6/17 Sunday
As she was preparing breakfast, she wondered what else she could be doing to help out the group. Ren had already secured her an interview with a journalist in exchange for information about Kaneshiro. But she wondered if there was anything else that she could do.
As she finished her breakfast, an idea came to her.
She quickly texted Takayo, hoping that she wasn't too busy.
Makoto: Tachibana-san, are you free today?
Takayo: Makoto? Yeah, I'm free.
Makoto: I was hoping that we could meet up and discuss everything that's been happening.
Takayo: Oh, ok! There's this diner I like that we can go to. We could meet up for lunch. Would that be ok?
Makoto: Sure. Just send me the address.
Takayo did just that, and after a while of studying, she went out to meet her at the diner.
"Niijima-saaaaan! Over here!"
Takayo waved her over to a nearby table, and she saw that it wasn't just the two of them.
"I brought Mishima-kun here too!" Takayo informed her. "That's fine, right?"
"Yes, that should be fine." Makoto told them. "I wanted to talk to you two about the principal."
"Oh. Right." Takayo frowned. "I've been listening in on the other students, and a lot of them think the Phantom Thieves are responsible."
"B-But we don't believe them!" Mishima insisted. "We know that the Thieves are innocent. I've been working overtime deleting all the nasty comments people are leaving on the Phan-Site!"
"Try not to work yourself too hard, Mishima-kun." Takayo frowned.
"Thank you for having faith in the Phantom Thieves." Makoto smiled.
"Of course!" Takayo grinned. "I'll try everything I can to convince the student body of their innocence!"
"And I'm not going to let anyone badmouth them!" Mishima declared.
Makoto nodded. "I'm glad I can count on your support. I'd appreciate it if you would warn the student body about the gang that's been messing with students from Shujin."
"You got it, Niijima-san!" Takayo beamed. "You can count on us."
"I'll go and spread a message on the Phansite." Mishima told them.
The three of them spoke for a while longer, discussing plans before Mishima left to work on the Phansite.
As she began to leave for Shinjuku, however, she was stopped by Takayo.
"Wait up, Niijima-san!" Takayo called. "There's something I have to ask you."
"What is it?" Makoto asked her.
"I wanted to know… did you change the principal's heart?" Takayo whispered.
Makoto hesitated for a moment, but ultimately decided to trust her.
"We did change his heart… but we weren't the ones who killed him." Makoto answered honestly.
Takayo studied her expression for a moment before smiling.
"Ok. That's all I needed to know." Takayo smiled. "Don't worry, Niijima-san. Even if others turn against you because of this, I'll still be on your side!"
She could feel a strong amount of trust from Takayo...
MOON CONFIDANT: RANK 4
"Are you… going out on business, Niijima-san?" Takayo asked.
Makoto nodded. "I'm going to be meeting with a journalist in Shinjuku to get some information on that gang."
"Really?! A journalist!" Takayo gasped. "Umm… you know, Shinjuku can be a pretty scary place, sooo…"
"Do you want to come?" Makoto asked.
"C-Can I?" Takayo asked.
"Fine… but stay close to me." Makoto instructed. "It's not a field trip."
"Y-Yeah, of course!" Takayo nodded.
The two girls set out for Shinjuku.
"Are we close, Niijima-san?"
"It should be nearby." Makoto replied. "Keep an eye out for a bar."
"A bar?" Takayo repeated. "Maybe it's at one of those clubs over there?"
Makoto glanced over before shaking her head. "No, that's not it. The bar was called Crossroads."
As she turned away, Takayo quickly grabbed her arm and pointed back at the clubs.
"Um, Niijima-san, isn't that a student from our school?" Takayo asked.
Makoto looked back towards the clubs, her eyes widening when she saw a girl in a club uniform resting outside.
The girl's eyes met hers, and started panicking before trying to rush back into the building.
Makoto rushed up to her and grabbed her arm before she could do so.
"Yasui-san? Is that you?" Makoto gasped.
"N-Niijima?" Chiaki gasped. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"I was about to ask you the same thing." Makoto frowned. "This isn't a place for students."
"I'm not an idiot." Chiaki scoffed. "I know how dangerous it can be here. But I need the money."
"Money?" Makoto repeated. "Are you working at one of the clubs around here?"
"...Yeah." Chiaki admitted. "It pays good money."
"Aren't there other jobs that you could get in Shibuya? Maybe at a restaurant or convenience store?" Makoto asked.
"...They don't pay enough." Chiaki grumbled. "I need a lot more."
"But why do you need the money?" Makoto asked.
"That's… That's none of your business!" Chiaki snapped.
Makoto frowned. "Well… I suppose you're right, but… just be careful, ok?"
"I'll be fine." Chiaki insisted. "But what about you?"
"I'm here to meet with someone." Makoto told her. "They're going to give me information on the people who are targeting Shujin."
"I see…" Chiaki trailed off. "I found out from one of the students that their having them partake in drug trafficking through envelopes. Some of the girls also told me they felt like they were being followed home recently. I'll try to warn the student body."
"Good plan." Makoto acknowledged. "Hopefully, we'll be able to deal with this situation soon."
Chiaki nodded. "Yeah. I still have a bit left in my shift, so I'll see you tomorrow at school."
"I suppose so…" Makoto trailed off. "See you then."
She was still a little concerned with Chiaki working in a place like this, but right now, she needed to meet with the journalist.
After searching for a bit longer, Takayo and her found their way to the bar, making their way inside.
She had never been to a bar before, but this wasn't exactly what she expected.
The atmosphere seemed a lot cozier than what she had thought it would be.
As soon as they entered, the bartender turned to face them.
"Welcome, welcome…" The bartender greeted, before narrowing her eyes. "Say… how old are you two?"
"We aren't here to drink." Makoto assured her. "We're just here to meet with someone. A journalist."
"Oh, they're here for me, Lala-chan!"
They turned their attention to a woman with a camera sitting at the bar.
"Hey Lala-chan, we're going to borrow a few seats in the back, ok?" the woman told her, a big grin on her face.
The three of them sat down at the corner of the bar.
"Ugh… she reeks of booze." Morgana grumbled.
She quietly shushed him.
"The name's Ohya Ichiko!" Ohya greeted. "Come on, I'll treat you two to some sake."
Lala glared at her.
"Water!" Ohya quickly said. "I'm going to get you two some water! Come on Lala-chan, I'm just joking!"
She sipped from her water as Ohya pulled out a notepad.
"So, what's your story?" Ohya asked. "I was told that you had an interesting story about what happened with that gym teacher at Shujin Academy."
"Right… that." Makoto muttered.
Makoto took a deep breath before recalling how things had gone down with Kamoshida when he had called her down to the P.E. office.
As she told her story, Ohya took down notes and asked questions with surprising professionalism.
"Hehe… now that's quite the story!" Ohya grinned. "Things certainly are interesting at this school of yours!"
"Niijima-san… you really went through something like that?" Takayo asked.
"...It's ok." Makoto insisted. "I was able to get away, at least. Not everyone was that lucky."
"So, I'm guessing that you'll want some information now." Ohya assumed.
"Umm… before that, I wanted to ask you something." Takayo asked.
"I'm not giving you any more information than I promised unless you give me another story." Ohya told them.
"I-I know, it's just… I wanted to ask something a little more personal." Takayo stammered. "You see, I run the school newspaper at Shujin, and I'm planning to become a journalist once I graduate. I was hoping that maybe… you had a few tips?"
Ohya frowned and let out a sigh. "Listen… let me give you some advice. If you want to enter journalism so that you can find the truth and expose corruption… then you should just give up right now."
"W-What?" Takayo gasped.
"People don't care about the truth… they care about what makes them feel safe and secure." Ohya sighed. "And publications, knowing that, would rather look the other way when it comes to corruption."
"...I know that." Takayo muttered.
Makoto raised an eyebrow, not expecting that answer from Takayo.
"But, if we let that hold us down, then the bad guys win. Journalists need to report the truth, even if no one wants to hear it!" Takayo continued.
"You should listen to her, you know?" Lala stated.
"Yeah, yeah." Ohya dismissed. "Look, the world of journalism isn't all sunshine and rainbows. That's all I'm trying to tell you. I used to think like that, and well… I quickly found out that it wasn't like that at all."
"You… don't need to worry about that." Takayo assured her. "I'm well aware of how the journalism industry can be. But I'm still determined to be the best journalist that I can be!"
"Well, good luck." Ohya shrugged before turning towards Makoto. "Anyway, you wanted some information after the interview?"
"I want to know about gangs in Shibuya and Shinjuku." Makoto requested.
"Oh? And why would you want to know that?" Ohya wondered.
"There's been a gang that's been harassing students at our school." Takayo explained. "We need to get to the bottom of it!"
"I know their leader is called Kaneshiro, but we don't know his full name." Makoto added.
Ohya paused for a few moments, taking a sip of her drink before responding.
"Juuya Kaneshiro." Ohya muttered. "I'm pretty sure that's the man that you're looking for. He's the head of a big yakuza clan, and some say that he secretly controls all of Shibuya."
"Yes!" Morgana cried. "That matches up! It's gotta be him!"
"You should probably keep asking around if you want to, but I'm not responsible if anything happens." Ohya pointed out.
"I can handle it." Makoto promised.
"Haha, I like you two!" Ohya grinned. "Lala-chan, let's all get a refill! We need to have a toast to our new acquaintances!"
"You shouldn't stay here too long." Morgana pointed out. "Finish your water and let's head home."
She did just that, finishing her drink before excusing herself and Takayo.
"Will you be alright on your own?" Lala asked. "There are all kinds of punks around that'll try and take advantage of a few young women like yourselves."
Right… she must be worried, especially after hearing her story.
"I'll be ok." Makoto assured her. "I can defend myself."
"Well, alright. Let me know if you change your mind." Lala told her.
They said their goodbyes as they left the bar.
After parting ways with Takayo, she went home for the day.
Before she went to bed, however, she pulled out her phone, opening the Metaverse app.
"We need to make sure." Morgana nodded approvingly.
"Juuya Kaneshiro." Makoto spoke.
Match found.
"Looks like he's our guy!" Morgana grinned.
She nodded, putting her phone away before drifting off to sleep.
6/18 Monday
An awkward and tense atmosphere persisted during school. The open secret of the yakuza targeting the school and the principal's death had made everyone a little nervous. She could only hope that they could solve this problem quickly.
As soon as classes ended for the day, she pulled out her phone, hoping to text the others about finding the rest of Kaneshiro's keywords.
However, she saw that she had received a text from Sojiro.
Sojiro: Hey, are you free? Do you mind coming down to help out today?"
She supposed she could help Sojiro out and let Ren know what she had learned.
She replied that she'd be right there, and quickly made her way to Leblanc.
Her shift at Leblanc was mostly uneventful until the end of it, when two police officers stepped into the cafe.
To her surprise, one of the officers was undoubtedly the one who she had met at Untouchable, and the one that had saved her during the train crash. She didn't recognize the second, much older officer, however.
The two officers ordered some coffee before sitting down, exasperated looks on their faces.
"Man… that bitch is starting to get on my nerves." the second officer grumbled. "Questioning our work, intervening in our investigations… she really ought to mind her own business, don't you think, Mitsuhide-san?"
"Mitsuhide… so that's his name." she whispered.
"She's Masanori-san's daughter." the officer called Mitsuhide replied. "Guess I understand why this is tough on her."
Makoto nearly gasped.
Masanori… was her father's name.
Could they really be talking about him…?
She perked up, suddenly interested in their conversation.
"Instead of focusing on work so much she should be focusing on finding a husband." the second officer grumbled.
"I think she's busy raising her younger sister." Mitsuhide stated. "Masanori-san had two daughters, remember?"
"Well, that's all the more reason to have a man around the house to provide for them." the second officer argued. "She's not getting any younger."
"I don't think she's that old, Kanetake-san." Mitsuhide frowned.
"She has to be nearly 25!" Kanetake countered.
"...25 isn't that old." Mitsuhide pointed out, sighing. "People are getting married a lot later these days…"
"Tch… that's cause today's kids are so irresponsible." Kanetake lamented.
Mitsuhide shrugged. "Guess things are pretty different from when you or I were kids."
"A shame." Kanetake muttered. "Niijima-san really needs someone to put her in her place."
That settled it. They were definitely talking about her father and her sister.
She narrowed her eyes as she reached that conclusion. She really didn't like the way that this Kanetake guy was speaking about her sister. She knew that her sister had to deal with a lot of people who looked down on her at her workplace, but seeing it firsthand was another thing entirely.
The rebellious Queen side of her wanted to spit in his drink, but she didn't want to get Sojiro in trouble, so she simply served them their drinks, forcing a smile as she did so.
"Your coffee, sirs." Makoto beamed.
Mitsuhide must have recognized her as well, as he quickly turned his head away from her, trying not to look directly at her, while Kanetake simply thanked her.
She stayed behind the counter, washing dishes while listening for anything else she could gleam from their conversation.
"Still… about those yakuza that Niijima-san was asking about…" Mitsuhide trailed off.
"Enough." Kanetake ordered. "Don't talk about that. You know our orders."
"...Yeah. I guess so…" Mitsuhide sighed.
"Ah, don't look so down." Kanetake told him. "Listen, wanna hit the bars after work?"
Mitsuhide shook his head. "No thanks."
"Oh? "You'd rather stop at that weird bar again?" Kanetake asked. "Crossroads, or whatever?"
"Yeah, that's right." Mitsuhide answered.
Kanetake shrugged. "Well, whatever. Our break's almost over, so let's go."
The officers finished their coffee and paid for it before leaving.
It sounds like they might know something about the yakuza, Makoto mused. One of them was also going to Crossroads, so maybe…
"Hey, Makoto." Ren greeted, peeking out from the kitchen. "Boss says our shift is over now."
"Oh, right." she nodded.
"So…" Ren trailed off. "Did you find anything out about…?"
"I have his full name." she confirmed. "Tomorrow, we can all get together and find the rest of the keywords."
Before they could discuss anymore, Sojiro approached the two of them.
"Good job you two." Sojiro acknowledged, before turning to her. "And here's your pay for the day."
"Thank you, Boss."
"If you're not busy, I'll try to teach you two how to brew a good cup of coffee today." Sojiro said.
"Oh, that'd be great." she smiled.
Sojiro instructed them every step of the way, tasting their coffee after they finished brewing it.
"Hmm… not bad." Sojiro complemented. "Though I suppose anyone can do something as simple as brewing it. Making a brew, on the other hand, is a lot more complicated. You can't just mix beans at random. The acidity and flavor depend on the bean ratio."
"That's a lot more complex than I thought it would be." Ren admitted.
Makoto nodded. "Still, I'd love to learn more."
"Heh, you two sure are enthusiastic." Sojiro grinned. "Feel free to experiment with whatever combinations you'd like. But don't touch the expensive beans, got it?"
Both of them nodded, Makoto furiously taking notes in her notepad.
"Next, let's go over the curry." Sojiro continued. "The curry's always been special to me. To tell you the truth, I didn't come up with it myself. It was a scientific genius that came up with the perfect spice combo to complement my coffee."
"A scientific genius?" Makoto repeated.
Sojiro nodded. "I'm still not quite sure how they did it, but it's pretty damn tasty. Which is good, since we're such a tiny shop, our stuff's gotta wow the customers!"
Before he could continue, a man in black clothes and a black hat entered the cafe.
"You…"
Sojiro glared at the man.
"That's the strange man that I told you about before." Ren whispered to her.
"Haven't I already told you that I don't have the money? Look at this place. Do you see many customers in here?" Sojiro grumbled.
Makoto's eyes narrowed. Sojiro had mentioned to her before that money was tight for him.
"There's no need to be modest, Sakura-san." the man grinned. "I'm sure you've saved up plenty of money from your time working in the government. And aren't you taking care of that criminal over there, for nothing more than charity?"
He had a bright smile on his face as he spoke, but Makoto could tell that it was fake.
"Charity?" Ren questioned. "Aren't you getting paid for taking care of me?"
Sojiro frowned. "If you're not going to buy anything, then could you please leave? I don't have time to chat with you. I'm… expecting a call."
"Oh really? Then maybe I could talk to your little employee's here in the meantime." the man replied. "Or we could talk until your call comes in?"
"Makoto." Ren whispered. "Call him."
Makoto nodded, secretly calling Sojiro's phone.
Sojiro's phone began ringing, and he moved to pull it out of his pocket.
"Is that my probation officer?" Ren acted.
"Umm, yeah, it is." Sojiro replied, playing along as he turned to the other man. "They stop around pretty often to make sure that this kid's not getting into any trouble. Want me to introduce you?"
"...Maybe another time." the man muttered, his smile falling for just a moment. "I have some business to take care of. I'll come back later."
Sojiro let out a sigh as the man left the cafe.
"Doesn't he have anything better to do?" Sojiro grumbled.
"What's going on, Boss?" Ren asked. "Why's that guy keep stopping by?"
"Suppose I should tell you in case he tries stopping by when I'm not around." Sojiro relented. "That man… is an old acquaintance. He's always short on cash, so he asks me for money."
"He seemed friendly, but… something definitely seemed off about him as well." Makoto stated.
"Yeah, it's all just an act." Sojiro confirmed. "You two are pretty quick-witted to have picked up on that and pull off that stunt. Guess your smarts are rubbing off on the boy.
"Aww, come on Boss, it was my idea." Ren groaned.
"I'm glad you too helped me out, but… why do you two go poking around in other people's troubles?" Sojiro asked. "I figure that it'd be easier to ignore them."
"Maybe… but I suppose that's just who I am." Makoto confessed.
"Same here." Ren nodded.
"Well… just make sure you two stay out of trouble, alright?" Sojiro requested.
She could feel Sojiro's gratitude… but also his concern as well.
HIEROPHANT CONFIDANT: RANK 4
Sojiro left soon afterwards, leaving the two of them alone.
"I'm really starting to worry about him." Makoto said.
"Yeah, me too." Ren agreed.
"I wonder why he hasn't called the cops." Makoto wondered.
"He did say that he was having money troubles." Ren recalled. "It could be because of this guy."
"If that's true, it's pretty concerning." Makoto replied. "Let me know if anything comes up."
"I will." Ren nodded. "Umm…"
"What is it?" Makoto asked.
"It's pretty late. Would you… like me to walk you to the subway?" Ren mumbled.
"O-Oh… thank you." Makoto stammered. "Although, I was actually going back to that bar in Shinjuku today."
"Did the journalist want to speak with you again?" Ren asked.
"No, but I thought that I might have another lead." she told him.
"Maybe I could come with you? Just in case?" Ren asked.
"Thank you, but I'll be fine." Makoto insisted.
While it was true that she wanted to ask that officer about Kaneshiro… she also wanted to ask him about something more personal.
Her father…
"Well… alright. Let us know if you find anything." Ren told her.
She nodded, leaving Leblanc and making her way back to Crossroads.
"You must really like this place, huh?"
She nearly jumped at the sound of the bartender's voice.
"It's still a little early." Lala pointed out. "If you're looking for Ohya, she doesn't stop by until later."
"No, I-I was just…" Makoto trailed off, looking around the bar.
Sure enough, she spotted the officer that she was looking for, drinking by himself on a stool.
She sat down next to him, his eyes widening as he recognized her.
"...Niijima-san." Mitsuhide muttered.
"So, you do know who I am." Makoto replied.
"...Yeah, I do. You're little Makoto-chan." Mitsuhide smiled.
Little Makoto-chan, Makoto mused. He must have known me when I was younger…
"Although… I guess you're not so little anymore." Mitsuhide added.
"I'm afraid not." she stated. "I'm 18 now."
"Damn. Time really flies…" Mitsuhide trailed off. "The last time I saw you you only went up to my knee."
"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid that I don't remember you." Makoto apologized.
He waved her off. "It's fine. It's been 15 years. Name's Mitsuhide Matsuoka."
"When exactly did we meet?" Makoto asked.
"A bunch of officers were holding a party with their families, and your father brought you and your sister." Mitsuhide answered. "Heh… I remember you lost your little panda plush of yours and got upset, so your father had the whole squad to look for it."
"T-That's so embarrassing!" Makoto stammered.
Mitsuhide let out a small laugh. "It's fine, it's fine. You were just a little kid. I'm sure you've outgrown those plushies by now, right?"
"Y-Yes, of course! I definitely don't have a large collection of them in my room anymore!" Makoto quickly stammered. "Umm…"
"Yeah?"
"Um… though I don't remember you from there… I think… you were the officer that saved me from the train, weren't you?" Makoto asked.
"...Yeah, that was me." Mitsuhide nodded.
"I never had the chance to properly thank you." Makoto smiled.
"It's fine." Mitsuhide assured her. "I was just doing my job."
"Still, I'm very glad that you were there." Makoto told him. "I was actually hoping that you'd be able to help me again."
"What's wrong?" Mitsuhide asked. "Are you in trouble?"
"There's a gang of yakuza that have been terrorizing our school, led by a man named Juuya Kaneshiro." Makoto told him. "I wanted to let you know. Is there anything you can do?"
Mitsuhide bit his lip, looking away.
"Is something wrong?" Makoto asked.
"Listen… you didn't hear this from me, but… they don't want us investigating Kaneshiro." Mitsuhide frowned.
"What?! But he's a criminal! If you know what he's doing, then why are they not going after him?!" Makoto exclaimed.
"...I don't know." Mitsuhide admitted. "All I know is that the higher-ups don't want us investigating."
There's something strange going on, Makoto mused.
"Fine." Makoto sighed. "Then can you tell me about Kaneshiro? I need to investigate him myself."
"You can't!" Mitsuhide protested. "That man's too dangerous!"
"Then what are the students at Shujin going to do?! You just said that the police aren't going to do anything!" Makoto snapped.
Mitsuhide winced, but had no argument.
"I'm not going to sit around and watch the lives of everyone at Shujin be ruined!" Makoto told him. "If no one else is going to do anything to help, then I will!"
"...You really are your father's daughter." Mitsuhide muttered.
"Huh?"
"I'm only telling you this because you're his daughter." Mitsuhide began. "Your father… he was investigating Kaneshiro's gang at the time of his death."
"W-What?!" Makoto gasped. "Are you saying…"
"I have no idea." Mitsuhide confessed. "But there are tons of nasty rumors about Kaneshiro, so please, be careful. And… if there's anything else that you need help with, I'll… I'll try to help."
She would be lying if she said that the police's inaction wasn't frustrating.
But even so, Mitsuhide did seem like he wanted to help, even if his hands were tied.
Maybe they could help each other out later.
I am thou, thou art I… thou hast acquired a new vow. It shall become the wings of rebellion that carry you to thy future. With the birth of the Devil Persona, I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to freedom and new power…
DEVIL CONFIDANT: RANK 1
She made her way home, exhausted as her head hit the pillow.
She found it hard to sleep, however, as she couldn't stop thinking about Kaneshiro.
Glancing under her bed, she found the small bag that she had gotten a long time ago from Untouchable.
"Say, wasn't that officer investigating the owner of that place a while ago?" Morgana asked. "I think that guy had a tattoo on him."
"You're right…" Makoto replied. "Having a tattoo doesn't automatically make him yakuza, but if there's even a chance that he knows something, I should ask him."
With a new goal in mind, Makoto drifted off to sleep.
Makoto's Confidant Progress:
THE FOOL - Ren Amamiya: Rank 5
THE HUNGER - Igor: Rank 5
THE CHARIOT - Ryuji Sakamoto: Rank 3
THE MAGICIAN - Morgana: Rank 4
THE FAITH - Eiko Takao: Rank 4
THE TOWER - Chiaki Yasui: Rank 4
THE SUN - Shiho Suzui: Rank 4
THE MOON - Takayo Tachibana: Rank 4
THE HIEROPHANT - Sojiro Sakura: Rank 4
THE TEMPERANCE - Naoya Makigami: Rank 2
THE STAR - Hifumi Togo: Rank 1
THE DEVIL - Mitsuhide Matsuoka: Rank 1
THE EMPEROR - Yusuke Kitagawa: Rank 2
THE EMPRESS - Haru Okumura: Rank 2
THE LOVERS - Ann Takamaki: Rank 1
THE STRENGTH - Caroline and Justine: Rank 2
THE JUSTICE - Goro Akechi: Rank 2
THE FORTUNE - Phantom Thieves of Heart: Rank 3
THE JUDGEMENT - Sae Niijima: Rank 3
THE COUNCILLOR - Takuto Maruki: Rank 3
Are the Phantom Thieves just? Yes 5.3%