Phantom Thieves of Hope - A Danganronpa X Persona 5 Story.

Chapter 96: KK Thx

Cool Morning - Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony

Kyoko pushed open the door to the Thieves' Den, taking in the familiar low-lit, quiet atmosphere.

She had expected the others to be here. After all, her update on the investigation into Hope's Peak's Board of Trustees was urgent. But as her eyes adjusted to the dim light, she saw that only Kaede was waiting for her.

Kaede looked up from the bed in the corner, her fingers scrolling through her phone. A warm smile crossed her face as she rose to greet Kyoko, brushing a lock of blonde hair behind her ear.

"Hey!" she greeted, closing the distance between them with her usual bright energy. "I thought maybe you wouldn't make it today. The others had to step out, but they'll be back soon."

Kyoko nodded, casting a careful glance around the room, her expression unreadable as usual.

"I was hoping for a full briefing," she said. "This investigation is...developing faster than I expected."

"How do you mean?" Kaede's smile faded, and she took a step closer, her gaze now serious. Kyoko considered her answer, folding her arms as she lowered her voice.

"Okay. To give you the short version, if one good thing came from Tomita's death, it's that the Kirigiri agency now has a perfectly good reason to talk face-to-face with the Steering Committee, especially in light of the school lockdown," she explained. "The unfortunate thing is, they're more cautious than I gave them credit for. Although, I should have expected as much."

"They're not cracking, even under the pressure, huh?" Kaede pursed her lips.

"They've kept an layer of deceit around them for decades," Kyoko scowled back. "I'm a fool to think they'll let it drop now. Death means nothing to them after all..."

Kaede could see that the second-year Ultimate Detective was exhausted through just TALKING about this. She shuffled to the side and allowed Kyoko to plop herself down on the bed.

"They're answering my questions as honestly as they can...so far," she continued, bringing a hand to her chin. "But they're clearly being dodgy about it. They're only expressing their worries and sympathies for Tomita, but there's no clear indication that they had something to do with the death itself. And unfortunately, I can't compromise our current relationship, since Hope's Peak is our biggest ally in the investigation."

"Do you think they knew that going in and are using it to their advantage?" Kaede asked.

"It wouldn't surprise me," Kyoko sighed. "The short end of it is they're very good at hiding themselves away. This is going to take longer that any of us would like. But once everyone else gets here, I can share what else I know."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" she asked. "I may not be a detective, but I want to do something useful."

"If you want to help me, just make sure you keep charging through Ashikawa's Palace," Kyoko told her. "The faster we change his heart, the better. We need to get it done by the time the investigation happens, or it's lights out for all of us."

"Got it," Kaede nodded. "Charging through it is. That is what I do best, after all."

As Kyoko settled onto the bed, her gaze shifted to a small, colorful pot by the window. A cluster of delicate violet flowers bloomed within it, their petals catching what little sunlight filtered into the room. She tilted her head, a flicker of curiosity crossing her otherwise composed expression.

"New addition?" she asked, nodding toward the flowers. Kaede followed her gaze, her face brightening.

"Oh, those! Yeah, I was wondering how long it was going to take for someone to notice," she chuckled. "I picked them up yesterday. I thought maybe some flowers would make this place feel a little more, you know...lively."