|| 5/26 Thursday ||
|| After School ||

The bell rang, signifying the end of the school day. With a stoic expression, Mikono packed up her things. She could hear Akira trying to address her, but she decided to give him a taste of his own medicine. When she woke up this morning, she planned to give the boy the cold shoulder. She wouldn't even bother muttering a single word to him. Once she had everything in her bag, she took it and left the classroom.

A few seconds later, she could hear Akira chasing after her. He tried to talk to her, but all he received was silence. The second he caught up to her and walked alongside her, she picked up her pace and walked ahead. She rushed down the staircase and to the entrance of Shujin Academy. 

Without hesitating, Akira followed after Mikono. He pushed through a few students blocking his path, apologizing whenever he bumped into one of them. He kept his eyes on his friend, who was already out the front door. His shoes clacked against the floor as he raced out the entrance and out the gate to catch up to his classmate. Calling her name numerous of times yielded no response or even a reaction from her. The moment he spotted her running down the street toward the train station, he broke out into a sprint.

"Run like your life depends on it!" Morgana announced as he perched his front paws on the boy's shoulders. "We have to catch up to her!"

Akira watched her round the corner and huffed out a sigh. "I didn't realize how fast she could run."

"Pick up the pace, Akira! We're losing her!"

Pushing himself, he dashed after her. He couldn't help but admire how fast Mikono was. While her legs were much shorter compared to his, she was a fast runner and leaving him in the dust.

Morgana whimpered when he saw Mikono run down the escalator and into the train station. "At this rate, you won't be able to catch up to her before she gets on the train!"

Akira kicked it into high gear and picked up the pace. He dodged people left and right as he made his way underground. With his phone already in hand, he passed through the gates and down to the Ginza Line platform. Morgana dug his claws into his shirt and yanked on it repeatedly, cursing the crowd when they proved to be a difficult obstacle.

By the time he reached the platform, Mikono had boarded the train and the doors closed behind her. He stared in disbelief for a few seconds before running up to the train that was about to depart. He saw Mikono facing the door from where she stood inside the train. He banged against the glass, calling out to her multiple times. Her face remained expressionless as she turned her back to the door.

Akira was forced away from the train as it departed the station. He ran after it down the platform but stopped when he reached the end. The feeling of eyes on him caused him to turn around. Many strangers were eyeing him in wonderment or disapproval, confused and curious as to the reasoning behind his actions. He ignored their scrutiny and puzzlement as he patiently waited for the next train to arrive. He sat down on a bench and hung his head. His messy bangs covered his eyes as he stared down at the floor.

Morgana's ears flattened against the top of his head as he felt a depressing aura surrounding Akira. "You know, it is your fault Lady Mikono is acting this way..."

The boy lifted his head slightly to look at the animal. "How is it my fault?"

The cat groaned in disbelief. "You really don't realize what you did?" He sighed and glared at him. "You basically ignored her for two whole days! Lady Mikono would try to talk to you, but you brushed her off! And then you left with Lady Ann yesterday without saying a word to her! You know what that looks like, right?!"

"It wasn't a date," Akira defended himself. "I've been spending time with Ann because she's helping me find ways to ask Mikono on a date and how to talk to her."

Morgana's glare only grew sharper. "I already knew that, but Lady Mikono doesn't! It doesn't help your cause if you're ignoring the girl you like! You even ignored her text message last night. She was worried about you and you just blew it off! You chose to ignore her, but not the group messages! Did you ever wonder why she didn't message the group last night?"

Akira replayed all he did in the past two days. He remembered the moments Mikono tried to talk to him, but he said little or flat-out ignored her. His eyes widened when he saw an image of her wounded expression from yesterday when he declined her offer to eat lunch with her. His hands tangled into his messy locks, tugging on them in frustration. "I've been treating her horribly..."

"Well, you better patch things up or those lessons with Lady Ann will go to waste! You'll lose Lady Mikono before you can even ask her out on a date!"

The bespectacled boy pulled out his phone and immediately texted Mikono, hoping she would reply.

<———————————<<<<<

On the train to Shibuya, Mikono heard and felt her phone go off inside her bag. She wondered who was contacting her and dug through her bag to locate her phone. When she found it, she pulled it out and saw Akira was texting her. Rolling her eyes, she slid her phone back into her bag after turning it off. "Now you wanna talk..."

A few minutes later, the train arrived at Shibuya Station. Mikono stepped off and disembarked for Central Street. She was about to step into the bookstore when she spotted Mishima outside the DVD rental shop across the way. He was looking around as if searching for someone or something. Curious as to what he was doing, she approached him. "Mishima-kun, I didn't expect to see you here."

"Oh, Tsutsui-chan!" Mishima gasped in surprise at her appearance. "I'm waiting for Sakamoto and Kurusu. We...have plans today."

"I see..." Mikono sighed at the mention of Akira. She forced a smile and tilted her head slightly. "What're you three going to do together?"

Mishima scratched the nape of his neck. His cheeks were dusted with a bright red. "U-Uh, well..."

She giggled. "That was rude of me to ask. You don't have to tell me, Mishima-kun. But..."

The cobalt-haired boy blinked owlishly. "What's wrong, Tsutsui-chan?"

"I-I know you're waiting for Ryuji and Akira, but could I steal you away for a little bit?"

He nodded. "Sure. Where do you want to go?"

"Is the diner all right with you?"

"That's fine. I was actually thinking about grabbing a bite to eat before Sakamoto and Kurusu came."

"Great!" Mikono smiled. "It'll be my treat."

Mishima's eyes widen. "I-I couldn't possibly...!"

"It's my way to say "thank you" for saving me from Kamoshida. You could've just turned a blind eye and left me there, but you didn't," she said, smiling sweetly at him. "I really am grateful for what you did."

"Tsutsui-chan..." Mishima feebly mumbled her name.

Mikono looped her arm around his and pulled him close. "Let's head to the diner!"

Mishima was a blushing mess. He could only nod and allowed the girl to drag him to the diner a little ways down the street. They entered the eatery and sat down at the booth, pressing the button when they were ready to order. They chatted the entire time even while they ate. Mikono was surprised at how enthusiastic Mishima was about the phantom thieves. She was aware the boy knew she was one of the phantom thieves alongside Akira, Ann, and Ryuji. He had no knowledge of Morgana or Yusuke, though.

Out of the blue, Mishima felt his phone buzz in his pocket. He pulled out the device and saw it was a text message from Akira. He read the contents of the message and wondered why he was looking for Mikono. He had no reason to lie and told his classmate he and the girl were currently eating at the diner on Central Street. He put his phone away and gave his full attention back to Mikono.

When Mishima began questioning Mikono about the phantom thieves, she felt no hesitation telling him about the Metaverse. Of course, she made sure no one was eavesdropping to ensure their secret wasn't blown. She knew he could trust him and was overjoyed when seeing he was deeply enthralled as she explained how they changed Kamoshida's heart and Nakanohara's. As she was talking, she told him about her teammates' abilities.

"Wow," Mishima gaped in awe. "It sounds like something from a video game or manga. What about you, Tsutsui-chan? What're your abilities?"

She told him about Sekhmet and Anubis, but not the three remaining fragments of her shattered heart. She didn't want to confuse him and mention Igor or the Velvet Room whatsoever. As she explained the Eye of Horus, Mishima asked her to show him when she mentioned she could use it in this reality. "I'm not so sure you'll be able to see it."

"Please?" He begged. "Even if I can't see it, could you tell me what you see?"

Mikono couldn't say no when seeing his eager expression. She sighed, nodding. "All right." She activated the Eye and went to examine the people inside the diner, but froze when seeing Mishima's eyes were wide as saucers and a gasp slipped from his lips. She blinked rapidly and pointed at him. "Y-You can see it?"

He nodded, swallowing the lump in his throat. "Y-Yeah. Your iris is gold and these strange marks surround your left eye."

She quickly covered her eye and slumped back in her seat. "You're freaked out, aren't you?"

"N-No!" He denied. "Just startled. Does it...hurt?"

"Only under certain circumstances."

Mishima looked around at the somewhat busy diner. "What do you see?"

Mikono lowered her hand and scanned the customers. As her eyes traveled across the diner, she and Mishima heard the sound of dishes shattering. Startled, they looked over to see a waitress had dropped a tray of dishes. She had tripped over a curled up corner of a rug. A woman, who the duo assumes to be the manager, came from the kitchen and scolded her. While watching the scene unfold, Mikono saw a black speckle near the manager's heart burst. Her eyes widen in shock as the woman's entire being was shrouded in a familiar black aura. Black roots sprouted from the aura and ricocheted downward. She knew exactly where they were going—Mementos.

"What is it, Tsutsui-chan?" Mishima asked. "You suddenly turned pale."

She deactivated the Eye and met the boy's gaze. "Could you check the Phantom Aficionado Website for any posts about managers?"

"Sure." Mishima unlocked his phone and opened the website. He scrolled through many posts mentioning managers, but he found only one with a name attached to it. ""My manager, Aiko Watanabe, treats her employees like they're objects. There's one girl who works alongside her who she really hates and does anything to make her life miserable.""

"Aiko Watanabe, huh?" Mikono murmured. She looked over at the manager and saw her name tag had the characters for "Watanabe" written on it. "I think we found another target, Mishima."

"Really?" Mishima asked with a hint of excitement. "I'll text Kurusu-kun and let him know."

"No need," a familiar voice spoke up.

Mikono lowered her head, hiding her face with her long hair when hearing Akira's voice. She wondered how he found her, but then she remembered he was supposed to be meeting up with Mishima and Ryuji. She swiftly pulled out enough yen to cover the meal and placed it on the table. Before Akira could sit down and block her from leaving, she snatched up her bag and scrambled out of the booth.

"Mikono!" She heard Akira shout as she left the diner in a hurry. Without stopping, she ran all the way home.

When she arrived at her house, she frantically searched for her key in her bag. Once she located it, she shoved it into the lock and turned it. As she pushed open the door, she heard a voice from behind her. "Tsutsui-san."

Frightened, the girl jumped and spun around to face the person. "Y-Yusuke, you gave me a heart attack!"

"My apologies, I didn't mean to frighten you," he said.

"I don't mean to sound rude, but... What're you doing here? And how did you get past the officer watching my house?"

"Ann informed me she would be late and requested that I should come here to keep you company until she returns. And the officer seems to know who I am."

Mikono glances at the idle police car across the street. "I did tell Chief Goto you, Ann, Ryuji, and Akira are my friends. He may have passed that information on to Officer Harada." She tore her gaze from the vehicle and noticed her friend was carrying a small blank canvas, a portable easel, and a bag of paints, brushes, and sketching materials. "What's with all the art supplies?"

"I was hoping to take this time together to paint my next piece. Will you be my model?" Yusuke asked. "Don't worry, you may keep your clothes on."

She sighed in relief to know she wouldn't have to strip for him. "Sure. Come in." She guided Yusuke inside her house and closed the door behind them, locking it in the process. "Would you prefer to paint indoors or in the garden?"

"You've a garden?" Yusuke's eyes were slightly wide.

"Yeah. My mom's hobby is gardening," Mikono explained.

"I had no idea Dr. Tsutsui was a gardener."

"She's...actually pretty good at it. If she wasn't an archaeologist, I bet she would've been a landscaper."

"I would prefer to paint in the garden. It would make for a lovely backdrop."

"Well then, follow me." Mikono escorted the boy out the sliding glass door and into the backyard.

Yusuke looked around the garden, admiring the numerous of flowers in bloom. He heard the gentle flow of a fountain and turned his head. A three-tier fountain sat in the middle of the garden, adding to its beauty. "A beautiful garden, indeed. This will truly be the perfect place to paint. I do have one request, though."

"What is it, Yusuke?" Mikono inquired as the boy turned to her.

"Could you change into something more appealing?"

"Ouch..." She winced, placing a hand over her heart. "I don't look good in my school uniform?"

"It's not that. I believe the painting will be perfect if you wore a dress. A white one, to be more specific."

"Oh," the girl murmured. "Let me go change while you set everything up." She left Yusuke in the garden and headed to her room. She tossed her bag on the bed once taking her phone out. Curious, she turned the device on and was blown away when seeing how many messages and missed calls she had from Akira. Like he did to her, she ignored the 9 text messages. When seeing he left 4 voicemails out of the 10 times he called, she wondered if she should listen to them. "Only one," she whispered to herself.

Before Mikono could select one of the voicemails, she received another call from Akira. The only thing she could do was stare at his name as her phone buzzed in her palm. She was torn in opposite directions, debating whether to accept the call or ignore it. In the end, she decided to accept the call but remained silent as she placed her phone up to her ear.

"Mikono?" She heard Akira's gentle voice in her right ear. "Are you there?"

The girl bit her tongue when she felt the urge to respond.

Akira sighed dejectedly on the other end. "I don't know if you're listening, but I want to apologize for the way I've been acting. I didn't mean to ignore you. My head has been elsewhere and I treated you horribly. I'm really sorry, Mikono. I know you've been ignoring me today to get back at me and I do deserve it. I just hope you'll forgive me soon. I'm not sure I can handle the silent treatment for much longer."

Mikono stared at the floor with a melancholic gaze. She clenched and unclenched her fist multiple times before relaxing her left hand. It seemed she was no longer able to keep up the silent treatment. "Ann couldn't tell me why you both have been hanging out recently. She told me to ask you. Does it have to do with the important thing you have to tell me? And if it does, how are the two connected?"

"You're talking to me..." Akira sighed in relief.

"Yeah, but I'm not sure for how long. I'm still angry at you..."

"And I don't blame you. To answer your question: yes, they are connected."

Mikono sat down at the foot of her bed. "Are you going to tell me this "important thing" or am I still going to have to wait?"

"I'm not ready yet, but I will tell you soon. I promise." Akira fell silent for a few seconds before asking, "Are you going to give me the cold shoulder tomorrow, too?"

She pursed her lips in a childish manner. "I don't know. I haven't decided. You'll just have to wait and see."

"I hope you don't because today was torture and I can't handle another day of it..."

"Welcome to my world," she giggled. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight, Mikono."

"Goodnight, Akira."

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