6/23

I was called on to answer what position this woman named Joan had, and the answer was a pope. After school, Ren decided to get everyone together so we could send out the calling card.

At the subway, Ryuji and Makoto met up.

Makoto:"Oh, Ryuji--hello."

Ryuji:"Ah-- Hey, Makoto!"

Makoto:"Hm? Is something wrong?"

Ryuji:"Nah, nah, it's nothin'..."

Makoto:"Well, it definitely doesn't seem like it's "nothin'" to you..."

Ryuji:"Uhh, so... I've been doin' a little thinkin', and... How do I put it... I guess I was thinkin' about comin' up with a new move--like a special tag-team move, kinda thing. So, I got this idea while playin' a video game, and... it's a move that's gonna need your help..."

Makoto:"My help?"

Ryuji"Know what? Never mind. I just saw something like it in the game and thought it looked cool... When I try to say it out loud, it seems too insane...

Makoto:"Insane, huh? So, in other words, you may have come across a special attack that outclasses any of our previous moves?"

Ryuji:"I wha...?"

Makoto:"Why don't you tell me your idea? By the way you described it, it must be a pretty good one."

Ryuji:"Uh, alright... Just... don't get mad at me, okay?"

Ryuji explained his idea to her.

Makoto:"I... see..."

Ryuji:"Heh, so stupid, right?! Yeah, I was just jokin'! Haha... Please forget what I said."

Makoto:"...That could work."

Ryuji:"Yeah, that could work-- Wait, what?"

Makoto:"But, if we're going to do this, we'll have to push ourselves harder than ever before. Think you can keep up?"

Ryuji:"Yes, ma'am! We're gonna show 'em the real meaning of pain!"

Makoto:"We should probably get going now, though. I wouldn't want to make everyone else wait."

Ryuji:"Yeah!"

We all met up at the hideout soon enough.

Makoto:"All that's left is the calling card, right? We should send it."

Yusuke:"I would agree, but it will not be an easy task this time."

Ann:"Yeah, nobody actually knows him..."

Ryuji:"There's so goddamn much I wanna write on the calling card too..."

He let out a sigh before perking up.

Ryuji:"Ren, (Y/n)! Get this, I was talking with Makoto earlier and we came up with this insane move!"

"Insane in a good way or in a bad way?"

Makoto:"Not necessarily in a bad way... It's a but difficult to explain with words alone."

Ryuji:"Don't worry, I'll take care of explaining! Alright, so the plan is..."

Ryuji told us the plan for his team attack with Makoto, which caused the star Jose gave us to shine. Seems like Ryuji and Makoto can use a Showtime Attack. With that aside, Ren decided to send the calling card.

Yusuke:"Now the question is, how do we deliver the calling card to him...?"

Ann:"Yeah, we don't know where he lives..."

Makoto:"Hm? Why not use the same method as before?"

We all looked at her questioningly as she had an idea in mind. She took Ryuji with her to deliver the calling card so we let them be and all went back home.

6/24

We were at the hideout as Makoto and Ryuji had posted the calling card all the city.

Ren:"Is everyone ready?"

All:"Yeah!"

"Then let's do this!"

When we got to the Palace, we went straight for the underground vault. We used the massive elevator to reach the treasure room where we saw Shadow Kaneshiro waiting for us with some grunts.

Ryuji:"What the hell?!"

A massive safe was blocking off the treasure.

Morgana:"He changed the entire room so quickly... Tch, I guess this Palace isn't a bank for nothing."

S. Kaneshiro:"Greetings. Welcome to my private city bank. I'm surprised you made it here alive. It seems you're quite lucky."

"Luck? Pfft, it's our skill that brought us here."

Ryuji:"We're gonna change your heart and make you confess everything you've done. That'll save all those people who're suffering 'cause of your shitty actions. Even the police are struggling to deal with you, so this'll make the public believe in us too!"

S. Kaneshiro:"Those in power work the ones below them to the bone for money. Such is the hierarchy of the world. Just accept your fate as a source of my wealth!"

Yusuke:"We'll never agree to that!"

Ann:"And hierarchy? You have to be out of your mind."

S. Kaneshiro:"All of that was forced on me too, you know! I went through shit until I crawled my way out the dregs! Now it's my turn to profit on everyone else!"

Ann:"Still! Don't you think you're getting back at the wrong people?"

Makoto:"What a pitiful man."

S. Kaneshiro:"It doesn't matter whether you're clean or dirty! Only the clever come out on top! The strong and the smart devour the weak. That is the natural order of things. You damn brats who think you know the world through the shit you read online will make the perfect prey."

Makoto:"Hmph. He is utterly hopeless."

S. Kaneshiro:"It's always the fools who get tricked! Fools who gave to pay for their foolishness. And if those fools don't learn, well they have to suck it up and stay as plain, stupid fools!"

"God, this dude just loves to yap, doesn't he?"

S. Kaneshiro:"I guess there's not much point saying anything to you fools! This is where my gracious lecture ends. Now then, I hope you're ready to work as slaves here for the rest of your lives."

Yusuke:"That's outrageous!"

S. Kaneshiro: *snicker* "I'm gonna swarm all over you... and squeeze out every last penny!"

His body began to convulse as wings sprouted out his back, and his eyes became that of a fly.



"That's just disgusting."

Makoto:"You filthy fly on dirty money... Get the hell out of my face!"

Shadow Kaneshiro just laughed at us before we began the fight. He opened the massive safe before jumping into a massive machine he called the Piggytron. 



Ryuji:"Seriously? That dude is just gonna hide in that thing?!"

"He's bitch-made; what did you expect? I guess we have no other choice to beat him out of there! It's been a minute, but let's do this!"

I roared as my body was bathed in a green light that flashed outwards and I had fully transformed into Four Arms.



Ann:"Four Arms!"

"Heh, I haven't used this since the Kamoshida fight. So you'll all have to excuse me if I'm a little rusty."

I flexed all of my muscles before cracking my knuckles.

"Give it your best shot you disgusting gnat!"

He shot missiles at us, but I managed to grab onto them and turned them so they changed their trajectory before letting go. They flew right back at the Piggytron and dealt decent damage.

Ryuji:"Haha! That's Omni for ya!"

"Thanks Kaneshiro, that really worked out my wrists and shoulders. I feel warmed up now! So let me show you my attack!"

I charged forward and released a barrage of punches towards Piggytron which created massive dents and plenty of damage to boot. 

"Your turn, guys!"

Ren, Makoto, and Ann used their strongest attacks to deal damage towards Piggytron and soon enough, Kaneshiro stepped out to stand right on it.

Morgana:"What's he planning?"

He then started to kick his legs forward which caused Piggytron to slowly rotate forward.

Morgana:"Oh no! He's going for a massive attack by rolling right at you all! You better keep your guards up!"

Makoto:"This could be bad. Joker, what do you wanna do?"

He then turned his attention to me.

Ren:"Omni, do you think you can stop the Piggytron in its tracks?"

"I could certainly try."

Ren:"Then if you wouldn't mind."

Makoto:"Are you sure about this?"

"Yeah! Leave it to Four Arms!"

Kaneshiro let it roll as I stood several feet ahead of the others and spread my arms out.

"Come on... Hit me. Hit me, hit me. Hit me! HIT ME!"

Kaneshiro crashed into me with Piggytron as I used my four hands to grip against the round surface. My fingers dug into the metal as I was getting pushed back bit by bit.

I grit my teeth before yelling out in defiance and fully stopped the Piggytron.

S. Kaneshiro:"No! How?"

I lifted it over my head and shook Kaneshiro off.

S. Kaneshiro:"Hey! Put that down, dammit!"

"Sure thing, bud."

I smirked before tossing Piggytron straight across the room and watched it crash harshly into a wall before shutting down completely. Shadow Kaneshiro growled in annoyance before summoning two bodyguards. They were also fly-like creatures. One of them had two riot shields and the other had a baton. When we tried to attack, the riot shield fly would block our attacks to reduce damage so we had to figure out a way around that. Makoto decided we should put them to sleep.

We used items and Ann's skills to put them to sleep so we could land technical hits on them. We eliminated the guards, and all that was left was Kaneshiro. He made it rain as gold coins fell on us doing what felt like an arbitrary amount of damage. He tried it again, but he was all out. Joker attacked him once more, which made Kaneshiro keel over a bit.

Joker was looking a little rough, so Makoto decided it was time for a Showtime Attack.



That finished off Kaneshiro as he tried to retreat into his Piggytron, but it blew up on him. With the battle over, Kaneshiro was resting against massive bars of gold.

Makoto:"Kaneshiro!"

S. Kaneshiro:"I'm not gonna let anyone have it... This is my money..."

Makoto:"You stole it all from innocent people!"

S. Kaneshiro:"Fine! I'll call off the debt..."

Ryuji:"Fine? You're still soundin' pretty condescendin'."

S. Kaneshiro:"You're right. I'm a poor, ugly idiot. How am I supposed to live a normal life like this? It's all because of our society! Weak people can't lead a happy life, no matter what they do! I'm a victim too, you know?! Yeah, none of this is my fault!"

Yusuke:"The more you talk, the more pathetic you sound."

S. Kaneshiro:"I just wanted a place where I could belong! You get that, don't you?!"

Ann:"Bullshit! All you did was surround yourself with people you could use, solely for some easy money!"

Ryuji:"And you think you're the only one who's gotta deal with bein' labeled? Me... and all these other guys... We're all fightin' against that!"

Makoto:"But don't worry. You'll finally have a place you belong. Somewhere you can make amends, for the rest of your life."

Ryuji:"We're gonna do somethin' about that distorted heart of yours. Free of charge."

He turned around and faced us.

Yusuke:"I'm glad you understand. Now hurry up and return to the real Kaneshiro."

S. Kaneshiro:"Seriously? You guys don't have any tact. Especially with that incredible power... These Palaces could net you loads of cash! You could do whatever you wanted to people's hearts!"

"We're not like you!"

S. Kaneshiro:"Where do you find meaning in that naïve sense of justice? You know, there's someone out there taking full advantage of what Palaces have to offer..."

"Come again?"

S. Kaneshiro:"I'll let you in on a little something... There's a criminal using other people's Palaces to accomplish whatever they damn well please. They don't care about consequences. Psychotic breakdowns, mental shutdowns... Anything goes."

Yusuke:"Is that... the same person Madarame's Shadow spoke of?"

Ryuji:"Spill it! Who're you talkin' about?!"

S. Kaneshiro: *snicker* "Don't even bother. You are nothing compared to them... Better be careful... A chance encounter with them could prove fatal..."

He soon disappeared as the Palace began to crumble. Ann threw Morgana, who turned into the Mona Mobile as Ryuji, Yusuke, and I loaded up some of the gold bars into the back. We managed to escape just in time. However, we jumped out into a crowded area. We grabbed the golden briefcase that was supposedly Kaneshiro's treasure and Morgana before retreating to LeBlanc.

Makoto opened the briefcase, and inside of it was 30 million yen. However, the money was produced by Children's Bank as the portrait contained Kaneshiro's face. Since the money was fake, we opted to just sell the briefcase itself.

6/25

Makoto told Ren that her sister had Kaneshiro in custody, and he also called off the debt and deleted the pictures of us at the club.

I didn't do much apart from heading to the gym and working out at home.

6/26

I went over to the clinic to hang with Takemi.

We were outside as an old lady was thanking Takemi.

Old lady:"Thank you, dear. This is my favorite handkerchief."

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

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

Takemi:"I-I'm not shy."

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

With that, she left.

Takemi: *sigh* "What the heck?"

"You seem annoyed."

Takemi:"Yeah, thanks to you."

"What?! Me?!"

Takemi:"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."

I smirked and looked at her.

"Having fun?"

She immediately glared at me.

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."

"I think it suits you."

Takemi:"What?! Really? ...Well, you're entitled to your opinion. But a "town doctor," huh? That sort of lifestyle might've been possible for me at one time, but now..."

She looked away wistfully before turning back to me.

Takemi:"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 okay."

I felt our bond growing even more.

Takemi:"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."

I couldn't help but smile at her which seemed to garner her attention.

Takemi:"What are you so happy about? Are you excited for your next clinical trial? Well then, let's have some fun."

Oh shit...

I left after the trial and when I got home, she called me.

Takemi:"How's my little guinea pig doing after the catch-up drug? I know it was probably a lot to handle. Considering I doubled the dosage and halved the activation time... But we're so close. We're right at the end of all this--I can feel it. I'll need you to stick around just a little bit longer. I hope you can handle it."

"Anything for you."

Takemi:"Wow, so devoted. I figured you'd have given up by now. I couldn't ask for a better guinea pig. Heh... I'm sure I'll find some way to compensate you. Well, I've got some catching up to do. I have to process today's data as quickly as possible. Make sure to call of you ever feel sick, okay? Take care."

That evening, Ryuji texted the group asking about the other students at Yusuke's school. He brought up a female shogi player by the name of Hifumi Togo. Ryuji wanted to meet her, but she hangs out at a church, and Ann joked about Ryuji being struck by lightning if he went there for an ulterior motive. Ryuji then asked Ren to spy on her, but he declined and pawned it off on me.

Ren then got us together to play some darts.

6/27

I had to answer a question about what animal is mentioned in the idiom about rain and the answer was dogs. After school I went to visit Maruki.

Maruki:"Well, today's just going to be another back-and-forth as usual... Or will it?! Today's your lucky day! Please take a look at what's on this table!"

I looked down and saw a drink and several snacks.

Maruki:"I've been making you listen to all this tough stuff about traumas, pain, and grief lately, so... I found these cookies in an underground mall! Now we can have a little break! They're kind of fancy cookies, too... I thought I'd get a surprise for you, since you've been kind enough to indulge me all this time. Go ahead, enjoy!"

"This looks great. Appreciate it!"

Maruki:"Go on, don't be shy! I've got enough for seconds, too!"

I nodded and grabbed one to munch on.

Maruki:"Oh, I know. As long as we're talking about cookies... They actually reminded me about this psychological experiment. The scientists prepared two containers, and put the same kind of cookies in both of them. In one container, they put only one cookie. But the other one was filled with cookies--ten of them. So then they had their subjects try cookies from each container, and asked how their tastes compared. Which container's cookies were marked as tasting better? Any guesses?"

"The one cookie container?"

Maruki:"Correct. Easy to guess, huh? There's something called the "law of scarcity." It's about what you'd imagine from the name: people are drawn to things that are more scarce. You can see this kaw in action just by observing how excited people get over limited-edition merchandise."

"You know, you're right."

Maruki:"Ahaha, I know, right? Don't you think it's really fascinating? In becoming aware of scarcity, we trigger our own desires, and cause a change in our cognition... Not only that--the effect spreads to our senses, and creates a subjective, observable difference in our reality. Basically, your perceptions can be changed by your cognition or preconceptions. It's all below the conscious level, but it's really incredible! Incidentally, now that you've heard that story... How do you feel about that idea? That your unconscious desires may have changed the taste of the cookie?"

"Hey, as long as it tastes good."

Maruki:"That's definitely not the usual response. But it's one I can understand. It probably sounds like an exaggeration, but something about that seems so beautiful to me. Maybe the human can falter, or be unreliable sometimes. But if this experiment proves anything, it's that even a simple preconception can be enough to bring someone more joy. For example, take that sorry I just told you... What if you'd eaten that one cookie, and it had been the best cookie of your life? Say I never revealed the trick behind it. That cookie would've remained more delicious than usual. It would have been a subjective truth of your reality."

"I guess so."

Maruki:"Right. I'm glad to hear you say that. Basically, what I wanted to say was... If this idea of preconception could be studied further, and actually applied to treating people... I feel like it could help a lot of people. Maybe even more than I could help through counseling. Then again, it relies so heavily on perspective. Some people might call it a lie, or see it as running from their problems. Still, even if that's true, I still believe that method could save a lot of people."

He then quickly stood out of his chair.

Maruki:"Oh, yikes! I'm sorry! We wound up getting into an academic conversation after all... I really need to watch myself. Whenever I'm talking to you, somehow I always end up going back to my research. I truly am grateful for everything you've done. Not just because I can get your opinion on these things, either... It's more like... it's as if I'm talking to an old friend. Ah, but maybe that's too personal. After all, this is all for the sake of our deal, right? So we say, anyway."

I could sense a bond of friendship between Maruki and I. We then got to doing my mental training. I went home and when I got home, Maruki called me.

Maruki:"Oh, this is Maruki. Sorry about earlier. It was supposed to be a chance for us to relax, but it ended up being another big academic discussion..."

"I really don't mind."

Maruki:"You're always so kind. You might be a better counselor than I am. I've always been like this. I get so hyper focused on my research, I don't notice anything else. Back when I was a student, people kept warning about that... Oops, there I go rambling again. Sorry, sorry. Alright, see you again soon."

That evening, I decided to head to Kanda, where that shogi playing girl was.

"Excuse me, Togo-san?"

Hifumi:"Um... Yes..? I'm Hifumi Togo..."



"Playing shogi by yourself?"

Hifumi:"I'm doing some research, so... Experimenting with new tactics is best to do alone in a place like this. Well, I suppose that doesn't sound terribly plausible to someone who doesn't play... Don't mind me; please go ahead and pray."

I feel like I can learn some tactics for the Phantom Thieves from her shogi expertise.

I sat next to her.

Hifumi:"Yes...? Can I help you?"

"Can you teach me shogi?"

Hifumi:"...Huh? Um, you don't necessarily have to learn from me, you know... There are other options... such as playing online."

"Pretty please?"

I asked and bowed my head.

Hifumi:"...Sorry, I just can't. Well then... Um... So... you like shogi?"

"I want to play like you."

Hifumi:"Like me...? You're a bit strange... but thank you. Um... Okay, just a quick game then. Twenty seconds per move... If that's alright with you."

"Fine with me."

Hifumi:"I'll start."

We played for a bit before she commented on my skill level.

Hifumi:"So this is your skill level, huh? The dragon which governs the blue sky has fallen into my hands. How do you intend to survive this?"

She moved a piece before slamming it down.

Hifumi:"Check! It's checkmate no matter how you look at it. Please concede."

"Nah. I can still keep going!"

Hifumi:"To concede is an act of admitting that you have lost, with grace. If you aspire to become a shogi player, I recommend that you take your study of the game to heart."

I let out a sigh and bowed my head.

Hifumi:"Thank you for playing. Well then, that will be all for today... If it's alright with you, may I request another match sometime?"

I looked at her a bit surprised.

Hifumi:"I feel... a gambler's spirit emanating from you. Which is strange, since your style of play is that of a complete novice..."

"You play differently too."

Hifumi:"Huh?! Oh, I-I'm sorry... However, I will instruct you under one condition... You become my playing partner so that I can research new moves. Is that agreeable?"

"Bring it on!"

Hifumi only smiled at this.

Hifumi:"That's precious. Well then, it's a deal.. I'll teach you how to play, and you'll assist me with my new moves."

I nodded my head.

Hifumi:"Okay, let's end here for today."

"Alright. Sounds good."

I stood up, ready to leave.

Hifumi:"Oh, (L/n)-san... I'd like to thank you once again for today. Before you head home, would you like to exchange IDs with me? There's no obligation, of course..."

I smiled softly.

"Lucky me!"

Hifumi:"Er... Is that so? Well, in that case..."

We exchanged IDs and I soon went home.

6/28

After school, I went upstairs to meet up with Makoto at the library. She asked if I could lend an ear and I told her yes. So we went out to the courtyard.

Makoto:"I'd like to talk to you about something. Do you have a moment?"

"Sure."

Makoto:"Up until now, I've been the quintessential honor student. I believe I've been handling my position as student council president with ease as well. A-And I don't mean that in a boasting way, that's simply how I've thought about it. But in the end, I was unable to make any kind of impact with either Suzui-san or Kaneshiro. Turns out there's no use for a rule-abiding honor student when things get rough. Now that I'm a member of this team, I want to do everything I can to help you all. All my studying up to this point has kept me quite narrow-minded. I think... I-I will need to broaden my horizons somewhat."

"What do you plan on doing?"

Makoto:"My first step will be to learn more about the other students. But... I struggle with that. There seems to be a disparity between my tastes and those of my peers..."

"Yeah, you're not wrong about that."

Makoto:"I knew it... I don't even know where people like to go for fun... It would be nice to have a grasp of such concepts. Plus, the student council must be responsible for understanding the student body they serve, right? I-I don't mean that in a surveillance way, I just want to know them as people. I may be a phantom thief, but that's no excuse for me to start ignoring my presidential duties. Now, back to the topic at hand... Where do people usually go for fun?"

"The arcade."

Makoto:"Ah, I often hear people talking about going to the arcade. To be perfectly honest, I've never been to one myself... Do you think you could take me? I'm not sure if it will broaden my horizons per se, but simply studying won't get me anywhere ."

"Let's go now."

Makoto:"Thank goodness... I think I would have been totally lost in there had I gone by myself. Well, let's get going."

We went to Shinjuku and stepped inside the arcade together.

Makoto:"So, this is where everyone comes to enjoy themselves... There are more girls here than I expected. Hey, over there... You play by aiming the gun at the screen, right? That actually seems somewhat realistic."

"Want to try it?"

Makoto:"I-If it's okay with you... Do you think you could teach me?"

I nodded and we began to play but her loud outbursts garnered a bit of attention. She was too engrossed in the game to even notice though...

Makoto:"Oh, so this is how it is."

"You're a real gamer."

Makoto:"Of course that was just a game, but... I wonder if I could apply some of the techniques I learned here during battle."

"That might just work."

Makoto:"Perhaps going somewhere I don't normally frequent is what helped me come up with that idea. You know, it may only be a little bit... But I think I'm starting to understand how people pass time. Interesting. I would've never even thought about coming here before."

"That was a new side of you."

Makoto:"I... Hey, do you think you could help me out again later? I might be able to give the team more ideas if I can gain increased knowledge outside of my studies."

"I look forward to it."

Makoto:"I need to live up to your expectations now that I've taken up your time. Perhaps it won't be immediately... but I'm sure I can be of use."

I nodded as I could sense a strong sense of resolve from her.

Makoto:"By the way, you went to the red-light district when you were chasing after Kaneshiro, right? I'd like to go there as well. N-Not for my own purposes..."

"Hm?"

Makoto:"To tell you the truth, I recently got a report that one of our students was spotted there... I'm skeptical, but... I'd like to confirm firsthand for myself. Well, it's getting late. Let's go home."

We stepped outside where Makoto spoke to me a bit longer.

Makoto:"Thanks for setting aside some time for me today. It's always hard for me to come to places like this on my own, so you've been a big help. I've had all kinds of new experiences today... and it's even been a little fun."

"The red-light district next?"

Makoto:"Yeah, thanks. I feel a lot better with you helping me through this. Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to keep you. Careful on your way home. I'll call you later. See you..."

That evening we all met up at Penguin Sniper to play darts with Makoto.

6/29

Ms. Kawakami asked me what it says on the back of a shogi piece and I answered gold. After school, I got a text from Kasumi asking if I wanted to train with her inside the gym today. I told her yes but first she wanted us to grab some food at the cafeteria first.

Kasumi:"I'm sorry I called you here so suddenly. Since our talk, I've been trying to think of things besides gymnastics that I'm really invested in. And I figured something out! It's this!"

I looked over at the bento box she had wrapped in an orange cloth.

"Making bento?"

Kasumi:"Yeah. I can cook! You really need to regulate your diet in gymnastics, so I've been making my own food a lot. And so! Since I also wanted to thank you, I made you a bento! This is actually mu first time cooking for someone else besides my family... But I figured this would definitely help me get my confidence back! I made this specifically with your body type in mind, and knowing how much you exercise... Do you want it?"

I looked down at the black bento box she made specifically for me before turning my attention back to her.

"I'm touched!"

Kasumi beamed at me.

Kasumi:"Then I'm glad I put all that effort in. The chicken and eggs are to help you with fatigue. There are some beans in there, too, and it's on brown rice. Weight control's important for gymnasts, but we also need to make sure we've got energy and stamina too. So high protein, low-fat is usually what we go for. We also need iron to maintain stamina, and vitamin B for energy. Wait... I'm getting all focused on the gymnastics part again... Well, anyway... Let's dig in!"

I watched as she unwrapped her bento and I saw that it had two layers with the top one being filled to the brim with food! I could only assume that the bottom layer was the same.

"Is that all for you?"

Kasumi:"Of course! I'll need every last grain of rice. ...Why do you look so skeptical, (L/n)-senpai? I guess it might look like a lot, but this is actually a little less than my usual. Don't worry, I've done the math on the calories. I'll burn all this off at practice. C'mon, Senpai! You'll be done before you know it!"

I used my chopsticks to grab myself a piece of chicken. 

This is...

I bit into another piece.

It's a familiar flavor, but it doesn't match the food.

I tried another bite.

I keep trying different parts, but it all tastes like the same thing... Something very familiar.

Kasumi:"You think so? I don't think it's that weird for an athlete. Heavy seasoning would probably be bad for you, so I went easy on it. Hmm. Was it too light? Excuse me..."

She grabbed some food from my bento to try it out.

Kasumi:"Mmm! Yeah, that's the flavor I was going for. I was trying to decide how to season these... And I figured, everyone likes curry! Right? So I decided to go for maximum curry flavoring!"

Huh...

Kasumi noticed the look on my face and started to sweat a bit.

Kasumi:"U-Um, sorry... Were you not a fan of that flavor? Or, wait--maybe you prefer the super spicy ones!"

"Not exactly."

Kasumi:"I'm so sorry! I did this all wrong... I'll go get some kind of condiment to change the flavor! Once I fix it, I'm sure you'll enjoy it more! Should I get mayonnaise? Soy sauce...? Maybe miso? Do you think Dr. Maruki will have some salt?!"

"Calm down."

Kasumi:"You're right! I should just buy something new you can eat right now!"

"Let's just eat."

Kasumi:"Um, but..."

She looked away briefly with her arms crossed before settling down.

Kasumi:"Well, thank you! Now, we should really eat."

I nodded as she sat back down and we ate together.

Kasumi:"Whew... That was delicious. Thank you for completely finishing your meal, (L/n)-senpai. I'm sorry it didn't turn out perfectly... I came up with the idea of making bento, but I couldn't decide on the flavor... Either way, I'm really sorry! I'm so embarrassed... I thought it was so great when I presented it to you, and now..."

"Come on now... You've just got to keep at it."

Kasumi:"Right! When you fall, you've got to get back up! Next time, I'll ask you what you like before I try anything too crazy. I'll go buy that super spicy "Megido-sauce" for next time!

Oh crap...

Kasumi: *giggle* "It seems like you're always helping me find my way forward, Senpai. If I didn't have you, I'd let my failures get to me and end up in some big pessimistic spiral again. Maybe this kind of confidence can help me figure out who I really am."

"That sounds right to me."

Kasumi:"Either way, I suppose all I can do is keep moving forward. (L/n)-senpai, I hope we can keep helping each other improve.

I could sense Kasumi's passion.

Kasumi:"Okay, now that we've gotten all our nutrients, it's time for the next phase! I don't mean to be too demanding, but I'm going to train you even harder than before! Make sure you can keep up!"

I broke out in a nervous sweat before we went to the gym to train. I felt my stamina improve somewhat afterwards.

I got home and decided to sleep the night away.

To Be Continued...