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Chapter 88: 7/26: Friend Of The Yakuza
Music: Tokyo Emergency
Anon: medjed is dangerous……
Daytime
So we have to find the Treasure by the 18th, and send the calling card by the 19th. It’s up to you when we go to the Palace, but keep the deadline in mind, all right?
All right, let’s get to work.
We’re getting this tutorial now for some reason.
So, as much as I would love to recreate the circumstances of the original LP, where we entered the Palace on the very first day and then Futaba slept for three full weeks, we have some stuff to take care of first. Don’t worry, she’ll still be in a coma for three weeks, but I wanted to spend the next few in-game days doing some housekeeping in terms of Confidant events and abilities we’ve been forced to put off. There’s one ability in particular that we’ll hopefully get in the next update that I really wanted to nab before we entered the Palace.
One of the things we’ll be doing before entering the Palace is seeing Iwai about that paper bag tonight. Thanks for the reminder, cat.
After issuing their second statement, people are concerned about an impending cyberattack. The Phantom Thieves, however, continue to remain silent.
This is really getting to be a big deal. I want to just go and take Medjed out, but…
Oh? You have a good look on your face. You can have this. Look at your face with it.
You actually are pretty smart, huh. You showed me. Studying is good and all, but men need to keep up their looks too. Looking clean is important.
…Is he calling us unkempt? I mean, we definitely are, but still!
(Tidy Old Man) Really? I guess young people these days have more backbone than I thought. Remember? When we were young, we’d speak out and take a stand against those in power, too.
(Talkative Old Man) That’s true, but… I don’t know if we can trust them.
(Radio Announcer) International hacker organization “Medjed” has made an official statement…
Yeah, and I couldn’t read it ‘cause it was in English. Well, it doesn’t really matter to me.
We’re going to buy Gambla Goemon from the secondhand shop.
(Gentle-Looking Mother) They’re people who use computers to do bad things, like steal people’s secrets.
Are they like the Phantom Thieves? Who do you think’d win in a fight, Kotaro?
(Lazy Dog) *whine*
Music: Tokyo Daylight
Why is the director harassing us? We’ve been getting a lot of viewers!
(Young Cameraman) That’s why I wanted to stop going against them. At least this showdown is in the headlines…
Tch, we’re not high school reporters! Do you want the other news stations to get the real scoops before we do?
But the Phantom Thieves will surely win, so I give you my ballad… “Manly Firework”!
Emails, videos secret diaries
Things I don’t want people to see
Close up those Etchu loincloths
The fight is close at hand
Some things men can’t give away
Push through and bloom
Protect the final fort
Don’t lose everything
That was Japanese rock! What’d you think?
That’s right! The best thing about enka is the tremolooo!
(Man with Clear Eyes) Ahhh, I can feel it! The power of the Sun God flows through me…
However, the brighter the light, the larger the shadow. Darkness grows in the people’s hearts! The most extreme of this is Medjed! The incantation of ill will, born from the surge of darkness!
(Veteran Station Attendant) It’s good to see you unafraid to ask questions. What can I help you with?
I’ve been thinking about this all night. Who do you think will win, the Phantom Thieves or the hackers?
Oh for the love of… Look, I know it’s a real interesting debate, but you need to focus on your job.
(Veteran Pick-Up Artist) To enter the depths of a woman’s heart, you need a password. It’s what we call honeyed words… However, true pick-up artists never resort to force. We touch women’s hearts with skill alone!
S-Senpai… You’re too cool…!
Debatable.
Music: Layer Cake
It’d be great if those Phantom Thieves everyone’s talking about used guns as stylish as this. Though, would they even use guns? I have no clue.
There’s really no reason to think they would use guns. But you are correct, they do.
I can’t wait to spin the barrel of that Wildborn! Man, being patient is rough.
Music: Tokyo Daylight
(Modest Housewife) There’s certainly nothing we can do. It’d be awful if Medjed set their sights on our company.
Exactly. Higher-ups like my hubby are who need to step in if things go south.
Sometimes, I’m relieved my husband hasn’t climbed so high in the ranks.
Y-Yeah… I’m all right… I get scared when I wake up every morning. I feel like… I feel like I’m not myself… Could the Phantom Thieves have done something to me? No… There’s no way…
It’s more like… my memory is hazy. Like I’m in some dream… It’s as if my brain… or the world itself gets completely rewritten… Could the Phantom Thieves have done something to me? No… There’s no way…
You’re a phantom thief, aren’t ya? They’re all the rage now! Find out more… after these messages!
This conversation with Fishy Hawker is, once again, a pseudo-branch where the first two choices here lead to slightly different versions of the same second choice. As usual, picking the ellipses option for either choice ends the conversation identically. I’ll show the entire branch because it only takes two interactions to do so.
Haha, whoa! You’re really into this! You really put the “fan” in phantom thief, don’t you? Just between you and me… Did you know the Phantom Thieves are recruiting right now? That’s right, phantom thief lessons are 90% off right now! We even offer easy payment plans!
Whaaat!? Don’t get so full of yourself! You gave me false hope for a minute there! Idiot kid, get outta here! As if someone like you could become a phantom thief!
And the second branch:
Huh? You’re not? Well, now you’ve got more than a ghost of a chance to become a real phantom thief! Just between you and me… Did you know the Phantom Thieves are recruiting right now? That’s right, phantom thief lessons are 90% off right now! We even offer easy payment plans!
So what’s your answer? Guess we’ll find out after these messages! These… messages… Psh. Idiot kid, ignoring me. Get outta here! As if someone like you could become a phantom thief!
We live in an era where we have to guard our computers from hackers. Could you survive identity theft? Right now, we’re having a promo sale of the best hacking detection software in the industry! Without it, you’d never know who might be trying to steal your personal information!
(Sharp Lawyer) Yeah, I need to prepare for these cases related to information leaks and unauthorized access. These corporate higher-ups are panicking. They’ve never even heard of Medjed till just now.
I suppose they have some pretty big secrets that they’d like to keep, hahaha!
(Bespectacled Taxi Driver) Oh, Medjed? They’re a group of hackers known around the world. They’ve caused trouble before. They target security holes in servers and extract information by accessing sites illegally…
I don’t really get it, but they’re basically outlaws, right? “Judgment of Justice,” my ass.
(Kichijoji-Native Girl) You wouldn’t know it looking at Kichijoji. We’re so not cutting edge. It’s just business as usual.
But there’s supposed to be a lot of famous people living here. Manga artists, composers…
I’ve never seen anybody… I guess I wouldn’t recognize people like that, though.
The company I was working at survived, but it was a slaughterhouse elsewhere…
(Muhen) The bubble, huh… Brings back memories. That’s about the time I left home. If it weren’t for the former owner, I might have been a monk right about now.
Whoa! First time I’m hearing that one. Were you training to become a monk?
My home was a Buddhist temple. And my older brothers had no intention of taking over the business. It turns out, neither did I! I wanted to be free, and this is where I ended up. Still doing whatever I want.
It’s not that Yukari, guys, settle down.
(Mild-Mannered Dad) Huh? O-Oh, uh… She’s in our IT department… Because of what’s happening with Medjed, we wanted to beef up our cyber security, so…
(Trendsetting Mom) Hmmm… Is that why you call her so often? I mean, the only name in your call history is “Yukari-chan.”
I hate both of these people, so this is pure comedy.
Who cares? Can we go see the cast bus now!?
You know what rations are, my man? They say Japan makes the best rations.
And apparently there’s a vending machine from which you can buy one of them.
Already got it, my man.
Oh, it’s you! I’m happy to see you. And that must be the MRE Ration! Are you read to trade?
Thanks for your help. Here’s your Factorization Guide.
So this is the MRE Ration, made possible by Japan’s technology… This ration was once considered a feast for soldiers on the battlefield…But now it’s in hands of ordinary civilians. Thank you again. I look forward to another trade.
Bye, Sakai! I hope your incredibly strange child enjoys that military surplus!
Music: Butterfly Kiss
…But you don’t seem too concerned about it.
It’s almost complete. There’s something I want to test out. Could you head to the back?
It’s thanks to you that I was able to progress this far. Now you can drink this stuff no problem, right?
That’s right. I am now immune to all known poisons.
Unfortunately, this game does not contain the “poison” status effect, so it doesn’t make much of a difference.
Death Rank 7: Part 40
Are you going home already? Please, stay and eat an apple. An elderly patient of mine has been giving me a lot of them. I’ve been foisting them off on my clients, but I still have too many.
Hmm, sure. I’m usually unconscious by now and I could really use a snack if I’m going to be lucid for the next several hours until dinner. Or maybe I’ll just barf it up, who knows?
Music: Suspicion
(Oyamada) I was in the neighborhood for a medical conference, so I decided to drop in. Is this a patient of yours?
I’m a science experiment!
I don’t actually care, kid. I’m here because I heard this woman stole one of my patients. A girl with bronchitis. Ring any bells?
Look, I told her father not to come to me, but the man insisted.
Even this long after your disgrace, you’re causing problems for me. They’re saying the care at a university hospital is inferior to a mere general practitioner! And what’s this about “original medicine”? That can’t be above-board! I was willing to overlook you rotting away in this tiny practice, but not if you’re going to keep being a pain in my ass! This is your final warning: resign your medical license.
……
Hey, Takemi may use me as a human test subject and feed me nightmare juice until I pass out and make my skin crawl whenever she calls me her “little guinea pig”, but… I’m sorry, I forgot what my point here was.
Heh… nice try, kid.
If you’re so keen to defend this woman, maybe I should reveal her true identity: this woman is—
The Plague, yeah, I knew that already. Yawn. Got anything else?
She tortured an innocent young girl and exacerbated her condition with her unregulated medicine! I’m shocked you don’t seem to care, considering she’s clearly doing the same to you!
I’m seventeen, bucko. I will never die.
I’m sure that girl thought much the same before this woman came along. How does it feel knowing you’re responsible for her death?
Wait, you’re saying…?
Music: Desire
Yes, she passed away.
No… You’re lying! She still had time! She was recovering!
Well, she totally is. Yep, she’s daba doop-doop dead. Welp, bye! If you steal my patients again I’ll kill your entire family!
Miwa-chan’s… dead…? No, no, no… But she’s all I’ve been working toward, all this time… Curing her was my only… There’s no way…
That guy seemed extremely full of shit. I understand you’re upset, but we should probably try to actually, you know, check for ourselves before jumping to conclusions.
…… What have I been doing all this time…? What was even the point…? I can’t…
Okay, let’s rest for now, before you start seriously questioning if making a lifesaving medicine was worth it because one patient died before it was ready. Just relax.
……Yeah, you’re right…
Thanks for your help, my little guinea pig…
Even under these circumstances, I’m still going to shudder. Eeurgh.
It feels like my bond with Takemi is growing even deeper…
All right, we finally unlocked our 50% discount.
Music: Suspicion
How embarrassing for you to see me this way…
Oh, don’t worry, I’m still scared of you.
That’s good… You should head on home, though. We can continue another time.
I was promised an apple!
I feel like cooperating in that shady clinical trial has increased my Guts…
Maaku gains Guts +1.
Take care…
Daytime → Evening
Music: Beneath the Mask
It is hard for me to even fathom what it could be.
People have really been up in arms about the whole cleanse thing…
Uhhh, sorry! My bad, dude!
No matter how you look at it, we need a countermeasure.
Our best bet would be Alibaba…
But she may not be capable of it in her current state.
I guess we should think of some other ways too then.
Yes, it would be best to have as many solutions as possible.
Well we still got time, so let’s come up with something good, k?
They’re never going to come up with any alternative ideas here, but you already knew that.
Ah, what about the beach? I could buy a new swimsuit!
There’s nothing to do at the beach, and it’s going to be hot. We should just go to the movies.
It’d be a pain if he dropped by again… Well, I don’t have time to deal with him anyway.
I feel like my bond with Sojiro will grow stronger soon, but… It looks like there’s still a problem with the man who stopped by earlier…
Is the chief worried about something…? It looks like we’ll have to wait until he settles things.
Gonna buy three Mega Fertilizers because we’re out. In the process of doing so I nearly bought forty by accident, which would have depleted our entire savings.
(Show-Biz Veteran) Look, I get it, I really do. You’re a little nervous, sure, but you gotta do this to win people’s hearts. You know, I wanted to be a singer, too, so when you’re following your dreams, it reminds me of myself.
You did, Mr. Asakura? You were just like me? Well then, I guess I can trust you!
No! Fly, you fool!
(Stylish Part-Timer) Oh, the knees had holes in ‘em, so I cut ‘em up and turned ‘em into cleaning rags!
…That was a vintage pair of jeans. A very expensive pair of jeans. There are denim connoisseurs all over the world who’d empty their life savings for certain styles. I’ll have to take it out of your pay. In the meanwhile, you should work on developing an eye for fashion.
What!? B-But those jeans were full of holes!
Not that teachers get to relax much. Still got piles of paperwork…
What about you? How’d you find your wife?
(Sake Reporter) *chuckle* I met her at my favorite izakaya back in my college days. Guess it was love at first sight.
That sounds like something you’d do—meeting someone at an izakaya. You have a little one, too, right?
Yeah, I got a little boy. But my wife took ‘im when she left me. Got tired of me bein’ drunk all the damn time, she said… *hiccup*
Yikes…
(Reserved College Student) We’re not kids anymore, y’know… Shouldn’t you be prepping for corporate interviews or something? Also, how’d you do on the finals? Did you even study?
Haha… Exams, jobs—it’s all just information warfare, maaan! My skills’ll put Medjed to shame!
Reserved College Student is still apparently too busy to show up for his half of this conversation. I hope he’s all right.
(Elderly Office Worker) They have likely given up. No one has been able to discover their true identities. Which means we must rely on the Phantom Thieves. Though, I doubt they’ll be amenable.
Regardless, they’re garnering a lot of attention… So, shall we put an ad on the news station?
(Tired Office Worker) From what I remember, Medjed attacked whatever it didn’t like. That group caused a lot of damage.
But isn’t this the first time they targeted Japan for a full-scale attack?
That’s all because the Phantom Thieves appeared. I can’t stand getting dragged into this.
(Foreign Barker) Hell no! No one knows who Medjed is… Oh… Is blaming foreigners for things common in Japan?
Buddy, it’s common everywhere. 
Are you mocking my country? You better shut your mouth before you piss me off!
(Adorable Woman) They’re called Medjed, and they’re hackers. Anyway, they only target corporations.
Yer gonna get yourself in real hot water, bein’ so careless. If ya want, I can stand guard tonight.
Yeah, yeah…
This doesn’t involve you. …If I play my cards right, I can get the Phantom Thieves to take the blame for my work… Aw, what the hell!? Get outta here, go somewhere else!
Hmph… Some old bastard tried to muscle in on my territory, so I gently silenced him. If you don’t want the same to happen to you, you stay away from that trash bin. It’s a different story if you’ve got a request for me though… Heh heh.
All right, with all that eavesdropping out of the way, let’s go see a man about a bag.
Music: Layer Cake
So, what’re you here for?
S’that right?
…I had a customer who was interested in it. You helped me out by smugglin’ it outta here so that I didn’t get caught by those detectives.
Happy to help, man.
Little less happy about the implicit blackmail threat, though, I gotta say.
Huh…
Iwai looks around the store hesitantly, though it’s a little weird because no one else is here to eavesdrop on us.
…… …Wanna talk in the back?
Hanged Man Rank 1: Part 85
…Who the hell are you?
There’s really no non-concerning way to phrase this, so I’ll come right out with it: I really like guns.
Is that so? You don’t really seem like an expert to me… ‘Sides, it took you what, two, three months to work up the nerve to talk to me about that bag? I bet you were just about pissing yourself trying to work up the nerve.
My complete lack of mental fortitude has no bearing on how much I like guns!
…My point bein’, you don’t seem like the type to get into artillery in the first place. But I don’t sell any real goods, so you’d have to be some kind of interested to come here at all. And if you were working with the cops you woulda done something with that bag months ago, so I don’t see the harm in playin’ along.
…Wait a sec. *chuckle* Yeah, this could work.
You’re here because you want access to the secret menu, right? Well, I’ve got a… proposition for you.
I’m listening.
First things first though: you better have the cash for it. This shit gets expensive. I’m talking hundreds of thousands of yen per unit. Maybe even millions, dependin’ on my mood.
That’s just the vagaries of capitalism, baby, I’m used to that shit.
However… I ain’t a bad dude. I’ve been known to compromise… when there’s something in it for me, anyway. Here’s my deal: you help me out with my “business”, and I don’t break your legs.
…Wait, what?
Whoops, sorry kid, that just slipped out. Sometimes I need the stick for some more intense customers, but we’ll stick with the carrot for you. What I meant to say was, help me out here and I’ll give you access to the special menu—and with a discount, since I’m feelin’ so generous.
You seem really sketchy and I’m intuiting that this deal will involve me breaking the law in some fashion. So basically, there’s no downside! I’m in!
Glad to hear it. I’ve been in need of a pawn of my own… Gotta fight evil with evil.
Happy to be in business with you.
I’ll work on that special menu for you. Be grateful.
I’ve made a deal with Iwai… I should be able to ask him to customize guns for me now, in exchange for helping him out...
Music: Interrogation Room
Hey, this airsoft gun you had in your bag was sick as hell, where’d you get it?
It’s dope, right? But sorry, I can’t give up my supplier. Dude’s hardcore. He’d probably find a way to kill me in here if I gave him up, and I only need one assassination attempt on my plate tonight, thank you.
Damn… playing with facsimiles of actual firearms seemed like the perfect way to blow off some steam…
Don’t worry about it. Gimme a call later, I’ll hook you up.
I would do that… if there was any likelihood of you ever seeing the outside of a prison cell again.
Bogus!
Music: The Spirit
And now we can finally customize our guns. This is much, much more useful than it was in the original game, but we’ll see more of it in the next update so I won’t go into it too much here.
Music: Layer Cake
So what’s my first assignment?
I don’t have any business right now, so… chores!
This enterprise is much less exciting than I was led to believe.
When I text you from that ID, it’ll be ‘cause I need help around the shop.
If you want somethin’, you’re gonna have to work for it.
I’ll send a message when everything’s ready. Hope I can count on you, kid. Okay, that’s it for today. Head on home, part-timer.
Huh…? Who could that be at this hour?
Music: Break it Down (Elp Version)
The café is cool and quiet, and it’s relaxing with the “Sayuri” there. It’s a peaceful place. I’m thinking of relaxing and reading a book. Moreover, we can easily meet up should something occur. We can kill two birds with one stone. Don’t worry if you already have plans. I’ll be stopping by either way. If you’d like, we could spend some time together.
Yusuke’s coming tomorrow, huh? Might be nice to hang out with him. *yawn* I’m going to bed…