Inside the attic at Leblanc, Makoto looked around the spacious room. Yusuke and Akira were working on the rotary lock on the briefcase while Mikono and Ann patch Morgana up. Ryuji sat a little ways from the table, reading a manga. The student council president was in awe at where their leader lived. "This place is oddly calming." Turning her attention away from the room, she glanced at Yusuke and Akira. "Have you learned anything new?"

The artist's brows furrow together in frustration, ceasing to mess with the briefcase. "It's sealed by a rotary lock. We'll need the combination to open it."

"Which we don't have," Akira sighed.

Suddenly, Morgana meowed loudly and clearly in pain. Mikono lowered the rag she was using to clean his wounds with a wince. "Sorry about that, Morgana."

Makoto didn't comment and hummed, "A rotary lock, hm?" She walked over and turned the briefcase towards her. Fiddling with the lock, she managed to open the briefcase with ease. A smirk tugged at the corners of her lips when hearing the lock disengage. "I knew it."

Yusuke gaped in astonishment. "How did you get that?"

"I simply memorized the combination. I saw him open and close it so many times, after all," she explained.

Ryuji lowered the manga he was reading with wide eyes. "W-Well that's...scary. But amazin' too!"

"Urgh, that burns..." Morgana whimpered after Ann and Mikono finished disinfecting his wounds. He fought against the pain and looked at the briefcase. "Hey, hurry up and open it."

Ann stood up and Ryuji readjusted his chair so they could see what was inside. Akira opened the briefcase and everyone was in shock at what they found inside.

Ryuji leaned closer, eyes wide as saucers. "H-How much is this?!"

"I believe one stack is one million yen..." Yusuke deduced.

That's when Ann counted the stacks. "One, two, three... Uhhh, there's thirty of them in here?!"

Makoto gasped. "Thirty million yen... Even after splitting it, we still each get a little over four million!"

"Holy shit... It's gonna be deluxe pork soup combo for me from here on out!" Ryuji cheered.

Morgana sighed. "You have to think bigger than that..."

"Before we go any further..." Mikono took a single stack of yen from the briefcase and flipped through each bill. "We're gonna have to forget about the deluxe pork soup combo for life."

"What? Why?" Ryuji asked.

"Because the bills are fake."

Yusuke lowered his head. "As I feared..."

"What?!" Ann shrieked. She took a closer look and couldn't believe what she saw printed on the front of the bills. "Children's Bank?!"

"F-For real?!" The chocolate-eyed boy screeched.

"I guess this represents how everything he did was an act to make himself seem tough...?" Makoto pondered.

"Nooo!" Ryuji whined loudly.

Looking on the bright side, Ann sat down with a smile. "Well hey, at least it feels like we totes busted this case, right?"

"What do you mean?" The short-haired girl inquired. "Is busting a case good or bad?"

"Both!"

Makoto couldn't help but giggle. "To think the reward for the Phantom Thieves is feeling they "totes busted" the case." She continued to laugh. "Ahhh, how funny!"

Yusuke, who still had been gazing at the fake money, spoke up when an idea came to mind. "Hold on a second. Even though the contents were nothing more than trash, the case itself is quite nice."

"Are you suggesting we sell it?" Mikono asked.

The artist nodded. "Yes."

"I'm okay with that," Akira said.

A wide smile crept across Ryuji's face. "All right then, let's sell it! Glad we got that sorted out!"

"By the way, Morgana, have your memories returned?" Yusuke asked.

The feline lowered his head with a melancholic frown. "No, not at all..."

"C'mon, did that hit to your head make you forget even more?" Ryuji sighed.

He glared at him. "It's easy for you to talk. You're not the one who lost your memories."

Makoto was shocked after listening to the conversation. "You have amnesia?"

"Something like that," Ann replied. "He does remember searching for treasure though."

"Hm, I hope your memories return soon then."

Mikono smiled reassuring at Morgana. "Don't worry, we'll help you recover your memories."

"Lady Mikono..." The cat smiled back at her.

Changing the subject, Makoto asked, "So, what happens next?"

With that question, Morgana was back to his usual self. "First, we wait for Kaneshiro to have his change of heart."

Ryuji was excited as ever. "It's gonna be big this time. People're gonna make a huge deal out of it, for sure."

"I'll be happy with just knowing we saved so many people from his clutches even if his confession doesn't go public," Mikono confessed.

"I agree," Yusuke said.

"Me too," Akira chimed in.

Ann, Ryuji, and Makoto were also in agreement to Mikono's comment. Everyone, regardless of the Phantom Thieves' popularity, was just happy to help those in need.

After a few seconds of silence, Ann's smile vanished and was replaced with a worried expression. "Hey, you know what Kaneshiro said at the end there? About that "criminal" using the Metaverse..."

Yusuke frowned as he recalled what Shadow Kaneshiro said before vanishing. "Yes, I was bothered by that as well."

"No point mullin' over it now," Ryuji stated. "Let's wait and see how Kaneshiro's change of heart goes first. We should prolly just lay low for a while."

"I never thought I'd hear those words coming from you," Makoto said.

Mikono checked the time on her phone. "It's getting late. I need to go home and organize dishes for tomorrow."

"Oh, yeah!" Ann smiled. "You and Akira have a date tomorrow."

"Ann..." She grumbled.

Realizing what she blurted out, the blonde smiled apologetically. "Oh, sorry..."

"That reminds me..." Makoto started, eyes bouncing between Akira and Mikono. "How long have you two been together?"

"A little less than a month," Akira answered.

"I have heard rumors that you two were close, but I didn't realize you both were dating."

"That's because we try to avoid any PDA at school. Who knows what rumors would spread if the school knew we were dating," Mikono exclaimed.

"Knowing those guys, they'd get really creative," Ryuji sighed. "Prolly say shit like Akira forced you to date him..."

"Or I bribed him to date me," she added. Shaking her head, she ridded herself of the negative thoughts. "Anyway, I'm gonna head out. Bye, everyone!"

|| 6/25 Saturday ||
|| Evening ||

Back home, Mikono pulled out the picnic basket she'd be using tomorrow. She packed plates, glasses, napkins, and two sets of chopsticks before pushing it aside and working on what she wanted to take in regard to dishes. She hummed to herself as she pulled out the ingredients, making sure she had enough of everything. Seeing she did, she sighed in relief knowing she wouldn't have to make a last-minute trip to the store.

While going over what all she wanted to cook for the picnic, her phone startled her. She walked over to the table and checked to see what was going on in the group chat.

Ryuji: We did all we can, right?

Yusuke: All we need to do now is await the results.

Ann: I wonder what's gonna happen when he has the change of heart. Do you think he'll turn himself in?

Makoto: That seems likely.

Makoto: I hope he spills everything to the police...

Yusuke: Well, there are still a few lingering worries, but I believe we did well.

Akira: We did.

Ann: Right? We were going up against a real criminal, after all.

Mikono: I don't have any doubt in my mind how well we did. We gave it our best.

Yusuke: Yes. We managed to steal the heart of a notable lawbreaker.

Ryuji: I can't wait to see Akechi's face when he hears the news!

Mikono: You really don't like him, do you?

Ryuji: Hell no! He acts all high and mighty. It pisses me off!

Ann: Honestly, I just hope that people who see it get some courage from the news.

Makoto: There's still one thing that worries me though...

Yusuke: Do you mean how someone is using the Metaverse for evil?

Ann: It would be seriously unforgivable if someone was really doing that...

Akira: It really is unsettling...

Mikono: Especially since Kaneshiro and Madarame recall the same details without having any connections to each other.

Ryuji: Eh, we can think about that later.

Ryuji: For now, let's just wait for Kaneshiro's change of heart.

Makoto: Very well. Nicely done, everyone!

Mikono: We all did an amazing job! Get some rest.

The conversation ended and Mikono returned to the ingredients. She double-checked the recipes just in case she miscounted the first time. Luckily, she came up with the same numbers and still would have enough ingredients to make the dishes she planned on cooking.

Mikono put the ingredients away just as her phone buzzed a second time. She thought it was the group chat again but was proven wrong when seeing Akira was texting her.

Akira: So, about our date tomorrow...

Akira: We never mentioned where and what time we're meeting.

Mikono: Oh, you're right! Let's see...

Mikono: How does Inokashira Park at 1 pm sound?

Akira: Perfect. I'll see you then.

Mikono: Morgana's not tagging along, is he?

Akira: No way. Ann offered to spend the day with him before she left. It'll just be the two of us.

Akira: That last part sounds kind of creepy over text...

Mikono: Maybe just a little...

Mikono: Anyway, you should get some rest.

Akira: You should too.

Mikono: See you tomorrow!

|| 6/26 Sunday ||
|| Daytime ||

The next morning, Mikono woke up early to begin preparing the dishes for her picnic date with Akira. She slaves over the stove for hours and was overjoyed when she finished packing all the food into the picnic basket around noon.

Ichika was impressed with her daughter's motivation to cook. She couldn't help but smile and pat her on the back. "Everything looks and smells amazing, sweetheart. I think Akira'll love what you've made."

"Even the mahshi and ta'ameya?" Mikono asked.

"Especially those! You did better on your first try making those than I did."

Isaac overheard their conversation and spoke up. "Your mom burned both dishes to a crisp."

Ichika groaned. "It was awful..." She then perked back up. "But that's what mistakes are for. You learn from them to avoid them."

"Speaking of mistakes..." Isaac glances at his daughter's attire. "Are you really going on a date in your pajamas?"

Mikono gasped when realizing she was still in her nightwear. "Crap, I need to change!" She dashed upstairs to her room. She grabbed what she picked out last night and changed.

She combed her hair and tied up her long, inky strands into a ponytail with a black ribbon. She checked over herself in the mirror before heading back downstairs.

"Now that's much better!" Ichika smiled. Checking the time, she saw it was half past twelve. "You best get going or you'll be late. Oh, and don't forget the blanket."

"I know, I know," Mikono said, grabbing the picnic basket and blanket off the table. "And let's not forget my purse." She snatched the black crossbody bag off the chair and places it on her shoulder.

Ichika and Isaac walked her to the front door. As she stepped outside, the woman called out to her. "Have a wonderful time, sweetheart!"

"I'll text you when I'm on my way home," Mikono replied. "Bye, Mom, Dad!" Instead of choosing to take the train, she knew a taxi would be quicker. She flagged down a taxi and hopped inside, taking it all the way to the park. She paid the fare, thanking the driver as she exited the vehicle. Waiting at the entrance of the park, she checked the time on her phone. "I'm ten minutes early..."

"Guess we both are."

A voice startled Mikono and she flinched. Turning to the owner of the voice, she placed a hand over her racing heart. "Geez, Akira... Do you sneak up on people as a hobby? Because you're really good at it..."

"Sorry," he grinned. "So...where to?"

"I've got the perfect spot for us," she smiled. "Follow me."

Mikono led Akira through Inokashira Park. She wandered toward the pond and found the spot she saw when she first visited the park. Arriving at the spot, it was located a short distance from the pond. With Akira's help, she spread out the blanket and placed the picnic basket down. They sat down on the blanket and Mikono opened the basket. She took out everything inside and assorted the food. Putting the basket aside, she nervously glanced up at Akira. "Okay, so I made way more than we could possibly eat, but we have onigiri, karaage, tamagoyaki, mahshi, and ta'ameya."

"I know three out of five of those," Akira confessed.

She giggled. "Mahshi and ta'ameya are Egyptian dishes. If they don't interest you or you don't like them, be honest with me. It won't hurt my feelings at all." She handed him a plate and a pair of chopsticks. "Sorry this isn't a traditional Japanese picnic with bento boxes."

"I don't mind at all," Akira smiled at her. He put one of everything on his plate as Mikono poured him and her some lemonade.

She put the bottle down and claimed some mahshi, tamagoyaki, and karaage. After taking a bite of the fried chicken, she noticed he tried the ta'ameya. She eagerly awaited to see his reaction to the taste. When he took another bite, she continued to watch him eat the entire thing. She saw him grab another one and giggled. "Can I assume you like the ta'ameya?"

"This is my first time having an Egyptian dish. I never thought I would like it," he said. "Now I'm going to try the mahshi." He took a bite of the stuffed zucchini, eyes widening when the flavor spread across his tongue.

Mikono leaned forward in anticipation. "Is it two for two?"

"Definitely," Akira answered.

Mikono and Akira continue to munch down on the food. The onigiri was the first to vanish followed by the ta'ameya. By the time they were full, the only dishes that remained were the karaage and a few pieces of tamagoyaki. The girl was speechless when seeing her two home-country dishes were gone. "I guess Mom was right," she whispered to herself.

After the couple finished the last of the lemonade, Mikono packed up the dirty dishes and the leftovers. Seeing as it's only been an hour since their date started, they decided to rest. Akira laid down on his back, staring up at the sky. There was some cloud cover, providing some relief from the sun whenever one blocked it out for a few seconds.

Mikono stared out across the surface of the pond, delving deep into thought. Akira glanced over at her and noticed her unblinking gaze. "Is everything okay, Mikono?"

She blinked repeatedly as she was drawn out of her thoughts. "Yeah. I was just thinking about when we first met and how much we've been through these past months. It's been a rollercoaster for sure. To be honest, when we first met I never thought we'd end up together. The world works in mysterious ways..." She leaned back and fell down beside him, watching the clouds sail by. "I never thought anyone would fall in love with me. I know I've said this before, but...I'm really happy we met, Akira. Thanks to you, I was able to break free from Kamoshida. You've brought color to my world and I can't thank you enough."

Akira was taken aback at her words. He wasn't expecting her to pour her heart out to him like that. Turning his head, he gazed at the smiling girl. He admired her for a few seconds before deciding to make his move. He pushed himself up and scooted over towards her. He positioned himself above her, placing both hands on either side of her head. He stared down at her face, gazing into her bright cerulean eyes.

Mikono was perplexed at his sudden actions and couldn't help but stare back. "Wh-What is it, Akira?"

He remained silent, her question going unanswered. After a few seconds ticked by, he finally budged. However, it wasn't what the girl was expecting. Her eyes widen as he leaned down and placed his lips over hers. She couldn't believe what was happening and stiffened. Eventually, she released the tension from her muscles and kissed back.

In the middle of the kiss, Mikono moved her hands and placed them on Akira's cheeks as the kiss deepened. Even though she eased herself into the kiss, she still had a hard time believing she was finally having her first kiss.

Once the kiss ended, Mikono kept her hands on Akira's cheeks as she blinked owlishly. "This isn't some weird dream, is it?"

He grinned at her question. "No, it's not. You want me to pinch you?"

"I'm good," she replied. Using her thumbs, she stroked his cheeks as she gazed into his obsidian eyes. "I was definitely not expecting a kiss. It definitely was a surprise, a welcomed one I should add."

"Sorry it took so long," Akira sighed.

"I don't mind," she said. "I couldn't even bring myself to kiss you because of how nervous I was. I was worried I would embarrass myself."

"Guess that makes two of us," he responded. "Was this your first kiss, Mikono?"

She bit the bottom of her lip and rolled it between her teeth. "What if I said yes?"

He chuckled. "There's no shame in that. It was my first kiss, too."

Mikono couldn't stop the sigh of relief that escaped her lips. "You've no idea how relieved I am to hear you say that..."

Akira arched a brow. "Why's that?"

"That way if our first kiss was terrible, we could blame it on experience. But I can't believe that was your first kiss, especially with how good you are..."

"Maybe I'm just naturally a good kisser," he smirked.

She grinned in amusement. "What a cheeky thing to say." She promptly grabbed the collar of Akira's shirt and used one of her legs to knock him over. Once he was on his back, she straddled his waist. Her grin widened as she leant forward, her lips hovering just above his. "Or maybe I'm the one who's the naturally good kisser and I made your job easier."

Akira was still shocked by the sudden changes in position. His eyes widen a fraction when seeing how close their faces were. If he or Mikono moved an inch closer, they'd be sharing another kiss. Unconsciously, he placed his hands on her hips. "Or maybe we're both good kissers."

Mikono seemed to like that answer more. "Very true." She gave him a brief kiss on the lips before pulling away. Her eyes traveled to the pond and she saw couples riding the boats. "Hey, how does a boat ride sound?"

Akira followed her line of sight and also noticed the many couples enjoying the boats. "Let's do it."

The couple gathered their things and rented one of the boats. They floated across the surface of the pond, enjoying the scenery the park had to offer. While enjoying a quiet moment together, the sound of their phones buzzing caught their attention. The couple exchanged glances before checking their phones. They saw Yusuke, Ryuji, Ann, and Makoto texting each other in the group chat. They skimmed over the messages and saw they were talking about Kosei High and the shogi player Hifumi Togo. Deciding to let them chat, they put away their phones.

"You know, that reminds me..." Mikono started, putting her phone in her purse. "Yusuke took me to the boys dorm at Kosei. He wanted to show me his newest piece."

Akira nearly lost one of the paddles. He quickly grabbed it before it slipped into the water. "You went to the boys dorm...?"

"You'll never guess what happened," she replied.

Akira's mind immediately went to the worst thing possible. Keeping his cool, he asked, "What happened?"

"Apparently, some of the rumors from our school have spread to Kosei. Some guy came to Yusuke's room and asked for an interview with me. I was going to agree, but then Yusuke stepped in and told me how this guy just wanted some money from me." She hid her face with her hands. "I am so embarrassed with what I did... I can't believe I thought I could get friends by using money."

"You were lonely," Akira said. "But even though what you did was wrong, the people who took your money are the real scum. They took advantage of you."

"And I was the idiot who let them," she sighed. "Regardless of what I did in the past, I finally got what I wanted. Well, more than I wanted since we're together."

"This was a surprise to me, as well," Akira confessed. "I never thought I would've gotten a girlfriend when I came to Tokyo, especially with my circumstances. Were you scared when you first met me?"

Mikono smiled at him. "Of course not! I was happy Principal Kobayakawa chose me to show you around. Your circumstances had me intrigued, if I'm being honest. But when I first saw you, I couldn't believe you were some criminal. It wasn't until you told me the real story that I had all the details of why you were charged with assault. A part of me wishes I was there to help you."

"It hasn't been all bad," he said. "So far, the good outweighs the bad."

"If you hadn't been here, I would've fallen with Suzui-chan. I could've died that day, but you saved me." Mikono crossed her legs. "I have to say, I'm impressed you made it in time."

"I'm just happy I did," he smiled. "I think that's the fastest I've run in my life."

"I don't think I'll be able to thank you enough. I feel like I owe you so much..."

Akira shook his head. "You don't owe me anything, Mikono. Even if you did, those bentos you've made me are enough."

"But still..." She huffed out a sigh. "A part of me will always feel like I'll never be able to repay you."

The couple continued to drift in the boat for an hour before returning to the docks. They decided to walk around the park a little longer before leaving. At the entrance of Inokashira Park, Akira flagged down a taxi for Mikono. He paid for her trip back home before saying goodbye and departing for the train station.

As Mikono rode the taxi home, she texted her mom. She received a response within a minute and grinned in amusement when seeing Ichika wanted details about the date. She gave her a few details before putting her phone away.

Mikono glanced out the window, admiring the passing scenery. The car came to a stop at a red light and that's when something caught her eye. On the corner of the street, she saw a large group of people waiting to cross. Among them, she spotted a black cat. Her thoughts immediately raced to Morgana, but this cat didn't have white paws, blue eyes, and a yellow collar. This one was pure black with golden eyes. What struck her as odd were the golden bands on its front legs and tail. It also wore a golden earring on its right ear and an intricately detailed collar around its neck.

Mikono's brows knitted together when she saw the cat stop on the curb and sit down. Its golden eyes were locked on her, its tail flicking back and forth. Something felt off about the cat because of its appearance and it caused her to nearly jump out of the car. Holding herself back, she removed her hand from the door handle. Her eyes remained on the feline until the light turned green and the taxi took off. She lost sight of the animal and turned back to face the front. "What an odd cat..."

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