Chapter 34: Memories of Summer

August 6th.

Early that morning, Kazumi received a text from Ryuji, asking if she wanted to go training. She accepted, as she felt like it would relieve her from the stress of having to wait for the shut-in sleeping beauty to wake up.

After drinking their pre-work out protein, both teenagers started to run on the treadmill, noticeably, Kazumi was able to endure the fastest speed level compared to her last attempt where she ended up cracking her butt. This increased her stamina and resistance; even the gym trainer was impressed by her improvement and suggested her to try other equipment next time:

"Man, that was some crazy work out…" Ryuji sighed as they stopped for a water break, "Wanna go for some food?"

"Let's go back to LeBlanc. I promised to cook you a meal after all", Kazumi suggested with a smile.

"Yup, yup, yup, I'm so glad you remember!" Ryuji nodded with an excited smirk.

The two headed back to LeBlanc once it got late and Kazumi borrowed the kitchen to swiftly prepare chicken curry while Ryuji observed from the counter:

"Man, oh man, that's a good smell…" The boy said with a pleasant face while Kazumi was stirring the stew. She knew she could not disappoint with their meal.

"Thanks for the food." They sat down to eat, along with Morgana at one of the tables.

"Woah, you really are getting the hang of this!" Ryuji exclaimed happily as he tried a spoonful, "Banana milk with this also pairs really well…"

"It's not hard once you start to cook your own meals. You should try it some time." Kazumi replied with a joyful expression.

"Nuh-uh. Mum prohibited me from getting close to the stove. One time I almost burnt the house for Mother's Day." Ryuji shook his head in disapproval.

"Man, you got no tact and you can't even be self-dependent. You are like an anti-chick magnet…" Morgana mocked the blonde boy for his lack of appeal.

"Shuddup. Once we get more famous, all them ladies will be swarming over me." Ryuji replied with an annoyed expression, "Oh yeah, any news about Futaba?"

"Still charging…" Kazumi replied with a helpless expression, "Sitting around is kind of a pain, so I followed Mishima-kun's clues to get some targets in Mementos."

"For real?" Ryuji mentioned a bit shocked, "You work really hard for this. It feels bad to know you're carryin' the whole team with all the management."

"I don't mind." Kazumi shook her head, "I mean, I wouldn't have met Dr. Takeo or Iwai-san without you and Morgana, and also a lot of the people who are unawarely helping us in our Metaverse expeditions. I am just doing my part."

"Still…" Ryuji crossed his arms thinking about how he could help, "Oh! I think I can help you with a target!"

"Really? What's it about?" Kazumi asked curiously.

"It's all rumors but I heard that high school guys disappeared in Akihabara", Ryuji explained while scratching the back of his neck, "Apparently they all were found a day later, hanging by the Odaiba bridge with their underwear inside out… Ew."

"Akihabara?" Kazumi asked, as she did not recall going to that part of Tokyo.

"Yeah, it's on the green line", Ryuji nodded as he proceeded to share the route, "It's mainly on the station where I heard it."

"I see. I'll try and see what's all that about." Kazumi smiled, which made him happy too by giving her a hand.

"Well, at least you're good for something." Morgana smirked as a form of praise.

"Morgana…" Kazumi scolded him with a pout and went back to conversing with Ryuji, "Right. We haven't hung out in a long time, what have you been up to?"

"Slackin' off, workin' out, the usual." Ryuji replied, "Agh. I just remembered I have summer school next week, what a pain…"

"You better focus if you don't wanna go back a year." Kazumi scolded him, "It would be nice if we could all graduate together, don't you think?"

"I mean it's not like there's really anythin' for me to look forward in third year", Ryuji mentioned hopelessly.

"Excuses. If you don't give it all now, you will regret it later." Morgana shook his head in disapproval.

"Fine, fine. I'll ask aniki for help or somethin'." Ryuji replied with an exhausted expression for all the nagging.

"Help…Oh yeah, Nagaoka and the others…" Ryuji remembered his ex-team, "Maybe I should use the chance to look into Yamauchi's scheme with the track team…"

"Let me know if you want some help with that", Kazumi mentioned with a cheering gesture, "I'll go immediately."

"You're the best, cutie!" Ryuji smirked with happiness of having someone to count on. Surely their bond was growing stronger. At the end of their dinner, Kazumi packed a bento with a remaining portion of curry so he could share it with his mom.

Before she went to sleep, Ryuji shared a photo he took of her while she was cooking and her glasses went foggy because of the steam. It was a funny one so she kept it as a funny memento.

August 7th.

While she was having breakfast, Kazumi got a text message from Yusuke who wanted to see her and talk about his next inspiration for a painting since the boat idea did not work so well:

"You sure got very busy this summer…" Sojiro mentioned, as he noticed how Kazumi was always outside either picking up shifts or hanging out, "Don't forget to stay hydrated. This heat is just insane…"

"Thank you." The frizzy haired girl nodded, grateful, "Oh right, Sojiro-san, how many calories are in your homemade curry?"

"Huh…?" Sojiro made a bewildered expression at her question, "Well…it's not like I keep track of that kinda stuff…"

"Hold on. I'm sure Wakaba wrote it down somewhere." Sojiro rushed to go back and look for a notebook with recipes.

"Wakaba? Is that the friend you mentioned last time?" Kazumi asked him, trying to not bring out suspicion to her by faking not hearing that name before.

"Yeah. Since you already got to know Futaba, I guess there's no harm in mentioning Wakaba is her mother." Sojiro found the book, "Right here, she got it all formulated", he mentioned as he passed Kazumi the vintage notebook, "So, how exactly did you manage to get in touch with Futaba?"

"Eh!? Well…" Kazumi got taken by surprise, "It all started with a bunch of anonymous messages to my phone in the last few weeks, and then she finally told me her name and everything… It felt like a real mess, honestly."

"So she contacted you…?" Sojiro deduced with interest, "I see. Perhaps what Futaba needed was to speak with a girl her age…"

"Probably…?" The high schooler replied nervously, "I'll wash my dish", and then proceeded to do as said.

Once she left LeBlanc, she reunited with Yusuke in Shibuya:

"Ah, Kazumi-san. Good that you are here." The blue-haired boy said with a joyful expression, "I believe I will find what I am looking for at the church. Let us head over there."

"A church…?" Kazumi wondered, unable to point how the human heart and catholicism were related to each other. Plus it was a Sunday, so there would be a lot of people getting out at that hour, "Alright. Lead the way."

"Gladly." Yusuke said politely as they both boarded the train to the Kanda district and went to the nearby catholic church's chapel.

"Our prior theme, love…It proved to be very useful for me." Yusuke explained to Kazumi as they were staring at the glass panels of the church behind the priest's podium, "After our enlightening session, I once again attempted to paint but nothing I put into my canvas was to my satisfaction…"

"Before the gods of art, I am naught but a sheep…" Yusuke looked down, feeling tormented, "Ah yes, a lost sheep! I have come here with you for that precise reason!" Yusuke turned around to Kazumi with a quite passionate look that made her nervous, "I planned to refer to familial love!"

"Yes…?" Kazumi tilted her head not understanding his point.

"I want to portray the maternal love of virgin Mary towards her beloved son." Yusuke said with glimmering eyes as he grabbed her shoulders, "Kazumi-san, your gentle nature makes you more adapted than anyone else for this painting!"

"H-Hold on! You are gonna make me model in this place?" Kazumi stuttered, suddenly a stage fright came to her.

"Where else could it be but in this place of sacred harmony?" Yusuke shook his head, refusing to see the wrong in that, "Though I could ask any believers for their assistance. I also planned to portray the anguish Christ felt as he bore the sins of mankind."

"Unfortunately, it doesn't seem there's anyone to ask." Yusuke mentioned as he only spotted one lonely girl, of their age, in one of the church benches, "Hm?"

"What is it?" Kazumi looked in the same direction and noticed the girl too. She was wearing a white dress with a checkered pattern consisting of white, orange and blue squares, her hair was dark brown, dark green eyes, and she had a hair accessory of a red rope knotted in a clover leaf pattern, "What? Would you ask her to be your model…? B-By all means!"

"You are the one that comes to mind when I imagine the virgin Mary so of course, I refuse to replace you." Yusuke said with a frown, "But I believe I have seen her before in my school. Ah yes, the shogi player, Hifumi Togo."

"Eh, so she's a shogi player…" Kazumi whispered curiously. As far as she knew, shogi was the kind of pastime that old people seemed to be more interested in. Despite the fact that they were openly talking about her, the girl did not direct a glance at them at any moment and was only focused on her game, "Her concentration is impressive…"

"Let us not dwell any longer. I would like to start with our first idea." Yusuke brought back Kazumi to the point of their visit.

"Wouldn't you need a male model for the Christ one…?" Kazumi sighed hopelessly, "We could've brought Makoto-senpai."

"I did not think about it before." Yusuke opened his eyes in surprise, "I should ask him next time."

"J-Just don't bring him all the way here to model…" The girl advised him with a stutter. Surely Makoto would refuse to cooperate in the middle of the church.

"Very well, let's start." Yusuke nodded and observed her being all blushed and fidgety with her hair, "Is there something wrong…?"

"W-Well, you're…not going to ask me to strip or something, right?" The girl muttered, suddenly remembering how Yusuke asked that of Ann when she modeled for him.

"My goodness, I wouldn't do such a thing!" Yusuke replied with shock and his face slightly blushing, "This painting is about familial love, however, if I were to paint the purity of an angel…"

"Ok, stop, stop! I get it!" Kazumi shook her head as she desperately wanted to avoid bringing up the topic again, "Being found stark-naked in a church would probably bring more news than the Phantom Thieves…"

"I agree. It's bad publicity." Yusuke agreed with a complex expression. Though he felt like he would not be able to paint Kazumi without clothes even if she offered it; that would mean everyone who sees that painting would see her naked beauty, "... Well then, let me see a maternal hug while you look at the miraculous baby in your arms."

"Like this…?" Kazumi tried to pose as she was hugging herself, which Yusuke found was not his vision.

"Uhm. Perhaps I would need a model for the baby." Yusuke mentioned, and without delay, an idea was born.

"Why do I have to be involved in this…?" Morgana whispered annoyed as he got wrapped in a blanket, while Kazumi was holding him in his arms like a baby.

"Uhmm, yes. This is perfect." Yusuke started to sketch pleasantly, "This is the love of a mother! A mother who received a boy out of a miracle, shunned by society to give birth to the son of God in a filthy stable, yet loving that very savior with all her heart!"

"A savior later forsaken by his disciples, abhorred as a criminal by the public, pierced with nails and hung on a cross…" Yusuke's tone of voice got more passionate as he quickly derailed to another topic. Even Kazumi could not help but to sweat in response to his quick change in temperament.

"Like this!" Suddenly the artist struck a dramatic pose leaving the sketch aside as he raised his hands and right leg like the depiction of a crucifixion, "Yes, this is the pose of anguish for my next painting!"

"I suddenly feel second hand embarrassment for Makoto…" Morgana meowed, feeling uneasy.

"What are you children doing!?" A middle-aged man, the priest, scolded them as he noticed Yusuke's odd behavior.

"Ah, well…" Yusuke went back to standing normally, clearly feeling there would be trouble, "This is an art study…"

"Art? …That?" The priest wondered, confused, as he thought they were just fooling around.

"I am attempting to portray both maternal love and anguish, so I decided to use Mary's image, and the Crucifixion of Christ as points of reference…" the blue-haired boy explained.

"Well, I see nothing wrong in using Mary as a portrayal of a mother's love." The priest shook his head, "But while it's true that Jesus' crucifixion on the cross is a symbol of deep suffering… It also bears a positive message of resurrection, of forgiveness."

"Resurrection…? Forgiveness…?" Yusuke asked, not understanding these messages, "I'm not sure I understand…Those ideas are contradictory to my conception of anguish…"

"Well, Yusuke-kun. If I recall, he was crucified for the sins of the people; so a willing sacrifice. Would that exactly count as the anguish you look for?" Kazumi tried to explain to him as she changed Morgana's position to not break his delicate cat back.

"As your friend has mentioned, try to consider the anguish one may feel today will someday bring forth new hope." The priest added, "and by the way…I suggest you contain your excitement while you are here. You may trouble the congregation."

"Sorry about that, Father." Both teenagers apologized as the man left.

Yusuke looked down, trying to put his thoughts together:

"So those shocking depictions were actually meant to represent forgiveness, not anguish…" he concluded with certain disappointment in his expression, "Hm. Hope from anguish…I'm not sure I understand…"

"I must learn more about the hearts of people…" Yusuke mumbled with a frown, "Kazumi-san, do you think I will be able to capture the truth someday?"

"To be honest, I doubt any artist could simply portray something so variant and complex." Kazumi shook her head with a doubtful expression, "Not like I don't have faith that you would do it."

"Hmph. Your honest concerns only serve to push me onward towards my own goal." Yusuke said with satisfaction of her answer, "It is exceedingly rare though, how spending time with you has helped me discover new aspects of myself…"

"If there's anything I can do in return, please let me know…I wish to repay your kindness." Yusuke mentioned with a pleasant face.

"As long as you can keep replicating skill cards for me, I think you're doing a lot." Kazumi nodded to him with a smile. Surely their bond grew closer, and the Emperor arcana gained a fifth star.

*Adept duplication unlocked*

"Let us return home for today. I don't believe I have the drive to keep with this theme in my painting." Yusuke mentioned as he picked up his sketchbook, "I bid you farewell, fair lady", and suddenly struck the same anguish pose again.

"Uh…" Kazumi went speechless, not knowing why he did that.

"Farewell." Yusuke reiterated with a serious face.

"Ah! You too, Morgana!" The girl panicked as she struck the same pose just not to make him feel odd, and even the cat doubtfully stretched his paws while being held by Kazumi. This made Yusuke smile pleased.

"Wonderful." Yusuke murmured with satisfaction as his antics were not ignored.

On their way home, Kazumi checked her phone reading a message from Haru to remind her that tomorrow was her scheduled turn to water the plants. There was also a message from Yoshida who had another meeting in a restaurant, this time Benzo, the grandson of the leader of the Kuramoto Children, was the one who wanted to meet with them:

"Yoshida-san sure gets too busy with these people lately…" Kazumi thought as she decided to take the train to Ginza, where the sushi bar restaurant was located, "I wonder if they would try to convince him of joining just like with Mr. Matsushita."

Once inside the restaurant, Benzo strived a casual conversation about the government approval ratings, since the phantom thieves incidents were making them pretty low for their political party. Kazumi heard the conversation attentively while eating sushi and discreetly giving some to Morgana. It was funny to think if Benzo was trying to win them over with food so they would agree to any offer, but Kazumi knew her mentor was stronger than that. The conversation quickly switched to a personal matter, with Benzo asking Yoshida to educate him about running an election since he got promoted to become a Diet candidate. There it was, they wanted Yoshida back into the party; Kazumi started to pay more attention to the conversation than the food as soon as Benzo convinced her to stay to hear about the political realignment of their party; so now, they would not be a conservative-aligned party, and with Yoshida, he could convince the rest to change their views:

"If they change their views to those of Yoshida-san, it could change a lot of things in the system if they get elected…" Kazumi thought while they were still talking about it, "Yet, Yoshida-san doesn't look happy at all. Am I missing something?"

Benzo insisted her mentor that his views would not come to fruition if he did not get elected, something that she agreed, however:

"Asaka-kun, could you talk some sense into him? You'll benefit as well." Benzo asked her with an insistent tone.

"Me? Well…" Kazumi looked back at the conflicted face of the middle-aged man. She concluded that with all his previous experience, there had to be something he did not like about the deal, so she vouched for him, "You should decline, Yoshida-san."

"You think so too, hm…?" Yoshida agreed with a joyful grin, "Haha. You're not intimidated even by the grandson of a big-time Diet-member."

"I appreciate your offer but I must politely decline." Yoshida faced back at the young man.

"So you're okay with being No-Good Tora forever?" Benzo asked with quite a sour tone, which Kazumi did not appreciate at all.

"Call him Mr. Yoshida. He's by no means a 'No-Good' person." Kazumi frowned at the man's derogatory insult to her mentor. Yes, it only proved her right of rejecting the offer.

"Asaka-kun…" Yoshida was surprised by her lack of respect towards authority.

"Looks like you chose the wrong politician to follow." Benzo commented, shaking his head in disapproval.

"I still believe in him, regardless." Kazumi counter replied. With that Benzo cooled down and decided to cede for the time being, apologizing and leaving the establishment after he had already paid for the sushi in advance. All in all, Yoshida lent her his feelings of mistrust about Kuramoto's schemes to lure them both into the party for their own benefit; and appreciated her company and support in moments where he would've felt pressured to accept the offers of those men. The Sun arcana gained a 7th star, as Kazumi felt her bond with the politician was deeper.

*Kazumi's charm increases by 3*

After dinner, Kazumi went home, thinking a lot about Yoshida. His mistrust really bothered her a bit:

"What's with the long face now?" Sojiro noticed it before he left for the night, as she was sitting at the counter.

"Ah. I help a politician a few times on Sundays and today he invited me to a meeting with a new candidate of the Kuramoto Children." Kazumi mentioned to him, "I was just thinking how exhausting the world of politics is…"

"Mr. Matsushita and Mr. Benzo tried to convince Yoshida-san to join in two separate occasions after 20 years of him leaving the party…" she kept saying while Sojiro was still in shock that she involved herself in those topics, instead of just enjoying her youth, "He didn't seem happy at all for their offers, even though they sounded mutually beneficial."

"Ah. Well, that's just experience for ya." Sojiro explained to her, "Just like how a child would not put their hands on a stove after they already burned their hands once."

"Life goes better when you take it with a grain of salt." Sojiro mentioned, "And just like if you do it to coffee, it would enhance its flavor."

"Well, don't dwell too much about it." Sojiro said to cheer her up, "Good night."

"So mistrust from experience, huh?" Kazumi murmured to herself as she reclined her head and arms on the table. She realized why that bothered her:

"Haha. Asaka-san, your view of the world is quite hopeful, isn't it? Yes, hopeful yet a bit naive…", it made her recall the words Akechi said to her that one time.

"Naive." Kazumi murmured once again, "Is it so bad?"

"It has its disadvantages." Morgana mentioned to her as he climbed onto the counter, "Why does it bother you?"

"I was thinking about Akechi-kun." Kazumi mentioned, "He called me naive last time… and the few times we have seen him, he's always up to challenge our wits. I wonder why…"

"Just because you bring it up, I feel like it can be related to his way of seeing life", Morgana commented as he licked his paw and cleaned with it behind his ear, "He is a detective that solves criminal cases. In a way, he has seen his fair share of injustice, and gained experience from it."

"Hmm…When you put it like that, he doesn't sound any different from us, phantom thieves." Kazumi replied in a mumble, "Well, no point mulling over it, right? Let's go to sleep."

"You took the words right off my mouth." Morgana nodded in agreement, "I need a good night's sleep after all that sushi."

August 8th.

The first day of summer school in Shujin; a week of horror for those who failed in their exams. Following her club activities, she went to the rooftop to water the plants with Haru:

"Wow!" Kazumi exclaimed with shining eyes as she saw that the seeds they planted ended up growing as sunflowers, "They got so big compared to last week…"

"I believe that's because they got lots of sunlight. The weather really favored us." Haru explained with a smile, "Of course, they must've been happy to be watered with love by all of us."

"Click~!" Kazumi mumbled as she took a photo of the sunflowers, "We should show them to everyone. Ryuji-kun and Ann are taking classes and I think Makoto-senpai is dealing with student council work."

"Ah, I should show them to Yusuke-kun too. Maybe it will inspire him for his art slump!" Kazumi rushed to attach the photo to Yusuke's chat ID and write "Look! The fruit of our gardening club's efforts!"

"First we should do what we came here to do." Haru smiled while nodding.

After they watered the plants, Yusuke sent a message congratulating their efforts and suggested that he could help them sometime to give the garden some artistic simplicity; which Haru wanted to try on so she got Yusuke's number from Kazumi. The other three members arrived shortly to observe the flowers impressed:

"They look so nice…I feel like I could run through a field of them in the countryside…!" Ann mentioned with a cheerful expression.

"Now that you say it, I can imagine myself doing that too…" Makoto nodded.

"What do you think, Ryuji-kun?" Kazumi mentioned as she kneeled down to the flowers and he imitated her.

"Well, they are big'n'all but at the end they're just flowers." Ryuji shook his head in dismissal.

"Shame. They remind me of you~" Kazumi said with a melodic tone before snapping a photo of Ryuji with the sunflowers.

"You mean yellow and starving for the spotlight?" Makoto said with a chuckle.

"I can see it." Ann said with surprise, "Sunflowers really are your flower."

"Really?" Ryuji murmured doubtfully, "Forget it…I don't really have anythin' to say in this combo."

"I can lend you my flowerpedia." Kazumi suggested with a smile, "It has a lot of information about flowers~"

"I have enough books for summer school…" Ryuji sighed in resignation, "So, what's next for the gardenin', Haru?"

"Ah. Well, I initially tried to grow sunflowers for the season. Next time we can reunite to start planting vegetables for the fall." Haru explained after the attention went to her.

"Vegetables? Is it more complicated?" Ann asked her.

"The sunflowers were a success so I believe we will have it easy for that." Haru mentioned.

"Sounds fantastic." Makoto nodded, "Maybe when they grow…Asaka-san, you think Boss would mind trying our grown vegetables to make curry?"

"That's a great idea!" Kazumi smiled and then noticed that Haru had an intense discomfort in her facial expression, "Sorry, Haru-senpai, we got too carried up with the idea of growing vegetables."

"Ah! No, it's fine! I know we'll make it a success!" Haru replied with excitement. However, Kazumi knew there was something she was still doubtful about.

Regardless, the sunflowers they planted from scratch successfully grew. Kazumi felt more confident in her harvesting skills.

*Kazumi's knowledge increases by 2*

*Kazumi's proficiency increases by 3*

They shortly returned to their own duties (class and student council duties), and Kazumi went to the library to return and borrow two books: "Father of Hoodoo Magic", a book about an African-American slave who deceived those who wanted to deceive him, and became the ultimate conjure maker. That man was called 'High John The Conqueror'; that sounded familiar. The other book was "Cry of Cthulhu", a creepy book about a fictitious mythos.

On her way back home, she met the gentle club leader again:

"Haru-senpai." She approached her by the exit, "I thought you went home…"

"Ah, well, I forgot to mention something to you before you left so I waited around since Nijima-kun said you were still here." Haru mentioned with a shy tone.

"Sure. If you want, we could go somewhere to eat and chat." Kazumi smiled at her and her upper class friend nodded.

The two girls left for Shibuya where Kazumi recommended grabbing some burgers from Big Bang Burger:

"Was this alright? Haru-senpai looks even more nervous than before…" Kazumi wondered as she saw the auburn haired girl looking side to side.

"Senpai? So what was the important thing?" She asked her trying to enter in conversation

"Ah, yes! Ehm…" Haru snapped out of her worried state, "I'm sorry. This kind of place…I would feel conflicted if someone recognized me."

"But anyway, I wanted to really strike a deal with you." Haru mentioned.

"With me…? What is it about?" Kazumi asked, confused.

"I mentioned to you before that I wanted to grow my own vegetables to be independent from my father's business, right?" Haru said as she looked down, "You see…I don't think it's possible anymore. But, part of me wants to keep trying."

"That's why I want you to help me out to grow the vegetables and sample them." Kazumi heard her attentively as she felt that the girl was trying to not sound desperate, "T-That would really be of help to you if you could use them, right?"

"This deal is so sudden…" Kazumi thought for a moment, "I could really get some improved recipes for the LeBlanc curry if I take it. But, most importantly, Haru-senpai really needs my support…"

"Sure. I'm looking forward to it." Kazumi smiled as she offered her hand to Haru.

"...Kazumi-chan…I'm really grateful!" Haru accepted her handshake, showing a gleeful expression. Their shaky deal was made despite Haru hiding her reasons:

"I am thou. Thou art I.

Thou hast acquired a new vow.

It shall become the wings of rebellion

That breaketh thy chains of captivity.

With the birth of the Empress persona,

I have obtained the winds of blessing

That shall lead to freedom and new power."- a new arcana card with the inscription of "The Empress" appeared in front of Kazumi and disappeared into her chest with one star placed into it.

"Well, that was really all there was…" Haru shook her head ashamed.

"Our orders are almost done. We could just eat and chat some more before going home", Kazumi suggested, "Right! Have you done anything fun this summer?".

After having an entertaining conversation, Kazumi went home. Once there, she figured she could pay a visit to Ohya in the bar since she has not heard of her as of lately:

"I'm here, Lala-san!" Kazumi arrived at Crossroads and enthusiastically greeted the bartender.

"Oh, but if it's you, honey." Lala said surprised as she came to the counter, where Ichiko was sitting with a sour expression.

"It's been a while, Ohya-san." The frizzy haired girl mentioned as she faced the journalist.

"Oh, it's you, the phangirl." The woman replied surprised to see her, "Are you here to see me? Sorry, but I am waiting for someone and also running from someone."

"Is that so…?" Kazumi replied in surprise.

"That's right, and you probably should get out of here too." Ichiko nodded with an annoyed frown. The woman was ready to storm off whenever, and suddenly, she went to the entrance of the bar, "Agh. I can't just sit around anymore!"

"Ohya-san…?" The girl replied as she followed her there.

"This is really annoying…Where is that idiot!?" The bobcut journalist grumbled annoyed as she looked side by side, while Kazumi was observing that a middle-aged man in a teal shirt, wearing glasses, and black pants noticed them and seemed to come at them.

"Uhm. Do you know that guy, Ohya-san?" Kazumi called her attention to glance at the guy.

"Crap! Come, we gotta hide!" Ohya mumbled as she guided Kazumi back to the bar.

"Ohya, there you are! What do you think making me look all over the place for you!?" The middle-aged man caught them however. From what Kazumi picked up from their long conversation, the man was Ohya's chief and he was here to find out why she was ignoring his calls and investigating places unrelated to her star topic, the Phantom Thieves.

"So tell me about it, why are you sneaking around behind the company's back?" The chief demanded.

"I'm honestly not…I just…" Ichiko sighed in hopelessness. One could tell she was cornered.

"What is going on? Ohya-san is doing her best job." Kazumi interrupted, trying to help Ichiko out of that complication. Her sudden interruption gave the journalist an idea.

"All right. I'll tell you." Ohya fixed her posture to pretend honesty, "This girl right here aims to pursue a career in journalism and I am tutoring her!"

"What!? You mean to tell me you brought a minor to these kinds of places!?" The chief mentioned in shock.

"That's right. I am teaching her that this is how journalism works." The woman nodded, "That's why I kept it a secret. She hasn't gotten involved with alcohol or drugs but god knows what kind of law are we breaking?"

"...Is that true, young lady?" The middle-aged man asked Kazumi who nodded three times like she was in a nervous rush to not blow their lie.

"O-Ohya-san has given me a lot of tips!" Kazumi stuttered, "The world of showbitz sounds so exciting~"

"Huh…Fine, whatever…" The chief sighed in resignation, "Just don't go and miss any more deadlines, alright!?", he looked at the journalist as he said that.

"Yes, sir. Can we…go now?" Ohya nodded.

"One more thing." The chief crossed his arms, "I could've sworn the reason you were sneaking around was so you could follow up your old partner's case."

"Huh…!?" Ohya backed off in surprise. It seems like she was truly cornered once again.

"Wow, time flies…Ohya-san, were you going to teach me movie reviewing now, right?" Kazumi tried to interrupt once more.

"Like I said, chief, I am in personal business, I promise!" Ichiko excused, "Can't make my student miss her curfew after all."

"Fine, I'll back off for now." The middle-aged man replied disgusted by not getting a straight answer, "But don't go pulling any funny stuff, OK!? The board wants me to keep a close eye on you. You've been warned."

The man left. Before Kazumi could ask about what he meant, Ichiko rambled about how she gave a good act to save her butt from that guy, who apparently no woman would approach in a bar. To this interaction, Kazumi felt closer to the journalist and the Devil arcana gained a fourth star. Ohya mentioned that she did not have the time to listen to her reports for that night and suggested her to go back home. By effectively deceiving the executive journalist, she felt she was getting more charismatic.

*Kazumi's charm increases by 3*

August 9th

A rainy day. Kazumi went early to Shibuya to visit the Velvet Room. On her way, the train was not full, so she took the chance to read the book 'Father of Hoodoo Magic''.

*Kazumi's kindness increases by 3*

"..." Will made a silent grunt as he saw her in front of him.

"...Are you still angry at me…?" Kazumi asked, feeling uneasy about his intense gaze.

"Of course not!" Will exclaimed flustered, which made Kazumi take a step back, but Will calmed down, "You seem different somehow. I can't pinpoint exactly why that is."

"Well, what's your business today, client?" he asked while distractedly smashing his mace against his hand.

"I was going to ask what's the next task on the list." She asked him.

"Oh, that." Will said with a thought on his mind, "I believe it was another hard fusion."

"A place full of joyful people and lifeless machines." Victor replied as he slowly came out of the Velvet Room's door, "Taking us there is your next task."

"Damn it, Victor!" Will cursed, as he could not get away with it anymore.

"Joyful people and lifeless machines…" Kazumi thought about it, "Oh, that would be a theme park!"

"Well, since you figured it out, take us there." Will demanded.

"I would love to, but…it's raining so they probably closed it." Kazumi mentioned with a helpless expression, "Don't worry, I will bring you both once it shines out again."

"Do not rush. These tasks are for the sake of your rehabilitation." Victor mentioned but then felt something, "Uhm? Client…"

"Yes…?" Kazumi asked him, wondering about his sudden change in expression.

"It seems you have accepted that rogue shadow from last time." Victor mentioned, "Interesting. I am sure Master would be pleased to have an audience with you about this."

"Right. Well, I will see you next time then." Kazumi nodded obediently.

Kazumi then received a text message from Makoto. He wanted to meet with her after class given that he was able to convince Eiko to talk after summer classes with him. With her plans changed, she decided to go:

"Yahoo~ Makoto-senpai." Kazumi met her partner right at the entrance of the student council room.

"Asaka-san. Thanks for coming." Makoto vowed with a relieved smile, "Agh. My hands are sweating…"

"I believe you can do it!" Kazumi made a gesture to cheer him up.

Once inside, Eiko met them both. The girl crossed her arms uninterested:

"Well, Takao…I'm glad you gave us your time…" Makoto started the conversation a bit nervous.

"Don't mind it. It was the perfect chance for me to take a break from these shitty courses…" Eiko replied with an annoyed gesture, "So, what did you two lovebirds come to tell me?"

"We're not lovebirds…!" Makoto exclaimed, "Like I was saying before, Asaka and I…"

"Yeah, sorry about the way I lashed out. How cringe..." Eiko shook her head as she interrupted him, "I don't really care now that I met someone else. He's much more mature than you, president."

"Ah, is that so…?" Makoto mumbled, confused. He was wondering whether that meant the whole issue was solved by itself, "Well, I'm happy for you I guess."

"You bet you are, Mr. Prez." Eiko went back to her phone screen just watching videos, "I mean, dating the rumored criminal without consequences? That takes some guts."

"Takao-san. We're not dating." Kazumi clarified to her.

"Tell that to a blind person." Eiko replied without looking at them, "Going for a movie together? That's just the type of stuff my hubby and I do."

"Who needs a guy who wouldn't answer my letter when I can look at one that mega pampers me with attention?" Her comment hit directly into Makoto's heart, who felt like the worst kind of person for dismissing her like that, "Besides, why is he calling you by your last name? Sounds cold and distant, even for friends", that added offense against the upstanding student.

"That boyfriend of yours sounds very nice." Kazumi replied with a nervous smile, feeling like she could not do anything to fix the emotional damage Makoto had received, "Is he a student of Shujin?"

"Aren't you curious?" Eiko said with a smirk, "I met him at the cafe I work at in Shinjuku."

"Really? That sounds marvelous." Kazumi mentioned.

"You should work there too if you're out of cash. The name's After School Salon." Eiko kept talking, as Makoto snapped out of his guilt, and started to hear her attentively, "They make you wear some unusual costumes, if you're into that."

"Ah…" Eiko remembered the main reason why she was there in the first place, "Well, I think I got a good break out of summer school. Thanks for that, Mr. Prez."

"See ya again, Ms. criminal." Eiko bid goodbye to both of them before she left.

"...Well, that was unexpected." Kazumi commented as the room filled with silence, "So, all that starts well, ends well right?"

"She still thinks we're dating though." Makoto commented with an exhausted face.

"I don't mind. It's been that way since I helped you out with the pamphlets, remember?" The frizzy haired girl replied with a smile, "Besides, rumors are rumors."

"Are they…?" Makoto looked down, concerned, "I feel like some rumors might be true. In fact, I am not giving up on talking this through with Takao."

"What do you mean?" Kazumi murmured, confused.

"Remember when I told you that Shinjuku was not a place for students like us?" Makoto mentioned, and she nodded back, "That's because of the kind of place it has always been. Crime and prostitution were a staple of Shinjuku a long time ago, but it got better after surveillance cameras were placed around; making it easier to reduce crime."

"However, that place is still rotten to the core." Makoto said with an intense face, "Takao is just a student like us. Whoever she met there might not have the best intentions with her…"

"You're acting like you're jealous…" Kazumi shook her head, "Did the mention of her boyfriend hurt your ego that much…?"

"I-I don't know about that! Maybe…?" Makoto exclaimed as he frowned flustered, "Don't you think she's taking it working in that salon a little too lightly?"

"Oh, you mean she might be in danger?" Kazumi frowned in concern, "Maybe we could give a visit to that place then."

"Are you sure? Shinjuku is not–" Makoto denied that idea.

"It'll be fine." Kazumi stood up enthusiastically, "I actually frequent the area at night for reasons. Besides, I doubt anyone will approach me if you're there with me."

"Why do you say that?" Makoto asked curiously.

"Remember the guy that tried to scout me in Shibuya that time? I doubt anyone will mess with a girl accompanied by your tall and straightforward presence." Kazumi nodded with a smile.

"That…I guess I'm glad to hear it." Makoto smiled in relief. By his reaction, she felt that her encouragement made him closer to her. Then the Star arcana gained its fourth star.

"By the way, there's something that Takao said that really stuck with me…" Makoto scratched his head ashamed, "I don't really call you by your first name, do I?"

"Now that you mentioned it…It's true." Kazumi made a fist against her left hand as if she just paid attention to it, "You keep saying 'Asaka' like a robot."

"H-Hey! I am not a robot!" Makoto exclaimed, feeling offended.

"...Beep bop." Kazumi muttered after a silence, making him even more flustered, and she had to cover her mouth trying not to laugh.

"Cut it out! Agh, don't tell me other people also think I act like a robot?" Makoto covered his eyes with his palm, "I thought I became more empathetic after I awakened my persona…"

"Don't mind, don't mind." Kazumi calmed down to cheer him on, "You can still grow. That's why you came to me in the first place."

"You're right…" Makoto faced her and his face changed to a more serene expression, "I really owe you one, Kazumi."

"Anytime, Makoto-senpai." she nodded at him with a smile.

On her train home, Kazumi saw a message from Iwai who required her assistance, so she headed to Untouchable:

"Good evening!" She entered the store, noticing that there were no customers.

"Welcome." Iwai directed a glance at her from his relaxed seat.

"What's it going to be today?" She asked to get straight to business.

"Come here." Iwai called for her to get closer and whispered to her, "Don't act so enthusiastic, dumbass. You're gonna make trouble for us!"

"Y-Yes…" The girl stuttered in disappointment for being scolded.

"Anyways, I'll get you to do some store training." Iwai stood up, "I'm supposed to be runnin' an honorable business here, y'know?"

"I'm all ears." Kazumi made a respectful vow. For the rest of the evening, Iwai taught her about the types of weapons he had on stock, how to check for orders, the inventory he had and cleaning. Through the whole training, Kazumi felt like she learnt more about how to proficiently use those weapons.

"How's it goin', kid? You gotta start actin' like a normal employee." Iwai mentioned as he checked on her while she was learning the sorting of his parts inventory.

"Is this really necessary? Doesn't seem like you need a part-timer given how you don't have that many customers." Kazumi asked, "Don't worry though. I can handle it."

"You're a pretty good observer." Iwai crossed his arms, "Truth enough, customers have been runnin' thin lately. Some guy wrote rumors on the internet about how my goods are just cheap knockoffs."

"Once you get a bad rep, it's hard to shake it off." The gun shop owner frowned.

"I can relate to that." The frizzy haired girl said as she shook her head in sadness.

"A kid like you…?" Iwai murmured a bit surprised, "Well, it ain't like being a gun enthusiast is a common hobby for a girl. Don't give me any details tho, I don't wanna know."

"I wasn't intending on giving you a sob story either." Kazumi replied with a confident smile, "So, about what happened at the diner…"

"I suppose I'll have to fill you in", Iwai relaxed his posture as he proceeded to explain that the guy behind the rumors about his weapons was Tsuda, a lieutenant in the Hashiba Clan of the Yakuza and his used-to-be sworn brother. Iwai's current business with him made it so he had his hands tied as any misstep will result in the gun shop owner getting swarmed; that was why he needed Kazumi and her courageous front.

"Hold one second. There's something else…" Kazumi interrupted him, "I believe you also mentioned your son, Kaoru-kun, right? You said that I should keep him out of all of this."

"That's right." Iwai replied with a rough expression, "He's always askin' me if he can help out here, always worryin' about what I'm gettin' up to. He doesn't know his old man's an ex-yakuza so I tend to shush him outta this."

"Awww he's a good dad." Kazumi thought with a serene expression. Iwai was pretty scary so saying out loud would probably sour his mood towards her.

"H-Hello…" the shy greet of a teenager was suddenly heard after the ring of the door opened.

"Welcome~" Kazumi replied with a joyful tone, like she was greeting a customer in a normal store. She noticed that the customer was a boy she had seen before, in that store nonetheless.

"Y-You are…!" The young boy slightly blushed as he saw her. He had a clean and upstanding appearance: with a long sleeve white shirt, a sleeveless black vest, black pants and glasses.

"Huh…? I told you to stop comin' around here." Iwai scolded the boy with his intimidating look, "Don't you see I'm busy?"

"But…" the boy looked down disappointed, as he was being shushed out by his own father again. He frowned and decided to ignore his warning, "Pleased to meet you, I'm Kaoru Iwai."

"..." Iwai grunted, surprised by his disobedience.

"Nice to meet you, Kaoru-kun. My name's Kazumi Asaka." Kazumi greeted him with a smile, "I'll be working as a part-timer here from today on."

"Is that so…?" Kaoru said in shock, as if fortune was smiling upon him, "Say, Dad…can't I…?"

"The answer's no." Iwai replied giving him no chance to even ask, "Just go home'n'study, Kaoru. You've got entrance exams coming up, remember?"

"..." Kaoru sighed, "Okay, I guess I'll be going then…"

The boy then looked at Kazumi: "Uhm. I hope I can see you next time." He mentioned sheepishly.

"Good luck and work hard." Kazumi nodded and smiled at him, so he did not feel too bad.

Soon as he left, Iwai shook his head on disapproval:

"Hormones are a pain in the ass." Iwai took a deep breath after all of that unfolded, "Well, since you formally introduced each other, don't be surprised if I ask you to take him on 'dates' while I'm doing business."

"D-Dates…!?" Kazumi thought as a chill traveled through her spine, "N-No, I can't panic! This is for the sake of our deal!"

"I'll do my best." She nodded instead.

"Atta girl. You are a bit of a dumbass but I have a soft spot for those kinds of people." Iwai mentioned as he laughed, "I expect a lot from you. So, in exchange for the work you have been doing 'till now, I'll add some options to the special menu."

"You're great! Iwai-san!" Kazumi smiled, feeling that their bond grew deeper, and the Hanged Man arcana gained a third star. Once done, she returned home.

*Medium customization unlocked*

*Kazumi's proficiency increases by 2*

*Kazumi's proficiency is now Masterful*

August 10th

It was the afternoon and Kazumi had gone to Shinjuku to ask Chihaya for a luck reading. The fortune teller told her that she might get a chance to improve her charm that day, but there was something else. Something that the girl with glasses thought was unusual:

"How peculiar. It says something more too." Chihaya had shaken her head in disbelief while saying that, "The Justice arcana. It seems you might also have to encounter a situation where you shall choose what's right."

"Uhm. I wonder what that meant…" Kazumi thought as she was walking around the streets of Akihabara and saw a maid café called Alice's Apron, "Must be this one."

"Ah." The frizzy haired girl looked up to find a girl in a maid outfit, black eyes and light brown hair tied as twintails in front of her, calling for her attention, "Welcome~ You're so cute!"

"Eh? Uhm…Thank you…" Kazumi got embarrassed by her sudden compliment.

"Because you're cute, surely…you're looking to work part-time here~?" The girl said enthusiastically as she pointed with a cute pose towards the hiring poster next to the window.

"I don't mind, but…" Kazumi nodded with a nervous smile feeling that the proposition was too sudden.

"Please!!" The twintails maid bowed to her, "This place is going to collapse if I don't get more customers!"

"Got it. Got it." The frizzy haired girl replied with a sigh.

The employee with twintails invited Kazumi inside and gave her a maid uniform of her own. She explained to her that she had to play a character in order to get clients and the manager told her that they were lacking a tsundere maid:

"Mewhehe. You look kinda cute in those clothes." Morgana mentioned to her in the lockers while she was taking off her glasses, "Wait. Are you going to be alright without them?"

"Oh don't worry, I am nearsighted." Kazumi replied, "Plus, I can't help but to feel embarrassed about this kind of job… It's better if no one can recognize me."

"Let's just confirm our target and you can rest." Morgana nodded, feeling concerned by her.

Once outside, the twintails maid, Clara, indicated her to a table in the corner with two college girls:

"Alright. I just have to act like a tsundere…" Kazumi gave herself some mental advice, "Wait, how do I do that…?"

"Welcome, young ladies." She started with the greeting, "My name is Erina, I'll be your maid."

"Oh…" one of the college girls muttered surprised by the formality, "Hello. What kind of maid are you?"

"Is this your first time?" The other asked, and Kazumi nodded confused by their question, "I see…No offense but part of the experience here is the act."

"I see!" Kazumi exclaimed, surprised, and tried to think faster on how a tsundere may act.

"Hmp. Welcome." Erina made a frown of disgust as she directed to them, "Are you gonna order something? If you aren't, then leave!"

"Is this the sadistic type of maid…?" The college girls wondered in unison.

"Ah, Erina-chan. Can I have a relaxing coffee and a Love Pancake, pretty please?" One of them ordered.

"Ooh-hot Tea and Love Pancake for me, please~" The other one ordered.

"Got it. Don't go rushing me, m-masters." Erina replied still with the same frown, which the customers got she's supposed to be the tsundere maid. The rest of their order went as smoothly as they wanted; though Kazumi inner cringed at the way their eyes lightened up when she went too harsh on the 'sour' side of the maid's personality.

She attended a couple of more customers; unfortunately she couldn't get any clues so far:

"Ryuji-kun, I swear to my box of melon milk that if you were wrong…I'm going to make you pay for this." Kazumi yelled internally as she could not handle using the personality of 'Erina' anymore.

"Achoo!!" Casually walking by Akihabara station, Ryuji sneezed, "Weird. It ain't that cold…"

After taking a break, Kazumi went back to work. Clara mentioned that there was a new customer that did not mind the kind of maid he got and she was the only one available:

"Welcome home, Master." Erina got to work with her sour attitude, "Don't make any mistakes. You're not that special, anyway."

"...Asaka-san…?"

"Eeek…!" Kazumi broke character with a loud gasp once she saw Akechi's dumbfounded expression; because he was her assigned customer, "A-Ake…Why here…?", and then she started to shake nervously. Surely it could not get worse.

"Are you alright, Kazumi!?" or it could, given that Ryuji had already rushed to her rescue once he heard her gasp.

"Ryuji-kun!?" She exclaimed in surprise.

"Akechi!?" Ryuji noticed the illustrious prince detective in the same space.

"What's with all the screaming over there?" The manager called the attention of the teenagers, "If you aren't customers, I'm gonna ask you to leave the establishment."

The three of them exchanged glances with each other and before Akechi could react, Ryuji sat down next to him and grabbed him around the shoulders:

"Hey man! Sorry for the wait!" He pretended to be casual.

"...I don't even know you." Akechi murmured nonchalantly with a bit of annoyance, trying to take off his arm.

"P-Pardon us, manager. These two are…my acquaintances." Kazumi explained as she made a slight bow, "I'll dispatch them with our service immediately."

"Good, good, keep at it, Erina." The manager nodded and left, while the two rebels let out a sigh.

"I am not in need of your hugging services." Akechi mentioned as he faced Ryuji who immediately took his arm off his shoulders and sat down two chairs apart.

"Shaddap. You were just the excuse and you almost blew it." Ryuji replied with a lowly grunt, "Wait a second, what are you doin' here?"

"I could ask the same of both of you." Akechi asked with a confident smile towards Kazumi.

"Don't know what you're talking about…I am just working." Kazumi replied while sweating, "Ah! Are you gonna order or not!?"

"Oh. I literally just noticed that." Ryuji said surprised, "Damn, you really go far and beyond for these investigations."

"Shut up, blonde idiot!" Going into the character of Erina, Kazumi yelled at Ryuji for blowing up their intentions in front of Akechi no less, "Order something! I don't have all day!"

"W-What's with that attitude!?" Ryuji yelled back.

"Well, then, Erina-chan, your master orders some coffee and pancakes." Akechi ordered after looking at the menu. He clearly understood the rules of that business.

"Alright." Erina noted it with a frown, "And for you Master Ryuji?"

"Don't change the context!" Ryuji refuted, obligating Kazumi to approach his ear, pull from it and whisper:

"Just play along. I'll explain later."

"Sincere Omelette…I'll take that." Ryuji replied defeated.

"Got it. I'll ring this up, you better not leave, Masters!" Erina replied with a stutter.

"...Seriously, what the hell…?" Ryuji shook his head confused.

"I thought you'll be the type to frequent these places." Akechi commented, "Since you look like you have nothing better to do."

"What? Detective intuition?" Ryuji replied, annoyed.

"More like you are the world's most open book." Akechi mentioned, "Well, since you blurred out an investigation. I'll have to rely on your big mouth."

"None of your business." Ryuji crossed his arms, refusing to see his mistake, "Ain't giving ya info for free, hell, I ain't giving you any."

"I suppose I'll have to reveal my own information in exchange?" Akechi asked nonchalantly as Ryuji was not cooperating, "For a few weeks, customers of this establishment have been appearing in compromising and humiliating positions in the bridge of Akihabara. I believe the culprit must be either an employee here or another customer."

"..." Ryuji heard without saying a word. He knew it was the same rumors he heard.

"I see. So you guys are investigating the same case for different reasons?" Akechi mentioned, as Ryuji said nothing, "That is to say, Asaka-san did a good job by getting hired here. Maybe I should discuss the details with her."

"She's not gonna tell ya anythin'." Ryuji said to him with a frown, "Tough luck, detective."

"I was not asking for your permission." Akechi shook his head, still confident, "I believe she is more reasonable than you."

"Here, your food." Erina came back with a tray, "It's hot so don't be a pair of idiots and burn your tongues."

"I don't get why you're actin' like this…" Ryuji shook his head while he was sweating and exhausted.

"Erina-chan, you are so sweet." Akechi played along with a smile, "But my pancakes have no syrup on them…"

"..." Kazumi let out a sigh, thinking that Akechi really was going along, which actually bothered her, "Master Akechi, you're so useless." She said as she approached and carefully served syrup and whipped cream over the pancakes, making it picture perfect, "Here."

"Marvelous work." Akechi smiled at her, which still bothered her, "Erina-chan is really sweet and sour…"

"..." For some reason, those words clicked on Ryuji and he realized what was happening, "Erina-chan~ Can you do something special to my omelette, please~?"

"Coming. You're another useless Master Ryuji." Erina crossed her arms as she approached the other end of the table and drew a heart with the ketchup, "A heart. I-It's not like I put all my heart on it or anything."

"No, no, Erina-chan. It's not complete without a smile" Ryuji mentioned with a smirk which made Kazumi shake internally.

"L-Love Magic, please make my master's meal extra delicious…" She muttered in a shy tone as she made a shaky heart with her hands over her head.

"Non non, where's the smile?" Ryuji shook his head in disapproval.

"Love Love Magic! Make my Master's meal extra delicious~~!" Erina exclaimed during a round heart to the chest while holding a nervous smile. Ryuji did not lose time in taking a photo for the moment, but of course, the camera shutter denounced him*.

"..." Kazumi looked at him with the most deadpan look. If there was going to be another case of a guy hanging from their pants in the Odaiba Bridge, it was going to be her blonde friend in front of her.

"Ahahaha…" Akechi could not help but to laugh at the utter clown behavior present in front of him, "Oh, pardon me. I have never been in the presence of such a casual comedy."

"Well, now that you are calmer, how about we discuss this after the end of your shift?" Akechi said as he directed at Kazumi.

"I-I don't mind." She replied.

After she returned to the back, Kazumi saw Clara taking her break:

"Clara…?" She asked as she saw her worries.

"Oh. How's your first day going?" She asked her as she left her phone aside, "Everyone heard those customers screaming at you. This work sucks sometimes, huh?"

"Were you bullied today…?" The frizzy haired girl asked.

"Ah. I don't mind. I am a clumsy maid so part of my character is to mess up orders." Clara shook her head in dismissal, "But…you have heard the rumors, right?"

"Rumors? The ones about the Odaiba Bridge?" Kazumi asked with interest. Finally, some clues.

"Yes…" Clara looked down, "Turns out, all the people that got that punishment were clients that treated me badly in the context of this personality."

"I-Is that so…?" Kazumi muttered surprised, "Could it be that you have a stalker…?"

"Well…I wonder if it's her…" Clara mumbled worriedly, "It's just my imagination, but there was this customer that used to come here on Wednesdays and one time she actually got defensive when one of the customers started to be mean to me."

"The manager kicked her out." Clara mentioned, "I attended her a couple of times, but I believe her name was Chou Nakamura. She had a beautiful butterfly tattoo on one of her legs too."

"Ah, I should go back to work." Clara stood up, "Is it almost the end of your shift? I heard the manager talking a lot of good things about you!"

"Ah, yeah." Kazumi nodded, "So Chou Nakamura, huh…".

Kazumi finished her shift after much torture, but it was not fruitless. She rejoiced as it meant she would never have to step into that establishment ever again.

*Kazumi's charm increases by 6*

At the corner, the two polar opposites of boys were waiting for her:

"Yo." Ryuji made a greeting gesture, "How did it go?"

"...You two waited for me…" Kazumi mentioned, confused.

"Your friend here was nagging me to leave all the time. It was not pleasant at all." The charming detective mentioned, "I believe we have as much chemistry as oil and water."

"I don't get along with snobs. Sorry to burst your bubble." Ryuji replied with a frown.

"Men…" Kazumi thought with a hopeless feeling as she remembered Ryuji chatting with Akechi with a joyful expression about their meal after she left. Though the detective was not amused by the one-sided chat at all.

"Well, then, I assumed you worked on this establishment because of the rumors, did you not?" Akechi got back on topic.

"Are you investigating them as well? What happened to catching the Phantom Thieves?" Kazumi asked him.

"Standing around doing nothing is tedious, so I pick a few cases to investigate on my own." Akechi explained, "Unless you have any information to exchange about the Phantom Thieves that police have not gathered?"

"It would be nice to know anything since Medjed is threatening to expose private information." Kazumi replied while looking at Ryuji so he did not interrupt, "I would never leave my house if that maid photo got leaked online for example."

"Is that so? Then, what reasons do you have to investigate this case, Asaka-san?" Akechi asked, "You wouldn't go as far as doing something you were uncomfortable with, if you didn't have a reason, right?"

"..." Kazumi went silent.

"Like I said, it ain't your business." Ryuji interrupted, "How about you buzz off to do your own investigation, instead of relyin' on some normal teenagers like us?"

"I am merely asking for a collaboration." Akechi shook his head, "Of course, for that I require a reason."

"What exactly will happen once you get a hold of the culprit?" Kazumi asked the detective prince, "If you want our reasons, then I ask that you reply to that."

"..." Akechi sighed, feeling surprised that she was so adamant with her request, "Normal procedure. The culprit will receive their retribution depending on the charges."

"Would that correct their behavior?" Kazumi asked, "It's no use to punish without a criminal learning their lesson."

"She's right. If that ain't happening, the person would be released and go on to do the same thing all over again." Ryuji frowned as he said that.

"The law is for the benefit of the people, not the criminals." Akechi explained, "If the culprit wants to change their ways, it is up to them entirely. Especially with such a petty crime. There's no easy way for everyone to just change their hearts."

"..." Ryuji bit his lower lip trying to hold on 'of course it's easy, dumbass' from coming out of his mouth.

"Well, then, in that case, I would let you in on some information about this case." Kazumi replied to Ryuji's surprise, "In exchange, you have to let me talk to the culprit before she's taken for questioning."

"So you agree to collaborate? Interesting deal." Akechi replied with a confident smile, "Unfortunately, I have yet to hear your reasons in order to trust you."

"Kazumi is a good person." Ryuji replied with a frown, "She's the type of person of seeing others in trouble and helpin' them. Is that enough of a reason for you?"

"Ryuji-kun…" Kazumi gasped, surprised that he decided to step in at that moment.

"I don't know what's goin' over your head, but if you think Mr. Detective over here can do something; then the deal is as good as it can get." he replied with an exhausted expression.

"Yes. Thank you for trusting me." Kazumi nodded with a smile, "Well, Akechi-kun?"

"I'll concede. You are after all a significant witness now." Akechi said with a nonchalant tone, though he felt frustrated that he could not get something out of them.

"Then, I heard this from one of the employees…" Kazumi proceeded to explain to them all about Chou Nakamura and the incident from before.

"A butterfly tattoo on her leg…?" Ryuji mentioned as he crossed his arms, "I recall seeing that somewhere."

"Where?" Kazumi wondered.

"Here in Akihabara. I think it was in a store…" Ryuji tried to remember more.

"According to your description, Nakamura might be a potential suspect." Akechi mentioned, "But even if the variables seem related; the victims of the crime could've pinpointed her description."

"You are so outta touch." Ryuji commented, annoyed by his deduction, "Ya think the people that those criminals the Phantom Thieves changed their hearts were abusin', could even speak up?"

"Why would they not?" Akechi asked, thinking that it was his chance to inflict low morale on their rivals.

"How about we just find Nakamura and confirm whether she's involved or not?" Kazumi frowned as she wanted to avoid bringing up that subject in front of the prince detective.

The other two agreed and soon enough, they found the suspect exiting the home electronics store. Clara left around the same time to say goodbye to her current customers, who did not refrain from insulting her for giving shitty service:

"I don't think that's part of the roleplay…" Ryuji commented with a frown as he felt the customers were stepping across a line to actual insults.

"Quiet. Nakamura stopped." Akechi murmured to him. They observed how the customers left laughing and Nakamura soon followed them closeby to the station, and the group of three followed them at a distance. Once in the station, Nakamura seemed to act with sweetness towards them, telling them that she knew of a better Maid Café across the street. Once the two bit the bait, Nakamura directed them by a dark alley as a shortcut, and slowly pulled up a silver baseball bat from her large bag:

"Hold it there!" Ryuji exclaimed as he grabbed the girl's arm unbeknownst to her and made her drop the bat.

"W-Who are you, shitty bastard!?" Chou complained as she tried to defend herself.

"Chou Nakamura. I suggest you stop resisting." Akechi mentioned as he showed a video of her pulling up her bat and intending to attack the guys without provocation, "You're under arrest for the suspicion of the incidents in Odaiba Bridge."

"Woah, this girl…!?" One of the guys that she tried to attack, reacted scared.

"Doesn't that mean we were about to…" The other one realized what Akechi was talking about. Chou resorted to punching Ryuji with her other hand and made a run for it.

"Wait!" Kazumi went after her and without hesitation, grabbed the bat and used it to barricade her against her body.

"L-Let me go!!" Chou pushed the bat to release herself, "H-How strong are you…?"

"Listen. You can't just do those things to people because they are following a roleplay!" Kazumi exclaimed at her.

"Huh…?" Chou stopped resisting after hearing that, "What are you talking about?"

"You two! You were attended by the clumsy maid, Clara, right?" Kazumi turned around to ask the two guys.

"Oh? Yeah?" One of them replied, "What's with that…?"

"Clara was doing her best and you two tried to put her self-esteem on the floor!" Chou accused them as she tried to take the bat from Kazumi.

"Hold it. Nakamura." Akechi stopped her, "Don't add charges to your arrest."

"Who are you? The police?" Chou replied as she raised her eyebrow dubious.

"Just a passerby detective." Akechi mentioned it with a pleasant expression.

Akechi advised the men to leave while the rebels and him cornered Chou nearby the local police station:

"What? Aren't you gonna hand me in?" Chou expressed with annoyance while she was handcuffed and Ryuji was in possession of her belongings.

"I made an agreement." Akechi explained as he looked at Kazumi.

"Nakamura. You were doing those things because you tried to defend Clara for being bullied, isn't that right?" Kazumi asked her, but did not receive a reply, "Clara told me you did the same thing back at the cafe once and they kicked you out."

"What? Why are you buddy-buddy with Clara-chan?" Chou replied with an aggressive tone, "You're the other maid they hired today right!? You get to insult the clients but Clara has to be the one insulted. How fair is that!?"

"Shuddup. Kazumi was only actin' and so is that girl Clara." Ryuji replied, annoyed by her way of speaking to his friend, "That's the point of the damn place."

"Actin'!? What are you even about, blonde monkey?" Chou refused to believe it.

"The selling point of Maid Cafés is to be served by girls disguised as maids with a fixed personality." Akechi explained, "Asaka-san for example had to act like a maid that has problems expressing her emotions and does it all through rage alone."

"Tsundere, Akechi. The term's Tsundere." Ryuji replied, exhausted by his roundabout explanation.

"Clara is a clumsy maid. Her service is to make mistakes with a cute smile." Kazumi mentioned, "It's normal that some customers will scold her for messing up her orders."

"You mean they weren't actually mistreating her…?" Chou said with wide eyes.

"I can't say that for sure." Kazumi shook her head, "It's possible that many actually behave poorly on purpose, but Clara doesn't mind. What really worries her are your crimes."

"What…?" Chou mentioned speechless.

"Ya really think it's good for a business that the customers get assaulted after eatin' there?" Ryuji asked her.

"Clara herself asked me to work so they could get more customers." The frizzy haired girl said, "You jeopardized her work with your actions."

"Oh no…! T-That was not my intention!!" Chou cried suddenly, "I am a clumsy person too and people being mean is the worst…Clara is the first person I ever…"

"It's no use crying to me." Kazumi replied with a soft tone, "Clara is the one you have to apologize for, and some of the guys you tortured for her."

"Yes…Thank you." Chou calmed down as she stopped crying, "I would do that!"

"I fear to be the harbinger of bad news…" Akechi-kun stepped ahead, "It is going to be a long day for you."

"...Understood." Chou resigned to stand up and get close to the prince detective.

"Well, that seems to be the end of our collaboration." Akechi mentioned as he made a hand gesture to Ryuji to hand in the belongings, "I hope you are as satisfied with the result as I am."

"Yeah, yeah, Kazumi did all the work for you anyways." Ryuji replied with annoyance as he handed it back.

"Well, I must admit I lack the physical strength and reactiveness that you have." Akechi mentioned with a courteous smile, "You specially avoided her from assaulting two people. I see the benefits of having someone like that side by side."

"Ah?" Ryuji was confused as to whether that was a compliment or not.

"Though I could barely handle his brain." He looked down with exhaustion.

"Bastard. Are you complimentin' me or insultin' me? Make up your mind." Ryuji cursed in between his teeth.

"Well, until we meet next time." Akechi ignored his question and left with the handcuffed girl.

The two rebels saw them leave in silence until the blonde boy finally confronted Kazumi about her decision:

"Hey, what was that all about?" He questioned her, "I thought we were gonna change that girl's heart."

"You're a slow one." Morgana popped out of the bag after remaining silent for so long, "That Akechi would have followed us if we refused to cooperate."

"No. That's not what this is about." Kazumi shook her head, "The reason I accepted was because it was the right thing to do."

"The right thing…?" Ryuji asked her, confused.

"We change the hearts of people who keep doing harm and nobody stops them." Kazumi explained, "We didn't know the intentions of the target this time nor whether her heart was distorted. Once Clara talked to me, I knew I had to know more and it turns out having Akechi-kun just made the progress to stop Nakamura faster and without him having evidence on us."

"I getchu now…" Ryuji replied with a disappointed frown, "It sucks tho. I was so excited to help ya out to get a target…"

"It's fine. At least we showed off to Akechi-kun that we are excellent detectives, aren't we?" Kazumi cheered him up with a smile.

"You know what? You're right." Ryuji mentioned with a smirk, "Say, wanna grab some food back at the Maid Café?"

"Agh. Hell no. The pink is hurting my eyes…" Morgana complained.

"It's been a long day for me too…" Kazumi replied with exhaustion, "I think I'll pass."

"Right. I guess Erina-chan needs a break after her magic spell." Ryuji mocked her while shoving his elbow on her shoulder.

"You better forget all of that before I make you rope jump with your pants down on Odaiba Bridge too." Kazumi threatened him with her deadpan expression.

"You heard Kazumi. She's not acting this time." Morgana taunted him, which sent a chill down his spine. With that crazy adventure, Kazumi could feel closer to Akechi, Ryuji and Morgana.

Kazumi returned to LeBlanc exhausted and before going to sleep, she read the book 'Wise Man's words' which made her recall that probably Chihaya's prediction was all about her encounter with Akechi. An odd encounter and probably more of them on the way.

*Kazumi's knowledge increases by 3*

*Kazumi's knowledge is now Encyclopedic*

August 11th

A rainy day with little to do. Kazumi decided that Kawakami was probably done with her work at summer school and it would be a good day to call her over. Except, it was not:

"Hello…Oh, are you perhaps Asaka-san?" An unknown lady said through the phone once she called.

"Yes. Who am I speaking with?" Kazumi asked back.

"This is the head nurse at Aoyama Hospital, speaking on behalf of Kawakami-san." The woman identified herself, and informed Kazumi about how her homeroom teacher fainted and was hospitalized. After getting the address of the hospital and room number, Kazumi headed to the hospital to visit her.

"Geez. I'm just a little overworked…" Sadayo reproached her student after hearing how she found out of her hospitalization, "It's not a big deal. But thanks for coming all the way to visit me."

"This is a bad day for me to fall like this. How am I going to make today's payment?" The exhausted woman said with a worried sigh.

"Teacher…" Kazumi frowned with worry. First she caught herself with a cold and now she collapsed. How long would she have to live like that?

"There you are!" A rude middle-aged man in a burgundy shirt exclaimed as he was let into the room with his equally older wife in a green and white blouse, "What's going on, Kawakami? I called the school but no one answered."

"Takase-san! You contacted the school…?" Kawakami mentioned in shock. Kazumi could only assume these shark loans were here to make everything worse for Sadayo, given their reactions.

"We called your phone and you didn't answer. A nurse mentioned that you were here." Mr. Takase explained with annoyance, "It's a pain for us if you miss out on a payment, y'know."

"Now, now, it's not like she wanted to collapse…" The arrogant sounding Mrs. Takase said as she tried to calm her husband, "But, our credit card payment is coming up soon, and we really need you to transfer the money."

"I-I'm sorry…" Kawakami apologized as she looked down.

"Ms. Kawakami, are these unpleasant people the Takases?" Kazumi interrupted.

"Unpleasant…? Who are you, young lady?" Mrs. Takase asked her, offended.

"She's a student of mine who came to visit me." The bedridden teacher explained, "Asaka-san, don't fire up over this. The fault is mine."

"Messing around with another student, huh? Hahahaha, you never learn do you?" Mr. Takase mocked them loud and clear, "Tsk, tsk, after all you did to him…"

"I'm sorry." Kawakami lowered her head to them once again.

"So when are you going to transfer the money?" Mrs. Takase asked while rubbing her hands together like a fly.

"I could probably send it by tomorrow…" She replied.

"Don't pay them." Kazumi said as she reached for her backpack, and approached Mr. Takase with two envelopes, "HERE!", she pushed the man with the envelopes to his chest, "That's 15,000. Now stop harassing my teacher. She collapsed because of you two!"

"Asaka-san… Don't do this…" Sadayo said disheartened as she felt ashamed that her student had to step up like that.

"Don't act so tough, kid." Mr. Takase abruptly took the envelopes and passed them to his wife so she'll count the money, "Our precious adoptive son Taiki, died because of this woman."

"Wrong. If your son was so precious to you, then he wouldn't have had to overwork himself and could've been assisting school as a normal student." Kazumi objected with a frown, "He died because of failure guardians like you two."

"You sure like to run your mouth." Mr. Takase said disgusted, "Maybe I should report you with your parents about this–"

"That's enough!" Sadayo exclaimed as she could not handle that the student she trusted on would get in trouble for her sake, "Don't involucrate her in this."

"I…I apologize for her behavior." Sadayo reclined forward as if she was vowing, "If needed, you can increase the amount of this month for that…!"

"No." Kazumi interrupted her, "Do you need another envelope for that? I'll throw it at your head if you don't leave this place immediately, pair of leeches."

"..." Mrs. Takase tried to act composed unlike Kazumi, "I feel like you misunderstand us, young lady. It's not like we're trying to extortionate this woman. It's just that she doesn't even deserve the right to teach."

"Right? Who was the one that convinced Taiki to start studying when he needed to be working?" Mr. Takase said as he looked at Sadayo who looked down in defeat, "The schoolwork on top of his part-time jobs overwhelmed him, which led to the accident…Poor Taiki, it's almost like he was murdered."

"Leave now." Kazumi said with a cold voice as she took another envelope to throw at them.

"Well, Kawakami. Your student here is making it difficult to have a heartfelt conversation." Mr. Takase said, "At last, we're looking forward to the next payment, else we'll sue the Board of Education or even talk to your school about this."

After their warning, the two arrogant adults left while rejoicing on the money. Kazumi sighed as she felt at peace that they finally left:

"Ms. Kawakami…those people…" Kazumi was about to suggest she stop giving them money.

"I have to figure out a way to make more money…" Kawakami replied instead, "I guess I'll have to transfer to the sister company of where I currently work…"

"You can't! Think this through more." Kazumi shook her head in denial.

"Why are you so caring of me, Asaka-san?" Kawakami asked with a sad frown, "You have a criminal record remember? You can't just go around looking for problems like that."

"I'm not worth it…" she kept talking as Kazumi sat down next to her, "All I really want…was a way to apologize to Takase-kun. So if his guardians demand money, then I'll just have to pay them…"

"Isn't there another way?" Kazumi insisted, "At this point they are using you as they used him."

"..." The teacher remained silent, "Sorry, my thoughts are all over the place. I'm going to need some rest."

"Ok…" Kazumi looked down, disappointed.

"I really appreciate your visit. Sure, you shouldn't have confronted them like that, but it took a weight out of me." The teacher smiled, "Next time, I'll bring you a special service, My lady." Kazumi nodded showing that she was fine. She felt that Kawakami's reliance on her made their bond deeper and the Temperance arcana gained a seventh star.

When visiting hours were over, Kazumi returned home. She received a text from Iwai who required her assistance with some intel work. Kazumi used some clothes from equipment to pretend like she was a guy while asking questions to a homeless man in Shibuya; as Iwai mentioned it would be less dangerous for her. He wouldn't do it himself as he had to take care of another business. From what the man revealed to her, someone was keeping private a 100 million business deal with the Hong Kong mafia for some reason. Once Kazumi arrived at the store to inform Iwai, she met the target of Iwai's investigation: Tsuda. The intimidating man ordered one of everything from Munehisa's arsenal and even threatened him so he could make the deal faster, by simply mentioning Kaoru's existence.

Kazumi reserved her questions for herself. Speaking out to failed adults like the Takases was one thing, but mafias and yakuzas are not as forgiving. After telling Iwai about the deal, the gun shop owner could not contain his excitement; his smile revealed how much he wanted to sweep the floor with Tsuda and it was thanks to his young assistant. The Hanged Man arcana gained a fourth star as their bond grew.

*Kazumi's proficiency increases by 3*

August 12th

The day started with Kazumi going to Shinjuku for a luck reading that indicated that her kindness was going to increase that day. She accepted Takeo's invitation to watch the movie Mes Miserables in Shibuya. An odd proposition, but it seemed like he meant well:

"That bishop guy is too much. I feel like he should cut him some slack…" Morgana whispered from the bag while Kazumi's watered eyes slightly clouded her glasses.

"Don't hold it. I'm not gonna judge you." Takeo whispered to her with a mocking smile and gave her a hypoallergenic handkerchief, thinking it was kind of cute to see her cry for those kinds of movies.

"I-I'm fine…" Kazumi stuttered as she reached for the handkerchief to clean her face. It could be said that the movie definitely touched her heart.

*Kazumi's kindness increases by 6*

*Kazumi's kindness rank is now Motherly*

Once the movie finished, both of them came out of the cinema:

"I didn't know you liked these kinds of movies, Doctor Takeo." Kazumi asked, impressed, "I thought you would be more into horror movies and murders."

"I don't." Takeo replied with a nonchalant expression.

"Eh? Then why did we…?" Kazumi said with shock.

"I've been busy lately so with no chance to check on my guinea assistant's sensory organs after the last trial, I thought this was the perfect test." Takeo replied with a mocking smile, "It seems you can still feel empathy, and taste, so the test went perfectly."

"You can't deceive me. You felt lonely because I haven't come to visit you, isn't that right?" Kazumi reproached as she made a pout.

"I did not say that." Takeo replied with a serious expression, but Kazumi did not refute so he knew he could not change her opinion, "..."

"I wouldn't mind if you come by to talk sometimes, got it?" He replied scratching the back of his head with a slight blush on his cheeks.

"Alright, Doctor Takeo." Kazumi nodded with a smile. The two of them had a good time that made them closer.

Once in LeBlanc, Kazumi received a text from Ryuji:

-"Hey, Kazumi! I found out something about Yamauchi!"

-"He's gonna go drinking at that monja restaurant in Tsukishima!"

-"You're gonna help me go undercover, right?"

~"I've been waiting for this!" Kazumi replied excitedly and headed to Tsukishima station.

Once there, they saw Yamauchi sitting with another man in a corner. Ryuji asked his friend to go ahead while he went to the bathroom. Kazumi sat patiently looking at the menu to not bring the attention of the men who probably wouldn't even notice her since they were already in their sixth cup of liquor:

-"That teacher he's with has shit on me too.", Ryuji texted her, assumingly from the bathroom.

-"Sorry but I'm gonna be hiding in the bathroom."

-"Please, just leave your phone on call so I can hear what they're sayin'."

~"Got it. You're the boss on this." Kazumi texted back and did as told. Unaware of the spy, Yamauchi and his fellow teacher talked out loud about how the volleyball team of the school has to be abandoned completely due to the scandal with Kamoshida; and that he was going to use the track team to put Shujin back into a positive spotlight; all while painting himself as a glorious miracle-making advisor. Another interesting thing they mentioned was that Nagaoka was causing troubles for Yamauchi and trying to get the old coach of the track team back; and Yamauchi was using Takeishi to get rid of him in the promise of making him the team captain, though in all honesty, he was never going to make it true and Takeishi was just his rich pawn until he would run out of use.

After they left, Kazumi waited for Ryuji to come back. The blonde boy slammed his fist against the table once he sat down:

"That effin' asshole!" He exclaimed frustrated, "If we don't so somethin' quick, he's gonna get rid of Takeishi too. God damnit!"

"So what do we do?" Kazumi asked him.

"We gotta talk to those guys. This ain't our problem but the track team's." Ryuji mentioned with a serious face, "Besides, it ain't like Yamauchi has them hands tied. I'm sure they can decide on their own what's the right thing to do."

"Oh? Seems like hanging out with Akechi-kun brought you some knowledge~" Kazumi said to him with a teasing smile.

"Yeah, right. You were the one who taught me that!" Ryuji replied with a sarcastic expression, "..."

"What is it?" Kazumi asked as he suddenly went silent.

"I was thinkin'. You know, track ain't a team sport, at least sprintin' wasn't." Ryuji commented, "You got teammates sure, but you're just lookin' out for your own time. That's why I never thought about askin' people for help or tryin' to solve our problems together. But I can't ignore the stuff they're goin' through now."

"I mean, we all had out goals'n'shit…but we were still runnin' together. They suffered with me and gritted their teeth with me." The blonde boy looked down, "So I can't just go and turn my back on 'em, right?"

"I see why you still feel guilty about all of this. Your attack against Kamoshida was a betrayal to that companionship, but I feel like they also betrayed you at the same time by singling you out", Kazumi replied with a soft yet joyful tone, "Regardless, you have grown, Ryuji-kun."

"You think so…?" Ryuji scratched his cheek nervously with the tip of his fingers, feeling a bit embarrassed, "I know it's prolly not the coolest thing to say but that's how I feel."

"No, I think it was cool." Kazumi said with a smile, "Mr. Sunny."

"Y-Yeah, thanks, cutie!" Ryuji replied with his face blushing. The bond between the two of them grew and the Chariot arcana gained a seventh star.

*Ryuji's instakill ability unlocked*

"Man, you really know how to tackle my weak spot…", and suddenly his stomach growled.

"I take it that's your weak spot…?" Kazumi mentioned with a tease.

"That's a different one. Let's eat some monja while we're here." Ryuji shook his head trying to dismiss the topic, "Oh, by the way, mum loved your curry. I think she wanted to invite you over for a meal."

"Really…? I-It's not a big deal…" Kazumi muttered feeling uneasy about being invited to Ryuji's house.

"Right? I convinced her to abandon the idea." Ryuji sighed with exhaustion.

"... I didn't say I didn't want to…" Kazumi mumbled as she directed her eyes to the menu.

"Did ya say somethin'?" Ryuji asked as he could not hear that.

"Bill is up to you! I only have money for the train. Plus, you left me here on my own." Kazumi complained.

"For real…?" Ryuji sighed with exhaustion but did not refuse her demands.

The two of them enjoyed the tasty and runny food. They went home their separate ways.

Before she was about to sleep, Kazumi checked her phone reminiscing about the week. There were photos of the sunflowers in the garden club and everyone taking a look at them, the photo Ryuji took of her while cooking curry, Yusuke also sent photos of his sketches with Kazumi as a model of the virgin Mary, though it didn't quite end up as he hoped for because baby Jesus looked like a cat, and even sent a photo of Makoto doing the anguish pose for reference…but Yusuke had to discard any attempt of using it as he thought about the words of the priest. Hopefully, Makoto would never know she has that photo. Despite the fun times, Kazumi was a bit worried about Sadayo and her problem with the Takases. If they kept extorting her, they might as well become her next target.

Take Your Time.

Author's Note:

Did you know all cameras and camera using apps in Japan are obligated to have loud shutters so as to prevent clandestine pornography? Well, now you know. Weird solution to the problem, but I respect the effort.