94 The Thieves' Bonds.

The Thieves had planned to meet at a mall, as Yusuke needed to buy clothes and other supplies. It was a good chance for him to start picking out what he needed. Right now, he was wearing some of Ren's spare clothes, which looked out of place in him.

As Ren arrived with Futaba and Yusuke, he noticed Futaba sticking close to him, her discomfort with the bustling crowd obvious.

"I wish I could just wear my mask…" Futaba muttered, eyeing the people walking near them.

"You're practically wearing one right now." Ren joked, taking off his hat and placing it on her head

At the moment, Futaba was decked out in a face mask, sunglasses, a large jacket, and now Ren's hat. She looked like a celebrity trying to avoid the paparazzi. After a brief pause, she pulled the hat down further over her face as she used Ren's body as more of a shield.

"Would you consider some theatrical makeup? You'd be completely incognito if I painted your face in the style of a Kabuki actor. Add a wig, and no one would know it's you," Yusuke offered, attempting to be helpful, but Futaba just shook her head no.

They didn't have to wait long before they spotted Takemi and Makoto walking together toward them. The two were deep in conversation and waved as they drew near.

"Look who I ran into on the way," Takemi said, her voice tinged with amusement as she gestured toward Makoto.

"Takemi's really smart!" Makoto commented, her eyes lighting up. "She was explaining her research on the flowers from Mementos. It's incredible. I knew those flowers were unusual, but I didn't realize they would have a connection to you. Maybe we should collect more seeds and give them to Jose for planting deeper in Mementos."

Takemi laughed softly, adding a playful tease.

"Be careful, my guinea pig. You might just end up competing for your place in my lab."

Hearing Makoto's explanation, Futaba's interest was piqued. She peeked out from behind Ren, eager to join the conversation.

"The flowers are similar to Ren? What kind of research are you doing? My persona specializes in analysis, and I've been diving into cognitive pscience. Maybe I could lend a hand. It might speed things up, and maybe I could even learn more about Mementos."

Takemi chuckled and gave a nod of approval.

"Looks like we have another volunteer," she said with a smile as she began to feel more comfortable with the group.

Mona, ever curious, popped his head out of Ren's bag.

"What's this research about?" he inquired, his voice filled with intrigue.

Takemi grinned and gestured to the bag she was carrying.

"Why don't you hop in here, and I'll fill you in while we walk around the mall?" she suggested.

Mona wasted no time jumping from Ren's bag into Takemi's, immediately receiving a scratch behind the ears for his enthusiasm.

"You know, I have a friend who's a veterinarian," Takemi continued, a playful tone in her voice. "I'd be curious to see what we might find if we gave you a physical exam too."

"Hmm…." Mona mused before nodding. "I'm actually kind of curious myself."

Not long after Takemi and Makoto joined, Ryuji, Ann, and Shiho arrived, exchanging quick, cheerful greetings with everyone before the group headed into the mall together.

— — —

The group headed to a clothing store first, watching as Yusuke carefully selected several items. Although he initially tried to spend as little money as possible, the Thieves encouraged him to pick whatever he thought suited him best.

Ann enthusiastically lit up with an idea to make Yusuke feel more included. 

"Hey, I have an idea!" she exclaimed brightly. "You're amazing with art, Yusuke. How about you help us pick out some outfits? Even if you don't know much about fashion, you know about colors and how to make them look good together, right?"

Yusuke still seemed a bit down from the day before, but at Ann's suggestion, a small smile appeared, and a hint of his usual artistic spark returned.

"That sounds quite intriguing," he responded, his interest piqued. When I look into everyone's eyes, I can see a small part of your own unique aura. It would be quite an interesting challenge to find outfits that enhance your appearance while resonating with your personality."

Yusuke began by dragging Ann away since she had been the one to offer the idea, who simply gave a playful smile to the group before following along.

Meanwhile, Takemi, standing by Makoto, leaned in with a suggestion. 

"Would you like to try something new? I know a section of the store where I usually buy my clothes. All of the things there are pretty good quality." she offered, then looked around at the others. "Everyone's welcome to come along."

As the group followed Takemi to a different section of the store, Makoto felt a bit out of her element. She usually preferred smart, practical clothes with a touch of formality. Yet, as she tried on various outfits that Takemi picked out, she began to see herself in a new light. Each new piece seemed to boost her confidence.

"When I saw what your 'other' outfit looked like, I had a hunch you'd look great in these." Takemi commented while assisting Makoto in choosing outfits. She picked a few items for the others just before Ann and Yusuke came back, Yusuke promptly whisking Ryuji away to try on his selections.

After a fun session in the mall, the Thieves emerged with brand-new wardrobes. Ann, Yusuke, and Takemi had taken the lead in playing dress-up, selecting outfits for the whole group.

Leaving the store in some of their new attire, Ryuji ended up with the most bags, a bit overwhelmed by the trio's enthusiastic choices for him.

"I don't get why you made me buy all this stuff, Ann. I feel effin' weird in it. Should've just stuck with what Yusuke picked out," Ryuji grumbled, eyeing the bags in his hands.

"You just don't understand style, Ryuji. Right, Yusuke?" Ann looked over to Yusuke for support, receiving a distracted nod from him. "See? Even Yusuke agrees. You look way better in what we chose than what you came in wearing. And look at Ren, he looks great in what we picked."

Ren caught Ryuji's glance and waved playfully, enjoying the moment.

"That's not fair," Ryuji protested, tugging at his new shirt. "You're just saying that 'cause you picked them out!"

After picking up some new clothes, the group stopped at a small art supply store where Yusuke helped Shiho choose some materials to help her continue her journey in learning art. Their next stop was the store next to Junes that Ann had mentioned earlier.

"I can't believe they blast that effin' theme song nonstop. How do the people working there not lose their minds?" Ryuji grumbled, glancing at the massive store next door.

"For real, when I was a—" Futaba began, catching herself mid-sentence with a grimace. "Oh man, it's contagious. I need to stop listening to—uh…" She stopped herself again before she accidentally revealed one of her secrets.

Ryuji, catching Futaba's accidental slip-up, couldn't resist teasing her a bit. 

"For real? Who's the 'for real' guy now?" he chuckled, ruffling her head playfully as her expression shifted from annoyed to slightly panicked, especially as his loudness started drawing looks from nearby shoppers.

Ann quickly intervened with a light smack to the back of Ryuji's head, while Makoto gave him a stern look.

"Sorry, sorry," Ryuji said, rubbing the spot where Ann had hit him. "I wasn't trying to be mean or anything… I just thought it was funny. How about I make it up to you with something from the store?"

As the onlookers' attention faded, Futaba calmed down a bit and nodded.

"It's fine…" she muttered, having briefly contemplated revealing Ryuji's browser history as revenge. However, since he had apologized, she decided against it and adjusted her position to avoid further attention.

Futaba stood behind Ren, feeling a mix of comfort and unease. Despite her progress in coping with the outside world, being in crowded places still made her anxious. But being near her 'emotional support human' made it more bearable. Since awakening her persona after confronting her shadow, she had grown stronger, but there was still a way to go.

However, she still felt slightly angry at herself for how scared she had become. She wanted to improve, but she didn't know how. After taking a glance at the people around her, whom she knew she could trust, she made a decision.

Taking a deep breath, she decided to challenge herself. Slowly, she removed her face mask and glasses, leaving only Ren's hat perched on her head as a small comfort.

As the group dispersed to explore the store, Ren decided to search for some gifts for everyone. He was pleased to see how well the group was meshing; today felt like a success. Notably, Futaba had chosen to tag along with Makoto and Takemi, even opting to go mask-free which was a big step for her.

Takemi was also fitting in better. Her accidental run-in with Makoto earlier had led to a warm conversation about her research, which helped break the ice. Now, she was deep in discussion with the group's trio of thinkers, Makoto, Futaba, and occasionally Mona, who contributed whenever a new random piece of knowledge resurfaced in his memory.

Shiho, protective as ever, had taken a particular interest in Yusuke. Her empathy for his situation drove her to offer support, with Ann adding her natural charm to help ease his transition. Meanwhile, Ryuji was doing his part to encourage Yusuke, pushing him forward with his usual enthusiasm.

Ren watched his friends mingle with a quiet smile. It was heartwarming to see them bond, a feeling he found hard to express. But as he prepared to join them, something felt off.

His eyes narrowed, a faint glow emanating from them as his heightened senses kicked in. He detected the subtle presence of someone watching them from afar. Without hesitation, Ren slipped out of the store and followed the faint trail, but by the time he reached the street, the observer had disappeared into the bustling crowd of Tokyo.

However, Ren's third-eye skill revealed a faint, almost invisible thread of fate stretching out in the direction the observer had gone. A floating arcana card, The Star, hovered above the crowd in the distance, confirming his suspicions.

'Naoto Shirogane…' Ren mused after seeing a brief glimpse of the familiar blue hair in the distance.

He considered pursuing her but ultimately decided against it, choosing instead to return to his friends. From their last encounter, he knew Naoto wasn't interested in arresting them. It seemed she had something else in mind, but since they had last spoken, he hadn't seen her again.

Ren's thoughts drifted to the last time he'd sensed they were being watched, shortly after their first infiltration into Madarame's palace, causing his eyes to narrow in suspicion again. 

He had originally believed it to be Igor since he couldn't find any other clues, but judging how quickly Shirogane had vanished after being spotted, it made him rethink his first guess. And as he thought of Shirogane, his mind wandered back to their oranged hair hacker.

Futaba had managed to hack into the Kirijo group's systems, but strangely, she found nothing out of the ordinary. It all seemed like regular business operations. She theorized that any sensitive data was likely stored on a separate, more secure server on its own network, inaccessible from the outside.

Futaba had been skeptical because she found almost nothing on Naoto in the regular servers. If her hunch was correct, they were at a dead end unless they could find someone within the Kirijo group willing to grant her access.

As Ren re-entered the store, he was annoyed with their surprise guest. He had been enjoying the day, but now he was going to spend the rest of it having to focus on making sure no one was spying on them. 

As he looked around he noticed the group was wrapping up their shopping spree. Ann, particularly vibrant, approached him with a bright smile.

"I was trying to figure out what to get you, and then I stumbled upon this little section in the store and… Ta-da!" she exclaimed, revealing a small bronze necklace. "The Fool!"

She held it up for him to see. Dangling from the necklace was a tiny tarot card, beautifully illustrating The Fool.

"I got one for everyone, each with the arcana that represents them, so now we're all matching. It's our little, um... what did Ryuji call it? Oh, yeah, our 'symbol' as the 'Pals.'" Ann said, her voice tinged with amusement as she winked.

Ren burst into laughter, his annoyance dissolving instantly. He leaned in to give Ann a gentle kiss on the forehead as he looked at the gift.

"I really should have thought of a better name back then." he chuckled, shaking his head in amusement.

"Here, I'll put yours on, and you do mine. Also, Shiho knows I got hers, but just pretend it was from you," Ann said playfully, moving behind Ren to clasp the necklace.

"Ah, that's right, I didn't get the chance to buy a gift… I'll explain once we are back with the group, but Shirogane was spying on us." Ren replied as he felt the necklace settle around his neck.

Near the cashier, the rest of the group watched Ren and Ann with various reactions.

Yusuke poised his fingers as if framing a portrait, capturing the moment. His eyes gleamed with artistic inspiration. Ryuji looked puzzled, turning to Shiho to see her reaction, who was nonchalantly finalizing her purchase. Takemi observed the scene with a smirk, and Makoto's expression was slightly conflicted.

"As expected of the first member of the royal harem." Futaba murmured under her breath, jotting down mental notes as she watched the duo.

"The what?" Makoto reacted, turning sharply towards Futaba.

"Wait, you didn't know? You're even in a group chat with Ann and Shiho." Futaba responded, genuinely surprised. "It's pretty obvious. Ren's dating both Shiho and Ann."

"They're what!" Makoto exclaimed, her voice carrying across the store.

"For real?" Ryuji blurted out simultaneously.

"Huh," Takemi simply uttered, her eyebrow raised in amusement.

"I presumed it was evident to everyone…" Yusuke mused quietly to himself, still watching the pair.

"Okay, wait, no," Makoto said, her voice a mix of confusion and urgency. "Shiho, you need to clear this up. When? How? I thought—" She spoke until she suddenly became aware of the stir she was causing and fell silent, her cheeks coloring with embarrassment as she noticed the curious glances from others in the store.

Ren, who had just rejoined the group, couldn't suppress a small smile as he asked.

"Did something happen?"

Ryuji approached Ren with a grin and extended his hand for a shake, looking impressed. 

"Man, you gotta teach me your secrets." 

— — —

After a brief shopping break to pick up gifts for the team, Ren shared the unsettling news that Naoto had been spying on them. The revelation made everyone tense, but they decided to continue with their day as planned since it would be a waste to stop now. They would just have to watch their words and surroundings better.

Makoto, sensing the need for a deeper discussion about what she had just learnt, pulled Ann and Shiho aside for a chat at a nearby cafe. Though Ren was hesitant about splitting up with the chance of Naoto following them, Shiho reassured him with a playful wink, promising they'd catch up later.

With the trio headed off, Ren, Futaba, Ryuji, Yusuke, and Takemi made their way to Untouchables Airsoft. The store was dimly lit, filled with meticulously arranged firearms that gave off an almost intimidating aura, reinforced by the smell of oil and metal.

"Alright, let's focus on finding the right gear for you two," Ren declared, guiding Yusuke and Takemi deeper into the store.

Takemi, whose experience with firearms was largely theoretical, looked slightly apprehensive as she eyed the various models. 

"I'm more used to prescribing pills than handling pistols," she joked, a wry smile crossing her face as she carefully held the weapon.

Yusuke, intrigued by the craftsmanship, gravitated towards a sleek, black rifle. 

"The design of these tools is quite remarkable," he observed, handling the weapon with an artist's appreciation. "There is a certain elegance to the functionality embedded in their form."

Ryuji, meanwhile, was drawn to the more robust rifles. 

"These look awesome! How about this one, Yusuke?" he suggested, lifting a heavy rifle from the rack with a grin. Then, as he grabbed what resembled a rocket launcher, he turned to Futaba. "Do you think you could carry this?"

Ren diligently guided the trio through the array of weapons, offering advice tailored to suit their needs. As they browsed, Takemi turned to him with a thoughtful look.

"Is there a way to enhance these weapons? Considering how things function in 'that' place, perhaps we could modify them to be more effective," she suggested, her curiosity piqued by the potential improvements.

"I've experimented with modifications before, but usually, they either malfunction or end up less effective," Ren admitted. Then, struck by a new idea, he glanced toward the store owner, who seemed engrossed in a magazine. "But now that you bring it up…"

He paused, signaling to the others, "Pick something that feels right to you. I'll be back in a moment. And Futaba, maybe you should consider something a bit more… manageable."

-

Ren walked over to the counter, drawing the store owner's attention away from his reading. Leaning in, he lowered his voice to speak privately.

"Hey, I was wondering if there's any way to enhance these weapons. Anything to make them a bit more... effective." Ren asked, keeping his voice low and discreet.

The owner glanced up from his magazine, his eyes narrowing slightly as he answered. 

"Kid, most folks who come in asking questions like that don't know what they're messing with. Enhancements? On airsoft guns? You're barking up the wrong tree." he replied gruffly, his tone dismissive.

Ren's eyes narrowed slightly as he heard his answer. He could tell that the owner was hiding something. Turning back to make sure the rest of the Thieves were still distracted, Ren's voice became more serious as he spoke.

"I'm sure we could work something out."

Hearing him, the store owner finally put the magazine down, getting a better look at who he was talking to. One of his eyebrows raised in surprise as he sat up from his relaxed position, analyzing Ren from head to toe.

"You're not just some regular enthusiast, are you? You've got that look now… Seen things, done things. Am I right?"

Ren met his gaze steadily, an acknowledgment in his eyes. 

"Something like that." he admitted.

The store owner nodded slowly, then seemed to make a decision.

"Alright, I might have some work that could use someone with your expertise. Help me out, and I'll make it worth your while. I can modify your weapons, but in return, you'll help me with some stuff. It's an I scratch your back, you scratch mine kind of deal. Name's Munehisa Iwai, by the way. And you are?"

"Akira Kurusu." Ren responded with a subtle smile. Just then, Ryuji's voice rang out from the back of the store.

"Hey Ren, come here! What do you think about Futaba with not one, but two rocket launchers?"

Ren sighed deeply, a silent curse in his thoughts, as Iwai chuckled lightly.

"Alright, 'Akira', we have a deal. But let's keep this between us. Wouldn't want your buddies accidentally blowing your cover, would we?"

Ren nodded in agreement as he replied, ensuring his terms were clear.

"We do this on my terms: one job, one modification. If the job isn't up to my standards, then our deal ends here, and we have never spoken before." Ren stated firmly.

Iwai chuckled softly, appreciating Ren's straightforwardness.

"Sounds fair to me. But remember, the same goes for you. Mess up my job, and our deal is off," Iwai responded, extending his hand for a shake to seal their understanding.

With their agreement in place, Ren returned to his group as he finished helping them settle on a few starter weapons, picking up a few upgrades for himself and the rest of the team while they were gone.

~Confidants~

Munehisa Iwai (The Hanged Man) Rank 1

(Ya'll have been eating too good with the length of my chaps lately, lol. This one is 3.5k words. And I was going to make it longer, but I had to stop myself.

Also, what happened at the cafe between the trio? I guess that's only for them to know for now…. And probably Ms Gremlin, lol.)