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Akechi stands at the entrance to Mementos. The door is sealed shut. She puts her hand on her hips and stares. She has reached the bottom of Mementos before and found the very bottom sealed. She had at first thought it was a wall, and only recently realized it is, in fact, a door.
And now a near-identical door is blocking the entrance. It’s the 6th of April. Other than poor students milling their way back to school, it’s not a special day. She has no idea what has triggered Mementos to essentially shut down on itself.
One of her claws taps against her helmet-like mask, as she thinks, but no explanations present themselves.
Mementos being inaccessible greatly impacts what she can do. For one thing, she can no longer target anyone that does not have a bubble-mementos. As such, she also can no longer talk with shadows and extract information from them, information their real-life counterparts may not be so willing to share.
At least for work, she will now be relying on her actual detective skills. While she is sure she is up for the challenge, she is less than thrilled. She wishes she had someone she could talk to about this change in the metaverse, but the only other people with access or even knowledge of the metaverse are Shido and his men.
She turns around and leaves. Until more information presents itself, there is nothing she can do. Mementos, from now on, remains locked and bolted shut.
~
Ren sighs. It’s his first day at his new school and of course it’s raining. Even though there had been no mention in the weather report. He has jogged over to the nearest awning and is waiting the rain out. He needs to look as presentable as he can on his first day, so he can at least start at the new school on the right foot. Which means, he needs to keep his clothes dry.
He shouldn’t be waiting long since the rain wasn’t predicted. It should be a quick, short burst and over. He looks at his phone, wanting to check how long this unexpected rain will last, but only finds the weird app staring back at him. He would have been annoyed in a past life, but now he just doesn’t care.
Another boy runs over and joins him under the awning. Ren glances at him and spots that he – like Ren – is wearing a Shujin uniform. A few weeks ago, Ren would have used this as an excuse to strike up conversation with the other student. Make a new friend before he even enters the school.
But it’s not a week ago. And things have drastically changed. Now, his tongue feels heavy in his throat and he’s unable to speak.
The boy pulls his hood down and Ren is shocked by the blond hair it reveals. It’s not even bleached or dyed. It’s natural. He has never seen natural blond hair before, and Ren catches himself staring.
The boy catches him too, but rather than be offended, he just smiles. He looks like he’s about to strike up conversation in Ren’s place, but then they hear footsteps approaching. When Ren looks, he sees that the footsteps belong to two girls, also from Shujin Academy.
“Kyaa, this rain!” one complains, latching onto the boy.
“I didn’t even bring an umbrella or anything, this sucks,” the other whines, wrapping her hands around the boy’s arm. The boy looks at the two them, then wears a small smile as he sighs.
“I’m afraid I won’t be able to help you much either,” he tells them.
“Aw, Takamaki-kun. Just being here is help enough,” the first girl tells him.
“This terrible weather isn’t your fault,” the other reassures him, smiling brightly. “If anything, you make the day that much brighter.” Takamaki lets out a polite laugh, as if the two of them had been sweet and endearing. So far, they’ve completely ignored Ren’s existence, and honestly, he is fine with that.
Then a car pulls up. A man leans over, so that they can better see him through the window. He is wearing a blue tracksuit, which Ren thinks is strange.
“Good morning, kids,” the driver calls to them. “You want me to give you a ride to school? You’re gonna be late.”
Ren freezes in place, a strange urge to run trying to take over.
“Kamoshida-sensei!” the girls cry delighted. They eagerly agree, walking over.
“Are you coming Takamaki-kun?” one of the girls ask.
“Oh, right. Sure,” Takamaki answers meekly. “Thank you.” He gets in the back, looking downcast for some reason. Kamoshida watches the teenagers enter, then notices Ren.
Ren stares back. Even though he now knows that this strange man is a teacher at his new school, his heart is still thundering in his head, like he’s in danger.
He does not want to go anywhere with anyone.
“What about you?” Kamoshida asks.
“No, I’m fine,” Ren answers in a monotone voice, shaking one of his hands. The teacher just smiles, then shuts the window and drives off. As Ren watches them leave, he can hear more hurried footsteps fast approaching. A vulgar-looking boy with bleached hair comes to a stop a few feet away from him, muttering “Screw that pervy teacher,” under his breath.
“Pervy teacher…?” Ren repeats. The boy hears him and turns to look at him. He scowls.
“What do you want?” he demands and again, Ren feels like he is frozen in place. “You plannin’ on rattin’ me out to Kamoshida?” the boy demands.
“What do you mean?” Ren asks and he’s surprised he’s speaking at all. Nowadays, he just thinks his questions to himself. The vulgar boy seems surprised and the scowl fades, giving way to confusion.
“Huh? In that car just now. It was Kamoshida.” Yes. Ren knows this. The boy looks away and he’s scowling again. At least he’s not scowling at him anymore. “He does whatever the hell he wants. Who does he think he is – the king of a castle? Ha… You get me, right?” He looks expectantly at Ren and Ren has no idea why this boy would think Ren thinks anything.
“The king of a castle?” Ren repeats instead, unable to say what he’s actually thinking.
“No, I mean-” the boy stutters, then looks at Ren confused. “Wait. You don’t know Kamoshida? Are you for real?” He pauses, then asks “You’re from Shujin, right?”
“You go to Shujin too?” Ren asks, even though he can clearly see Shujin Academy’s emblem on Ryuji’s school blazer.
“What? No other high school’s got a uniform like this,” Ryuji tells him somewhat incredulously, like he can’t believe how clueless Ren is. Ren doesn’t feel resentful at that. That would require feeling anything but fear and misery.
The boy notices the second-year pin on Ren’s lapel.
“A second-year, huh? We’re the same grade then.” He pauses. “Never seen you before though…” Suddenly, his eyes light up with understanding. “Oh! You the transfer student?” he asks. Ren feels his heart sink. If even this guy knows who he is, then everyone must know he’ll be showing up today. All eyes will be on him. That’s the last thing he wants.
He gives the boy a nod, none of the feelings appearing on his face.
“No wonder you don’t know him,” is all the boy has to say, sounding tired. He looks out at the streets and there’s a brief lull in their largely one-sided conversation. “This rain ain’t too bad. We better hurry up, or we’ll be late,” he tells Ren.
Ren is surprised the boy cares at all for such a meagre thing as punctuality.
As they step out from under the awning, there’s a sudden sharp pain that – for some reason – feels purple. Ren flinches, holding his head in his hands. He feels light-headed. The other boy groans.
“My head hurts…” the boy mumbles and Ren realizes, the vulgar(?) boy is holding his head too. A headache at the exact same time? How likely is that? “Dammit,” the boy mutters. “I wanna go home…”
Ren can relate to that sentiment, only he doesn’t have a home to return to. Which ironically, just makes him even more homesick. The boy heads off and Ren silently trails after him.
Neither realize they are no longer in Tokyo.
~
A lot happens. They accidentally enter Kamoshida’s palace. They are imprisoned. Kamoshida’s shadow shows up to kill Sakamoto. The injustice of their situation awakens the anger that Ren had been suppressing and drowning for days, for weeks, ever since that night. And then that anger, that desire to stand against it, to fight, to rebel, transforms into his persona, Arsène.
They escape the cell, they find Morgana, they learn about the metaverse, they escape the palace.
Ren wishes that was the end of it. But he and Sakamoto still have school. When they get there, the school counsellor is waiting for them, arms crossed and an angry scowl on his face.
“We received a call from the police,” the counsellor tells them coldly. Sakamoto frowns, looking at the ground and kicking up some dirt.
“That damn cop snitched on us after all,” he mutters to himself.
The counsellor hums to himself, glancing at Ren. “It’s rare to see you without Takamaki-kun,” he comments with a sneer. “Where were you roaming around until this time?” he demands. Sakamoto flinches, then crosses his arms, looking in any direction that is not the counsellor.
“Uhh… A ca- a castle?” he asks, and Ren can’t help but think that Sakamoto is a terrible, terrible liar. Not the worst trait to have, but not currently useful in this situation. It’s a shame that Ren is tongue-tied. He could have probably come up with a believable lie.
The counsellor lets out a deep sigh.
“So, you have no intention of giving an honest answer?” the counsellor demands. His eyes turn to Ren, and it seems it’s now Ren’s turn to be interrogated. Before the counsellor can speak though, a new voice speaks up.
“What’s this about a castle?” Kamoshida asks, standing next to the counsellor.
“Kamoshida?” Sakamoto exclaims, surprised. Ren’s a little surprised too, since the last time he saw Kamoshida, he was basically running around naked, save for his speedos and cape. Kamoshida just frowns, looking fed up with Sakamoto and his apparent shenanigans.
“You seem so carefree, Sakamoto,” he says. “Quite a difference, from when you did morning practice for the track team.”
Sakamoto grits his teeth, hands clenching into fists and his head hangs. He doesn’t say anything. The counsellor just sighs tiredly.
“There’s not much leeway left for you, you know?” the counsellor tells Sakamoto. “Why don’t you rejoin the track team? Leaving clearly hasn’t done you any good.”
“I’m good, thanks,” Sakamoto grits out and it sounds entirely rehearsed. The counsellor’s eyes narrow.
“In any case, you’ll have to explain yourself. It’s undeniable that you’re extremely late. Follow me,” the counsellor coldly instructs.
“This is bullshit,” Sakamoto complains, but complies and follows the counsellor anyway, giving Kamoshida a wide berth and glaring at him as he walks by. Kamoshida seems to return the glare, then turns and looks directly at Ren. Ren holds his gaze.
“You’re that new transfer student, correct? Amamiya Ren?” Kamoshida asks, like he’s genuinely interested. Then he frowns, as if confused. “Have we… met somewhere?” he asks. For a moment, Ren wonders if Kamoshida recognizes him from the castle, but the moment passes quickly.
“I saw a girl in your car,” Ren tells him. Kamoshida looks relieved.
“That’s right,” he says, scratching his head. “I remember now. Well… you being late, I’ll overlook it, just for today.” He sounds so benevolent as he speaks. But then he wears that exact same expression everyone else shows Ren nowadays – pure scorn and contempt. “I’m sure you’ve heard from the principal but cause any trouble and you’ll be expelled. Understand?” Kamoshida says sternly.
Ren looks at the ground. His past self would have joked “Can you not overlook some more?” But that voice is still dead.
“I understand,” is all he says, like the obedient student he is supposed to be. Kamoshida nods approvingly.
“Well, with that out of the way, hurry up and go to the faculty office. I’m sure Kawakami-sensei is tired of waiting.” He then gives Ren a big grin and it’s entirely fake. “Good luck, trying to enjoy your new school life!” he says all too cheerfully.
Ren knows it’s foreboding but is too tired to care.
~
Ren is standing at the front of the class and has just introduced himself. There are whispers and he can overhear them and his heart sinks. They know he has a criminal record.
And then that dread just… stops.
He’s past the point of caring anymore. Not after everything that has already happened.
Feeling completely numb, he makes his way to his seat in the back. He’s almost there when he walks past a familiar head of hair. He pauses and Takamaki looks up. The two stare at each other, then Ren realizes he really should just go and sit down.
“Did you catch that?” the girl to his right whispers to the girl behind her. “Do those two know each other?”
“Do you think he threatened him?” the other girl replies.
“Or maybe it’s just another sign of Takamaki-kun’s fall from grace,” the other ones says sadly. “If it weren’t for that rotten Sakamoto… And now Amamiya…!”
“Personally, I blame Suzui, the little vixen…”
“Right,” the teacher calls and effectively ends classroom conversation. Ren doesn’t care and barely listens to anything happening around him, staring out the window instead. He can’t focus much anymore.
Takamaki is one of the first to leave after school ends, after working his way through swarms of female classmates. Ren waits until almost everyone else has left, then gets up. When he exits the classroom, for a moment, he sees the castle and holds his head. Everything suddenly feels wrong and distant and his head hurts.
“What’s wrong?” he hears someone ask him, but they’re far away and quiet.
“Is this… a castle?” he asks, and then he’s suddenly back in reality. He can see and hear clearly. The headache is gone. He turns to the person that spoke to him. It’s his teacher.
“Are you sure you’re ok?” she asks and under that tired expression, there’s a glimmer of concern. So she’s not totally apathetic toward him. It doesn’t exactly fill him with joy. She’s showing him some very basic human decency, a low bar to reach.
When he says nothing, she rubs the back of her head. “Well, since you’re here… Look, it seems people are already talking about you. But I’m not the one who told them,” she informs him, almost defensively. She pauses and lets out a deep sigh, complaining to herself “I can’t even catch a break. Why do I have to deal with this…?”
When she opens her eyes, she’s surprised to see him still staring at her expectantly. She clears her throat. “You should head straight home, without stopping by anywhere. Sakura-san sounded pretty angry,” she tells him. “And about Sakamoto-kun, don’t get involved…”
And right on time, Sakamoto appears. The teacher frowns, and the two exchange restrained bitter words, before Sakamoto decides he has had enough. Before walking away, he tells Ren “I’ll be waiting on the rooftop.”
Ren knows he should listen to his teacher and head home. But he doesn’t. He heads to the roof.
When he steps out, the cold air and blessed silence is refreshing.
There are two students waiting for him. Sakamoto and Takamaki.
“There you are,” Sakamoto says, and he looks pleased to see him. “Sorry for calling you up here like this. I bet Kawakami already told you stuff like don’t get involved with him, huh?”
Ren nods, unable to speak.
“Figured as much,” Sakamoto mutters, as if this were the status quo. He then adds “Which is funny, since we’re both in the same boat.” He glances at Takamaki. “All three of us.”
“Amamiya-san,” Takamaki politely greets. Too politely. Ren gives him a nod and Takamaki frowns, like he had been expecting a different reaction.
“C’mon, make yourself comfortable,” Sakamoto insists, pushing a chair towards him. Ren takes it. “I asked you both to come up here, to talk about what happened this morning,” Sakamoto explains.
Takamaki leans forward. “Well, then let’s get started. Ryuji, what is this about a castle…?”
~
Ani is massaging his forehead. After telling Amamiya about Kamoshida, Ryuji explained where he (and by extension, Amamiya) had been all morning. Oh. And Ryuji then thanked Amamiya for saving his skin and the two are now suddenly on first-name basis, because why not, they’d survived a murder castle. Apparently.
Of all the imbecilic things for Ryuji to now be wrapped up in…
“It must have been a dream,” Ani insists. Or drugs, but he knows for a fact Ryuji would never be so stupid. From how Amamiya is behaving, he is also starting suspect that it applies to the boy with the criminal record too. Which is entirely unexpected.
“It wasn’t a dream, how can Ren and I both have the exact same dream at the exact same time?” Ryuji demands. There’s another flicker of delight in Amamiya’s eyes when Ryuji calls him by his first name. It’s still strange to see so much as a spark of life on Amamiya’s otherwise stony face.
“You really want me to believe you both almost died today? At the hands of a half-naked Kamoshida, in a castle?” Ani drily asks.
“I know it’s weird! That’s why I asked you guys to come up here,” Ryuji replies. “C’mon Ani, what more do you want from me? Ren’s proof that it definitely happened.”
“And how am I supposed to believe you?” Ani retorts. “Magic castles don’t just appear by themselves and kill teenagers.” He pauses and considers for a moment. “Except in horror stories.”
“Well, then this is a real-life horror story!” Ryuji retorts. “Look, this all has something to do with Kamoshida. So let’s go looking for it tomorrow. It can’t have vanished, right Ren?”
Amamiya nods.
Ani bites down a groan, then gets up.
“Look, Neechan doesn’t have practice tomorrow, so I’ll come help you look for your mysterious castle then,” he tells them. “But right now, she is training, so I’m gonna go sneak in and give the team moral support. And afterwards, I’ve got a modelling gig to get to.”
“So…?” Ryuji asks.
“So, don’t go having fun without me,” he orders. With that, Ani leaves her stupid friend and Amamiya on the roof.
~
“Excuse me? Are you Niijima-san?”
Sae closes her folder and looks up. A young woman stands before her, dressed in smart casual. Which is still too casual for their work environment.
“Yes. Who are you? An intern?” she asks. The woman gives a small, polite laugh.
“Intern? I would wager there isn’t too much of an age gap between us,” the woman tells her. “Do you really find it so unlikely that another young lady can be successful in her career, that you must assume someone else your age is an intern?”
Sae takes an instant disliking to this woman. The young woman smiles and it’s hard to tell if it’s polite or teasing. Or, quite possibly, mocking.
“I’m a private investigator. The police have hired me as a consultant,” the woman informs her. “Akechi Kokoro. You should have been informed I was coming today?”
“Akechi-san. Of course,” Sae coldly says. “I’m sorry for the confusion. Based on what you are wearing, I thought you were someone younger. Therefore, an intern. My apologies.” If Akechi is offended by Sae’s barely disguised insult, it doesn’t show on her face.
“No worries. Shall we get started then, Niijima-san?”
Sae sighs, then motions for the investigator to follow her. It isn’t fair, Sae thinks, that even the police won’t take her seriously, employing an external detective rather than giving her one of theirs, despite the many cases she has successfully closed on their behalf. All because they think she’s just some silly girl, trying to play the grown-ups game, when she’ll just end up married at home anyway. Well, it’s a dog-eat-dog world, and she’s here to prove the bastards wrong.
They enter the room Sae has annexed as a temporary office and she sits down at her desk. Akechi follows, eyes darting across the space, taking in the small room.
“You’re investigating the mental shutdowns?” she asks, looking at Sae’s pin board. Sae just grimaces.
“That is not the case we are here to discuss.”
“I didn’t realize it was serious enough to warrant police interest… Never mind having a state prosecutor compiling evidence into a coherent case.”
“Akechi-san.”
“Sorry, Niijima-san.” Akechi sits down in the chair across Sae’s desk. “I’m curious by nature.”
Sae doesn’t think curiosity is a proper excuse for being nosy or downright rude and her disliking for Akechi grows.
“As you can tell from my office, I am currently working multiple cases. You have been employed to help me with one of them. The crime lord in Shibuya.”
“Aren’t there multiple?” Akechi asks.
“Multiple-” Sae instinctively repeats, then clears her throat. “There is one. The one. From what the police have gathered, he seems to currently have his finger in every illicit business in Shibuya. We have plenty of evidence against him, just no one identified. There are a few leads, but the police are now occupied with… other cases. Ergo, why you have been hired. We want you to follow them up.”
“I- Of course, Niijima-san,” Akechi says. “I assume there are case notes for me to review?”
Sae opens a drawer and takes out a large folder. “This is a copy of what we’ve collected so far. I’ve been told you are a talented and promising detective. Don’t disappoint me, tantei-san.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t,” Akechi promises, with a ready smile.
Niijima grimaces but swallows her disdain.
Akechi is just another detective she will hate working with. It’s nothing new. She’ll grit her teeth and bare it, as she always has.
~
It’s the next day and things are normal. Amamiya and Ryuji are both punctually at school. Shiho is late and at lunchtime, Ani can see a bruise forming on her cheek. Ani is less than thrilled, but doesn’t comment on it, instead helping Shiho cover it up with make-up. In the afternoon, Ushimara throws a piece of chalk at Amamiya. It lands squarely in his face and the whole class flinches because it really sounded like it hurt.
And then it’s after school.
Ani and Amamiya step out of the classroom, and Ani’s anger spikes the moment he spots Kamoshida talking to Shiho. He grits his teeth and storms over, to the girl’s side.
“Hello, Kamoshida-sensei,” Ani greets as politely as he can, giving a slight bow. “Shiho-chan, I’m ready to go now.”
“Ah, right,” Shiho nervously replies, quickly latching onto Ani’s arm, almost as if to hide from Kamoshida. “As I said Kamoshida-sensei, I have plans today. I’m sorry,” she tells him. Kamoshida lets out a rueful sigh.
“Well, travel safe,” Kamoshida says, “As said, there’s been a lot of accidents lately. If you ever need a ride home, let me know.”
“Thank you, Kamoshida-sensei, I’ll keep it in mind,” Shiho quietly says. Kamoshida seems relatively satisfied and leaves, shooting Ani an angry glare before he is completely out of sight.
“Thanks Ani,” Shiho says quietly, burying her face in his shoulder.
“Don’t say that. I feel like he’s gotten worse this week,” Ani replies, a hand going through his hair. “Maybe if I…”
“Please don’t. You shouldn’t have to hide yourself because of him,” Shiho tells him, lightly slapping Ani’s hand away from his hair. She then looks past Ani and notices Amamiya. “Oh, hello. Are you Ani’s friend too?”
Amamiya comes over and says nothing.
“He’s Ryuji’s new friend,” Ani corrects. “The transfer student, my new classmate, Amamiya Ren.”
“Oh,” Shiho says, standing up a little straighter. “Um…” She looks Amamiya over. “Hey, this might not be any of my business, but… Don’t let the rumours get to you, okay?”
Ani gives his friend a look, having not expected that.
“Why do you say that?” Amamiya asks. Shiho smiles.
“I know what it’s like,” she answers in a warm tone. “We know what it’s like,” she adds, tugging at Ani’s arm. “Anyway, you have plans with Ani and Ryuji, right?” she asks. Amamiya nods. “Then I’ll get going. I didn’t get much sleep last night, so I think I’ll go home and take a nap.”
After bidding farewell, Shiho leaves. Ani feels tense. Has… Shiho once again seen something he has not? He looks at Amamiya and he suddenly realizes how weighed-down the boy looks.
Yeah. She definitely saw what he has so far missed.
“By the way,” Ani starts saying. “You can call me Ani too. I mean, Ryuji is already calling you Ren, so… It’ll be weird if we’re almost all on first name basis, you know?”
“All right, Ani,” Ren answers. There’s no smile, but there is something in his eyes and he looks a little less like the world is trying to crush him.
“All right, Ren. Let’s go, I’m sure Ryuji is already waiting.”
~
They meet by the school gate and walk back to where – to Ani’s surprise – they all first met. He recognizes the place anyway.
They then retread the path that Ren and Ryuji had walked, to end up exactly where they should end up – the school.
Ryuji makes them re-walk the same path three times.
“Well, this is fun,” Ani flatly says. “This is exactly how I like spending my afterschool daylight hours. Walking back and forth from station to school.”
“Gimme a break, Takamaki,” Ryuji retorts. He leans against the wall, a little defeated.
“Have you checked your phone?” Ren asks. It’s the first time he has spoken since leaving the school hallways.
“I already did that,” Ryuji answers. His eyes suddenly light up, as a thought occurs to him. “Phone…” he mutters, getting to his feet. “Hey, that reminds me, didn’t you have a navigation app thingy on, back then?”
“Navigation app?” Ani asks.
“I dunno if it was or not,” Ryuji begins explaining. “But I heard stuff coming from his- from your phone.” He looks at Ren. “You know, didn’t it say stuff like returned to the real world or something like that?”
Ren looks as blank as always.
“Lemme see your phone for a bit,” Ryuji says, and Ani is surprised that Ren immediately hands his phone over, no hesitation whatsoever. This boy is supposed to have a criminal record? And is so willingly handing over his phone to a guy he has just met yesterday?
Shiho really does have better eyes than him, it seems. There’s more to this boy than what meets the eyes, he is not a teenage delinquent.
Ryuji flicks through the phone, then frowns. “Hey, what’s this eyeball-lookin’ thing?” he asks.
“I can’t delete it…” Ren answers, tugging at a tuft of his hair. Ani looks over Ryuji’s shoulder and it is the creepiest thing he’s seen in recent memory. It’s an eyeball on black and red and white, seemingly bleeding all over the phone screen.
“What a weird app…” Ryuji mutters and opens it anyway. A map appears and a grin spreads across Ryuji’s face. “I knew it! It is a navigation app! There’s even a search history and everything!” he says, showing both Ani and Ren the phone screen. “Oh man, I’m such a genius,” he claims.
“This only proves that Ren has a creepy, weird navigation app,” Ani instinctively argues.
“Oh, you sure about that? Then let’s see what happens when we try usin’ it,” Ryuji challenges.
“I don’t know about this,” Ren says, but Ryuji has already pressed enter.
“Kamoshida…. Shujin Academy… Pervert… Castle…” drones the navigation app.
“Uh, what?” Ani asks.
“Beginning navigation.”
~
They arrive back at Kamoshida’s castle. Ani freaks out. They meet with Morgana, who chastises them for returning, but decides to help them anyway, because Ren can “be of use”. They learn more about the metaverse, as Morgana explains palaces, shadows and cognitions to them. They come up with code names. Ren becomes Joker, and Morgana becomes Mona.
Kamoshida’s shadow confronts and ambushes them. Joker and Mona are taken out, Ani never stood a chance in the first place, but Ryuji is still free, although relentlessly mocked by Kamoshida’s shadow.
Feeling raw and exposed, the deep rage embedded in him by his father comes alive with a ferocious roar and Ryuji overcomes his despair, using that rage to rebel against Kamoshida’s shadow and awaken his persona.
“We should retreat,” Mona says after the battle.
“Yeah… Sounds good,” Ryuji agrees, looking exhausted after essentially wiping out three shadows single-handedly.
“I don’t think so,” Kamoshida’s shadow sneers. They turn, to find the king of the castle still watching them, from the top of the stairs. “Guards,” he begins commanding, lifting his hand to snip his fingers.
“Babe? What’s going on?” a female voice interrupts, and with horror, Ani watches Shiho come bounding down the stairs in nothing but a bikini, high heels and bunny ears. “We’ve been waiting for you to come back, we miss you,” she purrs, leaning right up against him.
“Shiho?!” Ani exclaims.
“She’s a cognition,” Morgana hastily reminds everyone, but Ani doesn’t hear him. Kamoshida’s shadow turns to the Shiho cognition, cupping her face.
“Sorry honey, I’ll be-”
“Get your fucking hands off her, Kamoshida!” Ani screams.
“Ani-” Ryuji calls, reaching out for his friend, but Ani has stormed ahead.
“-right with you,” Kamoshida finishes, before sharply turning around and backhanding Ani, hard enough that the boy is sent to the floor. The shadow grins. “You jealous, Takamaki? You spend all your time with Shiho-chan, yet no matter what you do, you just can’t get her attention the way I can.”
“It’s not like that, you piece of shit,” Ani growls, sitting up, a hand nursing the bruise forming on his cheek.
“Sure, says the jealous little creep,” Kamoshida sneers, approaching Ani. When Ryuji and Joker drop into a fighting stance, Kamoshida halts his approach. His eyes remain on Ani. “Well, I’m not surprised. Women might be drawn to your looks, but they can’t stand problematic punks like you.”
“You touch Neechan, and I’ll…”
Kamoshida laughs and backs away, walking back to Shiho’s side, a hand wrapping around her waist.
“Hey, I said don’t touch her!” Ani snaps.
“Clean them up,” Kamoshida coldly demands, and five guards appear to do just that.
“We’re outnumbered, we need to scram!” Mona calls to Ani, who is still half-lying on the floor, teeth clenched with anger.
“Screw that,” Ani growls. “You think Shiho’s just a toy?” Kamoshida pauses, halfway up the stairs, and turns to look at Ani. “You think she’s your personal plaything, you can do whatever the hell you want with? Despite everything we’ve done, to keep you away from her… Always making me and Ryuji play along with your games, while you do whatever you want to her… I’ve had enough of this.” Ani gets to his feet and glares at Kamoshida. “You’ve pissed me off, you son of a bitch!”
“My… It’s taken far too long.”
A voice is echoing in his head. Ani starts struggling, writhing where he stands, as a voice whispers in his ears, so sharp and clear and finally…
“No more holding back,” Ani solemnly promises. He tears at his face and something like a mask comes off.
“Come, Don Juan!” he yells, and a persona appears behind him. “Let’s show this dirtbag how a real man loves women!”
~
After fighting off the wave of shadows and injuring Kamoshida’s shadow, Joker throws a Goho-M on the ground, and they find themselves outside the palace. Ani collapses to the floor and looks worse than Ryuji had after his big fight.
“Dude, why d’you have to go all out like that?” Ryuji complains. Ani ignores him, looking at Ren.
“Sorry,” he says to him. Ren doesn’t understand the apology, until Morgana speaks up.
“It’s ok,” Morgana tells Ani. “You were so angry, we can’t blame you for wanting to fight. Joker can always craft a new Goho-M. And it’s thanks to your fighting spirit that you’ve awoken your persona too!”
Ani looks at what he’s wearing. “Uh…” He startles to his feet, holding the red coat closed.
“Dude, it’s a red shirt, what are you freaking out about?” Ryuji asks.
“Why isn’t it buttoned up?” Ani complains, looking down his held-closed coat.
“It is,” Ren informs him, having gotten several good looks during the fight.
“Are you kidding me?” Ani exclaims. “It looks like I’m walking around bare-chested!”
“Again. What are you embarrassed about?” Ryuji demands. “It’s not like there are any girls around.” They’ve been to the public baths together too.
Getting the point, Ani stands up. “It’s still embarrassing,” he insists. He nods to them. “You both aren’t exactly exposed like I am.”
“Your outfits reflect what you think of as rebels,” Morgana explains. “Joker is a phantom thief. Ryuji is clearly a punk, and you…” He trails off. “Someone who partied too hard?” he guesses. It’s an apt description of what Ani is wearing since there’s also an undone bowtie hanging around his neck. No one points out he also strongly resembles a person who has recently had a one-night stand.
“That… would be accurate,” Ani hesitantly agrees. “I’ve admired the way some people can party all night, consequences be damned, yet still walk home with pride the next day.”
They all seem satisfied with the explanation for Ani’s clothes, which really do not seem all that rebellious at first glance.
“You’re both gonna need codenames,” Morgana tells them, “now that you’re persona-users too.”
There isn’t too much of a discussion. Ryuji is quick to settle with Skull since it matches his mask and persona. Ani goes with Panther, after a slew of bad suggestions, the worst coming from Ren, who’d actually had the gall to suggest “Sexy Cat”. It seems out of character for him, based on Ryuji’s reaction, but then again, they’ve only known Ren for a short while.
When Morgana first told Ani that Ren’s codename is Joker, Ani thought there couldn’t be a poorer choice made, but now…
Maybe Ren is more of a joker than either him or Ryuji know.
~
Akechi is in her apartment, looking over the case files. She already knew the police were investigating Kaneshiro, but she had not considered the possibility of being hired to investigate him. Working with the police – while something she’d been hoping to do – had seemed a bit of a pipe dream.
And now it’s a catch-22.
She can’t afford to ruin her reputation, as she needs high credibility to put Shido in his place. At the same time, she can’t afford to cut ties to Kaneshiro. He’s her connection to the underworld and he has been very helpful in various ways, including enabling her fake identity and, more recently, precuring a gun for her. So how should she best handle this?
That aside, there’s more bad news. Niijima is looking into the mental shutdowns and psychotic breakdowns. While Akechi is admittedly pleased about the mental shutdowns, the problem is that it’s not just Shido’s assassins causing them.
She occasionally causes a mental shutdown too, although far less frequently than the busy henchmen. And the psychotic breakdowns, well, that is purely her handywork, thanks to those being caused by Loki’s unique skill.
It’s possible that Shido is trying to pin the psychotic breakdowns and mental shutdowns on her, so he and his assassins can walk away free. She’ll have to begin a counterplan, assuming she’s not already too late. It’s just a few more months until the elections. Shido will start ramping up his plans and giving her more material than ever to prove what an absolute piece of shit he is.
Much like him, she can’t afford to fail when she’s so close.
She lets out a deep breath. This is going to be a major headache. She gets to work, not realizing there soon will be several spanners in the works, gumming up both her and Shido’s plans.
~
There’s a pleasant breeze. It’s nice, on the roof, and Ani can almost pretend he’s anywhere but in Shujin Academy.
“Ani, do you like it here?”
Ani looks up from his phone. Shiho is looking at him expectantly. They’re having lunch alone. Ren and Ryuji are running around interrogating the volleyball team, but Ani wants to make sure Shiho is eating properly, so…
“… Why?” Ani hesitantly asks, rather than answering. Shiho rubs her arm.
“Do you… ever feel like running away?” she asks. Ani thinks it over. Honestly, no. He’s thought of playing truant, several times, but actually running away had not crossed his mind. He’d have to let too many things go, his parents’ nice penthouse, his modelling career, his monthly allowance… It might be a different story for Shiho, who sees little of her parents and has a background more in-line with Ryuji’s. He can understand why she often times feels she only has volleyball going for her.
“Do you?” Ani asks, instead of answering. Shiho looks away.
“I guess not,” she claims. “It’s just… Akagi-senpai told me about these fake identities some of the third years have been getting.” She brushes some hair behind her ear. “It’s to get access to alcohol and cigarettes. But I hear some – no one at Shujin – but some people buy these IDs to run away and start over as- as adults. Elsewhere.” She pauses and looks at him. “What do you think of that?”
“I’m not going to lie, skipping the last three years sounds nice,” he admits. “Especially with that rotten Kamoshida…” Shiho tenses at the mention of the coach’s name, and Ani hastily continues “But I can’t give up on the people around me. There’s you, and Ryuji, and now… Ren.”
“What if you were to run away with me?” Shiho asks and Ani is caught off guard, unable to say anything more intelligent than “uh”. Shiho laughs nervously. “Don’t worry, I’m not serious,” she reassures. “It’s just… nice to think about, I guess. A you and me that isn’t… trapped here.”
Ani chuckles, in part because he’s relieved and perhaps he is too willingly ignoring the subtle hints that Shiho is lying. “We could be fake siblings,” he says. “I would definitely be the older brother.”
“No way, I’m older than you,” Shiho argues. “You call me Neechan and everything!”
“Yeah- well- you’d have to get used to calling me Niichan, because no way I’m lying about my age, only to end up younger than you!”
“In your dreams,” Shiho replies, laughing. “I’d be the mature, responsible older sister, working at a convenience store to support my foolish and childish little brother.”
“No way. I’ll pull my weight too! I won’t have my agent anymore, so, uh, I’ll become a cute waiter at a- I don’t know, a cool café or something!” Ani argues. Shiho just laughs. “And with the money I’ve made from modelling, we could afford a two-bedroom apartment until we’ve got stable income too,” Ani continues musing.
“I want a cat,” Shiho tells him.
“Two cats.”
“Three!”
“How would we afford to take care of three cats?” Ani demands.
“We’d find a way.”
“If you want three, you have to clean the litter tray. It needs cleaning, like, daily,” Ani tells her.
“What happened to pulling your weight?” Shiho complains.
“Financial weight! I’m not taking care of three cats, Shiho!” Ani retorts, but it’s all playful and he doesn’t think he or Shiho have laughed this much in a long while.
The door to the roof suddenly clangs open. They both jolt and look over their shoulders. The teacher tuts reprovingly.
“What are you kids doing up here? You know the roof is off-limits,” Kamoshida says sternly.
“Sorry, we were just leaving,” Ani is quick to apologize, jumping to his feet and bowing.
“You know, this is the reason you have terrible rumours circling about you two,” Kamoshida continues, as Shiho clings to Ani’s arm and partially hides behind him. “What were you two doing up here, making out? Breaking the decency rules too… Really, now, I expected better, Suzui-chan.”
Ani knows Kamoshida can see their empty lunch boxes perfectly well. Kamoshida knows nothing has happened on the roof. Ani puts his hands in his pockets.
“Why? Jealous you can’t get some?” Ani smugly demands and suddenly Kamoshida grabs his hair, dragging him away from Shiho.
“Ani!” Shiho cries.
“Haven’t I told you to dye it back to black already?” Kamoshida demands, letting go, pretending he’d only been inspecting the hair and not using it as an excuse to grab Ani and hurt him. “The way girls flock to you, it’s like you’re trying to break hearts around here. It’s truly reproachful.”
“You’re just jealous you’re not the hottest man at school,” Ani angrily tells him.
“You little punk…” Kamoshida hisses.
“Kamoshida-sensei,” Shiho speaks up. Kamoshida pauses, looming over Ani, who despite his big talk, is shrinking back. Shiho continues, “… I- I just wanted to let you know, since you’re here, I- I’m available for a private training session tomorrow. Since I’ve been missing them lately.”
Ani wants to speak up, but Kamoshida shoves him to the side, walking back to Shiho. He looks her over, eyes lingering on her chest for too long.
“I’m glad to hear that,” he tells her. “With more practice, I’m sure we can make certain you’ve really earned your starting position on the team.”
“Thank you, Kamoshida-sensei,” Shiho replies, bowing low. Kamoshida has the audacity to touch her hair, then makes his way to the door.
“Make sure you get off the roof, you two,” he says. “If I come back and you’re still here, there will be trouble.”
He leaves. A cold breeze is blowing on the roof.
“Neechan, why?” Ani asks, distraught.
“He could have hurt you! I couldn’t let him…” She trails off, holding herself and looking away. Ani feels at a complete loss and sinks to his knees. For a moment or two, he just sits frozen there.
“Damn it!” he suddenly yells, hitting the ground. This isn’t fair, this isn’t fair…
He feels an arm snake around his shoulders and when he looks up, it’s Shiho, with her face buried into his shoulder. He is feeling drained again and places a hand on hers.
“You know, maybe running away doesn’t sound so bad,” Ani tells her. Shiho just gives him a helpless laugh. It’s hollow and empty.
“Don’t dye your hair,” Shiho tells him, as she runs her free hand through it. “Don’t hide yourself for my sake.” Ani frowns, hand tightening around Shiho’s.
“I won’t. And don’t worry, Neechan. This will all be over soon. I’ll make sure of it,” he darkly promises. Shiho doesn’t answer, but he can feel her tense. She sits up, and she doesn’t look comforted at all. She smiles sadly.
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” she tells him.
~
Ani gets a cat sooner than expected. Kinda. After Shiho goes home, Ani meets up with Ren and Ryuji, where Morgana crashes their meeting… as a talking cat. Who to everyone who hasn’t been to the metaverse just sounds like a meowing cat.
Morgana explains how to steal corrupted desires in the metaverse. It’s untraceable and effective, and the only real way for them to deal with Kamoshida, with all other options and paths blocked. But then Morgana explains there’s a chance it might kill him.
It’s enough to make even Ani hesitate, despite his confrontation with Kamoshida earlier that afternoon. They agree to split up and sleep on it, before deciding whether or not to go forward with their plan. When they leave, Morgana ends up going with Ren, since of the trio, Ren has the best chance of keeping Morgana secret from his guardian.
The next day, when Ani and Shiho are having breakfast together at Shibuya Station, Ani lets her know that he has plans with Ren and Ryuji after school, so she doesn’t have to worry about him being lonely. She nods and seems to accept that Ani isn’t completely dependent on her for company anymore.
After school, the trio agree to steal Kamoshida’s treasure, albeit while being very, very cautious. They then enter Kamoshida’s palace and secure a path to the treasure.
They’re feeling pretty pleased with themselves. All they need to do, as per Morgana’s instructions, is issue a calling card, which Ryuji has insisted on making. Ani is even feeling hopeful that things will get better for Shiho.
Until the next day.
Ani senses something is off when Shiho doesn’t meet with him before school. Instead, she tells him she has already gone ahead, not feeling hungry. When he gets there, she ducks out of view and avoids him. He talks to Ren and hopes maybe his new stony-faced friend will be able to reach her. Ren is a surprisingly comforting presence and it’s easy to open up to him, even if he’s a bit of a closed-off mystery himself.
It never gets that far.
During class with Ushimaru-sensei, a student from the hallway screams “She’s going to jump!” and Ani just knows. Before he has even reached the window, he knows who it is and he stares out at the roof he had just been on yesterday, Shiho so small from far away, on the top of the building, and then she just lets herself fall-
He runs.
He pushes through crowds, and miraculously – she’s still alive.
“Shiho!” His voice doesn’t sound like his, all strained, and laboured, like someone has torn his heart out. He has fallen to her side, and he’s sure his eyes are filled with tears. She makes an effort to look at him and he bites his lip, choking back sobs.
“… Ani?” she asks. He puts his hands in hers.
“Do you feel this?” he asks. She hums and he takes that for a yes. “Are you in pain?” he asks desperately. She gives a different hum and it seems the shock must be numbing the pain. Either that, or… “Shiho, why…?” he sobs, pressing his forehead into her hand.
“I’m sorry… I just… I can’t take it anymore…” she manages to gasp out.
“Shiho?” he asks and leans in closer, as she whispers in his ears. Ani’s blood goes cold. Kamoshida did. Fucking. What?
Shiho’s eyes go unfocused, and the rage is replaced with sharp, paralyzing fear. He tightens his hand around hers, holding it to his chest. “Shiho, stay with me,” he says, and she looks back at him.
“I’m sorry…”
“Don’t be,” Ani reassures. “I should have…” He should have been with her yesterday afternoon, he should have been a better friend, he should have run away with her.
Her eyes start going unfocused again, but the paramedics have arrived at the scene. Ani is pushed to the side, and they work to stabilize her. They secure her to a stretcher and demand a teacher go with her. When the teachers however hesitate, Ani is quick to shout, “I’ll go!”
They don’t argue about a minor accompanying a minor and they start getting ready to leave. As he gets into the back of the ambulance with Shiho, he spots Ren and Ryuji in the crowd. Their expressions are mirrors of his.
It’s the last thing he really properly sees, before the doors close and it’s just him and Shiho again, alone and cut off from everyone else in the world.
~
Akechi walks into Niijima’s make-shift office, to find a young man standing across from the prosecutor. When he turns to look at her, Akechi immediately recognizes him as Sugimura Kaizou, the so-called second coming of the detective prince. He’s not bad-looking and could have really made an impact on society, maybe become a minor celebrity, if his catastrophic tele-interview from one and a half years ago had not shattered his reputation. He’s still well-known in law enforcement, but it’d take a miracle to make him favourable in the public eye.
“As you can see, my next appointment is here,” Niijima informs Sugimura. “So we will have to cut this short.”
Sugimura grimaces and turns away. He glares at Akechi. “Another woman. What a surprise,” he sneers as he leaves. Akechi frowns, and the office door is slammed shut. She looks back at Niijima, who looks like she’s trying to suppress a migraine.
“Charming. So that was the famous detective prince,” Akechi says after a pause. Honestly, he hasn’t changed a bit.
“He’s working with me on a case,” Niijima says, almost defensively. She neatens the stack of paperwork on her desk. “Impeccable timing, by the way. Sugimura-kun sometimes does not know when to leave.”
Akechi nods. “And that case… It wouldn’t happen to be the one about the mental shutdowns, would it?” she asks. When Niijima glares at her, she elaborates, “I’m just curious.” And it would be just fucking perfect if Shido had one of his pet assassins “investigating” the murders. It proves that Shido is definitely trying to pin his assassins’ murders on her.
“Again, that’s none of your business,” Niijima repeats. “What is it that you wanted to discuss with me?”
“I’ve read the files you gave me and… Well, I don’t see the urgency of the investigation,” Akechi tells her. “I am aware crime rings are serious and for a small-time investigator like myself, this is no trivial case. But whoever this person is… Identity fraud? Academic dishonesty? Forgery? Compared to what the Yakuza has been up to in Shibuya, this is practically nothing.”
“You’re complaining that they’re… small time?” Niijima coldly asks.
“That’s not-” Akechi clears her throat. “I’m just concerned. You implied that this crime lord is a great threat to public safety. Yet comparatively, the Yakuza…”
“This is the case you were handed,” Niijima interrupts. “This is the case you will investigate.”
“And you know with certainty that someone is dealing with the Yakuza as well?” Akechi challenges. “I realize, as a state prosecutor, you are not privy to investigations run by the police, but I just thought it strange that someone external would be hired to assist in what seems to be a minor case at best. From what I can see, removing this mystery crime lord benefits the Yakuza more than anyone else.”
“What are you trying to say?” Niijima demands.
Akechi frowns, then looks at the pin board. Her curled fingers fidget.
“… Let’s talk somewhere else. How do you feel about sushi?” Akechi asks. Niijima looks her over and seriously considers the suggestion.
“If you’re paying,” Niijima finally decides.
“Aw…” Akechi whines. “I suppose I can. But it’ll have to be conveyor belt, I’m afraid. I’m a bit tight for cash this month…”
“Fine. Let’s go.”
~
In truth, Sae is glad to be out of the office. After dealing with the (formerly teen) detective, she can do with the fresh air and - though she can’t say she particularly likes Akechi – it is obvious that the private investigator is far better company than the blatantly misogynistic Sugimura.
They are in a sushi restaurant of relatively decent quality, obscure enough that there isn’t much in the way of clientele, even during rush hour, but still of high enough standards that they’re not risking food poisoning either. It’s honestly a good place to eat and great for private conversations not meant for listening ears. Akechi has good taste.
The two initially don’t talk much. Akechi starts some small talk with Sae, but that’s about it. Once Sae has eaten her fill, she starts getting impatient with Akechi’s coyness, particularly with the private investigator’s ability to maintain indefinite small talk.
“Will you tell me why you brought me here?” Sae finally demands, interrupting Akechi. The investigator looks taken aback, then just chuckles.
“I’m so sorry,” Akechi apologizes. “I suppose I’m taking up too much of your time.” Then without prompting, she takes out her ridiculous briefcase, opens it and takes out a folder. It’s not the one Sae gave her a few days ago. “I may have lied when I said I was merely curious about the mental shutdowns,” Akechi tells her. “I’ve been investigating it myself.”
She hands Sae the folder and Sae – unable to resist her instincts – begins going through the paperwork. Some of it is familiar, but she can already tell there is information in here that Sae does not have. Such as mental shutdowns she had not previously been aware of.
Akechi continues speaking, “… I’m fairly certain, whoever is causing the mental shutdowns, has ties to the Yakuza, if they are not already in the Yakuza. It’s why the Yakuza is so successful in Shibuya, right now.”
Sae frowns, looking up from Akechi’s meticulous notes.
“Is that why you were wondering if anyone was looking into them?” Sae asks.
“Yes, actually.”
“You think… the police are intentionally not looking into the Yakuza?”
“I don’t have an inside man to confirm, but there have been a few mental shutdowns that only the Yakuza have benefitted from. And the police have – as far as I can tell – done very little in the way of proper investigation in such cases.”
“That is quite the accusation, Akechi-san.”
“It is, isn’t it,” Akechi replies. “A theory at best.”
Sae closes the folder.
“Why are you trusting me with this?” she asks. It’s a demand, really.
“Who knows?” Akechi replies, shrugging. “Maybe it’s because us women have to stick together. I notice you had to create your own workspace. And you are continuously being handed impossible cases or ones that appear to be jokes, such as the mental shutdowns. I do not believe your colleagues are on your side, Niijima-san.”
“That doesn’t explain trusting me.”
“No, it doesn’t, does it?” Akechi replies. “And yet, I think I can trust you. Am I wrong?”
Niijima hums and puts the folder away. “If you’re suggesting the Yakuza and the mental shutdowns are connected, and that the police are also helping in covering this up for the Yakuza…”
“… It can only mean conspiracy, can’t it?” Akechi finishes. Sae frowns.
That word – conspiracy – does not bode well. While there’s a small possibility that there is a conspiracy, it is more likely that Akechi is an insane conspiracy theorist.
“Thank you for your openness, Akechi-san. I will review your… file,” Sae tells the investigator. It’s the least she can do for the aspiring detective, and if Akechi is hesitant to investigate the crime lord, Sae will want to know the exact reason why, no matter how outlandish or crazy Akechi’s reasons are.
“One more thing, Niijima-san,” Akechi continues. “If the police are indeed involved, then it’s best not to ask about the Yakuza without proper reason. You won’t want to draw attention to yourself.”
“Is that so?” Niijima questions.
“There are a few examples of victims that drew too much attention to themselves in that folder,” Akechi replies. “Obviously, you have not yet agreed to anything, but as a general rule of thumb, I do not work with the intellectually challenged, so if you draw attention to yourself, this partnership is over.”
Niijima doesn’t know how to respond to that last statement, it sounds so childish and seems so out of left field. Thankfully, she doesn’t have to give an answer, as her phone buzzes. When she checks, she sees that it’s a message from Makoto. Her little brother is of use, for once.
Makoto: Where are you?
“I’m sorry. I have to go,” Sae tells Akechi, getting up. “This was… interesting. Perhaps we should meet like this more often.”
She’s just being polite, but Akechi says, “That would be nice,” anyway.
It’s odd, but Sae feels some kind of bond has formed between her and Akechi. It’s a kind of warmth that washes over her and she somehow feels like a burden has been lifted, if only a little. The feeling passes quickly.
“Well then. Have a good evening, Akechi-san,” Sae says.
“You too, Niijima-san.”
~
After what happened to Shiho, the trio stole Kamoshida’s heart, the dangers forgotten. Ani almost killed Kamoshida’s shadow, but Ryuji intervened, stopping him at the last second. Ani still had the option to act, but ultimately chose not to.
Now they were just… waiting. So far, other than Kamoshida withdrawing from the school, not too much has happened.
Ren is alone in the attic, reading a book he got from the school library. Morgana is curled up against him, asleep. It’s a quiet afternoon.
Ryuji and Ani have gone to visit Shiho in the hospital, so he doesn’t really have anyone to hang out with anyway. It’s not that Ren wasn’t invited, but the two are friends with Shiho, whereas Ren is – to Shiho – just a friend of a friend at best. He feels visiting would be too awkward. Not that he won’t visit at all. Just not – not the first visit.
His phone buzzes with an update from Ryuji and Ani. Ani says Shiho has woken up from her coma, but that her mother has decided to pull Shiho out of the school. Ren sighs and texts a small message back.
Ren: I wish her the best
Ani: I’ll let her know. She hopes you’re doing well
Ren: I’m fine
Ryuji: We’ll tell her you’re doing great now. Right, Joker?
Ren: Sure, Skull
He drops the phone and looks back up at the ceiling, book forgotten. The conversation is brief and light, and he’s grateful Shiho has somehow found it in herself to worry about him after just waking up from a coma, but…
Shiho had been in a coma.
Even though they had succeeded in stopping Kamoshida, they had still been too late to save Shiho. Things will work out, but it should have never gotten that far in the first place. If they’d just been a little faster, they could have saved her.
He closes his eyes.
If this works, if Kamoshida’s heart is changed, then Ren isn’t going to stop there. He can’t stop there. There have to be others like Shiho, too many like Shiho, suffering silently, until it’s too late to save them. He doesn’t know for certain if Ani and Ryuji will join him, but he does know he can’t leave someone to suffer until it’s too late again.
He’s determined to continue this path he has started on. He will save all those he can, those for whom it’s not yet too late. He will do this alone if he has to (though he already knows he won’t).
He has already experienced two failures. The first time he failed, a woman had been forced to deny being sexually assaulted. The second time was Shiho, who ended up at the brink of death after being sexually assaulted.
There is not going to be a third time.
Not ever, he promises himself.
~
Akechi is in a nondescript café when she hears the news of Kamoshida. She looks up at the tv, covering the story of a sudden change of heart. It catches her attention for a brief moment, but she is quick to dismiss it as just another news story blown out of proportion.
She returns her attention to her phone.
Niijima: I have reviewed your case files.
Niijima: It seems you are not crazy.
Akechi: Why, thank you, Niijima-san.
Akechi: Can I take it, you are willing to work together?
Niijima: Let’s discuss this over dinner. Are you free tonight?
Akechi: Yes, excellent idea. How about sushi again? This time, you pay. ;)
Niijima: In that case, conveyor belt only.
Akechi: Aw… :(
Akechi: See you then.
Niijima: Don’t keep me waiting.
Akechi lips form an empty smile, and she exits out of the messaging app, putting her phone back in her pocket. Talking to Niijima’s shadow definitely helped the prosecutor see her more favourably.
This is great, Akechi thinks. She has a prosecutor, who can help make sure the evidence is all in order, so that Shido’s trial will be quick and his arrest permanent.
The thought alone elates her. She’s already counting down the days to election day.
Her smile becomes angrier.
She can’t wait.