Chapter Text
The dirt Misaki had on Kamoshida was actually quite a staggering amount. There were numerous times she had passed by his office only to find shouts of terror coming from inside, some of which she was able to record on her phone. Despite being recorded from behind a door, the audio came out to be fairly clear and discernable. Most of which consisted of Kamoshida berating and degrading people, followed by snippets of yelling and crying. Akira found it all very difficult to listen to.
“What the hell kind of play was that? … You think you can get to nationals as you are? Hm? … Shit. I can get you kicked off the damn team, you useless fucking thing,” the recording played, as Kamoshida’s loud, boisterous voice roared, the voice making Akira tense up.
“Stop! Please… please stop! I’m sorry… Sorry… I’ll do better… Please don’t kick me off the team… Please stop... ” a voice cried out, sounds of thrashing following after. “Ugh… I’m sorry, I’m sorry… please…”
“That bitch! How dare she turn me down!” a different recording played. “Fuck, she has the nerve to―I ought to give her a piece of my mind. She should be all over me―I want her on her fucking knees, groveling!"
“It… hurts! Please… can’t… breath… Mph…” a voice choked, gasping between breaths. “Ahhh, s-stop... It hurtsIt hurtsIt … hurts… Help... me...”
Akechi had a stern look the whole time he listened. His eyes looked as if they could burn holes through the phone. Misaki looked just as grim, her usual meek demeanour was replaced by a mature calm.
It was still lunchtime when Akechi brought up the newspaper girl as he had planned to interview her first before the teachers later. Akira then proceeded to call her to see if she was available which led them to leave the group at the rooftop to where they are now, the Newspaper Clubroom.
When she saw Akechi, she was dumbfounded, her mouth opening and closing akin to one of a fish milling about. Then, she became more flustered, flubbing her greeting a little when they shook hands. As ever, Akechi wasn’t phased at all—just smiled in his usual prince charming way.
Soon after, the tension shifted when she pulled out her phone, warning the two that the recordings she had weren't easy to hear. He figured he could handle it but Akira didn’t think it would be like this.
“... There’s no denying that this is Kamoshida. His voice certainly matches the audio,” Akechi said when the recording had finally finished playing. “But still, this is quite a disturbing find. May I ask why you had never brought this up to anyone? Surely, this piece of damning evidence was enough to persuade someone.”
Misaki bit her lip, avoiding his eyes as she took her phone back. “I know I should have done that but I just… I just couldn’t. I was scared." She paused, hesitating. "I did try to talk to them. I asked some people on the volleyball team if they were willing to get help about it but they just wouldn’t admit anything. And I didn’t want to risk anything so I had no choice but to let it be. But I know these just sound like nothing more but excuses.”
Akechi shook his head. “No, you did all you could. I understand. If you had proceeded, who knows what Kamoshida might have done to you. Please leave this matter to us.”
She raised her head to look at him before nodding in relief.
“In any case, I would like to use these recordings for evidence. Is it possible for you to send them to me now?”
"Of course! Um, is email okay with you then?"
“That works. I'll give you my business card for you to reach me. It has all my info there," he opened his briefcase which was laid on top of the table and took out a small black, compact case. He handed Misaki a sleek-looking card. It was minimalistic but stylish at best. Just like his briefcase, a circle with the letter A initial inside was marked on it. "Also, regarding the matter for your newspaper interview, I’m afraid we won’t have much time today to begin. I suggest we set up a proper appointment on a later date when we're both available. Is that alright with you?”
“Yes, that’s okay with me. Thank you very much again for giving me this opportunity,” she beamed, bowing slightly at him as she held the card in both of her hands carefully. “And for investigating Kamoshida.”
“It’s no problem but I believe you should be thanking Akira instead. He was the one who approached you first with this proposition, after all,” Akechi looked sideways at him, smiling.
Despite his earlier complaint about using his name to get info out of Misaki, it seemed like he had moved past it, thankfully. Of course, Akira had no idea Misaki’s dirt on Kamoshida would be so valuable and important, to the point that it might just be the decisive evidence Akechi needed to win this case. He thought she might have at least heard a thing or two about him, perhaps some hearsay; he didn’t expect a whole dump truck of dirt like this.
“Sorry, you’re right,” she turned to Akira, smiling at him appreciatively. “Thank you, Kurusu. I’m really sorry I doubted you at first. To be honest, it’s still quite hard to believe, seeing you two work together. But I guess I should know better than to judge people based on rumours alone now…”
“It’s okay. I’m just glad you were willing to help us. Anything helps,” he said, but his thoughts were elsewhere.
"I'm glad you decided to ask me for help, too…" she paused, hesitating. "Um, I saw what happened in the gym earlier and I do hope you get better soon. You did that for Mishima, right? If I haven't already before, then today really changed my mind about you."
The bell rang suddenly which forced them to wrap up the discussion. Misaki thanked them both again, promising Akechi that she would email him the recordings as soon as she could. Akechi and Akira walked out of the Newspaper Clubroom together with Akira in front to help hide the detective’s presence. Thankfully, the hallway was already mostly cleared and the few students that were around hurried off to their respective classes. She locked the door behind them and bid them goodbye, scurrying away as well.
“You should head to class, too,” Akechi said. “I’m heading to a cafe nearby to sort through the evidence but I’ll be back once school’s over to interview the teachers.”
“Sounds good.”
Akechi noticed his timid reply and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Are you alright?”
Akira wanted to say yes, but couldn’t quite find the strength to do so.
Something about the recordings earlier just deeply disturbed him. The sounds of students pleading for help, begging Kamoshida to stop amidst the crying and yelling rang throughout his head. Visions of his past memories of the volleyball players in Kamoshida’s Palace came to mind as they were tortured in exaggeratedly brutal ways. Regardless if it was exaggerated or not, the pain they felt was still very much real.
He thought about Ann and Shiho. To think that those people in the recordings might have just been them… It was enough to make his skin crawl.
Akira felt Akechi’s hand squeeze his shoulder.
“Look, Akira, you’re doing great. If it weren’t for you, this case wouldn’t have nearly as enough witnesses willing to come forward. It’s almost done and we also have a plan from earlier, right?”
“Yeah. Yeah, I know. I just―I can’t get it out of my head. The audios...”
“Yes, it was quite hard to listen to. I admit I had to hold myself back from finding Kamoshida and arresting him right away.”
“At least you have self control. I know I don’t.”
He chuckled weakly, but he didn’t feel any better.
Akechi didn’t say anything, just let his hand go from his shoulder. When he spoke, his voice was low, “My self control isn’t any better, you know. Sometimes I find my patience wearing thin. Don’t you?”
Akira considered this as he looked him in the eye. “I do, but I can hold back to an extent. Though, if someone's getting hurt then it doesn't really matter.”
He sighed, not quite satisfied. “Then... Do you feel that arresting Kamoshida is enough, even after knowing all this? Is that really enough for you?”
“What do you...”
Akira remembered the Palace, when Kamoshida told her that Ann could finish him off if she wanted to but she refused, instead choosing to make him admit his crimes. He never really had a problem with her decision then because it was ultimately what led them to change people’s hearts. The good choice, per say.
But to ask Akira if that was enough for him, he didn’t really know.
“Kurusu? What are you still doing here? You should be in class,” Ms. Kawakami exclaimed, appearing from the top of the stairs. Her gaze fell on Akechi, raising an eyebrow. “Oh, a visitor? You look familiar somehow.”
Akechi immediately smiled. “I actually must be going now. I’ll see you soon then, Akira.”
“Sure…”
He watched the detective walk down the stairs leaving him alone with Ms. Kawakami. She gave Akira a skeptical look, not quite believing what she saw.
“I didn’t know you knew someone like that. And from a different school, too. Huh,” she furrowed her eyebrows as if struggling to recall something. “I swear I’ve seen him before. Just can’t seem to put my finger on it. Who was he?”
“Just a friend of mine,” he said, following Ms. Kawakami towards the classroom.
“Well, alright then.” She sounded like she didn’t quite believe it but didn’t question it further. Thankfully. “Geez, you look terrible. I even told you already not to get into any more trouble. Kamoshida has his eye on you, you know, especially after what happened in the volleyball rally earlier.”
Oh, I’m sure he does. “Right, I'm sorry Ms. Kawakami.”
It seemed like she wanted to say more but only sighed to herself, which he was pretty grateful for. He wasn’t in the mood to humor anyone right now, not with his head feeling like a fog had settled inside.
Is that really enough for you?
He couldn’t stop thinking about it. Was arresting Kamoshida enough? If it wasn’t, was there something more to be done? Like changing his heart, as he did in his other life which was now seemingly impossible. It couldn’t be helped anyway, given that Personas were nowhere to be seen anymore. With how things were going, a confession was going to be very difficult to achieve now, hence Akira’s current plan to rely on Akechi. That was the best help he was going to get and he didn’t really mind that as long as it was something.
Or perhaps he was implying something more along the lines of… murder? Did Akechi want him to go that far? The thought of it made his blood run cold.
It’s not like it was terribly uncalled for, though. The man had already ruined enough lives and while it was in another life, if Shiho’s attempt had succeeded, that would’ve been one death count to his name. One too many.
Although if he failed again and she jumped from that roof once more… he thought he’d never forgive him. But to kill someone in cold blood, even if they were an irredeemable scum of the earth, does Akira really have the capacity to do such a thing?
Taking someone’s life?
Akira was no executioner. But Akechi was—more precisely, he was forced into that position. He had to remember that he must have been just a kid, someone who didn’t know any better, when he approached Shido then. With the way he led his life, Akira understood why killing him was so important to Akechi that it became a serious matter of life and death. After all, he’d done it one too many times. What’s one more scumbag off this planet? Akira could understand that. It pained him to, at least.
Perhaps if their roles had been reversed, he might’ve even done the same thing as he did. If he grew up losing his mother at a young age and was sent to an orphanage before being passed around from person to person, he’d have been desperately starved for affection as well. God knows he wasn’t already like that now. If he grew up knowing his father was out there somewhere, glad to be rid of them, he’d have blamed him, too, for everything. Akira might’ve truly resorted to seeking vengeance if nothing else. A childish plan, really, but with no chance for growth, it was the only clear-cut way to make the man pay.
Truthfully, if Akira were to kill Kamoshida now, he didn’t think he’d feel guilty at all. It would be a just deed even, as if he was doing the world a favour. Someone like him was never going to learn from his actions unless somebody forced his hand. Akira just thought he wouldn’t mind being the one to do so.
It didn't really make a difference to him whether he confessed or not as long as he was put to a stop once and for all. Dead or alive.
And somehow, that was what really scared him the most.
Akira found himself at the gym again after school, leaning by the handrails on the upper landing with Ann, Ryuji and Morgana by his side. Ann was holding Morgana in her arms, overlooking the gym warily. Ryuji looked just as nervous as she was, bouncing his leg on the floor.
Practice hadn’t started yet. Instead all the members of the volleyball team had begun warmups and stretch exercises in silence. Shiho was there doing a standing lunge stretch, her hands on her knee. She noticed them and smiled, easily comforted by their presence.
Mishima was stretching a little further from Shiho, who seemed to be observing her discreetly before following her gaze to Akira’s group. When he caught Akira’s eye, Mishima immediately looked away, turning his head towards the floor.
It couldn’t be helped. Ryuji might've been a tad bit too forceful in convincing him to help them earlier. Akira tried to catch Mishima on the way out once the last class was over but he ran away before he could even call his name. He could only hope that he’d still have it in his heart to lend a hand with the investigation somehow.
Kamoshida was there, too, overlooking the entire team with his arms crossed and a frown on his face. His frown deepened when he saw Akira’s group, his eyebrows furrowing even more. Ryuji glared at him as they stared, bouncing his leg even faster. Eventually, Kamoshida broke his gaze away, shaking his head before turning his attention back to the team.
“I’ve never watched any of Shiho’s practices,” Ann said quietly, her eyes still trained on her. “I think I wanted to once but when I brought it up to her, she got really nervous all of a sudden. She told me that it’d be boring—or embarrassing even—because she wasn’t that good at volleyball. Maybe she only said that to protect me.”
“Don’t worry, this time we’re protecting her. As long as we’re here, he’s not gonna’ try anything,” Ryuji said.
“Hopefully...” Akira muttered under his breath.
Well, Kamoshida probably doesn’t feel threatened that we’re here. He’ll just keep doing whatever he wants. But at least we can try to stop him when he does.
“Is Akechi gonna be okay, by the way?” Ann asked, looking away from Shiho to glance at Akira. “I know he said he was fine going alone to interview the teachers but I mean...”
“Have you seen the dude? He has like enough charm to swoon the entire staff room than all three of us combined. He’ll be fine,” Ryuji chuckled. “Besides, he’s a detective. He knows what he’s doing.”
Akira nodded. “Yeah, don’t worry Ann. He said it’s more important to prioritize Shiho’s safety. If he needs anything, he’ll call or text me.”
Ann looked at them for a bit before slowly nodding, her shoulders relaxing slightly. “Yeah, okay. Sorry, I’m just so worried about everything right now. I’d probably break down if it weren’t for you guys here with me.”
“It's fine—we got strength in numbers though, right? For last resort, I say we just grab a bunch of volleyballs and use it against him for target practice.” Ryuji smiled mischievously, turning to face Morgana. “Yo Morgana, you’re free to bite him as much as you want when he acts up or something.”
The cat meowed in a resounding manner, sitting up straighter in Ann’s arms.
Ann kicked him lightly with her foot, chuckling. “God, first you want him to be a catfluencer, now some sort of attack dog—er, attack cat in this case. What are you even turning Morgana into?”
Before Ryuji could respond, he was interrupted by Kamoshida’s booming voice, announcing that practice was officially starting. Everyone soon rushed into positions on the court, splitting into two teams. Shiho and Mishima were on the same team, with both of them in the back together, side by side.
“Alright, for practice today, I’m joining the matches. I’ll switch between each team so you can feel what it’s like to be against a big league player. All of you better show me what you got, okay?” Kamoshida smirked, walking towards the team opposite to Shiho’s. He glanced at Akira’s way momentarily, a wicked glint in his eye which made him shudder. Whatever he was planning, Akira had a very bad feeling about it.
“What the hell is he thinking?” Ryuji asked warily. “Shit, he’s not going to... Is he?”
If he was trying to pull off aggressive moves like earlier in the rally, then Shiho might be in danger. While Akira managed to withstand his spike, leaving off with a sore nose and throbbing headache, who knows what it would do to Shiho? If she caught it with her face, she could fracture her nose or even suffer a concussion. The possibilities were making Akira sweat in worry.
Ann gripped the rails hard, seemingly also thinking the same thing.
Kamoshida signaled the start of the game with the ball being served from his side towards Shiho’s team. Akira watched quietly as the ball bounced between the two teams, being hit from person to person. He could tell how nervous the players were from how they moved. They were stiff in how they ran for the ball and whenever they made contact with it, they were careful as if the ball was some sort of ticking time bomb. The only one who was sure in how they moved was Kamoshida, not hesitating to hit the ball as hard as he could whenever he got the chance. When it was him hitting the ball, the others were more hesitant to receive it, flinching ever so slightly at the sound of impact.
“Put some more oomph into it guys. How do any of you expect to get to Nationals like this?” Kamoshida sighed loudly, clearly disgruntled. “Be aggressive! In a real game, no one’s going to go easy on you. If you’re too afraid to get hurt, you’re not gonna get anywhere.”
“He has the fucking audacity to say that when he abuses them behind closed doors.” Akira could tell it took everything in Ryuji to hold back and not shout at the man.
An hour passed as the tense game continued with the players eventually hitting the ball harder the more Kamoshida complained. He seemed to gradually ramp up his strength behind each hit and the poor players that were on the receiving end of it were stumbling against the impact. Some of them recovered quickly but the majority took longer to get back on their feet, visibly wincing at each hit. He continued like that, going around and mercilessly spiking each member of the team.
Eventually, he set his sights on Shiho. The first spike he aimed her way she was only barely able to receive with her arms. The impact of it caused her to fall on her knees, holding her arms in pain which looked bright red even from where Akira was. Ann gasped, leaning over the railing suddenly which caused Morgana to meow in surprise.
“Fuck, that bastard! Is she okay?” Ryuji gripped the handrails so hard Akira thought it was going to snap off.
Akira placed a hand on her back to steady her and he could feel that she was trembling. He glanced at Morgana in her arms who stared back at him quietly, turning to Shiho before looking back at Akira, as if he was asking him if he wanted him to step in. Akira bit his lip, unsure of what to do.
Just when he was about to give him the go ahead, Ryuji piped up.
“Wait, she’s getting back up!” he exclaimed.
He was right.
Shiho had gotten back up on her feet, still looking a little unsteady but on her feet regardless. She looked more determined than ever; the usual timidness she gave off was nowhere to be found. It was still obvious that she was in a lot of pain although she was trying not to show it. Shiho wiped the sweat from her brow and made her hands into a ready position.
“Shiho?” Ann whispered, her voice sounded worried and perplexed.
“Hmph,” Kamoshida said, seemingly disappointed before resuming the game.
It went on like that for a good few minutes. Whenever Kamoshida had the opportunity, he would spike the ball directly at Shiho, aiming for various parts of her body. Her shoulder. Her leg. Her torso. But even despite all that, despite the exhaustion settling on her face, she kept getting back up. Even from afar, Akira could see her hands shaking as she brought them together in a receiving position but she continued to look ahead. He noticed that Mishima, who was positioned beside her, looked concerned for her as well but was also visibly in awe.
“Shiho, you idiot!” Ann shook her head in frustration. “Stop it already… Please, stop it. I don’t want to see this...”
“Damn it, I don’t want to watch this either. But like maybe this is her way of standing up to Kamoshida somehow,” Ryuji remarked, his voice filled with newfound respect. “She’s tough, huh.”
“I don’t want her to be tough, I want her to call for help! I don’t want to see her hurt anymore!” she snapped, turning to look at Ryuji.
“Hey, calm down. Me neither, okay?” He put his hands up in defense. “I really want to pull her off the court, too, but who knows what Kamoshida would do? Maybe for now, I think she feels like this is all she can do to show us that she can handle it or something.”
Ann was quiet for a bit before turning away, still dissatisfied. “So she just has to endure this while we stand here and watch? I thought we were guarding her for a reason.”
“I know what it looks like but this is all we can do for now, too! Remember what we planned earlier? What Shiho said?”
Shortly before Akira and Akechi left the group at lunch to see Misaki, they had discussed a brief plan on what to do after school. While Akechi had planned to interview the teachers, he suggested that the rest can stay with Shiho as a means to keep an eye on her and Kamoshida during practice. Everyone agreed, including Shiho herself, before she told everyone that “If anything happened, she could handle it and not to worry about her.” Ryuji brought up stepping in if things escalated to which Akechi agreed, but only when things were heading that way as he didn’t want them to disrupt practice or else Kamoshida would possibly do something about it.
“It’s enough that you guys are going to be with me,” Shiho said. “You don’t need to step in. I promise, I’ll be okay.”
“No, but, what if something happens to you? We can stop him somehow. You just have to tell us,” Ann said, gripping Shiho’s hands in hers.
“You don’t understand. He could hurt you guys or even expel all of you. I don’t want that to happen just because you were helping me.” Shiho shook her head, avoiding looking at Ann’s gaze.
“You idiot, that’s not going to matter if he hurts you so badly that you get seriously injured—or even end up dead!” Ann’s voice rang throughout the rooftop, the suddenness of it causing Shiho and Ryuji to flinch.
Everyone was quiet, the tension hanging heavy in the air, looming on them.
Akechi was the first to break the silence, his tone gentle. “I understand everyone’s worried but for now, we should trust in Shiho.” Then, he turned to her. “But you know, you don’t have to endure it if it’s hard, Shiho. Your safety comes foremost. If you’re hurt, don’t be afraid to rely on anyone here. I’m sure I speak for everyone when they say they’re not afraid to get hurt or be expelled for you.”
He glanced at Akira and Ryuji who both nodded, looking at Shiho.
She looked very worn, the most Akira’s ever seen her as such. She had deep bags under her eyes and she was so pale, he was worried that she could pass out at any moment. Shiho glanced at them, her expression wracked with guilt before slowly nodding. “I know. I’m so sorry, I just… I’m sorry. If I can prevent that from happening to any of you, then I’ll do it. So please, just trust me. Trust me Ann.”
Ann only looked at her for a bit before sighing, squeezing her hands. “You know I do. Always. Just… tell us if you need help. Please.”
The whole thing just made Akira feel terrible. Even now, watching Shiho take all those spikes without so much as a complaint, knowing they were watching... It was all so cruel.
“I know what she said,” Ann said softly. “She’s always been tough but sometimes I don’t want her to be, you know? I want her to rely on me. I’ve always wanted her to.”
“Then, did you tell her that?” Ryuji asked, seemingly calming down also.
She didn’t reply, just looked at him before falling into deep thought.
Suddenly, there was a loud sound of something hitting followed by commotion in the gym which caused them all to turn their attention to. Mishima was on the floor, holding his face in his hands with Shiho crouching around him. All the other players crowded around curiously.
“Jesus, what is with everyone and getting hit in the face today?” Kamoshida groaned, crouching under the net to make his way over to them.
“Whoa, what?” Ryuji asked. “It’s just like what happened earlier, Akira! Don’t tell me he got influenced by you or something, did he?”
“I… I don’t know...” Akira trailed off, watching them intently.
From where he was, he could see that Mishima fell near Shiho’s side which meant that he had to have rushed over from his spot to block the ball.
“Sorry, I—” he grunted in pain. “I thought I could get that… somehow.”
“Right,” Kamoshida sighed. He looked like he wanted to say something worse but just ruffled his hair in annoyance. “Whatever, my mood is ruined. I’m ending practice early today. Someone bring him to the infirmary to get that checked.”
With that, everyone dispersed leaving Shiho and another member to help carry Mishima away, his arms hanging around their shoulders. Kamoshida walked towards a corridor before he was out of sight while the rest of the students were left to dismantle and put away the volleyball net.
Ann looked like she was about to head off downstairs before Morgana beat her to it, scampering off her arms and running down the landing.
“Hey, wait up Morgana! Where are you going?” Akira called out as if the cat could answer him back.
They watched Morgana run down the stairs towards the direction Kamoshida went. Ryuji, Ann and Akira exchanged curious glances before heading off to follow the cat.
“Where is that cat even running off to?” Ryuji huffed as they reached the gymnasium floor.
“I don’t know, maybe he’s really going to bite Kamoshida’s head off.” Ann’s phone suddenly rang from her hoodie’s pocket which she took out only to huff in disgust. “Oh my god.”
They stopped running in their tracks to see Ann, with trembling hands, show them the screen of her phone. On the caller ID was the devil himself, Kamoshida’s name shamelessly blaring on the screen. Even through the display, they could feel his oppressive presence impend over them, their hearts continuing to beat harder along with the adrenaline rush.
“What the—Why the hell does he have your number? Why is he even…” Ryuji trailed off as it slowly dawned on him the implications of the phone call. “No way, he’s not—”
“Don’t answer it!” Akira said, a little too abruptly. “Just… don’t.”
Ann looked at him and he could see that she was too agitated to focus. Her eyes were wide open and alert and she was now visibly shaking, her breathing becoming more uneasy. She had to put a hand on her chest to calm down the pressure of her rapid heartbeat.
“Ann, it’s okay.” Akira placed a careful hand on her back, rubbing it gently. “It’s okay, we’re here.”
“I’ll reject the call for you, okay?” Ryuji said, taking the phone from her hand. She nodded gratefully, slowly taking deep breaths in and out. Akira watched him swiftly press the reject call option before pocketing it in his pants. “Got rid of him. I’ll keep it for now in case he tries calling again but I’ll block his number for you later.”
“Thanks guys…” she sighed in relief, her complexion looking a little better.
“Don’t push yourself, okay?” Akira reassured, still rubbing her back. “Let’s go find Shiho.”
Ann nodded and they all carefully set off towards the door leading towards the main building, with Ryuji holding it open for them.
They were only a couple corridors away when they heard the sound of an angry cat’s screech followed by a distressed man’s yell and heavy footsteps running away. The trio exchanged curious glances before going towards the direction of the sound. When they turned the corner, Mishima was leaning by the doorway of the infirmary, holding an ice pack against his forehead and laughing hard.
“Mishima! Dude, are you okay?” Ryuji asked, concern etched in his tone which made Akira instinctively smile. It was good to know that despite their dispute earlier, Ryuji still worried for him. “What happened?”
“I-I’m okay,” Mishima calmed down and shook his head but winced from the pain of doing so. “More importantly, Kamoshida came by just now.”
Akira felt Ann stiffen at the sound of his name. “He came to check on you?”
“Hardly… After Shiho left, he came in and just yelled at me. He seemed really irritated, which I guess isn’t really new.” Akira was surprised to hear him be honest about it compared to him denying it earlier. “He started asking me where Shiho was, too, which was really weird… But then, like out of nowhere, a cat suddenly came and pounced on him!”
“Morgana!” Akira and Ryuji exclaimed simultaneously.
“You guys know that cat?” he looked disbelieving, chuckling a bit. “It just came in and attacked him earlier so Kamoshida had to run out to shake it off. Did you guys tell it to do that?”
Ryuji and Ann both turned to Akira. “What? Don’t look at me, I didn’t teach him anything… yet. Wasn’t it you two that wanted to get Morgana to bite him or something?”
“Holy shit, it must’ve definitely understood us earlier then, right?” Ryuji had a wide grin on his face. “I fucking knew that cat was special.”
“Anyways, where’s Shiho?” Ann asked, changing the subject. “You said Kamoshida was looking for her?”
“Yeah, um, he wanted me to tell her to go to his office for some reason.” Akira tensed up at that. “But I wasn’t going to and I was gonna tell him but that’s when the cat came to—well, you know.”
“Wait, really? So do you believe us now?” Ryuji looked hopeful.
Mishima nodded. “You guys were right. After I saw Shiho taking all those hits today, I just… I just knew it wasn’t a coincidence. She looked so tired on the court earlier but I could tell she didn’t want to give up. Then, I realized that Shiho must’ve had to endure a lot of things… And yet, she still trusted you guys. So, I'll do that, too. I’m ashamed it took me this long to accept it but I finally did now, although I hope it’s not too late. I’m sorry for being such a coward...”
The trio exchanged glances before smiling at each other, all sharing a relieved look.
Ryuji put a hand on Mishima’s shoulder. “You’re not a coward anymore, dude. What you did today was badass.”
“He's right. Thank you for doing that, Mishima,” Ann said softly, a genuine smile on her face.
Mishima blushed as he nervously used his free hand to wave it in dismissal. “No, no! I-I didn’t do anything… If it wasn’t for Kurusu taking a hit for me, I wouldn’t have even thought of doing that… So, thanks. Really.”
Akira smiled. He really hadn’t expected any of this to happen as a result of what he did. After all, he had acted recklessly. He only wanted to stop the danger now because of how desperate he was to do something. It was as Akechi said: it seemed like a recurring thing for him, to jump at every opportunity to put himself in front of another person. He mentally apologized to him in his head for not keeping it in moderation.
But he had to admit that seeing someone do something similar because of him made him feel happy. Guilty, too, if not more so.
“Hey, I’m just glad you’re okay. But please don’t do anything reckless again,” Akira said.
“Says the most reckless one.” Ryuji nudged him before Ann’s ringtone rang from his pocket. “Oh hang on—it’s Shiho!”
“What?! Give it to me!” Ann hastily took her phone back from him. “Shiho, you idiot!”
Ryuji, Akira and Mishima watched as Ann paced back and forth, yelling on the phone. “I told you to call us for help, didn’t I? No, I told you that you could’ve gotten hurt! You didn’t listen to me! And you just expected us to watch you get abused without even asking for help? If it weren’t for Mishima stepping in, you could’ve gotten a concussion or worse! I know… I know you’re strong Shiho, you’ve always been like that. You were always the one saving me. Even now. But I’m not like you, okay? I’m weak and it hurts so much when I see you get hurt or hurting without telling me anything. So I’m begging you, for once just please, please think about me when you try pulling these kinds of things again—”
“Ann!” Shiho called out from the end of the hallway. She was running towards them with her phone in her hand, despite looking in pain whenever she so much as took a step forward. Every time she looked like she was going to stumble, she regained her balance and kept running.
By the time she reached them, she crashed right into Ann, wrapping her in a tight embrace. Shiho was so out of breath that Akira was afraid she was going to pass out in her arms. Instead, she pulled away and cradled Ann’s face in her hands.
“I’m so sorry, Ann. I’m sorry,” Shiho breathed, leaning her forehead against Ann’s.
“Shut up, I don’t want your apologies,” Ann said tearfully, shaking her head. “If you do that again, I swear I’m not going to talk to you anymore. See if I care.”
“Please don’t,” she chuckled, rubbing a stray tear away from her cheek.
"Sorry to interrupt you all but look who I found." Akechi appeared from the same hallway Shiho came from with Morgana sitting proudly in his arms. “I caught him just when he had finished mauling Kamoshida but I just didn’t have the heart to arrest him.”
“Morgana, you little rascal! You’ve been a busy boy, haven’t you?” Ryuji said, patting the cat on his head.
“Meow!” Morgana exclaimed, puffing his chest out with a smug look on his face.
At that, everyone broke into laughter, the tension from earlier dissipating away. Akira couldn’t help but smile amongst himself, watching them all in relief. He didn’t know how but they had managed it.
With this, hopefully, it would be enough to overturn his past life’s events although it was still too soon to really say so. But for now, he was comforted by the smiles on everyone's faces as they all took turns to pet Morgana.
The sun was close to setting by the time they had parted ways with everyone. Mishima and Akechi got acquainted briefly before they parted, with Mishima looking somewhat awestruck as he spoke to him, promising to give his testament to the case. Ann had persuaded Shiho to sleep over at her place to which she agreed without much argument.
Soon after, it was only Akira, Akechi, Ryuji and Morgana left, riding the train together. Thankfully, there weren't that many people in the subway car so they didn't have to worry about people recognizing Akechi. Akira and Ryuji then filled him in on what happened during volleyball practice, Akechi listening with a hard look on his face.
"I understand why Ann was so angry with Shiho then. That was a difficult situation to be in," he said. "It was good Mishima stepped in before she got too seriously injured. Although, I'm not sure if I'd say Akira's influence was a good thing in this, considering what happened."
"Hey, all's well that ends well, right?" Ryuji grinned.
"Yes, well, it'd be better if less people were injured, you know. I don't exactly enjoy seeing people running headfirst into danger." Akechi made a side glance at Akira who was sitting right beside him.
"Nice pun," Akira smirked.
"Oh yeah! Head-first," Ryuji laughed, who was sitting on the other side of Akechi. “That’s a detective for you.”
“He’s an honours student, too, by the way.”
“What? No way! That makes so much sense now.”
Akechi only shook his head, sighing. "I'm surrounded by idiots. Literally."
He didn’t miss the way his lip was slightly upturned into a small grin.
Ryuji’s stop came first, bidding them goodbye as they watched him through the window until he was out of sight. The rest of the ride was spent in a comfortable silence. It was a long day of running around but he had felt the same satisfaction he always did after exploring a Palace. He knew he wasn’t quite done yet but he allowed himself some respite anyway. It seemed like Morgana was already doing so, who seemed to be fast asleep in his bag.
Akira sighed, watching the window outside absentmindedly. There wasn’t much to look at except the shifting lights in the darkness but it let his mind drift for a bit. He could hear Akechi yawn quietly beside him, his hand shifting to cover his mouth.
“Tired?” Akira asked.
“Mm.” Akechi stretched his neck around so that it cracked a bit.
“I’ll make you some coffee then.”
“You know how to make coffee?” He asked as if he couldn't quite believe such a thing.
Akira just shrugged it off, grinning.
Ever since Sojiro found Akira shirtless while making coffee, he’d been showing him the ropes on how to properly use it during the evenings. There wasn’t much he could teach him again but at least it was an excuse to spend some time with the old man. Akira couldn’t contain the small grin on his face when Sojiro went into another one of his long tangents about coffee beans which would usually earn him a suspicious look.
“You’re not even listening, are you?” he’d sigh in a resigned manner before quizzing him on a random coffee bean. The look on his face when he accurately recited the answer never failed to amuse Akira.
Gets him every time.
Akira yawned softly, shifting in his seat to a more comfortable position. He caught sight of Akechi in the reflection across from him who seemed to be absentmindedly thinking about something, too. His hands were folded neatly on top of his briefcase, twiddling his thumbs into a repetitive fashion. He didn’t think the detective was even aware of it.
Today, there was no need for Akechi to tell him he was going to Leblanc as well. It was already a given now. Akira was surprised with how easily he had accepted that fact, among other things. Especially with what Akira had discovered about himself earlier with Kamoshida and wanting to kill him. It seemed like today was just full of surprises.
Thankfully, Morgana had seemed to scratch that itch for him at the moment. It would be satisfying to see his not-so-smug face tomorrow. The thought of it made Akira want to laugh.
But then he stopped himself.
That was unlike him. Laughing over someone's misery? Even if it was someone he despised, he didn't think he was the kind of person to do such a thing. Even for a bad person. And yet, here he was, reveling at the thought of Kamoshida getting what he deserved. Akira felt so guilty about it that he had to shake the feeling away.
He sighed deeply before noticing that Akechi's head was swaying slightly forward. It seemed that he had managed to doze off somehow. Akira had to push his head back to keep him from falling off.
Akechi snapped awake from the gesture, whipping his head around quickly, startling Akira.
"Sorry! I thought you were about to fall off so I…" Akira had his hands up in front of him in apology.
Akechi looked at him as if only registering what happened before he relaxed a bit, his shoulders slackening. "No, er, it's fine. My apologies."
It was the detective's turn to sigh, massaging the bridge of his nose. Looking closely, he had bags under his eyes, something that Akira had never noticed before.
He must've been up all night. Working on the case… And school, on top of that, Akira frowned. He didn't envy him, god knows how busy he was in his past life. It just occurred to him that he had never seen him look so... worn out. He didn't think he could even recall a sigh ever escaping him before.
The Akechi he knew wasn't one to let his guard down―right until the very end that is. Which wasn't a very pleasant thing to see at all. Or remember. It still hurt physically to recall the memory.
... I think that there has to be at least someone who needs to worry.
Akira found himself suddenly recalling a certain old lady's words from the other day.
"You can lean on me if you want." The words had already escaped him before he could even stop to think about it. "We have a few minutes left so you can at least rest for a bit."
Akechi looked as if he didn't quite hear him right. "Thank you but I'm fine. It's just some slight fatigue. It'll go away."
"Hey, I'm offering you know? Once in a lifetime shoulder pillow," Akira grinned. "Can't say it's too comfortable but better than nothing."
The detective managed a small chuckle. "How kind of you but really, I'm good."
"Well, you don't look very 'good' to me. You haven't been sleeping well lately, have you?"
"You're not any doing any better, considering the huge band-aid plastered on your face." Akira could see his smile twitching a bit.
"Yeah, yeah, I already heard about that. Now, will you just rest already before you pass out, or do I have to make you go home today?"
Akechi frowned, the annoyance finally registering on his face. It made Akira smile which only served to make his frown deepen even more. He scoffed before reluctantly lowering his head on his shoulder. He did it so slowly, it looked as if he was afraid Akira would move away suddenly. The thought made Akira chuckle.
"That wasn't so hard, was it?"
"Please kindly shut up before I change my mind."
Akira laughed again.
He pulled Akechi's head down more, forcing him to lean his weight onto him. "Hey, just relax, okay? You've worked hard these days so sleep for a bit. It's the least you can do for yourself."
The detective just grunted in response.
Akira could feel his stiffness easing a little, watching his scrunched up eyebrows relaxing. Before he knew it, he had already dozed off―or at least he thought he was and wasn't just pretending to. He supposed it didn't really matter as long as the guy was resting.
He looked away from him and watched themselves in the reflection of the window across. The sight of them made him smile in satisfaction.
Akira wouldn't have ever thought that Akechi would have trusted him enough to allow him to do such a thing. It hadn't been that long since they had met anyway, at least from his perspective. Or he thought it was supposed to be like that. And even if he did remember him, he still didn't think Akechi would have trusted him anyway. If at all.
That was what he thought and yet, here they were.
For some reason, it felt like they had come a long way from how they were before. It was a strange, ambiguous relationship, yes, full of ups and downs but Akira found he quite enjoyed every bit of it. Save for the downfall at the end. Which, frankly, didn't really come out of left field to him considering how he had acted. Akira liked to think it was all authentic of him. Hoped it was, anyway.
Still, perhaps it would've been better if he had came to Tokyo a little bit earlier, if only just to meet him sooner. Maybe then, he could prevent Akechi from resorting to what he did before… Akira could only hope that this time around would be different. If he had to deal with him all the time now, then he'd rather try to be a good influence at least. Even if he was a supposed criminal.
Well. Akechi was quite the enigma but one that he couldn't seem to simply shake off. He'd been taking his time to figure him out now that they were apparently joined at the hip.
Surely, he's definitely better now, right? Nothing but good intentions, hopefully? Only time will tell, he supposed.
The train hit a bump causing Akechi to jolt in his sleep a little. Akira placed a hand carefully on his head to steady him on his shoulder, willing him back to rest. The detective then relaxed into slumber once more. Listening to his soft breathing amidst the sounds of the train's rattling, Akira let the rest of his thoughts float away.
"Delicious, right?" Akira asked from behind the counter of Leblanc, grinning at Akechi.
"Yes… Surprisingly." Akechi took another sip of the coffee. "Almost better than Boss'."
Good, because I spent a long time making it just right for you apparently, although Akira admitted he purposely made it a bit more bitter than he would have liked. It was if only so it could help throw off any suspicion of the fact that Akira remembered everything… Which he's still only really half sure he's onto him. He tried not to think too hard about it.
Sojiro gave him yet another earful about getting himself hurt earlier―which consisted mostly about the importance of behaving and other stuff Akira didn’t listen in for―all while promptly shoving warm leftover food in front of them. Softie.
Akira tried to tell him it was only because he sucked at volleyball but he was pretty skeptical about it. Despite how he felt though, he’d left Akira some extra bandages he was storing somewhere and also begrudgingly let him use the coffee machine for Akechi when he asked. Then he closed the cafe and left for the night, leaving the two alone together.
Well, three if they counted Morgana, who was now wide awake eating from his food bowl in the corner. The old man had also, very kindly, prepared the food for him as well during his scolding earlier.
When his back was turned as he shook the box of cat food down, Akira made a heart shape with his hands from where he was sitting on the counter, grinning at Morgana who only looked unimpressed. Akechi sighed just as well, shaking his head before shovelling another spoonful of curry.
"So, how did the interview with the teachers go?" Akira asked as he hooked his apron by the wall before leaning on the counter with crossed arms.
"Very well, I might say. Most, if not all, were very willing to speak out about him when they knew who I was." He had that pleased smile he usually wore. "I was afraid they wouldn't take me too seriously but it seemed I didn't have to worry."
"That's really great. I thought they'd be less cooperative somehow."
Akira had been worried about the teachers being the hardest to have as witnesses but it turned out it wasn't even a big deal. That's an ace detective for you, he supposed.
"Yes, but there are also those that denied the allegations. They might've been friends with Kamoshida so I'm hoping to arrest him before they tell him what happened."
He recalled the men who were praising the gym teacher during the volleyball rally earlier and frowned. "Then, he'll probably know by tomorrow, right?"
"Most likely," Akechi said, nursing his cup. "The arrest might happen then because of that so be prepared. I'll be bringing some policemen with me for standby if it does."
"That’s comforting." Akira was now really glad he decided to partner with the detective. "What about everyone though? Should I let them know and tell them to stay home or…?"
"Well, I think you should tell them about it but whether they stay or not is up to them, isn't it?"
"Oh. Yeah, you're right..."
It might've been because he was so used to calling the shots in his previous life that it didn't even occur to him. He supposed it was different now that they weren't in a specific group and therefore had no obligation to really follow what he said. Not that he minded that, truly, but the thought of the Phantom Thieves possibly never forming again saddened him. Sure, he could gather them all if he tried hard enough but it would never really be quite the same.
Although, did he want it to be the same?
Perhaps he longed to go back only because it was something concrete. Something that didn't stray from change. Thankfully, it wasn't too difficult getting them to trust him again but the same surely couldn't be said for the others. What if something went wrong and they never talk to him again? Could he live with that change, knowing what it was like before he was reborn again?
"So, you're okay with it then?" Akechi asked, his tone suddenly more serious.
"About?"
"Arresting Kamoshida."
"Yes, why wouldn't I be?"
Unless...
He took a sip of the coffee, his eyes not leaving him. "That's enough?"
Akira shifted on his feet, uncomfortable under his gaze. "I mean, it has to be, right?"
Akechi didn't reply, only turning his gaze away to stare into his cup, his expression unreadable. Akira very much wanted to shake the detective in his seat and ask him to translate his own words but restrained himself. Because that would be rude. And Akira was not about to break whatever growing tension was happening right now.
He’ll at least see where this was going.
"He might not confess, you know," he finally said, after a moment. "He's the type of criminal to never admit his crime, even when he's backed into a corner and everything's already laid out for him. A stubborn bastard."
Is that what you really meant? "I know but there’s nothing more we can do, is there? Isn't it better to just keep him from hurting anyone again?"
"You think serving some time will keep him from doing just that?"
Akira felt his heartbeat reverberating to the wound on his head. His blood felt ice cold.
When he didn't say anything, Akechi continued. "I know what he's like. The type that never learns and doesn't care to do so. Unless his prison time is extremely long and he dies before release, he's just free to do it again somewhere."
"But," Akira said when he had finally found his voice, "what about his reputation? Isn't that enough to destroy him? It can't be that easy to commit crime again if nobody wants to be near him."
Not that Akira's ever committed an actual crime―at least not a severe one anyway―but he's only been on probation and that was enough for him to never want to cross the line again. It was already bad enough to be shunned by a whole community. He couldn't imagine anyone continuing a life of crime despite what people thought of them.
I’m not any different though, Akira remembered. That line he thought he wouldn’t cross again came up over and over the more he spent time in Shujin. It was there when Kamoshida’s Shadow threatened to kill Ryuji. And it came up again when he saw the way he perceived Ann. It was dangling him in the face by the time Shiho jumped from that rooftop. At that point, there was no turning back.
And yet, there had to be some nuance. He was saving them. The cops may have labeled it as a crime but he truly believed he was in the right in doing so.
Did Kamoshida believe he was in the right when he beat up his students, as well? He’d really do it again if he ever gets out?
Akechi sighed. "You think he'll care about that anymore once he's out? He has far too much pride to turn a new leaf and change his ways. If he's patient enough, just give him some time and you'll see."
"See what? Akechi, what do you even want me to say?" He had raised his voice a considerable amount mostly out of irritation.
They looked at each other for a bit, either one not daring to break eye contact.
What do you want me to do, Akechi?
“Do you know what I would do?” His voice was so low, it made Akira shiver slightly. “I would kill him. With my own hands. If I did that, Akira, do you think you would be able to go so far as to help me hide the body?”
Akira blinked a few times.
This was... certainly quite an outcome. He had a feeling this was what he was implying but to happen so soon. And so suddenly.
“Of course.” Despite his initial surprise, he didn’t really even have to think twice about it. “But you should let me kill him instead.”
“What?”
It was Akechi’s turn to be dumbfounded. Maybe he hadn’t expected Akira to actually agree with him.
“It’s better if it’s me, isn’t it? You’re with the police force and I’m just a regular student. It’s easier if I’m the one accused rather than you.”
Besides, he didn’t want to have him dirty his hands anymore than he already had…
Akechi studied him curiously. “You’d really do that?”
“Why not?”
He was already detained once. One more wouldn’t kill him. And even if it did, maybe he’d just start over again—
Suddenly, Akechi burst into laughter so loud, it made Morgana jump on his feet. Akira watched him wide-eyed, moving his cup further from him so that it wouldn’t spill due to his racket. He wasn’t even sure what was going on anymore.
“You really never fail to surprise me, do you?” he said, wiping a tear from his eye.
“Apparently not?” Akira managed a small smile. Well, he was still slightly confused but he felt relieved that it wasn’t so tense anymore. “I’m not kidding, you know.”
“Yes, yes,” Akechi straightened up and reached out to ruffle Akira’s hair, having to bend his head a bit for him to do so. “I’m just pulling your leg. Don’t worry about it.”
He was joking? he thought, struggling to keep up. The patting certainly wasn’t helping in the least. Something in his head was going off like a siren and all the blood was rushing to his head.
“We’re not killing him?”
“Of course not, we’re already close to arresting him. Killing him would undo all of our hard work so far." He finally pulled his hand back, taking the cup and sipping from it. "And you wouldn't actually be able to handle that eating up your conscience, would you?"
"Right…" Akira caught Morgana's eye behind Akechi who was looking at him curiously. "Then, why even bring it up in the first place?"
"No reason," he shrugged.
"Seriously, you can't just―"
Before Akira could finish, Akechi's phone suddenly rang aloud. He excused himself and took the phone call outside. Akira let out a deep exhale once the detective was out of earshot.
"What the hell was that about Morgana?" he sighed, exasperated. Akira slumped down on the counter, holding his head in his hands. "One minute he's suggesting murder—the next he's laughing and messing up my hair, saying it's all a joke? Can you get a read on this guy?"
Morgana only shook his head in response, seemingly just as clueless as he was.
He sighed once more, ruffling his hair in frustration. The warm feeling of his hand still lingered which only prompted him to ruffle his head harder.
The chime of the door caused Akira to straighten up hastily. The detective's face looked more grim than before, a weary sigh escaping him.
"My apologies. It seems the station is calling for me again," he said, walking over to the counter to pick up his briefcase. When he saw Akira's hair, he raised an eyebrow. "Did I do that?"
Akira sighed, turning away. "Yeah, thanks for ruining my hair asshole."
"I didn't think it was possible for it to get any worse," Akechi hummed before giving him a small smile. "But I admit, I quite like it like this. It's very you."
"Um, thanks… I think." Akira thought it was his clever way of insulting him such that only Akechi was capable of doing. He tries to decide if he should be embarrassed about it or not but the conversation from earlier was still reeling in his mind.
Akira grabbed the plate with his cup, moving to the sink to wash it in an attempt to put some space between them. "Well, duty calls."
"Hold on, I wasn't finished with that."
Akechi took the cup of coffee from him and proceeded to drink the rest of it slowly, all while watching him almost in a leering manner. Akira felt trapped under his gaze, as if in a trance, forced to look at nothing but him as he quietly waited for him to finish.
When he was finally done, Akechi licked his lips in satisfaction before smiling back innocently. "I'll be looking forward to the next cup."
Akira couldn't even reply, just watched him place the cup back and moved to pet Morgana once. He felt himself stiffly move his head when Akechi walked towards the door, bidding him goodnight before hearing the door chime ring.
Morgana hopped onto the countertop, tilted his head in curiosity. He had to meow at Akira three times before he finally let out a breath he didn't realize he was even holding.
Um, well... Akira thought. That was certainly far from good intentions.