Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was Sunday afternoon in the bustling city of Tokyo. The sun was shining, there wasn’t a cloud in sight, it was the type of day that just makes you want to wake up, get up, get out there.

Which is exactly why Ren Amamiya was lying motionless in bed.

“You see? Just like I told you,” said Morgana, climbing up the steps with Futaba in tow.

“Whoa, you weren’t kidding,” replied the redhead. The duo made their way over to where their leader lied. If he noticed his new company, he certainly didn’t show it. His body remained still, eyes looking as though they were a thousand miles away as he started blankly at the ceiling. He didn’t even have a reaction as Futaba waved her hand in front of his face. “Hello! Earth to Ren!”

“Come on, Joker!” Morgana hopped on the bed and began to tap his paw repeatedly on his leader’s forehead. “What’s gotten into you?”

“Yeah, wasting all day in bed is my thing!” Futaba joined Morgana, delivering jabs and karate chops to his side with all the force of an insect.

“My schedule,” whimpered out Ren, causing his teammates to halt their extremely ineffective assault.

“Your what?” questioned Morgana.

“My schedule.” Ren began to rise as he spoke. His face made him look as if he just crawled his way out of a warzone. “Ever since we started our lives as thieves, I’ve gotten into the habit of micromanaging nearly every aspect of my day. What to read on the train, who I should spend after school with, the most efficient day to go to Mementoes, which food at the diner will increase what I lack, when to get a fortune from Chihaya, etcetera, etcetera.”

“Whoa, I knew you were thorough, but not to this extent.”

“You sound like a planner turned into a high school boy,” a mischievously smile formed on Futaba’s lips as she spoke. “Like one of ‘those’ types dating sim games, heh heh.”

“Futaba’s forbidden knowledge aside,” said Morgana. “What’s the problem?”

“The problem,” said Ren, shifting his legs off the side so he was sitting up. “Is that I’ve been too thorough. I’m caught up on studying, we’re good on cash so no need to work, Takemi’s finished her drug, Iwai’s business is taken care of, we even solved all the request Mishima’s thrown at us. There’s just nothing left for me to work towards.”

“You’re going on about free time like it’s so sort of bad thing,” said Futaba, waving her finger in a very "matter of fact" sort of fashion. “There are people out there who would give anything for some time off.”

“Futaba’s right,” added Morgana. “I don’t see how being done with all your commitments is a bad thing. Isn’t that why you worked so hard?”

“It’s bad because I spent so long trying to get everything done that I never stopped and wondered what I would do once I did,” said Akira, letting his head sink forward. “I’ve been a slave to the schedule for so long that I’ve forgotten what life was like without it. I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do now. Heck, I wouldn’t even know where to begin.”

“Have you forgotten where you are?!” shouted Futaba, earning her the attention of the two boys. “You’re not in some small nowhere town anymore, you’re in freaking Tokyo! The possibilities here are endless!”

“Exactly!” continued Morgana. “Life in the big city is constantly throwing something at you, whether you want it to or not. You’ll find something to do in no time.”

“I don’t know,” said a hesitant Ren. “I’m not sure the current me would be down wasting a day doing something that’s not productive in some way. He’s probably look at his schedule and say-"

“Forget the schedule!” interrupted Futaba. “You’ve done so much for us already that you can afford to spend a day not worrying about the thieving business.”

“Yeah, even the best need some R&R,” said Morgana.

“I guess you have a point,” said Ren. Though he wasn't entirely convinced yet. “But like I said, I don’t know where to start.”

“Here’s what you do.” Ren turned his full attention to his furry friend as he spoke. “You go out there, and when your gut tells you to do something you do it. Don’t debate whether it will help in the Metaverse, or make you more proficient, or anything like that. Just go with the flow.”

“Go with the flow…”

“Flow sho!” added Futaba.

“Alright. Guess I could give it a try.” After getting dressed and sprucing himself up, the trio where soon on LeBlanc’s ground floor, Ren at the door. “Wish me luck.”

“You’ll be fine,” said Morgana.

“Yeah! Go have yourself a blast!” said Futaba. He waved his friends goodbye as he exited his lodging. A few seconds later, he was standing on the main road next to LeBlanc, taking in his surroundings. He saw the familiar people and businesses going about their day like it was any other. The bathhouse, the batting cage, the clinic, if Takemi was there he could pick up another set of her medicines, best to have a healthy stock just in case- No! Ren fiercely shook his head. He wasn’t out here to worry about being efficient, he was here to go with the flow. But would it really hurt just to swing by real quick? At the pace they were collection loot in Mementos, he should even be able to afford- No! Desperate to get these thoughts out of him, Ren threw himself into the nearest shop, hoping the change of scenery would help him even in the slightest.

“Welcome,” said the old owner of the second-hand shop. “Here for your usual?” Ren made a grave mistake. This was the place where he got the materials for their most vital thieving tool, the lockpick. He just stepped into a lion's den.

“No! I mean…” Ren did his best to try and save face after seeing how taken aback the owner looked. “What I’m here for is… uh…” Ren’s eyes darted all around the cluttered store. He searched and searched for something, anything that would get his mind off being the leader of the phantom thieves. “That!” Without a second thought, Ren pointed to the object on the shelf pass the owner. A beat-up calculator.

“Wonderful.” The owner grabbed the cheap piece of tech and began to ring up the cash register. “That will be 500 yen.” Ren reached into his pocket at the speed of a slug and took his wallet out at even slower pace. He then went on to set the record for longest time taken to handout some cash. Was he really about to do this? Was he really about to waste both time and money on something that would have zero impact on his double life? He was so caught up in his own world that he didn’t even notice the man take his money from him or the concerned look that he was giving throughout. It was only when the owner was holding a bag in front of him did Ren come back to reality. "Here you are."

“Huh?”

“Thank you for your purchase. Please come again.”

“What… Oh, okay.” Ren took the plastic in his hand and left without a word. He was still trying to wrap his brain around what happened. He just went along with the first thing that popped into his head. He felt confused, he felt anxious, and most of all, he felt… good? “How…” Having to know that this wasn’t some sort of fluke, Ren quickly made his way towards the supermarket. Once inside, he saw a candy bar that for some reason stuck out to him from all the others. Whether it was the logo or shape he couldn’t say, he just bought it before his mind could linger on why. After handing his money to the cashier and exiting, he took a good long look at the snack. It didn’t seem like it could heal injuries from shadows, or sharpen their reflexes, or do anything for the team, really. But he wanted to buy it nonetheless.

“Ha ha ha,” Ren had no idea why he was laughing, but that didn’t stop him from taking a bite in between his chuckles. A rush of emotions went through him as he chomped down on the bar. It was one of the most average tasting things he’d ever eaten in his life, but somehow, this misjudgment only served to increase his high. For this first time in what felt like forever, he was doing something for himself and not for some self-opposing schedule. Ren felt like he was breaking free from his chains all over again. “Woo hoo!” His sudden outburst and slapping of his hands together earned him the gazes of those in the vicinity. But he didn’t care. The only thing that mattered to him was where the flow of the city was going to lead him next. “Winds of Tokyo, take me away!”

Chapter Text

“I’m telling you, Yuri is totally going to break up with Hinata,” said Morgana.

“Yeah, but she would be way better off with Nobu than Daichi,” replied Futaba. After Ren left, the two started chilling at LeBlanc, eating chips and watching over-dramatic daytime soap operas.

“Well, we can at least agree that they're both better than Mao.”

“Totally.” The two continued munching snacks and swapping theorizes with each other until Futaba suddenly felt her phone buzz. After pulling it out, her eyes went wide as she read the text. “Oh crap!”

“What’s wrong?”

“No time to explain, but I got to go!” Futaba frantically shoved her phone back into her pocket as she scurried to the door. “We’ll have to pick this up some other time, see ya!” And just like that, he was all alone.

“Th-This is fine! I can handle being without Futaba, or Ren, or even anyone for that matter…” Not even he was buying what he was selling. “I can do this; I just need to go to my happy place! Let’s see, uh… fatty tune, Lady Ann, I’ll never be like the others, this form will always make me lesser than them-yep that didn’t take long-Futaba!” Morgana darted towards the entrance and launched himself up onto the handle but it was locked. With that dead end, he hurried up the steps, out the attic window, and down into the ally. He made his way to the front of the café but he was soon face-to-face with another problem. He had no idea where she went. “Come on, come on, where did she go?” Without a single lead, the engine of the Phantom Thieves decided to take a gamble. He went on course to the Sakura’s residents as fast as his legs could carry him. So fast in fact, that he didn’t even notice himself running into someone else’s leg until it was too late. “MeOW!”

“Oh gosh! I’m sorry little guy, are you okay?” asked the person he just crashed into. After recovering, Morgana looked up to see the concerned face of Ren’s homeroom teacher. Wait a minute, what’s she doing here? Thinking back on it, he did remember Ren saying something about her living nearby. It was why she was able to be on laundry duty on such short notices. “Oh no, you didn’t hurt yourself, did you?”

“Huh?” Before he knew what was happening, Morgana found himself being lifted into the air. Kawakami held him close to get a better look, letting her groceries sink down into her arms.

“Poor little thing, you must have gotten that nasty cut when you took that tumble.”

“I did?” After hearing about it, Morgana began to notice the pain in his front left paw. It was really starting to sting.

“Looks like your collar doesn’t have a name on it. Hey, is this anyone’s cat?”  Those who bothered to pay the teacher any mind just gave her a ‘no,’ ‘sorry,’ or headshake before going about their day. “Guess not… Aw, what the heck? I’ll get you patched up back at my place and then we’ll find you owner.” The woman gave him a kind smile. “How does that sound?”

“Wait what?” Morgana was still taking things in, but what she said hit him in the face a second time. He started to try and squirm his way out of her grip. He didn’t have any time to waste; Futaba could be getting further and further away by the second.

“Settle down, I know it sounds scary.” Kawakami did her best to make sure he didn’t fall and hurt himself again. “I think I might have some leftover mackerel. How does that sound?"

“Fish?” Just the name made Morgana freeze in his tracks. …Well, staying for a bit couldn’t hurt, right?

Once inside Kawakami’s apartment, the teacher gently placed him on the couch and then the bags on the kitchen counter before proceeding to her medicine cabinet. Getting a good look at the place, it felt like she just moved in. The walls, shelves, nearly everything was bare and lacking any personality to it. Other than a potted plant in the corner, it didn’t seem like she had either the time or money to make her home seem like… well, home. It was a pretty depressing thought, especially with how hard she seems to work.

“Alrighty then,” said Kawakami, sitting next to him as she placed a first-aid kit on the coffee table in front of them. “This might sting a bit, but don’t worry, I’m an expert. I’ve patched up plenty of the cats that roam around here.” Morgana still felt hesitant about this situation as a whole, but not wanting to cause her anymore trouble, he let her take his paw into her hand without a fuse.

“AHH,” shouted Morgana, as Kawakami sprayed his paw with disinfectant.

“Don’t worry, the bad part is over.” Despite how much he wanted to pull away, Morgana kept his leg as still as he could as Kawakami began to wrap it up. “There you go, all better!” After she was done, he began to move his leg again. It still hurt but was feeling loads better already. “You know, I don’t think I’ve ever had a cat stay as still for me as you did. I think that’s worth a treat!” Morgana couldn’t help but notice a bit of giddiness in her voice as Kawakami lifted herself back up. As she made her way to the kitchen, Morgana propped himself up to get a look over the couch. He saw her take something out of the fridge, remove the cover, and place it into the microwave. After pushing a few buttons, the fish began to spin. The smell of the delicious morsel infested Morgana's nostrils as Kawakami sorted out her groceries. It took all his willpower not to drool on her couch as Kawakami approached.

“Here you go.” Kawakami placed the plate of leftovers on the coffee table; Morgana’s eyes lighting up. “The cats around here usually just get the canned stuff, so consider yourself lucky.” Kawakami kept her smile up as Morgana began to dig in.

“Mrrroow! So good, mewww!” All the remaining pain vanished from Morgana’s mind as he feasted.

“Hungry little fellow, aren’t you?” Kawakami couldn’t help but let out a chuckle. “Let’s see what’s on.” Kawakami reached for the remote and turned on the TV. Only after clearing his plate did Morgana take notice of her channel surfing. It was also then that he took notice of how she had the exact same CRT that Ren had. Did she get it from the same place? The more time he spends here the more he is reminded of how the attic use to be before Ren started decorating. “Well, that was quick.” Kawakami paused her clicking when she saw that he had finished. “How’s your paw? Need anything else?”

“No thanks, I’m good-" Morgana paused. Why was he acting like she could understand him? And more importantly, why was he still sticking around? Shouldn’t he be getting back to looking for Futaba? Then again, she’s probably long gone by now. But does that really have anything to do with staying here? Were would he even go though? Back to LeBlanc? Regardless, he couldn’t keep crashing here, could he? They’ve only interacted for less than an hour. Even if it means being alone, he should just get out of here and-

“What’s wrong?” Morgana snapped his attention back towards the teacher, seeing the concerned look on her face. He could only imagine how he looking a second ago. “Is your paw acting up? Crap, did I screw up somewhere?”

“No, that’s not it! You did it perfectly!” Morgana was too preoccupied in assuring Kawakami that he went back to forgetting that she couldn’t hear him. “I’m just… well… I just don’t want to be alone right now.” Morgana’s face began to sink. “I was all alone before I meet the team. And after spending all this time with them, I don’t know if I could bare going back to being by myself…” Morgana’s eyes widen as he recalled his voice situation. He quickly raised his head to face Kawakami, expecting her to be looking at him in… well, some weird way. But what he saw was the one look he wasn’t expecting.

A look of empathy.

It was hard to describe the expression on her face. But whatever it was, Morgana couldn’t help but feel a soft warmness coming from it. Without words it said to him: “It’s okay. Keep going.” And after starting at her a bit longer, that’s what he did.

“I just think of what it’s like not to have anyone and I just can’t handle it-”

“If I’m stuck like this forever, what if the others look down on me because of it? Whenever we all hang out, I stick out so much from them-”

“I feel like I have to have all the answers in the other world, because of how useless I feel in this one! Constantly needing to rely on others just to get a meal-”

“He keeps calling me a cat, so I think it’s okay for me to insult him too and keep up our fighting! But I know I just do it because he’s the easiest target and it helps me hide from my insecurities, when really we should talk our issues out-”

“I guess I just feel like no matter what I do I’m always going to be less than them. But maybe instead of focusing oh what I can’t do by myself, I should instead focus on what we all can do together.” Morgana was laying on his back, head on the couch's arm rest. He’s been at this for who knows how long, but felt as though he just lifted a ton off his shoulders. “Whoa… I didn’t realize how good it could feel to just open up somebody like that.” Bringing his head up, his eyes meet with Kawakami’s. The same warm look emanating from her face.

“I don’t really know what that was all about, but I take it you feel better now?”

“Yeah!” Morgana hopped up and gave her a beaming smile.

“I’ll take that meow as a yes!” She had no idea what came over her when she thought that listing to his meowings was the best course of action. But if that’s what he needed, guess it doesn’t really matter in the end. “Oh gosh, look at the time! We should really get you back to your owner-" Her words were cut short as Morgana leaped onto her lap.

“You’re so nice, Miss Sadayo! I can see why you’re a teacher. You’re such a kind and caring soul! The people who are your students are the luckiest people in the world!” He began to snuggle up against her, and before she knew what she was doing, Kawakami brought her hand down and began to pet him. “Meeewwww! Meeww!”

“… Well, you seem like an outdoor cat who goes out during the day anyway, so… staying for a bit couldn’t hurt, right?”

Chapter Text

“So, in order to avoid economic chaos, it was decided that this group would be the sole distributors of the country’s paper money… Are you even paying attention?” said an annoyed Makoto.

“Yep, totally,” answered Ryuji, sitting across the table, starring at his phone with a dull look in his eyes.

“You went over the flash cards, right?” Makoto held up the small piece of paper she was holding.

“Uh-huh.”

“And you’re not just saying that?”

“Yep.”

“…Are you listening to anything that I’m saying?”

“Couldn’t agree more.”

“…Oh look, there’s a naked woman right outside your window.”

“I was up all night studying that.”

“If you’re not going to take this seriously, I have more important matters I could be attending to.” Makoto began to reach for her belongings.

“Wait!” She stopped upon hearing the desperation in his voice. “I’ll take this seriously, I swear! It’s just… agh!” Ryuji threw his hands up, phone nearly flying out. “I don’t know where to even begin with this stuff!” It was a little over two weeks ago since Ryuji had asked Makoto for help studying, practical begging her to show him what her secret was. Makoto was more than delighted to help someone with their studies, so she immediately got to work on setting up flash cards, review guides, and anything else she herself used. But despite her efforts, Ryuji had yet to improve. So, after even more begging, she agreed to come over and give him a tutoring session.

“You made an honest attempt to study, right?”

“For the last time, yes!” Ryuji then immediately let out a sigh. “Sorry, I’m just frustrated is all.”

“Don’t worry, it’s fine. I can understand were you’re coming from.”

“Doubt you ever had as much trouble as me.” Makoto couldn’t necessarily deny that, but now would hardly be the appropriate time to bring that up. “Let’s face it, I’m never going to get the hang of this.”

“That’s not true, you just need a bit more practice is all.” Makoto’s encouragement did little to brighten his mood. She was at a loss. She relayed to him all her studying techniques to a tee. So why hasn’t any of it helped even a little?

“I could have all the time in the world and it wouldn’t make a difference.” Ryuji let his head fall back over his chair. “Sorry I wasted your time. If you got things to do, then you should-“

“Hey!” The intensity in Makoto’s voice shot Ryuji back up. When he saw her face, the only thing he could see was the fire in her eyes. “You’re my underclassmen, my teammate, and most of all, my friend. I’m not about to just turn my back on you like that!” The two stared at each other. The determination in her voice left the both of them unsure of how to follow that up. With a turn of the head and a cough, Makoto did her best to get them back on track as she felt her cheeks turn red. “Why don’t we start by determining what you do know?”

“Couldn’t hurt, I guess.” At the very least, she seemed to have gotten his attention again.

“What are the least number of colors needed to paint a map?”

“No idea.”

“Which ratio is a B-4 sized paper made from?”

“Nada.”

“What does it mean when you are a ‘wunderkind.’”

“Oh uh… ‘prodigy,’ right?”

“Okay, let’s try- Wait, what did you just say?”

“’Prodigy.’ Crap, was that wrong?”

“No, it was… right?”

“For real?” Both of their eyes were widened to their sides.

“Alright, this might be tricky to pin down, but do you have an idea of why this one stuck with you? Is it because it’s a foreign word or something along those lines?”

“Nothing like that. The only reason I remember it was because Ren brought it up.”

“Ren?”

“Yeah. On one of the days we were training together, he was telling me about how Morgana had to help bail him out of that question.”

“Training…” Makoto brought her hand to her chin and began to think deeply.

“Uh, Makoto… You okay? Did someth-“

“Ryuji!”

“Yes?!” The former runner nearly fell out of his chair.

“Back when you were on the track team, did you do something similar as well?”

“Huh… Oh, yeah, we would constantly vent about the stuff they expected us to learn while running with each other. Helped get our minds off being worn out.”

“And the stuff you said, did that stick with you?”

“Well… Looking back, yeah, I guess it did. Felt way more confident answering those on a test than I did the rest, at least.” Makoto let out a laugh as a smile spread across her lips. “What’s so funny?”

“I’ve been going about this all wrong?”

“You have?”

“Correct. I was focusing on what worked best for me, when instead I should have focused on what would work best for you.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“I’ll explain on the way.” A cheerful Makoto began to gather up all the materials in front of a confused Ryuji. “Go grab a pair of shorts. We got some cramming to do!”

Chapter Text

“Thank you so much again for coming to assist me today, Ann,” said Haru.

“Of course! What are friends for?” replied Ann. The two girls were making their way towards the flower beds in front of Shujin. They were wearing their PE outfits and carrying with them the gardening supplies from the practice building’s storeroom. “I really admire how dedicated you are when it comes to taking care of the school’s flowers. I don’t know if I could ever keep up a routine like this.”

“It’s not so bad once you get use to it. But it does help to ask for a hand once in a while. Especially from someone so reliable.” Haru gave her friend a great big smile, earning her one in return. The pair soon got to work tending the bed, reapplying the soil and removing any and all weeds. But despite the blond's best efforts, Haru was far outpacing her company.

“Whoa, you’re like a gardening machine," said Ann in amazement. "Kinda of makes me feel like I'm not pulling my weight."

“Don’t be silly, Ann. You’ve done plenty so far.”

“But it’s hardly anything when compared to you. Come on, what’s your secret?”

“I don’t have a secret. I guess I’m so efficient at it because I love doing it so much.” A soft look formed on the third-year's face as she spoke. “The sun shining down on you, a cool breeze caressing your skin; I just find gardening to be so calming. It helps me forget about my worries.”

“I totally get that! Though, I tend to deal with my problems by either playing video games or chowing down sweets.” The two shared a chuckle. “If it’s really as relaxing as you say, maybe I should take it up too then.”

“Oh, I think that's a wonderful idea!” Haru couldn’t help but start beaming. It was always such a great feeling when someone else takes an interest in your hobbies. “It can be the perfect little get away from stress. For example, just this week I got a call from Sugimaru.”

“Ugh! That creep?!” Ann stopped what she was doing and turned her attention to Haru.

“The very same. He wouldn’t stop going on about the great things he could for me and the company. How I should really reconsider taking him back up on his marriage offer.” Despite the unpleasant new subject matter, Haru continued her work as though nothing had changed. The tone in her voice not changing and her pleasant smile not breaking for a moment. “No matter how many times I assured him that my mind was made up, he kept telling me I just needed to think over it more. How he’s a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

Uh, Haru…” said a concerned Ann, watching as Haru's gardening was becoming more and more rougher.

“It’s quite funny how much of an echo chamber one can put themselves in. I can only imagine how nice it must be to live in a world where everything goes your way.” Haru’s hand shot straight into the ground. “Must be so nice.” And just as quickly shot back up, the root of a weed in its grasp.

“Hey, Haru-“

“But what do I know? I can’t read his mind.” Haru lifted herself up and made her way towards one of the fertilizer bags. “But with how big he talks-“ She took hold of it. “I could only picture how-“

*RIP*

And tore it through it like a tissue “-insecure he must actually be. He’s always going around in that fancy looking suit and limo, you know?”

“I-Is that so…” Ann could hardly get any words out as Haru hefted the bag onto her shoulder and poured its content into the bed.

“But-“ Haru picked up the rake. “You know what my favorite part is?” Held it above her head. “All the people in the company who are still on his side.” And brought it down with the force one would have chopping wood. After the tool hit the bed, Haru began to scrape it back and forth with enough force that it appeared as though her goal was to tear a whole into the planet. “'He’d be such a big help,' they tell me. That I should do what would be best for the business.” Haru halted her intense combing. Reaching down, she gathered up the twigs that had gotten caught in her rake. Dealing with them one by one.

*SNAP*

“I wonder-"

*SNAP*

“How how they’d like it-"

*SNAP*

“If someone-"

*SNAP*

“Told them that.”

*SNAP*

After remaining still for a moment, Haru let out a huge sigh. Turning to face Ann, she continued to give her the friendly look on her face as all the color from Ann's had drained. “Like I was saying, gardening can be such a peaceful experience.”

Chapter Text

“Yes… Just a little more… Precisely! Now for her to reciprocate by- Wait… No, no, not like that! How am I supposed to work with that response? …I could spin it… Though, it depends on whether or not they-“

“Kitagawa-san?” said a voice from below. Startled, Yusuke nearly took a fall. After regaining his bearings, the young artist turned his attention towards the voice’s origin.

“Togo-san, correct?” asked Yusuke.

“Yes,” said his fellow Kosei student.

“Can I help you with something?”

“Nothing really. I was just um… curious as to why you are lying on top of a tree branch with a pair of binoculars.”

“Oh, these?” Yusuke held out the binoculars he was using just a moment ago. “They are for my artwork.”

“Your artwork?”

“Precisely. My previous watching spot in Shibuya’s underground has become dull and routine as of late. Lost on what to do next, I came to the realization of how much I’ve been neglecting my home in search for inspiration.”

“So that’s why you are doing… this?”

“Exactly.” Yusuke began to raise the binoculars back up to his face. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have pressing matters to return to- Oh, they’re gone.” By the time Yusuke got a clear view, the spot on the opposite side of Kosei’s courtyard he was monitoring had become bare.

“Oh, did I make you miss them? My apologies.” Hifumi bowed as she spoke.

“It’s alright.” Yusuke hopped down from the branch, stumbling a bit as he landed. “I doubt I would have gotten much more from them anyway.”

“Is finding inspiration hard?”

“It depends. Sometimes you will encounter something that will fill every inch of your body with a rush of creativity. Other times, you will spend hours on end looking for it and not feel the flicker of even a single spark.”

“I had no idea art could be so much of a gamble.” Hifumi was surprised, but at the same time intrigued by the risks at play.

“It’s not entirely down to chance. The most important thing to kept in mind is that inspiration can come crashing into you from anywhere.”

“Anywhere?”

“Correct.” Just as he finished talking, a sudden gust of wind rushed by, blowing a sheet of paper into his face.

“I’m sorry!” called out a voice as Yusuke reached for the sheet. Once removed, he saw the relived face of a female student. “I would have been done for if I lost that. Thank you so much for catching it for me!” After handing her the paper and receiving another thank you, the girl bid the both of them farewell and got back on her way.

“Huh?” said Hifumi. “What’s that smile on your face for?”

“This,” replied Yusuke. “is inspiration.”

“It was? I’m afraid I don’t follow.”

“Tell me, what just happened here?”

“Um… a girl lost her paper and it hit you in the face?” Yusuke chuckled at her response.

“On the surface, perhaps. But let us try and look deeper.” As Yusuke continued, Hifumi couldn’t help but take notice of how exaggerated his movements were becoming. “Did you notice the panic in her voice as she approached? How reprieved she was once her object of desire was back in her grasp? How compelled she seemed to make sure I was aware of her gratitude?”

“She did seem quite worked up about it.”

“Precisely! What a first glance was a simple returning of goods, was actually a Greek tragedy for how what we treasure most of all could slip away at a moment’s notice by the uncontrollable forces of nature.” Yusuke began to raise his arms up, striking a multitude of dramatic poses. “How our very fates are held in the hands of others! How desperate we all are to conform to our societal expectations!”

“Really?!”

“Doubtful.” Yusuke returned to his normal position in one fowl swoop. “But, isn’t more fun to think about it that way? Doesn’t it just ignite something inside you?”

“I still don’t fully get it, but,” a smile spread across Hufimi’s lips. “it reminds me of how I use to come up with stories for my shoji pieces when I was young. Is that inspiration?”

“It most certainly is!” Seeing the light of inspiration in another caused Yusuke to smile as well. “A world of wonders is truly all around us.” Taking notice of the scene occurring past Hifumi, Yusuke raised his finger towards it. “Like that bird picking at those insects. A metaphor for how powerless some truly are compared to those who exploit them.”

“Ooh, let me try!” Hufumi began to scan her surroundings. “Uhh… That cloud there that looks horse! It symbolizes the skyward potential of the untamed spirit!”

“And that wrapper lying on the ground paints the picture of mankind’s apatheticness towards that which no longer benefits them.”

“And that pile of leaves tells the story of how the weak can appear more opposing in numbers.”

“And that person pointed towards us shows how powerful unspoken actions can be.”

“And that- wait, what?” Hufumi turned towards where Yusuke was looking. The couple that Yusuke was previously watching had returned, standing next to what looked like a teacher as the boy marked them. It didn’t take long for panic to run through the two as the suited man started to advance.

“Err, Hufumi. Right now I feel inspired for a change of scenery.”

“Agreed.” The pair bolted towards the gate.

Chapter Text

“Thanks again for getting here as quick as you did,” said Sojiro to Futaba, a smidge of embarrassment in his voice. The two were walking down the Main Street of Shibuya. “And sorry for dragging you all the way out here.”

“No biggy! I’m not the same Futaba I was a few months ago!” she replied, bopping along right beside him. “But man, Sojiro. How did you not realize you didn’t have your wallet with you until they brought you your check?”

“Hm. Ain’t that the question.”

It all began simply enough. Sojiro had some business to take care of in the city, so he decided to stop somewhere for lunch while he was out. Since he was already in this part of Tokyo, he decided to stop by this one diner on Main Street Ren frequented. He been meaning to pay it a visit for a while now. He even had a coupon all ready that he came across in a magazine.

It was a pleasant lunch. No long waits, the sever was nice, and the food was fresh. It wasn’t anything to brag home about, but taste was good and it filled him up right.

It wasn’t until he got his bill that things went south. No matter where he looked, Sojiro could not find his wallet for the life of him. It wasn’t in his pocket, wasn’t on the table, wasn’t on the floor, it just wasn’t anywhere. Now Sojiro was certain that he brought it in with him—he’d been using it all morning, after all. But the fact of the matter was that wherever it was now, it wasn’t with him. With the rest of his cash in it, Sojiro had no choice but to call up Futaba to grab some money off the counter and bring it to the diner for him as he awkwardly waited. It wasn’t his proudest moment to say the least.

“Stop worrying so much!” said Futaba. “You probably just left it in your car.”

“Here’s hoping,” Sojiro answered.

That would be the best case scenario. The worst case, of course being that he dropped it somewhere on his errands and someone had already snatched it up. He really hoped that wasn’t the case. Not only because of the money he’d lose, but also because of the wallet itself. It was made of fine Italian leather, costing much more than the amount he left in it. Would be a real loss if he couldn’t find it.

“But I can swear I felt it in my pocket when I sat at the booth.”

“You sure that wasn’t just one of those old people lumps you felt?”

“Hey! I’m not some bedridden geezer yet.”

“There, there.” Futaba patted her dad’s side as they turned a corner.

The more the pair neared to where Sojiro had parked, the more the barista couldn’t shake the feeling that something fishy was going on. With every step he took, the surer he was that he did have his wallet with him when he stepped into the diner. But even with the server’s help, neither of them could find even a trace of his wallet being inside the place.

So, that leaves only one explain: Someone did pocket his wallet, and did so when he was in the diner. But the question now is who, and how? Was it his sever, and they just pretended to help him look? Certainly a possibility. Then again, a good number of other customers did come and go by his table. Could it have been one of them?

The more he thought on it, the more frustrated Sojiro got. Either way you slice it, the place was pretty full for the lunch rush. Too many in there for him to form a condensed enough suspect list. And even if he could somehow narrow it down, it’s not like he has any idea who those people are or where to find them. He’d better hope he left it in his car, or else his wallet was as good as gone.

But no matter how much the rational part of his brain told him there was no point to think more on the subject, Sojiro just couldn’t stop. If a thief really did steal his wallet then and there, could anyone really have gotten close enough to do so, even the server? Was there anyone like that who fitted the bill?

In a flash, a lightbulb went off in Sojiro’s head.

There was someone. Someone the man had been trying to forget.

It happened just before his food arrived. Out of nowhere, a strange man came up to Sojiro’s table and started talking to him. He had a big smile on his face. The kind that people practice to fake.

Now, Sojiro isn’t the kind of guy to judge others by their looks, but this guy immediately set off all sorts of alarm bells. He claimed to be a fortune teller, saying how it was Sojiro’s lucky day and that he would give him a reading for a good price. Even if Ren swears by the one he knows, Sojiro had been around the block long enough to spot a scam when he hears one. He tried to shoo him away, but the so-called seer wouldn’t budge. To prove himself, he grabbed Sojiro’s palm out-of-the-blue and started to give it a reading. Despite how scrawny he looked, the guy had surprising strength. Sojiro couldn’t break his hand free. No matter how much he told him to let go, the guy was lost in his own little world, saying how he was currently ‘in tune with the cosmos.’ If he had held on for just half a second longer, Sojiro was fully ready to knock his light out. But then, all of a sudden, the stranger backed off. He stuck his hands up, as if to prove that Sojiro wasn't just being squeezed. He told Sojiro some vague notion that good things are coming his way, and then promptly disappeared.

When it was finally over, there was nothing Sojiro wanted more than to push that unpleasant event out of his head. But looking back, he couldn’t help but realize how strange that guy’s actions were. Well, strange in another way. He backed completely off in an instant, not even putting up a hint of a fight. He didn't even try to swindle a payment from Sojiro for his ‘reading.’ No, he just booked it out there. Almost like he already got what he wanted from him…

You know, he got awfully close to Sojiro to grab his palm. Close enough that he could have grabbed something else as a matter of fact.

“Good afternoon, sir. Lovely weather, wouldn’t you say?” called out an unnaturally jovial voice, snapping Sojiro back to reality.

On the side of the street was a man in a long-coat standing behind a folding table full of knickknacks. He wore a massive grin on his face. The type Sojiro was all too-familiar with.

“Lovely wares I got here, wouldn’t you say? Could I fancy a fine man such as yourself with a little wager?”

“Not interested,” replied Sojiro bluntly. He’s dealt with enough con-men for one day.

“Come now. There’s no need for that wary behavior. All I ask is for less than a minute of your time.”

“Have a good day.”

But just as Sojiro was about to leave, the swindler shifted tactics.

“Then how about you then, little missy?”

“EEP!” squeaked out Futaba, ducking behind Sojiro.

“No need to be afraid. I don’t bite.” The man chuckled. “Much.”

“You leave her alone, you hear me?!” Sojiro raised his voice higher than he had for a while now. He just might deck a creep today after all.

“Hey now. I haven’t done anything.” He raised his hands up like the diner guy. “I was just asking if she’d be interested in playing a little game. You like games, don’t you little girl?”

“I-I, ummm…” Futaba grabbed the reins of Sojiro’s shirt as she trembled. She whispered to him. “Let’s just get to the car already.”

“Oh, you’re parked up that way now, are you?” asked the man, placing a hand behind his ear and leaning it forward. “I was actually thinking up closing up shop myself and heading in that direction as well. You wouldn’t mind if I joined you two along the way, would you, little missy? Maybe get to know each other better?” Futaba was unable to respond.

Sojiro stared daggers at the man. The punk was smiling even more now. As much as Sojiro knew he was getting played, he could never bring himself to put Futaba through more hardships.

“Fine,” he told him. “You win. I’ll play your stupid game.”

“That’s the spirt, sir.”

Sojiro approached the man. A trio of playing cards laid faced down in the center of the cluttered table. It was your standard Three Card Monte set-up. The sort of layout a smart man would walk away from.

“Now, all you got to do is keep your eyes on the prize.” The man held a card up, revealing an ace. Placing it back down, the man began to shuffle them. But don’t be fooled in thinking that wasn’t all that impressive. The man was clearly a pro at this. He slid the cards to-and-fro, sliding and zig-zagging them across the table and each other. It honestly felt like magic that, as far as Sojiro and Futaba on his backside him could tell, he didn’t once lift a single card off the table. And if that wasn’t annoying enough, he also used his hands to make snaps and gestures, further disorienting the two.

“And that’s that!” declared the man, finishing his routine before the pair even realized it was over. “So, what prize catches your fancy? Pick one and then we’ll work out a wager.”

Before Sojiro could even see what all he had, the man started picking the knickknacks on the table up and pitched them to him. They were the sort of things you couldn’t help but question the origins of. In short, they fit this dubious man to a T. He showed off a silver watch, a gold chain, a jeweled ring, a-

“Wait a minute! That’s-” exclaimed Sojiro, his eyes about to pop out of him as they caught what the man was currently clutching in his hand.

“Ah, good eye, sir,” he said, holding up the wallet. “Made of the finest Italian leather this one. Would complement a fine fellow such as yourself well, wouldn’t you say?”

“Yeah, I would. Because that wallet’s mine!”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Don’t play dumb with me!” Sojiro slammed both hands on the table, nearly sending everything flying. He leaned right into the scammer, really getting in his face. “That wallet is mine and you stole it from me!”

“I-I really don’t know what you're taking about.” For the first time, his cheery façade bore a crack. “With all due respect, sir, I’ve been here all day, and I never meet you until this very moment. How could I possibly have stolen this from you?”

“Maybe not you, but wouldn’t you know it, I happened to have run in earlier with some guy who you remind me a lot of. Said he was a fortune teller. Ring any bells?”

The man tried to say something, but nothing came out. Instead, his eyes bobbed from side-to-side like a pigeon head. Seems like he wasn’t expecting his lacky to get brought up.

“I-I won’t stand for this baseless slander! Do you have any proof that I have your stolen wallet? I doubt you do.” Sojiro didn’t back down or let up on his piercing glare. But the scammer found his footing again and did the same. The two were at a stand-still.

“Fine then.” Sojiro brought himself up and crossed his arms. “I’ll just win it back.”

“Now you’re talking sense.” The scammer’s highly punchable smile returned.

Sojiro reached into his pocket and pulled out the rest of what Futaba had brought him.

“Sojiro, don’t listen to this guy!” she interjected, as Sojiro placed the money on the table. Her sense of justice won out over her anxieties. “He obviously cheated somehow!”

“Cheat? Why, little missy, you wound me. I run a clean service here. You saw that for yourself, didn’t you?” Futaba growled at his remake.

“It’s alright, Futaba. I know what I’m doing,” Sojiro said to her. Though, still hesitant, he was able to convince her to step down, for the time being at least. “Will this be enough?”

“Eh, why not? I’m in a good mood today. In fact, win this and I’ll even throw in a bonus. A coupon for this nice little diner down on Main Street.”

“It’s definitely the one on the right!” said a fiercely determined Futaba, staring at said card intensely. “Trust me, Sojiro! I got the eyes of a hawk! Well, when I have my glasses on at least.”

Sojiro reached for the rightmost card. He slowly lifted it up and held its contents close to his chest. So close in fact that not even Futaba could see as she stood tippy-toed.

“Oh, I’m sorry, sir, but you guessed wrong.”

“What?! How do you know?!” Futaba questioned angerly.

“Who do you think just shuffled them, little missy?”

“Well, you could have made a mistake when you shuffled them.”

“Ha ha, that’s a good one! I don’t make mistakes, kid, especially when there’s money on the line. Gramps here really should have known better than to have relied on you.”

“You sure about that?” interjected Sojiro.

With one flip on his fingers, Sojiro spun the card around, revealing the ace as clear as day to the two.

“WHAT?!” shouted the scammer, sounding like he just saw Sojiro grow a second head. “But that’s not possible! I-” He lifted the sleeve of his jacket up and checked inside.

“You lose something,” Sojiro said all dandy-like. The scammer froze in place, realizing all too late what he just implied. As he struggled to comprehend what just happened to him, Sojiro lifted his money and wallet off the guy. “Been a pleasure.”

“OOOOOOOOOHHHH!” yelled Futaba, mimicking holding a microphone. “Sojiro just served you old-school, son! Up top!” Futaba jumped up and gave her dad the mightiest of high-fives. The two then on their way, leaving the served scammer beside himself.

It’s funny. You think a guy like him would know not to leave himself open when someone’s getting too close for comfort. But that’s just how it goes with punks like him. They get such a big head that they can’t see what’s happening right under their nose.

Chapter Text

“Am I really wearing this right?” asked an uncertain Ann, readjusting the tight gloves that ran well past her elbows.

“I think you look great, Ann!” replied Haru in her trademark sweet and supportive voice.

After finishing with their gardening, the two Shujin girls hopped a train ride over to Ann’s photoshoot she had scheduled in Akihabara. However, this particular job was a bit more out-there than the kind Ann was use too.

Instead of modeling new clothes, it was instead a promotional shoot for a new video game, taking place outside the store the developers made some kind of deal with. Ann was dressed as the game’s main character and was to model a number of battle shots against another model dressed as the game’s villain. The attire of said heroine (a medieval fantasy lady knight named Erika) was crimson colored chest armor overtop a beautiful red dress, complete with long red gloves, white leggings, and steel tinted heels. Combine all that with her hair tied back into a ponytail and having to wield a prop rapier, Ann looked as though she was attending some swordfighter’s ball rather than a modeling gig.

But it wasn’t necessarily the outfit Ann had a problem with. After all, she knows first hand that if you’re going to kick butt and save the day you might as well look stylish while doing so. No, it was instead having to replicate the attitude and demeanor of Erika that made Ann feel unsure of herself. She was instructed to be a graceful yet determined lady of war, something Ann had absolutely zero experience with. The closest she’d gotten to something like that was when she was in the Metaverse. But even then fighting against shadows is a much more flashy, in-your-face sort of deal, you know?

“Oh my. Are you really that nervous?” asked Haru, snapping Ann back into reality.

“That obvious, huh?” Ann answered with a soft chuckle.

“It will be okay," Haru reassured her, flashing her the kind of great big smile that let's you know everything will be okay. "You’ll pull this off no problem! I promise”

“Aww. Thanks, Haru,” Ann said, feeling a bit better. “You always know just what to say.”

“Well, well! The grand hero of legend using friendship as her power! Oh, isn’t that precious!?” called out an unbearably mocking voice. Annoyed, Ann turned her head like a rusty gear to the source.

In truth, feeling as though she couldn’t pull her character off was only half the reason Ann wasn't 100% on board this gig. The other half was the model who had been cast as the game’s villain.

Clad in a purple and black sorceress’ robe and sporting her own long gloves and platform heels that rose her nearly a foot, Mika had been spending every second since Ann got looking down on the high schooler. Figuratively and literally thanks to her footwear.

Ann was no stranger to how much a performance Mika can put on. But her mutual rival seems to have adopted some form of method acting for their latest collab. Not two seconds went by without Mika making some declaration of how Ann is “Doomed to fail, Hero!” or “Darkness will devour all you know and love!” topped off by her letting out a haughty “Oh ho ho ho ho!” laugh. It’s officially been giving Ann the biggest headache of her career.

“What is it now, Mika?” Ann asked with a sigh.

“My, such hostility!" Mika replied with a wholly punchable smug look. "Hardly befitting of such a noble hero, wouldn’t you agree?” Ann never knew she could roll her eyes this hard. “In actuality, I’m here to speak with your friend.”

"With Haru?" Ann asked, surprised.

“With me?” Haru added, just as shocked.

“That’s right. The staff told me that one of the extras called in sick, and they were wondering if you’d be willing to fill in for them?”

“R-Really?!” Haru sounded completely taken aback, but in a good way. “I-I don’t think I’d be the best fit. I don't know the first thing of modeling.”

“Oh, it’s nothing so demanding. I have a loyal dragon henchman that we have one of those full-body mascot costumes of. We’d only need you to wear the thing for just one photo.”

“A dragon!?” exclaimed Haru, brimming with excitement. “And it's a mascot suit!? I must admit, I always wondered what it would be like to wear one of those ever since I was young!”

“Wonderful then!" Mika pointed back from whence she came. "Those fine gentleman over there will help you get it on.”

“Now wait a minute here!” butted in Ann with force. “I invited Haru here as a guest! You can’t just drag her into working like that! It's not fair!”

“It’s no problem, Ann. Truly,” Haru said as sweet as could be. “I always love lending a hand. Especially when it helps out a friend.”

“Plus, the staff will of course compensate her well for her time,” added Mika.

“Oh, you don’t have to worry about the money, really. I'll be back in a jif, Ann!" And with that, Ann watched her friend leave with a spring in her step as she was left alone with her rival.

“Nice girl,” Mika said all nonchalantly. “Such a shame she had to pick the losing side in this conflict.”

“Will you give it a rest, Mika!” said Ann, well at her limit. “Your big villain talk is annoying, not endearing!”

“Oh ho ho ho! Has the little hero finally found her tongue?” Mika peered straight down at Ann. “Big talk for a child who can’t back it up! You must know that the only reason you got this role was because your hair color just so happens to match Erika’s, right? It’s not as though they thought you were a good fit, or anything of the sort.”

Ann bit down on her lip. She knew Mika was right. She knew the reason she was chosen the second they showed her who she’d be dressing up as.

“Oh, my! Did that touch a nerve?" Even if she was right, Ann wasn't about to give Mika the satisfaction of her admitting to it out loud, so she kept quite. "Well, not much you can do about it now, is there? Guess you’ll have to settle on embarrassing yourself in front of your little friend. Though, given what I’ve seen of her, I don’t think she’ll actually take notice. Lucky you.”

“What’s that suppose to mean?”

“Come now! You saw how giddy she got when I said she could wear that outfit, didn't you!? Honestly, it was like she was eight or something. Does she normally act like she a child?”

Ann's hand balled into a fist, squeezing the rapier tight.

“Though I suppose that should have been obvious, considering who she hangs out with. Air heads flock together after all. But even then she certainly is something. How can you be fine being seen together in public!?

Mika threw her head back and let out her biggest “Oh ho ho” yet, not even trying to be subtle anymore.

“That does it,” Ann said under her breath with a quite rage. She raised her weapon and pointed it straight at Mika. “Talk about me all you want, but I’m not going to just stand here while you badmouth me friend!”

“Reeeeeeeally now?” Mika not even so much as flinched at Ann's threat. “And what, pray tell, do you plan to do?”

With a deep breath, Ann gripped the rapier with both hands and took a battle stance, as though she was ready to let fly at a moment’s notice.

“Just so you know, I’ll been in my fair share of fights, sorceress.”

With an amused chuckle, Mika stood ready as well. It was like they had been transported into the game itself were ready to have their final battle. Their eyes locked onto one another, the world around them seeming to fade away. The only thing Ann could see was the look upon her foe’s face.

Which is exactly why she was completely blindsided by the sudden flash of light hitting her eyes.

“AHH! What the-” yelled Ann, hurrying to rub her eyes.

When her vision returned, she saw Mika holding her phone in her hand, its camera pointed right at Ann.

“What was that for!?” Ann demanded.

“Sorry about that! I was just admiring a job well done.” Mika replied, sounding completely different. For the first time all day, Mika had completely dropped her villainess persona and was talking as she would any normal day.

Actually, it was more than that. Her tone sounded… happy and kind?

“What do you mean 'a job well done?'” Ann asked, confused.

Mika said nothing. Instead, she turned her phone around and showed its screen to Ann.

Ann's eyes went wide at what they saw. It was a picture of her just a moment ago, expect she almost didn’t recognize herself. Her entire look was different, full of fierce determination yet graceful elegance.

It was the attitude and demeanor she tough she couldn't match. It was the attitude and demeanor of Erika.

“I… I don’t understand,” said Ann, trying to make sense of Mika’s actions.

“Apologies for keep you in the dark, but it was the only way my plan was going to work,” Mika answered, sounding proud of herself. “I knew deep down you could pull of being Erika no problem, we just needed a way to bring that to the surface. So, I took it upon myself to be Erika’s arch enemy in order to get the her in you to appear!”

Ann could hardly believe what she was hearing. “So, you mean that whole method acting thing was just a lie!? That getting me ready for the shoot was your real goal!?”

“Genius, I know!” Mika gave Ann a smile. It was the realest thing Ann had seen from her all day. “But when that wasn't enough, I then knew brining your friend into the picture was the only to get you to really stand-up to me. I, of course, never meant one word about what I said about her. In fact, I think she quite intelligent for having picked a friend like you. A friend who will always have her back.”

“I… I don’t know what to say...” That's underselling it. Ann can scarce remember a time she'd been left so stunned and dumbfounded.. “But... I don’t think I would have been able to be Erika without all this. So... thank you, Mika! Really, thank you!”

Ann returned Mika's smile tenfold. Out of every rival she could have had, she was thankful Mika was the one.

“Oh ho ho ho! As if there would be any point to best my nemesis when she wasn’t giving it her all!” stated Mika, switching back to the sorceress on a dime. “My victory is going to taste all the sweeter now!”

“Laugh while you can, villain,” Ann retorted, speaking calm and collectively while lifting her back sword up. “Mark my words: I will strike you down! For both the world and my friends!”

“My, such confidence! Let’s see you still yammer on as my shadows of pure darkness suffocate that annoying mouth of yours!”

“Go ahead and try! The light of my blade will pierce through any darkness!”

“And I’ll use my fire to illuminate the dark, as well!” boasted Haru, rushing over to the two models in full costume. “Oh, wait. I’m on Mika’s side, aren’t I” she added, lifting her snout so she could see them.

The three of them stared blankly at one another, but soon enough a trinity of laughter could be heard from one end to the other of that Akihabara street.

Chapter Text

"I-I don't know if I can answer this one..." said a teeth-gritting Ryuji, just barely keeping the barbell from falling down on him.

"Come on, Ryuji!" replied Makoto. "You've come this far, and this is the last question!"

"I-I know! But still! I just can't remember!"

"And I know for sure that's not true! The answer is somewhere inside of you!" Makoto took another look at her note cards. "Once more: What is the name of the device that allowed for mass execution during the French Revolution? Well!?"

Up until now, the unique study session that Makoto and him had been going through had been working way better than Ryuji had expected. Makoto had been having him workout on nearly every piece of equipment the gym had to offer, tying what he needed to learn into his current exercise in one way or another. For example: When he was on the treadmill, Makoto had him increase the speed by how many different colors it would take to color a map of Japan, four. She taught him which object was created using the silver ratio by having him attack the training dummy in the best places to strike someone if he was in a real fight. Below the belt, B. And right between the eyes, four eyes, four again. B-4 paper.

She had him do as many chin-ups as the middle number needed to make a magic square. She even placed three exercise balls on his back while he did push-ups, so that he could better understand that three watermelons were the closest thing to the sun in terms of density. All and all, while definitely out there, Makoto had hit the nail on the head in terms of what kind of studying worked best for Ryuji.

And that's what made him drawing a blank on this last question all the more infuriating.

No matter how hard he kicked his brain into overtime, Ryuji just couldn't remember. Danggit it all, he's come so far and he's about to blow it right at the end! Heh, story of his life really. But what makes this one sting even more is how he's going to drag Makoto into his failure right along with him. She's done so much for him, and this is how he's about to repay her? It's just not fair. And GOD is this stupid thing heavy! Ryuji's arms were beginning to wobble, the barbell feeling way heavier than it had a moment ago. Maybe it's a sign? Maybe he'd be better off letting it drop and crush him in two rather than letting someone down again.

...

Wait a minute...

Drop and in two...

Suddenly, the gears in Ryuji's head turned.

"G... G..." Ryuji said, arms straightening out.

"What was that?" asked a wide-eyed Makoto

"Gil... Gil..." Something was swelling up inside Ryuji. All that weight didn't feel as crushing as it had a second ago.

"You're so close, Ruyji! Come on!"

"Gil... Gil... GUILLOTINE!"

With one final push, Ryuji rocketed the barbell up like it was made of plastic. Once at the apex, the weights fell perfectly back into their holdings, as a pumped-up Ryuji hopped onto his feet.

“HECK YEAH!” he screamed, pumping his fists into the air. "I did it!"

“Yes you did!” said Makoto, ecstatic.

“Couldn’t have done it without you, senpai!” The two high-fived so hard it echoed throughout the gym. “Thank you for everything, seriously!”

Yes, in that exact moment, the emotions of the pair were running as high as they could go. They felt practically untouchable.

So, of course, it was not meant to last, as it quickly became apparent how much their shouting made them the center of attention for the rest of the gym's occupants. The study buddies awkwardly lowered their hands, faces beet red.

Chapter Text

“I must say, I feel as though I’ve been missing out my entire life in regards to these crapes,” Akechi said, taking another bite.

“Stay focused!” replied Sae forcefully. “We need to be ready to move at any second, remember?”

“Of course I remember. But, I also recall that we are suppose to blend into the crowd and not draw attention to ourselves. Something I feel is much easier said than done when one of us keeps darting her head back-and-forth down the street like an agitated pigeon, wouldn’t you agree?”

Akechi couldn't help but smile when his partner's only retort was a click of the tongue.

For weeks now a group of scammers have been swindling the people of Tokyo. Their crimes had started out small at first, but as the days went on, more and more reports of shady characters tricking passersby with rigged games or sweet talking them into being robbed outright have been coming in. At the rate these crooks were going, it won’t be long before they crawl their way up the ladder of the criminal underworld and begin to pull off even more heinous crimes. As such, Akechi and Sae had been assigned to investigating this group and put a stop to them.

For the past few days the pair had been staking-out Main Street. They reasoned since the majority of reports came from this area the group must have some kind of base of operation here. However, there was one little problem. Thanks to all his interviews as of late, Akechi had become quite the recognizable face, especially to the people of Tokyo. Sae was in a similar boat, having gain some prominence among the masses for how much she’s accomplished in her career at such a young age and in a male dominate environment at that, though she's still not as much as a celebrity as Akechi, of course.

Either way, they needed to ditch their usual looks. Akechi drew upon one of his outings with Ren, ruffling his hair out, putting on a pair of fake thick rimmed glasses, and wore a pair of plain jeans and a T-shirt. Sae, on the other hand, went with a trendy-looking designer blouse, leggings, and scarf, complete with a pair of stylish boots and an equally high-quality hat that hid most of the hair that she tied up, and finally topped off with sunglasses so dark they obscured her eyes almost completely.

In hindsight, they really should have collaborated with their disguises. When next to one another as they are now, their looks couldn't be on farther ends. They've gotten more glances than they wouldn't have liked because of this, but hopefully their prey won't be bright enough to think to hard on their mismatching once they finally meet.

And speaking of"

“Oh my. Now what have we here?” said Akechi, catching Sae attention.

Akechi spotted a disgruntled-looking man in a large coat carrying a fold-out table in his arms at the end of the street. And, as it just so happens, a very table of that manner was descried being used for a card game by the victims. Now isn't that a coincidence?  Of course, it could actually be unrelated. Any number of perfectly legit reasons a man could be taking a table with him throughout the city. But since he's the closest Akechi and Sae have gotten to a lead yet, they decided to give him a follow.

It became all too apparent they made the right call as they continued to tail the man. He was visually frustrated and anxious, with everyone and everything around him seeming to upset him. When he accidently bumped shoulders with someone, he gave him such a spiteful-look that he sent the poor man running. And when he stepped in some gum, he cursed aloud and nearly tore up the sidewalk in his attempt to scrape it off. Something clearly did not go his way.

As he walked, their mark kept peering over his shoulder more times than a man with nothing to hide would. It was thanks to Akechi and Sae’s knowledge of the city that they were able to duck out of view just in time. But eventually, the man came to a stop. Standing in front of a shutter, he checked his surroundings one last time before rapping the metal sheet in a way the sounded like a tune. A few seconds later, the bottom of the shutter opened and he slipped right in.

“Well, I say we hit the jackpot,” Akechi said to Sae, the two hiding in an alley across the street.

“Maybe,” she replied. “But we still don’t know for sure yet. Follow me."

Once the coast was clear, Akechi followed Sae across the road. Once across, Akechi could tell that these criminals apparently didn’t feel the need to spring for a more fortified hideout. Akechi could hear every word they were saying as he put his ear up against the metal.

“Yeesh! Who knocked you down a flight a stairs?” asked a voice on the other side.

“I don’t want to talk about it!” replied the mark they'd been following.

“You step in gum again?”

“I said zip it!”

Akechi chuckled internally. This was what they were dealing with? Honestly, he been hoping for something a bit more worth his time. It’s a miracle they’ve gotten away with anything if this is how easy they lose their cool.

“Changing the subject,” said a third man's voice. “Those guys dropped by again when you were out.”

“The bigwigs!?” asked their mark.

“The very same! They said they like how we were doing things and were wondering if we’d be interested in making a bigger haul. They're suppose to be back later so we can discuss business.”

“Now we’re talking!” Mr. Folding Table clapped his hands together. “This is it, boys! All our hard work bleeding those schmucks dry is about to pay off!”

“Well, he’s certainty in a better mood now, isn’t he?” Akechi whispered. “Would be a shame if someone were to rain on his parade again. I think we’ve heard enough for an arrest.”

Sae nodded. Lifting a hand, she knocked on the shutter in the same code their mark had before.

“That must them!” said the first voice they heard.T

The large metal door slowly opened. As they came into view, Akechi could see the smug and self-satisfied looks upon the criminals' stupid faces disincarnate into confusion, before falling even further into complete shock and terror.

God, did he live for moments like these.

“Sae Niijima, here on behalf of the Tokyo police department!” Akechi’s partner said, showing them her badge as he did the same. “You three are under arrest on suspicion of serial theft!”

“Theft!?” Their mark shouted. As he struggled to form a defense, Akechi took the opportunity to study their hideout. It wasn’t much to write home about. It was some kind of abandoned workshop with nearly every inch of it covered with dirt or filth. The only source of light from the windows highlighted just how dust filled the air. “N-Now hold on a second! On what grounds!?”

“Don’t even try it! We heard everything just now,” Sae retorted without missing a beat.

“T-That doesn’t prove anything! Right, guys?” His colleagues said nothing. For all that big talk they looked ready to sink down and join the rest of the filth at the drop of a hat. “E-Either way, you got nothing on us!”

“Oh, don’t we?” Akechi spoke. “We have an entire que of your victims who are dying to point the finger. I'm sure they'll be more than happy to sort this matter out, don't you?"

Akechi gave the softest of smiles with every word he spoke. He could see hatred fill the mark's eyes as the reality of the situation came over him.

It's all over and he knows it.

His breathing started to become irregular, like a dog's panting. But before either he or Sae could say anything, the mark screamed in fury. He grabbed the nearest thing on the counter next to him and flung it right at them.

“LOOK OUT!” shouted Akechi, dodging to his side as the wretch zipped pass him.

“RUN FOR IT!” the mark ordered, as the sound of feet sprinting across a cold hard surface filled the room.

Once he was back up-right, Akechi saw the coat-tails of their assailant escaping through a side room, as one of his friends followed.

As for the third of their trio, in his confusion, he didn’t follow after the other two. Instead, he tried to make a break through the open shutter. To his credit, he probably would have gotten away too, if Sae hadn’t blocked him in the nick of time.

“I got him! Don’t let the others escape!” shouted Sae, as she hurried to detain the struggling scammer.

Seeing that she was thankfully okay, Akechi rushed after the runaways. Their exit took him down a narrow hallway, just as dirty as the room before. Luckily, the only way they could have gone was through a door at the end of the stretch, so Akechi spirited down it as fast as he could.

Unluckily, Akechi had nearly gotten his head smashed-in as a result.

He had only a split-second to react upon entering another repair room like the one before as a pipe came swinging right at him. Thinking fast, Akechi threw his head backwards, the piece of metal sailing right over him and hitting the wall. As he stumbled forward, he turned to see the two crooks. The one who followed was shaking like a leaf off to the side, while their mark gripped the pipe as hard as he could and looked upon Akechi with nothing but condiment.

He charged Akechi, holding the pipe above his head and swinging it down at him. Akechi narrowly avoided it, but had no time to relax as the man continued his assault. They were locked in some sort of mad dance around the room as Akechi kept on the defense. With each dodge, the man grew more desperate with his swings. It made his attacks more predictable, but a single lucky blow would be his end.

Tired of this game, Akechi stood his ground when his foe attempted another overhead swing. He threw his hands up, catching the pipe before it could hit him. Akechi winched. It stung like you wouldn’t believe, but it could have been far worse.

Taken off guard at what he had done, Akechi used the chance to push the pipe back on its wielder, striking him. It was enough for his grip to loosen, as Akechi pried the weapon off of him. Unarmed, Akechi delivered a kick to the man's stomach, sending him stumbling backwards to the ground.

“You can’t even begin to fathom how worst you just made things for yourself,” Akechi said, dropping his carefree tone and speaking dead serious. As Akechi neared the man, pipe still in toe, he spit in Akechi direction. He hurried to get to his feet, but it was a wasted effort. Akechi made sure to block the exit.

But that's when the mark did something unexcepted. Instead of trying to force his way past Akechi, he instead ran to his friend. His partner in crime was now green in the face, and it only got worst as the mark nearly yanked him off his feet and pushed him towards Akechi. He dropped the pipe to catch the man. Akechi was thankfully able to stay on foot, but had only a second to react as Mr. Mark bolted towards one of the room's counters and threw his body against the window just above it.

The sound of shattering glass cut through the murky air like a knife. Tossing the remaining scammer aside, Akechi ran to the now broken window. But he was too late. The alley on the other side of the fractured glass was deserted, the mark no doubt having escaped back into the crowed city.

Akechi slammed the counter in frustration. With a deep breath, he picked himself up and walked back towards where he had discarded the bait. The crook left behind looked as though he was about to lose his breakfast as Akechi crouched down next to him.

“Well, that wasn’t very nice of him, now was it?” Akechi said, putting his cheerful persona back on. “Now how could a friend do something like that? Oh, I’m sorry for making assumptions. I just figured you guys must be close if you decided to become criminals together." Akechi leaned in closer. "Close enough that you must have some idea to where he’d run off too, hmm?” The only answer the man gave with a massive gulp. “Come on now; there’s no need to be nervous. All you need to do is tell me the truth. If you do that, I’ll put in a good word for you! How about it?” Still no response. “Aww, don’t be like that. You’re going to need all the help you can get. Scamming, resisting arrest, assaulting a police detective with a pipe no less!”

“B-B-But I didn’t do that!” the man finally squeaked out.

“Oh, come now! Don’t be an idiot! It’s your word against mine! And when it comes to the officers, judge, and all the people you ripped off, who do you think they’re going to believe?” The man let out the most pathetic sound Akechi had ever heard. “Now let’s try this one more time. Where. Is. He?”

Chapter Text

“I’m confused. Didn’t I already get you this game?” Sojiro asked, following Futaba as she made her way down the street.

“Not quite," Futaba corrected. "You see, that was Power Intuition III Ultimate Piledriver in the Midnight Alley Super Combo Arcade Edition. This is Power Intuition III Ultimate Piledriver in the Midnight Alley Super Combo Turbo Arcade Edition! Totally different!”

“I… see,” Sojiro said, not understanding a single word she said.

With that scammer business behind them and the last of the older man’s errands done, Futaba asked if they could stop by her favorite game store in Akibabara so she could pick up a game she'd been saving up for since they were out and about. Sojiro agreed, and so here they were on route to what should have been a simple matter.

Should have been, being the key word, because as the familiar building to Futaba came into view, the sight before them was anything but.

“What in the?” the girl exclaimed.

Cluttering in front of the game shop were a dozen or so cameras, wires, large lights, and the sea of strangers managing them all running here, there, and everywhere in the store’s proximity.

Futaba felt her legs begin to wobble. While she had gotten better in regards to crowds, seeing such an unexpected sight as this in a place that she knew oh so well was the equivalent of having the rug out pulled from under her. The game she was so hyped for a second ago wasn’t even a figment in her mind.

“Looks like a photo shoot of some kind,” observed Sojiro, breaking Futaba from her trance. “Did you know about this?”

“O-Of course not!” Futaba answered quickly. But now that she thought about it, she did recall reading something or other about how there was some promotion thingy going down at the store in the near future. It didn't interest her enough to know what it was for and certainly not enough to commit the date to memory. Oh, why did it have to be today? She was so close to getting that game, but now she has to deal with... all this! “Well, I guess they’re probably not letting anyone in until this whole shindig is over. Sorry for dragging us out here, Sojiro! Let’s go!”

“Now, hold on a minute,” Sojiro said, just as Futaba was about to hightail it. “Look over there at that sign."

Off to the side of the shoot, a sign was directing customers to come in through the door closes to the corner of the building.

"Oh... right..." Futaba said, feeling like a deflated balloon. While it's true that way in would avoid about half the photo people, she would still have to get pretty close to the other half in order to get inside, not to mention to leave as well. Futaba wasn't sure she was up to the task, even with video games on the line.

“Hey now,” began Sojiro, speaking softly. “If it’s too much for you, we can come back another day. It’s alright, really.”

“N-No!” Futaba stated with suddenness and force, surprising even herself. “I-I can do this! I’m done running away all the time!”

And with that, Futaba steeled herself and marched right towards where the sign told her to go, leaving Sojiro behind. Once arrived, Futaba threw herself onto the wall and shimmered against it towards the door like she was sneaking in a stealth game. It probably wasn’t the most dignified sight, but hey, she didn't have to look at all those strangers and that's all that matters, darn it!

The entrance to the shop was now just mere inches away. But just as Futaba was about to reach her goal and claim the asylum that is being indoors, something happened that halted her in her tracks.

“Futaba?” She hear a voice called out to her.

Futaba’s entire body went cold. She froze in place against the wall. Why did one of the strangers know her name?! And why are they calling out to her?! A million worse case scenarios flashed within her mind. What's about to happen to her?!?!

“Futaba! It is you!” the voice said again, excited.

Upon hearing it a second time, Futaba realized that it wasn't a stranger's voice. No, it was a voice she heard plenty of times before.

“A-Ann?” Futaba said, slowly turning her head around.

Standing before her was Ann covered head-to-toe in a getup that made her look like she just got back from an anime convention. It left Futaba with her jaw hanging out. Never in a million years would she ever except to see Ann dressed like this. But just as Futaba thought that she might need new glasses, another epiphany fell smackdab on top of the girl like a piano in a 1930s cartoon about a roadrunner.

“YOU’ER ERIKA!!!” screamed Futaba to the heavens above. The red dress, the hair, the rapier! It was a complete dead ringer for how the new protagonist in Re: Fantasy VI is going to look like! It was like she had come to life before her very eyes!

“Y-Yep! That’s, uh me! Ha ha ha…” Ann laughed awkwardly, as everyone on set turned their way.

“Why didn’t you tell me you that you were doing to do a photoshoot like this?!?!” Futaba demanded to know, putting two-and-two together. She then got all up in Ann’s business, studying every last inch of her outfit. It was perfect! Exactly how it looked like from the game! Futaba cursed herself for not digging deeper to see that this was what the promotion was about. Re: Fantasy VI is the game she’s been hyped about for the past eight months straight! If she knew something like was going down, she would have camped out in front of the store for an entire month to witness ever last second of the shoot!

“Personal space, Futaba,” Ann said, taking a hand and pushing the younger girl back.

“Oh, sorry!" Futaba apologized. "It’s just that, Erika has been my latest video game crush ever since they showed off her design, and seeing such a faithful portrayal of her has got me all like, like, you know! Hehehehehehehe!” laughed Futaba awkwardly, albeit in a difference kind of awkward.

“What did we talk about drooling in public, Futaba?” said Sojiro, having finally caught up with her just as spit began to roll down the corner of her mouth.

“My bad!” Futaba quickly wiped herself with her sleeve.

“Hello to you too, Boss,” said Ann, greeting the new arrival. “Kind of weird seeing you outside LeBlanc, if I’m being honest.”

“No offense taken,” he replied. “So, I take it this is one of your modeling gigs?”

“Sure is. It's for a new game coming out soon.”

“Re: Fantasy VI!” exclaimed Futaba loudly, doing no favors in getting everyone to not look her way.

“Yeah, that. They wanted me to dress up as the main character and do some shoots in front of the store. We just wrapped up the group photos, so all that's left are my solo rounds. Oh, which reminds me! Haru came along and got to be in a couple of the pictures as well, since we were short on models."

“Are you serious?! Man, she's so lucky! I would have done anything to get the chance to be in VI’s promotion!”

“I’m sorry, Futaba. If I knew you were this into this game, I would have told you about the shoot."

“No need to apologize, Ann! It's not like I gush about it much outside the internet. But where is Haru? I want to let her know how jelly I am!"

“I think they’re still getting her out of her costume. That thing was a haste to get on."

“Alright, Ann. Break time is over,” said an important-looking man in a suit as he walked over to the trio. “We're going to start the solo pics now, and then we can pack it up."

“Ooh! Ooh! Can I at least watch the end of the shoot, Ann?! Please please pleeeeeeeeeeeease!!!” begged Futaba, bringing her hands together and shaking them at the model and man.

“That's be cool with me," Ann replied. She then turned towards the man. "That okay with you, director sir? You have my word that she won't cause any problems."

"So long as she doesn't, then it's fine by me," the director replied.

“WOO HOO!!!” Futaba cheered, throwing her hands up in victory. “So, what are you guys going to shoot first? Is it Erika’s victory pose 3? Or maybe her first strike stance? Tell me you guys are going to do her critical hit pose! That ones my favorite!”

Both Ann and the director looked at Futaba as though she had grown a second head.

“The what and what now?” Ann asked.

“You know, all those cool poses Erika has! The previews never miss a chance to shine a spotlight on them!” Futaba pointed out. “Wait... the people who hired you guys for this did tell you about them, right?”

“We didn’t receive any such info,” stated the director. “We were given a basic outline and told to go from there.”

“WHAT?!” Futaba shouted, going three-for-three on getting people to look her way. “No, no, no! What were they thinking, stupid business people?! Those poses have been such a big part of the game's marketing! People online are going to flip if you guys don't replica at least one!"

“In that case," said Ann, having just thought something over. "Why don't you give us a hand then, Futaba. Since you seem like an expert on them."

“W-What?! M-M-Me?! Help you?!"

“Totally!" Ann gave her friend a great big smile. "If you can show me how Erika looked then I can do my best to match her."

Futaba couldn't believe what she was hearing. Ann isn't actually being serious about this, is she?

"What do you think, sir?" Ann asked the director. "You mind if she helps out?"

“If it will lessen the chance of fans bashing us, then I'll take all the help we can get," the man said.

"So, what do you say, Futaba?" Ann asked her.

“You… You mean I can be part of Re: Fantasy VI…” Futaba muttered out, still in disbelief.

“Of course!" Ann told her, reassuringly. "I think this is just the project that could use that special-Futaba brand of yours,”

“Do… Do you mind, Sojiro?” Futaba asked, turning towards her dad, as emotions swelled up inside of her.

The café owner smiled, and gave his daughter a playful ruffle of the hair.

“Not at all,” he said. “You go do what makes you happy.”

“AWESOME!" Futaba shouted. "Be back in a few!”

Futaba trekked onto the set in strive. She snapped her fingers and pointed at the crewman with the camera.

“Alright, Mac, get in position B!" she said. "And you: Mac with the lights! Point those babies upwards! We’re going low for this first one! And Mac with the laptop, how good are you at editing in sparkles? I want the tip of that rapier to shine like the morning sun, got it?!

Sojiro watched with pride as Futaba zipped around and quipped orders like she was the new director here. It was funny really. Just a short while ago, Sojiro couldn’t imagine Futaba being this filled to the brim with confident when surrounded by so many strangers, even in his wildest dreams. He wasn’t the only one impressed by her display, as Ann looked just as proud of her. He's lived long enough to know that most of life’s surprises aren’t pleasant ones. But when they are, they can really make you remember just how bright of a tomorrow there is waiting for you. He really needs to thank those kids for showing him that one of these days.

Chapter Text

“And as the cards have shown you, sir, you would have a much greater chance of success against the nercodragon if you were to run a physical-based character during your next tabletop campaign,” Chihaya said to the man sitting across from her at her table.

“Good to know!” the man replied. “Alrighty then, Gregor the Barbarian, your time is now!” The man then paid the fortune teller for her services and thanked her before departing.

Another satisfied customer, Chihaya thought to herself as she reshuffled the cards. Today has certainly been a good one so far. The weather is pleasant, she’s gotten a ton of traction, and the readings she had given out so far have all been positive. At this rate, it seems as though nothing could rain on this psychic’s parade.

Well, that is except for one thing.

Before turning in for the night, Chihaya did one final reading yesterday to see what tomorrow would bring. The results were like nothing she had ever seen before. Every last arcana laid out before her, intertwining with one another in some shape or fashion as they all pointed towards the same ending destination. It was an utterly perplexing sight. Whether this boded something ill or good she couldn’t say. It wasn’t the ruin she had previously foretold with Ren. No, this was something else entirely. But what that something is only time will tell, she supposed.

“Ah, now this is more like it! The aura of the fantastical! The hint of danger in the air! And best of all, not a security guard to chase us in sight!” said a loud and bombastic voice that broke Chihaya from her thoughts.

Crossing the street towards her were a pair of what looked to be highschoolers; an eccentric guy with blue hair and a reserved-looking girl with long hair.

“This definitely seems to be the place my classmate was talking about,” stated the long-haired girl. “She said that her uncle came here seeking advice on the perfect gift for his anniversary, and that a fortune teller in Shinjuku told him to seek the glowing X that marked the spot. And apparently, that one shop we passed on the way here with the three neon Xs above the entrance was where he found said perfect gift.”

“Ah ha ha ha ha! Yep! This is the right place! No need to talk about that any further, ha ha ha!” Chihaya said quickly. She remembers that client, despite how much she tries to forget. His wife loved the gift she helped him find so much that he felt the need to return to her table the next day in order to tell her how much she did in excruciating detail. And here she thought city life had fully desensitized her to such things.

“I’ve heard tales of such phenomenon!” the guy of the pair said, anticipation building in his voice. “How one can use the dark and forbidden arts to receive premonitions of events before they come to pass! How extraordinary!”

“So then, I take it you two are interested in having your fortunes told,” Chihaya said with a smile.

“You’ve ascertained our true intentions already?! Your powers truly are the real thing!”

“That, uh, just sort of seemed obvious with what you two just talked about.”

“Why yes! Having our fortunes told is indeed what we seek,” the guy replied, either not noticing what Chihaya had just said or not caring. “To be more specific, I simply desire something to starch my inspiration stimuli, so I took Togo-san here up on her offer to have our fortunes read. And speaking of, since it was you who led us to this corner of wonders, Togo-san, by all means, have the first go around.”

“Why thank you, Kitagawa-kun,” the girl named Togo said, taking a seat in the customer chair.

Despite not understanding what Kitagawa was talking about, a client is a client, so Chihaya got right to work.

“These three cards signify your past, present, and future respectfully,” Chihaya said to Togo, placing a trio of cards from her deck face down. She then flipped the first card upright. It was the Star arcana in reverse. She explained to Togo how this represented that in her past Togo was burdened by many insecurities and was discouraged from taking off the mask that hid her true self.

The second card, representing her present, was the Strength card in the upright position. This shows that Togo has found the strength and bravery to stand up for herself and what she believes in.

“And lastly,” Chihaya said, flipping over the final card. “The Magician upright. So long as you never lose the will you’ve acquired, nothing can stop you from manifesting the life of your dreams.”

“Incredible!” Togo exclaimed. The girl had been on the edge of her seat for every word Chihaya spoke. “You were right on the money for my past and present! Which means that must be the same for my future as well! My classmate was right; you are as every bit of the real fortune teller she said you were! Thank you so much for letting me know what wonderful things my future has in store for me!”

“Oh, it was my absolute pleasure!” Chihaya answered, proudly. There was no greater joy for her than getting to deliver such great news.

“I concur as well!” added Kitagawa, who watched Chihaya’s work as sharply as his friend. “Every single flip was simply divine! Oh, the anticipation and satisfaction in getting to see what awaited next! I can feel the inspiration begin to swell within me already!”

“Uhhhhhh, glad I could help?”

“I beg you a boon that you would now do the same for me as well! Inspiration is so close that I can practically taste it!”

“Alright, yeah, sure, whatever you say” Chihaya muttered under her breath as Kitagawa and Togo swapped places.

Despite her reservations, Chihaya got right to work once again. She first drew the Emperor card in reverse for his past, representing a seemingly inescapable rigidness. Then, the upright Chariot for present, showing that he had taken back control of his life. And lastly, the Sun upright for his future, representing the joy and success that await him.

“How marvelous!” Kitagawa exclaimed. Loudly, Chihaya wanted to add. “I can scarce believe that such a wonder of the world had escaped my notice all this time!”

“Yes, thank you,” Chihaya replied wryly. “Having your fortune told for the first time is quite the captivating experience, so I’m told.”

“Having your what told now?” Kitagawa asked, confused. “Oh, right. That. Being blunt, I wasn’t paying too much attention to what was being said. I was far too entranced by the artwork these cards displayed to take in the meaning of them!”

“T-The artwork!?”

“Yes, the artwork!” A look of complete bliss and wonder spread across Kitagawa’s face. “The beautiful contrast of red and black! The pained and sinister yet altogether free expressions depicted upon the faces of those being portrayed! Why, the rush of emotions these cards make me is otherworldly!”

“So, you didn’t take in a word about your fate I told you then, huh?” Chihaya said, feeling a bit peeved she couldn’t lie.

“Not a word!” answered Kitagawa, who may as well had his eyes closed with how little he could read the teller’s mood. “The inspiration these cards have given me have the causes the world around me to cease! Just a little bit more and I’ll finally be able to grasp what my next masterpiece is to be!”

Kitagawa reached a hand out for the deck of cards. But just as he was about to lift the card on top up, Chihaya snatched the stack away from him away.

“Now wait just a gosh darn minute, buster!” Chihaya retorted. The last bit of her patience had tinned, clearing the way for her accent to come out in full force. “You can’t just be taking a card all willy-nilly like that!”

“But, why now?” Kitagawa asked, sincerely.

“Cuz these here cards are designed for the mystic arts only! If you were to use them just to admire the pretty pictures then they would lose all their power! Their mystique! Doubt you’d get yourself that inspiration stuff you keep yapping on about then!”

“By jove, you’re right!” Kitagawa said, looking as though he was just socked right in the gut. “How could I have been so blind! The circumstances surrounding the art is half of its allure! Without that, inspiration has no hope of taking hold of me! Oh woe is me! Is there really nothing else I can do to view more cards in the way that which they should be viewed in? Could I have another fortune of mine read? Perhaps about what’s going to occur between my present and future? Or maybe even Togo’san’s?”

“That is not how fortune telling works, I’m afraid,” stated Chihaya, regaining her composure. “It doesn’t matter how near or far away it is, your future is your future. And with that firmly established, I bid you both good day-”

“I know!” suddenly spoke-up Togo, causing both Chihaya and Kitagawa to turn her way.

“You’ve figured something out?” asked Kitagawa, eyes wide.

Togo nodded. “It’s simple, really. If neither of us can get another fortune read, then why don’t we just find another person and get theirs? You’ll most likely get to see more cards that way, right Kitagawa-san?”

“Togo-san, that’s brilliant! Why didn’t I think of that?!” replied Kitagawa, so happy he looked as though he was going to burst. “All we need is another to join our cause! And I have just the person in mind!” Kitagawa reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. “You do take house calls, correct?” he asked Chihaya as his phone began to ring.

“I guess I do now,” Chihaya said, unassumed. But of course, that didn’t seem to register with Kitagawa.

The fortune teller sighed heavily. She didn’t need any of her powers to know that today was about to become a very long one.

Chapter Text

“For Pete’s sake, where is he?!” ranted Caroline in the alley where the door to the Velvet Room was situated. She gave a nearby garbage can a swift strike with her baton.

“Call me crazy, but I do not believe assaulting random bins is going to summon him,” replied Justine, leaning against the door. She turned a page in the Compendium without so much as even looking up.

“How can you be so calm?! It’s been weeks since Inmate last paid us a visit! If that’s not slacking on rehabilitation, then I don’t know what is!”

“Perhaps he simply does not require our services at the moment.”

“As if!” Caroline crossed her arms in a huff. “He couldn’t last five minutes without our superior guidance!”

“I’m not so sure. He seemed to have found his rhythm some time ago.”

“What are you saying, Justine?!” yelled Caroline, taken aback. “We’re his wardens! We’re not supposed to say nice things about him! What if he gains a positive opinion of himself?! Think before you speak!!”

“What I think is,” Justine said, closing the Compendium. “That you’ve come to enjoy our Inmate’s visits and are now upset that he has yet to visit in a while.”

“WHAT?!” squeaked Caroline. “I-I-It’s not like that! T-That notion is ridicules! Crazy even! Stop being crazy, Justine!”

“Yes, and I’m sure how red your cheeks are turning mean nothing,” Justine said, with a satisfied smile.

“That’s just because I’m furious at you for even suggesting such a thing!” Caroline stomped pavement. “I mean what?! Do you honestly believe that I envision us as being friends?! Hanging out on the weekends, doing fun things together, and coming up with secret bestie handshakes?! Because I don’t! Ha ha ha…”

“I dare say you hung yourself harder than Persona during fusion.”

“Okay, that does it!” Caroline marched right up to where her partner stood. “I may behave myself in front of Master, but when he’s not around don’t think I won’t let these fist fly! So, you want to go?”

Justine scoffed. “Please. Such childish behavior is beneath me.”

“Childish?! Ooh, that does it! Put up your dukes, because I’m about tooooo—”

Caroline drew out her last word, staring off to the side outside the alley. Justine followed her gaze. Coming into view on Shibuya’s Main Street was none other than the Inmate Himself.

“About time!” Caroline declared. “He better be ready for an earful and a hal—Hey, wait! Where’s he going?” Instead of heading towards them, the Inmate waltzed right passed the alley, a happy jaunt in his step. “Where does he think he’s off to?!”

Justine shrugged her shoulders. “Perhaps his business elsewhere.”

“You’re telling me he came all the way here and he doesn’t have the nerve to even look our way after ignoring us for so long?!” Caroline snarled. “That tears it! Come on, Justine!”

Before she even had the chance to reply, Caroline stormed out of the alley. With a deep sigh, Justine followed her, reluctantly.

“Stop right there, Inmate!” Caroline yelled upon reaching him.

“Oh! Hey, you two!” Ren said, turning around happily. It made Caroline sick to her stomach. “What brings you guys out of the Velvet Room on this fine day?”

“That’s what we should be asking!” Caroline snapped back. “Why are you out here moseying around like some kind of moronic dandy when you should be focusing on your rehabilitation?”

“Because I had an epiphany this morning! I don’t always need to live life in the most efficient way possible. There are days where I can forget about all that and just do things for myself.”

“What nonsense are you spewing, Inmate?!” Caroline asked, sounding as though she just witnessed a cosmic horror. “Doing thing for yourself?! I mean, really! Are seriously about to throw away all our hard work?!”

“Of course not. I’m just taking a little holiday for myself today. Hey, I know! Why don’t you guys join me? Take a little R&R from the Velvet Room. I’m about to go see a movie for fun rather than to learn something from it.”

“Seeing a movie for fun?! For shame, Inmate!” Caroline turned away in disgust, sticking her nose up. “I can’t believe I ever had even the slightest bit of hope for you! Go ahead, Inmate! Go and throw your one chance to overcome ruin away! See if I care!”

“Oookay,” Ren responded. “You want to come, Justine.”

“I probably shouldn’t leave her like this, loathe as I am,” the other attendant said. “You just go on.”

With a shrug of his shoulders, Ren left for the Shibuya theater.

“Well, even for you that was extreme,” Justine said.

“Being extreme is the only to get through to a bonehead like him!” Caroline replied, angerly.

“Yes, and not at all a cover-up to feeling left out.” Justine sighed as Caroline shot her an angry glare. “Is going to the movies such a crime?”

“It is for him!” Caroline waved her baton in the direction in which Ren left. “But whatever. Not my problem anymore. I did my part, so if he still wants to throw his life away then he can go right ahead!”

Caroline stuck her nose back up in the opposite direction. She stood in the center of Main Street as motionless as a statue, getting odd looks form the passersby. If there was a point she was trying to make, Justine couldn’t see it.

“So, are we returning to Master now?” Justine asked. Even for Caroline this is getting weird.

Caroline said nothing. In her mind, her partner’s voice was a million miles away. The few seconds she’d been standing like this felt like years to her. And, unable to take another eternity of keeping everything bottled up as she was, she burst, throwing a tantrum and striking the ground hard.

“Of all the no-good, lousy Inmates we had to be stuck with!” Caroline ranted to herself. “Come on, Justine! We’re going after him!”

And once again, before she could even speak, Caroline marched on ahead after their Inmate. Justine took a deep breath before following her. She had a sneaking suspicion her headache won’t be feeling better anything soon.

Caroline entered Shibuya’s theater, with Justine coming in shortly after. Despite the low attendance in the lobby, the Inmate was nowhere to be seen. Dang it! She must have just missed him.

“You there! Human behind the glass!” Caroline said to the person working the ticket counter. “I demand to know which theater the Inmate went into to!”

“The who?” the tired teen asked.

“You know, the Inmate. Pathetic-looking and emits an aura of complete disappointment.”

The teen blinked his half-opened eyes.

With a groan, Justine stepped in. “She means a high school student with glasses, messy black hair, and may or may not have snuck a cat into the movie with him.”

“Ah, him. Yeah, he just went into theater 5.”

“Excellent!” stated Caroline. “We demand two tickets for that movie as well!”

“Why do I have to go in too?” pondered Justine.

“Hold on now,” injected the teen. “That movie is rated PG-13. I can’t let any children into it without supervision.”

“Children?!” Caroline said, appalled. “How dare you, sir! We are not mere children! We’ve existed since the dawn of time, and contain more knowledge and maturity within our pinkies than the lot of you humans put together! Now I demand you let us into that movie or suffer the consequences!”

The teen stared at her blankly, before letting out a single “No.”

“WELL FINE THEN!” Caroline whined. “Come on, Justine! We’re leaving!” she added, before running out the way she came.

“I’m surprised you conceded like that,” Justine said, when she caught up to her.

“Pfft! Who said anything about conceding?” Caroline said. “That guy’s as stubborn as the Inmate. You can’t reason with someone like that, so the only choice left is something more underhanded.” A look Justine didn’t like speared across Caroline’s face, as she eyed a clothing store they passed on their way here. “You have the Compendium money with you, right?”

“Why hello, good sir,” Caroline said to the ticket worker in a low voice as she reentered the theater, standing atop Justine’s shoulders as the pair wore a single large trench coat over one another. A trilby hat was also placed over top Caroline’s regular hat. “One adult ticket for me, who is an adult.”

The teen sized-up the sight before him, giving the attended his best “I’m not mad, just disappointed” look.

“It’s a living,” he said to himself, weakly, before leaning into the counter’s microphone. “Security.”

“Do you want to talk about it yet?” Justine asked Caroline, as the pair sat on the sidewalk outside the theater, post-being kicked out.

“There is nothing to talk about,” Caroline answered, through gritted teeth.

“Then can we please stop sitting here and return to the Velvet Room already-”

“It’s not fair!” Caroline blurted out. “We help out the inmate so much, and how does he repay all that kindness? By not inviting us to go with him on his day off!”

“…But he did invite us. And then you told him no.”

“Well, I mean… That wasn’t the right way to invite us! Yeah, he didn’t do it the right way!”

“And what, pray tell, is the ‘right way’ to invite us?”

“It’s uhh… it’s the kind where umm… you know I mean!”

“No, I do not ‘know what you mean.’ No one but you knows what you are going on about.” Caroline opened her mouth to retort, but this time it was Justine who cut her off. “The only suborned one here today is you. You are unable to be honest with your own feelings, so you instead lash out on those around you and blame them for your own shortcomings.”

“That’s not true!” retorted Caroline. She would have argued more, but Justine’s icy cold stare broke through her façade. “Okay, fine! Maybe I do default to yelling when I’m unsure of something. But what else am I suppose to do?! I’m not use to all this pleasant conversation stuff!” The attendant sighed. “I mean, how am I even suppose to ask whether or not its cool to hang out.”

“Just simply ask him if he would like your company.”

“But what if he says no and thinks I’m weird for wanting to be his friend?! It can’t be that simple!”

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” said a familiar voice from behind.

With her cheeks burning like stars, Caroline turned her head around and saw the Inmate standing over them.

“WHAT IN THE WORLD DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING, INMATE?!” shouted a flabbergasted Caroline. She launched back up onto her feet to meet him slightly more face-to-face. “Eavesdropping on us! That’s low even for you!”

“I didn’t mean to. Honest,” Ren said, in his defense. “I just saw you guys over here as I was coming out of the movies. Only caught the tail-end of what you were talking about.”

“The movie is over already?” asked Justine, who stood up while Caroline was busy freaking-out. “That seemed quite short.”

“No, it’s still going. I wasn’t jiving with it, so I left early.”

“Hmm! You make a big deal about living this day to its fullest, only to discovered how much of a waste such an idea was!” Caroline said, all haughty-like.

However, not even a second later, Caroline suddenly became uncharacteristically meek and reserved. “No, wait. What I mean is, uhhh…” She could feel her innards twist like shoelaces. Chopping the heads off Personas is the smallest of potatoes when compared to being honest with oneself. “Now that your current occupation is complete, would you like to ummm… h-hangout… together…?”

Caroline gave the most awkward grin imaginable, as though invisible hands were pulling her mouth upwards. She expected a million and one bad outcomes to occur all at once. But to her shock, Ren smiled right back at her.

“Sure thing. Sounds great,” he said.

“R-Really?! You mean it?!”

“Of course I do. I did ask you, remember?”

“Heh. Yeah, I guess you did,” Caroline said, as her smile shifted into a natural one.

“You want to come along too, Justine?” Ren asked.

“I suppose so,” she replied, adding a third smile to the scene. “Someone needs to keep an eye on Caroline, after all.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Caroline said, giving the other attendant a playful punch on the arm. “So, uh, how do we do this?”

“Well, I was thinking about getting some crepes on Main Street. And then I guess we’ll see where we go from there,” Ren suggested. “You ever have one before?”

“Not quite sure what they are, but I’m game! Lead the way, Inmate!” declared Caroline. And Ren did just that. The Wild Card led his two friends into the next chapter of this live-for-yourself sort of day, with a feeling deep within that the best was now about to come.

Chapter Text

Normally, an independent business owner would be thrilled to be having record high sales. But Munehisa Iwai knew better than anyone he was anything but normal.

Don’t get him wrong, a steady income is nice. But when the ex-yakuza opened Untouchables, he swore he would only sell to true enthusiasts. Folks who knew what they wanted, knew to keep things on the downlow, and who were most of all adults. So, if you told him back in April that his number 1 customer would be a frizzy-haired high-school kid and his friends, he’d look at you like your head came off.

Ren was hardly the first teen to walk through the door. He’d seen it plenty throughout the years: either on a dare or trying to look tough a kid would enter Untouchables, see just how realistic his work was, wonder the aisles without saying a word, and then march right back out never be seen again. That should have been the case for Ren. But much like him, that kid was anything but normal as well. Not only did he actually buy something, but he kept on coming back. Over the past few months, Munehisa had sold everything from a machine gun, assault rifle, and even a flipping rocker launcher to the second-year! He even let him view the special menu. Imagine, a kid looking at that! What is even his life anymore.

But despite his misgivings, Ren has done a lot for him and Munehisa could tell that he wasn’t the type to pull something stupid with his airsofts. So, in this one instant, he decided to make an exception for the kid, even if it was against his better judgement.

This here is where he draws the line.

The bell chimed. Munehisa looked up from his magazine just in time to see a kid walk in. Not a high-school kid mind you, but a kid who looked like he was still in elementary school. He had on a blue jacket and a red cap with something in English written on it.

Munehisa’s face fell. “Oh, for the love of,” he mumbled under his breath as the kid looked around like he was in a candy store instead.

“Hey, kid,” Munehisa said, getting his attention. With high-schoolers, he’s fine with leaving them alone until they leave. But he’s not about to risk the trouble he could get in by letting an eight or nine-year-old loiter around his shop. “Sorry, but you’re not old enough to purchase any of this stuff. I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”

“Oh, don’t worry,” the kid replied chipperly. “I’m just here to look.”

Munehisa shook his head. “Afraid even that’s off limits for someone for age.”

“Really? My friend said looking is fine.”

That answer caught Munehisa off-guard. Somone has been blabbing to kids about his shop? “And which friend is that?” he asked, having a good feeling he already knew.

“Ren Amamiya. He works for you, right?”

Muneshisa sighed. Of course it was him. Why wouldn’t it be?

“Yeah, he does,” Muneshisa continued. “But I’m still the boss here and my word is final. So again, I’m going to have to ask you to leave-”

“Whoa!” the kid suddenly exclaimed, ignoring Muneshisa and turning towards one of the displays. “Is that a Sand Hawk?”

Muneshisa blinked. “Um, yeah, it is. How did you know that?”

“Oh, this game I play has a Sand Hawk in it.”

“A game, huh?” Muneshisa scoffed under his breath. Now things were making sense. Of course a kid would only want to see his crafts because of some video game, rather than a genuine interest in them.

“Alright, kid, tell me something.” Muneshisa reached behind and pulled an airsoft off the shelf. “They have this gun in that game of yours?”

The young boy’s eyes lit up like fireworks. “They sure do! That’s a MP Victoria!”

“Alright. What about this one then?”

“Wow! You even have a Black Assult!”

“Huh,” Muneshisa said, pleasantly surprised. “Not bad, kid.”

From there, Muneshisa quizzed the kid on more of his models——finding out his name was Shinya along the way. No matter which gun he showed, the kid answered its name like he was reciting the alphabet. Sure, he may have had to think on a few of the later ones, but it only took a few seconds for him to recognize them all the same.

“Got to admit, kid, I’m impressed,” said Muneshisa, truthfully. “I don’t think even most of my regulars could have gotten them all.”

“Awww, it was nothing!” Shinya boasted, having joined Muneshisa at the counter during the intermission. “I do play that game a lot.”

“Never knew a video game could be so accurate,” Muneshisa mused to himself. Guess he shouldn’t have been so quick to dismiss how Shinya got so interested in this stuff. If he’s a true enthusiast at heart then what does it matter how he got there?

“So, I know you said you can’t sell me anything,” Shinya said, breaking Muneshisa from his thoughts. “But would it be alright if I could at least hold one for a bit? I want to feel how different it is from the controller!”

Despite being looked at with hope-brimmed eyes, Muneshisa frowned. “Sorry, kid. Even if I do think you’re smart enough to handle an airsoft, I still can’t let you touch one. Just wouldn’t be right.”

Shinya’s face fell like a sack of bricks. “Oh,” he said, his voice the equivalent of a deflated balloon. “I see.”

The sight of a sad child before him was like a stab to the heart for the ex-yakuza. Chalking it up to his maternal prowess, he knew he couldn’t leave things as they stood.

“How about this though,” Muneshisa said. “I can’t let you hold a model, but I can give you a quick crash course on how I make them. What do you say?”

The boy’s face glowed with wonder. “Really? You mean it?”

“Of course I do!” Muneshisa said with a smile. “Now, where to start…

Muneshisa brought a model he was still working on and a finished piece out from the back. He placed both on the counter, and using them as comparisons, began to explain to Shinya the parts that made them up and how he got from points A to B, C, etc. Throughout the lecture, the boy held on to every word Muneshisa spoke, asking questions for what felt like every other second. Normally, Muneshisa would have been annoyed to be interrupted so much, but there was something about the kid’s enthusiasm that made it not feel so bad. In fact, it seemed to be rubbing off on him, for Muneshisa found himself actually enjoying showing this kid the ropes.

Before long, Muneshisa found himself wholly engrossed in his make-shift seminar. You know, “In the Zone,” as the kids might say. The world around him just seemed to disappear. He didn’t even blink an eye as a customer came in, nor for a second customer after that. Earlier, he would have been cursing his luck over someone seeing a kid in here. But that concept didn’t even register in his mind anymore. So instead, he planned to leave the two to their own devices until they needed him.

Or that was the plan at least.

A loud crash echoed off the shop’s walls. Muneshisa’s head shot up on instinct. Past the aisles and all the way in the back corner of Untouchables stood the man who came in first, arms held out and face horrified as bits and pieces of a broken airsoft laid scattered around his feet.

“I’m so sorry!” he quickly apologized. “It was an accident, I swear! I just wanted to see how it felt to hold!”

Muneshisa stared at the man, not saying a word. Touching the merchandise without asking was bad enough, but what kind of butter fingers does it take to let an airsoft slip through your hands like that? If he let Shinya hold one, he’d bet good money the kid would have actually been careful with it.

Speaking of, the boy silently stared at the mess as well. Wanting to rein his temper mostly for his sake, Muneshisa took a deep breath and asked him to wait at the counter.

“It’s alright, sir,” Muneshisa fibbed, using a calming tone. “I’ll get it clean in a jiffy.”

Grabbing a dustpan and broom, Muneshisa pasted the other customer—who seemed to have not noticed what happened as he checked out a display case—and made his way to the back of the store and began to clean.

“I am really really sorry,” the man said again and again, like he was stuck on repeat.

“Accidents happen. It’s alright,” Muneshisa told him. But the man didn’t seem to get the memo. He just kept apologizing like his life depended on it. Was getting on Muneshisa’s nerves. You can only say sorry so many times before it rings hollow.

“There must be something I can do to make it up to you!” the man practically pleaded as Muneshisa swept up the last piece.

“Really, it’s fine,” Muneshisa said as he rose.

“Oh, I know!” the man added, ignoring Muneshisa completely. “Let me give you one of my business cards so you can get in contact with me!” He stuck a hand into his pocket. “Let’s see now…”

Knowing arguing would be a losing battle, Muneshisa stood there waiting for him to find his card. He must have stashed it deep, because he checked every pocket imaginable and was still unable to produce it.

“Don’t worry! I know I have it somewhere,” the man reassured him.

“HEY!” Muneshisa heard someone yell from behind. It was Shinya. “What do you think you’re doing?!”

Muneshisa whipped his head around. Behind the counter was the second customer, jamming and jerking a pocket knife into his register.

“Shut up if you know what’s good for you, kid,” he said to Shinya before looking up and looking eyes with Muneshisa.

Right as the ex-yakuza was about to call out to him, something barreled him from behind, knocking Muneshisa down into a pile of once again scattered airsoft parts. On the way down he could hear the sound of his register popping open.

Muneshisa got his bearings back just in time to see the robber make his exit, followed by the guy who knocked him down leap over him, tailing his buddy. Outraged, Muneshisa shot up off the floor, ready for war. Rob him, huh? Those punks are about to wish they were never born!

“Are you okay?!” Shinya asked, running over to him. Fear and worry were spread all across his face and voice.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Muneshisa reassured him. Thankfully, it looks liked the guy with the knife left him alone. That’s a relief. “You wait here. I’ll be back in a moment.”

The door bell chimed as Muneshisa bursted out of Untouncables. He turned left to see the two thieves running down the alley. Muneshisa spirited after them. They made of had a head start, but Muneshisa didn’t let his yakuza retirement let him fall out of shape, closing in on the one who tackled him. The sap only had a second to turn his head and realize what was about to happen before Muneshisa returned the favor, sending both of them hurling into a group of trash cans, the crook taking the blunt of it.

Still holding the man down, Muneshisa looked ahead to see that the man with the money was almost at the alley’s exit. Not good. If he makes it out there’s no way Muneshisa would be able to find him in the bustling Shibuya street. But not even he could catch up to him in time from where he is now. Is he seriously about to get away?

Muneshisa felt a gust of wind as something whizzed over his head. The man ahead let out a cry of pain, grabbing the back of his leg for dear life as he toppled down onto the dirty city pavement.

Muneshisa blinked as the robber winched and moaned. Swinging his head around he saw Shinya standing in front of his shop, holding the finished model that was on the counter in his hand so naturally that you’d think it was a part of him.

Muneshisa picked himself up and made his way towards the boy. The crook he was leaving behind was out cold, but whether that occurred from when he hit the can or from general shock he couldn’t say. Not that he particularly cared.

Shinya’s eyes went wide just as Muneshisa reached him, looking down at the airsoft as though he just realized that he was holding it. “I’m so sorry!” he hurried to say. “I don’t know what came over me! I just knew I had to help! And then suddenly I’m out here and pulling the trigger! I didn’t mean to-”

Shinya’s words were cut off as Muneshisa placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

“What are you apologizing for?” Muneshisa said with a smile. “You did good, kid.”

Shinya looked up in confusion. “But I touched one of your models. Wasn’t that against the rules?”

“Yeah, it is and all,” Muneshisa conceded. “But the way I see it is: rules are important and all, but they can’t always account for everything. So in a situation like this, I say it’s better to trust your judgment and do what’s right even if it means breaking a few rules.”

“So… you’re not mad?”

“Heck no!” Muneshisa gave him a playful pat on the back. “You saved the day like a real hero! Not only that, but you hit your mark like a pro! I’m honored someone of your skill paid my shop a visit.”

“Wow,” Shinya said in complete awe. “T-Thank you so much!”

“So, after I’m done picking my money back off the guy, what say we continue our little lesson?”

“You betcha!”

Chapter Text

With a clipboard in one hand and a fist bundled in another, Tae Takemi delivered two knocks along the apartment door with the back of her hand. She could hear the sound of movement through the building’s thin walls.

“Be right there!” called a voice from within. Footsteps approached her as the door swung open, revealing a woman around her age with messy brown hair.

The person within stared at her with surprise and uncertainty. “Ummm… Can I help you?” she eventually asked.

“Good day. My name is Tae Takemi, a local practitioner,” Tae said, introducing herself. “Would someone by the name of Mai Fuchigami happen to be here?”

“Who now?” the woman asked, confused. “Oh, sorry. I, uh, actually live by myself here, so…”

“I see,” Tae said, unsurprised. She figured as much. It was impossible to tell whether it was supposed to be a 5 or 2 in the chicken scratch of an address this particular patient wrote for her. “Apologies for troubling you. I’ll be taking my leave now.”

But just as the doctor was about to do just that and continue her search, a familiar ball of black fur came into view from behind the brown-haired woman.

“Hurry, Sadayo! The double bonus round is about to start!” Morgana said eagerly. Though of course, for the two women present, all they could hear was a series of high-pitched meows.

“Coming!” the apartment resident said happily, turning back towards the cat. Even if she can’t understand him, she was able to get the gist.

“Wait a second,” Tae said to herself. She had her suspicions, but getting another look at the animal confirmed it. “Aren’t you Ren’s cat?” she said as well. No chance she would’t recognize the little creature her guinea pig was always carrying around with him. They were practically inseparable, until this moment.

The feeling of deja-vu ended up being mutual, as Morgana looked up at her with just as much surprise.

“Doctor Takemi?” he said. But again, no one here knew that.

“Wait, you belong to Ren?” the woman said, sounding just as surprised as the good doctor did in this situation. She then turned back to face her. “And hold on, you know Ren? As in, Ren Amamaya?”

“Correct. He assisted me with some… part-time work at my office,” Tae said in a half-truth.

“Wow. Small world,” the woman said to herself. “Oh! I know him because I’m his homeroom teacher, in case you were wondering.”

Tae wasn’t, but she decided to play along. “I see. Are you pet sitting for him, or something?” she asked, almost swearing that his cat gave her a glare when she said the word “pet.”

“Not exactly!” the woman said, sounding more flustered by the syllable. “I just happen to come across this little guy when I was out. He looked in a tight spot so I brought him back here to rest up. I actually had no idea he belonged to Ren. We’ve kind of just been hanging out… chatting… watching game shows together…”

The woman’s cheeks had gotten so red that this would normally be the part where Tae would take her temperature. Despite not having a single horse in this race, she decided to throw the woman a bone and change the subject.

“The way you talk about Ren,” Tae observed. “It sounds as if you know him personally.”

“Well, yeah, I’m his teacher and all,” the woman said, sounding as though she was trying to deflect something, before continuing on with: “And, honestly, he really helped me out of a tight spot I was in. Don’t know where I would be now without him. He’s a good kid and the people saying otherwise don’t have a single clue!” she said with a sudden passion that caught Tae quite off guard. “Uh, sorry about that. It just sort of came out.”

“Don’t be sorry,” Tae said, giving her a soft smile. “I’m in the same boat. It was him who got me back on my feet when I had given up. Without his support, I doubt I’d be here either.”

“R-Really?”

“Yes, really. That boy’s inability to mind his own business is as admirable as it is annoying.”

“Amen to that!” the brown-haired woman said. The pair shared a chuckle.

Tae could feel his eyes widen. What just happened? The last thing she expected today was to be relating like this to a total stranger. She didn’t even know her name.

“Hey,” said stranger began to say, snapping Tae from her thoughts. “Might be a bit presumptuous on my part, but would you like to come in for a cup of coffee before you go? Just brewed a fresh pot and it’s way too much for just myself, and I figured some caffeine might be good for you before you hit the road again, soooo-”

The woman rubbed the back of her messy head sheepishly. It surprised Tae to receive such an offer by her out of the blue like this. However, it wasn’t as surprising as Tae not immediately saying no. In fact, she didn’t say anything right away, as though her voice had been whisked away. It’s a nice offer and all, but she hasn’t the time. She has patients to track down. So what’s the hold up?

Time grinded to a crawl as Tae reflected. In what was relativity a short time ago, Tae’s decision would have been clear. Her work always comes first. But, things were different now. She was different. Thanks to all the people she’s met, she’s come to realize just how much to life there really was. She knows now more than ever how important what she does is, but at the same time it’s not a shackle to chain her down and wholly define her. She’s more than just The Plague. After all, what’s the point in saving lives if people aren’t allow to stop and smell its roses?

“Alright then,” Tae finally said, having made her choice. While what she’s doing is important, it’s nothing life-threating, nor on a do ASAP-tight deadline. Absolutely no one is going to get hurt if she takes a small break. “I’ll take you up on that offer.”

“Great!” the other woman said with a cheerful smile. “Take a seat at the counter and I’ll grab you a cup. Oh, my name is Sadayo Kawakami, by the way.”

“Pleased to meet you,” Tae said, letting herself in and avoiding Ren’s cat as she made her way to the counter, the feline having yet to break his gaze on her.

Tae took a quick glance around Sadayo’s place before taking her seat, the sound of an audience cheering coming from the television in the tiny living room. It was a modest place with not much to it, containing the necessities and few luxuries one would expect any home to have. It reminded her of her own apartment in that way. Tae has never been much for home decorating, through her fashion was a different story.

Ren’s cat hopped up onto the counter next to her as Sadayo poured them both a cup. He continued to eye her curiously as she placed her clipboard down, making sure to keep it out of his reach. He must be remarkable well-behaved to stay in Ren’s bag as often as he does, but she’s not taking any chances. She may have never had a cat before, but she does know that their one goal in life is to poke, prod, and swat all the thing they shouldn’t.

“Here you are!” Sadayo said, placing a steaming mug of coffee in front of her before taking a seat on the stool opposite of Tae’s. In an instant a hot, fresh, and familiar aroma began to fill the air before her.

“Hmmm,” Tae said, pondering aloud. She took another sniff. “This coffee smells remarkedly like the kind they serve at Leblanc. Have you been there before?”

“A number of times, in fact,” Sadayo admitted before proudly saying: “And I learned a thing or two about how to brew a roast while there. Not to brag, but I’d say I’m pretty darn good at it now!”

Seeing if her money was where her mouth is, Tae took a sip. Her question was answered in a second. “I concur,” Tae told Sadayo before taking another. “Taste almost how boss does it.”

“Now that’s praise if I’ve ever heard it!” Sadayo said, sounding as though she was the one hitting the jackpot in the game show that continued to play.

From there on the women began to make small talk as they sipped away at their drinks. It’s been so long that Tae had done something like this that she’d forgotten how it felt. And she must admit, it’s not unpleasant.

“So,” Sadayo said, striking up another conversation. “If you don’t mind me asking, what were you looking for that person you knocked on my door for? Are you making a house call?”

Tae shook her head. “It’s nothing like that. I’m planning on attending a medical academic conference next summer, so I’m going around and asking former patients of mine if they could sign a letter of recommendation I have for it.”

“Wow, an academic conference for doctors?” Sadayo said in awe. “That sounds super impressive! I could’t even begin to imagine what they would be like.”

“It’s honestly not much different from any other kind of business conference. I’m sure you must have experienced your own fair share of them.”

“Well, yeah, I’ve had to attend teacher conferences here and there,” Sadayo said with a shrug of her shoulders. “But yours are on a whole other level with all the medical knowhow you doctors need. Could never do anything even close to that. Guarantee you that my head would explode just trying to understand the basics.”

Tae placed her mug down. “You shouldn’t sell yourself short like that. Maybe you could’t do everything I could, but at the same time I doubt I could do many of the things that you do. I certainly would fall apart trying to convey advance information to 20 or so kids eight hours a day. Sure, you may not be necessarily saving a life directly, but you are helping so many youth every year realize just how great their potential is. As far as I’m concerned, that’s as important as any proper treatment.”

Sadayo stared at her guest stunned. Her eyes were unblinking as every muscle on her face locked into place like a statue, nearly losing the grip on her coffee. “Wow. Umm… Thank you!” she eventually said upon regaining herself. “That really means a lot. And your right! I am helping people in my own way, just like you. Heh. Wasn’t expecting us to have so much in common!”

Tae smirked. “Likewise,” she said in a satisfied tone. She meant it when she said she wasn’t making a house call today, but she felt as though she had just done some healing regardless. Lifting her mug above the counter’s center, she asked “Cheers to making the world just a little bit better?”

“Cheers!” Sadayo said, as the two clanked their cups together, what little coffee remaining almost spilling out. “Hey, the recommendation is that paper on your clipboard there, right?”

“That’s right,” Tae answered, it hitting her just how close they just were to having their drinks splash out and ruining the whole thing.

“You mind if I sign it as well?” Sadayo asked. “Not sure how much sway a high-school teacher will have, but every little bit helps, right?”

“You want to sign it? But, you’ve never used a single service of mine.”

“Maybe. But talking with you here has shown me just how good of a doctor you are. And how much you deserve to go to this conference.”

Tae tighten her hold on her mug. “I’m not so sure. It would feel a bit dishonest to have you do so without seeing my work for yourself.”

“Nonsense!” Sadayo said, having already pulled the clipboard towards herself. “If you’ve gotten this many signatures already, then you must be legit. Plus, Ren has seen you work, right? I bet if I were to ask him he’d tell me you’re the real deal and to sign like there’s no tomorrow.”

“Totally!” Morgana said loudly, interjecting himself into the conversation. “Your medicine has bailed us out in the Metaverse more times than I could count! You’re the best in the business, Takemi! Anyone can see that!”

“Now what’s gotten into him?” Tae asked over his sudden outburst.

“If I had to guess, I’d say he’s singing your praises as well,” Sadayo answered. “If my word alone isn’t enough, surly his must be.”

Tae shifted her head between the woman and cat, both giving her looks of anticipation. Well then, she supposed that settles it. How could she turn both of them down?

“Alright, I concede,” Tae said contently. “Thank you, Sadayo.”

“No problem,” the teacher said, grabbing the pen atop the board’s clip and finding an open spot on the paper. As she did that, Tae brought her mug back up to her lips and finished off the last bit of her coffee.

“Finished your drink?” Sadayo asked as she finished signing her name. “Need a refill? Oh, you probably got to get going now, don’t you?” she also said, trying and failing to hide the disappointment in her voice. “Got a lot of places to still go to probably.”

“Actually,” Tae said. “I think I can stay for a bit longer. If that’s alright with you?”

“Of course it is!” Sadayo said, perking right back up. “Stay as long as you like!”

“Thank you, truly. And yes, I would like a refill. Your coffee is superb.”

“Coming right up!” Sadayo said, getting up to grab the pot. This promised to be an enjoyable afternoon for the both of them.

Chapter Text

*BUZZ BUZZ* emerged from Sadyo’s pocket, catching the teacher wholly off-guard. She was so absorbed in her conversation with Tae that the sudden vibration of her phone nearly made her drop her mug.

“Excuse me,” Sadayo said before reaching into her pocket. Now who would be texting her on her day off?

But as her phone’s screen lit up, Sadayo discovered that it wasn’t a text, but rather a notification from her email app that she had received a new message. She recognized the sender’s name instantly.

“Oh,” Sadayo said awkwardly. She wasn’t expecting to be sent this email so soon. Then again, that girl’s drive burned like a furnace. Normally, a day she didn’t have work would have been perfect for Sadayo. But of course, the one time she actually has guess is when this happens. She could write the book on bad timing, she swears.

“Is everything alright?” spoke Tae.

“Huh? Oh! Yeah! Everything’s fine! It’s not an emergency or anything!” Sadayo said as she was snapped out of her miniature trance. She could feel her cheeks turn red as she realized how long she was starting at her phone in silence. “Just a personal thing I need to take care of on my laptop. Feel free to help yourself to any more coffee!”

With that Sadayo stood up from her seat before replanting her keister on her tiny living space’s even tinier couch. She reached for the laptop resting on her coffee table, and after waiting an eternity for her internet to load her emails, opened her inbox.

Sadayo clicked on the message’s attachment as a written report expanded across her laptop’s screen. Pushing her teachery eye-for-detail aside for the moment, Sadayo firstly gave the paper a cold readthrough before beginning her dive into it. It was only a few pages, so it didn’t take long for her to reach the end of the report. Before scrolling back to the top, Sadayo lifted her hands above her head and gave her fingers a crack, ready to get to work. She started with the introductory paragraph, noticing a few wordy bits that could be streamlined as well as sentences that left their purpose unclear. She marked them with her suggestions and thoughts accordingly, and after a few more reads to make sure she didn’t miss anything, moved onto the body of the work to repeated the process with a fine-tooth comb.

“I must say,” came Tae’s voice from behind, giving Sadayo her second startle in the past few minutes while she was in “the zone” as it were.  “I had no idea such advanced botany was part of today’s high school curriculum.”

Careful to make sure her laptop would’t slide off her, Sadayo turned her head around and spied both Tae and Ren’s cat staring her way, the former taking a long, satisfied sip from her mug. Now how did the good doctor know what she was doing? A dumb question, Sadayo realized a second later; her kitchen table and living room are only about five steps apart.

“It’s not,” Sadayo began to explain. “This is just a thesis report one of my third-years is working on for the university she wants to go to. They got a botany curriculum there and she is suuuper passionate about that subject. Told me she wants to be a botanist more than anything. I personally don’t know a lick about plants, but I can at least help her with how to word and structure her report, and other things like that.”

Tae corked a brow. “Assisting students with getting into other schools sounds a bit beyond to be a part of the teaching job. Is editing some sort of side-gig of yours?”

“I’m not taking any money from students for this, just to be clear!” Sadayo rushed to say before Tae got any wrong ideas. The teacher took a deep breath. “It went like this: Once Ren helped me get back on my feet, I started over as a teacher. I put as much time, effort, and gusto into giving those kids the best education I could. Almost immediately the students noticed the shift in me, and one day after class a student approached me and asked for help with an assignment he was struggling with even though it was for another teacher. I agreed and looked at his work so far, giving him feedback, pointers, and even recommending some books from the school library that could be helpful. I don’t know what grade he ended-up getting, but I have a feeling it must have been good, because before long all sorts of students were coming to me asking for assistance. And it wasn’t just for school assignments either. There’s college-related stuff like this one here, help making resumes for those planning to jump right into work after graduating, and even stuff like tips on how to speak in front of a large group.”

“Sounds like you have quite the plate full,” commented Tae with an unreadable expression. “And for no monetary gain at that.”

“I know. It must seem crazy and even pretty weird to be doing all this on top of everything else my job entails,” Sadayo mused, before feeling a hot sensation build within. “But still though! I decided doing whatever’s in power to set my students up for their futures best I can is my duty—no, purpose as their teacher! And if that means spending my days off working for diddly squat then so be it! And nuts to anyone who would tell me otherwise, while we’re at it!” Sadayo spoke with unmatched passion.

After her rousing speech, silence filled the air of the small apartment as its three current occupants stared at one another, only being broken when Tae busted into a series of amused chuckles.

“S-Sorry! Didn’t mean to get so carried away!” a flustered Sadayo said. Her blushing before was nothing compared to the tomato her face was now. “I must sound like a total loon.”

“Not at all,” Tae said reassuringly, shaking her head with a smile. “I was only laughing because moments ago you were talking about how you didn’t believe what you do is anything close to what I do. But look at yourself. You’re going above and beyond for those kids. If I was a student of yours, I’d consider myself the luckiest one in the world to have a teacher like you.”

“I concur!” pipped-up Morgana. “Not only have you been a great help to your students, but you’ve been an amazing help to the Phantom Thieves as well! If the world was full of adults like you, we would’t even need to do what we’re doing!”

“Sounds like he agrees,” Tae said, giving Ren’s cat a scratch behind the ear.

“Y-You guys…” Sadayo whispered, feeling herself swell with emotion. Even after reclaiming what she felt when she first started as a teacher, there were still times when a part of her said that she was still unworthy after everything she had done. But support like this here reminded her exactly what those were—just fleeting moments of weakness that will always come to pass. They do not define her nor are they any reason to give up all over again. “Thank you both; really! That means more to me than you can imagine!” Sadayo told her new friends, wiping away the water in her eyes.

Friends, huh? She really does have friends.

“That settles it then,” Tae said, getting up from her seat and heading Sadayo’s way.

“W-What are you doing?” Sadayo asked, just barely having enough time to scoot to the side as Tae plotted down next to her.

“I’m going to help you, of course. Botany isn’t my field of expertise either, but both it and medicine are branches of chemistry, so I still may be able to lend a hand. Plus, I’ve written my fair share of theses both as a student and a professional.”

“I’ll help too!” came the calling of Ren’s cat, who was now suddenly at Sadayo’s other side. When had he snuck up on her? “If there’s one thing I’m a complete expert at, it’s having a keen eye for detail!”

“I-I don’t know what to say,” Sadayo said. Expect, she did know what to say, stretching her arms up once again and giving her fingers another crack. “Alright, team! Let’s get to work!”