A/n: My plan for Tivali was to have her disappear after Mikono meets Bastet, but now I'm not so sure. Would you like me to keep Tivali around or have her disappear?
~✨Celestial✨~
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|| 7/10 Sunday ||
|| Evening ||

After sharing a shift with Akira at the museum, Mikono took up his offer of tea at Leblanc. They rode the train to Yongen-Jaya and the moment they stepped off the train, Mikono discussed what she learned from Igor while Morgana and Tivali ran ahead of them.

Akira had many questions and Mikono was only able to answer a few since she still lacked most knowledge of the Velvet Room. That's when she pulled out the book Igor gave her. "But he did say this book would help us find our next target."

The bespectacled boy tried to read the title, but he immediately gave up when seeing it was in Arabic. "What is it?"

"One Thousand and One Nights," she answered.

"Oh, I think I've heard of it before."

"I'd be more surprised if you hadn't." She flipped through the pages, revealing the entire book was in Arabic. "Shahrazad, Sinbad, Aladdin... There're so many characters from this book you can find referenced in other books, movies, and TV shows. This was one of my favorite books growing up. My favorite has always been Sinbad."

"So a clue to our next target is in that book, huh?" Akira hummed. "Have you figured it out?"

"Sadly, no..." Mikono sighed. "I have reread the book, but I'm unable to figure out what the clue is."

"That book's the reason why you've been staying up late, right? Don't push yourself. You almost fell asleep during our shift today."

"I promise I'll get a proper night's rest tonight," she said. "I will be rereading this book again, but no more late nights for me."

The couple arrived at Leblanc and there was no sign of Sojiro. They sat down at one of the booths with Morgana and Tivali.

After talking a little more about the book, Akira stood up to prepare himself a cup of coffee and some tea for his girlfriend. As he slid out of the booth, the door to the café opened. Ryuji, Ann, Yusuke, and Makoto entered. The messy-haired teen froze when seeing them. "What're you guys doing here?"

"Dude, did you forget? I called and told ya we be comin' over to hang out," Ryuji said.

"Oh, right..."

"That's not why we're here!" Ann hissed. "We need to study for finals!"

Makoto sighed. "Why am I here too...?"

"You're one of us now, so of course you gotta help us. We're in trouble if you don't teach us, y'know?" Ryuji smirked. "Besides, Mikky's ruthless when it comes to studyin'. With you around, maybe she'll go easier on us."

"She's only tough on you because you still fail after so much studying," Ann groaned.

"Akira and I were just about to study together," Mikono said. Just then, Tivali emerged from underneath the table. She hopped up into one of the seats located by the counter, meowing as she glanced around at the new faces. The girl turned to the cat, smiling, "Don't worry, Tivali. These are my friends."

"Tivali?" Makoto parroted.

"When'd you get a cat?" Ryuji asked.

"She's my guide to the next fragment," Mikono answered. "She's one of Bastet's loyal servants."

"She's adorable!" Ann cooed, reaching out to pet the golden-eyed cat. She stroked the top of the animal's head, earning a purr in response.

Yusuke analyzes the feline's appearance. "What peculiar yet intriguing jewelry."

Makoto looked away from Tivali and glanced around the café, changing the subject as she asked, "I couldn't ask the last time I was here... But what is this place? The storekeeper doesn't seem to be around."

Ryuji jabbed his thumb in Akira's direction. "It's where this guy lives. He's got complicated circumstances..." He looked over at him. "We can tell her about it, right? Actually, tell her yourself."

Akira rubbed the back of his neck. "Where to begin..." He told Makoto what all happened to him in his hometown and how he ended up in Tokyo.

After a lengthy explanation, a melancholic expression made its way onto Makoto's face. "That's... That's terrible..."

"Mikky, Ann, Yusuke, and me are pretty much the same too," Ryuji chimed in. "I mean, it's not as bad as this guy's though. There's just something we can't ever put up with. That's why we all became Phantom Thieves."

"Hey, don't forget me," Morgana spoke up.

"I know, I know. We're all part of the team," he smiled. "By the way, Makoto, ain't there someone you can't forgive either? Like, a heart you wanna change?"

Makoto closed hers eyes as she did think of one person. "That's a secret."

"Ooh, there's someone like that? You could just tell us, you know. You don't gotta be so cold."

"Ryuji, don't be rude," Mikono scolded her best friend. "If she wants to tell us, she will. We're all entitled to our own secrets."

"Eh, true..."

"That aside, do you have any intention of studying for the exam?" Makoto inquired.

The fake blonde's brows knitted together. "Not really..."

"It's fine if I leave then?"

"N-No, I'm just joking! Please teach us and save us from Mikky's tyranny!"

"Oh, you're not getting away that easily," Mikono grinned sinisterly.

Ryuji swallowed nervously as he and the others sat down at the booth. Akira sat next to Ryuji while Mikono, Ann, and Makoto were able to squeeze in on the other side. Yusuke pulled up a chair to sit at the end of the table. Morgana sat in between Akira and Ryuji while Tivali found herself curled up in Yusuke's lap.

Seeing where her new feline friend was, Mikono giggled. "It looks like Tivali likes you, Yusuke."

"It appears so." The artist glanced down at the cat in his lap before taking out his study tools.

Once everyone got their stuff out, their lengthy study session began. They flipped through books and notebook pages as they studied. Mikono did a few math problems while Ann and Makoto focused on English. Ryuji was jabbing the eraser of his pencil into the side of his head as he tried to understand the math problems on the page. Akira was working on social studies and Yusuke seemed to be working on science.

An hour into studying, Makoto became stumped on one of the questions. "Hm, what was this term? It's "phobia," so it's a fear of some kind..."

"I think it's a fear of open spaces," Ann replied. "You don't hear it that often, though."

"Oh, you mean agoraphobia?" Mikono asked.

The pigtailed girl nodded. "Yeah."

"Dude, who's scared of open spaces?" Ryuji scoffed.

"It's not the openness someone with agoraphobia is afraid of. It's the fear of being in an vast, open area where if something dire were to happen, there'd be no way for help to arrive," Mikono explained. "To put it more simply, a person perceives their environment to be unsafe with no easy way to escape whether it be open or crowded."

"Ooh, now it all makes sense."

Mikono glanced at Ann. "I'm surprised, Ann. Not many people are aware what agoraphobia is."

She smiled at the inky-haired girl. "Leave vocabulary and long sentences to me. I suck at proper grammar, though..."

Ryuji glared down at his notebook. "Even if we study English, it's not like I'm gonna use it in the future."

"When it comes to you, your Japanese is questionable too," Morgana grumbled.

The fake blonde casted his glare towards the cat. "Aw, shuddup!"

Ann read another question aloud. "Explain the writer's feelings? What point is there to that?"

Ryuji scratches the back of his head, clearly frustrated. "It's impossible! I can't memorize all these formulas. Ain't there a good way of cheatin'?"

"Don't even think about it," Mikono hissed.

Makoto sighed. "Why don't we take a break?"

"In that case..." Akira reached over and picked up the remote off the table. "How about some TV?"

"Yeah! Let's see what the news has to say," Ann replied.

Akira turned on the TV and flipped to the news. Everyone placed their pencils down and listened to the reporter. "And that was the follow-up report on the suspect Kaneshiro. Now, Akechi-san..." Mikono tensed up when the camera switched over to a wide shot of the reporter and Goro. She glanced at Akira and noticed him slowly clenching his left hand into a fist. Moving her eyes up, she saw an unreadable expression on his face. Her eyes returned to the TV when hearing the reporter speak up. "This case is said to be the result of the Phantom Thieves' actions, but in actuality, is this true?"

"Considering how a calling card was scattered about, I believe there's no mistaking that," Goro replied. "The question is what the Phantom Thieves actually did. If they tampered with a suspect's heart, it casts doubt on the authenticity of any confession."

"So then, by tampering with hearts, the Phantom Thieves are fabricating crimes that may not exist?" The reported inquired.

"We can't deny the possibility. There's no doubt that the Phantom Thieves are exposing hidden injustices in society. However, if this is done by sidestepping the law, their way of thinking is very dangerous."

"So in a way, they're outlaws."

"Yes. They're no different than the criminals they target. This cannot be overlooked," Goro answered.

"I see," the TV reporter said.

Ryuji tore his attention away from the broadcast with furrowed brows. ""I see," my ass," he mocked the reporter's tone. "Why the hell're we bein' treated as the bad guys?"

"It's normal for people to perceive the unknown as dangerous," Mikono said. "But don't let it bother you, Ryuji."

"Yeah," Ann nodded. "Just let them say whatever they want. More people are starting to understand that what we're doing is right, after all."

"When I'm walkin' around in town, I hear a lot more people talkin' about us too," Ryuji added, his anger vanquished by the smile on his face. "And the forum's been full of hype! Do you think we made it big time?"

"Don't get pompous over dealing with some street thug," Morgana chided. "Save it for after we deal with a bigger target."

"We just gotta take down a bigger one, yeah? That was the plan from the start, anyways!"

"True, it may be best if we start thinking about it," Makoto responded.

Ryuji's grin festered. "I bet we'll find one in no time. The wind's blowin' in our direction and everything! I feel like we won't lose to anything right now."

Mikono reaches into her bag and pulled out One Thousand and One Nights. She placed it on top of her notebook and decided to let all of her friend's know without mentioning the Velvet Room. "Tivali showed me this book. I wasn't sure why until yesterday. Apparently, it contains a clue to our next target."

"For real?!" Ryuji reached across the table and grabbed the book. Flipping to a random page, his eyes widen. "Aw, the hell is this?! I can't read this shit!"

The inky-haired girl snatched the book out of his hands with a glare. "It's written in Arabic. You might not be able to read it, but I have no issues."

Makoto peered down at the page, gaping in awe. "You can read this?"

"I can read, speak, and write in Arabic. The same goes for Japanese and English. I can thank my parents for spending all their free time teaching me."

"This clue you mentioned," Yusuke spoke up. "Have you learned what it is, Mikono?"

She smiled apologetically. "Sorry, but I haven't."

"Like I said, don't worry about it," Akira reassured her.

"Yes," Makoto said. "There's no need to worry. We need to overcome our exams first. Now then, break time's over! Let's get back to-"

Ryuji cut off the crimson-eyed girl. "That reminds me-the celebration party. Weren't we gonna do it after exams?"

She sighed. "Yes, I believe so..."

"Where should we go? I feel like I'll study better if I got something to look forward to."

"The last one was a buffet at a hotel. We haven't gone anywhere since," Morgana stated.

Yusuke's head shot up at the mention of the buffet. "Hm?! A buffet?!" His sudden shout caused Tivali to jump up into the air. She landed back on his lap, meowing as she looked up at him. The artist looked down at her. "My apologies, Tivali."

"Where would be good?" Ann asked, wondering what would be a good place to celebrate their recent victory and new member. "Hey, what about fireworks?! A fireworks festival!"

"Oh, yeah! It's that season, huh!" Ryuji chanted.

"That sounds good to me," Makoto smiled.

"I've got no qualms," Mikono commented.

"It's hard to ignore a buffet, but I'll take the beauties of summer," Yusuke said. "Still, I demand that we feast during the festival as well."

Morgana glances around at his companions. "Do you guys own a yukata? Will you wear a yukata?!"

Ryuji glances over at their leader. "Doesn't a fireworks festival sound good? You think so too, right?"

"I think it's a great idea," Akira answered.

"All right, fireworks festival, it is! Let's look for a good one!"

Makoto scowled at Ryuji. "Study comes first, though. I won't let you off if you fail any of them. Are we clear?"

"Y-Yes, ma'am..." Ryuji swallowed nervously.

Mikono smirked sinisterly at her best friend. "I'm gonna whip you into shape. You better prepare yourself, Ryuji. And if you fail, so help me I'll-"

"H-Hey, don't you guys think it's a nice day?" He stuttered, looking everywhere but at her.

The lead of Mikono's mechanical pencil snapped. "Don't you dare try to change the subject!"

|| 7/16 Saturday ||
|| After School ||

At the accessway, Mikono sat down on the ground with an exhausted sigh. Tivali, who began following her to school, crawled out of the girl's bag and sat in front of her. She pawed her knee with a soft meow. Mikono stared into the cat's golden eyes and smiled reassuringly. "I'm fine, Tivali. I'm just exhausted from exams. Thank goodness it's over..."

"Same here," Ann sighed. "I'm so exhausted from all the studying..."

"I can finally get back to actually sleepin' in peace..." Ryuji muttered.

"Huh. You must have been studying pretty hard if it kept you up at night," Makoto commented. "Mikono did give you a rather detailed studying schedule."

"Nah, I was up playin' video games. Slackin' off is too much fun..."

"What?!" Mikono shrieked. She jumped to her feet, glaring sharply at him. "You weren't studying?!"

Ryuji realized his mistake and took a few steps back. "She's gonna kill me! Someone stop her!"

Makoto and Ann only smiled innocently, wishing to see what Mikono was going to do to the boy. Yusuke, Tivali, and Morgana were watching closely as well, their eyes focused on Mikono as she stomped toward Ryuji with a ferocious glare.

The moment the inky-haired girl leapt forward to grab Ryuji, Akira wound an arm around her waist to stop her. He pulled her away from the blonde with a smile. "As much as I would enjoy watching this, I rather you didn't get charged with murder."

Mikono struggles against Akira's hold, her glare never leaving Ryuji. "Come on! Just one punch!"

"Sorry, Mikono, but not this time."

She slumped against his arm with a sorrowful groan. "You're no fun..."

"I do have a small confession," Ann spoke up, grabbing everyone's attention. "I kept cleaning my room instead of studying. It might even be too clean now..."

Yusuke combed his fringe aside, glancing between Ann and Ryuji. "You two are perfect exemplars of what escapism can mean."

Makoto shook her head with a disapproving sigh. "And I can only imagine what the end result will be."

"At least Ann's not failing her classes like a certain someone..." Mikono murmured, glaring at Ryuji as Akira removes his arm from around her waist.

The fake blonde did his best to ignore his best friend's harsh gaze. "Whatever, it's over with now. Who cares about that anymore?! What's real important is the Phantom Thieves' popularity! Ain't it amazin'?!"

"It kinda feels like our time's finally here!" Ann cheerfully stated.

A minuscule smile made its way on to Yusuke's face. "I have even heard people excitedly speculating about our next target. We will have to choose carefully. Have you had any luck locating the clue, Mikono?"

Said girl leaned against the railing. "Not yet."

"That's fine. There's no need to hurry," Makoto reassured the sable-haired girl. "We should spend some time thinking it over regardless of the clue."

"Hold up, the most important thing now is our celebration party!" Ryuji chanted. "I hope you guys didn't forget. It's the fireworks festival on the 18th. I guess we're good meetin' up in Shibuya, yeah? Let's say...5 pm!"

"You sure are on top of these kinds of things..." Morgana mumbled.

"Yeah," Mikono scoffed. "Too bad you're not on top of studying. Guess you don't care if you're held back..."

"Oh, c'mon, Mikky! Cheer up!" Ryuji nudged her with his elbow. "We finally get a break from school!"

She stared out the window and down at the busy streets of Shibuya. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say, Ryuji..." Her eyes traveled over to Tivali when the cat hopped up on to the railing. "Oh, that reminds me. Ann, Makoto, are you both free tomorrow?"

"I've got no plans," Ann responded.

"Neither do I," Makoto said. "Did you have something in mind, Mikono?"

"I know this is last-minute, but I was hoping you both would come over to my place for lunch. My mom has tomorrow off and she'd love to prepare lunch for the four of us."

Ann's eyes glistened with excitement. "I'd love to! Are we going to get to try Egyptian dishes?"

Mikono smiled. "Yes. It'll be a mix of Japanese and Egyptian dishes."

"I'd be honored," Makoto said. "What time shall we meet up?"

"Come to my place around 1. Ann knows the way."

"So, uh..." Ryuji rubbed his nose. "You gonna invite us guys too?"

"No," she quipped. "It's gonna be a girls' day. No guys allowed. Besides, you can consider this payback for not studying."

"Nooo!" He wailed. "Your mom's cooking is the best!"

Mikono trailed her finger down her cheek, faking a tear. "Oh, boohoo, cry me a river..." She grabbed her bag and picked up Tivali. She looked at Makoto and Ann with a gentle smile. "I'll see you both tomorrow. Make sure you're hungry!"

|| 7/17 Sunday ||
|| Daytime ||

"How's it going in here, Mom?" Mikono asked as she wandered into the kitchen. "Are you sure you don't want any help?"

Ichika laughed. "That's the third time you've asked me that in the past thirty minutes. I'm fine, sweetheart. Did you set the table?"

"Yes," she answered.

"Good! Now all you need to do is wait for your friends. They should be here soon."

Mikono left the kitchen and sat down on the couch in the living room. A few seconds passed and she felt her phone buzz in the pocket of her shorts. She wondered who was texting her and pulled out her phone. She was surprised to see her dad texting her. She laughed once reading his message.

Isaac: Make sure to save me some of that delicious food.

Mikono: I'll try my best, Dad. Just make sure to focus on work.

Isaac: That, I can do.

Mikono: I'll see you when you get home.

Isaac: Have fun, sweetie!

Mikono put her phone away. She debated on turning on the TV the moment she heard the doorbell ring. Hopping to her feet, she made her way to the front door and opened it. Standing there were Ann and Makoto. "Hey," she greeted them. "You two are just in time. Come on in."

The two girls entered the mansion. Makoto looked around in awe. "I've never been in a mansion before. It's amazing!"

"Make yourselves comfortable." Mikono closed the door just as Tivali strolled down the stairwell with a 'meow.'

Ann smiled at the cat, kneeling down to pet her. "Looks like someone just woke up from a nap." She picked up Tivali, carrying her to the couch.

The three girls sat on the sofa, chatting away. From school to the Phantom Thieves, they discussed what was on their minds. During their conversation, Ichika walked in and greeted them. "Ann, Makoto, welcome! I hope you both are hungry."

Makoto quickly stood up and bowed politely. "Thank you for having us, Tsutsui-san."

"Oh, please! Just call me Ichika."

Ann sniffed the air when she smelt something delicious. "Mmm, it smells amazing!"

Ichika giggled. "Then let's not waste a moment then!"

The four left the living room and headed to the dining room. They sat down at the table and admired the many dishes. Mikono smiled at her mother. "Everything looks amazing, Mom."

"Yeah!" Ann cheered. "My mouth is watering!"

"Please, dig in," Ichika said.

"Thank you, Ichika," Makoto smiled.

The four dug in to the various dishes splayed out on the table. They filled their plates and munched down on to the food. While eating, Ichika got to know Makoto and Ann. She learned many things about the two girls and how they met her daughter. She even thanked them for becoming Mikono's friends. The archaeologist even went on to tell them they were welcome to visit at any time.

Thirty minutes later, everyone was full. Ann smiled blissfully while rubbing her stomach. "That...was amazing. I wish I wasn't full."

"I couldn't agree more," Makoto said. "It was the most delicious meal I've ever had, and I never knew how much I loved Egyptian dishes until now. Your cooking is astonishing, Ichika. I wish I could eat it every day."

"I'm glad you both liked it," the woman replied. "If you'd like, take some home. We've plenty of leftovers."

"Oh, hey," Mikono chimed in. "Didn't you also make dessert, Mom?"

"Oh! I almost forgot." Ichika stood up. "I'll go grab the dessert!"

"Dessert?!" Ann shrieked with excitement.

"I thought you were full, Ann," Makoto stated.

"I have a second stomach for desserts."

The short-haired girl chortled at her response. She then casted her glance towards Mikono. "Thank you for inviting us over, Mikono. I can't express how happy this has made me."

"I'm glad you both were able to come," the inky-haired girl replied. "This time together gives us the opportunity to get to know each other more. I also wanted to thank you, Makoto."

She blinked in confusion. "Why?"

"While we were fighting Kaneshiro, you protected me. You didn't have to do anything, but you did. I really am thankful for your help. I think... I think I'm finally able to forgive you for what happened with Kamoshida."

"Mikono, I... I don't what to say..."

She smiled kindly at her. "You don't have to say anything. Just continue enjoying yourself while you're here. Oh, and definitely take some food home. There's no way we'll be able to finish all this on our own."

Makoto smiled back at her. "I definitely will not pass up the chance to take some of this delicious food home with me."

"All right!" Ichika returned to the dining room with a tray of assorted desserts. "Ladies, let's satisfy our sweet teeth."

"Yeah!" Ann cheered. "My sweet tooth is aching just looking at those desserts!"

The moment Ichika places the tray down, Ann, Makoto, and Mikono claimed their treats. They each enjoyed the sweets and went back for seconds.

The desserts were gone within minutes. The four were full and the treats fulfilled their aching needs for something sweet. Seeing everyone was full, Ichika packed up the remaining food and split it between her family, Ann, and Makoto. Once finished, she handed the girls the leftovers.

The trio of friends talked for a little while longer before Ann and Makoto had to leave. They took their leftovers, thanking both Mikono and Ichika as they left. The inky-haired girl waved farewell to her friends before closing the door and heading back to the kitchen to get Tivali some food.

After tending to the feline, Mikono's phone went off. Fishing it out of her pocket, she saw the IM chat notifications.

Ryuji: Tomorrow's the fireworks festival! Let's meet in Shibuya at 5!

Ann: Hey, Makoto, Mikono. Are you both going to wear yukatas?

Makoto: I'm planning on it.

Mikono: Me too. But knowing my mom, she may go a little overboard...

Yusuke: Yukatas are a great part of the summer tradition... They truly heighten a woman's beauty.

Yusuke: I think I will wear mine as well.

Ryuji: You've got one...? How about you, Akira?

Akira: I don't have a yukata.

Akira: But I'll be happy enough just to see Mikono in one.

Mikono: Don't go saying stuff like that in the group chat!

Ann: Hey, I know! Why don't you come without your glasses?

Makoto: What's the point in that?

Ann: I dunno. You don't get to see fireworks every day, so it'd be sad just wearing normal clothes!

Ann: I was just thinking he might want to go for a change of pace.

Ryuji: That sounds great! You should totally come without glasses!

Akira: I don't see why not.

Ryuji: Welp, you guys better not be late tomorrow!

Mikono: See you all tomorrow!

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