Hey everyone! It's been a while since I've updated this story. To be honest, I never thought of expanding this story as much as I thought I would. It's not going to be a really long story but I'm having fun along the way adding a few more chapters. Anyway. For all the people wondering where the Fools in "Fools and Lovers" are. This is the first story featuring one since the first chapter. It's another long one and I had difficulty with it because I believe I have a problem with writing stories when it comes to pacing. Hopefully you guys enjoy! Insightful comments are appreciated! Till the next chapter!
Setting - The day before Ann and Haru met Rise-
Akira Kurusu was busy strolling down the streets of Shinjuku. His destination was the Bar Crossroads. He got a call from Lala asking if he was free that afternoon. Lala asked for help with some monthly cleaning and inventory checking. She also said that he'd get some extra salary for the help. Akira was free and the extra money was definitely a nice incentive seeing that the Phantom Thieves needed extra funds all the time. As he walked the streets, he found it kind of odd that he was here really early. Normally he frequented the area at night when he usually did his job. Sometimes he would visit Chihaya Mifune, the fortune teller (whose fortunes were quite accurate), in the afternoons for some help with his confidants. Checking his watch, he noticed he had time to drop by and say hello.
As he walked towards the spot Chihaya usually situated herself in, he could see that she was there already, talking to a customer. She seemed to be just finishing up as the man was standing up and bowing in thanks to her already. The man soon left. After that, Chihaya then caught sight of Akira as well. She waved to him and he waved back as he approached her.
"Hello there. So good to see you!" said Chihaya cheerfully.
"Nice seeing you too. How're things?" asked Akira.
"Same old same old. People asking for advice. Just happy to help. Things are a lot better now ever since you helped me too." said Chihaya. She was very grateful for Akira's help with her own problems.
"Great to hear. Hey…uhm. Can I have my fortune done today?" asked Akira.
"Sure. No problem. Let me just fix my cards."
After a minute or two analyzing the cards. Chihaya had a deep look of contemplation.
"Hmm. I don't think you're in any immediate danger. But it seems you'll have interesting encounters with…numerous people. Just be careful, understanding, and wise. You should be fine." she said with a smile.
Akira looked at the cards on display and noticed several arcanas.
"The Chariot, The Priestess, The Emperor, and The Fortune." he read.
"Alright. Thanks Chihaya. You have a good day." Akira smiled as he left. She waved back as he went on his way to Bar Crossroads.
He wondered what he was going to experience today. He walked into the Bar Crossroads to see Lala already there.
"Oh hello. Glad you're here to help out. Go get changed and we can begin." said Lala.
It was a busy afternoon. Checking the inventory and fixing up the store. He could see why Lala asked for help. He felt they were very productive. He was in no rush because he promised to continue working in the evening at the bar later anyway. Some time has passed. They finished up and started to get ready for business hours. Lala left for a bit to get some things for the bar. They were just about to begin working hours when the door to the bar opened.
"Excuse me? May I speak to the owner?" a voice asked.
Akira looked towards the door to see two young women most likely only a few years older than he was.
The one who spoke was a lady who had short light brown hair with brown eyes. She had a light complexion and had a very friendly and sparky personality. She wore short black leggings, and a yellow shirt with a light blue jacket. Akira noticed she was also quite pretty. She had a certain charm to her. It was multiplied by the said friendly aura she had.
The women behind her was also quite eye catching. She would be what someone would call a "classic beauty" It was obvious the moment you would lay eyes on her. She had straight long black hair, and beautiful dark brown eyes. Her skin was milky white. She wore a nice red cardigan which matched her overall outfit. She looked more reserved but she had a warm smile which showed she seemed friendly as well. Akira started to wonder what this interesting duo were doing at Bar Crossroads.
"I'm sorry. The owner stepped out for a bit. May I help you?" asked Akira.
"Oh. Alright. Can we wait till the owner gets back?" asked the first girl.
"Yes, sure. Please. Have a seat. We're just about to open." Akira smiled as he gestured to the seats in the back."
"Oh, do you mind if we sit at the bar?"
"Oh. No. No problem at all."
The two young ladies approached the bar and sat down, getting comfortable.
"If you'll excuse me for just a moment, I have to prepare some things before we officially open." said Akira.
"It really is no problem. I understand completely. I've had a similar experience getting ready for customers myself." said the second woman with a smile.
Akira bowed as he continued to prepare the remaining things in the store.
As Akira was doing his own thing, The two young women began speaking to each other by the bar. Akira made sure not to eavesdrop intentionally and only heard a few words every so often.
"Wow Chie. This place looks kind of interesting. I don't usually frequent bars like this."
"I heard about this place from Naoto, Yukiko. She said she would drop by here and hear about the latest scoops."
"It has a certain feel to it. Maybe we'll meet some mysterious stranger who could change our lives for the better." the second girl said with a bit of excitement.
"Don't forget why were here! You're supposed to help me out with that rumour I heard."
"Okay. Okay. But you're only still only a cadet, Chie. You aren't an officer yet. Besides, don't forget why were here in Tokyo in the first place too."
"Yeah yeah. We're here to see Yu and surprise Rise. I know. I know… But we don't meet up until tomorrow! In the mean time, we can serve justice!"
"Chie…" the woman named Yukiko said. "You really haven't changed." She giggled.
"I missed you too, Yukiko." the two ladies hugged each other warmly.
A few minutes has passed and the shorter lady called out to him once more.
"Excuse me. Is it alright if we order something already?"
Akira checked his watch. It was a bit early but he didn't mind and he was mostly done.
"Sure. What can I get you? But no alcoholic drinks. I'm still a minor."
"Oh it's alright. We're not exactly good with alcohol. Hehe." Chie laughed. "Especially my friend here." Chie pointed to Yukiko which resulted in her pouting.
"Hey. I'm not that bad , Chie! I'm not a high school student anymore!"
"Two words. King's Game." Chie said.
"You're never going to stop bringing that up, are you?" Yukiko sighed.
"I was… until we had another round of that two years ago. That was even worse than the first time. You were so…BOLD."
"Alright! Can we please have some drinks?" Yukiko looked like she was begging to Akira.
"Uhm… Sure. Here's a menu." Akira gave one to both of them.
After some time, they picked their drinks and ordered some nuts to go with it. Akira headed back and prepared them both. Nuts were easy to prepare since they were pre-packaged. The drinks, he learned to make a little from Lala. He brought the orders out and the ladies thanked him.
"Thanks! I was surprised to see someone so young-looking working here actually. Turns out you were a minor. Good that your boss follows the rules with making you not handle any alcohol." Chie said.
"Lala-san is a good boss." Akira said.
"That's good to know." Yukiko said.
"You know…why not we talk first? It's not as if you're busy any longer right? There aren't any other customers yet either. My name's Chie. This is my friend Yukiko." Chie said with a friendly smile.
"Hello." Yukiko said.
"Oh. Uhm. Nice to meet you." Akira thought for a split second if it was proper protocol to tell the customers your name, but he felt it was alright. He felt that the two ladies seemed like nice people. Lala did also train him to talk to customers here in the bar.
"I'm Akira." he smiled back.
"So Akira. Why are you working here anyway? It's not exactly your typical place to work for someone young like you." asked Yukiko.
"Me? Well…I needed a job. Extra money. That's about it, really." Akira of course didn't mention the fact that it was to help fund the activities of the Phantom Thieves.
"Yeah. But it must be difficult working at night. Couldn't find any day jobs?" asked Chie.
"Oh…well. After school, I do have some other jobs too when I have time. Luckily my work hours aren't fixed. I can call in to help out when I can."
"Wow! You sound like you're working really hard. But it's good that your schedule can be fixed by yourself." said Yukiko.
"You remind me of a friend of mine back in high school. I have no idea how he juggled his schedule sometimes. My advice. Don't work too hard, and make sure to enjoy with your friends, alright? You're still young. Enjoy!" Chie gave him a nice reassuring smile.
"Okay. I'll keep that in mind." said Akira. The images of his friends popped up in his head. He hoped he spent enough time with them.
"So are you two from around town?" asked Akira.
"Nope. We're both visiting friends who are here in Tokyo right now. I visit Tokyo more often though due to my studies. I'm a cadet at the police academy outside of Tokyo."
"Oh. An officer in training. Sounds interesting." Akira had mixed feelings with government officials at this point. But he's not blind to the fact that for every bad cop, there are also responsible people too. He had a good feeling about this girl.
"Glad to see that the safety of our country's future is in good hands." Akira smiled.
"Wow! What a compliment! I hope I can live up to those high expectations." Chie giggled.
"How about you Yukiko-san? What do you do, if you don't mind me asking?"
"Me? Well…My family and I run an inn in my hometown of Inaba. Chie is from there too."
"Inaba? Wow. That's a certain distance from here. What's the inn called?"
"It's named the Amagi inn. After her family! Yukiko Amagi!" Chie chimed excitedly.
"Chie! You make it sound like such a big deal!" Yukiko sounded a bit embarrassed. She sighed before she continued.
"The Amagi Inn. I'm the current proprietress."
Akira recalls something he heard in passing on the news one time. He recalls the name "The Amagi Inn", but he didn't really catch the entire show.
"Yeah… I think there was a show on TV which featured your inn recently. Something about…a beautiful proprietress too." Akira smirked.
"That's her alright!" Chie laughed. "Wow, saying things so smoothly. I won't be surprised if there are several girls into you. You're a good looking teen but you're too young for Yukiko over here." Chie had her hand on Yukiko's shoulder. She was laughing more as she teased her friend.
"Chie! You're embarrassing me!" Yukiko was red.
Akira smiled at the two ladies.
"You two must be really close."
"Yup! Since our youthful days in Inaba and now as professionals. Yukiko and I are best friends!" Chie said proudly. Yukiko finally smiled after the onslaught of teases.
"Back to Inaba. Must be really different from here. What do you think of Tokyo?" asked Akira.
"Tokyo? It's quite amazing really! Everything is bustling with life and everybody seems to be doing something. Prices of things kinda suck. But Tokyo's mostly great." Chie said.
"I like it too. So many things to see. So many things to do. Compared to living in a small town. But…I do miss the peace and quiet. Oh! And the fresh air. I also liked the feeling of everybody knowing each other." Yukiko said.
"Hmm…That's true too. Makes me miss Inaba when you say it, Yukiko." Chie said.
"I understand too. Tokyo is something. But…there are perks to living in a small town." Akira chimed in.
"Oh? You're not from here, Akira?" asked Yukiko.
"I'm from a small town too. Moved to Tokyo near the start of the year. Needed to for… educational purposes." Akira tried to steer away from the reasons why he moved. He didn't need to bring that up.
"Oh. So you do understand." Chie said.
"But… I might just move here permanently when I start working. I made a lot of good friends here." Akira made an honest smile.
"Ohhh… Well good for you!" Yukiko said.
"If it's just friends that shouldn't be too bad with not living here…I'm guessing… you have a GIRLFRIEND." Chie said with a raised eyebrow and with a teasing voice.
"Haha. You caught me Chie-san." Akira's cheeks were red.
"Look Chie! You made him blush! How cute!" Yukiko said.
"Haha! I'm more clever than I look. I'm guessing you really like her, huh?" Chie said.
"Yeah. Pretty much." said Akira.
"Awww. Okay enough with the teasing, Chie. We might be overstepping." Yukiko said.
"Haha. Okay Okay. I won't ask about details. Just make sure you're a gentleman to her, alright?"
"Haha. Yes. Ma'am."
"I like you, Akira. You seem like a nice guy. Friendly! I'm sure Yukiko agrees too." Chie looks to her right and sees Yukiko nodding as well.
"Hey…Chie. Why don't we ask him? He's been here for some time now. He also works here too…Maybe…?"
Akira wondered what Yukiko wanted to ask him.
"Well…I guess it wouldn't hurt. Akira, can you help us out with something? A few questions?"
Akira looked at them both. The conversation they had was very short but for some reason he was being really open to them and they vice versa. Strange. But for some reason, he felt it wouldn't hurt to help out someone. He was still careful. So he decided to only help out if he could.
"Uhm…Sure. It's alright with me. You two seem really nice too so I don't mind."
"Aww. That's nice of you to say too." said Yukiko.
"Okay! So even though we said we liked Tokyo… I'm sure you agree there are certain… black spots. There are some…less than stellar people living here too." Chie said.
"Yeah… This morning…I had an unfortunate run-in with a creeper by the train station." Yukiko said.
"Oh yeah. That guy you mentioned. Creepy. But the big issue isn't just one guy. It's a certain group of people… I'm sure you've heard of them… The Phantom Thieves."
Akira held his breath for a bit. The one subject he didn't want to talk about, they had to mention to him. He remained calm. He's dodged any unwanted wandering eyes before. He was sure he could "try" to help them out and not get his cover blown.
"Yeah… They're everyone's news, Chie-san. Have you seen the memorabilia?"
"Yeah. I saw the t-shirts, magnets, posters…you name it!" said Chie.
"As an upcoming member of the police force, I have to be against them. But between the three of us…I'm not exactly sure they're all that bad." said Chie.
Akira was surprised. He was sure that she was against them with her tone.
"You don't?" he asked.
"I've dug up my own research and I heard plenty of stories of the Phantom Thieves supposedly helping people as well." Chie said.
"Me too. Aside from the high profile ones, there are also supposed cases of normal people being helped by them." Yukiko said.
"So…first off… What do you think of the Phantom Thieves, Akira?" asked Chie.
Akira had to think of something. He tried being neutral usually to not receive any backlash from both the supporters or the haters.
"Well. I'm glad that truths about all those people they've "stolen" hearts from were revealed. I'm not exactly sure what methods they use nor do I approve of what their methods may be, but supposedly they do good."
"Hmm. Yeah. All the people who have confessed their crimes due to the phantom thieves were really awful. But sadly…as I said. I'm a police officer in training. So I have to help in catching these "thieves" if they actually steal anything really. Vigilantes aren't exactly legal." Chie giggled.
"I guess. So is that want you want to know? My opinion?" asked Akira.
"Not quite. I haven't been here long but I've heard of a possible member of the Phantom Thieves wandering around here from one of my friends working at the station." Chie said.
"Is that so?" Akira asked. He was amused by this supposed rumour.
"Have you heard anything or seen anyone suspicious recently, Akira?" asked Yukiko.
"Well…I haven't worked here in a while. Last week was the last time I was here."
"That makes sense because it seems to be really recent as in the first reported rumour was about 3 days ago. You wouldn't have seen anybody like that if the last time you were here was last week."
"It seems like you have a description of said Phantom Thief. What does the "perp" look like?" Akira was excited to hear the description of the guy. He's read about tons of copycats online. He and his friends loved hearing some of the funnier stories of people pretending to be one of them.
"Okay get this… The rumour exactly is that recently, there was a man claiming to be a member of the Phantom Thieves walking around here in Shinjuku. That part I mentioned. He'd always show up around this part of town, and around this time of the night. He'd walk up to people and boast about being a member of the Phantom Thieves. Like some big hotshot."
"Uhuh…. okay. What else?" Akira asked.
"I know. It sounds kind of like a typical pretender. It wouldn't hurt to check. For all you know, a real phantom thief might approach him from all the attention he's getting. If he isn't the real deal that is."
"Sure…so the description?"
"Oh Sorry got distracted. Anyway, so the guy in question is a young male. A bit on the tall side. Slight muscular built. Japanese features. But what's most distinguishable about him…is his blonde hair."
Akira's heart at that moment stopped again. "No…it couldn't." he thought to himself.
He was thinking if it was possible that this rumour could be actually talking about a certain friend of his.
"That's… interesting. Is there anything else?"
"Well. Supposedly He looked like your typical delinquent. He had a punk-ish clothing style. From what people have said nearby, he had a bad attitude and spoke often with foul language. He also seemed pretty aggressive at times."
Akira was starting to get worried. It sounded a lot like Ryuji.
"Okay. I really haven't seen anyone with that kind of description. If the police have heard rumours of this said man, why haven't they done anything yet?" asked Akira.
"Like I said, maybe it's because of the many rumours like this? Not the first time someone pretended to be something they're not to gain attention. But… what's interesting according to my friend is a logo he wears.
"What logo? The Phantom Thieves logo?"
"Yeah. That too. But also a logo of Shujin Academy was on his shirt."
Akira was going mental. This could possibly be Ryuji. Why was he boasting around? He had to check it himself. He should just text him but he had to see it for himself before accusing anyone.
He was thinking of being honest to them about the fact that he goes to Shujin Academy too, or maybe play dumb. He felt it best to tell the truth but act surprised.
"Shujin Academy?! I go there." said Akira with a bit of a gasp for theatrical effect.
Chie and Yukiko looked surprised.
"You do? So then you get what I'm trying to say right? The Phantom Thieves first target was that awful Volleyball coach, Suguru Kamoshida. There have been theories that the Phantom Thieves are actually students from your school." Chie was pondering. She looked at Akira in front of him and it seems like she was analysing him.
"You aren't a Phantom Thief in disguise, are you?" asked Chie.
"M-me? Do I look like a Phantom Thief to you? If I was really a Phantom Thief, why would I be doing a part time job at a bar in the evenings? I should probably be doing something cool and I'd probably have the money to enjoy my evenings with…" Akira said with a bit of a "worried feigning voice" to try and sound innocent.
"Chie. Stop teasing him. Akira can't be a thief." Yukiko said.
"Haha. yeah. yeah. He seems to be too nice for that…or maybe that's the point? Hmm. A clever disguise." Chie still had a raised eyebrow as he looked at Akira.
"Haha. I'll quit it. I'm sorry!" Chie laughed. "But it's perfect! You can definitely help us now!"
"How can I help you exactly?" asked Akira.
"Well. The last thing I heard is that since the first night he appeared, the last place he'd end up being seen at every night would be in a bar in the area. That happens to be this one. The Bar Crossroads. That's why we went looking for the owner. Maybe she knew the person were talking about?"
Akira had to take this chance to see who this person is. If it's really Ryuji, he had to find a way to vindicate him. He could probably make some excuse later on about how Ryuji was such a bad joker. Or some big fan.
"So I'm guessing you're here to catch the said guy if he visits again tonight? And now that you know I'm a Shujin student, I can help identify the guy, whether he's a Shujin student, or at the very least if he's wearing a Shujin academy logo?"
"You catch on quick, Akira." said Yukiko.
"But aren't you also playing "vigilante" as well by trying to catch a Phantom Thief?" asked Akira.
"Well… You can say it's like training for me. Hehe. But, What I intend to do is call my friends in the police force if I do find the guy suspicious and possibly the real deal…Maybe he's just some guy fooling around… So will you help us?" asked Chie.
"Well…. Okay. I don't see why not. Why don't both of you stay in the corner over there and try to look concealed. When the time is right, I'll signal both of you if I see anyone with that description. Deal?"
"Great! Thanks so much Akira!" said Chie.
Chie and Yukiko brought their drinks and tried looking discreet in a corner of the bar. At the same time, Lala-san comes in with the things she needed. She notices the two ladies at the corner, but approaches Akira first.
"Did you assist those two customers already?" Lala asked.
"Yes. Actually they were looking for you."
"Me? What for?"
"Did you happen to see anyone suspicious looking these last few days, Lala-san? The two of them were looking for someone like that" asked Akira.
"What kind of suspicious? I've seen all kinds of people in my bar. I don't discriminate unless the customer starts trouble."
"Well…"
Akira begins to describe the person who could possibly be Ryuji. Lala-san looked shocked. She paused and it looked like she was unsure of what to say. Akira started to wonder what that meant.
"Uhm. No. Of course not. Haven't see anyone like that."
"You sure? The rumour is that he's a Phantom Thief."
"Is that so… Well… if you see anyone like that, you tell me." Lala first went to Chie and Yukiko and introduced herself. They talked for a bit, with Lala explaining what she said to him too about not seeing anyone with that description. Lala then went into the backroom to bring back the things she brought in from the outside.
Akira, unsure of what to do, decides to continue working like normal in the evening. It was a slow night actually. A few customers did enter and were attended to by both him and Lala. His shift was halfway done and no man with that description appeared. Once again, there were no other customers except for the two ladies at the booth at the back. He could tell that both Chie and Yukiko were getting tired waiting as well. They even took turns napping a little. Finally, when they all thought nobody with that description was going to show up, a mysterious man enters the front door.
"Good evening sir."
The man was wearing an all black hoodie which covered his hair and most of his face. He was wearing a set of black pants as well but he noticed the jacket itself to be customized. It had spikes on it's shoulders and there were several stitches embroidered all over it. It featured a few snakes and other creatures. To be honest, Akira felt it looked like a classic biker gang's leather jacket except for the fact that it had a hoodie.
"Yo." the main said.
He went straight for the bar in front of Akira. He was quiet. Akira tried looking for Lala to see if she might know this person. Unfortunately, he couldn't find her. She must have stepped out once again in the back.
The man got a menu and looked through it. Still very silent. Akira looked to the corner to see both Chie and Yukiko trying to be discreet, their backs towards them. Chie however was looking back a little every so often. She was most likely waiting for his signal. Akira does a slight hand gesture saying to wait a bit.
"Just give me a soda." the man said.
Akira nodded and prepared his drink. He placed it in front of him. The silence still "echoing" through the store. There was a bit of slight tension in the air. The man wasn't talking. He drank a bit of his drink. Akira though tried checking his outfit to see any distinguishing details such as the logos.
"Yo…Bartender…Aren't you a bit young to be working here?" the man finally spoke up.
Akira kept his cool and walked a bit towards him. He nodded.
"I work here part time. I'm not allowed to serve alcoholic drinks." Akira said.
"I see… Still… the fact that you're working in this kind of town so late at night… not afraid of meeting anyone unsightly, are ya?"
"Hmmm…Maybe I don't mind." Akira tried to act smug to the guy's own comments.
"Oh…maybe you're a tough guy. Hmm… Do you have a problem with authority or something?"
"Hmmm… I do what I want…" Akira replied.
"Is that so…" the man replied.
Akira could see a little of his face. The man was doing a smug smile. He adjusted his hoodie a little. He unzipped it a bit downward and adjusted his hood back. It was enough for Akira to check underneath. His face wasn't very clear but he can tell he wasn't a teenager but he was definitely still a younger man. Most likely in his early 20s. The big detail however was the fact that this man had striking blonde hair. After closer inspection, he noticed what the man was wearing. A Shujin Academy school shirt. The logo was visible on it. Akira thought this could possibly be the man Chie and Yukiko were talking about. The only thing left was whether or not he would mention anything Phantom Thieves related. Akira hoped this would alleviate his worries that Ryuji was doing something crazy around this part of town.
"What if I told you I could change the oppressive authorities of society?" asked the man.
"What do you mean?" asked Akira.
"Well. What if I said I knew some people who could do just that?"
Akira felt this was it. He signalled Chie that this man could be the one they were looking for. In the corner of his eye, he saw Chie acknowledge as she started to observe the man while in the booth. Akira knew that whoever this man was, he definitely was no Phantom Thief. But having someone like this walking around, proclaiming he was one, isn't what he wanted either. He might involve people into some dangerous stuff and he himself might get hurt.
"What kind of people?" asked Akira.
"Have you heard of them… Phantom Thieves?" asked the man.
"The ones who changed the hearts of those famous people?" Akira tried reacting in a curious but slightly surprised tone.
"Yup. Them. I know them. In fact…I'm kind of an honorary member." the man leaned back a little on his stool.
"Ha-choo!"
In the corner of the room, they saw Yukiko was covering her face as she sneezed. It was loud enough to attract the attention of everyone in the bar. The man in the hood tried looking closer at the girls. Chie and Yukiko instinctively tried looking away. This however was enough to alert the man that there was something odd.
"Hmm…Looks familiar." said the man. The man began feeling the atmosphere of the bar. It must have been the silence. Yukiko and Chie barely spoke during the entire ordeal and when they did, only in whispers.
"Hey kid… I think I'll go ahead now. If you're interested… give me a holler next time I drop by."
The man drops more than enough money on the counter to pay for the drink he ordered. He begins hastily leaving. He zips his jacket and starts to head out the door.
"W-wait!" Akira said a bit loudly. He grabs hold of the man's arm. Akira himself didn't realise why he did that.
"Kid. Let go. Unless you want to lose that arm of yours." the man said.
He felt a bit of a chill down his spine but he knew he could dodge this man. His own reflexes were pretty good. It was at this moment that Chie sprung into action.
"Okay. That's enough. Grab him! Hiiyaahh!"
The man looked back with a surprised look on his face.
"What the—?!"
*OOOOOFF*
The next moment, Yukiko, and Chie were holding the arms of the mystery man and placing it behind his back. His face flat on the ground.
"HEY! What the hell! GET OFF ME!" the man shouted.
"We got him, Chie! A phantom thief!"
The man then began struggling for a whole different reason. His hood masked his face still but the voice Akira recognised was one of shock.
"Yukiko-senpai, Chie-senpai?!"
Chie looked down at the guy. She was a bit worried.
"How do you know, us?! Akira! Don't just stand there!"
Akira was just standing behind the bar. Unsure of what to do. Before he could move, a voice rang out coming from the backroom.
"Let go of Kanji-kun!"
They all looked towards the backroom entrance and they saw Lala-san with a worried expression.
"You know him?" asked Akira.
Chie and Yukiko had a whole different reaction.
They looked at the guy on the floor. They pulled up the hoodie to see his face clearly. Their eyes went wide.
"Kanji?!" said Chie and Yukiko at the same time.
Both of them let go automatically and began helping him get up.
"That's right. The one and only. Damn Chie-senpai. Your time in the academy really strengthened ya. That was some tackle!"
"Well…I guess all that training wasn't wasted I guess… Hey WAIT! You changed the topic! What are you doing here, Kanji?!" asked Chie with shock in her voice.
Akira once again felt like he was missing something.
"Do you guys know each other?…You know this… 'Phantom Thief?'" asked Akira.
Everyone started to look at Akira. Chie looked unsure of what to say at first.
"Actually…yeah. He's a friend of ours." said Chie with a bit of wince.
"Oh boy… Chie-senpai. Are you trying to do something crazy again? Also. Do you know this kid?" asked Kanji to Chie and Yukiko.
"Y-yeah. We just met. We heard about rumours that there was a Phantom Thief roaming around this part of town… So we asked for his help" said Yukiko.
Everybody seemed to be a bit disoriented and confused of what was really going on. The man they called Kanji sighed a little before he spoke.
"Alright… maybe I should start explaining everything. I better call in our Detective Prince too."
Akira suddenly had his guard up. "Detective Prince? This guy knew Akechi?" he thought.
"Sorry about the trouble, Lala-san." Kanji said.
"I-it's alright. I'm sorry I couldn't warn you sooner. I tried calling at the back but I couldn't reach you both."
"Okay… I forgot but how do you know this guy, Lala-san?" asked Akira.
Kanji however interrupted Akira. He put a hand on his arm to get his attention.
"Like I said. Let me explain."
"I think I can help you with that." said a voice from the door.
They all looked towards the entrance and saw another young woman. It was a bit difficult to tell at first owing a bit to her androgynous features but due to her outfit, Akira could tell she was a woman. Akira was a bit embarrassed but it was due to she being rather gifted with her upper body that he could tell right away. Her size was apparent. Upon closer inspection, he was looking at another rather beautiful looking lady.
"Wow. You came even before I had the chance to call. Hello Detective Prince." Kanji said with a smirk.
"Naoto!" Chie and Yukiko shouted.
Akira wasn't expecting her at all. Who was this new mystery person?
"You're not Goro Akechi?" he said.
"You know my successor? That's an interesting thought. But yes. I was formerly known as the Detective Prince. I'm Naoto Shirogane. Pleased to make your acquaintance."
-After a few minutes-
Everybody sat down together by the bar. Lala-san closed the store temporarily to have some privacy. She brought out some drinks for everybody including Akira. She thought that since he was caught up in this mess, he at least deserved a drink (a non alcoholic one at least)
"Okay. First off. Let's start off with introductions. I'm Kanji Tatsumi. This is Naoto Shirogane. We know Chie-senpai and Yukiko-senpai back from high school."
"I see…" Akira replied. "So does that mean you're from Inaba too?" asked Akira. Piecing things together.
"Oh… Yeah. That's right. You know where we're from?" Kanji turned his head towards Chie and Yukiko.
"Oh yeah. We talked to him a while ago. This is Akira. He's a really nice guy. He works here part time." Chie said.
Akira nodded to Kanji and Naoto. He outstretches his hand for handshakes. Showing he meant no harm. Kanji reached out and took it. Shaking his hand with no qualms. Naoto shook his hand as well.
"Nice to meet you too." Akira said.
"Likewise." Kanji said. Naoto nodded as well.
"Sorry, about that whole performance I had to put up a while ago… and threatening ya."
"I think you're going to explain what's going on anyway… yeah so it's fine." Akira replied.
"Right…right. Sidetracked… Anyway. You see… I'm guessing you heard about a rumour about a Phantom Thief roaming Shinjuku. Let me guess… A blonde young man. Delinquent looking? Sporting a Shujin Academy Logo?"
The three of them were silent.
"Yeah. That's why we went here. To catch him." said Chie.
"Well…It's not true. Because we made it up." said Kanji.
"You made it up…?" Chie looked a bit dumfounded. After a moment of thought, Chie spoke up again.
"Two questions. How? and Why?" asked Chie.
"You do know my connections to the police force, right Chie-san? It was a simple story I asked some of the higher ups to spread around." said Naoto.
"Why did I do it? Because I believe it's the same reason, you're here. To catch a Phantom Thief." said Naoto.
Everybody paused for another moment. Akira, Chie, and Yukiko thought about it and realised the same thing.
"Was this some sort of bait thing?" asked Chie.
"You caught on fast. You see. I was here with Kanji since the beginning of the week. I've heard about these Phantom Thieves for some time now and I wondered if I could help in anyway. After researching and deducing, my suspicions point out to several things. The Phantom Thieves are most likely young juveniles to early 20s. I also have a strong suspicion that they either are students of Shujin Academy or are related to the school in some way." said Naoto.
Akira was getting a bit concerned. What could have caused this woman to deduce something so incredibly accurate? Where did they slip up? It didn't matter anymore. He had to find out how much they knew.
"I came up with a similar idea. Due to the first report of the Phantom Thieves happening at Shujin." said Chie.
"There were other clues including the calling cards and other details which pointed towards their direction but here is not the place to talk about such things. I'm sorry Akira-kun. I don't really know you so I can't trust you with such vital information." Naoto was looking towards Akira's direction.
"It's alright… It's not like I can tell you guys with my whole life story. Haha" Akira just smiled.
"Anyway. We made up this story for the purpose of weeding out dangerous wannabes and to keep tabs on imitators for the police. We also hoped that being really noisy might attract some real Phantom Thieves to interfere and possibly halt whatever we're doing. The plan was to use Kanji as bait. To act as the rumoured Phantom Thief prowling the night. This place was perfect because of our mutual friend, Lala-san." Naoto directed their attention to Lala who was waving back.
"It was no problem dear. Not for an old friend." Lala said.
"It does make sense that Lala would help you. You did tell us you used to frequent here." said Yukiko.
"Exactly…she allowed us to use this place as the known "meet up" place for the Phantom Thieves. Shujin Academy also lent us a spare shirt for Kanji to use. The police were on this project too. If you were ever wondering why there were no police investigating, that's the reason why."
"Oh…I see. I guess that's why." said Chie.
"But it seems like we didn't catch anybody of interest. I guess we can call this project off." said Naoto.
"I was really surprised Kanji. You dyed your hair blonde again." said Yukiko.
"Hehe. Well. Naoto said she was working on something and when she mentioned she needed someone to pretend to be a Phantom Thief, I went all in and suggested I change my appearance a little." Kanji said with a smirk.
"Oooooh. Willing to do anything for your girlfriend huh?" Chie said with a giggle.
Kanji and Naoto both blushed from the comment.
"Chie-san. Please don't tease us like that." said Naoto.
Chie and Yukiko laughed while the couple giggled along after some time. Akira however felt a bit out of place. It seemed like a reunion that he wasn't invited to. He however noticed the closeness of the four people in front of him. It actually brought warm feelings to his chest. Funnily enough, it reminded him A LOT of his friends. To the point of it being oddly familiar.
He looked at Naoto and thought about her plan. Strangely enough, it kind of worked. He did get interested and tried figuring out what was happening with the fake "Phantom Thief." He was just glad it wasn't one of his friends.
The four friends continued chatting while Akira decided to continue working a bit in the bar area. After a moment of time, Naoto asked Chie a question which she forgot to mention a while ago.
"By the way, why did you ask Akira-kun for help?"
"Well… we were looking for Lala-san at first. But Akira was really friendly and he worked here as well so we thought he was the next best option. The fact that he's a Shujin student was even better for identifying the Phantom Thief." said Chie.
Naoto looked at Akira once again. She looked like she was analysing him.
"You go to Shujin Academy, Akira-kun?" she asked.
Akira looked back and nodded.
"Yeah. Pretty much." He smiled.
"That's interesting. I could learn a lot from you." Naoto gave him her card. Akira took it and nodded.
"Call me if you see anything interesting, Akira-kun. I might drop by some time when I come back to Tokyo." said Naoto.
"You're not from here too, Naoto-kun?" asked Akira.
"No. We arrived earlier this week but the four of us were really supposed to be visiting a friend tomorrow. It's a kind of a surprise visit. After that, I'll be going around Japan a lot again. That's also why this was only just a temporary project. Besides. I believe my successor has this part of the country handled."
Akira knew she was referring to Akechi. He looked at the other people's faces and remembered Yukiko and Chie mentioning they were meeting another friend.
"The same one Chie-san mentioned right? If you're ever looking for me, I'll be working here from time to time."
Naoto nodded back. She gave a look to Kanji who understood what she was thinking. They both began to get up.
"We're both heading out. It's actually pretty late. See ya guys tomorrow. Nice meeting ya, kid!" Kanji said to Akira.
"Yeah. Chie and I were just about to head out as well. See you two at least tomorrow. Goodbye Akira-kun. It was nice meeting you. Sorry for the bother. If you ever drop by Inaba, I'll make sure to give you a special offer at the Amagi Inn." Yukiko warmly smiled to Akira.
"I'll be sure to do so. I'll tell my friends to drop by there too if they ever happen to pass through Inaba."
The four friends waved to the young man at the bar and also bade goodbye to Lala as well. Before all of them exited the door Yukiko suddenly remembered something.
"Oh! If the Phantom Thief rumour was a fake, what about the creeper guy I met at the train station this morning? Any news on people like that?"
"You met someone like that this morning, Yukiko-senpai? But…to be honest, you meet all kinds of people in the train station." Kanji sighed.
"Hmmm… How would you describe him?" asked Naoto.
"Well…at first glance he seemed like a normal young guy. He was kind of a good looking young fellow. Probably a high school student. What stood out was his dark blue hair."
"Aren't you just being self conscious, Yukiko?" Chie teased.
"Chie! You know I wasn't! I already told you that. It was just weird…I was sure someone was following me at first and then there he was. He asked me something about him painting me."
Akira once again froze in place. This time, he felt this description was too accurate. He was sweating bullets. He tried gazing away from the four of them.
"Oooo-kay? That's kind of… strange to ask." asked Kanji.
"I wasn't sure what he was going on about. I was frozen in place. He kept going on about me being a perfect model. Going on about my figure. It became really awkward and descriptive."
"Eww… Creepy." said Chie.
"I wasn't sure but I felt like he wanted me to bare it all with the way he was talking." said Yukiko with a bit of stress in her voice.
Akira sighed. He wanted to tell her how right on the money she was with that statement.
"That does sound inappropriate. What did you do, Yukiko-san?" asked Naoto.
"Well… I didn't let him… finish…. I kind of… slapped him…. and ran…" Yukiko looked all embarrassed.
"Ooooh. The classic Amagi counter. That boy was denied hard! Hahaha." said Chie.
"I'm just glad he didn't follow me after that. He kind of looked stunned from the corner of my eye."
Akira couldn't help but laugh a little at his friend's expense. Yusuke should really know how to talk to people properly. He couldn't help recall what happened with Ann.
"Is something funny, Akira-kun?" asked Chie with an eyebrow slightly raised. The four of them overheard his slight giggle.
"Oh? Sorry. Just remembered a friend of mine. He did something funny recently."
"Ohh… Have you ever heard anybody with that description?" asked Chie.
"No. But I'll be sure to be on the lookout for people like that." Akira said.
"Alright. Thanks again!" Chie smiled back.
"I'll be sure to let you know what I hear too, Yukiko-san." Naoto said.
Yukiko nodded. The four friends then left the bar. Their absence made it really quiet inside. Lala approached Akira to inform him his shift was just about done.
"They seem like a nice group of friends, do you have people like that, Akira-kun?" asked Lala.
"Yeah…I'm pretty sure I'm blessed with some good friends like that too." Akira replied.
He began to clean up and leave for home. Akira however really wanted to see Yusuke at that moment. He'll give him the benefit of the doubt. For all he knew, maybe there was some other unfortunate person who got slapped by the lovely Yukiko. He said goodbye as well to Lala as he headed back to LeBlanc.
Shortly after, he receives a message from Yusuke asking for tips on how to talk to strangers properly. He then asked if Akira had any meds from Dr. Takemi for sore skin.
Later that evening, in the hotel room Naoto was staying at, she looked through her charts on the Phanom Thieves. It had several little points with names, places, and phrases for possible leads and connections. She placed a little note and wrote "Akira" and traced a line connecting it to the words Shujin Academy.
Other notes on the chart were Kamoshida, Mental Shutdowns, Wakaba Isshiki, Goro Akechi and more in several corners. To the right of her chart was another section connected but distant. She extended another line with two notes. "Changing Hearts" and "Shadow World?" This section left her still unsure. She stretched a little, wondering if the boy they met that evening was more than meets the eye. Her intuition though gave her a feeling that Akira was no ordinary student. She turned off her lights and headed to bed, the thoughts swirling in her head.