Disclaimer: Persona 5 belongs to Atlus.

Edited: I want to thank Queenofdragons2 for helping me with the correction of this chapter. Thank you very much!

[June 16, in the morning]

Several days passed and Akechi couldn't help but think of Akira Kurusu, this strange young man who approached him on the day of the recording and who spoke to him as if he had known him all his life.

He couldn't concentrate on classes, so, hiding his phone behind his book, he looked at the young man's contact information.

He wanted to know if it was because of that man that he had a new Persona —he needed to know— but he had no reason to contact him, as the Phantom Thieves hadn't made a move to use as an excuse.

Suddenly his phone vibrated, bringing him back to reality. He thought it would be a message from Sae asking him to meet after school, but to his surprise, it was none other than the young man who couldn't leave his mind, Kurusu.

Kurusu: I know you're probably concentrating in classes and all that, but...

Kurusu: I was wondering if you had some free time after school.

Kurusu: I need your help.

Kurusu: You don't need to answer me right away.

Kurusu: Anyway, I'll be waiting for you in the Central Street Diner at night.

Kurusu: I hope you can go. I want to see you.

Akechi felt his heart skip a beat as he read those words, and in the same way he felt the temperature on his cheeks rise.

He couldn't understand the meaning of his reaction; he even thought he might be sick, but he put that thought aside and focused on the opportunity he had been looking for. He would do his best to try to get some information from the boy.

Akechi used the break between classes to respond to Kurusu.

Akechi: I'll be there at night. See you.

[June 16, during the night]

Around 8 pm, when it was finally dark, Akechi took the train to the center of Shibuya, where he descended and walked calmly —despite his latent anxiety— until arriving at the diner.

When he went up to the second floor, he saw Kurusu, who was sitting at one of the tables at the back of the room. The boy didn't hesitate to wave him over and greet him with a smile. Akechi closed his eyes and then sighed; he had to concentrate on trying to get some information from this guy.

"Glad you came, Akechi," said Kurusu as Akechi approached the table. "For a moment I thought you wouldn't come."

"I said I'd come in my message, didn't I?," Akechi said with a smile as he sat down in front of Kurusu, setting aside his briefcase.

"Yes, but since you're such a busy person, I thought other things might come up on your schedule."

"Well, that's true," Akechi said as he smiled again, "but I always have time to talk with a friend."

He noticed Kurusu's eyes shined brighter than before, which made a small shiver run up his spine, but he managed to hide it.

"Then considering we're friends..."

I will not regret this, will I? , wondered Akechi.

"Why don't we eat something?" he said with a big smile. "I haven't eaten anything since lunch and I don't know if I can go home in this state," Kurusu clasped both hands in front of his face, as if imploring Akechi to accept his proposal.

Did I really think this guy would be the one responsible for Robin Hood? , he thought, utterly disappointed. Since this won't get me anywhere, I think it would be best to run away, but how… He opened his eyes slightly as an idea came to his mind.

"Okay, but only if you pay for the food," he said, smiling with imperceptible irony, staring at Kurusu.

"Ok. Whatever you want," Kurusu said, smiling too, surprising Akechi. Then raised his arm to call the waitress who had just finished with a table nearby.

Akechi was amazed. He didn't think Kurusu would accept.

"I'd like a hamburger, please."

"Sure," replied the waitress, taking the order on a small notepad, then turned to Akechi. "And you?

"A coffee, please," he said dryly.

"You don't have to hold back. Money is not a problem," Kurusu said.

"I'm fine with a cup of coffee," he said with a smile as he moved his hand slightly to either side.

"Understood. I'll bring you your orders in a moment," said the waitress as she turned and left, leaving both young men alone.

Akechi didn't know what to say. Though he believed that he had a lot of loquacity, it only worked with adults, because the only topics of conversation that he knew were for that type of people, not for other young people, much less students like him. And the worst thing was that Kurusu didn't help, because he only looked at his phone while smiling despite being the one who had invited him to this place.

"Oh, yes," said Akechi, catching Kurusu's attention. "What did you want to see me for? I remember you said you needed my help."

"Yes, I really need to ask you one thing," he put a hand to his face to adjust his glasses. "But I would like to do it after eating... I don't know if I have enough energy to speak right now..."

"But now you are..."

"Excuse me the delay," the waitress said, interrupting Akechi, who only managed to smile back at her. "Here is your order," she put the hamburger in front of Kurusu and the coffee in front of Akechi, next to a small recipient that contained different types of sweeteners. "I hope you enjoy your order. Thank you very much!"

"Thanks to you," Akechi replied, blushing the young waitress, who bowed and fled quickly.

"I'm still amazed to see your charm in action."

Akechi felt his cheeks burn suddenly, and after coughing a few times to recompose himself, he turned his gaze to Kurusu, who was already eating from his plate.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Akechi took the cup of coffee and drank some.

He thought the coffee wasn't bad, but it could still have been better.

"How's the coffee?"

He shifted his gaze to meet Kurusu's, who stared at him with intensity. Akechi closed his eyes, the look of that young man bothering him a little.

"It's okay."

"Just okay?"

"Yes, just okay."

"You know?" Akechi opened his eyes. Kurusu ate a bit from his hamburger. "I know a place where they serve a coffee you would love."

"Is that coffee so good?" he smiled slightly.

"Yes. I would say it's the best in Tokyo, even," Kurusu smiled. "You should visit it someday. Its name is Leblanc, and it's in Yongen-Jaya, not far from the station."

"Sounds like you're a big fan."

Kurusu nodded. "They have the best coffee I've ever tasted."

"When I have some free time, I'll go visit."

"If you want, we can go together."

Akechi watched the young man, who stared back at him. Akechi focused on his coffee again.

"I will consider it."

After a few minutes, Kurusu had finished eating his hamburger, unlike Akechi, who continued to drink from his coffee without haste.

Kurusu settled into his position, leaning slightly on the table and moving closer to Akechi, who looked at him curiously.

"Well, about the help I need..."

Akechi listened intently to the young man.

"I need to know the name of a specific person, but I couldn't find him anywhere, and I wanted to know if you could help me."

"If I can help you, I will," he thought it would be fun to play along with this guy. "Tell me, who are you looking for?"

"I'm looking for the person who manages Shibuya."

"You mean... the mayor?" asked Akechi.

"No," he said, shaking his head. "I mean the person who manages Shibuya from the shadows. The person who handles all the black market affairs, if you want to put it another way."

Akechi's eyes widened in disbelief. "What do you mean by that? Why do you want to know?"

"For... an assignment," he said, pulling on his bangs.

Akechi narrowed his eyes.

"What kind of school asks you that for a homework assignment?" he sighed wearily. "Anyway, why are you asking me that sort of thing?"

"I thought that since you work with the police, you might have some idea who it might be..."

"Even if I did, that would be confidential information, which I clearly can't divulge to a high school student."

Kurusu sighed, lowering his shoulders.

Akechi added a mental note about warning that guy to lower his notoriety. It wasn't the first time he had heard about a supposed mafia that controlled Shibuya, and if the cases continued to gain notoriety, the police would probably get in their way, complicating everything.

"Anyway…"

Kurusu quickly reached into his bag and took out a small paper, unfolding it four times.

"I didn't expect you to want to cooperate with me immediately." He quietly added, "That would make me doubt your seriousness about being a detective, honestly."

Akechi watched the paper Kurusu held with curiosity.

"So I thought of a way to make you help me anyway, even if you don't want to," he said, staring at Akechi, who smiled.

"You seem very sure."

"I have confidence, really," he said, returning the smile, though it seemed much more honest than the one Akechi had shown. Kurusu studied the paper. "I will read some names that I think might be related to the person I am looking for and you, well, you will only listen."

Akechi shook his head slightly, thinking that this boy wouldn't get anywhere like that.

"Toshitake Kuwahara…"

Well, at least you know the mayor, he thought as he smiled.

"Toranosuke Yoshida…"

I think I've heard that name before… , he took the coffee cup and took a sip.

"Benzo Kuramoto... Tsuda Hashiba…"

I don't think I know anyone with those names...

"Junya Kaneshiro…"

Instinctively Akechi looked at Kurusu, only to notice that he was looking back at him. Kurusu smiled, and then Akechi realized his mistake.

"What kind of name is that…"

"You don't need to worry about anything, Akechi!" said Kurusu, closing his bag and taking his phone from the table. Akechi looked at him anxiously. "It really is just for an assignment. Trust me."

"Wait…"

Quickly Kurusu got up from the table, giving Akechi no time to say another word.

"I have to leave right now." He took out a five thousand yen bill from his wallet and left it on the table. "See you soon, Okay? Bye."

"Hey!"

Kurusu didn't even turn to look at him and quickly lost himself on the stairs.

Akechi put a hand to his face. He had ruined it, hadn't he? Now he really would need to warn Kaneshiro about any threat.

He rubbed his temples hard and then turned to the table, finding that he still had some coffee.

"I should take it," he looked over at the money. "It's already paid for anyway..."

He immediately noticed that beside the money was the paper Kurusu had read.

Akechi wondered if it would be right for him to read it, but no more than three seconds passed when he had it in his hand, and stared at it, completely disconcerted.

The paper was blank. There wasn't even a scrawl written in some corner. The back was also clean.

Akechi frowned, then wrinkled the paper.

"Who is this guy…?"