Haru sound a little… sad?

Anne just let out an embarrassed laugh, her cheeks still glowing pink. "Y-Yeah, it happened right before we went into Futaba's Palace for the first time."

Makoto couldn't help but shake her head. That little… scene had been… something else. Though that had been her fault, with her dragging Ren into the fake dating…

"Man, I can't believe I missed that," Futaba sighed.

She really didn't miss anything, in Makoto's opinion. It was kinda embarrassing to watch Ren flirt with Anne.

"But… you're happy together now, right?" Haru asked.

Anne nodded, smiling widely. "Yeah! Ren just…" her smile turned bashful, "makes me feel so loved."

Makoto couldn't help but smile. She was glad that the two of them could be happy like this.

"What about you, Makoto-chan?" Rise-san asked, smiling deviously. "It's pretty obvious that you're sweet on Ken-kun."

"W-What?" Makoto stammered out, before sinking lower into the water. "It's… um… we're just friends!"

"Rise!" Naoto exclaimed, shooting her an exasperated look. "You shouldn't pry into this kind of thing…"

"It's… It's stupid," Makoto mumbled, wrapping an arm around her chest. "Ken just sees me as a friend."

And why would he? She wasn't bright and vivacious like Anne, quirky and energetic like Futaba, or even sweet and elegant like Haru. She had to content herself with being Ken's good friend…

"When did this even happen?" Anne asked. "I thought something was up after the last day at Hawaii but… you suddenly started blushing like crazy around him-"

Futaba grinned. "And there's the time in Okumura's Palace-"

Makoto let out a moan, pressing both hands to her face. "Stoooop…"

She knew she was whining, but it was… mortifying to hear this.

"I'm curious myself, Mako-chan," Haru said. "You were adamant that you were just friends before and then I joined you…"

Makoto sighed, lowering her hands. "It… It was when we went to talk to you about your father," she admitted. "And you assumed that we were dating and it got me thinking about it… and it just… hit me." She forced herself to stare at the wall. "I kinda… buried myself in the books for the longest time. I just thought that didn't interest me… so when I realized I liked Ken… it was like a switch flicked on." She sighed again. "I'm pathetic, aren't I…?"

She felt all flustered around Ken, she sounded foolish when she opened her mouth… It was enough to make Makoto want to crawl into a hole.

"There's nothing wrong with having a crush, Makoto-chan." Yukiko-san suddenly put a hand on her shoulder, making Makoto look up. Her gentle smile relaxed Makoto a bit. Oddly enough, she did feel a pull towards the dark haired woman, not dissimilar to Fuuka-san. "Especially on a good friend. Love should blossom from a good friendship anyways."

Rise-san's smile turned sly, before her eyes slid to Naoto-san. "Naoto-kun knows that the best. She and Kanji had been friends for nearly three years and then she realized that she liked him. Took them over a year to actually get their acts together."

Naoto-san's face flushed. "Rise!"

"You know it's true, Naoto-kun~" she sang out.

Yukiko-san just chuckled at the two of them. "Well, to be fair, Kanji-kun has had a crush on you since your first year of high school."

"First year of high school?" Futaba's eyes were wide. "That's like a romance out of a manga!"

Rise-san giggled. "See?" She gestured to Futaba. "Futaba-chan gets it!"

"Why did you drag me into this…?" Naoto-san muttered.

"Though, Makoto…" Anne swam closer to her. "You should just… try to relax with Ken, y'know? No offense, but lately you've been…"

"A blushing mess," Futaba offered, before smiling impishly. "Just… 'You fight good'?"

Makoto smiled weakly. "That wasn't… my best moment."

Then Anne rolled her eyes. "Well, I did see Ren talking to you right before all of that… I wouldn't be too off if I said that Ren gave you a good shove into doing that, right?"

Makoto nodded meekly. Ren just enjoyed messing with people too much…

Rise-san giggled. "Gosh, I wish that Ren-kun could meet Minako-san. I have a feeling that they would get along just swimmingly."

Naoto-san just sighed. "Please don't… I feel like they'd leave a trail of mass destruction…"

"But anyways, Makoto, just… relax with Ken, okay?" Anne said. "You've already got a foot on the other girls, since you're close friends with him."

Makoto stared down at the water. Anne's advice… made sense. She seemed to think that there might be a chance that Ken liked her back…

She hoped that Anne was right…

---

Ken stared at Ryuji, utterly unimpressed. "No."

"Just a little peek, that's it!" Ryuji insisted.

Ken fought the urge to smack his friend. Instead, he pinched the bridge of his nose. "It's disrespectful to the girls, even if you 'peek'. And secondly… do you want to die?"

Ryuji blinked. "Uh, what?"

"Anne would burn you to a crisp, Makoto would beat the crap out of you, and do I have to remind you of how Haru threatened the cognition of Sugimura?"

Not to mention the time his senpai got caught by the girls in the Kyoto hot springs. For years, he had been in the dark. But this past New Year's, Junpei-san got insanely drunk while having a drinking contest with Minako-san. He babbled on about that incident, and how Mitsuru-san had punished them all by executing them all then and there. So yeah. He wasn't touching that with a three meter pole.

Ren blinked. "…Now that I think about it, we do have a scary group of girls."

Ken rolled his eyes. He seriously didn't realize this until now…? "So, no, I do not want to spy on the girls. I don't have a death wish."

"You don't have to be so dramatic," Ren said, raising an eyebrow at him.

"You're telling… me this," Ken said flatly.

Ren blinked, before tilting his head slightly. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Ryuji stared at him incredulously. "Uh, dude, you're kinda the king of drama."

Yusuke looked thoughtful, chewing on his lip for a moment. Then he nodded. "Hm. I'm inclined to agree with Ryuji and Ken."

Ren huffed. "Traitors, all of you."

"You're just proving their point, Ren," Morgana said from where he lounged on a pillow.

"Even you, Morgana?!" Ren clutched his heart. "I thought you would never betray me!"

Yu-san and Kanji-san just looked on with amusement, before Yu-san took a sip of beer that one of the Amagi Inn employees had offered the two men. "You run around with a colorful group of people, Ken."

"Don't I know it," Ken sighed, rubbing his face.

Ryuji suddenly slung an arm around Ken's neck, nearly strangling him. "Oh, don't act like you're too cool for us! You know you love us!"

"I don't think strangling Ken is the best way to go about showing affection, Ryuji," Yusuke said.

"Exhibit A," Yu-san intoned before Ryuji released Ken.

Kanji-san just snorted. "Like we're any better, Senpai."

"Hmm that's true-"

The door suddenly slammed open with a force that made them all look up. "Teddie's here!" Teddie-san announced, barging into the room in his human form.

Morgana yelped, darting away before Teddie-san could trample in. "Can't you come in a little quieter?!" he snapped.

"Hmm?" Teddie-san turned. "Oh, you're that kitty!"

"Hey to you too, Ted," Kanji-san said dryly.

"Ooh, did you miss me, Kanji?" Teddie blinked at him. "You should've just told me! Do you need a bear hug?

"Ugh shuddup you-" Kanji-san then suddenly cut himself off, staring… at something that Teddie-san was holding. "…Why are you carrying chopsticks?"

"Welllll you see-"

"Oh, I see them!" Haru suddenly entered the room, her skin glowing. Then she paused, blinking at Teddie-san. "Oh, hello…"

"You've met him before," Yu-san said. "This is Teddie."

"Ohh, right, he has a human form," Futaba said, stepping inside. "Still dunno how that's even possible by just doing sit-ups."

"We're not entirely sure how it's possible either," Naoto-san added. "Admittedly this happened months before I knew the entire truth."

"Maybe you should try sit-ups too, Morgana!" Ryuji suggested. "I mean, it can't hurt to try!"

Morgana huffed. "Teddie's a Shadow! I'm human!"

"Hey, how was the hot springs?" Ren quickly cut in, before a bickering fest could break out.

"It was amazing," Anne sighed, plopping down to sit next to Ren. "They even had all these skincare products to use afterwards! My skin feels so soft now!"

Ren just grinned at her. "I don't know, your skin always feels soft to me."

Anne rolled her eyes at him, but then she smiled. "Flatterer."

…Why did people feel the need to flirt in front of people? How didn't they get embarrassed about it?

They make some quick introductions to Teddie-san and Ken was silently grateful that he didn't try to flirt with the girls anymore. It had been annoying that Teddie-san had tried to flirt with Makoto, after finding out that Anne was taken.

But after that was taken care of…

"You didn't answer Kanji's question, Teddie."

"Oh, right!" He perked up at Yu-san's question. "You see… I was thinking… this is a special occasion! Meeting a new group of Persona-users, and it wasn't a crisis like when we met Mitchan and the others-"

"Mitchan?" Yusuke repeated incredulously.

"Mitsuru-san," Ken supplied.

"And she lets him?!"

"More like you can't stop Hurricane Teddie," Kanji-san muttered.

"Don't be so rude!" Teddie-san huffed, hands on his hips. "But anyhow… I was thinking that we should commemorate this! So…" He thrust his hands out. "We should play the King's Game!"

The reactions were immediate.

"HELL NO, TED!"

"Teddie, do you not recall what happened last time?!" Naoto-san snapped, glowering at him for a moment. "Senpai, can you please-"

"I like the idea," Yukiko-san piped up.

Kanji-san slapped his forehead. "Ugh, of course you would."

"Uhh… what's the King's Game…?" Ryuji whispered to Ken.

"Don't look at me!" Ken whispered back.

"Senpai, can't you say something-" Naoto-san said.

Yu-san just shrugged. "It was fun enough last time." He looked over to them. "What about you guys?"

"Um… I don't think any of us know what this King's Game is," Haru interjected. "So we really can't say yes or no…"

"It's more or less… a truth or dare game," Naoto-san sighed. "The last time we played…" She sighed. "It was embarrassing, to put it lightly."

Ren shrugged. "Sounds fun enough to me."

"Of course you would say that," Ken sighed. "But… I suppose that I owe Yu-san a favor for even agreeing to letting us come… If three more people agree with Ren, I'll vote yes."

Futaba just grinned, rubbing her hands together. "This should be good! I'm in!"

And of course… Ryuji being Ryuji was all for it. Morgana claimed that he probably couldn't even do any the dares, so he was sitting this out. Yusuke didn't care either way. And Haru thought it was fun, so she had said yes.

…He hoped he didn't regret this.

"If we're going to do this…" Naoto-san's eyes swept through the group as Teddie-san gleefully dropped the chopsticks in a plastic cup, setting in the center of the circle they formed. "I'm laying down some rules," she said sternly. "For one… no inappropriate commands. Furthermore, no commands that will force the person to cheat on their partner of sorts."

Ken eyed Ren, who was fighting back a smirk. Wait a minute…

"And Ren," Ken added, frowning sternly, "no using the Third Eye."

"The… Third Eye?" Yukiko-san echoed.

"It's an ability that Igor gave me," Ren said. "It lets me catch things that you usually would miss." Then to Ken: "And I'm offended that you think that I would-"

"Just taking precautions," Ken said flatly.

Yu-san was frowning. "Igor never gave me any sort of ability…"

Ren faltered at that. "…Really?"

"Hmm… maybe he felt circumstances were different this time." Even though Yu-san's rationalization made sense… his expression was troubled. "…Anyhow, it's not important."

"Let's begin!" Teddie-san cheered, jiggling the plastic cup enthusiastically.

He selected a chopstick, before passing it off to Yukiko-san. It took a minute to pass one off to everyone.

Ren suddenly smirked, flashing the chopstick marked with red at everyone. "Looks like I'm the King for the first round."

"Oh boy…" Anne groaned, pressing a hand to her forehead.

He didn't blame her for being apprehensive.

"And my command as King…" Ren's eyes twinkled behind his glasses. (He really hoped they hadn't created a monster.) "Is for Number 7 to serenade either their significant other or their person of choice."

"You want me to do WHAT?!" Kanji-san squawked out, his face growing red. "I don't know any freaking serenades!"

Naoto-san just slouched in her seat. "Ren-kun… is that necessary?"

"I believe the King's order is…" Ren pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, all while smirking, "absolute."

"Ken, you should've just said no," Makoto said flatly.

Ken grumbled out, "I realize that now…"

Kanji-san followed Ren's command albeit with a lot of grumbling. He knelt in front of Naoto-san, taking her hand. Both of their faces were bright red.

"Uh… lessee…" He rubbed the back of his neck. "Roses are red… violets are blue, you're so freaking smart and cute, and I… love you?"

Naoto-san's face was still so red, but she smiled shyly at Kanji-san. "I love you too, Kanji-kun."

"Hmm…" Ren rubbed his chin. "That's more love poetry, but I'll take it."

"Nice, nice, Ren-kun!" Rise-san said cheerfully, nodding in approval. "A good first command!"

"Ugh, screw you, Rise!" Kanji-san scowled at her.

"Just saying the truth, Kanji!"

They put the chopsticks back into the cup and redrew.

"Oooh, it's me!" Yukiko-san exclaimed, showing off her chopstick. She tapped her chin for a moment, letting out a thoughtful hum. Then she smiled. "Number 5… I order you to give Number 1 a piggyback ride!"

Yusuke's forehead furrowed. "I'm number 5… who's number 1 then?"

"That would be me!" Futaba jumped to her feet.

Yusuke tilted his head before he stood up. "Go on then."

"Uh… Yusuke?" Ryuji spoke up. "Don'tcha have to y'know… kneel down? You're like a head and a half taller than Futaba."

"She can climb."

Ken sighed, pressing a hand to his forehead. "Yusuke, come on, don't be childish."

"I am not," he said, raising his chin. Ken fought the urge to roll his eyes.

Futaba puffed out her cheeks, a look of determination settling in her eyes. Her hands clenched into fists. "Fine! Just watch me!"

It was… rather comical watching Futaba pounce onto Yusuke's back, her grabbing onto the back of Yusuke's shirt to get a good grip on him. She scrambled him up like he was a tree, and she was panting by the time she was perched on his back. She smiled victoriously, flashing a V sign at them.

But then she dropped her head onto Yusuke's shoulder. "Ugh, this is why I don't exercise."

…Okay, they would have to change that. He would have to convince Futaba to start exercising, since that probably contributed to her sleeping so much after awakening to her Persona. Ryuji would probably like training with Futaba, wouldn't he?

Haru clapped. "Bravo! Good job, Futaba-chan!"

Yu-san chuckled. "Very nice. Though Yusuke, you could've just knelt down…"

"She needs the exercise," Yusuke said, kneeling down so Futaba could drop to the ground.

"Ugh, screw you, Inari," Futaba huffed before darting back to her spot next to Anne.

They redrew for the third round, before Teddie-san let out a cheer. "Teddie's got the red! That means Teddie's the King!"

"Oh no…" Naoto-san sighed.

…He could understand why Naoto-san was a bit… concerned. Teddie-san was just… shameless.

"I order Number 2 to plant a big ol' smooch on the person they'd like to date the most!"

"W-WHAT?!" Makoto blurted out, suddenly blushing furiously. "Y-You can't be serious, Teddie-san!"

"This is pushing it, Teddie…" Yu-san scolded. "Makoto, you don't have to-"

But then Makoto's jaw tightened. "No, it's fine. If Kanji-san can say a love poem to Naoto-san… then I can do this."

Was she seriously going to admit this? She had said that she liked someone before, and Futaba seemed to know who it was…

There had to be only one person… it had to be Ren.

It made sense. Ren was very charismatic, after all. And at one point, all of the girls in SEES had feelings for Minato-san… It seemed to be a Wild Card thing-

…Wait, why was Makoto approaching him?

Makoto's face was glowing like the setting sun, as she knelt in front of him. Her hands rested on his shoulders before she swiftly leaned in, pressing her lips to his cheek.

"W-Wha…?" Ken's face flushed as well. "M-Makoto…?"

Makoto pulled away, but where her lips touched his cheek still burned. Wait, Makoto… she… No, that wasn't it… She probably picked him because she didn't want to make a scene by kissing Ren. Especially after they were both there when Ren and Anne got together…

Futaba pushed her glasses up her nose. "Makoto, I think you broke Ken."

"You didn't say where I had to kiss him," Makoto announced. "So this satisfies the command, doesn't it?"

"Damn, so that's it…?" Ryuji shook his head.

…Yeah, she only kissed him because she didn't want things to be awkward…

But… why did he feel disappointed…?

---

Yu's head was spinning, even after the Phantom Thieves had departed for Tokyo.

He liked Ren. He really did. But something was nagging at him.

Igor was an observer. He was there to help the Wild Cards, but not to the degree of bestowing a strange ability. Yu couldn't help but feel unsettled.

Marie had left Inaba months ago to look into why the Velvet Room had been shut away… and they haven't heard anything from her since.

What did this all mean?

"Senpai?" Rise gently touched his arm, catching his attention. He looked down to see concern in Rise's brown eyes. "You looked so far away just now…"

"I was just… thinking." Yu smiled at her to reassure her. "They were a good group of kids, aren't they?"

"Not the type that I'd expect Ken to run around with," Kanji remarked. "But yeah, gotta agree with you there, Senpai. They're good kids."

"I do wish I could've asked more about my… successor…" Naoto commented with a frown. "There's something so… off about his rise to fame. Not to mention the cases he solves."

"They don't seem to like Akechi-kun too much," Yukiko observed, brushing her hair back.

"Well, he's been badmouthing the Phantom Thieves," Rise said. "I'm not surprised."

"And besides," Teddie interjected, "he basically stole Nao-chan's name!"

Naoto let out an exasperated sigh. "Honestly, that was all the media. I didn't ask for that name."

"You're a hundred times the detective Akechi would ever be," Kanji huffed.

Naoto smiled warmly at him. "Thank you, Kanji-kun. However, I don't think I can judge him unless I actually meet him. And I don't think I would. Not by a longshot. Akechi-kun doesn't have a reason to visit a small town like Inaba."

"I can't believe how late it is…" Yukiko then let out a small laugh. "Goodness, I can't remember the last time I had a full day off like this…"

"Hey, you deserve it, Yukiko-senpai!" Rise chirped. "Just look at how much popular the Amagi Inn is compared to when we were in high school!"

Yukiko smiled. "Thanks, Rise-chan."

They then headed their separate ways: Teddie for Yosuke's house, Kanji and Naoto for Tatsumi Textiles, and Yu walked Rise back to his uncle's place so they could have dinner with his cousin and uncle.

"So…" Yu gave his girlfriend a knowing look. "When are you going to text Fuuka-san about the information on Makoto?"

"Why, Senpai!" Rise gasped, pressing a hand to her chest. "I would do no such thing-"

"You texted her already, haven't you?" Yu laughed.

"Hehe. Maybe." Rise winked. "Though is it a crime to want everyone to be as happy as we are right now?"

Yu smiled, before wrapping an arm around her waist and drawing her close. He dropped a kiss on the top of her head. "Well, I can't fault you for that, I suppose."

Especially with what they were dealing with right now… they could use all the happiness they could get.

"Hehe. I knew you'd see it my way." Rise's expression then grew serious. "…Though, seriously, what's up? You were in deep thought mode."

"Some things about the Velvet Room… unsettled me," Yu admitted. "I don't think Ken noticed, since while he's been to the Velvet Room… he doesn't know just how involved Igor is."

"Hmm…" Rise tilted her head. "I'd normally say have Minako-san talk to Ren, but they still don't trust the Shadow Operatives… do they?"

"I can't blame them, to be honest," Yu sighed. "I mean… to start with Ryuji and Anne were both screwed over by people who should've supported them. Futaba's relatives were horrible to her… And what Haru's father planned for her…"

"Yeah…" Rise sighed, before she frowned. "I wish we could help them."

"That makes two of us," Yu agreed. "But I guess… we'll have to wait and see."

He just hoped his gut feeling about the Velvet Room was wrong…

---

Sorry about the late update! But as you can see, this update was… a bit of a monster. I had so much I wanted to cover and I didn't think I could split it. And I had plans for a Nanako cameo, but ah well.

But yeah! Some Investigation Team-Phantom Thieves interactions for you. I really hope I did it justice. And… Ken is getting to the realization, I promise. He won't be oblivious for much longer.

And in case it wasn't clear, the song that Rise sings is Now I Know, or the end theme of P4 Arena. I thought it'd be a nice shout out especially since one of Rise's songs in P4D is a remix of Now I Know.

We also finally got some news on P5R and P5S. Not terribly excited for P5S, but I'm intrigued by the info we got in P5R's trailer! However, I won't be incorporating anything from P5R into this story. I'm way too deep into the story to wait for P5R to come out. I'm hoping to be done with the story by the end of this year, but we'll see.

And happy late birthday to Makoto and Naoto!