"I'm home…"
Sae walked into the house, seeing Makoto sitting on the couch.
"Sis!" Makoto gasped. "Did you really…?"
"Yes. We finally got him. The man who murdered our father, Juuya Kaneshiro. He's also the Yakuza boss that's been terrorizing your school. He admitted to his crime this morning."
"W-What?!" Makoto cried, playing ignorant. "So it really was a murder…"
Sae nodded. "He had the driver who hit father suffer a psychotic breakdown." Sae explained.
"So he's the one responsible for all of these incidents?!" Makoto cried.
"No." Sae answered. "He mentioned that he hired a hitman to do it for him. That hitman must be the real culprit."
"Do you know who it is?" Makoto asked.
"He couldn't tell us anything about this hitman he hired." Sae stated. "Not even a physical description."
He must have only met the black masked person in the Metaverse, Makoto mused. His real-world self has no idea what the hitman looks like…
"Did you capture him?" Makoto asked.
"No." Sae answered. "He actually came to us to admit to all of his crimes. It seems to be the work of the Phantom Thieves."
"Really?!" Makoto exclaimed, feigning ignorance. "They took down the leader of a Yakuza gang?! That's amazing!"
"Yes… and now the entire justice system is being made into a laughingstock!" Sae snapped. "I had a promotion lined up if I managed to catch him, but…"
"I know that must be tough." Makoto whispered. "But at the very least someone captured Kaneshiro. That's a good thing, right?"
"The only reason that you think that is because of how naïve and childish you are." Sae scoffed, walking away.
Morgana walked up to Makoto, frowning.
"You ok?" he asked.
"Yeah." Makoto nodded. "It's just… hard seeing her like this. I thought that finding father's killer would help, but…"
"You're still thinking about the Palace, huh?" Morgana assumed.
"I am." Makoto nodded. "I just… I don't want to change sis' heart. Please… don't tell the others."
"...Alright, I'll trust you for now." Morgana said. "I just hope that this doesn't come back to bite us."
Makoto spent the rest of the day studying for exams before going to bed for the day...
7/6 Thursday
After classes had ended for the day, she felt her phone buzzing, someone having texted her.
Hifumi: Hello. Would you like to come and practice some more shogi with me?
Makoto texted a response and made her way to the church.
When she arrived, she saw that someone else was already there, speaking to Hifumi.
"T-Thank you so much for shaking my hand!" the boy excitedly said. "I'm never going to wash it again!"
"W-What?" Hifumi gasped. "Um… please wash it."
"I can't believe that you're here in a church of all places!" the boy exclaimed. "I read on the internet that you pray to God for victory. Is that really true?"
"No, I, um…" Hifumi mumbled, clearly uncomfortable.
"Can I take a selfie with you and post it online?!" the boy quickly said.
"Sorry, but I haven't been accepting requests like that." Hifumi frowned.
"Oh, well, anyway, is it true that you're trying to become a professional shogi player?" the boy asked.
"I don't-"
"I'm cheering for you to qualify! You'd be the first woman to surpass the third dan league!" the boy said. "I really believe in you!"
"...Thank you…" Hifumi muttered.
Thankfully, the boy soon left, Hifumi giving a sigh of relief as he did so.
"Your fans are, um… very passionate." Makoto said.
"Oh! Niijima-san, good evening." Hifumi greeted. "Men like that approach me all the time. It's… a little overwhelming. I don't really like it when people make such a big fuss over me."
Makoto nodded. "That makes sense. If you don't mind me asking, why do you stay in this church?"
"I enjoy the peace and quiet." Hifumi said as she set up the board. "The priest is doing me a big favor by letting me stay here. He actually plays shogi with me from time to time."
"That is very kind of him." Makoto agreed. "Togo-san, I was a little curious about something. Did you ever-"
"Yes, I did the photoshoot." Hifumi frowned. "That's what you were going to ask about, right?"
Makoto nodded.
"I'm embarrassed just thinking about it." Hifumi sighed. "They called me the 'Venus of Shogi'."
"That's… certainly an interesting headline. Makoto replied, unsure of what else to say. "But it seems like it's describing you more for your looks than your skills."
"I thought the same thing." Hifumi sighed. "Ever since I've won the female shogi league, I've been getting a lot of attention."
"But it's been absolutely exhausting and awkward for you, hasn't it?" Makoto assumed.
Hifumi nodded. "I thought that it would be nice to contribute to the world of shogi, and, well… my mother is very happy about this, but…"
"Is your mother interested in shogi?" Makoto asked.
"Not especially, but when I win, she celebrates as if it's her own victory." Hifumi responded. "I want to live up to her high expectations of me, but..."
"What is it?" Makoto asked.
"...She's been rather overzealous lately." Hifumi admitted. "She was the one who set up both the interview and the photoshoot. It's like she wants to be the manager of a celebrity."
"If you aren't comfortable doing those things, you should let her know." Makoto advised. "Even if she is your mother, you shouldn't let her pressure you into anything."
"It's alright, I can deal with it..." Hifumi whispered, before her eyes widened. "Oh, I'm sorry. I should be playing shogi with you instead of talking about my mother."
"Don't worry about it." Makoto replied. "I don't mind."
"Well, let me teach you some more practical moves. Thanks again for listening to me." Hifumi smiled.
She felt like she could understand Hifumi a little better.
STAR CONFIDANT: RANK 3
They played a few more rounds before she went home for the day.
7/7 Friday
Even with Kaneshiro taken down, she still found herself feeling a little uneasy.
So much so that, after school ended for the day, she thought to go and see Dr. Maruki.
Helping him with his research was always quite relaxing.
She entered his office, Maruki smiling as she sat down in the room.
"Hello, Niijima-san!" Maruki greeted. "Are you here to help me out some more."
Makoto nodded. "What were you planning on today?"
"We're just going to have a regular session… or are we?" Maruki smiled. "Take a look in front of you. It's your lucky day!"
Makoto glanced at the table, seeing a large number of cookies.
"I've been making you listen to all these heavy subjects like tragedy and grief, so I thought we could have a nice break." Maruki explained. "I found them while I was shopping in the underground mall. They're quite fancy!"
"Thank you." Makoto replied, taking a cookie for herself.
"No need to be shy. I have enough for seconds!" Maruki encouraged. "Although, on the topic of cookies… I'm reminded of this little experiment that I heard about."
"What was it about?" Makoto asked.
"Well, the person who ran the experiment had two containers, one of which had ten cookies, and the other one had a single cookie." Maruki explained. "Then, they would have people try a cookie from each container and ask them which tasted better. Any idea which cookie most people chose?"
"Would it be… the container with only one cookie?" Makoto guessed. "Since there was only one cookie, maybe it made them think that it must be better?"
"Correct! It has to do with the law of scarcity." Maruki explained. "People are drawn to things that are scarcer. You can see it in how people react to limited-edition merchandise."
She would be lying if she said she had never begged her dad for limited Buchimaru merchandise when she was little…
"When we become aware of something's scarcity, we become aware of our desires and trigger a change in cognition." Maruki told her. "It even extends to our senses. Basically, your perception of things can change with your cognition! Isn't that fascinating?"
Makoto nodded. "It certainly is. I'm honestly not sure what to make of it…"
"I find it quite beautiful." Maruki smiled. "The human heart may falter or be unreliable at times, but as this experiment show, even these little preconceptions are enough to bring people joy."
"That's assuming that they weren't aware of the law of scarcity." Makoto pointed out.
"True, but if the trick was never revealed to them, the cookie would remain one of the best they had ever eaten." Maruki replied. "It would become a subjective truth of their reality."
"A subjective truth…" Makoto repeated.
A part of her wondered if that could really be considered a form or truth.
"Part of my research has to do with possibly using these preconceptions to help treat people." Maruki stated. "I feel like it could help a lot of people. Then again… some people would call this sort of thing a lie, or running from a problem."
"I… can understand that perspective, I suppose." Makoto muttered.
"Even so, I think that this method can help a lot of people!" Maruki exclaimed, before his eyes widened. "Oh, goodness, I'm sorry! We ended up having an academic conversation anyway. It seems I just can't help myself when you're around."
"It's fine. I don't mind." Makoto insisted.
"Still, I'm very thankful for the opportunity to speak to you about this." Maruki expressed. "Not just for your opinion, but also because talking to you is like talking to an old friend!"
"Really? To be honest, I do feel much more at ease now as well."
"Glad to hear it." Maruki smiled.
She began to feel a little more of a connection with Maruki.
COUNCILLOR CONFIDANT: RANK 5
Feeling much more relaxed than before, she went home for the day to get some last-minute studying in.
7/9 Saturday
"The culprit claimed to have been involved in several of the mental shutdown and psychotic breakdown cases. Any potential accomplices are currently unknown." the newscaster said. "Footage of the incident seems to suggest that the Phantom Thieves are responsible for this sudden outburst. This has resulted in recent criticism against the police for seemingly not doing enough to investigate these Yakuza and-
*Bzzt*
Sae turned to the side as the television shut off, seeing Akechi standing next to her in the lobby.
"You shouldn't keep watching the news. It'll just stress you out." Akechi stated.
"It just disgusts me." Sae muttered. "I was going to be the one to take down Kaneshiro, but those Thieves had to show up, and now they're getting praised while our names are getting dragged through the mud."
"Trust me, I understand." Akechi replied. "You wouldn't believe the amount of hate mail that I've been getting. It seems like just the other day everyone had turned on the Thieves, but now it's the opposite. I suppose that the public can be rather fickle."
Sae simply nodded, thinking to herself.
"I understand that things have been hectic on you lately..." Akechi said. "So why don't we get some sushi to relax?"
Sae rolled her eyes. "Conveyor belt only."
Akechi sighed.
The two of them grabbed some sushi for dinner, Akechi starting a conversation as they sat down.
"What are you currently working on now?" Akechi asked.
"A possible case of child neglect." Sae answered. "From the owner of a small café called Leblanc in Yongen-Jaya."
"Oh? I've actually been there myself." Akechi brought up. "So the owner has a child?"
"Futaba Sakura is her name." Sae told him. "From what I was told, she's adopted. Her birth mother's name was Wakaba Isshiki."
"Wakaba Isshiki…" Akechi repeated. "I think I've heard of that name before."
"You have?" Sae questioned.
Akechi nodded. "When I was looking into mental shutdowns and psychotic breakdowns, I happened upon the topic of cognitive psience. It seems that Wakaba Isshiki was quite the expert in the topic."
"...You think this might all be connected?" Sae asked.
"It's certainly possible." Akechi stated. "Perhaps this could even lead to us getting one step closer to discovering the identity of the Phantom Thieves."
Akechi smirked as he saw Sae perk up at his words.
As Makoto arrived home after class, she realized that Sae wasn't home.
"She must be working late at the office again…" Makoto realized as she fixed herself a drink.
"She must be really busy lately." Morgana replied. "She hasn't been home very often at all."
"Yes, that must be it…" Makoto murmured.
A part of her felt that, especially after their argument, that Sae was deliberately ignoring her…
*Buzz*
Her phone started to vibrate, startling her out of her thoughts.
Akechi: I'm alone right now.
Makoto nearly spat out her drink at Akechi's text.
"W-What does he mean by that?!" Makoto stammered.
She quickly responded, asking him to clarify.
Akechi: I was wondering if you wanted to chat? There's a nice outdoor café I go to.
She breathed a sigh of relief before replying that she'd love to come, setting out as soon as he sent her directions.
Akechi waved her over as soon as she arrived, both of them making their orders.
While Makoto got a sandwich, Akechi ordered a slice of cake.
"I always wanted to try the cake here." Akechi mentioned. "I've heard great things about it."
"Did you already have dinner?" she asked.
"Yes, I did. Your sister and I had quite a fun time getting sushi together for dinner." Akechi smiled. "We actually spend time together quite often."
"Oh…"
"Is something wrong, Niijima-san?" Akechi asked, still smiling.
"No, it's nothing…" Makoto muttered. "Anyway… do you have a sweet tooth, Akechi-kun?"
"I don't mind sweets, but I was more interested in the popularity." Akechi mentioned.
Akechi took a few bites out of his cake, making a small noise of approval.
"That is very good!" Akechi grinned. "I actually enjoyed it much more than I thought I would!"
"Hey, isn't that him…?!"
"The guy who's on T.V. What's his name again?"
The two turned to see two girls close by, staring at Akechi.
"Wasn't his name Akechi-kun? You know, the next generation Detective Prince...?"
"Maybe we should ask for an autograph? Might be something worth bragging about…"
"Oh dear, looks like I've been stopped." Akechi frowned.
"We might have to move somewhere else…" Makoto trailed off.
"Hey, what's with the crowd?"
"Is there a celebrity nearby?!"
"That's Akechi-kun! Is he on a date?!"
"Akechi? You mean that third-rate detective that tried to talk smack on the Phantom Thieves?"
"You're right, we should go." Akechi agreed.
The two of them quickly moved over to somewhere less crowded.
"It… seems like we've finally escaped them." Makoto sighed.
"Guess who?!"
"Ah!" Makoto gasped.
Someone covered Makoto's eyes with their hands, causing Makoto to quickly grab their hands and prepare to flip them.
"Bah! Relax Makoto, it's me!"
Makoto quickly stopped herself, recognizing the voice.
"Eiko?!" Makoto gasped.
"Jeez, Prez, I thought you were going to flip me across the street for a second." Eiko sighed.
"I didn't realize that you had fans of your own, Niijima-san." Akechi chuckled.
"Very funny." Makoto scoffed. "Anyway, Eiko, what are you doing here?"
"I was just doing some shopping when I saw you! Who's your friend?"
"It's-"
"Wait! I know!" Eiko gasped. "He was on T.V! It's… the detective, right? The one who was talking about the Phantom Thieves."
"Ah yes. Ever since those Thieves caught that Yakuza leader, I've been catching some flak for those words." Akechi mentioned.
"Oh. I'm sorry to hear about that." Makoto frowned.
"It's quite alright." Akechi told her. "It's not as if you're the one at fault."
"...Still, I feel bad." Makoto muttered.
Akechi turned towards Eiko. "You're a Shujin student like Niijima-san, right? What do you think of the Phantom Thieves?"
"I mean, they've helped us out a lot. First with Kamoshida, and then with that Yakuza boss." Eiko replied. "So I'm actually really thankful for all that they've done."
"I see. I certainly understand why you feel that way." Akechi replied.
"So what are the two of you doing here anyway?" Eiko asked.
"We were trying to get away from Akechi-kun's fans." Makoto mentioned.
"Maybe we should try a disguise." Akechi suggested.
"A disguise? Leave it to me!" Eiko grinned.
Eiko swiftly grabbed ahold of Makoto's headband.
"Eiko, why did you-"
"Just trust me!" Eiko grinned, before running towards Akechi.
"H-Hold on!" Akechi stammered. "W-What are you-"
Eiko grabbed hold of Akechi, forcibly disguising him.
When she finished, Makoto and her couldn't help but giggle, causing Akechi to groan.
"Don't worry, it's a great disguise… Goromi Akechi." Eiko smiled.
"...Please don't call me that." Akechi frowned. "Just wearing this is embarrassing enough."
Akechi frowned, even though his brown wig, slight makeup, and headband successfully disguised him.
He almost looked like her, really…
"Glad I could help!" Eiko grinned. "But I have to get going! See you, Makoto! See you, Goromi-chan!"
"She's… certainly energetic, isn't she?" Akechi muttered.
"Sorry about that." Makoto giggled. "But it is a good disguise, isn't it?"
"I suppose so." Akechi nodded. "The crowd seems to have dispersed. I suppose I can take this off now."
Akechi removed the wig and headband before giving her a serious look.
"I assume Sae already told you the news?" he asked. "About what Kaneshiro did."
"Yes." Makoto nodded. "She did.
"What Kaneshiro did to your father was unforgivable." Akechi frowned. "You have my deepest condolences. I assure you, we will do everything in our power to capture the black-masked individual that Kaneshiro hired.
"Thank you…" Makoto whispered. "Thank you so much. I know you must be very busy as is…"
"Indeed. There's actually been this one case that has even the police a little disturbed." Akechi murmured. "They say that there's another serial killer around Shibuya…
"What?!" Makoto gasped.
"The police haven't seemed to find any sort of connection between his numerous victims." Akechi stated. "Although they do theorize that he might be a hitman."
"No connection between victims, huh…" Makoto muttered.
"All sorts of people have fallen victim to them." Akechi explained. "Politicians, police officers, gang members, murderers… so many different people have fallen victim to this killer. Be careful, Niijima-san. And if there's anything you need, I'd be happy to help."
"I will." she nodded. "Thanks again. And… if you ever need someone to talk to yourself, I'll be there as your friend."
"Friend…" Akechi repeated. "...I see. Thank you, Niijima-san."
She could feel the bond between the two of them growing just a little bit stronger.
JUDGEMENT CONFIDANT: RANK 3
After speaking for a bit longer, she went home for the day.
When she arrived at home, she was surprised to see Sae sitting on the couch.
Sae turned on the television, switching to the news.
"A body was discovered in an alley in Shibuya." the newscaster stated.
She turned to the television, gasping as soon as she saw a picture of the victim on the screen.
It was none other than the Cleaner.
Someone… had killed him.
"What's wrong, Makoto?" Sae asked. "Is everything ok?"
"O-Oh, um… it's just…" Makoto trailed off, trying to think of an excuse. "He had a lot of tattoos. Could he have been…"
"Yakuza?" Sae finished. "It's possible. Hopefully the police will actually do their jobs and investigate."
As Sae continued watching the news, Morgana approached her as she walked towards her room.
"I can't believe he's actually dead." Morgana mumbled. "He was a trained killer! Whoever killed him must be pretty strong."
"Could it have been the people that Kaneshiro was working with?" Makoto whispered. "They might have been trying to cover their tracks."
"Or it could be that assassin that Akechi mentioned." Morgana brought up.
"Either way, we can't jump to conclusions… I guess for now, all we can do is wait to see what happens." Makoto stated.
After studying for a little while, Makoto went to bed for the day, hoping that a good night's rest would calm her down...
7/10 Sunday
Soon after she finished eating her breakfast, she received a text message on her phone.
Ann: Hey, Makoto! I just figured out a great way to train my heart! Wanna help?
She smiled, quickly typing a response.
Makoto: Sure, I'd love to.
Ann texted her directions, and she made her way to meet with her at a small park.
"Ok, in order to strengthen my heart, I need you to insult me as much as you can!" Ann exclaimed.
"Ann, are you sure this is a good idea?" Makoto asked.
"Come on, it'll be fine!" Ann insisted. "I'll go first! You may be smart, Makoto, but if you took a love test, you'd totally flunk it."
"N-No I wouldn't!" Makoto stammered. "Y-You…um... not… smart person!"
"Umm…?"
"I-I'm sorry, Ann!" Makoto stammered. "I didn't mean it."
"You really aren't good at this unless you're angry, huh?" Ann realized. "I guess that makes sense…"
"Sorry about that." Makoto frowned.
"It's alright! We can keep going!" Ann encouraged. "Try for something a little harsher."
"Very well…" Makoto whispered. "I saw your exam scores… they're just like Ryuji's!"
"...Ok, now that's too harsh." Ann frowned. "Maybe we should move onto round 2! Bring it on!"
"Ann, I don't think this is working." Makoto frowned.
"Yeah, I'm starting to feel the same way." Ann sighed. "Something's not right…"
Ann's phone started to ring, Ann quickly answering it."
"Oh, sorry, I just got a message from my agency." Ann apologized. "Huh… it's a notice saying to pay extra attention to the time and place of our shoots. I guess some models haven't been showing up lately."
"That's pretty strange." Makoto responded. "Has that happened to you?"
"No, I haven't missed a single shoot so far." Ann answered.
"How did you start modeling anyway?" Makoto asked.
"My parents didn't have enough models for their event, so they brought me on." Ann answered.
"Your parents?" Makoto asked.
"Oh, didn't I tell you?" Makoto asked. "They're both fashion designers who put on some seriously extravagant shows! They jump from country to country, so I only really see them for a little less than half the year."
"Doesn't that get a little lonely?" Makoto asked.
"It's ok. I have the Phantom Thieves, and Shiho too!" Ann grinned. "Though, when I was little, it was pretty tough. It was just me and our live-in caretaker."
"I understand. For the last few years, it's just been me and sis." Makoto replied.
"I do like modeling, because it makes me feel more connected to my parents… but recently, I've had doubts. I don't know if it's something I'd want to make a career of." Ann said.
"Why not?" Makoto asked.
"I know it's not their fault…" Ann muttered. "But whenever I have to model, knowing that all kinds of guys will be looking at me… I think of Kamoshida. My modeling is how he found out about me in the first place, and from there, all the rumors started..."
"Well, you still have plenty of time to decide what you want to do in life." Makoto reminded her.
"Yeah!" Ann beamed. "For now, though, I'm going to stick with the Phantom Thieves and get stronger, like..."
"Like?"
"I remember when I was a little girl, there was this one cartoon character that I absolutely loved." Ann recalled. "She was super confident, beautiful, and strong, never caring what anyone thought about her. She lost to the hero every time, but I still couldn't help but look up to her for her attitude."
"So she was like a role model to you." Makoto replied.
"Yeah, exactly!" Ann grinned. "She did what she wanted, when she wanted! That's the kind of person I want to be someday!
She felt a little closer to Ann then she did before.
LOVERS CONFIDANT: RANK 3
After speaking with Ann for a little longer, she decided to head home for the day, studying before heading to bed.
Makoto's Confidant Progress:
THE FOOL - Ren Amamiya: Rank 7
THE HUNGER - Igor: Rank 5
THE CHARIOT - Ryuji Sakamoto: Rank 5
THE MAGICIAN - Morgana: Rank 5
THE FAITH - Eiko Takao: Rank 5
THE TOWER - Chiaki Yasui: Rank 4
THE SUN - Shiho Suzui: Rank 4
THE MOON - Takayo Tachibana: Rank 4
THE HIEROPHANT - Sojiro Sakura: Rank 4
THE TEMPERANCE - Naoya Makigami: Rank 2
THE STAR - Hifumi Togo: Rank 3
THE DEVIL - Mitsuhide Matsuoka: Rank 2
THE HANGED MAN - Munehisa Iwai: Rank 2
THE EMPEROR - Yusuke Kitagawa: Rank 2
THE EMPRESS - Haru Okumura: Rank 3
THE LOVERS - Ann Takamaki: Rank 3
THE STRENGTH - Caroline and Justine: Rank 3
THE JUSTICE - Goro Akechi: Rank 3
THE FORTUNE - Phantom Thieves of Heart: Rank 3
THE JUDGEMENT - Sae Niijima: Rank 4
THE COUNCILLOR - Takuto Maruki: Rank 5
Are the Phantom Thieves just? Yes 40.5%