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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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When Akira replies Akechi only looks puzzled. It's genuinely odd for him to get a response like that. It's odd to meet someone that seems to actually understand and doesn't get give him rote condolences that are forgotten as soon as they're spoken. It isn't even like he said much, but those four simple words - It must have been lonely. - are more than Akechi's even been given before. He has absolutely not idea how he's supposed to respond.

He feels dumb for being so affected by so little, but even that isn't enough to shake off how happy those words make him.

Akechi is so caught up in his thoughts that he's caught off guard again when Akira offers him the bottle of tea, but he's quicker to respond this time.

"Oh - thank you." He gives him a faint smile. "... And it's alright. I've had a long time to come to terms with it." And he's going to get revenge soon anyway. So it's fine. Honestly, he thinks Akira's response got to him more than the actual memory did.

He doesn't miss the confusion that falls over Akechi's face. As much as Akira is aware that people have failed Akechi, it's unsettling to think that some basic kindness would be regarded like that, like it's something new and foreign. It must've been lonely. He really means it, but maybe it runs deeper than he thought.

"No problem," he responds with a nod before turning back to the vending machine to nab that last Arginade.

Akira is straightening up from grabbing the drink when he speaks up again. "And if you ever want to give the arcade another shot, I'll play a few rounds with you." That sharp edge to his smile sneaks back in. "I won't go easy on you, though."

Ah, there. This is much easier. Even Akechi, as unused as he is to normal conversations with (seemingly) normal kids his age, is more comfortable with this.

"I wouldn't expect you to." What would the fun in that be? "Though if you're going to challenge me to arcade games I'll have to challenge you to chess at some point in exchange."

"I'll take you up on that." He slips the drink into his bag and feeds more money into the machine to pick out a different flavor.

"I haven't played chess before, but I'm okay at shogi." Although okay might be a bit of an understatement now. Hifumi never hesitates to put him through the wringer, but he's actually able to put up a decent fight now. "Aren't they mostly the same?"

"Fundamentally they're very similar, yes." Akechi finally twists open his tea bottle as he explains. May as well finally try this. "I'd say the main difference is that captured pieces in chess are removed from the game and can't be placed on the board again. The game becomes simpler with the loss of each piece, which makes managing each individual piece more important."

He finally takes a sip of his drink and... huh.

"This is good!" He checks the label and commits it to memory. "Is this one of the drinks only available from this machine?"

A hum settles in Akira's throat as he looks over the drink selection. "Sounds fun," he comments to the explanation, the sentiment genuine. Somewhere along the way, he's developed an appreciation for these strategy-heavy games—and Akechi seems like the perfect opponent.

"Ah? Oh, it's not." Akira casts a glance over the display, nose wrinkling slightly as he considers the last two bottles of Water of Rebirth. It's supposed to be healthy, so it would probably be effective, but it's hard to get past the Blended with Placenta! cheerfully slapped on the label. Maybe... another day. He presses the button for something more normal. "That one's easier to find. I just thought you'd like it."

Well, at least it'll be easy to find. It does make it that much more interesting that Akira has catalogued these drinks thoroughly enough to make such good recommendation, however. What sort of weird drink club do he and his friends run?

Well, it doesn't matter that much

"We can play next time I stop by Leblanc." Which is likely to be just a few days from now. "I know I've seen a chessboard there before."

Tucking away the last of his bounty, Akira turns towards Akechi, recognition lighting up his face at the mention of the chessboard. "Oh, there is..." It's been such a fixture that he doesn't really think about it anymore. He's not sure he's seen anyone touch it aside from Sojiro occasionally moving it aside to clean. "I'm sure Sojiro won't mind it getting some use."

And since that's the last thing he needs at this vending machine, Akira motions to the door with a tip of his head. "Hopefully," he continues while making his way in that direction, "I'll also have that information for you by then."

Akechi follows after Akira at his gesture, screwing the cap back on his bottle as he goes. He's not expecting the conversation to move from chess to their previous arrangement, but he isn't going to complain about it.

"I hope so," he agrees. It might not be his primary concern, but he does want the case with Kawanabe to be solved swiftly, before someone else has a chance to end up in his crosshairs. "But don't rush just because of that. It's better to delay your results and make sure the information you come away with is complete. Charging in with only half the information could make things worse."

"I'll be mindful of that," he agrees as he shoulders open the door. Akira may be prone to the occasional bout of recklessness—may even enjoy the thrill of it sometimes—but this is Yusuke's well-being at stake, not to mention all of the other potential targets. It's unlikely that he's going to get multiple shots at this, so diligence is key.

The sunlight seems to wash out the street for a moment once they emerge from the interior of the arcade, and Akira blinks against it a couple of times before shooting a glance farther down the way. "There's one more vending machine I'd like to visit." He'll drop by the ones in Shinjuku and Akihabara another day. No point in going out of his way just for that.

Akechi has never seen Joker in action - doesn't even realize that Akira knows what the metaverse is - but he's got a suspicion about that reckless nature anyway. Even if many of his solved cases are fabricated he's still observant enough on to have caught the occasional glimpses into Akira's more wild nature. So the reassurance is appreciated, even though Akechi was already pretty sure he wasn't going to be dumb about it.

Stepping out of the cool, dim atmosphere of arcade and into a bright summer afternoon makes Akechi even more grateful for his bottle of tea - and even more curious to follow Akira on his vending machine centered quest.

"Lead the way. I'll probably need another drink soon, anyway."

He does exactly that, forging a path down the street with ease. Leaving the air conditioning of the arcade makes the heat seem that much more stifling, even more so with the shuffle of people all around, and Akira tugs lightly at the collar of his shirt as he glances back to make sure that Akechi is keeping up. Maybe he'll get a drink for himself along with giving Akechi another recommendation.

Admittedly, Akira does wonder why Akechi is sticking around as long as he has. Surely it was intriguing at first, but by now he should realize that it's exactly what it looks like. But, despite his curiosity, Akira doesn't ask. It feels like doing so might break the moment, and he's actually enjoying being out with Akechi like this, away from their usual setting in Leblanc and different from the occasional morning greetings at the train station.

"Here," he announces once they reach another cluster of vending machines, pulling off to the side so that he can get to work.

If suddenly asked, Akechi himself couldn't give a reason for why he's still following Akira around on what's, truthfully, a very dull task. He thinks he just doesn't have anything better to do, but the reality is that it's actually kind of nice. This is the first time he's ever been able to walk around and do nothing of consequence with someone his age and feel like he's not an unwanted pest at the same time.

So yeah, it's weird and maybe even a little boring, but Akechi is enjoying himself.

"What happens if one of your regular machines is out?" Granted, if Akira is this diligent he probably has the refill schedules down, but it merits asking all the same. "Do you have backup machines figured out as well?"

"They usually restock on Mondays," Akira explains as he digs for more coins, as if this is completely normal knowledge, "so as long as I come within a couple of days, I can get what I want."

He comes up with another handful and puts a couple into the coin slot. "There are other ones in Shinjuku and Akihabara that sell the same stuff, though." Another bottle for the bag. "Shibuya is just more convenient."

This... really is kind of boring normally, so Akira is grateful for Akechi's presence, even if they're not talking about anything particularly important. It's even a little fun to study the drinks on offer to decide which one Akechi might like most. There's a coffee-flavored one that seems to be up his alley and looks pretty enticing to Akira as well right now. He'll have to grab two of those with the last of his change.

See, there's one of the non-boring things about following Akira around. He gets to hear something else surprising.

"Shinjuku?" He sounds amused, though not altogether surprised. "I wouldn't think Soujirou-san would be alright with you visiting a place like that." Because yeah, there's more to Shinjuku than Kabukichou and Golden Gai, but he somehow doubts Akira is spending all his time in the garden or government district, too.

"He trusts that I can take care of myself." And what he doesn't know won't hurt him. That part is important too, lest Akira be subjected to that disapproving look that Sojiro has perfected. Even now, it makes him feel like a misbehaving schoolboy. Which... isn't wholly inaccurate, but oh well.

He procures another drink for his stores, then inserts the rest of his coins in order to grab the ones he'd been eyeing for the present. Once they're in hand, he offers the second to Akechi. "... It can be for later," he clarifies, since Akechi does still have the tea in his hand.

Of course he does. Akira doesn't say the second part out loud, but Akechi suspects the case might actually be that Sojiro just doesn't know Akira's activities well enough to protest them.

"I'll save it for the next time I have a long night." Which will probably happen soon even if Akira takes a while with the task Akechi gave him. Since... "There hasn't been much Phantom Thief activity lately, but I imagine it's only a matter of time before they or Medjed makes their next move." And then Akechi will have his hands full again.

Their conversations always seem to come back to this point. Akira doesn't mind it—Akechi's thoughts on the activities of the Phantom Thieves are often interesting and insightful.

"The date of the cleanse is approaching, isn't it?" he asks, twisting off the cap of his drink with a soft crackle of splintering plastic as the seal breaks. Casual, like he isn't acutely aware of that fact, on par or even more so than Akechi is. "What do you think will happen?"

"Hmm..." Akechi takes the time to consider his answer, even though he already knows what he's going to stay. It never hurts to be certain before he speaks. "I don't think it's impossible for Medjed to come out on top. Many people even think it's likely. But... I think it may prove to be just another step for them." It's probably weird to say that, seeing as he's sworn himself to stop them, but he sounds and feels confident in his answer. "They've proven themselves quite adaptable so far. If the escalation from a corrupt teacher to a career criminal came naturally to them, then I suspect they'll handle this like it's just the latest stop in their journey." Wherever it is that journey ends up taking them.

And of course, since they're on the subject of the Phantom Thieves Akechi isn't going to pass up the opportunity to hear Akira's opinion.

"What about you? Do you think they'll give in, or pull through?"

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're becoming a bit of a fan," he teases, the mouth of the bottle near his lips as he goes in for a drink. Akira does know better, however. Most people, fan or critic, will expect whichever outcome supports their opinions, but Akechi, ever the detective, is the type to look at the situation subjectively.

Although, knowing what he knows now about this all being part of a long-wrought setup, he does wonder if Akechi is aware of the inevitable outcome.

Akira allows himself a thoughtful moment as he sips, even though he similarly already has an idea of his response. "They'll pull through. What Medjed is doing isn't justice. I don't think they'll allow it."

"Hmm..." This time Akechi is thinking about his answer, though even then it doesn't take long. "Even if I can't approve of their methods, I can acknowledge that their intentions don't seem malicious." There's certainly better, less public ways to extort people. Akechi would know.

Regardless of his own opinion, that's about the answer he'd been expecting from Akira. He's always so confident in them, though Akechi supposes he can see why. Still, it's a bit strange to agree with him when Akechi knows the reality behind Medjed's incoming Cleanse. He's not exactly cheering for the Phantom Thieves, but he can't help but be certain they'll pull this off.

"I suppose if the Phantom Thieves can find people to take down someone like Kaneshiro then a hacker wouldn't be any problem at all. For all we know, they may have already acted."

"It's possible," Akira agrees, though he knows that the Phantom Thieves most certainly haven't already acted. All of the pieces are in place, though: Futaba is resting off the exhaustion from her Persona's awakening, and while the others are regularly questioning whether she'll pull through in time to save the day, Akira is confident that it won't be a problem. For good reason. "We'll see soon enough."

This is likely the point where their encounter winds down, now that Akira is done with his mission for the afternoon. He doesn't think he would be opposed to spending more time out here with Akechi, but the bag has become considerably heavier than it was to start, and there is homework waiting for him back at the cafe.

"Well, that was the last of them." Akira shifts the shoulder supporting the bag to indicate the shift in subject. "Thanks for tagging along. It was nice to have company." And he means it.

"Of course. It was interesting." If only for how odd it was. "I'll stop by Leblanc later this week, but if you call I can come by sooner." He won't say why Akira might call, however. He's sure he knows.

Even with his faith in Akira's abilities, Akechi isn't expecting results so soon. That doesn't mean he's caught off guard, however, and he's able to respond quickly once Akira manages to flush the real culprit into acting. The arrest goes more smoothly than Akechi ever could have hoped and even nets him another brief interview. On TV he describes his success as a stroke of luck. In many ways that statement is true, but he's really thinking about Akira when he says it. Getting to know him has really worked out in Akechi's favor.

That's why he doesn't hesitate to return to Leblanc a few days later, even though he usually doesn't leave so little time between visits. Maybe it's self-indulgent of him but he really is interested in seeing Akira again as soon as possible. If nothing else, he wants to say thank you - and the excuse for coffee always helps.

So he shows up again in the early evening, greeting Sojiro like usual as he takes his customary spot at the bar. This time he doesn't just content himself with coffee. He also drags the chessboard his way and starts to set it up. He's not sure if Akira will care to play once he shows up but Akechi doesn't want to miss the opportunity if he can help it.

Nor is Akira expecting to see Akechi again quite so soon, used to the general schedule of visits they've fallen into. Yet there he is in the usual spot when Akira makes his way into the cafe, a welcome sight. He can only assume it's due to the arrest he made—Akira happened to catch the news report and subsequent interview the previous evening. Maybe he's just deluding himself, but he likes to think that Akechi's smile had seemed a bit more genuine when discussing the case.

In fact, the case is already on his mind today, having just returned from accompanying Yusuke to the competition's exhibit. Even though Yusuke did end up declining the sponsorship offer in the end, it's still nice to know that one less criminal is prowling around, trying to manipulate minors. So it's in somewhat high spirits that Akira returns, a mood that only really manifests in his smile as he greets Akechi.

"I saw your interview." He takes his customary seat alongside Akechi's and carefully sets his bag onto the ground alongside it. The motion is simply habitual this time, seeing as he dropped off Morgana to watch over a resting Futaba on his way home. "Luck, hm?" Akira questions as he surveys the chessboard that's been set up between the two seats. Just some friendly ribbing, nothing more.

It's no surprised that Akira saw his interview, which isn't (solely) egotistical thinking on Akechi's part. His interviews tend to get ideal time slots and he knows he's popular with high schoolers. Still, hard not to be a little embarrassed by the exact opener Akira greets him with.

"I thought revealing the existence of a helping hand when your anonymity helped solve the case might not be wise." And it's true that Akechi had been thinking about Akira when he made the decision, rather than the potential risk to his own popularity. If anything he suspects that a duo would be even more popular than a solo detective. He doesn't think of it that way but it had been a weirdly altruistic decision. But since he also knows Akira is joking... "There's always time for a second interview if you want to make your debut, of course."

( for fabrications )

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