Vangran: Aw, thanks! I was looking forward to reaching this part. The lobsters just occurred to me by chance but I thought it was worth a laugh. Thanks for reading.
Gotham317: That's an interesting way of looking at it. I wouldn't say he's fallen for her yet, he definitely realizes how much she means to him, now and he's proud to see her progress. They're both artists in their own way and he's glad to see her enjoying her art like he believed she should.
Relief made her slump in her seat. Despite her weariness, the smile on her face didn't waver.
Truly, she'd forgotten what it felt like. Seeing the fruits of her work, her love of music had driven her so far and so many enjoying her work…the cheers that resounded in the hall, it was incredible.
People had just stopped crowding around her, thanks to her friends leading her out to the courtyard.
Ryuji let out a big breath ''Jeez…they're psyched, I get it-but come on!''
''That was a bit much.'' Makoto noticed Futaba typing on her phone, the other girl's expression left her opting not to ask.
''But hey, we know it was a big success!'' Ann's usual cheer was evident as she hugged their leader.
''I still can't believe I did that…''
''You rocked, leader! I think it's unanimous!'' No opposition came to Ryuji's declaration.
''That seems a little too inadequate to describe the performance but I do agree with the sentiment.'' Yusuke concurred. ''But what's most is how do you feel, Namine?''
The girl hadn't actually stopped to consider it but the answer came easily ''Pretty great, actually, like I can do anything.''
''Wonderful, not that I had any doubts, of course.''
''Flatterer.'' She waved off with a laugh ''Anyway, I really get how you feel about that contest now. So…um, what do we do now? With all our focus on this, I never actually thought of what next.''
Haru blinked ''Now that you mention it, I haven't either…''
''How about we take look around? We've only visited some stalls before but there could be something nice to do after all.'' Hifumi proposed.
As they were about to leave the haunted house, Namine jumped and Morgana let out a yelp at sound of screaming. Oddly enough, this was followed by a loud burst of laughter.
What was going on?
''…Oh, brother.'' She blinked at Morgana, who pointed a paw to their left.
There was Futaba, laughing at a perplexed boy with an odd, freaky looking mask at hand. Next to her were Ann and Makoto, clearly incredulous at the girl. Hifumi only watched with growing amusement.
Like Morgana, that was all Namine needed to see to realize what they'd missed.
Turning as someone tapped her shoulder, she was met with a shrieking figure with a creepy looking mask, a light coming from underneath. The figure faltered as they registered her lack of reaction, Namine proceeded to grab the flashlight they were trying to hide. ''I'd find a different mask and better effects, maybe start with the lighting. Good effort though.''
''Uh, thanks?''
Morgana couldn't help sniggering, the girl joining Futaba as she gave a thumbs up. Ryuji only had one comment ''…You've been hanging around Haru way too much.''
''I'll tell her you said that.'' Futaba's sing-song tone gave way to a grin at his expression.
''Please don't!''
Namine shook her head in fond exasperation. Haru's love of horror aside, she didn't see why any of that would be scary after all they'd experienced. ''Come on, might as well let the others take their turn.''
''Can we go look for something else to do too? I bet Inari's going to critique everything and Haru would probably want to check out every part of it for the sheer experience. She never got around to checking that scary house in Destiny land, right? This is probably her first.''
Okay, it was rather hard to argue with Futaba's logic, Namine conceded while Ryuji started chuckling ''…The sad thing is, I can totally picture that happening.''
''Haru-chan would get into this that much, yes. But Yusuke-kun too?'' Hifumi wondered.
''Haven't you ever seen Inari when he gets real passionate about something?'' Futaba wondered.
And that made it click for the girl ''Oh…oh, I see. When you put it like that…''
It turned out to be indeed as they expected, Haru and Yusuke having taken quite a while to catch up to them was of no surprise. The fact that the two were animatedly talking about the experience (apparently Haru had offered ideas to improve the haunted house) and what they would've done if they were in charge.
Ann vowed then and there that if those two ever enacted any of those plans, she would stay far, far away. As it happened, Makoto was thinking the exact same thing.
''Okay, you scheming masterminds…'' Shiho's amusement was clear ''…how about we actually get back to having fun here?''
''Oh, of course! What were you doing?'' Haru titled her head.
''Ryuji says they had this kind of stall in a festival he's been to before.'' Futaba gestured at the place behind them. ''And he wants to see if he can ace the game like he claims he used to.''
''Hey, what's that mean?!''
The indignant response was no surprise, mischief glimmering in the girl's eyes as she turned back to Ryuji ''Well, I seem to remember someone practically gloating about being good at fishing before we completely owned him.''
''As if. You guys just got lucky!'' Ryuji fired back.
Futaba chose not to remind him of Kawakami's haul ''You look horrible in green, by the way.''
''Gree-?'' He caught on ''Why would I be jealous?!''
''All right, already...'' Makoto stepped between the two ''…come on, that's enough of that. No need to make a scene. Why don't you go ahead and get us started, Ryuji?''
Sparing Futaba a stink-eye, the boy headed to the stall. Morgana sighing ''Do you really have to wind him up? He's loud enough on a regular basis already…''
''Not my fault he can't take the truth.''
The feline only rolled his eyes, fully expecting such an answer. Turning as Ryuji tossed the first ring; both were surprised to see sail right to the intended hook perfectly. A second one followed in moments. Confident, Ryuji threw the last one. For a moment, it seemed like it was going to miss but just then it hit the top of the pedestal and slid down with ease.
''Oh, yeah-still got it!''
The boy running the stall gawked ''Wow…I think you're the first person to get a perfect score, nice one.'' He turned to the boxes stacked in the shelves behind him ''Well, for that you get to pick any two of those. We've filled them all with prizes for the winners.''
''Cool,'' Ryuji cocked his head ''Wait…so we just take them as is? We can't check what's inside?''
A sly grin ''Ah, now-where's the fun in that?''
''A bit of mystery to the end, hm?'' Yusuke looked at the boxes with intrigue ''And such a pleasing aesthetic, those are quite well done. If the presents possess such quality then it's a worthy prize.''
Ryuji held back a snort. Classic Yusuke…
''Well, what say you, Ryuji? You were the victor after all-it's only fair that you pick.''
The blond's decision was swift ''You guys can pick, I don't really mind. I just wanted to try the game.''
Ann perked up ''Really? All right!''
She and Futaba proceeded to examine the boxes; finally electing to pick the ones whose colors they liked the most. Futaba was quick to open hers, Ann shaking her head with a fond smile as she followed suit.
''Hey, how about that? I think you'd like this stuff, Ryuji.''
Curious, he came for a closer look. ''Ah, hey!'' He picked up the CD box ''Oh, this game was brilliant-I kept thinking it'd be great if I could find another one, I must have finished everything there was to do but it was still a blast…''
''Seems like this is your lucky day.'' Namine held out an armband much like she'd seen him wear in a couple of Shiho's pictures, the boy's expression lighting up as he agreed.
''There's some Featherman stuff too! You want 'em, Futaba?''
Ryuji blinked at the lack of response. She seemed not to have heard him, focusing on the box in her head. The clear distaste in her gaze left him to ask ''That bad?''
A similarly curious Hifumi came for a closer look, smiling in understanding a moment later. The girls apparently picked out things the other would like. Ann's box held games, the Featherman memorabilia, color and a couple of toys and figurines that were vaguely familiar. Futaba's on the other hand held a beautiful perfume bottle, two lipstick cases and pens. Surprisingly enough, there was even a small memo notebook, what looked liked seeds in a neatly tied up bag.
The seeds immediately caught Haru's interest ''I wonder what those are…''
''Oh, this notebook could be useful and I like those pens.'' Yusuke mused.
''Knock yourselves out.'' Futaba handed the items over to the pair, who gladly thanked her. It wasn't long before the rest of the group began dividing the items similarly between themselves. ''That's a whole bunch of random stuff for presents though.''
''I was wondering about that too…'' Makoto gave the vendor a curious look.
''Oh, it's because of the new mall in Odaiba. You know, where that big lot where they never that building? It's opening soon and they want to use the chance to advertise their merchandise, you know since the school got so much attention this year.''
''That's some plan they've got there…'' Ann smiled as she pocketed the lipstick, handing the perfume to Namine. ''…well, can't complain with these results.''
''I know, right? They're paying me and my friends a whole lot just for setting this up-totally worth it!''
''Good on you, man-thanks for this!'' Ryuji exclaimed, the boy waving happily back as they headed off.
They soon came across another game. This one was a hollowed out wheel which held a number of spheres within, one had to spin it a few times to get a sphere out and then the result would vary depending on the sphere's color.
A girl groaned as her white sphere came out, this one being a dud. As another student took his turn, Morgana looked around ''So how do they decide the prizes here?''
''Over there.'' Makoto pointed at a small chart on the wall next to the stand. It had the spheres listed out and the according results along.
The boy let out a cheer once his yellow sphere landed, the vendor giving him the prize, 800 yen. It was then that he noticed Makoto ''Hey, Miss Pres! Thanks for helping us set up, wanna give it a shot?''
''Sure, why not?''
Makoto spun the wheel; the sphere rolling out moments later was a teal. Checking the list, Makoto found that her prize was a free meal voucher to any restaurant of her choice at the new mall in Odaiba.
''Huh, so this stand's a part of the whole advertising shtick too…'' Futaba mused.
''It's a good idea. Besides, I'd take this sort of thing over that any day.'' Shiho gestured to their far left, where a number of reporters were gathering near the entrance.
''…good point.'' She conceded.
''Yeah, dealing with those vultures when they showed up after Kamoshida's arrest was real fun.'' It was a sign of how things changed that even Ryuji had zero interest in this, for he used to be the most enthusiastic about their thievery and fame.
Yusuke decided to take a turn on the mini-wheel, intrigued by the result ''Ah, teal-such a nice shade as well…''
''Well, that means you get to pick one of our plushies here.'' The indicated shelves held a variety of figurines, toys and plush dolls lined up neatly.
The artist hummed, surveying them with interest before making up his mind ''In that case, I choose the nightingale doll.''
''Oh, good eye!'' The boy lowered a plush of a bird with grey and black feathers, with some blue feathers prominently on its chest.
Yusuke turned to his friends ''Now then, in light of both this day's events and everything that led to it, I believe it's only right that you have this, Namine.''
The girl's surprise was evident, her face lighting up as she thanked him. Futaba quirked a brow, if it was anyone else she might have assumed that the bird was simply chosen for Namine's musical talent. But it was Yusuke…
Come to think of it, she did remember him talking about studying symbolism out of a belief that it would help his growth as an artist.
So what did a nightingale symbolize?
The curious navigator looked it up, a smile crossing her features moments later. Apparently nightingales had a variety of meanings and symbols, the most well known were creativity, the muse, nature's purity, virtue and goodness.
''Nice one, Inari.''
Takuto, being the only one who heard her, craned his neck towards the phone screen ''Ah, how nice of Yusuke-kun..."
Haru, who had also been nearby, watched curiously. Her face lit up once Futaba revealed her findings "That's so sweet!"
''Yeah, who knew that sourpuss had it in him?''
Takuto wasn't even surprised at this point "Honestly, Futaba-chan..."
''Be fair, that's…oh, there are your grandparents, Nami-chan!'' Haru pointed ahead, the couple had in fact seen them too ''Let's not keep them waiting.''
Nodding, the girl headed over, giggling as Itsuki hugged her ''You were astonishing, kiddo! We saw everything!''
''She knows, dear, I think it was quite hard to miss your presence back there.'' Yuri reminded, Futaba sniggering while the woman winked at her.
Namine laughed ''For sure, it was all the more better with my best fans right there, Grandpa.''
Pleased, Itsuki nodded ''So where are your friends? We were just thinking we'd take you all out to celebrate!''
The pair was more than happy to get the team to an excellent restaurant with great meals. Yuri and Itsuki were all set to treat them, only to be turned down by the others, all managing to put in their fair share.
Namine was momentarily distracted when her phone rang, finding a message from Yuuki.
MY: Hey, where'd you guys go? We've been looking for a while.
HN: Oh, sorry, we already left. My grandparents wanted to treat us to a meal, since you know today worked out so well and all.
MY: Ah, gotcha. It's cool; I lost track of you guys so fast that I didn't get to say it but congrats! The day must have been a big one for you.
HN: Yeah, it was like one last test for me really getting back into music like I used to be.
MY: And you aced it with flying colors!
HN: Thanks…
Shiho, who had leaned closer out of curiosity, nudged her ''He's right, you know. Don't be too surprised if you get requests for a performance tomorrow. I heard people talking and the word 'encore' might have gotten mentioned a few times.''
Namine, had in fact been approached by people with the same suggestion ''Oh…I guess that'd be fine.''
Eventually, most of the team headed home for the day, thus Hifumi, Shiho, Ann (who she'd be staying over with tonight) and Yusuke to have dinner with the Sakuras and the Hyakuyas.
Ann held back a squeal of delight ''Yuri-san's cooking really is phenomenal! You could try adding some recipes, Boss!''
''This is a café, Ann-chan. What would even work here?''
''A different way to incorporate the curry, for instance?'' Hifumi had learned of the story behind Leblanc at the sleepover. She thought it was one of the nicest things she'd ever heard of.
Ann pointed at her ''See? Hifumi gets it! Curry croquets are a thing, you know? I bet Futaba would be all…''
The model trailed off, admittedly surprised that their friend hadn't even put in a word, especially when it had to do with Leblanc's curry. Sojiro on the other hand only arched an eye; his daughter had been rather focused on her phone for a while over the last couple of days. Whatever she was up to seemed to be important enough that it distracted her from everything else, but no matter how he tried to ask, she'd always avoid the question.
Futaba almost jumped when Itsuki waved a hand in front of her face ''Back with us, kiddo?''
''You're really spacing out again.'' Morgana added, nodding.
Sojiro knew the answer to his oncoming question but he wanted to say it anyway. ''Are you sure I can't help you?''
''Yup, it's fine!'' Everyone immediately agreed that her answer was far too quick to be believable ''Anyway, what were we talking about-those two loudmouths who are clearly from Hifumi's fan club?''
The girl in question gave her a curious look ''…Are you feeling all right, Futaba-chan? That was fifteen minutes ago.''
''O-oh, yeah?''
''Okay, seriously-what is going on with you?'' Ann's eyes narrowed as the girl pretended not to hear her. They were used to Futaba getting lost in her own head as she came with some scheme or the other but this? Something was wrong.
Yuri on the other hand, took note of the girl's discomfort practically pouring out of her. ''Well then, what do you think of expanding Leblanc's menu?''
''Oooh, is that what you were going on about?'' Despite her earlier mood, Futaba's enthusiasm was genuine ''I've been saying he should do that for ages!''
Her father rolled his eyes at the exaggeration while Hifumi's lips quirked ''We were trying to think of suggestions, the first thing that came to mind is curry croquets.''
''Hey, yeah-I never got around to trying those. Are they any good?''
Shiho tapped her cheek in thought ''It depends on where you get them-like my mom used to make them every now and then, they were great. Then I tried them once at this food stand, thinking they'd be the same. Boy, was I wrong…''
Ann quirked a brow ''Was that when you told me you were swearing off curry for a month?''
''You would have too if you tried it.''
''No curry for a month?'' Futaba couldn't process that.
Sojiro snorted at his daughter's antics ''Yeah, that's practically a death sentence to you, huh?''
''Oh, she wouldn't last a week.'' Namine added brightly.
''Hey!'' Laughter broke out as the girl continued to glare, Ann couldn't resist teasing the girl some more.
''So, that was some day, huh?'' Sojiro smiled at Namine ''Futaba showed me the video. I didn't get to say it, you did great today. You've really come a long way.''
''Absolutely.'' Yuri took her hands in her own ''We were worried when you said we should go on our trip-of course we believed in you but after everything that happened-how could we not? What you've been through would've devastated anyone but here you are coming out on top. I don't think we say this enough, we're really proud of you, Nami-chan.''
Beaming, the girl shook her head ''You already do, but thanks, I'm happy I could make you proud.''
Namine and Morgana opted to check on Futaba, while they wouldn't force her to talk, her behavior was worrying. She wasn't even responding on the group chat, rather unusual for their technological expert, for even when she couldn't respond right away; she always made it a point to do so the moment she was able to. No matter how she tried to avoid this, it just raised more questions…
''What's eating you?'' The feline decided to ask once they entered her room. ''You're not usually this all over the place even when anything related to Featherman is involved. Do we need to worry about what scheme you're cooking up this time?''
''What's that mean?''
Rolling his eyes at the pout, Morgana immediately fired back ''Do I need to bring up what happened with Namine's laptop last week?''
''Hey!'' Okay, so she might have gotten a bit carried away with those new programs that seemed to be all the rage online lately. How was she supposed to know they'd make the system crash? ''I fixed it up, didn't I? And it's got even better specs then before!''
''She's still teaching me plenty about maintenance too, Mona. I think that more than makes up for it.'' Namine placated. ''It's true though. We've been trying to wait until you want to talk but clearly it isn't working. What's wrong?''
Resisting the urge to fidget, Futaba toyed with a strand of her hair ''It's, uh, kind of a thing I've been considering…''
''Is it about the list?''
''No…'' She seemed to think her words ''…well, actually maybe…''
Morgana made no effort to hide his confusion ''You know, if you don't want to talk that's fine too.''
''No, it's not that…'' Futaba buried her face in her knees, releasing a frustrated groan. ''…it's harder than I thought, I've never told anyone…guys, have you ever known something was a bad idea but you want to do it anyway-even if it's something that could really pay off just as much as it could blow up in your face?''
''That's…awfully specific.'' Neither had any idea what to say. What on earth was she up to?
A sigh ''Forget it. That was stupid…''
''Come on, Futaba, your feelings aren't stupid.'' Namine cut in. ''This must mean a lot if you're that wound up about it. I think the risks might be worth taking a chance. Isn't it better than looking back and regretting what might have been? It's why I decided to sing in the festival after all. I made up my mind when Arsene reminded me that if I'd just backed out, I'll just be left wondering what might have been. And that would've really sucked.'' Futaba looked on in wonder ''So, what do you think, would you also look back and regret letting the fear of failure control you?''
The navigator of the Phantom Thieves thought that was a good question. This had been a matter she'd been hesitating over for a long time, even before her mother died. Even the thought of telling anyone used to turn her stomach with nerves. In fact, not even Wakaba knew what really happened. It had been something she wondered about ever since she was adjusting to her life with the change of heart and making new friends.
But still, no matter how much she tried to tell herself to let it go, she simply couldn't.
The more she thought about it, the more she knew the answer ''…Yeah, I think I would.''
Morgana hummed approvingly ''That's better. Well, there's no telling much we can help if we don't know what's really going so why don't you see Takuto for some advice?''
''You think Doc can help me?''
''There's no harm in trying.''
Nodding to their feline friend, Namine put in her piece ''It's safe to say this isn't something you'd feel comfortable to approach Boss with either. Doc really helped me out before, it doesn't mean you'd have to tell him but maybe if you try explaining what you told us? Getting another person's perspective might do you good.''
The other girl nodded after almost a minute ''Yeah…yeah, it's worth a shot. Hey, just a random thought, but what would you do if you ran into someone you haven't seen in a long time? Like…someone you never thought you'd see again?''
Morgana wasn't sure how to respond. Understandable, really, after who would that even be in his situation? His evil doppelganger had pretty much confirmed that it wasn't that he had amnesia, more like he was born because of the cognitive world, which threw more questions into his origins. ''Well, leaving aside those traitorous morons back from your old home, Namine. What about that friend you told me about before though?''
''That'd be nice but I don't think I'd recognize him even if we did meet.''
''You guys lost me there.'' Futaba's comment led to the duo bringing her up to speed. ''Huh, so your memories are still kinda wonky after the coma so you remember a bunch of details but no face or name. And you think he might have come here?''
''He really wanted to.'' Namine mused. ''He wouldn't ever say why but he made it pretty clear he was going to pull out all the stops to make it happen. I can't help wondering if he did pull it off, you know?''
''A man of mystery, huh?''
''Kind of, yeah…'' The girl nodded ''…he always kept to himself and I still remember how surprised he was when I said we were friends. I remember some people were horrible to him even when he hadn't done anything wrong-but I'm not sure why…''
''Now I'm really curious…'' Apparently if anyone would understand what was eating away at her now, it would be Namine. Not that she didn't trust the girl with this, she definitely did. Trouble was, the thought telling someone after so long left her with butterflies in her stomach.
So while she might not be able to do anything about that, she could do the following ''…tell you what, if you figure out any other details, lemme know! I'm mega good at researching; I bet I can find this guy's deets in a nano-second. Maybe I'll find what secrets he's been hiding this whole time!''
''Hey, just because we're thieves doesn't mean you get to hack anyone's accounts when the mood strikes you.'' Morgana chided.
''It's for a good cause!''
Namine held back a smile ''I appreciate it but I'm going to take Mona's side here. Don't go digging around for trouble when we already have enough on our plates. And don't give me that pout Futaba, it won't work.''
''It's got to sometime. I'm the cute one here, of course.''
''Really?'' Morgana drawled.
''Hey, what's with that look? I am!'' Futaba turned back to the screen, huffing ''Namine's the heroine, no questions asked. Haru's the scary one, Ann's the super hot, sexy one, Makoto's the brains of the group and you're the old veteran!''
''What part of me looks old?''
''Haven't you ever watched anime? There's sometimes this group of heroes that goes out to beat the bad guys and they usually have some old character who's in the know and they handle all the exposition the heroes need. Plus, they're super reliable and come through when you need it most.''
''Oh.'' Now that Morgana thought about it, he might have heard of a few anime with such a thing. Thus, what he mistook as teasing was Futaba's roundabout way of complementing him.
''Well, I can't deny the shoe fits. We'd be much worse off without Mona after all.'' The feline couldn't help preening inwardly at Namine's agreement. ''Although, if that's how you see it, what about Ryuji, Yusuke and Doc?''
''Pshh, that's easy.'' Waving a hand, the hacker eagerly carried on ''Inari's that one eccentric friend you can't really do without. Ryuji's practically a lancer. You know, like the hero's number two, the one who's usually the hero's best friend. Mona and Doc are kinda like each other 'cuz they know loads but that's handy too since they'd have different perspectives. See, in some of those anime…''
Sharing an amused look, the duo continued listening to the hacker cheerfully prattle on, relieved that her troubled mood was a thing of the past.
The following day…
''Morning, kiddo!'' Itsuki let his granddaughter in ''Already off to school, huh?''
''Yeah, I'm meeting my friends soon but I wanted to say hi. Where's Grandma?''
''Freshening up, she'll be here soon. You're just in time though, how about you grab a bite before you head off?''
''I already ate but sure…'' Namine knew that the food he was heating up had been prepared by Yuri. Despite his skills in crafting and even making repairs, Itsuki couldn't cook to save his life. ''…so you're going to look up that company you told me about, right?''
''Mmhm, let's see if it's all it's cracked up to be. With any luck, we'll have new jobs at the end of this week tops.'' Itsuki took his seat.
''Well, if they peg you for just a pair of old folks, they're in for a rude awakening.''
He threw his head back and laughed ''You got that right! Breaking all expectations is a Hyakuya trademark, eh? Just like you did here, Yuri's the worrywart out of us but she is right in that leaving you here just didn't sit right.''
''Grandpa, you know, with the probation and…''
''Yeah, doesn't mean we have to like it.'' A huff escaped him ''Anyway, it's been wonderful seeing you with all those friends. They're good kids. Not to mention that Takuto's a bit of a ditz but he's one of the most genuine people I've met in a long time.''
Namine returned his smile ''Yeah, they're great. I'm lucky to have met them.''
''They say the same about you. I know you were worried about finding your place here but I think you've got that long covered, huh?''
''I didn't even realize it at first but…'' Namine closed her eyes for a moment. ''…I was actually wary around them for a while. I think we all got swept away in all what went down but before I knew it, I found myself relying on them. It just…started getting easier to throw away hesitations and just…be myself, you know?''
He grinned ''That'a girl. That's the way it should be.''
The team discovered a surprise soon after arriving at school…
''Akechi-kun's not coming, really?'' Ann asked one of their classmates.
She nodded sadly ''They said something came up at work and he doesn't think he can get away…''
''Oh, that's why Makoto had to leave all of a sudden…'' The model trailed off ''…ah, hey, cheer up! It's not really such a bad thing, right? We can still have fun!''
The girl's sulking expression remained ''I was really looking forward to it though. I thought that celeb stuff would be fun for once…that just ruins my whole day.''
While glad the detective still had such fans after all the bad rep he was dealt, Ann still thought was a bit much. Another classmate approached, taking her shoulder ''Ignore the drama queen, Takamaki. She's all in a funk now but last time this happened, she was pigging out on the food like nobody's business in half an hour.''
''H-hey! I was not…!''
''Suuuuure, of course.'' The other girl dragged the word out while Ann fought back the urge to laugh ''Mark my words, pretty soon it'll be like nothing ever happened.''
She led the other girl away even as they continued to squabble, Ann finally giving up and giggling, turning to find her own friends.
''Wait, he's a no-show?'' Ryuji blinked.
''Yeah, I wasn't expecting it either but he can't get away from whatever happened there-it sounds like a big deal.'' Ann took out her phone as it buzzed ''Oh, Hifumi's wrapping up the interview, she says she'll be here later.''
He looked relieved ''I hate how she still has to play along with her mom's lousy scheme. It ain't fair, she doesn't even care how much it hurt her.''
''You're telling me…'' She sighed. ''…at least it keeps her off Hifumi's back for now and it makes it easier for her to stay with us so there's that.''
''The request was posted after all, we'll take care of this soon.'' Yusuke offered.
Morgana idly noted a figure passing by, he was pretty sure it was a male around Yusuke and Ryuji's height but that was really he could tell. For he wore a wide cap that fell over shaggy brown hair enough to obscure his eyes from most along a long coat and matching slacks and shoes. There was also a small scarf that helped hide his features. He was discreet enough but the cat couldn't help wondering why anyone would go through all the trouble just to come here.
Why even hide like that?
''You noticed him too, huh?'' Ann tilted her head ''He's actually been out and about for a while, I saw him on our way to the haunted house. Pretty sure we can't be the only…''
The words died in her mouth as Namine went past her, looking rather unimpressed ''Subtle, aren't you?'' The comment seemed to be completely out of nowhere ''No wonder you slipped past the crowd-what was that about me worrying too much again?''
He chuckled ''All right, I had that one coming.''
Everything started to make sense for the group immediately recognized the voice.
''Ake-?!'' Futaba thought fast and covered Ann's mouth. The model nodding at her a moment and she let go ''...We thought you begged off the whole thing!''
''That was the idea. I had a certain issue at work that seemed like it would take too long-it's about the man who tried to involve me in that case the other day.'' Akechi told Namine, who blinked in understanding. ''It seems he still wasn't able to do much about it, Sae-san him badgering me and put her foot down. For all his bluster, he wouldn't dare cross her.''
''What, so she really does have her good points after all?'' Futaba mused, missing Makoto wincing at this.
Futaba's penchant for tactlessness was nothing new but Haru did wish she watched her words a bit more.
Well, in all fairness to the girl, Sae had caused her and Sojiro quite the bit of grief. But that couldn't be any easier on poor Makoto.
''I knew you were observant, Namine but I have to say I'm impressed you saw through the disguise that easily.'' Yusuke admitted.
''Don't go giving me too much credit, I figured it out because I'm the one who bought those for him in the first place. After his fans caught us in a few minutes after we set off…'' Namine spared the new arrival an incredibly dry look ''…his oh so brilliant disguise was basically sunglasses and a cap.''
''…You're not letting that go any time soon, are you?''
''Considering how a-I was nearly mobbed, b-all the dramatics and c-the fact that it took less than ten minutes for your 'disguise' to fall apart like I knew it would? No. No, I'm not.''
Ryuji muffled a laugh, Akechi might have missed the joking tone but he certainly didn't ''No wonder you guys got busted that fast!''
''Right?'' She gestured at him. ''Like that ridiculous hair of his is easy to miss...'' Pointedly ignoring Akechi's spluttering, she carried on ''...I mean come on, how many guys have hair that smooth and floofy? Teens who might be coming out of the police station with that kind of clothes, might I add.''
That silenced him, Makoto's shoulders shaking with suppressed mirth while the others continued to laugh. Akechi being completely speechless? She never thought she'd see the day.
Apparently she wasn't the only one thinking it, as Futaba quickly proved ''He got owned! Only you, Namine-only you!''
''I know, it's a gift.'' The girl winked.
''Well then, Makoto, what about that celebrity corner? Is it going to be cancelled?'' Yusuke wondered.
A nod ''The second choice, the Phantom Thieves, was of course out of the question so we agreed to try for the next people who earned the most votes. Our next choice on the poll was Risette but she's not even in the country right now. My deputy called the other one and he decided he'd only come if the school paid him. Said something about how him in such popular demand that he couldn't just go to any little place for nothing.''
That the others, even Akechi, shared her disdain was rather gratifying. ''Ugh, are you serious?'' Ann wrinkled her nose.
''Great, so he's not just a dick but a greedy ass too. We've seen enough of that sort for several lifetimes.'' Ryuji added.
''Agreed, a few students told me they wanted to throw a party in the gym so we figured that would be just fine. It'll be in a couple of hours.''
Careful not to bring Akechi's attention to him, Morgana nudged Namine and whispered ''Remember yesterday?''
''Oh…maybe that's what she was talking about…''
Ann elaborated for the curious onlookers ''I completely forgot with all that happened but yeah, we were just trying some of the food out when those girls came over. One of them mentioned plans for the day and they wanted to see if Namine could sing again today. Said to meet them on the second floor if she was interested.''
''Shiho did say people mentioned encores so…yeah, no surprise there.'' Futaba nodded. ''Anyway, you're already here, Mr. Prince. No point in skulking around and come on, maybe we can see you having fun!''
Akechi grumbled something about him not skulking even as he let the girl pull him ahead, leaving the others to follow.
Flora kept track of the boy even as he conversed with the others, over the weeks she spent watching people, she'd come to learn quite a bit. Nothing of his demeanor showed anything but him enjoying himself. Despite some reservations, it seemed he'd truly come to like spending time with the thieves. That was the one commonality she shared with the boy, in the short span of time she'd spent here, Flora had quickly grown fond of the team. Especially Namine, the whole reason she even lived past that terrible day. It was people like them who reminded her that even though so many humans existed, there were others who were good and just. That gave her hope for this world. Flora wanted to see this wonderful group of children succeed and fulfill their dreams, and she would do whatever it took to make that happen. If Akechi dared turn against them…he'd have hell to pay, she'd make sure of that.
''Oh, honestly, Futaba…'' Makoto couldn't help sighing as the girl happily took a bite of the cotton candy in her hands ''…that's just nothing but sugar. Your eating habits are bad enough as it were.''
''Are not! Would it kill you to live a little? It's a festival!''
Her attempt to argue was cut off by the orange haired girl grabbing one of Ann's gummy bears and placing it in her mouth. The model only shook her head ''…Ryuji's a bad influence on you.''
Makoto was forced to chew and swallow the sweet, Futaba only grinning at her glare. Akechi shook his head, holding back a smile ''I think you're going to have quit before you fall even further behind, Nijiima-san.''
''I thought the saying was quit while you're ahead?'' Haru blinked.
'' Ahead implies progress, tell me I'm crazy but there's no chance of progress being made here anytime soon.'' Ann deadpanned; the heiress could only laugh weakly in agreement. Makoto would never relent on her firm belief on healthy food. Futaba was clearly sticking to eating what she liked as much as possible.
Namine split off a piece of her yakisoba bread for Morgana, who beamed in gratitude. Yusuke was also enjoying his own bread ''My, Ryuji wasn't exaggerating. I can see why this is so coveted here.''
''I know, right?'' Aforementioned blond chirped ''You always have to rush to get 'em or you're outta luck. But man, I don't remember last year's festival being this packed or busy.''
''Maybe it's like with that new mall and there's people who want to advertise their stuff too-but hey, it could be just that they want to make up for the school trip being that boring.'' As glad as Ann was to go to Hawaii, there was no denying that the school had left them hanging. It was a good thing they were able to come up with some plans.
''I would've thought a trip like that would be entertaining.'' Akechi admitted.
''Yeah, so did we.'' Ryuji shook his head ''That was before we found out that the school just took us all the way and left us in the lurch. They were so busy wrapping up the mess back from when Kobayakawa died that it doesn't look like they paid attention to anything else.''
''It wasn't that bad in the end, we had some good times.'' Namine reminded.
''That did look like fun.'' Futaba remembered the videos and pictures they sent her ''One of the first things I learned back then is that surfing's way harder than it looks on TV.''
''Tell me about it! I wasn't sure about trying at all but I really don't understand how people can stay put on those stupid things…'' Ann spotted Hifumi stopping and looking around ''…ah, hey over here!''
It took a couple of tries for the girl to finally hear the calls over the crowd, her expression brightening as she joined her friends. Futaba grinned ''Hey, Miss Superstar! I never got around to asking, what's it like being on TV?''
''About as nerve-wracking as you can imagine.'' A sigh ''It's easier not to focus on the fact that so many people are watching me now but my only consolation was that it's a way to help my family…or so my mother claims.''
The mixture of sadness and bitterness in her tone was unmistakable. Immediately regretting the question, Futaba tried to change tack ''It sucks that Shiho had school today but you're here now. How about we get back to having you and Makoto try a game soon?''
Smiling at her in approval, Makoto was also willing to try uplifting their friend's mood ''That's a good idea. I know where we can find a shogi board. If you're willing to put up with some spectators, that is.''
Hifumi's smile was a welcome sight ''Well, it wouldn't be anything new, lead the way.''
The idea took off with great success. Makoto's conclusion had been correct, a small crowd gathering once they recognized Hifumi. The girl had been too immersed in the activity to really notice, she and Namine taking turns to teach their friends the rules of the game. The only ones who'd really known it well were Makoto and Akechi, who confessed to having played the occasional game every now and then.
''I keep up with the news and so I recognized her.'' He confessed to a curious Ryuji and Yusuke. ''Hearing about the 'Venus of Shogi' did have me curious but recently something struck me as odd about a few of her matches. It always looked like the match would've gone differently but then she suddenly pulls out a win. The strange part is that there are even rumors which claim that she's nothing but a fraud and she didn't deserve what she had now. I'm certainly not denying Togo-san's skill. She's one of the best players I've met in some time but I could've sworn it's like her opponents let her win.''
He didn't miss the pair exchanging glances, catching on ''…Wait, you're not saying…?''
''It ain't her fault!'' Ryuji cut in, immediately explaining about Togo Mitsuyo's plans for her daughter and how she completely disregarded Hifumi's feelings to get what she wants.
''She didn't even know until just the other day, as much as Hifumi dislikes the publicity, she put up with it to help her family.'' Yusuke added. ''Her mother didn't so much as deny it, she simply believes Hifumi was being 'dramatic' for wanting to progress on her own merit.''
''I see…'' The detective was frowning ''…yes, I can understand how upsetting that must've been. Especially for someone who works so hard…'' His eyes found Hifumi, she and Namine were teaching an eager first year about the game. It was hard to make out what they were saying from here but Hifumi and the girl both laughed at Namine's comment. Even now the joy shining in her eyes was genuine. It was clear to him that this was someone loved shogi, nothing like the rumors claimed.
Once the group decided to leave, people started clearing out and Akechi found himself next to Namine as she checked her phone for the time ''Oh, wouldn't the party have already gotten started by now?''
''It seems so, yes. I did see a number of people heading to the gym. Does this mean you're interested in those girls' suggestion after all?''
''I thought about it and yeah, I don't see why not.''
''I wouldn't have thought you'd want to help anyone here after the faculty's treatment.'' He confessed.
''That's a bit much.'' Namine countered ''It wasn't like everyone felt the same, and I still met plenty of good people too. It's been months, what's the point of holding on to the past when things have gotten so much better? Besides, singing's fun, so it works out for everyone.''
His lips quirked ''Fair enough. I don't know if I'd be so magnanimous about it though. Last I checked, there are those who still hold that record against you. You really are something else.''
''Yeah, but they don't speak for the whole school. It does help that I've been getting back into the swing of things for a while now. Besides, I'm not sure I would've trusted that this idea was sincere just a couple of months ago. Things changed, simple as that.'' The girl began walking ''It's easy to hold a grudge but at some point, they just start hurting you. Letting go and trying for a fresh start may be hard, it's something I'm still figuring out but like they say, it's the hardest things in life that are worth fighting for.''
Akechi was about to voice his agreement when Ryuji called out to ''Hey! You guys wanna check out the party too?''
They came to the gym to find the party in full swing. The place certainly looked different, all the decorations and different lighting giving it a completely new vibe.
It didn't take Namine long to spot Sana, one of the third years who approached her earlier, the girl perking up before hurrying over ''Oh, hi! If you're here, does that mean…?''
''Yeah, I'm good to go when you want me to.'
She beamed ''Now would be great! I was just thinking we needed to liven things up here. That being said…'' To the others, she added ''…I'm going to be borrowing the star of the festival if you guys don't mind.''
''Like we can stop you.'' The girl's grin proved her agreement to Ann's words ''Go on. Knock 'em dead, Namine!''
A laugh ''You got it.''
''Man, Hyakuya-san, you're really coming through for us here. We picked out this music after a whole bunch of arguments but it just never sat right with me, some of the other selections are downright dull. We almost gave up on this when we remembered the celebrity corner but here we are!'' The girl smiled, leading Namine towards the stage. ''Have I mentioned that I'm glad you wound up stopping that stupid sharing special? It really needs to be said.''
''You, Ryuji and nearly half the track team think so-it makes me wonder how people put up with it for so long if it was that bad. Did you…?''
''No, but it was nearly me the year before the last. It wound up being my cousin and I might have teased her a bit too much about it, she got her revenge dragging me into something like it in front of my family.'' The girl nodded as Namine winced sympathetically. ''Exactly! They should've gotten rid of that stinking mess ages ago, tradition, my ass…''
''Ignoring that…'' Another girl joined them. ''…we just heard from Sana, thanks so much for this, Hyakuya-san!''
''Ah, it's okay, I didn't think you'd be interested in having me perform at all.''
''Are you kidding? That song yesterday was phenomenal! You could've joined the music club, you would've blown everyone out of the water!''
''Rina, you know why she didn't!'' Sana's tone made it clear that they'd been through this quite enough.
''Oh…oh, right…'' The girl rubbed the back of her head, opinions on Namine had changed so much that she'd completely forgotten her terrible beginnings.
They really had been terrible to her. And here she was, helping them just like that…
Deciding not to ruin the mood, Namine moved things along ''So, do you have any suggestions for the music?''
''Not really, we'd be good with whatever you choose.'' Sana assured.
''Oh, in that case...how about…?''
(Play The Peak by Sekai no Owari)
The song started slowly, Namine taking to the stage amidst cheers from those who heard yesterday's song. It reminded the thieves of Makoto's observation about the opinion on their leader changing so much-not one mention of her criminal record had been made.
And just like yesterday, the excitement rose much further once the song started. It was a truly heartfelt performance and Namine's friends understood why. Those words were something she'd come to experience over the last few months. It spoke of her sadness and feeling lost, no doubt referring to the arrest and the betrayal. But things soon improved as the rest of the lyrics proved, going to describe a desire to move on from the past, because staying put would mean stagnancy. Namine's declaration that she understood her weakness and hoped to grow stronger by embracing it resounded, determined to push herself and stand firm against all odds.
The mention of a bond between Namine and someone else made Futaba smile as she realized it could be meant for them, for people she cared about. But the girl wondered if it could've also referred to the friend she wanted to meet again one day too.
Even as she continued recording, Futaba hoped he would see this.
Overall, the song was actually quite motivational. It spoke of perseverance and diligence, determination that would guide one through obstacles. Of a time where the dawn is breaking, in other words a revival, a chance to be reborn. That even with weaknesses, you can reach the peak of your potential.
Such a profound performance was met with resounding applause, perhaps even more so than yesterday's.
Namine's smile was warm and bright. This song had been one of her favorites for it truly resounded with her. The lyrics not only contained feelings and emotions she identified with, but others she'd come to acknowledge and aspired to. So she wanted to put her heart and soul in this performance-looking from Rina to Sana waving at her with equally bright smiles and her friends cheering in front of the crowd, Namine felt she might have succeeded.
Sae hadn't been expecting to find anything of particular relevance, simply chalking it up to looking at the case from a different angle. So she put in as much as research as she could over the last few days…and yet the results were…
How did so much of this go under the radar??
Aside from Shido's connection to Isshiki Wakaba because of interest in her research, he had ties to two of the businessmen suspected of being involved in that burglary incident. One of whom had a mental shutdown. Even Hakuba was among that list, his father having been a strong supporter of Shido's, just like Okumura. Then there was what happened to Maruki's center…
She knew from her own digging around in Shujin's history that Kobayakawa was connected to a number of elites, having gotten his job by doing them favors. At least a couple of the people on the list had ties to Shido. Madarame had confessed to selling some of his fakes and returning profit to some of Shido's men before. There was also that one night a while back when she'd come home, finding Makoto on the phone with a friend. The girl remained unaware but her clear anger had the woman concerned. She was talking about Namine's case, which Sae understood. She could acknowledge that she was out of line and the girl didn't deserve her terrible words. Her friends were right to be angry, that drunk had destroyed her life without a second thought. That night had been another factor that drove her to this line of investigation, as that was when she heard that the drunk who'd ruined her life was none other than Shido.
It seemed like a bunch of little things here and there but when one put them together, Sae couldn't believe they were coincidences. Shido seemed like an upstanding man looking for Japan's welfare but the prosecutor was really starting to question that image.
One question kept circling in her mind. If he managed to cover that case up so well, what else had he managed to hide?
Well, let's stop here.
My laptop sort of crashed once and I lost the plans I had for parts of the story. Then I couldn't get back to writing for a while, it was a mess and a half but I'm working on it. I did consider adding more but it felt like it'd be too much. So yeah, a continuation of the festival, I thought I'd try something different so I looked up some Japanese school festivals to help. I originally considered a different song but this one just seems to work so well that I had to try it. I seriously recommend it by the way, it's amazing!
Futaba's thinking about Kana, I remember it was mentioned that she didn't even tell Wakaba what happened so the idea of telling anyone else would be difficult. Now that she's making friends and learning what it's really like, she's wondering if she could reconnect with Kana but she's too scared to try. I know the mall thing's a bit out there but I got the idea from Royal, you know that empty place below where Maruki's Palace is in game? That's where the new mall is. Makoto doesn't know Sae overheard her talking about the case but that was what kicked off her suspicions. She did go too far before, but even Sae believes what happened to Namine is beyond the pale. As you can probably tell, Sae's starting out to figure out the facts people want hidden and that's NOT a good thing. You'll see what comes of it next chapter.
I honestly started this story out of boredom and I didn't expect to really get into Persona so I probably didn't do as good a job handling it like I could have. But I want to get more into Namine's perspective and feelings over everything that happened, especially when we get to Shido's Palace, but I'll start from here. She mostly got swept in everything that happened since coming to the city and as I might have mentioned, Kamoshida disgusted her so much that she couldn't let him get away with all that shit. But it really did take her a while to get used to the fact that she really did have friends and people who want her there, she just has her own way of processing it. The thing most of the PTs are realizing is that she can be really good at hiding her feelings when she wants to be and they want to help her just like she helped them.
Well thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it. Till next time!
Confidants:
Sakamoto Ryuji (Chariot Rank Max)
Morgana (Magician Rank 9)
Takamaki Ann (Lovers Rank Max)
Takemi Tae (Death Rank Max)
Okumura Haru (Empress Rank 7)
Igor (Aeon Rank 6)
Suzui Shiho (Temperance Rank Max)
Yoshida Toranosuke (Sun Rank 8)
Sakura Sojiro (Hierophant Rank 6)
Sakura Futaba (Hermit Rank 5)
Maruki Takuto (Councilor Rank 4)
Caroline and Justine (Strength Rank 6)
The Phantom Thieves (Fool Rank 7)
Kitagawa Yusuke (Emperor Rank 8)
Akechi Goro (Justice Rank 5)
Ohya Ichiko (Devil Rank 6)
Nijima Makoto (Priestess Rank 6)
Mifune Chihaya (Wheel of Fortune Rank 7)
Togo Hifumi (Star Rank 5)
Iwai Muneshisa (Hanged Man Rank 4)
Nijima Sae (Judgement Rank 2)
Konno Fujitaka and Asuka (Passion Rank 4)
Miura Taiki (Apostle Rank 2)
Oda Shinya (Tower Rank 1)
Hyakuya Yuri and Itsuki (Charity Rank 7)