Chapter 31
The School Festival
Friday, October 21st, 2016
Exams had come and gone, leaving the school preparing for the school festival. But despite that, the Phantom Thieves were still a hot topic amongst the students of Shujin Academy.
Ken tried not to grit his teeth at the whispers.
"The Phantom Thieves are really crazy… you think they'll strike at someone else at the school again?"
"Oh, yeah… Kamoshida and Kobayakawa… But who else would they'd go for?"
He exchanged an uneasy look with Makoto. Just like that… public opinion of them had completely flipped.
"Come on," she murmured at him, before reaching for her schoolbag. "We need to get going-"
Right… Futaba had called for a meeting today. She actually wanted to meet up sooner, but with exams… They asked her to wait just a little longer.
"Niijima-san, wait!" One of their classmates stepped forward. "You're on cleanup duty today," she reminded.
"…Oh," Makoto said. She pressed her hand against her forehead with a soft sigh. "Forgive me, I've had a lot on my mind. It completely slipped my mind."
"Well, you do have a lot going on with the school festival coming up," their classmate remarked. Then she tilted her head. "Hey, when are we going to find out about the special guest speaker?"
"Oh…" Makoto blinked at that. "…In a couple days. We'll be counting up your votes soon."
"Oh, awesome!" Their classmate smiled brightly. "I hope Akechi-kun wins!"
"You will have to see, Miyasaki-san," Makoto said, doing her best to hide a grimace. "But Ken, why don't you go on ahead? I'll catch up."
Ken shook his head. "No, it's fine. I can help out, if it'll speed things up."
Makoto looked taken aback by this, before she coughed and shuffled her feet. "T-Thank you."
Their classmates slowly trickled out, as they along with the other assigned students went through the necessary chores. The soft chatting suddenly screeched to a halt at the sound of the door sliding open.
Ken turned around from clapping the board erasers—he honestly couldn't believe that Shujin still used chalk—to see that it was Haru who had entered the classroom.
"O-Okumura-san!" one of the students stammered out. "Um… hey, how are you feeling?"
"Yoichi!" His friend smacked his shoulder. "Are you seriously asking that?!"
"But-!"
"It's all right," Haru said with a gentle smile. But then she shuffled her feet for a moment. "I was hoping that Mako-chan and Ken-kun were still here but they're busy with this so…"
"T-There's so many people here!" Yoichi blurted out, all but running towards Ken and snatching the erasers out of his hands before Ken could fully process at what he was doing. Ken could only blink at his reaction. "Niijima, Amada, why don't you get going? You don't want Okumura-san to wait!"
"But I said-" Haru began.
"Ah… I suppose we should count our blessings?" Makoto said. She shook her head. "Let's go then, I suppose. We were let off lightly."
Ken just sighed. "I suppose."
Haru just smiled sheepishly, clasping her hands behind her back. "Um… that wasn't the intended reaction," she said softly.
Ken shook his head. "Well, we do have things to do…" he said dryly. He then went to the corner where they stashed their bags, picking up both his and Makoto's bags.
"How are you feeling, Haru?" Makoto asked gently, as they stepped out of the classroom. She then turned and snagged her schoolbag from Ken.
Haru just smiled faintly at Makoto's question. "I'm doing… better," she admitted. "Not good but…" She placed a hand on her heart, closing her eyes. Then she shook her head, opening her eyes. "It's still… upsetting, knowing how Father died… However… I know that I have so many people who care for me." Haru's gentle smile appeared on her face. "Thank you for all your concern. I'm sorry that I didn't reach out to you earlier…"
"It's understandable," Ken reassured her. He hesitantly reached out and patted her shoulder. "You just lost your father… you should be allowed to grieve."
"Ken's right," Makoto agreed. "But… you know you can always look to us for support, right?"
Haru smiled before she nodded enthusiastically. "Mmhm! Someone… reminded me of that recently."
Ken couldn't help but smile to himself. He was relieved that Mitsuru-san was able to speak to Haru… She would empathize with Haru, like nobody else could… Because years ago, Mitsuru-san had been in Haru's shoes.
"I'm glad," Makoto replied, smiling warmly at Haru. "Everyone's been so worried about you…"
Haru bowed her head. "…I should really apologize to everyone at the meeting." She then lifted her head. "I… have a lot to tell everyone at the meeting."
"What exactly is that?" Ken couldn't help but ask.
Haru just shook her head. "Let's meet with everyone. I rather only say this once."
"The police found a calling card in Kobayakawa's office?!"
Haru nodded firmly. "That's what I heard Mako-chan's older sister say. The day she visited to investigate…" She then swallowed. "…Father's death," she finished in a whisper.
The start of the meeting had been lively, even by their standards. Haru had been all but mobbed by everyone else, asking her how she was feeling and etc. Haru seemed to take the questions in stride, smiling at them warmly before giving them reassurances. But then… Haru's mood darkened, before she repeated her statement that she had something to tell everyone.
"Did you know anything about this, Makoto?" Morgana asked, a frown in his voice.
Makoto just winced. "Well…"
"Well?!" Futaba repeated. "You knew?!"
"I knew that my sister has been put in charge of the investigation of… us," Makoto said. "Sis told me shortly after… what happened that she was being promoted to spearheading the investigation."
"I mean…" Ryuji spoke up, "shit's been pretty crazy lately, yeah? I dunno how I'd react to a third bombshell."
"I can't deny that," Ken agreed. "That being said… this basically spells out we were baited in targeting Okumura. Add that to the reveal to that there was a calling card planted in Kobayakawa's office."
Futaba pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "That reminds me of why I wanted to say before."
"Go on, Futaba," Ren invited.
"Well…" Futaba winced, fiddling for a moment. Then her expression hardened as she steeled herself. "I did some digging on the Phan-Site. Even talked to Nishima a bit—"
"Uhh, you mean Mishima, right?" Ryuji interjected.
"Close enough!" Futaba waved an impatient hand at Ryuji. "Anyways! We did some digging on the Phan-Site. The poll was… rigged. Shido must've wanted Okumura to be targeted for more than one reason."
"Okumura inspired to be a politician, did he not?" Yusuke asked. "That… That's probably a contribution."
"So… Father might have died anyways…" Haru said faintly.
Anne immediately slipped an arm around Haru, giving her a light squeeze. "Hey… I can't even imagine how sad you're feeling right now but… his Shadow did apologize to you after everything," she said gently. "I know it's not exactly the same but… it's something right?"
Haru smiled wanly at Anne's attempt to comfort her. "Y-You're right."
"That's not all, though," Futaba continued. "Medjed's threat… it was set up by a complete phony."
Ryuji's eyes widened at that. "You're shittin' me! Even Medjed?!"
"So…" Ken folded his arms over his chest, "…that was Shido's ploy to begin with. Build our fame, only to completely discredit us."
"But man… what kind of web have we been caught into?" Ren asked, his lips suddenly pursed together.
An uneasy look spread amongst his friends. But Ken could understand… He still remembered the horrified look on Minato-san's face after Ryoji-san unveiled the complete truth. They had looked to Minato-san for inspiration, but in that moment, the rug had been yanked out underneath him.
"Let's not focus on that," Ken interjected. "What we need to do is figure out how exactly we'll be tackling this."
"…You're right," Ren agreed. "So basically, Makoto's sister is after us… the police think we're behind Kobayakawa's death, and… lastly, Shido rigged things so that we would want to go after Okumura."
"Well… we'd be closely watched if we ignore the police," Haru said hesitantly. "Wouldn't it be better if we try and get the police off our trails first?"
"Hmm…" Yusuke rubbed his chin for a moment. "Finding some intel would be a good first step, as Niijima-san has been placed in charge of the investigation. Futaba's intel was good for us once."
Ken glanced towards Makoto. She looked… uneasy, with her lips pursed.
"…Makoto?" he asked, reaching out to lightly touch her hand. His touch jolted her, and she flinched. Ken quickly retracted his hand. He should have known that this would bother her. She had a nightmare about her sister finding out the truth after all…
"It's… just…" Makoto trailed off. "…Sis has been different lately. I was lucky to see her two… three times a week before. But I've only seen her once since she's told me about her promotion."
"…She wanted to punish Sojiro just because he wouldn't tell her what she wanted," Futaba said with narrowed eyes. She then lifted her chin. "…She's a jerk."
"I can't judge as I've never met her…" Anne trailed off for a moment. "…But that is pretty concerning."
"And prosecutors… they'll often do whatever it takes to get a win," Ren said stiffly. "Wouldn't be surprised if it was the same for Makoto's sister."
Makoto was silent, but with the way she wrapped her arms around herself… It was like she was curling into herself. But then again, they were pretty against Niijima-san. He himself felt uncomfortable when someone made a less than… complimentary comment about the Shadow Operatives. Not to mention how Makoto looked up to her sister.
He… didn't like seeing her so uncomfortable.
"That's enough theorizing," Ken spoke up. "Okay, so, Niijima-san isn't an… option. Do you know of anyone in particular that is working in Tokyo PD then?"
Ryuji made a face. "…Akechi. That's who."
"Akechi-kun…" Makoto repeated. "There is the guest speaker for the school festival."
"Oh, the school festival!" Anne perked up, her eyes sparkling at that. "I completely forgot with how things went all crazy!"
"You haven't had your school festival yet?" Yusuke frowned. "Kosei had it back in September."
"And you didn't invite us?!" Ryuji exclaimed.
Ren shook his head. "I was hoping that we'd get to see that peacock of yours too."
"My apologies." Yusuke bowed his head. "There's always next year."
"But the guest speaker…" Haru said. "You think that Akechi-kun may win that…? The past two years… the guest speaker declined the request."
"His popularity has been spiking lately," Morgana mused. "Remember, Ren? He was giving an interview just last night."
Ren nodded. "Yeah… but he did a complete a hundred and eighty…"
"What do you mean?" Haru asked. "Forgive me but I… I've been avoiding the news…"
"Yeah, don't blue ball us!" Ryuji agreed.
"It's… It's not as big as you think," Ren said. "Akechi had another interview and he said… that the Phantom Thieves did not kill Okumura."
"Are you for real?!" Futaba blurted out. "W-What is he playing at?"
"Hey, that's my line!" Ryuji said indignantly.
Makoto suddenly coughed. "But… you know, we haven't counted the poll votes," she said. "I'll be counting the votes tomorrow… and I will let you know."
"Wait, all of them?!" Anne said, eyes wide. "There's like… four hundred people voting, though! That's way too much for just one person!"
Makoto raised her hands. "Oh, no, I can't ask to—!"
"Too late," Anne announced, raising her chin. "I'm helping."
"Yes, it's only fair," Haru chimed in. "Let us help you with this, Mako-chan. This is pertaining with our work. Not to mention it'll happen much quicker!"
At Anne and Haru's determined expressions, Makoto just hung her head. "Oh, all right," she relented. "If you insist."
Ren just looked in the direction of Anne, giving a small chuckle. "Nothing can stop you, huh?"
"Oh, shut up," Anne huffed out, sticking her tongue out at Ren.
But despite Ren's apparent lighthearted attitude, Ken was… concerned. He knew that a leader's burden was heavy. He had seen it with both Minato-san and Minako-san, how Mitsuru-san felt that she had to shoulder her burdens on her own…
"I know that we've made… mistakes. A lot of them." Ren ran a hand through his hair. "But we'll fix this. We just gotta take it one step at a time."
"Hell yeah!" Ryuji pumped a fist, flashing Ren a grin. "That's our RenRen!"
…Or not. Judging from Anne's bright smile, Ken had to guess that she helped Ren through some of his hang ups. But he was still kinda concerned…
The meeting slowly drew to a close. After a quick whispered exchange with Ren, Morgana darted off to go with Haru for the evening. Ryuji and Yusuke left with Futaba, presumably to walk her back to the Sakura residence before departing to their respective homes.
His eyes lingered on Makoto for a moment, but he pushed that out of his mind. He could talk to Makoto about her sister another time… He was worried about Ren, too. But he watched her leave with Anne, before he looked towards Ren.
Ren just shook his head. "You don't have to check up on me like this, you know." And then Ren held up his hand, not letting Ken speak. "I'm not going to lie…" He heaved out a sigh. "I still feel a bit… lost about the whole situation," he said quietly. "The police coming after us, this whole thing being a setup… I feel like all of this is a nightmare and I'm waiting to wake up already…"
Ren…
"…But it's not," Ren said, an oddly somber expression on his face.
He was very similar to Minako-san in that manner. Joking around, acting lighthearted to reassure everyone else. Minako-san had once remarked that Yu-san reminded her of Minato-san. They had the same calm, levelheadedness to them. But Ren? He was cut from a similar cloth as Minako-san. Minako-san had kept them together with her cheerful attitude, but Ren's joking around and flat out charisma had a similar effect.
"We'll get through this, Ren," Ken said, trying to smile so to reassure his friend.
"Thanks, Ken." Ren smiled halfheartedly. "I'd probably be more down about it if Morgana and Anne hadn't yanked me out of my thoughts the other day…" He heaved out a sigh, pulling off his glasses to rub his face. "Damn, what a mess we've gotten into, huh…?"
"At least this mistake isn't causing the end of the world," Ken said. Ren looked up, shock clear in his dark eyes. "…And just so you know, you're a great leader, Ren. You've heard of the other Wild Cards' accomplishments, but they've had their own sorrows and regrets too, Ren."
Ren's shocked expression said it all.
"But… it's not my place to talk about it in more depth," Ken continued. "I just… wanted to let you know that."
"…Thanks, Ken."
Saturday, October 22nd, 2016
Makoto should have seen this coming.
Goro Akechi had won the poll. He had won by a landslide.
…Needless to say, Ryuji had been just thrilled with the outcome.
"The timing is a bit… tight," Makoto said, "but I'll make it work. Tomorrow is Sunday, so I could come by the precinct and 'bump' into Akechi-kun there… They are partners, after all…"
To the point where Sae had called her more than once in order to explain that she was doing something with Akechi… going over a case, Akechi pestering her for dinner…
…Sometimes it felt that Sae cared more about Akechi than her.
As much as she disliked Akechi… it was a good chance for her to find out about what exactly the police was planning. So she hoped that he would say yes…
Everyone helped her clean up all the ballots, stowing them back into the box. They were wrapping up when Anne spoke up.
"Hey, Ren, I know that it's kinda sudden but do you think that we could… go out on a date tomorrow?" Anne asked.
Ren frowned, shaking his head. "Sorry, Anne. Mishima wanted to tell me something—something super important—but with the ballot count, I had to tell him tomorrow. I don't think he'd be happy if I shrugged him off another time."
"Oh…" Anne's face fell at that.
"But my evening tomorrow is free. Care for dinner and a movie, my lady?" Ren asked.
Anne's face lit up at that, before she nodded enthusiastically. "Yes!"
Makoto smiled slightly at their exchange. It was nice to see that they were trying to take as much happiness as they can.
"I guess we're just sitting on our hands 'till the festival, then?" Ryuji asked, before he made a face. "I hope it's not too lame."
Anne giggled weakly. "Well… our stall is going to be a maid café. So there's that, at least!"
"H-Hey, what's that supposed to mean?!"
"Glad that we don't have to deal with setting up stalls," Ken said dryly. "Have you checked with Yusuke, though? How is he going to come if Kosei is still in session?"
"Futaba said something about hacking the school systems to excuse him," Ren said.
Ken's only response was to press his hand against his face. "Of course she did."
"It's… effective, at least?" Haru offered.
"It's many things, but I wouldn't use effective to describe it," Ken grumbled out.
"But we're done here, yeah?" Ryuji asked. "Guess I'll see ya on Monday, then!"
While she was almost completely sure that Akechi would say yes, given his penchant for the spotlight… she couldn't help but think that it was almost guaranteed that they had to do something to neutralize the police… stop the investigation.
And given that Sae was now in charge of the investigation… They would have to steal her heart.
But… Makoto was afraid… no, she was terrified. What if the black masked Persona user swooped in and killed Sae's Shadow too…? Losing her sister… just the idea of it made Makoto want to cry.
Despite the gulf that was slowly growing larger and larger between them, Makoto still loved Sae. She didn't want to lose her…
But what choice did she have? She really should have spoke up about Sae before… after she had found out that Sae had attempted to blackmail Sojiro into telling her what he knew or else he would lose Futaba. Maybe she could have saved everyone some grief…
"…Makoto?" Ken's voice suddenly snapped her out of her musing. She realized that Ken had his hand on her shoulder. "It's late… you should go home too."
Makoto slowly blinked at him. "Oh… you're right…" She stood up, pushing in her chair. She retrieved her schoolbag. "…I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I just… was thinking."
"No, it's okay," Ken reassured her as they left the student council room together. "With everything that's been going on… there must be a lot on your mind."
"Yes…" Makoto said faintly. "I just… I don't know anymore, Ken." She adjusted the strap of her bag with a sigh. "It's not just the police investigation…" She bit her lip. "Why did Sis have to be put in charge of the investigation…?"
It was childish, but she couldn't help but wish that. It wouldn't solve everything but…
"Makoto… you're just talking yourself in circles," Ken said, suddenly grasping her hand for a moment. "Take a deep breath, okay? We've talked about taking things one step at a time." He then hesitated for a moment, before his eyes met hers. "You're putting unnecessary stress on yourself…"
Makoto sighed, her shoulders slumping. "You're right… I just…" She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, looking back to Ken. "…I don't want to go against Sis," she said softly. "I don't want her to be like Madarame or Okumura…"
"Makoto…?" Ken stared at her. "What are you—?"
Makoto bit her lip. "I… I should have told everyone this a long time ago," she said quietly. "Shortly after we defeated Kaneshiro's Palace… I got thinking… Sis has changed for a while now… She basically called our father foolish for believing in justice… when before, she had called our father her role model. She wanted to pursue justice, just like him. So I…" She quickly silently prayed that Ken wouldn't hate her for this. "I put her name in the Meta-Nav… and I got a hit."
The shock on his face was as clear as day. "Makoto…"
"And things just kept coming up." She started pacing in front of the school entrance. "F-First Medjed… and then afterwards, you told us the truth and we thought we would be targeting Shido…" She then looked down to the ground with a big sigh. "…I'm just making excuses," she mumbled out. "I should have spoken up… especially after finding out about what she was trying to do with Boss…" She then looked back up. "…Please don't hate me," she pleaded.
She jumped a little when Ken put his hands on her shoulders. She found herself blushing a little at his touch. "Makoto… I'd never hate you." There was a… look in his eyes. She couldn't put her finger on it, but—wait! She needed to focus on what he was saying! This was no time to get all hopeful now. "And besides…" He drew his fingers away, taking a step backwards. "…I've had my own fair share of secrets and… you accepted me. It'd be wrong of me to not offer you the same."
"Ken, I…" Makoto's breath suddenly caught, before she quickly coughed. "…Thank you," she whispered.
"…You really should tell everyone about this… after the school festival," Ken said. "Akechi's intel on the police… may tell us something you won't like, regarding your sister."
Makoto exhaled. He was right. Keeping it a secret… wouldn't help.
"…You're right," she said. "I will…" Then she looked towards the direction of the subway. They really had to get home… With the days growing shorter, twilight was approaching. A strong gale suddenly blew through, making Makoto shiver.
There was a rustle of clothing, before Ken suddenly draped his blazer over her shoulders.
"W-Wait, what about you?" Makoto stammered out. "I-I don't want you to catch a cold!"
"It's fine," Ken said with a wave of his hand. "I've always been able to tolerate the cold better, and I don't want you getting sick. You can give it back to me on Monday."
"T-Thank you." Makoto felt her face heat up, as she tugged Ken's blazer more tightly around her. It was so warm…
As they walked towards the station, Makoto kept stealing glances towards Ken. Talking things out with Ken… always made her feel better. She really needed to figure out how to tell him how she felt. Maybe she should write out what she wanted to say and practice it…?
Tuesday, October 25th, 2016
The excitement in the air was palpable. Banners hung high in the air, bright letters spelling out: WELCOME TO THE SHUJIN SCHOOL FESTIVAL.
"I'm surprised by how successful the festival is," Yusuke remarked.
"There's so many people…" Futaba mumbled out, huddling behind Anne and grasping onto the back of her varsity jacket.
"Come on, you've been working on this, Futaba," Ren encouraged. "There's nothing to be scared of."
"Ren's right," Anne said, twisting around to smile at Futaba. "Let's have fun today!"
"Futaba's got a point though…" Ryuji said as he surveyed the crowd. "There's a lot more people comin' than last year."
Huh. He knew that everyone back in Gekkoukan looked forward to the school festival as a much needed break from their rigorous coursework. And Shujin wasn't exactly a bad school. Each to their own, he supposed.
"Well, Shujin has gained notoriety over the months," Ken remarked. "Kamoshida… Kobayakawa… the Phantom Thieves…"
"And Akechi's a guest speaker." Ryuji grimaced, his mouth twisting in disapproval. "Betcha some of his fangirls are comin' just for him."
"Wouldn't be surprised," Makoto agreed, before fiddling with the strap of her schoolbag. "There also may be some police officers in plainclothes."
"We should really be cautious of what we discuss," Morgana piped up, poking his head out of Ren's bag. "Be careful, everyone. Act like normal students."
"Bossy, bossy." Futaba clicked her tongue, making a face at Morgana. Then she shuffled her feet nervously. "But um… what do you normally do at school festivals?"
Haru giggled. "That's right. I forgot you haven't gotten to attend one yet, Futaba-chan."
"Just go around the exhibits, enjoy the food…" Ryuji grinned at her. "Come on, just think of it like the beach! There's just one rule: have fun!"
"I just hope this ends better than the fireworks festival," Yusuke remarked.
Ryuji then hung his head. "Why didja have to remind me…?"
"The rain did let us meet Haru, though," Ren said with a smile. "And we did get a good meal from Shinjiro-san."
Ken rolled his eyes at Ren. "Of course you think of that."
"Hey, you get to enjoy his cooking every day," Ren quipped. "We don't have the same luxury."
"Oh…" Haru chewed on her lip. "Is his cooking that delicious?"
"It's definitely top tier!" Futaba said, pumping both of her fists with a firm nod. "Though I could without the nagging about my diet. Pffft, he's totally stretching it…"
Ken just shook his head. He quietly agreed with Shinjiro-san—okay not to the same degree as Shinjiro-san but, still—but he didn't feel like picking a fight with Futaba. "What do you want to see first?"
"What did your classes do, by chance?" Yusuke inquired. "I'm curious to see your stands."
Ren and Anne exchanged a look, before Ren spoke. "Our class… took the cliche route. Maid café."
"I'm so glad I didn't pull the short end of the stick," Anne grumbled out, shaking her head hard enough that her pigtails bobbed a little bit.
Makoto nodded. "I can understand that. My class did that last year as well."
Oh, right. Makoto had mentioned that to him months ago…
Ryuji scratched the back of his head. "My class did a haunted house."
"Oh, a haunted house!" Haru's eyes lit up. "Can we go see it?!"
"You… want to see it?" Yusuke asked. "Forgive me, but aren't most girls terrified of the dark? Makoto and Anne both were-" He cut himself off as said two girls gave him a death glare.
...And this was why he tried avoiding pissing off girls as much as possible. Women, especially women who had Personas, were terrifying.
"I know it's… unusual, but I find horror exciting!" Haru piped up. "I'm really looking forward to Pach-Saw coming out in a couple weeks!"
Ken tried not to cringe. Horror was just… not up his alley. And he really hated jump scares. He vaguely remembered this… movie or something where the characters were trapped in an abandoned school, and there was this creepy baby chasing them around. He couldn't remember where he watched it for the life of him, but he was pretty sure that was why he hated jump scares.
"But anyhow," Makoto said, tearing her gaze from Yusuke. "Don't drop your guard. Yusuke and Futaba may be part of the investigation too."
"That police interrogation was real fun," Ryuji grumbled out.
"You said it, buddy," Ren sighed. "But anyways, since Haru requested it… haunted house it is!"
Makoto just blanched at that, all blood draining from her face. That was right… her fear of the dark.
"Hey, Makoto…" Ken said to her in a low voice, as they ascended the stairs for the second floor. They were headed for Ryuji's classroom, after all. "You know what happened back at Sojiro-san's house…? Um, you can do it again if necessary."
Makoto looked at him in surprise. "That's kind of you, but… It really is a silly fear. Besides, what can a school run haunted house pull off?" Then she smiled at him. "Thank you, though."
"Okay," Ken said, continuing to speak quietly. "I just thought I'd offer."
Some of the things they heard though… it was so unnerving. They called Kamoshida a victim. Ken tried to push it out of his mind, but… there were so many people gossiping…
They arrived at Ryuji's classroom with a large sign that read: HAUNTED HOUSE.
They entered the area. It was a typical haunted house attraction. They were shrouded in darkness… sound effects. Though Ken was surprised they sprung for a fog machine.
In the darkness, he saw someone spring forward. But then someone grabbed them from behind, hauling them backwards as one hand pulled at their mask.
"W-WHA—?!"
"Show me your true form!" Ren exclaimed, over the poor student's surprised cries.
"Dude!" Ryuji cried. "Are you for real?!"
"Ren, let him go!" Anne yelled.
Ken just marched over to Ren, smacking the backside of his head. "...Are you serious?" Ken said flatly as the poor worker scurried away from Ren.
They would definitely believe that Ren was a crazy violent delinquent like the rumors claimed after this…
Ren only smiled sheepishly. "I… uh… got caught in the moment."
"Ren struck a terrifying figure…" Yusuke mused, framing Ren with his fingers. "Pity I can't draw in this lighting."
"Oh, Yusuke-kun…" Haru giggled. "You're so passionate about art!"
"Passionate is a word to describe it," Futaba grumbled out.
"Seriously, dude, why did you have to pull that?" Ryuji grumbled. "I bet they're gonna run away from ya whenever they see you now!"
"What's the difference?" Ren asked with a shrug.
"I think Ren completely killed the vibe they were going for," Makoto sighed. Even in the dim light, Ken could see that she was smiling.
She had such a nice smile…
Even though she was the one to caution them about there being eyes everywhere… he was glad that she was enjoying herself.
"Aww, it's so cute!" Anne cooed, staring at the Jack Frost plushie offered as one of the prizes for the shooting game.
"How much?" Ren asked the person running the stall.
"Five hundred," they answered and Ren pulled out a five hundred yen coin, flipping it in the air. The student fumbled with it, giving Ren an annoyed look before warily handing Ren the gun.
...Ren was such a showoff sometimes.
"You look pretty confident, RenRen." Ryuji elbowed him in the side with a grin.
Ren just winked, before giving Ken a knowing grin. "Ken's not the only one with good marksmanship. Just watch. I've been doing some special training."
What was he—oh. Right… He completely forgot that he had won that Bunchimaru toy for Makoto. Back before he even joined… That felt like a lifetime ago…
"Ooh, you've been doing some grinding, huh?" Futaba asked. "Willing to put your money where your mouth is?"
"Gambling?" Yusuke sighed, shaking his head. "How uncouth."
Futaba just stuck her tongue out at Yusuke. "Zip it, Inari!"
"Shh, that's enough," Haru hushed. "Ren-kun needs to concentrate!"
Ren was definitely channeling his inner Joker. Though Ken had to admit that over the past month, Ren had gotten good at wielding that pistol of his. Ren had no problem knocking down his prize.
Ren didn't even bother hiding his victorious smile as he was handed the doll by the grumbling vendor.
"For you, my lady." Ren presented the Jack Frost doll to Anne with a flourish. "A token of my love."
"You're such a dork!" Anne giggled, happily accepting it and giving it a light squeeze.
"I must say that your lessons with Shinya has really made you a good shot," Morgana praised, even though he was pointedly looking down as Anne gave Ren a thank you kiss on the cheek.
"I try," Ren said with a laugh. Then he looked amongst everyone else. "Anyone want me to try and win something?"
Haru let out a thoughtful hum, before she said, "Oh! How about that one?"
She pointed to a figurine of a dark haired man who for some reason… was wearing pink boxers. It was… interesting, to put lightly.
"What an avante garde design," Yusuke mused, hand on his chin. "You have excellent taste, Haru."
Haru just giggled. "Thanks, Yusuke-kun."
"I'll do my best." Ren paid the vendor again and he was given the gun once more.
He nabbed it right in the chest and it fell from the shelf. The rather peeved student passed it to Ren, who handed it over to Haru.
"Thank you, Ren-kun!" Haru said with a bright smile.
"...Amamiya?"
Ken turned to see that Mishima had approached them. He looked… nervous.
Well… things may be a little awkward, since just last Sunday… Ren had called everyone up and they had come to a decision that Mishima had become too warped and needed his heart stolen. But in the end, Ren cancelled it. Claimed that Mishima didn't need his heart changed and they left Mementos.
But Ren just gave Mishima a friendly smile. "Hey, Mishima. Enjoying the festival?"
Mishima just gave a stiff little nod. "Y-You?" he stammered out.
"Yeah, we've had a lot of fun," Anne said with a bright smile.
Ryuji grabbed Ren around the shoulders. "You should've seen what this guy did back at the haunted h-"
He was cut off by Futaba's sudden shriek.
"Futaba!" Makoto chided. "There's no need to yell."
"But what's wrong, Futaba-chan?" Haru asked.
Futaba pointed with a trembling finger. "P-Pink-"
"Oh wow, is that really a figurine of Pink Argus?!" Mishima exclaimed, his gray eyes wide with awe. "Man, Yukari Takeba is just so pretty. I wonder why she's never dated anyone…"
...Ugh. Ken had to fight the urge to grimace. He knew it came with the territory of being a celebrity but it was just so weird.
"It's like one of the few I don't have!" Futaba said. "I gotta have it!"
Morgana sniffed. "You and your dolls," he said disdainfully.
"Action figures!" Futaba emphasized, giving Morgana a stern look.
"Um, yeah." The vendor then cast Ren an annoyed look. "So are you gonna go for this too?" he grumbled out.
"Well, I—" Ren suddenly stopped, a glint gleaming in his dark eyes. "I'm not." Then he grabbed Mishima by the arm. "But he will!"
"I-I'm what?!" Mishima sputtered out. "T-There's no way I can-"
"Stop putting yourself down," Ren said sharply. "You're not a zero, Mishima! You need to believe in yourself."
"You can do it, Mishima-kun!" Anne said cheerfully.
"Y-Yeah!" Mishima nodded unsteadily. "You're right… I can do this!"
The gun was handed over, but Mishima's hand trembled slightly as he took aim.
"Calm yourself," Yusuke admonished gently. "If you hesitate, you won't hit your target. You must desire to hit it with all your might!"
"I think… everyone is taking this a little too seriously," Makoto sighed out.
"Just a little," Ken said dryly.
But Mishima just narrowed his eyes, his eyes on the prize. His hand stopped shaking as he pulled the trigger.
The figurine was knocked off the shelf.
The grumbling attendant handed it to Mishima. "I can understand getting one on the first try, but three?"
Ren just smirked. "Don't worry. That's all we want. See you."
"Amamiya, look, I-" Mishima began.
"Mishima, you don't have to say it," Ren cut him off, keeping his voice low. "You changed your heart, all on your own. That's the important part."
"Amamiya…" The shock was clear on Mishima's face. Then he ducked his head, staring down at the floor. "...Thank you." Then he abruptly coughed. "O-Oh, here you go." He handed the figurine over to Futaba. "Victory's my favorite incarnation… what about you?"
Futaba's eyes lit up at that. "You too?! Everyone says Neo is the best version but I say it's nostalgia talking!"
Mishima nodded vigorously. "The action scenes are always so great and the theme song is the best!"
"I know right?! I could sing it all day!"
"Me too!"
"Um…" Haru leaned in close, bewilderment clear in her eyes. "W-What is Feathermen?"
...Oh no.
"You too?!" Futaba's head whipped in Haru's direction. "You've been deprived!"
"Futaba, it's not a big deal," Makoto attempted to placate her.
"Feathermen's a classic!"
"Hmph, Feathermen is hardly The Tale of Genji," Yusuke sniffed. "You exaggerate far too much."
Futaba stared at him incredulously. "...You're telling me this?"
Yusuke blinked owlishly at her. "I do not understand."
"Ugh, of course you would!" Futaba huffed.
"Do they…" Mishima leaned in close, "...do this a lot?"
Ken just sighed. "You have no idea."
"But hey," Mishima said lowly. "Be careful with Akechi. Especially with how he's been constantly badmouthing you until recently."
Ren just nodded with a smile. "Thanks, Mishima."
"It's practically like a deserted island here."
After parting ways with Mishima, Haru said that she wanted to eat at a stall. So Anne and Ren took them to their class's stand.
"Well…" Ken said slowly, "at least we can talk a little more freely here."
"Maid Takoyaki…" Ryuji repeated with a shake of his head. "Seriously that's such a bad pun."
"Hand-Maid Takoyaki might've been a better name," Ren said, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.
Ken just stared, unimpressed. "...It really wouldn't."
Puns were just… ugh. It only made him think of Ikutsuki's god awful puns.
"That's enough," Morgana scolded. "We need to act normal, but this is bordering ridiculous."
"Nothing is normal anymore…" Haru murmured with a frown.
"Hi!" One of Ren and Anne's female classmates approached them, injecting pep in her voice before curtseying. "Welcome home! Can I take your order?"
...Yeah, she had nothing on Kikuno-san… To be fair, she was professionally trained but…
"Isn't that… unprofessional?" Yusuke asked.
"Yeah, what happened to the atmosphere?!" Ryuji demanded.
...He couldn't help but wonder what Ryuji would think of Kikuno-san.
Yusuke then examined the menu. "...They certainly have a lot of strange flavors here."
"I would… prefer a not so… exotic flavor," Makoto said.
"Agreed," Ryuji said. "Who knows what they've added here..."
...It couldn't be that bad, could it? He's enjoyed the weird takoyaki back at the strip mall well enough.
"If you ever go to the strip mall on Port Island… don't get the takoyaki," Ken said.
"Huh?!" Ryuji stared at him. "What's that supposed to mean?!"
"Mystery ingredient," Ken said.
"And you ate it?!" Makoto said with wide eyes.
"On occasion," Ken said with a wave of his hand. "It wasn't my favorite by any stretch of imagination, but I liked it well enough."
Haru just giggled. "I'd love to try it some day." She tapped her chin. "Are we going for the normal one then?"
The maid shook her head. "I'm sorry but we just sold our last one to the customer before you!"
...He couldn't help but feel that was a lie.
"How about… mentai cheese?" Yusuke asked.
"We're out of cod roe," the maid said cheerfully.
"Okay… what is available then?" Ren asked.
"Yeah!" Ryuji said, frowning. "This whole menu is shaping out to be a sham!"
"Um… if you wait five or six hours, we can offer squid!"
"This is just…" Makoto shook her head, before shooting Anne and Ren incredulous looks.
"Ehehe…" Anne smiled weakly, toying with her hair. "We mayyy have spent most of our budget on making the costume look nice."
"Yeah, I can see that!" Ryuji said. "Jeez, I know our haunted house wasn't great, but…"
"Ryuji-kun, that's enough," Haru said mildly. She was smiling but there was a look in her eyes that was chilling… It easily silenced Ryuji. Then she turned to the maid. "What do you recommend then?"
"Oh, I recommend the Russian takoyaki," she answered. "Shall I get that for you?"
"Yes, please," Haru said with her usual sweet smile.
"Just hurryyyy," Futaba moaned out, head on the desk. "I hunger!"
"We'll get it out as soon as possible," the maid said cheerfully. "Thank you!"
"Anyways…" Ren shook his head. "...All of the things we overheard today was just…"
Anne slammed her hand on the table. "People are saying Kamoshida is a victim!" she seethed. "I can't believe that! I swear I need crepe therapy after hearing all of that crap!"
"When you were in the haunted house," Morgana added, "I took the opportunity to look around. I heard some conjecture that the principal was killed for knowing too much."
"...But ain't it a bit weird?" Ryuji asked. "He was on his way to the police station. What if he was in cahoots with Shido?"
That… That was a good point.
"Mm… this is purely conjecture as well," Yusuke said. "But I feel Ryuji may be onto something."
"This is all just wonderful," Ken muttered. "But I think we're all avoiding the hottest topic…"
"...Goro Akechi's popularity has once again skyrocketed," Haru murmured, her eyes downcast.
"All because of the Phantom Thieves!" Futaba growled out. "Can you believe that?!"
"And Akechi was a bit downcast with how he was a bit discredited from our 'rise'." Ren shook his head. "Not that it matters. We'll be doing our thing… without caring about the public's opinion."
"I'm still surprised that he said yes," Makoto said, shifting in her seat.
"Just look at 'im on TV," Ryuji scoffed.
Anne nodded. "He definitely seems at home in the limelight."
Morgana looked down. "...I know we're doing this for intel but… what if this is a trap?"
A heavy silence fell. Morgana had a good point. Akechi was still an enigma…
"Come on, guys, think positive," Ren said. "We can get through this."
"Do you have the questions planned out, Mako-chan?" Haru asked. "You're leading the Q&A, right?"
Makoto nodded firmly. "Yes, that's right. I'll…" She rested a hand on her chest. "... I'll do my best."
"Thank you for waiting!" the maid's cheerful voice cut through the air. She carried their takoyaki, but she… kinda… plopped it down on the table. One of the takoyaki balls almost fell out.
"Hey, look!" Anne did her best to infuse enthusiasm in her voice. "It's freshly made!"
Futaba shook her head. "Lies! I totally heard a microwave go off!" She then looked amongst them. "You heard it, didn't you?"
Anne just let out a nervous giggle.
"It's not like we should really expect crispy takoyaki at a school festival…" Ryuji sighed. He then looked down at the takoyaki. "...So what makes it Russian? Some special sauce…?"
"Ooh, what about jam?" Haru suggested. "That sounds quite delicious!"
"Well… one of them is…" the maid wavered for a moment, "special."
"So… Russian roulette," Ren said.
"...Three guesses which one it is, and the first two don't count," Ken deadpanned.
Futaba huffed. "It's so the bright red one!"
"Any of us could have told you that," Morgana grumbled out.
"I'd prefer the most beautifully shaped one…" Yusuke said, before frowning. "...Unfortunately all of them are misshapen."
Haru just blinked. "...Aren't you going to eat? You were hungry earlier, right, Futaba-chan?"
"Yeah, but…" Futaba looked down at the takoyaki, disdain etched on her face.
"I think I will try the special one," Haru announced.
"You're a… brave one," Makoto said with wide eyes.
"What if I want it?" Ren asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Oh, I see…" Haru chewed her lip. "How about we do a quick competition then? Like… arm wrestling!"
"My money's on Haru then," Ken mumbled out.
"I'm with ya," Ryuji said.
Ren glared at the both of them. "I am offended," he huffed. "Very offended."
Anne patted his arm. "Don't feel bad, Ren. You use knives. Haru uses axes."
"Yeah, yeah," Ren grumbled out, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Oh, everyone's here."
The familiar voice had them all looking down the hallway. Goro Akechi was approaching them, his usual amiable smile on his face.
Beside him, Makoto stiffened. "Akechi-kun…? T-The panel isn't until tomorrow…"
"I just thought I'd check out the venue, that's all," he said. "I can't make a mistake… there's so many people watching me after all."
"Someone's eager," Futaba mumbled under her breath, watching Akechi with narrowed eyes.
"But… people ended up recognizing me and bombarded me with questions…" Akechi sighed. "I didn't expect this to this extent…"
"Perhaps you should have changed your signature look then," Ken said dryly.
Akechi looked in his direction. "Oh, I did consider it but I…" Akechi shook his head. "It doesn't matter. I escaped them and that's what is important."
"Well ain't that convenient," Ryuji grumbled out.
"Oh, takoyaki!" A smile came onto his face. "May I have one?"
Ren shrugged. "Go ahead."
"Thank you!" He beamed at Ren. "I must confess, I'm quite famished. I only had an apple for breakfast." He picked up the stick, selecting the… bright red takoyaki ball.
"Ah…!" Haru's eyes widened at that.
"The Russian one…" Anne said in a hushed voice.
"We'll just call this my performance fee," Akechi said, before popping it right in his mouth.
...Well they would see what exactly was special…
"Mm," Akechi said through a mouthful of food, "it's rather deli-"
He then cut himself off, his face growing red rather rapidly.
"HHHNGH?!"
Akechi pressed a hand against his mouth. Ken was honestly surprised that he hadn't spat out the takoyaki.
"Pride cometh before one's fall," Ren said gravely.
"Y-You really shouldn't have eaten it in one bite…" Anne said with wide eyes.
"Ngh… this is…!" Akechi choked out, his eyes watering. "M-My throat...This is… Urk!" He then keeled over. "And my stomach… it… it burns!"
"Do you require water?" Yusuke asked. "I admit that I enjoy spice to an extent but I have a feeling that this has pressed past the threshold…"
"W-Who, me?" Akechi grimaced. "D-Don't be silly! I… I love spicy food. Haha… Ha…"
"I think we broke him," Futaba whispered.
"P-Please excuse me… I will...I will see you tomorrow."
He then turned around, before stiffly walking away.
"Wow… he's really holding it together," Anne mused. "Even though he was waddling like a comedian."
"I think he was crying a little bit," Ken remarked.
Yusuke narrowed his eyes, before shifting in a more comfortable position. "But… was he really just checking out the venue?"
"Do you think he suspects then?" Haru frowned.
"He said… everyone's here." Futaba pressed a finger against her mouth. "...Isn't that kinda suspicious?"
That idea was… disturbing. Very disturbing. But if Akechi knew their identities… why hadn't he done anything about it?
Wednesday, October 26th, 2016
It was time for the panel to begin.
Makoto introduced Akechi as their guest of honor. Akechi joked around a bit, but Makoto wasted no time and quickly launched into questioning Akechi.
"Everyone is abuzz about the Phantom Thieves," she said. "I was wondering if you could go into more detail about the actual investigative progress."
"My…" Ken rolled his eyes as Akechi held a hand to his mouth. "I'm not used to being on the receiving end of interrogating. Please, Niijima-san… go easy on me."
Laughter echoed in the auditorium, which only made Ken roll his eyes even more.
Ken leaned against the railing, looking towards his friends. "How much do you think he knows?" he asked quietly.
"I wish I knew," Anne mumbled out.
"C'mon, Makoto…!" Ryuji hissed out. "You gotta get it outta him!"
"Ken."
Ken started at the sudden voice, before straightening up. "Shinjiro-san!"
"Hey." Shinjiro-san then ruffled Ken's hair, much to his irritation. Ken immediately began to pat down his hair. "Sorry I couldn't make it yesterday. My work schedule is a bitch."
"It's fine," Ken said. "I know you can't help it."
"Just feel a little bad since I've always been able to make it to the school festival in the past," Shinjiro-san muttered. He then coughed, looking towards the stage. "So Niijima's questioning Akechi already, huh?"
"So far Akechi's been kinda dodging Makoto's questions," Ren said. "Saying that there's no leads… and the motive is unclear."
"But… that means the police doesn't know much about us, then," Haru said tentatively. "That's good, isn't it?"
Ken shook his head. "But with Yusuke's suspicions… I can't help but wonder if… Akechi knows."
"Shh, Makoto's asking him another question!" Anne said in a hushed voice.
"Even with this country's power… arresting them is proving to be difficult. Is that true?"
Akechi chuckled. "Well, I wouldn't put it that way but essentially you are correct."
"Hmm…"
"Shinjiro-san?" Ken asked, turning to look at his guardian. His gray eyes were narrowed as he looked towards the stage.
"Like you've discussed before… it is weird that Akechi suddenly changed his tune. Especially with him saying how he's gonna arrest the Phantom Thieves himself… And he says that the Phantom Thieves aren't murderers..." Shinjiro-san narrowed his eyes. "...What exactly is his motive?"
"Wish we knew," Ren sighed.
They turned their attention to Makoto questioning exactly what Shinjiro-san was talking about.
"Aren't you a little too comfortable interrogating people?" Akechi tilted his head. "Why, it's as if you're a prosecutor."
Shinjiro-san just scoffed. "He's really eating this up, ain't he?"
Makoto coughed. "I beg your pardon. But… this is something I'm particularly interested in, so I can't help it. Please excuse my… zeal. But won't you tell us? Why do you think they're innocent when you were so insistent that they were unjust before?"
"Mako-chan is really pressing for an answer, isn't she?" Haru mused.
"...Tch." Shinjiro-san looked unimpressed. "Guess she picked a few things from that prosecutor sister of hers."
"Not a fan too huh…?" Futaba asked.
"You can say that," Shinjiro-san said shortly.
But then Akechi spoke. "Every person they've targeted were truly criminals. Kamoshida from this very school, Madarame, Kaneshiro… they all had committed heinous crimes. And while it was a… tragedy for Okumura to die so suddenly… he was a criminal as well. But that also poses the question… why was Okumura alone killed?"
Haru's expression grew pained as Akechi brought up Okumura. Futaba reached out, tightly squeezing Haru's hand. Haru just bit her lip, squeezing Futaba's hand back.
"Why is that?" Makoto questioned.
"I must admit… I cannot reduce a reason. That's why I believe that the Phantom Thieves are innocent of murder and a different party framed them."
"It still comes off as a surprise, given how adamant you've been about the Phantom Thieves," Makoto commented.
"I'm very aware," Akechi said. "And this is a big if but… if the Phantom Thieves are who I think they are, then I believe that the Phantom Thieves would never commit murder."
...What.
WHAT?
"He's not saying…?!" Morgana choked out.
"Fuck," Shinjiro-san hissed out. "You better hope Niijima wraps this up quickly. And get out as soon as possible."
Somehow Makoto managed to keep her composure. "That comment just now… does the police know of the Phantom Thieves' identities…?"
Akechi shook his head. "Oh no. They haven't gotten that far."
"That cocky little…" Ryuji hissed out.
"However, I've come to my own conclusions of the true identities of the Phantom Thieves."
"He… He could be bluffing," Yusuke said. "He must be!"
But… Yusuke sounded like he was trying to convince himself.
But Akechi's declaration sent the audience in a tizzy.
"He's lying…" Futaba wrapped her arms around herself. "H-He has to be…!"
"Oh?" Akechi asked, turning his head towards Makoto. "You're not going to ask me who they are?"
"Bah." Shinjiro-san scowled. "He's just messing with Niijima now."
Ken gripped the railing. He wished that Akechi would stop toying with Makoto…
"...It may have repercussions on the investigation," Makoto said curtly. "Are you sure you can share that with us?"
"It's more so my personal opinion," Akechi explained. "So it doesn't pose a problem towards the investigation." Then he paused for a moment. "However… there is a possibility that everyone present will hear the truth before the police or media."
"The truth…?" Ken asked.
Makoto looked at a loss for words. But she didn't get a chance to speak, as a phone suddenly went off.
"Ah, it's mine." Akechi reached into his coat's pocket, pulling out his phone. "My apologies, but I can't turn off my phone due to my job." He then turned to look at Makoto. "Would you mind if I step away for about… ten minutes or so?"
Makoto announced that they would be taking a recess of ten minutes. But then… Akechi did something odd. He stepped closer to Makoto, speaking to her quietly.
Makoto seemed to tense up, before stiffly nodding. She then stepped behind the curtains. A moment later, their phones went off.
"We're not out of the woods yet," Ren said with a grimace, as he read the message from Makoto. "Makoto says that Akechi wants to talk with us in the PE faculty office."
"Damn!" Ryuji smacked the railing. "We're dead. Deader than roadkill!"
"Could we just… not go?" Futaba asked.
"Something tells me that Akechi will not let this go," Yusuke said with a grim smile. "We might as well get this over with."
Ken just sighed, before looking to Shinjiro-san. "...Shinjiro-san, I need you to go back to the apartment. I don't want Akechi to see you and connect you to me."
He just shook his head. "I'll go into the crowd. I'm not gonna ditch you if Akechi's planning on pulling some crap," he said. "Just… good luck with 'im."
They would need it…
"What do you want?"
Makoto couldn't help but feel foolish. Yusuke had broached the idea of Akechi knowing their identities, and she still let Akechi manipulate her.
"Oh, it's simple," Akechi said with a chuckle. "I want to join the Phantom Thieves."
You could hear a pin drop.
He wanted to what?!
"S-So why are you talking to us?" Anne fiddled with one of her pigtails. "It's not like we're the Phantom Thieves…!"
"Oh, give it up, Takamaki-san." Then Akechi's eyes narrowed. "...Or should I call you Panther?"
"How did you find out?" Ren asked.
"The Phantom Thieves… able to transverse another world. This answers too many questions."
"Answer Ren's question, dammit!" Ryuji snapped out, his hand balling into a fist. "How do you know about us?!"
"My, you have quite the guard dog, Amamiya-kun." Akechi smiled that saccharine smile of his. Anne quickly grabbed onto Ryuji's hand just in case he actually tried to sock Akechi in the face. "But to answer your question… I was actually brought into that world not too long ago. I was investigating Okumura Foods Headquarters with Sae-san."
Wait…! When they entered Okumura's Palace… to steal his Treasure…
"W-We were so careful, though…!" Anne squeaked out.
"I was brought into the strange new world," Akechi explained. He then held up his phone, showing the familiar Meta-Nav. "And I saw… all of you."
"No effin' way…" Ryuji breathed out.
"You were intent on taking Okumura's heart… But I couldn't help but overhear the horrible things he said to you, Okumura-san." He then smiled apologetically. "I'm terribly sorry about your father…"
"...Thank you," Haru said stiffly. "But I know I am blessed with wonderful friends… who will support me through anything."
"But as I was observing you all… I was attacked by a black masked Persona user. He was absolutely terrifying… He was like a dark demon. But for some reason… he attacked me. I was frightened. I couldn't help but think… I can't die here. I need to determine the truth."
Ken stiffened at that before his eyes narrowed at Akechi. "What a coincidence," he said flatly. "And I assumed you awakened to a Persona?"
The black masked Persona user… Ken had talked about being attacked by him too. That was… fishy.
"Is that what it's called?" Akechi tilted his head. "That special power?"
"It is…" Morgana said slowly. "Though that isn't very rebellious."
Akechi then blinked and stared. "Did that cat just… talk?"
"Um, yeah. You saw the cartoony cat, right?" Futaba nodded at Morgana. "That's Morgana."
"I… see." Akechi shook his head. "This is strange to wrap my head around." Then he looked at Ren. "But anyhow, I'm here to offer you a deal. I meant what I said… I don't believe you to be the type to be murderers. And the police are on your tails. They're hell bent on apprehending you… and Sae-san most of all, because they're convinced that you're behind the murders."
Makoto bit her lip. Of course she was… She just… didn't realize how deep this would go when she joined the Phantom Thieves… She'd never regret it however. They've changed her in so many positive ways.
Haru just stared, wide eyed. "They're… They're going to treat me as my father's murderer…?"
"Haru…" Futaba scooted over to her, giving her a quick hug.
"I can't overlook such abuse…" Akechi said. "Which is why I wish to strike a deal with you. The justice I uphold cannot allow this farce to continue."
He wanted to work with them? Makoto had to fight back a grimace.
"...Justice, huh?" Ken said.
"...What's your condition?" Yusuke asked.
"Ah, you're sharper than I assumed," Akechi commended. "You probably know of Sae-san leading the investigation, correct? The higher ups are… anxious to close this case. She may… do something drastic to please her higher ups."
"Sis…" Makoto sighed, closing her eyes.
What happened to her justice? She had always been so excited to become a prosecutor as a university student. She said she wanted to change things from the inside…
"What of evidence?" Yusuke asked, his voice slightly trembling. "They have no proof!"
"...There's a reason why prosecutors have a 99% chance of victory," Ken said. "Court cases… are often rigged in favor of the prosecution."
"...You can say that again," Ren muttered, a touch of bitterness in his voice.
"Oh?" Akechi tilted his head. "You seem that you have some knowledge on this."
"My guardian's best friend is a police officer," Ken said coolly. "He's seen what prosecutors have done first hand."
"Guardian?" Akechi echoed.
"My mother has been dead for years, my father even longer." Ken's voice grew testy. "My guardian has been looking out for me for years."
"I-I see…" Akechi coughed awkwardly, shuffling his feet. "Forgive me, I didn't mean to pry." Then he looked pointedly at Makoto. "But anyhow, Sae-san may be pushed into fabricating evidence… a confession, if she's pressured enough."
"Make it up…" Makoto said faintly, feeling her heart sink to the pit of her stomach.
What happened to sour Sae so much? To be tempted into fabricating evidence?
"That's bullshit!" Ryuji shouted, hands clenching into fists. "What are we… scapecoats?!"
Yusuke coughed. "...I believe you mean scapegoat, Ryuji."
"Whatever!" Ryuji grumbled out.
"You'll be found guilty if you're caught…" Akechi ignored Ryuji's outburst, "and it'll be treated as a very serious crime."
Makoto winced. She couldn't help but think of her nightmare about Sae discovering the truth and disowning her…
"And I cannot sway the police from this course of action." Akechi looked towards Yusuke. "So I need your assistance. However… in exchange of me turning a blind eye… I request that you disband the Phantom Thieves after this. This is a good deal, no?"
"But Morgana…!" Anne exclaimed.
Anne was… talking about their promise to try and uncover the truth of Morgana. She was right… they couldn't just give up…
"Give up being the Phantom Thieves…?" Futaba asked. "You can't be serious…"
Akechi looked bewildered. "I thought this was a rather good deal…"
"...Give us a couple of days," Ren said, slipping his hands into his pant pockets. "You kinda dumped a lot on us."
"Very well." Akechi nodded. "I will await your answer then." Then he turned back to Makoto. "Shall we return to the panel, then?"
"...Yes.
Though she had a feeling that Akechi would make up some excuse to get away…
...And she was right. It was so… draining, dealing with the fallout.
After all of that, Makoto found herself walking towards the student council room in a daze.
Akechi… wanted to target Sae's Palace… didn't he? She had hoped desperately that it wouldn't come to this. But… it appeared that Sae… had been pushed to the edge.
Was there something she could have done to stop this? Maybe she should have tried harder to dissuade Sae… then maybe they wouldn't be in this mess.
No… That was just wishful thinking. Someone would be put in charge of the investigation regardless. But…
It didn't make the idea of going into her sister's Palace, seeing visual representation of her sins… anymore palatable.
The sound of the door sliding open snapped her out of her thoughts. Probably a teacher-
...Or not. Ken was standing in the doorway.
"...Hey," he greeted her before stepping inside and closing the door behind.
"Hi." Makoto watched him step closer and take a seat next to her.
Before he said anything, Ken reached out and rested his hand on top of hers. "I just…" he wavered for a moment, "...wanted to check up on you," he finished quietly. "Especially since the after party started."
"I'm fine…" Makoto stopped short when Ken shot her a look. "...I could be better," she amended. "I just… don't savor the idea of working with Akechi-kun. He's always… rubbed me the wrong way."
Ken pursed his lips. "...Well, I can't deny that I'm… suspicious of him, with how he abruptly changed his tune. I'm still not entirely happy with him, for what happened with Kaito." He suddenly pulled his hand away, only to grasp her hand resting in her lap. "...I know that things are so uncertain regarding your sister right now. But… you're not alone in this. You have Ren, Anne, Ryuji, Morgana, Yusuke, Futaba, Haru…" He then coughed, suddenly staring down at the floor. "A-And you have me," he murmured. "You'll always have me."
Makoto felt a smile creep onto her face. Despite everything, she did feel lighter at his words. "Ken… thank you."
Ken just squeezed her hand, smiling at her. "Anytime."
She should tell him… now. They were alone. Everyone was at the afterparty so nobody would walk in…
Makoto swallowed hard. She could do this… She could be bold.
"Ken, listen, I… I have something to tell you." When Ken looked at her in concern, it felt like her heart was going to explode. "I…" She swallowed again. "I really, really like you. More than a friend should."
At Ken's sharp inhale, Makoto felt her heart sink. Shock was etched all over his face.
"I know that you'd never like me back." Makoto blinked rapidly. She couldn't cry. Not here. "But… I felt that I was going to explode if I didn't tell you e-especially with Kirijo-san wanting you to go back to Port Island… and... and—I'M SORRY!" She stood up, yanking her hand away. "I'm sorry… j-just forget I said anything…"
She could hear the scraping of the chair as Ken hastily stood up. "Makoto… wait!"
Makoto spun around to face him. "You can't tell me anything that I don't know!" she retorted.
"That is not true," Ken insisted. He suddenly grasped her wrist, gently pulling her closer to him. "Because for one…" he began, suddenly blushing, "I do like you back."
Makoto just stared at him with wide eyes.
"You… You do?" Makoto asked dumbly.
Ken just nodded slowly, his cheeks turning bright red. His cheeks were practically glowing.
"Then… Then why didn't you say anything?"
All this time… he… he liked her back?
"Ah, well…" Ken ducked his head, rubbing the back of his neck. "I figured…" he mumbled out, "that you'd prefer someone more like Ren…"
"Ren?" Makoto repeated. "What makes you say that?"
"W-Well, you pretended to date him before!" he protested. "And well… Ren's… Ren."
Makoto wrinkled her nose. "Don't get me wrong, Ren's a great friend but he's just that… a friend. Not to mention that he doesn't know when to quit it with his teasing…" Then she frowned. "How can you miss all the hints I tried to drop?"
"You… did?" Ken looked genuinely confused, especially with how his eyebrows furrowed together, but Makoto couldn't help but feel exasperated.
"The King's Game?" Makoto folded her arms over her chest.
"That was a dare!" he protested, but then his eyebrows knitted together. "Wait… that time in Okumura's Palace… was that… your idea of flirting?"
Makoto felt her face heat up at the reminder of her embarrassing blunder. "W-What else would it be?"
"What else?" Ken repeated incredulously. "What was I supposed to think? 'You fight good'?"
Makoto felt herself blush even harder. Why did he have to remind her of that? "I-I panicked, okay?"
That was when Ken laughed, suddenly smiling wryly. "I guess… I'm a bit more blind than I thought. The girl I wanted…" he suddenly interlocked their fingers together once more all while his smile turned warm, "…wanted me too."
"Is that really a surprise?" Makoto couldn't help but ask.
You had to be blind to see that several girls found him attractive, after all…
Ken just shrugged. "No girl bothered to get to know me," he said, frowning. "They saw the cute athlete… and that was enough in their eyes."
"That's not true," Makoto said, shaking her head. She looked down at their linked hands so she could gather her thoughts. "If they bothered to get to know you, they'd know that you try your hardest to look out for people… You've carried hardship since you were young… and you do your best so that others don't suffer like you did. They're foolish for not seeing how wonderful you are…" Makoto trailed off, biting her lip.
Why did she keep rambling? She must sound so silly…
But that was when Ken's eyes softened. "I think you're wonderful too." Makoto found herself blushing at the sincerity in his eyes. "I… feel comfortable when I'm with you. When you're down… I want nothing more to see you smile. I know that you've had… turmoil over your sister, but I can't help but admire your loyalty to her still. I… I don't know when exactly I fell for you but… I like you, Makoto. A lot."
"Ken, I…" The words were stuck in her throat. Makoto swallowed hard. "I really like you," she confessed. "I… I don't know much about love but I... I can't help but feel that I understand it a bit more with you…"
Ken suddenly lifted Makoto's chin up with one hand, making her heart hammer hard against her chest. "May I kiss you, then?"
"Please," Makoto whispered.
It wasn't fireworks or a choir singing, but it was nice. Really nice. She could feel Ken tentatively place his hands on her waist. She felt her eyes flutter shut as they continued to kiss. They kissed, slow and gentle, until they were both left breathless.
"Makoto… will you be my girlfriend?" he murmured.
"Yes…" she breathed out, before her smile faltered. "But… I don't know if I'll be a good girlfriend," she said quietly. "This is all… very new to me."
"Well…" Ken said slowly, "I don't exactly know how to be a boyfriend either…" Then he smiled at her again. "We'll figure it out together."
"Together," Makoto repeated, her voice barely above a murmur.
She… wanted to kiss him again. She grasped the lapels of his blazer, tugging him down for another kiss. Their first few kisses had been almost tentative. But this was more exploring. This felt so… so wonderful… She could see why people enjoyed kissing so much-
"Oi, Ken, are you done—"
They hastily yanked apart, and Makoto felt the blood rushing to her face. For the past couple months since Makoto had met him, Shinjiro-san's almost constant mood was… grumpy. But shock was written all over his face now. His jaw was practically on the floor as he stared at them with bugged out eyes. Then he coughed, hastily shutting his mouth.
"—kissin' Niijima," Shinjiro-san finished. His Adam's apple bobbed for a moment as he swallowed hard. "You…" He pointed at Ken. "...Are not allowed to make fun of me and Fuuka again. Ever."
Without another word, he turned around and shut the door behind him. Very firmly.
"Oh my god." Makoto pressed a hand against her burning face.
"Shinjiro-san will get over it," Ken said with a wave of his hand. "I can't tell you how many times I've walked in on him and Fuuka-san…"
Maybe she dodged a bullet with how Sae was completely uninterested in dating. But still… it was so embarrassing. Though Shinjiro-san's… intrusion made her realize something…
"…When should we tell everyone?" she asked quietly.
Ken pursed his lips. "Well… things are crazy right now. Maybe it'd be better to keep it quiet for a few days. We'll tell them… but after things with Akechi have settled a bit."
"I… I'd like that." Makoto smiled at him. "I wouldn't mind having you to myself…" she then laced their fingers together, "even if it's just always for a little while…"
The caller ID said it was Shinjiro calling. Mitsuru couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at that. Was something amiss? Well, she supposed there was only one way to find out...
So, she took the call. "Hello?"
"Mitsuru, you need to get your scientists to invent mind bleach," Shinjiro said flatly.
Mitsuru blinked. Several times.
Mind bleach… She had heard the phrase be tossed around by both Minako and Iori more than once. Usually because they saw something they didn't wish to see.
...And that Amada probably could have used it after a… certain incident.
But… why did Shinjiro want it?
"What makes it so urgent, Shinjiro?" she inquired.
A silence. But then he abruptly broke it with a low growl, coming from the back of his throat. "I may have… walked in on Ken suckin' face with Niijima," he grumbled out.
Mitsuru arched an eyebrow, even though Shinjiro couldn't see. "Is that really all?" she asked dryly.
Though… Amada and Niijima, hm? They were sitting together during the video call, if she remembered correctly… And there was the look on her face, before Niijima came up with her counterargument… Well, this just gave her another reason to get to know the younger girl eventually… Something about her had piqued Mitsuru's attention anyways. Possibly the mention of Niijima being the student council president, much like how Mitsuru was as a third year.
"Don't use that judgmental as fuck tone with me," he retorted.
"You've claimed for years that you couldn't wait for Amada to find a romantic partner so you could get some revenge."
His only retort was his usual "tch".
"But tonight was the panel with Akechi, was it not?" Mitsuru asked. "How did that go?"
There was a long stretch of silence. "Ken gave me a shortend version but… Akechi's insisting on joining the team."
"WHAT?!" Mitsuru's jaw dropped at that, all amusement suddenly fleeing her. "...What does Amada think?"
Shinjiro scoffed. "Ken trusts him as much as he can throw him," was his blunt response. "He was perfectly clear 'bout that. He's gonna talk to Amamiya. Prolly switch the hideout to LeBlanc, like when they were targeting Sakura's Palace."
"...I see." Mitsuru rubbed her face for a moment. "Please keep me posted, Shinjiro."
"...Yeah. Will do."
We've finally reached the beginning of the Sae arc! I'm really looking forward to this arc, and I hope you are too!
And yes… Ken/Makoto is finally CANON. I think I've been teasing this ship for a while, but I hope the slowburn was worth the wait.
But today's a special date… because it's been exactly one year since I've posted the prologue of Ace in the Hole! I'm still dumbfounded by the reception of this fic… Someone even recommended it on TV Tropes. So again, thank you for all of the support! And there's a new cover art! I've commissioned ScruffyTurtles to draw Ken as Ace and he's done a superb job of it!
I also wanted to add that I've posted the PQ2 fic, Persona Q2: The Ace Edition! And again, I want to thank everyone for their support!