83 The Artist and...

As evening approached, Ren decided to close the cafe early, ensuring privacy for his time with Akechi at Leblanc.

Akechi, seated comfortably in one of the booths, swiftly unpacked a chess board from his briefcase, setting it up for a game. It was resting next to a stack of papers that he casually pushed aside. As Ren approached with two cups of coffee, he couldn't help but catch a glimpse of the contents scribbled across the papers:

[ —Ishida Mamoru: President of Tokyo Hospital… missing organs… patients… missing son… Cold Storage…]

[ —Masahito Izumi: Minister of Education… under scrutiny after the Kamoshida incident… Reported for many different oversights… Classroom…

[ —Takeshita Kameko: A news reporter… taken bribes… reported for harassment…. Stage…]

Ren's eyes flicked away as Akechi hastily rearranged the papers, a practiced smile playing on his lips.

"Whoops, sorry about that. Those are case files. I'm not supposed to show them to anyone. Didn't expect you to be so quick with the coffee," Akechi remarked, his tone light but slightly hurried as he slid the files back into his briefcase.

Ren nodded, committing the snippets of information to memory before taking his seat opposite Akechi.

"Don't worry, I didn't see anything," Ren responded, matching Akechi's smile as he sat down and focused on the chessboard set between them.

— — —

Ren woke with a yawn, stretching and ruffling his hair before his gaze landed on the alarm clock tossed carelessly on the floor. A muttered curse escaped him when he realized he had overslept.

The night before, after Akechi had left, Ren had quickly looked up the names he had glimpsed in the files. They were all prominent figures, each possessing a Palace, and from the brief information he had seen, he had managed to deduce the keywords.

This was valuable intelligence: high-profile individuals whose heart changes would certainly stir public attention. But this led Ren to question Akechi's motives. Why would he reveal these names to him?

For now, he had four theories.

One: Akechi was secretly assisting the Phantom Thieves by providing potential targets.

Two: It was a test to see if Ren would pursue the suggested figures.

Three: Akechi was using the Thieves to deal with targets who he didn't have time to / couldn't be bothered to deal with.

Four: He was attempting to divert the Thieves from their current path, especially since they had directly taken down two members of the Antisocial Force.

It all hinged on whether Akechi was the black mask, but the circumstances were highly suspicious. Ren decided to note down the names and their associated distortions but resolved not to act hastily. He planned to discuss this further with Makoto, Futaba, and the other Thieves.

As Ren sprang out of bed, his movements startled a small, ethereal blue butterfly, causing it to flutter out the open window.

"I tried to wake you up," Mona called out from the couch, his tail swishing in amusement. "I always tell you to go to bed early."

"Yeah, yeah. I blame Akechi. That guy can't stand losing," Ren grumbled as he hurriedly got dressed in his uniform. "It's just a game of chess, it's not that deep."

"I seem to recall you calling for a rematch after Akechi beat you too. Sounds like you're both sore losers." Mona teased, a chuckle escaping him.

"I still won in the end, though." Ren retorted with a laugh, brushing off Mona's mischievous tone.

After leaving Mona lounging on the couch, Ren dashed downstairs where he found Sojiro preparing breakfast for Futaba, who was squatting on one of the kitchen chairs.

"Hey, look who's up. Ready to be painted like one of Kitagawa's French girls?" Futaba teased, her laughter echoing in the cafe.

"Is that jealousy I hear? Don't worry, I can paint you too…" Ren started to joke back, but he cut himself off as he caught Sojiro's stern look from the kitchen. "In a completely platonic and artistic way, of course."

Sojiro shot Ren a skeptical glance before turning his attention back to the stove, his focus returning to the food, which only spurred Futaba's laughter.

"Oh oh, Ren is in trouble." Futaba teased, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

Yet before she could continue to mess with Ren, a customer opened the door, startling her and causing her to scramble into Ren's room for protection.

— — —

School was usually a drag, but today, Ren noticed that Kawakami seemed particularly exhausted as she stood at the front of the classroom.

'Looks like she's back to her maid job,' Ren mused, observing her stifle yet another yawn during the lesson.

Since he had last helped her, Kawakami had appeared rejuvenated, bringing a new vigor to her teaching. But now, the weariness had returned, casting shadows under her eyes and dulling her recent enthusiasm.

'I guess she did ask me to call her again…' Ren thought as he remembered what Kawakami had told him before she left. 

Since she had been pretty shaken after he had given her the money, Ren hadn't taken her words seriously. People usually say things they regret whenever they aren't emotionally stable, so he could only assume that was the case since Kawakami had avoided bringing up the topic again.

Though, along with her avoiding their last meeting, Ren had also noticed something else.

Kawakami had become noticeably more lenient with him since their last personal interaction. She overlooked his occasional daydreaming during her classes and even created opportunities for him to engage in activities beyond the standard curriculum. 

As the final bell rang, Ren gathered his things and met Shiho outside. They planned to visit Yusuke, who, according to Morgana's intel, lived in a rather dilapidated shack with his mentor, the renowned artist Madarame.

As Ren let out a small yawn, Shiho giggled and playfully grabbed his arm.

"Looks like someone could use a nap." Shiho teased, her laughter light and airy as they walked making Ren smile.

"I don't know, my dreams have been a bit too crowded lately," Ren joked back. "Sometimes, a man with a long nose hijacks them and tells me about how messed up humans are."

Shiho laughed at his comment before her expression turned thoughtful.

"You know, my dreams have been pretty vivid lately, but they are all usually pretty weird." Shiho shared, her voice full of intrigue. "Last night, I dreamt we were at a fancy ball with a grand orchestra, but it turned out we were inside a Palace. Suddenly, a huge shadow demanded everyone dance, and the only way to defeat it was by fighting with the same rhythm as the music."

The two of them began to talk about their dreams, and though Ren never really remembered many of them, Shiho had a long list of weird dreams she had been having.

As they meandered towards Yusuke's house, their conversation shifted to the stark difference in the neighborhood's appearance compared to the rest of Tokyo. The buildings were worn and clearly neglected, just as Morgana had described.

Arriving at Yusuke's dilapidated shack, Shiho paused, taken aback. 

"Woah, this is where Yusuke lives? But the museum where we took the class was so fancy… Didn't Madarame own the museum?."

"Yeah..." Ren replied, his voice trailing off. 

It was weird for someone who had so much money and was actually going out of his way to make more by selling copies of the Sayuri to live in such a place. If Mona hadn't actually confirmed that Madarame stayed at this house, at least somewhat regularly, he would have believed that it was all an act.

"I mean, I knew what to expect, but still..." Shiho sighed, her disappointment palpable. "I was hoping to see his painting in a proper studio."

"Let's just make sure we don't step on any rusty nails." Ren joked, lightening the mood as he knocked on the door.

The door swung open promptly, revealing Yusuke, who greeted them with a flourish. 

"Ah, Amamiya-san, Suzui-san, just in time," he exclaimed, his expression pausing as his eyes landed on Ren.

Stepping back, Yusuke framed Ren with his fingers, scrutinizing him like a piece of art. After a moment of silent appraisal, he finally spoke.

"Have you altered your routine from usual, Amamiya-san?" Yusuke asked, his tone both curious and awed.

"Is there a problem?" Shiho asked with some concern.

"On the contrary," Yusuke replied, his voice filled with a newfound excitement. "He perfectly embodies the ideal subject for my next piece. There's a certain... essence about him, hard to articulate, that surpasses even what I had anticipated. This requires a reconsideration of the painting I had planned."

"Ah, I must apologize for getting distracted. Please, make yourselves at home while I prepare for the session," Yusuke said, his tone elegant and apologetic. Should you desire tea or water, do not hesitate to inform me."

He ushered them through his modest living space into a small art studio, where a canvas was already set up amidst an array of paints.

Yusuke's enthusiasm was clear as he scurried between rooms, collecting various art supplies.

Returning with a larger canvas and a set of pristine white sheets, he instructed. 

"Please, disrobe and drape these sheets around you like a robe. I find it necessary to alter the pose for today's session."

Shiho gave Ren a wide-eyed look, silently mouthing.

"Did he just ask you to get naked?"

Ren chuckled and began to remove his school jacket, giving Shiho a playful wink. 

"You're welcome to step out or turn around if you prefer."

Blushing, Shiho quickly retreated to the doorway, pausing to try to take a sneaky glance behind her, only to catch Ren's smiling face.

"Perv." Ren said with a mischievous smile, causing her to blush harder and leave the room.

Alone with Yusuke, who was arranging the setup, Ren asked.

"Can I at least keep my underwear on?"

Yusuke paused, considering the question seriously, before nodding. 

"Certainly. Your member would have been obscured by the 'robe' in any case."

Once they had finalized the setup, Ren settled into the ornately cushioned chair, adopting a relaxed posture as Yusuke instructed him to lean back and rest his arms casually along the back before calling Shiho to let her know it was ok to walk in.

Shiho re-entered the room, sneaking glances at Ren and not so discreetly snapping a photo with her phone.

Ren was curious about Madarame and his connection to Yusuke. Still, he decided to hold off on his questions until the painting had progressed further, ensuring they were too deeply involved for Yusuke to consider kicking them out.

In theory, they didn't need the information since they already had the information of the Palace. Still, the Thieves thought it would be good to know some information about their "enemy" before potentially encountering him in the Palace. It could just give them a clue as to what his weak spot was.

"Perfect, now, if you could please look around the room," Yusuke directed.

Obediently, Ren's gaze wandered until it settled on Shiho, prompting Yusuke to exclaim. 

"Stop, that is exactly the expression I was seeking!"

Realizing Ren was looking at Shiho, Yusuke momentarily dashed out and returned with a small ladder. 

"Suzui-san, would you kindly sit atop this ladder? I need Ren to maintain that gaze, as though he is looking up toward the heavens."

Shiho nodded as she carefully sat atop the small ladder before looking down at Ren. It was a little embarrassing, since he was only really wearing a blanket. But once she saw his friendly smile, she was able to calm down.

"How come I am the only one getting embarrassed here?" Shiho asked, holding back her smile.

"Oh, I am quite embarrassed. I'm just good at hiding it." Ren said with a chuckle as he looked up at her.

"How intriguing…" Yusuke murmured, almost to himself, as he observed the scene before him.

He picked up his brush and dipped it into the paint, his eyes fixed intently on the unique picture formed by Ren and Shiho. The artist's strokes began to sweep across the canvas, capturing the moment with a fervent intensity that filled the room with the palpable energy of creation.

~A/N~

(Not gonna lie; I was kinda of avoiding the Yusuke chap because I had no real idea what to make the painting, but as I began writing this chap, I came up with an idea. I tried to use AI to make it, but AI struggles with specifics, so no luck, lol. But I did at least come up with an image I am using as a reference.

Here it is.

As I said, it's not really what I had in mind, but it is a start. Ai has an obsession with space or something because every time I tried to add details, it would just go unhinged and do omega space stuff.)