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Akira hadn't thought seeing him in person would affect him as much as it does. After all, he's had two months to mentally prepare himself for this moment.

And yet, the sight of Goro Akechi, alive and in the flesh, perfectly put-together and looking like he was made to sit under the studio lighting, makes him feel... some kind of way. Unsettled, for sure, knowing what he knows now. Then again, there's a part of him that hasn't stopped feeling unsettled since he first (well, perhaps first isn't accurate) jolted awake to find himself on the train to Yongen-Jaya again. In one piece. Not bleeding out on the ground with a megalomaniacal pseudo-god bearing down on him. And, most importantly, as the only one with any recollection of all they'd been through.

It doesn't take Akira long to come to the most logical conclusion: That somewhere along the line, he screwed up. Somehow, it hadn't been enough, and now he has an opportunity to fix it—which would be a lot easier if he were to have some notion of what, specifically, he needs to fix, or even if this is a one-time deal.

At first, he tries copying his previous motions as closely as possible. People always talk about their regrets like they would change them in a heartbeat, given the chance, but the thought of altering the timeline as he knows it is overwhelming. The more Akira steps away from his previous path, the less accurate his existing knowledge may become, the bigger the chance that he may miss something important from the first time around.

That reasoning goes out the window pretty quickly. Akira finds that he can't watch Shiho Suzui jump off that building again, can't go through hearing that agony in Ann's voice a second time when he can so easily prevent it. So he stops her. It's what the Phantom Thieves would do. And things change... but not in a way that affects the flow of events in any profound way. Ann still stumbles after them into the Metaverse and finds the conviction to awaken her persona, somehow. He's not sure how it works out, but it does. What Akira does know is that fate is what you make of it. If he believes in his teammates, they'll end up where they need to be.

But for all of that, he still wavers as they're leaving the recording area. Up until now, the decisions to change things have been easy. Akechi, on the other hand... where to start? Is it even salvageable? Akira's not certain, but when he thinks of their last meeting in Shido's palace, Akechi's remark about the possibility of them meeting a few years earlier, the sounds of gunshots echoing from the other side of the bulkhead—he can't not try. It's not years, but maybe this handful of months will be enough.

Akira lets Ann go ahead with a nod, sliding his hands into his pockets as he tries to maintain his usual casual demeanor. Any moment now...

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If Akechi catches Akira looking towards his notebook (he doesn't) thne he gives no indication of it. It's not like he has much in heard Akira doesn't already know about.

He's a little surprised when Akira holds up something as mundane as a sports manga, but after a moment the reasoning clicks.

"Something mundane must be a nice break." Akechi can't imagine much in the way of fictional excitement could compare to being an actual, real-life phantom thief. Then again, what does that say about Akechi and his persistent fondness for mystery novels? He'll ignore that thought and focus on the subject of sports for now. "You aren't in any clubs, are you?" He can't imagine he is. Not with his record and how dramatically the situation with Shujin's volleyball club played out.

Akira shakes his head, and when he elaborates, he doesn't sound particularly bothered by the reason. "When I first came to Shujin, most of the other students didn't want anything to do with me. Joining a club would've been difficult…" And now he's glad that he didn't. Turns out Phantom Thievery and everything that comes with it takes up a large portion of his free time. Akira shrugs, adding, "I ended up taking on some part-time jobs instead." They probably did as much for building character as a school club would have, plus the scheduling is a lot more flexible.

He's curious, though—Akechi's school life isn't something he knows much about. Akira can't quite see him being able to balance a club on top of everything either, but it wouldn't be the most impressive thing he's done if the assumption is false. "Are you in any?"

Well that's depressing - or it would be, if it seemed to bother Akira at all. Akechi isn't surprised that it doesn't. Considering the amount of time he's spent in the Metaverse Akechi can't imagine he has time for much else - or need for additional friends.

"I'm not." Not that Akechi has time, either. "I started working during my first year of high school, so between that and maintaining my grades I didn't think there was any time for a club." So at least they have favoring work over school clubs in common, too. He doesn't add that he hadn't joined a club in middle school, though. Admitting that he'd never bothered because of the high odds of unexpectedly being moved to another foster home too far away from his current school would bring down the mood considerably. "Though if I were to join one, I think I might choose the broadcasting club."

As expected. He's sure, however, that unlike himself, that by now Akechi has no shortage of invitations to join. Having someone so well-known would be a boon to any club.

The hypothetical choice isn't much of a surprise, either. But as with all things related to Akechi, Akira wants to dig in deeper and find out more. He's yet to come out of one of these conversations feeling like he had his fill. "Do you like being on TV that much? Or are you just familiar with it from experience?" he asks, curiosity plain. It's all too easy to imagine, but the thought does bring a spark of amusement to his eyes. "You'd have to let someone else handle the interviews, though. I think you would grab all of the attention from the other person."

"Is it that obvious?" Akechi says it like a joke, but he's sure it's more than just a lucky guess. Even if he hasn't spelled it out so plainly to Akira as he had 'last time', Akechi has still been open about how important his image is to him. He's sure Akira has realized his multiple television appearances are just part of that.

Still, it's nice to know that Akira's assumption about his reasoning isn't completely on point.

"It's partially familiarity, but I'm actually curious about the rest of the process." He sets his stack of manga aside as he explains, already more invested in this particular conversation. "I know how to work with broadcasting crews when I'm the one being interviewed, but I think hands on experience with the day-to-day work that goes on behind the scenes would be a valuable experience." As for Akira's next comment... "So that might stop me from stealing the spotlight - at least for a little while."

Without quite realizing it, Akira has already forgotten about his book as well, attention snapped up by the exchange. Well, they have plenty of time to pass here. He just thinks he might be okay with it if the entire time is spent talking like this.

"You should try it. I held a wire once, it was pretty fun," Akira comments jokingly. Come to think of it, that was the school trip where he first met Akechi. It feels so long ago now that he blurted out an invitation to Leblanc. "Really though, you should join if there's one at your university."

The reference to holding a wire gets a puzzled look from Akechi; it takes him a moment to remember that they'd first met while Shujin was on some sort of school trip. Once he does remember, he grins.

"Were they making you earn your seat?" Probably not; he figures they just had him pegged as easy labor. As for his suggestion, it gets a pause out of him. In most cases he's brush the suggestion off, but now... "Maybe. It'll be fun if I have the time for it." Which might also sound like he's brushing him off, but he means it. There's no harm in checking it out. But as long as they're on the subject: "And you? Which club would interest you if you wanted to join one?"

"They were getting Ryuji to do it, so I helped out." Thinking back on it now, it really wasn't the most informative experience. His encounters with Akechi were really the only important takeaways there.

Akira ends up taking the response for what it is. While he may not be doing any more side work for Shido, it doesn't change the fact that Akechi is a busy person. No doubt that'll continue on into university.

Instead, he considers the question being posed. "Chess club?" he tries with a smile. Honestly, that wouldn't be so bad, though his preferred opponent will probably always be Akechi. But after another moment of pondering, Akira gives a deeper response. "Student council, maybe." It may not be the most orthodox choice for someone so willing to bend the rules and buck authority, but sometimes those things are necessary in order to prevent situations like the one with Kamoshida from happening. Having the leader role thrust upon him has taught Akira a thing or two about how he can use it to help others.

Ah, of course. Instantly Akechi imagines a scenario totally different from the one he first envisioned: Ryuji getting bossed into doing something, going along with it, and Akira tagging along to keep him company.

Akira's first response gets a smile from Akechi, with is replaced with a contemplative expression when he switches to his true answer.

"That's not something I would have guessed, but it suits you." Which feels like the silliest possible thing to say about the leader of a group like the Phantom Thieves, but Akechi means it. "You're adept at hearing others out, especially those who have been otherwise ignored." Student council work bears too many similarities for politics for Akechi to take interest, even though he doesn't think of it as a bias, but he can see someone like Akira managing it.

He's quietly glad that Akechi finds some logic in it. A smile flits across Akira's lips as he nods. "Especially with Makoto on the way out… Although I'm not sure they'll take a student with a criminal record," he adds, a bit more subdued, when the thought occurs to him.

There's always the chance that his name will be cleared after Shido confesses, but Akira isn't about to count his chickens before they hatch. His situation is probably just a tiny drop in the ocean of Shido's wrongdoings, many far worse than his false charge. Who knows if it'll even come up before he's put away for more serious crimes—if the case is even accepted at all. That was in limbo right up until the end last time.

And then there's the matter of if he'll even still be at Shujin after his probation ends. Akira wants to believe that he will be, that he can stay in Tokyo indefinitely, but if his parents call him home… It's a thought that actually makes uneasiness creep up on him, so he sets it aside for now.

Akechi's thoughts follow a similar path. Akira may have a criminal record now, but it's one of several things that can be set straight if Shido confesses - and then he realizes that even if Shido does confess, clearing the record of one high school student will seem paltry compared to everything else.

Akechi's already thinking of ways things can be pushed their favor, but the possibility of Akira's record remaining permanently stained is a little depressing - not to mention something that can be easily discussed where they might be overheard. So he sets the thought aside as well.

"It's a shame all of your practical experience can't be added to your resume." He'll go with that instead. It's adjacent to the subject without being completely zeroed in on it. "That's not a skill set most people can claim."

"That's true, but…" Akira can't help the laugh that slips out. "I think some of it might make me look even worse." He doesn't need to elaborate, not when Akechi surely knows, and especially not when the sound of their conversation can easily carry. Leadership experience is impressive and all, but the vigilante justice, lockpicking, and extensive knowledge of hyper-realistic prop weapons, on the other hand… Yeah. Definitely not going to help his case.

He shakes his head. No point in getting caught up on that before he knows how things will turn out.

"I guess it'll have to be chess club," Akira sighs, his eyes crinkling at the corners despite his best efforts to keep a perfectly straight face. "If I hone my skills for a year, I might finally be able to beat you."

That's definitely a fair point, and one that Akechi won't argue with. The chess club makes for a more interesting subject anyway.

"Don't sell yourself short. It's not like I won without trying." Even with his relative inexperience Akira has good instincts. Certainly enough that taking him lightly would have been a one-way ticket to disaster. Granted, that doesn't just apply to chess when Akira is involved. "Though if you start practicing chess more often, maybe I should buy a game console for myself." It's a passing thought he'd had once, but now he's wondering if it might be necessary. He'd like to still be able to win at something.

Edited 2019-03-30 06:29 (UTC)

"I know. I don't think you're capable of not trying," he adds, because really, Akira isn't sure he's seen Akechi half-ass anything in the time he's known him.

Even video games, apparently, because while it sort of sounds like a joke, it also sort of doesn't. It's still a funny mental image, Akechi researching and practicing games with the same level of dedication he gives everything else.

"You should. It's actually good stress relief." Although… he recalls the interior of Akechi's apartment. "Well, you'd need a TV. But you're always welcome to practice on mine," Akira offers, and it's definitely just a coincidence that it would be another reason to spend time in each other's company. Most certainly.

That's certainly true. Akechi can't even make himself half-ass classes he doesn't care about and can easily pass, so not putting his all into a game with his friend (particularly when Akira is still the only one he thinks of that way) is out of the question.

Declining opportunity to practice at Akira's is also out of the question, and Akechi perks up when the offer is made.

"My funds are going to be a bit tight for a while." He still has more than enough to survive and a decent chunk saved up, but his 'fun' budget was more or less wiped out by his replacement phone purchase. "Though I might not have time until after my entrance exams are over."

The initial comment strikes him, though only because Akira isn't quite sure of the reasoning behind it. He wonders to himself if Shido paid Akechi for the work that he did. While it's not too far-fetched of an idea, he knows it would never be a motivating factor.

But Akechi keeps speaking, so he tucks the thought away for later.

"Ah, those are right around the corner…" Sitting a grueling entrance exam seems comparatively small when the task of saving Japan is looming before them, but it's still Akechi's future at stake. Of course he'd need to study. "It can be something to look forward to after."

"A reward for a job well done." Because even though Akechi is still going to work hard, he's also pretty confident he'll place just fine - though he'd be likely to say the same thing even if he wasn't.

But it takes his thoughts in a different direction. Akechi isn't sure what Akira's plans are for once they're done. Unlike most of the Phantom Thieves, he's in a pretty unique situation. Akechi has been assuming he'll stick around, and Akira has said a few things that make that seem likely, but he suddenly realizes that he doesn't know if that's actually the case.

A few months ago, that would be something to file away for future investigation. Now it feels more natural to just ask.

"You're planning to finish your third year at Shujin, then?"

"I want to," he answers, no hesitation behind it. Akira wants nothing more than to remain here, to stay with Morgana and Sojiro and Futaba, with all of his friends, with Akechi. But at the same time…

He shifts, the earnestness in his expression tuned down into something more solemn. "I guess it depends on what happens. My parents might tell me to go home." The word feels unfitting on his tongue. Home is a concept he's come to associate with Leblanc. "Even if my name isn't cleared, my probation will be over in a few months."

And he's still a bit too young to make the decision to stay here for himself. Would he even want to put Sojiro in the awkward position of continuing to house him then? A step further than that—would he really want to do that when everything here has taught him that he shouldn't take having normal parents who care about his well-being for granted?

When Akechi stops to think about it, that's the only answer that makes sense. Akira is only here because of the false accusation made against him, so if his parents think there's no reason for him to stay then there's nothing stopping them from demanding he return. Still...

"That's a tough position to be in." Akechi won't say it out loud, but he has plenty of experience with having no say over where he ends up living and which schools he ends up attending. It's just not something he expected to have in common with Akira. "Leblanc will be pretty lonely if you have to go back."

Akira hums his agreement. It would look silly from an outsider's perspective, being more bothered by the uncertainty surrounding where he'll live next year than that concerning Yaldabaoth. He lets that thought adjust his perspective slightly, finding a thread of humor to lighten the mood.

"What excuses will you use to keep visiting if I'm gone?" he asks with a half-smile. Privately, Akira is happy with the implication that even if he goes back to his hometown, Akechi will still feel inclined to go to Leblanc.

"The coffee." Akechi's response is immediate, unhesitating, and solemn, though there's no keeping a faint smile off his face. "Though I'll miss the cups you make, too."

There's a brief pause before Akechi speaks again, something short enough that he could just be taking a breath. A fierce debate takes place in that brief time frame, however. He wonders if it's okay to say what he wants to say, if it won't be too forward or strange, if it won't reveal too much about how he feels and the things Akira has done to his priorities. It's a normal struggle between his typical emotional caution and the newfound sense of freedom that comes with Akira's presence. The latter is winning the fight more and more often lately, and that's the case here.

"But if I miss it too much, I could always just pay you a personal visit."

"A personal visit just for coffee?" It's mischievous, teasing, but he understands what Akechi is really getting at—that he'd miss Akira and talking like this. Well, hopefully. It could just be wishful thinking on Akira's part, his brain just filling in the gaps with what he wants to hear, but he believes it isn't.

When he speaks again, fondness has seeped into his tone. "I'd like it if you did." It's all too easy to admit that. Akechi visiting him in his hometown isn't something he even allowed himself to consider, but if he's the one suggesting it… "I can show you around. It's quieter than Tokyo, but there's still some cool stuff."

"And company," Akechi allows, keeping his tone casual and not at all reflective of the fact that admitting to such a thing makes a significant part of him want to stand up, leave the manga cafe, and never look back.

But Akira seems to like the idea, which lets Akechi keep his thoughts from running in paranoid directions without him. He's already aware that their must be something to do in Akira's hometown - why else would Shido have ever been there? - but he decides to keep that thought to himself.

"I'm looking forward to it." It's not already decided that Akira is going to go back, but if he stays in Tokyo maybe they'll just visit instead. "It'll be interesting to see what sort of place you grew up in."

"Me too," Akira agrees, thoughts light with possibilities, a feeling that carries on into the rest of the night.

He ends up not reading much manga, nor does he get a lot of studying done, but Akira feels contented and stabilized going into Shido's Palace the following day. It plays out as expected, with Shido's Shadow falling after a drawn-out battle, and this time, it doesn't come as a surprise when it disappears before their eyes and the Palace begins to collapse. They've discussed this ahead of time, planned out a quick escape, and before long they're in front of the Diet building again, no scrapes with death along the way.

They have the chance to recuperate afterwards. The only timer they're running on right now is the one behind the decision to throw out Shido's case for good, and Akira knows from experience that gives them at least a few days to prepare for their delve into Mementos.

And during that, he gives Akechi space. The itch to reach out is there, of course, and Akira does make it obvious that his (Leblanc's, really) door is open if Akechi needs him, but otherwise… He thinks he gets it.

Finally, after the days seem to crawl by under the weight of his anticipation, Christmas Eve comes. And this? This is one of the freshest days in his memory. He's played it over time and time again, trying to figure out what they could have done differently. Akira never did come up with a definitive answer, but perhaps he never needed one. They retrace almost the same path, down through Mementos, in the Velvet Room (there, Akira gives Akechi a knowing smile amid the confused looks of the rest of the Phantom Thieves), through the warped streets of Shibuya, right up until they're bruised and beaten on top of Yaldabaoth's dais. Except this time, with ethereal cheers ringing in his ears, he finds the strength to stand up again.

It stands to reason that everything from this point on is unexpected. Akira's spent so long with an idea of what's to come that not having a point of reference is strange. But he thinks that Arsene's transformation and the brief but overwhelming surge of power that comes from Satanael would be surprising either way. There's something else bubbling beneath the surface—anger, he realizes—as he pulls the trigger.

And… just like that, it's done. The world returns to normal before their very eyes, and with all of the shimmering particles of cognition, Morgana goes too. He's a product of the Metaverse, after all, and Akira knows that it makes sense, but his brain doesn't quite want to accept the fact, leaving him quiet and slightly shell-shocked as they take in the aftermath.

When everyone else disperses for the day, he stays. For once, going back to Leblanc doesn't feel right. Not when he knows his bedroom will be empty, devoid of his constant companion. Instead, Akira wanders a bit, aimless, through sunset and into the evening. Seeing the city returned to normal is a small comfort.

He's not expecting to run into anyone he knows, and especially not Sae Niijima. If Akira didn't know any better, he'd say she's sought him out. It certainly seems so, with the proposal she lays out: turn himself over to the police in order to testify against Shido. He's not completely on board with the reasoning until a certain name comes up—Akechi, although never named in Shido's confession, would be the true prime candidate to testify against him and link the mental shutdowns to the Metaverse. Akira puts his foot down immediately. They'll go easy on him if he plays the role of the criminal, admits to leading the Phantom Thieves and breaking the bounds of his probation. If Akechi were to confess to the things he's done under Shido's orders…

Somehow, the exchange is more exhausting than the battle with Yaldabaoth. Sae seems to sense it, expression uncharacteristically gentle as he tells him to rest for the night, that they'll take care of business in the morning.

But when she sets off, Akira's feet don't take him home. They trace out a path he's taken once before: the one to Akechi's apartment. It doesn't even sink in that he might not be home, much less the implications of desperately wanting to see Akechi on what he now knows to be his last night of freedom for who-knows-how-long, until he's staring at the door. Although the key is still in his bag, he opts to knock, taking a steadying breath before he does so.

Akechi doesn't regret it in the slightest, but the night he spends with Akira in the manga cafe ends up being the last truly relaxing evening he has for a long time. The battle against Shido is tense. The escape from his Palace is tense. Waiting for his confession is tense. Hearing his confession is...

That's harder to pin down, actually. Watching Shido break down and humiliate himself on national TV isn't at all what Akechi thinks it'll be like. There's no satisfaction in it, no surge of triumph. All he feels is a nauseating wave of contemptuous disgust, and for once he has no idea where to direct that emotion. He attends the Phantom Thieves' celebration (largely on Ann and Ryuji's insistence) and even enjoys himself while he's there, but he's still quiet and preoccupied for most of the night. He doesn't take Akira up on his unspoken offer to talk.

The rest of their journey is appropriately surreal. Even if warned ahead of time, running into Shido's Shadow comes as a nasty shock; Akechi ends up ignoring it as much as he can, which is a problem when it's the one with all the information. Moving on is more of a distraction than a relief; the situation just gets steadily more confusing and stressful from there on out, though finally getting a look at the Velvet Room is nice. Granted, he meets Akira's smile with a look of amused disbelief because even though he remembers Akira describing it as a prison, seeing it in person makes him realize how on the nose the metaphor is.

They can't linger forever - or even for very long - before they need to move on. Once they do, Akechi thinks he can understand why they didn't make it the first time around. Since joining the Phantom Thieves he's never once thought of a battle as hopeless, but the thought still claws its way into the back of his mind before he can shake it off. Even then, it's easy to believe in Akira, to push himself back to his feet with the rest of the Phantom Thieves and add his voice to theirs. Now, more than ever before, he actually feels like he's meant to be here.

And just like that, it's over. In a perfect world that would be the end of it, but Morgana vanishing along with the (rest of) the Metaverse is just one final parting kick from fate. Even Akechi is upset by his disappearance, which means he can only imagine how Akira feels. Akechi wants to extend the same offer that Akira had given him, letting him know that he's welcome if he needs somewhere else to be. But he doesn't know how, and in the end he departs just like everyone else, quiet and pensive.

Fortunately for Akira, Akechi does go home, though when he opens his door and steps inside it strikes him, for the very first time, that it doesn't really feel like much of a 'home'. That's a disquieting enough feeling that he almost turns around and leaves again, but fatigue and discontent keep him there. It's not like he has anywhere else to go, and it's not like he has anything else to do.

... Well, there is one thing he could do, but right now he's not sure he's up for the task of sorting out all the information he could use to testify against Shido. So he preoccupies himself with trying to read a certain thriller manga he'd picked up in one of his brief moments of free time the past week. Granted, his head is so full of other thoughts that he keeps having to go back and reread to try to pick up on things he's missed. He hasn't quite made it through the first volume when there's a knock at his door. The sound comes as a relief, even though on some level Akechi is absolutely certain that whoever's on the other side is bad news for him.

'Surprised' doesn't really cover how he feels when he sees who it actually is.

"Akira?" His presence alone is weird enough that Akechi doesn't even think to point out that Akira has a key and doesn't need to knock. He opens his mouth to say something else, but he closes it with a worried frown a moment later. Rather than trying to get immediate answers, he simply steps back and pulls the door open wider. If Akira wants to talk to him, or even just sit in silence with him, Akechi won't say no.

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