MAY 18TH (THURSDAY 5/18)(AFTER SCHOOL)

"How're we supposed to get past that door...?", Ann asked. We were all standing in front of Madarame's shack, discussing what we could do.

"I dunno... You think there's come kinda off switch somewhere?", Ryuji questioned.

"Well, that's where Morgana and I come in.", I smirked.

"Mona, Rika...?", Ann mumbled.

"We have a place in mind. This shack is the heart of Madarame's Palace, its core. Morgana was scouting the shack last time, I watched through my phone."

"Whoa... So this was your plan from the start...?", Ryuji asked in shock.

"Correct.", Morgana grinned.

"... You only went "scouting" because you were bored.", Ann huffed.

"So? Where's this suspicious place?", Ryuji urged Morgana to continue.

"It's on the second floor. I noticed an unnaturally hefty lock on a door up there. Rika saw it too, through her phone."

"If it's locked, that means there's something in there he doesn't want people to see.", Ann nodded.

"But don't we wanna be openin' the door in the Palace?", Ryuji asked.

"Yes, and we're going to do that by opening the real one in front of Madarame's eyes. Basically, we're going to change his cognition that the door is unopenable.", Morgana revealed.

"In other words... when we open the one in Madarme's house, that area in his Palace will open on its own?", Ann confirmed.

"I'm not really gettin' it... Is that gonna work?", Ryuji muttered.

"Trust me! There's no chance it won't open! ... I think! You understand, don't you, Joker?', Morgana asked my brother.

"Sort of... It can't hurt to try though."

"Well yeah, but...", Ryuji trailed off.

"Why don't you trust me!? It's worth a try!", Morgana insisted.

"But even then, there's still that hefty lock we have to deal with in reality, right?", Ann pointed out.

"Oh, that'll be a breeze. Just give me a hairpin and I'll handle it. It will take some time though. Doing everything by myself in front of Madarame would be impossible. If only there was someone who could distract him for a while...", Morgana turned to Ann and I.

Oh, no they won't...

They would though.

"Oh... Ohhh! Man, how are we even gonna get into his house? We'd get reported for sure if we force ourselves in...?", Ryuji sighed dramatically.

"Just spill it already... You're wasting my time.", I huffed.

"I guess the only way is... havin' you two go nude."

"WHAT!?", Ann shouted out, obviously not liking the idea.

As much as I am not down for this, we may be able to take advantage of this proposal... If we can delay the nude part long enough...

"Fancy you say that, Ryuji. I was just thinking the same thing.", Morgana smirked.

"This isn't funny!", Ann scoffed.

"We're not sayin' you two should really get naked.", Ryuji assured.

"I think what they're trying to suggest, Ann, is that we are the only people able to get into the shack without raising suspicions. We're decoys. As much as I don't tolerate being away from the action, this is necessary.", I explained with a sigh.

"This is way too sudden... I mean, we don't even know where the locked door is.", Ann muttered.

I mean, I did watch Morgana go there, but I didn't really memorize the way to the door.

"Don't worry, I'll accompany you two.", Morgana declared.

"But that's still technically only us..."

"Which is more than enough for us, Ann.", I assured.

"Worst comes to worst, what if we get found out...?"

"We can run into the Palace!... Or something?", Morgana mumbled.

"Is that really gonna work!? I mean, you're not giving me much confidence in this plan! Do we have to be the bait...?"

"I hate to say this, but there's no other way...", Akira groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Why can't one of you guys go nude!?"

"That ain't what he wants.", Ryuji shook his head.

"Then make it so he does!"

"All you two gotta do is trick Yusuke, have him take you to that room, then just open the door."

"You make it sound so easy...! But if there's no other way... I don't... I don't... I don't have a choice... Urghhhh! God! Fine, I'll do it! For justice! Seriously, you better pull this off!"

"If it's for your sake Lady Ann, I won't stop scratching even if all my claws were to break!"

Damn, he didn't even TRY to say he wanted to do this for me too. Damn kitty...

"We'll be countin' on you, Morgana! Don't let Yusuke notice ya, all right?", Ryuji grinned.

"If he even tries to touch either of us, I'm making his insides outsides.", I stated with a straight face.

"And I'll tear that dumb house down! I'm really gonna lose it if we do all this and the Palace door doesn't open. Got it!?", Ann grumbled.

"We're workin' to get dirt on that guy's crimes either way. It won't go to waste. All right, let's get down and dirty tomorrow.", Ryuji suggested.

"Tomorrow!?"

"Earlier the better."

"Um, b-but... will Kitagawa-kun agree?"

"I dunno, just say something like "I really need it to be tomorrow." That should work, yeah?", with Ryuji's, quite frankly, odd comment out of the way, we departed. Before going to bed, I went to watch the game show on TV, getting some answers right and then going to bed from all the stuff I had to deal with today. Ann had texted everyone before that Kitagawa-kun agreed to have us over by the next day. Ann then sent me a ton of private messages, freaking out about how we were going to delay Kitagawa-kun. I calmed her down and ran over a plan with her.

This idea is so dumb on so many levels, it might actually work...