…Rinto rushed into the classroom at the last possible second, nearly collapsing into his seat.
Ann, who was sitting in front of him, jumped in surprise, immediately turning around with concern.
"Rinto, what happened? Is everything okay?"
The bubbly girl reached out, gently messing up Rinto's already disheveled hair.
"You're all sweaty, and your hair's a complete mess! …Huh? There's a long strand here—wait, red hair? Isn't this…"
"Ann," Rinto interrupted before the girl could think too deeply, suddenly giving her a very earnest look.
"You look especially pretty today. Did you use some special makeup?"
"Eh~? You noticed?!"
Ann's eyes lit up instantly, turning into delighted crescents.
"I actually tried a new facial cleanser today, and the results seem great! The place where I model has plenty of samples—I can bring you some men's products later. I'm sure you'll like it~!"
This innocent girl was always so easy to distract. Rinto smiled warmly, readily agreeing.
When lunch break came, Rinto met up with the twins in the courtyard as they'd agreed earlier.
They planned to eat together and inform Ann about recent developments with the Phantom Thieves.
But as for Rinto's new relationship with the Yoshizawa sisters, they had decided—for now—to keep it secret.
It wasn't that Rinto cared if others found out, but the twins had strongly insisted.
Kasumi explained earnestly, holding her oversized three-tiered bento box and biting into a rice ball:
"We're still students, after all. If word spreads, it'd cause unnecessary trouble. Who knows, we might even attract gossip reporters stalking around the school. It'd disrupt everyone's lives."
Sumire nodded emphatically, agreeing with her sister. "Plus, we still have gymnastics training and Phantom Thief activities. Adding scandals to the mix would be a real headache."
"So, sorry, Senpai," Sumire continued sweetly. "Could you please keep this a secret for now? Of course, we'll compensate you privately… just like we did at the hotel~?"
The twins shared a mischievous giggle, their suggestive eyes dancing playfully across Rinto's face.
Rinto couldn't help but suspect they were using secrecy as an excuse to justify private affection.
Those final ten minutes in the hotel had thoroughly convinced him that romance was basically divine.
Now, every time his eyes landed on the twins' glossy, jelly-soft lips, his mind drifted back to fantasies he'd never dared imagine before.
Unsurprisingly, the twins immediately caught onto his wandering thoughts.
Kasumi leaned closer, her voice low and teasing as she playfully flicked her tongue against his ear:
"Patience, Rinto-senpai~ After school, we'll keep your lips sealed again, okay?"
"Ah! Kasumi, no fair!" Sumire quickly chimed in. "I'll definitely help you keep your lips sealed too, Senpai!"
"…What are you two even talking about? I have absolutely no idea," Rinto coughed sharply, quickly regaining his composure and pushing these increasingly mischievous girls away.
Compared to the happiness of having girlfriends, keeping their relationship secret was practically effortless. So, Rinto willingly agreed:
"If that's what you two prefer, of course I'll do it. Just tell me whenever you're comfortable going public, and I'll handle it smoothly."
The twins beamed, their smiles brighter than ever.
Knowing that Rinto wholeheartedly supported their dreams filled them with joy. Honestly, if school wasn't mandatory, they'd gladly drag him back to that hotel immediately to finish what they'd started in the morning…
Ann returned at that moment, interrupting their thoughts. "I'm back! The line for the restroom was ridiculous… Oh, hi Kasumi-chan, Sumire-chan~!"
"Ann-senpai~! ( ＞ u＜)"
The three girls immediately joined hands, squealing and hopping excitedly in circles.
Meanwhile, Rinto quietly handed Ann the bento he'd made specially for her, contemplating inwardly:
Why is it that whenever girls meet, they instantly hold hands and start jumping around? Do they all have some kind of secret bunny gene?
After he gently guided the twins to sit, Ann curiously asked:
"It's pretty unusual for you two to join us for lunch. Did something happen?"
The twins exchanged knowing glances with Rinto, and after a nod of mutual agreement, they proudly straightened their backs.
"Actually… Sumire and I both awakened our Personas!"
"From today onward, we'll fight together with you, Ann-senpai!"
"Really?! That's awesome!"
Ann immediately pulled the twins into a joyful embrace, nearly starting another round of bouncing.
Nothing else really needed to be said. They'd already grown close to Ann—awakening their Personas had been the final step to officially join the Phantom Thieves.
Of course, exactly how the sisters had awakened remained a special secret between the twins and Rinto, not to be shared with outsiders.
But today was clearly a day of double joy.
While Ann and the Yoshizawa twins happily chatted away, someone tapped Rinto on the shoulder.
A cheerful voice chimed in, teasingly, "Yo, leader—enjoying your harem?"
With a bandage still taped across his cheek, Sakamoto Ryuji was finally back at school:
"Sorry for dropping off the radar for a few days, but I'm officially back now!"
"And me too, obviously!"
Morgana leaped gracefully from Ryuji's head, elegantly scratching his ear with a hind leg.
Ryuji's injuries had previously kept him homebound, with Morgana staying by his side as a precaution. Having someone to chat with had kept Ryuji's spirits up while recovering.
Now, Ryuji appeared even better than Rinto had expected.
The Phantom Thief leader warmly smiled. "You okay, Ryuji? Did your classmates give you any trouble?"
"Oh, they're giving me plenty of attention, alright!"
Ryuji's face exaggeratedly fell:
"You have no idea! The second I stepped into class, everyone stopped talking like they'd seen a ghost. They won't even look me in the eye, treating me like some kind of gangster!"
"There's rumors flying around that I got hurt fighting in street gangs. Even the teachers avoid eye contact and get tongue-tied when they see me, like I'm some cursed spirit."
The girls quietly chewed their lunches, speechless at his awful situation.
The truth was, Ryuji's injuries had come from accidentally stumbling into Kamoshida's Palace, resulting in his late arrival at the opening ceremony and severe injuries.
He was a victim, but he couldn't reveal the truth. Worse still, the school dragged his mother into this mess, stigmatizing him further.
It was understandable he'd once wanted to settle the score violently with Kamoshida.
Yet now, Ryuji flashed his bright grin:
"Honestly, I don't care anymore. When Kamoshida first screwed me over, I wanted nothing more than to trade my life to make him suffer. But now, I've got you guys on my side—I don't give a damn what anyone else thinks!"
"So hey, we're officially tackling Kamoshida's Palace after school today, right? I've been itching to get started! Let's steal that bastard's twisted heart and make him repent for good!"
"Yeah!"
Not only Ryuji and Ann, who had personal grudges against Kamoshida, but even the Yoshizawa twins eagerly raised their hands in excitement.
Kamoshida was undeniably a villain, and joining Rinto in a heist filled the twins with excitement—they finally felt like they were standing shoulder-to-shoulder with him.
After recently experiencing real combat, they'd even surpassed Ann in experience, eagerly anticipating the chance to show off their new skills.
Meanwhile…
Takamatsu Tomori: "…"
Togawa Sakiko: "…"
The two girls secretly observing Rinto from different corners of the courtyard suddenly noticed each other's presence. Both panicked briefly before relaxing upon realizing their mutual focus was elsewhere.
Watching the lively, popular group in the courtyard, then glancing at their own shadowy selves hiding in corners, they simultaneously felt ashamed.
Quietly, each girl slipped away back to her own classroom.