Chapter Text
Four months ago...
"So after food, train fare, phone bill, and basic hygine needs, art supplies is the next most important item on the list since you need art supplies so you can do art for your scholarship, correct?" Makoto said, glancing up from the paper she was working on to stare at Yusuke as he took a sip of his water.
Yusuke swallowed his water and nodded. "Correct."
"And then after that is clothes, shoes, and miscellaneous." Makoto said, quickly writing that down. "You get the same amount of money from Kosei every month, right?"
"Correct... Though I've been helping a few art galleries in the area correctly match up the past pupil to the painting, so I've been getting some money from various galleries that my paintings are being featured in to add to my disposable income. Any money coming in from my mother's name is going into a trust Madarame had set up for me to have access to when I turned eighteen... Not that I believe he would have let me have access to that trust, anyway." Yusuke admitted. "I'm also thinking about getting an after school job to give me some money as well."
"Well... Until that money gets added..." Makoto said, finishing her notes on the paper and slid it over to Yusuke. "That is your current budget list. I've allowed for some flexibility, but... Try to stick to it as much as you can."
"I will do my best." Yusuke said, carefully taking the piece of paper and sticking it in his bag. "It will be strange... Having to adapt to being cautious of money... Even having access to money is a little strange."
"Well, if you ever need help, just let me know." Makoto said with a small smile. "I'm always here to help."
"I appreciate it." Yusuke said, taking another sip of his water. "Are you adjusting okay? You know... To all this?"
"It's weird, I'll admit it." Makoto agreed. "Is the wait always this nerve-wracking?"
"It was with Madarame." Yusuke admitted. "And as much as I care about the others... I feel like they don't entirely understand, you know? They all experienced this at the same time. Even though I joined during the second time, they had already developed their own coping mechanisms. They tried to help me out as much as they can, but-"
"They're the originals and we're the new kids on the blocks?" Makoto guessed.
"Exactly. I know that they don't make it that way, but part of me feels like Ren, Ann, Ryuji, and Morgana just have this bond that anyone else who joins after them won't have any chance to match. I sort of feel like an outsider sometimes. It doesn't help that I don't go to the same school as everyone else."
"I know what you mean." Makoto agreed. "The four of them always have lunch together. I've invited them to join me in the student council room and Ann has invited me to join them in their classroom, but I feel kind of awkward walking down to the second year classrooms to join them for lunch, even if I'm just going down there to ask them a question. There's no doubt that all of us are going to have some strange bond because of this, but it doesn't change the fact that the original four have a much... Closer knit bond than the rest of us. They started this together, they'll end it together."
Yusuke nodded. He held out his water glass, tipping it towards Makoto. "Then how about you and I make our own bond?"
"What are you proposing?" Makoto asked, grabbing her cup of poorly made coffee in comparison to the coffee Ren made her the morning after setting up the calling cards on Central Street.
"For ourselves and any potential Phantom Thieves who will join later because it's starting to become a trend that someone else will probably join the next time we go to change someone's heart," Yusuke said, swirling his glass around once. "We agree that those of us in the second wave will be there for each other... No matter what. We'll help the other out with whatever is needed, no questions asked."
"We'll be there if the other needs to vent about whatever." Makoto added. "We'll be there to help them get through the hardships, especially since we know what it's like to have to deal with First Palace jitters when everyone else in the group has dealt with at least one Palace before."
"It seems we're in agreement."
"It seems so, Yusuke." Makoto said, clinking her coffee cup with Yusuke's water glass. The two took sips of their drinks in unison, then set their cups down. "How's your art going, by the way?"
"... It's going. Ren has been doing his best to help me get back into the swing of things after Madarame and someone called my most recent work soulless and devoid of passion, but it's hard to find the passion when you don't really have the motivation to do what you used to love."
"Preaching to the choir. I can't find the motivation to study right now." Makoto said exhaustedly. "I know that I need to, but it's hard to do that when you're questioning literally everything about yourself."
"I know. My floormates in the dorms have been trying to teach me random normal things during forced floor bonding Friday nights like card games and movies, but I don't entirely understand it." Yusuke admitted. "They keep giving me movies to watch, but I can't exactly watch them since I don't have a TV."
"What movies?" Makoto asked.
"The most recent one was suggested to me by this kid on my floor who's really into science... Atlantis... Atlantis something."
Makoto's eyes widened. "Atlantis: The Lost Empire?"
Yusuke snapped his fingers. "Yes! Exactly!"
"I own that movie!"
"You do?"
"Are you busy tonight? Any homework?"
"No. Why?"
"If you want, we can go over to my apartment and watch it. You'll even get a free meal out of it."
Yusuke excitedly slammed his hands down on the table. "You'll make me dinner!?"
"I can't guarantee that I'm the best chef to ever exist, but I'll make you dinner."
"Say no more! I will do anything for free food!"
"... Note to self, we need to come up with a clearer definition of 'anything'." Makoto said, laughing as she and Yusuke walked to the front to pay for their drinks.
As soon as they paid, Makoto lead the way back to her apartment, the two chit chatting the entire walk over. As soon as they got inside and took off their shoes, Yusuke looked at the stark white walls and dark furniture. "Wow... What a... Nice home."
"This is my sister's style, not mine." Makoto said, pausing in the hallway to the bedrooms. "Now that I'm thinking about it..."
Makoto walked over to her bedroom, Yusuke following close behind. She flicked on the lights as Yusuke inspected the bookshelves standing against the left wall of her bedroom, the warm toned lights casting a cozy glow around the small area. Yusuke commented, "Now this is what I imagined your area looking like... It honestly kind of reminds me of how cozy Leblanc is..."
"Really? I guess I need to spend more time in Leblanc then." Makoto decided, walking over to her closet. She grabbed the bag she had prepared on top of the box with her father's stuff, then handed it to Yusuke. "For you... Sorry they're pink."
"What is it?" Yusuke asked, starting to inspect the inside of the bag.
"Twin sized sheets for your bed at the dorms." Makoto said, Yusuke pausing. "Ya know, so you don't have to sleep on a naked mattress anymore. I got a bigger mattress, so those don't fit on my bed anymore."
"T-Thank you." Yusuke said, a little shocked as Makoto grabbed a movie box from her bookshelves and walked out of her room.
"It's like you said, us second wavers have to stick together." Makoto said as she watched Yusuke close her bedroom door. "Do you mind helping me with dinner? I can handle the actual cooking, but having someone help me chop up some vegetables would be nice."
"Of course. It's only fair I help out... Though I'm afraid the only knife I have a lot of experience with is a pallet knife... I don't think that really helps out in this situation."
"Did you not eat with knives a lot before now?"
"Not really... When we ate food in the shack, it was primarily soup, rice, and sandwiches, and if it was in public, it was typically sushi. If we couldn't eat it with our hands or some chopsticks, we typically didn't eat at all. I kinda know how to use a knife as long as it isn't too sharp..." Yusuke said, rolling up his sleeves to show Makoto a few small scars on his arms. "I got these the first few times I fought using my Persona. Using a katana is not as easy as it appears."
Makoto smiled as she set the movie down on the kitchen table, then walked over to the kitchen sink. She washed off her hands, then showed Yusuke her knuckles, which had a few red scratches and healing bruises on them. "I usually wrap up my hands before I do any aikido, especially if weapons are involved. I've been using concealer and foundation to hide my injuries while I'm at school."
"Does your sister know?"
Makoto nodded, walking over to the fridge. "When the bruises started forming, I told her I had to punch out some frustrations after school one day and forgot to bring my wrapping. She doesn't suspect a thing."
"Is she going to come home tonight?"
"I'm not sure. She and her team have been pretty busy with Kaneshiro ever since he turned himself in." Makoto said honestly, getting some vegetables out of the fridge and grabbing the cutting board from the cabinets. "She's rarely ever here anymore, so I've gotten used to being alone."
"Honestly... Same here. It's weird being alone for the first time in your life."
"You got that right." Makoto said, grabbing a knife from the drawers and set it on the cutting board. "If you cut yourself while cutting the veggies, we have a first aid kit in the kitchen."
"Good to know." Yusuke said, carefully grabbing the knife to start cutting the vegetables while Makoto started getting the rice cooker ready.
The two started making dinner, Makoto guiding Yusuke on how to cut the vegetables while she handled the harder things. Shortly after they were finished making dinner and were a good hour into the movie, Makoto heard the front door open. Sae walked into the apartment and said as she took off her shoes, "Makoto, I'm ho- What in the-"
"Hey Sis." Makoto interrupted, getting out of her seat on the couch as Yusuke waved hello.
"Nice to see you again, Niijima-san." Yusuke said politely before going back to the movie.
"Have you eaten yet? We have leftovers." Makoto said, going to make Sae a bowl regardless of what she said.
Sae followed Makoto into the kitchen and whispered, "Makoto, how do you know Kitagawa-kun?"
"He started going to my Sunday juku." Makoto lied. It was getting way easier to lie than she liked, but at least lying was easier than telling her sister that they were two of the Phantom Thieves. "The second years in his class there kind of avoid him, so we started eating lunch together."
"... He goes to your juku?"
Yusuke turned around and nodded. "Yes, Makoto has actually been helping me a lot. I'm afraid I fell behind on some of my studies due to Madarame wanting me to focus solely on art, so she's been helping me catch up. We were having a tutoring session before we decided to come back here to eat dinner and watch a movie. I hope my presence isn't troubling you. I truly appreciate what you did by getting the whole Madarame situation under control."
"N-No, you're not troubling me. I just didn't realize that you knew my sister, that's all."
"It's a recent friendship." Makoto said, offering Sae the bowl of rice, fried pork, and fried vegetables.
"Right. We only became friends a few weeks ago."
"Alright..."
"How was work?" Makoto asked, trying to change the subject.
"It was work... We've decided that it's safe for Kaneshiro to make a statement tomorrow, so we're going public with the arrest."
"You... You are?" Makoto asked, Yusuke tensing up slightly on the couch.
Sae nodded. "Hopefully any classmates of your's will be safe from that man and his people starting tomorrow. If you get asked any questions about the investigation-"
"Say nothing, I know." Makoto said as Sae took the bowl from her hands.
"I'm going to do some more work in my room. Thank you for dinner." Sae said as she started walking back to the bedrooms. She glanced over at Yusuke and said, "Make sure you get back to where your staying at a decent hour, okay? You have school tomorrow."
"Yes ma'am." Yusuke said, watching as Sae walked back into her bedroom.
Makoto walked back over to the couch and sat down next to Yusuke, giving him a perplexed look. She whispered, "Should I text the rest of the group?"
"I would." Yusuke said, watching as Makoto pulled out her phone to send a text.
"Does... Does that mean we did it?"
"I believe so... Yes." Yusuke quietly answered. "We'll know for sure tomorrow."
"Right... I guess we'll find out for certain tomorrow."
"I suppose so."
The movie finished about half an hour later and Makoto followed Yusuke to the front door. Yusuke smiled at Makoto and said, "Thank you again for dinner and helping me make the budget sheet. I truly appreciate it."
"Don't mention it, seriously. I was happy to help."
"We should do this again during summer break."
"Totally. I can show you my favorite Disney movie. I think you'd appreciate the art style."
"What movie?"
"Cinderella. It's all in Mary Blair's art style and it looks absolutely gorgeous."
"Then that'll be our next movie." Yusuke agreed. He made sure that he had everything he needed to go back to Kosei with, then nodded. "Alright, I'm out... We'll find out if the change of heart was successful tomorrow."
"Here's hoping... I just need to finish an essay for tomorrow." Makoto said, Yusuke giving her a confused look. "Long story I'm sure you know bits and pieces of."
Yusuke laughed. "Tell me how it goes later. I'll hear from you tomorrow."
"Talk to you tomorrow." Makoto said, waving goodbye as Yusuke left the apartment. As soon as the door was closed, Makoto walked into her bedroom, pulled out her notebook, and started writing her official essay to Principal Kobayakowa.