Author's note:

A few things before we start.

1. I'm using Ren as Joker's real name, since this is based off the video game canon, not the manga.

2. This story's canon assumes Ren maxed out all his confidants among the Phantom Thieves but didn't romance anyone.

3. This is my first fanfic since 2012. Please be kind.

Thanks, and I hope you enjoy the story.

Chapter 1: Get Out There

Makoto walked up the stairs to the diner at Shibuya. How long had it been, she thought, since the Phantom Thieves had been together? Around a year since their road trip across Japan. It was hard to believe it had been that long.

Not that this was a true meeting of the Phantom Thieves, not like it used to be. It would never be quite the same without Ren around, but he lived too far away now to join the rest of them so casually like this. But now that Ann was back in Japan after spending some time traveling and modeling, she'd started up their group chat again, and said she missed hanging out with everyone, and she wanted to see if they could all meet up. Not everyone could be here today, but Makoto smiled as she turned a corner and heard a voice she knew.

"Hey, Makoto!"

Ryuji waved to her from a booth, where he sat with Ann and Haru. It looked like they hadn't ordered yet, but Ann already had an enormous parfait on the table in front of her.

Ryuji kept grinning at Makoto as she walked up and sat down. Once she'd settled herself, he asked, "That's all of us who's gonna be here today, yeah?"

"I think so," Haru said. "Yusuke said he has an art show, and Futaba's studying for exams, isn't she?"

"That's right," Makoto said. She looked around at her friends, and gave a small smile. This already felt so familiar, in the best way. "It's good to see all of you, though. I'm glad this many of us could make it."

"Been way too long," Ryuji said. He still hadn't stopped smiling. "College is pretty damn cool, but there's nothing like the old gang getting back together, y'know?"

"And how is college going?" Makoto asked. She glanced at Ann, who hadn't said anything yet; she seemed somehow preoccupied, a concerned look on her face. "I remember you telling us you got a track scholarship."

"Yeah, just barely," Ryuji said. His smile finally disappeared as he looked a little embarrassed. "I've got to keep up my running and my grades at the same time, that's the only way they'll let me stick around. It's been a rough year."

"I'm guessing your study habits haven't changed much," Makoto said, giving him just enough of a look to remind him of their old study sessions. Next to her, Haru giggled, while Ryuji himself just cringed.

"You ain't kidding," he said. "But I'm not the only one, and the track team's got a study group going on the regular, so it's actually working out okay." He paused, then looked kind of put out. "Dorm life sucks, though, it's noisy as hell all the time." He glanced between Haru and Makoto. "What about you two, how's the university going?"

Makoto glanced at Haru, who nodded to her. "It's been going well," Makoto said. She and Haru had ended up going to the same university, which had been a welcome surprise to them both. "The law program keeps me busy, but I have time for aikido club most weeks. It's nothing I can't handle."

"It's about the same for me," Haru said. "But I'm still studying business with some agriculture classes when I can, so between that and the company . . . I'm so busy most of the time." She looked at Makoto, something unsure in her expression. "I feel like we hardly even see each other, even though we're in the same dorm."

"That's true," Makoto said, frowning. At Ryuji's questioning look, she added, "We're in an all-girls dorm, one train stop away from campus. It's a pretty good place, most of the time."

"The rooms are nicer than I thought they'd be," Haru added with a small smile.

"Probably better than my dorm," Ryuji muttered.

"Probably." Makoto turned to Haru and was about to ask her something when Ryuji spoke up again.

"Hey, Ann, you okay?" he asked. "You've barely touched that parfait. Usually it'd be half-gone by now."

Makoto paused, and looked at Ann. Ryuji was right. Not only had Ann not said anything, she'd hardly touched the dessert in front of her. Neither of those was like her at all – she'd organized this, did she not want to talk to them? And Ann's face was turning red, like Ryuji had upset her, or . . . or something else.

"Ann, are you all right?" Haru asked, and leaned forward, concern clear in her voice. "If you need to talk about something, we're here. Or if you just want to talk to one of us . . . I know it can be hard to talk about things with a big group sometimes."

"Yeah, what she said," Ryuji added. "You know you can talk to us about anything, right?"

Makoto nodded. "If you don't want to, it's fine, but if something's going wrong, you can tell us."

Ann ducked her head, making her bangs fall over her face, and barely mumbled, "I'm . . . I'm seeing someone."

Makoto drew back a little, her eyebrows rising. That was a surprise, though she wasn't sure how much of one it should be. Out of all of them, Ann was the most at ease with people in general, so it seemed natural that she'd meet someone, and would probably have no trouble doing so. And she'd spent some time traveling, which only raised the odds of her finding someone. But what was making her so nervous about this?

"Oh, that's wonderful," Haru said. She was still leaning forward, like she was eager to know more.

"Yeah, that's great." Ryuji nudged her shoulder. "You gonna tell us who, or do we get to guess?"

Ann's face somehow turned even redder, and her lips moved, but nothing came out. Makoto leaned in, in case Ann was whispering, but after a few tries, Ann finally forced out a single word.

". . . Shiho."

Makoto's mouth slowly fell open as her mind raced. Of all the names Ann could have said, she hadn't expected that. She'd known about Ann's best friend for a long time, as she had been a key part of why Ann joined the Phantom Thieves in the first place. But Shiho hadn't come up much over the past two years. And Makoto hadn't had any idea that their relationship had . . . changed like that.

"It's Shiho," Ann said, lifting her head, tears brimming in her eyes. "I . . . we started seeing each other more and more when I moved back to Japan, until she was practically living at my parents' place with me, and we just got closer and closer. And things just – just kind of happened!"

"Wow," Ryuji breathed.

Haru reached across the table and handed Ann a handkerchief. "I'm so happy for you, Ann," she said, a genuine smile on her face.

"Oh, I was so nervous about telling you guys," Ann said, dabbing at her eyes. She was starting to smile, though she still spoke very quickly, like she wanted to get everything out before her courage failed her. "I never thought this would happen. Anything like this, or anything with her. But it's just – it feels perfect, it's like it's everything I wanted and I didn't even know it until it was there and I didn't know what you all would think and I've been worried about this for weeks but I had to get everyone together and tell them."

Ann paused, took a deep breath, and wiped her eyes again, then smiled at all of them. "I'm just so happy with her, I swear, and I don't even know how it happened but I want it to stay like this," she said. "And I just . . . hoped you'd be happy for me too."

There was a quiet moment, and Makoto wondered what she should or shouldn't say. This wasn't the sort of conversation she was good at, and she'd never been in this position before. Fortunately, Haru stepped in.

"Of course we'd be happy for you, why wouldn't we?" Haru asked. "We've heard you talk about Shiho, we know how much she means to you."

Ann nodded, then let out a quiet, desperate laugh and sunk back into her seat, clearly relieved.

"Totally," Ryuji added. "I remember how you were about her back in school, and everything that went down with her." He paused, and tilted his head. "And y'know, it kind of makes sense that you'd end up with her. I don't remember you ever wanting to date anyone back in school, so-"

"Ryuji!" Ann snapped.

He held his hands up in front of himself. "What? It's true!" He laughed, though it sounded a little forced. "And if you were worried about us getting weirded out because she's a girl, don't. Some of the guys on the track team are into guys, it's not even a big deal."

Makoto nodded. "I can't speak for the ones who aren't here, but I don't think you have anything to worry about," she said. "We're your friends and we've known you for a long time, Ann, and we've been through so much together. Nothing about that is going to change."

It wasn't the most reassuring thing in the world, Makoto thought, but she didn't have as much experience with this sort of thing as she would have liked. People didn't tend to come to her with their emotional issues. She was definitely glad that Haru and Ryuji were there to help her deal with this . . . though Haru looked worried, or maybe concerned. Or something else entirely. What was she thinking about?

"But thank you for telling us," Makoto continued. "I'm glad you didn't feel like you had to hide this from us."

"I didn't want to hide it," Ann said. "You're my friends, you should know. And I don't know if I was worried about what everyone would say, or think, or whatever. It's just – you never know what someone's going to say about this." She let out a long breath. "But thank you. I'm just glad – I'm happy that you guys are good with this."

Ann grabbed her spoon and began attacking her parfait with a fury, like she'd suddenly remembered it was there and had to make up for not getting to it earlier. It was clear that she'd had a lot of complicated feelings about this, but hopefully Ann would feel better now that she'd gotten this out to all of them.

Makoto glanced over at Haru again. The other woman still looked concerned, and Makoto frowned. Haru clearly had something on her mind, and it would be best to ask her about it later. Maybe they'd have a moment to talk on the train back to the dorm.

But not right now. One major personal revelation was enough for one day, and they hadn't even ordered their food yet.

The rest of the lunch conversation went on much as Makoto had expected it would. There was something deeply comforting in renewing the bonds with old friends; she'd truly missed hanging out with the rest of the one-time Phantom Thieves, and hopefully they'd be able to do this again soon. With Ann now living in Japan again, and her being the most social of all of them, it seemed likely, but Makoto made a mental note to see about doing her own part to make sure it happened too.

With that in mind, Makoto stepped up to Haru as they were all walking out of the diner. "Haru, I was wondering," she began, "have you ever thought about joining the aikido club?"

Haru blinked at her, surprise clear on her face. Her brow furrowed just a little bit. "I . . . I hadn't thought about that at all, no."

Makoto gave her a small smile. "I know it might not be your kind of thing. But it's a good group of people, kind of weird but not in any way we can't handle. I'd been wondering about it, since you're not swinging an axe at shadows anymore."

She glanced behind herself as they walked. Ryuji and Ann were talking as they headed out of the diner, and it seemed like they were getting along as always. Something about them usually made Makoto think they seemed like arguing siblings, even when they were smiling.

"I might be interested," Haru said, and when Makoto looked back at her, she was faintly blushing, which seemed strange. "I hadn't thought about it, but I probably could use some stress relief, with the class load I'm taking. Could you let me know when the club's next meeting is?"

"It's three times a week, and the next one's in a few days," Makoto said with a nod. "It's in one of the athletics buildings – I'm not sure if you've been there, but it's easy to find."

"That sounds good," Haru said, and they walked out of the diner together. She took a few quicker steps away, then turned. "Let me know, please? I'll see if it's something I'd like."

Makoto paused. Why was Haru suddenly in a hurry? "All right," she said. "I'll text you later."

"Thank you. Goodnight, everyone!" Haru waved, then hurried off toward the train station.

Makoto watched her leave, pausing outside the diner as Ann and Ryuji caught up to her. Ryuji yelled his goodbyes, and Makoto frowned as Haru walked away. It was getting toward evening, and they were both going back to the dorm, as far as she knew. So why would Haru head out in such a rush?

Haru walked quickly into the Shibuya station, then slowed and told herself to take a breath. Had she left too suddenly? She didn't want to leave her friends behind like that, but. . . .

The moment when Ann said she was dating Shiho played again in Haru's mind, the sudden admission and the tears in her eyes – happy tears, Haru reassured herself, as Ann must have been overwhelmed, wondering what her friends would think and hoping for the best from them all. And yet, Haru had looked away, to Makoto, to see what the other girl thought.

At the moment, she'd hardly been thinking about Ann at all.

Haru hoped that didn't make her a bad friend. But something in her mind had started to wake when Ann came out to them, and something about having Makoto right next to her had made some old memories bubble to the surface and demand her attention.

One memory in particular – when Makoto and Ren first found her at Shujin, after their . . . mildly embarrassing first meeting in the Metaverse. Haru hadn't expected she'd be found out so easily, but looking back, all she could think of was what she'd said to Makoto.

"You looked really good in that biker gang outfit!"

Of all the things to say. But she'd meant it, hadn't she.

Haru sighed, and checked the time on her phone. It was late, but not too late. And that meant she could go somewhere else and think, instead of heading back to the dorm. It would be best to clear her head, and she knew just the place.

Haru stepped onto a train heading away from her university and her dorm, and stepped off at Yongen-Jaya.

The narrow streets felt familiar, and Haru let her mind drift as memories came back. Had everything happened only two years ago? So much of her life had changed, all from a chance meeting, finding Morgana in an alley, hurting from his trip into her father's Palace. She tried to push away the more painful parts of those memories; she'd taken time to grieve over the years, but some things never truly stopped hurting. Now wasn't the time for that. Now, she had something completely different on her mind.

The bell that rang when she opened the door to LeBlanc sounded like it always had, a small comfort in its own way. She took a deep breath as she walked inside, and let the scent of a dozen different kinds of coffee wash over her, along with the ever-present spice of curry. She sat down at the counter, and smiled as Sojiro lowered his newspaper.

"Haru," the old man said, surprise clear in his voice. "It's been a long time. How have you been?"

"Hello, Sojiro." While her smile wasn't forced, she was sure it looked a little strained around the edges. "It's good to see you."

"You too," he said, putting his paper away. "I can't remember the last time one of your group came in here. What brings you by?"

Haru took a deep breath. "I kind of had a lot on my mind all at once," she said, carefully, "and I thought some good coffee could help me sort things out."

Sojiro chuckled. "You're in the right place for that," he said, the familiar pride in his work clear in his voice as he stepped over to one of the coffee machines. "I think I've got just the thing."

Haru waited while Sojiro brewed and poured, then took a deep breath again when he set a steaming mug in front of her. "Oh, I know this one," she said. "It's Salvadoran Pacamara. I learned something about it in one of my agriculture classes."

"That's the one," Sojiro said. He leaned back against the racks of coffee beans, his eyes half-closed. "You want to share what's on your mind? Not a problem if you don't," he added, holding up one hand, "I just know it's easier if you get it out."

Haru lowered her eyes, then took a sip to give herself a moment to think. Oh, this was not something she could talk about right now. She didn't even know if she had the words for what she was thinking about, and even the thought of admitting what had run through her mind when she looked at Makoto made her want to flee just a tiny bit.

But Sojiro was right. Talking about it could help. Even if she had to talk around it.

"Have you ever . . . realized something was different about yourself," she began, not looking away from her coffee, "and maybe it had been for a long time, but you'd never really recognized it? Until something happened that – that made it impossible to ignore?"

Sojiro looked at her over the top of his glasses, then muttered, "Hoo boy," and poured a cup of the same coffee for himself. "You don't come in with simple problems, do you?"

"I'm sorry," Haru said, managing a small smile.

He just waved his hand at her. "I've got a teenager, I get it," he said. "And as for your question, maybe." He took a sip of his coffee. "You might not believe it, but I was quite the ladies' man when I was younger."

Haru considered. Sojiro had some old-fashioned charm, that was true, and he'd built that into the café itself. Though imagining him as young and charming seemed a tiny bit odd. But she nodded, and gestured for him to continue.

"I enjoyed being that way, being thought of that way," he said, looking out the cafe's window into the evening light. "Then I met someone who was so far out of my league, and it made me see myself different. It made me realize I'd been dealing with everyone the same way, like it was a habit. I had to rethink how I interacted with everyone, like I was a different person, because this one person didn't fall for my usual charm. It also kind of made me wonder what I'd been doing with my life." He sipped again, and looked back to Haru. "That was Futaba's mother."

"I see," Haru said, and drank some more coffee while she considered. "It makes sense that . . . you could meet someone who makes you change how you see yourself." She tried not to wince at that. It sounded too much like a confession, though she didn't think Sojiro understood what she wasn't saying. She couldn't put words to it, not yet; even the thought that it was Makoto who started all these thoughts of seeing herself differently was too much to deal with right now.

"But I suppose that's what happens when you meet new people," Haru continued, not sure if she was talking to him or just herself. "They change things."

"Have you met someone new who's changed how you see yourself?" Sojiro asked.

The sudden bluntness nearly sent Haru backwards off her chair. She waved her hands a little, and felt her face start to turn red. "Oh, it's nothing like that, just something that's been on my mind recently," she said, unable to hide how flustered she was. Sojiro wasn't buying it, she could tell. "I suppose . . . that's what the college years are for, aren't they? Meeting new people and learning new things about yourself, figuring out who you are."

Sojiro smirked as he sipped again. "You have no idea."

Haru paused. "What . . . what changed for you in college?"

"I'm not telling you that."

She smiled, and shook her head. "I suppose not. But thank you, this has helped a little." Haru finished her coffee and set some bills on the counter, even as Sojiro tried to wave them away. "I'll try to stop by again sometime."

The familiar bell rang as Haru headed out, and her face still felt warm as she stepped outside. That was not how she had thought that conversation would go. Who would have guessed Sojiro would know the exact thing to ask that she didn't want to answer? And how–

Her phone buzzed in her coat pocket. Haru frowned, then pulled it out and found a new text message.

FUTABA: wow, you must have something heavy going on

FUTABA: if you're going to the old man for advice

Haru peered at her phone. Futaba had heard that conversation? How? And if she'd known Haru was there, why hadn't she come by? They hadn't seen each other for quite a long time.

HARU: Futaba? You heard me talking to your father?

FUTABA: yeah, i've got the place miked, have for years

That was mildly disturbing, though not entirely a surprise. But Haru supposed if anyone was going to be listening in, at least it was one of her friends. And maybe Futaba would be easier to talk to than Sojiro. At least being much closer in age would make it easier for her to understand.

FUTABA: besides, i've been doing nothing but studying for exams

FUTABA: my brain is full and i'm bored

FUTABA: and you're the most interesting person who's been to leblanc in weeks

Haru smiled. That sounded about right. She sighed as she started heading toward the Yongen-Jaya station.

Maybe . . . no, she wasn't really ready to talk about this yet. She'd just started thinking about Makoto the way Ann thought about Shiho–

Haru froze right in the middle of the station entrance, then quickly ducked aside, apologizing as she almost ran into someone heading out. That was it, wasn't it. That was the first time she'd thought that, and it was true, and she had to admit it to herself.

She could genuinely be interested in Makoto. As . . . more than just a friend. Something in her insides twisted up and something felt released at the same time, confusion and relief all at once, like no part of her was ready to deal with this or even think about it properly.

And then her phone buzzed again.

FUTABA: you still there? you dodge-rolled my dad's question like you're in a soulslike, you doing the same to me?

HARU: I'm sorry, I just have a lot on my mind.

FUTABA: okay, duh, i get that

FUTABA: but now you've got me curious and i want to know

The last text was followed by a series of emoji, all devious grins, some oddly suggestive. Haru smiled a little at that, then heard her train being called out, and dashed across the station to make sure she didn't miss it. She barely made it on, and held on tight as the train started moving, back toward the university and the dorm.

After taking a moment to collect herself, Haru pulled her phone out again.

HARU: I'm sorry, I almost missed my train. And thank you, but I don't know if I can talk about this tonight. There's just too much going on in my head right now.

FUTABA: oh i get that, trust me

HARU: But thank you. I'm not sure when I'll be able to talk about this. But I'll let you know if I can.

FUTABA: i got you

FUTABA: whatever you got going on, it's got to be more interesting than my studying

FUTABA: and if dad couldn't figure it out, i totally want to know

FUTABA: you better tell me

More emoji followed that, pleading eyes mixed in with the mischievous smiles. Haru smiled back. There was something comforting about Futaba's brand of silliness.

HARU: I'll tell you if I can. Goodnight, Futaba

FUTABA: later, Haru

Haru put her phone away and sighed. This was going to feel like a very long ride home, and she doubted she'd have this settled in her head anytime soon. Of all the things to come from finally getting back together with her friends.