After picking up the Yoshizawa sisters at the subway station, Rinto gave them a quick rundown of Nina's situation as they walked to school.
By the time he finished, both girls were staring at him in disbelief. They exchanged a look—equally stunned.
Kasumi: "...Rinto-nii, just how many women from your past are there? Be honest—I promise I won't get mad."
Sumire: "I mean, I get that you're really attractive, Senpai. And after being a Phantom Thief for so long, of course you'd have a big following… but a girl coming all the way from Kumamoto just for you? Isn't that kind of sinful? What if her family tries to sue you or something?"
"To be honest, I'm kind of worried about that myself."
Rinto ignored Kasumi's teasing, though he couldn't deny feeling sympathy for Sumire's concern.
From an outsider's point of view—someone who knew nothing about the Metaverse and wouldn't even believe it existed—Nina's behavior probably looked insane.
To her father, it must've seemed like this: his daughter got bullied, then over what he saw as a trivial issue, ran away from home for several days—during which some suspicious guy got involved with her.
Now she was acting like she'd been brainwashed by some cult, dead set on moving to Tokyo, threatening to cut ties and run away again…
It wasn't something Rinto wanted to say in front of Nina, but he did think she'd gone a bit too far, pride or not.
At the very least, things shouldn't have escalated to her dropping out of school completely.
Sure, half the blame fell on her father for trying to sweep things under the rug—but the other half was definitely on him.
"So if I ever get the chance, I'd like to talk with her father. But that can wait."
Mentally, he was ready to help Nina however he could.
He just couldn't leave a troubled girl alone—a textbook case of a well-meaning harem protagonist.
The Yoshizawa sisters didn't mind at all. If anything, it only made them love him more.
After all, if Rinto hadn't been this meddlesome, they wouldn't have ended up in their current relationship to begin with.
"But still, this Nina-san—she knows about the Metaverse now, right?"
Sumire tilted her head, tapping her chin thoughtfully.
"And she's like me—she's already faced her Shadow. That means she's probably close to awakening, doesn't it? She could even become a Phantom Thief."
"Senpai, are you thinking of bringing her in? Onee-chan and I would totally welcome her."
Rinto couldn't help but feel warmed by how kind they were. Their genuine compassion always struck him deeply. He wrapped both girls in a quick hug.
Since they were on the subway, he managed to resist the urge to kiss them right then and there.
But as for Sumire's idea, he'd already thought about it.
"I want to wait and see first. Nina just got to Tokyo—she's in a brand-new city, starting over. If I jump in too fast, I might just end up being the center of her world, and that could mess things up even more."
"That said, if the Navigation App pops up on her phone again, I want to know immediately. That's why I asked Morgana to tail her."
He tapped his schoolbag, hinting that their resident talking cat was already on a stealth mission.
In cat form, Morgana could move freely without drawing suspicion.
And since Nina had never met him in the Metaverse, she only saw him as Rinto's cute pet cat.
If she ever slipped into the Metaverse again, Morgana would alert Rinto right away.
"But honestly, being this reactive is risky," Kasumi said, tapping her cheek with one finger. "What even is that Navigation App? Why does it just appear on random people's phones?"
"For now, we've managed to keep things under control. But what if more people have it already? Not everyone's lucky enough to awaken to a Persona. If ordinary people get dragged into the Metaverse and attacked by Shadows, they could—"
She trailed off, but the implication was clear.
It was a serious problem.
If possible, Rinto wanted to uncover the Navigation App's origins soon—to stop more innocent people from getting pulled in.
But who could he trust to help investigate something like that?
For now, it would just have to stay as another unfinished side quest on his mental to-do list.
Once they arrived at school, Rinto pulled out a notebook during break and began jotting down notes.
Ann, sitting in front of him, spun around and rested her chin on his desk. Her golden twintails brushed against his cheek as she grinned.
"What are you writing? Doing homework right after class? That's, like, peak honors-student energy, you know. Totally unpopular."
Rinto: "Popularity wasn't really the goal. Besides, I am an honors student. My last quiz was top of the class."
He proudly laid his 100-point test on the desk.
Ann immediately pouted, retaliating by tickling him with her twintails.
Rinto's grades were flawless across the board.
Ann, on the other hand, was solid in English—unsurprising given her time abroad—but pretty average elsewhere. In a normal Japanese high school, full marks would've been a breeze for her.
But thanks to her laid-back attitude and grammar slip-ups, Rinto consistently outscored her.
It drove her nuts.
"You know," she said, narrowing her eyes, "these days, girls go for sporty guys, not brainy ones. Rinto, you should totally join a sports club! Not volleyball, but soccer or basketball maybe? Then Shiho could be your club manager—she'd wipe the floor with the competition."
"…This girl ships us way too openly."
Rinto muttered under his breath, helpless.
Lately, Ann had been relentless about trying to pair him up with Shiho. If she wasn't quite a matchmaking auntie yet, she was definitely a full-blown romance-manga fangirl who'd jump at even the tiniest hint.
He wanted to remind her that he'd already turned down Shiho's confession once.
But since Shiho herself seemed fine with it—and always handled Ann's antics calmly—he just let it slide.
Troublesome, as always… Rinto sighed and went back to writing.
Ann eventually gave up on tickling him, but curiosity got the better of her. She leaned against his back, completely invading his personal space, and peeked over his shoulder.
"What are you writing, anyway...? A to-do list?"
Rinto: "Yeah. Life's gotten too hectic lately. I figured I should start organizing things a little."
Since there was nothing to hide, Rinto casually showed Ann what he'd written.
It was Thursday—the second week of the semester, barely ten days since he'd started school—yet so much had already happened. Nina's sudden arrival last night had finally pushed him to start managing his time better.
He pointed to the last two lines on his list:
"Tonight, I'm working at a live house called STARRY, and I'm bringing along a friend who just moved here yesterday. She's new to Tokyo, so I've got to keep an eye on her."
"And tomorrow—Friday—there's a live show at STARRY. I promised a couple of kouhai from the Light Music Club I'd take them."
"Then Saturday... I finally have to get that medical checkup I've been putting off. If I skip again, I think that doctor might actually dissect me. Plus, I've got to look into that tutoring job my kouhai recommended and meet the family."
It was ridiculous. Even Rinto had to marvel at how much he was juggling.
And those were just the short-term tasks. His long-term ones were on another level entirely.
The deadline for Yoshizawa-san's "move houses" request was approaching fast, meaning he had to finalize plans so Momoka could move with him.
He also needed to research the Navigation App and find someone knowledgeable about the Metaverse.
Then there was learning bass, helping Momoka form her new band, deciding the Phantom Thieves' next target... way, way too much.
"Oh my god, Rinto—you're like Ninomiya Kinjiro reborn. The ultimate overachiever who reads while chopping firewood!"
Rinto: "Who even is that? This isn't some educational kids' show."
Besides, nothing on his list had anything to do with actual studying.
Even Rinto had to laugh at himself for how "unacademic" his life was right now.
Still, he was genuinely content.
Every single thing on that list was something he'd chosen—something he wanted to do.
As long as he kept giving it his all, he didn't need to compromise. Not yet.
"…You're so cool, you know that? ♡"
Ann looked up at him with a rare, sincere smile, lightly poking his cheek as she spoke.
Then, true to form, this reliable "bro" of his gave a very Ann-like suggestion:
"You're juggling your part-time jobs, your band, and Phantom Thieves stuff, right? Why not just... combine them?"
"I know the Phantom Thieves are supposed to stay secret, but it's not like we can't recruit new members. As long as you trust them, I think everyone would be fine with it. Like that cool rock-and-roll onee-san you live with—wouldn't it be awesome if she became a Phantom Thief too?"
Rinto: "...Momoka? As a Phantom Thief??"
The image alone sent his brain into cat-shaped confusion.
He tried to picture Momoka as a Phantom Thief—and failed spectacularly.
Sure, she had the rebellious streak. Rock itself was rebellion, after all.
But that "tough on the outside, marshmallow inside" personality?
The same woman who insisted on taking charge, only to collapse in exhaustion after a single minute every time?
Yeah… no. Absolutely not happening.
"I think we need to be careful. Awakening a Persona means confronting your own inner rebellion. Without a serious trigger, that's dangerous."
"Ah, right, right… true…"
Ann, who had momentarily forgotten her own awakening, quickly covered her mouth, embarrassed.
Still, the idea lingered in Rinto's mind.
Proactively pushing someone toward awakening felt wrong.
The Metaverse dug up people's deepest traumas—it wasn't something you could just invite someone into casually.
But... if the person understood the risks and wanted to face them head-on—maybe it wasn't entirely unjustified.
Maybe Nina could…? He filed the thought away for later.
And so another busy day rolled on.
As usual, Rinto planned to have lunch with Ann and Shiho in their favorite courtyard spot.
But when they arrived, their usual seats were already taken.
The three stood there, indecisive, until Shiho suggested, "Why don't we go to the cafeteria?"
"Our school cafeteria's huge, and there are always free seats. It's fine to bring your own lunches too—it beats going back to class, right?"
Perfect idea. Both Ann and Rinto immediately agreed.
...
The trio headed to the cafeteria. It was actually Rinto's first time stepping inside since enrolling at Shujin.
He usually preferred his own cooking—it was cheaper, and he genuinely enjoyed it.
Just as Shiho had said, there were plenty of open tables, and they quickly found seats.
But almost immediately, something strange caught their attention.
"The bread stand outside… what's with that crowd?"
Right outside the cafeteria, a line of mostly male students—first-years to third-years—had nearly blocked the entire passageway.
Then a familiar, bright voice rang out above the noise:
"We're totally sold out of bread today~! Not even one plain loaf left! Thanks for stopping by, everyone! Please support us again tomorrow! (?＞ω＜)☆"
That bubbly voice—so animated it practically came with emoji—was unmistakable.
Rinto froze, eyes wide.
He shot up from his seat. "You two eat first—I'll be right back."
Ann and Shiho nodded in sync, watching him dart off.
Rinto pushed through the lingering crowd of disappointed boys until he finally spotted the person packing up the trays.
Even with a mask and her long hair tucked under a sanitary cap, those big, lively eyes were unmistakable.
Rinto blinked in shock. "Subaru? What are you doing here?"
"Ohh~! Rinto-kun! Good afternoon! (<ゝω·)~☆"
Standing there behind the counter, selling bread at his school, was none other than his mysterious coworker—the legendary part-time warrior herself, Subaru Awa!