MAY 20TH (FRIDAY 5/20)(EVENING)

We were able to escape, going to the diner and having some food to gain our energy back. Yusuke was with us, as we invited him so we could explain our situation.

"I see... And because of that, this PE teacher's had a change of heart... The Phantom Thieves who steal hearts... To think they truly exist."

"Is it hard to believe?", Akira asked as he sipped his water.

"No, I believe you... There's no need for common sense to blind me after seeing a world like that. So your plan with Madarame-sensei—with Madarame is to force a change of heart, correct? Let me join... as a member of the Phantom Thieves.", we were all a bit shocked, listening to Yusuke's reasoning. "Had I faced reality sooner, this may have been avoided. I must put an end to this for the sake of the others whose futures as artists were robbed, as well. That... is the most civil thing I can do for the man who was... in some manner, my father."

"...Civil, huh.", Ann muttered.

"Sounds fine to me. We're gonna deal with Madarame anyways.", Ryuji nodded.

"He may have a mental shutdown if we screw up. We have ways to prevent that, but they aren't fail-safe ...Remember how we mentioned this on our way here?", Morgana confirmed.

"Madarame is a man who has the art world under his thumb. He has connections to many organizations. If someone like me raises my voice, it'll only be snubbed out. ...We have no option but this.", Yusuke sighed.

"Then it's a deal then.", I confirmed.

"I hope we get along, Yusuke!", Ann smiled.

"You better not slow us down.", Ryuji chuckled.

"I'll do my best.", Yusuke promised with his tone.

"Welcome aboard!", Akira welcomed Yusuke with a warm aura.

"Thank you. I ask that you coach me well."

"Oh, that reminds me... I wonder what's going on with the real Madarame. Yusuke and I were in a pretty tight situation... ", Ann mumbled.

"Actually, I contacted him before we came here. He believes that I continued pursuing Takamaki-san. And, just as you all explained, it appears he knows nothing about his Shadow."

"What did he say...?"

"He was complaining to the security company how they couldn't even catch one high school girl. However, he's still furious about it, and said that he's going to take legal action against everyone."

"Talk about bein' completely on guard...", Ryuji mumbled.

"He's way too desperate... something smells.", I stated.

"If he were to act, it'd be after the exhibit is over. Any scandal during the show would be his loss.", Yusuke explained.

"Right when I think the talk about being a nude model is over, this happens...!?", Ann groaned.

"I'm not really thrilled, either.", I huffed.

"We'll have to force a change of heart before then, if we're to dodge this "legal action" thing. Looks like our plan must be accomplished while the exhibit is still open!", Morgana confirmed.

"By the way... what is this?", Yusuke asked as he pointed at Morgana.

"A kitty.", I shrugged.

"But it's talking."

"You have a problem with that!?", Morgana hissed.

"No, not really."

"Why not?", Ryuji deadpanned.

"He's just on a different wavelength than other people.", Ann chuckled.

"Do you wish to draw me? You better bring out the best of me in that case.", Morgana said pridefully.

"Hm...", Yusuke leaned forward towards Morgana. Said cat was about to stop him from touching his fur, but Yusuke just rang the table bell. "I was thinking of ordering some black-bean jelly."

"I bet he got that idea from a "black cat"...", Ryuji muttered.

"Oh...! I didn't bring any money."

"...Never mind. He's just weird.", Ann sighed. We continued eating, then going our separate ways to finally rest. Before that, however, I went to the velvet room through Shibuya to bring the twin wardens the Persona they wanted. The wardens checked the Persona then asked me to sit down on the floor of the cell.

(Caroline -- Justine)

"It seems you brought the specified Persona. Hmph... Fine, I'll take it. By the way, your Personas are super weak... Not that I'm surprised, Inmate. Though I guess you deserve at least some praise for finishing your penal labor. You might actually complete your rehabilitation... In order to promote that process, we would like to offer you the use of a new facility."

"Thanks... I guess. Caroline, you really have a roundabout way of praise.", I rolled my eyes.

"I'll act like you didn't say that...! Also, it's rare to see you smile, Justine. You are the smiling one, Caroline. Did something happen to make you so joyful? Me...? Hey, are you laughing at us!?"

"Maybe..."

"Know your place, Inmate...! As wardens, we simply feel satisfaction in seeing your rehabilitation progress... That is the extent of it. I find it upsetting that you would see such a matter as a source of amusement. It's like you forget where you are, Inmate. You've got some real guts though! With that spirit, you should have no trouble making progress! Very well then... If you have the will to continue your penal labor, we can grant you greater freedom within this prison. It is a deal between us, the wardens, and you, the inmate. Not like you have the right to turn it down though! Hard work is what you're meant to do, Inmate!"

.'¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯'. 

| ~ CONFIDANT RANK UP! ~ | 

| ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ | 

| | | CONFIDENT: TWIN WARDENS | | | 

| STRENGTH ARCANA: RANK UP (RANK 1) |

 | | | NEW ABILITY: GROUP GUILLOTINE | | | 

| Allows you to fuse three Personas to create powerful |

 | new ones. | | | '.__________________________________________________________________________.'

"Now, it's time for your next task! We request a Shiisaa with the skill Frei. Please come talk to us again once you have it. You get how to do it now? Then stop wasting time! Just hurry up and finish the task at hand, Inmate!", I shrugged at the request, leaving the Velvet room and going back to Leblanc. I went to my room, laying on my back and staring at the ceiling. Slowly, Ezio formed above me, his wings keeping him in the air. He spoke to me in my head, even though he was right in front of me.

You have until June 2nd...

I know.

Will you go immediately?

No. Rushing won't do any of us good. Making sure everyone is physically rested, equipped and mentally prepared is important.

Smart. Keep that mentality with you, it will help you in the long run.

I felt my eyes get heavier, Ezio fading away slowly as I fell into a deep sleep.

MAY 21ST (SATURDAY 5/21)(MORNING)

The next day, on the train, I read the rest of the "ALLURING DANCER" book I borrowed.

This remind me of Ann's Persona.

They seemed to be strongly connected, yes.

-- LATER -- 

In class, Ms. Usami was lecturing us about the "beauty of math".

Whatever that means...

"It's possible to apply math even to an abstract concept like beauty. The golden ratio used in the Mona Lisa and the Parthenon is a famous example. But a different ratio has been used in Japanese art and architecture since ancient times. Do you know what it is? Now then, Koga-san. Take a look at this.", she showed some shrine floor plans. "What is the name of this ratio that Japanese architects and and artist have liked using?"

"That's the Sliver Ratio."

"Correct. You can see it's closer to a square than the golden ratio, right? One theory says it's because Asians have rounder faces than Westerners, so they prefer a similar shape. This ratio was used in things like ukiyo-e paintings and the pagodas at Horyuji Temple. One you should all be familiar with is B4-size paper. Those proportions are the silver ratio. Oh yeah, I hear that mascots that are seen as cute have faces that are close to this ratio. In other words, if you use this ratio, you can make cute things."

Huh, that makes Morgana our "mascot".

A strange mascot indeed.

MAY 21ST (SATURDAY 5/21)(AFTER SCHOOL)

After classes ended, I went to the library to return the "ALLURING DANCER" and traded it for the "GALLANT ROUGE". 

Seems like a good read.

Later on, I went to the underground mall to buy some bio nutrients for Akira's plant. As I was leaving, I spotted Ann browsing in a popular retail store. 

Hm, might as well say hi.

I went up to her and tapped her shoulder lightly. She turned and smiled at me.

"Oh, hey Rika! Just in time, I was going to go to Inokashira Park soon for a walk. Wanna come with?"

"Hm, sure. I don't mind.", with that, we left for the park. I had to admit, it was very calming to walk around there, watching nature all around us. We took a break to sit down near the pond.

"Man, big places like this are great! I think my training's going to go super great today! So, remember how I said before that I want to strengthen my heart? Well, I came up with a way to do it!"

"And that way is?"

"I think having a strong heart means you don't let anything get under your skin. So basically, I want you to say stuff to me, and I'll try not to get fazed by it!"

"What... kind of stuff?"

"We've already started! I won't let that hesitation shake me!"

Okay then... So I just say stuff to her. Can't be too hard...

"C'mon, hit me with your best shot!"

"You're... quite unique."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah! And?"

"And a hard worker."

"Uh-huh, uh-huh. What else?"

"... Can we stop yet?"

"You're giving up? That means I win! Wait... is this how the game is supposed to go? Oh well. On to round two! Bring it on!", Ann shouted out as she crouched down and put her hands on her ears. I rolled my eyes and took her hands of her covered ears.

"Not to sound rude Ann, but this won't help your heart.", Ann looked up at me and stood up slowly. I took a step back to give her some space.

"...... You know... I kinda feel like this won't make our Personas stronger."

"You're right."

"Huh, something's not right...", Ann's phone suddenly beeped, shaking her out of her thoughts. "Oh, sorry. I just got an email from my agency. The next shoot is... really far. Wait, what's this at the end? It's a notice saying to pay extra attention to the time and place they tell you. Apparently some models haven't been showing up at all lately. Then when asked why they didn't come, the models all say they heard there was a change in schedule. It sounds like shoots have been real hectic with all the scrambling they've had to do for substitutes."

"Has that ever happened to you?"

"No, I haven't missed a single shoot so far. It probably really confuses the staff to see a sub showing up too. Hopefully it doesn't happen to me... Though actually, my first modeling gig was as a sub. That was back when I was still in Finland. My parents didn't have enough models for their event. Oh, haven't I told you? My parents are both fashion designers who put on some seriously extravagant shows. They jump from country to country, so I only really see them for half of the year. ...Maybe less these days."

"Hm, that freedom sounds nice."

"Yeah, I guess I can afford to be pretty relaxed these days. Plus it would probably be tough being a phantom thief with my parents around, don't you think? It was rough when I was little though... It was just me and our live-in caretaker. I didn't really have any friends... Wow, that got dark fast...! Ahaha... Honestly, when I'm modeling... it almost feels like I'm connecting with my parents somehow. It's a nice hobby to have... but I don't think I'd want to make a living out of it. After all, that's where Kamoshida first spotted me... and that's how our class started those rumors... Besides, the Phantom Thieves are more important to me right now. Nobody can be my substitute there... That's why I need to get stronger!"

"I'm sure you will..."

.'¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯'.
| ~ CONFIDANT RANK UP! ~ |
| ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ |
| |
| CONFIDENT: ANN TAKAMAKI |
| |
| LOVERS ARCANA: RANK UP (RANK 3) |
| |
| NEW ABILITY: FOLLOW UP |
| |
| Chance to perform a follow-up attack if Joker's attack |
| does not down the enemy. |
| |
'.__________________________________________________________________________.'

"When I was little, I used to watch this anime where the main villain was this female thief. She'd lose to the hero every time, but I always thought she was cool. She wasn't really a "good" person per se... But she was beautiful, strong, sincere, and even sexy. She always said whatever she wanted, did whatever she wanted... She knew what justice was for her. I... wanted to grow up to be just like her someday. I hope I'm getting closer now, if only just a little bit. Well, see you later."

"See ya.", I waved at Ann and left the park, back to Leblanc. I went upstairs and added the bio nutrients to Akira's plant. Afterwards, I went downstairs to help Sojiro. After teaching me a few things about coffee, I went to bed.

MAY 22ND (SUNDAY 5/22)(MORNING)

Today is a free day, so I can do a bit more stuff today.

I first turned on the TV and ordered a few things from the TV shopping program. Afterwards, I invited Akira to try some of the healthy aojiru I was getting from the underground mall. We both ordered a cup each, but Akira looked a little put off by the smell.

"Do... I have to drink this?"

"All you drink is soda and coffee, you need something to clean all that gunk out."

"But--"

"When was the last time you drank anything healthy? Scratch that, when was the last time you drank water?"

"..."

"Exactly, now drink it.", Akira looked back down at the drink, sighing and chugging it down in one go. His face scrunched up in disgust, throwing the empty cup away. 

"How do you drink this stuff, sis?"

"With my nose closed.", I said as I plugged my nose and drank it all.

"You could have told me that..."

"It's to refine your pallet."

"Well, you haven't refined your pallet!"

"I already tried this in its raw form, I know what it tastes like. You can do it like I did next time... If you even bother to drink it again. I have to drag you here just to try it again and get some nutrients in your body."

"Does that mean you *do* care about my health...~?"

"... I'm off to visit Takemi. I'll drop you off if you want."

"Heh, nah. I got some stuff to do. Have fun with Miss Goth Doc!", with that, Akira left to do his own thing. I made my way back to Yongen, visiting the clinic to have another trial.  After finishing the examination, Takemi turned to me with her clipboard in hand.

"OK, that's all for today. If you're feeling OK, you can go home now.", just then, the phone rand. Takemi picked it up and put it to her ear. "Hello, Doctor Takemi's Clinic for Internal Medicine ...What? Again? That's, well... that ship's already sailed, so...", she hung up and sighed. "*sigh*... what a pain. You remember that girl from the other day? The Chief of Staff Oyamada's patient? Her dad's been bringing her here to be treated, even though I referred them to another hospital. I even told them about the medical error I made..."

"They seem to trust you."

"I'm just a quack though... The medical error was well documented. Everyone in my field knows about it. I led the development of a new drug for an incurable illness called "Crawford-Ende's disease." Although I wasn't the one who administered the medicine, it was the cause of the error. With Crawford-Ende's, certain cells indiscriminately attack other cells throughout the body. When it reaches the muscles, the patient slowly begins to die... There hasn't been much progress made on it-- partly because there haven't been many cases of it. I worked with a pharmaceutical company that had reached the final stage of production, but... One day, I was suddenly removed from my position. That Chief of Staff Oyamada, my superior at the time, took over the entire operation. I don't know if he wanted the glory of developing a new drug or to become rich and famous, but... He made careless mistakes and rushed completion so he could use it on a patient named Miwa. Miwa-chan had a reaction and lapsed into critical condition. The chief panicked and laid the blame on me. Miwa-chan and her family resented me... ...No matter what I said, I couldn't change how they felt about me."

"I... had no idea."

So this is what led to her "Plague" nickname...

"Well, that doesn't matter... The development of the medicine was suspended, so I had no reason to stay at that hospital. At least now I can keep working as a general practitioner, on my own terms... with my guinea pig. That's the new medicine I've been trying out on you. This version is in the final stage of testing. It searches for those cells that take the offensive and destroys them upon detection. That's why it's harmless for people who don't have the disease... probably."

"Well that's... good."

That's the nicest way I can put it without getting a needle in the eye.

"You have a lot of faith in me. Thank you, my little guniea pig. You'd better not flake on me this late in the game. I'm inching closer to the finish line, but I need your help to reach it. In exchange, I can offer you medicine at a special price. I'm counting on you, guinea pig."

.'¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯'.
| ~ CONFIDANT RANK UP! ~ |
| ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ |
| |
| CONFIDENT: BACK-ALLEY DOCTOR |
| |
| DEATH ARCANA: RANK UP (RANK 5) |
| |
| NEW ABILITY: IMMUNIZATION |
| |
| Adds support items to the inventory at the clinic. |
| |
'.__________________________________________________________________________.'

"Now, what should I do about that girl and her dad? Being mean and scaring them hasn't worked. It's been a while since I've had to deal with this kind of nuisance. It's stressing me out. Oh, sorry, that's all I wanted to talk to you about. You can go home now.", before I left, I bought a bunch of medicine and left for Leblanc. I dropped the stuff and got ready to meet up with the politician, Yoshida.

I met with him in Shibuya as he was preparing for his speech. I agreed to help with holding the placard again.

"Passing on the societal ills we have created to the next generation... Is not right! It will take time to solve this problem. However, we must start by making small changes!", after the speech, Yoshida came up to me with a kind smile.

"I hope you gleaned something useful from today's speech. Regardless of the audience's size, you must convey your thoughts as if you're talking one-on-one. By the way, I forgot to ask you last time we spoke. Why do you want to become a politician?"

"I... would like to improve my speech."

"Haha... So you're a pragmatist. Most people nowadays are But that mentality of taking action is the quality of a good politician. May I ask you one more question? What kind of politician do you want to be?"

"Hm, I would like to be one with conviction."

"Yes, don't ever forget that. Although, what's important is what lies within ...Allow me to give you some advice. If you aspire to get into politics, you must possess a central philosophy. What is it that you want to accomplish...? That is the foundation of a great speech. You'd do well to remember that."

"That... was very helpful. I haven't had solid advice like that since..."

"Hm? Since what, if you don't mind me asking?"

"... Since my parents were around, is all."

"I see... Well, I am glad to be of help to you. By the way, my philosophy is... Never give up until your voice is heard...! To get your message across, be tenacious in conveying your thoughts to the audience. Have a firm point of view, and communicate it clearly—that's the first rule of negotiating. Haha! You have me reliving the fighting spirit I had when I first became a politician."

.'¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯'.
| ~ CONFIDANT RANK UP! ~ |
| ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ |
| |
| CONFIDENT: MAN OF THE PEOPLE |
| |
| SUN ARCANA: RANK UP (RANK 2) |
| |
| NEW ABILITY: DIPLOMACY |
| |
| Occasionally ask for more money or items during |
| negotiations. |
| |
'.__________________________________________________________________________.'

Out of nowhere, a young man came up and started yelling.

"Get the hell outta here, No-Good Tora!", the man left, leaving Yoshida slightly shaken up.

"Are you okay, Yoshida-san?"

"They're right... I am no good... Ah, my apologies. We're done for today. Thank you for all your hard work. I'll see you next time.", with that, Yoshida dismissed me. I sighed and went back to Leblanc to rest up.

MAY 23RD (MONDAY 5/23)(MORNING)

Ms. Chouno was droning on about art, making my head hurt.

"Madarame, the maestro of the art world... Artists with that good of an eye are rare in Japan. I wonder if he has synesthesia. Yes, regarding synesthesia... One of many English terms that comes from Greek root words. Haven't you heard of it? It's a condition where your senses can cross over each other, like seeing music as color. Miss Koga. You were staring off into space, weren't you? Well, your number's up. The root words of synesthesia are "syn" and "aisthesis." What do they mean?"

"Uh, it's "Together" and "Senses"..."

"Good! You've been studying! Unfortunately, synesthesia's something you have to be born with... You can't learn it. Some of the geniuses over the course of history have had synesthesia. The composer Franz Liszt instructed his orchestra to play the color purple. The poet Arthur Rimbaud was also said to see colors in letters. Seeing colors in sounds and letters, and feeling shapes in flavors and numbers... Geniuses and common people see the world differently. Were you able to understand that?"

Geniuses and common people... I wonder if it's because of their intellect?

I think it's that all humans see the world differently than others, that's the way of life, Young Assassin.

MAY 23RD (MONDAY 5/23)(AFTER SCHOOL)

During the day, I went to work at the Convenience store, getting some info for a mementos request. During the evening, I bought some SP drinks from the vending machine then had a nice bath at the bathhouse.

MAY 24TH (TUESDAY 5/24)(MORNING)

On the train, I read some of the "GALLANT ROUGE", finding the story very interesting.

MAY 24TH (TUESDAY 5/24)(AFTER SCHOOL)

I met up with Ann, who texted me saying she wanted to see me at the park. I made my way there, finding her there watching the ducks.

"Oh, look at those ducks over there! They must be a family! This place is seriously amazing. It's not even that far from Shibuya, but it feels so different here. You know, Tokyo is so strange. There are tons of people and tons of stores, yet there are still duck-filled parks here too. It has everything... but it feels like I can't understand any of it. It's honestly kinda scary."

"I know what you mean, to an extent."

"Oh, right. You only just moved here, Rika. When I first got here, I had a super tough time adjusting. It's so crowded, and everyone walks really fast... almost like they're angry or something. Even at school, I was only ever the "foreigner." Nobody really know me; they just spread rumors. I thought maybe my looks were the problem. I even considered dyeing my hair black to match everyone else... But that was when Shiho talked to me. The first thing she said was, "Takamaki-san, your paintings suck." "

"Heh, that's actually pretty funny."

"I thought she was just making fun of me like everyone else, but that wasn't her intention. According to her, they were so bad that she just HAD to tell me. Pretty mean, huh? Still, that was the first time someone here talked to me without mentioning my looks. We sorta just grew closer after that... and Shiho's been my best friend ever since. That's not why we're here though! There's something else I need to talk to you about! Do you remember what I told you the last time we came here? About that female thief in the anime I used to watch? Well, I thought of something!"

"Well then, tell me."

"*giggle* It's gonna knock your socks off! You know how the villians in those shows are always going on about world domination? Well, even though they get beaten by the heroes every time, they never give up. That means they must have really solid hearts... And that's why I'm going to try and learn from them!"

"That's... a pretty good idea, actually."

"Right? So I've decided... I'm gonna star in action movies!"

"Well, uh, good luck with that."

"Thanks! Your support really helps! All right, I'm making this my ultimate goal for the future. You know, I've never really thought much about what I wanted to do in life... but now I have an objective! And that only happened because of talking to you, Rika! Thanks!"

"I didn't do much... but your welcome anyways."

.'¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯'. | ~ CONFIDANT RANK UP! ~ | | ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ | | | | CONFIDENT: ANN TAKAMAKI | | | | LOVERS ARCANA: RANK UP (RANK 4) | | | | NEW ABILITY: N/A | | | '.__________________________________________________________________________.'

"Well, if I want to be in action movies, I'll need to work on my actions! I wonder how many sit-ups I'll have to do... Wait, Ryuji said he knows a good gym! I should ask him for advice! Oh, ad I need to tell Shiho that I have a new goal! She'll definitely be happy to hear that!"

"I bet she will... Anyways, I have to go back and rest, it's getting late.", with a goodbye, I went back to Leblanc. After making some coffee for myself, I went to bed.

MAY 25TH (WEDNESDAY 5/25)(AFTER SCHOOL)

I was going to meet up with Takemi, finding her outside talking to an old woman.

(Old woman -- Takemi)

"... Thank you, dear. This is my favorite handkerchief."

" ...It was right in front of me, so..."

"Oh my! You're a shy one, aren't you?"

"I-I'm not shy."

Hm, this behavior reminds me of a certain someone...~

Oi, quiet.

"My neighbor speaks highly of you. She says your medicines are better than those at the big hospitals. It's very reassuring to have such a distinguished doctor right here in town. I'll see you again soon."

"*sigh... what the heck?"

"You seem annoyed.", I muttered.

"...Thanks to you. There's a lot of talk going around town about me, started by that girl and her dad... Apparently, they've been telling everyone that I can make all these amazing medicines and remedies. So now the number of patients I'm seeing has increased dramatically. I don't know what some of these people are thinking though. I've had a lot of crazy requests. Like, yesterday a patient requested a "sweet-smelling" compress. And the other day, I had a request for a "cold-buster." Ha! A drug like that deserves a Nobel Prize. Other requests have included hair and skin tonics... I even had to do a consultation about a cat... Sheesh. It's not like I'm some kind of genius doctor."

"You ARE a genius, Takemi."

"... No. This is all interfering with my development. I'm only interested in completing my new drug. That's my role as the Plague. I'm not suited for all this other stuff."

"It suits you though..."

"What...? Really...?... Well, you're entitled to your opinion. But a "town doctor," huh...? That sort of lifestyle profession might've been possible for me at one time, but now... ...... Oh yeah, about those clinical trials... With so many new patients, it's taking longer to analyze the data, so I'll need to catch up. This is a bit on the stronger side, but I'm sure you'll be OK."

.'¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯'.
| ~ CONFIDANT RANK UP! ~ |
| ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ |
| |
| CONFIDENT: BACK-ALLEY DOCTOR |
| |
| DEATH ARCANA: RANK UP (RANK 6) |
| |
| NEW ABILITY: N/A |
| |
'.__________________________________________________________________________.'

"It looks like that girl is going to make a full recovery. The treatment seems to be a good match for her. So at least I can breathe a little easier, for now. ...Hopefully she'll be able to attend school soon. Well then, let's have some fun.", Takemi then made me go through some shady trials. After making it home, I got a text from Ryuji that his investigation on the teachers. He told me to go to Tsukishima Monja, inside a restaurant. The two teachers were sitting in a table right next to me, so I called Ryuji to see where he was.

"Sorry, but I'm gonna be hiding in the bathroom. Please, Maaku! Just leave your phone on so I can hear what they're saying.", I sighed and left it open.

(Yamauchi -- Fellow teacher)

"Wow, you really hold your liquor, Yamauchi."

"Mmm, I've had some experience. Back in my college days, we'd rent a yacht for the weekend and have massive parties. I must say though... the sake's been tasting particularly sweet today."

"No surprise there. Things have been much calmer without Kamoshida. Those were some real dark times for Shujin though, huh? But now that he's gone, you finally get the chance you deserve, Yamauchi!"

" Don't flatter me, haha. He had his strengths, sure... but because of him, our volleyball team will be forever scarred. The only real option now is to abandon it completely. There has to be a way to bring Shujin back into the limelight though. That's where I come in..."

"You mean with the track team, right?"

"The students who went through so much hardship under Kamoshida rise again with a caring new advisor... It'll be the rebirth of a team that found themselves in the depths of despair... The public will love it. Despite my lack of track and field knowledge, I'll form a tight bond with the students... I'll be the protagonist of my very own tear-jerker... And of course all the praise for reviving them will go to me, their incredible, loving advisor. I'll have to hire a great coach if I want to pull this off though."

"So you're gonna pretend to coach them while someone else does all the legwork? Amazing, Yamauchi!"

"Such stunning achievements will look great when it's time to hand out bonuses... But I'm not gonna stop there either... I'll publish books, give motivational speeches..."

"What about all the troublemakers on the team? I've heard that Nakaoka kid is especially bad."

"Nakaoka...? Oh, you mean the one who asked them to bring the pre-Kamoshida coach back? Don't worry, I've already taken care of him... There's this other boy on the team... Takeishi. Doesn't really excel in much of anything. Well, I said I would make him the new captain if he could get rid of that troublemaker Nakaoka. I might've mentioned something about how Nakaoka was working with Kamoshida too... ...Subtly, of course."

"And? What ended up happening?"

"Apparently, Takeishi chased him away... The plan worked perfectly! And the best part is, not only are Takeishi's parents loaded, but his mother's the president of the PTA."

"I see... He'd make a great pawn!"

"Perhaps, but a nothing like him could never captain a successful championship-winning team. He may have to have an unfortunate "accident" at practice one day. But until then, he can show the others the value of obedience."

"Hehehe... You're incredible!", the two men paid then left. Ryuji walked out of the bathroom seething.

"That effin' asshole! If we don't do something quick, Yamauchi's gonna get rid of Takeishi, too... God dammit!"

"Maybe we can talk Takeishi?"

"Yeah. This isn't ain't our problem. It's the track team's. So... they're just gonna have to decide on their own. Y'know, track ain't a team sport. At least, sprintin' wasn't. You've got teammates, sure... but you're really just lookin' out for your own time. That's why I never thought about askin' people for help or tryin' to solve our problems together. But... I can't ignore the stuff they're goin' through now. I mean, even though we had our own goals n' shit... We were still runnin' together. They suffered with me, gritted their teeth with me... Honestly, I think it was only 'cause of them I was able to run at all. So I can't just go and turn my back on 'em, right? I know that ain't the coolest thing to say, but it's how I feel."

"I... think it's cool, Ryuji."

"H-Huh...? For real? Thanks, Rika!", Ryuji's grin was wide, so warm. I felt my heart leap unexpectedly.

"N-No problem..."

.'¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯'.
| ~ CONFIDANT RANK UP! ~ |
| ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ |
| |
| CONFIDENT: RYUJI SAKAMOTO |
| |
| CHARIOT ARCANA: RANK UP (RANK 7) |
| |
| NEW ABILITY: INSTA-KILL |
| |
| Chance to instantly win a battle after a successful |
| ambush. |
| |
'.__________________________________________________________________________.'

"Anyways, I'm starvin'! Let's eat some monja while we're here. Right now all I've seen of this place is the goddamn toilet! Thanks for hangin' with me, Rika.", with that, we ate monja together and left to hit the hay.

MAY 26TH (THURSDAY 5/26)(MORNING)

Miss Kawakami was talking about essays today, boring me to tears.

"Sometimes I see people writing the exact same things on their essays. Don't think you can get away with copying stuff from some website. I'll know. Got it? Stealing someone's ideas is plagiarism. It's as much of a crime as stealing anything else. It's so annoying dealing with copyright crap these days... Oh yeah, did you know this? So, you know how Sir Arthur Conan Doyle has the famous character Sherlock Holmes? One time, another author used Holmes in his own story without permission, and Doyle protested. Now then... Koga-chan. What was the name of the other famous novel that Sherlock Holmes appeared in?"

"Arsene Lupin, Gentleman Burglar..."

"Oh, do you like mystery novels? You're right. It's the ultimate showdown between the gentleman thief and the famous detective. But afterward, Maurice Leblanc—the author of the Lupin series—changed Sherlock's name in his books. He changed it to "Herlock Sholmes." He just moved the S to the start of his last name. Both Lupin and Holmes would go on to appear in a number of other works... But those were homages, not plagiarism. Now, Arsene Lupin is synonymous with the idea of a "phantom thief." He's recognized all over the world."

Have you ever been documented, Ezio?

I have never seen my name spoken or written, so I did my job as an assassin well... Also, you seem to have improved your Knowledge a bit, you seem to have Learned more.

Thanks...

MAY 26TH (THURSDAY 5/26)(AFTER SCHOOL)

After school, Ann insisted I go with her to visit Shiho. It seemed personal, but she was adamant I go with her, so I did. We stopped by a crepe store as Ann looked over all the options from a distance.

"Hey, I have some big news...! The double sream from that famous crepe shop is half off right now! Oh, but I probably can't take a crepe into the hospital, huh... I... really want one though... Do you think maybe Shiho would want one too?"

"Eh, I guess you should just give it up. Another time, maybe?"

"R-Right... It might be half off... but I should try to control myself... Shiho might have rehab today too. They probably wouldn't even let her eat it. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention—Shiho started her physical rehab. She pushed it up ahead of schedule. I think it's because I told her about how I want to get stronger. She said she was gonna start working hard too... I haven't actually seen any of her rehab sessions yet though...", Ann's phone suddenly rang. She picked it up with confusion in her eyes."Oh, hold on. What? Now!? Uhhh, that's not good! Sorry, something just came up! That was from my agency. One of the models didn't show for a magazine shoot they're doing. They're looking to wrap soon, so I'm gonna head over now to fill in. ...It's pretty close though. Wanna come with? Actually, let's just go! I'll race you there!", with that, Ann and I ran to the pre-shoot, finding a few camera men with a woman with long brown hair wearing a light blue pencil dress. She came up to Ann with a smile.

"Ann-senpai! I'm sooo pumped to get to work with you today. After I saw you in last year's show, I just... *sniff* Oh, I think I'm gonna cry..."

"U-Um, it really wasn't a big deal... That fashion show was tiny..."

"By the way, I'm Mika. And please, no honorifics. I might be older, but you have loads more experience, Ann-senpai."

"All right, M-Mika... Haha, it feels a little weird saying it like that... Oh, and you don't need to use "senpai" with me. A-Anyway, uh... it's nice to meet you?"

"Likewise, Ann-chan. *giggle* You're so nice. Hey, can you teach me how to be a better model? You know, your everyday routines, stretches..."

"Routines? You mean like... singing in the shower...?"

"O-Oh, is that all you do...? Then, what kinda stuff do you eat? I've been looking all over for a place to import some organic green almonds... Plus I'm getting suuuper tired of eating quinoa. Do I need to like, boil it in hard water or something?"

"Um, almonds? I only ever eat those when they're covered in chocolate... and hard water? Isn't it kinda tough to boil ice...?"

"...... Do you weigh yourself?"

"Oh, of course! Once a year for the health examinations at school."

This is... going well?

Hardly.

You are impressively bad at this.

"...... So... you're gonna keep it all a secret from me, huh? I get it. I guess it's hard trusting someone you just met..."

"Th-That's not it! I just don't really think about that stuff...! It has nothing to do with not trusting you. It's more that modeling is like a hobby for me."

"...What? Ann-senpai, that's so horrible...! What do you mean you don't care about modeling for these guys!?"

Wait, what!?

"... You said that, Ann-chan?", the two camera men came by to see what was going on.

"I love this magazine! Everyone tries so hard to make sure their product is the best...!"

"Mika-chan, just calm down. Don't worry, we all know that you're giving it your all here."

"But... you guys work so much harder than me... and I'm still the one getting comforted... *sniff*"

"Hey, that is *not* what happened!", I stated, my gaze cold.

"No need to defend her, little lady, we can handle this."

"Like hell you can! That Mika chick just lied!"

"H-How could you say that! I didn't!"

"I-It's okay, Rika. I'll take care of this...", Ann muttered.

"Ann-chan, the truth is, we had both you and Mika-chan come down as substitutes for our missing model. We wanted both of you on the cover, but if you're not really interested..."

"H-Hey. I didn't--!"

"Don't worry, I... I can do it alone! I read the concept docs on my way here... *sniff*... Heh."

"You faker...!"

"Y-You're so mean, Ann-chan...! Do you really hate me that much!?"

"Keep it civil, you two. Anyway, you good to go, Mika-chan? Sorry about all this, Ann-chan. We won't be needing you today. We'll reimburse your transportation expenses though, and even throw in a little extra for your trouble."

"But...", the magazine staff left, leaving the two of us there alone. "I really screwed that up..."

"I hate to say it but... her acting is amazing."

"Yeah... But maybe it's because deep down, I'm not actually that invested in modeling... She sees straight through that. Anyway, I totally ruined the shoot... But still, wasn't Mika's fake crying pretty incredible?"

"It had grace..."

"Oh, maybe that's what I'm missing...! I-I dunno though, I think I'm pretty good at fake crying myself. I know the perfect technique."

"And how do you do that?"

"Listen carefully... The key is... you don't actually cry!"

...Okay then, pretty anti-climactic.

"I mean, that's why it's called "fake"..."

"Either way, I think I'll be able to use that ability to our advantage in the Metaverse! I'll turn my failure today into positive energy going forward!"

.'¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯'.
| ~ CONFIDANT RANK UP! ~ |
| ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ |
| |
| CONFIDENT: ANN TAKAMAKI |
| |
| LOVERS ARCANA: RANK UP (RANK 5) |
| |
| NEW ABILITY: CROCODILE TEARS |
| |
| Chance to force enemies to ask for less during |
| negotiations. |
| |
'.__________________________________________________________________________.'

"Speaking of the Metaverse... I'm gonna try super hard in my work with the Phantom Thieves too! But for now, I should go stop by and see Shiho at the hospital. Thanks for today! Bye!", I left Ann so she could see Shiho in peace, going back to Leblanc. I answered a few TV program quizzes then went straight to the bathhouse to relax.

CHAPTER 27, END!

(A/N: Going to infiltrate next chapter, YEET!!)