A/n: Someone on Quotev asked me what Mikono sounds like and ask I share it with you all (love the idea, by the way). I would say her voice actor would be Kate Higgins. Her roles as CC from Code Geass and Lissa from the Fire Emblem series is what I would consider the closest I can get to what Mikono sounds like. Hopefully that makes it easier for people who actually can hear the voices of the characters as they read to imagine what my OC sounds like. Love you all!!!
~✨Celestial✨~
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|| 6/14 Tuesday ||
|| After School ||

Once the school day was over with, Akira finally found the time to speak with Mikono. He wasn't able to talk to her this morning because she was a few minutes late to homeroom. Not even during lunchtime was he able to speak to her since she seemingly disappeared into thin air after he turned his back for a few seconds.

As Akira was packing his things, his attention was drawn away from his bag and to Ann's desk. Instead of seeing the blonde sitting in her seat, he saw Mikono. She had turned the chair around so she was facing him. She scooted the chair closer to his desk and folded her arms on top of it. "Hi," she greeted him with a sheepish tone.

Akira blinked owlishly as he responded, "Hi."

She peered into his eyes as she rested her chin on her arm. "I want to apologize for the way I acted recently. I was being childish..."

"I don't think you were being childish," he remarks. "How long have you been bottling all that up?"

"Too long." She buries her face in her arms, her words becoming muffled. "Still, I could've handled the situation better..."

Akira places his hand on her head, entangling his fingers in her silken inky locks. "You were holding yourself back. I could tell."

Mikono lifted her head, gazing into her boyfriend's obsidian eyes. "I wanted to slap her, but there's a part of me that knows she's not responsible for what Kamoshida did. She's just a puppet being controlled by the principal."

He placed his elbow on his desk, cupping his chin in the palm of his hand. He twirled a lock of her hair around his finger, tugging on it gently. "You've gotten mad before, but this is the first time it was for your sake."

"What do you mean?" Her eyes widened a fraction.

"You smile through the pain when you're involved, but when it's someone else, you get angry. Why?"

"I've become numb to the insults and hide the pain. I don't care what others say about me, but when it comes to my friends, I just...snap. I was only one of Kamoshida's many victims. I yelled at Niijima-san not for my sake but for the sake of all the other victims. I snapped at her because she never noticed how much her classmates were suffering. The volleyball team, Ryuji, Ann... She saw none of that."

"Morgana's right," he said, smiling at her. "You truly are selfless and kind-hearted, Mikono. I'm lucky to have you."

She smiled back at him. "I've been wondering if what happened to you was a way for you to meet me and everyone else. Fate has a twisted sense of humor sometimes, but it always brings people together. While your circumstances aren't ideal, there's a part of me that's happy it happened. I know this sounds weird and all, but...I'm really glad we were able to meet even though the circumstances are awful. Maybe... Just maybe we can prove your innocence. Part of our destiny as phantom thieves might be just that."

"Mikono, I..."

"Are you two done?" A voice grumbled.

Akira and Mikono looked over to owner of the voice and saw a displeased Ryuji. Ann, who was standing beside him, smacked him on the back of the head. "Don't be rude! They can be as lovey-dovey as they want. I think it's cute!"

"You two heard all that...?" Mikono mumbled.

"Every word," Ryuji sighed. "It was hard to listen to..."

"You're just jealous that you lost to Akira," Ann hissed.

"Like hell I am!"

"Anyway, we were going to ask if you two were ready to head to the rooftop to meet with Niijima-san."

"As much as I don't want to do this..." Mikono stood up and grabbed her bag. "We can't risk our secret being revealed to the police. Even if a recording won't prove much, we won't be able to do our duty as phantom thieves if the cops are breathing down our necks."

"I think we can all agree with that," Akira said. "Let's make this quick."

The group left the classroom and shuffled up the stairwell until they reached the rooftop. When they pushed open the doors and stepped out onto the roof, they spotted Niijima leaning against one of the various of desks scattered across the rooftop.

The student council president heard the doors close and snapped her head in the group's direction. "I was thinking you might not show."

"It was very tempting to..." Mikono mumbled under her breath.

"So, whose heart do you want us to change?" Ann demanded, getting straight to the point.

"A mafia boss," Niijima grimly replies.

"Mafia?!" The pigtailed girl's eyes widen in shock.

Akira's face remained emotionless while Mikono's eyes narrowed. Ryuji's eyebrows knitted together as he demanded more information. "What're you talkin' about?!"

"That's what they call themselves," Niijima explained. "This group seems to be the cause of rise in phishing scams. What's worse, once you're in their sights, they won't stop threatening you until they get what they want. They'll force you to take part in their scams, threaten your family, and ultimately destroy your life."

Ryuji gaped in shock at the revelation. "Holy shit..."

"That definitely sounds like the mafia," Mikono commented.

"It appears that their victims include some of our students," Niijima said.

Ann gasped. "No!"

"They primarily target juveniles."

"Not surprised," Mikono scoffed.

The student council president glanced at the girl with narrowed eyes. "And why's that?"

"Ever since the birth of the mafia in the 19th century, they've targeted the weak. They know the weak can't fight back. They're a pack of lions who target the weakest in the herd. High school students are easy prey."

"What's their boss's name?" Ryuji inquired.

"Nobody knows," Niijima sighed. "The victims are being threatened not to testify, so even the police can't get a grasp of the situation."

"If the police could handle the mafia, their existence would've been squashed centuries ago," Mikono stated.

Ann clenched her fists tightly, glowering at the crimson-eyed girl. "That's where you want us to start?!"

Niijima met her classmate's glare with her own. "You should be able to pull it off. If you're really the righteous Phantom Thieves. Or is Akechi-kun correct when he says you act without justice?"

"Can't you say something witty back at her?" Morgana whined, looking at Akira.

The bespectacled boy looked toward Mikono. He saw she was itching to say something and decided to allow her to handle Niijima. He stepped aside, allowing her to be the one to deal with their classmate. "I think Mikono can handle this."

The inky-haired girl stepped toward Niijima, staring deeply into her eyes. Anger brimmed from her cerulean eyes as she crossed her arms. "You're not doing a good job of convincing us, Niijima-san. While you may have a voice recording, it's insufficient evidence because it was obtained illegally. You should know that, considering who your sister is."

Niijima's eyes widen as she gasped. "That's..." She swallowed the lump in her throat. "You still wouldn't want the police on your case, would you?"

"Very true," Mikono calmly replied. "It would be difficult for us to do anything. But if what you say is true, this is the perfect target for us. What details can you share with us?"

The student council president was flabbergasted at the girl's question, but she refused to show her shock. "Their main hub of activity is in Shibuya. That's all the information I have. You have two weeks. Once that has passed, I'll submit all the evidence I have to the police and to the school. I hope you don't let me down." Niijima left the rooftop, leaving the others behind.

Akira sighed in relief. "I'm glad I let you handle that..."

Mikono turned around and faced him. "Why's that?"

"I had no idea what to say."

"With Lady Mikono's intervention, we've shown to be on equal standings with the student council president," Morgana said. "Come on, we should get in touch with Yusuke."

"Already done," Akira said, waving his phone back and forth. "We're meeting him at the hideout."

"Let's get going, then," Mikono said.

<----------<<<<<

"Urgh..." Ann grumbled through gritted teeth. "I'm so mad!"

Yusuke crosses his arms in thought. "The mafia? Hm..."

"Can we really do this?" The pigtailed girl asked, concern evident on her face.

"Like Mikono said earlier, if what Niijima-san said is the truth, then this is our ideal target," Akira said.

"Getting involved with the mafia is something that's not ideal, but we've no choice," Mikono sighed.

"Either way, we have almost no information on our target. This guy's a crime boss, so I wouldn't be surprised if he had a Palace. Still..." Morgana's voice trailed off, his ears flattened against the top of his head.

"I believe Mikono is correct," Yusuke said. "This a prime opportunity for us."

"How?!" Ann shrieked. "We're in huge trouble!"

"Even after we punished an evil man who seemed to be good, the public did not acknowledge us. However, if we take down an actual criminal, let alone a target the police don't have answers for..."

The blonde's eyes widen as she assembled the puzzle pieces. "Oh, right! That might make people believe in us!"

Ryuji flew to his feet with a grin. "I get it! That means even Akechi'll hafta acknowledge us as the Phantom Thieves! Whaddya say, leader?"

Akira didn't hesitate to respond. "Let's prove our justice."

"Hell yeah! We just gotta do what we always do!"

"Our time limit is two weeks, correct?" Yusuke asked. "We can't afford to waste too much time. I'll ask around Kosei and see if there are any victims."

"Okay, I know some girls who go to Shibuya pretty often. I'll check with them about it," Ann said.

"I live in Shibuya and know the area well. I'm sure I'll find someone who knows something," Mikono stated.

"All right, then I'm gonna see what I can find on the net," Ryuji claimed, a grin still prominent on his face. "That leaves our school up to you and Morgana, Akira. You figured out what to do during the whole Kamoshida thing, right?"

"How difficult could this be?" Akira smirked confidently.

"I'll back you up," Morgana reassured the boy.

"All right, let's get back together at the end of the week once we've got all our info!" Ryuji cheered. "I'll get in touch with you guys later!" He dashed off, leaving his friends behind.

"Akira and I have work," Mikono informed Yusuke and Ann. "We'll see if we can dig up any information while we're at the museum."

Ann sighed dejectedly. "I hope we find something..."

|| 6/14 Tuesday ||
|| Evening ||

Once their shift was done, Akira and Mikono went their separate ways. Instead of heading straight home to wait for her parents, she traveled down the road to Central Street. She wandered through the stores, listening to conversations as she acted like a customer. She came across a few shady characters, but none of them were discussing anything that would help with the investigation. With a defeated sigh, she left Central Street and headed back home.

As Mikono was walking through her neighborhood, she felt her phone buzz and wondered who was messaging her. When she pulled out her phone and saw it was the group chat, she unlocked the device and read the messages.

Ryuji: So I checked online, and people are talking about it all over.

Ryuji: Now, in my expert opinion, Iida of class 2-D is guilty.

Mikono: Wow. Already pointing fingers, huh?

Ann: You mean Iida-kun from our class?

Ann: Wait, start at the beginning. What's he guilty of?

Ryuji: Supposedly he's been spending money left and right recently.

Ryuji: Said it's 'cause of some great part-time job he got.

Akira: Sounds fishy

Yusuke: That may very well be worth looking into.

Ryuji: Right?

Ryuji: Can you try asking him about it, Ann? I don't think he'd be cautious around a girl.

Ann: What about Mikono? She's better with communicating with others.

Ryuji: Everyone at school already knows who Mikky's parents are and where she works.

Ryuji: There's no way she'd ask some random dude about a part-time job.

Ann: True...

Ann: In that case, I'll do it. I don't mind giving it a try.

Ann: Although I've rarely talked to Iida-kun before...

Ann: I'll be counting on you to back me up if something happens, Akira.

Ann: And I might need a few pointers from you, Mikono...

Akira: Leave it to me.

Mikono: I'll gladly give you some pointers, Ann.

Ann: Thanks, you guys.

Ryuji: I'm hoping for some great things this time from Takamaki-san's world-class wonderful acting.

Ann: Shut it.

Yusuke: I hope this will get us even marginally closer to their so-called boss.

Yusuke: I leave this Iida to you two. And I have high hopes for your acting as well, Ann.

Ann: You're both missing the point!

Mikono: Don't worry, Ann. I know you'll be able to do it!

Ann: I'll do my best!

|| 6/15 Wednesday ||
|| After School ||

Mikono listened to the rain pelting against the windows as she sat in the library. While she had a book open, she hadn't read a single word. She was listening to the dull chatter of the students in the library, tuning in to any conversations that were beneficial to finding clues about the mafia. She flipped the page, continuing to pretend to read as she listened to her classmates around her.

A few minutes passed and Mikono heard a boy mumbling to himself as he walked into the library. When she heard Iida's name slip from his lips, she perked up and lifted her gaze from the book. Her eyes followed his movements until he came to a halt in front of one of the many bookshelves, his finger skimming across the spines of the books. She was startled when her phone buzzed. Grabbing it, she saw there was a message from Akira.

Akira: You wouldn't happen to know Nishiyama, would you?

Mikono: No. Why?

Akira: I was checking in on Ann and overheard Iida mention someone named Nishiyama.

Mikono: A boy just walked into the library and muttered something about Iida. Maybe it's Nishiyama?

Akira: I'll be there shortly.

Mikono: Okay.

She placed her phone on the table and resumed staring down at her book. A sigh escaped her lips as she trailed her finger across the words printed on the pages. Curious what was written, she read a few lines before groaning. "I picked up a romance novel..."

Just then, Mikono's gaze traveled over to the entrance of the library when she heard the door open. Seeing it was Akira, she immediately met his gaze. Using her book, she gestured to the boy in the back of the library. He nodded, walking toward the person she pointed out.

Lowering the book, she closed in and placed it back where she found it, grabbing her bag and leaving the library. She waited for a few minutes until Akira exited the library. When he did, she looked at him with eyes glistening with hope. "Any good news, Akira?"

He smirked at her. "I know how to get Iida to talk."

"Great!" She smiled. "I'm going to head to the museum. Once you're done with Iida, make sure to report for your shift. I'll come up with some excuse for you."

"Thanks, Mikono. I'll deal with Iida as quick as possible."

"See you later, Akira."

Mikono left Shujin Academy and headed to Aoyama-itchōme Station. She boarded the train and headed to Shibuya. As she was leaving the train station and trekking up the stairs leading to Station Square, a man dressed in a suit approached her. He stood in front of her, blocking her path. The girl gripped the handle of her umbrella tightly as she felt a disconcerting aura radiating from the stranger. "Can I help you?"

"You wanna part-time job?" He offered with a smirk. "It pays pretty damn well."

"I already have a part-time job that pays well," she retorts. "Go find someone else to scam, pal."

"Trust me, this ain't no scam," he chuckled.

Mikono folded up her umbrella and jammed the pointy tip into the man's chest. She wasn't bothered by the cold rain that was beginning to soak her clothes. "Go to Hell. I heard it's nice this time of year, and creeps like you are always welcomed." She pushes him aside with her umbrella before reopening it and strolling off down the street to the museum.

Arriving at her destination, Mikono sighed and placed her umbrella in the rack by the front doors. She stared down at her wet clothes with a sigh. "Maybe Dad has a towel." She headed upstairs to Isaac's office and opened the door just as he and Ichika exchanged a brief peck on the cheek.

The two adults heard the sound of the door opening and saw their daughter standing in the doorway. They beckoned her inside and she stepped into Isaac's office.

"Oh, sweetheart, why're you soaked?" Ichika asked. "I thought I saw you grab your umbrella this morning before you left."

"I do have my umbrella, I just had...difficulties with it today," Mikono lied.

"Do we need to buy you a new one?" Isaac questioned.

The girl shook her head. "No, it's fine. All I need is a towel. Do you either of you have one?"

"No, but there are towels in the custodian closet. I'll be right back!" Ichika left the office with a pep in her step.

Mikono sat down across from her father as she waited for her mother to return. Isaac asked her about her day, which she happily responded with how well it went. Then, he began asking about Akira. She brewed up a lie and her father took the bait. A sigh of relief fell from her lips after Isaac gobbled up the lie.

Suddenly, Mikono felt her phone buzz and pulled it out in a hurry. She accessed the group chat and excitedly waited for the news from Akira as the others began prying for information.

Ryuji: How'd it go, Akira?

Ryuji: Did Ann's acting help at all? I'm thinking prolly not.

Ann: It went perfectly, I think!

Ann: More importantly, were you able to find anything, Akira?

Akira: It's drugs.

Mikono: I'm not surprised.

Yusuke: So they ask you to deliver drugs...

Ryuji: That's serious.

Ryuji: I just searched for "Shibuya drugs" and got tons of hits too.

Ann: So they're making people traffic drugs, then threatening them...

Mikono: That's the mafia way. Exploit the weak while you get rich.

Yusuke: That must be what I heard people talking about in Shibuya.

Yusuke: They seem to be going about this quite openly during the daytime. What bold methodology.

Akira: It's bold but clever. They target high schoolers and the best way possible to do so is during the daytime.

Yusuke: I see.

Yusuke: Yes, more students will be out during the day, while the police will be more cautious at night.

Ann: Ryuji, you're over in Shibuya now, right? Do you see anyone like that there?

Ryuji: Yeah, I'm at Central Street. It's tough to tell though.

Ryuji: I mean, there's just way too many people. The goddamn rain's not helping out either.

Mikono: Um...

Yusuke: What is it, Mikono?

Mikono stared down at her phone before excusing herself from Isaac's office. She walked down the hallway before deciding to spill the beans.

Mikono: I was approached by this creep in Station Square. He was asking me if I wanted a part-time job and mentioned how it pays pretty well.

Ryuji: Holy shit...

Akira: What did you do?

Mikono: I gave him a piece of my mind before walking away.

Akira: Would you be able to recognize this guy if you saw him again?

Mikono: Definitely.

Yusuke: The sun will be setting soon. What should we do, Akira? Should we look for the man Mikono saw?

Akira: No. Let's stop for today. We'll investigate more tomorrow.

Ann: Yeah, that seems like our only choice now. We can split up and search separately then.

Yusuke: In any case, we have some new intel. Let us call that progress for today.

Ann: Whoever asks us to take on that job should know who their boss is too.

Ryuji: All right. I'll get in touch with you guys later tonight and we can come up with a plan.

Mikono lowered her phone, relieved to know her unsettling encounter with the stranger earlier provided them with some intel. As she was about to reenter her father's office, she received another text. This time, it was a private message from Akira.

Akira: I'll be at the museum soon.

Akira: Nothing else happened with that creep, did it?

Mikono: No. He didn't follow me. Must've found some other high schooler to pester after I left.

Akira: Good.

Mikono: You worry too much, you know that?

Mikono: Just worry about getting your butt over to the museum.

Akira: Yes, ma'am.

|| 6/15 Wednesday ||
|| Evening ||

After a slow shift at the museum, Mikono tossed herself onto her bed when she arrived home. She mumbled to herself about how tired she was but needed to take a shower to warm up her body from the chilly rain. As she placed her nightgown on her bed, her phone lit up and bleeped a few times. She already knew it was the group chat after she remembered how their previous conversation ended.

Ann: We have to find them tomorrow for sure. This is the only lead we have right now.

Yusuke: Yes. It is highly likely that this part-time solicitor is somehow related to the mafia.

Yusuke: If we tail him, he may lead us straight back to his boss.

Akira: Morgana, I choose you.

Mikono smiled in amusement at Akira's message. She knew he was teasing the others and giggled when she saw their responses.

Ann: That's not a bad idea. Cats have nine lives, right? Morgana can spare one for this.

Mikono: I hope Morgana never sees these messages.

Ryuji: Wouldn't the mafia get caught off guard if they had a cat coming to deliver drugs for 'em?

Yusuke: In other words, Akira will be going. I have no objection.

Yusuke: Tricking people and using that as blackmail... These bastards are true cowards.

Ann: It's kinda scary to think people like that are all around us in the city...

Mikono: You'd be surprised how deep and vast the mafia's grasp reaches.

Ryuji: Yeah... I don't even wanna think about it...

Ryuji: Well guys, we gotta brace ourselves. We're up against a serious criminal here.

Akira: We can do this.

Ann: I still have my doubts, but...I believe we can accomplish our mission together.

Mikono: That's the spirit!

Mikono: I'll see you all tomorrow. Good night, everyone!

The inky-haired girl placed her phone on her nightstand before heading to the bathroom. Once she finished taking a shower and changed into her nightgown, she crawled under the sheets and enjoyed their warm embrace. Her exhaustion outweighed her hunger and she fell asleep without enjoying dinner.

*****
Confidant: Mikono Tsutsui
Arcana: The Puppeteer
Rank: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
*****