Hmmm, Joker was quite curious about this Botan Tsuji character. He recalled when the other phantom thieves were discussing this mark in their group text earlier.
----------------------
> Makoto: Botan Tsuji, huh? And he's a personal trainer? Ryuji. Yoshizawa. You wouldn't know him, would you?
> Ryuji: Tsuji? Uh... Yeah, I think I might have seen him around before. If I remember correctly, I think he was always nice to me. But that might be just because I'm an athlete.
> Yoshizawa: I don't think I heard of him, but I can ask my coach if she has. That being said, do the phantom thieves really need to be the ones to change his heart? This seems like something the gym should handle.
> Ann: Maybe the gym is protecting this guy because he's good at his job or friends with the owner?
> Makoto: Maybe, but I'm sure a business would take action if he was hurting profits. Perhaps these claims are more exaggerated than they are in reality. Either way, compared to some of our other marks, this one seems more... benign.
> Ryuji: Yeah, and it seems like the poster actually respects him in some way if they mention his talents. This guy sounds pretty passionate about what he does, but he's going about it the wrong way.
> Akechi: Hmmm, looks like some additional investigations are in order.
> Futaba: You can do that if you want, but I have a feeling he'll be like Mishima. One stern talking to, and he'll fold like Sojiro when he plays poker.
> Joker: You know, I'm going to be doing some solo training tomorrow.
> Haru: Oh, are saying you're going to take care of him yourself? Okay, but please stay safe.
> Yusuke: If his shadow proves too strong for you, don't hesitate to call us if you need to.
----------------------
After that conversation, Joker was quite curious about this Botan Tsuji. Who was he really, and what was his problem? It wasn't long before he arrived at where Botan's shadow was. He was a tall, handsome, and muscular man in a red tank top that was looking quite angry.
"What are you looking at, skinny?" The shadow asked, "Don't tell me you're here for some training! That's what they all say before they cry that it's too hard and start rumors about me! You still want to train after hearing all that? Well, bring it on, don't come crying to the manager if it's too hard for you."
The shadow suddenly threw a punch at the lone thief. The trainer's shadow was quick, so Joker had to be quicker to dodge his attacks. This wasn't going to be easy alone, but he couldn't back down now. Joker was beginning to understand Botan's story now. He probably was a trainer who, while passionate, pushed his clients a bit too hard. That's when all these complaints and rumors started to tarnish his reputation, and he became a bitter and angry trainer. Joker was beginning to empathize with this man as this could have been him if he hadn't met his friends.
Before he could help this man, he had to defeat him in battle. The shadow, oddly enough, didn't transform into another form like the others. It seems like he wanted to fight with his own strength. It was a drawn-out back and forth, with the two taking turns striking and blocking attacks until Joker managed to unbalance the shadow and saw his opening.
"Arsène! Maeigaon!" Dark energy exploded beneath the Shadow, finally ending the battle. Well, that certainly was a hard workout, so at least the shadow wasn't lying.
"Heh, that was a good battle," The shadow managed to say as it managed to get off the floor. "You may look skinny, but you're so strong. How did you do that?"
"I needed to become stronger because I want to change society, and I have people who are helping me that I want to protect. But I didn't get strong just by pushing myself. It takes patience, understanding, and diligence to do that."
"Heh, being lectured by some kid," Shadow Botan chuckled, "But you're right, I lost sight of what it meant to help someone improve and get stronger. You know, you might be strong, but you're still skinny. Let me give you a gift before I go. And if you ever need training, well, I'll be waiting."
A gift? What did he mean by that? Before Joker could ponder that, Shadow Botan enveloped him in a light before he disappeared. What was that? Joker felt a little bit tingly, but otherwise, he felt fine. Hmmm, maybe it was time to call it a day.
Little did he know there were going to be some changes in store for the phantom thief.
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