Defender31415: Thanks. I may not be completely decided on who Namine ends up with yet but I always kinda figured Ryuji was more of a best friend anyway. You made a good point about Morgana though, I never considered that angle. Though given how his unique origins, he probably couldn't have had a Palace even if he was marked by the sin of envy. Wonder how the developers would have handled something like that though, it would've been interesting.

Vangran: Glad you like it. Well, I won't give a spoiler but let's just say I'm taking things into my own hands for this arc as I have plenty in store. This is the arc where I get to use some of the ideas I've had when I first started working on this story after all.

Vent-Zxa: Like I said, Namine knows better than to fall for that stuff and someone needs to keep the team's priorities right. Out of curiosity, has anyone told you that you're pretty observant? I've been wondering ever since I read your recent reviews. Since you're the first to ask, I'll just say it, the burglary from two years ago IS actually connected to Shido's plans, specifically the ones his main followers hatched. That's going to be expanded on when I get to the part where they deal with him and his Palace.

I really liked what you mentioned about Namine here because you put some of what I was going for with her nicely. There are other reasons I gave her the Overdrive and the soothing light, something more to do with the story. But in general that's exactly what I wanted, for her to touch the hearts of others. You're right in that Mona's next but let's just say the way it will happen is likely going to be a surprise. With Haru, it's sort of already started, since they've been friends for this long. It's also a work in progress with other characters and...as for the Phantom Thieves, whose to say they haven't touched her heart in their own way?

The following day, Namine, Ann, Ryuji and Mishima met up in the hallway. Ann raised an eye upon seeing Ryuji's expression as he yawned ''What's with you? It's like all the energy you had before vanished.''

''Ah, just give me a sec...I can't help it, my idiot of a roommate just had to keep talking to his girlfriend on the phone for so long...'' He muffled another yawn. ''...she's on another trip but they won't get to meet up-it was all kinds of mushy crap.''

Ann began to smirk ''Jealous?''

''Hell no!'' He felt Seiten Taisei at the moment, as if mentally nudging him and acknowledging that a small part of him may in fact be so...

Mishima looked around ''Are Nijima-senpai and Okumura-senpai out already?''

''Probably.'' Namine thoughtthey'd be busy with their work as chaperones. At least the third years could do it in turns so everyone could enjoy the trip, that was good.

The girl saw Mishima pause, his expression turning into one of surprise. ''Is that...?'' He raised an eye, looking at Ryuji. ''...uh, Sakamoto? I think that might be your friend.''

The former athlete looked curious at this, following his line of sight until his eyes landed on none other than...

''Yusuke?!''

The artist looked over at them and raised an eye as they looked at him in surprise ''Well, this is unexpected.''

''No kidding, what're you doin' here?'' Ryuji blinked twice.

''I thought your trip was supposed to be to Los Angelos.'' Namine recalled.

''It was, but the plane ran into severe turbulance and there was a storm on the path so we had to come here instead.''

Mishima blinked ''Wait, you all know each other?''

Ann looked at him ''Well, we've been friends for a while-I'm surprised you know Ryuji and Yusuke are friends.''

''I saw them looking for part-time jobs.'' The boy admitted. ''Sakamoto said Kitagawa-san's kind of bad at doing any but I didn't see why. He actually did reasonably well when he helped Sakamoto with doing deliveries but it didn't work out after all.''

''...Seeing as it's Yusuke, he probably just found it dull.'' Little did Ann know, that was right on the money.

The girl found herself thinking, the festival was quickly stopped because of a storm. And now this...could it be that Yusuke...?

She quickly shook herself, that was ridiculous. Why would Yusuke have anything to do with those occurrences?

''So what do you wanna since you're here?'' Ryuji wanted to know.

Yusuke thought for a moment ''Visiting the beach does seem interesting, I wouldn't be opposed to going with you all.''

''Great. Since those two are already at the beach how about we get a move on too?'' Namine suggested.

On the way, the group of five happened to come across a gift shop not too far from their destination so the girls decided to stop there first.

Namine had found some nice things already. Yesterday, she picked up some coffee beans from one of the stores they visited for Sojiro and a nice mug she thought he might like.

The girl picked up a couple of pretty seashell bracelets and decided to see if Futaba would try one, getting the other one for Shiho. She had also come across a phone cover for Futaba, and a ukelele charm she wanted to get for the attic. The girl stopped when she saw a sky blue scarf with a white sparkling line running through it. Namine smiled and picked it up, hoping that Morgana would like it.

She stopped to think of things that would be good for others, Yoshida, Hifumi and Akechi coming to mind at the moment. Just as she meant to ask Ann for her opinion, she happened to spot Hifumi not too far away as she checked out the merchandise.

''Togo-chan!''

The girl started and turned, giving a small smile ''Oh hello, Hyakuya-chan.''

Their earlier encounter with Yusuke reminded the burgundy haired girl of something ''I completely forgot you were a Kosei student. One of our friends said you had to change course.''

''Yes, it was unfortunate but I decided to try making the best of the situation. I thought I'd see if I could find a few presents.'' Hifumi admitted.

''What do you know, so did I...''

Ann happened to find them then. She gave a curious look at the sight of her companion. ''Friend of yours?''

Namine nodded and introduced both girls to each other. Ann smiled ''Well, I'd say this is a good chance as any. Hey, we were heading to the beach, the others are probably already there. You want to hang out with us?''

Hifumi was surprised ''Is that really all right?''

''Sure! You're Namine's friend, that's all the reason we need right there.''

The burgundy haired girl beamed at the blonde before looking at Hifumi ''It'd be nice if you'd come, Togo-chan. We'll have fun.''

Hifumi began to smile ''...I'd like that. Thank you both.''

And indeed, the girl was made welcome by their other friends as well. Haru, who she was a little familiar with, had been pleasantly surprised to see her and helped introduce her to the others.

''Heeh, so you play shogi? What's it like?'' Makoto wanted to know.

''Well, it takes focus and strategy. As well as caution and finesse-at least that's how I feel about it.'' Hifumi admitted.

''You know, I bet you'd be real good at it, Makoto.'' Namine remarked.

''You think so? I did try it years ago but I hardly remember now...would you mind if I ask you to play a match sometime, Togo-san?''

''I'd be glad to play.'' A part of Hifumi was intrigued to learn what it'd be like to face her after Namine's words.

Two older girls walked nearby, pausing when they saw the girls. ''Hey.'' One of them spoke up. ''Just want to give you a headsup, there's a few perverts roaming about here. They'd come for any of you, keep a sharp eye out. We don't know what their deal is.''

Makoto's brow furrowed ''We'll be careful-is there any chance you can give us a description?''

The girl did and it took a lot for the brunette to keep calm as she thanked the girls and promised they would be careful.

Namine sighed ''Weren't the two other times enough?''

''With those idiots? Not likely.'' Ann grumbled.

Haru took a moment to think ''Nami-chan, those descriptions sounded like...''

''Yeah, it's Ryuji and Mishima-kun. And it looks like they dragged Yusuke into this too.''

Hifumi was curious ''Are they friends of yours?''

''Sadly yes...'' Makoto pinched the bridge of her nose, noticing Yusuke in the distance before he faded out of view.

''I can just imagine what Mona or Futaba would say to this...'' Namine's phone buzzed and she took it out, seeing a new message.

Her eyes widened at the contents; The boys' quest is one of peril and hardship but also one destined to fail. ''...yeah, that fits the bill.''

''Wait, what?'' Makoto came for a closer look. She had to agree, the sender may be unknown but the comment did sound like something she would say. Still... ''This timing...''

Namine exhaled when the familiar green and white logo appeared a second later, cementing their suspicions.

Futaba: Hehe, surprised?

Namine and Makoto shared dry looks while the rest came over before the former started typing.

Namine: Seeing as it's you we're dealing with, not really. What is this supposed to be?

Futaba: Oh, just a little something I wanted to try. We get to keep in touch and see the stuff you guys are looking at too. Hi, girls!

Ann sweatdropped, wondering how the girl treated something like that so casually. ''...You know, I'm really glad we're on her good side.''

She did not, under any circumstances, want to imagine someone with Futaba's capabilities as an enemy.

Haru looked bewildered ''How did she even...?''

''When it comes to Futaba and computers, she's got us all beat by a country mile so this is probably nothing for her.'' Namine informed.

Futaba: Bingo!

The two sweatdropped, Hifumi looked between the girls ''Your group certainly seems...colorful.''

Makoto laughed weakly ''You have no idea, Togo-san.''

They wound up helping with Haru and Makoto's chaperone duty, even visiting a couple of famous spots with a group students. When the two third years wind up having to go back to the hotel for a meeting, Namine, Ann and Hifumi headed to the Diamond Head State Monument. They wasted no time in taking pictures of the beautiful view before keeping on their way.

''Oh, I thought you looked familiar!'' Ann exclaimed when the subject of one of Hifumi's shoots happened to come up, reminding her of the magazine where she had seen their new companion's picture. ''I honestly took you for a model before.''

''M-me? Oh, I couldn't possibly...'' Hifumi trailed off.

''Well, don't be like that! You can totally pull it.''

''Yeah, I remember what you said about the last shoot but doesn't the fact that you've gotten good results prove it?'' Namine added. ''It's good that you're doing it all to help your family, even with how you feel about it all. I think it's a reason to be happy with the outcome too, your efforts sure seem to be paying off.''

''Ah, thank you...I'll keep that in mind.''

Unfortunately for them, the boys' plans were turning out to be a complete flop. Not one girl would even give them the time of day. Even when they tried to think of different ways to approach them, it was always the same thing.

Ryuji groaned ''What the hell?! Why does this keep happening?''

Mishima sighed ''Let's just stop. Keeping this up just seems to make people all the more upset.''

''Yes, perhaps the odds here are simply just not meant to be.'' Yusuke remarked.

''What're you talkin' about?'' Ryuji wasn't about to be deterred. ''We can't go giving up yet, we gotta make the most of this trip. We're just on our way to make better and better memories, so let's keep rolling!''

A short while later they ran into the girls, who had gone for a swim. The three are surprised to see Hifumi but they welcome her and introduce themselves. Yusuke and Hifumi had actually come across each other in passing at school, partly because their classrooms were close. While Yusuke figures out who she was based on the talk he heard, Hifumi also recognized him. She recalled how unpleasant people were around the time of Madarame's arrest and decided not to bring any of that up, merely remaining cordial, a gesture he returned in kind.

Ann teased them about the failure of their scheme, leading to her getting into an argument with Ryuji. Mishima blinked, he knew they had a few spats every now and then but that was fast.

''By the way, would you mind if I painted you?'' Yusuke asked the other girls. ''I believe it would make for a painting of sublime beauty.''

''Oh...ah, well...'' Hifumi wasn't sure how to respond.

Makoto decided to help ''That's nice of you to say. I guess it just depends on what you have in mind.''

''Well for now, you should relax and have fun too. This should be a change of pace for everyone.'' Namine added.

''In that case, I saw two dancing instructors on our way here. Anyone want to give that a try?'' Mishima wanted to know.

Later, they went on to have dinner before returning to the hotel. Hifumi made sure to thank the group for what really did turn out to be an enjoyable time and was happy to be told in return that they were glad to have her along.

Mishima grinned ''So I was just thinking about how the word about the Phantom Thieves spread so much. They're a sensation, everyone's waiting to see what they do next.''

Ryuji and Ann appeared just as pleased as the second spoke ''It's a nice surprise, I can understand them being famous back in Japan but even here? And to think the news spread so much too...''

Mishima nodded in agreement ''I was just looking through the Phan-Site and it looks like a bunch of suggestions popped up. A bunch of people want Akechi Goro to have a change of heart but I think it's mostly because he's against the thieves. The other name that seemed to appear a lot before was Okumura Kunikazu. Now that one I really understand, what with the company's awful reputation. No wonder...''

''Idiot!'' Ryuji cut in. For crying out loud, the man's daughter was right there with them!

The boy cringed, realizing his mistake as Makoto glared at him ''A little tact could go a long way, Mishima-kun.''

''R-right, sorry...''

But Haru shook her head ''It's all right...I've known about the rumors and talk surrounding Father for a while but there doesn't seem to be much I can do about it. I know he isn't a bad person.''

''Well, it's hardly right or even fair to target anyone based on such hearsay.'' Yusuke stated.

''Yeah, I'm not sure some people understand how important a change of heart can be. I don't think they'd go for such a thing.'' Namine found herself thinking back on the conversation from last night. It was like these people believed the Phantom Thieves were putting on some kind of show and that really rubbed her wrong. She didn't know much about Haru's father but surely he didn't deserve to be targeted just for such a reason. Akechi had made it clear that he didn't like what Sae was doing with Sojiro and Futaba and even offered the latter some supportive words, they might have different beliefs and ways of doing things but that was that. It didn't make him a bad guy.

''The Phantom Thieves don't target just anyone in the first place, you know that, Mishima-kun.'' Ann reminded.

''R-right,'' He returned awkwardly. ''I was just thinking this proves how effective they've been, you know?''

''You all seem to believe in the Phantom Thieves.'' Hifumi remarked.

Yusuke looked at her curiously ''Do you, Togo-san?''

''Yes. They're mysterious but I think it's actually sensible to hide their identities, given their actions. Especially in a society like ours...'' Hifumi believed that to be a protective measure. ''...they have done a lot of good so far, I think they're admirable. And I agree with you all, I wonder how it works but there certainly seems to be some strategy regarding how they choose targets. If they do aim to change things in society, they can't go picking just anyone.''

Mishima was impressed with the reasoning. Makoto found that she could relate with Haru, though it was for a reason she didn't like to think about.

After all, Sae...

She mentally shook herself, deciding to put the matter out of mind. The brunette knew it was something she should have brought up with her friends but at the same time, she just couldn't bring herself to do it.

''For what it's worth, I think the truth will come out. The Phantom Thieves will ensure that justice is served.''

''Yup, they can totally pull it off.'' Ryuji added.

''Look how they've helped out with the situation about Kamoshida. It'll be okay.'' Namine offered.

Since Haru remembered how bad the times in school were at the time, she could definitely acknowledge just how much of a difference the Phantom Thieves made. The idea of her father being treated on the same level as someone like the P.E teacher was troubling to say the least. Their words and support made her feel a little better. ''...Right, thank you.''

After returning to the hotel, the girls decided to hang out a bit in Namine and Ann's room before turning in for the night.

Makoto looked on in surprise as Ann let her hair out of the usual pig tails ''Well, I never knew how long your hair actually was, Ann. Appearances really can be deceiving.''

The girl laughed a bit ''Yeah, I get that a lot.''

While the blonde was brushing her hair, she looked at Haru ''So I was wondering, what's your dad actually like?''

''Oh, he was so kind. He used to get up early and make me breakfast, sometimes with a few ideas he came up with.'' Haru went on after asking to help Ann with her hair and the girl agreed. ''He was always rather involved with many aspects of the company's work and he did his best to make everything would be all right. And even if he was busy, he still tried to make time for me.''

He did sound nice when she put it like that, Namine thought to herself...but was it her or was Haru just using the past tense? She wouldn't have thought much of it but when they hung out, Haru didn't like to talk about her home situation even if she hid that and it had Namine wondering. And now that she looked back...many of the things she mentioned about President Okumura tended to be like that.

Hifumi had actually noticed the heiress' wording as well. Was she overthinking this? She might not have known Haru for long but the girl was sweet and she hoped everything was all right.

''You seem used to this, Haru. I wouldn't have thought...'' Ann glanced at the girl's short hair.

''Oh, I suppose I remember...I've had plenty of experience. It was fun but... Father had me cut my hair a year ago, he didn't think it was suitable for me.''

''Are you kidding me?'' Ann could tell that Haru actually liked having long hair. It was just wrong of her father to make her do such a thing, especially for such a reason.

''I don't really mind, Ann. Father knows best, he wouldn't have said it if he didn't mean well.''

''But still, that doesn't mean he should just force his opinion and ignore your feelings like that.'' The model frowned.

Despite Haru trying to reassure them again, the girls weren't convinced that everything was as fine as she said. Something about the way she said it made it seem a little forced and it made the present Phantom Thieves decide to look into the matter further and find out just what kind of person Kunikazu signs they had gotten so far weren't good but it wasn't right to build an impression simply on that.

Namine wasn't sure why but something simply felt wrong about all this. It made her all the more resolved to help Haru somehow, regardless of whether or not they targeted her father.

Besides, given her own experience with family, she wanted to make sure her friends wouldn't go through something like that. Haru was clearly keeping at least a few things to herself but even then, it wouldn't deter her. Trouble or not, Haru clearly cared about him a great deal and that was reason enough in her book.

Well, let's stop here.

I hope it was good. Given that Hifumi actually went on the same trip, I figured there was no reason they couldn't meet up and get to know each other. As for Haru, I should make it clear that Namine knows the girl better than most of those present thanks how they've hung out before and given all she came to learn, the signs aren't looking good. Hence why she's worried about it all getting worse. Keep in mind that she's hurting from what her parents and old friends. I mean come on, way I see it, you don't get over something like that so easily. Though she's still trying not to project her situation onto others as she knows it isn't right.

I'm still working through plans for this arc, including confidants and the like. I did intend on using the characters from P5R but I'm not sure how well I can work with everything. I sort of have ideas with both Maruki and Jose but it's still up in the air, I was kind of excited but I want to be careful it doesn't mess up things in the plot too.

Anywho, thanks for reading and I hope you keep it up, till next time!

Confidants:

Sakamoto Ryuji (Chariot Rank Max)

Morgana (Magician Rank 5)

Takamki Ann (Lovers Rank Max)

Takemi Tae (Death Rank 8)

Okumura Haru (Empress Rank 4)

Igor (Aeon Rank 4)

Sakura Sojiro (Hierophant Rank 5)

Mishima Yuuki (Moon Rank 6)

Suzui Shiho (Temperance Rank Max)

Yoshida Toranosuke (Sun Rank 6)

Caroline and Justine (Strength Rank 5)

The Phantom Thieves (Fool Rank 3)

Kitagawa Yusuke (Emperor Rank 6)

Akechi Goro (Justice Rank 3)

Ohya Ichiko (Devil Rank 3)

Nijima Makoto (Priestess Rank 3)

Mifune Chihaya (Wheel of Fortune Rank 4)

Sakura Futaba (Hermit Rank 2)

Togo Hifumi (Star Rank 2)