Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Akechi was still at Leblanc with the Phantom Thieves.

"Oh yes. When Sakamoto-kun and I were at Kichijoji earlier, we played a cooperative darts game, and I wondered whether the game can help us improve our performance during baton pass."

"That's an interesting idea!" Akira said. "How about we give it a try tomorrow? Are you guys free?"

Everyone confirmed.

"I will try to attend as well." Came the unexpected statement from Sae-san. "Since I don't have much time to train in the Metaverse, I think I should take this opportunity to improve teamwork with everyone."

"Sure!" Akira grinned. "This will be fun!"

"Speaking of the group, Akechi-kun isn't in the chat group yet." Takamaki-san reminded everyone.

"Oh yeah." Akira swept her phone. "Akechi-kun, I'll add you."

"The messages get encrypted, right? I don't want to run the risk of having the organization seeing my phantom-thievery messages if they suspect something and decide to look into my online activity. They have some IT people they can turn to if they so decide, and I'm not versed enough in technology to know what they might be doing."

"Yep, no worries! Of course the messages are encrypted!" Futaba answered proudly. "Aside from the chat program's default encryption, I switched our group chat to my private server with my own advanced encryption on top, even more advanced thanks to Necronomicon! The messages will even delete themselves after a while. I can dare say it's almost impossible for them to intercept and decode our messages."

The messages disappear!" Takamaki-san exclaimed. "So this is why I couldn't find some of the older messages... I thought I had deleted them by accident..."

Apparently, what Futaba said was new information even to Makoto. "I didn't even know you had placed us on a different server!"

"This is impressive," Akechi said. "Futaba-chan, I don't doubt your computer skills, but to be safe, especially for discussing big phantom thievery plans, I'd still prefer to go to the Metaverse, the only place I'm 101% sure they can't track us."

"You and your 101% thing." Sakamoto remarked.

"Alright." Akira agreed. "We're dealing with dangerous people. It's better to be safe than sorry. If you want to discuss important stuff in person, shoot us a message in the chat and we'll arrange a meeting in Mementos."

Once the communications part was taken care of, the Phantom Thieves talked a bit more. Sakura-san gave everyone a serving of leftover curry for dinner, and the group left afterwards. Akechi remained at Leblanc because he wanted to give the gift to Akira. Morgana took the hint and went upstairs, and left the wild cards to themselves.

"I hadn't imagined that our time at the hotel would have so much impact," Akira said. "I did so little, though. I wish I could've done more."

"Those days at the hotel completely changed my life. I'm very grateful for what you did for me."

"Akechi-kun, do you remember our bet about proving the Phantom Thieves' justice?"

"Of course I remember."

"Hmm, now that I think about it, you said that you decided to help us when you gave up on causing a mental shutdown on the principal. This was actually before our bet, right?"

"Yes. In other words, I agreed to the bet already knowing I'd lose."

Akira winked. "Oh, you didn't lose, though. If you were actually rooting for us, it means we bet on the same outcome! In other words..." She mimicked him. "Both of us won!"

Akechi's mouth hung open. "... I hadn't thought of it that way..."

"Whoever won were supposed to have the other complete some task. Since both of us won, I guess both of us will have to give each other a dare! So, what will you have me do?"

"Uh..." Akechi blanked out at the realization that he hadn't thought of a dare for Akira, since he had been sure he would lose anyway. He didn't want to admit that, though. He would have to stall so that he could think of something. "No, you first."

"Alright. This is what I want you to do." She looked him straight in the eye. "I know you really want to live and start anew. So, live, Akechi-kun. I want you to live and convince the law that you deserve a second chance."

Akechi was completely unsure about the task. "That's an insane challenge... I'm not confident I can do this at all... this is too hard!"

"Sadly, I can't deny that. Um, remember, when we talked about what I'd ask for at a wish fountain? I had said I have a which that may be even harder to come true than winning the lottery."

Akechi's eyes widened at the implication. "Y-you mean..."

"Yeah, I mean my wish is to save a certain secret agent from a possible death sentence."

Akechi was deeply touched. Akira had been thinking of saving him, and she hadn't even known his true identity at the time!

"You had said that if you could find 100 different things that increase the odds by 1% each, you'd be 100% sure the wish would come true."

Akira laughed. "You remember that too!"

"Yes, I remember. Did you find anything to increase the odds? Perhaps some wild card shenanigans or something..."

"Wild card stuff, huh? Hmm. Not really, but what if having two wild cards actually doubles the odds!?"

Akechi rolled his eyes. "What? I'm not sure this is how it works..."

"I'm not sure, either, but Morgana keeps saying how amazing this is. So, having two wild cards has to count for something, right?!"

Akechi didn't respond, still skeptical.

"Akechi-kun, you had asked if there was something you could do to increase the odds, and there actually is. You're so amazing and have the potential to achieve so many things. I know it's what you want. It's what I want, too. If you get a second chance, I'm sure you'll achieve everything you want to! So, you have to try."

"There isn't much I can do about it. The outcome doesn't depend solely on me to begin with..."

"Please, at least believe in the possibility. Keep your head high and your hopes up. As they say, it isn't over until it's over!"

It was clear that his death would cause her to suffer greatly. "Okay, I'll try," was what he said, but he was still unsure what he could do.

Luckily, this seemed to satisfy Akira, and she smiled. "Good. You deserve a prize. And I just so happen to have a present for you!"

Akechi's eyes widened a bit, and he vehemently shook his head. "What? No, I was supposed to be the one giving you a present!"

Akira threw him a confused look. "Why do you say that? You don't have to give me anything!"

"O-of course I have to! This is the reason I'm still here..."

Akira didn't understand. "Huh? What do you mean?"

"Err, I mean I bought something for you earlier today..." He had to explain. "I had meant to hand it to you after the gathering. In other words, now."

It was Akira's turn to be surprised. "Really!? I bought your present earlier today too! And I was waiting to give it to you once we were alone. Does this mean both of us had the same idea, and were buying presents for each other exactly at the same time? That's crazy!"

That was crazy indeed. Akechi could only gape.

He tried to regain his composure. "A-alright. Then, at least let me give you your present first."

"Okay." Akira gave in, with her eyes glinting with curiosity. "I wonder what you got for me."

Akechi hadn't imagined he would get so nervous as he fumbled with his things in his pocket to get the jewel case. His fingers wrapped around the item, and he awkwardly handed it to Akira.

"This is... the jewel case from the arrow game at the culture festival!" She exclaimed in recognition. "Hadn't you given the ring inside to the twins?"

"Yes, but the case were always meant for you. I had a hard time finding something suitable to put inside the case, but today, I finally found it. I hope you'll like the present."

Akira opened the box, and smiled in awe. "A star pendant! It's so beautiful!"

"I agree. When I saw it at the store, it caught my attention immediately. The pendant looks a lot like the one my mother had, which I really enjoyed to look at. It's bright and cheerful, just like you."

Akira blushed. "Awww... this was so sweet of you to say. Thanks for the compliment, and the gift, of course! I love it!"

She turned the pendant over a few times and admired the jewel for a bit more, then put it away. Akechi felt like slapping himself on the face. Only then he realized there was no way for Akira to wear the pendant. He had gotten so ecstatic when he found the jewel that he didn't even realize he should also have gotten her a necklace to attach the pendant to!

Before he had the chance to comment on that embarrassing mistake, Akira's phone rang. She threw him an apologetic glance and picked the call up. "Hello?" Whatever words that came from the other end made her eyes grow in surprise. "Really? This is great! Huh? Are you sure? You don't need to do this... okay, if you say so." Akira put her phone away and focused back on Akechi. "Great news. It was Ms. Kawakami! She said the Takases went all the way to visit her at her home and apologized for what they did, then agreed to return her the money!"

"Oh. That was quick... and great news indeed."

"She said she's so happy that she's coming to clean the attic for me, as a way to say thanks for being at her side throughout all this. We have some time until she arrives. We can get back to what we were doing. I'll go get your present! Wait here." Akira turned around and hurried upstairs. Shortly later, she returned carrying a box wrapped in a light blue paper. "Here you go!"

Akechi had to admit he was curious. He couldn't even begin to guess what Akira had gotten for him. He slowly removed the wrapping. Inside, he found a generic cardboard gift box which gave no clue what the actual contents might be. As he opened the box, the gift finally revealed itself.

"This is!" Akechi's eyes widened in surprise. "The toy gun from that commercial!"

Akira seemed pleased at his reaction. "I can't forget how nostalgic you looked while that commercial aired. I hope the toy brings back good memories!"

Akechi smiled. "It will. And it's creating new good memories too. I'll fondly remember this moment. Thanks, Akira." He placed the toy gun back inside the box, and set it aside. "Oh, right. I forgot to give you a dare. You know what? I'll just give you the dare back. Live, Akira. I want you to live."

Akira made a mock whiny face. "That's not fair! Lazy to come up with an original dare, detective?"

"No. Actually, this is my final decision after careful consideration. You might think I'm cheating, but I really mean what I said. I want you to live. I'd like to continue living myself, but I don't know if I can. So, I ask you, Akira. Even if I can't be here, please live for me too, and achieve all your dreams."

Akira frowned. "You had just said that you'd try to believe you can continue living."

"Yes, I said I'd try, but both of us know there's no guarantee that I can actually live! Of course I want to live, but if things don't work out and worse comes to worse, I don't want you to be sad and lose the will to keep moving forward. I don't want you to blame yourself thinking you didn't do enough or anything like that, okay? You should live life to the fullest, and achieve everything I could have never achieved. I know I can count on you to pull this off."

Akira's expression became serious. "Alright, I get your point. I'd rather have you nearby while I achieve my goals... I don't want to think of the worst case scenario unless it comes to that, but if it happens, I promise I'll live for you too. The pendant you gave me will be a constant reminder of this promise."

"Thanks." He remembered the fact he hadn't bought a necklace to attach the pendant to. "Um, about the pendant..."

The chimes rang and startled both of them. It was Ms. Kawakami, wearing a maid uniform.

"Good evening, Akira-chan! Oh, and Akechi-kun, too."

Akechi recovered his composure first. "Good evening."

"Whoa! Ms. Kawakami! You got here fast!"

"I was already nearby when I called you."

"Akira told me that your problem with the Takase couple was solved," Akechi said. "I'm glad to hear that."

"Thankfully, things worked out. I'm so relieved! By the way... you look very different today. You're quite elegant in that suit."

"Thank you. I just left an important meeting." He justified himself.

"Ms. Kawakami, you're still in the maid uniform." Akira noted. "I had thought you had quit the maid job..."

"Yes, I have quit the job. I chose to dress like this to avoid being recognized if any students were to see me while I was coming here. Well, let's check on the state of the attic, shall we?"

"Sure. Akechi-kun, I'll head to the attic with Ms. Kawakami for a bit. I'll be back in a few minutes."

Akechi nodded, and the two left.

"Masterrr!" Ms. Kawakami, or rather, Becky, pouted. "I left my maid job, but I can't leave you, because you're the best master ever, meooow! I'll keep coming here. Call me whenever you need the chores done, and I'll be here in a flash, just for you! Meow!"

Akira grinned and spoke in a boyish voice. "I'm so glad to hear this!" She threw her arms to the side in an exaggerated manner. "Becky, I'd be nothing without you! You're the purrfect maid, and I wouldn't want anyone else! You're the only one who makes me..." Akira pouted just like Ms. Kawakami had done, then spoke in a low and whiny voice. "... Meooooow."

From a corner, Morgana grumbled. "Would you two stop with the cat puns? It's really annoying."

But "Akira boy" ignored the not cat, as "he" only had eyes for "Becky" at the moment. "He" stared intently into the maid's face, and "Becky" stared back. They continued staring at each other for a few seconds, then burst laughing and broke their facades.

Ms. Kawakami seemed very relaxed. "You know? It was so embarrassing to put that act in front of clients, but it's kind of funny when you play along and we joke around like this. Akira-chan, thank you. You helped me so much through out this situation. Things worked out, thanks to you."

Akira waved it off. "It was thanks to the Phantom Thieves."

"Yes, but it's thanks to you too." Ms. Kawakami inched closer. "Just between us. You are a member of the Phantom Thieves, aren't you?"

Akira was so stunned at that out-of-the-blue question that she took a while to react. "Uh... what?"

"You are a member of the Phantom Thieves, aren't you?" Ms. Kawakami repeated the question.

"Why do you think that?"

"Because you stole my heart, masterrr!" The Becky persona left as quickly as she had appeared. "No, seriously. Things went conveniently too well for me. You were quite insistent about sticking with me throughout all this situation. You kept requesting me, and even paying for my visits, even after I revealed the real reason I needed the money and told you to stop. That behavior wasn't exactly normal, you know. You insisted that I asked for the Phantom Thieves' help, and the issue was solved too quickly. The forum is full of requests. I don't think the Phantom Thieves would have acted so quickly to solve a total stranger's problem, which makes me think they prioritized my request because they knew me personally. You and Akechi-kun were the only people who had known about my issue. So, this leads me to believe you had a hand in the solution. Mr. Kamoshida had a change of heart only after you appeared, too."

"Uh, well, that's..." Akira wanted to argue, but was unsure what to say.

"Lastly, you're being evasive and haven't denied to be a Phantom Thief just yet. If you weren't involved with them, you should at least have tried to deny it already. So, what do you have to say, my little problem student?"

Akira had no escape. Ms. Kawakami had gotten her.

"Um, so what if I am one of them?" Akira asked apprehensively.

"Well..." The teacher stared at her as though she were saying, "what should I do with you?" then smiled. "Don't worry. I won't tell anyone. I have heard inspiring stories about the Phantom Thieves. They're helping people who are suffering injustice like me, right? I won't ask how you do your magic, but the fact is that you changed my life. You helped clear my mind, and my path so that I can pursue my dream. How could I not be grateful and not support you after that?"

Akira also relaxed and smiled. "Thanks."

Ms. Kawakami smirked in triumph. "And there you have it. Now, you've just blown your own cover."

"Uh, oops..." Akira laughed awkwardly, half playfully.

"Don't worry. I'll keep your secret. Something occurred to me, though. Isn't Akechi-kun also suspecting you? If even I was able to connect the dots, figuring out the puzzle should be easy for a smart detective like him."

"Oh, yeah, good point, teacher. You're absolutely right. He had his eyes on us Phantom Thieves for a while." Akira hesitated a little. "Um, can you keep another secret?"

"Of course."

"Actually, we managed to win him over. Now, he's one of us too."

Ms. Kawakami's eyes widened. "Really?"

"Yeah, but no one should know. This is the reason I'm asking you to keep it a secret. He was really determined to help solve your problem, by the way!"

"You mean he had a hand in the solution too?"

"He had. He got very worried after he saw the Takases harassing you. He had a great role in helping us change their hearts!"

"Wow, I couldn't have imagined that. I'll thank him later." Ms. Kawakami changed the subject. "Um, Akira-chan, may I ask something?"

"You're already asking." Akira remarked, already back to her playful self. "Sure. What do you want to know?"

"Um, well, in the beginning, I could tell that people were treating you badly because of the criminal record. This was the reason why I offered to help you in exchange for keeping my maid job a secret. What about you, though? What made you decide to request my visits and even pay for them?"

"At first, I was really in need of help to clean this place. You remember this attic's state the first times you came here, right? It was actually worse when I moved in. I had been trying to clean it little by little, but the dust just wouldn't end, and it got to a point I thought it'd be easier to pay someone to clean the attic for me. Then, I remembered I had your workplace's number, and I concluded I'd rather rely on you than on a total stranger. The visits seemed to be doing you some good, because you could have a break from those pervy clients. Your help was good to me, too, because you left me with more time to take care of... you know, Phantom Thieves stuff. But then, you began getting those calls demanding money, and I decided I'd keep requesting you if it'd help. When you told me the truth, I realized how messed-up your situation was. Even though you told me to stop calling you, it was obvious that you had no one to count on, and I couldn't just leave it at that."

Ms. Kawakami chuckled. "In the end, both of us were trying to look after each other..." She heaved a sigh. "I have a confession to make. When the principal told me I'd be in charge of the class with a problem student, I admit I didn't like it at all. I kept wondering, why did that student have to transfer to my class, out of all places? Why did this have to happen to me? To think this 'problem student' would bring the solution to my hardest problems! Now I'm glad you came to Tokyo and transferred to my class out of all places. Akira-chan, you have made a huge difference in my life. Thank you."

Akira was getting embarrassed, but recalled her talk with her friends earlier, when they had said she had made a difference in their lives. The false charges thing was horrible, but if she hadn't come to Tokyo, she wouldn't have been able to help her friends, nor Ms. Kawakami, nor any of her other Confidants. Her time in Tokyo may be a good thing in the greater scheme of things, after all. This thought brought a sheepish smile to Akira's face.

"You're exaggerating a bit. Um, but I'm glad I could help."

"Now that I can fully pursue my dream and live the way I've always wanted, I will be the best teacher I can be. I'll do my best for all my students, and for you, too. You have my full support. I really meant it when I said I'm willing to keep coming here to help you out. For free, of course. I can continue helping you with chores, and... let's see... it may not be much, but I can also give you a massage on the days you feel too tired."

Akira immediately thought that the massage might give her an energy boost on the days she returned tired from the Metaverse.

"The massage sounds interesting! It may be more useful than you think."

"If you say so, then it's settled!" Ms. Kawakami clasped her hands. "Speaking of chores, it's about time I start cleaning this place!" And Becky returned. "Gratitude power is fueling me. I'll do my best to leave this attic clean and shiny! Count on me, masterrr!"

Akira laughed, glad to see the teacher in high spirits. Ms. Kawakami indeed seemed to be overflowing with gratitude and energy, and Akira's Temperance Confidant reached the max level.

"Akira-chan, do you play chess?" Ms. Kawakami asked out of nowhere.

"Huh? Nope. I'm a bit curious about it, but haven't tried to learn it yet. Why do you ask?"

"Because I found this here." Ms. Kawakami pulled out a chess board and a set of pieces from the attic's mess. "I thought it was yours, but if not, could it be Sakura-san's?"

"Oh." Akira's eyes widened slightly. "Probably. I had no idea that Boss kept a chess board here! I know that Akechi-kun plays chess. I'll see if he can teach me!"

"Here, have fun." Ms. Kawakami handed the chess set to her.

Akira climbed down the stairs with a bounce in her step. "Akechi-kun, sorry to have made you wait so much. But look what Ms. Kawakami found!"

"A chess board?"

"I had no idea that Boss had one, but it's just what we needed, isn't it? Remember? You had told me you could teach me if I were to get a board. Are you still up for it?"

"Sure."

They sat at a table, across from each other, and started playing. Akira was surprised when Akechi explained the game's rules to her, because they worked exactly the same way as she remembered from the dreams!

After the explanations, they played a match. And just like in the dreams, she lost horribly.

"Welp, I lost." Akira stated matter of factly. "As I thought, you play very well!"

Akechi stared at her with a hint of suspicion. "You may be a beginner, but you play better than I expected. Are you sure you have never played chess before?"

"I'm sure. Um, unless dream experiences count..."

"Dream experiences?"

"Yeah, I had a few dreams where we played chess. No matter how hard I tried, you always won. I couldn't even begin to guess what your moves'd be, and you always got me good. I didn't mind losing, though, because I got so amazed by your strategies that nothing else mattered!" Her eyes glinted in admiration, and she smiled. "And you know what? I lost right now, and I feel exactly the same way!"

"Again. It's happening again..." Akechi mumbled with a distant gaze.

"Huh? What's happening again?"

Akechi blinked and snapped back to focus. "Ah, um, remember those dreams we thought might be prophetic? The thing is, I also had dreams where I played chess against you. Even though you didn't win, you didn't seem to mind. You reacted in the same way as you did now."

"Hmm..." Akira hummed in wonder. "You've mentioned those dreams quite a few times, but have never talked about them in detail."

"I suppose I haven't..." Akechi realized. "I didn't recall much about the details at first, unless something happened and reminded me of them, like Shujin's yakisoba bread or the time you said you were learning shogi. It was only after you told me to pay more attention to those dreams that I began having an easier time remembering the details."

"Hmm. It really sounds like the dreams gave you hints about the future."

"Oddly enough, the dreams were about my past. Whenever I had dreams about my past, they used to be bad, because they were related to my most traumatic moments. Those latest ones, though, were different."

"Oh. Those ones were good, then?"

"Good? They were so comforting that made me not even want to wake up, and I somehow went from hating the dreams about my childhood to thinking they were my most comforting dreams ever. And what made the biggest difference was the fact that... you were in them."

Akira perked up. "Me?"

"Uh-huh. Even though some things in the dreams didn't make much sense, I think you'd have acted exactly the same way in reality if we had met when we were younger." Akechi smiled recalling the cute dreams. "In the dreams, we were children, and you were in a sailor uniform. You bumped into me on the street, and when you noticed I was feeling down, you decided to take me to have crepes and try to cheer me up, even though we weren't supposed to know each other. Then, you were bothered by how messy my hair was, because the foster family wouldn't care enough to cut it for me. I don't think we actually got to eat the crepes, though."

Akira gaped. That was exactly what happened in her first dream about the child Akechi!

He went on, oblivious to Akira's puzzlement. "And then, in reality, we ended up going to the crepes store in Shibuya the following day. And the coincidences didn't stop there. In another dream, you gave me a roll of yakisoba bread, and when I had the one from Shujin at the culture festival, it tasted exactly the same as the bread from the dream. Then, I dreamed that you followed me to the foster home and came to visit me through the window of the room I was staying. That was the first dream where we played chess, and you said you were learning shogi. A few days later, in reality, you told me the same thing. Every time those coincidences happened, I was shocked."

However, it was Akira who was shocked right now. At every sentence Akechi uttered, her eyes grew wider.

"This is... wow." Akira was lost for words to express her astonishment. She had not only had had exactly the same dreams, but also witnessed those same coincidences in reality. How could that be possible?

"Then, there was a dream where you-"

"Cut your hair for you?" She interrupted him.

"Huh?" Akechi startled. "Y-yes. How do you know?"

Akira was still shocked. "Akechi-kun, those dreams aren't normal. Definitely not normal at all! They aren't only prophetic. There might be more to them than we think!"

"What do you mean by that? There might be more to them, like what?"

"I don't know. But the thing is, I had those dreams too. They happened exactly the same way as you just described."

It took a couple of seconds for her statement to click for Akechi. "... What?"

"After the haircut, I came up with a plan to get you out of that house, right?"

"... Uh-huh." He nodded.

Akira added, "I know it's hard to believe. Even I'm shocked right now!"

"You're saying that both of us had the same dreams... how can this be?"

"I don't know, but I can't agree with you more. Those dreams were so fluffy and cozy that I also didn't want to wake up."

The hint of suspicion reappeared in Akechi's gaze. "Are you sure you didn't do anything to influence my dreams? I mean, those dreams started right after you said I should ask the Phantom Thieves to take my nightmares away."

"I didn't do anything. I had only thought I had those dreams because I couldn't stop thinking about that vision I had when I passed out after the twins fight... actually, the whole time, I kept thinking I was dreaming about 'Crow...' well, I technically was, but I didn't know your true identity yet. I had dismissed them as mere dreams, but now it's clear they're more than that. The chess rules you explained to me are exactly the same as in the dreams, too. What you told me about your dad wanting to become prime minister is also true."

"Uh, wait." Akechi's eyes widened in horror. "Then, does this mean you actually witnessed that last dream, when I said all those twisted things, about wanting to find my father and get revenge and all that!?" He didn't wait for her response and continued, with his head down in shame. "That was exactly how I acted when I was out of my mind. I didn't want you to see that side of me, even if it were in a dream, and now you're saying you saw it for real! To make things worse, you saw it twice, because the next time we met in the Metaverse, envy consumed me and I said all those horrible things to you... I could tell how horrified you were. I wanted to stop, but words left my mouth of their own accord, just like in the dream. I know I made you suffer both of those times. I'm sorry, Akira."

"Don't worry about it. Everyone needs to vent their frustration sometimes. Your outbursts were shocking, but they didn't make me like you any less. You didn't upset me at all. It was painful to me because you were suffering, and all I wanted was to remove those negative feelings from your heart. The only solution I found until now was... you know, that latest plan. Um, speaking of which, did you decide to follow it or not?"

Akechi tensed, suddenly feeling nervous. "Y-you mean, about... dating?"

"Yep."

"Well... I asked you to live for me and achieve all your goals. On one hand, I know I can count on you for this because I'm sure you can pull it off. On the other hand, it's ironic that the certainty that you can do it is exactly what makes me envious. I thought about your plan. I'm not sure if it'll work, or if it'll have the opposite effect and make me feel frustrated seeing you getting all the things you want, one after another." His heart began racing, and words scrambled inside his head. "So, I, uh... ugh!" He gritted his teeth. "Why do I have to have so much trouble answering your questions? It's like this from the day we met at the TV studio..."

"Hmm. Maybe because you complicate things too much?" He hadn't expected Akira would actually answer. "I ask a yes or no question, and you go and recite a pages-long essay to answer it. I already told you to stop justifying your feelings all the time. So, I'll ask again. Did you decide to follow my plan? Yes or no?"

"You told me that, but simply answering yes or no isn't enough this time. This is an important decision, and I need to make sure you understand my reasons."

"See? You still insist on complicating things! And you're only confusing me more. You're going on and on and on, but I still can't tell whether you mean to say yes or no!" She was getting uneasy. "Akechi-kun, just say what you want to do. Look, if you really don't want to date me, just say it, and I'll never ask this question ever again. I won't mind if you say no. Well, maybe a little, but it's okay. I'll still like you the same way, and we'll continue being friends no problem."

However, it was a decisive moment, and he still had things he felt the need to say. Then, maybe I should give my final response first, and try to explain my reasons later, Akechi thought. I have to choose my words carefully...

"Fine." Akechi braced himself and took a deep breath. "Then, you won't need to ask this question ever again. I have made my final decision, and my response is... yes."

"Then-" Akira did a double take. "Huh? Wait, did you just say yes?"

"Uh-huh." Akechi nodded decisively, and let go of his last chance of turning back. "In the end, I decided we might as well try. I'm not sure if your plan to end my envy will work or not. I'm also not sure about going on dates and other things that couples usually do. All I know is that I want to be near you. You asked what I want to do, and this is my response."

"Me too." Akira's face lit up, and her voice shook with emotion. "I'm not sure how to go about doing romantic stuff, either, but I also want to be near you, for as much time as we might have. You know? I heard all those heartwrenching things you said in that last dream. I want to remind you that I heard those sweet and heartwarming ones you said at the end, too. You told me to be happy and find someone good with a pure heart who hasn't done anything wrong. But you deserve to be happy too, and you're the one I want to be with. I love you, Akechi-kun. Um, or should I say... G-Goro-kun?"

"Huh?" Akechi blushed. "I-I don't know if you should. That sounded... awkward..."

"Yeah..." Akira had to agree. "Saying it was quite awkward, too. Not natural at all... maybe we aren't ready for that change just yet? One step at a time, I guess..."

"I-I suppose..." Akechi fidgeted, unable to disguise his embarrassment. "A-anyway, thanks. You don't dislike me despite all the horrible things I did and the harsh things I said to you, and I think I also shouldn't let some stupid envy feeling get in the way. I'll do my best to keep it in check."

"I'm still confident my plan will work and the envy'll go away." Akira couldn't contain a wide grin. "Ah, I had no idea I'd feel so happy to hear you say yes! I still can't believe it... this agreement officially makes us a couple, right?"

"... I think so..." It finally sank in fully for Akechi as well. This is it, he thought. I have entered a special relationship with Akira. There's no turning back.

"Alright!" Akira exclaimed. "Um, but... what do we do now, though?"

"Uh, what do we do? Well, we, uh..."

For a moment, both teenagers only stared awkwardly at each other, still in their same positions at the table.

"Done. The attic is now clean!" Ms. Kawakami climbed down the stairs and interrupted their awkward staring contest. "So, who won the chess game?"

Akechi's gaze shot to the chess board that was totally forgotten on the table while Akira regarded Ms. Kawakami.

"He won, of course. I stood no chance!"

"For a beginner, she plays rather well." Akechi added. "With practice, she'll be a formidable opponent in no time."

"Oh, by the way, Akechi-kun, thank you for your support in solving my problem with the Takases. Akira-chan told me that you got quite worried."

"I'm glad things worked out in the end."

"Me too. It's a big relief! Well, job finished. I'll be heading home."

Akira got up to say her goodbye to Ms. Kawakami, and walked with her towards the door.

"Oh yes. Akira-chan, it looks like you've lost a chain necklace. I found it below the bed and placed it on the desk. Be careful not to lose it again, okay? Good night. I'll see you tomorrow at school."

The teacher left, and Akira only stood there, confused. She had no idea what Ms. Kawakami was talking about. A chain necklace? Akira didn't have one, though. Was it one of Sojiro's lost old things? Maybe Futaba's? Or maybe even... Futaba's Mom's?

Akechi stood up and snapped her out of her thoughts. "I have no idea what time it is. I should go home too."

"No, don't go. Stay here for tonight."

"I didn't come prepared today." Akechi argued. "If I stay here, I'll have to get up early to drop by the apartment and pick up the school materials."

"I'll wake up early too, and prepare your breakfast and lunch. This should help buy you some time."

All the tiredness of that day caught up to Akechi, and his resistance broke. He let out a resigned sigh. "Okay, you convinced me. You know? Everything went so well for me today. I revealed my secret identity to everyone and they accepted me easily. Then you confirmed you still like me despite all the horrible things I did and said. It sounds too good to be true... if I'm inside Leblanc when I wake up tomorrow, I'll be reassured that all of this is real."

"Sounds like a plan!" Akira cheered, glad that she could keep Akechi company that night.

With that settled, they agreed to take a bath at the bathhouse and relax, as it had been a full day. Obviously, they stayed apart, in the opposite gender sections. After the shower, they returned to Leblanc.

"If we need to get up early, we'll need to sleep early too," Akira said. "Let's head to the attic."

She didn't wait for a response and ran up the stairs excitedly.

"Morgana! Good news. Akechi-kun and I officially became a couple!"

"Ah, finally! That took too long! Will he stay the night?"

"Yeah, I managed to convince him to."

"Good. I'll sleep downstairs and leave the two of you to yourselves." With that, Morgana excused himself from the attic.

It was only then that Akira recalled Ms. Kawakami had mentioned something about a chain necklace. Sure enough, there was a chain necklace on the desk. That wasn't the most surprising part, though. Most surprising was that, the moment Akira's gaze fell on the jewelry piece, she was absolutely sure it didn't belong to the Sakuras. In fact, she was absolutely sure where she had seen said object before. But that couldn't be possible...

Akira took the jewelry from the desk and turned it over. She blinked, then turned the chain necklace over once more.

"Oh... my... god!" She gasped and exclaimed in disbelief. There was no mistaking it. The necklace was exactly the same as the one from her last dream about her childhood with Akechi!

Akechi was going up the stairs when he heard Akira's exclamation.

"What happened?"

"Akechi-kun, this!" She was holding something. "Does it look familiar? To me, it surely does!"

On closer inspection, Akechi could see what Akira was holding. It was a chain necklace. However, it wasn't just any necklace. It was exactly like the one from his dream!

Akechi's mouth hung open for a moment. "Yes... it does. It looks exactly like the one from that last dream."

"The one from your mom..." Akira recalled.

"Well, more or less. I mean, at the time I was in the first foster homes, I still had my mother's chain necklace, the only thing she left. Since I had been carrying it, it was her only belonging that survived the fire when our house burned. The necklace was a fake jewelry, rusty and didn't shine anymore. However, the one from the dream was different, special, and shone like true gold, just like this one. But... how? How is this here?"

"I don't know..."

"In the dream, you stole it." Akechi was deep in thought for a moment. "What if the dreams' events have in fact happened?"

"You mean, like rewriting the past?"

"Uh, no. I mean the dreams didn't change the past, but our interactions may really have happened."

"Hmm. I still don't get your point. Care to elaborate, detective?"

"Okay. For instance, everything I told you in the dreams is true. About how I learned chess by myself, how the bullies made fun of my looks, my thoughts about Shido... I take it that what you told me about how you and your parents hung out together is also true, yes?"

"Uh-huh." Akira nodded.

"It would be nearly impossible to know such details about each other's lives unless we had actually met and talked about them. This leads me to believe that the Metaverse is involved, and that we actually met and interacted in the dream. What are the chances that you've indeed entered my mind and stolen the jewelry from there, like what happens to the Phantom Thieves targets?"

"Huh?" Akira raised an eyebrow. "I'm not sure. When I had those visions after the twins fight, that blue shiny butterfly said that I had managed to peer into your heart. I don't know about the dreams, though."

"The dreams started exactly that night. It might not be just coincidence."

"You mean to say I might've entered your mind through the Metaverse without knowing it?"

"Yes."

"Hmm. Now that I think about it, when the last dream ended, I felt a bit lightheaded like when I leave the Metaverse. At the end of the dream, everything was collapsing just like a Palace after we take the treasure."

"If this theory is correct, if you have accessed my mind and we have indeed interacted during those events, it would make sense for both of us to have experienced the same dreams. If that dreamscape worked like a Palace, and the chain necklace worked like a treasure, then it would also explain the fact that you have the necklace here after having stolen it in the dream."

"If so, that'd be pretty cool!" Akira sounded excited.

"This theory may sound like it's a bit of a stretch, but everything involving the Metaverse is already quite outlandish to begin with. That considered, I think it wouldn't be impossible."

"Maybe this treasure was the remains of the distortion in your heart?" Akira pouted. "Awww... when I threw the necklace into the portal, you cried so much, poor thing! Want it back?"

"Ugh..." Akechi blushed in embarrassment at the recollection. "No. The sight of the necklace only fueled my hate for Shido and will to get revenge. You did the right thing when you stole the necklace, and I want you to keep it."

"What about now, though? Does this necklace bring back good memories of your mom? Or do you still think about revenge when you look at it?"

For a few seconds, Akechi stared intently at the necklace hanging from Akira's hand. Eventually, he smiled. "No. As I look at it now, I can only think of you. I keep thinking how good it'd look on you, how the chain necklace would be a perfect match for the star pendant, and... um, the embarrassing fact that I forgot to buy a necklace to attach the pendant to..."

"You did the right thing, though!" Akira smirked playfully. "Why should you buy another necklace if I already have this one, right? A chain necklace that came out of a dream, and represents such precious moments. Nothing you could buy would be so special! Now that you mention it, I think the pendant'd pair nicely with it too!" She quickly produced the pendant from her pocket and attached it to the chain necklace. "Would you put it on me?"

Without another word, Akechi took the chain necklace from Akira's hand and gently put it on her.

"Does it look good?"

To say the jewelry looked good on her was an understatement. To Akechi, it was looking even better than he had imagined. It was as though the necklace was made especially for the pendant, and both the necklace and the pendant were made especially for Akira. The chain was the perfect length, and the shine from the precious metals fit her perfectly. He could only stare mesmerized at her as though he were looking at a glorious art piece.

"They're perfect on you. You look great." Akechi smiled with satisfaction. "My mother's pendant was a fake jewel and lost its shine, but this one is different. It will never lose its shine. I wish it'll illuminate your path forever."

"Thanks. I'm sure it will." She replied with a dreamy expression. "These treasures are more than special. I'll always wear them, and will always have you in my thoughts."

Indeed, Akechi could tell that their connection was stronger than ever. Much to his surprise, the Star Tarot card invaded his vision, and his Confidant bond with Akira ranked up to level 9.

"Whoa!" Akira's voice snapped him out of his Tarot card vision. "Our Confidant bond ranked up! Last time it happened was when I woke up after the twins fight, and it had been stuck on level 8 ever since. I kept wondering when it'd rank up again, and it finally did!"

Akechi gaped for a second. "... Mine too. It happened exactly the same way as you just said... I can't believe even this is synchronized!"

Akira's face filled with hope. "It's like a miracle. Akechi-kun, our connection might really be stronger than we think! It has to count for something, right? Right!? Maybe it can help save you!"

Akechi still didn't believe he could be saved, though he couldn't deny that his connection with Akira was proving to be really amazing. He chose not to express his skepticism because Akira seemed so cheerful, and he didn't want to crush her hopes with his negativity.

"Maybe..." Was what he said instead.

Akira gave him a wide smile as she gently grasped the star pendant. "This chain and pendant represent our connection. As long as they continue shining, we'll be connected." She grinned and ruined her touching speech. "And you said they'll never stop shining, so..."

Akechi allowed a chuckle to escape, then became serious. "Um, Akira."

"Hmm?"

"I feel I still owe you something."

"What are you talking about? You don't owe me anything at all."

"Yes, I do." He shuffled nervously. "You had said that you love me, and I said nothing back. Sorry, I didn't know what to say. To be honest, I still don't know... I have a hard time interpreting the mess that are my feelings. But, um... I think... I think I love you too."

Akira chuckled. "You think? I'm sure of it."

"That's great. It must be nice to be so sure of your feelings, to say that you love me with so much conviction despite everything..."

"Huh?" Akira blinked. "Well, yeah, I'm sure that I love you. This wasn't what I meant, though. I meant to say that I'm sure that you also love me."

"Oh..." Her statement took Akechi aback. "... How can you be so sure?"

"Because of the way you care about me, how you enjoy our moments together." She grinned. "Besides, what if our feelings for each other are also synchronized? If so, then what you feel for me should be the same as what I feel for you!"

"I... hadn't thought of that..."

"I told you. You don't owe me anything. We're even." She shrugged. "Well, back to the big question. Now that we're dating, what should we do next?"

"Um, do we really need to do anything different?"

"Hmm, maybe we don't 'need' to, but now we're closer and can do more than before, right?" Akira took a step towards him. "Say, why don't we continue from where we left off the other day? You didn't even give me time to respond!"

"Oh..." The mention of the other day could only mean one thing, and Akechi suddenly began feeling nervous. As if the blush that threatened to form weren't enough, his heart decided to beat faster too.

Akira casually tossed her glasses onto the bed before closing the distance and capturing Akechi in her arms. After a brief moment of hesitation, she inched her head forward, and brought her lips towards his. The moment their lips connected, pleasant and comforting feelings washed over Akechi's body. His already racing heart began racing even more, but it didn't feel bad at all. In fact, all those sensations were so good that he wanted more. When Akechi realized it, he was returning not only the hug, but also the kiss. His kiss caused another wave of fluffiness. Like the first time, he had lost control. But unlike that time, he didn't feel the urge to back away, because he was sure Akira was feeling the same things as him.

... ... ... ... ...

Monday, November 7

As planned, the phone's alarm awoke Akechi early. The detective turned the alarm off, stirred and sat up with a deep breath. He had had a great night of sleep and was feeling more relaxed than ever. The fact that he was at Leblanc proved that the previous day's events had been real. He had revealed the truth, and all the Phantom Thieves had accepted him just fine. There was no need to hide his identity from them anymore. It was as though a huge weight had been removed from his shoulders.

Akechi had slept at Akira's side on the bed, but now he realized she wasn't there. Somehow she had woken up even earlier than him.

He retrieved his gray suit that he had left hanging on a chair, then headed downstairs.

"Morning!" Akira's voice sounded like music to his ears. She was making something at the kitchen area.

"Morning." Akechi replied with a smile. "My alarm set off just now. I didn't expect you'd be already up."

"I woke up and glanced at my phone a while ago, and it looked like a good time to get up to prepare stuff. Did you sleep well?"

"I've slept better than I had in a long while. I think the closest to this was the second night at the hotel. Still, last night was much better."

"Great to hear. I've slept well too. Um, would you wait just a bit? I have to finish preparing our lunches." Akira turned around and resumed what she had been doing.

"Last night was much better, huh?" Morgana was on a bench, with a mischievous grin. "It sounds like something special happened between you two last night..."

Akechi blushed. "I-it's nothing like that! I meant I slept well because I'm more at ease, now that I know everyone accepts me."

"I know. I'm kidding!" The supernatural cat laughed at the detective's embarrassment. "How is it going, though? It was your first night as a couple."

"Everything is fine."

"Nothing to be worked up about. See? You could have confessed to her much earlier and it would've been no problem."

Akechi wasn't so sure, considering how complicated his whole situation was. "I don't know..."

"Done! Here are our lunches!" Akira came holding two bundles and handed one to Akechi. "I wasn't sure what to stuff this bread roll with, and ended up settling on some leftover curry. It's not Shujin's yakisoba bread, but with boss' curry, I'm sure the sandwich tastes good!"

Akechi let out a hearty laugh as he accepted the lunch. "Thanks. I'm sure that your hastily put-together sandwich will be much better than my egg sandwich."

"Still worried about your egg sandwich? Again, we aren't competing." She went to the back and returned with a bowl of food. "I made you those instant noodles with leftover curry for breakfast. Um, sorry, not really healthy, I know. I didn't have enough time to prepare anything from scratch."

Akechi's mouth watered. "It's fine. I liked that curry with instant noodles, and it's been a while since I last had that." He sat down and took a bite of his breakfast. "It's as good as I had expected. Hmm, something occurred to me. Even though I had curry yesterday, this tastes different. It's interesting how food can taste so different just by preparing it in another way."

"Oh, I hadn't thought of that. You're right!"

Morgana grinned mischievously. "Akira, you should hone your pancake making skills, and practice for our next celebrations. You can vary the fillings in many ways. I'm sure Akechi wouldn't mind being your test subject and trying them all!"

Akechi made a face. "Here come the pancakes again... I'll have to deal with this pancakes thing for the rest of my life, won't I?" He asked no one in particular.

"Don't worry." Akira answered. "I'll make sure It'll be worth it."

With a shrug, he decided to play along. "Ah well, fine. As long as the pancakes are delicious... I won't let it slide whenever they aren't, though. You have been warned!"

"What will you do, detective?" Akira shot him a challenging glare.

"On the days when the pancakes don't come out good, I, uh..." He quickly thought of something. "I won't return your good night kisses, got it!?"

Akira made a mock hurt face. "Ouch. So harsh of you... alright, I'll do my best and be careful to avoid that."

"Do you mean to say you wouldn't do your best and were thinking of giving me, for instance, pancakes that are too spicy, just to make fun of me?" Akechi had the feeling she might have been thinking of doing that once in a while.

"Uh, no, of course not! Do you really think I'd be capable of doing something like that?"

"I do." He didn't skip a beat.

Akira looked embarrassed for a split second. "Ugh, this reminded me of the day during summer break when Yusuke had dinner here. I wanted to make the curry a bit spicier than normal. I didn't follow Boss' recipe and messed up the amounts... it came out extra spicy hot! As you can imagine, Yusuke being Yusuke, he noted the spiciness but still ate it all. My mess up wasn't on purpose, though. If it ever happens to the pancakes, just know it also isn't on purpose, okay? Whatever happens, I'll make sure to eat the results too."

"Fair enough. I'll believe you. I won't retract my condition, though. If the pancakes come out bad, no matter if it's on purpose or not, you know what will happen."

"Welp, fine. These small hurdles come as part of developing our relationship, I guess... nothing we can't deal with." She feigned resignation, but her half smile ruined the facade.

"You two really have a nice dynamic..." Morgana commented and reminded Akechi of his presence. The detective had been so caught up in the little argument that only now he realized the supernatural cat had heard the whole thing. As the situation finally sank in, he blushed slightly in embarrassment.

On the other hand, Akira was unfazed. With a giggle, she ruffled Akechi's hair. "I probably should stop talking and slowing your breakfast. I'm sure you'll also have some kind of 'punishment' for me if I make you arrive late at school."

He recomposed himself and continued playing along. "At least someone catches on fast. This makes things easier for me."

Akechi finished his breakfast and stood up.

"Akira, thanks for the food. I'll be going."

"You're very welcome. Have a nice day!"

"You too." With a contented smile, Akechi walked out the cafe's door.

The door closed, and Akira didn't move. For a moment, she just stood there, with a dreamy smile plastered on her face.

"Even though it's still a bit early, we should have our breakfast too." Morgana's comment snapped Akira out of her stupor.

"Uh, yeah..."

Akira and Morgana had their breakfast. They were already done when Sojiro arrived.

"Oh. You're already up. How are you feeling today? Yesterday you passed out and all that. Are you really feeling okay?"

"Yup, I'm feeling absolutely normal."

"Good." Sojiro was oddly hesitant. "... Hey, Akira. You had talked about what you went through at your hometown. You must've been suffering so much. I realize I was very harsh to you when you got here... now I feel bad about the way I treated you. I'm sorry."

Akira smiled calmly. "It was tough, I won't lie. But It's okay. Now that I know you better, I can see what a kind man you are, Boss. I get that you were very strict only because you wanted to make sure I wouldn't bring you trouble." She added playfully. "I'm sorry that it didn't work!"

This managed to lift Sojiro's mood a bit. "Yeah, I guess... when I agreed to take you in, I had no idea what I was getting into. I got much more than I bargained for. In the end, you brought me trouble. But you also brought the solutions. You helped Futaba break out of her shell, something I had no idea how to do. And soon, you and the Phantom Thieves will take Shido down, and handle the cause of my biggest problems. Akira, I gotta thank you for all these things... and for being so understanding. I wish I could do more. The only thing I can do is shelter-" He trailed off, and his gaze became distant.

"Huh?" Akira noticed it. "What happened?"

"Never mind." Sojiro dismissed it. "Something occurred to me, but I have to give it more thought. I'll prepare to open up shop."

"Akira, it's about time you get ready for school, too." Morgana pointed out.

"I'd never be able to guess if I couldn't understand what he's saying, but your little personal assistant is quite useful, huh?" Sojiro shrugged. "Have a nice school day."

"Thanks, Boss! Have a nice work day!"

... ... ... ... ...

Later, at school, on lunch break, Akira took a bite of her curry sandwich, and was satisfied because it tasted as good as she had imagined it would. A wide smile formed at the thought that Akechi was having the same experience right now.

Her friends arrived, and they began talking.

"What a beautiful pendant!" Haru noticed Akira's new accessory.

Akira smiled. "It is, isn't it? Akechi-kun gave it to me! By the way, I have big news. Now, we're dating!"

"Congrats!" Ann complimented her.

"Whoa! Then, he confessed to you at last?" Ryuji asked.

"Um, sort of. Actually, I confessed to him first."

Ryuji deadpanned. "Huh? What the hell? Normally, it's the guy who confesses to the girl first!"

Ann waved it off. "Crow has been talking about his special someone for a while, though. Now we know it's Akira. And it's obvious that he loves her very much! Anyway, what really matters is that they're finally together!"

Haru giggled. "This is really great news! Akira-chan, would you tell me more? How does it feel to be in a special relationship?"

"For sure, it feels special! I have never experienced these feelings before, and I don't think I'd feel the same towards just anyone."

"Oh!" Haru exclaimed in wonder. "Thanks to the arranged marriage issue, I had always thought that I'd have to stay with whoever my father decided for me. But now I keep thinking how it must feel to be with someone we really like! It must be wonderful!"

"Oh, yeah." Akira nodded with a dreamy smile.

"I am also curious." Makoto joined in. "Akira, what kind of things do you feel when you are with him?"

"Hmm." Akira thought for a bit. "Well, it's hard to explain, but I feel good near him. When we comfort each other, I feel at peace, relax and temporarily forget everything else. It's as though the world around us stops and there's nothing else besides him and me in a cloud of fluffiness. I know he also feels comforted, but I still have the urge to comfort him more. I hold him in my arms and keep thinking how he's precious to me, and that I don't want to lose him. I get scared when I think of how the whole death sentence thing might take him away, but its just a matter of him giving me a kiss, and I temporarily forget about it again and relax. It's quite therapeutic!"

"Interesting..." Makoto nodded to herself. "So, that kind of thing really happens... I read some romance books once in a while, and have such a hard time picturing the romantic scenes that I keep wondering whether people really experience those feelings." She noticed Ryuji directing her a weird stare. "What's with that look?"

"You read romance books?"

She stared back threateningly. "Yes, I do. I read books about many different subjects. You have a problem with that?"

Ryuji quickly shook his head. "N-no, not at all! To me, it looked like you think romance stuff's stupid, or something like that..."

"I read books to understand a bit more about different subjects, including romance. That's all." Makoto's expression softened. "I admit I wasn't interested in the topic until recently, and may have indeed viewed it as stupid, but if being with the right person is so 'therapeutic,' as Akira put it, then it may be a good thing."

Ryuji heaved a sigh. "I wonder if I'll ever find a special someone and feel things like what Akira described..."

"That's impossible." Morgana shot him down. "Ryuji, you have no charm whatsoever and can't get girls to even notice you!"

"Shut up! Ugh, you just had to remind me of the fiasco at the beach... all girls brushed me off. It was so frustrating!"

Akira looked at him supportively. "Don't be sad, Ryuji. You're a very nice guy, and I'm sure you'll find someone that'll see you for who you are, not for the labels others put on you. Things will happen naturally, and you won't even need to try to charm anyone."

"Wow, sounds great. I hope you're right and this really happens!"

"Easier said than done." Morgana crushed Ryuji's hopes once more.

"Grrr! Shut up, cat!"

They continued chatting and having their lunch. Once Akira was done, she headed to the bathroom to wash her hands. On her way back, Morgana lightly tapped on her back from inside the bag to grab her attention.

"Akira, it looks like that girl is following us."

"Huh?" As Akira turned around, she noticed a red-haired girl nervously looking her way. She approached the girl. "Hi. Do you need something?"

"Ah!" The girl startled like a deer caught in headlights. "Um, you are Kurusu-senpai, aren't you?" It was a rhetorical question. "This is so sudden, I'm sorry... I had been meaning to talk to you for a while, but wasn't sure how to approach you."

"It's okay. Now, you did. So, what do you want to talk about?"

"Well, I saw that talk show at the culture festival. I was really touched!"

"Oh, that talk show!"

"I had also heard the rumors, and people actually advised me to stay away from you. I had spotted you here at school a few times. To me, you didn't look like a bad person at all. It's good to know I was right!" The girl looked at Akira with admiration. "You have been dealing with bad rumors and people looking down on you this whole time, and still face it all with your head high. You are so strong, senpai!"

Those words warmed Akira's heart, and she smiled. "It's been rough, but I'm managing. I'm glad I got to clarify the situation to my schoolmates through that talk show. You're the first person who came to talk to me about it, though. Thanks for your supportive words. They mean a lot."

"I admire your strength, senpai." The girl became hesitant. "Um, I wonder... may I ask you a... f-favor?"

"Huh? What is it?"

The girl fidgeted and looked at the ground in embarrassment. "Well, I, I, I..." The chimes rang, and she ultimately gave up. "N-never mind! I have to go back to class. Please excuse me!"

The girl ran off, and dropped her student ID in her haste.

"Wait! You dropped something!" Akira called out, but the girl was already gone. Akira retrieved the fallen student ID and examined it. "Kasumi Yoshizawa... a first-year, huh? Welp, I'll have to search for her and deliver this to her later."

... ... ... ... ...

Once classes had ended, Akira hurried to the first-years floor. Luckily, she was able to catch the girl leaving the classroom listed in the student ID.

"Hello again!" Akira greeted cheerfully.

"Kurusu-senpai!" The girl, Yoshizawa-san according to the ID, exclaimed in surprise. "Why are you here on the first-years floor? Are you looking for someone?"

"Yeah, I was looking for you. You dropped this." Akira reached the student ID out.

Yoshizawa-san was flustered. "Uh, thank you... that was so careless of me. I hadn't even realized I had dropped it! Sorry for the trouble."

"No problem. By the way, you had said you wanted a favor from me. What is it?"

"Oh, um, it's... well..." Insecurity reflected in Yoshizawa-san's gaze, and she fidgeted, probably not having expected Akira to insist on the subject. The way she was acting reminded Akira of Futaba when trying to talk to people and freezing up... until she bowed in an exaggerated manner and blurted out, "Kurusu-senpai. Please, teach me how to be strong like you!"

"Huh?" Akira was confused, not sure how to fulfill that odd request.

Apparently, Yoshizawa-san mistook Akira's hesitation for unwillingness to help her. "O-of course, I won't ask you to do it for free... I will return the favor in some way. Um, by any chance, are you interested in gymnastics?"

Akira knew that it was important to be physically active, but wasn't very interested in any sport in particular. She enjoyed walking or jogging, and sometimes jogged with Ryuji to help him train, but that was about it.

"Hmm, not really."

"Oh..." Yoshizawa-san deflated. "Um, then, never mind... just forget about it..." She was about to leave again.

"Hold on!" Akira raised a hand. "I never said I wouldn't help you."

"Huh?" Yoshizawa-san perked up. "Y-you will? Really?"

"I'd like to." The girl was clearly desperate for help, and Akira couldn't ignore her.

"Thank you so much!" The girl's eyes lit up, and she bowed exaggeratedly again.

"Um, I'm not sure how to go about 'teaching' you, but I'll try to help in any way I can."

"This is so kind of you. Thank you, Kurusu-senpai. Oh, I have yet to introduce myself, haven't I?" She glanced at the student ID in her hand and smiled sheepishly. "Um, you must have already figured it out, thanks to the student ID, but I'll say it anyway. I'm Yoshizawa... Kasumi Yoshizawa. Nice to meet you!"

"Nice to meet you too. I'm Akira Kurusu. Though obviously you already know this!" Akira grinned playfully.

Yoshizawa-san's stomach grumbled and gave her another reason to become flustered.

"Why don't we take this opportunity to hang out and grab a bite somewhere?" Akira suggested.

"Huh? You want to hang out? ... With me?" The way Yoshizawa-san was surprised showed it was rare for people to ask to hang out with her.

"Uh-huh." Akira nodded. "If it's fine with you, that is."

The girl flashed a shy smile as her eyes lit up. "O-of course it is! It'll be a pleasure, senpai. My coach canceled today's gymnastics class, and I have the afternoon free. Let's go, then."

"Any place in particular that you'd like to go?"

"Um, I know of a nice place. I'll take you there."

Akechi was leaving school when his phone rang. He tensed when he saw that the caller's number was hidden. That was shady. Could it be someone from the organization? Worse, could one of them have suspected him of something and decided to call him from a private number to threaten him?

"... Hello?" He picked up the call apprehensively.

"Hey, detective!" The angry, childlike voice at the other end definitely wasn't from any member of the organization, though not any less surprising.

"This voice...!"

"It is us, detective." A calmer voice joined in. There was no mistaking it. Those could only be...

"Caroline and Justine!? I didn't know you had my number."

"We do not," Justine said. "Even though we are having our voices reach you through your phone, we are not using conventional means to contact you." This explained why the phone couldn't identify their number, though Akechi couldn't think of a scientific explanation for their ways.

"Enough of useless chatting. Let's go on to what matters." Caroline urged.

"We would like to congratulate you on finally having taken your bond with the Inmate to the next level."

Akechi rolled his eyes. "Is that what really matters? You called me just to say that?"

Caroline cleared her throat. "Well, actually, we have a request. We are curious about the place called Kichijoji. We want you to show us around."

Justine added. "We would have the Inmate do it, but since you seem more familiar with the place, we have decided to ask you instead."

"Justine, stop explaining any and everything! We don't owe him any explanation! We want to go to Kichijoji and that's it! Detective, we'll await you in front of the Kichijoji station."

"Hey!" Akechi called out to no avail. The twins, or presumably Caroline, cut the communication. Akechi didn't even get the chance to say whether he agreed to give them a tour of Kichijoji or not! Talk about not taking no for an answer...

Without a choice, he sighed and headed to the train station.

... ... ... ... ...

At Kichijoji, Akechi had the twins play a round of the darts game. That didn't go too well. While Justine seemed focused and trying her best to win the game, Caroline had no patience to carefully plan her moves and kept shooting arbitrary numbers.

"Grrr! We lost!" Caroline gritted her teeth in frustration.

"Caroline, it is your fault." Her twin chided her. "You should have taken your time to plan your actions."

"It's you who's too slow! You took so long to decide where to throw those things that it got on my nerves! I had enough of this game. Moving on! Detective, I hope this place's other attractions are better than this stupid game."

Akechi was showing them around and explaining what each facility had to offer.

"This is a jazz club."

"It is closed." Justine noted in disappointment.

"It only opens at night." Akechi explained.

"Jazz is a music genre, isn't it?" Caroline asked no one in particular, then began muttering to herself. "Music... club... only opens at night... oh!" She jumped in realization. "I remember! Our sister had mentioned something like this!"

Justine smiled, apparently having a similar realization. "Yes. Now I remember as well. She told us she had seen a club that only opens at night. It had catchy music and colorful blinking lights. Apparently, the combination of the music's rhythm and the lights have a hypnotizing effect which makes one have an uncontrollable urge to dance."

Caroline tapped her feet on the ground restlessly, as though she were under said hypnotizing effect herself. "This is it! Never mind that the club is closed. We must not waste this opportunity. We need to make the most of it so that we can tell our sister we have been at a club too! Come on, Justine!"

What happened next was totally unexpected. Caroline abruptly grabbed her twin by the hand and pulled her closer to the club's door, and they began dancing together.

Akechi was lost between being surprised or exasperated at the peculiar performance before his eyes. He had been to that jazz club a few times and, in fact, it was one of his favorite attractions in Kichijoji. However, it wasn't the kind of club the twins had described at all! It was actually the opposite. A calm and relaxing place. Akechi considered clearing their misunderstanding up, but ended up deciding against it. The twins seemed to be having so much fun, and he didn't want to ruin the moment.

Akechi focused away from the twins, and his gaze stopped on the signboard. He noticed that a female singer and her band would be performing live at the jazz club tonight. Akechi realized that it was the kind of experience Akira might enjoy. He should invite her after the Phantom Thieves' group darts game.

After a minute or so, the twins seemed satisfied and stopped dancing.

Caroline spoke up first. "This was great. I feel refreshed!"

"Me too." Justine agreed. "Now, having a snack would be nice. Perhaps, something like an octopusless takoyaki..."

"Octopusless?" Akechi was confused. "Can it even be called takoyaki if it has no octopus inside?"

"Yes, it can! Our sister said so!" Caroline insisted innocently, as though her argument left no margin for doubt.

"Takoyaki is street food, yes?" Justine spoke. "I believe I have seen a food store around here. Perhaps we can find some takoyaki there..."

"Hey, detective! Take us there at once!"

"Fine, whatever." Akechi agreed to comply with the angry twin's demand, even though he was almost sure the food store in question didn't sell takoyaki.

And he was right. The street food store only had breaded beef. It wasn't what the twins wanted, but they tried some anyway. Unwilling to give up, they had Akechi take them to another food store, but it only had Chinese dumplings.

Caroline swallowed the last of her dumpling. "Well, this was no takoyaki, but tasted good. All in all, our time at this place was quite enjoyable. Besides that frustrating stupid game, that is."

Akechi was relieved. "Good to hear that your overall opinion is positive. After the darts game, I began worrying you two wouldn't like anything in here."

"Only Caroline disliked the darts game, though. And that was only because we lost."

"Gah!" Caroline flinched, but still tried to appear tough. "Whatever! What matters the most is that once we meet our sister again, we can tell her that we got to dance at a club, and to try Chinese food!" Caroline noticed that Akechi was smiling. "Hmm? What are you laughing at!?"

"It's nothing. I was just thinking about how your sister seems to be very important to both of you. Everything you were able to recall so far is related to her."

"That's...!" Caroline seemed to be trying to blurt out a retort, but Justine interrupted her.

"Yes, you are correct. We used to enjoy listening to her stories about her experiences at the places she visited. These talks got us curious, and made us want to have similar experiences ourselves. If not for this, I suspect that we would not think about anything else besides our duties, and might not even have the wish to remember more. Today's progress may have been small, but we believe we were able to take one step closer towards fully regaining our past memories. This is thanks to you. Detective, we are grateful to you for bringing us to this place."

Even though Caroline didn't say anything, Akechi could tell she was grateful as well. It was as though both girls were actually one, and the words from one of them were enough to express the feelings from both. Everything froze, and a Tarot card appeared to indicate that the Aeon Confidant had ranked up.

"Now, we will take our leave." Justine announced.

"There's no need to accompany us." Caroline added.

"Are you sure? Will you two really be fine on your own?"

"Of course we will!" Caroline replied confidently. "We got to the agreed meet up place just fine, did we not?"

"You did." Akechi realized they had a valid point. "Fine then. If something happens, just call me again."

"Farewell, detective. Until next time." Justine began walking, and Caroline followed her.

The twins disappeared from sight. Akechi was also about to leave when he saw Akira out of the corner of his eye. He hadn't expected to run into her at Kichijoji, but... could the twins have chosen that day to call him to Kichijoji because they knew Akira would be there? From the way they didn't give him the chance to refuse, it very well might be the case... it was frustrating how they still kept "shipping" him and Akira.

She wasn't alone, though. Mr. Yoshizawa's daughter was with her. Akechi hadn't imagined Akira and Yoshizawa-san had known each other. The possibility existed as both were from the same school, but still.

When Akechi realized it, he was already approaching and greeting them.

Still with Morgana in her bag, Akira had followed Yoshizawa-san to Kichijoji, and they were about to enter a restaurant.

"Oh, this restaurant. It's a nice place. I've been here once." In fact, that was the restaurant Akira and Akechi had had lunch last time.

Morgana whispered to Akira. "Hey, look who's here."

And it just so happened that said detective manifested before them. "Hi! I hadn't expected to run into both of you here."

Akira's mouth curved into a wide smile. "Akechi-kun! You're here too!"

"Good afternoon, Akechi-san." Yoshizawa-san greeted politely.

"Yoshizawa-san, good afternoon."

His reply took Akira by surprise. She hadn't expected him to know who the girl was. "You already know each other?"

"Her father is the director of the TV show where we met. " Akechi explained.

"Her father works at the TV, really?" A thought crossed Akira's mind. She hoped Yoshizawa-san's father wasn't part of the corrupt TV staff. She would have to ask Akechi later.

"I have run into Akechi-san a few times when I had to deliver things to my father at the studio. I couldn't have imagined you and Akechi-san had also known each other, senpai. Quite the coincidence..."

Only "knowing" each other was a bit of an understatement. Akira could only imagine Yoshizawa-san's surprise if she were to learn that Akira and Akechi were dating.

"Indeed." Akechi agreed. "I also hadn't imagined you two had known each other."

"We've just met today, actually!" Akira clarified. "We were about to grab a bite at the restaurant. Wanna come with?" Only after the question had left her mouth, Akira realized that inviting Akechi might not be a good idea considering his unpopularity.

Apparently, Akechi thought the same. "Hmm, if Yoshizawa-san doesn't mind..."

"Oh, please, feel free to join us." To Akira's relief, Yoshizawa-san didn't seem bothered by Akechi's presence.

Thus, the three of them entered the restaurant and sat at a table. They were looking at the menu.

"Hmm, I think I'll have this palm pie." Akira indicated a pie in the menu.

"Kurusu-senpai, are you on some kind of special diet?"

"No. Why do you ask?"

"Because that palm pie is a low calorie option, and looks like something a dieter would choose."

"Nah. I'm just up for some palm. What about you? You had said something about gymnastics. Are you on a special diet?"

"Oh, I eat every kind of food, but yes, there are special considerations I make when choosing meals. I'm the one cooking at home. I always choose ingredients that provide a balanced combination of nutrients. It is important to vary the ingredients and get different nutrients, and also to consider the needs of each person. For example, my father's lunch is different from mine, as he isn't really physically active and his body demands nutrients in less quantity."

"Interesting. I hadn't thought of that, but it makes sense." Akira admitted. It was also interesting how Yoshizawa-san's shyness disappeared when talking about nutrition, just like Futaba when the subject was computers. "Now I'm curious. What will you be having?"

"This restaurant's specialty is actually crepes. I'll have a very nutritious crepe!"

"Akechi-kun, what about you?"

"Just a normal crepe with ham and cheese."

They placed their orders, and shortly later, their food arrived.

Yoshizawa-san was looking at her food and talking to herself. "Just a tiny bit of carbs from the thin batter for some quick energy, then lots of protein, vitamins and minerals, and a dash of the healthy kind of fats."

Her crepe was enormous, and would be more than enough to feed two people. It had cheese, chicken, onions, lettuce, chopped celery, tomatoes, and a chopped cooked egg.

Akechi's eyes grew wide. "Yoshizawa-san, are you sure you can eat all of that?"

"Yes. My body spends a lot of energy, and I have no trouble burning all the calories." She glanced at Akechi's simple crepe. "By the way, Akechi-san, that is a savory crepe, isn't it? I had thought you'd choose something sweet."

Akechi was confused. "What made you think that?"

"Um, well, I saw some of your pictures on social media where you were eating sweets, and I thought you had a sweet tooth."

"Ah, I see. No, not really. Those pictures were just a marketing strategy from the producers. They said I'd appeal more to fans that way."

"How disappointing. You fooled us!" Akira commented with a frown. Her action was playful, but Yoshizawa-san probably couldn't tell.

"They said that was the way to go, and I did as told. Not really honest, I know..." The detective justified himself. "Not that I don't like sweets or anything. I'm just not an addict. Though I prefer if things aren't overly sweet..." From the way Akechi kept arguing, he must have taken Akira's comment seriously. He must be feeling bad for his dishonest past behavior, too.

"It's a good thing that you aren't an addict." Yoshizawa-san nodded in approval, oblivious to what was going on in the detective's head. "Too much sugar is bad for our health. The problem is that it's very easy to consume too much sugar without even knowing it, as it's abundant not only in sweets and soft drinks, but also hidden in many kinds of foods, including savory foods we wouldn't expect sugar to be in. We have to be careful and read the labels to make sure. A sweet treat should be okay once in a while, though."

Akechi's head shot up. "This talk of sweets reminded me of dark chocolate. I've heard it's healthier than the normal kind."

Yoshizawa-san confirmed. "Yes. Way more cocoa, and way less sugar. Cocoa even has some benefits to us."

"I tried one of those chocolates recently and liked it. Actually, it was from this exact restaurant... and now I'm up for some... you know what? I'll get a big bar and the three of us can share." Akechi abruptly stood up and left his seat to go buy the chocolate.

"Kurusu-senpai, um, what do you think of Akechi-san?" Yoshizawa-san asked when she and Akira were alone.

"Huh? What do I think?" There was so much Akira thought of him.

"I thought he was a bit full of himself on TV at times, but if we think about it, he has reasons to be. He's an honor student, top of his class, and has also come on top at the mock national entrance exams."

"Oh yeah! I know he's basically a genius, but I had totally forgotten about all that stuff! Aside from his studies, he's also a skilled professional detective!" Not to mention a spy, a secret agent and Phantom Thief, which Yoshizawa-san didn't know about. "Yeah, he's amazing."

"This is the most I have talked to Akechi-san so far.." Yoshizawa commented. "Before today, we had merely traded greetings. Since he is such a smart and amazing person, he seemed hard to approach. Now that I have talked to him a bit more, I think he seems to be a nice person. He might be very unpopular right now, but I actually respect him a lot for his achievements."

"You should tell him this and give him a moral boost. It's hard to find people who support him these days, you know."

"Yes, you have a point. I'll tell him once he returns."

Akira's phone beeped with a text message. It was from Akechi. "I need to say this before I forget. Just so you know, that cupcake you made for me had the right level of sweetness. Actually, I wouldn't mind having more of those."

His message brought a smile to Akira's face, along with the hint to make more cupcakes. But Akechi was still bothered by Akira's comment earlier, wasn't he?

"Are you still worked-up about the sweets thing?" Akira replied. "Don't worry. I didn't get you wrong. I know you were saying the truth when you told me you liked the cupcake that day."

She put the phone away, and spaced out thinking of the message she had just received.

"Kurusu-senpai, you look happy."

Akira startled. "Huh? D-do I?"

"You were spacing out with a gentle expression and a big smile. Perhaps, were you thinking about a boy you like?"

"Uh, well..." Akira blushed profusely, and her attempts to respond died in her throat.

Yoshizawa-san seemed shocked. "Ah! I'm sorry, senpai!" She bowed her head. "I, I was kidding. I wasn't thinking straight when I said that. It's just, you looked like..."

Akira found her speech, but was still blushing a bit. "A person who's thinking about someone special. Yeah, you got that exactly right!"

"Really? Still, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to fluster you..."

"No problem. I'm actually glad you felt comfortable enough to joke around."

"I-if you say so... um, but you have someone you like. I can only imagine how nice that must feel. From the time I was little, I have always imagined romance as something special, magical, like something from a fairy tale, such as 'Cinderella' for example. A poor girl who gets to look gorgeous through magic, attends a luxurious ball, dances with the prince, and he falls in love with her. She has to leave as the magic ends, and even though her princess-like appearance was a lie and the magical moment was short-lived, it was the best night of her life. If I were to get such a unique opportunity, even if short-lived, I would grasp it with no hesitation. What about you, senpai?"

"Hmm. I don't think I'd go for that... If we're talking about fairy tales, though, I guess my case'd be more like, let's see... 'Beauty and the Beast,' maybe?"

"Oh. An arrogant prince cursed into living as a monster, who everyone only views as a dangerous beast. The female protagonist, Beauty, accepts a deal to live with the beast in his castle so that he does not kill her family. As she spends time with him, she gets to know him, and through being kind to him, she awakens the kindness in his heart. They fall in love with each other, and by experiencing true love, the prince is freed from the curse. It's a beautiful story too, but it's more about Beauty's bravery to accept the deal to live with the beast. I still prefer Cinderella's magical night at the ball."

"That's okay. Everyone has their preferences. Hmm, although, I guess I wouldn't mind infiltrating a ball to find out something important, like in those investigation movies."

"Huh? I-infiltrating?" Yoshizawa-san seemed a bit shocked. "Very dramatic... that would require much bravery..."

"Sorry, not magical at all, huh?"

Yoshizawa-san forced a sheepish smile. "Since you are a strong person, I guess it makes sense you would prefer stories with stronger protagonists, senpai. Huh? Wait. Does the fact that you picked 'Beauty and the Beast' also mean that the person you like is someone difficult and has an explosive temperament?"

"Uh, yeah..." Akira admitted awkwardly. Akechi could be quite explosive, especially in the Metaverse.

"Is he from our school?"

"Uh, no, he's not."

"Um, senpai, I'm prying too much, aren't I? Sorry. I couldn't contain my curiosity about what kind of person your 'prince charming' is..."

It felt a bit odd to be telling a person she had just met about her special relationship, but at the same time, it felt good to talk about it. If Akira could, she would tell the whole world about what an amazing and sweet person her precious detective boyfriend was. By doing that, maybe she could convince the public and the judges that he didn't pose any danger anymore. It was wishful thinking, but Akira could dream.

"It's fine. I like him, and like to talk about him."

Speaking of public opinion... "Yoshizawa seems to have a positive opinion on Akechi." Morgana whispered from the bag. "It may be okay to tell her it's him who you're talking about."

"Actually..." Akira agreed and began speaking, but her phone beeped with a text message and interrupted her. "Uh, excuse me for a bit."

In fact, it was another message from the detective in question.

"Akira, when Yoshizawa-san mentioned social media, it occurred to me to say this, and I feel I need to do it sooner rather than later. We must be careful with social media. The general public mustn't know that we are dating. If the producers find out, they may try to drag you into their disgusting marketing strategies, and the public might bash you for being involved with me. You have enough on your plate as it is because of that criminal record. I don't want you to have your reputation ruined because of me."

That was so considerate of him, and so warming to Akira's heart.

"Awww, thanks for your consideration. You have a point! I'll keep the warning in mind."

What a connection they had... he warned her right at the moment she was considering whether to disclose the truth of their relationship to Yoshizawa-san! After that warning, Akira gave up on the idea. The less outsiders knew about their relationship, the better.

However, this didn't stop Akira from wanting to talk about her dear chess knight and point out his virtues whenever she got the chance. She would have to be a bit vague, like when she didn't want to reveal to her friends that she had figured out Crow's true identity.

"Okay, where were we?" Akira put her phone away.

"We were talking about your 'prince charming.'"

"Oh, yeah. I had thought he was a prince, but he was actually a black chess knight." And instead of being a monster or a frog, he was a crow.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, he's very cool when serious, though he can be very adorable too. But like the beast from the fairy tale, people don't understand him and think he's bad. He can be quite rebellious, and did some... uh, stuff he shouldn't have done, but he isn't bad. He was just... lost."

"He sounds like quite the problem child." Yoshizawa-san chuckled, then startled. "Ah! Sorry, I mean no offense."

"None taken. He's quite the problem child indeed. It was to be expected, though. He suffered so much injustice that he grew rebellious and very bitter about life. He's really regretted the wrong stuff he did, though. He's very talented and I'm sure he can achieve many great things. I'd like to be at his side to help make his life better."

"This is so touching, senpai!" Yoshizawa-san smiled. "From your expression and the way you talk about him, it's easy to tell that you care about him a lot. You are really kind, helping put someone on the right path like that. It's a commendable undertaking! Senpai, I will be rooting for you! I hope he realizes how much you care about him and you manage to win his heart!"

"Thanks, Yoshizawa-san. Glad to have one more ally!"

"My moral support isn't much, though... I would like to help in some way, but I don't think there's anything I can do..."

Akira had an idea. "This is it! Yoshizawa-san, you seem to know a lot about health food. I want to make lunch for him. If you could give me some tips to make food that's more nutritious, it'd be great!"

Yoshizawa-san's face lit up. "It's a nice idea, senpai! Making lunch for the boy you like is romantic, too!"

Akira's cheeks became a light shade of pink. "... I-is it?" When she made lunch for Akechi, she hadn't realized her action could come across as romantic.

"Yes! Um, but this isn't the only reason that makes it a nice idea. Preparing comfort food is an act of kindness. By treating him well, hopefully you can awaken the kindness in his heart, much like what Beauty managed to do with the beast prince from the fairy tale!"

Akira nodded, even though what Yoshizawa-san said had already happened.

"I can definitely give you some nutrition tips. It will be my pleasure! And perhaps, helping you may also in turn help me learn how to become a stronger person like you, senpai."

"Yeah, maybe it will, who knows. I still don't know how to help you, but we'll figure it out along the way. It's a deal!"

Unexpectedly, a Tarot card appeared and informed Akira that a new Confidant bond was starting. The Faith Arcana Confidant.

Akechi finally returned with a big chocolate bar.

"That took long." Akira noted. "Did they have to make the chocolate from scratch or what?"

With a sigh, Akechi plopped onto his seat. "For all we know, they might have. They only had the smaller bars on display, and told me they'd search their storage. If I had known this would take so long, I'd have simply bought three smaller bars. I ordered some coffee for us to try to make up for it. I just hope the coffee also won't take long to arrive..."

As the teenagers were finishing the food, a waitress brought their coffee.

Yoshizawa-san took a sip of her drink. "Ah, the coffee from food stores is always so different, isn't it? No matter how hard I try to make coffee at home, even though it smells nice, it always turns out more bitter than anything else. I wonder if I simply can't make a good coffee..."

"These food stores probably use better beans, grind them right before brewing, and control the water amount and temperature better!" Akira usually wasn't one to boast her knowledge of a topic, but when she realized it, coffee trivia was already leaving her mouth. "Most coffees that you normally find in supermarkets have lower quality beans and are over roasted to hide the flaws. This is one of the main reasons the end result becomes so bitter. With good beans, the right grind and a good brew, some coffees even have a hint of sweetness!"

"Oh... you are very knowledgeable about coffee, senpai."

"This is to be expected. She lives in a cafe." Akechi remarked.

"Senpai, you live in a cafe? Is it your family's store?"

"I'm living in a cafe. Actually, I live in the cafe's attic. No, it's not my family's... it's just the place I've been staying at after I got transferred to Shujin and moved to Tokyo. One of the conditions for me to stay was that I had to help out at the cafe, and I ended up learning one thing or two about coffee."

"The place has a calm atmosphere and the coffee is very good." Akechi added his opinion.

"Next time, you could come over and help me make some nutritious food, and I can brew you some coffee! What do you say?"

"May I go to the cafe? Is it really okay?" Yoshizawa-san seemed unsure for some reason.

"I'm inviting you. Of course it's okay! Why wouldn't it be?"

"Um, sorry. I'm still not used to having people invite me anywhere." She smiled sheepishly. "Since you said it's okay, I'll definitely pay you a visit."

Their main orders were gone. Akechi split the chocolate bar in three and distributed the pieces accordingly.

Akira took a bite of the creamy chocolate, then a sip of the coffee. "Ah, the creaminess! And this chocolate goes really well with coffee, too! You choose well, Akechi-kun."

"I didn't choose anything. I only got what was available."

"Either way, thank you for ordering these for us, Akechi-san."

As they continued eating their chocolate, a conversation between two male students reached their ears.

"I'm glad Akechi hasn't shown up on TV for a while. That guy got on my nerves. He's just all talk. He keeps saying he's investigating the Phantom Thieves, but never brings anything concrete. I bet he hasn't found out anything about the Phantom Thieves at all! He should give up at once and admit he can't find anything out."

On one hand, Akira felt bad at hearing someone criticizing Akechi. But on the other hand, she had the urge to snicker. To say Akechi had found nothing out about the Phantom Thieves couldn't be farther from the truth.

"He said he'd stop talking about his investigations on TV." The second boy pointed out. "I doubt he's given up, though. I guess that admitting defeat'd hurt his ego too much."

That conversation seemed to bother Yoshizawa-san as well. "They are criticizing you. I wonder if they realize that you are here..."

"I wouldn't doubt they do." Akechi responded. "People openly criticize me in my presence all the time. I'm already used to it."

Yoshizawa-san looked at him sympathetically. "I think it is unfair how people criticize you so much only because you disagree with them about one single topic."

"Speaking of which, if you don't mind me asking, do you also think I should give up on the Phantom Thieves' investigation?"

"Well, I think that if you believe you have what it takes to solve their mystery, then you should keep at it. Why do you ask, though? Are you considering giving up?"

"I was just curious about your opinion, since you seem to view things a bit differently from most people."

"Won't you also ask Kurusu-senpai?"

"I have already discussed this topic with her a number of times."

Akira joined in. "Actually, I said I want him to figure them out. The better he understands their methods, the more solid his final conclusions can be, right? I know he values justice a lot, and am sure he can make fair judgment."

"That's wise, senpai."

"Despite knowing my stance, she never made any effort to hide that she is for them," Akechi said. "Usually, people who support the Phantom Thieves are automatically against me. So, hers was a surprisingly level-headed suggestion for a Phantom Thieves' supporter. What about you, Yoshizawa-san? What do you think of the Phantom Thieves? Are you for or against them?"

Yoshizawa-san hesitated, as though she were afraid of voicing her opinion. "I... I'm not really sure. I can't say I support them, and can't say I'm totally against them, either. To be honest, I don't like their actions much. Of course, helping people is a good thing. I don't think their actions are really helping people, though."

"What do you mean?" Akira didn't get it. Of course they were helping people...

"I believe that people should stand for themselves and solve their problems on their own, instead of relying on someone else, like the Phantom Thieves, to solve their problems for them."

That wasn't true. They were helping people, inspiring and giving others hope to move forward. Ms. Kawakami was a clear example of that. Right on the previous day, she had thanked Akira and shown her determination to continue pursuing her dream.

Akira felt the need to argue. "I believe the Phantom Thieves' actions inspire people. When you have a hard problem, don't you feel hopeful to see other very hard problems being solved? Don't you feel hopeful to think that your hard problem may also be solvable?"

"Hmm. I think both of you have valid arguments," Akechi said. "While some might feel inspired to stand up and solve their own problems, others might choose to do the opposite. Many people tend to do nothing and merely wait for a miracle to happen, for a hero to come forth and magically solve their problems. If the Phantom Thieves do too much for people, this second category may decide to simply do nothing and just rely on the Phantom Thieves to do everything for them. The Phantom Thieves would need to be able to determine how much is too much, to make sure they aren't 'helping the butterflies out of their cocoons, so to speak."

It was a good point, now that Akechi had put it that way. Nothing like talking things through together!

"Ah. Determine how much is too much..." Akira echoed. "Yeah, that's a hard balance to find." Thankfully, that kind of thing was what their unanimous decision rule was for.

"If the Phantom Thieves' true goal is really to help people, that is." Akechi added, to keep his statements consistent with what he said publicly.

"Akechi-san, why do you say that? Do you believe the Phantom Thieves' true goal isn't to help people? Do you think they have ulterior motives? Even though their actions don't sit too well with me, I wish their intentions are actually good. I wouldn't say no to having more good people in this world."

"What I believe may or may not turn out to be true. I'm investigating and still can't say anything about the Phantom Thieves. I have to agree that this world needs more good people, though."

Something seemed to have bothered Yoshizawa-san, and she fidgeted. "Um, are you saying this because of the haters?"

"Huh?" Akechi seemed confused at Yoshizawa-san's question. His last statement probably wasn't because of the haters, though it made sense he would have a bitter view of people, considering so many had mistreated him during his whole life.

Yoshizawa-san didn't seem to notice his confusion. "Not that I think the world mostly has bad people... I only meant to say that the more good people we have, the merrier! But I know all too well how it feels to be criticized left and right. Those who criticize you aren't all necessarily bad, though. Do people treat you well at school, at least? After all, you're an accomplished honor student."

"Not really. The other students are envious of my grades and the fact that I have permission to skip classes to take care of detective work."

"Oh. Um, but you at least have a friend at school to support you through all the criticism, right?"

"Err, actually, no..." Akechi replied awkwardly. "I didn't manage to make any friends at school."

Yoshizawa-san was incredulous. "Really? Not even when you were more popular?"

"No. At the time I was popular, some people asked me to take pictures with them, but that was it. All they wanted was to use trending topics on social media to get more likes and followers. I used to be so blinded by the spotlights that it took me too long to realize this, but people only cared about my looks, and didn't care about me as a person."

"This is... sad..." Yoshizawa-san had a pained expression. She still had seen nothing, though. That was only the tip of the iceberg of Akechi's situation. "I'm a bit shocked to hear this. I had thought making friends was easier to you because you were famous..."

"I wish I had an easier time making friends, like a certain girl that's here with you." Akechi's envy shot to the surface, and he spoke bitterly with a glare at Akira. "She said you two have just met today, but it looks like you know each other for ages! Surely she made a lot of friends at her previous schools as well. She can get along with people without even trying! I'm so envious..."

Yoshizawa-san startled at his reaction.

"Hold on." Akira raised a hand. "It's not like that. You might think it seems easy, but it's not. While it's true that I got along with a few classmates at my previous schools and we spent some enjoyable moments together, everyone went their separate ways and I lost contact with all of them. True bonds are rare treasures. If only I had true friends at my hometown, things wouldn't have been so hard to me when I got the false charges..."

Akechi sighed and averted his gaze. "Okay, okay. I know I shouldn't have said that. I'm sorry."

"Um, Akechi-san." Yoshizawa-san diverted his attention from Akira. "I would like you to know that I have nothing against you. Quite the opposite. I respect you a lot for your achievements, both as an honor student and as a detective."

"Thanks for your supportive words." he said in a neutral tone.

As they finished their chocolate, paid the bill and left the restaurant, Akechi still avoided eye contact with Akira.

On the street, Yoshizawa-san's phone rang.

"Hello? Oh, everything is okay. I'm hanging out with a senpai from school. We ran into Akechi-san along the way, and he's here too. The three of us had a snack at the restaurant. It was fun. I'll tell you everything later!" She ended the call and put the phone away with a smile. "It was my father. He was worried because he had known I wouldn't have gymnastics today, and I'm not home yet. He worries about me a lot. Maybe a bit too much..."

"He has expressed his worry a few times when I went to the TV studio," Akechi said. "He commented that you were feeling down. It's good that you seem more cheerful today."

"There are ups and downs, but such is life, I guess. Today was a good day, though!" Yoshizawa-san bowed her head slightly. "I enjoyed hanging out with both of you. Kurusu-senpai and Akechi-san, thank you for keeping me company."

Akira smiled brightly. "We definitely should hang out again!"

"Yes!" Yoshizawa-san nodded cheerfully, glad to hear Akira's response. "You two will be heading to the station, right? I will stay here, since I live nearby."

"Then, this is goodbye for now." Akira concluded. "See you at school tomorrow!"

They parted ways, and Akira was alone with Akechi and Morgana on the way back to Shibuya.

"Akechi's been acting weird since earlier at the restaurant." Morgana noted. "You should talk to him."

Akira didn't need to be told it, as she had also realized that. Was Akechi still bothered by the envy drip from earlier?

Akira made sure to stand near Akechi inside the train. "Akechi-kun?" She called out to him, but he kept avoiding her and didn't turn to face her. "Akechi-kun, c'mon..." She tried again, and he didn't respond. He seemed to be lost in thought. Akira wasn't sure if that was the case, or if he was pretending to be distracted just to avoid her.

Even though he was avoiding her, he followed her to Leblanc after unboarding at Yongen-Jaya. The cafe was empty when they entered.

"I'll leave you two to yourselves." Morgana came out of Akira's bag and ran upstairs.

"Akechi-kun, what's wrong? Are you angry?"

"I am." Akechi took a deep breath, and finally stared at Akira directly. "I'm angry at myself. I'm sorry for what happened earlier at the restaurant."

"You mean, for taking too long to bring our chocolate?" Akira played dumb, very well aware of his true reason.

"Akira!" Akechi glared irritable. "That's not it. You know what I'm talking about!"

"Yeah, of course I know. It's your little outburst, right? Don't worry. That was nothing."

"Yes, it was." Akechi lowered his head. "I lost control again, and when I realized it, I was lashing out at you. As I feared, that plan of yours isn't working. Akira, are you sure you want to continue with it? Today is only the first day and I already caused you trouble!"

"Of course I want to continue dating you! How come you're thinking of giving up already? As you said yourself, it's only the first day. We're just getting started! I know you didn't mean to lash out at me. You only lost your temper for a second, and that's it. No need to be so worked-up about it!"

"The outburst in itself was on the lighter side this time. The envy is stronger than me, though. I fear worse outbursts will happen and I'll end up hurting you..."

"I'll be fine. I can handle them. I know that when you aren't in your right mind, you say stuff you don't mean to say, and that it happens because of your past, your frustrations of not having had your efforts recognized."

"You got that exactly right." Akechi heaved a resigned sigh. "The problem this time was that I felt really frustrated at my inability to make friends."

"But you have all of us now." Akira reminded him.

"Yes, and I'm very grateful for this. My issue is with my past, though. I keep thinking that if only I had managed to make at least a single friend... if only I had had at least one person supporting me, I might not have lost my way and done all those horrible things..."

"Oh. Yeah, I totally get your point..." Akira answered with a serious expression, but then flashed a slight grin. "You know what? Maybe you're right and I have incredible luck getting people to like me." Her eyes filled with admiration as she stared at Akechi. "When Yoshizawa-san pointed out your academic achievements, something occurred to me. Those are already amazing, and are only a small fraction of what the Phantom Thieves' awesome secret agent can do! It's a wonder how such an amazing person ended up falling in love with someone like me. You know, I'm not the cutest nor the smartest girl around..."

"Y-you're smart enough and cute enough to me." Even Akechi seemed surprised at the words that had left his mouth. He tried to regain his composure and disguise the intense blush that had appeared. "Um, I mean, you probably don't need to be perfect. You're achieving the things you want. As long as your skills are good enough to achieve your goals, it's fine, I suppose. In my case, I studied so much, but for what? The foster families never recognized my efforts. In the end, all those academic results might actually be useless. Considering my situation, I may not even have the chance to enter college."

This got a frown from Akira. "Akechi-kun, don't say that..."

"I know you don't like when I say these things, but it's the truth. Uh, I digress. I was talking about you. You're unique, with qualities that make you very different from anyone else. It's this combination of qualities that intrigues me. You have a pure and free heart, and don't let issues from your past hinder you. Exactly the opposite of me. You're too good... you did what no one else had done by reaching out to me and showing me a level of kindness that I hadn't seen in years. You're so understanding, and insist on remaining at my side even when I end up snapping and throwing harsh words at you. To be honest, actually I still think I don't deserve you..."

"You deserve much more. I still think I'm not the best person around, but you've won my 'pure and free heart.' It's all yours. You may do whatever you want with it. I know your envy episodes may keep happening, and I don't mind. I'll always be here for you, my precious detective boyfriend." Akira spread her arms and pulled him into a comforting hug. "I know how you're proud and don't want to show your weaknesses. Everyone has their weaknesses, though. Don't be afraid of showing yours. If you aren't comfortable to show them to others, at least show them to me. I accept you as you are, with all qualities and faults, strengths and weaknesses. Whenever you think you might stumble and fall, I'll be here to help steady you. My plan will work. You'll get stronger than that envy, and we'll defeat it together. You'll see!"

Akira wanted to reassure him, comfort him, make him relax and forget everything else. Thankfully, by now she already knew how to accomplish just that. She gently enveloped Akechi's lips in hers, and gave him a long kiss packed with affection. From the contented sigh that escaped his mouth after the kiss ended, Akira knew she had achieved her goal.

Akechi responded by hugging her back, then giving her lips a timid but also adorable peck. Akira began petting his head. Akechi closed his eyes, rested his head on Akira's shoulder and allowed himself to relax.

They remained there holding each other and enjoying the peace of the moment. Akira lost track of time and had no idea how many minutes they had stayed like that.

Eventually, Akechi broke the hug and straightened up, totally relaxed. "I'll be going."

"The darts game with everyone's still up, right?"

"Uh-huh." He nodded. "After that, there's a place I want to show you."

"Okay! See you later at Kichijoji again!"

... ... ... ... ...

At night, Akechi met up with all the Phantom Thieves, including Sae-san, at the bar that had the darts game. In pairs, they took turns playing the game cooperatively. As Akechi had thought, this seemed to be improving teamwork between them. Akira had the amusing idea of also having Morgana throw darts, and surprisingly, the supernatural cat proved to be quite good at it! They ended that night's session with the combination of a very unlikely pair: Morgana and Sae-san.

"Yes! This is our Minerva!" Morgana cheered when Sae-san's dart hit the last number and reduced their score to zero.

"You also play surprisingly well," Sae-san said.

"It was inspiring to watch everyone play so determinedly." Kitagawa commented.

Haru nodded. "I wasn't very sure about playing darts at first, but when I paired with Ryuji-kun, his enthusiasm was so contagious that I got carried away before I knew it!"

"Futaba, you did well, too!" Takamaki-san said. "Had you played darts before?"

"Nah. I had purchased this darts set online and tried throwing darts around at home, but it only made Sojiro angry! Today I could finally go all out and unleash them! And everyone was here, so it was even more fun!"

"Yes." Makoto agreed. "I'm glad that my sister joined us as well."

"This was a nice change of pace for me, and more fun than I had expected." Sae-san admitted. "I hope to have time to do this again."

"We hope so too!" Akira responded for everyone.

They left the darts place and were about to part ways.

"Futaba, could you go on ahead and take Morgana home for me?" Akira asked. "Akechi-kun said he wants to show me something."

"Oooh... sure!" Futaba took the bag with Morgana from Akira, then grinned at Akechi. "My lil' big bro, be sure to impress her and capture her heart!"

Akechi blushed and vehemently shook his head. "It's not like that!"

"C'mon, Akechi!" Morgana chided him. "You two are already dating. Stop being in denial already!"

Akechi felt the need to justify himself. "I mean what I have in mind is nothing romantic! After all, I'd be terrible at it and it'd be a disaster if I were to try. I just want to spend some quality time with her, that's all..." And hopefully, make up for the envy episode from earlier.

Futaba completely ignored his arguments. "Wait what? You two are officially together already? The heart capturing part's already over? How come I didn't catch this important piece of news!?"

"It had not reached my ears, either," Kitagawa said.

"Oh, sorry. I had only told who was at school..." Akira explained. "Yeah, now we're dating!"

"Congratulations. You two make an adorable couple." Sae-san's unexpected compliment made both Akechi and Akira blush a bit.

Haru giggled. "I agree!"

"C'mon, guys, let's leave the two of them to themselves, shall we?" Takamaki-san urged.

"Have fun!" Futaba spoke.

Sakamoto patted Akechi on the back and whispered in his ear. "Tell me everything later, alright?"

Akechi didn't respond. He and Akira would only spend time together. There would be nothing out of the ordinary to tell anyone about.

Everyone else left.

"So, what do you have in mind, detective?"

"An interesting place. I hope you'll like it."

Akechi guided Akira to the jazz club.

"I didn't pay much attention because it was closed when we were here during the day." Akira noted. "But... a bar?"

"With calming music and non-alcoholic drinks, don't worry."

They entered, and Akechi ordered two glasses of cocktail along with a hot dog with fries. They sat at a table and took a moment to enjoy the live jazz performance that was going on.

"Nice atmosphere." Akira commented. "Quite relaxing..."

"Yes. Before I knew of Leblanc's existence, this was my go-to place to relax and complete my day whenever I had work at Kichijoji. Normally, they play a music recording in the background. But on some days, like today, the band performs live. Even though the recordings are nice, listening to the music live is really something else. When I was here earlier and saw the sign announcing it was a live performance day, I knew right away that I had to bring you here."

"Oh. Thanks! I like it here. It feels good to listen to the music."

"Jazz has this peculiar swing, and the combinations of notes are more... how can I put it? More elaborate than what we usually listen to, I suppose. The music may sound daring, and even a bit chaotic at times, yet everything still manages to fit together nicely. A chaotic harmony, I'd say. I'm not sure if you get what I mean."

"Hmm. It sure feels different from the music we're used to." Akira nodded to herself. "I hadn't imagined you'd be into jazz, but it kinda makes sense. You appreciate specialty coffee, too..."

"Huh? I don't get what you mean. What does coffee have to do with anything?"

"Oh, sorry. I was thinking aloud. That seemed really out of the blue, huh? Alright, let me explain!" Akira declared dramatically. "What I thought was that this music's a nice change of pace, like trying Boss' specialty coffees after having only had the normal ones! It broadens our horizons and opens our minds to different nuances, small details we hadn't imagined that could exist. You seem to appreciate this kind of intricate stuff. This was what I meant."

Understanding crossed Akechi's gaze. "Ah, I understand now. That was an interesting point of view. I also like the coffee metaphor. You're right. Actually, I think jazz music fits you, too."

"Me? I admit I don't know much about jazz, but I've always thought it's a sophisticated, stylish kind of music. I'm certainly not that!"

"Not stylish? You've got to be kidding, Joker," Akechi said playfully. "Of course you are stylish, especially in the Metaverse, although this wasn't my point. I was referring to the qualities in jazz music. Free, daring, not afraid to deviate from established norms, easily adapts to different situations. These qualities are what makes each jazz performance unique, and the same also applies to you."

Akira laughed. "Whoa! I had never imagined I'd be compared to jazz, or that I'd actually learn something about it! I'll be sure to pay more attention to the musical details you pointed out."

They continued watching the musicians.

"Even the musicians seem to be having fun performing!" Akira noted.

"They probably are. When I wasn't in the mood to do anything and spent time here, I kept paying attention to the musicians, and realized there's actually a pattern. First, they play the music as is. Well, usually with some variations here and there to spice things up, of course. Then, they play it again, but with each band member doing their own improvisation. It seems like each one of them is doing things at random, until everyone proves they're still synchronized, and all instruments reunite to play the song as is again and wrap it up. The band's harmony is quite fascinating."

"Wow, detective. You even analyze stuff like that?"

"Force of habit." He replied.

Akira smiled. "You were really born to be a detective."

"I'm not sure." Akechi immediately thought of his fake cases and his manipulated detective reputation. He felt he had to get back on track before those depressing thoughts had the chance to ruin the moment. "However, it surprises me that you're impressed at my analysis rather than the musicians' connection."

"Without your analysis, I'd never realize their connection." Akira argued. "By the way, doesn't it actually sound like our own connection?"

"How?"

"I mean, we were having those dreams and thinking they were random, only to find out that we had the same dreams and that they were actually synchronized!"

"Now that you put it that way..." Akechi was deep in thought. "A fascinating connection indeed, and still hard to believe."

"Yeah, that's still a wonder... I think I'll dub it... wild card jazz!"

Akechi burst laughing, and prompted Akira to laugh with him.

"Akechi-kun." She spoke once their laughter had subsided. "Earlier I said that true bonds are rare treasures. Ours is certainly a very rare one, and I'll cherish it forever."

On one hand, Akechi felt bad. He might hurt Akira since he was sure his envy episodes would continue happening. But on the other hand, she was very precious to him, and he refused to let go of their bond, even though he perhaps should.

"Me too..." He found himself uttering, and his gaze locked on Akira. Akechi was hypnotized by the tender look she was giving him, and couldn't tear his gaze away from her.

Neither of them was paying attention to the musicians anymore. At that moment, Akechi and Akira only had eyes for each other. There was nothing else besides them, connected by their newly dubbed "wild card jazz."

"Ah!" Akira snapped out of her daze. "The cocktails!"

Akechi also startled. Only then, he realized they had completely forgotten their cocktails and snacks on the table.

Akira sipped on her drink. "Hmm, this cocktail... it seems to have a bit of chocolate, and also some fruit. Maybe cherries? I don't know. But it's quite refreshing!" She took a bite of her hot dog. "Yoshizawa-san'd frown at our choice of dinner. Ah, it's only for today, though..."

They took their time savoring their snacks and drinks, then left the bar.

Akechi remained close to Akira in the train. Only when they disembarked at the Shibuya station, he realized it was already time to part ways.

"I'll accompany you to Leblanc." He declared.

"Don't worry. Leblanc's very close to the station, and it's not that late."

"I know. Um, actually, I... I just wanted an excuse to spend a bit more time with you." He confessed.

"Oh. You don't need an excuse. Just say it outright."

"It's what I just did..."

"Yeah, well done. I like how spontaneous it was. Well, let's go." Akira took his hand and led the way to the line.

They remained holding hands during the train ride, and then the short walk to Leblanc.

Once they were inside Leblanc, Akechi's hand broke free from Akira's, and they stood face to face. "This is it. You're home."

"Wanna stay the night?"

Akechi shook his head. "Not today."

"Awww, tired of spending time with me already?"

She was obviously joking, but Akechi responded seriously. "Of course not. But I'm satisfied."

"Okay then. Good night." She kissed his left cheek. "Oh, and thanks for introducing me to the jazz place. It was a nice experience. I hadn't imagined today'd be the day I'd learn so much about jazz!"

"I'm glad to know that you enjoyed it, and that sometimes I'm able to surprise you rather than the other way around."

Akira shrugged. "Oh, c'mon. You've surprised me a number of times already. It's always nice to find out that there's still something new and surprising to learn about you. You're very unique and fascinating yourself, you know. A sharp detective, a serious, cool and righteous secret agent, skilled in about everything you do. You're also kind and caring, very adorable when half asleep, don't like to cook but don't mind doing it for the people important to you. You also like cycling, Featherman, superhero toys, and enjoy specialty coffee and jazz music. Where else could I find this unique combination!?"

Akechi blushed. "Err, some of the things you listed are rather embarrassing..."

"A rather peculiar combination of facts, if you ask me! I bet no one can guess these things about you, or that you had made terrible mistakes and are working so hard to make things right. I already said this, but the more I get to know about you, the more I admire you."

Akechi was half flustered, half exasperated, sure that some of the things Akira listed shouldn't be reasons for her to admire him. He tried to look away and hide his embarrassment. "Whatever. May I go now?"

"Aren't you forgetting something? I didn't give you bad pancakes."

This reminded him that he had yet to return her good night kiss.

"... Right. Good night." Akechi fought his embarrassment off and kissed Akira on her left cheek before turning around and walking out of Leblanc.

... ... ... ... ...

Tuesday, November 8

Akira arrived at school.

"Good Morning, senpai!" Yoshizawa-san came to greet her.

"Morning!"

"Um, senpai, was everything okay after we parted ways?"

"Huh? Yeah, all was okay. Why?"

"I was a bit worried. You know, the atmosphere became awkward by the end of our outing... I actually got scared when Akechi-san snapped and glared at you. You don't seem to have anything against him. Do you know if he has anything against you?"

"Well, he said he's envious of me." Akira revealed hesitantly. "Even though I'm not a honor student or anything, he thinks I'm more successful in life than him despite all his efforts."

"Oh..." Yoshizawa-san made a hurt expression. "Wait, did he actually say that straight to your face?"

"He did."

"What!?" Yoshizawa-san exclaimed in shock. "That's rough..."

"I'm okay, though. It's Akechi-kun who's not." Akira flashed a smile. "Yoshizawa-san, you seem to be quite worried about Akechi-kun. I feel the same way."

"Really?" Yoshizawa-san seemed relieved to hear Akira say that. "Akechi-san mostly gets criticism and has no friends at school. I can relate because the same happens to me. So, I actually thought it would be nice to have him join us in more outings, but if he has reservations towards you..."

"Actually, I'd like him to hang out with us more, too. I'm glad to have found someone else who sympathizes with him."

"What if he snaps at you again?"

"Even so, it's fine. He needs to vent his frustrations once in a while."

"You're such an understanding person, senpai. Do you think he would agree to join us, though?"

"He agreed just fine yesterday, didn't he? Why wouldn't he agree again?"

"You may be right. I hope he will eventually realize that you wish him well."

Akira was at ease, perfectly sure Akechi was fully aware of that. From the looks of it, though, it was a bit funny to think Yoshizawa-san couldn't even begin to guess that Akira and Akechi were actually dating.

The chimes rang.

"I will head to class. See you again, senpai!"

... ... ... ... ...

Later, when Akira was leaving for lunch break, Dr. Maruki, who she had still been calling "Mr. Maruki" in her head, approached her.

"Hello, Kurusu-san. Sorry for the sudden question, but do you have time after classes? The student who was supposed to come to counseling today had to leave early. Since I've found myself with some free time, I wondered whether you'd like to discuss cognitive psience today."

"Oh, sure." Akira had an idea. "May I call Akechi-kun here too? I think he'd also be interested in discussing cognitive psience. If both of us are here, you don't need to repeat the same thing twice."

The doctor raised an eyebrow. "If you have the means to contact him, then why not?"

"Alright. It's settled then."

Akira texted Akechi, and he agreed.

After classes, Akechi left his school and headed to Shujin. He arrived right when Yoshizawa-san was leaving.

"Akechi-san?!" She was surprised.

"Good afternoon, Yoshizawa-san."

"Good afternoon. Why are you here? Perhaps, is it some kind of investigation?"

"You could say that. I'm here to talk to Dr. Maruki. It has come to my attention that he is studying about a specific topic which may be related to the changes of heart."

"Hmm..." She hummed in wonder. "I have been attending his counseling sessions. Dr. Maruki is a great doctor. I hadn't imagined he might know something about the changes of heart, though. I hope you find out something interesting."

"Me too." Akechi turned around and was about to resume his course.

"Akechi-san!" She stopped him in his tracks.

He turned in her direction again. "What is it?"

"Um, I want to make it clear that I'm not among the people who dislike you."

"Yes, you've already made it clear yesterday. Thanks for your consideration."

Apprehension filled her gaze, and she added hesitantly. "A-and Kurusu-senpai isn't, either. She is a very kind person, and wishes you well."

Akechi was aware of that better than anyone else. Akira was even willing to put up with his envy episodes. He wished she wouldn't have to go through things like that. Why did she have to choose to date someone as complicated as him?

He only realized he wasn't making a very nice face because Yoshizawa-san's apprehension increased. "Do you, perhaps... dislike Kurusu-senpai?"

That couldn't be farther from the truth. He couldn't bring himself to dislike Akira. She was too good for him. He, on the other hand, wasn't good enough. This was what he didn't like, and the main reason of his frustration. Despite all his efforts, he wasn't good enough to be successful in life, and also wasn't good enough for Akira.

"No, not at all. We just... disagree on things sometimes..." Such as her insistence on dating him.

Even though Akechi had accepted to start dating Akira and concluded there was no turning back, it might have been a hasty decision and perhaps he should turn back. The more he thought about it, the more he became unsure about that relationship, as much as he liked Akira and enjoyed their moments together. Selfishly speaking, he wanted to be near her, but he was getting worried about Akira. He felt he would mostly cause her trouble. He had faults, such as his envy, which didn't seem to be about to disappear anytime soon, and would cause her many unnecessary headaches. Add to that the fact that people might find out about their relationship, as he had warned her yesterday. It would be troublesome if someone were to post about their relationship on social media and the production staff caught wind of it. Akechi was still sure that he didn't deserve her, and that she really deserved someone better, less problematic, with a pure heart, who hadn't made so many horrible mistakes and wasn't in such a complicated situation.

Apparently, his argument didn't convince Yoshizawa-san.

Akechi felt the need to add, "I apologized to her about what happened yesterday. We're on good terms."

"This is good." Yoshizawa-san seemed a bit relieved. "Um, so, the next times she hangs out with me, would you join us again?"

Akechi raised an eyebrow. "You want me to come too?"

"Yes! If you would like to, that is..."

"Well, why not?"

"Will you?" Yoshizawa-san brightened up. "Great! I look forward to the next outing. Well, I will stop bugging you and leave you to do your investigation at peace. See you again, Akechi-san."

Akechi met up with Akira, and she led him to the nurse's office, where Dr. Maruki was.

"Take a seat and make yourselves comfortable." The doctor spoke in a friendly way. "I have brought some snacks." He indicated two containers on the table and opened them. "We have two kinds of cookies. These square ones don't seem to be very popular. The container is rather full, as you can see. On the other hand, we have these round ones that were gone much quicker, and the container is rather empty. You may choose whichever ones you wish."

Akechi only wanted to discuss cognitive psience. He found the snacks unnecessary, but chose to be polite and accept the doctor's hospitality. He took one of the round cookies, while Akira took a square one.

"Let's begin." Dr. Maruki started speaking. "In cognitive psience, we study people's cognition, or the way they perceive things. By understanding their thought processes and what impacts their views, we can find ways to influence how they perceive the environment around them, or in other words, cause their cognition to change."

Akira nodded.

The explanation made sense to Akechi as well. It also fit the Phantom Thieves "heists" perfectly. As they navigated the Palaces and learned more about how the targets think, the Phantom Thieves acted accordingly to influence the targets' cognition and cause it to change.

"Like strategical use of psychology?" Akira chuckled sheepishly. "Sorry, I'm not sure how to put it better, but I can think of some practical uses for influencing people's cognition. To get the upper hand in a negotiation between companies, for example. Or maybe in marketing, to create ads that influence potential customers' cognition of a product." Akira would make much use of cognitive psience even outside the Metaverse in her future career, wouldn't she?

"It may also be used during an investigation, to influence the suspects' cognition and lead them into saying the truth, for instance." Akechi added to the discussion.

Dr. Maruki nodded. "Yes. Knowledge of cognitive psience may certainly be used for all these purposes. By the way, Akechi-kun, why did you choose the round cookie?"

"Huh?" The sudden, off-topic question took Akechi by surprise. "I'm not sure. I didn't put much thought into my choice. I just thought it was a good choice, I suppose."

"Kurusu-san, what about you? Why did you choose the square cookie?"

"Um, because there were more of them, and I felt bad about taking the few round ones..."

Dr. Maruki laughed. "That was a peculiar answer. Okay, you two may try the other kind of cookies as well. I don't mind. I have more at home to restock for tomorrow."

Akechi still believed they were wasting time going off-topic. Hopefully, the conversation would get back on track once he followed the suggestion. Thus, he took a square cookie next. Akira followed suit and took a round one.

"So, which cookie do you two think tastes better?"

They really would have to go along with that, wouldn't they?

"They're similar." Akechi noted. "But... the round one is more flavorful, maybe?"

Akira chewed on her cookie and seemed to be deep in concentration. "Hmm, I'm not sure. It's hard to choose. Both of them are good, though!"

Akechi couldn't contain himself. "Um, Dr. Maruki, I believe we are getting off-topic..."

"No, we are not. The snacks are also important to create the right mood for a productive conversation!" Maybe he was trying too hard to be hospitable... or was that really it? "Speaking of cookies, there's a study where the participants had to try cookies from two containers, where one was almost full and the other one almost empty. I went for something similar here. Akechi-kun, you considered the round cookies a good choice. Not that the square ones aren't, but I can see the reason that may have led you to your conclusion. I had pointed out that there were less of the round cookies, and implied that they were gone quicker because they're the ones people prefer. They certainly sounded like a good choice."

"Ah." Akechi finally realized it. There was actually a point to the cookies. He and Akira were being tested!

"Then, I had both of you try the cookies of the other shape, and asked which one tastes better. You searched and searched and searched for something that set each kind of cookie apart. One of them should taste better. After all, there was supposed to be a difference, right?"

Akechi gasped. "Wait, you don't mean..."

The doctor chuckled. "Well, sorry to break the spell, but enough suspense. I'll reveal the cookies' mystery. By implying that the cookies were different and the round ones were better, I influenced your cognition of the cookies. However, in fact, both cookies are practically the same. The only difference is their shape. So, it's a hard choice indeed, unless you prefer one shape over the other!"

Akira was taken aback. "Wow, I could swear there was a difference in the taste... even though it was hard to identify!"

"Me too." Akechi had to admit, frustrated to find out he had been tricked. "Now I see that the cookies subject wasn't off-topic at all. You were using cognitive psience against us!" Most frustrating of all, it had worked on them, despite all the experience they had avoiding cognitive traps in the Metaverse. Not only that, but the cognition manipulation had worked better on him than on Akira, too. How could this have happened? He had two years more Metaverse experience than her!

Dr. Maruki resumed speaking. Akechi had to take a deep breath and focus on the doctor's speech before the envy had the chance to take over.

"In the study I mentioned, the participants tended to prefer the cookies from the almost empty container. Why? Because of the cookies scarcity. The more scarce an item is, the rarer it feels. This notion made the participants believe the scarce kind of cookies was special, and their brains tricked them into thinking that said cookies tasted better, even though all cookies should actually taste the same."

"How interesting!" Akira was amazed, and didn't share Akechi's frustration.

"Our brain is amazing, isn't it? Take the placebo effect, for example. There are studies where some of the participants are given a placebo during a trial of a new medicine. They don't know it's a placebo and believe they were given the medicine. In some cases, their belief is so strong that stimulates their brain into causing their bodies to function better. This can also be a way of influencing cognition."

"Yeah, I've heard of something like that." Akira commented.

"Besides everything we already mentioned, I think cognitive psience has other interesting uses. It would be great for changing a person's perception of a traumatic moment, so that he or she has an easier time dealing with it, or even have he or she forget the trauma altogether, to not have to think about it anymore and carry on with life at peace. This is the kind of goal I'm trying to achieve with my studies."

Akira smiled. "It's a noble cause. I'll be rooting for you!"

"Thanks, Kurusu-san. I'm having trouble getting the university to back my studies, though."

"They're skeptical of cognitive psience?" Akira took a guess.

"It's what it looks like, but I don't know. First, they were all enthusiastic about my ideas and willing to fund my studies. But when I showed them a draft of the paper I'm writing, they refused to fund the studies by saying my theories lacked evidence. I remade the draft with clearer evidence, but they still refuse to support me, as though that enthusiasm from the beginning had never existed! I won't give up, though. I feel that helping people through cognitive psience is my mission. This is my dream, and I'll pursue it until the end!"

"Good luck," Akechi said earnestly.

"Thanks. Akechi-kun, I hope my insights have managed to broaden your knowledge of the uses for cognitive psience, even if just a little. As you can see, it may be used for many good things."

"You were right. The snacks made the conversation productive." Akechi had to admit.

"They did, didn't they?" Dr. Maruki replied with a triumphant smile, glad that he was succeeding in convincing Akechi of how cognitive psience could be used for good purposes. A Tarot card appeared to inform Akechi that his bond with Dr. Maruki had gotten a bit stronger, and the Councillor Confidant ranked up.

"We talked a lot about changing people's cognition." The doctor spoke again. "I believe this is exactly what the Phantom Thieves do. Change the targets' perception and make them realize how their actions harm others around them. It's really fitting to say that the targets have a 'change of heart.' Wouldn't you agree?"

"Hmm." Those were exactly Akechi's thoughts, but he choose to appear neutral.

"There's still a lot to cover about cognitive psience. We can go over it calmly on other days."

This was the cue for Akira to stand up. "Sure. Doctor, thanks for the class! And of course, for the cookies too!"

The doctor chuckled. "You're welcome. I'll bring more cookies next time. You'll also get to choose the shape."

Akira spaced out, probably with her Confidant ranking up as well.

Shortly later, Akechi and Akira were at the Shujin station. Akechi couldn't contain a sigh of frustration, and it didn't go unnoticed.

"Akechi-kun, what's wrong?"

"I still can't believe I fell to that cookies trick so easily."

"Both of us fell to it." She pointed out.

"Yes, but you fared better. His cognition manipulation had less effect on you. You weren't swayed into choosing the round cookies, nor into believing they tasted better during the comparison."

"No one fared better nor worse. We only had complementary reactions, that's all!"

"I'm starting to feel that my two years of Metaverse experience mean nothing..."

"Awww, don't be so worked up." Akira reached a hand out and patted Akechi's head. But this only served to irritate him even more. "Well, what happened today only proves that Dr. Maruki really knows his stuff! We've gotta recognize this and respect him!"

Morgana, who had been quiet until now inside Akira's bag, spoke up. "That was impressive. Maruki really knows what he's doing. If he can influence cognition like that outside the cognitive world, it's even a bit scary to think what he could do if he were to get access to the Metaverse."

"Thankfully, he's on the good side!" Akira said. "If we were to show him the Metaverse, he'd have a field day."

Akechi heaved a sigh. He probably should expose his worries about his relationship with Akira. "Okay, okay, I know. I should respect him, and should respect you, too. This isn't going well, though. It'll be a hassle if I keep feeling humiliated each and every time I think you fared better than me in something."

Akira shrugged. "You know what? I'm starting to think it may actually be a good thing!"

"Huh?" Akechi rolled his eyes at the absurdity of what she had said. "There's no way it may be a good thing!"

"Didn't you say you don't want people to find out about our relationship? If you keep acting as though you're at odds with me in front of others, no one'll guess, right?"

"Akira, you're pushing it. This is ridiculous."

"Maybe a bit. But your behavior's so spontaneous that you don't even need to pretend anything. It's a great disguise, if you ask me! And it's already working! Yoshizawa-san talked to me this morning. She was worried thinking you disliked me. I thought it was rather amusing..."

"Um..." Akechi would try to argue, but Akira didn't seem willing to hear his doubts about their relationship.

Before anyone could say anything else, Akechi's phone rang. Much to his annoyance, the call was from the police station.

"I have to go." He informed Akira once the call was over. "The police wants my input on a case."

"A normal, honest case, right?"

"Yes."

"I know that now you want to do good acts whenever you can. So, make the most of this chance! Give your best and be proud of your work! I'm rooting for you, detective!"

Akechi hadn't thought of it that way, and Akira's encouragement made him smile. "Thanks. I will."

... ... ... ... ...

At the police station, Akechi gave his input on a case where a company's money was less than they were supposed to have earned, and the company suspected an employee was stealing part of the money in some way. He analyzed the evidence that had been collected so far and made suggestions on the investigation's next steps.

Akechi was so focused on the detective work that he completely forgot the issues about his envy of Akira. By the end of the discussion, he felt refreshed.

Akechi stepped out of the police station very satisfied with his analysis, and sure that the investigation was going well, towards making justice where it was due.

"Good afternoon, Akechi-kun." It was Mr. Daiichiro Kurogawa, most commonly known as the SIU director. The man was likely on his way back from somewhere and heading to the court house.

"Good afternoon, Kurogawa-san."

"You seem very pleased." The man noted.

"Oh, yes. I feel that my day is complete, after a well-done job. I'm helping the police with an investigation, and today we made a big leap forward."

"Hmm. You really like your work, don't you?"

That simple comment made something click in Akechi's head. Only then, he fully realized how much he enjoyed doing detective work. This seemed obvious, but to him, it was not. Akechi kept telling himself that his profession choice had been only an excuse to approach Shido, a fake image to sell to the public for fame, but perhaps Akira and Sae-san were right and he was really meant to be a detective. Thinking like a detective was second nature to him, and he really enjoyed analyzing situations, gathering evidence and solving mysteries.

He recalled Dr. Maruki's determination. "I feel that helping people through cognitive psience is my mission. This is my dream, and I'll pursue it until the end!"

Now, Akechi believed he understood how that felt. The same way the doctor viewed his cognitive psience work as his personal mission, Akechi was starting to think that being a true detective was what he was really meant to do. If only he hadn't made those horrible mistakes, perhaps he would have a good future as a detective, after all.

"Yes, I do." With a smile, Akechi finally responded to the SIU director about how he enjoyed his work.

"I looked into a few of your regular cases. You're really talented, unlike many of our colleagues who got here only thanks to influential connections. With said connections, you wouldn't need to do much to get what you want. Still, you have always worked hard, both as a student and as a detective."

"I am proud of my achievements. I only wanted other people to recognize my efforts." Akechi lied, as he wasn't proud of his past achievements anymore.

"I see. Using the connections is a valid way to get what was missing for you, I suppose. By the way..." The man lowered his voice. "Akechi-kun, it has been a while since the last time the big thieves bait plan was discussed. Many people are getting uneasy. Have you heard anything?"

So, organization members were getting apprehensive, by fear of being chosen as Phantom Thieves bait for the trap, which meant becoming the next mental shutdown victim.

"No, I have not heard anything."

The SIU director seemed to relax a bit. "Neither of us both know anything, then. This should mean nothing has been decided yet. We shall continue waiting. I will return to the court house. Akechi-kun, keep up the good work."

It was weird how a comment from the SIU director of all people would make Akechi realize something important about himself, but it happened, and Akechi felt like saying thanks.

"Thank you, Kurogawa-san. Have a nice day."

After work hours, Shido called Akechi's cellphone number and went straight to the point. "Akechi, I have a job for you."

Those words could only mean one thing, and the boy responded promptly. "Who will it be?"

"The SIU director."

"Oh." Akechi uttered in surprise.

"You must finish the job until December 10th at most. People may get suspicious if he dies too close to the elections."

"Understood. What will the explanation to the media be this time?"

"We will just pass it as him having a cardiac arrest related to health problems due to his old age. We can't blame his death on the Phantom Thieves this time, but never mind. Once I am elected, I will mention the tragic loss and display my solidarity. The SIU director was so useful to us, after all..." Shido chuckled evilly at his nasty plans. "Akechi, I gave you a deadline. Sacrifice your studies if you need to, but refrain from leaving the job for the last day, understand? I don't want a repeat of the Okumura incident."

"Yes, sir, I understand." Akechi responded obediently as usual.

"I am very close to becoming Prime Minister, and it is only thanks to you." Shido praised the boy for good measure. " Once I get elected, I will give you whatever privilege you want. Keep up the good work, and think well about what you'd like as your reward."

"Thank you, sir." Akechi replied, and Shido could only imagine the stupid excited face the boy was making.

The call ended. Shido scoffed as he put the phone away. "Foolish boy. Whatever his intentions were, he just can't resist being flattered. Just give him praise, offer him privileges and bam, I have him on the palm of my hand. He will do whatever I tell him to! And the best part is, I can promise anything to him because he won't live long enough for me to have to keep the promises. This is why gullible people are so useful." Shido laughed. "He has no idea what awaits him..."

However, Shido was the one who had no idea what awaited him. He had revealed his plan to kill the SIU director and lie to the media about the cause of death, and the call was recorded, like all other calls.

So, that explained it. The SIU director had said people were getting uneasy at the lack of news, but it sounded like he was actually the one becoming apprehensive. He must have found something out and begun to suspect Shido might be planning to go after him. Thus, he may have decided to ask Akechi to see what the response would be. This explained the compliments at the conversation's beginning as well.

Akechi put his phone away with a heavy sigh at the prospect of another mental shutdown order. That mental shutdown shouldn't happen, though. Akechi quickly shook the dreadful thoughts off and focused on what to do next. That turn of events made the Phantom Thieves' next course of action clearer. A plan began forming in Akechi's head. It would have various steps, but first of all, a trip to the SIU director's Palace was in order.