Toggle Background Color

Chapter 47: 6/5-6/6: The Pointy End Goes Toward The Target (New)

This update contains content from Part 44 of the original LP.



Evening

Music: Beneath the Mask



I heard customers say it’s gotten pretty dangerous over there. Don’t let yourself be a target, got it?
Wow, it’s really gotten that unsafe, huh? That said, you still want to check out Kichijoji at night, don’t you?



Besides, there’s a certain delicious smell on that street that bears investigating… Myeh heh heh.




Apparently there’s this old man who’s been causing problems in Kichijoji. If you make one wrong move or say the wrong thing, he flies into a rage and it turns into a fight.



I agree. We can’t let this guy go unchecked. Only problem is, knowing that he’s an old troublemaker isn’t enough to get us a name… But I DID hear that he hangs out in Kichijoji’s Harmony Alley a lot!



And if we don’t know his name, we can’t make him have a change of heart.





Someone finally exposed Madarame for stealing art. What will happen to the pieces themselves?

]

Right… Sorry, just curious. I used to be really into art.




(Tired Office Worker) Yeah, it was right at the end of the exhibit. It’s obvious that there’s some ulterior motive.
They spent so much money on all those ads. The people backing Madarame must be panicking.
It’s every man for himself in this world. It’s pretty rotten when I think about it.



I can’t take it anymore, man! Guess I gotta change the world myself, buuuddy!
(Reserved College Student) Bold. And just what do you hope to accomplish?
…Partying as hard as I can at the club, m’dude! Oh yeeeah!




(Rural Young Man) I knew it! E’eryone in this city is a degenerate liar! I even hear there’s a bunch a thieves on the loose! C’mon, lemme take ya home.
You’re overreacting. Besides, the Phantom Thieves are on our side!




Let’s head over to Kichijoji real quick and take care of some stuff.




Thanks! Be careful, it’s hot.

Got my delicious cutlet, just gonna leave it in my bag for several weeks



Here, we can see that the alley full of bars becomes much more vibrant and busy at night. Obviously.



(Loud Housewife) Nooo, don’t bring that up! My husband already won’t stop teasing me about it! He says that old fraud Madarame nearly suckered me into taking art lessons. Ugh, it still makes me mad! I hope that old coot rots in prison!




(Doting Father) I see… But you can also become strong by eating your mom’s cooking, you know?
But Mom’s food won’t turn me into Featherman! I wanna be Featherman!

Listen here you little shit…



(Stylish Part-Timer) Ugh, he ain’t a real artist—just a skeevy, lyin’ pig actin’ like a person of culture!
Well, art and culture are fine and all, but in the end, we’re all human. Morality aside, money is important. I understand how it can become a person’s top priority.

Why is this dude wearing that hat and also in a yukata?

Seriously!? I can’t believe what I’m hearin’… Money ain’t everythin’!



(Aproned Man) I don’t like bad-mouthing my customers, but he makes so much trouble…

When I grow up, I wanna be the kind of cool motherfucker who can put a license plate on his hat and call it fashion. No fucks given.

An old man making trouble…?



Hello, kind sirs. I couldn’t help but overhear, and I am quite intrigued by your chatter about this old man.

Hey, this ain’t no place for a young’un like you. You lookin’ for somethin’ ‘round here?



Hoo boy… So even kids like you know about him.
That old man’s outta control. He takes drinks from strangers, he starts fights… And when he gets in trouble, he causes a ruckus and tries to mooch money off people. What creepy is the more trouble he makes, the wider his smile gets.



Oh yeah, the old man’s always shoutin’ his name over and over. Heiji Ono, right?
Yep, that’s the name.
All right, we got the name of our target!
But you know… I can’t be that hard on him. He’s around my dad’s age. When he complains about his joints hurting on rainy days… I can’t help but feel sorry for the old man. I wish he didn’t hang around here, but stayed warm with his family instead.

Zero percent chance that last sentence doesn’t come back around in a darkly ironic fashion once we confront his Shadow, right? I don’t even remember what happens here, it’s just that obvious.

You might sound awfully sympathetic, but I know you really think he’s a pain in the ass.
Well, yeah, I’m not denying that…
His joints hurt on rainy days? Poor guy.



And we’re ready to take down that target at our earliest convenience.



We’re gonna get some aojiru. Maaku gains Charm +1.



Please know that you can direct your criticism and outrage at me! I, Toranosuke Yoshida, will someday find a way to address your concerns in Nagatcho…



How’s your schoolwork? By the way, what’s your opinion about our current government? I feel that they’re wrong, so I plan on addressing that during my speech. I’d like you to listen to it, so you can give me your honest opinion.



Really? That would be helpful. Well then, let’s get to it.

Sun Rank 4: Part 44



However, the current administration refuses to discuss their plans for the future… Can we really accept such an utter lack of transparency!?
(Weary-Looking Woman) I’ve been hearing this type of criticism about the government a lot lately.
(Bored-Looking Man) That’s because Diet Member Shido has been gaining popularity by saying the same thing.
So he’s just echoing another politician’s criticism of the government?
Apparently. Tch, whatever…

Music: Suspicion



Only one politician is allowed to have good opinions at a time, plagiarist!

Stop talking all big, you ex-convict!

Urgh… It seems I’ve drawn the ire of the audience once again. So he’s claiming those who have made mistakes in the past shouldn’t get a second chance? What can I say to that?

Yo, asshole!
Yes? Shit, should I not have responded affirmatively to “asshole”?
Shut the fuck up!

What was that? You got something to say to me, kid!?

So what if he’s No-Good Tora!? People can change!
Hamiru-san…
Also, you should stop calling him an ex-convict! Never convicted, baby!
That just means he got away with it!
If he did actually get away with stealing a large sum of money from a soulless political machine then he’s an inspiration to us all!
Can’t argue with that…

…Yes, I am “No-Good Tora,” and I have made mistakes. Yes, I am unpopular and powerless. But that has nothing to do with my arguments! These are things I learned from all my hardships. You can ridicule me all you want, but I will continue to oppose what is wrong with this world!
*gasps and murmurs*

Music: Break it Down (Elp Version)



The highlight, though, was your yelling.

Eh, it was nothing. Someone’s gotta stick up for you.
Thank you. But you should try to avoid making enemies in the future.
That’s not really possible in my line of work, but I’ll consider it.

…Okay, that is all for today.



…I’ve been wrong this whole time. Even though someone has failed in the past, it doesn’t mean that person can’t try again.

Also, stealing party funds whips ass!

Th-That’s all I wanted to say!
Please wait! Thank you! …That is all I wanted to say.
You’re a strange one. Just like that kid.



I have a bad habit of getting flustered whenever someone calls me No-Good Tora.

Seems like you’re over it now, though!

But you see me as someone of value, so I refuse to cower to criticism in front of you. Today you taught me that I must have more confidence in my arguments.
I feel like my bond with Yoshida is growing deeper…



My way of thinking changes when I’m with you. Perhaps it’s the influence of your youthful spirit. Ah, my apologies. It seems we’re out of time.
I feel like helping with the speech has served to increase my Charm

Maaku gains Charm +2.





Good work today. I’ll see you again soon.




Thanks to you, I’ve remembered something very important. Now that I think about it, ever since the scandal… I’ve felt alone and helpless. Like the whole world was against me. Perhaps I got too used to the constant judging and critique, but… I realized I’d overlooked something crucial. I’d forgotten the people closest to me… and how encouraging it feels simply to be in their presence. Perhaps it seems too obvious, or too trite, but… I hope you remember to cherish that, too.




I will engrave it into my heart. I can’t let myself forget it again.




Anon: Too elaborate for a prank

Early Morning



Anon: they’re just making threats
Anon: It’s just a coincidence…
Anon: ppl who buy this… -_-
Anon: thieves are bad, its not hard
Anon: pics or it didn’t happen


About the calling card from the Phantom Thieves, right?
The way it was written seemed pretty legit…
Have they really stolen people’s hearts?
I can’t believe the Phantom Thieves actually exist…

Music: Beneath the Mask (Instrumental Version)



(Train Monitor) Now for today’s Train News. Today’s headlines are… “Hotspots of Tokyo!” Penguin Sniper has opened for business in Kichijoji! What’s Penguin Sniper, you ask? A zoo? A pet shop? No, it’s a trendy lounge for darts and billiards! Whether alone or in a group, how you play is up to you!
Oh, it’s that one lounge! Next time we go, I’m gonna play darts too!

No you’re not! How would that even work!?

Still, there sure are a lot of shops in Kichijoji. We should take our time and look around when we get the chance.



The response to Madarame’s press conference was huge! Everyone’s talkin’ about the calling card. Girls are checkin’ me out today… Maybe they can’t help but sense my overflowin’ phantom thief charisma?




Of course there is! My uniform, man! My uniform! We’re s’posed to switch to summer uniforms today! I knew people were lookin’ at me… Oh, goddammit! I gotta go home and change, so you go on ahead!



(Pallid Fella)] Shut up! Geez… Anyway, did you catch the news yesterday? Watching that famous artist cry his eyes out over all the artwork he’s stolen… The same thing happened to Kamoshida, right? Both got weird calling cards, too… If you ask me, the same person is behind all this.
The news this morning said a group called #Millennials are the ones behind the cards. I wonder how they get people to confess. I mean, they can’t literally be “stealing hearts.” Blackmail, maybe?




You made it home and back quick, holy shit.

Early Morning → Lunchtime

Music: Disquiet



Every time I notice this dude’s tiny lil’ ear I lose my mind

I have nothing to report yet…

How can you not know anything? It’s not like Mr. Kamoshida had a lot of enemies! Well, outside of, you know—
Outside of all the students he was abusing and harassing? Oh, I’m sure everyone *else* just loved him.
You know what I mean. How can you have nothing to show for your efforts?
I do have some suspects, but getting hard proof has been rather tricky… I managed to follow them to their meeting place, but then I got to a really interesting part of my disguise manga and when I looked back up they were gone!

*heavy, impatient sigh*

You knew, didn’t you? About Mr. Kamoshida sexually harassing students.

Kobayakawa looks away.

Sir!
What will come of you asking that?
This investigation is for a just cause, correct?

I know all this must be stressful for you, especially after seeing a student attempt suicide, so here’s what we’re gonna do: you’re going to find the Phantom Thieves, and I’m going to pretend you didn’t say anything for the last thirty seconds. Deal?
But…

We must provide a school environment where all students can feel at ease. That is the most pressing issue we have to tackle at the moment.
So that’s your reason behind this investigation on the Phantom Thieves of Hearts? We don’t even know if they truly exist. Why are you—
You heard about the incident with that Madarame fellow, I assume?
…They said there was a similar calling card to the one used in Mr. Kamoshida’s case.
I wish to believe that this is unrelated to our students.
Yes…
That is where I stand. I suggest you devote your energy to the task at hand, not unnecessary questions.
……

Music: Break it Down (Elp Version)



(Suave Male Student) You mean that guy who was all like, “How could I possibly… apologize for what I’ve done… Aaaah…”?
Think it was really those Phantom Thieves? You know, the whole stealing your heart thing.
That… There’s no way. But then again… it seems too convenient for it all to just be coincidence.

(in the background) EFFIN’ A!
What’s that punk yelling about?
I don’t know, just don’t make eye contact.



It’s been one day. Cool your jets.
Right. Anyway, I decided on the TV station. What about you guys?

Huh? Oh crap, the social studies trip! Ugh I just wanna ditch it.

Another Pro Mittelman Line Read™ on this one.

You’d better go to your school activities. Didn’t I tell you not to draw attention to yourselves?
Wouldn’t me suddenly turnin’ into a good student stand out more?
Quit bickering and go.

Actually, he does have a point…
SILENCE! I AM YOUR GOD!

Then let’s all choose the TV station! I heard we’re gonna get to watch them tape a show! Maybe there’ll be actresses there!
……

Suddenly, Ryuji gets… Ideas. Poor idiot.

Oh well. Not lie I got anything better to do than waitin’ for info to come in online. Plus, Morgana’s right. Showin’ up’ll keep the teacher from gettin’ all suspicious of me.

No, don’t praise him! It goes straight to his head!

All right, I’m gonna head back. TV, huh… Maybe I should get a haircut…



That guy is such an idiot… I hope nothing happens…

Lunchtime → Afternoon

Music: So Boring




Madarame is the only topic of conversation at my school. And as his pupil, most of my peers have chosen to ignore me.
For real? That’s bullshit.
Are you going to be OK?
There is no need to worry. They had already been treating me differently from others as it stood. This is nothing new to me.
OK then…
More importantly, do we have any leads on our next mission?
You kidding? There’s no way we’d find a target that quick!

>Looks like it’s Mementos for us…
You hum that weird repetitive song whenever we go to Mementos, though… You sure you’re alright, man?
>DUH NUH NUH, NUH NUH NUH, NUH NUH NUH
Ryuji, what did you do!?
Ah crap!

I will keep myself free. Please tell me if anything comes up.

Music: Everyday Days



You! Pay attention! Is that how you listen when someone’s talking to you!?
I feel a murderous intent…!



(Female Student) Whoa! That was an epic dodge!
(Male Student) I can’t believe he dodged Ushimaru’s throw… Is he a ninja?

I was testing your ability to execute one of the cornerstones of comedy: humor through pain! By dodging the chalk, you failed, denying everyone, including yourself, this valuable learning opportunity!
Wow, what an asshole… I’m performing at a bar mitzvah soon and this experience would have really helped my act!
I just wanted to see someone get hurt!

Tch… Well, whatever. Moving on.
Ooh, you’ve got the entire class’ attention! Your Charm has definitely increased.

Maaku gains Charm +2.

The chalk dodge is actually a percentage chance based on your current Proficiency instead of a flat stat check like in the base game. This makes the Charm boosts much more useful because you can get them much earlier in the game. There are also a few more opportunities to get Charm points from this recurring event now.



Afternoon → After School

Music: Beneath the Mask -Rain (Instrumental Version)






I thought something like this would happen… So I snuck a collapsible umbrella into your bag!



Of course—this isn’t something any ordinary cat would do.





Actually, I forgot my umbrella… But it’s fine. I’ll barely get wet if I run to the station! If anything, it’ll make for good training.



Oh, you’ll share your umbrella?

…Yes, that’s what I was trying to say there. What else could I possibly have meant? Heh.




To be honest, prelims are coming up soon, so I didn’t want to take any chances of getting sick.



Yeah, that’s right. Two huge competitions are coming up—one at the beginning of summer and one near the end. If I’m going to participate in the prelims, I have to be selected as my club’s representative… And there’s a qualifier meet to determine who that rep will be. It’s my dream to compete in gymnastics on the global level.




I’d be invincible if I had you cheering me on, Senpai! *giggle*




I can’t thank you enough for today. I swear I’ll return the favor some—

Whoa there. I walked you to the train station because it was raining. No need for payback, it’s really just a courtesy.



(Intrigued Female First-year) You mean the honors gymnast? She gets the VIP treatment at school AND a boyfriend to escort her around? Miss Special Snowflake sure is livin’ on easy street…

The two students leave.




Yeah, you’re right! The same thing happens in class, too. People are often wary of me because I’m an honor student. The school’s expecting me to attain strong results in the upcoming competitions, too. They even told me I didn’t have to participate in the cleanup event… But I just don’t like getting special treatment.





It’s okay, thanks. Mmhm. I’ll see you later.



A bit overprotective, don’t you think?



Yes, I definitely agree. Well, I have to get to practice, so it’s time for me to go. Thanks so much for today. Excuse me!





Kasumi’s gotta train hard. If she wins regionals, then it’s straight on to sectionals, and then a week later is semis, then semi-regionals, then regional-semis, then national lower-zone semis!

But never mind that—having wet fur is the worst… Try to keep me under the umbrella, would you?





You’re joking, right? Anyway, here are the details. The girl acting like a queen is Hikari Shimizu. I wonder if it’s more likely that a girl will turn out like that if she has S as an initial… Well, I already posted the warning, so you should take it on when you have the time! Hopefully you don’t end up an M!
What did he mean by S and M? Those are shirt sizes, right? Is it the size of clothes? Anyway, it seems like she’s a worthy target. Let’s find time to consult the others at the hideout.




The Thieves’ Den has updated. I did mess around a tiny bit in there but we’re gonna save that for later because not too much got added.




(Stylish Male Student) A message board called the “Phan-Site.” Its viewership is insane right now.
Is that site safe to look at? I won’t get a bunch of ads trying to scam me?
You’re worrying too much! Just ignore that stuff.






Back to Kichijoji. We have a few options today. Maruki’s available and we’ve built up a decent backlog of Mementos requests, but I have one thing on the brain for today.



(Kichijoji-Native Girl) Seriously? I thought “Inoko” was a popular abbreviation. Does that guy even know the official name?
He’s gotta know that! “Inokashira Oncho Park” is, like, super-famous.
Well, even you’ve got it wrong. It’s “Inokashira Onshi Park.” That’s “Onshi,” not “Oncho.”



Today, we’re headed back to Penguin Sniper.

Music: Kichijoji 199X



Hey, did you forget already? You can play billiards at this place, too. Well, it’s up to you whether you want to play darts or billiards.
Would you like to play darts or billiards? It’s 800 yen to play all you want.



Darts, huh?







Heh, didn’t I tell you? I’m always thinking of what’s best for the Phantom Thieves. What’re you gonna do? You wanna play with someone?




So, we can pick from any of our current party members to play darts. This handy menu shows us everyone’s rank, and also…



…their “style” of play.





None of this actually matters, really, they’re all pretty good at darts. Better than me, certainly. “Accuracy” seems like it would be more relevant than it is, but it ends up being superfluous due to certain other mechanics of the game. Ryuji’s accuracy is higher though because he’s at Rank 2.

We’re going to start with Yusuke because he gains the most from getting his Baton Pass rank up due to his exclusive skills.



Thank you, that’ll be 800 yen! Please enjoy yourselves.



As I explained earlier, we’re playing ‘01. We have 5 rounds to bring our score down to 0! And by doing it as a pair, the Phantom Thieves’ teamwork will strengthen!



Let us team up for the first match, Maaku. *chuckle* How exciting…! As for the rules… Let us go with 301. Everything starts with the basics.






Oh boy! Motion controls!








So, there’s this target area we can manipulate by moving the controller.



Once we enter aiming mode, the target area will stop moving and a dot will begin bouncing around inside it. Now, despite what the tutorial said, you do not actually have to shake the controller to throw the dart and I recommend you immediately forget that you can even do that, because you’re gonna fuck up trying to. Instead, you can just press X. However…



…There’s still a pretty noticeable delay between hitting the button and throwing the dart, so the dot will move a bit before your throw happens, like here, where I was aiming for the triple 20!



And here!



Oh, and here!










Again, the AI is pretty damn good at darts. They’re not gonna carry you, but still.




Here, I remember some critical darts “tech” from my previous playthrough of this game: if you put the place you’re aiming for in one of the very ends of the target oval, you essentially have twice as much time to hit the button because it’s going to enter that area, bounce off the end, then leave. I don’t quite do it right here and mistime a couple of throws, but I still get a bullseye and 80 points total, which is good enough to qualify for the special secret.



What, are you dying!?



We wanna get this next question correct to increase Yusuke’s odds of finishing himself.



Yep, that’s right. If you let your partner finish in Round 4 instead of doing it yourself, their Baton Pass Rank will increase twice, maxing them out instantly. It’s great.




You’re right. Painting is about being in the moment! Yes… I can do it now!





Nice job, Yusuke!



What a stimulating session of passion for us both! I am in high spirits indeed!

Uh, what?



I feel like I’ve learned something by playing on a team…





So, we can decide to go a second round if we so desire. The problem is, we can’t pick who volunteers to go next. Ann is perhaps the person I wanted to go next the least (because Ryuji would benefit more from the damage boost and SP recovery at Rank 3, and also because I know all of you want to see how the fuck Morgana plays darts), but we’ll accept nevertheless. I really didn’t want to record this twice.

As for the rules… Let’s do 301. I think I can handle that!





Around here is where I start getting the hang of it.






Then Ann goes…

It’s round 3 now… Let’s keep at it!



Then I go, intentionally getting the score down incredibly low so it’s near-impossible to fuck it up.





Oh, right! Yeah, that’s all you can really do!



And she nails it. Great work.



I could feel you were counting on me… So I had to try really hard!




Maaku gains Proficiency +1.



All the members of the Phantom Thieves gain some affection points towards their next Confidant rank up. Even Yusuke, who we haven’t unlocked yet.

We can train up, and have fun at the same time. This is a pretty handy place.
Well, see you around.

We’ll have to check out billiards next time we’re here.