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Chapter 74: 7/4-7/6: Poster Boy
After School → Evening
Music: Beneath the Mask
Yep, it went perfectly! Nice work as always!
…All this stuff about family had me worried about Yusuke, but it looks like things worked out okay.
What did any of this have to do with Yusuke?
I’m kind of happy too.
>Oh, is it already time for us to pointlessly worry about what if *this time* it’s all going to shit? Because if it is I’m going to jump out a window.
You are acting too relaxed. Just because they took in Kaneshiro does not mean that the mafia itself will disband.
Right. If someone else got ahold of the photos, we might have further problems.
>You guys are jumping at shadows. Kaneshiro already told you he got rid of the photographs, and even assuming his arrest doesn’t completely fuck up their operations, wasn’t he trying to extort you directly? There’s no guarantee his cronies even know how to contact you oh shit wait I just thought of something
What is it?
>You said your sister and her team were the ones who took Kaneshiro into custody, right? What if she finds out you’re involved?
But… he got rid of the pictures…
>He must have some ledger or something where he keeps track of his blackmail targets, though. Your number is also likely in his phone. Or what if Kaneshiro, remorseful from his change of heart, just *tells* her about blackmailing you? It’s not implausible, we already know that he knows you’re related!
You’re right, that is worrying. What are we going to do about this?
>Uhhh…
>Oh! I’ve got it. We’ll hide under some coats and hope that somehow, everything will work out.
Why do I even ask…?
There’s the incenses we ordered.
More Thieves’ Den unlocks. We’ll head in there soon, promise.
(Sharp Detective) …I meant “dying message.”
(Suspect) Was that a Freudian slip just now, defective—I mean, Detective?
Oof, that was brutal… Even that hard-boiled detective flinched when he heard that.
We’re going to read Speed Reader, which will let us just chew through books in the future.
Music: Break it Down (Elp Version)
Woah, that’s a pretty scientific approach. At least the illustration makes it easier to understand.
You started flipping pages much faster towards the middle, so I thought you were skipping parts. I can already see that you’re able to read with more efficiency now!
Anon: if ur so good, show ur face
Early Morning
Music: Beneath the Mask -Rain (Instrumental Version)
By the way, Kaneshiro’s deadline is this weekend, isn’t it? His change of heart draws near…
Okay, Yusuke, first off: the deadline is arbitrary. It’s just been a massive, bullshit coincidence that both times so far the change of heart has coincided with the exact day it needed to happen by for our purposes. Second, he already had a change of heart. He turned himself into the police. I’m not sure what else you want to happen here.
The Phantom Thieves will be even more renowned than before when this goes public.
If we get any credit at all, you mean. The cops sure aren’t gonna want us getting linked to this arrest, so we’ll only have word-of-mouth from people who saw the posters.
Hmm, I suppose. Even still, we should prepare for an influx of requests just in case.
I think we should take care of all the cases we have now, while we still have the chance.
Yusuke, we did that yesterday. What the fuck are you talking about?
Early Morning → After School
Music: Tokyo Emergency
Let’s talk to Ann again today.
Oh, do you want to go somewhere? If you have the time, I mean.
Unfortunately, Ann isn’t ready to rank up, and we haven’t even started Chihaya’s Confidant yet, let alone unlocked Affinity Reading, so we can’t just pay to raise Ann’s Confidant affinity. That’s a problem, because it means if we want to increase Ann’s Confidant rank, we’ll have to wait quite a bit to not waste a day, which is a problem.
Now, I say it’s a “problem,” and that it would be a “waste” of a day, but… that’s not actually true. Because there’s something very, very important we can actually accomplish by spending time with Ann today, and our other options aren’t that much more appealing, so we’re going to do it anyway.
Hm, what should we do today?
Okay! Where should we go?
This part is vital. It absolutely must be Harajuku.
Even just going for the people watching is interesting. Anyway, let’s go!
Music: What’s Going On?
But all the people are such a pain… What gives them the right to be here!?
You know, Ann, we are also people who are here.
Anyway, let’s get through quickly so we don’t get caught by the salespeople!
A bit later…
In any case, there are so many different types of people here. It’s fun just watching them. People might think I’m weird if they see me staring at them alone…
As opposed to when you do it as a group and they just think you’re in a cult.
But I’m sure it’s fine as long as I’m with you.
And I mean, things are half as fun if you don’t have anyone to share that fun with, right? I wonder what all these people are thinking about right now… Some of them might even be sad beneath those happy exteriors, and we’d never even know… Hey, don’t you get fired up when you’re thinking about helping them out!? Oh, um… never mind. That’s not what we were talking about…
Are you interested in this stuff? You can have it if you want.
SCORE! Got what we came for, folks!
Oh, that’s right, I have something Ann might like…
Normally I wouldn’t even bother with the gifts but I can tell Ann’s still not ready to rank up from the way the notes (failed to) sparkle earlier.
Wow, that’s so thoughtful… Thank you.
All right, we’ve sorted that out.
After School → Evening
Music: Beneath the Mask
There’s a laundromat next to the bathhouse, right? If we’ve got spare time, maybe we could wash them.
Yeah, how about no?
(Newscaster) Today, we’ll be sharing the story of a woman who was a victim of such fraud. After she was scammed out of her money, she became emotionally unstable.
Emotionally unstable? Those scammers are relentless…
Let’s head upstairs. We’ve got important business to take care of up there.
HELL. YES. It’s looking lively in here between the plant and the poster! What else could you want!?
(Besides the chocolate fountain, of course, but I’m not sure we’re going to be able to swing that one because it requires a different outing with Ann when she can’t rank up. Man, Ann gives all the good decorations, huh?)
I’m just gonna stand here and look at this thing for hours like I’m Steve Carell.
What do you think? Wanna hear more?
We’re not going to hang out with Mishima tonight, but it’s good to remember that we can again now that we’ve taken care of his latest request.
We’re going to spend tonight unlocking Chihaya’s Confidant instead.
Fine, let’s hear it. Please sit down.
Fortune Rank 1: Part 68
Music: What’s Going On?
Wait, you’re saying you did it!? Her boyfriend stopped abusing her?
Yep. Though, now that I think about it, she did seem to have some fairly pronounced dependency issues. Probably would have been better to get out of that relationship entirely even if the dude is no longer going to beat her.
I can’t believe this! No, wait, I *don’t* believe this. That’s the word I was looking for. Even if you somehow got him to stop, her fate shouldn’t have changed. A miserable future still awaits her!
You seem rather upset that I saved a woman from abuse. Were you that invested in being right?
I mean… look!
What!? The sequence of arcana has completely changed! “Death” has moved far off into the future…
Not to toot my own horn, but I know a thing or two about tarot and that’s not what the Death arcana signifies…
Shut the fuck up. Who’s the fortune teller here? That’s right, it’s me.
Nrgh… No, no, no! This must be some sort of trick. What are you, a scam artist? You made a deal with her boyfriend or something, didn’t you?
What are you even proposing I did here? Do you think I, like… paid her boyfriend to abuse her? What the fuck is wrong with you? Also, pretty weak fortune-telling if it’s that easily deceived.
Then what did you do? Did you plunge him into Tokyo Bay, or cram him into a metal drum and dump insects on him? You must’ve taken some sort of extreme measures!
*furiously taking notes* Wait, were those options!?
Hmm… You don’t seem to be lying… But it’s impossible for you to have changed her fate… especially without breaking the law. How could an ordinary high school student…?
…Fine. I’m just going to have to verify your power. The very power that reversed my tarot card prediction!
Wait, what?
This is quite a serious situation for a fortune teller like me. I need to get to the bottom of this.
Do I get a say in this?
No. Don’t worry though, it’s easy. Just sit here while I read fortunes and I’ll test your power to defy fate.
Hmm… And what does this job pay…?
I’ll read your fortune.
Oh, sweet. Score. All the fortunes I want for free. What a sweet fucking deal for me. Christ, this sucks.
Oh, they’re not free. You still have to pay for them.
Even better!
Pleeeeeeeeeeease! I need this! I can’t go on not knowing if fate can be changed…
Ugggggghhhhh. Fiiiiiiiiine. Just stop nagging me.
You will? Really? OK then, I look forward to verifying your “skills”! Please don’t blow me off, OK? We made a deal, after all.
I’ve made a deal with Chihaya…
Music: Interrogation Room
You must’ve been pretty lucky to elude the police so consistently.
I mean, considering everything I’ve already told you about our methods, not really. Sorry, where’s this going?
Or maybe it was more than just luck. Maybe you consulted someone who gave you advice and forewarning. Isn’t that right!?
Wait, what the fuck!? Are you asking if I know any wizards???
Music: The Spirit
Music: What’s Going On?
Is fate… really something that can be changed? If it’s really possible, then… ……
Um… You okay?
Oh, it’s getting late! Let’s close up shop for today. It’s past your curfew…
I’ll be contacting you soon, so please come for the verification test, okay?
Sorry for taking up so much of your time. Please be careful on your way home.
Anon: i dont buy into that stuff.
Morning
Music: My Homie
*intercom bell*
(Woman’s Voice) Um… Mr. Inui, please come to the faculty office at once.
Oh? …I’m going to the faculty office, so make sure you take this time to study.
So, what’s the plan?
Let’s read in double-time.
This isn’t making any sense to me. Does the author even understand what they’re saying…?
I’m getting information overload… *groan* I’m sure you gained a lot of intelligence from that.
Maaku gains Knowledge +3.
Sweet, we ranked up.
Phew, that was close. Kawakami helped up get a good chunk of free time though!
Morning → After School
Music: Beneath the Mask -Rain (Instrumental Version)
Music: Layer Cake
Let’s make a brief stop over at Untouchable to sell our haul from Mementos.
Other than that, we really just buy Ryuji some new armor.
You hear about it? It’s called the Tarantula. People made a big deal about it, but the rapid-fire mechanism was too complex for a model version… Until now! They’re finally making one! I’ve waited for this for so long! It’s been so long, I almost tried making it myself! But no, I don’t have the skills for that. I can’t wait to have my own Tarantula! Man, being patient is rougb.
Music: Beneath the Mask -Rain (Instrumental Version)
We’re going to spend today working at the flower shop.
Music: Break it Down (Elp Version)
Instead of bouquets happening every other workday like in the original game, now it’s only on Wednesdays and Saturdays where you’ll be asked to make bouquets.
I’ll be having you choose the flowers for the bouquets too. I might even bump up your pay if the customer really likes your arrangement!
Music: Everyday Days
This request is for large, brightly-colored flowers. I bet light colors or white would even work too.
There’s our three.
Music: Break it Down (Elp Version)
Well, here’s your pay for today! I gave you a little bonus because of how well you did!
This is the most unrealistic depiction of bosses in history. Giving me a bonus? For doing a good job? Ridiculous!
Maaku gains Kindness +3.
After School → Evening
Music: Beneath the Mask -Rain-
(Newscaster) As before, the ISP has confirmed that this was the result of an external attack. After examining the methods used, it’s likely the attack was by an anonymous hacking group.
An attack by hackers? Does this kind of thing happen often around here?
We need to grab a Star Persona for Hifumi, so we’re heading into the Velvet Room real quick. Also, Justine is outside because there’s an outing with the twins available.
To free up room, we’re going to fuse this Pisaca from Orthrus and Isis.
You look kinda delicious, but I guess I can pass on eating you since I’m your new mask and all…
Pisaca are demonic creatures that devour human meat, especially corpses. They are believed to be the physical incarnation of will-o’-the-wisps, and the origin of their names is believed to have come from the demonization of Hindu tribes by the Aryan people, oh wow, okay, jeez.
Okay, that’ll do. Let’s head to the church.
Music: Time to Repent
Do you remember our promise? You become my playing partner so that I can research new moves… In order to do so, I would like you to start off by learning the basics of shogi.
What!? B-But I already know how to play! Haha, right?
……
Not foolin’ ya, huh?
Would you like to play a match?
Well then, I look forward to the match.
Star Rank 2: Part 64
Music: Wicked Plan
Why waste your final moments in futile defiance?
Uhhhhhh…
Weary wanderer—you’ve no fight left to fight! No life left to live!
We’re in a church. There’s people, like… praying and shit next to us. Please stop yelling.
Awaken, dragon! Let your shadowy hellfire consume them all! Dark Inferno Rook!
Rise up in madness and fury! Devour the vermin infesting the land which is rightfully ours!
This got really weird all of a sudden and it’s making me kind of uncomfortable…
With an incompetent king, a soldier cannot show his true bravery. Time for you to suffer!
I summon forth the forbidden move that shall bring your end… Ultimate Excalibur Attack! …Check.
I drain 1500 of your life points, sending you directly to the Shadow Realm.
This is some hardcore chuunibyou bullshit and I’m eating it up. Though as this Confidant progresses I’m most likely going to rapidly run out of things to reference.
I’m just going to assume you’re talking about the whole *everything* that was just going on. So, uh… what’s up with that, eh?
It’s an embarrassing habit I have. During a match, I, um… I tend to get very aggressive. It’s as if I assume the role of a queen of a kingdom…
Eh, I’ve seen weirder rituals. I knew a guy once who the night before exams just *had* to—wait, nevermind, I can’t actually tell that story here, it’s absolutely filthy. But anyway, don’t worry about that habit. It’s, uh… endearing, let’s say.
R-Really? You’re so strange…
My father had me do image training exercises when I was younger, to help me learn the rules… I gradually began to view the shogi board as if it were my own kingdom… I had fun coming up with stories and strategies for my, um, subjects…
Not gonna lie, that’s completely fuckin’ adorable.
However… I’ve heard that people make fun of me on the internet.
They say I’m weird, or some otaku, or just that I’m crazy… And they’re not totally wrong, are they? I agree with them, even. I’m definitely weird.
Yeah, it’s tough dealing with people badmouthing you online. I mean, uh, wouldn’t know anything about that! But you should really have more confidence. Your odd habit has gotten you this far, hasn’t it? Embrace it.
Your positivity is… a welcome relief. I may be able to learn more from our matches than I thought.
I can sense a deep bond of trust from Hifumi…
Absolutely had to grab this shot of Maaku stretching his fingers here. It’s just so weird to me for basically no reason.
Do you read weekly magazines…?
Do I *read* them? *begins staring off into the distance, suddenly filled with melodramatic melancholy* No… I suppose I don’t…
Oh… Well, then it’s not importa—
*completely back to normal* I do enjoy the pictures, though! Why’d you bring it up?
Um, well, I’m doing a photoshoot for one…
I sense there’s a problem. You don’t want to?
You’re quite perceptive…
I just didn’t want you to be surprised if you saw it on a newsstand, so I wanted to let you know.
In all honesty, I’m very reluctant to do it… But… if I can draw more attention to shogi, maybe the sport will become more popular… At least, that’s how I’m justifying it to myself…
Oh, Hifumi. You’re so wonderfully naïve.
I have an interview scheduled for tonight as well, so let’s end here for today…
I feel like playing shogi with Hifumi has helped sharpen my Knowledge…
Maaku gains Knowledge +1.
Until our next match. Goodbye…
For that event, we chose options 1 (+2), 1, 3 (+2).