(A/N: All righty right, here we are diving into Kaneshiro's Arc, and strongly too! Are you excited? Nah, why am I askin'? Of course, you are, am I right or am I right? ;)
Now without any further ado, BUCKLE THE FUCK UP!!! 'CUZ HERE WE GO!!!)

*******

Opening

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*******

------Next Day: After School------

That day during classes and God may forgive him, Ren couldn't concentrate on half of what was told during the lectures. Throughout the day, he had a dreamy look in his eyes while staring out at the window with his face buried inside his palm. No matter how much he tried, he couldn't forget the sound of Emiko's guitar or take it off his mind, nor her singing voice that kept echoing inside it. It sounded so beautiful and pure... but what lingered more in his head was the glimmer of sadness he saw in her eyes and heard in her voice. The girl had so many complicated feelings and emotions fighting each other within her heart, so music was her only way to let them out for a decent level.

Ren couldn't help but wonder whether Ryuji or Ann knew about her playing the guitar or not. She did say she started doing that five years ago, after all, which means two years prior to the incident with her father, and if they didn't was he the first to know? If so, then why keeping something beautiful like that to herself? Of course, he didn't wish to pry into her personal business, but he was curious nonetheless. Shaking off that thought, Ren started packing his stuff into his bag after a long day of school finally came to an end. Standing up from his seat after sliding the bag on his shoulder, he noticed Emiko doing the same too, and when he was about to call her to ask if they could head to the hideout together, his eyes fell on his homeroom teacher approaching him.

"Amamiya-Kun. Oh good, you haven't gone home yet." Ms. Kawakami walked to him.

"........?!" He had a puzzled look while looking at his homeroom teacher.

"Niijima-San's looking for you. Could you head to the student council room right away?"

"What does Niijima-Senpai want from me?"

"She says there's no report of a lost item, so she wants you to start filling out some paperwork. The student council room is on the third floor, next to the library. Got it?"

"Yeah."

"Why am I running errands for a student? I know she's the Principal's favorite or whatever..." Ms. Kawakami mumbled to herself before leaving the classroom.

"Niijima's the girl who keeps following you around, right? What could she want...?" Morgana mumbled suspiciously.

"Yeah, I wonder about what she has to say."

"Anyways, let's go to the student council."

Nodding to himself, Ren adjusted the position of his bag on his shoulder, attempting to walk away towards the door. So many thoughts and scenarios swirled inside his mind at that particular moment... what did Makoto want from him exactly? Ask him more about the Phantom Thieves and see his reaction? Or could she have possibly figured out everything already? No, that couldn't be it, could it? But the girl was keen, smart, and sharp, after all.

"Ren." Emiko stood in front of the boy, her eyes were serious and piercing.

"What?"

"I have a bad feeling about this... Niijima-Senpai couldn't have called you like that unless she has something very important to say. She's a lot smarter than she looks like, so stay on your guard around her."

".........?" Ren couldn't help himself but blink at Emiko's words.

Was she really concerned about him in her own way?

"That's all I wanted to say. I'll wait with the others at the hideout like we agreed last night."

Emiko closed her eyes before sliding the class's door open, however, she halted her footsteps, turning her head slightly behind her to steal a quick glance at Ren before walking out of the room. The class then became empty and silent with no soul lurking around other than the curly-haired boy and his cat who exchanged confused looks.

"Is it just me or does Miss show-off look a little bit more talkative than before?" Morgana wondered.

"You're... not the only one." Ren admitted.

"So you noticed too, huh? That's an improvement from before, I guess. You sure do have a charm on other people."

"That's not it." Ren rolled his eyes while walking out of the class to the corridors.

"All joking aside, calling on you again... does she intend to continue from before?" Morgana asked the boy who was taking the stairs up.

"I don't know."

"Be careful what you say. That president seems pretty sharp."

"I know."

He knew, he knew very well how dangerous she could be since the first time she ambushed them on the school's rooftop. Makoto Niijima was indeed a complex mystery, especially from the way Ann and Emiko acted towards her... and even Ryuji didn't seem like he was on good terms with her either. At that moment, he remembered Ann telling her that she was stalking them due to someone's request only to get a good letter of recommendation.

If all of that was true, then why Makoto had a pained expression since the first time he met her?

*******

------The Student Council Room------

Standing outside of the student council's door, Ren felt his chest stinging from both worry and anticipation. His hand reached for the door, only to hold it with his other hand before it could move any further. He was about to enter the lion's den and perhaps fall as prey for her questions, trying to hunt down anything that could confirm her thesis. Taking a deep breath, he swung the door open with determination and confidence flaming in his grey irises.

Makoto stood in front of the table with her hands placed on it and eyes closed, but then revealed her red orbs at the sound of the door opening that met Ren's figure. The sunlight seeped through the windows and illuminated every surrounding of the room with dazzling hues of red, orange, and yellow. The same sunset light reflected on the girl's face and hugged each curve on her face ever so delicately, adding more beauty to her figures... and despite her looks meeting Ren, her gaze remained sharp and unwavering.

"Ah. Earlier than expected. Sorry for asking you to come." Makoto spoke politely, her eyes were as stern as ever.

"It's fine."

"...Have a seat."

Ren nodded to the girl as he took a vacant seat while she sat across him with her legs crossed as well. The room fell into silence as both of them still exchanged sharp and piercing looks as if both of them were digging deeply into the other's soul, both of their auras were bursting with challenge.

"I'll get straight to the point. Mr. Kamoshida and Madarame. Won't you tell me the truth behind the Phantom Thieves' incidents?" Makoto asked.

"........." Ren remained glaring at her.

"Can't answer that? Ah, of course. There's no way you would admit to such things. Have a listen." Makoto said while pulling her phone out and placing it on the table.

"If someone else could help 'em we wouldn't be doin' stuff as the Phantom Thieves to start with!" Makoto played a recording of Ryuji's voice.

"........!" His face went pale.

"So you think it's true...? We'll be OK if we keep doing this... right?" Ann's voice followed next.

Beneath the table, Ren's fingers dug deeply into the fabric of his pants like his life depended on it. He gritted his teeth while shutting his eyes tightly and thought about how he could be so stupid and careless. It was all because of him...!

"...What could all this mean?" Makoto asked him seriously.

"We screwed up..." Morgana said from inside the bag.

"Was it blackmail? Hypnosis? How do you corner someone into making them confess? Won't you tell me how you did it?"

"No idea, Niijima-Senpai." He tried to sound as confident as possible.

"...You want to say that this doesn't prove anything, don't you? I believe that you four are the Phantom Thieves."

"........."

"Now, what would the police think if they heard my recording?"

"It'd be bad if we're put under police surveillance. There's no telling what'll happen to you too, Ren!" Morgana spoke quietly.

"........." He grunted.

"If you just confess the truth, I don't mind just leaving this between the two of us... you'll tell me, won't you?" Makoto had the smallest smile on her lips, knowing that she'd cornered him.

"I have a right to be silent, you know."

"That's the same as admitting to it, you know."

Then...

Pi

Pi

Pi

"Ah...!" Ren nearly flinched at the sound of his phone ringing.

"Go ahead."

Ren shot her a suspicious look before deciding to take the call nonetheless when he saw from the caller's ID that it was Ryuji calling him.

"Hey, where are you at? Takin' a leak? Let's meet up at the usual spot to hold our Phantom Thieves meetin'!" Ryuji's voice was extremely loud that it filled the entire room which made Ren hang up immediately.

At that moment he knew... they screwed up. Real hard.

"That idiot...!" Morgana hissed from inside the bag.

"I hate you, Ryuji..." Ren mumbled.

"As loud as always... but his timing's perfect. I'd like everyone else to hear this as well. Won't you take me to your friends?"

"........."

"I guess it can't be helped now..." Morgana admitted their defeat.

*******

------Shibuya's Passageway------

One of Ren's worst fears became true that day when their secret was exposed and came out to the open for the sharp and keen student council president. All of her suspicions proved to be true and had her answers served to her on a plate of gold, thus Ren found himself forced to take her to the group's hideout in Shibuya whether he liked it or not. It felt like a powerful bomb was thrown on him and placed him in front of the reality that no matter how hard they tried to lay low, someone would be out there looking for them, and that any slip no matter how tiny it might be, could ruin everything.

On the other hand, the whole team was already at the hideout, waiting for the leader to arrive so they could have their regular meeting. Yusuke, Ryuji, and Ann were engaged in lively conversations about various topics despite Ann being holding a magazine and Ryuji sitting on the ground, and those conversations were punctuated by laughter and jokes. But the bespectacled brown-haired girl couldn't care less about the chatter around her, so she spent her time scrolling down her phone until she was being poked by both Ann and Ryuji to join the conversation. But along those lines, Yusuke abruptly stopped talking when he noticed Ren walking towards the group with another individual right next to him.

"Oh..." Yusuke looked at the distance.

"Hm? He here?" Ryuji perked his head up.

"Is that girl a friend of yours?" Yusuke pointed at the student council president.

Upon hearing those words, Ryuji quickly jumped on his feet while the girls exchanged questionable looks when they saw that the girl with Ren was none other than Makoto Niijima herself. Shock and surprise arose on their faces as many questions ran through their minds while Yusuke had no idea about the threat that was approaching them or who she really was.

"Wh-What the hell?" Ryuji gasped in shock.

"What's the meaning of this?" Ann furrowed her eyebrows.

"Well, you see..." Ren trailed.

"........." Emiko glared at the raven-haired, having a very good idea why Makoto was with him.

"I had him lead me here. Ryuji Sakamoto, Ann Takamaki, Emiko Hayashi... and you're Kitagawa-Kun, correct? Second-year at Kosei high and former pupil of Madarame."

"And who are you?" Yusuke went on guard.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Makoto Niijima, a third-year from Shujin Academy."

"What are you doing here?" Ann asked a bit angrily.

"I wanted to ask you all about this." Makoto pulled out her phone, playing the record.

"If someone else could help 'em we wouldn't be doin' stuff as the Phantom Thieves to start with!" Ryuji's voice played.

".........!" Shock arose on their faces.

"An extremely similar technique was used for both Kamoshida and Madarame... while those affected by their acts were just coincidentally meeting up... how could that not raise suspicions?" Makoto eyed all of them.

"Hehe..." Emiko chuckled softly.

"What's so funny, Hayashi-San?" Makoto narrowed her eyes.

"You couldn't have done this on your own, could you? You don't do anything but follow orders given by those who are higher than you. You really disgust me."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You're smart. I'm sure you can figure out what I mean."

".........." Makoto gritted her teeth.

"What do you intend to do? Have you come just to say you're going to report us?" Yusuke asked seriously.

"I bet someone told you to find us. The school can't have ties to criminals, after all! And yet they turn a blind eye when it comes to suicide and sexual harassment. Those adults are just using you. I feel sorry for you." Ann scoffed.

"......." Makoto stayed quiet before saying, " I... I know..."

"Huh...?" Ann and Emiko looked at Makoto surprisingly.

"Hm?" Ren narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"That's why I would like to verify the justice you speak of." Makoto added.

"What?" Ryuji was dumbfounded.

"I'm the only one who knows about you. If you prove what you're doing is just, I'll erase this."

"She wants to make a deal..." Morgana trailed.

"There is someone whose heart I'd like you to change." Makoto offered.

"Who?" Ren raised his eyebrow.

"Hm, so you're not saying it's impossible. However... I cannot tell you that just yet. Let's continue our talk after school tomorrow. On the roof. Assuming you accept my offer, that is." Makoto finished the meeting before walking away, leaving the group to stare at each other quietly.

"This is turnin' into a real pain..." Ryuji scratched his head.

*******

------Shibuya's Diner------

The air around them was too thick to endure, from the moment Makoto exposed them until they reached the diner in Shibuya. The entire journey was quiet, with Emiko having a dark and fearsome aura around her while shooting Ryuji threateningly looks as if she desired so much to haunt him down and devour him. Had Ann not tried to calm her down, a bloody murder would have occurred that day, literally. A huge mistake happened that day, and most of the blame fell on Ryuji, thus he never survived his friends' continuous glares at him in the diner--all were angry and pissed at how reckless he was, having their identities face the risk of exposure all thanks to his loudness.

"...You were careless. I don't think you truly understood how high the stakes were. Anything to say, Ryuji?" Yusuke spoke in a deadly tone.

"Why're you singlin' me out? Ann got recorded too, y'know!" Ryuji defended himself.

"Yeah, except you were a lot louder than she was." Emiko commented.

"Surprisingly, I agree with Miss show-off." Morgana followed.

"I'm so sorry..." Ann apologized, ashamed of herself.

"What's done is done... unfortunately..." Ren sighed hopelessly.

"Hey, what should we do? That girl's got dirt on us..." Ryuji lowered his head.

"A recording seems to be insufficient evidence though. And even with that, there's no way they could prove our methods." Yusuke pointed out.

"Considering who we're dealing with, I think it might be a trap." Ann added.

"I wouldn't rule out that possibility either. A person who wants a letter of recommendation so badly can do anything." The brown-haired girl adjusted herself.

"I don't think so..." Ren started, catching everyone's attention, "Sure Niijima-Senpai is smart and on us and all, but she doesn't seem like the lying type."

"Regardless, Ren would be in real trouble. He's on probation, after all." Morgana reminded.

"I know..." He clutched his fingers through his pants.

".........." Light reflected on Emiko's glasses, thus blocking the view of her eyes.

"Things'd get rough if we didn't have our leader... and I totally don't wanna deal with the police..." Ryuji trailed worriedly.

"Then we have no other choice but to go along with it." Yusuke admitted hopelessly.

"Yes, it's best we agree, at least for the time being. We made a crucial mistake... but not a critical one. We'll just have to recover from here on out." Morgana narrowed his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah. My bad." Ryuji sounded indifferent.

"At least make it sound like you actually mean it, geez..." Emiko pinched the bridge of her nose.

"...Anyways, we doin' this, Ren?" Ryuji looked back at the raven-haired.

"Sadly, yes. It's our only choice for now."

"All right. We're meetin' on the school rooftop tomorrow, yeah?"

"What about me? I could always sneak in if necessary." Yusuke spoke for the matter-of-factly.

"That'll draw too much attention. You should just wait outside, Yusuke." Ann stated.

Earning unanimous nods from everyone, Ren still couldn't help himself feel guilty for putting his team through something like that. Sure it was Ryuji being loud as always, but that didn't stop him from feeling responsible for the slightest. He was the leader of the Phantom Thieves, after all, so his teammate's safety was his top priority... and only had he been more cautious, none of this would happen in the first place.
And it wasn't just Ren, but all the group felt the same as well, especially Ann due to her history with Makoto and couldn't stop thinking about the whole situation nor what the student council prez hid in her sleeve. What would guarantee that she won't sell them out even if the deed was done? Nothing could ensure that at all.

"What could she be scheming...?" Ann asked herself.

*******

------Evening: Leblanc's Attic------

During all the way home, Ren's guilt was only building up more and more because of the events that occurred earlier that day. He kept blaming himself for Ryuji's mistake, feeling responsible more than anyone else due to his position as the Phantom Thieves leader. Makoto was crazily smart and was able to figure everything out and have them wrapped around her fingers like marionettes now that their identities were under her mercy. When he set foot in the café, he was preoccupied with his mind running aimlessly with thoughts, so he didn't even hear Sojiro's greeting and continued on his way to the attic upstairs, thus earning questionable looks from him. Placing his bag and stuff down on the table, Ren walked towards the small window, resting his fingers on the glassy surface while fixing the glance of his eye up to the stars with faint moonlight shining on his pale face, hugging every curve of his features so perfectly.

A deep and troubled sigh escaped his lips while closing his eyes that got nothing more than worrying looks from Morgana. The cat knew all too well Ren's kind nature, so he got a very clear idea about what the boy was thinking even if he didn't say anything; his expressions gave it all away, after all. He wanted to say something to him so badly, but the words betrayed him as nothing came out from him. However, the sound of Ren's phone buzzing seemed to snap him back to reality from his endless thoughts, thus he opened the group chat.

Ryuji: I'm so effing pissed.

Ryuji: Do we just gotta do what she says...?

Yusuke: Considering what has happened, it seems we have no other choice.

Emiko: You're the last person who has any right to whine about this, Ryuji.

Ryuji: Shuddup!

Ann: I wonder whose heart the student council president would want us to change.

Ryuji: Don't matter to me.

Ann: But there might be a reason behind who she picks, right?

Ren: I really wonder who it is.

Yusuke: I am curious myself...

Yusuke: She mentioned how she wants us to prove our justice, did she not?

Ann: Yeah, she definitely did.

Yusuke: Then there must be some reasoning behind her choice.

Ren: We won't know until we meet with her tomorrow.

Yusuke: Please contact me immediately if you find anything out.

Yusuke: And don't go picking any fights, OK? Do you understand, Ryuji?

Ryuji: Why're you singling me out?! I ain't dumb!

Emiko: Yeah, sure.

Ryuji: Hey!

"Be careful. She's a shrewd one. We best be prepared for anything." Morgana narrowed his eyes.

"Right." Ren nodded in agreement.

"What... what am I supposed to do...?"

That night, Ren didn't taste much sleep at all.

*******

------Next Day After School: The Rooftop------

During that day, none of the group was able to concentrate much on their classes because their thoughts went far and wild regarding the meeting with Makoto. She said she was going to give them further intel about their supposed target, but that didn't make them anywhere more at ease but made their worries increase even more. When the day was finally over, the teenagers rushed back to the spot that was once their old hideout, only to find Makoto sitting elegantly on a desk with her legs crossed, seeming like she was waiting for them for a while.

"I was thinking you might not show." Makoto said, looking like she was waiting for them.

"So, whose heart do you want us to change?" Ann cut through the chase.

"...A mafia boss."

"Mafia?!"

"What're you talking about?!" Ryuji asked.

"That's what they call themselves. This group seems to be the cause of the 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."

"Holy shit..." Ryuji gasped while backing a bit.

"A mafia you say..." Emiko repeated.

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

"No!" Ann gasped.

"They primarily target juveniles."

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

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

"That's where you want us to start?" Ann asked a bit angrily.

"You should be able to pull it off... if you're really the righteous Phantom Thieves. Or was Akechi-Kun correct when he says you act without justice?"

"Leave what that Akechi said outta this!" Ryuji snapped.

".........." Emiko sent her deadly glares.

"Can't you say something witty back at her?" Morgana asked Ren hopelessly.

"Something witty."

"I knew you were gonna say that." Morgana sweatdropped.

"Their main hub of activity is in Shibuya... that's all the information I have. You have two weeks. Once that is passed, I'll submit all the evidence I have to the police and to the school. I hope you don't let me down..." Makoto finished before leaving the four alone on the roof.

"She really had the upper hand in that exchange..." Morgana admitted.

"Unfortunately..." Emiko sighed.

"'Don't let me down'... dammit, she was just bossin' us around..." Ryuji gritted his teeth.

"Come on, we should get in touch with Yusuke." Morgana spoke.

"Yeah." Ren pulled out his phone to dial Yusuke's number.

It wasn't long before the young artist picked up the line and Ren told him everything that happened with Makoto. The raven-haired then told him to meet them at the usual hideout to discuss their next move before hanging up the line and telling the others to go there. They all nodded in agreement before heading out to the door, but Ren remained standing in his place while staring at the ground beneath him.

"If I only..." He trailed.

"........?" Emiko seemed to hear what he said since she stopped walking.

"Ren...?" Morgana called worriedly.

"Had I just been more careful, none of this would happen. It's my fault for putting you guys in this situation."

"It's not your fault, Ren. You're not responsible for any of this." Morgana tried to reassure him.

"But I'm the leader, and it's my duty to keep my comrades safe, otherwise what good am I for?"

"Ren..."

"Oh, grow up."

".........?!" They both lifted their heads to see Emiko approaching them.

"What? You think that pitying yourself will change anything?"

"But I--"

"Ryuji screwed up, so what? It's not like the end of the world yet. We still have the chance to correct this."

"........."

"Learn from that mistake and keep moving forward. Feeling sorry for yourself won't do anything good. And if you can't get this into your head, then I suggest you drop your position as our leader."

"H-Hey, Emiko! Do you realize what you're saying?! If you're trying to cheer him up, then you're doing a very bad job at it!" Morgana scolded.

"No, she's right." Ren shook his head.

"What?! Ren, you can't be--"

"Yes, we've messed up this time but we still have hope to set things right. I should know this better than anyone since I'm the leader."

"Ren...!"

"Thanks, Emiko. Now I know what to do."

"Looks like my job is done here." She smirked.

"Don't tell me... you WERE intending on cheering him up?!" Morgana widened his eyes.

"What do you think?" She turned her back to Ren before looking at him from the corner of her eye with the smallest smile on her lips, "Shall we head off then, leader?"

"Yeah." Ren nodded with a smile of his own.

"I can sense Emiko's worry about me... in her own way, that is. I feel like my bond with her is growing deeper..."

Hope Arcana: Rank 2

"I can sense Ren's strong resolve and trust in me. I feel like my bond with him is growing deeper"

Fool Arcana: Rank 2

"This girl... I just can't get her..." Morgana trailed while sweatdropping.

*******

------Shibuya's Passageway------

"Urgh... I'm so mad!" Ann ran her hand through her hair angrily.

"The mafia? Hm..." Yusuke folded his arms.

"Can we really do this...?" Ann asked anxiously.

"........" Ryuji grunted worriedly.

"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 trailed.

"Isn't this a prime opportunity for us though?" Yusuke questioned for the matter-of-factly.

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

"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..." Yusuke started.

"That's... an interesting way to put it." Emiko admitted.

"Oh, right...! That might make people believe in us!" Ann realized.

"I get it! That means even Akechi'll hafta acknowledge us as the Phantom Thieves!" Ryuji grinned excitedly while standing up, "Whaddya say, leader?"

"Let's prove our justice to everyone." Ren agreed confidently.

".........." Emiko smirked in satisfaction to herself, seeing that his old persona was back.

"Hell yeah! We just gotta do what we always do!" Ryuji cheered enthusiastically.

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

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

"All right, then I'm gonna see what I can find on the net." Ryuji added.

"There's someone I know who might have some useful info. I'll try asking them." Emiko stated.

"That leaves our school up to you and Morgana. You figured out what to do during the whole Kamoshida thing, right?" Ryuji looked at the noirest.

"Leave it to me." Ren adjusted his glasses.

"I'll back you up." Morgana nodded at the boy reassuringly.

"All right, let's get back together at the end of the week once we've got all our info! I'll get in touch with you guys later!" Ryuji told everyone, earning nods from them.

With that, they finally had a plan ahead waiting to be carried on. It felt for Ren like, despite anything, things might still work out for them if he had his friends' support regardless of the circumstances. And he thought to himself for the millionth time how lucky he was to have such people around him.

*******

------Shibuya's Station------

Darting left and right while sighing to herself continuously, Emiko finally stood still in her place while tapping her foot impatiently with an audible huff. She watched the crowd of people passing by her and heard the train announcements ringing from every corner, followed by the sound of trains coming and going. The brown-haired girl then checked the time on her phone before opening it and glancing back at the conversation she had about half an hour ago.

Emiko: Tachibana.

Rin: Omigod, Senpai's texting me?! :0

Emiko: No, I'm dancing, what do you think?

Rin: How mean...

Emiko: Anyway, where are you at now? Are you at home?

Rin: No, not yet. But I'll leave shortly.

Emiko: Good, then can you meet me at the train station? There's something I need to talk to you about.

Rin: Sure, but what is it?

Emiko: I can't say that on the phone.

Rin: That's... a bit creepy, to be honest.

Rin: But if it's something that important, then I'll come and hear you out.

Rin: Give me ten minutes.

Emiko: I'll be waiting.

"She said ten minutes and already 30 minutes passed... ugh, seriously..." She sighed hopelessly to herself.

"What a lovely coincidence seeing you here."

That familiar masculine voice caused Emiko to put on hold everything she did at that moment and lift her head up. Her eyes met the Detective Prince who was approaching her with a small wave and a polite smile of his own.

"What a surprise indeed, Akechi."

"I was on my way home and I could tell you were doing the same too, correct?"

"You're a detective, so you should know."

"Haha, you never fail to amuse me, Hayashi-San." He laughed lightly.

"Should I feel flattered or offended by that comment?"

"I apologize if I ever gave you any wrong ideas."

"Relax, I'm just teasing."

"I never thought you were capable of such a thing, Hayashi-San."

"What does this supposed to mean?" She rose her eyebrow at him.

"I mean, you never seemed like that type of person when we first met at Leblanc and had that game of chess."

"And what kind of people did you think I was?" Emiko was a bit interested.

"Hmm... I would say, calm, quiet, a little isolated from the people around, and undoubtedly with a quick and sharp mind."

"You're not entirely wrong, I'll give you that."

"Haha, is that a compliment?"

"Maybe."

"Thank you, it is my job to observe people, after all."

"True..."

A moment of silence passed, until...

"Please, allow me to treat you to some coffee now that we had the pleasure of bumping into each other." Akechi offered kindly.

"I'm actually waiting for someone right now."

"A friend of yours?"

"You... can say that." She sweatdropped, recalling Rin's loudness and cheerfulness.

"I see... some other time perhaps?"

"Yeah, why not?"

"Say, have you been keeping up with the news lately? It appears as there is a criminal group that is targeting and scamming students around Shibuya."

"Yes, I heard about it from school. Apparently, some Shujin students are targeted as well. First was Kamoshida's incident and now this. My school sure does love drama."

"...This became worse than I anticipated." Akechi inhaled those words.

"Do you happen to know anything about it?"

"Unfortunately, I don't. The police can't get their grasp on those criminals nor the situation as a whole. It really frustrates me seeing injustice like this...!"

"I see..."

"Well, what a surprise. This source turned out to be useless, after all."

"Please be careful from now on, Hayashi-San." Akechi blunted.

"Hm?"

"I don't want you to fall victim to those criminals. So please, be careful when you go to Shibuya."

"Are you really that worried about me, Akechi? What a surprise..."

"To be blunt, feeling worried for someone feels nice. I don't have people that I can truly call 'friends.' I have always been lonely."

"......." Emiko fell into silence, seeing that Akechi had a glimmer of sadness and sorrow in his eyes.

"Oh, my apologies. I didn't intend for this conversation to get so dark like this."

"You and I... perhaps we're not that different from each other..."

"I beg your pardon?"

"No, never mind me. I'm just talking with myself." Emiko shook her head.

"Hayashi-San..."

"Aside from that, I honestly appreciate your concern. So thank you, Akechi."

"It's my utmost pleasure."

"Truth to be told, I had a disliking towards you when I met you for the first time." Emiko admitted.

"And why is that? If I may ask."

"I don't know. You gave this untrusting vibe but when I got to know you more, you turned out to be not that bad as I originally thought."

"Hahaha." Akechi just laughed softly.

"What's so funny?"

"Oh, it's nothing."

"I can sense Akechi's trust and worry about me. I feel like my bond with him is growing deeper..."

Justice Arcana: Rank 2

"Is it really this late?!" Akechi pulled his phone out to check the time, "I truly apologize. I wanted to continue this conversation, but I must get going."

"No problem. Go do whatever you have to do, Detective."

"Let's meet up again sometime at Leblanc and play chess again."

"I wouldn't mind that."

"Farewell." Akechi also waved before leaving the girl behind.

She watched him walk away with his back against her until he vanished into the distance among the crowd of people. Emiko sighed to herself deeply once more before pulling her phone out to call Rin once again but when she turned her back, she was met with the intense red eyes of Rin Tachibana, staring into her deadly--her aura was dark murderous like she was about to commit a murder on the spot.

"Took you long enough, Tachibana." Emiko spoke monotonically.

"You... you're a shame! A disgrace for all of us! A traitor!" She hissed venom from her words.

"...What?"

"I saw you with Akechi-San, talking and laughing and everything...! What are you doing with him? Are you his secret lover or something?"

"For the love of..." Emiko pinched the bridge of her nose, "Can't two acquaintances have a normal conversation like any other human being?"

"Aha, I knew it--wait, you're not in a relationship?"

"Of course not, dumbass. Use your thick brain for once. I even barely know him."

"Oh... I knew that from the beginning!" The aura around Rin returned bright and cheerful once more.

Emiko just rolled her eyes.

"What did you want to talk about, Senpai? I didn't come all the way here and freaked out for something trivial, did I?"

"You said you wanted to be an investigative journalist, am I right?"

"More than anything in the whole world."

"Well, I'll give you a chance to prove yourself. The mafia group that scams students, have you heard anything about it?"

"Why... would you be interested in something like that?"

"Doesn't concern you."

"B-But--"

"Look, if you don't have anything to tell me, then I'll just head home." Emiko turned her back to her.

"Senpai, wait! I may have heard a thing or two in school..."

"Go on." Emiko looked back at her.

"According to what I heard, this mafia targets teenagers to carry on their business so they won't have anything on them if the police ended up questioning any of them."

"What kind of business is that?"

"I have no idea. Some say it's a human organ business, and some say it's selling drugs or illegal medicine. Rumors vary."

"........."

"Senpai, please... no matter what happens, please don't get into anything shady, please?"

"...I can't guarantee that."

"What?! Senpai--"

"Relax, I'm just asking that's all."

"O-Oh... you really scared me, y'know. Don't do that ever again!"

"Yeah, yeah."

"That's everything I could get for now, huh? So much for being empty-handed..."

*******

------Evening: Leblanc's Attic------

"What? You think that pitying yourself will change anything?"

"Ryuji screwed up, so what? It's not like the end of the world yet. We still have the chance to correct this."

"Learn from that mistake and keep moving forward. Feeling sorry for yourself won't do anything good. And if you can't get this into your head, then I suggest you drop your position as our leader."

"........." Ren had his eyes fixed on the ceiling above him.

The words Emiko told him earlier that day refused to leave his head no matter what. Although he accepted and acknowledged them, their weight remained like a bomb thrown on him. She was right in everything she said, but she was just trying to make him snap out of it in her own harsh way. The girl was showing more concern about others, not in the best way possible... but it was still an improvement nonetheless.

"You look really deep in thought. What's on your mind?" Morgana jumped on the bed next to the boy.

"Nothing, I was just thinking about what Emiko told me today."

"She could've said that in a nicer way though... but I suppose that's Miss show-off to you. However, I'm a bit happy because now she shows a little more consideration of others than before. She's harsh, but can be nice in her own way. We just need to give her more time, I suppose."

"True."

Wow, Morgana was able to figure it all out just like that.

"Hm...?" Ren pulled his phone out upon hearing it buzzing on the IM log.

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.

Ann: You mean Iida-Kun from our class?

Emiko: I don't get the "expert" part though.

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.

Yusuke: I see. 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: In that case, yeah. I don't mind giving it a try.

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

Emiko: I'll try asking him as well.

Ryuji: Didn't you say that you're going to ask someone you know about info?

Emiko: I did, but they don't know anything.

Ryuji: And who's this mysterious person?

Emiko: That's classified.

Ren: That's definitely not suspicious at all.

Emiko: Mind your own business for once, will you?

Ren: Ouch...

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

Ren: Sure, leave it to me.

Ann: Thanks, that's a huge help.

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

Ann: Shut it.

Emiko: As much as I hate to say it, but he's not entirely wrong.

Ann: Not you too!

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

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

Ann: You're all missing the point!

"Is it true that Iida guy's guilty? Well, we'll need to dig up some dirt first thing in the morning." Morgana spoke.

"We'll get to the bottom of this. For sure." Ren furrowed his eyebrows.

No matter what, they will find their answers!

*******

Ending

[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]

*******

Word count: 6724 words

A/N: Phew! That was a bit exhausting, but I'm honestly very proud of myself!

And I'm really happy with the small RenEmi and GoroEmi moments I put in there. Please expect more of those in the future, along with other ships.

Anyways, what do you think of this chapter? Liked it?

Let me know! 😊

Rand Talih💞

Published on: Fri/Nov 22/2019