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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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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."

"I'll hold off on that. I don't think I could handle the publicity as well as you do." As much as Akira enjoys the occasional bout of flashiness, he's much more suited to work from the shadows. He avoids that phrasing, though; it's a bit too... Phantom Thief-esque. Besides, he's had his fair share of eyes on him lately, what with having to relive being the "delinquent transfer student" again and all. Flying under the radar is a welcome change of pace. "You did do most of the work, anyway."

Akira's pretty sure that Akechi eventually would've come to the same conclusion without him. He just happened to make the connection upon seeing Kawanabe's assistant. It was so obvious in the moment that he isn't sure why they didn't consider the possibility before.

He traces a finger along the edge of the chessboard, picking up the slightest traces of residual dust. It seems Akechi hasn't forgotten about their discussion from the arcade.

And that's about what Akechi had expected the answer to be. Whatever other glimpses of bold certainty he may have noticed here and there Akechi is still quite confident that Akira doesn't want to be in the spotlight. Which works out to Akechi favor, in the end.

"Maybe so, but you still noticed a connection I missed. A minor role can still be an essential one." It's just that Akechi prefers to play roles that are essential and major.

He'd like to dive right into why he actually came here, but when Akira takes note of the chessboard Akechi tables the subject for the moment. He can ease into it.

"I thought now might be a good time to play, if you're still interested."

"Just glad I could help." It may not be as much of a production as drawing out a confession with a change of heart, but it's still no less satisfying to know that he helped put a criminal behind bars. Akira is grateful for the opportunity to do so, as well as for the chance to strengthen his bond with Akechi.

So he won't turn down this match. "Of course," he answers, fixing his gaze on Akechi now. "Let's see how much of my shogi knowledge helps me."

He knows that Akechi won't take it easy on him. Even if Akira hadn't been around the proverbial block once before, he'd still have the sense that Akechi doesn't like to lose. What prior knowledge does inform him is that Akechi is also capable of making small missteps that will allow him to get one step ahead—so perhaps he has a chance, even with less experience.

Akechi can at least lose games that don't matter, like this one, with grace. It's all part of his public image, after all. Akira isn't wrong though: Akechi hates losing. So even though he doesn't expect to now, he won't go easy on him.

Besides, it would be disrespectful.

"Do you want me to walk you through it as we play, or only correct you if you make an illegal move?" Akechi thinks for a moment, then rotates the board so that the white pieces are on Akira's side. Best to give the first move advantage to the newbie.

"You can just let me know if I do something wrong." It did occur to Akira to look up the differences between chess and shogi while he had time to waste on the train the other day, so he has a good enough idea of how this works that a tutorial match probably isn't necessary. That wouldn't be as interesting, anyway.

"White goes first in chess, right?" Akira confirms, gray eyes flickering up from the board for a moment. The overall goal is the same in both games, so the opening strategies can't be too different, he figures. After only brief consideration, he moves up one of his middle pawns towards the center of the board.

Akechi isn't sure if Akira looked up the rules ahead of time or is just that willing to go all in (though he suspects the former), but either way he can respect it.

"That's right." Akechi makes a similar opening move, though offset from Akira's by a couple columns. It's a pretty simple opening move but there's no need to make things complicated. "White is generally considered to have the opening advantage, but there's merits to playing from a reactionary position as well." Akechi still prefers the former, however.

Of course there are. There's no doubt that Akechi is a dangerous opponent in either scenario—but they're still only in the opening of the game, so Akira isn't going to overthink it, rather just try to set up an advantageous position early on. He shifts another pawn up, offset from Akechi's.

"Did you like the other drink?" he asks, conversationally, an abrupt shift in topic. It's not so much an intentional distraction as it is genuine curiosity. Akira had considered texting him to ask about it, but the thought fell to the wayside with everything that's happened over the past couple of days. He does still wonder if Akechi would indulge him in random text conversations, the meandering kind that he has with his other friends... an idea he'll have to test at some point.

It might be a little early for it, but Akechi switches to moving a knight forward for his second move. He doesn't have to think too much about it, however, so it's easy for him to continue the conversation.

"I did. I actually drank it while I was finishing off the case you helped me with." The caffeine content hadn't been as much as a regular cup of coffee but just the taste had been enough to help him focus. "I still think I prefer Leblanc's offerings, though."

Akira considers the move, fingertip tapping lightly against the countertop. Akechi is seemingly inclined towards a bolder play style; no shocker there. But that's fine—Akira has similar proclivities, and the thought of engaging Akechi in another cat-and-mouse game (with much lower stakes this time, given) gets his blood pumping quicker, for some reason. He mirrors the play on the opposite side.

"Good to hear, on both counts." Nudging his glasses back up the bridge of his nose, he regards Akechi with a smile. "I think I'd have to practice a lot more if you liked the premade stuff better."

"If you could find a way to make your coffee taste as good bottled as it does fresh I might never drink anything else." That's a lie, though - or at least a joke. The atmosphere and company are two big reasons he comes to Leblanc so much. "Though if I did that, I wouldn't be able to ask for your help again."

He moves a second pawn up, already angling to try to control the center. It's a little harder as the black player, but once again he doesn't hesitate. He may not be working from the same frame of reference as Akira but even he thinks there's something exciting about what's outwardly a simple game of chess. It's giving him a chance to learn a little bit more about Akira - which makes it that much easier to get invested.

As doubtful as the absolute truth of the statement is, it's still a flattering sentiment, even as a joke. The second part does catch Akira's attention though, drawing a quirk of his own eyebrows. Not that it's particularly visible behind all of the hair.

"You know you don't need the excuse of coffee to ask for my help, right? Or anything, really. We can always hang out as friends." Right as the statement leaves his mouth, it hits him: That he actually does feel like he can count Akechi as a friend. It's one of those weird, never-would-have-thought realizations, kind of like the way he catches himself considering Akechi's fingers more than he's considering the path he's taking with the chess piece. Akira's eyes flicker up to Sojiro's back as a smile tugs at his lips, adding, "You should definitely keep coming for coffee, though."

He redirects his focus to the game, surveying the front line they've created—both sides' soldiers ready to vie for control of the battlefield as soon as the first blood is shed. Maybe he's been exposed to Hifumi for too many long, Akira thinks as he moves another piece up, choosing to continue setting up rather than trying to claim any pieces.

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