MAY 17TH (TUESDAY 5/17)(AFTERNOON)

After arguing with Kitagawa-kun more, we ended up leaving the shack, standing in front of it. Ann and I were obviously pissed off.

I am not letting this happen...

"He's totally out of his mind! We're gonna have to pose nude if this keeps up!", Ann sputtered.

"I am not posing nude for anything, let alone for it to be immortalized and shown to the world...!", I scoffed.

"How dare that Yusuke...!", Morgana growled.

"The way he said it, it's not gonna be semi, but full-on nude...", Ryuji grumbled. He looked like he was about to go back in the shack and punch the guy, and Akira... Akira looked calm, but the look in his eyes made it clear that he was absolutely livid.

I can feel his Persona going ballistic. He seems to be very protective of you.

He knows I can take care of myself, but he still cares. Cares a lot.

"F-Fu-- F-F-Full nudity...? Lady Ann's gonna...", Morgana stuttered.

"Drop it!", Ann shouted, absolutely done.

"You know, you won't have to worry about that if we make Madarame confess before the exhibit ends.", Ryuji suggested.

"But Kitagawa-kun thinks he owes his life to him. Is there a need to make Madarame confess?", Ann sighed.

"Then, Lady Ann... you're fine with baring it all?", Morgana asked.

"I am not! And neither is Rika, right?", Ann turned to me.

"Of course I don't want to.", I huffed while pulling at my hair.

"Madarame's no different from Kamoshida. That asshole's usin' Yusuke, who doesn't have parents. You're tellin' me we should just ignore how he's bein' treated horribly like the other pupils?", Ryuji asked.

"No... It is frustrating to leave this alone, even if Kitagawa-kun is fine with it himself...", Ann sighed.

"You can't leave it be because you've endured a lot yourself, with Kamoshida.", Morgana mumbled, to which Ann said a simple "Yeah".

"Well, I think we should still go after Madarame. He is a pretty good target and we'll be able to help Kitagawa-kun...", I muttered.

"Then let's help Yusuke come to his senses too... before he ends up like us.", Ryuji nodded. We all agreed to the plan.

"We need to look into Madarame first.", Morgana pointed out.

"There might be tons more stuff that hasn't been exposed yet, too.", Ryuji nodded.

"It may become easier for us to investigate his Palace if he's preoccupied with his exhibit.", Morgana muttered with a smile.

"Also, there's the thing about us modeling! Kitagawa-kun said there'd be "inconveniences" unless he submits a new piece. Maybe that's going to be announced soon as Madarame's next work....", Ann muttered, obviously very worried.

"Does that mean the whole country's gonna see you two nude!?", Ryuji gasped. Akira cleared his throat and spoke up.

"No. I won't let that happen."

"Akira...?", I turned to him, putting a hand on his shoulder. He put his hand atop of mine and squeezed tightly.

"We're doing this before the exhibit ends. If we play our cards right, he'll confess before the exhibit and drop everything, including letting Yusuke go and the nude painting."

"Let's start after school tomorrow. It'll be a pain if Miss President finds us on the rooftop again, so where to meet up... Let's see... I guess that walkway-like place in Shibuya would work. It's near Madarame's place, too.", Ryuji pointed out.

"... Changing our hideout periodically, huh? That's a plan I don't mind backing.", Morgana grinned. We then heard footsteps coming our way. We turned to find a young woman. She has brown eyes, black hair in a bob cut and red lips. She wore a pair of orange sunglasses on her hair, a black shirt with a motto which read "low life fight the power," a white long-sleeved shirt under the black shirt and blue jeans. She also carried a pink fanny pack, a camera hanging from her neck and a water bottle. Her shoes were black-and-white as well. She cleared her throat and began to talk to us.

"Hey, can I talk to you kids for a sec?", Ryuji looked her and made a small confused noise. The woman continued. "From the looks of things, you don't seem like the ordinary, stalking fans.""Stalking fans...?", I muttered.

"Oh, sorry. I should've been more clear. I'm actually looking for people that know Madarame's pupils. There's this painting, "Sayuri," that was supposedly stolen in the past. But there's this rumor that it was taken by one of his pupils in retaliation for being abused. Have you heard anything about that?", the woman asked. Akira looked a little surprised, then did what I like to call "Not think before he spoke".

"Rika knows.", he pointed at me as he turned to him with a "wtf man?" look.

"Good!", the woman came up to me and gave me a card. "I'm a journalist. If you ever want to give me some testimony or leads, mind contacting me here?"

"Now why wo--"

Wait...

What?

She could help me...

How so?

She could help me release anything I want to the press as the Phantom Spy, and that I was one of the spy's... errand girls. I just need to meet up with her and convince her that I have a connection to them.

How devilish of you, a true sign of the brotherhood influencing you.

"... Sure. I'll keep in touch.", I smirked. The woman grinned.

"See you then!", the woman left, leaving me with the others. I smacked Akira on the head lightly, eliciting a quiet "Ow..."

"Warn me next time.", I sighed.

"... I guess we should go home for today.", Ryuji shrugged. We all went back home.

MAY 17TH (TUESDAY 5/17)(EVENING)

I went to my room, checking my phone. It rang and Mishima was on the other side.

"Hey, it's me. Got a minute?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"I have some interesting news. Someone who recieved a change of heart contacted me on the Phan-Site. Said he wants to meet with you to discuss another person who needs a change of heart."

"Another change of heart, eh?", I sighed.

"You're better off talking to him in person if you want specifics. All I know is his target is a terrible person. And that it might complicate things if he posted the name online."

"I see. How will I contact him?", I asked.

"I'll have him wait for you at Shibuya Station after school. The guy's name is "Nakanohara." "

That's Madarame's student...

"I told him to approach you. Good luck.", Mishima ended the call, and I went to text the others to find them already talking.

--------------------------

Troublemaker Blondie💀: I found out something insane about Madarame.

Troublemaker Blondie💀: Sounds like a student of his offed himself when he couldn't speak up about Madarame stealing his work.

🤓The Ultimate Bro🤓: That's unforgivable.

Red Kitty🐱💃💋: That journalist was looking into Madarame too.

Red Kitty🐱💃💋: It could be real.

Troublemaker Blondie💀: Someone died though.

Troublemaker Blondie💀: No one's talking about it... I bet it was covered up.

Red Kitty🐱💃💋: I wonder if Kitagawa-kun has heard anything...

Red Kitty🐱💃💋: It'd be great if he could help us out.

Troublemaker Blondie💀: Ain't that asking a bit much?

Troublemaker Blondie💀: After today, he's prolly gonna be on edge about us.

Troublemaker Blondie💀: Well anyway, Madarame's still a piece of crap!

Troublemaker Blondie💀: Let's meet up tomorrow. It'll be our first time at the new hideout.

Red Kitty🐱💃💋: It's that passageway in Shibuya, right?

You: Yeah. Also, Mishima contacted me. We'll be meeting up with Nakanohara in Shibuya Station, after school. Don't be late.

Red Kitty🐱💃💋: Got it. See you guys tomorrow.

--------------------------

MAY 18TH (TUESDAY 5/18)(AFTER SCHOOL)

Akira, Morgana and I met up with Ryuji and Ann in the station, waiting for Nakanohara to arrive.

"Yo.", Ryuji waved.

"We're waiting for Nakanohara to come by.", Ann muttered. Just as she said that, Nakanohara made himself known.

"Excuse me..."

"Nakanohara-san, yes?", I asked.

"Y-Yes... My name is Nakanohara. Natsuhiko Nakanohara, the one who was posted about on the Phantom Aficionado Website."

"He seems pretty nice. Doesn't seem like the stalker type. I think the change of heart must have worked.", Ann whispered.

"The administrator of that website contacted me. They told me to look for siblings. One with gloves and the other with a cat...", Nakanohara mumbled.

"We heard you wanted someone changed.", I urged Nakanohara to continue. He cleared his throat to explain.

"You may have already heard, but there's someone I wish to trigger a change of heart in... An artist by the name of Madarame."

"Ooh, you think this is it? Is the pupil gonna confess his master's secrets?", Ryuji muttered.

"His Shadow did mention Madarame as well...", Ann whispered. I pulled out my recorder and turned to Nakanohara.

"I need to record this to make sure the change goes well, as well as evidence. I'll change your voice, so don't worry about your identity being revealed.", I explained.

"I-I don't mind... If it helps, I'll do it.", I pressed record on the recorder. "I'm... one of Madarame's former pupils. He gave me lodging at his home, where I thought only about art. I genuinely wanted to be an artist... There was another pupil as well. A very talented man, multiple years my senior. Obviously, Madarame kept tabs on him. Everything he made was claimed as a Madarame original. He wasn't the only victim though."

"All right, we got some real proof of the plagiarism.", Ryuji whispered.

"In response to Madarame's actions... that senior pupil committed suicide.", the others gasped, but I quickly shushed them and urged Nakanohara to continue. "He must have been unable to bear seeing his work praised under Madarame's name. That was when I disobeyed Madarame's pleas and left... But he quickly pressured other parts of the art world, and my life as a painter was destroyed. I tried to turn over a new leaf working at an...", Nakanohara looked up to me, as if signalling if he could talk about his personal life. I signalled him back to keep it as vague as possible. "... office. But it was no use. My attachment to art warped my emotions. Soon I began getting attached to everything... In the end, I even turned into a stalker... Ha... Haha...", I turned off the recorder and thanked him quietly.

"... I'd like to ask again. Please, make Madarame have a change of heart. Not only for me. It's.. to save the life of another man as well.", Nakanohara mumbled.

"What do you mean? Who are you talking about?", Akira asked.

"Even now, there is still one young man remaining under Madarame's tutelage. I think he's about your age.", Nakanohara explained.

"That has to be Yusuke.", Morgana chimed in.

So even Nakanohara knows Kitagawa-kun...

"Not only is he a talented artist, he also owes Madarame for taking him in after his mother passed... He is the perfect target.", Nakanohara sighed.

"So Yusuke's got no choice but to listen!", Ryuji growled.

"I actually spoke to him a few times back when I was still living at Madarame's. I asked him if he found it painful to stay with Madarame... and do you know what he said? "If I could leave, I would..." ", Nakanohara revealed.

"Kitagawa-kun...", Ann muttered, looking empathetic.

"I have no right to say this given my prior cowardice, but I don't want to see another suicide...! I'd like to find a way to save this young man. He has a bright future ahead of him... Please consider that when thinking about changing Madarame's heart.", Nakanohara left us with that plea, walking away slowly into the sea of visitors of the station.

"We've been asked to act directly on behalf of one of Madarame's victims. It sounds like we don't have the time to deliberate whether or not to change Madarame's heart.", Morgana stated, getting serious.

"Let's save Yusuke.", Akira said, all of us making sounds of agreement.

"Madarame's just a piece of shit who prays on the weak!", Ryuji growled.

"Suicide... I'll never let something like that happen! Plus, we finally got to hear how Kitagawa-kun really feels!", Ann said with a sigh of relief, now knowing what the artist was really going through.

"Well, since we've reached a unanimous decision, how about we continue this at our new hideout?", Morgana asked.

"Actually, I'm expecting to visit Takemi for stuff. I'll tell you all when we can go to the Palace.", Akira explained. We all agreed to come back another time.

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