7/27 Wednesday
Days until the Cleanse: 25
After reviewing her supplies, she figured that it would be enough to make it through the palace.
But she felt like that wouldn't be enough.
She made her way to the gym, trying to get a long workout in.
By the end of her workout, she felt like she had become a little bit stronger, but still felt like it wasn't enough.
As she walked through the streets of Shibuya, she began to wonder what else she could do.
"Maybe I could… ask him…" Makoto muttered.
She looked around the area, including in several alleyways, but couldn't find who she was looking for.
Right when she was about to give up, however…
"Looking for me?"
She whipped around, nearly jumping out of her skin.
"W-Who… oh. It's you." Makoto realized, giving a sigh of relief.
"You should be more vigilant, especially if you're going to be wandering the streets at night." Kohei pointed out.
"Right…" Makoto muttered.
"So, I'm guessing that you wanted to train, then?" Kohei asked.
"Yes, that's right." Makoto nodded.
"… Alright, follow me, then." Kohei ordered.
Kohei led her through several alleyways, eventually entering a small, abandoned warehouse.
"We'll train here." Kohei told her.
There was definitely a part of her that was screaming to run away as fast as she could, but she pushed past her fear, her desire to grow stronger pushing her forward.
"Why are we doing this late at night?" she asked.
"We don't want to draw too much attention." Kohei explained.
He turned to face her as they entered the warehouse.
"Alright, come at me." Kohei commanded.
"H-Huh? Right now?" she stammered.
"That's what I said, didn't I?" Kohei said. "I need to spar with you first so that I can properly gauge how strong you are."
"Oh, I see." Makoto nodded. "That makes sense."
She took a deep breath and rushed forward, but was quickly repelled by Kohei.
"You're hesitating." he stated. "Are you serious about this or not?"
"I-I am!" she exclaimed.
"Then act like it." Kohei simply said.
She charged him again, this time with more conviction.
Still, he managed to fend her off, albeit while having to expend slightly more effort.
"… Your form is good, but that's not going to be enough in a fight." Kohei warned.
"R-Right…" Makoto muttered.
"I'm going to charge at you now." Kohei warned. "Let's see how well you can fend me off."
"Wait, you mean right n- AHH!"
Kohei wasted no time charging her, striking with speed and reflexes that were much faster than what the average person was capable of, let alone a man of his age.
She desperately fought him back, his relentless ferocity giving her no choice but to go all out.
"Good! Just like that!" Kohei exclaimed, his voice almost feral. "Fight as if your life depends on it!"
A part of her was thinking that it just might…
One thing was for sure… between the twins and Kohei, she would definitely get stronger… or die trying.
Finally, just as she felt like she was going to collapse, Kohei backed off, nodding at her.
"Your endurance is impressive." Kohei noted. "You have potential."
"T-Thank you." Makoto replied, catching her breath.
"Still, there's room for improvement." Kohei told her. "Your blows aren't quick or decisive enough, and your defenses are also mediocre."
"That's why I want to get stronger!" Makoto exclaimed. "I know that I can do better."
"Well, if you're able to put in the work, then I'll train you to be as strong as you can be." Kohei promised.
"I will. No matter how hard the training is, I'll do it." Makoto said, a determined expression on her face.
"Then I will come up with a personal training plan for you." Kohei promised. "But for now, you should probably head home for now. It's getting late. We'll make more progress next time."
"Of course. Thank you." Makoto nodded.
She felt a little closer to Kohei.
Death Confidant: Rank 2
"Um… before I go…" Makoto trailed off.
"Was there something else?" Kohei asked.
"I was wondering how you got so strong?" Makoto asked.
"… That doesn't matter." Kohei muttered. "Go home now."
"O-Oh, well, all right then…"
It seemed like that was a sore subject for him.
Not wanting to pry, she listened to him and went home.
She was completely exhausted by the time she got to her bed, falling asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.
7/28 Thursday
Days until the Cleanse: 24
She still felt a little sore as she woke up in the morning.
She knew that her muscles were sore and needed rest, so she wouldn't be getting more exercise.
Still, even if it was summer, she didn't think it would be a good idea to lie in bed all day.
She reluctantly crawled out of bed and ate some breakfast.
As she did, she felt her phone buzzing, so she quickly checked it, seeing the text that she received.
Akechi: Hello, Makoto-san. I was wondering if you had some spare time. There's this Jazz Bar that I frequent, and I was hoping that we could go together.
Seeing as she had no other plans for the day, she decided to accept his invitation.
As she made her way to the address Akechi sent her, she couldn't help but wonder…
Did he ask her out on a date?
She shook her head. Of course not.
She… wasn't the type of girl that boys asked out.
She wasn't as pretty as Ann or Kasumi or…
She sighed. She needed to stop thinking like that.
Why was she even thinking like that, anyway?
"Oh, right." Makoto mumbled. "I'm in love with my best friend…"
She arrived at the jazz bar, seeing Akechi waiting for her.
"Here it is. It's a rather nice place." Akechi smiled.
"I think I remember you leaving this place when I was spending time with Ryuji and Ren." Makoto recalled. "Do you come here often?"
Akechi nodded. "It's a nice place to unwind, especially during a big case."
"Err… the drinks here aren't alcoholic, are they?" Makoto asked. "I'm not old enough to drink."
Akechi chuckled. "Don't worry, they have non-alcoholic beverages here too. Now, let's go in, shall we?"
Everything on the inside, from the decor to the woman singing on the stage, gave off a very calming atmosphere.
It still surprised her how there were so many experiences to be had in Tokyo, and she had barely scratched the surface.
"Here are your drinks." the manager said, setting two soft drinks on the table. "I hope you enjoy the special performance we have today."
The two of them enjoyed their drinks as they watched the performance.
"This place is very calming, isn't it?" Akechi asked. "It's why I enjoy coming here."
"It is really nice." Makoto agreed.
"I'm glad to hear you say that." Akechi grinned. "My work has me going to many different cafes or restaurants, but this place feels a bit more quaint."
"I suppose that's why it's your go to place." Makoto realized.
Akechi nodded. "Yes, I'd say so. Do you have anywhere like that, Makoto-san?"
"Well, I suppose it would be Café Leblanc." she answered.
"Café Leblanc… yes, it is a nice place, isn't it?" Akechi agreed. "Although… I heard that your sister is investigating the owner of that place."
"…I suppose she must have told you." Makoto muttered. "I don't know anything about it, though."
"Ah, of course. Sorry, I shouldn't be mixing work in this." Akechi smiled.
The two of them started to talk more about themselves.
"Wow, so you cook and do shopping, work, and go to classes. That's quite impressive!" Akechi praised.
"Thank you, but…you're an ace detective at the same age as me. That's far more impressive." Makoto brought up.
"You shouldn't compare yourself to others like that." Akechi told her. "I think you seem quite organized. I can never find time to make my own meals. I tried to take a cooking class one time, but my attempt to filet a fish went…"
"What about your parents?" Makoto asked.
"Ah, well, I live alone." Akechi told her.
"Oh, I see." Makoto nodded.
She wondered if he had moved out of his parent's home, or maybe…
"You know, I haven't really shown anyone this place before." Akechi commented. "It's not as if I was hiding it or anything, but I suppose that it's just proof of the connection that we have."
"Maybe you're right…" Makoto agreed.
She felt a little closer to Akechi.
Justice Confidant: Rank 4
After their conversation, she went home for the day, and studied a bit before heading to bed.
7/29 Friday
Days until the Cleanse: 23
She spent the first half of the day drafting plans for the palace. Her information on Futaba's palace was limited, however, so there was only so much that she could do.
Shortly after she finished her planning, she felt her phone buzzing.
Kasumi: Hey, Sempai! I was wondering if you'd come to my gymnastics practice. I could really use the support!
Seeing as she had finished her preparations, she responded to her, saying that she would be there.
She went to the address that Kasumi gave her, watching as she practiced her gymnastics.
She didn't know a lot about gymnastics, but Kasumi certainly looked very elegant.
There was another, older woman watching her, who she assumed to be her coach.
After Kasumi's performance, she saw her speak to her coach, a frown on her case.
"Is everything alright?" Makoto asked, concerned.
"I'm just not making as much progress as I would like." Kasumi admitted. "I'm not doing bad… but I could be doing better. There's a big gymnastics competition coming up and I'll need to make sure I'm ready for it."
"I see. That has to be a lot of pressure." Makoto sympathized. "But I'm sure that you'll do fine."
"Thank you, Sempai!" Kasumi beamed.
"Of course." Makoto smiled.
"There was actually something I wanted to ask you." Kasumi said. "It was about Ren."
"What about Ren?" Makoto asked.
"Is he… doing ok?" Kasumi mumbled. "I talked to him earlier, but something seemed off about him. Like he had something on his mind."
She wondered if it had anything to do with the palace. She knew that he looked up to Sojiro, so this whole situation must have been hard for him.
But was that all it was…?
"I was hoping that he'd be here to cheer me on." Kasumi frowned.
"Well, he probably is busy dealing with… whatever is on his mind." Makoto brought up.
"O-Oh, of course." Kasumi stammered. "I am glad that you came, Sempai! Could you… follow me for a second?"
Makoto followed the younger girl into a kitchen-like area.
"I wanted to thank you for spending time with me." Kasumi smiled. "So I thought that I'd make you something to eat."
"Oh no, you don't have too." Makoto said.
"Please, I insist." Kasumi beamed, bringing out some ingredients.
Kasumi pulled out a list of instructions from her bag, but as she looked over it and the ingredients that she brought, she started to frown, biting her lower lip.
"Is… everything ok?" Makoto asked.
"O-Of course! I know how to cook this… I-I think." Kasumi stammered.
"You think?" Makoto asked.
"Y-Yeah… I think I made it before." Kasumi mumbled.
That wasn't very reassuring…
She watched as Kasumi began to prepare their meal.
It was odd, to say the least.
She would spend a few minutes expertly preparing the ingredients, only to pause for a moment, and make a strange mistake.
The first time, she added too much salt. The second time, she added the wrong ingredient.
It continued like that for a while. Kasumi would flawlessly work for a few minutes, pause, then make an obvious mistake.
She wasn't quite sure what was going on. Was she second guessing herself? Was she over correcting?
"Finished!"
Started out of her thoughts, Makoto saw Kasumi place the dish in front of her.
"E-Enjoy!" Kasumi stammered.
Just by looking at it she could tell that something was… off about the dish in front of her. Still, it didn't look as bad as it could have been.
"I-I hope you like it." Kasumi mumbled.
Makoto hesitantly took a bite out of the food.
It was… surprisingly average. Not amazing… but not terrible either, like if two different chefs, one amazing and one terrible, had worked on a dish together.
"H-How is it, Sempai?" Kasumi asked.
"It's not bad." Makoto answered honestly. "Just… different."
"Did I mess something up?!" Kasumi panicked. "H-Hold on, let me grab a different condiment. I can fix this for you, or maybe grab something else for you to eat, or-"
"Yoshizawa-san, it's fine!" Makoto exclaimed. "Really, I like it. Thank you."
"Oh, thank goodness!" Kasumi smiled. "I'm so glad that you enjoyed it."
"Have you really made this before?" Makoto asked.
"I'm… pretty sure that I have." Kasumi replied. "Maybe my cooking's gotten a little rusty lately…"
"I still liked it." Makoto reminded her.
"I was hoping you would. I wanted to thank you for spending time with me." Kasumi smiled.
"Really, there's no need for that…" Makoto trailed off.
"…To be honest, aside from you and Amamiya-sempai, there isn't really anyone who speaks to me." Kasumi admitted.
"Really?" Makoto questioned. "That's quite surprising."
She definitely thought that Kasumi would be very popular…
"I don't get the impression that they hate me, but it still feels like I'm… unapproachable." Kasumi frowned.
"I… can certainly relate to that." Makoto replied. "Maybe… they're just intimidated by you."
"Intimidated?" Kasumi repeated. "Why would that be?"
"Well, you're an exchange student, and an honor student too. You also represent the school in gymnastics. So maybe that's why the other students are so hesitant to approach you." Makoto theorized.
"When you put it like that, I think I can understand." Kasumi nodded. "You're so wise, Sempai!"
"O-Oh… thank you." Makoto responded.
"Next time, I'll be sure to make you a much better meal!" Kasumi promised.
"Well, I'm sure if you keep practicing, you'll excel at it in no time." Makoto assured her. "Just like gymnastics."
"That's right!" Kasumi beamed. "I just need to keep moving forward. Thanks, Sempai. If it wasn't for you and Amamiya-sempai, then I might head into another pessimistic spiral."
"E-Excuse m-"
"But I'm fine now!" Kasumi beamed. "Thanks for the talk!"
She felt a little closer to Kasumi.
Priestess Confidant: Rank 3
After they finished their meal, they both went home for the day.
After thinking about their conversation a bit, she realized that the more she talked with Kasumi, the more she began to think that there was something… off about her.
She didn't dwell on it too long, however.
Because tomorrow, they would be infiltrating Futaba's palace once again.
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 6
THE FAITH - Eiko Takao: Rank 5
THE TOWER - Chiaki Yasui: Rank 5
THE SUN - Shiho Suzui: Rank 6
THE MOON - Takayo Tachibana: Rank 5
THE HIEROPHANT - Sojiro Sakura: Rank 5
THE TEMPERANCE - Naoya Makigami: Rank 4
THE STAR - Hifumi Togo: Rank 3
THE DEVIL - Mitsuhide Matsuoka: Rank 2
THE HANGED MAN - Munehisa Iwai: Rank 2
THE DEATH - Yohei Kiritani: 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 5
THE JUSTICE - Goro Akechi: Rank 4
THE PRIESTESS - Kasumi Yoshizawa: Rank 3
THE FORTUNE - Phantom Thieves of Heart: Rank 4
THE JUDGEMENT - Sae Niijima: Rank 4
THE COUNCILLOR - Takuto Maruki: Rank 5
Are the Phantom Thieves just? Yes 40.7%