Chapter 34
Whims of Fate
Friday, November 4th, 2016
"What should we do today?" Morgana asked, peeking out of Ren's bag to peer at him.
Ren just shook his head. "Well, we're definitely not gonna to go to the Palace today," he stated. "I'm still kinda tired from our Mementos run yesterday."
Morgana made a face. "Okay, I do get that." He then sighed. "Mementos really felt… odd, yesterday. I wonder why that is…"
"Mementos is just weird, period," Ren grumbled out.
Maybe he could check if Haru was free today… So he climbed up the couple flights of stairs to access the roof. But when he opened the door to take a peek, it looked like she wasn't there…
"Ren?"
He turned to see it was Ken. "Oh, hey, Ken," he greeted. "What's up?"
"It's just… uh… well…" Ken seemed to find the ground fascinating all of the sudden. "I was just… I was just wondering how likely it would be for us to go to the Palace on Sunday."
Ren tilted his head. "Oh?"
Ren couldn't help but cackle to himself as Ken predictably stiffened. Ken really made it too easy.
"Got plans on Sunday?" he asked, doing his best to sound innocent.
Ken then glowered at him, even as his cheeks burned red. "Fine, I want to take Makoto out on our first date on Sunday. Are you happy now?"
"That's fine," Ren laughed before giving a nod. "I think tomorrow would be good for Palace exploration, then. Though…" He gave his friend a sly smile. "You should get Makoto flowers. Girls love flowers."
Ken then huffed, before staring at Ren flatly. "What, you want me to get her roses? That's more Anne's thing, isn't it?"
Ren smothered a grin, before responding, "Oh, I was thinking a cactus flower, actually."
Sometimes, he couldn't help but think that learning hanakotoba while he was working at the flower shop was worth it. Definitely worth it.
"A cactus flower…?" Ken narrowed his eyes before pulling out his phone. After a moment of staring down at his phone, he then flushed crimson. "REN!"
Ren couldn't stop laughing even after Ken swatted the back of his head. "Your face," he snickered out. "I should take a picture of it!"
"Shut up," he grumbled out before huffing again.
Morgana just sighed. "You're really impossible sometimes, Ren."
"Love you too," Ren said with a smirk. "But anyways, you want to hang out today? I was hoping that Haru would be able to hang out, but she's not around. We haven't gotten to hang out in like, a month."
Ken just rolled his eyes at Ren. "Depends, are you gonna continue being…" Ken trailed off, before waving a hand towards all of Ren.
Ren raised an eyebrow. "You just gestured to all of me."
"Gee, I wonder why," Ken deadpanned.
"Okay, okay, I get it," Ren laughed, holding up his hands. "I promise no more teasing you about Makoto this afternoon. Good enough for you?"
"I suppose," he grumbled out. "What do you even have in mind?"
"How about Central Street?" Ren suggested. "I've been wanting to check up on Taihodo's stock… see if there's any new books in."
"Sounds good," Ken agreed, before raising an eyebrow at Ren. "Though, I'm surprised that you would go out of your way to buy books like that."
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Ren grumbled at him. "I read!"
"You seem more the type to play video games over choosing to read a book."
"Hey, I'm a multi-faceted person!" Ren pressed a hand to his chest, before giving Ken a little frown. "I have many talents and many hobbies!"
Ken then snorted, before rolling his eyes at Ren. "Yeah, and being modest is one of them," he deadpanned.
"Hey, it's confidence," Ren protested.
Ken then huffed out a laugh, before a smile tugged at the lips. "Okay, Mr. Confidence… lead the way, then."
They headed off for Central Street. The bookstore turned out to be a bust, though. Ren had bought a copy of the books available already.
"So, what do you want to do then?" Ren asked. "Sorry about that…"
"It's not a big deal." Ken then let out a thoughtful hum. "Well, maybe we can go to the arcade—"
"Do you really waste your time like this all the time, Ken?"
The cheerful mood just… evaporated away. Ken's smile melted away, before he stiffened.
The speaker was a middle-aged man. He had graying dark hair and brown eyes, dressed in a business suit. Ren couldn't help but feel confused. Who was this man and why was Ken so unhappy to see him?
"Are you going to just gawk or are you going to greet me?" he asked sharply before folding his arms over his chest.
Well. Someone was Mister Sunshine.
Then the man spoke again.
"Hmph. I see that he's been as bad of an influence I thought he would."
Ken just tensed at that, his entire body going rigid. "Hello, Uncle," he said, speaking a bit hesitantly. "What brings you here to Tokyo?"
"Uncle?!" Ren repeated in disbelief.
Though… he was kinda bugged with how Ken was… talking. While Ken would never speak as casually as Ryuji, it seemed like he was trying to be as polite as possible with his uncle. No... stiff was a better word.
"I'm here on a business trip," he answered coolly.
He then looked up and down at the two of them, before his lips tightened. Disapproval just oozed from his every pore.
"And why exactly are you here?" he asked. He then stared hard at Ken, his eyes affixed on the school emblem on Ken's blazer. "Attending Shujin Academy, a school of ill reputation… Let me guess, it must be because Aragaki can't afford to pay for Gekkoukan. Tell me, has he gotten a real job in the past four years or does he still insist on taking on menial jobs?"
Whoa, whoa, whoa—what?!
"Why do you have always to drag Shinjiro-san into this?" Ken asked, his voice suddenly shaky. "There's nothing wrong with what he does… He's good at it…"
His uncle scowled. "Well, excuse me for wanting you to do better. You're the only one to carry the surname Amada. I don't even know why you keep on trying to defend Aragaki. You're wasting your breath."
Oh jeez. He was one of those people, obsessed with the family name. Ren bet that he only had daughters, with the way he was lecturing Ken...
"You seem to hold an awfully big grudge against Shinjiro-san." Ren did his best to keep his voice light.
Seriously, what was his problem? But Ren sensed that Ken wasn't going to fight back, so he'd have to step in.
"I've met him several times, you know. He may not be the most… genial guy, but you're acting like he's a crook or something."
Ken's uncle then narrowed his eyes. He looked pretty unimpressed. "So says a nobody," he said flatly. "I can tell by just looking at you… you're nothing special."
Damn, he was judgmental as hell. At least he was used to be dissed like that. Though honestly, being called a nobody was being nice. Some people were still convinced he was a crazy violent delinquent. Though Ken had a different stance on it…
"Leave Ren out of this!" Ken exclaimed, frustration edging in his voice. "Why… Why do you always insist on doing this…?"
"Is it a crime now to want you to have a good future? Wasting your time like this… What good will it do for your future? You should be studying or doing something productive."
"Hey, Ken's future is perfectly fine!" Ren defended, before he glared at Ken's uncle. He was seriously being a huge asshole. "He's on the top of the class… He also works with the student council president with student council duties. He's got plenty of accomplishments under his belt."
"That's nothing special," he said flatly. But he then shook his head. "You know, Hikari was always so proud of you. She adored you. But now… I'm not so sure."
Something in Ken seemed to snap before he scowled fiercely. "Shut up! Don't you dare drag Mom into this! Don't act like you know her! You never gave a crap about her!"
Oh shit. Ken's uncle had pushed a button he shouldn't have.
"Don't you dare raise your voice at me—"
"I'll do what I want to!" Ken spat out. "You didn't give a crap before Mom died. You don't get to waltz up to me, insult Shinjiro-san, insult my friend like this. You wonder why I always defend Shinjiro-san?! Because he's always looked out for me. He always cared…"
Ken's voice suddenly broke at the last part and he squeezed his eyes shut for a moment.
"Even when I didn't deserve it. But you…" Ken was shaking again, but this time from anger. Anger smoldered in his eyes as he glowered at his uncle. "You always just did the bare minimum!"
"You—"
"—need to get going?" Ren cut in, before flashing an innocent smile. "Why yes, yes, we do." Then he turned to Ken. "Right, Ken?"
Ken nodded before shooting his uncle another dirty look. "Yeah, let's get out of here."
"Don't you dare walk away from me!" Ken's uncle shouted after them.
"Too bad, we are!" Ren called over his shoulder, before flashing him a cheeky smile. "See ya!"
They ended up ducking into the beef bowl restaurant. Let him try and make a scene in a restaurant.
"You want to order something?" he asked his friend.
Ken sighed before rubbing his face. "Might as well if we're going to stay here."
They ordered and after watching the chaos for a few minutes (working at this shop was hands down the worst job he had taken), they were handed their food. They managed to snag two spots together.
"So… your uncle is a piece of work," Ren said.
"He's… really my father's cousin," Ken sighed out. "He shares my surname, but he has only daughters so…"
Ren could only scoff. "That's real rich of him, then." He took a bite of his food before he spoke again. "I'm sorry, though. You know it's not true. And it was low of him to bring up your mom."
"…They didn't care after my dad died." Ken's voice grew hollow. "They were willing to sit aside for years. Let my mom work so hard. I don't even know how she remained so positive about the situation. She always had a smile and hug for me. But when she died, my uncle comes in, 'helping' me out of the good of his heart. And when he heard that Shinjiro-san wanted to become my guardian, he got all indignant like he raised me… Like I said before, he only did the bare minimum."
"He's a real snob," Ren said firmly. "You shouldn't listen to him. He's spewing nothing but crap. Shinjiro-san probably doesn't give a shit. You shouldn't, either."
Ken looked down at his meal before taking a bite of food. "Frankly, I hardly consider him family." He then shrugged. "Mom was the only member of my family who ever loved me… Everyone else saw me as nothing but an obligation." Then he smiled sadly. "Though I wish I could do something about Shinjiro-san."
"What do you mean?"
"Did you really think that Shinjiro-san would be content with working for someone forever?" Ken asked, before he took another bite of food. "Mitsuru-san has asked him to be her personal chef, but he put it pretty plainly."
Ren snorted. He probably said: Hell no. Though what Ken was saying left him curious…
"Then what does he want to do, then?" Ren asked, raising an eyebrow.
"He wants to open his own restaurant," Ken said. "More… comfort food? Dishes that remind you of home. Shinjiro-san hates fancy food. He says that there's no point in adding 'frills' like that."
Ren snorted. "Sojiro says the same, when I try to do latte art."
"Yeah, Minako-san says he's no fun when he complains about that…" Then Ken bit his lip. "But opening a business is so expensive… and he has me to worry about."
Ren raised an eyebrow. "…I mean, it's not like he's friends with a wealthy CEO…"
Ken snorted. "Mitsuru-san has offered. Several times. She'd buy him a building if he'd let her."
Ren laughed. "Maybe Haru would have better luck, yeah?"
"Ren, don't be ridiculous." Ken shook his head, an exasperated smile tugging at his lips. "It's fine… I'll be graduating soon. Shinjiro-san won't have to worry about me after that…" He then reached for his drink, taking a sip. "…I do want to prove my uncle wrong, though. Just because Shinjiro-san isn't interested in being a businessman doesn't mean that he's a lazy no-gooder."
"Besides, if he wanted a say in what you were doing, maybe he should've been more involved in your life." Ren shrugged. "Far as I'm concerned, your uncle is just full of shit."
He grinned as Ken cracked a genuine smile. He was glad that he could cheer up Ken, even it was just a little.
"And I believe in you. I think you can accomplish anything you set your mind to."
"…Heh." Ken closed his eyes for a moment. "Thanks, Ren. I appreciate it."
But he was honestly worried. The way Ken put it made it seem like he felt that was nothing but a burden to Shinjiro-san. And it was exactly the opposite. He would have to figure out… something. He just… had a feeling that Ken would not be assured unless Shinjiro-san told him. Hmm…
RANK UP! Adjustment Confidant has reached Rank 8.
Endure: Chance to withstand an otherwise fatal attack with 1 HP remaining.
Saturday, November 5th, 2016
"So, what's the plan?" Morgana turned to look at Ren. "We need a card key to access the elevator…"
"Yeah, we can't move on unless we find one." Ryuji then scoffed, before he began to scowl rather fiercely. "She wants to play it fair, huh? What a bunch of bull."
Makoto had no argument. Though what Sae's cognitive Akechi had said… lingered in her mind. What made Sae believe that she needed to succeed in this case? She wished that Sae felt comfortable enough to confide into her… But then again, if Sae felt she could… maybe she wouldn't even have a Palace in the first place.
"Yes, it's very unlikely that we'll be able to find a member's card lying around in the hall…" Akechi mused, placing a hand under his chin.
"Well, that's pretty obvious," Futaba muttered.
"So, I suppose that we'll have to explore then." Ken glanced towards Ren. "There has to be a backroom of sorts. We may have better luck there."
"Wait, what makes you think that?" Anne asked with a frown.
"Well, we always did find something when exploring…" Ken explained with a sheepish smile.
"…Heh, you're actually on the right track, Ace." Akechi chuckled. "However, let's get to the backroom, before I explain."
"…Why not just tell us now?" Haru asked.
"I hate to admit it, but I think Crow's right," Morgana admitted. "We do need to get our mission started, after all."
"If you think that's the right course of action," Yusuke sighed. "So… who will you take with you today, Joker?"
Ren let out a thoughtful hum. "Let's go with Queen, Crow, and Mona for now."
Makoto stepped forward, along with Akechi and Morgana. Ren then proceeded to lead them down the path they took, where they encountered Sae. But then he looped around, leading them to a backroom.
"Okay, Crow, what's your idea?" Ren asked.
"We look for a customer data terminal," Akechi stated. "After all, we do have a hacker with us, don't we?"
"Oh yeah, you've gotta register and pay for that kind of crap…" Ryuji said. "I guess it makes sense…"
"Indeed." Akechi smiled proudly. "Now shall we get going?"
At Ren's nod, they took off. It was a maze… Though Makoto's attention was drawn to all of the graffiti. Papers were plastered everywhere, with phrases such as: SUCCESS and WINNER TAKES ALL boldly written in spray paint.
They eventually came across a door. But bars blocked their way.
"It appears we need another keycard to continue," Yusuke commented, tapping onto the lock mechanism besides the door.
"Ugh, not again…" Anne groaned before she hung her head. "It was such a pain in Okumura's Palace…"
"Hopefully the search won't be so long this time…" Haru said.
"Well, complaining about it won't solve anything." Morgana gave a little impatient hop. "Joker, let's get to searching."
Their search led them to discover an intimidating Shadow. The aura… it was incredible.
Ryuji let out a quiet whistle. "Damn, that's a seriously scary Shadow…"
"I don't need to be Oracle to know that's a tough one…" Anne said softly.
"He's obviously guarding something…" Ren said slowly. "So, let's get him!"
He started to dash forward, but Ken grabbed him by the back of his coat. "Hold it, Joker," he said flatly. "Look at where the Shadow is standing. I think we can try and find a route, so we sneak up on the Shadow."
Ren pouted briefly. "You're no fun sometimes…"
"We don't know what kind of Shadow we're dealing with," Morgana pointed out. "Every advantage we can get would work to our benefit."
"Fiiiine," Ren grumbled out. "We'll do it the slow way."
Ken just rolled his eyes in response. "You'll thank me later."
It took some exploring, but Ren led them to a vent—earning a comment from Akechi: do you do this a lot? They crept around for a little bit, but they managed to loop back, finding themselves facing the back of the Shadow.
Ren then darted forward, leaping onto the Shadow's back. He tore off the mask with ease, before jumping backwards.
"I'll never get used to that," Akechi remarked as he ran forward along with Makoto and Morgana.
"You better get used to it, then!" Ren called out to him. "It's how we do things here!"
"Enough banter, Joker!" Morgana chided. "Focus!"
These Shadows were… bizarre. Their skins were green, with wispy lavender hair cascading down. A similarly colored wrap was around their shoulders. They both wielded a sword that Makoto couldn't put a name to.
"Mona, watch out!" Ken warned. "They have an electricity affinity."
"Ugh, of course they do," Ren grumbled. "Any idea on a weakness then?"
"Ice… or wind?" Ken suggested tentatively.
Ren nodded. "Gotcha." He then turned to look at the active party. "What are you waiting for? Let's get them!"
"Charge, Johanna!" Makoto ripped off her mask, feeling Johanna appear underneath her. Johanna glowed bright blue for a moment before a nuclear blast tore forward, slamming into both Shadows.
Despite what Ken had guessed to be their weaknesses… Makoto couldn't help but feel a bit frustrated that she hadn't struck at their weakness. At least it was just normal damage, she supposed…
Though, she was concerned for Morgana, if Ken was right about the Shadows' affinity… She hoped that Ren had something up his sleeve…
"Scathach!" Ren shouted.
The blast of wind knocked one Shadow to the ground but the other one managed to dodge, so the still standing Shadow struck.
Bolts of lightning sparked to life, hurtling towards them.
But then there was a howl of wind, before the gale clashed with the bolts of lightning, throwing them off course. Makoto had to duck so she wouldn't be hit by the lightning.
"Joker, what are you—GAH!"
Makoto whipped her head to see that Ren had snatched up Morgana, chucking him towards Ken. Ken had to spring forward in order to make sure Morgana didn't hit the ground.
"Really, Joker?!" Ken snapped at him before he set Morgana back on the ground.
"Skull, you're in!" Ren called, ignoring Ken. "Stick to physical attacks!"
"Uhh… okay?" Ryuji said.
"That's one way to do it…?" Haru giggled weakly.
Though Makoto caught sight of Akechi looking curiously at Ren. He looked almost… baffled. Then he shook his head. "Now, Robin!" he ordered.
Robin Hood pulled his bow, and an arrow of light formed. It struck the Shadow that had managed to dodge Ren's attack before.
"Whip 'em, Persona!" Ryuji shouted, and Captain Kidd jabbed several times with his mast.
"Heh, not bad, Skull," Akechi chuckled. "I'm impressed."
"Focus, Crow!" Futaba reprimanded. "Joker, heads up, this Shadow's got fire attacks too! Keep that in mind with your bazillion Personas! So don't let them target your weakness!"
"Your… what?" Akechi gasped. "You have more than one Persona?!"
"Oh yeah, that's kinda Joker's thing." Makoto could hear the shrug in Futaba's voice. "But anyways, enough chitchat! Let's see… you guys need a power up!"
Red light shimmered around them, and Makoto could feel the familiar strength surging through her.
They went all out, unleashing spells (or in Ryuji's case, physical attacks), and the Shadows eventually fell. This yielded their prize, a key card.
"Annnd here we go." Ren stooped down, picking up the key card and holding it up in triumph. "This will give us some more access!"
"I… I don't understand," Akechi said faintly. "You… You have more than one Persona, Joker?"
"Yeah, like Oracle said, Joker's got a gazillion." Ryuji snorted.
"I don't have a gazillion," Ren huffed as he pocketed the card key. "Okay, I know I have a lot, but you're way exaggerating, Skull."
"Oh yeah?" Ryuji folded his arms over his chest. "How many do you have then?"
Ren opened his mouth, only to shut it. He then narrowed his eyes. "I don't know," he begrudgingly admitted.
"So, you've got a gazillion!" Ryuji said triumphantly.
"I'm telling you, it's not that much!" Ren argued.
"Prove it, then!"
"Are you serious, Skull?!"
"That's enough, boys!" Anne chided, hands on her hips. "We shouldn't really stand around bickering like this, you know! We could get ambushed by a Shadow!"
They grumbled out in unison, "Fiiiiine."
"Our leader and his right-hand man, everyone," Ken deadpanned.
Haru just giggled. "Come now, Ace, it just shows how close they are!"
Akechi coughed. "Though I must say… I am impressed with how you managed to divert the lightning attack, Joker. You're rather good with thinking on your feet, aren't you? A good characteristic for a leader."
That look in his eye…it unsettled Makoto. But before Makoto could put her finger on what kind of emotion it was… it had disappeared. His expression was replaced by his typical saccharine smile.
"…I suppose so." Yusuke frowned in confusion. "But Panther is right, we should get going…"
They managed to find their way to the database as Akechi suggested. Though Ken had been slightly amused that Futaba's choice in a fake name, Shinji Nakonohara. But with the member card in hand, they managed to gain access to the elevator. Unfortunately, they were still limited from the High Limitss Floor…
They stepped through the doors onto the Members' Floor. It very much looked like a ritzy casino, with all the slot machines. Playing cards seemed to rain down like confetti. But that wasn't what caught her attention.
Sae's Shadow stepped towards them, flanked by bodyguards once more.
"Sis…?" she asked.
"Ohh, so you wanna settle this right now, huh?" Ryuji asked. Then he cracked his knuckles. "Well, bring it on!"
"Skull, you know we can't do that…" Yusuke said lowly.
Sae then scoffed, shaking her head. "Do not speak to me as if we are equals." She looked Ryuji up and down, disgust making her lip curl. "I am the manager of this casino, as well as its number one player. At the moment, you lack the qualifications to fight me."
"You're the one cheating your way to wins," Ren said boldly. "And you know how the saying goes… cheaters never prosper. How can you take pride in wins that you had to cheat your way to?"
"Hmph, you're just saying that you're too weak to face me on," Sae said coldly. "As if I didn't know that. You're nowhere near my level."
Makoto winced. It never came out of Sae's mouth, but she has been compared to Sae… countless times. She really felt that she was far beneath Sae's level…
"She's a snotty little…" Ryuji growled out.
"…She truly looks down on us," Yusuke commented.
Sae then flipped her hair, placing a hand on her hip. "I had to win time and time again, to earn respect. My number one rank. If you wish to face me…" She gave a little smirk. "…You must continue to win, as well. Can you do that?"
"How condescending…" The distaste in Ken's voice was clear. "Are you challenging us or patronizing us?"
"These are my rules." Sae shrugged. "If you want to face me… you must adhere to my rules."
"But what do you mean by continuing to win?" Haru asked tentatively.
"So… you're asking us to play in the casino," Akechi stated.
"Correct." Sae gave a little nod. "Do you have the confidence to win?"
"We might rip out the rug underneath you if you're not careful." Makoto tried her best to sound confident.
Besting her sister… would it even be possible? And there had to be some kind of catch. Gambling always had a trick to it…
Then Makoto stared at Sae. "Don't underestimate us."
Sae chuckled, but there was no humor to her laugh. "I don't expect much from you… but I will be waiting."
Then there was a bright flash. They whipped around to see Sae ascending to the higher floor in the elevator.
Morgana folded his little arms over his chest. "She really is different than our other opponents. She'd rather scheme than fight us with brute force."
"…Not that I'd want to fight Sae-san with brute force." Akechi let out a nervous chuckle. "I have seen her fight off a would-be mugger. I almost pitied him with how she managed to kick him right in the face…"
"But we should focus on the issue at hand…" Yusuke stated, before he folded his arms over his chest. "How are we going to gamble our win to the top?"
"Um… I have no experience with this…" Haru said softly, looking at everyone nervously.
Anne approached the slots, uncertainty in her voice as she spoke. "I've never done anything like this either… Can we really do this? What about you guys?"
"Well, I'd be concerned if you had experience with gambling in a casino," Ken said dryly. "Considering that we're all underage."
Anne flapped a hand at him. "Not the point!"
"Do you count blackjack as gambling?" Ren shrugged.
"That hardly counts." Ryuji shook his head.
Ken sighed. "The closest is watching Junpei-san lose his money to Minako-san in poker."
"Who would those be?" Akechi asked.
"Ah…" Ken winced. "Just my senpai back on Port Island."
"We really don't have time to waste though…" Ren said.
"No need to worry…" Akechi flashed a smile. "Just follow my lead."
Makoto raised an eyebrow. "You know how to do this?"
"I do, Queen." He nodded. "I'm well informed on what it takes to win. I will ensure that victory is mine."
…Hmph. Did he have to be so arrogant about it? And Sae really thought she'd be attracted enough to date Akechi? She didn't think so.
"But we must hurry… I do want to change Sae-san's heart as soon as possible." Akechi then looked towards her. "I know we haven't always gotten along. But… I know you care about Sae-san deeply. I do, as well… I don't want her to keep continuing like this. She wasn't always like this…"
Makoto couldn't help but feel taken aback. Did… Did he really care for Sae? She didn't know. She hated that she was questioning this. He was aiming to kill Ren. She shouldn't empathize with him.
"She's just… become distorted," Makoto said quietly. "She used to believe so strongly in justice. She became a prosecutor because she wanted to change things from the inside. She had heard from Dad how skewed things were for the defense… She had hoped to change that."
"…What changed her then?" Ren asked.
"I…I believe it's connected to our father's death." Makoto closed her eyes.
She still could recall Dad's funeral, how Sae was so curt with everyone trying to extend condolences. If she remembered right, Sae would get especially testy when someone tried to reiterate that he was such a brave man and a wonderful police officer. Her heart clenched at the memory.
"Sis tried to take on the burden all by herself. Trying to earn a living for us both, earn a promotion in a male oriented society… and uphold justice all at the same time."
"It's no wonder that she has changed so much then." Anne's voice was soft with sympathy. "She lost sight of why she pursued justice to begin with."
Maybe she… wasn't so different. After all, it wasn't so long ago that she was just listening to her higher ups.
Ren coughed. "…We really should get moving though."
"But we should review the situation first," Anne stated. "We basically need to win… But how much do we have to win?"
"We'll have to increase our rank," Ken said. "In order to gain access to the next floor…"
"We need a new member's card to unlock our way to the high limits floor…" Futaba said. "Maybe we can walk around and ask? Uh…! I'll be support! As usual!"
Ren smirked at her. "Don't worry. We've got this."
Ren led them to the cashier, his features shadowy. It was a bit… unsettling to look into his red eyes.
"Ah, welcome. We've been informed of your coming. The manager is quite eager for you to show off what you have. A gift for you… one thousand coins."
What… What did this mean?
"Uh… thanks." Ren looked unsettled but he slid the card to the cashier.
"Are you seriously giving us these for free?" Anne sputtered out.
"Maybe it's a show of confidence," Akechi mused, resting a hand on his chin. "She truly has no intention in losing…"
"Now, to the left, we have our dice games… and to the right we have the slots," the cashier continued to explain, ignoring Akechi's speculations. "However, we recommend the dice game to beginners. And furthermore, you may exchange your coins for prizes."
"What kind of prizes?" Haru asked.
"Well, our most desired prize is a member's card, that will grant you access to the high limits floor."
"Ah…!" Futaba gasped. "We need that!"
"It'll cost you fifty thousand coins."
"Fifty… thousand?!" Ryuji yelped. "That's crazy! How are we gonna pull that shit off?"
"Ah… I see." Akechi looked towards Ren. "She wants us to obtain that card by winning coins in the casino."
"We also allow for you to borrow as many coins as you have."
"I don't believe that is prudent…" Yusuke said.
"Yeah, I agree." Ken nodded. "There has to be some catch…"
"Let's head to the dice game," Morgana suggested. "We might as well get started."
"Wait," Akechi interjected. "I have something I'd like to discuss…"
He motioned for them to step away from the cashier.
"I believe that these games are rigged," he stated.
"I mean, it is a casino," Ren said. "I'd be shocked if it wasn't."
"Keep in mind that this is Niijima-san's cognition of the courthouse," Ken said. "Where she was rather particular about scoring wins."
"Most prosecutors are," Ren mumbled out.
But it was hard to miss the bitterness in his voice.
"Joker…" Anne said quietly, grabbing onto his hand. "But still, if Queen's sister is so determined to win, how are we going to…?!"
"We can't afford to lose," Yusuke stated firmly. "If we don't win… then all of us…"
"It won't happen," Ren cut in, his grip on Anne's hand tightened. "I'll make sure of it. Come on, we're burning sunlight."
So they headed off to the dice games. But every time Ren attempted to predict the sum of the three dice, it ended up in a loss.
"It appears my thought was correct," Akechi said. Apparently, he was ignoring that Ren had pointed out that already. Makoto had to hold her tongue so she couldn't bring it up. Let Akechi think he was so smart for this rather obvious observation. "It is rigged…"
"So what are we gonna do, cheat back?" Ryuji scoffed.
"You're actually not on the wrong track, Skull." Akechi smiled thinly. "We need to disable whatever is rigging the game. There must be some kind of control room that determines this."
"That's a good way to handle it," Morgana agreed. "Joker, let's try and find a way to find this control room!"
After some searching, Ren found another vent.
"Here we go again…" Akechi sighed. "I never would've thought I'd do this kind of thing…"
"It is very James Bind, isn't it?" Anne giggled. "Though the movies always made the vents roomier than they really are…"
But the vent led them to a backroom of sorts. They had to sneak through the halls, fighting Shadows, but their search eventually bore fruit. They found the control room, with a Shadow at the panel.
When they confronted the Shadow, it transformed into a skeletal like creature. Fortunately, it was weak to bless magic, so when Akechi attacked with Robin Hood, he knocked down the Shadow. Personally, Makoto was grateful that this fight was on the easier side… It made everything simpler.
She could've gone without Akechi's gloating, though.
"It really was fortunate that I was in the active team right now, is it not?" Akechi asked.
"…Ugh," Futaba grumbled out.
"Ace has bless attacks too, Crow," Yusuke said.
"A-Ah…" Akechi faltered at that. "Oh, but does he have curse attacks? Robin Hood has those."
"No, but he's got gun attacks," Ryuji said. "And he can heal up just as well as Mona."
…Not to mention that Ken was more modest. Ugh. She wished Ren had put Ken on the team, but no, they had to pretend that everything was fine with Akechi.
Ken coughed. "…Thanks for the vote of confidence but… shouldn't we check and see if we can win now?"
"Actually…" Akechi began. "I was thinking that we could… cheat back."
"What do you mean by that?" Haru asked.
"Sae-san is intent on winning by cheating… We've gotten this far. Why not have the odds in our favor?"
"Hmm… you have a point, Crow," Ren admitted. "Oracle, can you handle this?"
Futaba just grinned at him, flashing a peace sign. "Just leave it to me!"
Dealing with the slots worked similarly. They had to hack into the terminals. It took some looping around and fighting through Shadows (as usual). But once they hacked into the systems, they earned enough coins.
But when they turned around to head towards the elevator… the figure standing in front made Makoto stop dead in her tracks.
"It can't be…!" Haru breathed out.
"You have got to be kidding…" Ken muttered.
"Dad…!" Makoto choked out. "You… You're here?!"
It was… Sae's cognition of their father. He looked exactly like he had the day he had died. Well… save for his outfit. He was dressed in a black suit and tie.
"Dad?!" Ryuji repeated. "Then that's…?"
"It must be Niijima's cognition of him," Morgana said grimly.
"What a clever trick," Sae bit out.
"We merely followed your rules," Ren called out, a smirk in his voice.
"Hmph. I am the manager of the casino, and the rules dictate that I am the victor!"
"Sae-san really is becoming desperate… She is at the end of her wits." Akechi muttered. "…In this world and the real one."
"I believe that our guests will be leaving now," Sae announced.
Then the cognitive version of Dad advanced. "Yes… they're nothing but trouble. Nothing but lowly crooks… thieves." His eyes hardened as he smacked the police baton in his hand. "I will eliminate them… as I have with everyone else."
Then he lunged forward.
"Queen, Crow, Mona, spread out!" Ren shouted, before tearing off his mask. "Red Rider!"
A red horseback figure appeared with a flash. He divebombed at Cognitive Dad, making him reel back. Morgana fired as quickly as he could, the rain of pellets forcing him to keep his distance. But then he let out a frustrated growl, charging through and completely ignored the pellets that Morgana fired at him. He raised his baton and brought it down, sending Morgana flying backwards.
"Mona!" Futaba cried out. "Hang on…!"
Prometheus flashed brightly before Makoto could feel the familiar warm sensation filling her veins.
"Dammit…" Ren hissed out. "Mona, switch out! Ace, you're in!"
She just… couldn't comprehend all of this. So… Sae really had their father in the back of her mind after all…?
"Queen, heads up!" Futaba shouted.
There was a sudden clang as Ken pushed himself in front of her, intercepting the blow with the shaft of his spear. She had to snap out of this! This wasn't Dad… just Sae's warped version of him.
Ken was straining underneath the force of the cognitive self's weight. Makoto skirted around him, jabbing for his side. This diverted his attention enough for Ken to get the upper hand and knock his weapon away.
"You think that'll stop me?" he growled out, glaring at Ken. "I'll take you down… No matter the cost!"
"We won't make that easy!" Ren shouted, as he charged forward. "Okuninishi!"
Ken grabbed her arm and pulled her backwards as a blast of fire forced the cognitive self on the defense. Then Akechi summoned Robin Hood, which nocked an arrow. The tip glowed bright purple as the Persona let the arrow fly, striking the ground and then exploding like a bomb. The almighty attack sent him flying.
Makoto summoned Johanna, her Persona's engine roaring in her ears as she blasted forward. She rammed into the cognitive self, sending him reeling.
But he managed to catch his balance just in time. Then a dark, shadowy aura surrounded him.
…Oh no.
A straw doll appeared before her.
Makoto hated Mudoon, more so than Hamaon. She hated how it flooded her senses, surrounding her with darkness until she blacked out. She could only watch, paralyzed as it—
Makoto was suddenly shoved to the ground.
"Ace, what are you doing?!" Futaba screeched.
Ken was slumped to the ground, panting. He swayed a little but… he was still okay. The relief that flooded her was swiftly replaced by rage as the cognitive self charged towards Ken.
She scrambled to her feet before she ran forward. His movements seemed to slow down before her eyes. She reached out and grabbed his wrist. She pivoted on her feet, flipping him over her shoulder.
"Nice, Queen!" Futaba crowed out.
"You really think that can take me down?" He staggered to his feet, a cocky smile on his face even as he swayed back and forth.
She couldn't help but feel angry… This wasn't her father, the man she admired so much and aspired to be like. He was arrogant, too confident in his ability in being able to take them down.
"I don't think… I know," Ren said. "White Rider!"
White Rider appeared, before slamming down on the ground. The ground shook violently. Makoto then turned to check up on Ken, but he was fairly healed up. He must have healed himself while she was distracted with fighting the cognitive self.
"I can't believe you did that," Makoto complained with a huff. "I'm not the one weak to curse attacks!"
"I would rather it be me than you."
Makoto narrowed her eyes before punching her boyfriend's shoulder. "Don't you dare do that again," she warned before turning back to the battle.
"Lemme give you a boost!" Futaba chimed in. "Speed up!"
The boost in agility was a welcome change. Makoto summoned Johanna once more, unleashing another nuclear spell. Ren then swooped in, summoning a rainbow snake-like Persona. A purple light suddenly surrounded the cognitive self, weakening its defenses.
"Kala-Nemi!"
"Robin Hood!"
An arrow glowing with shadowy energy was wrapped around Kala-Nemi's blast of light, both slamming into him, right in the chest. That was the final blow they needed, as the cognitive self of her father disappeared.
"…How pathetic. He's just as weak as he was in life. Foolish, cocky… the list goes on."
Makoto tensed up at the voice. "Sis!" she cried out. "You can't mean that!"
She was begging… Please… oh, please don't let Sae hate their father…
"Hmph. Take it as you will." The coldness in Sae's voice just made Makoto's heart sink. "Though the idea that you still think of yourselves as my equals is so… pathetic. You're nothing but losers."
"What was that?!" Ryuji growled out, and she turned to see that Ryuji's hands were now fists. "We've been playing by your rules! Don't throw a hissy fit because you don't like it turned on ya!"
Sae laughed. "Criminal trials are nothing but a gamble to be won, and us prosecutors arrange the gambling table."
"It's honestly… sad to see how she sees things," Ken muttered.
"Losses are unacceptable! We must win, even if it's due to false charges!"
"A…Are you serious, Sis?" Makoto managed to choke out. But when she got no reply, her hands tightened into fists. "Answer me, dammit!" she cried out, unable to stop her voice from cracking.
"Queen…" Haru called out to her sadly.
"Don't think such a petty trick will allow you to defeat me. I may have to acknowledge your skills, if you make it to the manager's floor, however."
"May, huh?" Ren raised an eyebrow.
No amount of joking from Ren would distract Makoto from what Sae was saying. Why… Why couldn't she listen?! Her voice just fell to deaf ears.
"Sae-san… why?" Akechi asked. "This… This isn't the real you… Viewing trials that could give the defendant the death penalty… a gamble? No… I can't believe this."
"How horrendous," Yusuke muttered. "Niijima-san… she's completely distorted." Then he frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. "Just like…"
"…You don't have to say it, Fox," Anne said sadly.
"We have to stop her!" Makoto exclaimed. "Quickly!"
"Calm down, Queen," Ren said. "We'll save her… together."
"We all feel the same way, Queen," Haru said. When Makoto turned to look at her friend, she was smiling gently. "We will save her. I swear it…"
Ken then moved to stand next to her, taking her hand. "…We're all with you," he murmured, before squeezing her hand.
Makoto took a deep breath. "…Thank you," she whispered out.
Ren then stepped forward, scanning the card. Then a mechanical voice spoke. "Authentication complete. The following floors are now available: the standard floor, the member's floor, and the high limit's floor."
"Still no manager's floor, huh?" Anne mused.
"Maybe it's the one after the high limits," Ken suggested.
"Actually, I can sense only one floor above us," Futaba corrected. "Maybe it's like… a VIP area."
Yusuke then shook his head before looking up. His eyes were steely with resolve. "We're wasting time. Let us go!"
They boarded the elevator and rode up to the high limits floor. But they were greeted by an unwelcome sight. A wooden door and fence.
"Outta the way," Ryuji demanded, glaring at another shadowy cashier/dealer.
"Beyond this point is the high limits floor," he said calmly. "Do you have a reservation?"
"Whaddya mean, reservation?!" Ryuji cried out.
"Okayyy, amp it down, Skull." Ren put a hand on Ryuji's shoulder. He then sighed. "Okay, Mona, what kind of requirement do you think this is?"
"It must be related to Niijima's cognition somehow…" Morgana said slowly. "Queen, Crow? Any ideas?"
"Sae-san needs to think of us being able to enter…" Akechi said slowly. "So this floor must be the equivalent of… only authorized personnel are given access to."
"What would that equate in the real world?" Ken asked.
"As the courtroom, I assume," he stated. "Not many people would sit in on trials, as you can probably guess."
"You really are picking up on the rules of the cognitive world," Morgana said. "Color me impressed."
"Heh." Akechi's smile was bashful. "My thanks."
"That aside…" Haru said softly. "…How are we going to get inside the courtroom?"
Futaba then pointed to Ryuji. "Ryuji, go piss off the police!"
"Hell no!" he yelped out. "Are you crazy, Oracle?!"
"Pretty sure there's another way, Oracle." Though Ren had a few chuckles at Ryuji's expense.
"Sitting in on a trial that my sister would be attending," Makoto stated. "That should do it." Then she rubbed her chin. "Though we would need to know her schedule."
"Leave that to me," Akechi interjected. "I am Sae-san's partner after all. I would be privy to that kind of information."
"So… I guess we'll have to head back," Anne stated.
"Our hands are pretty tied until Niijima-san's cognition is changed," Ken agreed. "Though I imagine the real work will begin once we're inside…"
"Yeah, no kidding." Ryuji grimaced. "Joker barely swapped out the team today. Man, and I was hoping to whale on some more Shadows today… Could've used some stress relief."
Ren just chuckled at him. "I'll be sure to put you on the team next time then, Skull."
Ryuji pumped his fist. "Sweet!"
Morgana huffed before rolling his eyes at Ryuji. "Let's head back, then!"
They made their way back to the entrance, before activating the app so they could leave. Makoto felt a wave of exhaustion hit her… and it wasn't just from the usual fatigue from visiting a Palace.
Sae… her views on Dad…
Was her sense of justice truly gone?
"…Hey."
She looked up to see that it was Ken. "Hi," she answered back before taking his hand.
"Listen, Makoto…" he began, "I understand if you don't want to go out like we talked about before, after what we saw today…"
"No." Makoto squeezed his hand. "I… I think I need this more than ever."
Ken smiled at her. "If that's what you want."
"I do…" she trailed off, only to find herself blushing at how Haru was looking at the two of them.
She couldn't help but feel a bit… exposed. They were just holding hands but… how much had Haru overheard?
"What's wrong?" Ken frowned quizzically.
"Hello, Ken-kun!" Haru said, making him flinch. "Mind if I borrow Mako-chan for a little bit?"
And without waiting for Ken's reply, she grabbed Makoto by the wrist and dragged her away.
"Are you really going out on your first date with Ken-kun tomorrow?!" Haru's eyes brightened. "How exciting!"
"I… ah…" Makoto ducked her head, feeling herself blush again. "Y-Yes… I, um… probably should look for something nicer to wear for that…"
"Oh, if you're worried about that…" Haru frowned before turning to look at where Anne was standing with Ren and Yusuke. "Anne-chan! Can you come over here, please?"
"What's up?" Anne asked as she approached the two of them.
"Mako-chan is going on her first date with Ken-kun," Haru explained. "You always dress so nicely… Do you think you have a good idea on what she should wear?"
Anne tapped her chin, before her blue eyes brightened. "Actually, I do! My parents have made various styles of clothes… We have them back at the apartment. I think I know just would look nice on you too!" She then hooked her arm into Makoto's. "Want to sleep over tonight? I can help you get ready tomorrow if you want!"
Makoto blushed, smiling shyly at Anne. "That would be great."
"It's settled, then!" Anne giggled. "Haru, do you want to join us? While Makoto's off on her date with Ken, we could binge movies! Oooh, and sweets!"
Haru giggled. "That sounds so much fun! It could be a girl's night! And morning after, I suppose."
Panic immediately spiked through Makoto. "D-Don't tell Futaba!" she squeaked out. "She… She'll…!"
"What, she'll hack your phone and see if she can get a picture of you two kissing?" Anne snickered, nudging Makoto in the side. "Though, I thought you would be used to be this kind of thing already. Shinjiro-san says he's walked in on you two already—"
"Anne!"
"And how do you think I discovered them?" Haru chimed in, before starting to giggle.
"Haru!" Makoto protested. "It's just… I-I didn't think you'd follow after me…!"
"Oh my god, you two are terrible!" Anne joined Haru in giggling.
"You're the ones who are terrible…" Makoto grumbled out. "I'm going to say goodnight to Ken before we go…"
"Oh, so you can kiss him goodnight?" Anne asked innocently.
Makoto sputtered at Anne and Haru started giggling again. It looked like Ren had really rubbed onto Anne… Sometimes she wondered why she wanted friends…
It was another slow night. Shinjiro hated those nights because they always were so damn tiring. He nodded off way too easily. Shinjiro straightened up as the door opened. But in stumbled Niijima, looking tired and miserable.
"Okay… what do you want now?" Shinjiro grumbled out.
"Nothing from you," Niijima snapped out before all but throwing herself in the seat. "I just want a hard drink."
Shinjiro still disliked the woman. Didn't matter that Ken was dating her little sister. Though the way she said struck a chord in him. He could still recall how his body refused to forget about he killed Ken's mom. How he kept coming back to the spot where she died.
"Drinking won't help you forget," Shinjiro stated. "Though maybe it would've helped if you didn't accept a nearly impossible case."
"Don't you dare lecture me," she hissed out, glowering at Shinjiro. But Shinjiro just looked calmly back at her. "I'm doing my best. I'm doing all that I can!"
"Are you?" Shinjiro asked evenly. "Will it be worth it, Niijima?"
"What… What are you talking about?"
"Are you even happy where you are?" Shinjiro asked. "I know someone personally who loves his job as a cop…"
Anger flared in her eyes when he said 'cop' but Shinjiro didn't give a flying crap. He knew that Ken worried about what would happen if Niijima remained set in her ways.
He didn't like Niijima. Not one whit. But he cared about Ken and well… his girlfriend was growing on him.
"What about you? Can you claim that you like being a prosecutor still? Doesn't even have to be love."
"I…" She swallowed hard.
"Your old man was a cop," he said. "I'm assuming that justice was connected to it, yeah?"
Niijima inhaled sharply. "Don't you dare lecture me," she repeated, though her voice was definitely… weaker this time.
"Why?" Shinjiro raised an eyebrow.
Because he was right?
"I… I'm doing this for good," Niijima said. "The Phantom Thieves are menaces… They need to be stopped."
Shinjiro eyed her, before he closed his eyes. "Heh."
"What's so damn funny?!" she demanded, glaring at him. (She didn't even compare to Mitsuru, and even then, Mitsuru wasn't even that scary.)
"You sound like you're trying to convince yourself," Shinjiro said evenly before he eyed Niijima. "Am I wrong?"
"I…" Niijima faltered before her expression hardened. "You know nothing, Aragaki," she hissed out.
"Then educate me," Shinjiro deadpanned.
"You… You'd never understand the circumstances." Niijima then shook her head. "I… I need to get back to work," she muttered out, tucking her hair behind her ear.
Not understanding the circumstances, huh? If only Niijima had a clue about just how close he was tied to this case. Though… Shinjiro couldn't help but notice the doubt in Niijima's eyes…
Maybe there was hope for her, after all.
Sunday, November 6th, 2016
The outfit Anne had in mind for Makoto was a navy-blue trench coat dress, with two rows of three silver buttons fastening it shut, and the skirt flaring out due to the black petticoat attached. It was elegant, which was Makoto's preference when it came to clothes, but with an extra flare of femininity. It was something she had never considered wearing but… maybe stepping out of her comfort zone more often would be good.
"Ah!" Anne's eyes gleamed with excitement as she clapped her hands together once. "I knew it'd look great on you, Makoto!"
"You look very pretty, Mako-chan," Haru agreed with a smile.
Makoto flushed before tucking her hair behind her ear. "T-Thank you." Then she looked towards Anne. "Um, what did you wear to your first date with Ren?"
Anne giggled. "Well, technically our first real date was in Hawaii. And you've seen that swimsuit."
"What do you mean by real?" Haru asked.
"Oh, uh…" Anne let out a nervous laugh. "Ren and I started dating in August but uh… he was helping out Makoto with a little favor… So, we had to wait another month before going public." Then she coughed, shuffling her feet for a moment. "But anyways, shoes! What size are you, Makoto?"
"Oh, um, twenty-three."
Makoto couldn't help but feel relieved that Anne had changed the subject. This subject was just… embarrassing to discuss.
"Ooh, perfect!" Anne cheered. "You can just borrow one of my gazillion pairs of shoes, then… Uh…" She then looked towards her closet, giving a small gulp before glancing towards Makoto. "Just… don't give me a lecture about this."
"What are you—" Haru began in confusion.
Anne then threw open her closet, before she dragged Haru backwards so the two of them wouldn't be buried by the clothes avalanche.
"O-Oh, I see…" Haru stared, wide-eyed. "That's… a lot of clothes."
Makoto just sighed before she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Anne, I'm coming over another time to help you clean up this mess."
Anne just let out a nervous laugh. "I-I appreciate it."
Then Makoto blinked, her eyes focusing on a very familiar shirt hung up in her closet. "Wait a minute… is that Ren's shirt?!"
It looked eerily close to the shirt that Ren had worn on days off in the summer…
"I don't know what you're talking about!" Anne exclaimed, nervously twirling her hair. When Makoto stared at her incredulously, she started to fidget. "O-Okay, maybeee…"
She had no comment.
"But anyways, here's the shoes I wanted to show you!" Anne snatched up a nice pair of black knee-high leather boots before practically shoving them at Makoto. "Come on, try it on!"
"I feel like a model," Makoto mumbled out before she sat down on the loveseat to pull on the boots.
Anne giggled. "Oh, trust me, this is nothing."
She finished zipping up the boots for standing. There was a slight heel, but it was about the same as the heels she wore as Queen.
"Oooh, you look so pretty, Mako-chan!" Haru exclaimed, clapping her hands lightly.
"Are you comfortable, though?" Anne asked, frowning in concern. "I know that I picked out all of this… but do you like wearing it?"
Makoto nodded. "I am. It's… different but… I've been staying in my comfort zone for too long. Wearing something a bit different than what I usually would is… nice."
"Where are you going?" Haru asked, perching herself on the edge of Anne's bed.
"Seaside Park," she answered. "I mentioned to him once that I would like to go there, and when we talked about it a few days ago… he brought it up again."
"Aww, that's sweet." Anne smiled.
"Anne?" Makoto whispered.
"What's the matter?" She frowned.
"I'm…. I'm a little nervous," she confessed, before biting her lip. "I've never gone out on a date… How did you…?"
"You know… Ren is my first boyfriend," Anne stated. But then she smiled. "The point of a date is to have fun with whoever you're going out with. Don't try and overthink it."
"Is it more of a don't think… feel kind of situation?" Haru asked.
Anne blinked. "…I didn't know you watched Bruce Lee, Haru."
Haru giggled. "I watched it because Mako-chan recommended it."
"They're very well-made movies!" Makoto protested. "It's well directed, the choreography is good, and…!"
Anne giggled. "You don't have to explain yourself, Makoto. You like what you like."
That was when the doorbell rang, causing Anne and Haru to grin at her. She was then all but pushed out of Anne's room. Makoto shot her two friends a quick glare (who just cheerfully waved back at her) before going to answer the door.
"Hey, Mako—" Ken's expression suddenly turned dumbfounded, his eyes bugging out and his mouth hanging open.
Makoto took the moment to look at what her boyfriend was wearing. He was wearing a black trench coat that he wore open over a beige turtleneck, paired with black jeans and a pair of white and orange canvas tops. An orange scarf was wrapped snugly around his neck.
Ken then gulped. "Y-You look really pretty, Makoto." He then tugged at the collar of his jacket, blushing a little. "Maybe I should've dressed a bit nicer."
"No, you look fine! Great!" Makoto blurted out. She then coughed, before she noticed the basket hanging off his arm. "What's the basket for?"
"Oh, um… I thought it'd be nice if we could have a picnic for lunch," Ken answered.
Oh. Of course. Makoto couldn't help but feel a little foolish. What else would he be carrying a basket for?
"I-I mean if you want, I'd be more than happy to take you to a restaurant," Ken said hastily. "I just thought—!"
Makoto leaned up, kissing his cheek. It was very effective in cutting him off. "It's a sweet thought," she said sincerely. "I'd love to. Um… should we get going?"
"Have fun, you two~!" Anne called out sweetly, just as Ken took her hand.
Sometimes she wondered if having Anne and Haru helping her get ready was worth the teasing…
Since Mitsuru-senpai had told her about the plan, and Shinji's idea to have a back-up in case Amamiya-kun failed… Minako couldn't help but think that… more hands-on deck would be better.
"I think you should go to Tokyo on the nineteenth, Aki."
Aki blinked, in the middle of pouring his coffee. Then he seemed to snap out of it, setting down the coffee pot. "Mina…"
"I know what you're going to say, Aki…" Minako rested her hand on her abdomen. As if she knew her daddy was thinking about her, their daughter started to kick. "…I know you aren't comfortable with leaving me. But I still have a few more weeks before I have our baby. Chie-chan is a wonderful cop in the making, but… I don't know." She wrapped her arms around herself. "…Something's telling me that this operation could change things. A lot."
"But Mina…"
"If it'll make you feel better, I can ask Fuuka-chan or Aigis to stay with me, if you don't like the idea of me handling the twins alone." She walked up to her husband, pressing her hand against his cheek. "Please, Aki… There's a lot at stake here…"
"I…" Aki heaved out a sigh, his hand curling around her wrist. "…I left you once before."
"It was not just you," Minako gently reminded. "I was grieving too. We both had lost part of ourselves after Minato died and the Dark Hour was eliminated. We needed time to figure ourselves out." She slid her hand out of Aki's grasp, before she pushed herself up on her toes, kissing his cheek. "You're like a boomerang," she joked lightly. "I know that you'll come back to me."
Aki just chuckled before bending down to kiss her brow. "You're so stubborn," he sighed out, affection filling his voice.
"Ha!" Minako poked him in the chest, making him jump. Minako snickered a little at his reaction. He was always so sensitive there. "You're one to talk!"
"Are you sure that you want me to go?" Aki asked. "I trust Chie, she can get the job done."
"I am," Minako said firmly. "Besides, I bet she'll be thrilled to see her master again in person."
Aki just huffed out a laugh, an embarrassed blush dusting his cheeks pink. "If only I could deal with Shido myself…"
"Aki…" she scolded. "We have to do this subtly."
"I know, I know…" Aki then shook his head. "I just feel so… impatient. I wish that we could just deal with Shido."
"You just want to punch him."
"What, and you don't?" Aki fired back. "Especially with what Shido threatened to do with Aigis and Labrys?"
"…Okay, you have a point there," Minako grumbled out. "I wish we could just watch Mitsuru-senpai kick his ass…"
"I'd pay good money for that," Aki chuckled. "But we'll have to just wait and see."
"Wait and see what?"
They both jumped to see that Kaito was up. (Miyuki was much like Minato, in that she really liked sleeping in.)
"Uhh…" Aki gulped. "A m-movie?"
"Oh. What kind of movie?"
"P-Pach-Saw," Aki stuttered out.
"Oh." Kaito frowned. "Never heard of it. Tell me if it's good, Uncle Aki!"
"…I'll do that, Kaito." Aki rubbed the back of his neck. "So… who's hungry?"
"Me!" Kaito cheered, jumping up and down.
"Someone's happy today," Minako remarked.
"We're gonna see everyone tonight!" Kaito said cheerfully. "I can't wait!"
Minako ruffled his hair. "Hehe, if you're that excited, maybe we can video call Yukari-chan tonight, then. Or Shinji and Ken-kun."
"Yay!" Kaito jumped up and down. "Can we really?!"
"Of course we can, kiddo." Aki smiled down at him. "Why don't you run off and play? I'll get started on breakfast."
Minako waited for Kaito to run off before turning to her husband with a grin. "Pach-Saw, Aki?" Minako couldn't help but tease, nudging him in the side. "Really?"
"It was the first movie that came to mind!"
To get to Seaside Park, you could either take the train—as per most locations in Tokyo—or you could take a water bus. They decided that it would be more interesting to take the water bus.
They took the train to Asakusa and caught the water bus. Even though she had lived in Tokyo all her life, it was a completely new look of her hometown. There was a breeze, but a pleasant one.
Despite the name, Seaside Park was more of a waterfront. You weren't allowed to swim in Tokyo Bay, but you were allowed to participate in other activities, such as paddle boarding and windsurfing.
It was a little past one by the time they had stepped off the water bus, so they went to find a spot on the lawn so they could eat the food that Ken had brought with him.
Ken had essentially packed a bento box lunch. Though the sausage he had made was something that Makoto had never eaten before. It had a… sweetness to it. But somehow the flavors blended together so well that it made the sausage delicious.
"What is this?" she asked. "I've never had this before…"
"It's called nem nuong," Ken said. "It's a Vietnamese dish. Shinjiro-san has put them in both spring rolls or just on top of vermicelli noodles."
"It's delicious." Makoto took another bite of it. "All of it." Then she faltered when she noticed that Ken was… staring at her.
"S-Sorry!" he stammered out. "It's just… you look so nice today…"
Makoto smoothed down her skirt before looking back to her boyfriend. "Um, would you prefer if I wore clothes more like this then?"
She had never thought that her sense of fashion was plain, but now that she thought about it… Anne was very fashionable, befitting the daughter of two fashion designers. And Haru always dressed so elegantly and beautifully… Even Futaba's style made her a stand-out.
"No," Ken said. "You blew me away today but… there's nothing wrong with the clothes you usually wear." Then he suddenly blushed. "You're beautiful just the way you are."
Ken thought… she was beautiful?
Makoto quickly ducked her head, before she tucked her hair behind her ear. "W-Well, I probably would have been lost if Haru hadn't stepped in and asked Anne to help me get ready…"
That was when Ken snorted. "I didn't get nearly as much help earlier today…"
"What do you mean?"
"Well…" Pink suddenly tinged Ken's cheeks. "I really did not know what to wear for today… Shinjiro-san walked in on me digging through my closet and he just gave me this look. His what the hell are you doing look." He then mimicked Shinjiro-san's voice at the last part, but it was such a change from Ken's usual voice that Makoto couldn't help but giggle a little bit.
"W-Well… I think you look really nice…" Makoto said. Then she let her eyes travel to the Ferris Wheel in the distance. "I never realized how tall the Ferris Wheel is… It's supposed to be one hundred and fifteen meters high. I wonder how long the ride will be then…"
Ugh! Why was she babbling about ridiculous trivia like that?!
At least Ken didn't seem to mind. "Do you want to wait until it's closer to nighttime before riding it?" Ken asked. "It's supposed to look really nice with it all lit up."
"What do you have in mind, then?" Makoto asked. "That would be a few hours away, wouldn't it? I'd love to walk on the beach but… I don't think my shoes are the best for this."
"Well… from what I've heard…" Ken said slowly, "there's a mall nearby. Fuuka-san's birthday is next month, so I would like to start looking for a gift for her…"
Oh… birthdays… It just occurred to her that she didn't know when Ken's birthday was. Didn't that make her a… bad girlfriend?
"…When is yours?"
"Huh?"
"When is your birthday?" Makoto clarified.
"Oh…" Ken blinked at her for a moment, before answering. "June twenty-fourth."
Makoto's mouth dropped. "W-Wait a minute, we had known each other by then. Why didn't you say anything?!"
Ken just raised an eyebrow at her. "I had moved only a couple weeks back then."
"Still! You should have told me!"
"Oh, yeah?" Ken then huffed. "What about you, then?"
"You were still living on Port Island back then," Makoto retorted. "My birthday is April twenty-third."
"Wait a minute… you're older than me?!" Ken sputtered out.
"Just by two months!" Makoto protested. "I-Is this a problem?"
"No, it's just…" Ken then pressed a hand to his face, a chuckle suddenly escaping him. "…I'm being a bit ridiculous about this, aren't I?"
"Well… I suppose I overreacted a little bit too," Makoto admitted. "We did talk back then… but we really didn't know each very well back then."
It had been a little under five months since they had met. Back then she had felt so isolated, adrift in her uncertainty. But now… she had good friends and a… boyfriend now. Due to what Sae had told her, she never really… looked for a potential romantic partner. Despite all of the uncertainty with dealing with Sae's Palace and Akechi… she felt so, so happy.
She then took Ken's hand. "…I'll just have to make your next birthday a good one, then."
Ken then squeezed her hand, smiling the smile that never failed in making her heart race. "…I have to do the same, then."
After they finished eating, they packed up and headed off to find the mall. As they walked, they saw the replica of the Statue of Liberty, as well as a life-sized Gundam robot.
Though calling it just a mall was majorly underestimating it. Palette Town, as the name implied, was like a town of the likes of Chinatown.
"Oh wow…" Makoto breathed, looking from one place to the next. "Do… you even know where to start?"
"From what I remember from the site…" Ken said, "the main points are Venus Fort, the Mega Web Toyota Showcase, and the Universal Design Showcase. Though the last would probably be more Yusuke's scene."
"The Toyota Showcase… that shows off all the state-of-the-art cars Toyota has been working on, right?" Makoto asked.
"Something like that." Ken nodded. "Want to check it out later? It's not quite a motorcycle showcase but…"
"Oh, stop!" Makoto huffed. "I don't even have a motorcycle license."
"Really?" Ken raised an eyebrow. "Maybe you should look into that, at least."
Makoto just shot him an exasperated look. "I don't even have a bike."
"You could always do it for the experience," Ken pointed out.
"Hmm… maybe." Makoto then raised an eyebrow. "Would you ride with me?"
"Well…" Ken found himself blushing, and his face only grew hotter at the triumphant look on Makoto's face. "I wouldn't say no if you asked…"
It took them a few minutes to find Venus Fort. They couldn't help but gawk a little once they had stepped inside. The interior was… Italian? It seemed like they had stepped into the Renaissance era, with all the décor. It was topped off with the ceiling, painted to resemble a sky.
"It's so beautiful…" Makoto sighed. "It kinda brings home that I haven't gotten to explore much, even though I've lived here my whole life…"
"We could always see these things together." Ken couldn't help but wince. Damn, that was cheesy. He could practically see Shinjiro-san's judgmental look.
But Makoto squeezed his hand. "I'd like that."
Venus Fort had three floors, so they had a lot to see. God, he didn't even know where to start…
"What do you usually get Fuuka-san for her birthday?" Makoto asked.
"Well… a mix of things," Ken admitted. "Fuuka-san loves technology, but she also loves cooking… I've bought her cookbooks before. I've also gotten her games that she's been eyeing, but she's been budgeting for necessities."
"She and Futaba must get along pretty well…" Makoto mused.
"Well, I've only seen them interact one time," Ken said. "But Futaba seems to open up to her more easily compared to most people."
Makoto's expression softened at that. "I'm glad… though Fuuka-san is a kind woman. I would be surprised to hear otherwise. Especially since they have a lot in common." Makoto then let out a hum. "Maybe you can get her a set of headphones? People use those for online gaming, right?"
Ken just snorted. "Sure, but she'll just take it apart and improve it. She fixed Minato-san and Minako-san's headphones and they both swore that she made them twice as better." Then he shook his head. "…But anyways, we don't have to just look for potential gifts for Fuuka-san. If you want to look in a shop, we should go in."
"Oh… in that case…" Makoto pointed with her free hand. "Can we look in this shop, then?"
A hobby store, huh… Makoto ended up wandering away from him at one point, but Ken didn't mind. They didn't have to be joined at the hip, after all. Since this hobby store carried some games, he checked to see if there was anything that Fuuka-san would like. It seemed like there was nothing, though…
He went to see if Makoto was ready to leave, he caught sight of her looking at a motorcycle model. She looked almost… enraptured with it. Ken had to stifle a smile. Maybe when she got to meet Mitsuru-san in person, they would have a lot to talk about it. But hmm… she seemed to really like it…
When Ken approached her, Makoto turned to face him. "Oh, Ken. Did you see anything you want to get?"
"Depends."
Makoto blinked owlishly at him. "…What do you mean?"
Ken gestured to the model. "Do you like it?"
"I… well… it's very nice…" Makoto mumbled out. "But it's most likely far too expensive…"
"Excuse me." Ken waved over an employee. "How much is that model?"
That was when it seemed to click for Makoto. "W-Wait, you aren't going to…?!"
"That'll be ten thousand yen," the employee answered. "Are you still interested in it?"
"I am," Ken answered with a nod.
"But Ken…!" Makoto began to protest. "That's too much money…!"
"I can afford it," Ken replied.
The employee just chuckled, looking very amused. "Very well. I can ring it up for you, then."
Just a couple minutes later, they were walking out of the store with the bag dangling from Makoto's wrist. "I can't believe you just spent ten thousand yen on me…" Makoto mumbled out. "You didn't even bat an eye…"
"I can afford it, Makoto," Ken reassured her. "And you do like it, don't you?"
And she deserved to be spoiled a little… Especially with what she was going through.
"I…" Makoto sighed before giving a little nod. "If you're sure…" Then she sighed, glancing at him. "…You're really setting the bar high, aren't you?"
"Since when is this a competition?" Ken raised an eyebrow at her.
Makoto huffed, but then her expression became thoughtful. "Though… it does need to be assembled… Do you want to help me put it together some time?"
"Sounds good to me." Ken smiled at her. "So… where to, next?"
They spent a couple hours at the mall, browsing through the various shops. They hadn't found anything for Fuuka-san, but at least he had a good month and a half… He'd find something.
After that, they stopped by the Boyota Showcase. It was practically like a car amusement park. Too bad that you needed a license to give one of the cars a try. Judging from the way Makoto looked at the cars, Ken had to guess that she wanted to try driving them.
By the time they stepped out, it was already dark. Though that was a given, since Daylight Savings started earlier today. But Makoto had eyes for only the Ferris Wheel.
"It's so pretty…" she breathed out.
…Though it couldn't compare to Makoto.
…Dear god, and he used to make fun of how Junpei-san, Akihiko-san, and Shinjiro-san all had their sappy moments with Chidori-san, Minako-san, and Fuuka-san. Though he didn't mind it completely…
"Do you want to ride it?" Ken asked.
"Can we?" Makoto asked. When Ken nodded, she grasped his hand and tugged him towards the line.
The line surprisingly was short, so it wasn't long until they were allowed to board a gondola.
Makoto almost looked like a little child, with how she gazed out of the window. It was… endearing, but it made him curious.
"…Have you never been inside a Ferris Wheel?" Ken asked.
"H-Huh?" Makoto snapped out of it, turning to him. She then flushed scarlet. "I-I'm sorry! B-But… um, yes… Like I mentioned before… my family didn't really have the time to go to amusement parks…"
"Hey, there's nothing wrong with that." Ken took her hand.
"I still shouldn't be ignoring you…" Makoto smiled sheepishly before she scooted closer to him. "S-Should we do something… like a couple would?"
…Oh.
"Is that what you want?" Ken asked.
"Would I bring it up if that wasn't the case?"
Well. That was all the invitation he needed. He pulled her closer, slipping his arms around her waist before pressing his lips to hers. Makoto slid her arms around his neck, before beginning to play with his hair. He wasn't fond of others mussing up his hair but when Makoto touched his hair, it felt… nice.
But when they broke apart, a soft chuckle escaped Makoto.
"What is it?" he couldn't help but ask.
"Well… I was just thinking. Kissing in a Ferris Wheel… That's a pretty typical couple activity. I just… thought I'd never partake in this. At least not for a long time… Sis always told me that I needed to focus on my studies. Finding a boyfriend could come later…" Then a smile crept onto her face, even as her cheeks turned rosy pink. "…I'm glad that I was wrong about that."
Ken could feel his face warm up. "I'm glad that I came to Tokyo," he said. "So, I could meet you…"
Makoto's cheeks darkened to red. "How can you say that with a straight face? It's just so… cliché."
"You're the one whose face is as red as a tomato," Ken countered.
"You're not far behind!" Makoto protested.
They couldn't help but laugh. And to think that he had a near meltdown this morning… (Shinjiro-san had been utterly unamused by his reaction.)
But then Makoto scooted closer to Ken, resting her head against his shoulder with a content sigh. "I really needed this…" she murmured.
"Your sister…" Ken said quietly.
"…Yeah." Makoto smiled halfheartedly. "I just… don't know what to feel. Seeing how Sis viewed Dad… I just feel so shaken about this whole thing. I want to believe that Sis isn't too gone. I want her to change her heart… I don't know if I can appeal to her sense of justice still. But I still want to try… I have everyone supporting me. And… I know I have you…"
Ken leaned in, kissing her forehead. "…You'll always have me, I promise."
Makoto just smiled up at him. "I know."
A lot happened in this chapter! I skimmed over the slots section during the Palace exploration, because I felt finding the member's card and getting to the control room was good enough to cover this part of the Palace exploration. I also hinted that Makoto and Sae's father would have a cognitive self in this, with the previous visit to the Palace and during the section where Ken, Makoto, and Haru were scoping out the police station in the Metaverse. Don't expect that to be the last of him!
And Akechi… I don't think in canon there are really any hints that he cared for Sae. I wanted to hint towards that more. I also wanted to touch up on more of his reaction to Ren being a Wild Card, given Akechi's obsession to be seen as special.
I did some research on Seaside Park just to check I had the right details. The places that Ken mentions do exist in Odaiba irl, where Seaside Park is located. Maybe I put a little too much research in their date but it was pretty cool to read up on it!
And I want to thank my good friend, angelrin89, for betaing this chapter!