The Phantom Thieves, along with Akechi Goro and Amamiya Jin, found themselves in Suidobashi upon exiting the Palace. They were all wearing their school uniforms. Ren looked down at the school bag hanging from his shoulder. He nearly ripped the zipper off trying to get it open.

Empty.

Still no sign of Morgana.

He shut his eyes.

Where was that cat?

"Ren..."

He turned at Makoto's call. The others were staring at him. His team was waiting for his direction. Jin too, something he must have picked up on in the Palace. The only person he couldn't read was Akechi. His rival seemed to be taking the wait-and-see approach too.

"I last saw him at home," Ren told them.

"Can we meet there?" asked Makoto. "We need to debrief as well."

He nodded and then let Makoto do the rest of the organizing, nodding or mumbling in agreement while she spoke. Soon the group was headed back to Leblanc.

Once on the train, they split into groups where there were seats available. At Jin's request, Ann explained the basics of the Metaverse to both him and Akechi. Haru sat with them, eager to confirm her recently gained knowledge. Makoto was couple seats away, book in hand, though he suspected she was keeping an ear on Ann's group.

Both of the new persona users were curiously fast learners. Ann seemed to be enjoying herself at least.

Ryuji, Yusuke, and Futaba were off in another corner of the car. Ryuji seemed to be teasing Futaba about her brief stint working at a maid café, at least that's what Ren assumed given how much Futaba's cheeks were puffing. He couldn't tell if Yusuke was also teasing her or just playing straight man by accident.

Watching the buildings go by, Ren wished the train could move faster.

Just when he thought they were getting a handle on things, this had to happen. He shouldn't have gotten complacent. He shouldn't have gotten his hopes up. Yes, there was nothing he could have done, but he should have been on guard.

Makoto approached him. She said nothing, just stood beside him. It felt better having her there, a reminder that he still had strong allies.

Allies who you almost kissed.

...

The image of his glove grazing Makoto's cheek resurfaced—so soft and pretty and-

No.

How could he even be thinking about that when Morgana was missing? Nevermind the fact that it was someone else's cognition, essentially against Makoto's will.

Something felt rancid and sour in the pit of his stomach.

"Ren..." Makoto's voice.

Was she going to bring it up? Why did it have to be now?

"Sit down," the tone was more a request than a command. "Rest for now, at least."

Ren would usually argue, but he was tired and this was much easier than what he thought she was going to say. She was usually right about these things anyway.

There was an open seat near Haru's group, far enough that he didn't need to get involved but close enough he could hear.

There was an extra seat nearby too.

A few moments later, Makoto took it.

"How did you survive on your own inside my father's Palace?" Haru's voice was a pleasant distraction. She was sitting next to Jin, practically leaning into his space.

Ren brought a hand to his cheek where she had kissed him the other night...

Girls were confusing.

Akechi was the first to answer Haru's question. He brought a hand to his chest. "Robin didn't have much trouble with the enemies. Maybe you thinned them out for us."

On their way out of the Palace, Akechi had introduced them to his persona by taking on a high level shadow by himself. From what they had seen, it should have been easy for him to leave the café on his own.

"Puck put most of the shadows to sleep," explained Jin, leaning forward in a way that would block Akechi's view.

"That's amazing you found it so easy," said Haru. She rested her hands on her thighs. "I needed a lot of help from Morgana. I still do."

"I'd be happy to help you too. We can learn together," Jin smiled and seemed to sit up straighter. He made a quick glance at Ann, like he was checking she was still paying attention. "Though it was sheer luck that got me past the toughest ones."

"Oh? What were they like?" asked Haru.

"There were two of them, human in form. Both were covered in black, one with blue stripes and the other with white," Jin explained, his lips downturned. "They seemed to be able to summon other shadows."

Ren shared a knowing look with Makoto. Could this be the Black Mask?

This was the first he had heard of the ability to summon shadows. That alone was chilling, but given the day's events, the next question was whether this mystery person could summon Palaces.

"How did you beat them?" Haru seemed to be following Jin's every word. Akechi and Ann were watching with interest as well.

"I didn't," Jin tilted his head, smiled, and shrug. "Puck is very good at dodging. Then everything started shaking and I escaped in the chaos."

Ren looked at Makoto again. The Black Mask had been there the night they stole the treasure. Would they have run into him and his persona had Jin not first?

"Have you run into those shadows before?" Jin turned to Ann.

"No, that's a new one," she shook her head.

"Sounds scary," Akechi smiled, his eyes scrunched shut. He scratched the back of his head with his hand. The whole action seemed rehearsed. "Let's hope we don't in the future."

––––– ––––– –––––

When the group arrived at Yongen-jaya, Ren rushed through the station and the streets. He murmured a short greeting to Sojiro as he entered LeBlanc, making fast for the stairs. He barely heard the old man mutter as he passed by.

"Teenagers."

When Ren reached the top of the stairs, he saw Morgana curled up on his bed, napping. He exhaled, gripping the railing for support, his other hand clutching his heart. The burden of carrying the team down and back up the maid café seemed to hit him all at once.

At least the cat was okay.

Cat.

There was something about a cat...

"Hey you stupid cat!" Ryuji called as he came up behind Ren. The two boys walked into the room. "We were worried!"

"I'm not a cat." Morgana slowly opened his eyes and got to his feet. He stretched his back, his front legs extended out before him, very much like a cat.

"Morgana! Thank goodness!" Haru exclaimed, arriving with the others.

The group crowded around the center of the room, all standing save for Ann who plopped down on the couch with a large sigh. Ren didn't have time to drag out the table and extra chairs like he normally did.

"What's going on?" Morgana sat upright, his tail slowly undulating.

"Did that cat just speak?" Jin asked, pointing at Morgana.

"Interesting," said Akechi, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"What are they doing here?" asked Morgana.

"Well... it seems quite a few explanations are in order," Akechi smiled, a couple fingers coming up to his lips.

Ren let the others do just that. Makoto, Ryuji, and Morgana took the lead in summarizing Morgana's part in the Phantom Thieves to Akechi and Jin. They also filled in the gaps of their process that weren't already explained on the train.

In turn, the whole group chimed in while reporting the days' activities in the café Palace to Morgana.

"Hmm.. this is strange," Morgana said, his position unchanged though Futaba had sat down on the bed beside him. "What do we know about Tashirou Norie?"

"She's a television actress," said Akechi.

"Have you ever met her?" Makoto turned to him.

"I have not," he replied.

"I was able to dig her up on the Phan-Site," said Ryuji. He had taken a seat next to Ann and was scrolling through his phone. "Someone complainin' that she's stuck up and treats the staffers on her drama like her personal servants."

"That would fit with the Palace," said Yusuke.

"Seems kinda weak though," Ryuji rested his chin in his hand. His other was still holding the phone. "We've dealt with more twisted desires in Mementos than this."

"Hmm." Morgana's tail seemed to oscillate just a hair quicker, flicking at the tip more. "You said her treasure looked different—more chaotic. Maybe something happened to her recently that caused her desires to go into overdrive. Overdrive desires led to overdrive distortion led to overdrive Palace."

"But what would cause that to happen?" asked Ann. "We haven't seen this even with some pretty serious stuff going down."

"I don't know," said Morgana. "Everyone is different."

The group fell silent.

Just as it was getting awkward, especially with Akechi and Jin in the room, Makoto started talking. "Has anyone here met Tashirou-san?"

No one spoke up.

"It seems not," Yusuke crossed his arms and looked over to her. "Why are you asking?"

"We all played into her scenario," Makoto looked towards the floor, her hand coming to her chin. "But some of the details, like Haru's dream in having a coffee shop, Tashirou-san wouldn't know."

"It sounds like whatever drew you in also co-opted some of your own cognition," said Morgana. "The distortion was strong with Haru where the cognitions were able to work together but weak with Futaba where they weren't."

Ren turned at Makoto to find she had also turned to face him. Just as quickly he turned away. Had her reaction in the Palace been due to his cognition?

Did she know?

Did the others know?

"It's not much fun having your heart changed, is it?" Akechi mused. His eyebrows sat high on his face as he smiled.

"This is different," said Ren. It came out too fast. He reminded himself that the other boy didn't know what happened in the floor manager's office. It was shear luck his barb hit a little too close.

"Is it?" Akechi's voice dropped an octave.

"We steal their distorted desires. What they do after that is up to them," said Ren. That was right. The detective was speaking to the whole scenario. "No amount of stealing desires would make Futaba or Ryuji choose to work at a maid café."

"Ah but...," Akechi lifted his chin, looking towards the ceiling, his smile never leaving his face. "What if you stole their desire not to work at a maid café?"

"We can't," said Ren. Akechi's devil's advocate provocation seemed ridiculous. He suppressed a grin. He had verbally sparred with Akechi before, but the threat of being found out had always hung over the conversation. With the Phantom Thieves identities and methods out in the open, they could have a real discussion. "Such desires don't manifest as treasures."

"Are you sure?" Akechi drew out the last word.

Ren didn't waste a moment responding. "Positive."

"The only difference between your distorted desires and the desire not to work at a maid café seems to be in your own value judgement." Akechi's tone shifted from amused to chastising as he let his smile drop.

"It's not my judgement or any of ours," said Ren. "It just happens."

"That may be worse," Akechi frowned. "We don't know whose judgement governs distortions."

"Argh, can you guys knock it off?" Ryuji was gripping his hair. "My head hurts!"

Akechi's eyes shifted in Ryuji's direction. He rolled his eyes and turned back to Ren. "Another time then."

Ren nodded.

"If we go back..." Haru was looking down, clutching her hands in front of her chest. She lifted her head to face the group. "If we go back, will we be affected again?"

"It's hard to say," said Morgana.

"If we choose to go, shouldn't we be in control of our own cognition from the start?" Makoto's knuckle nudged her lower lip as she wondered aloud.

"I hope so," said Haru. "But it's strange our outfits didn't change."

"Don't worry Haru," the corner of Ryuji's lip rose. "If that weird stuff happens again, we got your back."

"Y-yeah!" Futaba looked up from the bed. "No way am I gonna be a maid again!"

"We have an infiltration route," said Yusuke. He turned to Ren. "Should we send a calling card?"

Indeed they had all they needed, but things seemed to be moving too fast. In all the previous Palaces, they first learned of problems in the real world, ones that couldn't be solved by conventional means, before exploring the Palace. Their attempts not to jump to conclusions had caused a rift before Haru's father's Palace—but meeting Haru and her creepy betrothed had made things clear.

It was like they were doing things in reverse.

On the other hand, it wasn't too different from a Mementos request.

Still, the strangeness of the situation merited acting cautiously. "Let's investigate the request first. We're still not sure what we're up against."

His fellow team members nodded. Jin did so as well. Akechi stood still, his gaze fixed on Ren.

"But how?" asked Haru.

"I may be able to get a modeling gig scheduled at Tashirou-san's production company," Ann volunteered, raising her hand chest height. "Or maybe a small walk-on role. It might take a while though."

"While I haven't been getting many speaking requests lately," Akechi affected an exaggerated sigh. His popularity had diminished as the Phantom Thieves' rose. "I'm still recognized enough there that I should be able to walk freely in the building."

Akechi's plan was the better option. They needed to move fast. Whatever happened earlier could happen again. However, he couldn't trust Akechi on his own. This meant someone had to go with him. That didn't sit well with Ren either. They still didn't know the identity of the Black Mask. "How many people do you think you could take with you?"

"Two wouldn't be a problem," Akechi replied. "Especially if we can come up with a cover story. Takamaki-san has a reason to be there, for example."

"Okumura Foods often sponsors TV programs," said Haru. "I can go."

"So it's Takamaki-san and Okumura-san then?" Akechi asked.

Ren nodded.

"Can't you take one more?" Makoto took a step towards Akechi. "I would like to go as well."

Ren stiffened. He wasn't expecting Makoto to do something unnecessary, though he could see what she was doing. If two wouldn't be a problem, what would one more do? She was putting Akechi in a position where it would be awkward to say no. Three would be safer than two.

"I think I can come up with something," Akechi smiled. He turned to the girls. "Let's meet at Suidobashi Station after school tomorrow."

"We'll meet here the following afternoon," said Ren.

Everyone nodded. Most of the group departed shortly thereafter, with Futaba and Makoto staying behind. Ren escorted the larger group to Yongen-jaya Station. Ryuji and the others would ensure Akechi and Jin didn't double back.

"They're gone," said Ren as he ascended the stairs up to his room. Futaba was laying on her stomach on Ren's bed, grabbing at Morgana's cheeks much to the cat's dismay. Makoto was looking at the Risette poster he had picked up in Harajuku with Ann.

"Hey Mona," Futaba rested her chin in her hands as she kicked her legs. "Have you always had a star on your collar?"

Star?

"Of course I have," Morgana raised his had a little higher, like he was showing it off.

Ren crossed the room and crouched by the bed. Etched in the leather was a five-pointed star in a circle. He had never noticed. It was the same sort of etching as the cat he had seen earlier, the one with the chalice...

"I saw a cat that looked like you, right before I entered the Palace." The words struggled to come out as he tried to remember more.

"Eh? You didn't mention that before," said Makoto. She walked over to join them, kneeling beside him.

"I didn't remember until now," Ren didn't turn to look at her. His focus was fixed on the star.

"Was it you Mona?" Futaba poked at the cat's nose.

"No," Ren answered for him. "That cat had some sort of goblet on his collar."

"Yeah, I've been here all day," said Morgana as he relaxed back down.

"This was at school, right?" asked Makoto. "Do you think it had something to do with the Palace?"

"Yeah... It was... odd," Ren tried to find words to describe the feeling, but came up short. "It's hard to explain."

"Mona-chan, can you look for this other cat at school?" Futaba seemed to sing Morgana's name.

"I suppose," said Morgana. "It might just be a coincidence though."

"We don't have many leads," said Makoto. She had sunk down onto her thighs. Her skirt formed a circle around her, its shape flatter where it rode up her legs to allow extra material to fall to the ground.

Ren reminded himself not to look. She might notice.

"So what was Akechi's persona like?" Morgana thankfully took her attention.

"His name is Robin Hood," reported Makoto. "He doesn't look like he does in the movies though. He's like a cross between a superhero and a shining suit of armor. He can use both bless and curse skills. This is the first we've seen beside Joker who can do that."

"Hmmm, but of all the skills, I guess that makes sense," said Morgana. "It doesn't sound like those strong shadows Jin told us about though."

"If Jin is telling the truth," said Makoto. She pressed her lips together. "He was the only one who retained his mask in the Palace."

"Could it be because he was already dressed like a butler?" asked Futaba.

"Maybe, but we know for a fact his persona can confuse shadows," Makoto crossed her arms. "What would happen if that skill was used on Tashirou-san's shadow?"

"Most Palace owners have been resistant ailment skills," said Ren.

"True," said Makoto. Her gaze fell to the floor. "If only we had more information."

"Information is my specialty," grinned Futaba. She pushed herself up into a cross-legged position on the bed and stretched her hands out in front of her, fingers laced. "I've been preparing a little something for quite some time. I just have to get my hands on Akechi's phone."

"Spyware?" Makoto looked up at her.

"You could call it that." Futaba's chin raised and her smile widened. "But then you'd have to come up with another name for all that other crappy code people use."

"We could lift it," suggested Ren.

"He'd notice," Makoto shook her head. "It has to seem natural."

"I only need it for a minute or two," said Futaba.

"Then we'll look for an opening, a group photo or something," said Ren. "Can we also do this for Jin?"

"It would seem awfully suspicious if we came up with excuses to get both of their phones," said Makoto. "But if the option presents itself..."

"Got it," said Futaba.

"Is there anything else we can do now?" Ren turned to Makoto.

"I think we'll have to see what we find out at the studio," she replied. "Let's turn in. It's been a long day."

Futaba waited in the attic for Sojiro to close up while Ren walked Makoto to the station. They spoke little. He was too tired to start a conversation. Time passed differently in the Metaverse. They had spent a day's worth of energy in a relatively short span of real time.

Ren had long since become comfortable enough with his team to spend time together without needing constant conversation. He hoped Makoto felt the same way. He glanced over at her. She was worrying her lower lip with her teeth.

His gaze lingered. Was she thinking about what happened in the Palace? He should say something, but he wasn't sure what.

"Makoto..." Ren began as they approached the platform. He planned to wait for the train with her. "About the Palace..."

"Hmm?" Makoto looked up at him, her eyes not completely opening.

This was a bad idea.

They were both exhausted.

He couldn't risk the team dynamic like this.

It could wait.

"Nevermind... it's nothing. Just... message me when you get home, alright?"

––––– ––––– –––––

Ann was surprised how quickly Makoto and Haru arrived at her classroom after school. They planned to take the train together to Suidobashi. Makoto was a bit of a task master. Ann had barely had the chance to even think about gathering her things. She started shoving her supplies in her bag. "J-just a moment."

"Someone's anxious," Haru teased.

"I just want to beat the rush," Makoto crossed her arms and looked away.

"Makoto..." Ren waited for her to turn to him. When she did, he continued. "Be careful, okay? Message the group when the three of you are clear."

The team advisor looked directly into his eyes and nodded sharply.

Ann was pretty sure she had gotten everything into her bag when she stood up. Just as they turned towards the door, Jin spoke. "Ann, wait."

She turned to face him. He was holding a wrapped gift out towards her.

"This is for you," Jin smiled. "A get-well present, for yesterday."

"Diarampph," Makoto started to speak but Haru clamped a hand over mouth and dragged her towards the door.

"T-thanks," said Ann. Her cheeks felt tingly, not quite ready to blush but almost there. She had been given plenty of gifts before, but something about the way he stood, the elegance of the package... something seemed different. She grasped the the box with both hands, the shiny paper crinkling against her fingers. "Can I open it?"

"Please."

Beneath the paper was a white paper box embossed with gold lettering, indicating it was from Patisserie Fantome, a popular bakery where items often sold out early in the morning. Had he been holding onto these all day? He could have given them to her earlier.

Then again, it was kind of nice not to have to share them with Ryuji at lunch.

Ann imagined herself with devil horns, snickering.

She looked up at Jin and smiled broadly. "These are my favorite. Thank you."

Jin exhaled. His shoulders seemed to relax. "I know. I had a little help."

His eyes wandered in the direction of Haru.

Thanks Haru.

Ann pushed up on the lid with both thumbs. The flap fell backwards. She plucked one of the truffles from its spot and put it in her mouth. As the smooth chocolate melted against her tongue, she closed her eyes. A high-pitched tone came from her throat. Everything this shop made was wonderful.

"They're so good!" she said once finished.

"I'm happy you like them," Jin was still looking on, the same easy smile on his face.

"Ann!" Makoto called. "We need to get going!"

"Coming!" Ann replied. She turned back to Jin. "Sorry I have to run. Thanks again!"

"Be safe!" Jin waved.

Ann swung her bag over her shoulder but kept the box of chocolates in her hands. She joined Makoto and Haru at the door. The three navigated the busy hallways of Shujin. Festival prep was in full swing.

"The look on your face!" Haru exclaimed. "It was like when Morgana sees treasure."

"These are really good," Ann had just pressed another between her lips. Her words came out garbled as she let the sugary goodness melt in her mouth. She held the box out. "Try one."

Haru gladly indulged while Makoto made a "pass" motion with her hand. "I'm watching my weight."

"You're so lucky Ann!" Haru seemed to dance around her, taking several steps for each of Ann's. "He's a romantic."

"He's coming on too strong. You barely know him," Makoto shook her head. "He's suspicious."

"Oh, you wouldn't like it if a boy you liked did the same for you?" Haru teased.

"Hmm..." Makoto turned her head away from the others. She said nothing more as they walked on.

"Ah!" Haru pointed at her. "I see you turning pink! Makoto has someone she likes!"

"I do not!" Makoto whipped her head back. Her lower lip jutting out. Her face seemed to redden by the second. "I-I was just thinking how embarrassing it would be i-if someone made a grandiose gesture like that."

Ann smiled and put another sweet into her mouth.

Normally she would be skeptical of any boy bearing gifts, but something about Jin's enthusiasm, earnestness, and just plain weirdness eased her worries. Without the usual warning signs, it was kind of fun to be treated special.

At least Jin did his homework. Ann had been at fault for the death of many flowers in her life, which seemed to be more about what the confessor imagined in his fantasies and less about her as a person.

By the time they were on the train, Makoto and Haru's fairy godmother-style bickering had fortunately died down.

It was nice to have supportive friends. It made it all the easier to ignore the some of the less friendly girls in her class.

The train was crowded, not really allowing them to talk along the way. Ann counted the stops, in case she got separated from the others.

Akechi was waiting for them on the platform when they arrived. He tilted his head and smiled. "Shall we?"

They returned to the studio they had found themselves in front of when they exited Tashirou's Palace. Ryuji had confirmed the TV drama she starred in was filmed there too.

Stepping inside, they followed Akechi to the receptionist's desk. Ann looked around. It seemed familiar enough. She had probably shot a magazine ad there before.

"Ah Akechi-kun, I didn't know you were filming today," the receptionist was all smiles. Though Akechi's popularity had tanked as the Phantom Thieves' rose, he still had ardent supporters.

"Not as of yet, but my friend Takamaki Ann was considering a few jobs here, so I offered to give her a tour. She's with the Kaneko Agency," Akechi motioned to Ann. As a budding actress, she had to be impressed with how easily he lied. She just wished he had warned them what the story was going to be ahead of time. He leaned over the desk, closer to the receptionist, as he spoke. "I hope this won't be any trouble for you."

"Oh," the receptionist blushed. "If it's you, I'm sure it won't be a problem. Let me print out the visitor badges."

"Wonderful!" Akechi smiled. "I'm also here with Okumura Haru, of the Okumura Foods group, and Niijima Makoto, my assistant."

Akechi motioned to the other girls as well, a satisfied smile appearing on his face as he turned toward Makoto. The student council president appeared to be struggling to contain a sour expression. Ann clenched her jaw into a smile so as not to laugh.

The receptionist finished printing out the badges, clasping them and their lanyards in both hands. Akechi covered her hands in his, looked at her directly, and smiled. "I really appreciate this Yumi-san."

Akechi led the group through the building, heading towards the sound stage where Tashirou Norie's drama, Lilac Story, was filmed. On the way, they were overtaken by a young man carrying what looked like a very heavy case, easily the size of the suitcases they had taken to Hawaii. Sweat beaded around the man's temples. His gait was halting and unsure. A few steps later and he fell to his knees, panting.

"Are you alright?!" Haru ran over to him.

"I'll be fine." He waved her off and started to push himself to his feet.

"You should rest!" Haru argued. She raised her head and looked around. "Where can I get some water?"

"No! I have to get this to Norie-chan as quickly as possible!" The man began rushing down the hall again.

The four students looked at each other. It was clear what to do next. They followed the man.

"Are you a production assistant on Lilac Story?" Akechi asked, his legs making long strides to catch up. Ann lagged behind him, thinking she should go to the gym again.

"No," the man replied. "I have a small role on Four Brothers High School."

"Then why are you taking this to Tashirou-san?" Akechi questioned. Once even with the man, the boy detective seemed to glide along beside him, not weighed down by the large case.

"Are you kidding?" the young actor stopped in his tracks, staring at Akechi. "You guys must be new here. Norie-chan is the president's daughter. If you don't do as she tells you, your career is over! If you want to keep acting, don't cross her."

The man took off again, the large case dragging behind him.

"Well," said Akechi when Haru and Ann caught up to him and Makoto. "Things are certainly more widespread than we thought. 'Tashirou' must be a stage name."

A Palace owner with the ear of a studio president. Ann thought about what her agent had said about auditioning for a role. It would a blizzard of rejections until you finally make your mark and even then you have to be careful. She frowned. She held her hand to her heart. "It's tough enough to break into this industry. Being blacklisted like that afterwards would be heart-breaking."

Akechi nodded. "Let's see what else we can find out on set."

Though the young actor was way ahead of them, the sound of his case dragging on the floor made him easy enough to follow.

The group slipped into the sound stage where Lilac Story was filming. Tashirou was on set performing a scene. She was indeed very pretty. Looking at her, Ann felt like she needed to step up her own game.

Tashirou also seemed perfectly sweet to others, matching the image of her portrayed in the popular press. However, Ann noticed that anything Tashirou asked for was delivered promptly and without question. Furthermore, Tashirou used cue cards rather than memorizing her lines, odd for someone in a high profile role.

Another young woman rushed into the room. Based on her casual outfit, she seemed to be one of the production staff. Her eyes were red and watery. Tashirou stopped the scene short to address the woman. "Ah Harada-san, do you have it?"

"N-no, sorry Norie-chan, I waited all day but they were sold out," Harada bowed deeply and stated her words loudly.

"Oh," Tashirou looked sad. "They were limited to today only too. Did you not leave early enough?"

"They wouldn't let us line up until six and then it was a mob," the woman didn't rise from her bow. "I'm so sorry Norie-chan. Please forgive me."

As the group watched the scene unfold, one of the other staffers standing near Ann and the others spoke under her breath. "Poor Harada-san. She'll be gone by morning."

"I hear her mother's sick," said another staffer. "She'll need to change careers. Sakai-san hasn't been able to get a position at the other studios."

"I wish I could transfer," said the first. "But even that might be a problem."

"Um, excuse me..." Haru whispered. "Why would transferring be a problem?"

The staffer turned to Haru, her eyes narrowed. "Who are you?"

"Uhhh..." Haru's eyes shifted to the others.

"I'm sorry, she's with me," Akechi put a hand on Haru's shoulder and flashed the staffer the kind of smile he started TV appearances with. "We're looking for staff for our next project."

"Oh." The staffer's eyes relaxed but only a hair. "Well. I can't tell you what's a problem anymore. That's the problem."

The staffer walked to the other side of the sound stage.

"Sorry," the other staffer said. "We've had to be extra careful ever since Himekawa arrived."

––––– ––––– –––––

With ten people even the large storage area Ren and Boss had fashioned into a bedroom was going to seem cramped, especially when two of those people weren't exactly friends. Makoto understood they really didn't have much choice when it came to Akechi but perhaps they could do something about Jin. Every one of the Phantom Thieves, with maybe the exception of Ren and Morgana, had entered the Metaverse when they had some stake in the Palace distortion. Jin had no connection to Okumura.

"But if Jin isn't our enemy, having more persona users would make fighting shadows easier," said Morgana. He sat on the table as Ren and Makoto dragged it into position. "And it sounds like he's seen the Black Mask before. That's useful to us."

"The key word there is if," Makoto argued as she set the table down.

"Let's take him with us," said Ren. His back was to her and he retrieved the extra chairs from the back part of the attic. "He didn't choose to enter either. At least we can keep an eye on him if he's with us."

Makoto considered disagreeing. They didn't know for sure that he had appeared in the last Palace like the rest of them. It would be difficult keeping watch of both Akechi and Jin at the same time. However, Ren didn't speak lightly and there was merit to both sides. "Okay."

Ren messaged the rest of the Phantom Thieves, along with Akechi and Jin, letting them know he was ready to meet. Makoto sat down on the couch and pulled out a notebook, placing it on the table. Midterms were coming up and there was time to work through a few more examples.

These was something soothing about studying in Ren's attic. It was quiet. They didn't talk. She could get her work done. Studying home was the same... but somehow different. Maybe there was something in the lighting that made it seem cozy.

A couple problems in, Makoto glanced over at Ren. He was reading something on his phone but stopped frequently to spin it on his finger. It seemed to rotate faster than usual.

Maybe it was her own nerves.

Her thoughts drifted back to the maid café. Ren had looked quite dashing in his coat and tails, even with that ridiculous monocle. In the floor manager's office, he had been so close. She had convinced herself many times that nothing had really happened, but that look on his face, when he said he meant it...

But what if it was her cognition manipulating him?

Maybe she should bring it up.

But what would she say?

She was probably misinterpreting things. He might not even remember it by now. It would be so embarrassing to make a big deal out of nothing.

Then again, he had looked at her afterwards-

The sound of footsteps broke Makoto's train of thought. It was Futaba. She was often first because she lived down the street.

Over the next half an hour, the others arrived. They huddled around the table, most of them in their usual seats. Ren scooted closer to Makoto, leaving room for an extra chair on his left where Akechi sat. Jin sat on the bench to the left of Futaba. He was always finding a way to be near Ann. Morgana had moved up onto the table as the bench got crowded. With everyone seated, it was time to get started.

"Our first order of business," Makoto's student council president tone slipped out. "Amamiya Jin: we've explained how we operate. Do you want to join the Phantom Thieves?"

"If you'll have me," Jin's answer came quick.

"There's no need to rush to a decision," she replied. "It's dangerous-"

"And morally questionable," Akechi interrupted. Makoto shifted her gaze to him briefly, but decided not to rise to his baiting.

"It will be less dangerous with a group," Jin seemed to ignore Akechi, speaking directly to Makoto. "Next time I suddenly find myself in a Palace, someone will come looking for me."

"We don't know if this phenomenon will repeat," said Makoto.

"We don't know if it won't," said Jin. He glanced over at Ann. "Anyway, I'm happy to experience a little danger to protect Ann."

Makoto spotted Ryuji in the corner making a fake vomiting gesture, simulating his finger going down his throat. She coughed to suppress a smile. "Well then, with that settled, the next matter is Tashirou Norie. Yesterday we observed several people at the studio running errands for her. They claimed they were doing it under the threat of being blacklisted. Tashirou-san is the daughter of the studio president."

"So," said Yusuke. "She complains to her father about someone and they're punished for it?"

"Exactly," said Makoto.

"Destroying the careers of others..." Yusuke's gaze drifted towards the table. His corners of his lips became tense. His hands seemed to grip his upper arms more tightly.

Many artists had suffered a similar fate due to his mentor, Madarame.

"So we were right," Ryuji cut in. Makoto looked up at him. He nodded at her ever so slightly. He must have noticed Yusuke's dismay too. "She sees everyone as servants."

"Hmm... We didn't see any evidence of her mistreating them in the Palace," said Futaba. She had pulled up her knees to her chest. "Shouldn't we have seen it?"

"Maybe not." Haru looked down into her coffee. "But we were all afraid of the floor managers, even before we knew they were shadows."

"That fits what we saw at the studio," Ann gripped the seat of the couch by her legs and leaned forward. "Tashirou-san is seems very kind in person, but all the employees were on edge."

"Was there anything else?" asked Morgana. His tail was hanging off the table, swaying back and forth, like a clock.

"One of the staffers said something about having to be more careful since a 'Himekawa' arrived," said Haru.

"I don't remember a Himekawa on the site," Ryuji pulled out his phone. His thumb swiped over the screen several times while the team waited. "I don't see a Himekawa in the cast list either."

"Might she have meant Himekawa Chigusa?" Akechi suggested.

Himekawa Chigusa was a well-known movie actress, a generation older than Tashirou, but still taking roles in high-profile films. She wouldn't have anything to do with television. "But how-"

"I got it," Ryuji showed his screen to everyone. It showed a photo of the actress with an older man in a suit. "Himekawa's been seen in public with a media president. A bunch of gossip sites have it. Maybe that's Tashirou's dad."

"You think she's acting out of jealousy?" Ann's eyes narrowed.

"Or maybe she feels threatened," Haru scooted to the edge of her seat. "She's asserting her power."

"Hmm..." Morgana's ears twitched. "Whichever it is, maybe this change is what caused the odd behavior in her Palace."

"Like she's lashing out," Makoto continued the thought. "So her Palace is as well. We can't be sure though."

"There's one way to find out. We should send the calling card before it happens again," said Ren. "Are there any objections?"

"Only my blanket objection to the Phantom Thieves," Akechi leaned back in his chair and smirked.

No one else said anything.

"Yusuke, Ryuji," Ren looked at each boy. They nodded. He then turned to Morgana. "Can you sneak it into Tashirou's dressing room tonight?"

"No problem." Morgana stood taller on his front paws.

"Then it's settled," said Ren. "We'll meet at Suidobashi Station after school tomorrow."