10/26 Saturday
"Wonderful view, isn't it?"
She glanced outside of the office, seeing a view of the Tokyo skyline.
"It is. Very much so, sir." Sae agreed.
"I look down here often, thinking of all the people living down there." the SIU Director said. "It reminds me of our duty to protect the people from all manner of threats."
"A duty I take most seriously, sir." Sae said.
"Indeed. That is part of the reason why I brought you here today." the SIU director told her. "Right now, Tokyo, no, the entire country, faces an unprecedented threat the likes of which, if left alone, could cause unimaginable damage to society as a whole."
"The Phantom Thieves." Sae deduced.
The SIU Director nodded. "We can't afford to ignore them. We have to take action."
"Especially with what ended up happening to Okumura." Sae added.
"Exactly. Not only are they responsible for his death, but potentially many others as well. These incidents have been going on for years now…" the SIU Director trailed off.
"And we're still no closer to discovering their methods." Sae sighed.
"Well… I was hoping that you perhaps might be able to help with that." the SIU Director replied.
"Excuse me, sir?" Sae questioned, nearly stumbling over her words. "Are you suggesting…?"
"You've taken a keen interest in the mental shutdown and psychotic breakdown incidents for quite a while. You've also been attempting to learn what you can about the Phantom Thieves." the SIU Director noted. "Because of all of this, I believe that you are best suited for leading the investigation into the Phantom Thieves."
"Are you certain?!" Sae asked, completely caught off guard.
"I wouldn't have said so if I wasn't." the SIU Director told her. "Do you not believe yourself to be up to the task?"
"No, that's not it!" Sae quickly said. "I will ensure that they are all brought to justice."
"Good, good." the SIU Director nodded. "If you can manage that, then I can easily see a promotion in your future."
The SIU Director smiled, holding back a chuckle as he saw the gleam in Sae's eyes.
She was all too predictable in his eyes.
With the day of the school festival now here, Makoto made sure that all of the preparations were finished.
She was quite glad that her elder sister wasn't here at the moment, so that she didn't have to explain why she was carrying a box of donuts with her.
She simply thought Ren deserved a little reward for doing so well on his exams.
After preparing everything, she made her way to the school festival.
Haru walked through the halls of the school, hoping to meet up with the others.
As she was walking, however, she accidentally bumped into another girl from school.
"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Haru expressed.
"Nah, it's cool, I just… hey, aren't you Okumura-san?" the girl asked.
"Y-Yes, I am." Haru muttered.
She always did feel a bit awkward introducing herself, being the heiress of a major company.
"Yeah, I remember. We met on the school trip!" the girl recalled.
"The school trip?" Haru repeated. "Oh! You must be Takao-san."
"Hehe, glad you remember me." Eiko beamed. "Are you meeting up with Ms. Prez?"
"Makoto? Oh yes, I was just about to meet up with her and the rest of our friends." Haru answered. "I'm… somewhat glad that the school festival didn't get canceled. It's nice to have something like this to take my mind off of everything that happened recently."
"Oh… you mean with…" Eiko trailed off.
"My father, yes." Haru nodded. "But there's a bit more than that?"
"Really?" Eiko asked.
Haru nodded, beginning to tell Eiko about Sugimura.
"Geez, that Sugimura guy sounds like a total creep." Eiko commented. "And trust me, I know a lot about dealing with creepy guys."
"Yes, he was… very unsavory to deal with." Haru admitted.
"So how did you deal with him?" Eiko asked.
"I… might have been a bit rough." Haru giggled.
"Nice, hehe!" Eiko laughed back. "Oh, but I shouldn't keep you for long. You probably want to meet up with them soon, huh?"
"Oh! I nearly lost track of time!" Haru realized. "I promised to meet up with the others soon."
"Well, don't let me keep you!" Eiko insisted. "See you around, and thanks for the talk."
"Yes, of course!" Haru smiled. "Are you going to enjoy the festival too, Takao-san?"
"I might! I'm in a pretty good mood today!" Eiko beamed. "I was seeing Dr. Maruki earlier today, and I feel like I've hit a major breakthrough!"
"Really? That's wonderful! Dr. Maruki has been a great help to me as well." Haru beamed. "I'm happy for you!
"Thanks!" Eiko grinned. "I'll see you around!"
Their conversation over, the two girls went their separate ways.
The moment that Makoto arrived at the school festival, she immediately realized how many people were around.
"A lot more than last year, huh?"
Glancing towards one of the stalls, she saw Daichi manning it.
"Oh, Ando-kun. Yes, I suppose our school has gotten quite a lot of attention recently." Makoto acknowledged.
"For better or worse." Daichi chuckled. "If you're looking for your friends, they said they were going to meet up near the food stalls in about an hour."
"I see. Thank you, Ando-kun." Makoto smiled.
"Oh, but in the meantime, want to try your hand at a game of ring toss?" Daichi asked. "It's pretty cheap."
"Well, alright." Makoto agreed, paying for a round.
"The ring's a little heavy, just to let you know." Daichi informed her.
"Right…" Makoto trailed off, starting to concentrate.
Maybe it was cheating, but she couldn't resist using her third eye to try and find the perfect angle to throw the ring.
She carefully aimed… and flung the ring right onto one of the bottles.
"Oh, wow, someone actually got it…" Daichi muttered.
"What was that?" Makoto asked.
"Ahaha… well, you know… most of these carnival games are made pretty tricky on purpose." Daichi chuckled. "Can't just give away all of the prizes right away. Speaking of…"
Daichi handed her a small keychain.
"Congrats, Prez." Daichi grinned.
"Thank you." Makoto smiled.
She continued to make her way around the festival until she spotted the others over by a food stall.
"Oh, hey Makoto!" Futaba greeted. "We were waiting for you!"
She gave a small wave, but as she looked around, she realized that someone was missing.
"Wait, where's Yusuke?" Makoto asked. "I thought that he would be coming too."
"He said he had something to take care of." Ann answered. "I think he wanted to speak to Dr. Maruki."
"Really?" Makoto asked. "I wonder why?"
"That weirdo Inari was saying something about 'wanting to understand the heart' or something." Futaba scoffed.
"Well, why don't we order some food while we wait for him." Ren suggested.
"Sounds like a plan." Makoto nodded.
As they picked out a stand to eat at, Makoto began to wonder what exactly Yusuke was talking about with Maruki…
And why it made her feel so uneasy…
"You are… Dr. Maruki, correct?"
Yusuke had spent the better part of an hour looking for the man around the school, finally finding him by some vending machines.
"Oh? Yes, that's right. I'm sorry, have the two of us spoken before?" Maruki nervously chuckled.
"No, we have not." Yusuke answered. "My name is Yusuke Kitagawa. I am a student in the fine arts division of Kosei High School. I wanted to speak with you."
"Oh, you did?"
"Yes. I've heard Makoto, Ren, and the others speaking about you from time to time." Yusuke explained.
"Makoto… Ren… oh, Niijima-san and Amamiya-san, right?" Maruki assumed.
"Yes, that's right." Yusuke nodded, before approaching the other man. "Now please, teach to me the secrets of the heart! How to gaze into the endless abyss!
"U-Um, hold on, there seems to be a bit of a misunderstanding about what I actually do." Maruki stammered.
"I apologize… I simply couldn't contain my excitement." Yusuke frowned. "Would you permit me to witness your counseling skills in action?"
"That's uh… not really allowed." Maruki stated. "Counselling sessions are a private affair… but perhaps I could a counselling session with you instead."
"Me?" Yusuke questioned.
"Of course." Maruki nodded. "We'll just chat for a bit."
"Very well! Let us go head-to-head!" Yusuke declared.
"I, um… Counselling isn't exactly… like that." Maruki muttered.
The two of them sat down at a nearby bench, Yusuke beginning to talk to the man.
"Ah, I see. So you were Madarame's student." Maruki noted, frowning.
"It's in the past." Yusuke stated, letting out a sigh. "So this is counseling, hmm?"
"Well, right now it's more like building a rapport." Maruki explained. "The first time someone sees me, I prefer for them to tell me a little about themselves."
"So, self-reflection by speaking to others about your emotions." Yusuke noted. "It seems similar to the internal cross examining I do when working on my art."
"Well… I don't know that cross examining belongs in counseling." Maruki replied. "I simply wish to guide my patients in a positive direction so that they can improve their lives and make good choices for themselves."
"Hmm… but if you're the one leading them to their conclusions, are they really choosing for themselves?" Yusuke pointed out. "Are they not just submitting to your will?"
"I can see how you could think that, but…" Maruki trailed off. "But it's done out of kindness. I believe that if I can help people free themselves from their burdens, then it's worth it."
"I think I understand now." Yusuke nodded. "Thank you for speaking to me."
"W-Wait, Kitagawa-kun!" Maruki called out. "Before you go, I wanted to ask you a few more things about yourself."
"Such as?" Yusuke asked.
"What would you say is your greatest wish at the moment?" Maruki asked. "Would it be to succeed as an artist?"
"Not quite." Yusuke shook his head. "It is… something different."
"And what would that be?" Maruki wondered.
"I wish… things had turned out differently with the Sayuri. I wish the world could appreciate its beauty. I wish it wouldn't be looked upon now as a symbol of death and plagiarism." Yusuke confessed. "And perhaps… a wonderful master that would take me in and guide my brush with care."
"Ah… I see." Maruki muttered.
"In any case, I enjoyed our talk, but I must be getting back to my friends." Yusuke said. "I hope we can meet again sometime."
Yusuke walked off, leaving Maruki alone with his thoughts…
"Apologies for being late." Yusuke stated, as he caught up with the others. "I didn't miss the food, did I?!"
"No, no, you're right on time." Makoto laughed. "We were just about to order something to eat."
"Oh, good." Yusuke nodded. "What were you getting?"
"I think… oh, maybe we should try that stall over there." Makoto pointed, directing everyone's attention to a small stand nearby.
After everyone agreed, she went up to the counter, and noticed that one of her fellow council members was manning it.
"... Hello, Ms. President."
"Oh, hello, Akemi-kun." Makoto greeted. "So, I saw outside that you were selling…?"
"... Takoyaki." Akemi muttered, bringing out a plate of it in front of her.
"Oh, it looks good." Makoto complimented. "I'll take some."
"Thank you…" Akemi whispered. "But… be careful with the red one. It's very spicy."
"Alright, I'll keep that in mind. Thank you, Akemi-kun." Makoto replied.
She brought the plate of Takoyaki over to the others.
"Finally, I'm starving!" Ryuji grinned.
"Careful, the red one is really spicy!" Makoto warned.
Ryuji shrugged, grabbing a non-red one, everyone else doing the same, leaving only the red one behind.
"I'm sure it can't be that bad." Haru said.
"I don't know… I can't handle spicy food that well." Ann said.
"Hey, you gonna try it?" Ryuji asked, glancing at Ren.
"Maybe…" Ren answered.
"Oh! Look who's here!"
The group turned to see Akechi, a bright smile on his face as he approached.
"Oh, Akechi-kun. You're early." Makoto realized.
"I wanted to check out the venue." Akechi replied. "I can't afford to make any mistakes with so many people watching."
"He really likes the spotlight, huh?" Futaba whispered.
"Everyone recognized me, though, and kept bombarding me with questions." Akechi continued. "I wish they would save it for later."
Glancing around, Akechi's eyes landed on the final piece of Takoyaki.
"Ohohoho! Don't mind if I do." Akechi grinned, wriggling his fingers as reached for the Takoyaki.
"W-Wait, hold o-"
"Yeah, sure, try it!" Ryuji grinned, gesturing to the red takoyaki.
Makoto frowned. "Hey, Ryuji…"
Akechi chuckled, happily reaching for the food, and plopping it into his mouth.
"HNNNGH?!" Akechi gasped.
And immediately rushed off, his hands covering his mouth.
"W-Water?! Where is… Water?!" Akechi gasped as he ran off. "M-My throat! My stomach! They're burning!
"Ahahahaha! Did you see the look on his face!" Ryuji laughed.
That seemed a little mean…" Haru whispered.
"Aww, it's fine. Just a harmless prank." Ryuji insisted.
"We'll still need to get some information out of him if we can." Yusuke noted.
"I'm sure you'll be able to get the info out of him, Makoto!" Futaba encouraged.
"I definitely will." Makoto nodded, expression full of determination.
After talking for a little longer, they all made their way to the stage…
Makoto took a deep breath as she went onto the stage.
"We will now begin today's panel." Makoto began. "Our guest of honor is Goro Akechi!"
Akechi stepped onto the stage, a practiced, easygoing grin on his face.
"I feel a little bad coming here with everyone gathered. I'm sure you'd be happier to have a singer or mascot as a guest, right?" Akechi joked.
After waiting for the crowd to calm down, Makoto spoke up.
"We'd appreciate it if you were to tell us about your experiences with the Phantom Thieves." Makoto requested.
"Oh dear… normally I'm the one doing the interrogating." Akechi chuckled. "Please, go easy on me."
"Everyone is very curious about what you have to say about the investigation into the Phantom Thieves." Makoto continued.
"Well, I've said plenty already that's on both T.V and the internet." Akechi smoothly said. "The police don't have any leads, nor are they aware of their methods."
"They must be proving quite difficult to arrest for the police." Makoto replied.
"I assure you that they are working tirelessly." Akechi said.
"Thank you for answering." Makoto nodded. "Might I ask a bit more about your personal feelings about the Phantom Thieves?"
"Ahaha, you're quite comfortable with interrogating people." Akechi smiled. "It's almost like you're a prosecutor."
As the audience began to laugh, Makoto struggled to maintain her composure.
Taking a breath, she replied. "My apologies. It appears that some of my family's mannerisms have rubbed off on me. My sister, in particular, is quite invested in this case."
"Well… as for the Thieves themselves, I maintain that they are dangerous." Akechi mentioned.
"Do you have any personal theories about the Phantom Thieves?" Makoto asked. "I know that the police did come to investigate our school."
"Well, their first target was from Shujin." Akechi brought up. "Not to mention, there's also the case of this school's principal. So they must have thought that the Phantom Thieves could be students.
"You believe that they could have been involved?" Makoto asked. "Was it not the Yakuza who were responsible?"
"And could they not change the heart of a yakuza member?" Akechi count
"I see… in that case, the Thieves would have to be among the first years, or third years, assuming they come from Shujin."
"... Excuse me?" Akechi asked.
"There was a summer trip to Hawaii for the second years at that time." Makoto answered. "Oh, myself and a few other third years came along as well, actually."
"Well, I don't want to rule out any subjects…"
"Akechi-kun, are you suggesting that the Phantom Thieves could have killed the principal or changed a heart from another continent? Does such a method exist?" Makoto asked, feigning ignorance.
For just a brief moment, she saw Akechi's face twitch in… annoyance? Was she seeing that right?
"W-Well… the police are still investigating possible methods…" Akechi trailed off. "As I said, they don't have any solid leads. But I have a theory… on their true identities. I believe-"
Before he could finish his sentence, Akechi's phone began to ring, much to the audience's displeasure.
Makoto raised an eyebrow at the timing, but said nothing.
"Oh, excuse me, I have to take this." Akechi grinned.
Answering the phone, Akechi quickly listened to what the person on the other side was saying.
"I see. Alright, I'll get right on that."
Akechi ended the call, keeping a grin on his face.
"Unfortunately, it seems that I have some urgent business to attend to, so I'm afraid I'll have to cut this appearance short. Please don't spam my blog with hate comments." Akechi joked.
As he began walking off, he approached her, whispering into her ear.
"Our conversation was rather fascinating, Niijima-san. I'd love to continue it somewhere more… private, with the rest of your friends." Akechi said.
She could feel herself freezing up. Did Akechi know?!
Wasting no time, she gathered the others, making their way to meet with Akechi.
After making sure that they were alone, Makoto spoke.
"So, what did you want to talk about?" Makoto asked.
"I'll cut straight to the point." Akechi said.
He placed a bunch of photos onto a table… showing them entering the Metaverse.
"No…!" Haru gasped.
"T-That's gotta be edited or something!" Ann stammered.
"I have video evidence as well." Akechi stated.
Ryuji scowled. "Hey, what were you doing there anyway?"
"Okumura quickly called the police after the calling card was sent to him. Many police officers and I were sent to investigate the area around Okumura Foods and the Okumura residence." Akechi explained. "That's when I happened to find your group."
"I see… so, Mr. Ace Detective, do you have any idea how we allegedly change hearts?" Ren asked.
"I believe that might be due to some sort of… cognitive psience?" Akechi questioned.
She debated for a moment how to respond.
"Do you happen to know about a place called the Metaverse?" Makoto asked.
"Hmm… the Metaverse?" Akechi repeated.
"I believe… that you might know about a place like that." Makoto accused.
She silently gave Morgana a signal before walking towards Akechi's side.
"And what makes you sure about that?" Akechi asked as he turned to face her.
"We have some solid evidence that you've been there!" Morgana shouted.
"What kind of evidence?" Akechi asked, turning to face the others.
"The fact that you can understand me for starters." Morgana grinned.
"Ah!" Akechi replied, realizing his blunder.
Quickly composing himself, Akechi cleared his throat.
"So, how did you…?"
"Some time ago, you mentioned something about 'delicious pancakes'." Makoto recalled. "The thing is, at the time, Morgana was the only one who mentioned pancakes."
Now that she said it out loud, it did sound a little ridiculous.
Akechi seemed to think so too, considering the flash of annoyance she caught on his face.
"Really now… caught because of pancakes of all things." Akechi grumbled.
"A bit of a blunder, eh Mr. Ace Detective?" Ren chuckled.
Akechi's face quickly changed back into a smile, almost unnaturally fast. "Ah, clever as ever. Your family must really have rubbed off on you a tiny bit, Makoto-Chan. Especially your talented elder sister."
"… Don't change the subject." Makoto replied, narrowing her eyes. "How do you know about the Metaverse?"
"Well… it started back towards late April to early May." Akechi began. "I got this strange app on my phone."
"What was it called?" Futaba asked.
"The Metanav." Akechi admitted. "Curious, I experimented with it, only to find myself in another world."
"Was there anything else there?" Yusuke asked.
"There were these strange creatures. I tried to run, but they cornered me. But I managed to fight them off by awakening to this… mysterious being." Akechi recounted.
"A persona!" Morgana exclaimed.
"Yes, that sounds about right." Akechi nodded. "I was curious about this new world, so I explored it a few different times. While I was there, I learned about how the Phantom Thieves had visited this world, and also a strange black masked man."
The mention of a masked man immediately got their attention.
"And also… one of the creatures I ran into was a talking purple cat with a sword." Akechi noted.
"Cait Sith, most likely." Makoto thought.
"That's probably why I can understand that cat over there." Akechi realized.
"Hah! Now I know you're lying!" Morgana grinned. "I'm not a cat at all!"
Akechi gave an unexpectedly dumbfounded expression.
"Um…"
"Just… ignore him." Makoto sighed.
"Hey!"
"I must say, you're composing yourself rather well for having just been discovered." Akechi pointed out.
"Well, it wouldn't be the first time." Makoto admitted. "We have been discovered and even blackmailed before, but everything worked out."
"You mean… others managed to find proof before me?" Akechi muttered.
"A little slow on the uptake, aren't you, Detective?" Ren smirked.
"… It's astonishing that your group is still around." Akechi deadpanned. "But in any case, my intention isn't to turn you in."
"Then what do you want then?" Ann asked.
"I have a request." Akechi stated. "Someone who's heart I want you to change."
"You do?" Makoto asked. "Whose heart could you possibly want us to change?"
"Sae Niijima." Akechi bluntly said. "Your sister."
For a minute, no one said a word. What could she even say to that? A detective had figured them out, but instead of turning them in, he wished to request their services. And to target her sister, at that.
If it was anyone else, she could have suspected that it was a cruel joke.
But Akechi was completely serious.
"Why?" Makoto finally managed to say.
"A test, of sorts." Akechi vaguely answered. "To see if your ideals really are just."
"I thought that you wished to take down the Phantom Thieves." Yusuke said.
"Well, while I don't necessarily agree with your actions, I'm willing to let it slide on a few conditions." Akechi stated.
"Those conditions being?" Haru asked.
"Firstly, after our agreement is over, you will never change another heart again." Akechi began.
"WHAT?!" Ryuji snapped. "But what about-"
"It's alright. Let's just hear him out completely." Ren said, cutting Ryuji off before turning back to Akechi. "And your other conditions?"
"Just one more." Akechi said. "You prove to me your justice… by helping me to take down the conspiracy."
That caught everyone's attention.
"The conspiracy…" Makoto repeated. "Then…"
"Truth be told, I have my doubts that your group is responsible for the death of Okumura, and all of the similar incidents. It just doesn't add up." Akechi told them. "I believe it might be the work of a third party."
"The black masked man you mentioned before?" Haru asked.
"Possibly." Akechi nodded. "As much as I hate to admit it, this conspiracy seems to reach into the upper echelons of the government. I'm a bit out of my league here, especially with them resorting to this other world to do their dirty work."
"So that's why you need us." Makoto realized. "But… why target my sister?"
"You don't think she's a part of the conspiracy, do you?" Morgana asked.
"Not exactly." Akechi answered. "Rather, I think she is merely a pawn in their scheme. They're having her leading the investigation into the Phantom Thieves."
"Then why change her heart?" Makoto asked.
"Perhaps you might not know this, Makoto-chan…" Akechi trailed off. "But as someone who has spent a lot of time with Sae-san, I can tell that she has changed. Her sense of justice has become distorted."
Makoto balled her fists. Of course she knew that, even if Sae hadn't been home much lately.
"Even so, they don't have any evidence on us, correct?" Yusuke asked.
"That is true… but I wouldn't put it past Sae or the police force to 'make some evidence', so to speak." Akechi boldly said.
"But why?! Aren't they concerned about getting the real culprit?!" Ann yelled.
"I believe that they are more concerned with saving face." Akechi answered. "There's been a lot of criticism of the police ever since your group took down those Yakuza. That was something not even they could do."
"That's total bullshit!" Ryuji snapped.
"Unfortunately, that is the state of things. The police, and the members of the conspiracy, will do anything to take you down. So, I think it's in your best interest to assist me."
"And if we refuse, you're gonna turn us in, right?" Futaba assumed.
"Naturally." Akechi confirmed. "So the deal I'm giving you is quite agreeable, wouldn't you think so?"
"We'll… think about it." Makoto finally said.
"Oh, of course. I don't expect you to answer right away." Akechi smiled. "But I do expect an answer soon. Oh, and since you invited me here for intel, I think it would be fine to end the panel now."
Akechi walked off after saying his piece.
"Damn it!" Ryuji snapped. "He has us right where he wants us!"
"We aren't going to actually accept his offer, are we?" Ann asked.
"I don't think that we have much choice." Makoto frowned.
"Are you sure, Mako-chan?" Haru asked. "It's your own sister…"
"I… I just need some time to think." Makoto insisted. "We can discuss this more later."
"Of course. Take your time." Morgana nodded.
She dismissed the team, attempting to clear her conflicted thoughts.
After ending the guest panel, Makoto went backstage, seeing Ren waiting for her.
"You did good." Ren praised.
"Really? It felt like I played into his hands the entire time." Makoto sighed.
"Nah, you definitely caught him off guard a few times." Ren said. "We got some intel out of him."
"I suppose so…" Makoto trailed off.
"Hmm… I'll have to see Kasumi soon. She said that she wanted to show me something today." Ren informed her.
"Oh, in that case-"
"Alright everyone! It's time for the student sharing festival!"
"Student sharing festival?" Ren repeated.
"It's never been the most popular event." Makoto shrugged. "Only the older teachers seem to enjoy it."
"So, does anyone want to share anything?" the MC asked. "No? Well, I'll just have to pick someone."
"I pity the poor student that gets picked this year." Makoto sighed.
"Ooooh, is that our lovely student council president over there?!" the MC exclaimed.
"H-Huh?!" Makoto gasped.
"Come on up here, Miss Prez!" The MC shouted.
"Do I have to?" she whimpered.
"I'll never forget your valiant sacrifice." Ren laughed.
"Ugh…" she groaned, heading to the stage as Ren went to the audience.
She had a feeling he might enjoy himself too…
"Here she is: everyone's favorite student council president, Makoto Niijima-san!" the MC announced.
"Hello, everyone." Makoto greeted.
She was greeted with polite applause, as well as a very loud cry of 'Woo, you go Miss Prez.' from a certain friend of hers.
"So, what would you like to share with us today?" the MC asked.
"I, uh, don't really have anything I can think of." Makoto excused. "... I'm sorry."
"Alright, I'll give you a question." the MC offered. "Do you think the Phantom Thieves are Shujin students? What do you think, Miss President?"
"W-What do I think?" Makoto repeated.
How on Earth was she supposed to respond to that?!
Spotting Ren in the audience, she quickly flashed him a subtle signal to help her out.
To her relief, he seemed to get the signal, rising from his seat and gathering everyone's attention.
Except…
"You're the cutest girl in Shujin, Makoto!" Ren shouted.
"W-What?!" Makoto cried.
"What shock! What drama! What a sudden confession of love!" the MC exclaimed. "Why, it's none other than the transfer student Ren Amamiya!"
"Hrgh!" Makoto groaned in embarrassment… only for her embarrassment to grow when her groan was picked up on the mic.
"Niijima-san, what is your relationship with this boy?!" the MC asked.
"R-Relationship?!" Makoto gasped. "That's…"
"My, she's red as a beat!" the MC commented. "What an interesting new side of our wonderful Miss President!"
She knew that they needed a distraction, but this was crazy!
Still… It was probably their best shot.
"Niijima-san?" the announcer repeated.
"H-He… I… We're…" Makoto stammered, unable to get the words out as a blush creeped onto her cheeks.
Absolutely everyone's eyes were on her, eagerly awaiting her answer.
Taking a shaking breath, she mentally prepared herself, and…
"HE'S MY BOYFRIEND!" Makoto squeaked, walking off the stage in a huff to save herself further embarrassment.
Immediately, she began to hear the other students loudly gossiping in the audience. But right now, she really needed an excuse to run off.
Maybe… he had gone just a little too far this time.
It took a while to make his way through the crowd, half of the students he ran into congratulating him and the other half giving him a death glare.
"Hey!"
"Huh?" Ren turned around, seeing an annoyed looking girl glancing at him.
"What the hell was that?" the girl asked.
"Um… do I…?" Ren trailed off, struggling to place a name on the girl.
"Chiaki Yasui! Vice President of the student council." Chiaki scoffed. "And you… you aren't toying with Makoto, are you?"
Ah. A concerned council member.
"Wouldn't dream of it." Ren initiated.
"Not taking advantage of her in any way?" Chiaki asked.
"Nope."
"No secret romantic rendezvous in the student council room or elsewhere in school?" Chiaki wondered.
"Well, there was the time she left the back down open."
"WHAT?!"
"Yeah, she wanted me to help her talk to a student, so she left the door open." Ren said.
"Oh, of course." Chiaki nodded. "Well, I suppose your grades are good, and Niijima would probably just beat you up if you tried anything uncouth, so I guess there's nothing to worry about."
That… was probably true.
"It's good to know her fellow council members care so much." Ren said.
"A-Absurd, I just want to make sure that everything in the student council runs smoothly!" Chiaki insisted. "B-By the way, that red-haired girl has been staring at us for about 3 minutes. I think she wants something from you. I'll leave you to it."
Ren heard a soft 'Eep!' as Chiaki left, seeing Kasumi behind him.
"Hey, Kasumi-chan." Ren greeted.
Kasumi walked towards him, a hesitant look in her eyes.
"Oh… Senpai. H-Hello." Kasumi whispered.
"Is something wrong?" Ren asked.
"N-No, everything is fine." Kasumi murmured, barely audible.
"Well, alright." Ren nodded. "Say, you said that you wanted to show me something, right? Over where everyone is singing and dancing?"
Kasumi's eyes glanced towards the ground, biting her lip.
"Kasumi-chan?" Ren questioned.
"Actually… it's nothing." Kasumi said, shaking her head. "I should be going."
"Are you sure you're alright?" Ren asked.
"… Yeah, I'm fine." Kasumi insisted. "I'm… fine. I'm just a little tired, that's all. I think I'll be heading home."
"Oh, well, alright." Ren nodded. "I'll see you around, Kasumi-chan."
"Yeah…" Kasumi trailed off.
After waving goodbye, Ren walked off to meet with Makoto.
… And when she was sure that he was gone, Kasumi let her tears begin to fall.
As Makoto tried to get away from the other students and to go to the roof, she ran into Kaya, a frantic look in the younger girl's eyes.
"Niijima, Niijima, Niijima, Niijima!" Kaya cried.
"Kayo-san? Is something wrong?!" Makoto asked.
"N-N-Niijima-sempai, y-your boyfriend is scary!" Kayo whimpered.
Oh. That was all.
"WAIT, DON'T WALK AWAY!" Kayo pleaded.
"... What happened, Kayo-san?" Makoto asked.
"I-I was helping out at the haunted house, dressed as a creepy ghost! But then he went there, and he grabbed my mask and shouted, 'I'll reveal your true form'!" Kayo frantically shouted.
Makoto let out a long sigh. "I'll talk to him and tell him to apologize. He won't be doing that again."
"I can't believe that you've managed to tame him, Niijima-sempai!" Kayo exclaimed. "You're amazing!"
The younger girl looked at her in awe, her eyes practically sparkling and her mouth slightly agape.
"T-Tame?" Makoto repeated. "It's not like he's a wild animal…"
She talked to the younger council member for a bit longer before excusing herself.
Letting out a breath, she made her way to the roof, hoping for some fresh air, peace and quiet.
"Looks like you had the same idea, huh?"
She saw Ren already sitting on the roof, giving a small wave.
"Hey." Ren greeted, grinning at her.
Makoto walked over to him… before lightly bopping his head.
"H-Hey, what did I do?" Ren asked. "If this is about what I yelled out in front of everyone…"
"It's… not that." Makoto clarified. "... But you've certainly gotten into quite a bit of trouble today, haven't you?"
Ren just laughed. "Have I? What other kind of trouble have I gotten into?"
"Please don't frighten my fellow council members half to death in haunted houses." Makoto requested.
Ren looked confused for a second before realization dawned on him.
"Oh! Hahahaha… sorry, force of habit."
"Unbelievable." Makoto sighed. "Oh, by the way… I made you this."
She handed him a box of donuts.
"Congrats on getting the top spot in your grade on these exams." she beamed.
Ren graciously smiled back before happily eating one of the donuts, saving the rest for later.
"Wait… weren't you going to meet up with Yoshizawa-san?" Makoto realized.
"She said that she was feeling tired, so she went home early." Ren answered.
"I see." Makoto whispered.
That was surprising to hear. From what she knew, Kasumi practically clung to Ren like glue.
"So, um… I guess that everyone at school knows about us now, huh?" Ren brought up.
"Yes… I suppose so." Makoto nodded. "But… that's alright."
"You're sure?" Ren asked.
"Yeah. I'm sure. Hiding was just way too stressful." she sighed.
"Mmm…"
The two sat in silence, lost in thought.
"So, your sister has a palace." Ren began. "How long have you known?"
"...Several months." Makoto answered. "Are you mad?"
"… Did you know that when she was harassing Sojiro?" Ren muttered, his expression darkening.
"R-Ren, I… she's my sister! I wanted to believe… that I could help her without changing her heart!"
"I don't think that's possible…" Ren grumbled.
"That's not for you to decide by yourself!" Makoto snapped.
"I… I guess you're right." Ren admitted. "It needs to be unanimous, but…"
"If there are no other options… I will go to sis' palace. But I want that to be a last resort." Makoto explained.
"I see…" Ren trailed. "I… deep down, I that that's probably for the best, but I can't help but get angry at her all the same."
A few minutes passed, Makoto unsure what to say.
"Do you trust Akechi?" Makoto finally asked.
"I want to… but I don't know if that's the right decision." Ren frowned.
"Everything he said makes sense, but… at the same time, it just sounded too convenient." Makoto said. "It might sound like I'm just being paranoid, but I just have a gut feeling."
"Is it because he's been to the Metaverse?" Ren asked.
"Yes, that's a large part of it." Makoto nodded. "Aside from our team, he's the only one we know who's able to enter the Metaverse."
Ren stiffened.
"Yeah… I guess… but…"
"What's wrong, Ren?" Makoto asked.
"It's nothing." Ren insisted.
Makoto narrowed her eyes. "You're hiding something from me."
"I… it's not that important." Ren insisted.
"Ren, if there's someone else out there that can enter the Metaverse, I'd say that's very important!" Makoto argued.
"Ok… since you're the leader, I'll tell you." Ren relented. "It's… Kasumi. She awakened to her Persona a few weeks ago."
"And when were you planning on telling us this?" Makoto asked.
"I… I want to trust Kasumi… and I want her to trust me too. I thought that I shouldn't betray her trust by telling others about her awakening her Persona unless it was necessary." Ren justified.
"Well, I think it's very necessary now." Makoto stated.
She narrowed her eyes, a dark expression taking over her features.
"What color was her mask, Ren." Makoto calmly asked.
"Makoto, that's not-"
"What. Color. Was. Her. Mask." Makoto repeated.
"Her outfit didn't look at all like how you described the Black Mask." Ren argued.
"… So it's black then." Makoto surmised.
"Makoto, come on!" Ren snapped. "I told you that she looked different!"
"Couldn't she have just changed her costume?" Makoto theorized.
"Then why wouldn't she change her mask? Why wouldn't she kill me the moment she realized that showed her that I had a Persona, making me most likely a Phantom Thief?"
Makoto frowned and glanced towards the ground, lacking a counterargument.
"I know that this means a lot to you." Ren said, his voice a bit softer. "But you can't just jump the gun on something like this, ok?"
"... I know." Makoto whispered. "I know that! I just…"
Deep down, she knew that he was right. But trying to keep a cool head when discussing a suspect in her father's murder was difficult, to say the least.
"Can you explain to me what happened? How exactly did she awaken her Persona?" Makoto asked.
Ren nodded, beginning to explain how the two of them had met up, stumbled onto a palace, and how Kasumi had awakened a Persona to help him deal with some enemy shadows.
"And then Kasumi's Persona called my Persona Arsènpai." Ren continued.
"No it didn't."
"Yeah, ok, I made that part up." Ren admitted. "But everything else is completely true."
"I see…" Makoto trailed off.
From what Ren had described the Persona that Kasumi had awakened didn't resemble any of the Persona that the masked man had used.
It could just be that the masked man hadn't used that particular persona in their fight, but…
She knew she couldn't jump to conclusions.
"I have to think about all of this. So much has happened today. It's a lot to process." Makoto sighed.
"I understand. Just think it over for a bit." Ren suggested.
"I will." Makoto nodded, before glancing up at the sky. "It's getting late. I should get going."
"Should I walk you to the bus stop?" Ren asked.
"Um… maybe for today, it might be for the best if we leave separately." Makoto replied. "At least until the other students calm down a bit. They'll probably pester us if they see us together."
"Oh, right." Ren realized. "I'll see you later, then…"
"Yeah…"
Makoto walked off, Morgana rejoining her as she left the school.
"Something wrong? You look upset." Morgana noted. "Did you and Ren have a fight or something?"
"That…" she began, before trailing off.
Well… she supposed that they did. They didn't argue often, but it was a little sad.
Still, nothing was perfect. They would just have to try and work things out together.
"We… worked it out." Makoto answered. "But still, with everything that's happening, I can't help but be a little stressed."
"Understandable." Morgana told her. "But just remember that we're all here for you if you need someone to talk to."
"Thank you." Makoto expressed.
She felt very thankful that Ren and the others were there to help her keep a cool head.
She knew and accepted that her anger was a part of her, but even so…
She knew that she had to keep it in check.
As she went home for the day, she wondered if she would be able to do that if she had never formed the bonds and friendships that she had…
Makoto's Confidant Progress:
THE FOOL - Ren Amamiya: Rank 9
THE HUNGER - Igor: Rank 9
THE CHARIOT - Ryuji Sakamoto: Rank 8
THE MAGICIAN - Morgana: Rank 8
THE FAITH - Eiko Takao: Rank 7
THE TOWER - Chiaki Yasui: Rank 8
THE SUN - Shiho Suzui: Rank 9
THE MOON - Takayo Tachibana: Rank 8
THE HIEROPHANT - Sojiro Sakura: Rank 8
THE TEMPERANCE - Naoya Makigami: Rank 8
THE STAR - Hifumi Togo: Rank 7
THE DEVIL - Mitsuhide Matsuoka: Rank 5
THE HANGED MAN - Munehisa Iwai: Rank 5
THE DEATH - Yohei Kiritani: Rank 6
THE EMPEROR - Yusuke Kitagawa: Rank 8
THE EMPRESS - Haru Okumura: Rank 5
THE LOVERS - Ann Takamaki: Rank 8
THE HERMIT - Futaba Sakura: Rank 6
THE STRENGTH - Caroline and Justine: Rank 8
THE JUSTICE - Goro Akechi: Rank 5
THE PRIESTESS - Kasumi Yoshizawa: Rank 5
THE FORTUNE - Phantom Thieves of Heart: Rank 7
THE JUDGMENT - Sae Niijima: Rank 6
THE COUNCILOR - Takuto Maruki: Rank 9
Are the Phantom Thieves just? Yes 51.6%