Chapter 160 – Phantom Thieves of Hearts Formed, Kasu the Fatso's Lewd Request for a Push!
"Megumi? Megumi, are you home?"
At the entrance of the Kato household.
Eriri pressed the doorbell twice, listening closely for sounds inside. She knew Megumi had taken leave recently, but after learning of it, she subconsciously ignored it. Still, ever since becoming friends with Megumi, she had never forgotten her like this before.
"No one?"
Kasumigaoka Shi Yu crossed her arms, a trace of doubt in her eyes.
Logically, if Megumi had taken leave, she should be home. But there was no movement at all inside.
"Doesn't seem like she's home. Maybe she went with her family to visit relatives?"
Eriri turned her head to ask Renji, assuming Megumi was simply out.
Looked like today was a wasted trip.
"No, she's here."
Renji shook his head. His perception told him Megumi was indeed inside—and was already running to the door.
Click.
The door opened. Kato Megumi peeked her head out and looked at the three of them apologetically. "Sorry, I was busy just now."
"It's fine. Megumi, are you alright?"
They really should have cared earlier. As classmates, how had they let her slip from their minds these past days?
"I'm fine, just not feeling well these days, so I asked for leave. I was planning to return to school next Monday."
Megumi shook her head. She noted Eriri's concern with gratitude.
Her leave had been sudden. But there were things she couldn't say—if she did, the others might think she was crazy.
"Unwell?"
Shi Yu glanced at Megumi's state. She looked fine.
"Not really sick, just uncomfortable. Come in and sit."
Megumi stepped aside, opening the door for them.
"Megumi, you look like you're hiding something."
Renji pierced through at once. Though Megumi had concealed it well—even Shi Yu and Eriri hadn't noticed—he had seen that moment of hesitation. She had wanted to speak but swallowed it back.
Though curious, Renji didn't push. If Megumi didn't want to say, he wouldn't force it. Everyone had secrets they didn't wish revealed.
"Eh? Do I?"
Eriri looked between them, confused, then fixed her eyes on Megumi. She hadn't noticed anything unusual.
"Really, where did all your nutrition go?"
Shi Yu shot her a contemptuous look. She hadn't seen it either, but Renji's words made sense, and Megumi's lack of denial confirmed it.
Eriri, however, stood there clueless. Brainless and talentless—how could she ever win? Destined to be the golden-haired loser!
"You fat woman, what's that supposed to mean?"
Eriri's shame turned to anger as she glared at Shi Yu.
Her eyes flicked over Shi Yu's figure, and she realized she could never win against her in this area.
Damn it!
Why was this woman blessed with such unfair growth, while no matter how hard she tried, her own fate never changed?
"Actually, I do have something to tell you all. I just feared you wouldn't believe me."
Megumi hesitated, then decided she had to share what seemed like an unbelievable matter.
At first, she hadn't wanted to believe it herself. But after a few days alone to digest it, she had no choice but to accept the strange reality.
"Don't tell me you're a princess from some kingdom, returning to inherit the throne?"
Shi Yu joked. Ridiculous, yes, but Megumi had already said it was hard to believe, so she could only guess along those lines.
"Even more ridiculous." Megumi shook her head, pulled out her phone, and showed them. "Do you believe in other worlds?"
"Other worlds?!"
Shi Yu's eyes widened. She had thought her own guess was already outrageous.
"I don't believe it!"
Eriri raised her hand flatly. The idea of another world existing was nonsense to her.
"But it does."
Even she hadn't wanted to accept it. But what choice did she have?
She had been forced to acknowledge reality.
"An app gave me the power to travel between this world and another. And in that world, I awakened an ability called Persona."
Megumi spoke carefully, explaining everything she had experienced in concise words.
Renji understood at once. An app, Personas… he knew exactly what this was.
This world of his was turning into a giant stew.
All he had wanted was a peaceful slice-of-life romance. Yet now there was Conan, urban legends, Miko with her spirit sight, and now Megumi with a Persona. If Stand Users appeared next, he wouldn't even be surprised.
His world was clearly becoming the most dangerous one. Other versions of Renji in other worlds each had their own narrow lane, but here, everything was being crammed together.
"I believe you."
Knowing all this, Renji was certain Megumi was telling the truth.
He just wondered: had she entered the Persona storyline directly, or had the world's fusion spawned a new arc? Or perhaps she only gained the ability without the plot.
Either way, this wasn't just a Persona world anymore. With so many worlds fused—even Conan disrupting the timeline—this was chaos incarnate.
"Eh? Are you sure?"
Megumi had expected Renji to react like Shi Yu and Eriri.
They were good friends, yes. But his immediate trust left her puzzled.
Why was he so willing to believe her?
"Of course. Don't underestimate the bond between us, idiot!"
Why was he suddenly acting chuunibyou?
Megumi almost rolled her eyes. Yet she was touched. She had feared they would think she was delusional. She hadn't believed anyone would accept it so quickly.
"I'm suddenly interested. If there really is another world, can you take us there? Or maybe bring back some souvenirs?"
It was absurd, yes. But Shi Yu was a novelist and Eriri a mangaka. Their imaginations were wild by nature.
And Megumi wasn't the type to boast or lie for attention. So they were willing to believe her.
If another world really existed… what would it be like?
"It's this!"
As she spoke, Kato Megumi tapped the app on her phone, and in an instant, everyone present was pulled into the space created by her consciousness.
This was one of the abilities she had gained through the app.
No soul guide?
Renji glanced around, finding it somewhat similar to the game, yet not quite the same.
"Hey, hey, hey, this is cheating—there really is another world?"
Kasumigaoka Shi Yu looked around the space in astonishment.
Absurd.
Completely absurd!
Another world truly existed.
"So, you were summoned here?"
Eriri thought perhaps Megumi had been called into another world to save it.
"I've been studying it these past days, but I still can't figure out what exactly is going on."
Megumi shook her head. She had tried to research, but she couldn't understand what purpose this thing had in bringing her here.
And no one had given her any guidance.
"Maybe it isn't meant for you to stay home and study it. Maybe it's meant for you to go out instead."
After all, the background of Persona was the intersection of reality and the supernatural—facing humanity's dark desires, stealing the treasure within corrupted hearts, and forcing them to let go of their evil desires.
"Yes… that's why I've been on leave recently, because of this."
Megumi thought carefully. Renji's words made sense. Locking herself away at home wasn't a solution. Perhaps she should follow his advice and go outside.
"But Renji-kun, it feels like you know a lot about this. That's… not just my imagination, is it?"
Though she didn't want to appear too sharp, it was obvious Renji seemed to know something.
From his earlier behavior, she couldn't pretend not to notice.
Now she understood why Renji had believed her from the very start.
Hearing her words, Shi Yu and Eriri both turned toward Renji, suspicion on their faces. Could it be that he knew more than he admitted?
"You really are sharp, Megumi."
A trace of helplessness crossed Renji's heart. He had been too obvious. Megumi clearly wasn't simple-minded like Eriri, and though Shi Yu was clever, her observations weren't as meticulous as Megumi's.
Dealing with intelligent women, sometimes he really couldn't hold his mask perfectly.
"So, Renji-kun, you already knew about this app?"
"Yes."
Since Megumi had awakened to this ability, Renji felt there was no point in hiding it. She would learn sooner or later.
Besides, if she could bring him into another world, then that might allow him to alter the story itself—opportunities worth considering.
Originally, Renji hadn't planned to reveal his phantom thief identity.
After all, the three of them were just ordinary people. There was no need. But if all three could awaken Personas, then they could form the Phantom Thieves of Hearts together.
Especially in this Conan world, where there were so many hearts to steal.
After realizing this, Renji found himself shifting his approach.
The agency could keep handling visible supernatural cases.
But the Phantom Thieves could carry out thefts—a team of himself, Megumi, Eriri, and Shi Yu, later even expanding to include other Persona users.
Which meant… perhaps he, too, could awaken a Persona?
This world was becoming more and more interesting.
He shared with them what he knew about Personas, the other world, and the app.
After digesting the information, they began to wonder something else—why did Renji know so much?
"So, Renji-kun, how do you know all this?"
"It sounds outrageous, but now we have proof, it's hard to deny."
"This world isn't ordinary. Renji-kun, you clearly know more than us."
From that moment, they seemed to understand.
"In any case, this world is full of strange things. Don't be surprised when they happen."
"It really is strange. Like last time—Renji-kun was with us, but also somewhere else. We were curious."
Megumi had suspected it then, but thought it was an illusion. Now she knew it wasn't.
"Yes, I thought it odd too. Why were there two Renjis?"
Shi Yu nodded in agreement.
"Eh? Eh? What are you even talking about?"
Eriri was lost.
"So you already knew before?"
She had thought she was the first to notice—but it turned out they had all realized, except her.
"Just a guess. When you like someone, even with a mask, you can still tell."
Shi Yu leaned in, cupping Renji's face and examining him.
His build, his mannerisms—despite disguises, the traces remained.
"And so many times, Renji-kun, your habits gave you away. It was strange. You were here, yet someone so much like you was elsewhere. At the time, I thought I was imagining it. But with special powers, it makes sense."
Megumi explained further.
When you liked someone, you noticed their every word and movement. Even the smallest details. Unlike careless Eriri, she and Shi Yu had seen it all.
That special attention had confirmed it for them.
"I knew it."
Anime was ridiculous—like how Kaitou Kid's mask fooled everyone, despite being barely convincing.
Renji had fallen into the same trap. He covered himself well, but his own habits betrayed him.
Thinking about it now, it made sense. Back then, he was just a high schooler who had only recently gained his cheat. Of course he couldn't disguise himself perfectly. Just like a first-time actor, mistakes were inevitable.
No wonder Shi Yu once said she wanted to write a romance novel about a phantom thief. She must have suspected long ago.
"Actually, I realized it too! Renji-kun, you're that phantom thief!"
Eriri finally reacted, her face flushed red.
Though it sounded like an afterthought, she too had wondered before. The thief's habits and tone had resembled Renji's.
But she had dismissed it, because Renji had been right beside her at the time.
"So, Renji-kun, you wouldn't want this secret revealed, right? Then tonight you know what to do."
"Hey! You fat woman, you've been watching too many movies, haven't you, you idiot?!"
Eriri burst out instantly.
Threatening him like that—right in front of her too? No way!
"If it's really as Renji-kun says, why don't we form a Phantom Thieves group?"
Megumi suddenly thought it sounded fun.
"Can we?"
So far, only Renji and Megumi had powers. Could the others?
"Personas… maybe Shi Yu and Eriri can awaken too."
Maybe. She wasn't sure.
So, was the Phantom Thieves of Hearts formed just like that?
Renji suddenly imagined future introductions: leader of the Phantom Thieves, agency boss, ghost's close friend, high school detective, fake Black Organization member—an endless pile of identities.
"That's true. Then I'll write a love story between a phantom thief gentleman and a lady thief."
Shi Yu nodded in approval. She had no powers yet, but maybe someday.
And if two phantom thieves fell in love, their bond could deepen further.
Though Megumi seemed harmless now, Shi Yu felt something about her was off.
(End of Chapter)
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