&quot;Physical exam? But... Suezo-Sensei, isn't this supposed to be handled by gym teachers? I mean this hardly seems like the environment for that.&quot; She tilted her head and shrugged, standing up and walking to the front of the class. She'd put her arms to her sides and bow to the class. &quot;My name is Kobayashi Niko, avid member of the Sefer High Newspaper Club! A pleasure to be reacquainted with you!&quot; She trots back over to her seat, giving Tadashi a quick glance with a raised eyebrow and a quick mumble. <i>He's got a good imagination huh?</i>

Niko would be sitting at her desk, her fingers impatiently tapping on the surface, her eyes darting around eagerly. She'd occasionally try and peer out of the window, a hopeless effort to try and see the newspaper club gathering, despite the fact that she knew they wouldn't gather outside spontaneously. <i>Why am <b>I</b> being held after class anyways?</i> She mumbled to herself, her eyes narrowed in frustration.

&quot;Well I respect the honesty. I'll go through with it. I doubt you would be offering me this position if you didn't have faith in us, Sensei.&quot; Niko reaches for a watch, raising a brow before putting it around her wrist. <i>Definitely not my style...</i> She stares at the group before her, sighing. This was to be her team, right? Best get along.

Niko widened her eyes at hearing all of this. Extra hours in the day? Murders in a small town? A group making the guilty confess their crimes? It was all quite a bit for her. On top of that, he's mentioning government experiments! This was something way larger than she had ever hoped to be involved with in her life. She put a hand on her chest, as if trying to ease herself. &quot;Suezo-Sensei, I just have one question. If we decide to accept this, would we be putting ourselves at risk?&quot;

Niko trots over to the teacher, standing before him like a statue for just long enough for the test to be performed before walking back to her seat, stiff as stone. She'd then go back to tapping the desk impatiently, still waiting for an opening to leave.

&quot;Well you said stress levels, right? I am part of the newspaper club, I've got quite a busy schedule. But you're talking about a new club... does this mean I have to give up writing?&quot; Niko looked a little distressed for a moment, but she still seemed level headed enough. As soon as a 'proposition' is mentioned, her face grows stern, eyes narrowed in focus. &quot;I don't have a reason to leave. Let's hear it, Sensei.&quot;

&quot;This <b>is</b> quite a bit to take in... I guess it's to be expected though.&quot; She stared down at the watch as her teacher spoke about their purpose. Shadow world, Personas, shadows. Such an outrageous concept, yet in some way, she almost felt like all the pieces were aligning. Every single incident she'd heard about, from Inaba to the vigilante group in Tokyo almost seemed to explain themselves at that point. &quot;So... Sensei, you said shadows in the past have been capable of manifesting in the real world, right? Are people aside from us in danger of being attacked by shadows?&quot;

Niko turned to Tadashi, offering him a friendly smile. She peers through the grass, putting a hand to her forehead. &quot;I can't say I really have an idea at all, but I'm not sure there are too many bad ideas right now as long as we stick together. But I'll keep my ears to the ground and my eyes forward!&quot; She nod-nods with determination before scooching closer to the tree wall. As if it were an instinct however, she grimaced as she got closer. Suddenly she darts her gaze to Shinobu, putting a finger to her lips. &quot;Not so loud! Or you may not like who answers your question!&quot;

As darkness engulfed the room, the young girl let out a whimper of confusion and fear. Quickly though, any fear she would have was dispelled, her eyes wandering the surroundings in a mixture of awe and slight discomfort. &quot;Well... At least they look like real trees. Even if it all seems so artificial... I'm gonna have to get used to this. Sensei? You're still here, right? N-Not physically of course, but in spirit?&quot; Niko knelt down, examining the grass. Her minty green hair almost seemed to blend into the environment, making her camouflage like another plant. Or at least, that's what she thought, earning a chuckle out of her. She glanced around to make sure she wasn't alone, observing the group.

Niko stared at the others with a bit of hesitation. She'd gulp for a moment in paranoia before her eyes glared down at the watch. There was no other option at this point. She chose her fate. &quot;Log in!&quot; Her eyes clench shut, her whole body tensing in anticipation.