P5R: Rebel Girl (A FeMC Story/P5R Rework) Chapter 57: Ducks in a Row
That night. Sae stood in front of a doorway. She knocked. Naoko answered. “Ah, Sae. What brings you here?”
“Don’t play dumb with me!” She shouted. She held up the manifesto. “Did you really think I wouldn’t know this was from you? I could turn you in, you know.”
Naoko looked at it. “Ah, I think I heard some of my buddies who are still on the force talking about this.”
“Cut the crap!” Sae said.
Naoko chuckled. “Sorry. But you can’t pin this on me with just this little note. Have you found any hard evidence that points this to me?” Sae glared at him. “Still, even if I was the one behind it, why bother coming to me at all?”
“I’m giving you a chance to stop,” Sae said. “As a courtesy to my father.”
“Heh,” Naoko said. “Classic Sae; always wanting to help others, but doesn’t know how to show it.”
“Forgive me for not be appreciative of premeditated murder” Sae shot back.
Naoko was impressed with Sae’s tenacity. But he was still unshaken from his new found path. “Tell me, is this manifesto the first new thing you’ve heard about Kaneshiro? At least for a while?”
“Why do you ask?” Sae responded.
“I’m just saying,” Naoko said. “Another trademark of Classic Sae is that you’re always so focused on everything else that you don’t know what’s going on in front of your own eyes.”
Sae got angrier. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Naoko chuckled. “How IS Makoto doing these days?”
Sae grabbed Naoko. “You leave her out of this!”
“How can I when she’s already in so deep?!” Naoko retorted. The two stared at each other for a while.
Eventually, Sae let go, and proceeded to leave. “I can’t protect you if you get caught, you know” she threatened before she got out of earshot. Naoko had a blank look on his face as he closed the door.
The next day, Makoto met with the student council. She stood firm. “OK. We’ve been looking into the incidents of students being harassed by gang members, and we’ve gotten rather far. However, I think we’ve reached the end of our capacity to do anything.” There were some murmurs, while Kisa looked disheartened. “However,” Makoto continued, causing Kisa to perk up a little, “I have given the information to people who can help solve the problem. So we can rest assured that this will be resolved. When is a little ambiguous, but it will be before exams. With that, you are dismissed.” Everyone nodded and broke off. Well, almost.
Kisa stood still as everyone left. When the last person left, she told Makoto. “Thank you.” Makoto nodded. Kisa left.
After Kisa left. Makoto loosened up a litte, then got serious. “The real fight starts now.”
After school, Ren messaged Makoto.
Ren: You busy?
Makoto: Not really. Why?
Ren: I was thinking we could head out as a group to get our facts straight.
Ren: And since you’re part of the group now…
Makoto: I see.
Makoto: I’m glad to.
Ren: Great!
Ren: I guess just meet us outside.
They put their phones away and met up; heading toward the access panel hideout. Once they arrived, Ren said “So, here we are. I know it’s not much, but it is what it is.”
“Huh,” Makoto said. “Isn’t this a bit open?”
“Well, that’s sort of the point,” Sumire said, defending the choice. “We’re essentially hiding in plain sight.”
“Right, but if someone is looking for you, they might not have to look all too hard,” Makoto said. “Before all of this, I have followed you here a few times in my investigations of you.”
“Oh” Sumire said, dejected.
“However, I think I may have a solution!” Makoto said. “Oh, but I’m new here. I might be overstepping my bounds a bit.”
Ren smiled. “Not at all. We’re a team here. Everyone’s input is valid.”
“Well, in that case, ” Makoto said, “I have an ice cream shop with our name on it.”
“Ummmm” Sumire said. “It’s not that I don’t like that idea, but we did discuss this before, and we decided that maybe going to a food place for our hideout might be a bit of a distraction.”
“Oh. Yeah, I guess I can see that” Makoto said. “Well, does anyone mind the hideout being in Kichijoji then? I know of a place there that could work.”
“Well, it IS a fair distance away,” Yusuke noted. “And I only have so much money…”
“Um, we can just use the Metaverse funds,” Ryuji said.
“Wait, that place gives out real money?” Makoto said. “Isn’t that dangerous?”
“Well, if it is, it’s too late now,” Ren said. “But I haven’t had any problems. It’s almost as if the economy is taking this all into consideration.”
“Well, I haven’t heard about any big economic problems…” Makoto thought. “So, I guess it’ll be alright.”
“Hold on,” Ann said. “While money might not be an issue, we’d have to go from Shibuya to Kichijoji, then back to Shibuya for any missions..”
“Oh. Right” Makoto said.
“Well, maybe we can go to this place just to hang out sometime” Ryuji offered.
Makoto smiled. “I’d like that.”
“So, I guess we’re staying here then,” Jose said. “Unless we have any other ideas.”
“I think here is fine for now,” Yusuke said. “But this Kaneshiro person IS a rather big fish. Once we change his heart, it might be a good idea to find someplace else to meet up.”
“That’s a good point,” Makoto said. “And if and when Naoko’s note goes public, that’ll only further fan the flames.”
“Speaking of Kaneshiro though,” Morgana interjected, “that’s something else we need to discuss. Our previous two big targets are ones at least some of us were familiar with. This will be the first time we’re going in mostly blind.”
“Yeah,” Ren said. “On the one hand, that’s a sort of comfort. We’re not learning anything deep and disgusting about someone we know already.”
“But on the other hand, that doesn’t prepare us well for what’s to come,” Sumire countered. “Which is a difficulty of its own.”
“True” Yusuke agreed. “Sometimes when you roll the iron dice, you come up snake eyes. So maybe some knowledge would be beneficial in tipping that scale.”
“Well, from what Kisa has told me from her interaction, he’s really aggressive and belligerent,” Makoto explained. “He’s really more invested in his bottom line than anything, and he’ll do anything to get it.”
“You said you’ve done some research as well…” Ann added.
“Yes,” Makoto replied. “He’s a really big name in the criminal underworld. Although, from what I could tell, he’s a bit different from people you’d usually find down there.”
“How so?” Morgana asked.
“I’m not sure entirely, but from the looks of things, even some in the criminal underworld are afraid of him,” Makoto explained. “And those who aren’t seem almost disgusted with him.”
“Huh. Maybe this uniqueness might explain why HE’S the gangster with a palace” Jose rationalized.
“That’s not a bad assumption,” Ren said.
“Hm,” Ryuji grunted. “Sounds like this guy is gonna be coming at anyone who doesn’t like him with full force.”
“But at the same time, he sounds like he might have a few tricks up his sleeve,” Jose added.
“Yeah. Dude definitely fights dirty” Ryuji said.
“So we need a strong approach, but the ability to think on the fly,” Yusuke said. “Well, if that’s not Ren, I don’t know what is.”
“Aw, you’re making me blush” Ren said, grinning ear to ear. “But don’t just sing my praises.” She looked at Makoto. “Our newest recruit has that moxie in her too.”
Makoto was stunned. “Oh, well…”
“Don’t worry, it's a compliment” Ren said. “You’re one of us now.”
“Oh. Well then thank you” Makoto said, embarrassed about this for reasons she couldn’t explain.
“I think that’s everything we can surmise about Kaneshiro” Ann said. “So, what about Naoko?”
Makoto was surprised. “Oh, well, there’s a lot I know about him. In a lot of ways, he’s like a second father to me. He’s usually an affable person; that’s part of the reason he and my father worked so well together. My father was a little more reserved, but was always open to almost anything. They both knew when to take things seriously, but they also both knew when to crack jokes, or just have fun. Naoko was a bit more louder on that front though.
He’d come over sometimes, and we grew close. Eventually, we met his sister, and that’s when Kisa and I became friends. My father and Naoko would take us to the ice cream shop I mentioned earlier whenever they solved a big case. It was a nice little way of getting everyone in on the celebration.”
Makoto took a brief pause. “But when my father died in the line of duty, Naoko grew frustrated. He was upset not only by the loss of his partner and friend, but also that the police, the very institution he served, didn’t seem to take the investigation into it all that seriously. So, in a fury, he quit, and became a private investigator.”
“Woah,” Jose said.
“That’s quite a story…” Ann said.
After a moment of silence, Ryuji bursted out with “I’m sorry.” Everyone looked at him. “It’s just,” he sighed, “I told him about you, and Kisa, and then he figured it out, and it set him off on this crusade. If I hadn’t said anything…”
“Don’t beat yourself up, Sakamoto,” Makoto said. “Naoko is a brilliant detective. I’m sure he would have figured it out, especially if Kisa was involved.” Makoto grew serious again. “Naoko’s wife died of cancer four years into their marriage. So Kisa’s the closest thing he has to a child, so he’s very protective. My sister and I are the second closest, and he can be a bit protective with us too.”
“He’s lost his wife and his partner,” Yusuke remarked. “That’s...a lot to deal with…”
“But I get it,” Sumire said. “I’d hate to lose anyone else right now too…” Ren looked over, glanced around, and gave Sumire a gentle side-hug. Sumire smiled. “Thanks.”
“Right…” Makoto said, acknowledging she knows, but not actually saying anything.
After another silence, Jose summarized “So, Naoko is also bringing his full force to bear.”
“Yeah,” Makoto said. “Which means we need to swing for the fences ourselves. If we’re going to save Naoko and Kisa, and make Kaneshiro confess to his crimes, we CAN’T afford to slip up.”
Ren started up a slow clap. Pretty soon, the rest of the Phantom Thieves joined in, aside from Morgana because paws can’t clap, but he wanted to. “Spoken like a true leader,” Ren said.
“Oh” Makoto said, surprised and embarrassed. “But aren’t you the leader?”
“Of the Phantom Thieves, sure” Ren said. “But you’re the head of the student council, and I can see why now.”
“Speaking of, I should also apologize,” Ann said. “I was really frustrated with the whole Kamoshida thing, and I thought you were among the people who wouldn’t hear me when I was screaming, and I took out some of my frustration on you. But I realize now that you would. So, I’m sorry.”
Makoto walked up and gave Ann a hug. “It’s OK. I’m sure it wasn’t easy what you were going through. And I get it. You thought those things of me because someone wanted you to. But now I’m working on trying to find myself and stand up for who I am. If anything, I’m the one who’s sorry.”
Ann broke out in tears and hugged Makoto back. After she finished crying, Ann grew determined. “I forgive you. You had a lot of pressure on you too. I can’t be mad at that. I know what that's like.”
Makoto smiled. “I forgive you too, Takamaki.”
Ann giggled. “Thanks. But, um, could you just call me Ann? And could I just call you Makoto?”
Makoto giggled in response. “I don’t see why not.” She looked over the group. “I think the offer extends to everyone as well. We’re all friends, right?”
“Of course,” Yusuke said.
“Uh-huh,” Jose said.
“Yeah!” Ryuji exclaimed.
“I’d like that,” Sumire said.
“I’ve been kind of doing it anyway,” Ren admitted.
“Heh heh” Morgana chuckled. “Makoto’s good for this world… But what do we call you, shall we say, professionally?”
“What?” Ryuji said.
“Her thief name…” Morgana said. “I was trying to be discreet.”
“You could just say it outright,” Ryuji fired back. “Only we can hear you, ya know.”
“Well, it’s still cool…” Morgana retorted.
“Hm, that is a good question, regardless” Ren said. She turned to Makoto. “Well what do you want to be?”
“Oh, what about ‘Biker’?” Ryuji suggested.
“Pass!” Makoto said. “It’s too obvious.”
“I agree,” Yusuke said.
“Your name is FOX’ Ryuji said. “If that’s not obvious…”
“It is,” Yusuke agreed. “But my name is reflective of a bold stroke, and as an artist, I prefer that boldness. But Makoto is more elegant and tactical. She should have a name that reflects as such.”
“Thank you, Yusuke,” Makoto said, smiling.
Ryuji hung his head. “One of these days, I really need to learn to shut my mouth.”
“Why not ‘Prez’?” Ann suggested. “Since she’s the student council president.”
“Well, that’s also a bit obvious,” Makoto informed her. “Just in a different direction.”
“Oh” Ann said.
“Heh heh” Ren chuckled. “Elegant? Tactical? I have a name that’s all that AND more.”
“Oh? By all means” Makoto invited.
“‘Queen’” Ren suggested.
Makoto thought about it. She smiled. “Queen it is.”
“Heh heh” Morgana chuckled. “I was just about to suggest that as well.” Ren raised her first up. Morgana bumped it with his paw.
“So, now that that’s all settled” Sumire said, “all that’s left is to finalize the end date.”
“Right,” Makoto said. “The note Naoko left was fairly clear. He’s going to find and kill Kaneshiro by the 11th of July. So, we have until then.”
“Well then, I suggest we get prepared,” Ren said. Everyone nodded. “Dismissed.” Everyone smiled and headed off in their own direction.
That night, at the Niijima household, Makoto and Sae were eating dinner. Sae was glancing at Makoto. Makoto took notice of this. “Is something on your mind?” Makoto asked.
Sae looked deep into her eyes. “Is there anything going on I should know about?” she asked.
“What do you mean?” Makoto responded.
“Are you doing alright?” Sae continued. “Outside of school stuff?”
It took Makoto a second to realize. She read the manifesto too. Of course she would know Naoko wrote it. Does that mean she met with him? Makoto answered “Oh. Well, the truth is, there have been some incidents of gangsters harassing some of the students.”
Sae slammed the table. “What?”
“Ah,” Makoto yelped.
Sae glared at her, but slid her fist back down to her side. “Sorry. But why didn’t you say anything?”
“Well, I wanted to gather as much information as I could before I told you…” Makoto said. “But things got out of hand, and in a desperate move…”
Sae was concerned. “What?”
“...I posted a message asking the Phantom Thieves for help,” Makoto finished.
“WHAT?!” Sae said, surprised.
“I know,” Makoto said. “It was dumb, but I didn’t know what else to do. But I realized I shouldn’t, and deleted the post like 15 minutes after I made it. But the Phantom Thieves took notice of it anyway, and started messaging me.”
“They MESSAGED you?” Sae said, still in disbelief.
Makoto nodded. “And they’re using some sort of advanced programming, so the messages were deleted. They really don’t want to leave a trace. So, they agreed to help me, and I helped them out too by giving them the information I collected.”
Sae looked at Makoto, and then the table. This SOUNDS a bit suspicious, she looked back up, but I don’t think Makoto would lie about this kind of thing. Perhaps Naoko stumbled across the investigation the Phantom Thieves were making with Makoto’s information. If that’s the case, he might know who they are, or at least one of them. Still, I don’t think he’s in the mood to tell me right now. Sae sighed. “Well, I’m glad you told me the truth.”
Makoto sighed. “Thanks sis.”
“Just try to be more careful in the future,” Sae reminded her. “You might be safe now, but if things even remotely look like they might get out of hand, you come tell me right away. Or at least someone who can handle it.”
“Right…” Makoto said, feeling a sting that was unintended and unnoticed by Sae, but it hurt all the same.
Later, when Makoto was in her room, pondering her sister’s behavior and attitude, she thought aloud “Sis… You’ve changed too… I know the you I once knew is in there somewhere…” She glanced at her phone. Curious, she picked it up, loaded the Metaverse app, and gently whispered “Sae Niijima.”
“Match found” the phone responded. Makoto looked at it. Her sister’s name was in black, but unlike Kaneshiro’s the two following lines were also in black. Makoto was a little relieved, since no one was trying to actively kill her sister, but at the same time, she grew worried, since her sister had a palace of her own.
“Well… if no one’s trying to kill her…” Makoto said. “It might be better to hold onto this for now…” She set her phone down, changed into her pajamas, and got under her covers to go to sleep.
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I downloaded the soundtrack. I am not a fan compared to P4D soundtrack though =/
Same. ;w;I do think P3D is solid, and at least matches the visual theme/aesthetic of P3D (aka the techno theme). But…..I mean….P4D was disco….and they didn’t rely only on disco…. They had jazz, swing, pop, dance, rock, hard rock. P4D had a very big selection of different genres, both with it’s base and with it’s remixes, it helped that it drew A LOT on the P4 Reincarnation OST.
P3D DIDN’T draw on the Reincarnation OST tbh, it took two songs. When Moon Reaches To the Stars, and Burn My Dread (former isn’t really too different to the original game’s OST except it has more lyrics, and the full ver of BMD was first featured on the Reincarnation OST). Tbh those are the two songs that are the least Reincarnate-a-fied out of either P3′s or P4′s OST, and the Reincarnation has SOOOOOO many great songs to offer for P3D, and it really changes up the genre of each song compared to how it is in the original game. Like, I really do like Junpei’s Deep Breath remix song in P3D, but I’d drop it in a heart beat for my fun boppin little love song ver on the Reincarnation Album:
But you know what would’ve been fun? And it’s a dance I think Junpei could’ve pulled it off, I mean it def fits P4D’s aesthetic (aka the disco aesthetic), but Junpei was the first one to emanate this. And it’s this funky fresh remix of Want to be Close:
Like c’mon! If anyone could dance to that it’s totally Junpei! ;w;
Or how about something jazzy? Guess what there’s something for that too!
Heck….man, FeMC’s Sun is a great track too, and you know it’s not the fact it’s an FeMC song they didn’t use it (they def could’ve remixed it and maybe added lyrics if they REALLY wanted to):
Like why aren’t these in here? Like the remixes are fine, I actually really like them tbh (both as songs in general, and the fact they really got the beat down while I was playing, it really pulled me in) but these should also be in here (esp since P3/5D have less base songs than P4D, and like 4/5 less songs that aren’t MVs/are the characters actually dancing). Plus they also have PQ, Arena/Ultimax, the stage plays, the movies, EVEN THE PACHINKO MACHINE HAD AN ORIGINAL SONG! P3 had all these places to pull music from and it didn’t. ;w;
I also don’t understand why…..Burn My Dread is the last song…..I think the Last Battle Mix would’ve been better, or really just a remix of the song, I mean….P4D had a remix of it’s iconic song so you’d think P3D of their’s…..
Heck, ending on the Reincarnation remix of Memories of You would been good too (or even just a side song), it would’ve worked great as a interpretative dance too boot (just added this part but I guess there’s a limit to how many videos you can add 8U)!:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiiPjfueZEQ
OR! They could’ve done a dual mix of Memories of You, with Yumi and the PTS version (aka the male singer who did P3P’s opening, Shuhei), and make it seem like the two singers are singing at each other. Actually that would’ve been a great bonus song, esp if it involved Minato/Makoto and FeMC dancing at the Seal (with Yumi representing FeMC, and Shuhei for Minato). Ahhhhh so many possibilities flush down the drain cause they had to release P5D too instead of just expanding on P3D (with P5D being released later and being expanded on too). ;w; Also here’s a ref to Shuhei’s ver:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGnocs3gzaY
Ok like P3D still had more variety in it’s OST than P5D, I’ll give it that. But there could’ve been more, there SHOULD’VE been more.
Also like what were they thinking of for Aigis’ dances? Like I like the dances, they’re fine…..BUT WHAT THE FUDGE WHERE THEY THINKING? YOU HAVE A GD ROBOT! UTILIZE THAT! LIKE NO, THEY SAID THEY WOULD DO THAT AND THEY DIDN’T. THEY JUST AIRPLANE ARM’S HER THE WHOLE TIME! No no no, where’s the Mr Robot Dance moves? Why isn’t she the one dancing to the dubstep/techno stuff? I get the dancer could only do so much but oh my god there are people that specialize in these dance moves! Like I c’mon I was expecting AT LEAST ONE SONG/DANCE TO BE LIKE THIS:
But no instead Junpei is the one that gets these types of songs? Like he does a good job but…..c’mon ;w;
P5D? The only remixed I really like was…..I think the Twins….Anne’s Rivers Remix did get me on beat like the P3D ones but I didn’t really like it. When it came to the P5D remixes I thought they were either “fine for the most part but overstayed their welcome and made the song go on longer than it should’ve” (how I felt about the Wake Up Remix), or they were “good when they weren’t resembling their base song” (and by that point they could’ve/should’ve been original songs, the original beat was wasted as a remix). I was really pulling for these remixes too tbh.
I also think they misused a lot of the music with the dances. Anne, Haru, and Ren are pretty good dancers….the songs they chose for them SUCK ASS tho. Anne is a sexy dancer, and would thrive with either some sexy song (that Persona does not have so, crap can’t use that), or a pure pop song (something like in American pop, or P3/4, which P5 has zilch of any of those in it’s OST). Haru is a great ballet dancer, and while i think she makes her songs work the most, she’d benefit so much more from Yukiko’s songs imo, it’s really bring out her dances more (but P5 doesn’t have those songs either, except maybe Encounter: Lovers, but that’s not long enough). Ren, while I think the Wake Up Remix overstays it’s welcome, it’s so energetic and really fits him, but everything else I feel smother’s his talent. With the Last Surprise MV (ignoring the obvious problems of sexulizing the girls for now) it’s a good, well shot and danced to MV…..BUT WHY LAST SURPRISE???? Like with Anne’s base dancing, this MV is suppose to be sexy, it’s danced to sexy, it’s shot sexy….BUT LAST SURPRISE IS NOT A SEXY SONG! WE NEED AN ORIGINAL SONG! OR A SEXY REMIX OF ANOTHER SONG! WHY WASTE LAST SURPRISE?
And then there’s P5D’s final dance (and again I had a similar issue with P3D)…..Why not be like P4D and remix an iconic song? Wake up and Last Surprise (or even Life Will Change, tho that one worked great as an MV so let’s focus on the former two instead) are your most iconic! Remix them if you need to! They should be your final closing number!
Ahhhhhhh such a waste for both games, they deserve better. ;w;
That being said, for the OPs and Eds. I think P3D had the better one compared to P5D (I’d tie it with P4D, but I found P3D’s 2nd half a little lacking, and one line made me face palm….which isn’t as bad as P5D’s which made me throw my head threw a wall out of embarrassment XP). But I think P5D had the best ending song out of the 3, but on the other hand it doesn’t sound like and ending song and is wasted as one (it would be a perfect alt night theme). It was also wasted as an MV song, it has fresh music to offer P5D and they won’t have anyone dance to it. ;w; Ngl I don’t remember P3D’s ending song, it wasn’t bad, but for now I gotta rank it lower than P4D’s since I can’t remember it. XD ;w;
SO uhhhhhh there’s my essay on P3/5D’s music and song choice I didn’t realize I was gonna write. Sorry Huh you opened up a can of worms. ;w;
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