The destination has been deleted.

"It looks like… we succeeded." she said.

"It'd be bad if people saw us hanging around here." Morgana pointed out. "We should leave."

"Goodbye, sensei…" Yusuke muttered as they walked away.

They walked a few blocks away from Madarame's shack before Yusuke took out the painting to look at.

"That's definitely the treasure." Morgana noted.

"I guess all we have to do is to wait for a change of heart." Ryuji shrugged.

"The Sayuri… at least my mother didn't know what transpired after her death." Yusuke said.

"It's a wonderful painting." She complimented. "And now it's finally in the right hands."

"I'm thankful for that." Yusuke smiled. "But I can't help but wonder… would my mother have acted similarly to the one in Madarame's palace?"

"She was a cognition." Morgana brought up.

"But she was based on what Madarame thought of her." she mentioned. "I think… that even he knew how much your mother loved you."

"Perhaps you're right." Yusuke nodded, a small smile on his face. "Either way, I know that I must inherit my mother's wishes and continue to improve myself as an artist."

"Well, we're gonna keep targetin' big shots." Ryuji said. "What about you?"

"I have to ask… why did you decide to form the Phantom Thieves?" Yusuke asked.

"Well… it's to get back at scumbags, and, well, the society that lets them be scumbags!" Ryuji passionately explained. "And to give courage to everyone who's sufferin' because of them!"

"The courage to speak up against injustice, correct? Yusuke asked. "Will that make them happy?"

"Not sure." Ren admitted. "But I think that, if we all work together and help those in need, those injustices won't happen nearly as much."

"My sense of justice would never allow me to ignore someone who's suffering." Makoto added.

"I suppose that I also suffered because of Madarame's selfishness." Yusuke acknowledged. "It would be good to help others who have suffered like me. Not to mention… the Metaverse can be quite stimulating when I'm looking for inspiration for my art."

"Man, you sure are dedicated to art, huh?" Ryuji chucked.

"Welcome to the team, Yusuke." she beamed. "We're happy to have you."

"I'll try to live up to your expectations." Yusuke promised.

"Now that that's settled… I was curious about that other intruder that Madarame mentioned." Morgana brought up.

"All we know about him is that he wears a black mask…" Makoto mentioned.

"Well, like we said, he won't be able to go back to the palace. It's gone now." Ryuji said.

"I'll try and check up on Madarame, and see if I can glean any information from him." Yusuke offered.

"Thank you." she expressed. "And great work everyone! I'll see you all later!

Their work finished, she went home for the day.

As she was getting ready for bed, Morgana hopped up next to her, an excited grin on his face.

"Not only did we deal with our second big target, but we also have a new member!" Morgana exclaimed. "Things are going so well!"

"They certainly are." she agreed. "I was a little worried at first, but everything turned out ok."

"In no small part to my expert guidance!" Morgana boasted.

"I suppose you were quite helpful." she confessed. "Maybe Sae could take us out for sushi one day? What do you think?"

"Sushi! I want sushi!" Morgana exclaimed.

"I guess that's a yes." she giggled.

"I just wish a certain bonehead would understand how useful I am." Morgana snickered.

"Be nice." she warned. "You two need to behave yourselves."

"Yeah, yeah…" Morgana sighed. "Anyway, I have to say, you're pretty special, Makoto. Since I ran into you, we've run into multiple persona users!"

"I'm just glad we were able to help Yusuke." she told him.

"Having an eye for beauty is a good skill for a thief." the not-cat praised. "He's a little strange, but he really made our calling card come to life!"

"He is quite a talented artist." she agreed.

"An artist…" Morgana muttered. "I wonder what kind of persona I was when I was human. I mean, I couldn't have been a bad guy, right?"

"It would be hard to imagine." she nodded.

"What about you? What do you want to be?" Morgana asked.

"Me?" she said. "Well… to tell the truth, I'm a little unsure about my future."

"And I'm unsure about my past." Morgana added. "Well, I'm sure we'll eventually figure things together."

"Of course. We're a team, after all!" she chirped.

"And what a great team we are!" Morgana cheered.

An unlikely pair, sure, but she really did feel like the two of them made a great team.

MAGICIAN CONFIDANT: RANK 3

"Well, I suppose it's time for bed." she mentioned.

"Hehehe… I'm glad I'm staying with you." Morgana laughed. "If I was with Ren or Ryuji, I'd probably have to force them to go to bed every day!"

She let out a laugh before resting her head on her pillow, drifting to sleep.

When she woke up, she found herself back in the Velvet Room.

She got up, seeing Igor with his signature grin.

"You have expelled one who was stained with vainglory." Igor said. "You are now one step closer to your rehabilitation. What a joyous occasion."

"Our master is pleased." Justine said. "You should be honored."

"About Madarame… he said something about another person able to enter the Metaverse." she recalled. "Would you happen to know anything about that?"

"That is beyond my knowledge." Igor coolly said.

Did he really have no idea? He was the one who had given her and her friends the Metaverse app. Did the person in the black mask have a different method of getting there, or something else…?

"All you need to focus on right now is your rehabilitation. I have high hopes for you." Igor grinned.

Either way, he seemed to have a lot of faith in her, at least.

HUNGER CONFIDANT: RANK 4

Their meeting finished, she went back to the bed in her cell and shut her eyes.

5/22 Sunday

Days Until Legal Action: 18

As today was not a school day, she decided to relax at home, studying for a bit before reading the romance manga she had gotten.

Purely for research purposes, of course!

"Oh? Hoping you'll find your special someone like the girl in the manga." Morgana laughed.

"H-Hey! Don't peek!" she stammered, blushing. "I, um, well… it's not my top priority at the moment, but…"

"But what?" Mona asked.

"I suppose… the idea of having someone special in my life sounds nice." she said, giving a soft smile. "But it's really just an idea. I honestly still feel like I don't know much about relationships, platonic or otherwise."

"Well, you could always ask for advice." Morgana suggested.

"I suppose you're right." she acknowledged.

After finishing her manga, she felt her phone buzz.

Sojiro: Hey, you got a minute? We could use some help.

Seeing as she was free for the day, she quickly replied.

Makoto: Be there as fast as I can!

She took the subway over to Leblanc, listening to the news along the way, hearing the news reporter talking about a restaurant…

"An employee at Big Bang Burger recently committed suicide, allegedly from working a severe amount of overtime. This is just the latest in a string of controversies plaguing Okumura Foods, which many people claim hold little to no regard for their employees. Such as just a few weeks ago, where..."

She knew of Big Bang Burger before, of course, considering how popular it was, though she didn't really go there often, considering how unhealthy it was.

However...

"Okumura Foods again…" she mused. "There was that one girl from school… Haru Okumura, I think. I wonder what she thinks about all of this..."

She didn't have much time to dwell on it, however, as the subway arrived at Yongen-Jaya.

She made her way to Leblanc, ready to start her shift.

After a particularly busy and tiring day, she finally finished her shift for the day with help from Ren and Sojiro.

"Good job today, you two." Sojiro praised.

"Thank you, Boss." Makoto beamed.

"I heard that the two of you got your exam scores the other day." Sojiro mentioned, before turning to Ren. "So how'd you do?"

"I did pretty good." Ren smiled. "Got above the average."

Sojiro turned to her, quirking an eyebrow.

"He's telling the truth." she giggled. "And I did pretty good as well."

"Come on Boss, you can trust me." Ren insisted.

"Alright, alright." Sojiro said. "Which reminds me, I think it's time for you two to learn a bit more about brewing coffee."

"Really? Hold on!" she quickly said, before pulling out a notepad. "Ok, I'm ready."

"Studious as ever, huh?" Ren chuckled.

"You'd better listen too." Sojiro warned. "First off, there are three factors that determine the flavor for coffee: grind, heat, and time. Firstly, we have the grind. For the siphons we have here, we're aiming for medium fine."

"Medium fine…" Makoto softly repeated to himself as she wrote down more notes.

"Make sure you two remember this. I don't want any of my customers being served crap coffee." Sojiro said.

Both of them nodded.

"Ok, so next up is-"

*Ring Ring*

Sojiro picked up the phone, gasping as soon as he heard the voice on the other line.

"How'd you get this number?" Sojiro asked.

The person on the other said something, but she couldn't make out what it was.

"You want it right now?" Sojiro asked. "Where are we meeting?"

After a few moments, Sojiro let out a sigh. "...Fine."

He hung up and set down the phone. "Sorry you two. Something came up."

"Is everything ok, Boss?" she asked.

"Nothing bad, right?" Ren added.

"Heh, are you two worried about me?" Sojiro chuckled. "...It's nothing that the two of you need to concern yourselves with. Anyway, you can head home now, Niijima-san."

"Want me to close up shop, Boss?" Ren asked.

"Yeah. Clean the dishes while I'm gone too." Sojiro said.

"Um… I don't mean to be rude, but…" she trailed off.

"Oh right, your pay…" Sojiro realized. "Right…"

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

"Money's going to be tight for a bit." Sojiro told her.

"You could pay me later." she suggested.

Sojiro sighed. "No, I couldn't do that. Here."

He handed her her pay for the day.

"Thanks again for the help. Next time I'll teach you more about brewing." Sojiro promised.

HIEROPHANT CONFIDANT: RANK 3

After he left, she turned to Ren, a concerned look on her face.

"He said that money was tight, right?" she said.

"I know he's taking care of me, but he gets paid for that." Ren said. "He hasn't mentioned anything about a family, so I think it's just him."

"This place has been very popular as of late." she noted. "The amount of business this place gets should be enough for him to support himself."

"Yeah, I wonder why he's having money problems." Ren said. "Hey… you don't think…"

"That that person on the phone has something to do with it?" she finished.

"Just what I was thinking." Ren nodded. "I remember a suspicious man showing here a few weeks ago. But I don't think Sojiro would tell me anything if I asked."

"Well, if it gets to the point where… we might need to intervene…"

"I'll tell you if it gets to that point." Ren promised.

"Well, just be careful, ok? See you tomorrow, Ren."

"Yeah. See you."

Her shift over, she went home for the day.

5/23 Monday

Days Until Legal Action: 17

As soon as she woke up, she saw that she had gotten a text from Yusuke in the group chat.

Yusuke: I managed to speak to Madarame.

She quickly replied.

Makoto: Really? Did you learn anything?

Yusuke: Unfortunately, Madarame hasn't been feeling well. Most of what he's been saying has just been incoherent rambling.

Makoto: I see…

Ren: Didn't Kamoshida take a few days off after we changed his heart?

Ryuji: Yeah, maybe it just makes people sick for a few days or something.

Makoto: I suppose that taking away his distorted desires would have a very big effect on people.

Yusuke: So this is normal, then? I see.

Makoto: We just need to keep waiting for now.

Yusuke: Very well. I will contact you if there are any updates.

She turned to Morgana, who had been playing close attention to the conversation.

"It did take a few days for the change of heart to fully effect Kamoshida." Morgana reminded her. "It's probably the same thing here."

She nodded. "When you put it like, it makes sense."

With nothing left to do but wait, she got ready for school.

After classes ended for the day, she saw Eiko talking to another student.

"I saw your exam scores… and so did Mom and Dad." the other student said.

"Oh…" Eiko trailed off. "Well, I did much better than last time, Aiko!"

"Doing slightly better than abysmal isn't an accomplishment." Aiko coldly said. "A failure is still a failure, in the end."

"O-Oh…" Eiko whispered.

"The only thing you're accomplished with your pitiful score is reinforce our parent's belief that you're a lost cause." Aiko harshly said.

"I... I…" Eiko stammered.

She wasn't going to sit back and listen to any more of this.

"Hey, what's going on here?" she asked, eyes narrowing.

"Niijima-sempai." Aiko greeted. "I was just speaking with my sister about family matters."

"That's funny, because it sounds like you were insulting her." she pointed out.

"I was just stating facts." Aiko muttered.

"Makoto…" Eiko muttered.

"Just don't let me catch you talking like that to her again." she warned.

"Fine." Aiko muttered, leaving the two girls alone.

"Eiko… that's your brother?" she asked. "Why does he talk to you like that?"

"It's… complicated." Eiko muttered.

"Is… everything ok, Eiko?" Makoto asked, concerned.

"I don't want to talk about it." Eiko insisted.

"Hey… I promised we'd go for sweets, right? Makoto asked.

"Maybe another time…" Eiko mumbled. "I don't feel up to it right now."

Eiko walked off, leaving her alone.

"Maybe we should give her some space for now." Morgana suggested.

"I suppose." she sighed. "I just can't help but worry…"

"You're still a little on edge, aren't you?" the not-cat observed.

"A little." she admitted. "Maybe I'll go and see the councilor. You think he'd mind?"

"I mean, it is his job." Morgana pointed out.

"I suppose you're right." Makoto said. "Alright, I'll go and see him."

"Oh, Niijima-san, hello!" Maruki greeted. "Did you need something?"

"I wanted some advice." she told him. "Advice about… relationships."

"Really?" Maruki asked. "Normally it's boys who ask me for advice on that."

"N-Not just romantic!" she stammered, beginning to blush. "I meant in general. Friends, family… any type of relationship."

"I see." Maruki nodded. "Has something come up?"

"Well… I suppose that there's just been a lot on my mind lately." she told him.

"I can imagine. Balancing studying, friends, and your council duties must be very challenging." Maruki told her.

She nodded.

"It seems like a lot of students and teachers rely on you." Maruki frowned. "Some of it seems rather absurd, even. Like, say… an investigation into the Phantom Thieves."

"T-That's… um…" she stammered.

He must have heard about that from one of the other staff members.

"But what about you? Do you have an adult or an authority figure you can rely on?" Maruki asked.

She thought it over for a few moments, but it didn't take long for her to come up with an answer.

"...No, I don't." she whispered.

"R-Really? That's quite surprising." Maruki gasped. "Didn't you mention that you had a sister?"

"I do, but… after our parents died, she started working very hard to support me. It would be selfish and unrealistic of me to rely on her more than I do." she said.

"But what makes it unrealistic and selfish?" Maruki asked. "There's nothing wrong with wanting someone who will support you."

"Sis already-"

"Not just financially. Emotionally too." Maruki pointed out. "I think that, in an ideal relationship, be it familial, platonic, or romantic in nature, would have both parties be able to rely on, support, and trust one another. To treat each other like equals."

"Like equals…" she repeated. "I… think that I can understand, but I suppose I've been a little guarded for some time. Even now, it's hard to talk to you about what's on my mind."

"Well, I'm glad that you're talking to me now." Maruki said. "Bottling up things like that isn't healthy, after all."

She knew that much. She also knew that opening up to others would make them more comfortable with opening up to her, but…

"I guess… it felt like I would be burdening others by telling them about my problems."

"Niijima-san, you deserve to be happy." Maruki said. "And you deserve to have people you can trust and rely on just like how so many people rely on you."

She let out a small smile. "Yeah… you might be right…"

Maybe she could open up a bit more. It… would be nice if her and her sister could have a talk about how they felt.

"You know, back in college, the girl I was dating… we had a great relationship based on trust. We could always depend on each other." Maruki told her. "And like I said, that's an ideal relationship for friends, family, or lovers.

She smiled. "That does sound nice. Are the two of you still together?"

Maruki paused, letting out a frown. "She's… no longer with us."

"O-Oh, I'm so sorry!" she gasped.

"It's ok." Maruki smiled. "She's in a better place now. Still, I understand that losing people precious to you can be a major source of heartbreak."

"Yes… I suppose it can be." she agreed.

"Part of my research is looking into things like that. Injuries to the heart, you could call them." Maruki explained. "That kind of internal, emotional pain can be difficult to deal with. Personally speaking, I think that if pain can be avoided, it should be. Maybe… it shouldn't even exist at all."

"That's an interesting perspective." she said.

"I think that speaking to you helped me to better understand aspects about my research." Maruki said. "I have to thank you for that."

"Oh no, I should be thanking you." Makoto said. "Thank you for taking the time to speak with me."

"Anytime, Niijima-san." Maruki smiled. "I know I'm not the most reliable guy, but you can always talk to me if you have any trouble."

She found herself feeling very helpful for his help.

COUNCILLOR CONFIDANT: RANK 3

After ending the counselling session, she went home for the day.

5/24 Tuesday

Days Until Legal Action: 16

The day started out the same as any other, with her getting ready for class.

When she got on the subway, however, she was surprised to see Madarame himself on the television inside the train.

He stood in front of numerous microphones, a guilt-ridden look on his face as several journalists took photos of him,

"I… have committed crimes unbecoming of an artist." Madarame admitted. "I… kept my apprentices in awful living conditions, with no bed and little food. I had anyone who dared to speak out against me blacklisted from the art community. Not only that, but… I… I plagiarized their work."

Several people on the train gasped at Madarame's confession.

"I tainted this… this country's art world. Even the Sayuri isn't mine… it was created by an apprentice of mine. Yua Kitagawa was her name." Madarame confessed. "She… had a seizure in front of me one day. I… I let her die so that I could claim her work as my own!"

"This is it!" she realized. "The change of heart worked!"

"H-How could I… I possibly… apologize to- to everyone for… for what I've done… Ahhhh!" Madarame wept.

"...And that was from the urgent apology conference by Madarame that took place just a few hours ago." the newscaster said. "After the conference, Madarame turned himself into the police. On top of charges of abuse of his pupils, Madarame is also under suspicion of claiming their works as his own."

Several passengers on the train began to converse amongst themselves.

"Wasn't that guy holding a gallery around here?"

"That old man's done for…"

"After the conference, Madarame was taken to a hospital due to his age." the newscaster continued. "However, initial psych evaluations stated that he is mentally sound, and likely responsible for his actions. Also, a group known as the Phantom Thieves posted a dubious note at Madarame's exhibit. The police are currently investigating, but have not yet identified them as suspects."

"Phantom Thieves? You think they had anything to do with that geezer's confession?" a passenger asked.

"Oh, I've heard of them." another passenger replied. "They steal evil hearts, and that makes the culprits confess."

"Seems more and more people are hearing about us." she mused.

She couldn't help but smile as she made her way to class.

"Hey, did you see the news about Madarame?!" Ryuji exclaimed. "It's just like what happened with Kamoshida!"

After classes had ended, all five of them met up near the school.

"The news even mentioned the Phantom Thieves." she smiled.

"Man, things are getting really exciting!" Ryuji grinned. "With all of this power, there's a lot we could do!"

"So many people are talking about us right now." Ren brought up. "It's pretty surprising."

"Man, I hope that we keep gettin' more and more popular!" Ryuji exclaimed.

"People are really paying attention now that it's happened twice." Morgana pointed out.

"If we keep doing this… it might help give others the courage to reach out." she beamed.

"We might want to quiet down…" Yusuke mentioned, motioning to two police officers close by.

"...We'll have to be much more careful from now on." Morgana said. "We probably shouldn't just stand around in one place for long."

"That's a good point." Makoto said. "Which reminds me, the other members of the student council told me that the principal approached them and told them to keep a lookout for anything suspicious."

"For real?! Man, that guy's being a real pain in the ass!" Ryuji muttered.

"I'm still wondering about that guy with the black mask." Ren said. "Did Madarame say anything to you before turning himself in, Yusuke?"

"I did press him for answers, but he doesn't seem to understand what happened to him." Yusuke told them. "And I suppose I won't be able to get any information once he goes to prison."

"Guess we'll have to keep an eye out inside the Metaverse and out." Morgana said.

"So, what now?" Ryuji asked. "You gonna stay at the shack now?"

"I don't think I could live there anymore." Yusuke admitted. "It holds… far too many bad memories now. I'll stay in the dorms at my school. Although… perhaps I could stay at your house, Makoto."

"That… won't be happening, I'm afraid. Sis would never allow it." she explained.

"Ah, that's a shame." Yusuke sighed. "I was still hoping to have you as my muse."

"Oh, I completely forgot about that." she admitted.

"Hmm… now that I think about it, there was something missing the first time you posed for me." Yusuke muttered. "Ah, of course! Makoto, I must ask you to pose for me again… this time, in the nude!"

"W-W-W-WHAT?!" she yelled, her face turning as red as a tomato.

"M-Makoto posing… nude?!" Ren exclaimed, his face equally red.

"Yes! Exactly! A sight like that will be truly stimulating!"

"I know you mean that in an artsy way, but dude, phrasing." Ryuji stressed.

"Well, Makoto?" Yusuke asked.

"N-No!" she cried. "Absolutely not! I… I'm not going to pose nude for you!"

After taking a few moments to calm down, they went over their plan going forward.

"It'll likely be a bit before our next big target, so let's just lie low for now." Makoto advised.

"Guess we should just act like normal high schoolers then." Ren replied.

"Yes, exactly. I'll start making preparations in the meantime." she told them.

"Oh, we should have another celebration too!" Ryuji suggested. "For another successful mission and a new member."

The five Thieves walked off, all of them satisfied at a job well done.

"I can understand why you helped your fellow students." Sae began. "But now you saved someone you barely knew?"

She nodded.

"He sent you away and nearly reported you to the police, so why save him?" Sae asked.

"It was the right thing to do." she said. "That's what I believed."

"You were in way over your head." Sae scolded.

"I had to do something… because I was worried that no one else could." she explained.

"You've changed, Makoto…" Sae muttered. "I just don't understand how this happened under my nose."

"You were always working." Makoto pointed out. "I realize that it was to support me, but because of that, you weren't around very often. It's just like dad…"

"Don't you dare compare me to that man!" Sae spat, slamming the table.

Makoto glared. "You're right. That would be an insult to him."

Sae glared back, neither sister backing down for several seconds before Sae shook her head and sat back down.

"Getting back on topic, you mentioned that this time you went to a museum instead of a castle." Sae continued. "Now, if you're finished acting like a brat, tell me the identity of Madarame's apprentice."

She said nothing.

"You know, the police could easily find out who they are with just a little bit of investigation."

Again, she said nothing.

Sae pinched the bridge of her nose. "Fine then, let's continue with you next target, Junya K-"

"No, there was someone before him." Makoto mentioned.

"What?!" Sae exclaimed. "Another major target before Kaneshiro?!"

"Yes, there was." Makoto mentioned.

Sae slammed her hands on her desk. "The police weren't aware of this. You need to tell us everything you know then. Every single detail!"

"I understand." Makoto nodded. "I told you I'd cooperate."

Despite the tension in the air, she could sense her sister's appreciation for her cooperation.

JUDGEMENT CONFIDANT: RANK 2

"Now then…" Sae began. "Let's continue…"

"...The suspect has repeatedly testified that he does not have any recollection of his actions." the newscaster droned. "A full psychiatric evaluation will be performed to further investigate the crime's details and motives."

"Another psychotic breakdown…" Sae muttered. "I was looking into them, as well as the more recent incidents with Kamoshida and Madarame… I found several similarities between the two situations."

Her boss furrowed his brow. "Isn't trying those cases to the psychotic breakdown cases jumping to conclusions? The police are getting rather sick of your meddling..."

"Now isn't the time to be worrying about things like that!" Sae insisted. "We need to dig deeper and find a correlation among the incidents that have been happening for three, almost four years now!"

The SIU director sighed. "If this is about that case, I assure you, we had the finest investigators on the force examine every possibility, but they found nothing. What happened three years ago was just a tragic accident."

"I can't accept that!" Sae said. "I… I have too…"

"Fine, you may investigate on your own time." her boss relented. "But don't expect any help, and don't let this interfere with your regular duties."

"Thank you, sir." Sae expressed, giving a small bow.

After making sure she left, the SIU director frowned. "That damn woman just had to stick her nose into this… but as long as I sit in this chair, she will never find out the truth behind that case."

She sulked through the halls after classes ended, wallowing in despair.

It was true… everything her brother had said to her was true.

She was just a worthless failure. She had barely any friends, her grades were awful, and her parents… hell, everyone probably saw her as a lost cause.

"Hey, are you ok?"

She glanced up, seeing a concerned redhead.

"You didn't look so good. Are you ok?" the redhead asked again.

"I just… am dealing with a lot right now." Eiko muttered. "I don't want to, like, burden you with my problems, um…"

"Kasumi Yoshizawa!" the redhead chirped. "But, if you're feeling down, maybe you could talk to Dr. Maruki. He really helped me when I was going through a rough time."

"Really?" Eiko asked. "Well… ok, maybe I'll do that."

She made her way to Maruki's office, slowly opening the door.

"Come in!" Maruki said. "Oh. You are…"

"Eiko Takao…" she muttered. "I, like, wanted to talk to you about… my feelings and stuff."

"Well, alright. What did you want to talk about?" Maruki asked.

"Well, my exam scores just came in, and… they're not good." Eiko sighed.

"I see." Maruki frowned. "That must be upsetting."

"I'm used to bad scores. I'm just not that smart, no matter how much I study." Eiko muttered. "Not like my brother. Not like Makoto. Those two are like, super geniuses. Not a failure like me."

"A failure?" Maruki said. "Now why would you think you're a failure?"

"Cause my grades suck and Makoto's my only friend." Eiko muttered. "My parents only pay attention to my brother because he's much better than me in every way."

"And how would you say that makes you feel?" Maruki asked.

"A little envious… and… whenever I see him succeed so easily, it makes me hate myself." Eiko admitted. "I'm not just envious of him, but of Makoto too. She's just amazing… I wish I were more like her or my brother. Or anyone else really."

"Wishing you were someone else…" Maruki trailed off. "Well, I don't think there's anything wrong with that mindset at all, Takao-san."

"F-For real?" Eiko gasped.

"Of course!" Maruki said, giving a wide smile. "Why don't we discuss this a little more…"

Makoto's Confidant Progress:

THE FOOL - Ren Amamiya: Rank 4

THE HUNGER - Igor: Rank 4

THE CHARIOT - Ryuji Sakamoto: Rank 2

THE MAGICIAN - Morgana: Rank 3

THE FAITH - Eiko Takao: Rank 2

THE TOWER - Chiaki Yasui: Rank 2

THE SUN - Shiho Suzui: Rank 2

THE MOON - Takayo Tachibana: Rank 2

THE HIEROPHANT - Sojiro Sakura: Rank 3

THE TEMPERANCE - Naoya Makigami: Rank 2

THE STRENGTH - Caroline and Justine: Rank 1

THE FORTUNE - Phantom Thieves of Heart: Rank 1

THE JUDGEMENT - Sae Niijima: Rank 2

THE COUNCILLOR - Takuto Maruki: Rank 3

Do you believe in the Phantom Thieves? Yes 15.2%