AN: I'm going to say right now that it'll be a few chapters before I reach Kamoshida's confession, most of which will be Confidants. I am still mixing in my own ideas, though, so it's not like it's a complete rehash of canon. Hopefully, you all enjoy what I add.

FF – Thanks KHD6.

AO3 – Thank you psychTerminal and SaulAxel.

April 21 – Thursday

Urano Motosu's PoV

At lunchtime, the Phantom Thieves of Heart – plus Ann, who hadn't officially joined – held a meeting. Futaba participated in the meeting via my phone.

"Kamoshida has taken the day off," began Makoto, making a troubled frown. "As student council president, I've been told to spread the word that study hall will be held instead of PE today."

"He ain't here?" said Ryuji incredulously.

"Also," continued Makoto. "Ms. Kawakami informed me that the school received word that Kamoshida has placed himself under suspension."

"Wait, a suspension!?"

"Ryuji, stop interrupting!" I snapped. The others stared at me, making me blush. "Sorry about that, I'm a bit nervous. Please go on, Makoto."

"…Ms. Kawakami believed that the talks of our suspensions may be put on hold, but she couldn't say with certainty."

The good news was that it didn't sound like a mental shutdown. The bad news was that we couldn't actually be certain of the good news since we didn't know the specifics of the mental shutdown process. The worse new was that all we could do now was wait who knows how long for more developments.

The rest of the meeting was spent getting Ann up to speed on the Metaverse and our nebulous plans to get revenge on whoever was behind the psychotic breakdown incidents and the deaths of Shuu and Wakaba.

We also decided on Ann's codename. Or rather, I weakly suggested Catgirl (names weren't my strong suit) and was shot down, then Ann came up with Panther. Morgana innocently tried to praise Ann's choice by calling her a cougar, which made Futaba and I snicker.

Nothing important happened, but it was a good way to distract ourselves from the stress of waiting to see whether we'd accidentally caused a mental shutdown and effectively killed a man.

Speaking of which, before lunch ended, I stopped by the school library to get myself another of the world's greatest distraction. Having already read The Book Thief, Zorro the Outlaw, Pirate Legends, and The Illusory Popess, I checked out a copy of The Alluring Dancer.

…It was slight unsettling that the library had a book for all of our Personas. I couldn't help but glance at the school's copy of The Great Thief and wonder we'd encounter someone with a Persona of Arsène Lupin, one of the original phantom thieves.

Ryuji Sakamoto's PoV

Having to wait and see if they'd changed Kamoshida's heart and escaped expulsion was aggravating, so Ryuji decided to invite the others to his go-to ramen place to vent and eat until they felt better.

Unfortunately, Urano was the only one who was free. Ann was visiting Shiho in the hospital (Shiho's parents had apparently worked hard to get permission to bend a 'family only' rule for comatose patients), Makoto was doing a student council thing, and Futaba had a shift at her father's café.

(Morgana was technically also there, inside Urano's bookbag, but he'd grumbled about not being able to eat the ramen then fallen asleep.)

After a bit of slurping down ramen and complaining about Kamoshida's shittiness, the conversation ended up shifting to the track team.

"I've seen Nakaoka around a few times," said Ryuji, frowning. "But for some reason, it doesn't look like he's getting along with the others."

"You're worried about him," observed the bookworm.

"Yeah… Kinda. I've been thinking about what he said… How the whole track team was putting up with Kamoshida's shit… And how I effed it all up for them."

"But you didn't," retorted Urano, annoyed at his self-deprecation. "Kamoshida had it out for your team from the start. Even if you hadn't done anything, odds are that he eventually would've just framed you guys for something."

"Maybe," he replied noncommittally. "But I still played a part, and now Nakaoka and the others have to store all their stuff behind the school since they don't have a club room anymore. And they can't use any school equipment either, so they just run laps around the block for practice. There ain't really a place at Shujin for outcasts like that."

Urano's scowl softened. Ryuji could tell that, while she was annoyed with the track team, she understood that they were also victims.

"It's good they're keeping their heads low now, though," he continued. "I don't want them ending up like me."

"Should I take offense that?" asked Urano, glaring at him. "Or maybe I should be telling the others you said that."

"W-wait! Don't tell them! Er– I mean… umm… I didn't mean… uh… not like that!" stuttered out Ryuji, terrified by the thought of the four girls' combined wrath.

"Pff! Hehehe!" went Urano, her scowl breaking into a grin. She burst into laughter, making Ryuji realize that she'd just been messing with him.

…He didn't know whether to be annoyed or relieved.

"But seriously," started the bookworm once she'd finally calmed down. "From what I've seen, you're doing pretty great now."

Ryuji thought back on everything that had happened in the past week or so. Learning about the Metaverse. Awakening Captain Kidd. Kicking Shadow Kamoshida's ass as they took his Treasure. And making several new friends who all had his back.

"You know what? You're right," agreed Ryuji. "I guess now that I'm thinking about it, trying to fit in is a real pain in the ass. I mean, I'd never've met you guys if I wasn't an outcast, right? So, uh… it's all good."

"No complaints here," replied Urano. "Well, other than about the exercise."

The two of them chuckled.

"For real though, it's been a shitton of fun!" declared Ryuji. "Hanging out with you guys is so freaking cool!"

.

Rank Up!

Confidant: Ryuji Sakamoto. Arcana: Chariot. Rank: 4.

.

"I just hope there's something I can do to help those track guys," continued Ryuji. "Though it'd probably mess them up if I tried to butt in…"

"If you need any help, just ask me," offered Urano.

He gave her an appreciative smile.

"Oh yeah!" exclaimed Ryuji, remembering something. "We still gotta find a new spot for our training. You should be ready for a real workout now."

"Oh, would you look at the time!" replied the bookworm anxiously, getting up from her seat. "I need to get going if I want to get back in time for my shift at Leblanc!"

"Hey! Weren't you the one who said that misery loves company!?"

"Sorry! No time to talk! Futaba's waiting for me to trade places with her!"

"And you better not slack off to avoid this!"

"I won't! Bye!"

Urano's noisy exit caused all of the restaurant's customers and staff to look at Ryuji oddly and whisper.

He sighed at the unwanted attention and muttered to himself. "Later, dude."

Urano Motosu's PoV

"So how is it?" asked Sojiro, smiling as Futaba wolfed down her food. "Good?"

After my shift ended, Sojiro took Futaba and me to a sushi restaurant. He said it was to celebrate all of Futaba's progress, and that he'd apparently wanted to go Monday but held off since he knew I was preoccupied – though he'd assumed it was with schoolwork.

"Delihious!" replied Futaba through a mouth full of fish.

Incidentally, Morgana had insisted very strongly on joining us. He'd only relented when Sojiro said that he was planning on bringing some food home for the not-cat.

"Seconded," I answered, agreeing with Futaba. Although, having eaten a bowl of ramen earlier, I wasn't devouring my sushi with as much gusto as my sister.

Not long after, Futaba rushed off to the restroom, leaving me alone with Sojiro.

"Sheesh, what a busy girl…" commented Sojiro with a sigh. He got a distant look in his eyes. "Back in the day, she, her mother, and I used to go out to eat often… This brings back memories… I had completely forgotten about it too…"

"Futaba's lucky to have you, Sojiro," I said, smiling. In response, Sojiro gave me a complicated look.

"You know that I'm also your…" he started, only to stop himself. "…Never mind."

After that, Sojiro looked a bit sad. I opened my mouth to ask what he'd been about to say, but his phone went off before I could say anything.

Sojiro pulled out his phoned and checked out the caller ID. "Unknown number?" He took the call, speaking in a cautious tone. "Hello? Who is this?"

Sojiro's expression darkened as he received an answer.

"How did you got this number?" he demanded, agitated by whatever he'd heard.

As the caller gave a response, Sojiro glanced at the restroom. Futaba had just exited and was walking back over to us.

Sojiro put his hand over his phone and whispered to me. "I need to take this. Can you ask for the check while I'm gone?"

"O…kay?" I answered hesitantly. I was obviously curious about what had soured his mood so suddenly, which Sojiro picked up on.

"I'll explain later," he promised before stepping away to continue the call.

"That was close… I thought I was gonna die!" declared Futaba dramatically. "Welp, time to resume. By the way, mphere'd Sojiho gwo?"

Futaba's question was a bit hard to hear through the sushi, but it wasn't that hard to figure out what she was asking.

"He stepped out to take a phone call," I explained. I wanted to mention Sojiro's reaction to the caller, but I decided to trust him and reluctantly kept quiet, at least until I got an explanation. Luckily, Futaba was so caught up in eating that she didn't notice the uncomfortable look on my face.

Conveniently, Sojiro returned just as my sister finished her food.

"I'm all full," announced Futaba. "I'm throwing in the towel!"

"Okay then," said Sojiro. He'd put on a smile as he approached us, but I'd caught the scowl he'd been wearing moments earlier. "I'm gonna use the restroom and then pay the bill."

Once he'd left, Futaba began to speak in an emotional voice.

"…When I got into middle school, my mom and Sojiro took me out to eat sushi to celebrate," she spoke, giving a warm smile. "That sushi was so good… Today's was pretty good too. I hope the three of us can come again sometime."

"Me too," I agreed. I still didn't know what Sojiro's phone call was about or how the Kamoshida situation would turn out. Yet, right now, the future felt pretty bright.

"When should we do this again?" asked Futaba, though she grow somber a moment later. "I wish she could've had today's sushi too…"

"I bet Shuu would've also liked it."

"We'll find out what happened to Mom and your friend…"

"…And expose their crimes," I finished. It was a promise.

.

Rank Up!

Confidant: Futaba Sakura. Arcana: Hermit. Rank: 2.

.

"A hundred twenty thousand yen!?" shouted Sojiro, aghast. "You're joking, right!?"

Futaba and I shared a glance.

"…I think it might be a while before we come here again," I said.

"Noooo…" groaned Futaba.

Later that night, while Morgana was eating my leftover sushi and Futaba was in her room to doing some 'hacktivism,' Sojiro filled me in on what the phone call was about.

One of Futaba's uncles was trying to get some money out of Sojiro. However, Sojiro refused since the guy had held custody of Futaba before and treated her terribly.

I'd apparently met the scumbag before, not that I remembered him. Sojiro showed me a picture of him in case he tried coming to Leblanc again, and I promised that I'd keep an eye out for him.

Oddly enough, I felt like the conversation about Futaba's uncle deepened the bond between us. I guess it was because of our mutual desire to protect her.

.

Rank Up!

Confidant: Sojiro Sakura. Arcana: Hierophant. Rank: 3.

April 22 – Friday

Yuuki Mishima's PoV

Kamoshida didn't come in again today. Yuuki had almost thought yesterday was a dream, but it was now sinking in that this was reality. If Kamoshida's absence kept up, his bruises might even fade away instead of just getting replaced by new bruises!

However, Yuuki's inner pessimist tempered his excitement. There was still a chance that Kamoshida could return any day now, and he was certain that the PE teacher would make up for lost time.

Yuuki shuddered at the thought. The regular 'training' was already terrible enough! And that wasn't even getting into how he was going to be expelled in less than two weeks!

…Then again, there was still reason to hope. This wasn't an ordinary absence; Kamoshida hadn't gotten sick or injured. According to Ms. Kawakami, he'd suspendedhimself.

But why? What could make Kamoshida of all people do that? The answer to that question would be the key to determining when (or if) he'd be returning to school.

Fortunately, Yuuki was pretty good at gathering information. He knew how to efficiently comb the internet for facts and data. And people tended to ignore him IRL, so he ended up overhearing tons of useful pieces of intel (such as the tidbit about Kamoshida putting himself on suspension).

"Plus, I might already have a lead," whispered Yuuki to himself.

Urano Motosu. The girl who was weirdly obsessed with books. The girl who'd been seen hanging out with Sakamoto and Niijima, whom Kamoshida had threatened to expel alongside Yuuki, and even Takamaki as of late. The girl who'd proclaimed to him that Kamoshida's days were numbered.

Yuuki didn't know what she'd been planning to do to Kamoshida, but… had she succeeded?

(He didn't have the nerve to ask Motosu directly, though. There was a chance that Yuuki would run into Sakamoto or Niijima or, worst of all, Takamaki. He… he was too ashamed of his involvement in Kamoshida's crimes. He wasn't ready to face them…)

Like how the Moon waxed and waned, Yuuki's mood shifted between excitement and dread at the thought of what his investigation might uncover.

Urano Motosu's PoV

"So you've come, Inmate," greeted Justine cordially.

"You're late!" complained Caroline, naturally the opposite of her sister. "Next time, we expect you in front of us within two seconds of our calling!"

The two had called my cell phone earlier, asking – or rather, telling – me to fulfill the promise that I had made to them earlier in the week. I was free, so I didn't really mind handling their request now. That being said, I did still have one big question.

"How do you even know my phone number?" I inquired.

"We simply asked our master," answered Justine.

That still didn't explain how Igor knew. Wait, did he download it off of my smartphone when he installed the MetaNav!? That's an invasion of privacy!

"Enough of this!" snapped Caroline, having grown impatient. "Complete your promise and escort us to the location immediately!"

"Alright," I replied, pushing away the thoughts of Igor's creepiness for now. Even though I trusted him, I still couldn't shake the feeling that there was something… off… about him.

But that was a concern for later. For now, I had a mission to complete.

"To Big Bang Burger," I said.

"Lead the way," responded Justine.

Our outing went… mostly well?

On one hand, I think I have a better understanding of Caroline and Justine. They might be some sort of supernatural guides to the Metaverse, but they were also young girls with little knowledge of human culture.

On the other hand, the twins forced me to complete the *hurk* Big Bang Challenge. Just thinking about that monstrosity makes me gag. And that was only the first stage!

But I didn't come away empty-handed. The girls gave me Skill Cards for Maragi and Mabufu, which could be helpful in the next Palace.

Plus, it was cute when they bickered about Caroline's fascination with the spaceship toy that came with her meal and Justine's dislike of pickles. They were so caught up in their mini-argument that they didn't even notice me snap a picture of them.

Hmm. Will the others be able to acknowledge this photo, or will the twins' presence cause it to fall under the Velvet Room's perception filter? I hope it's the former, so that I can share how adorable these girls are!

Futaba Sakura's PoV

"Pound cake is something you can make with equal parts of flour, egg, butter, and sugar," explained Urano.

"Are you sure we can do this?" asked Ann nervously. "I've never baked anything before."

"Same," added Futaba. "My only cooking experience is cup ramen."

The three of them were currently in the kitchen area of Leblanc. Sojiro had closed the café a little earlier than usual so that they'd be able to use it uninterrupted.

The whole thing had been Urano's idea. She thought it would be a good opportunity for Futaba to get used to being around Ann. They hadn't really had any chances to raise their bond level during the heist, given that Ann had spent most of the time processing the Metaverse's existence.

"All you need to do is mix them together and bake it," replied Urano with a slight unease that betrayed her own inexperience. "I think it should be okay as long as we don't accidentally burn it."

Following Urano's instructions, the three of them measured out the ingredient, stirred them together in a bowl, and put the resulting mixture into the oven. With nothing else to do, they (mostly Urano and Ann) began to talk.

"…And then they gave me these Skill Cards," finished Urano, showing the other two her quest rewards.

The hacker had honestly felt a bit envious when she first heard about the mystery room. It was a standard 'unique protagonist asset' that gave Urano tons of combat units compared to Futaba's sole support unit, and it even came with a pair of cute twins in custom outfits (Futaba was glad that Urano agreed to forward that photo to her and Ann).

However, the battle with Asmodeus had alleviated most of those feelings. Futaba had been reminded of the value of a dedicated support unit. She was proud to be the Phantom Thieves of Heart's Navigator!

"Maragi and Mabufu, huh," observed Futaba. She tapped into the part of her mind where her Persona resided for some more information. "It doesn't look these Skill Cards will work on Necronomicon, which makes sense since it's a support-type and all."

Also, once the adrenaline had worn off, the fact that she'd charged directly at the Palace Ruler – and so enthusiastically, at that – had sunk in. The front lines were terrifying!

"Between this talk of food and the smell of our cake baking, I'm starting to get hungry," commented Ann. Futaba nodded in agreement, while Urano winced at the thought of eating. "Hey, how much longer do you think–?"

Ring ring!

The bells above Leblanc's front door jingled, announcing the presence of a visitor. Futaba looked, expecting to see Sojiro, only for her blood to freeze at the person who was there instead.

Sojiro Sakura's PoV

"Hey," greeted Sojiro as he entered Leblanc. "Just thought I'd check in… on…"

The words died in his mouth as he noticed the unwanted fourth guest in the café.

"What are you doing here!?" demanded Sojiro, practically snarling. "You just don't know when to give up, do you!?"

"Ah, good, you're here know," said Futaba's uncle, a smug grin on his face. "As I was just telling these girls…" he gestured to Urano and Ann, both of whom were angry "…I just learned something very interesting! Futaba's been shut off from both school and society this whole time, huh? That's not good parenting."

The girl in question was currently hiding behind the other two, something that made Sojiro's blood boil.

"Yeah?" responded Sojiro. "And what have you done to care for her?"

Futaba was finally starting to recover from the loss of Wakaba and come out of her shell, no thanks to her uncle (or Sojiro), and now this bastard was threatening to undo all of that growth just to try and shake Sojiro down!

"You know quite well what I've done…" bullshitted the scumbag. "…and it's about time you pay up."

"Don't be ridiculous," retorted Sojiro. He forced down his anger, not wanting to provide the man with ammunition by giving him a black eye. "Futaba had a terrible life living with you."

Sojiro glanced at the girl in question, who was now being comforted by Urano.

"Plus, I already gave you most of the inheritance for custody! Is that still not enough for you!?"

"We could always find out in court," answered the scumbag in an arrogant tone. "I wonder who'd win between a blood relative and a mere legal guardian…"

"They'd obviously pick Sojiro," interjected Urano.

Her bluntness caught Futaba's uncle off guard. His smirk momentarily shifted into a stunned look, a sight that Sojiro relished. The scumbag recovered quickly, though, and moved onto his next ploy.

"Oh, and this must be your bastard child," said the scumbag, having recovered from his shock. Sojiro's rage doubled as the asshole went after his other daughter. "I've heard all about her. How exactly does Futaba feel, know she's just a replacement? Doesn't quite seem to be the best environment for her, now does it?"

"Shut your mouth," spoke Urano coldly. The glare she gave Futaba's uncle, combined with her intense and uncharacteristic rage, actually made the scumbag take a step away from him.

"Y-you have a problem, girlie?" said Futaba's uncle, trying to sound tough.

"Yes," she answered, taking a step closer to the man. "Your existence offends me."

The scumbag's expression darkened, so Sojiro intervened before the situation could escalate further.

"Hey, let me handle this," he said, stepping between Urano and Futaba's uncle. "Just focus on taking care of Futaba."

Fortunately, his elder daughter listened to him and backed down, returning to her sister's side.

"Hmph, don't make me repeat myself," the scumbag told Sojiro, pretending that he hadn't just been intimidated. "You can't beat me in court, so you may as well just give me the money." Sojiro gave Futaba's uncle a glare of his own, making the scumbag wither again. "W-well, I hope you reach the right decision! Bye now!"

Futaba's uncle bolted out the door, quickly vanishing from sight. Sadly, it took only a glance to confirm that he hadn't vanished from his niece's mind.

"Futaba," began Sojiro. "You should just head home for today. I'll take you." He shifted his gaze to Urano and Ann.

"I'll go too," declared Urano.

"Me three," added Ann.

"I appreciated the offer," began Sojiro. "Although, aren't you forgotten something important? This café might not be large or earn a lot of money, but I'd rather it didn't burn down."

"Ah, the pound cake!" exclaimed Urano.

"I'll handle it, Urano," offered Ann. "You should just focus on Futaba."

"Thanks. I will."

When they got home, Futaba immediately went to sleep. All the drama must've tired her out.

"How'd he even manage to find me here…?" muttered Sojiro afterward. "Maybe paying him was a mistake."

"Saving Futaba was no mistake," stated Urano.

"Heh, thanks," chuckled Sojiro wryly. "I never thought you'd be the one comforting me."

The father was being comforted by one of his daughters instead of the other way around. It was a bit funny in a self-deprecating sort of way, especially considering why Urano had come to Yongen-Jaya in the first place.

"Either way though," continued Sojiro. "It's my fault Futaba didn't leave her room. I just didn't know how to help her through it… I'd make curry, leave it by her door, and go. If not for you, I'd probably still be waiting for her to come out. So if you asked me whether I deserve to be Futaba's guardian, my answer would be no. They say blood's thicker than water, right? I wonder what would be best for Futaba…"

That was the truth. Hopefully, Urano wouldn't think too much less of him now.

"Are you an idiot!?" exclaimed Urano, incredulous. "You're what's best for her! If it weren't for you, I never would've been able to speak with Futaba, much less help her! Heck, she probably would've withered away if it weren't for your care! You totally deserve to be Futaba's guardian!"

Sojiro could only respond to her proclamation with stunned silence.

"Besides," added Urano, her expression softening. "Me getting through to Futaba in the first place was dumb luck more than anything. If it wasn't for that…"

Her eyes grew misty at the thought.

Like father, like daughter, huh? Both of them could be pretty hard on themselves.

Sojiro gave Urano a hug, letting her cry into his arms. He still didn't think he was the best guardian – for Futaba or for Urano – but he'd be damned if he didn't even try his best.

.

Rank Up!

Confidant: Sojiro Sakura. Arcana: Hierophant. Rank: 4.

.

Neither of them broke the hug until well after Urano's tears had run dry.

AN: The line about Urano being offended by the existence of Futaba's uncle was inspired by the scene from the Enies Lobby Arc of One Piece, where a certain man was told that his mere existence was sexual harassment (although obviously this scene was more serious). Also, I might've tried too hard to add "Moon" to the end of Mishima's PoV. Then again, I did have him say "Perish the thought" last time.

Anyway, that's all for now. Bye!

Confidants: Morgana (Magician, Rank 4), Igor (Fool, Rank 3), Sojiro Sakura (Hierophant, Rank 4), Ryuji Sakamoto (Chariot, Rank 4), Tae Takemi (Death, Rank 1), Futaba Sakura (Hermit, Rank 2), Makoto Niijima (High Priestess, Rank 1), Shinya Oda (Tower, Rank 1), Caroline and Justine (Strength, Rank 1), Toranosuke Yoshida (Sun, Rank 1), Ann Takamaki (Lovers, Rank 1).