11/26 Tuesday
Days Until Ballot Count: 22
With the group now able to access Shido's palace, it was important for her to take some time to fuse some stronger Persona, as well as ensure that they had all of the supplies they would need.
But aside from that…
*BZZT*
She could feel her phone buzzing, so she quickly glanced at it.
Shiho: I know that this is short notice, but would you be able to meet me at the Underground Mall in Shibuya? To hang out?
Makoto: Just to hang out?
Shiho: Yeah, are you busy?
She thought for a moment. On one hand, it would be a risk, but on the other hand… Shiho had mentioned the last time they spoke that it wouldn't be long before she had to leave…
Makoto: Sure, that's fine. Is everything ok with you?
Shiho: Yeah, everything is fine, just please come if you can.
She quickly prepared her disguise and set out to meet her.
When she arrived at the Underground Mall, she saw that Ann was already there.
"Hey, Makoto." Ann greeted. "Have you seen Shiho around?"
"No, I haven't." Makoto answered. "Did she call you here too?" Makoto asked.
"Yeah, she did. I wonder…"
"R-Right here! Sorry I'm late!"
Shiho came running over, waving to them as she did so.
"Hey, Shiho!" Ann chirped.
"Hey." Shiho replied, before looking Makoto over.
"I-Is something wrong?" Makoto stammered.
Shiho: I wanted to ask why your outfit is so different?
"Oh, well…" she trailed off.
"S-She… just wanted to try out a new look? Right?" Ann excused.
"O-Oh, yes, that's right!" Makoto hastily agreed.
"Oh, I see… well alright then." Shiho shrugged.
Thank goodness. It seems like she believes us.
"For a second I thought it was some sort of disguise, like you were in hiding or something." Shiho offhandedly said.
"W-W-What?!" Ann gasped.
"T-That's ridiculous!" Makoto insisted.
Shiho let out a laugh.
"Just kidding!" Shiho joked. "Actually, the reason that I called you two here was because… well, I'm going to be moving away tomorrow."
They all knew that the day was coming, but it didn't make them feel any better that it had finally arrived.
"I see…" Ann trailed off.
"I know it's sad, but… I still want to make our last day together a happy one!" Shiho insisted. "What do you say?"
"Shiho… of course!" Ann agreed. "Of course we'd love to spend time with you!"
"Whatever you want to do today, we'd love to come with." Makoto agreed.
"Thank you." Shiho beamed. "Now let's go!"
She took them both by the hand, leading them both to a variety of stalls and stores, before they stopped somewhere for sweets.
"Uuuuuuuugh! I have to hold back!" Ann groaned. "I gotta hold back!"
"For your modeling?" Shiho asked.
"Uh-huh." Ann sadly nodded.
"Only a double chocolate sundae then?" Shiho joked.
"Aww, come on! I'm serious now, Shiho." Ann whined. "I'll just have something small.
"... A double chocolate sundae sounds really good right about now." Makoto admitted.
"W-Wha- Seriously?!" Ann gasped.
"I've… been through a lot." Makoto sighed.
"Guess I'll have one too!" Shiho laughed.
"Uggggggh!" Ann groaned.
The girls eat their dessert, talking about where to stop next, what they'd been up to, and many, many other things…
And after that, they continued to shop around at various stalls.
She knew that this day was for Shiho first and foremost, but at the same time, getting a chance to relax with her friends.
"It's almost 3 already…" Shiho trailed off.
"Shiho?" Ann questioned.
"Thanks for spending all this time with me." Shiho smiled. "I really, really had a lot of fun."
The moment she said that, though, I could see her dip her face down as tears started to fall.
"S-Shiho, what's wrong?!" Ann cried.
Shiho shook her head. "N-Nothing, I…"
For a moment, Makoto was concerned, reaching a hand out for Shiho.
"Shiho, are you alright?" Makoto asked.
But when Shiho raised her head… despite her tears, Shiho was smiling.
A smile as bright and radiant as the Sun itself.
Shiho: I'm so happy… I'll never forget you two… it's because of you two that I can smile again!
Ann: Aww, Shiho…!
She could feel the warmth of Shiho's kindness and gratitude…
I am thou, thou art I…
Thou hast turned a vow into a blood oath,
Thy bond shall become the wings of rebellion
and break the yoke of thy heart.
Thou has awakened to the ultimate secret of
the Sun, granting thee infinite power…
Sun CONFIDANT: RANK 10 MAX
"I'm glad that I was able to put this all behind me." Shiho said. "But I wish that I could properly express to the Phantom Thieves how thankful I was."
"O-Oh, I'm sure they already know!" Ann giggled.
"... Yes, I'm sure too." Shiho nodded. "I mean, if they knew about Kamoshida, then they must have been from school. Which… would mean they'd probably know about me."
"Umm… well…" Makoto trailed off.
"They probably also had a very strong sense of justice… and have been looking after me all this time." Shiho smiled.
"Shiho…" Ann trailed off.
"I'll never forget you two." Shiho beamed. "Thank you… for everything."
As Shiho walked off, the three of us promised that we would stay in touch, no matter what.
I went back to Sojiro's home after that, happy that I was able to see her one last time.
11/27 Wednesday
Days Until Ballot Count: 21
Towards the middle of the day, she felt her phone begin to buzz.
Naoya: Something big's happened!
It was Naoya, and he seemed pretty emotional about it.
Makoto: Something good?
Naoya: I think so? Anyway, would you be able to come by the family restaurant? I wanted to speak to you about it.
It seemed pretty important to him, so she ultimately decided to go.
When she arrived at the restaurant, she saw Naoya staring at a photo in his hand, a conflicted look in his eyes.
"Makigami-kun?" Makoto greeted.
"O-Oh, Niijima-chan! I…" Naoya stammered.
For a moment, he seemed to want to hide the photo before ultimately deciding not to.
"Is everything alright?" Makoto asked.
"Yeah… Well, sorta." Naoya sighed. "I guess I kinda wanted your advice on something."
"Is it about your brother?" Makoto asked.
"Not entirely." Naoya said. "Do you remember that key I told you about?"
"Oh, right. The one your brother handed to you after apologizing." Makoto recalled.
"I did manage to find out where it went." Naoya told her. "It was to a small drawer in my room."
"Really?" Makoto questioned. "Well, there must have been something inside of the drawer, right?"
"There was." Naoya confessed. "It was a picture."
"The picture that you were holding before?" Makoto asked.
"Yes, that's right." Naoya confirmed. "I… suppose that I should show you."
Naoya placed the picture on the table, and she took a moment to study it.
It was a picture of Naoya and Kazuya at a kendo competition. But while Naoya had won a gold medal… Kazuya had only gotten silver.
"I see… I think I'm beginning to understand." Makoto realized. "So your brother was jealous of you?"
"Yes, I believe that's it." Naoya sighed. "I feel a little bad, though. I had completely forgotten about that competition. Maybe if I had paid more attention…"
"Don't think like that." Makoto told him. "Nothing that happened is your fault."
"I suppose, but… you'd think I would have remembered…" Naoya trailed off.
"Well, you were avoiding anything involving kendo for a while." Makoto mentioned. "So it's understandable that you wouldn't think of that."
"I suppose, but now… I'm feeling conflicted again, and I'm just not sure what to do." Naoya sighed.
"Conflicted about what?" Makoto frowned.
"It's just… I really want to make a career out of my kendo skills, but now that I've learned what a massive rift it caused between me and my brother, I just…" Naoya trailed off.
"I know it's difficult… But I think that you should follow your dream." Makoto encouraged.
"You think so, huh?" Naoya muttered.
"The fact that your brother handed you that key and apologized should show that everything's been cleared up." Makoto told him. "But even if he hadn't, I don't think that you should let people dissuade you from your dream. Family… is supposed to support you."
"Deep down, I know that." Naoya sighed. "At the same time, I would also want people to support me… and I suppose, if it's possible, I'd like to reconcile with my brother as well."
"I think that's very brave of you." Makoto admitted. "Just remember that no matter what, I'll do what I can to support you as your friend."
"Thank you." Naoya expressed. "I think I really needed to hear those words."
Naoya took one last look at the photo on the table before pocketing it.
"Thank you, Niijima-san." Naoya smiled. "I think I understand what I have to do now."
"You do?" Makoto asked.
"I still need to think on things a little, but I'm actually starting to feel confident in my decisions." Naoya told her. "I'll be sure to let you know how it goes."
"I'll be looking forward to it." Makoto smiled.
She could feel her bond with Naoya growing stronger.
TEMPERENCE CONFIDANT: RANK 9
She spoke to Naoya for a little longer before going home for the day.
11/27 Thursday
Days Until Ballot Count: 20
She was pretty confident in the Persona that she had gathered. But they would still need a few days to gather supplies.
Ren would be taking care of that, so what to do until then…
*BZZT*
Her phone was buzzing again, so she picked it up to see who had texted her.
Yusuke: Makoto, that art exhibit is going on right now. I would appreciate it if you were to be there as well to witness my victory.
She let out an amused grin.
Makoto: Confident, are you?
Yusuke: But of course! With your assistance, I was able to overcome my artist's block, after all.
Makoto: Alright. I'll be there.
Yusuke had yet to show her what his new painting actually was, so she was quite curious as to what it could be.
She made her way to the gallery, wondering what it could possibly be.
As expected, Yusuke's painting was absolutely beautiful.
So beautiful, in fact, that it had even won the entire competition.
What surprised me was how similar it was to his previous painting.
Instead of the darkness covering the entire painting like before, however, the middle of the painting was a giant, white sun-like object, contrasting the darkness beautifully.
"I still have much to learn, but I finally painted something I can be satisfied with." Yusuke smiled. "Yes… this is the true heart of humanity."
"The true heart… both the good and the bad, right?" Makoto asked.
"I figured you would understand." Yusuke nodded. "The title is 'Desire and Hope'. What do you think?"
"It turned out well." Makoto praised. "It really looks like you found what it was missing before."
"Thank you." Yusuke expressed. "I did try to add aspects that were previously lacking. This light… is all of you."
"M-Me?" Makoto stammered.
Yusuke nodded. "The title lists hope, but in my mind, it's a much more concrete thing. I can't believe I didn't realize that until now…"
"Hmm…"
The art critic from before closely examined Yusuke's painting, looking much more impressed than last time.
"You…" Yusuke trailed off.
"... It's a good painting." Kawanabe noted.
"Huh?" Yusuke gasped.
"It's not trying to be eccentric for the sake of it, like the last time." Kawanabe commented. "To think that the same painting could change this much…"
Kawanabe turned towards Yusuke, a look of approval on his face.
"So, this is the answer you've come up with?" Kawanabe asked.
"... It is." Yusuke noted. "I did a lot of searching into both myself, and humanity itself, to come to it."
"'Desire and Hope' … I see. Beauty and ugliness… Humans are creatures that possess both." Kawanabe said. "It seems like you understand that now."
"What are you playing out?" Yusuke frowned.
"Don't tell me… Did you provoke Yusuke on purpose?!" Makoto exclaimed.
"I apologize." Kawanabe confessed. "Although my intent was to encourage you, it WAS rather crude."
"Honestly, what would you have done if he had given up art altogether because of you." Makoto chastised.
To his credit, he did look a little guilty. "I did consider that." Kawanabe admitted. "Still, I believed that this ploy needed to be done in order to ignite your competitive secret."
"But… Why would you do that?" Yusuke asked. "What's your objective?"
"Even now, I feel partially responsible for Madarame's downward spiral…" Kawanabe sighed. "Many years ago, we got into a fierce argument, back when he wasn't nearly as famous."
That must have been what they had seen with Madarame's Will Seeds.
"Even after Madarame became famous, he still held a grudge against me. For a while, I couldn't get anyone to rent me space for exhibits. It caused me no end of hardship."
Kawanabe explained. "So that is why my organization focuses on supporting the careers of promising young artists."
"I see. So that's why…" Yusuke trailed off.
"Yes… The heart of man is painted with desire, even if it's coated entirely in black at times." Kawanabe said. "However, it seems you have the strength to not look away from it, and chose to stand up against it."
"Yes, that's right." Yusuke nodded.
"If only he had your strength…" Kawanabe trailed off.
"You mean Madarame?" Makoto asked.
Kawanabe nodded. "Madarame and I go way back. First we were classmates, and then we became teachers at the same art school. He used to have a noble spirit. Said he wanted to aim for the top of the art world one day."
"... What happened?" Yusuke frowned.
"In the end, even the art world has its share of politics… Those who are cunning come out on top." Kawanabe admitted. "None of us were able to avoid the black stains on our hearts."
"Making art for the sake of it wasn't enough, was it?" Makoto asked.
"It was not. But the human heart is a strange thing. It can't completely separate black from white." Kawanabe said.
"I suppose not…" Yusuke replied.
"You know, I was shocked when I heard that he had taken you in." Kawanabe mentioned. "He never liked children, you see."
"Oh?" Yusuke questioned.
"That's strange." Makoto commented. "Come to think of it, why did he take you in…"
"There was a time, shortly before we cut off all contact with each other, where he gave me a call." Kawanabe began. "He was panicking that the nearby clinics were closed and his kid had a fever."
"Sen… Madarame did that…?" Yusuke asked.
"I wonder if it was guilt?" Makoto wondered. "He did exploit you a lot when you were over, but back then…"
"It's possible. But even if he was responsible for my mother's death, he was also the one who raised me…" Yusuke frowned.
Did he plan to exploit Yusuke from the beginning, or did he genuinely care for him at first before his desires spiraled downwards again and again…
Maye they would never know…
"I don't want anyone else in this world ending up like Madarame or myself." Kawanabe stated. "So that's why I'd be willing to give you the support of my organization. Without the overbearing marketing production, of course."
"It's a truly kind offer… Thank you for your generosity." Yusuke expressed. "However, I must respectfully decline."
"W-What?" Makoto gasped. "Yusuke, are you sure?"
"I am quite sure." Yusuke nodded.
"What makes you say that?" Kawanabe questioned.
"I am not Madarame." Yusuke simply said. "I already have all of the support that I need. If I am lost, they will extend their hands. If I am wrong, they will chastise me."
Makoto began to suspect that the people he was talking about…
"... As long as I have my rays of hope to guide me, I will be fine." Yusuke concluded.
… Was her, and the rest of the Thieves.
"Hah. Madarame really did have a good eye. Hahahahaha!" Kawanabe laughed. "Well, if you ever change your mind, or if things ever change, the offer is always open."
With those words, Kawanabe walked away.
"What a strange man…" Yusuke trailed off.
"... Right." Makoto mumbled. "But Yusuke, are you sure that you should decline the offer?"
"It IS a tad wasteful of me to decline." Yusuke admitted. "Still, I believe that it's for the best."
"As long as you're sure." Makoto nodded.
"To be honest, my feelings on the matter do feel contradictory, but that is simply the nature of the human heart, correct?" Yusuke inquired.
"I suppose so." Makoto agreed.
"Interesting." Yusuke smiled. "I believe that this is exactly what I should be painting."
"Paintings dealing with the human heart, and humanity in general." Makoto noted. "I suppose you've found something to specialize in."
Yusuke nodded. "I know that it must have been troublesome dealing with me at times."
"A-Ah, no, no, really, it was fine!" Makoto insisted.
Yusuke chuckled. "It's quite alright. On the end, I knew that you wouldn't abandon me until everything was said and done. Thank you, Makoto."
She could feel the unbreakable bond she shared with Yusuke…
I am thou, thou art I…
Thou hast turned a vow into a blood oath,
Thy bond shall become the wings of rebellion
and break the yoke of thy heart.
Thou has awakened to the ultimate secret of
the Emperor, granting thee infinite power…
EMPEROR CONFIDANT: RANK 10 MAX
A faint blue and white glow began to emit from Yusuke, as well as Goemon.
Just like with Ren and Ann before, she watched as Yusuke's persona was completely enveloped in a flash of blue and white, before transforming into a blue skinned Persona with wild, spiky white hair and a multi-branched sword.
"The Persona whiten me has awakened to a new power." Yusuke realized.
It was the final sign that he had really come onto his own.
"Now that I'm out of my slump, I need to make up for the time I wasn't able to paint." Yusuke smiled.
He turned to leave, but before he did, he glanced at her with a serious expression.
"I am glad that, even in your current situation, you came here to see me." Yusuke stated. "... I reiterate my promise to you. I'll extend my assistance to you, should you ever stumble."
"Thank you, Yusuke." Makoto smiled.
"The final battle is upon us." Yusuke noted. "I look forward to seeing what else I can learn about the human heart… as well as delivering justice to that man."
"I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for everyone's support." Makoto confessed. "So thank you once again for that."
The two chatted for a little longer before going their separate ways, heading home for the day.
11/28 Friday
Days Until Ballot Count: 19
"Makoto, Makoto, Makoto!"
"Ah!"
She shot up out of her bed, frantically looking around the area before she saw a smiling Futaba at the door!
"Come oooooon, Makoto, wake up!" Futaba urged. "There's something that I gotta tell you!"
"Futaba, you can tell her later!" Sojiro called from downstairs. "She needs her rest."
"No, no, it's alright." Makoto said. "I'm feeling a lot better now. Futaba, let me at least have some breakfast first."
Futaba nodded, the two of them heading down for breakfast before returning to her room.
"Oh! I almost forgot to ask, but are you feeling ok?" Futaba asked. "Ren wanted me to ask in case you needed any medicine or something like that."
"No, it's alright." Makoto smiled.
Her body was still bruised to an extent, but she was doing much better than she was before.
"So was that what you wanted to talk to me about?" Makoto asked.
"Oh, no, no! It was about Kana-chan!" Futaba explained. "I actually reached out to her, and she actually replied!"
"That's great!" Makoto exclaimed. "So what did she say?"
"A lot of things." Futaba replied. "The first thing she told me was that she was never mad at me when I found her diary. She was just embarrassed and thought I wouldn't want to be friends with her anymore."
"I see. So it was all a misunderstanding." Makoto realized. "That's a relief."
"I know! I was really excited too!" Futaba cheered. "She moved too far away to visit, so we've just been exchanging emails. We… actually made a promise to each other."
"You did?" Makoto asked. "What about?"
"We made a promise to both go to high school next year." Futaba explained. "I'm glad that I was able to call her and make up. I wouldn't have been able to do that, or make that promise with her, without you, Makoto!"
"You worked pretty hard yourself." Makoto praised. "And I guess that promise you made with Kana is another one to the list.
"Yeah, that's right!" Futaba cheered. "I have worked hard… not just on the list, but on helping Kana-chan too! Oh, and speaking of, Kana-Chan was really surprised that the Phantom Thieves listened to her request."
"She doesn't suspect anything, does she?" Makoto wondered.
"Nah, she'll never find out the truth… Mwehehe!" Futaba laughed.
Thank goodness for that. The less people who knew, the better.
"I really gotta thank you for everything you've done for me." Futaba said. "But… I'm still not sure if I can finish the last few promises…"
Futaba seemed frustrated, and a little bit unsure of herself.
"You know… Whenever I was upset, Mom would always pat my head." Futaba offhandedly said.
Makoto considered Futaba's words.
Come to think of it, her own mother would do the same.
Back when she was little, and upset because she and Sae had gotten into a fight, or she had scraped her knee, or something else like that…
She would always go and see her mother, and no matter how hard she was crying, she would always be able to calm her down.
Even back then, her mother was bedridden and sickly, but she still went out of her way to comfort her.
She was glad that she still had those memories of her mother, tucked away…
"Huh?" Futaba questioned.
Before she realized what she was doing, she had gently patted Futaba's head, just as her mother would do to her.
"W-Woah!" Futaba gasped.
"S-Sorry, I just…" Makoto trailed off. "I didn't even realize that I was…"
"N-No, it's ok." Futaba insisted. "It just took me by surprise, that's all. I do feel a little better, though."
"Really? That's good." Makoto replied.
"Uh-huh." Futaba nodded. "You know, Makoto… I think you'll make a good mom some day!"
"H-Huh?" Makoto stammered.
"Mwehehehe!" Futaba giggled.
Futaba's… comments aside, she could feel her gratitude.
HERMIT CONFIDANT: RANK 8
She continued speaking to Futaba for a while, the younger girl telling her several stories about herself and her mother.
Eventually, the day came to an end, and they both went to bed for the day.
Makoto's Confidant Progress:
THE FOOL - Ren Amamiya: Rank 10 MAX
THE HUNGER - Igor: Rank 9
THE CHARIOT - Ryuji Sakamoto: Rank 9
THE MAGICIAN - Morgana: Rank 9
THE FAITH - Eiko Takao: Rank 8
THE TOWER - Chiaki Yasui: Rank 9
THE SUN - Shiho Suzui: Rank 10 MAX
THE MOON - Takayo Tachibana: Rank 9
THE HIEROPHANT - Sojiro Sakura: Rank 10 MAX
THE TEMPERANCE - Naoya Makigami: Rank 8
THE STAR - Hifumi Togo: Rank 8
THE DEVIL - Mitsuhide Matsuoka: Rank 6
THE HANGED MAN - Munehisa Iwai: Rank 7
THE DEATH - Yohei Kiritani: Rank 7
THE EMPEROR - Yusuke Kitagawa: Rank `0 MAX
THE EMPRESS - Haru Okumura: Rank 7
THE LOVERS - Ann Takamaki: Rank 10 MAX
THE HERMIT - Futaba Sakura: Rank 8
THE STRENGTH - Caroline and Justine: Rank 9
THE JUSTICE - Goro Akechi: Rank 8
THE PRIESTESS - Kasumi Yoshizawa?: Rank 6
THE FORTUNE - Phantom Thieves of Heart: Rank 8
THE JUDGMENT - Sae Niijima: Rank 7
THE COUNCILLOR - Takuto Maruki: Rank 9