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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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Akechi raises a good point. He knows the plot against the Thieves has been in motion for a while, but things are about to get truly underway, so it's no surprise that Akechi will be busier soon. Akira himself will have more on his plate, including helping Futaba and the Hawaii trip—

And then he remembers the awful revelation following their return from the school trip last time: Principal Kobayakawa's death. Akira's in the middle of removing his own harness when it occurs to him, and he can't help the sudden flicker of his eyes to Akechi's face, expression open for just a moment. Shit. What is he supposed to do about that when he's not even going to be in the country? He can't just let it play out the way it did before.

As much fun as he's had today, the conundrum weighs on Akira's mind as he gets back to sliding off the harness. He's still got a smile for Akechi, but there's the slightest bit of distraction lacing his tone when he responds, "I'll be expecting it. We still have to finish our chess game."

Akechi doesn't miss the flicker of surprise in Akira's expression, not when Akira looks right at him, but once again he can't place the source. Is he surprised by how little free time Akechi has...? That could be it, but something tells Akechi it isn't. But he has no way of figuring it out now so he files it away as something to consider later.

"That's right. I'm hoping to make up my loss today when we do." Just to let Akira know he's not going to go easy on him.

The next couple weeks aren't a great time for Akechi, however. The Phantom Thieves' victory over Medjed gives their popularity a considerable boost, while his previous comments criticizing them put even more downward pressure on his own popularity. Even if he was expecting it, it's still a bitter reminder of the situation he's in. His state of being wanted and needed is tenuous at best, and dependent entirely on his ability to be right. Just a couple of missteps is all it's taken for 'loyal fans' to start abandoning him.

But there's one person he's pretty sure won't abandon him, even if he doesn't quite consciously think of him that way. Regardless, Akira has been on Akechi's mind for quite some time now. As usual when he's feeling low he finds himself making his way towards Leblanc. It's become a relaxing retreat for him lately, to the extent that he's all but forgotten his original plan of checking it out to keep an eye on Wakaba Isshiki's daughter.

Like always he lets himself in without any fanfare, and like always he immediately looks around for Akira before doing anything else. He can just sit and get a cup of coffee if he needs, but he is hoping for something more.

With Futaba's return to the fold, Akira feels like another piece of him is restored. It's not easy, realizing that he has to build up that relationship again, the same as it was with the others, but he's just grateful to have her back. The time they spend working with Futaba is enough to shift his thoughts of Akechi firmly to the backseat. They're still there, though, simmering, something he doesn't want to examine just as much as he knows he needs to.

August 28th. He's forgotten what today is until he's in the middle of washing dishes, sudsy hands faltering when it hits him. Today is the day Akechi visited Leblanc for the first time, the day he spilled his background, the day he showed that first sliver of sadness and insecurity that Akira now knows wasn't just a ploy.

Except it wouldn't be his first visit this time around. Will he show up, or have things diverged too much? Even after months, Akira doesn't really have any sort of comprehension of how his actions effect things in the long-term. Sometimes things still happen when he thinks they might not; sometimes events are completely absent.

This seems to fall into the former category. Not too long after, the chime of the bell has Futaba darting around the counter to hide behind him, and the sense of deja vu kicks in, a familiar phenomenon that's become useful for filling in the gaps his memories don't quiet reach.

"Hey," he greets Akechi. Sojiro's already getting to work on his usual, so Akira simply holds his ground as Futaba's shield, offering a smile from his position behind the counter.

Akechi's politely neutral expression morphs into one of genuine cheer as he spots Akira. Oh good, he's here.

"Hello." He's here with company, though...? Akechi gives Futaba a curious look before recognition clicks. "You must be--"

But unlike 'last' time, he stops short of actually mentioning Wakaba Isshiki by name. He's had more time to adjust to the idea of running into the daughter of his first victim, especially since Sojiro has long since been made aware of his connection to Sae. But more than that, the prospect of blatantly probing for information right in front of Akira strikes him as an odd combination of tasteless and careless. His suspcions about Akira's connection to the Phantom Thieves have waned somewhat, but not totally dissipated.

So he looks to Akira himself, expression amused.

"Seems like you've found another interesting companion for yourself." That's not at all surprising, but the narrow degree of separation between himself and Futaba is suddenly quite uncomfortable to consider. If Akira were to find out that would be the end of their friendship, not to mention a risk to his attempt at revenge.

He feels Futaba shrink behind him when the attention turns to her, and Akira shifts his weight from one foot to the other, angling himself just a bit more between them. Even knowing that Akechi is being manipulated himself, he still feels a flash of something unpleasant, hearing Akechi politely address her while completely aware of who she is. At least he keeps her mother's name out of the conversation—something this time around has given him a better sense of tact.

The unsavory feelings are easy enough to mask with a smile. Akira is genuinely happy to see Akechi, situation aside. There were times, in the midst of everything else going on, that he sorely missed the calm of their conversations at the counter, moments where he'd spot Akechi's forced smile in an interview and feel a sharp pang of desire for the real ones that sometimes come out when they're together.

"It's more that they find me," he says with an undertone of humor.

It's not like it's a huge, dramatic gesture, but the combination of Futaba sliding a little further behind Akira and Akira shifting a little further in front of Fubataba is impossible to miss - and Akechi isn't in the right mood to not take it a little personally. His reaction isn't dramatic, either, but his warm expression dims and his smile becomes less casual and more calculated.

"That can be considered a talent, too, you know." Akechi sets his briefcase down and takes his customary seat, though he's suddenly wondering if he should really be here right now. "Plenty of people don't know how to be more than casual acquaintances with someone they don't have a great deal in common with." And Akechi seriously doubts Akira somehow has a lot in common with a high school detective, an artistic genius, a student council president, and a middle school girl all at the same time.

The subtle shift in Akechi's expression isn't lost on him. They've spent enough time together that Akira has developed a keen eye for the undercurrents of emotion on Akechi's face, and this has the plastic edges of that made-for-TV smile that he's grown to dislike.

And here it looked like maybe Akechi would be in higher spirits this time. Akira kicks himself internally. Good going.

"Maybe we have more in common than you think," Akira responds, and it comes out a bit more quiet, a bit more serious than intended. He doesn't quite clarify who's included in that "we," but his gaze is locked on Akechi as he speaks.

The comment is probably meant to be reassuring, and in a way it is. But Akechi's smile fades entirely when he hears it.

"I sincerely hope that's not the case." Akechi doesn't stop to think how that might sound like he's insulting Akira, but he also doesn't hesitate to explain further. "I might do well for myself now, but until recently I was still being passed from foster home to foster home." His tact has improved somewhat this time around, but not so much that revealing this information suddenly feels awkward. "And before that, despair over being abandoned after she fell pregnant is what lead to my mother's death." His gaze, already a bit unfocused, crosses into 'completely spaced out' territory. His tone is similarly distant and soft. "I'm not especially wanted no matter where I go."

So he means it both earnestly and in a non-insulting way: he hopes he and Akira are very dissimilar, at least in that regard.

At first, it does register as an insult, but only for a moment, right up until the familiarity of the look in Akechi's eyes clicks.

While what follows is far from news for Akira, he can feel Futaba freeze up behind him. Yeah, understandable—a sudden tragic monologue probably falls squarely into the category of "social situations she's not yet prepared for." Even Akira can distinctly recall groping for an appropriate response the last time he was standing here, hearing this.

Right now, though, the words come without a thought. "I want you," he points out, and where others would be embarrassed by the honesty of the phrase, Akira is matter-of-fact. If there's ever been a time to avoid beating around the bush, it's right now. "And you're always welcome at Leblanc."

The awkwardness of the situation is, once again, lost on Akechi. No matter how well he can play at being friendly and charming, his experience when it comes to subjects with more depth than a puddle is still still limited, to put it mildly.

And to put it mildly, Akira's bluntly honest response catches Akechi totally off guard. He shoots him a startled, even somewhat suspicious look. But it doesn't take long for that expression to melt into a smile. Now Akechi does look embarrassed, though mostly he seems both confused and relieved.

"Is that so..." He doesn't sound like he thinks Akira is lying, but more like he can't quite believe his luck. This is certainly a strange twist of fate. "Sometime I think there must be thousands of things you aren't telling me, and other times I'm certain you wouldn't hide anything even if you wanted." The truth, he's sure, lies somewhere in between. "I believe you, though." And though Akechi usually uses 'Kurusu-kun', if he uses his name at all... "Thank you, Akira."

And that, in turn, throws Akira for a loop. It's not exactly common for Akechi to address him by name, even formally, so to hear his given name is new and jarring in an entirely pleasant way. Akira, always cool as a cucumber, so rarely one to get flustered, actually feels slight warmth in his cheeks.

It takes a beat for his brain to catch up enough to form a reply. "... No problem." A small smile has fitted itself to his face. "Just setting the record straight." As he's finishing off the sentence, Akira wonders: Is this where he responds in kind? Would it be weird to call him Goro? Is it too late now?

Luckily, Sojiro swoops in and saves him from his internal debate by setting Akechi's coffee before him, effectively ending the moment. Akira lets his shoulders return to their usual slouch as he tucks his hands into his pockets beneath his apron.

Wow, did Akechi throw Akira off his game for once? The realization gives Akechi's smile a bit of an amused edge, though not near enough to overpower the embarrassed sincerity from a moment ago.

Sojiro's arrival does, indeed, end the moment, but it feels more like a natural segue than a rude interruption. Akechi thanks him and focuses on his coffee for a moment, giving himself a moment to compose himself again before he jumps to the next (and apparently his favorite) subject.

"It looks like you were right, by the way. It seems that the Phantom Thieves solved the incident with Medjed without any trouble at all." Akechi had been pretty sure that particular ploy would flop, but there's something weird gratifying about being correct, even if it's to the conspiracy's detriment.

The conversation, predictably, turns to the Phantom Thieves. Akira's not the least bit surprised to hear the case come up—really, Akechi's been dealing with more fallout from this one than the Thieves themselves have.

Akira may have found some satisfaction in watching the shift in public approval before, may have felt like they were getting the positive recognition they deserved, but now the feeling is completely absent. He knows how important Akechi's image is to him now. He knows that his mood earlier was probably spurred by all of the hate being thrown his way. And he knows that this hit to Akechi's psyche is all just another part of Shido's plan, the kind of pain he wouldn't think twice about causing if it benefits him. It makes him feel kind of ill, or angry, or both, but Akira can save that energy for later.

"Mm," he hums in agreement. "They did cut it close, though." That's more of a playful jab directed at Futaba than anything, earning him a barely-there grumble from behind. Before, he had faith that she would pull through in time, but even so, the last few days ended up being stressful. It wasn't nearly as harrowing an experience this time.

"Maybe that's just their flair for the dramatic at play." He's certain they do absolutely everything in the flashiest manner possible, which is an interesting contrast to their proclivity for working in the shadows.

He doesn't miss Futaba's grumble at Akira's comment, but he's completely off-base in his assumption about the motivations behind it.

"You're Futaba-chan, right?" She has to be. What other girl her age would be hanging around Sojiro Sakura's cafe? "The Phantom Thieves are pretty popular with your demographic. Are you a fan, too?" He thinks that must be it. Why else would she be grumbling about their close call?

It's a little weird to talk to her while she's hiding behind Akira, but Akira seems to attract weird people effortlessly. Akechi decides to just roll with it.

Flair for the dramatic... Well, he can't argue that one. They certainly do know how to make a statement. Akechi doesn't need to know that this time was just a coincidence.

Akira isn't quite caught off-guard when Akechi shifts the conversation to Futaba, but it does give him pause. She huffs out a quiet hmph at the question, and he has to restrain himself from verbally stepping in to divert the attention away from her. Protective instincts aside, he knows that Futaba is more than capable of handling herself, even now.

And... she's not interested in engaging him, judging by how fast that conversations hut down. That's not much of a surprise, though, so he can shrug it off much more easily than he handled Futaba and Akira's chilly reactions earlier. His improved mood stays right where it is.

"Well, I'm sure it won't be long before we see them make their next big move. Their activity is growing right along with their popularity." And that, of course, is meant to be their downfall. Akechi's not about to spoil that part, but there is something else he's curious about. His gaze returns to Akira. "Where do you think they'll go from here? Each of their calling cards has been addressed to someone with more influence than the last. It almost seems like they're running out of bigger targets to pursue."

And that's that. He's glad that Akechi is considerate enough not to probe, and—also kind of glad to have this question directed at him. As tiring as it can sometimes be to watch himself around Akechi, carefully measuring out how much information he can utilize before it becomes suspicious, there's also something thrilling about seeing what kind of responses he can elicit with his supposed guesses.

"I don't think they've run out just yet." Akira knows where they're going next, and he thinks that Akechi must, too. But dropping "a CEO" as speculation might be a little too close for comfort right now. Instead... "Maybe a politician. There are plenty of corrupt ones out there." And if Akechi does try to pry into that opinion, he can fall back on the fact that he's seen it in his time with Yoshida. "They've been getting more spotlight with the election coming up, so it could be a flashy target."

And then he shrugs a shoulder, off-hand, like it's all just conjecture anyway. "What do you think?"

That particular response, at least, doesn't shock Akechi. It's a pretty logical next step.

"A politician wouldn't be surprising, though a celebrity or a CEO would make sense, too." His tone doesn't change a bit as he offers his 'theory'. He takes a sip of his coffee, making a brief show of being thoughtful. "Though maybe they'll be more creative, too. Someone involved in banking or law enforcement, for example." Even without knowing that Sae will eventually be targeted the latter possibility occurs to him easily.

There's something he's curious about, too, though he keeps his voice casual.

"You mentioned politicians. Do you think there's one that's a likely target?"

Akira just nods his agreement with what's thrown out. Of course Akechi would feel comfortable dropping his own thoughts so close to the truth, even to the point of bringing up law enforcement. Has it been planned that far in advance? Akira imagines so. The amount of pressure it would take to push Sae to that point can't be developed overnight. How much of this entire conspiracy Akechi is privy to ahead of time, though, is another matter entirely. It could just be a coincidence.

The next question has him looking thoughtful, but it's less that he's searching for an answer and more that Akira is wondering how much is too much. And as is typical of him, he ends up toeing that line.

"I think they would favor someone well-liked... Kind of like Masayoshi Shido, if he were secretly corrupt." He twirls a lock of hair between his fingers as he continues to voice his reasoning. "It'd be the biggest danger to the people and the most shocking exposure."

It's not the first time Akira has blown past Akechi's expectations and landed right on the answer that he was trying to carefully guide him towards. But Akechi doesn't look shocked when Shido's name is suddenly part of the conversation. His smile doesn't fade and his eyes don't widen; he only looks thoughtful and relaxed, entirely like this is just a fun lark to pursue and not at all like just hearing his name is enough to send a surge of contempt and hatred rushing through him.

"That's... an interesting name to settle on." Again, he sounds thoughtful, but as he turns his gaze back to Akira there's something else in his expression. Most people probably wouldn't catch it but he's suddenly got a look of keen interest in his eyes, like Akira's the only person in the room. "He's not the only popular politician, you know. Why jump right to him?" Shido's image is quite pristine at the moment. If there's just one other person who can see past it, one other person with even one small suspicion, one other person that has even the faintest idea of what Shido is actually like...

He honestly would've expected Shido's name to draw some amount of surprise from Akechi. Instead, Akira is left with the distinct feeling that he's stumbled into the exact position Akechi wants him to be in.

And that's dangerous. He knows better than to give Akechi any leverage in their interactions, especially conversations concerning the Phantom Thieves, but the underlying intensity in his eyes has Akira pinned down, and he's not quite sure he wants to move.

"Something about him bothers me," Akira answers simply, gaze never straying from Akechi. That much is true. Shido has always rubbed him the wrong way—he just didn't know that it was his subconscious filling a gap where his memory couldn't quite make the connection.

That's as far as this can go. Technically, he shouldn't be aware of his own ties to Shido yet. And sure, Akira has considered jumping ahead, blowing this whole thing open and tearing through Shido's Palace early. But what of Haru, Sae, even Akechi? This is one case he can't take a risk on.

Something about him bothers me. That's less than Akechi hoped for and more than he ever could have asked for. The intense look in his eye fades, replaced by something more calm and contemplative.

"If that's how you feel, you shouldn't ignore it." Much as part of him wants to jump out of his seat and yell about how right Akira is, he knows better. "Humans are more adept at sensing danger than we realize, and your instincts are particularly sharp." There's a pause while Akechi weighs what he wants to say next, though he covers it by taking another sip of coffee. When he does speak, he sounds like he's making a joke. "Maybe I should be careful if I ever run into him."

That almost amuses him. What is "normal high school student" Akira supposed to do about it? Cast his nonexistent vote for someone else? Start a one-man campaign against Shido? Ask the Phantom Thieves to deal with him?

When Akechi does make what seems to be an attempt at a joke, it's considerably less funny. "Yeah, probably," he agrees, a bit subdued, and Akira can't help but look away. After all, it's hard to look Akechi in the eyes when he's thinking back to his last moments. Memories are supposed to become less difficult to deal with over time, but that one only festers more and more raw the closer he gets to Akechi.

Akira knows something.

The second he looks away the thought clicks into place and Akechi just can't shake it off. He feels tense, excited, like when he's right on the verge of solving a difficult case. He's tense and wary, sure - there's no telling what it is that Akira knows, or what the implications will be for Akechi - but both emotions are completely overpowered by something that feels a lot like hope. He wants push this opportunity while he can, dig deeper and deeper until he can reach the truth--

"I won't be able to finish our game tonight, by the way." --but he shouldn't. He needs to step back, regroup, and do more research before he tries to make his next move. Even so, he still wears a focused, contemplative expression. "I have some other things to see to, so I'm afraid I only have time for coffee." He's been visiting Leblanc with the intent of sitting and chatting for a while now, so stopping by just for coffee feels a little unusual by now.

"Another time." He's... disappointed. There's really no reason to be. This conversation has swung heavily in Akechi's favor, and cutting it short means that he can't dig himself any deeper. Today is supposed to be about Futaba, anyway, not indulging this ill-advised thing he has for Akechi. Still, that twinge of dissatisfaction hangs in the back of his mind long after Akechi leaves for the day.

Luckily, the coming days leave him little time to dwell on it. There's the beach trip, then the matter of Kobayakawa. Eventually Akira settles on a risk: changing his heart in hopes that it'll prevent Akechi from being able to target him. The workings of the Metaverse are still a mystery in many ways, but logically, it should work.

It's easy enough to slip in the request, and they complete it a mere couple of days before their class trip. Akira feels pretty good about it, enough that he's able to actually enjoy the vacation. The past few months of strategizing over the timeline, fretting over the fates of his friends, has stressed him out more than he realized, but it melts away once he's out of the country.

Any residual relaxation comes crashing down after they arrive back in Japan. The news from Makoto comes, same as before. Kobayakawa is dead, and Akira realizes—

Stupid. He was stupid. Shido has plenty of sway with the police department, something he's had firsthand experience with, so why wouldn't he use that to deal with Kobayakawa before he can talk? And Akira sent him right into that situation. But what else could he have done? It eats at him. Would the same thing happen with Okumura? Akechi? What's the point of all of this knowledge if it doesn't give him an advantage when it really matters? Has he been wrong in only trying to enact small changes up until now?

That thought swirls and swirls, stewing over the following day. Still, it's really more of a split decision when he messages Akechi: Come to Leblanc when you have some time. I need to talk to you. He doesn't bother expressing any sort of urgency through text. The fact that he's contacting Akechi this way should speak enough to the importance of what he wants to say.

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