Chapter 24

The sounds of hundreds of feet stepping throughout the train station echoed along the walls and floor. Countless people were moving back and forth, either heading home or work, maybe starting a trip to a predestined vacation. Despite the public location, heavy presence, and overwhelming witnesses, it was the perfect place for a clandestine gathering. There are too many voices to sift through to hear anyone specific. It's challenging to suggest that a group of teenagers uses this setting to gather for a secret meeting to discuss sensitive topics. Here Ren felt more at ease than the school rooftop where just one hostile witness wielding a loose tongue could get them suspended, or even expelled.

Ren stepped up the stairs and aimed straight for the handrail facing the various windows looking over the streets of Shibuya. He readjusted his glasses as he drew near the small group of teens already waiting there. Seeing him come up, Ryuji shoved off the railing while Ann dropped her crossed arms and Yusuke turned to square off with him. Morgana leapt out of the bag to perch his front paws on Ren's shoulders and he looked over the group, "Alright, we're all here."

"What's the plan?" Ryuji asked right off the bat.

"You mentioned exchanging information with the reporter, but we've only got Arsenes business. Can we afford to give that away?" Ann looked nervous. Her concerns were quite valid. Sharing information was a double-edged sword. On one end they could cut the vines tangled on their path, but the other could slash the very arm wielding it.

"Would it not be advantageous to offer the ongoings of this syndicate's actions? It would provide details not related to us and it will gain us access to the intelligence we seek." Yusuke offered.

Ren sighed before saying, "The problem is, the information needs to be equal or greater in value than the information we want." At least that's what Yu's memories tell him. To get information about Rise, he had to share two rumors he overheard from his classmates. "Knowing who's playing the game is more valuable than how his pieces move."

"Was that a chess reference?"

"Err, yeah… someone told me that recently. Regardless, if she has the most vital information, she'll more than likely already know anything we could share."

"Hmm. How unfortunate. Then we have no choice but to share our own movements. This does not bode well."

"There's a chance she'll side with us. Reporters tend to be morally flexible.

"Nah, that don't sound like something reliable. If she can be bought like that then she ain't trustworthy."

Morgana began hopping up and down on Ren's shoulder, a smile spreading across his face. "Sounds like we're playing it safe, then. We share as little information as possible so we don't expose ourselves all the while proving our value by providing desirable stories to establish a potential relationship. We only need to decide on what story we can safely share."

"It's gotta be how we took down Kamoshida. That is our debut an' all!"

"Not so loud!" Ann snapped. "We're the Arsenes, Ryuji! Why're you always forgetting that?"

"It's not like I forget. Why can't we brag a little now and then?"

"Regarding your proposal to use Kamoshida as barter," Yusuke added, "I feel sharing aspects of Madarame to be more promising. It is still fresh in everyone's mind."

"True, but doesn't that mean it has a little more coverage since everyone's reading into it? I think sharing more on Kamoshida would be more valuable to a journalist. No one knows much about that incident."

"Why not ask her herself? She'd know what she wanna know. Whadda you think, leader?"

Ren hummed, stroking his chin. "I think we should develop various stories and when we go to her, provide them one by one until she's satisfied. We won't reveal our hand, though. That'll be too risky."

"Good." Morgana nodded. "In that case, we should have details for both Kamoshida and Madarame. Maybe something more if we can."

"Hmm. I have a thought." Yusuke raised a finger. "How about we ask the administrator of the Phansite? Majima, correct? He knows little of our activities and was directly involved with your previous gym teacher. He could provide us with the information which we could share."

"Or better yet," Ann had a glint in her eye, "we could ask him to do an interview for us."

"Ohhhh! We give her accurate information, all the while giving her nothing that would implicate us! That's brilliant Lady Ann!"

"Well, that'll cover the Kamoshida angle, at least. Madarame, though," Her gaze hovered on Yusuke before peeling off. "I'm not sure we could do the same. I mean, there was that former pupil who requested us but... wasn't he like a politician or something? I'm not sure he'd do it."

"He might if we promise anonymity. We should ask Mijima to relay our request since he was our contact with him. Does that sound good, Playboy?" Morgana grinned over at Ren.

The boy's eyes narrowed. "I thought we dropped that?"

"So, where's the meetup?" Ryuji interrupted, "I wanna come with."

"No way!" The residential non-cat hissed. "You'll just screw things up again!"

"Like hell I would, you filthy fleabag! You're no better, y'know! What're you gonna do, meow at her?"

"I am an adorable young gentleman. Not to mention I can provide ideas without her hearing them. I'm absolutely perfect for this."

Ren sighed.

"What?! I most certainly am!" Ren could feel two paws pouncing on his skull, almost as if they were fists hammering on him.

The victimized boy turned to Ann. "Fair princess, could thou stop thy's noble knight from embarrassing thyself by pummeling this here noble hero."

Ann cringed. "I'd call your speech more embarrassing than his 'pummeling.' If he really wants to go, why not let him?"

"It's in the Redlight district of Shinjuku."

"Oh… well, so long as you're going, it should be fine. I'll leave the decision up to you."

Shrugging, Ren faced back toward Ryuji. "If you want to come, you'll have to ditch the school uniform, got it?"

"Loud'n clear! I'll see you two there!" Ryuji ran off before anyone could say another word.

Morgana deflated on Ren's head. "Does he have to come?"

"Thy knight looks tuckered."

"Knock it off, Playboy!" Morgana gave one last leap and smash into Ren's head, successfully getting a grunt from him.

/\

"Whoa, man... We ain't old enough to hand out here. You sure this is the place?" Ryuji looked up at the large, red neon light blaring overhead.

A large glowing sign reading 'Bar Crossroads' hung over a large path heading toward a door standing next to some stairs heading up into what could have been apartments. Ren didn't actually know about that, but it wasn't important. "You know she said 'bar,' right?"

"Yea, I know, it's just... it's a bar. I've never been in one."

"They're not that special."

"Wait, you've been to one?!"

Oh... right. He hadn't. Yu went to a bar... was that even a bar? The others got drunk... or semi-drunk, but then Naoto called them a bunch of idiots. Told them the place no longer sold alcohol. At some point it did serve alcohol, so it probably was a bar... The roundabout explanation can be summarized with, he wasn't the one who went. This mind twisting realization made his heart twang and the enthusiasm he mustered earlier, just to get on the train, withered.

He corrected his glasses and made for the door. "Just follow me and try to remain calm."

"Right."

Both of them entered, stopping at the threshold. The floor was a typical black and white checkerboard pattern, dark blue leather bar stools lined along the dark oak counter that held up many various glass bottles. The ambient lighting was a light pink combined with a deep shade of red. Aesthetics not known in bars, not innocent ones anyway. Opposite of the bar hung glittering gold curtains that could be drawn over the openings of booths. If those rooms were private, this 'bar' did not resemble a typical bar. The red neon heart encircling a rainbow-colored 'welcome love' was certainly not helping, either.

While Ryuji kept studying the environment, Ren shifted his gaze to the man behind the counter… actually... was that a man? Oh no, not another sauna debacle! The large whatever spotted him and nodded toward their new guests, "Welcome, welcome!" They spoke in a voice both low and booming.

"I wonder what Kanji would say."

"Who?" Ryuji snapped out of his funk.

"Nobody, don't worry about it."

"How old are ya, boys?" The something's eyes narrowed on them with a fierce stony gaze.

Before either of them could answer, a cheery voice broke in. "Sorry, Lala-chan. They're with me." Sitting in front of the bartender was the journalist they were looking for, Ohya. She wore what she initially wore when they first met: orange tainted shades on her raven-black hair in a bob cut, a black t-shirt over a long-sleeved white shirt, tight jeans, and sneakers.

"Ohh," Lala looked amused, "I didn't know you were interested in that sort of thing... Just don't let minors drink alcohol, okay?"

"Wait, what's that supposed ta mean?" Ryuji looked ready to bolt.

Ren planted a hand on his shoulder. "Just be brave. Harden yourself and the experience will be smooth and pleasant."

"Dude! Not helping!"

Ren's performance elicited a chuckle from their residential journalist, who turned to the proprietor and said, "Lala-chan, I'm going to borrow the seats in the back. Go on back there, you two. I'll treat you to some water!"

"Th-the back?"

Morgana stuck his head out of the bag. "Just follow the Playboy."

"Can we not call me that here, of all places?"

Lala, appearing from behind the bar, motioned for them to follow as she opened a door. A large table sat central within the room, a connecting and cornering couch lined the farthest three walls. The same 'welcome love' sign from the entrance hung on one wall and a chandelier from above spun in a circle to cast various pink lights around the entire room. Lala waved for them to sit. "I'll go get you boys that water."

"Thank you." Ren bowed to the retreating form of Lala.

The two of them sat on the large couch, both casting dubious looks toward the corners where red-heart-shaped pillows rested. Ryuji faced Ren. "Dude, this is a bar, right? Not a... you know... one of those?"

"I am an innocent boy and don't know what you mean."

"C'mon! I don't wanna say it!"

"Maid service."

"Not cool!"

The door opened again, revealing Ohya holding a small old-fashioned glass filled with an orange drink. Lala followed her, carrying two glasses of water with chunks of ice clinking the crystalline sides. Lala presented them with the beverages, then departed without a word. Ohya. meanwhile, plopped down with a satisfied moan before taking a swig of her poison. Setting it down, she leaned in to rest her chin on her palm to appraise her guests.

"Ugh," Morgana groaned, "She reeks of booze."

Ren, the closest to her as Ryuji took the farthest end of the table from her, concurred. He could smell the various mixture of alcohol saturating her breath alone.

A chuckle escaped the woman as she observed the pair. "What a surprise. I thought you were joking, yet here you are. With a partner to boot." She grinned at Ryuji.

The boy nodded his head. "Sup."

His response caused the journalist to chuckle some more. "Sup to you. The two of you are certainly braver than most of your peers. I respect that. So I'll listen to what you boys have to say."

"That's great, cause we wanna know somthin'."

"Ryuji!" Morgana hissed low enough for only the teen to hear, "Let Ren handle this!"

"And what was it you wanted to know?"

Ren corrected his glasses. "We were interested in knowing who runs Shibuya."

The reporter's face dropped, and she sat back, almost looking sober. "Oh." After a pause, she shook her head. "Why that?"

"You could say we need some information about the boss."

"Hm." She leaned back forward, looking thoughtful. "Well, it seems you know how this business works." She picked up her glass to take a sip. "Depending on what you've got, I could tell you."

"We got some information on the Phantom Thieves." Ryuji grinned.

"The Phantom Thieves." She repeated, a spark of interest in those inebriated eyes. "That certainly has had my interest for a little while. Guess it does pay being a Shujin kid. Though..." She eyed Ren. It was one reminding him of a lioness on the prowl. "There's something else I've really got my eye on."

Ren shifted in his seat. "We've got two people who're willing to do interviews regarding the Phantom Thieves. Each of them was involved with either Kamoshida or Madarame. Does that not suffice?"

"Sure. Sure. But I just gotta know. You were on a show recently, weren't you?"

Ren's heart seized in his chest. He could hear Morgana muttering from within his bag, "This doesn't sound good."

"There's been a lot of talk about how you responded to that newest 'Detective Prince' Akechi regarding these Phantom Thieves. Not all bad, mind you, but that's not what I want to talk about. I'm rather keen to learn Naoto Shirogane's story.

"That's..." He wasn't sure how to respond. Even the talkative Ryuji looked pressed for words.

"It's a sensitive subject for him." The blond tried derailing.

"Does that mean he is involved?" She eyed them both.

"involved?" Ren blurted out.

"Don't." Morgana warned. Ren understood the concern but… out of anyone here, he has to learn more.

Ohya grinned. "You know what the original 'Detective Prince' has been up to as of late."

"You could say I've been... out of the loop because of complications."

"Those've got to be some interesting complications, pal. Cause the Detective Prince has her own detective agency specializing in human trafficking. She's even got the biggest bust in history in the field. She's been all around the globe, cracking down on as many underground auctions as she can. Some say she's completely obsessed with it, like she was looking for someone."

Yu's heart thumped in his chest. All previous thoughts of the crime syndicate, the Phantom Thieves, even the metal breakdowns vanished. Only Naoto's image lingered. Naoto climbing over mountains, hiking through deep snow, his girlfriend calling out his name and searching every cave. Someone trying to bring him home. This impossible imagery captivated him so much he forgot where he was. He hadn't realized what was happening until he felt something wet trickle down his face.

Yu stopped and tore off his glasses to rub his cheek. Watching him closely, Ohya sat back. "So, know something about it. You wouldn't happen to be the boy she's looking for. A boy named Yu Narukami?"

Yu's mouth opened in an instant but bit down just as fast. No. No, no, no. He shouldn't. Not without knowing what happened to him, or why he was in a different body. How he disappeared and why his consciousness skipped six years without reason. It would be one thing if he were speaking to Naoto herself. He wouldn't hesitate to spill everything to her, but this wasn't Naoto. If anything, he should be suspicious why she was asking such pinpoint accurate questions.

Clearing his throat, he shook his head. "Sorry. My name's Ren Amamiya. I'm not related to this Narukami."

"Really? You seemed to recognize the name, though."

"I only know he was her senpai. About six years older than me. That's all."

She slouched at his words. "Hmmm. Too bad. I would've liked to know more. She's so secretive about it. Doesn't share more than what she's already said." Despite her words, her eyes never wavered from him as she picked up her glass and took another sip. A slow one this time.

He didn't bat an eyelash, staring right back at her with conviction. However, from the corner of his vision, he could see Ryuji also possessing an incredulous look. Sensing this was spiraling out of control, Yu loudly cleared his throat. "Sorry, I couldn't help you. But we're still offering two interviews. One interviewee, a peer of ours, suffered constant abuse from Kamoshida; the other, a former student of Madarame, was thrown out of the art business. This should be more than sufficient for a single name."

"Sure. Sounds like a deal." Her hardened gaze didn't relax as she sat back. "Just send me their contact info and I'll handle the rest. As for the name..." She picked up her glass, her gaze peeling off for once. "Junya Kaneshiro."

"Great. We got a name." Morgana pipped up from the bag, but the lack of enthusiasm caused Yu to grimace. The non-cat must be suspicious, too. Looks like bringing them along might have been a hinderance in the long run.

"If you're looking into him for whatever reason, you can check him out... but I'm not responsible for what happens next! Lala-chan!" Ohya turned to the door with a cry, "Can I get a refill for these kids? We need to make a toast to our new acquaintances!"

"Let's not stay too long. Just finish your water." Morana whispered from his bag.

With a grunt, Yu snatched up his cup. "We can toast now."

"Huh? You sure?" Ryuji asked, taking up his own water.

Undeterred, Ohya lifted her glass. "Toast!"

Yu raised his glass and began chugging it down. Ryuji just took a sip and set his glass down, watching his friend closely. Yu didn't stop till there was only ice left and that's when he set it down. He bowed to the reporter. "Thank you for the information." He pulled out his phone. "And here's the contact information. I hope this satisfies you."

"I'm sure it will." She sang, pulling out her own phone to watch it. "And there they are. I'll contact them soon. Oh... and," A seductive smile formed on her lips. "If you've got any more information about Yu Narukami, please give me a call."

"Sure, if I remember something. Have a good night." Yu snatched up his bag and sped out the door.

"My, he's in a hurry." Ohya watched the boy leave with a giggle.

Ryuji looked between her and the door before bolting after his friend. He sped toward the exit, almost tearing the front door down to step out onto the street. He could see the guy standing on the sidewalk, looking down at his phone. "Hey. You okay?"

Yu scrolled through the web search, a case by case of all the human trafficking containing Naoto's name. Over fifty cases? Fifty? Six years and she had that many on human trafficking alone? Those were just known cases too; one article mentioned Naoto asking the police not to mention her for this one bust, this implies there are more not known.

Then he stumbled over a photo of her. One of her talking to a police officer wearing the same old clothing as when he first met her at the textile shop. That Detective Prince uniform. Despite the nostalgic appearance, the differences were striking. To say she appeared more confident was an understatement, she was more radiant, sophisticated. He couldn't help but admire her in this photo alone. She was taller now, probably taller than what he used to be in Yu's body. Despite expecting this, the realization hit him like a truck and made him wish he had grown alongside her. The fire in her eyes was contagious, fueling his once weary soul. Seeing her, even through a photo, made his body burn and breath catch in his throat. The desire to just… touch her began to eat away at him. To feel her fingers intertwining with his in a miniature embrace.

Despite the relief flooding him, her attire puzzled him enough to pry his attention away from her beauty. If he recalled right, she embraced her gender, though. She even wore a female school uniform just for him to see, despite how bashful it made her feel. A tailor must create this new outfit to match the previous one. Why such effort that look? Perhaps, this outfit had some sort of special meaning. Couple that with her search for him then... she was wearing it so he could easily recognize her. Even if broken or suffering from amnesia, he would still recognize her. This means she's taking in to account she might not recognize him so designed an avenue for him so they could reunite in any circumstance.

Letting out a shaky breath, Yu took off his glasses and stared up at the dark sky. The light pollution made it impossible for him to see the stars, but he could feel their bright light breaking through this dark world. He wasn't abandoned. He wasn't forgotten. His girlfriend, his wonderful fortune, was searching high and low for him.

He laughed, harder than he's ever laughed before, experienced more joy than he's ever felt before. The horror and trauma he had been experiencing evaporated into a reinvigorating minty air. His body grew lighter, the tensions he felt this whole year vanishing with every breath. Life returning to his crushed body.

This sudden change in behavior took aback Ryuji. He jumped forward and grabbed the other teen's shoulder. "Hey! You good? What's goin' on?"

Yu donned his spectacles, then turned. "Nothing. I'm just relieved."

"Relieved? Bout what? Did what she say about Naru-what's-his-name mean somethin' to you?"

He took a deep breath, nodded, and placed his hand on the boy's shoulder. "I'll tell you some other time, Ryuji. Some other time. For now, I could use some sleep." He was going to have some peaceful sleep tonight.

\/

The apartment door flew open, and Makoto stormed in, slamming the door behind her. Once the explosive sound of the door closing reached her ears, her mind thought of her sister and the teenager couldn't help but close her eyes and clench her jaw. From within the apartment, a female voice spoke out, "Makoto? Is that you?" From the living room, an offended Sae Niijima emerged. Her long silvery hair swept over her shoulder, considering she still wore her dark suit and dress pants. She must have recently gotten home from work. The older Niijima appraised Makoto with a scrutinizing gaze. "Why're you slamming doors? Don't go damaging my apartment. It's not you who'll have to pay for it."

"I'm sorry, sis." Makoto began kicking off her shoes with a sigh, "I've been having a day."

"Does this have anything to do with what the school called me about?"

"What?"

"They called me asking if there's been any chance in your lifestyle. I gave them a suitable enough answer, but if this is how you're behaving, I can't refute their concerns."

"It's nothing. Just... student council business. Things have been getting hectic since Kamoshida."

"I most certainly hope it's not because you've been wandering around Shibuya. You've been coming home late recently and I'm growing concerned. I've heard stories of girls throwing their lives away out there. Getting wrapped up in shady deals, blackmailed into sex work-."

"Yes, yes- I've heard this already."

Sae's eyes narrowed. "What does that mean?"

"It means... that there are rumors going around school and many students are worried."

"As they should be, they're not mere rumors. I know of a few such cases."

Makoto froze, her hammering heart climbing back up the mountain she hoped to deescalate from. "You do?"

"Yes, but it's nothing for you to worry about. Just concentrate on your studies." Sae turned to reenter the living room but paused at the doorway, "I don't want to hear how you're playing the hero. We don't need a repeat of him."

Makoto bit down on her tongue, her glare hardening as she turned to open and enter a room. She shut it and collapsed against the frame. Her limbs began trembling and her eyes stared down at the floor as if she were about to bore holes into it. Through clenched teeth, she muttered, "Unforgivable! Just unforgivable!"

She pictured Ren and his pseudo confidence that brought her such hope, one that reminded her of her father, an honorable policeman who cherished justice and ethics. Then it collapsed, before the boy did anything, before anyone could be saved. All that remained was this useless delinquent just trying to avoid retribution. His so-called promise to help, tricking her into dropping her investigation and making a fool of her in the process. He was nothing short of useless. Unreliable. Nevertheless, this situation calls for someone to take action. Someone.

Her eyes sparked, and she stared down at her clenched hands. Someone must act.