On the Possibility of Raiding the Phantom Thieves’ Leader 2

? Views, Released on January 19, 2025

Chapter 2

“What a coincidence,” Ren Amamiya nodded curtly to Yu.

The goateed owner glanced at Ren curiously. “Do you two know each other?”

“No,” Yu explained, taking a seat at the counter. “I bumped into him this morning on my way to school when I wasn’t looking where I was going.”

“I see.” The owner seemed relieved. “That’s good.”

Honestly, his attitude was a bit strange, as if he was carefully monitoring the boy beside him to make sure he wasn’t causing any trouble. The boy also seemed accustomed to this, showing no reaction, his expression behind his glasses remaining impassive.

Yu ordered a cup of the cafe’s signature coffee, as recommended by the owner. After making the coffee, the owner received a phone call and hurriedly left, leaving the boy in charge of the cafe.

The boy nodded, seemingly obedient.

They didn’t seem like father and son, nor did they appear to be relatives.

Yu sipped his coffee, speculating.

The coffee was indeed excellent, and the price was reasonable. Lavenza had recommended a good place, but due to its location, there didn’t seem to be many customers. He wondered how long it could stay open.

Perhaps he could invite his friends here next time.

The sound of running water stopped. The boy finished washing the cups and meticulously dried each one. He worked diligently, the white light reflecting off his glasses, adding an unexpected air of mystery to the quiet boy.

However, Yu wasn’t one to initiate conversation, and Ren wasn’t talkative either. They remained silent until Yu finished his coffee.

Finally, Yu exhaled.

“The coffee was very good.” Yu took out his wallet to pay.

Ren nodded and went to the cash register.

While making change, Ren finally spoke.

“I was also at fault this morning. And, thank you.”

Yu paused. “Huh? Thank me? Why?”

He asked in a bewildered yet natural tone, “For not telling the owner about the cat?”
Ren: …

Yu: …?

They stared at each other in silence. After a few seconds, Ren looked down as if he’d choked.

Was this person incredibly naive? Why could he say such things so casually? He felt like he was facing a strange version of Yusuke Kitagawa.

Handing Yu the change, Ren spoke again.

“You’d be a good replacement for Akechi on TV.”

Yu, not paying attention to who Akechi was, asked in confusion, “You mean live television?”

“Your type is quite popular these days…” Ren pushed his glasses up, the lenses flashing. “The sweet-tooth prince charming is a bit passé.”

“Hmm?” Yu remained puzzled.

“It’s nothing,” Ren said. “Come again.”

It was a strange encounter, a strange meeting, and the person across from him was strange as well.

Yu put the change back in his wallet, then spoke, “Um, my name is Yu Narukami. What’s your name?”

“Can I get to know you?”

Since his rebirth, Ren had been following his previous life’s path, methodically avoiding making any new acquaintances. He hesitated, glancing at Yu. After a few seconds of thought, he nodded.

“I’m Ren Amamiya.”

They shook hands across the counter, a subtle formality.

Then Yu left the cafe, and Ren continued cleaning.

However, both of them were thinking about the same thing.

[Could that be a new Arcana… since it’s a cafe recommended by Lavenza/Akechi’s schoolmate?]

[But haven’t all the Confidants been maxed out?]

Yu didn’t know if it was a new Confidant, as Lavenza hadn’t suddenly appeared to utter cryptic words and inform him of a new Arcana. Of course, Yu wasn’t concerned about that; he enjoyed making new friends.

Yu made dinner for himself. He had initially planned to make enough for three, but his parents called midway to say they had a business trip and wouldn’t be home for dinner.

Yu was used to this. After reminding them to be safe, he put the extra ingredients back in the refrigerator.

Carrying his last bowl of miso soup, he heard a rumble outside and realized it was raining.

With no laundry on the balcony, Yu didn’t go out. He closed the window and turned on the TV, remembering the morning news mentioning the Detective Prince’s live broadcast at 8 PM.

Detective Prince, was he the same type as Naoto Shirogane?

He switched to the correct channel. The broadcast had already begun. The boy known as the Detective Prince was answering questions from the program staff. But before the content, Yu noticed his clothes first. He was wearing a uniform, and it happened to be the same as Yu’s new uniform.

The same school?

Yu recalled that there had indeed been an empty seat in his class today.

But it couldn’t be such a coincidence that he was in the same class as this Detective Prince.

Yu took a sip of miso soup, the warmth spreading from his stomach to his fingertips. The sound of rain outside mingled with the television audio.

“So, Akechi-kun, what do you think of the ‘Phantom Thieves of Hearts,’ a group that has garnered much public attention recently?”

“Akechi?” Yu looked up. “That name sounds familiar. Where have I heard it before?”

He thought for a moment, then remembered his new acquaintance, Ren Amamiya, saying he would be a good replacement for Akechi on TV because his type was more popular these days, and the sweet-tooth prince charming was passé.

Ah… he was talking about him.

The boy on TV smiled as he answered the host’s question, appearing polite and gentle.

“Many people have asked me this question. My stance on the Phantom Thieves of Hearts remains the same. They claim to be righteous, but this righteousness can be exploited. I still believe that ultimate justice should be determined by the judicial system, not a private organization.”

“As for whether the existence of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts is necessary, that depends on each individual. I, for one, trust our authoritative judicial institutions.”

It was a tactful answer. This Detective Prince was a completely different type from Naoto.

After finishing dinner and watching the broadcast, Yu glanced out the window.

The rain hadn’t stopped, the constant drizzle filling his ears. He turned back to the now-off television.

He wanted to verify something…

Tokyo was too strange now. Not to mention the mental shutdown cases, the Phantom Thieves’ method of forcing repentance also gave Yu a sense of déjà vu. These incidents constantly reminded him of his experiences in Inaba, of their battles against Shadows in another world last year.

So, if the fog in Inaba had dispersed, could it be that the fog in Tokyo hadn’t?

With this thought, Yu stood up from the sofa and placed his hand on the television. As he did so, he thought, ‘Impossible.’ After all, Marie had said: the fog is gone.

But the moment his hand touched the television, a sensation like touching water made Yu’s eyes widen.

He went in?!

Yu gulped, tentatively pushing further. The unknown situation made him tense.

Just as he considered stopping and contacting his friends, a powerful force pulled him from within, and Yu was abruptly yanked into his 55-inch television.

His vision went black. When he regained consciousness, his entire body ached. He had fallen from a height, landing hard on a stone surface.

“Ow!” Yu couldn’t help but cry out in pain.

“Ah!!! Who’s there?!”

A loud, strange scream came from behind him as he cried out.

Yu endured the pain and looked up, finally comprehending his situation.

The dark road resembled a tunnel, with tracks haphazardly laid out on the surface. Pipes of unknown purpose hung from the walls. And the source of the scream was a cow-patterned… cat bus? parked in front of him.

Someone was on the cat bus?

Ren: …

Suspecting Yu might be a new Confidant, Ren had visited the Velvet Room that evening. However, nothing new had unlocked. Feeling he shouldn’t have come for nothing, he and Mona had gone to Mementos to level up. And so, he witnessed the entire process of someone falling from above in Mementos.

What a coincidence. The person he had accidentally bumped into in the morning and met again at the cafe in the evening had now fallen right in front of him.

After some thought, Ren decided to be upfront, considering this person had fallen into Mementos.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” Yu replied instinctively. Then, as if suddenly realizing something, he blinked. “Amamiya-kun?”

Ren approached. “It’s me.”

They fell silent again, but unlike at the cafe, Ren could clearly sense the person before him observing him.

It was a strange attitude.

Since their encounter at the cafe, Ren had determined that Yu Narukami was a naive person, despite his appearance. He seemed to lack a sense of surprise and didn’t seem to understand that some things were better left unsaid. Despite his strikingly handsome features, he was completely oblivious to their impact.

Hadn’t a single one of his friends been surprised upon seeing his attire for the first time?

After a moment of silence, Yu broke the quiet.

“Are you cosplaying, Amamiya-kun?”

“No.”

“Oh.” Yu nodded, offering a serious critique. “It suits you.”

Ren held back, but Mona couldn’t contain himself. He shouted, “Why aren’t you surprised?! You’re too calm!!”

“Huh?” Yu finally expressed surprise. “The bus can talk?”

Then Yu witnessed something incredible.

The cat bus transformed before his eyes into a bipedal cat, its voice identical to the scream he had heard earlier.

Yu calmed down. “So it’s a cat.”

“…You find a talking car less surprising than a talking cat?”

“Not really,” Yu replied after careful consideration. “I’ve seen a talking bear, so a talking cat isn’t that different.”