"Are you even listening, Niijima?"

Makoto's senses shuddered abruptly at the agitated tone.

Despite being so rotund and genuinely repulsive, Principal Kobayakawa definitely had a frightening voice. Even if said fear only came from the power he held over the school. There were many occasions that Makoto had found herself fantasising about beating the living hell out of him.

It would certainly be an easy thing to do.

However, Makoto knew better. Even if he was a coward, he was still an elder and thus, Makoto was obligated to respect him.

She sucked in her irritation and tried giving an apologetic smile. "Yes, sir. You want me to find information on the Phantom Thieves. However, what makes you believe our students are involved?" Kobayakawa scoffed and leant back against his large, leather chair. The poor thing was doing so much heavy lifting, Makoto had secretly given the piece of furniture the name 'Atlus.'

"Don't be stupid, Niijima. Why else would the first incident occur in our very halls? I'm still dealing with the fallout of that… unfortunate series of events."

There he went. Diminishing the severity of what happened.

In his mind, Kamoshida's sudden confession was nothing more than a huge inconvenience. It was like he barely even cared what the confession was even about.

Part of Makoto suspected he already knew about Kamoshida's crimes, but that couldn't possibly be the case. Could it?

"I asked you to do this weeks ago, and yet, you haven't shown a single shred of progress." The Principal grinned and puffed out his chest. His smug, arrogant chuckle sent a surge of anger up Makoto's spine. "You still wish I could write a letter of recommendation? Then I suggest you stop fooling around and get me some damn results!"

And that was it.

Not even a dismissal. The Principal simply stopped addressing her.

Outside the office, the school corridor was mostly empty. A vast majority of the student body had already left for the day. Those that remained were only there on club business or making use of the library.

Now alone, Makoto growled.

Her shoulders tensed as she walked. She slid a hand into the pocket of her skirt and ran her finger across the surface of a small device. The same device she had kept on her person for what felt like an eternity. Ever since then she was holding onto it, waiting.

She had what she needed, but her mind was in turmoil. Was it the right call?

She honestly didn't know.

Eventually, she found herself opening the door to the Student Council room. Immediately, she was bombarded with pleading and stressed ranting from the two members that had opted to remain after the day's meeting.

"Niijima, this is awful! Do you even care?"

"We're at our wits end here, and all you seem to be doing is kissing the Principal's ass!"

"Gross, Kurobe. True, but gross."

Makoto's blood began to boil ever so slightly more. She calmed herself and justified their stress in her head over and over. "Calm down and just tell me what's going on?" The two council members stuttered and hung their heads apologetically.

"Sorry, President." The boy - Kurobe - muttered. "It's just… we've got a whole bunch of reports of students falling victim to criminal scams."

This was not what Makoto needed right now.

The scams were a known issue and they were just getting more common as time passed. It was just one thing after another and it barely left Makoto any time to take a breath. However, she refused to give up. Either by sheer spite or a deep seeded sense of duty, she was determined to give everything in hopes of helping others.

"Right. Right." She rubbed her forehead and tried to think. No matter how hard she tried, however, her thoughts always circled back to Kobayakawa's demand for results. Was the Phantom Thieves more important to the Principal than the safety of his own students? These scams were supposedly run by dangerous criminals after all. Perhaps there was a way to kill two birds with one stone.

She already had what she needed for Kobayakawa.

However, perhaps she could have used it in another way.

She needed to see things for herself.

"Kurobe, Hanako? I want you to leave this matter to me." Makoto gave a genuine smile of determination. It surprised the two members but, honestly, the confidence set their minds at ease.

She would need to time this gambit.

"Welcome back!"

The old TV chirped its greeting. Sojiro was barely paying attention to it. He had more important things to focus on.

Like this damn crossword. "Six letters, to feel agitated or unsettled about something." He rubbed his chin and felt the bristle of his goatee. It was on the tip of his tongue, yet for some reason, he couldn't think of the right word. His brain was suffering a mental block and it infuriated him. Luckily, the only customer to witness his torment was a familiar one.

Yusuke sat at the far end of the counter and quietly sipped his coffee. His gaze fixated on the painting hung up near the exit.

The Sayuri.

"Hypothetically speaking, what are your thoughts on the Phantom Thieves?"

The sound of the show filtered back into Sojiro's mind.

"They've done more than your precious court of law has."

And then immediately, his blood pressure shot through the roof.

Both Sojiro and Yusuke stared at the TV. Though, in Yusuke's case, he was simply curious rather than surprised or upset. Sure enough, the voice was none other than Lynn Amamiya. For some unfathomable reason she was sitting in the live audience of a talk show and was arguing with the show's guest.

"What the hell is she playing at?" He muttered.

"Making some bold proclamations, it seems." Yusuke held a very subtle half smile.

"That girl is so damn stressful…" he paused, a lightbulb flipped on in his head, "Stress. Ah, that's the word." His tone shifted from annoyed to casual within a second. He jotted the word down into his crossword and put the thing down. "I swear she's out to give me a heart attack."

"She certainly has that effect on people."

"Did you see that show earlier?"

Makoto ignored the whispers and mutterings present in the library. She needed to focus. On top of everything, she still had to keep up her studies.

"You mean the one some of the second years got to see live yesterday? Akechi was on it, right? So lucky…"

Pencil tapped against paper. Yet, not a single thing found its way onto Makoto's notebook. Over and over, she tried reading the question she was working on. The words went in, then straight back out of her mind. It was just a jumble of letters. She wanted to snap her pencil in two. She almost accidentally had, numerous times, since coming to the library. Too many things were swirling around in her head.

"Yeah, apparently that scary transfer student got called on."

"Wait, for real?"

That pierced the veil on Makoto's thoughts. It caught her attention just enough for her to actively try to listen in.

"She started yelling about how the Phantom Thieves were better than the police. She's a psycho, I swear! She even insulted Akechi. My poor sweet boy."

"You say that about any cute boy. Still… that must have been so scary."

Makoto clenched her fist around her pencil. Amamiya denounced the police on public television? The very notion disgusted her to her very core. The police and prosecutor's office were the pinnacle of justice. How dare she belittle them just like that.

Then, of course, getting past the sentimentality behind it, Makoto's analytical side began to kick into gear.

If she were being one hundred percent honest with herself, the Phantom Thieves really had done a better job with Kamoshida. The teacher's abuse had apparently gone on for years, right under everyone's noses. Yet, the moment the Phantom Thieves came into the picture, he was exposed and brought to justice. Like magic.

No matter Makoto's thoughts, she couldn't argue with results.

Her mind turned to her late father. She glanced up at the library ceiling with a wistful smile.

What would you think about this?

A sigh passed her lips. Her fingers ran along the device in her pocket again. Was this the right call? Why had she been so hesitant? She had sat on this for a long time, yet she was still having trouble accepting her own decision.

Sae wanted her to keep quiet, do as she was told and get into a decent college. That was - up until now - all Makoto had aimed for.

But was it really the be all and end all?

Not only that, but the scamming that had started to run rampant around Shibuya was being all but ignored by the police. Students were starting to get hurt. She had to do something, or she would be just as bad as the criminals themselves.

The school's roof echoed with a short, affectionate giggle.

When Sakamoto first appeared in Haru's life, she was admittedly quite scared of him. He seemed thuggish and a little too boisterous for her tastes. Then, as things developed, his budding interest in gardening showed Haru a side of him she never expected.

The focus of her giggling swayed gently in the breeze. A small, sprouting plant that - compared to the others - was like a little baby. It was the seedling that Sakamoto had planted all by himself.

Since then, he had been taking care of it as if it were his child.

"You look a little thirsty today. Has the big meany been neglecting you?" She giggled again and gently sprinkled water over the planter.

Despite its diminutive stature, it was still quite healthy. Before long, it would begin to bloom and produce tomatoes. If the produce he brought to her from his home garden was anything to go by, this little plant would bear delicious veggies packed with nutrition and love. She giggled for a third time. Even if she was alone today, Haru couldn't help but enjoy the time spent with the plants. It was moments like this, when she was alone and happy, she dreaded going home.

Her smile faltered for a brief moment.

A twinging pain ached through her jaw. Her fiance's most recent display of love still held a grasp over her mind.

What would happen if he found out about Ryuji?

Would the beating even end at that point? A tear ran down Haru's cheek. The salty sting dragged her back to the present. She shook her head and quickly wiped it away. She desperately tried to keep her mind from going back to that subject.

Her cabbages needed pruning.

Her new planters needed fertilising and prepping for new seedings.

Her tools needed cleaning.

She needed to hurry up and just marry the man already.

Her heart sank. "That's not what I want at all…" she muttered. The plants almost seemed to react to her sullen mood. It was no use, now that the thoughts had taken root, she just couldn't bring herself to do any of the tasks she had set for herself today. She wanted a way out of this mess. A way she could be free from him and the expectations her father forced on her.

The thought of running away crossed her mind more than a few times.

However, where would she even go?

She couldn't burden Sakamoto with this. He didn't deserve to be dragged into a family drama that wasn't his own.

Sometimes, she wished the Phantom Thieves would swoop in and save her. Steal his heart or her fathers. Both would have been ideal. However, what would even change? The issue ran much, much deeper than those two men. Okumura Foods had been rotten for a while now, yet Haru ignored it. It wasn't her place to interfere. She was merely a teenage girl, what sort of influence could she possibly have?

There was the Phan Site, but that could easily be traced back to her.

So, Haru resigned herself to just grit and bear it. Because at the end of the day, she loved her father.

"Enough moping. Sorry little ones, I'm sure you're quite fed up with my problems by now." She softly spoke to her plants and continued her work. Gardening was pretty much the only thing that was truly hers, now. "Oh, look at that, you're all doing so well! Let's see… I have some special fertiliser for you today."

Sunday - June 12th

When Lynn crossed the threshold of Untouchable, she expected general grumpiness. However, what she saw was outright anger.

Iwai was one step away from blowing steam out of his nostrils.

The moment his eyes locked with Lynn's, he let out a frustrated growl. "Hey kid. Bad time." At least that meant the anger wasn't aimed at her. She gave a wave and looked around for any sign of something that'd cause his temper to flare like this. Nothing. In fact, the store was void of any customers at all.

There were at least a few around during the weekends. Not today, it seemed. Perhaps that was the reason?

"Something happen?"

He nodded and took a drag from his cigarette. The simple fact he hadn't opted to take the smoke outside meant it was probably bad. "A rumour's been goin' round online that all my goods are knock-offs. That shit ruins a business like mine. You'd probably know, Silver Demon."

True enough, low quality equipment was a huge turn off for Airsofters. Getting strapped with that kind of reputation was nothing less than a death sentence.

"Sure, but anyone with even a passing interest in this stuff can tell your gear is legit." Lynn could say that for certain. More than once, Iwai's weapons had saved her life. Granted, the average customer wasn't using them quite like how she was. Her comment earned a grunt of amusement.

"My regulars'll come back soon enough, they're just spooked."

"Know who started the rumour?"

A glint of anger flashed in his eyes. "I know exactly who pulled this damn stunt. Tsuda, the guy I had you get info on."

The memory stirred in her mind.

So this was some kind of retaliation? For what? From what little context Lynn had cobbled together, this Tsuda fellow had gotten into some sort of trouble with a deal. Iwai wanted to get to the bottom of it and - Lynn assumed - wanted to help. She, of course, could have been very wrong.

"Is… Tsuda a part of the Inoshishi?"

Iwai's expression darkened.

"The hell did you hear that name?"

"V."

He growled and adjusted his cap. "God damn it. The hell are you lookin' into them for? That's dangerous shit, kid." A finger rubbed against his stubble. He looked to be mulling something over, and eventually shrugged. "Don't answer that. I don't wanna know. Truth is, I got no damn clue anymore. Back when Tsuda and I ran with the Hashiba clan, we were rivals with the Inoshishi. But that was years ago. All I know is Tsuda's managed to work up to Second in Command and he's in the middle of some deal."

At least he was being honest now.

As worrying as this all was, it sounded like Iwai's current issue would solve itself given time. In the interim, Lynn would continue to give him her patronage.

"Speaking of deals, I hear you have a package for me." The reason she swung by to begin with flashed back into her head. Her sinister grin crawled over her jaw and supposedly, it was infectious. Iwai cracked his own smirk.

"Ah. So that's what that was about. Sneaky." Iwai rose to his feet and quickly dipped into the back room to retrieve a parcel. It was addressed to him, but it wasn't for him. "When some shady guy came in and gave me this, he said someone would ask for it today. What's with all the cloak'n'dagger, kid?"

"Sorry to use you as a middle man." Lynn's eyes gleamed at the sight of the package. Her chest began to thump and a sense of familiar excitement burst up and out in the form of a girlish squeal. Taking the package, she began to unwrap the paper and carefully opened the wooden box contained within.

There, lying secured in foam was a pure silver pistol.

Its shine was impeccable and dazzling. One could even suspect the piece was made of actual silver.

At the mere sight of it, a single tear streamed down from her eye.

"My old friend." She muttered, her smile stretching from ear to ear. "It's been far too long." Gently, she took the pistol out of its foam and held it as if it were her own child. "You really came through for me, dad. I owe you big time." By now, Iwai had all but faded from Lynn's mind. At that moment, it was just her and her weapon.

"That's a fine piece." Iwai grunted.

With dextrous fingers, Lynn made all the routine checks. Everything was just as she left it. In perfect condition.

"Say hello to Virtue. Custom fitted Desert Eagle with all the bells and whistles." Her eyes fell back toward the box. There was a second part to the package and it filled her with another rush of dopamine. "And who can forget its twin, Eclipse!" She picked up the solid black knife in her off hand.

The curved edge rounded to form a razor pointed karambit. What would have been the cutting edge gleamed just as clearly as the pistol, as if it were carved from obsidian.

Of course, it wasn't actually sharpened. The small rubber edge running the inside curve saw to that. However, at a glance, it definitely gave the impression it could slice through just about anything. These two items formed what Lynn was known for. The Silver Demon finally had her claws back.

There were stipulations preventing Lynn's family from contacting her directly. But nothing prevented them from contacting a family friend and having that friend deliver a package to an airsoft shop Lynn just so happened to know the owner of. She hated that she had to use such inconvenient methods just to talk to her parents, but Shido was - for whatever reason - very thorough in his demands.

"I guess you've earned a bit of sneakin' around. You helped me big time with that info, so I won't charge you a holder's fee."

"You're soooo kind, Iwai."

"... On second thought, 20,000 yen."

The two laughed. If Lynn hadn't already earned Iwai's respect, she knew that that joke wouldn't have been a joke.

Or maybe it wasn't a joke right now.

Lynn chose to simply take it as one and placed her weapons back in the package. She couldn't wait to get them home and perform a proper examination.

"Done with your errand? Good. Get changed." Sojiro sounded pissed. Lynn already suffered through a lecture yesterday. Her little outburst on TV apparently caused Sojiro quite a lot of problems.

So, as punishment, Lynn was to work a shift with reduced pay.

A pain, but not the end of the world. After all, Leblanc's customer traffic was incredibly manageable. Even on Sundays.

In fact, the only patrons right now were V, River and Judy.

"Sup, kiddo. Stickin' it to the man, huh?" Judy smirked and gave her a nod. Donning her apron and tying her hair pack, Lynn got to work. First order of business, washing the cups V Team had been using.

"Something about that Akechi guy just rubbed me the wrong way." Lynn replied, looking genuinely embarrassed.

If it were simply a private argument, that wouldn't have been a problem. Just a spat between two kids. However, the fact that it was live on public TV made it a little more significant than that. It was two opposing sides in an already existing debate. The Phan Site was buzzing with activity in direct response to Lynn's appearance on the show. She had inadvertently begun an anti-police movement. At least, she did among avid Phantom Thief fans.

Ironically, Lynn had become a miniature celebrity on the site. Thankfully, however, her name was left out of any posts or mentions.

River was a little less amused. Which Lynn couldn't blame him for. He was an ex-cop. "A year ago, I'd probably take issue with what you said," he shrugged and fired off a wistful smile, "but I know better than most that you're right. Bullshit politics and red tape stop officers from doing any actual protecting or serving. Still, you'd better be careful."

"Yeah… I know. It's not like I wanted to get called on."

"Less yappin' more washin'." Sojiro grunted, flipping the page of his newspaper. Though he sounded stern and agitated, anyone could tell he was at least a little amused.

As the time slowly passed, the V Team enjoyed numerous cups and a few platefulls of curry between them. As well as seeing them in a relaxed environment and V looking a hell of a lot better than she did, they also updated Lynn on a few tidbits. Namely the fact that someone else on their side of the Metaverse now knew everything.

As for Judy, she relayed that nothing bad happened to Kawakami while she was keeping an eye on her. A small relief, sure, but Lynn didn't want to know any particular details other than that.

According to River, Kawakami's case had little to no bearing in court. So, even if she decided to stop paying the Takase's, she wouldn't have to worry about legal backlash. At first, Lynn thought simply saying that to Kawakami would be enough to get her to stop. However, she soon realised that Kawakami still saw herself as the villain. She thought she deserved it as some sort of weird atonement.

So, as long as Kawakami felt that way, the only thing to do was to try and help her see sense a little at a time.

Eventually, the conversation faded into a comfortable silence. Broken only by the bubbling of brewing stands and the sound of washing up. It felt peaceful. That was until Sojiro's phone beeped a shrill yet jovial tone. He quickly answered the call - quicker than usual - and turned his back on the group.

"Hey… hm? Right, damn… sorry about that. What? … not the right brand? Does that make a difference? … Oh. I see. Fine, fine, I'll get on it in a sec. Not like I'm all that busy anyway…" He bid the caller goodbye and turned back to the group. He looked quite exasperated and rubbed his forehead. "I need you to watch the store for a while, Rin."

"Girl trouble?"

He paused and notably twitched an eyebrow. "Somethin' like that."

Who knew that the great silver fox Sojiro could have trouble with the ladies. Lynn smirked as she watched him rush out the door as quickly as his body allowed. She did catch a glimpse of a frustrated frown, but Lynn couldn't pick up any actual anger. It was like when she did something slightly unexpected. The same frown alway accompanied a stern, yet fair lecture.

Despite apparently living alone, he was actually a very good guardian and parental figure. As though he had experience with it.

Shrugging, Lynn set the thought aside and turned her attention back to the three customers.

She was about to say something when the familiar tingle of the bell above Leblanc's entrance chimed. Expecting Sojiro to come back in mentioning he forgot something, the appearance of four individuals threw Lynn for a loop. It was Ryuji, Ann, Shiho and Yusuke chatting amongst themselves. Ryuji was the first to notice the V Team. He beamed and waved.

"It's the badass future cyborgs!"

V and Judy chuckled. River rolled his eyes. "Sup, Sparky!" Judy raised her hand and Ryuji eagerly gave her a high five.

"What are you guys doing here, anyway?" Lynn asked, beginning to prepare cups and glasses for the incoming order. Shiho and Yusuke took seats next to the Night City trio while Ann and Ryuji occupied the centre booth.

"I was planning on visiting regardless of company. Seeing the Sayuri has been quite comforting recently." Yusuke calmly spoke. "Things have somewhat calmed down with Kimiko. The Inoshishi have apparently moved on." His mouth formed a thin, stern line. It was clear he didn't quite know how to feel about it. The apprehension must have been torture.

"Do you think it has something to do with those scams going on in Shibuya?" Ann asked. "It might be the Inoshishi changing focus."

"Doubt it." V shrugged. She gulped the last of her current coffee and gestured for another. "Gangs usually have a fuck ton of rackets going on at once. Ishida's store was part of a laundering ring spanning the whole district. They're probably just giving Ishida time to recover and come to her senses."

Lynn frowned. Perhaps it was best if she didn't translate that to Yusuke. Though, judging by his darkened expression, he knew the gist of what V said. "Don't worry kid. I've made a habit of passing by every now and then." River nudged Yusuke with a reassuring smile. "If anything else does happen, I'm only a call away." His reassurance earned him an appreciative smile. River was a good guy. Reliable and clearly incredibly competent. With him on the case, it was a done deal.

"Anyway, how about a soda, eh, Rin? I'm parched!" Awkwardly, Ryuji tried to force some livelier energy back into the room.

Everyone seemed eager to let him.

"I'll have a moca." Shiho asked.

"Oh! Me too! Make it extra chocolate-ie!" Ann added.

"House blend, please." Yusuke finished up the round of orders with a thin smile. His eyes then lazily drifted toward the Sayuri. "I think I made the best possible choice giving the Sayuri to the Boss."

He was talking to himself.

He seemed to lose himself in the vibrant colours and delicate details of the painting.

"Where's the cat, anyway?" Ryuji asked, looking around. Without a word, Lynn pointed upward to her attic bedroom. He was taking an afternoon nap while Lynn worked. Ryuji smirked. "Dude says he ain't a cat, but damn, he acts like one."

From there, idle conversation took centre stage.

It was nice to have regular conversations every now and then. Everything in Lynn's life had become so bizarre and supernatural, sometimes, she just needed to feel normal again.

Working behind the counter of Leblanc, laughing with her friends and brewing coffee helped give her that feeling. Eventually, Sojiro returned, grumbling under his breath. He had been gone for a little over two hours. Lynn wanted to ask what the problem was, but before she could open her mouth, Sojiro cut her off. "Close up for the day, kid." His eyes scanned the collected customers. He shrugged and gave a half-assed nod. "I don't mind you kids staying. Just don't make a mess. I'm heading back home."

So Lynn's punishment had been cut short? Not that she was particularly complaining. However, something felt wrong with how Sojiro spoke.

He wasn't angry or annoyed.

He sounded worried.

Either way, the group decided to disband for the day. There was still quite a while until sundown, but for now, Lynn was left alone just after everyone helped clean up the store.

"Now what am I going to do?" She muttered to herself.

"Welcome home, sis."

The door to the apartment swung open and in strode the tall, slender figure of Sae Niijima. She looked exhausted, angry and starving. It was the usual routine recently. Whatever they were having her do in the SIU was clearly getting to her, yet Makoto's sister never once complained. At least not to her.

The prosecutor tried smiling as she set her things down on the couch. "Thanks, Makoto. Something smells good."

The gentle sizzle of meat and bubble of vegetables coloured the air with comforting sounds of cooking. It wasn't anything special. Merely curried chicken accompanied with potatoes and carrots. However, Makoto enjoyed the process of preparing and providing for her big sister. It was the least she could do to reward her for all the hard work.

"Is everything ok?"

"It's fine, Makoto. Just busy with the Madarame case. Even with his full cooperation, his legal team is fighting tooth and nail." She let out a frustrated sigh and rubbed her forehead.

The food was just about done so once Makoto started to plate up for the two of them, Sae sat herself down in her usual spot at the dining table. "Are they acting on his orders? It sounds a little strange to me." Makoto set down each plate and poured a glass of water for each of them. She then set out the chopsticks and condiments. To her question, Sae shook her head.

"No. They're only out to save themselves. I can't go into any more details than that."

Which was fair enough. Makoto dropped the topic for the time being. She silently picked at her food, trying not to let the awkward silence get to her. When Sae was in these kinds of moods, conversation was nigh impossible to keep going.

It seemed she picked up on Makoto's discomfort and let out a small exhale. "How are your studies going?"

The attempt at small talk was almost insulting. That said, what else was there to talk about? Neither of them shared any hobbies or interests. In fact, Makoto didn't even know if Sae actually had any hobbies or interests. "I'm still at the top of my class. Even with all the extra work from the Student Council."

"That's good. Keep working hard and get into a good college. That should be your only focus."

"Right…"

They fell into silence again.

It was painful.

Kobayakawa's demands rang through her mind again. Instinctually, her hand dove into her skirt pocket and ran a finger over the device once again.

"Hey, sis?"

"What is it?"

"If dad were still here, do you think he'd agree with the Phantom Thieves?"

With a loud clack, Sae slammed down her chopsticks. Her eyes flashed with rage and for a brief second, Makoto was terrified of her sister. "What kind of idiotic question is that? Would he agree? What difference would that make? Stop wasting my time with such pointless questions, you useless burden!"

Sae's last two words hit like a slap to the face.

A heavy silence hung in the air until tension from Sae's shoulders slowly escaped.

"Sorry… that was uncalled for…" she pushed away the half finished meal and stood up. She grabbed her bag from the couch and gave Makoto an apologetic glance. "I'll be eating dinner out for a while."

Without another word, Sae left the apartment leaving Makoto alone. Stunned. Hurt.

Useless burden?

Was that really how Sae felt about her?

A tear streamed down Makoto's cheek. It stung like an open wound. Many thoughts plagued her mind as she sat alone in the silent apartment. Yet, even with everything, she was still confused. She gripped the device tightly in her hand and reassured herself in her decision. She had to know.

She had to see for herself if the Phantom Thieves were true justice.

The bitter medicine went down Lynn's throat with a vengeance.

It was hard to swallow and the scent alone was almost enough to force her to vomit. Still, the steely gaze of Doctor Takemi refused to soften. Apparently this was supposed to be a punishment. For what, Lynn didn't know, but she promised to help Takemi with these trials for the sake of an innocent sick child.

"Judging by that face, this batch had the desired outcome." The doctor smirked. The solution was definitely quite a bit grosser than what she had been testing up to this point. Was that on purpose? Takemi scribbled down some notes on her clipboard and examined Lynn. "The formula was the same, but minus any accounting for taste."

"Wait, so everything you've made me drink has been tweaked to taste better?"

"Indeed."

"What the hell do you put in this stuff!?" The sudden outbursts churned her stomach, threatening to open the floodgates. However, Lynn desperately held on. If only because of the thought of Miwa.

"Trade secret." Blunt and callous as always. Eventually, Takemi let a long sigh escape. "There is a reason for this particular test. I'm not just making you suffer for the kicks." She could have fooled Lynn. "I needed to make sure the formula wasn't affected by the additives altering the taste."

Lynn didn't know enough about the production of medicine to know if that was actually the case. So, she took it at face value.

"I can definitely tell you this batch is a struggle to keep down."

"Noted. I'll know more after I've taken some blood." She scribbled further notes down on the clipboard. "Let's wait a few minutes for the medicine to work through your system. There might be some side effects."

Takemi set an egg timer and placed it on her desk. She then pushed herself on her chair over to her computer. There, she began typing up her notes and whatever else she needed to do.

It left Lynn alone with her thoughts once again.

Her stomach still felt like it was doing backflips, but other than that, she didn't feel anything major.

The constant ticking of the timer began to bug Lynn. "Hey, doc, are you pissed at me or something?" She had to ask. Clearly there was something wrong. It was like the doctor had been avoiding Lynn ever since V woke up from her coma.

"What gave you that idea?"

"Just…" she looked at the empty beaker. Its stench still lingered in the air, "... just a hunch."

"Let's just say I've learned some things and I guess I feel left out of the loop."

The way Takemi said that caused a lump to form in Lynn's throat. Part of her was sure of what the doctor implied. Had V told her about the Metaverse? Had V told her about the Phantom Thieves?

The doctor grunted and gave Lynn a sideways glance. "I don't have any intention of telling anyone about these things I've learned. It'd just make me look more crazy. I'll continue to provide medicine and patch up your injuries… but please don't insult me with obvious lies anymore."

So it was definitely what Lynn thought.

"Right…"

The less said out loud, the better.

It was actually comforting to know Takemi at least partially knew what was going on. At least Lynn didn't have to constantly lie any more.

After about fifteen minutes of silence, the egg timer finally buzzed.

Takemi shifted in her seat and pulled out all the necessary equipment for drawing blood. This was the part Lynn really hated. The foul tasting medicine and spinning stomach were bad, but needles were worse. Lynn hated needles. The stinging from the needle pulsed as blood flowed into the testing vials.

"I'll run these samples and see if there's any changes I need to be aware of." After a few short moments, the needle was carefully removed and a cotton bud was pressed against the entry point. However, before Takemi could finish up and dismiss Lynn for the night, the door to the consultation room burst open. It startled both of them and almost caused Lynn to fall off her stool. In strode a heavy set man in a tailored suit. His balding head was a shade of red that honestly caused quite a bit of an alarm. Lynn assumed this was some kind of emergency patient. That was until she glanced at Takemi. There was a certain anger in her usually aloof eyes. As if she were disgusted at the mere sight of the man. "Oyamada."

Finally, a face was put to the name of the man that tried ruining Takemi's life.

"Don't you dare give me that look, Takemi!"

"What look? This is just my face."

"I don't have time for your games. You're stealing my patients, you harpy!" At this point, Oyamada's attention fell onto Lynn. He smirked with a strange sense of smugness. "You'd be better off coming to me, young lady. This woman is incompetent and her medicine is dubious at best."

"Oh, really? No thanks. I like it here." Lynn shrugged. Her dismissiveness clearly got to him, but he shrugged off his irritation.

"You're aware of her grave medical error, correct? It almost killed her patient."

"You mean the error that you made without Dr. Takemi's permission?"

With a harsh tone, Takemi growled, "Amamiya!"

Lynn's words affected Oyamada more than her rejection. Anger flashed across his features once again. "Well, perhaps Doctor Takemi," he made air quotes, "would be interested to know that the patient is dead."

The pen in Takemi's hand clattered to the ground. "W-what…?"

"You heard me, Takemi."

"Miwa… is dead? But… that's impossible. She should have more time!"

A satisfied grin twisted Oyamada's jaw. As if he was taking pleasure in Takemi's despair. Was he really this callous about the death of a child? Why did he become a doctor in the first place if he didn't actually care?

Then she remembered the case with Junichi Moriyama and little Chizuru.

They were originally patients of Oyamada and apparently his consultations were like a conveyor belt. Plus the medical bills.

So at the end of the day, Dr. Oyamada was nothing but a greedy scumbag.

Another corrupt adult in a position of power.

"Clearly you were wrong. Perhaps I should report you to the medical board. Steal more of my patients and I'll have your licence."

With that, he swiftly left, slamming the door shut as he went. It cast the consultation room into silence. Takemi looked like she would crumble at the slightest touch. Tears slowly dripped from her eyes onto her knees.

"Miwa is… dead…?" She muttered. Heartbreak, confusion, anger, guilt and many more feelings swirled in Takemi's expression. "Does that mean… all my work was for nothing?" She glanced at the empty beaker and narrowed her eyes. All these trials were only to create a medicine to treat Miwa's illness. Now that the news had come out, Takemi looked genuinely lost. "I should have had more time… she was… stable."

"Are you giving up?"

Even Lynn was surprised at her own question. Her tendency to speak out without thinking had really shown itself recently.

"What… would be the point in continuing?"

"What about all the other innocent people suffering the same disease? Wouldn't you think Miwa would want you to help them?"

That seemed to get through Takemi's growing despair.

Although it was for naught. She shook her head and couldn't hold the tears back any longer. They streamed and she turned away from Lynn in a bid to hide her face. "Please… I need some time alone."

Lynn understood. She picked up her things and quietly left the office. She didn't particularly want to leave Takemi alone at the minute, but it was for the best. The doctor needed time to process and think about her next move. It would just be cruel to push her right after finding out such horrible news.

As such, the fresh night air cast a breeze over Lynn's cheeks.

Despite never meeting Miwa, she still felt a pang of grief. Then another thought crossed her mind. Even if Dr. Oyamada was only in the medical business for the money, surely he wouldn't be so evil as to take pleasure from the death of a child?

That thought led to another.

Was Miwa even dead?

If her experiences in the Metaverse taught her anything; it was that she couldn't take everything at face value.

However, it was getting late. Any investigation would just have to wait.

Perhaps Dr. Oyamada would turn out to be the Phantom Thieves' next target. It all depended on the next few days. It was probably time to start looking for another target anyway.

Monday - June 13th

Kawakami rubbed the bridge of her nose. Her headache pulsed a dull pain at the base of her skull.

Thankfully, her class had quietened themselves down quickly this morning. It at least stopped her from having to yell too much. Still, the irritating nature of everything still weighed on her shoulders. Introducing a transfer student was always a pain. The last time it was Rin, a rumoured criminal. Now, it was someone else just as troubling.

"Alright, like I mentioned on Saturday, we'll be having a new transfer student join us." Her eyes briefly made contact with Rin Amamiya who responded with a rather curious tilt of the head. "Alright, please come in now." Kawakami called to the classroom door.

It slid open gently and in stepped the tall, lanky transfer student.

Under the light from outside, his sleek hair almost looked vibrant blue. His eyes shared the same frosted colour and a very distinct icy disposition held his back blot up straight.

As soon as the new transfer student entered, both Rin and Takamaki shot up out of their seats. "Yusuke!?" They both yelled in unison.

Of course Rin knew him already.

However, Takamaki was a surprising second. Kitagawa was unfazed by their outburst and even held a subtle grin. Cool as a cucumber. The mutterings of the class began in earnest.

"Isn't he a student of that artist on the news?"

"He's kind'a hot, don't you think?"

"Amamiya knows him? Does she bully him? Does she abuse him!?"

"We must protect the pure handsome boy."

"That's enough, everyone." Kawakami sternly glared over at the students. They shut up immediately, so her glare fell on Rin and Takamaki. Taking the hint, the two girls slowly sat back down. "Now, if you would introduce yourself." She nodded to Kitagawa who graciously bowed.

"Yes. I am Yusuke Kitagawa. You are correct in that I was once a student of Ichiryusai Madarame, however, my time under his thumb is over. As for your mutterings about my dear friend…" Kawakami swore the air grew colder as Kitagawa addressed the class. The stoic and calm smile was replaced by a silent rage. Frigid eyes glared at the class. "I will not allow any ill to be spoken of her."

"Wow… he's so cool!"

"Be still my beating heart!"

"He's being forced to say that, I bet."

As usual, the class had taken the complete wrong interpretation. The complete disdain felt for Rin thumped a beat of sympathy in Kawakami's heart. If only they knew just how kind Rin Amamiya was. Their tune would change in a flash. Even still, despite her personal feelings, Kawakami had to keep the class going.

"Thank you, Kitagawa. Let's see… ah, there's a seat next to Kodama. Just in front of Takamaki."

The boy bowed again and the icy edge in the air faded after he left the front of the class.

At least Rin was making loyal friends. Though Kawakami definitely had a few thoughts on one of those friends. Granted, they were mostly lingering prejudices instilled by Kamoshida. Time and again, Ryuji Sakamoto had proven he wasn't the problem student he was painted as. Just like Rin.

"So, where were we? Ah, yes. Class, please turn to page twenty, we'll be covering a lot today, so I don't want anyone slacking off, got it! Oh, Kodama, could you please share your textbook with Kitagawa?"

The boy sitting next to Kitagawa nodded and carefully shuffled his desk and chair closer to Kitagawa's.

From then on, the lesson began in full swing.

Acrid smoke plumed into the neverending void of black.

Much like the mini prison above the volcano, there was a simple table and chairs. However, there was nothing else. Not even a door.

Of course, Johnny had grown used to it over the past few days. Weeks? However long it had been since the weird cat sprang him from his prison. He leant back on his chair and firmly planted a foot on the table. At least his company wasn't a whining little kid anymore. No, instead, there were three others sharing the void of nothingness.

He took another long drag from the cigarette.

Out of the three others, however, one got on his nerves more than child V ever did.

The flapping of gossamer wings cast an annoying breeze into the back of Johnny's head. His long hair flapped and slapped against his face. Each second, the flapping wings zipped to another point behind him, shifting the direction of the breeze. Each movement threatened to blow out the cigarette gripped between two silvered fingers.

"What the fuck do you want, Pixie?"

"The nerve! Talking to me like that! Me! You know I'm your superior, right? I deserve respect!" The buzzing of wings stopped, finally as the shrill voice cut through Johnny's ears. "What I want is for you to stop this disgusting habit of yours!"

"Barkin' up the wrong tree, pipsqueak. Plenty of endless black for you to go do… whatever the fuck you do."

"You would be wise to listen to the fae, Young Silver. She holds the first contract with the Warrior. Thus, has more power than the rest of us." Mithras, the statuesque figure rose from the abyss.

Pixie looked proud of herself and puffed up her tiny chest. Sparks of electricity fired from her wings as if it was an impressive display of power.

Johnny growled.

"Whatever." He flicked the cigarette into the air. Its form crumbled to ash quickly after leaving his chromed hand. "It ain't even real, anyway. Just a memory." Across the table, the third and final presence made herself known. Her form leant over the table and her chin rested gently on the back of her hand. The sweet, mischievous grin on her porcelain jaw sent a pleasant chill down Johnny's body.

Particularly in his pants.

"Leave the poor man alone, Mithras. We're all bored, are we not?" Leanan Sidhe's piercing eyes passed over Johnny. She winked and he shot a smirk back toward her. "It's only natural we turn to some recreational vices."

Like always, Mithras' expression remained unchanged.

"Boredom does not befit the path of a warrior. Though perhaps we should use this time to hone our skills."

"If you're suggesting we fight each other, count me out! No thank you!" Pixie plopped herself on the table, folded her legs and pouted like a child. What she was pouting about completely flew over Johnny's head. Granted, he had noticed just how conflict avoidant the tiny girl was.

"I am suggesting we not let this time atrophy our abilities. The Warrior and her comrades rely on us, after all."

"Mithras, I know V a hell of a lot more than you do. That gonk would rather have a Scav dig through her fuckin' chest cavity than to rely on anyone that ain't herself." Johnny huffed and shifted in the chair. Spending so long in V's head had given him unlimited - yet unintentional - access to V's memories. He knew the woman's life as if it had been his own.

Mithras actually laughed.

"You would be surprised, Young Silver. The Warrior has grown quite a lot."

True, Johnny's connection had halted ever since Mikoshi. Perhaps V had changed. Still, Mithras was asking for a fight.

"Whatever. I've been wantin' to take a fuckin' crack at you for a while now." The rockerboy gripped the forearm of his chromed arm and twisted the silver wrist. Licks of flame danced between the metal and a feral grin twisted the stubble on his jaw.

"Boys will be boys…" Leanan Sidhe let out a long, exasperated sigh. "Let's leave them to their trivial spat, Pixie. Tell me, have you ever tasted the delectable flavours of a good tequila?"

"Damn it, Yusuke! We were hangin' out nearly all day yesterday! Didn't think to tell us you were transferin' to Shujin?" Ryuji growled, both with irritation and a little offence sprinkled in. Their usual alcove next to the vending machines was empty, so the group decided to eat lunch together there.

Yusuke's lips twitched in a wry smile. "It must have slipped my mind."

Lynn rolled her eyes at that. When he entered the class, his eyes were locked on herself and Ann the entire time. The artist knew damn well what he was doing.

Sly as his alter-ego's namesake.

"This is a good thing, Ryuji! We don't have to worry about schedules anymore. We're all in the same school now." Morgana chirped. His head popped out from Lynn's bag and he shot a grin at the blond. His expression then soured. "I'm not overly fond of him getting to sit in front of Lady Ann, though."

"Put a sock in it, cat! Is no one else pissed off about this!?"

"Not. A. Cat!"

As the boys of the group bickered and chatted with each other, Lynn's attention fell onto Ann. She looked amused by something, but it wasn't Ryuji, Morgana and Yusuke. Instead, her gaze led off across the courtyard.

When Lynn saw what Ann was looking at, she too couldn't help but find it amusing.

"Back to the obvious 'hiding behind a manga' routine. I thought she finally gave up." Lynn smirked at the familiar site of Makoto hiding behind a thick shoujo manga. The Student Council President was sitting on a bench and occasionally peeking over the top of the book. Each time, she jolted and buried her face into the pages.

"She's up to something." Ann broke away from the site and poked at her lunch. The amusement was still there, but it was peppered with worry. "She'd usually run away if we caught her. Apparently not this time. Also, look, she's not shaking with nerves."

Ann was always amazing at reading people.

Lynn rubbed a finger against her chin. "You think she's putting on a show?"

"I wouldn't go that far," Ann lolled her head back and forth, lazily nibbling bits of bread, "but we should keep an eye on her."

"Hey, Shiho, Niijima hasn't bothered you, has she?" Lynn asked, interrupting Shiho mid mouthful of rice. She quickly gulped it down, avoiding the choking hazard before giving the question some thought.

"Not really. I think I might have scared her off the first time she tried speaking to me alone."

"Wait… when was that?"

"Oh," Shiho planted a hand over her mouth, "I thought I told you guys. She was asking all the ex-volleyball team members a bunch of questions about Him. I… maybe got a little angry when it was my turn."

The image painted itself. It wasn't pretty.

Still, Shiho definitely did a lot better than Lynn. The memory of easily getting laid out by Makoto bubbled to the surface of her mind. Despite her outward appearance and mannerisms, Makoto was definitely a force to be reckoned with. Part of Lynn was curious about how she would fit in on the team. Though another part just couldn't get over the blatant stalking.

"You guys worry too much! It ain't like she's gonna do anythin' without Principal Toad's orders!" Ryuji bellowed with laughter. Apparently the argument between him and Yusuke had long since been forgotten. "Besides, what's she got to go on? Nothin'!"

"Ryuji… I swear your big mouth is going to get us killed one day." Lynn massaged the bridge of her nose.

"Wait… where did she-" Ann began to ask, but was immediately cut off.

As if from thin air, Makoto was suddenly standing at the entrance to the alcove. The shoujo manga was gone and any nerves or hesitance in her posture was replaced with stalwart determination. Something in the pit of Lynn's stomach turned on itself.

"What do you want, Niijima?" Shiho hissed. The anger was immediate. Lynn couldn't blame her. Makoto did insinuate - intentionally or not - that it was Shiho's own fault that Kamoshida nearly drove her to suicide. Instead of answering, Makoto took out a thin device from her skirt pocket. It resembled an old MP3 player, complete with several buttons. However, there was a small speaker on one side. She clicked one of the buttons and a very familiar voice began to play from the little grey device.

[It's like we don't exist!]

[Uh… come again?]

[Y'know… us. The Phantom Thieves. Yusuke and I spent all day and night makin' those cards and postin' them about town. But no one's even mentionin' it. Heard some chatter 'bout Madarame bein' sick, but that's it.]

[Want to say that a little louder? I don't think the damn martians heard you. We just have to wait. You know it takes time, so enjoy the time off and focus on school.]

[Oh please, Rin, you're doin' worse than I am. That's just impressive… for all the wrong reasons.]

Makoto clicked the button again and silence reigned supreme over the gathered thieves. Then, one by one, they all turned to Ryuji, violence in their eyes. The blond shrank into his seat and tried playing innocent.

Lynn was right. His loud mouth was going to get them killed.

"How did you…" Lynn was the first to break from the death glare. "How? We saw you run into Sa- Kawakami."

There was a hint of embarrassment in Makoto's expression. "That part… was unintentional, but it helped sell the act. Ever since you caught me in the alley, Amamiya, I've been using my lack of tailing skills to my advantage. You all thought I was a bumbling idiot up until now, right?"

That was a little harsh. But she wasn't entirely wrong either.

The fact Makoto tactfully avoided actually answering the question wasn't lost on Lynn.

"Alright, but that recording only implicates three of us." Shiho growled and glared up at the President.

"You're correct, Suzui. However, it's still enough. I wonder what the police would think." Makoto might have been threatening them, but Lynn couldn't feel or see any malice in her words. In fact, there was something deeper.

Curiosity?

Desperation?

"What do you want from us?" Lynn asked.

"What I need from you…" There was a hint of hesitance, a flash of a crack in her facade, "is to change someone's heart."