7/9 Monday
Her phone began to buzz the moment classes ended for the day.
She answered her cellphone, hearing Yusuke on the other end.
"Hello, Makoto. I wanted to call you to ask if you remember the art exhibition that I told you about?" Yusuke asked over the phone.
"I do… wait, is it today?" she asked.
"It is." Yusuke confirmed. "I would be honored if you would come there with me."
"I'd love to." Makoto replied. "Just send me the directions."
Yusuke did just that, and she made her way to the art exhibition.
… But not before grabbing some food at a nearby restaurant.
"Makoto, how did you know that I skipped lunch today!" Yusuke gasped.
"... Call it a hunch." Makoto replied.
She glanced over at the various paintings shown off at the exhibit before her eyes landed on Yusuke's painting.
"It looks wonderful, Yusuke." Makoto smiled.
"Thank you. I'm sure that the judges will think so as well." Yusuke replied.
"Judges?" Makoto repeated.
"There's an evaluation portion to the exhibit as well." Yusuke explained. "I truly believe that my piece stands above the sea of art displayed here."
After saying that, however, Yusuke frowned. "And yet, no one seems to be coming to see my painting. Perhaps they are so afraid of the truth that they dare not take a closer look."
"Is that really it?" Makoto wondered.
An older couple approached the painting, giving odd looks at the painting.
"What is this supposed to be?" the older woman asked. "It has a rather dark, sinister aura to it…"
"So, the title is 'Desire'?" the older man scoffed. "I see no desire here. Hmm… this is part of the student exhibit. Someone must have painted this on a whim."
"Must be. I can't find a trace of elegance or emotion in this piece." the older woman claimed. "Let's go dear. I'm sure that there are more detailed paintings in other parts of the exhibit."
The older couple left, Yusuke frowning as they did so.
"Yusuke, I…"
"It's all right. It doesn't bother me at all." Yusuke claimed. "That was nothing more than the drivel of unrefined commoners."
"I don't know if I'd go that far…" Makoto muttered.
Another older man approached the painting, carefully examining it.
"This is… hmm…" the man trailed off.
"Wonderful! A knowledgeable patron has arrived!" Yusuke rejoiced. "I would like your opinion, sir. What are your thoughts on this piece?"
"I can see why this piece was accepted into the exhibit. The technique is excellent." the man stated. "However, the composition as a whole is mediocre at best."
"Mediocre?!" Yusuke exclaimed, glaring. "How dare you…!"
"Ah, so you are the artist?" the man asked, calm in the face of Yusuke's anger. "You called this piece 'Desire', but that concept is rather overused. Some might call it stale. If you insist on sticking to this theme, you must add some individuality to it."
"What…?!" Yusuke gasped.
"Give it an honest look, and try to remove your artist's bias." the man explained. "The brush strokes are fantastic given your age, but does this painting really tell you anything? It's empty and devoid of meaning."
"I-Isn't that a little harsh?" Makoto frowned, wanting to defend Yusuke.
The man shook his head. "If he ever wants to improve as an artist, he'll have to learn how to take a more critical eye towards his work."
The man walked off, leaving Yusuke stunned.
"My work… is empty?!" Yusuke gasped.
"Yusuke, you shouldn't take it to heart." Makoto comforted.
"Still, I don't understand… I poured my heart and soul into this piece. Captured the very essence of desire… but perhaps, that is only my conception of it. I haven't captured desire… desire has captured me!"
Yusuke fell to his knees in despair.
"How could I have let myself become such a fool?!" Yusuke cried out. "It is as if I have been forsaken by the Gods of art themselves. This will be the end of me…!"
"Y-Yusuke!" Makoto stammered. "It's going to be fine! You can't let just one setback define you!"
"Do not patronize me!" Yusuke snapped.
"I'm not." Makoto argued. "Even if he was harsh, that critic still had good things to say about your art. Do you think that master artists have never had failures before?"
"Makoto… yes, you're right." Yusuke admitted. "Giving in after just one failure would be very much unlike me."
She helped Yusuke up to his feet.
"Still, being criticized by someone with such a keen eye did sting." Yusuke admitted.
"He was… rather harsh." Makoto agreed.
The way that he so bluntly and ruthlessly tore into Yusuke's painting definitely rubbed her the wrong way.
Something else that bothered her, however, was that she felt like she had seen the man before…
"But that's all the more reason I must break myself out of this slump!" Yusuke declared. "I must prove my ability to him, and others…!"
"How will you start?" Makoto asked.
"I must try and force myself to paint." Yusuke told her. "That is the only way I can learn."
"Practice makes perfect." Makoto nodded, smiling. "Let me know if there's anything I can help you with."
"Your assistance is very appreciated." Yusuke responded.
She could feel the two of them growing closer.
EMPEROR CONFIDANT: RANK 3
After comforting Yusuke for a little longer, she went home for the day.
7/10 Tuesday
After classes finished for the day, she was about to head home before running into Takayo in the hallway.
"Oh, Tachibana-san, hello." Makoto greeted.
"Oh… hey, Niijima-san. Takayo muttered.
"Is something wrong?" Makoto asked. "You seem a little down…"
She certainly didn't sound like her normally energetic self.
"It's nothing…" Takayo insisted.
"It doesn't sound like nothing." Makoto frowned. "If you need someone to talk to, I'm willing to listen."
"Well… ok." Takayo gave in. "Could we talk somewhere private?"
"Of course." Makoto nodded. "Let's head to the student council room."
Makoto led her to the room, both girls sitting down at the table.
"I… um…" Takayo trailed off.
"It's ok, take your time." Makoto gently said.
Takayo nodded before taking a deep breath.
"I guess… I'm just wondering if it's the right path for me…" she muttered.
"Right path?" Makoto wondered. "What do you mean?"
"I've been wondering if being a journalist is really right for me." Takayo admitted.
"Maybe… I'm not good enough. Maybe people don't want journalists like me."
"What do you mean?" Makoto gasped. "You're a wonderful journalist, Tachibana-san."
"I don't know…" the other girl sighed.
"What brought this on?" Makoto asked.
"No one did anything about the Kamoshida incident, or even when the Mafia was targeting our own students…" Takayo told her. "Whenever we tried to bring it up, we were ignored… or forcibly silenced."
"I suppose so." Makoto agreed.
"Back when everyone was accusing you of killing the principal, I tried to stand up for you." Takayo mentioned. "I tried posting comments on the PhanSite defending you. I tried telling them to at least not jump to conclusions. To at least wait things out. But that just got me a lot of hate comments."
"I'm sorry to hear that." Makoto frowned.
"I started thinking that people are only viewing the Phantom Thieves as some sort of fad, rather than actually viewing them as heroes protecting the weak." Takayo murmured. "No one else wanted to do anything about Kamoshida or those Yakuza. So many people knew about them, but either they were in on their schemes… or it was easier for them to pretend that nothing was wrong."
Makoto frowned, realizing that Takayo did have a point.
"When I started thinking about that, I started thinking about what that journalist at Crossroads said." Takayo admitted. "I just… if no one wants to hear the truth, then the truth is useless… and so are the journalists who tell it."
"You can't think like that, Tachibana-san." Makoto argued. "I know that things can seem really tough for you now, but… I'm sure they'll get better, just like they did for us." Makoto comforted.
"...Yeah. Hopefully they do." Takayo muttered. "Thanks, Niijima-san."
She didn't sound entirely convinced, but Takayo at least managed a small smile.
She felt that the two of them had grown a little closer.
MOON CONFIDANT: RANK 5
She went home shortly after, studying for the upcoming exams.
7/11 Wednesday
"And finished!" Ren sighed, putting his pencil down.
Ren and her had just finished a study session together after school, prepping for exams.
"Do you feel more confident about the exam now?" Makoto asked.
"Yeah, I do. Thanks, study partner." Ren grinned.
"You're welcome." Makoto beamed.
As the two of them walked a few blocks, Ren cleared his throat.
"Hey, umm…"
"Hmm? What is it?"
"Do you, um… want to get something to eat?" Ren asked.
"Oh, sure." Makoto nodded. "I'll just-"
"Hey, what's bonkin' you guys?!"
Ryuji and Ann suddenly ran up to the two of them.
"What is it to you?" Makoto asked.
"I just realized… we took down a pretty big target, right? We should celebrate!" Ryuji shouted. "I mean, we got a ton of money from sellin' that golden briefcase.
"So let's splurge a little!" Ann chirped.
"That does sound nice, but maybe it should wait a little." Makoto responded. "Exams are in just a few days, so we should probably celebrate afterwards."
"For real?!" Ryuji yelled. "I thought that it was a week from now!"
"They sent out several announcements." Makoto sighed.
"Oh my God!" Ann gasped. "I totally didn't study at all!"
"I gotta go and cram!" Ryuji shouted.
"See you two tomorrow!" Ann cried as the two of them ran off.
Makoto simply let out another sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"I worry about those two." Makoto frowned.
"I'm sure that they'll be fine." Ren assured her. "Let's get moving.
Makoto nodded.
Before they could even take another step, however…
"SENPAI!"
Kasumi ran up to the two of them, a bright smile on her face.
"What a nice surprise to see you." Kasumi beamed.
"Oh, hey Kasumi." Ren greeted. "Do you not have practice today?"
"Nope, I'm free today, actually." Kasumi answered.
"Oh? Niijima-san?"
To her surprise, Akechi walked up to the three of them, a curious look on his face.
"And you two are… Amamiya-san and Yoshizawa-san."
"You know Yoshizawa-san?" Makoto asked.
"Her father is a talk show host. I've been on his show numerous times." Akechi grinned. "I'm guessing that the three of you know each other due to going to the same school, right?"
"That's right!" Kasumi chirped. "Actually, that reminds me! Senpai, remember that summer competition that I told you about? I got chosen as the representative!"
"That's great, Kasumi." Ren grinned.
"We'll be cheering for you." Makoto smiled.
"Say, since all four of us are here, why don't we all find a place to spend time together." Akechi suggested.
"Ren and I were already headed somewhere." Makoto brought up. "We can go together."
"Great idea! Let's go!" Kasumi agreed.
Ren brought the three of them to a nearby café with an unusual name.
"Miel et crêpes?" Makoto questioned. "Is that… French?"
"I'm not really sure what it means, But I've always on the lookout for nice for nice cafés like Leblanc." Ren explained.
"Supposedly it means 'Honey and Pancakes." Akechi explained, before letting out a sigh. "It was actually the first place I reviewed on my food blog. Because of that, people continue to swarm the comment section of my blog with pancake jokes."
"Hahaha… that's actually kinda funny." Makoto smiled.
"I don't think I've ever asked before, but… how do you two know Akechi-kun?" Kasumi asked.
"He's worked with my sis for a while, so I've met him a few times." Makoto explained.
"And I know him through Makoto." Ren added.
"I was very intrigued by their points of view at the time." Akechi told Kasumi.
"I can definitely see that!" Kasumi agreed. "Amamiya-senpai's take on things helps me out a lot as well. He makes sure to come to all of my practices and is constantly giving me advice."
"I-It's nothing, really." Ren muttered.
"Don't say that, senpai! It's been really helpful." Kasumi argued. "...You… will be able to keep helping me over the summer… won't you?
"Y-Yeah, of course, Kasumi." Ren said.
She tried to hold back a frown. She had already warned Ren that he needed a break, and he still looked a little exhausted right now. Kasumi and Akechi didn't seem to notice, however. Ren was probably trying to hide it.
"I remember that I spoke with these two about the Phantom Thieves." Akechi recalled. "I was curious about their opinion on them."
"The Phantom Thieves, huh?" Kasumi muttered. "Assuming that they do exist, right?"
"Yes. What do you think, Yoshizawa-san?" Akechi asked.
"Well… I admit that helping others in need is a great act…" Kasumi trailed off. "But I can't agree with their methods?"
"You don't?" Ren asked. "Why is that?"
"I don't think that the Phantom Thieves will be helpful to society in the long run." Kasumi stated.
"What do you mean by that?" Akechi wondered.
"Well, for example, when someone's faced with a problem that they need to overcome, I believe that they need to do it themselves."
That caught her attention.
"Solve their own problems…?" Makoto repeated. "Yoshizawa-san, I'm afraid I must disagree."
"H-Huh?" Kasumi gasped. "What do you mean?"
"It'd be one thing if they helped people with every minor thing, but the Phantom Thieves have so far only gone after criminals." Makoto pointed out. "Madarame abused his students and plagiarized their work. Kaneshiro was the leader of a Yakuza family that was extorting students and using them for drug and sex trafficking. And Kaneshiro was an abusive rapist to the student body… including your fellow athletes. Those aren't exactly the type of problems that I expect people to be able to handle by themselves."
"I… I suppose that's true." Kasumi frowned.
"If not the Phantom Thieves, then it would be the police, firemen, doctors, or countless others that would be helping people out with their problems." Makoto pointed out.
Oh dear… I hope you're not saying I should be out of a job as a detective, Yoshizawa-san." Akechi said, a wide grin on his face.
"N-No, no, of course not." Kasumi cried. "I guess I'm just saying that if people want to really make a change, they have to start it themselves, and not rely on others."
"I don't entirely disagree, but…" Akechi trailed off. "Is that not what the Phantom Thieves are doing? While I don't agree with their methods either, it's possible that they're doing what they're doing because they are dissatisfied with the current justice system, and are trying to make a change."
"Oh, w-well, I suppose…" Kasumi muttered.
"H-Hey, why don't we enjoy our food?" Ren suggested, hoping to lessen the tension. "It looks really good!"
"Oh, I nearly forgot that you were here, Amamiya-san. You didn't really stand out." Akechi grinned. "Are you with Yoshizawa-san or Niijima-san?"
"H-Huh…?" Ren gasped. "U-Um…"
"Amamiya-kun?" Kasumi frowned. "Are you a fan of the Phantom Thieves?"
"W-Well… I can sorta see both sides." Ren mumbled.
"Not willing to commit to just one of the girls, huh?" Akechi grinned.
"Y-You mean their viewpoints?" Ren stammered.
"Of course? What else would I mean?" Akechi replied.
He was having way too much fun with this…
"Akechi-kun, please don't tease him." Makoto insisted.
"My apologies. I didn't mean to heighten the tension, or to upset your... friend, Makoto-san." Akechi smiled.
'Makoto-san…?' Makoto mused, 'I suppose we are friendly towards each other.'
"...It's fine." Ren mumbled. "Let's just try and… lighten the subject."
"Actually, I should be going soon." Kasumi admitted. "My parents will start to worry if I'm out too late."
"Oh, alright then." Akechi nodded. "Good luck on your competition, Yoshizawa-san."
"Thanks!"
After Kasumi left, it didn't take long for the three of them to finish their food and go their separate ways.
When she arrived at the bus stop, however...
"Oh, Niijima-senpai! Hello again." Kasumi smiled. "I had a wonderful time at the café!"
"That's good to hear." Makoto smiled.
"I really did enjoy speaking to you too, Niijima-senpai." Kasumi admitted. "If you don't mind, I'd love to spend time with you again sometime."
"I'd like that too, Yoshizawa-san." Makoto agreed.
As she uttered those words, a voice echoed in her head… and she began to visualize a torn and reversed card...
I am thou, thou art I… thou hast acquired a new vow. It shall become the wings of rebellion that carry you to thy future. With the birth of the PriestessPersona, I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to freedom and new power…
PRIESTESS CONFIDANT: RANK 1
"Alright, let's exchange numbers so we can keep in touch." Kasumi grinned.
They did just that, but Kasumi frowned as she tried to enter her number.
"Is something wrong?" Makoto asked.
"Oh no, it's fine. My phone's just acting up, that's all." Kasumi explained. "It's gotten a little beaten up over the years, so it happens."
Kasumi eventually got her phone working and entered her phone number before the two of them went home for the day.
Makoto quickly went to bed for the night, hoping for a peaceful night's sleep.
Her wish would, unfortunately, not be granted.
As a familiar feeling overtook her, she found herself once again in her cell at the Velvet Room.
If she wasn't already awake, Caroline slamming her baton against the bars definitely would have woken her up.
"Inmate! Our master wants-"
"To talk to me, I know." Makoto grumbled, still a little sleepy. "We've done this before…"
Caroline gasped. "D-Don't get smart with me!"
Igor began to laugh, both girls quickly turning in attention before they could scold her some more.
"I must congratulate you for defeating the repulsive fiend of gluttony, avenging your father, and getting the public back onto your side." Igor complemented. "The public can be ever so fickle, can't they?"
"You should treasure our master's words of praise, Inmate." Justine advised.
"Do you see everything that happens in the real world?" Makoto asked.
"...Only that which pertains to you." Igor explained.
I guess he really doesn't know who that black-masked man would be, Makoto mused.
"I know that you wish to ask me about the other individual who is capable of entering the Metaverse." Igor said, as if reading her thoughts.
"They would be the one behind all the cases of people 'shutting down', correct?" Justice asked.
"Indeed." Igor confirmed. "I speak of the one with powers similar to yours."
"I assumed that they must have had a Persona of their own." Makoto replied.
"Not just that." Igor warned. "Like you, they too have the power of the Wild Card."
"Multiple Persona then…" Makoto frowned. "No wonder they're strong enough to cause these cases. Igor… is there any way that I could meet this masked man myself? They're also responsible for my father's death."
"Stop making demands of our master, Inmate!" Caroline snapped.
Igor simply chuckled, his impossibly wide grin seemingly growing even wider. "I am glad that you're showing such… enthusiasm. Rest assured, if you continue on your path of rehabilitation, you will eventually encounter them, without a doubt. I will most certainly be looking forward to it…"
He almost seemed more… 'enthusiastic' then her.
"But until that day, you must continue to hone your abilities and continue on this path." Igor explained. "But I'm sure that you will not disappoint me…"
She felt Igor was beginning to place all of his trust in her...
HUNGER CONFIDANT: RANK 6
Another familiar feeling came over her, and she found herself stirring awake...
7/12 Thursday
She immediately made her way to the student council room as soon as classes ended, arriving early for a council meeting.
To her surprise, however, she found that she wasn't the first person to arrive.
"Ah! Niijima!" Chiaki gasped.
"What are you doing by the money box, Yasui-san?" Makoto frowned.
"I… um… I overheard that someone had stolen from it before, so I wanted to check if it was all still there." Chiaki claimed.
"...Then why are you holding a wad of bills behind your back?" Makoto frowned.
"T-That… what are you trying to say?!" Chiaki snapped.
"Yasui-san… are you the thief?" Makoto hesitantly asked.
"I… I…" Chiaki trailed off.
Before she could say anything else, the rest of the student council members walked into the room.
"Hey, Niijima-san! Yasui-san!" Kayo greeted, smiling. "Looks like you beat us too here!"
"Well, now that we're all here, we can start the meeting." Daichi stated. "Although… I guess there isn't much to talk about right now."
"Yeah, cause those Yakuza got dealt with, right?" Kayo replied. "The Phantom Thieves really took care of them, didn't they?"
"Hopefully things can finally start settling down around here." Makoto sighed. "This year has been far too hectic for my liking."
"I'm just glad that none of the students are having money trouble anymore." Kayo smiled.
"Speaking of money troubles… did you find anything out about that… one issue that I talked to you about, Niijima-san?" Daichi asked.
Chiaki and others all glanced in her direction.
"I've been looking into it, but unfortunately I haven't figured out anything concrete so far." Makoto said.
Chiaki raised an eyebrow, while Daichi nodded.
"Well, that's alright. I'm sure that we'll figure it out eventually." Daichi smiled.
"So, what's the next order of business?" Chiaki asked, wanting to change the subject.
"...Exams." Akemi muttered.
"Oh yeah, we'll have to sort through all of those afterwards and help set them all up." Daichi recalled. "But after that…"
"It's summer vacation!" Kayo beamed. "I hope you guys all have a great time!"
"Thank you." Makoto smiled. "It'll certainly be nice to have a break."
"We'll have another meeting after summer vacation." Chiaki stated. "So make sure you're all prepared for that."
The meeting went on for a little while longer, the others bringing up minor complaints or concerns from the student body.
It was hard for her to focus, however, as she couldn't stop thinking about what she had witnessed Chiaki doing.
"Niijima-san?"
"H-Huh?" Makoto stammered.
"I was just saying that the meeting is over." Daichi said.
"Oh, right…" Makoto muttered. "I was just going to be staying after for a bit to check on some things."
The other council members nodded, all of them except for Chiaki making their way out of the room.
"Why didn't you tell them?" Chiaki asked, grimacing. "You know that I'm the thief, don't you? So why didn't you tell them?!"
"Because I want to hear it from your mouth." Makoto answered. "The reason that you decided to steal the money."
"...I'd rather you snitched." Chiaki muttered.
"Hey!" Makoto snapped. "I'm giving you a chance to explain yourself!"
"...I told you, didn't I?" Chiaki scoffed. "I need the money."
"That's why you're working at that host club…" Makoto recalled.
"Quiet about that!" Chiaki hissed. "Just drop it, Niijima!"
"Not when you're taking money from the school." Makoto argued. "I can't just let you keep doing this, especially without knowing why."
Chiaki glared, but eventually seemed to give in.
"Alright, I'll tell you." Chiaki sighed. "I need them for my little siblings. We don't have much money, so that's why I got a job and started… doing this."
"Here."
"What?!" Chiaki gasped.
Makoto held out a wad of bills to her.
"Just take it. You don't have to pay me back this time if you're struggling that much." Makoto insisted.
"I don't need your pity, Niijima." Chiaki glared.
"And what about your siblings?" Makoto pointed out. "Don't they need help?"
Chiaki paused for a few moments before slowly reaching out and taking the money.
"I'll pay you back someday." Chiaki promised.
"You don't have t-"
"I want to." Chiaki cut her off. "Just let me do this."
"If you insist." Makoto sighed, giving in. "But there's no rush, ok?"
"Yeah, alright." Chiaki muttered. "And… Niijima-san…?"
"Yes?"
"Thanks." Chiaki whispered. "I appreciate it. I… won't steal again, I promise."
Chiaki returned the money she had just taken from the council money box and left the room.
She was glad to have finally found the thief, and to have Chiaki confide in her a bit. Still, she couldn't help but feel a little concerned. Was Chiaki's family really struggling with money that much?
Still, she felt like she understood Chiaki a little better.
TOWER CONFIDANT: RANK 5
After she checked a few things in the room, she went home, got in some studying, and went to bed for the day...
Makoto's Confidant Progress:
THE FOOL - Ren Amamiya: Rank 7
THE HUNGER - Igor: Rank 6
THE CHARIOT - Ryuji Sakamoto: Rank 5
THE MAGICIAN - Morgana: Rank 5
THE FAITH - Eiko Takao: Rank 5
THE TOWER - Chiaki Yasui: Rank 5
THE SUN - Shiho Suzui: Rank 4
THE MOON - Takayo Tachibana: Rank 5
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 3
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 PRIESTESS - Kasumi Yoshizawa: Rank 1
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 40.7%