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Assistant: Title: You'll (Never) See It Coming
        Author: Ultra_Sonic_007 Ultra_Sonic_007 
        Chapter: 4/35 
        Summary: The time of the Phantom Thieves had come and gone. However, Akira Kurusu had made it; he had raised a family, and was content to retire into his golden years.Then the world reverted to April of 2016.Once more, Akira was trapped in an unjust game...and there was no telling as to what changes there were.The worst part? Akira's experience as an adult makes dealing with life as a teenager rather unbearable...and that's not even getting into the stuff he's forgotten over many years...But Akira can make it; after all, losing isn't an option for the leader of the Phantom Thieves.[A story where Joker grew old beyond the time of P5 Vanilla...but now finds himself going through New Game+ in the world of P5 Royal.][Chapter 35 Update (4/22/2025): We experience a couple more days in the last week of August. Among other things...Ann leaves Shujin.]
            
            Akira finds himself brought back to where it all began.It's not as easy as he thought it would be.
        Contents: Chapter 4: Tokyo Nights
    

    

        
          
          
            As Akira tries to keep track of the new aspects of this life — Takuto Maruki and Jose especially — he still finds himself trying to be a good friend and a bro.Alas, the nature of his inner reality has caused a certain change that he was not prepared for.
          
        

      
        
          
          (See the end of the chapter for  notes.)
          
      
  

  
  
    
    Even so, despite the Doc's self-deprecation—good to know we shouldn't go to you for financial advice—Akira couldn't help but wonder if it was an act. After all, people are capable of putting up plenty of masks that are hard to see through...These thoughts circulated through his mind after the assembly dispersed. "You ever expect this place to actually give a sh@t about mental health?" asked Ryuji once the trio of Thieves were alone."...maybe they figured they'd look even worse if they didn't do anything for us," murmured Ann as she hugged herself. "Especially after it made national news..."...hold that thought. "Did you ever tell your parents about what happened?" The Last Time Around™, Shiho had ended up transferring schools. Sure, he had stopped Ann before she had actually completed her suicide attempt, but what right-minded parent would countenance letting their kid stay in a school that had failed them so badly? (He sure as hell hadn't that one time his boy's middle school had tried to cover up a bullying epidemic...that was a story in and of itself...)Ann shook her head fiercely. "No way. They're travelling, I don't want to interrupt them-!""For real?" wondered Ryuji."...is it something you don't want to admit to them? Do you think they would...hold it against you?" Akira kindly asked."No way," said Ann, defending her parents' honor. "But...it's not...something I want to bring up with them, you know...can we just drop it, please?"Both boys wisely backed off. It was a lucky coincidence that Takuto Maruki approached them. "Hello there. Sakamoto-kun and Takamaki-san, right? And that must make you Kurusu-kun."Red alert, he knows us!"How d'you know our names?" asked Ryuji.Dr. Maruki was, to his credit, upfront: the school had informed him of certain students who had had the closest proximity to Suguru Kamoshida, for one reason or another...the three of them included. And, based on the presentation, the school had essentially said 'you will counsel them or else.' As such, in spite of their denial to take counseling (Ryuji's "Nope" had been so flatly said that Akira had nearly laughed), Maruki still tried to sweeten the deal. "Ah! But, if you come to my office, you can have free snacks! All you can eat...would be nice, but there's still plenty to be had. So, how about it?"Does he think we're still in primary school? Even so, Akira decided to play along. "Tell me more of these snacks...""Don't fall for that!" chorused Ann and Ryuji.Maruki at least had the sense to be contrite. "I know that asking you to be open with a complete stranger like myself is a lot. Making this mandatory wouldn't do you any good, either. Might as well turn it into a worthwhile experience...ooh, I know! If you attend my counseling sessions, I'll teach you different ways to improve your mental acuity. Like, ways to hone your concentration before exams, or not getting nervous on dates." He paused. "There's also snacks..."Hmm. I could imagine the offer being enticing for a teenager. But what exactly could I get out of it? To be frank, trying to keep things straight between his 'old man-erisms' (no apologies for the wordplay) and the memories of his Last Life™...it was a hassle. There was also the risk of forgetting things...precious things...important things. I already nearly let Ann down by forgetting about the date of the suicide attempt...I should take it seriously. (And, given this new variable, he'd be able to keep an eye out for the potential Ruin.)Despite Ryuji and Ann's wariness, Akira ultimately agreed, and that was enough for them to relent as well. Dr. Maruki's happiness at their acceptance, for what it was worth, seemed genuine. "Thanks for taking my counseling into consideration. Now that we have a deal, I promise I'll do my best to help you.""...I appreciate it," admitted Akira.(Then, to his everlasting surprise, there was a familiar feeling resounding with his mind and soul.)(The Councillor Confidant...is new to you...)(Not just Moon being different; now he had a brand new Arcana altogether...!)Later that day, Kawakami-sensei let it be known that Dr. Maruki's posting was only thru November. And a time limit as well...I can manage.xxxxAfter school, the trio elected to meet on the rooftop to discuss Ann's impromptu meeting with the new therapist. To Akira's surprise, none other than Haru Okumura was up there, tending to the planters. "Oh! Hello again." The third-year glanced over Ann and Ryuji. "...the rooftop seems to be quite the popular place, nowadays.""We just wanted to talk about that new Doc without anyone getting nosey," said Ryuji, sounding suspicious.Akira placed a hand on his shoulders. "If we're going to be a hassle, we can go elsewhere.""...it's fine. I was nearly done anyway." The floofy-haired girl brushed the soil off of the knees of her tracksuit. "I...would recommend finding a new place to meet. After all, this place technically is off-limits to unauthorized students."Once the third-year left, Ryuji huffed. "Bet she'll snitch.""She didn't snitch on me when I had lunch up here back in April," said Akira, leaping to Haru's defense. Though, to be fair, we should get a move on with getting a different 'hideout'...I wonder if it's too early to try and push for Leblanc...?As they grabbed their seats, Morgana wormed his way out of Ann's bookbag and asked, "So, what's the verdict?""Was the guy as corny as he was with us?" asked Ryuji."...it wasn't as rough as I was expecting, to be honest." Ann crossed her legs, looking genuinely thoughtful. "He sounded like he gave a d@mn about what I went through...in a way that didn't feel like an act.""...interesting." Perhaps I'll arrange a visit sooner than I thought.Ryuji irritably scratched at his head. "Tch, who cares about thinking about the school's latest PR move? We should focus on picking a new target!" Pulling out his phone, Ryuji said, "I put in a bunch'a names of famous people, and some of 'em definitely got Palaces. Think we should try and figure out their keywords?""Let's not get too hasty," cautioned Akira, adapting his 'Joker' voice on impulse. "We shouldn't target anyone unless it's a unanimous vote. It'd be too easy to abuse our power otherwise." Plus, just because they have distorted desires doesn't necessarily mean they're evil. (A certain hikikomori came to mind...and man, the itch to try and find an excuse to meet her early was fierce.)"...a sound suggestion, Leader," remarked Morgana. "Plus, I'd be wary of trying to tackle too many Palaces; those are long and involved heists, and might take even more time and effort than Kamoshida's. What we should be focusing on are Shadows in Mementos: those would be easy for us to hit multiple ones at a time, if need be! The more we practice in Mementos, the better prepared we'll be for the big shots."Ann frowned. "And how do we figure out which ones?""I guess we can browse Phan-Watch and make a decision," said Ryuji, pulling up the website.After a few minutes of browsing through the various requests, a familiar name struck out. "How about this one? Natsuhiko Nakanohara." The former apprentice of Madarame...and our ticket to reuniting with Yusuke..."A City Hall teller who's stalking his ex, huh?" Ann huffed. "Sounds good to me.""Yeah, let's do it!" exclaimed Ryuji."...then we'll do it tomorrow," said Akira, much to their surprise. "I need to ensure we have a way to publicly accept the request without having it get traced back to us in real life.""...oh, yeah, good point," admitted Ryuji with a gulp."But I'll definitely think of something by tomorrow." In fact, I might as well take the chance to visit Akihabara to get the tool kit I need to fix that broken laptop...it'll be better to browse Phan-Watch with that old thing than with my phone.Thus did the Thieves part ways for the day.xxxx(Meanwhile, in Yongen-Jaya, the little gremlin with orange hair grinned at the audio coming through her headphones. "Natsuhiko Nakanohara, huh?" As she browsed public records, she quickly began compiling enough info to leave a wicked calling card of a post on Phan-Watch! "Time to see if you guys are all you're cracked up to be...")(Meanwhile, back at Shujin Academy, a certain student council president was meeting the Principal. "Now that Dr. Maruki is present to focus on the...collateral damage from Kamoshida-kun, I can turn my attention to the ones who caused such a drastic change in his personality. That's why I've called you here, Niijima-kun...")xxxxAkira couldn't remember visiting Akihabara the Last Time Around™ until...well, not until after Futaba had joined. Even in the future, it was still the 'famed mecca of electronics'. Still strange to see so many maid cafes, he mused; the future had given way to pursuits of a more virtual bent...but that sort of stuff was for future Akira to not care about. Right now, he had an electronics store to visit!(What fortune, that he still remembered which particular tool kit it was...there had been quite a few times he had worked on repairing old electronics alongside his son, who had pursued it as a hobby and turned it into something more...)(Don't think too much about your past. Focus on the now.)He managed to hit the Akiba Electronics store before it closed, thankfully...and, just for good measure, he stopped by the Shibuya Gigolo arcade to play a few games.One of them had been a round of 'Gun About' with one Shinya Oda.("...you've got an interesting look in your eye," the bratty school boy said, tightening his distinctive 'GET SMOKED' baseball cap. "I wanna see how tough you are.")Akira had lost, of course—no way was memory going to make up for his current lack of practice against a kid who lived and breathed video games—but he had managed to at least put in a good showing...or, at least, good enough to catch Shinya's interest.("Next time, I wanna see what other weird trick shots you have," said the foulmouthed boy.)("...only if you work on that potty mouth of yours," playfully chided Akira.)(Shinya pouted. "It's a bad habit of mine...")("Well, think of this way: does a veteran player who knows they're skilled have a need to swear? Or..." To emphasise his point, he jabbed the English lettering on the boy's blue jacket, which read 'NOOBS' in dark font. "...is that the flaw of a newbie?")(The boy gasped. "You calling me a noob?!" he protested.)("Well, you are wearing that jacket...")("That does it, I demand another match right now! I'll stomp your ass into the ground!")("Sorry kid, maybe next time...")("Then gimme your number so I know I won't miss you whenever you're around!")("My my, so pushy...")(And thus had the Tower Confidant been renewed...)It was only after returning to Yongen-Jaya and buying a broken laptop from the local recycle shop—I can't believe this only costs five hundred yen, what an absolute steal!—that Akira realized he had missed some texts in the Thieves' group chat.Ryuji: yo dude, you're quick!Ann: no kidding!Ann: it's a cool message!Ryuji: ain't your username kinda blatant though?Ann: Well, who would know? :)Ryuji: ehRyuji: guess u have a pointAnn: of course I do! ~.^...say what now?Once Akira got back into his attic bedroom, he went to Phan-Watch and pulled up the thread relating to Nakanohara's request. The first post underneath was a response from someone called Wild_Card_Joker. "Uh..."Morgana looked at the screen with confusion. "But...you only just got back."Akira quietly whispered the message, enunciating it to himself. "This is our announcement: Sir Natsuhiko Nakanohara, gripped by bitterness and jealousy! Love is not something you can stalk once it has been lost, for it will only become a symbol of hate for you. To prevent such a tragic fate from coming to pass, we shall take your twisted desires from you! Beware our arrival, for we strike tomorrow! Sincerely, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts." Akira didn't know what to make of it. "The hell...?""I mean, I can understand why Ryuji and Lady Ann thought you did it...but who would send such a calling card? And how would they know who our intended target was?"At that precise moment, Akira received a text message from an entirely different individual.ALIBABA: I trust you find this calling card to be satisfactory?ALIBABA: For Natsuhiko Nakanohara?Akira blinked. Wait...why is Futaba reaching out to me now? Did she do this?"Who's Alibaba?" wondered Morgana.Akira's fingers moved with a frenzied determination.Akira: That was you?Akira: Why?ALIBABA: Consider this a test of the Phantom Thieves. I wish to see your skills in action.ALIBABA: You have already agreed to strike at him already, so you shouldn't require any further push.Akira: But who are you?Akira: What do you get out of this?ALIBABA: My reasons are my own.ALIBABA: But this could be a very fruitful relationship for us.ALIBABA: I have ensured that the contents of the calling card were delivered to Nakanohara's phone and to his e-mail account.ALIBABA: If he is not already aware of the message, he will be soon.Akira: Did Nakanohara do something to you?(Akira knew that no such thing could have happened; however, he needed to see what Futaba was getting at...)ALIBABA: Whether or not I have a prior relationship with Nakanohara is none of your concern.ALIBABA: I wish to see the results of a change of heart for myself.Already, Akira knew where this was going. You want to see if we can duplicate what we did to Kamoshida. Because if we can...that means the Phantom Thieves can help you, 'Alibaba'. But why reach out to me so early? And how would she possibly know about the name 'Joker', or the term 'Wild Card'?Akira: Who are you?ALIBABA: I'll keep in touch. Don't let me down.Any attempts at following up led to an invalid error message. "...this seems bad. What should we do, Joker?" asked Morgana."...we're still going after Nakanohara anyway. This 'Alibaba' may just be a fan who wants to help the Phantom Thieves with their justice...""But they know your name from the Metaverse.""Yeah...we'll just have to be careful." I mean, for all I know Alibaba could be someone else entirely this time around...because Futaba shouldn't know my Metaverse name at all!(Getting into contact with her suddenly became a bigger priority.)(Now you just have to convince Sojiro...)xxxx(Meanwhile, the little orange-haired gremlin chuckled, feeling pleased with herself. "Now...time to wait and see..." she muttered, leaning back to stare at her many computer monitors.)(Hopefully, this recent burst of activity would keep the nightmares away for a little bit longer...)xxxx/Saturday: May 7, 2016/Haru Okumura had tended to the rooftop plants during lunch, which is why the Thieves had free reign once school let out. Needless to say, when Akira unveiled the truth about 'Alibaba' being behind Nakanohara's calling card, they were immediately on the alert. "Is someone trailin' us? I mean, we just chose him yesterday," grumbled Ryuji."...should we change who we go for?" wondered Ann."The calling card was already sent," said Morgana. "People will be on the lookout to see if this one is legit.""You sure? There are a bunch'a copycats that have been posting their own fake calling cards on Phan-Watch," Ryuji pointed out. "The only reason I paid any attention to Nakanohara's was the username.""...I'm not sure about this," murmured Ann."We'll know about Nakanohara's character once we encounter his Shadow in Mementos. That should make our decision easier, right?" Akira stuffed his hands into his pockets, projecting an image of stoic nonchalance. "We'll look into this 'Alibaba' after the fact..."Suddenly, Morgana's eyes shot to the rooftop door. "Someone's coming." The cat darted away, hiding himself behind the rooftop water tank.And here she comes, thought Akira as none other than Makoto Niijima — prim and proper with black tights, a dressy halter vest over a long-sleeved white-colored turtleneck shirt, and a headband that was so indistinguishable from her actual hair that he had thought it was a braid for the longest time (and boy, the amusement that revelation had caused...) — approached them. "Howdy," he calmly remarked."This place is off-limits, you know," she calmly said.Akira deftly pointed at the vegetable planters. "We're guarding these. Who knows what kind of nefarious birds would like to partake of such bounty?"Makoto blinked, thrown off-kilter by his rejoinder. So much so, that Ryuji took the chance to defend themselves. "We're just chattin', and we're not hurtin' nobody. We'll be gone soon enough.""...what do you want with us?" wondered Ann, sounding instantly suspicious.Makoto used that to reorient herself, identifying their proverbial 'roles' within the Shujin caste of telltales and rumormongers. Alas, when she brought up Kamoshida...oh, what a poor mistake that was.Ann leapt to her feet, glaring furiously at her. "So the student council decides to get involved only when the school's 'golden boy' confesses all of his wrongdoing, huh...?" With a huff, Ann stormed away.Makoto blinked, genuinely shocked by the blonde's vitriol. Ryuji stood up, walking on ahead. "We'll get out of your hair, Miss President.""...I'm just delivering a simple message," she whispered to herself."You can't exactly blame them," Akira decided to say, making sure Morgana had snuck back into his bookbag before picking it up. "I mean, when it comes to stuff that matters...like abusive teachers...is it any surprise people would think of the student council as useless?" (Why did that particular word ring a bell...?)Niijima frowned, her thin brows furrowing with indignation. "Useless...?"(You'll probably remember later.) "Then again, I am the 'infamous transfer student', as you so correctly put it...but I think that gives me an outsider's perspective on the way things go here. And to be completely honest...I think you're well aware of just how rotten it all is. And I bet you hate it." Akira made to move on; as he passed her, he added, "But that's just my opinion.""...the rooftop has been declared off-limits following the incident with Takamaki-san. If you and your friends are caught up here without permission...there will be consequences."Akira couldn't help but chuckle. "Everything has consequences, Miss President. The question is whether or not they're worth living with." And then he moved on, to let her stew on that.xxxxEven by the time the Phantom Thieves made it Mementos, Ann was still fuming. "The nerve of her!" Panther exclaimed, on the verge of breathing fire...metaphorically and literally. "That girl pretends to be a goody-two-shoes, but she doesn't actually care about the students at all!""Maybe we can change her heart," grumbled Skull. "I wonder if her name shows up on the Nav...""Let's focus guys," said Joker, intentionally moving them away from this line of thought. (Come to think of it, would Makoto's Shadow have been discoverable before she awoke to her Persona...?) "Mona, do you have a bead on where Nakanohara's Shadow is?"""...I sense him on this floor!" Mona promptly transformed into a bus. "Hop onboard!"xxThe strange void — a whirlpool? A wound? — that manifested in Mementos whenever a Shadow had been 'called out' was strangely mesmerizing, Joker couldn't help but muse. The nature of shared cognition...of how a particular mind can be affected by the minds of others, and pass it along. Truly, the Metaverse was a strange place: one that he could only appreciate in all its immensity thanks to his experience as an adult.Alas, it was so very hard not to sleep-walk through the entire encounter with Nakanohara's Shadow, because it just didn't rate in his memories relative to the Palace Rulers. (How fortunate that the Shadow's distorted passions — "My girlfriend is my property! I can do whatever I want with her!" he had snarled — made it so very easy for Panther and Skull to do most of the talking...or rather, yelling with a side of ranting.)The most important thing in Joker's mind was that Nakanohara's Shadow had mentioned Madarame's name; now he had a legitimate excuse to look into the vainglorious artist. If I had been more of an artsy fellow, I might have already known who Madarame was by reputation alone...darn it, Past Me™! Why couldn't you have had more hobbies?!(Well, you were trying to avoid getting sent to juvie, for one...)Joker was feeling antsy enough after Nakanohara's confession — Mementos, despite how stunningly haunting it could be, was also very very dreary — that he was glad that Mona wanted to drag them along to the second area of Mementos, the Path of Aiyatsbus. "Hey, it's all nice and blue.""...the Shadows in this area are definitely stronger than the ones above," cautioned Mona. "But I think this will be a good chance for us to practice our skills...""I agree," said Panther. "Stopping Nakanohara helped, but I still feel salty from what Niijima said earlier...""Which says a lot, given how many sweets you like to eat," cracked Skull."HEY!"Right at that moment, a toy car zoomed out of a nearby tunnel, soaring down the tracks. "Hi!" exclaimed Jose, driving right along....well well, it's Mister Mystery himself. "Let's follow him," said Joker.Picking up 'flowers' in Mementos was much the same as picking up random items and cognitive 'debris' (for lack of a better word): the Mona-bus swooped them up like a vacuum, depositing them inside.("Is this actual onyx?" marvelled Panther with wide eyes, her hands gripping onto a small lump of black.)("Forget that, why the eff are all these flowers piling up in here?!" demanded Skull, trying to shove the bundles of yellow kerrias and white Japanese camellias.)However, before long, they found a pathway in Mementos that led to what should have been a dead end; however, the wall faded into absolute black, lit up only by cartoony stars. "Oh wow..." mouthed Panther.Joker calmly parked the Mona-bus, reaching for a whole swathe of the flowers from the back seats. Once he had them in hand, he deposited them into his pocket."How does it not freak you out to do stuff like that?" wondered Skull."I just think of it as having a pocket dimension in my coat. It's real nifty. Think of it like Raedomon's Five-Dimensional Wallet™.""Ooh, I really liked that show, growing up!" exclaimed Panther.So did me and my kids, though Joker with a hidden grin as he advanced towards the mysterious Jose. "Hey, good job!" Before the little boy could say anything else, his eyes were immediately drawn towards Joker's pockets. "You've got a lot of flowers...but also something neat! Can I see it?"Joker — focusing on whatever it was that Jose considered 'neat' — let cognition work for him. However, he couldn't help but be surprised at the fact it was the tripled skulled monstrosity called the 'Crystal of L@st'. "This?""I recognize it from my studies!" WHAT studies?! "It has a lot of strong human desires inside...but it's not yet at its full potential. Can I see it?" Joker acquiesced, if only due to curiosity. After the boy tinkered with the skull (with toy tools, because of course), it had somehow become a tiny accessory: a shimmering red star, linked to a keychain loop. "Here you go! Please be sure to bring me any others like it that you find, okay? Learning about desires also teaches me more about humans!"As Jose pulled out a stamp book, and proceeded to explain the 'fun game' he had come up with—"If you find these stamps, that means I'll know that you're looking for flowers all over! And...!"—Joker couldn't help but ponder. Yaldabaoth said your 'star' was related to a meddler...what sort of meddler would a guy like you be involved with...?xxWhen Joker returned to the Mona-bus, Skull looked at him with genuine interest. "So...got anything good?""Got a stamina kit," idly said Joker, handing the boxed item to Skull."...for flowers," the faux blond repeated.Panther beamed. "Hey, I wish we could trade flowers for cool stuff in real life.""...so, what was that he was saying about stamps?" asked Mona, his engine rumbling accordingly."I guess we'll find out," remarked Joker as he pulled into reverse.(They would, of course, find out about the stamp podiums the moment they tried to go down another floor.)("How does a little kid have time to set this up?!" wondered Skull with blatant bewilderment.)(Good question, thought Joker as he nonetheless grabbed the lone stamp from the podium. More to the point, how did he do it at all?)xxxxFortunately, Akira had better things to occupy his time once they left Mementos. First of all: sell his stuff at Iwai's!(Oh, and hand over the model gun that he had smuggled out of Untouchable. That was important.)Once he made sure no one else was in the store, Akira 'Max Guts' Kurusu stepped up to the proverbial plate. "You must be hard up on help if you're relying on a customer to smuggle your stuff."Iwai, eyeing the paper bag critically, scoffed. "Would have been caught by those detectives otherwise. Not my fault you decided to help me out.""Which makes me an accomplice. Probably on security camera too, huh?" remarked Akira, making a show of glancing around. "If I snitch, I go down with you.""At least you're not an idiot." Then came the invitation to the backroom, where Iwai spoke more seriously. "Who the hell are you?" He pointed at the pile of trinkets Akira had just sold him. "For you to be getting a haul like this on a regular basis means you've got some kind of operation going on. So...spill."A family man. Your former confidant. A guy stuck in an unjust game not of my own making. "A transfer student. A delinquent, according to some. A guy with an interest in firearms. A guy interested in fighting evil, even if it means getting dirty. All that and more.""...at your age, that kind of talk should come off as you being a tryhard. But your eyes...you've clearly seen some sh@t." The older man leaned forward. "Heh. You're a strange one, kid...""...so, is this the part where you sell me your illegal stuff under the table?" Akira arched an eyebrow. "Or are you interested in...barter?"Iwai chuckled. "Ballsy as hell. I may look shady, but I'm reasonable. Let me put it this way...help me with my 'business' — smuggling goods, destroying evidence — and I'll open up my special menu to you. With good prices, for a punk like you.""...and why get me involved? What's your goal?""You don't need to know. Not now, at least. After all, if I'm gonna fight evil with evil, I'll need a p@wn of my own...it's like you said: sometimes, you have to get dirty. Get what I mean? So...do we have a deal?"Ah, I forgot how unapologetically gruff you were. "...and I assume that whenever I'm not doing your dirty work, I'll be helping you by keeping things in order? Cleaning merchandise, running errands...after all, my presence here would be more easily explained if I were a part-timer. Get my drift?"Iwai snorted. "You're a dangerous son of a b@tch. You catch on quickly."(And so they shook hands, and the Hanged Man Confidant was once more unsealed...)xxxx/Sunday: May 8, 2016/Akira woke up to multiple texts from Ryuji and Ann detailing how someone had posted on the Phan-Watch Nakanohara thread last night: ostensibly from Nakanohara's former girlfriend, she had described how he had called and apologized to her. A successful change of heart. At least that hadn't changed.What had, though...ALIBABA: It seems you completed your task successfully.ALIBABA: How intriguing.Akira: Did we pass your 'test'?ALIBABA: Not yet.ALIBABA: A sample size of 'two' isn't worth much.ALIBABA: You don't get a game out of Beta or even Alpha without extensive testing.At least she's still enough of herself to use Gamer™ metaphors, mused Akira.Akira: Mind telling me who you are?Akira: My team is concerned about an unknown individual sending a calling card on our behalf.Akira: Especially without prompting.ALIBABA: Fair enough.ALIBABA: Consider me a potential fan.Akira: I don't think a 'fan' would resort to blackmail.ALIBABA: Blackmail?Akira: Isn't it obvious?Akira: You somehow managed to get my number.Akira: You somehow knew we had targeted Nakanohara.Akira: You know enough about things you *should not know*.Akira: So how do I know that you're not trying to entrap us?Akira: Trust is a two-way street, after all.How will you respond, Futaba?xxxx(Within her room, the orange-haired gremlin known to the world as Futaba Sakura grumbled under her breath. "Darn it, he has a point..." Idly spooning lukewarm curry into her mouth — left outside of her room by a concerned Sojiro that morning — she pondered her response.)xxxxALIBABA: What would suffice for you?Akira: How about your actual name?ALIBABA: That is not possible.Akira: Why?ALIBABA: I have my reasons.Akira: Then I assume you have a target in mind?Akira: I can't imagine why you would want to reach out to the Phantom Thieves without one.ALIBABA: ThatALIBABA: is close to the truth.ALIBABA: The person whose heart I want changed is truly villainous: the lowest of the low.Akira knew 'Alibaba' was referring to herself, and only felt a twinge of agony at her self-deprecation. Futaba...Akira: We'll need a name.ALIBABA: Pardon?Akira: Among other things, we need a name in order to change someone's heart.Akira: Why else do you think we send out a calling card?xxxx("...b@lls," cursed Futaba. Now what was she going to do?!)xxxxALIBABA: I see.ALIBABA: That complicates matters.Akira: Well, it doesn't have to be right this moment.Akira: But we'll need to know a name at some point.Akira: Can you at least give me an idea of who it is?ALIBABA: I will need to think about it. There are legitimate privacy concerns to consider.Akira: Why care so much about the privacy of "the lowest of the low"?Akira: Or is that you're concerned on behalf of someone connected to this "villain" of yours?ALIBABA: I will leave that to your imagination.When Futaba didn't respond further, Akira decided to let her be.Morgana, watching the whole exchange with a stoic expression, said, "I have a bad feeling about this...""We'll just have to keep on our toes."xxWhen Akira walked downstairs, he idly asked, "Say, Boss.""What's up?" replied Sojiro."Am I ever gonna get a chance to have dinner at your place?"Sojiro looked at him with a frown. "Why do you ask?""Well, it feels kind of weird to never set foot into my custodian's house...and to be honest, a change of scenery from the cafe would be nice..."Sojiro rolled his eyes. "Don't ask dumb questions. Go hang out with your friends and stay out of trouble.""If you insist, Boss," he remarked. A little seed...that's all it is...xxxx(Within her room, Futaba paced back and forth. "Think think think...urgh, you stupid idiot, you know you want to do it, so what's stopping you...?")(She would eventually exhaust herself, collapsing onto her bed to nap for over twelve hours.)xxxxAkira had decided to pull rank on everyone that day, 'requesting' that they gather at the diner off of Shibuya's Central Street for a study session. (After all, Phantom Thieves needed to blend in, and poor test performances on the upcoming midterms would only draw unwanted eyes...)Ryuji and Ann had eventually acquiesced. (The promise of him covering their bills with yesterday's Metaverse haul only made their decision easier.)He also went out of the way to invite a fourth person...albeit without telling them.xxxxAnn glared daggers at Akira."What?" he nonchalantly responded, sitting beside Shiho Suzui. The volleyball player sat across from Ann, whilst Ryuji sat next to Ann and across from Akira on the aisle side of the booths. "She's taking the midterms too, you know.""Dude, I don't think that's why she's glarin'..." muttered Ryuji.(Morgana, sensing the tension, had opted to explore outside instead of deal with whatever this whole situation was.)"...if I'm going to be a bother, I can go elsewhere," murmured Shiho.Ann, eyes impulsively widening at her sorrowful tone, replied, "N-No! You're not a bother! You've never been a bother!""See? We're all friends here. So let's study...to the max." Ah, I forgot how stubborn kids could be. Sometimes, they just needed a proverbial kick in the pants to get over themselves and confront whatever issues they had with their friends. And good thing I don't mind serving as the villain...Ann huffed, realizing she wasn't going to get anything further out of him. Shiho looked over at Ryuji, who simply shrugged helplessly.All told, once they were into the groove of studying — complete with Ryuji's ever growing list of complaints, which were an easy way to break the ice — the general air of awkwardness slowly faded.(Plus, Akira wasn't too proud to admit to himself that this stuff was a good refresher for him, because there were a lot of things he had forgotten...or, rather, there were certain things that he had come to consider to be outdated.)Oh wow, so this is back when the textbooks still taught that about the period, mused Akira, highlighting a historical time of relative importance. Gotta remember what subjects have 'approved' answers versus 'true' answers...("...do you still need help on your math class?" asked Shiho besides him, her eyes looking across the table )("...I do, honestly," admitted a sheepish Ann.)"...psst, hey, do you have an idea about this answer?" asked Ryuji, gesturing to a section of his biology textbook."Just imagine Hiruta-sensei's voice in your head giving a lecture about it," remarked Akira."Gah, do I hafta...?""It might help better than just beating your head against it."Ryuji pouted, yet nonetheless tried following his advice.(Turning Ryuji into a genius was probably beyond his capabilities...but making him someone who could at least take his work more seriously?)(You might be able to hack that.)xxxxAfter a number of hours at the diner (during which they managed to have both lunch and plenty of tiny snack foods, if only to appease the staff), Shiho had to leave, at which point the others figured they would call it a day.Akira and Ryuji gave Ann and Shiho some space to say their goodbyes; there was definitely some lingering tension there, but forced proximity had helped ease everything up.Shiho had then said goodbye to Ryuji (much to the latter's surprise; had he forgotten that he had gone to middle school with her as well as Ann?)...and then she had turned her attention to Akira. "...I know you were trying to help."Is that a twitch I see in her eyebrow? "I try.""...but I would have appreciated knowing that Ann was going to be here.""Would you have come here if you had known?" he asked with an arched eyebrow. "But yeah, a jerk move from me. So if you want to give me some comeuppance...well, what comes to mind?"Shiho frowned. "What do you mean...?""If you were going to give me my just deserts, what would you do? Whatever it is...go ahead and do it. I probably deserved it anyhow."On impulse, Shiho stepped on his foot with a surprising amount of force.Right, volleyball player, tough legs. "...that's fair."Shiho immediately backed away, eyes wide with shock and hands flying to her mouth. "Oh my gosh I'm so sorry-!""No no, I quite literally asked for it." He made a show of shaking his foot. "I'll just have to...walk it off.""...you're an odd one, Kurusu-san." Shiho bowed, giving more polite farewells before scurrying away.Once she was gone, Akira exhaled an explosive sigh. "Ow.""I mean, you kinda deserved it," joked Ryuji.Thwack, went Ann's palm lightly against the back of his head. "You absolutely did! I was totally mortified when Shiho walked into the diner! I wasn't emotionally ready!""Hey, it worked out, didn't it?" retorted Akira with a grimace. Man, it's way too easy to forget how dramatic teenagers could be about the small stuff...Morgana, sauntering up from a nearby alleyway, huffed haughtily at him. "Looks like you need remedial lessons in being a gentleman!"Akira rolled his eyes; he didn't need that from a cat!(At least Yoshida would have a speech that night...)xxxxDay: May 8th, 2016Felt like I had a close encounter with a curious stranger from the Arabian Nights. Who knows what will come with it.Studied at a diner with some friends. My good deeds were rewarded by a stubbed toe and a smack on the head.I consoled myself by listening to a politician's rousing speech. Anyone reading this will probably think I'm not right in the head.And they'd be right!xxxx/Monday: May 9, 2016/That afternoon, Akira decided to bite the bullet and visit Takuto Maruki at the nurse's office in the athletic building.To his surprise, the redheaded first year from before (Yoshizawa, if he recalled right...) was exiting the new counselor's office. After politely noting that she had been seeing him since before entering Shujin (a perky and polite girl needing the services of a therapist? How curious...), she excused herself to go practice in the school's gymnasium. As he entered — noting some of the comfy furniture that had been moved in to facilitate Maruki's discussions — Akira remarked, "So...how exactly shall we start?""Well, I've been given the 'official' version of your situation from the school...but I'd like to hear it from your own mouth, Kurusu-kun. If that's okay with you. If you'd rather not, I understand."That's easy enough. He recalled the basics: helping a woman from being assaulted by some unknown figure of great import, his unjust sentencing, ("I mean, whoever that baldy was, he was able to keep his name from being listed in the media or in the court records. The guy accused me, and I don't think he ever showed his face at the judicial proceedings." It still stoked some irritation, even now, if only because of how petty Shido's handling of it had been), his eviction from his old high school, and his one-year probationary sentence here in Tokyo."I see...that does provide more context. The way you were described in the faculty's profile didn't mesh with how I perceived you, to be sure..." Leaning back with a thoughtful expression, he asked, "You seem to have come to terms with it, at least? That's not the only thing you're struggling with?"Well, he's certainly observant. "I'm managing.""From what I can see, you've largely been able to reconcile your internal world with your external one. Impressive, really: even most adults can't pull that off.""...pardon?"Maruki began explaining, an excited gleam entering his eye. "You know how everyone has an internal reality? Some conception of themselves they're striving for? That idealized reality and the one in actuality are often far apart: that gap is responsible for a lot of people's pain. Not everyone can ace their exams, and not everyone can be the heroes they wish they could be..."(His internal conception of himself was of an old man who was satisfied with his lot, forced to partake of a trial not of his own making; his external reality was of a young man looked upon as a no-good delinquent by society, and as an able leader or friend by his confidants. Both were Akira Kurusu.) "I see what you mean."Maruki nodded. "I'm glad you're understanding: standing up to it, and confronting a tough, painful reality like you have? I think that's incredibly admirable...although, that probably sounds odd coming from a guy you just met, huh?"Akira couldn't help but smirk. "Well, you're currently in the role of a teacher, right? A teacher is meant to offer support for us students: to provide praise if it's truly warranted, to criticize if it's necessary, and to be a guide...like adults are supposed to be for the next generation.""...very perceptive. And very true!" agreed Maruki. "Not even any deflecting self-deprecation on your part; you really are strong, Kurusu-kun."Akira shrugged. "It's one thing to acknowledge praise as nothing more than what it is; but trying to flatter everyone with false humility is just another way of watering one's ego. But that's just me.""You sound very wise for your age, if I do say so myself.""...I guess so." Dang it, I need to be careful."You're used to hiding yourself from the school at large, I take it? Given your circumstances, I can probably see why..."Akira huffed, making a show of tapping his foot with faux irritation. "It's easier to keep my head down when it comes to the small stuff. It's only if it's something really important that I'll stick my neck out.""...I do understand. Truly." Maruki glanced at the clock, jolting with apparent surprise at the time. After apologizing for taking longer than expected, he trailed off. "...I've actually got one last request. Do you mind?" Akira shook his head. "I'm actually doing certain research along with my duties as a counselor. It's not like counseling: more akin to a type of psychological treatment..."Am I about to become a Guinea Pig™ twice over?? "No drugs, please.""Oh, no no no! It's nothing like that," assured Maruki. "It's a project to learn more about people's metaphorical hearts: what they think, how they feel. I think it'll be able to help out a lot of people if I can see it to fruition.""And I would be helping you with this...how?""All you'd have to do is listen to my theories, and then tell me if they spark any ideas or realizations on your end. I would give you full credit as a research assistant in my paper...if I ever get it published...ah, and besides the snacks, I'll give you tips on mental training.""The 'mental acuity' improvement you mentioned before." He seems awfully intent on speaking to me. "Have you extended this offer to any other students?" Maruki shook his head. How odd. "So why just me?"Maruki smiled. "Well, a lot of the students I've spoken with? Although their problems vary in size and scope...they are the problems of young people. But you? You've endured a situation that very few people ever face...and yet you comport yourself with a poise that's well beyond your years. Is...that enough of an answer for you?"...I'll have to stay on my toes with this guy. "I guess it does. Fine then: I'll help you to the best of my ability." If nothing else, Maruki's happiness at his acceptance seemed genuine.After exchanging contact information, Maruki proceeded to keep his end of the bargain. (And in all honesty, his advice regarding mental compartmentalization was really useful...and practical!)(Plus, he gave you a free pack of gum. Snacks!)xxxx(Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Akira, a certain volleyball player—unsure of the road ahead, for the volleyball team's existence was still in flux after Kamoshida's departure—entered the gymnasium.)(Shiho Suzui had wanted to find a quiet place to think about what she wanted.)(To her surprise, a redheaded first-year was practicing a gymnastics routine in her Shujin tracksuit.)(However, before Shiho could make to leave, the girl noticed her presence. "Ah! Hello, senpai! Is there something I can help you with?")("No, not really, but thank you.")("If you wanted to practice volleyball, I can move to the other side of the gym?")("That's okay. I'm...not sure why I came here, to be honest.")("What do you mean?")(And so the second-year and the first-year struck up a quite unlikely conversation.)xxxx/Tuesday: May 10, 2016/Akira opted to drag Ryuji and Ann to Shibuya following school: not for studying or anything of that sort.But just...to shop at the underground mall; to visit the arcade; to pig out at Big Bang Burger."We've crammed and studied as much as we've had time to," remarked Akira, waiting for his order to come out. "Cramming more will just make us do worse: so this day has been all about relaxing and having fun. If we go into the tests with a calm attitude, we'll do better."Ryuji, snarfing down some fries, said, "I am all about that.""Ugh, chew with your mouth closed!" complained Morgana from under the table.Ann, sipping from a chocolate shake, asked, "So...after midterms, are we gonna look into a new thing?""What new thing?" asked Ryuji, gulping down soda to clear his mouth. "...oh, right!" he blurted out of realization. "I've been looking at the website; the number of requests since Nakanohara have been crazy.""Let's not look too far ahead of ourselves: midterms first, then we'll keep doing the thing." Akira looked up as a waitress approached their table. "And here we go..."Ann's eyes went wide, while Ryuji mouthed, "What the eff?!""The Cosmo Burger: as voluminous as a soaring comet burning in the sky," said the lady in yellow and orange, gesturing at the single-patty burger which was nonetheless wider than Akira's head. "It will not be overcome easily, but a prize will await if you conquer this challenge within the time limit.""You're actually taking the Big Bang Challenge?!" exclaimed Ryuji."You'll be too stuffed to think about tests tomorrow!" cried Ann.Akira — feeling peckish in a way that he hadn't felt in years, because gods he had missed having a teenager's bottomless stomach as he had gotten older! — simply rolled his neck."Are you ready, sir?" asked the waitress.Akira dramatically adjusted his glasses, putting on a show for his friends (and the suddenly interested patrons at the other tables). "I was born ready." The timer stated, and Akira went to town.xx(Little did Akira know, but a certain girl with floofy hair came out of the back office, making her way to the door.)(How strange, that simply stopping by to check on employee attitude surveys — something she had taken to doing in order to try and help her father understand what his actions were causing — would bring her to see such a bizarre sight.)(At a distant table, the infamous transfer student was chewing his way through a Cosmo Burger; his blonde friend was cheering him on, whilst the blond boy was trying to take pictures of the grisly action.)(Such was his focus, that the transfer student didn't even glance in her direction. It was quite impressive!)("So carefree," she mused to herself, smiling sadly before leaving the restaurant.)xxIt went without saying that Akira triumphed. "...with seven minutes to spare." Then he fell over onto the table. "Urgh." I may have overestimated myself..."Hey, at least you got the Second Mate's Badge!" exclaimed Ryuji, dangling the burger-and-star-shaped keychain in his face."...do you need help getting to the subway?" asked Ann."...please," he moaned.Morgana sighed from within Akira's bookbag. "I guess overcoming limits is just another part of being human..."xxxxThus came the midterms: lasting from Wednesday, May 11 through Saturday, May 14.xxxxDay: May 11th, 2016First day of midterms is done with. Went to have a session with Tae Takemi after school.She seemed curious as to why I was undergoing a clinical trial while I had midterms to worry about. I told her not to worry about it.Come to think of it, I seem to remember being really zoned out of it when taking exams the Last Time Around™...oh well.They're just tests. I'll do fine. No sense in panicking to the point I stop living life.I finally started working on the broken laptop, but then my cat told me to go to bed.xxxxDay: May 12th, 2016Second day of midterms is done.Helped out with Sojiro in the cafe. Solved some crosswords to pass the time.I asked if he enjoys life as a bachelor, since he always seems to be talking to a lady friend on the phone.He told me to bug off and stop trying to pry into his personal life.(Alas, I am a mere teenager, and I can tell that Boss has got game! I want life advice about the ladies!)(I'm sure that line of thought would seem reasonable if he asked me why I'm so nosey...maybe?)Broken laptop repair ongoing. Alas, I seem incapable of ignoring my cat when he tells me to go to bed...curse my easily swayed, cat-loving heart!xxxxDay: May 13th, 2016Third day of midterms is done.Helped out with Iwai at Untouchable. Went to a diner with him where he met an old friend; shame Iwai had to "bail" in the middle of it.I am intentionally adding quote marks for my own amusement! Let anyone reading this try to figure out what I mean!(As a certain gremlin would say: mwe-he-he-heh~)Also, broken laptop: repaired! I would have gotten it updated, but then I had to go to bed. And I did it because I wanted to, not because my cat made me!P.S. My cat totally made me.xxxx/Saturday: May 14, 2016/The fourth and final day of midterms came, and the trio of Phantom Thieves arrived at the same time to their morning connection in the subway."You still making an effort?" asked Akira, looking intently at Ryuji. When the blond's face sagged, Akira sighed. "Ryuji...""Look man, I'm trying, but it's hard to focus when we've got bigger things to worry about, you know?!" he protested."I see those bags under your eyes. Did you play games all night?""...no?" A pause. "...yeah..."Akira huffed, watching Ann sleepily yawn out of the corner of his eyes. "Maybe instead of gaming, you should just go on a run and exhaust yourself before going to bed.""How would that help? I'd be tired either way!""At least then you'd be forced to get some sleep," chided Akira. "Maybe I should let you borrow Morgana; he'd make sure you go to bed on time...""Hell no!" chorused both blond and cat.At that point, Ann suddenly looked around with alarm, as one being watched. When Ryuji immediately asked if she sensed someone nefarious, Ann tried to downplay his concerns....oh. Oh yeah! This is when we meet Yusuke! Akira kept his face into a stoic frown, moving along with Ryuji and Ann as they took the ascending escalator. Sure enough, Akira caught a glimpse of blue hair and the pristine white shirt of a student from Kosei High School. There he is. However, now the he was starting to remember certain other details, their eventual plan to try and infiltrate the shack of Yusuke's master...might require some revisions. After what Kamoshida did, I'm not comfortable having Ann pretend to be a nude model for Yusuke, even if we know she's not going to go through with it.Some things, alas, hit very differently after having children of his own.Still, he and Ryuji moved into position, watching from afar as Ann waited in an open space outside of the station; sure enough, Yusuke Kitagawa — lanky and underfed; laser-focused on what interested him despite having his head in the clouds; eyes brimming with Artistic Passion™ — approached her, hand outstretched to get her attention.Ryuji and Akira both stepped in front of Ann in a protective manner, briefly shocking him into confused silence. "...you sure this is the guy?" asked Ryuji."Of course I'm sure!" exclaimed Ann."Is...there something you want?" asked Yusuke, as though unprepared for Ann wanting anything to do with him."That's my line!" yelled Ann, pointing at his face. "You were the one stalking me!"Yusuke blinked. "Stalking you? That's outrageous. I was trying to get your attention because you stood out amongst the crowd..."And, here comes the spiel about wanting her to be his model, thought Akira, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. Off in the corner of his vision, he saw the black car of Ichiryusai Madarame — here to pick up his wayward student — pull close to the curb. And there's our next target..."...solely because I needed to speak with your compatriot," said Yusuke, turning directly towards Akira."...him?" echoed Ryuji and Ann.Akira blinked, brought out of his internal musing about the future. Wait, what? "Me?" he dumbly said, pointing at himself."Indeed! Not to disregard the beauty of your female companion, but you...are simply striking." Yusuke looked away, as if praying in gratitude for his good fortune. "I was so consumed by the sheer complexity of your presence, that I just had to catch up with you..." Caring not one whit about propriety or personal space, he placed his hands upon Akira's shoulders, as if to keep himself from collapsing. "I beg of you, my fair gentleman: please be the model for my next art piece!"...okay...why in the world, of all things, did THIS change?!?(Somewhere, Yaldabaoth was probably laughing at him...)xxxx
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          Akira is secretly a grown-up family man walking around in the body of a teenager; he probably should have suspected that the sheer weight of his existence would have made him a more compelling target of Yusuke's Artful Eyes...But yeah, I'm really enjoying this, if only because of the unexpected twists and turns. (I mean, a Suzui and Yoshizawa friendship? I can't recall that ever being a thing, but I imagine they'd bond quite readily.) The fact Akira and Futaba are interacting earlier is just one example./also//Raedomon and the Five-Dimensional Wallet///are a lawyer-friendly expy of Doraemon and his Fourth-Dimensional Pocket'
User: Summarize the chapter based on the content provided, ensuring to follow the set format and emphasize key aspects within the specified length.
User: Summarize the chapter based on the content provided, ensuring to follow the set format and emphasize key aspects within the specified length.
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