This sat about halfway done for a while. Had a burst of inspiration to finish this up (much appreciated, Nicojd)!

"Alright. Now that we're all well rested and ready to tackle a new day…"

Akira bit back a smile as Makoto snorted at his words, masking the noise with a leisurely sip of coffee. "I think we should figure out our next destination."

The team had gathered outside their latest hotel, scattered about the area but within earshot of their leader. Akira was sitting on a bench near where Makoto parked the van, with Futaba lying on her back with her legs on his shoulder and scanning some tourist pamphlets she had swiped. Makoto quietly savored her coffee on his other side. "I, for one, want to go to Hakone."

"Hakone? Isn't that near Mount Fuji?"

"Mhm. More importantly, though, are these."

He stood and plucked one of Futuba's many pamphlets she had procured out of her hand with a dexterity only he could manage, pressing it down on the hood of the van without looking and declaring, "The hot springs."

Futaba bounced to his side after being robbed of her footrest, tossing the rest of her findings into the trunk of the van. "That was very rude of you, sir."

"Whoops."

Ryuji, for once, looked thoughtful. "Oh, I've heard o' these. Heheh, I knew you'd be for this kinda thing. Well, alright, I'm in."

He slammed his hand down on the leaflet ceremoniously, as if that was crucial to taking a vote. Akira grinned and clapped his friend on the shoulder, looking to the rest of the group with twinkling eyes. It took Makoto more willpower than she expected not to laugh at how purely enthusiastic he was about going. "We went in the opposite direction of Hakone when we left Yongen-Jaya, you know?"

Akira's only response to Makoto's observation was a firm nod. Finally, she smiled and placed her hand on the brochure, close enough to brush her fingers against Akira's. "I can't say no to those eyes. Three for Hakone."

Futaba shrugged. "It's on the page. Why not? It's not like we're in a hurry to go anywhere else."

She gave a catlike smile and scooted close enough to place her hand on the pamphlet. "Four for Hakone!"

Yusuke seemed to be lost in thought, staring at a picture of Hakone Shrine, situated above a bundle of text detailing the enshrined kami. "Konohana Sakuya...I feel as if I have heard that name before…"

Futaba snickered to herself and muttered, "Do I hear five?"

Yusuke still looked conflicted about the decision for reasons only privy to himself; Akira moved quickly to him, giving Futaba a pat on the head in passing. Yusuke, to his credit, didn't react outwardly when he felt a hand on his shoulder and a voice speak softly - but with a tone that would charm the birds out of their nests. "...Yusuke."

"Akira."

"Hear me out on this."

"Okay."

"I'm going to ask you one question."

"I understand."

"Have you ever heard of Hakone's black ice cream?"

A fifth hand smacked the pamphlet as soon as the two magic words left Akira's mouth. "Five for Hakone!"

It was telling of Yusuke's desire for new ice cream that his hand hitting the hood was enough to rock the car slightly. Haru smiled at the sight and laced her hands together. "I agree with Futaba-chan. Why not?"

She joined the circle of hands on the paper, looking up to smile all too serenely at Ann. "Six for Hakone."

Ann floundered as she felt the rest of the group's eyes on her, desperately looking to Morgana for help. The cat simply stared for a moment then did the closest thing to a shrug that he could manage. "I'm just the repair-cat, Milady. Seven for Hakone, I guess."

Ann knew defeat was all but guaranteed. Although, hot springs did sound pretty nice...

"Fine, all for Hakone!"

Akira smiled sweetly at her and carefully folded the pamphlet away. "I'm glad we all came to this decision without being any form of undeserved peer pressure."

"What - ugh. Never mind."

"Alright. We'll head out in an hour. Ryuji, help me get our stuff from the rooms."

"M'kay."

An hour and a half later saw the former Thieves pile into the car, with Akira returning last with two thermoses in hand. On witnessing Makoto's questioning look, he explained. "Coffee for the road. We are going back the way we came, after all."

Makoto chanced a look at Akira, smiling as he passed her a thermos top filled with the fresh coffee. She gave it a small taste and smiled in satisfaction. "Mm. Now, how did you manage this miracle?"

"I may have gotten up before you, snuck into the kitchen...it's was a lot easier than I thought 'cause you were sleeping so soundly."

He smirked at her then, evidently pleased with his handiwork regarding the van bedroom. Makoto fumbled with the coffee as she tried to retort, eventually settling for another hasty sip and asking, "What exactly do you mean 'snuck into the kitchen'?"

Morgana pawed at Akira's arm from the backseat. "I kinda want to hear this, too. Did you use your Phantom abilities or something?"

Makoto quickly shot Morgana a thankful glance and set the coffee down in the cupholder. Akira turned and smiled bashfully as he realized that his prospective exploits had drawn the attention of almost every resident in the vehicle. Futaba, however, was on her phone; given the sounds coming from both her and the device, she was probably playing a rhythm game. "It's not what you're expecting, I'm sure. I just walked in with some of the beans Sojiro gave me and asked if I could use their kitchen."

"...So you charmed them with your Phantom Thief charms?"

"Uh…"

"Sounds like it to me."

"Uh-huh."

"Just like when he robbed shadows in the Metaverse! I see…"

"No, no, I just made enough for the kitchen staff and two thermoses."

Makoto hummed softly and took her time exiting the hotel parking lot, keeping an eye on the road as she headed back in the direction of Yongen. A quick glance to her side showed her that, while the ribbing was over with and the rest had started to focus on their own distractions, Akira was still looking out the window and looking distinctly guilty. Changing the subject would be the best course, she decided. "I didn't know you liked hot springs that much."

Akira managed to take the bite, picking up the Hakone leaflet and gazing fondly at the detailed photos on the front. "There's an old bathhouse near the cafe. They have special herbal baths on Mondays and Thursdays."

Morgana chimed in, hopping onto Akira's armrest and digging his claws in slightly to steel himself. "Akira was always rushing to the place those days, even when it was raining. Haha, I remember a few times he stayed in too long and came out like some kind of roasted fish."

Akira himself chuckled at the memory, throwing in a mock shudder as if he had been burned. "Ooh. At least I smelled great - you said so yourself."

"This is true."

Akira smelling like anything other than coffee was a concept almost foreign to Makoto. "I read about herbal baths in a magazine a while ago. I always assumed the smell would be too strong to enjoy the bath itself."

"Mm, I'd say it's pretty delicate. I think you, maybe Futaba, would enjoy going to one. Fingers crossed for Hakone."

"Are you trying to get me into a swimsuit again?"

"Yes. But for a legitimate reason this time."

Morgana ducked slightly, allowing Akira to reach over and rub her shoulder. "Trust me, it'll be great. Let me know if you need a break. Or coffee, 'cause I got that for days."

Makoto simply laughed and shook her head.

[- Ryuji: Ever thought about getting married, Akira?

Ann: What.

Akira: To you? Sorry, no.

Ryuji: Hey! That's not what I meant!

Morgana: What did you mean?

Ryuji: I dunno! To anyone! A-anyone but me!

Akira: That hurts, man.

Ryuji: What?!

Futaba: Wow, Ryuji. Way to throw Akira under the bus.

Ryuji: What? I don't - ugh. You all suck.

Yusuke: ...Makoto, I see that you're stifling your laughter. Why? -]

"...This doesn't taste like what I was expecting."

"Mm. It's very mild."

Akira looked down at his cup and twirled the spoon gently into the oddly colored ice cream. Makoto took another bite from her own and kept the spoon in her mouth briefly, savoring the taste. When she removed it, she nodded judiciously and smiled. "I think I'm a bigger fan of the eggs."

"Shh. Yusuke might hear you."

"We're at the opposite end of the hall."

Akira picked up another one of aforementioned eggs and carefully cracked the shell. "You're right, though, these are pretty darn good."

"It's rumored that having two, and no more, is good luck."

"But it came in a pack of five…"

"A bargain, no?"

The two simultaneously bit into the egg they were holding and stared at the last one sitting cheerily in its spot. Makoto narrowed her eyes and gestured at the innocent snack. "They conspire to divide us."

"Truly. We can't fall for this temptation."

The mock conspiracy was enough to tease a laugh out of Akira, leading Makoto to follow suit soon after. They finished the snack and went back to the ice cream. "Hard to believe it's the spring water that does the job though."

"Mm."

"You're a quiet snacker, huh?"

Makoto grinned and drew a circle in the air with her spoon. "I don't think my snacking habits have ever been described as such."

"I don't think anyone's ever described your snacking habits at all."

"Mm...hmhm-hahaha! I'm just messing with you!"

Makoto giggled happily around the bite of ice cream she had taken, amused immensely by Akira's stunned expression. He smiled to himself and took another bite. "Let's talk about you. How were the fabled Hakone hot springs?"

"I feel rejuvenated, but ready to crash at the same time."

"Did you see the futons? Or were you too busy languishing in your herbal baths and snacking away at the local delicacies?"

"I can say you were also doing at least one of those things."

"Well, I can say I did both of those things. I liked the hot springs, too."

Makoto handed Akira the towel she had been using to dry her hair at his urging. He tossed them both in the room's hamper and opened the sliding door to their adjacent room. "...Oh."

A double futon, clearly arranged as if to be shared by two people. Inwardly, Akira reeled in shock. His outward poise prevented that from showing. "Well, that's not what I was expecting."

"Right? I guess we just looked that lovey-dovey when we checked in."

"You're being remarkably blasé about this."

"We slept in a van together. Akira-kun, this is a luxury!"

"Hmhm. Point taken. Well, I'm not complaining."

"Good. Finish your ice cream."

Akira sat down again, but next to Makoto instead of anywhere near his ice cream cup and the eggshells surrounding it. Makoto didn't complain, shooting him a sly look as she let her spoon linger in her mouth. "Yes?"

He plucked the cup out of her hand and set it down on the table. "You're lucky I finished that, buster - mm…"

Akira silenced her jab with his mouth, leaning gently into her before she did the same in turn, refusing to give any ground he tried to gain. The playful, aggressive kiss lasted as long as they could savor each other before running out of breath. Akira took off his glasses and set them down, a lazy smile on his face. "Tastes mild."

Makoto smirked and flicked her spoon clean into the cup. "As if you have any room to talk."

A strong arm around his shoulders pulled him down to the floor and denied any further argument at the same time. The futon wouldn't see any use for a while.

I might have gone a little heavy on the fluff. Is that such a bad thing, though?

Hope you enjoyed. The next chapter, whenever it comes out, will probably be something singular rather than part 4 of the road trip chronicles.