I own nothing. Monika does.
Outside of Okumura Foods, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts were the victims of a very awkward, uncomfortable landing. Sprawled on the ground, each of them slowly got to their feet and patted themselves over, checking for any injuries. Aside from a few bumps and bruises, they were all relieved to see they were fine. Morgana smirked at all of them.
"True Phantom Thieves land on their feet," He said cockily.
"That's not how that saying goes," Makoto mumbled, but said no more when everyone glanced at her warily.
"Did we really succeed?" Haru asked nervously. She glanced away shyly when Akira smiled and nodded.
"Let's head to Leblanc and patch ourselves up. We can take the time to unwind, too," Akira suggested, before turning away from the imposing building that had once housed a Palace. He walked away without waiting for a response. Futaba speed-walked to catch up.
"Well, I was already going anyway. I've gotta make sure Sojiro is working," The girl stated. "If not, there are nine of us, so we can give him work."
"Looking at the Sayuri once more before I go back to my dorm would be pleasant after today," Yusuke mused to himself with a smile.
"I can't say no to Boss's coffee!" Ann shouted with a giddy expression.
The team of thieves each agreed, knowing an afternoon at Leblanc would be the best way to end such a long day. Almost all of them followed Akira immediately after Futaba. Haru had a few seconds of hesitation, looking back at Okumura Foods for a few seconds, expecting their efforts to blow up in their faces. When the building didn't collapse, she stilled her shaking hands and began walking away.
Now only Sayori was left standing there. She felt like screaming, or crying, or both. An ache filled her throat as she choked down any yell or sob. Fear and nerves kept her rooted to her spot as she wondered what exactly she could have left behind in that Palace. Had anything changed? Were her friends in danger? Had they set off a trap?
Was Goro in there? Is he okay? Sayori hugged herself as she tried to give herself reassurance. Futaba hadn't seen that weird signal following them today. Was that signal even him in the first place, or just some weird Shadow they had never run into?
No… He saw us enter Okumura's Palace that day. Who else could it be? Or maybe Akira and everyone was right when they said he might be on our side… Sayori groaned and leaned forward slightly, massaging her temple. She felt as though she could sink into the ground as her body and mind weighed her down.
A few seconds later, her phone rang. The timing seemed almost too perfect, but Sayori answered it anyway. Any good omen she could get would be a miracle right now.
"Sayori, are you staying out late with everyone?"
Sayori's eyes widened as she fell forward slightly and nearly dropped her phone. "Goro?" I must be really tired to not have even checked who was calling before I answered. Sayori shivered at the thought of answering to a telemarketer, before refocusing her mind on the topic at hand. If Goro was bothering to call, then…
"Sayori, are you even liste-"
"Goro, where are you?" Sayori asked, knowing without even needing to check that he would have his location turned off, as he always did.
"I'm at home. Now, can you answer my question?" The detective sounded impatient, causing Sayori to quickly review the past thirty seconds of conversation.
"Yeah," Sayori finally murmured sheepishly. "I think I will be staying out rather late. Everyone wanted to go to Leblanc for a bit and relax."
"Alright then. Leave before the trains close, and make sure you enjoy yourself."
"I'll bring you a cup of coffee, Goro. Bye bye!" Sayori shouted into the phone, before clicking the button to end the call. Her cheeks became dusted and an awkward smile curled its way onto her lips as she played the conversation over once again. "Bye bye"? I sounded like such a toddler! Normally she didn't have a problem with sounding childish, but with everything that was going on, she felt like she was in the wrong for using such a tone. Sayori briefly considered calling him again to set her conscience straight, but was soon interrupted by several impatient texts from each of her friends.
The girl released a shuddering sigh as she ran a hand over her face and through her hair, before running as fast as she could to catch up with everyone else. As soon as she was no longer and sight, and it was assured that she couldn't see the courtyard of Okumura Foods, Goro stepped out from behind the corner of the building. He stared at his phone for a few seconds, before pocketing it and leaning against the side of the building. He sank to the floor and grimaced.
I think I'm going to throw up… the detective thought tiredly, looking in the direction Sayori had just gone. The weight of his decision unsettled him, as well as his expectations of his future. It suddenly looked so much shorter to him now. He had spent years preparing for this time before the election, where he would only have months to live. He had understood and accepted that time limit. But with his most recent decision, those months had turned into a mere week or two.
I gave it all up. Was it really the correct thing to do? The detective could already feel himself giving into grief for the goal he had given up on. The dream of revenge had carried him for so long, and now that drive to see Shido burn was gone.
Instead, there was a melancholy peace inside of him. He felt so much grief for his mother, who must have been so restless. Could she rest now? A pit in his stomach made him think she would never have been able to rest as soon as the seeds of vengeance were planted. And she never would, because even though that revenge plan could never succeed now, Goro wanted to believe his mother would still want him to live.
Still, that peace persisted. That strange feeling that sprang up in his heart as he finally did something right. His mother was dead, and he soon would be, but Sayori wouldn't. Goro felt his resolve to untangle Sayori from this mess grow, while the desire to see her made his head feel foggy.
Goro Akechi sat in silence for a few seconds longer, before the logical part of his mind reminded him that the last thing he wanted was to be caught outside of Okumura Foods like this. He hastily got up, dusting off his suit and walking away from the looming building. He had to be home like he had told Sayori he would be.
He had to plan and prepare for after he was gone. As he would soon find out, someone agreed with him on this front.
Sojiro placed a mug of hot chocolate on the table with a light thud. Sayori looked up from her notebook to give him a grateful smile. She then gained a thoughtful face as she looked back down, taking sips of her drink and writing down words in intervals. "I think I'll be finished soon!" Everyone, except for Haru, seemed to find what the girl said amusing, or perhaps endearing. Sayori's cheerful demeanor inspired much enthusiasm after what they had accomplished today.
"What's so funny?" Haru asked curiously. She tilted her head to the side, looking at the rest of the Phantom Thieves, who were sharing the booths.
"You'll see!" Ann chirped, seeming very enthusiastic about whatever it was that Sayori was doing.
"Yeah. You'll be the first one to see," Ryuji said with a grin.
Haru still didn't get it, but she let it go for now. Everyone was in good spirits, and despite all of her insecurities about what they had just done, so was she. All they had to do now was wait.
"So… I believe that there is something we have to do now, as tradition dictates," Yusuke commented offhandedly. He was obviously eager, though Haru could not yet tell why.
"Oh, I hadn't thought about that until now!" Makoto exclaimed. She looked down in disappointment, feeling very distressed about her forgetfulness.
"Sojiro, can you leave?" Futaba asked bluntly, noticing the old man's raised brows and suspicious frowns.
"What?" The man seemed about to object, but instead just shrugged. "Eh, I trust you kids enough not to break anything." He then let a smirk slide onto his face. "Just remember to let me back in after you're all finished."
"Sir, yes, Sir," Akira gave a mock salute, causing Sojiro to lightly shove him out of it.
"No 'Sir' nonsense. Get on with your teen talk."
After Sojiro left, making sure the front door sign was flipped to "closed," everyone turned in their seats to face each other.
"Is it party planning time?" Futaba asked, shaking a bit in both fear and anticipation. Akira nodded his affirmative, and the girl released a small squeal.
"A party?" Haru asked. She jumped slightly when everyone turned to look at her.
"Welcome to the team!" They all shouted. Sayori scooted her chair over to where she was sitting and gave her a pat on the shoulder, unsure if Haru would want to be hugged. She soon got her answer, as Haru hugged Sayori tightly, embracing her in a layer of fluffy sweater and even fluffier hair.
"I see," Haru stated, returning to her seat. "So it's a welcome party… Would I be able to choose what it is, then?"
"Of course!" Ann exclaimed, excited to know what Haru would pick. The girl had the option of a bigger budget for her celebration, after all.
"I have a couple of ideas…" Haru trailed off, closing her eyes as she thought as hard as she could. "But I can't confirm that one of them could possibly happen yet. So for now, would everyone be alright with another gardening session?"
The Phantom Thieves discussed the idea amongst themselves for a few moments. Undecipherable mumbles and chatter rose and fell like a sudden wave, revealing a positive consensus.
"That sounds like a plan," Akira said with a happy nod. "Until then…" He looked and glanced at Sayori with a stern expression, causing her to freeze and drop her pen. "I'll be communicating with Mishima about more possible targets for Mementos. Sayori, it's important to let me know about any glitching."
"You got it," Sayori replied, giving everyone a sheepish smile. She began to feel guilty for worrying everyone so much, but a much more powerful inner reminded her not to. After a few moments of thoughtful consideration, Sayori glanced at the clock above the counter and frowned softly. "We should get going soon. If we wait much longer we'll be in a panic to get to the trains before they close."
"Yes. There will be much more time to relax with each other now that we have stolen Okumura's Treasure," Yusuke commented, glancing at the model rocket kit that was peeking out of Akira's bag. It honestly didn't look good enough to cost such a ghastly amount, but as long as they were paid in the end, it hardly mattered.
Everyone quickly finished their beverages and snacks. Sayori slipped her notebook into her schoolbag, waved goodbye to everyone, and left.
Once everyone was sure she was gone, Makoto looked at Akira with nervous eyes. "Are you sure she shouldn't be a part of this conversation." The leader gave a serious nod, and everyone settled in their chairs for a few moments.
"Since we all need to be leaving soon… I'll just ask one thing," Akira stated, before fixing Futaba with an intense stare. "Do you have the new chat group ready?"
"Yup! There's no way it can be encrypted or hacked or anything," Futaba reported, adding everyone except for Sayori to it.
"Good. This is an important decision to make, and though I would like Sayori to be a part of it, I am afraid she would let personal feelings get in the way," Akira looked down, sporting a sulky pout.
"Not to mention, it'll be a helluva surprise!" Ryuji added, trying to lighten the mood.
"Yeah… we'll discuss it later. For now, everyone can go home," Akira gestured to the door. Everyone nodded in agreement, before filing out the door one-by-one. They could only hope they would decide on the right decision.
At this point, Goro was sure he had set foot on every square inch of the apartment floor within the past ten minutes. He had been pacing almost relentlessly as his mind did backflips and cartwheels, only to end up in the same dead ends as before. His own behavior was acting up as well, as one second he felt like laughing, and the next he wanted to scream. He was fixated on one simple thought, and one simple fact. Okumura was still alive, and Akechi had spared him.
His shoes scuffed the floor as he finally came to a stopping point on the couch. A blanket and pillow was folded neatly in one corner, catching his attention as he tried to regain his focus. Though it was still hard to fully realize that he had made a different choice, and did something completely contradictory to what he had been set to do for most of his life, Goro Akechi felt happy. Of course, he was also terrified, but as his thoughts drifted to Sayori, and the rest of the Phantom Thieves, he found that he wasn't as worried as he would have been about the future, if it were anyone else.
He tentatively reached a gloved hand up to touch the pillow where Sayori would normally rest her head. If he tried hard enough, Goro could picture that same hand cradling the girl's chin, tilting her lips towards his, leaning in, and…
Explaining everything… That thought broke him out of his reverie for a few seconds. He was distracting himself once again. Being overjoyed and proud of himself was definitely no excuse at this point. He still had work to do.
I spared Okumura. It will only take a couple of weeks for the higher ups to notice that Okumura is taking longer to die than all of the other victims have. I need to figure out a plan before then. With that thought, the detective sat up with a resolute nod. His thoughts still trailed off, still riled up with euphoria, but he found it easier to focus that energy to what really mattered.
It was incredibly important for him to keep in mind that it wasn't just Shido he had to deal with. A complicated web of politicians, scientists, and criminals were all backing up his campaign, and most of these people were aware that he was the one carrying out these mental shutdowns. If a decided target was not killed, they would all know, and would converge on the traitor to snuff out that spark of rebellion. The criminals, which most notably included the Japanese Mafia, would be especially dangerous. Truthfully, Akechi himself was screwed in this situation.*
So there would be no escape for me. I can't help that… I need to accept that. Goro breathed deeply, thinking over that fact with every angle, ultimately coming up with no solution. He let out a deep breath he didn't know he had been holding, coming to terms with it. That was going to be the last time he thought of it. He had to think of something more important. This was perhaps the only thing he had control over.
Sayori was not wrapped up in this as deeply as him, and was only ever leverage when it was convenient for Shido and the rest of his lackeys. So if she were hidden, or in a safer place where they couldn't reach her, then the only person they would be able to target was the detective himself.
That makes the most sense in this scenario. If they cannot reach her, all they would have to resort to was threatening my life. When it's all over, Sayori could come out of hiding, and there would be no reason for them to target her anymore. And meanwhile…
The detective's heart nearly skipped a beat with the thought, as it had somehow never occurred to him before, but he suddenly had an idea. A way for him to have his cake and eat it, too, even if he was dead.
Neither Shido nor anyone else in that conspiracy knew who the Phantom Thieves were. Perhaps he could leave an anonymous tip, and have them expose Shido! Or… leave that message with Sayori.
The thought stung. Sayori had never once looked at him badly for being a bastard, and she definitely shared a strong dislike for Shido, even if she didn't know it was him in particular. The small, shrivelled part of him that was still optimistic wanted to think that Sayori would continue to act that way, even after she knew the entire story. But there was always the possibility that she would make the wise decision to hate Goro Akechi, and not tell the Phantom Thieves his request…
We'll worry about the details of that later. For now, I need to think of what the best option would be to protect Sayori. Despite his initial doubts, Goro immediately thought of Sojiro. He was already living in secret safety with Futaba, from what he had heard. This was done with the specific goal of protecting themselves from Shido's plot, even if they don't know that's what it is. So Sayori could be given the same treatment if she stayed with them for some time.
I will ask Sojiro about letting her stay next time I see him. All that he had left to do was begin making the appropriate actions in the time he had left. Still, it would be accurate to say that his priorities could be more properly in order. Because aside from making sure that Sayori's affairs would all be in order after he was gone, with the possibility of still being able to bring Shido to justice, there was only one thing he truly wanted to do.
If he was about to die, then he wanted to spend the time before that with Sayori, and the rest of the Phantom Thieves. The thought of carrying on how he had been for so long, isolating himself from her and everyone else, would be a fate worse than his death.
So he wasn't going to think about it anymore.
For the first time in so long, he felt confident that he had done the right thing. He wasn't going to live the rest of his life in sorrow and regret for all the bad things that he has done. That could be saved for when things were over. Goro was going to enjoy himself and live his life.
And love my wife? The detective shook off that thought with a blush, smiling in embarrassment despite himself. It was too early for thoughts like that.
The next day, Sayori walked into the library with a spring in her step. She was smiling wide and a faint blush was dusted on her cheeks. The girl was even pleasantly humming… in a library of all places! Mai sent her a playful glare as Sayori set her things down. It was one of the slow days, with barely any people coming in, so they both knew they were free to chat as much as they wanted.
"So… How have you been?" Mai asked in a singsong voice, causing Sayori to look over with a raised brow.
"Not much. I made a new friend with Okumura-chan," the girl replied with a slight smile, before giving Mai a suspicious gaze. "You're more chipper than normal, Mai. Any specific reason?"
"Who the hell says 'chipper' anymore?" Mai replied with a chuckle. "And whaddya mean? Aren't I always like this?"
"I guess… But I don't think I've ever heard you sing before," Sayori countered, before giving the ebony-haired librarian a playful pout. "It's suspicious."
Mai paused, before chuckling at Sayori, who in turn smiled and stuck out her tongue. "Alright, so maybe I got a bunch of overdue library books, and I'm hoping my adorable, childish, lost, little assistant won't notice."
"What?" Sayori asked in shock, before looking at the computer situated at the checkout desk. She quickly checked the records, only to let out an annoyed huff. "Boo-hoo. You owe enough to have to look extra hard at the ground for pocket change."
"Well then maybe it's just a beautiful day!" Mai shouted, spreading her arms out as if she could absorb the rays of the afternoon sun.
"If that were true you would be complaining about not getting to go outside," Sayori remarked, watching as Mai recoiled at the logic. "I wasn't saying you being happy is a problem. It's just unusual, so it makes me think something has happened." The pink-haired girl put her chin in her hands irritably. She didn't think that was it either. In truth, she really never had heard Mai sing before. It made her think of older times.
"I guess you're right, Sayori," Mai said somberly, causing Sayori to snap out of her stupor and look at the librarian curiously. The older girl chuckled, tugging at a few loose strands of hair. "Something good has definitely happened."
"Oh, good!" Sayori squeaked. Mai jumped in surprise as she was pulled into a fierce hug. "Tell me all about this good thing! You rarely ever talk about yourself." Sayori let go after making her demands, watching as Mai seemed to struggle with what to say.
"Well… There's been a lot of progress in something that I'm working towards," Mai began leaning back in her chair with a calm look. "It means the world to me… because I know it's possible to succeed, even in the face of the impossible. I know I can succeed even when it seems that all the cards are laid out against me, and I know something that no one else knows."
Sayori's eager smile dropped into a curious frown, her eyes widening slightly as a crooked, cocksure grin lit up her friend's face. "I probably shouldn't ask, but what is it that you know?"
Mai stared up at Sayori for a moment, still with that same grin. "The cards may be stacked against me… But I'm not playing cards. I'm playing chess."
Sayori rubbed her arm, feeling uncomfortable at Mai's quiet enthusiasm. "But aren't you just losing at cards, then?"
Mai shook her head. "Maybe I'll lose that battle, but in the end I'll come out on top." The librarian once again seemed brighter, standing up and pulling Sayori into a hug of her own.
"Thank you so much, Sayori."
"For… what?" Sayori was honestly confused. What had she done that would make Mai feel this way?
"For being so strong. It fills me with such relief that you're doing what you can, simply to pursue happiness. Especially with how you were before," Mai released her and looked at Sayori's face with a watery-eyed smile. "I know it's hard not to think that way in this situation, where things are so different from your old life, but pursuing your happiness is not selfish, Sayori."
Mai is starting to sound weird. It's just like that one time that she comforted me and did my hair, Sayori thought warily to herself. Still, the words that came out of her friend's mouth comforted her. Even if Mai was unaware of what Sayori was hiding, the librarian said it with such confidence that the pink-haired girl instantly believed her.
"Thank you, Mai."
"Now that's weird. I haven't done anything special," The librarian replied, her tone instantly going back to normal. Mai sat back down in her chair and crossed her legs, looking out at the empty library for a few moments, before looking back at Sayori with a smirk. "You doin' anything special with your guy soon?"
"Yeah…" Sayori replied, a dreamy smile melting her face. "He seems to want to hang out with my friends all the time these days. It makes me really happy, because he doesn't seem so lonely now."
"Well, that's good, too," Mai said, blowing more strands of hair off of her face. "But I was hopin' for something more juicy to be honest."
"I don't like the way you phrased that sentence."
"Well… You already said you slept with him once," Mai said with a smirk, watching as Sayori squealed and squawked and blushed.
"You… You know I didn't mean it like that!" Sayori argued, covering her face with her hands.
"Why not make it official?" Mai asked. "Every single one of your friends ship you two, you know. I always overhear small talk and gossip about it."
"It… It's complicated right now," Sayori said lamely. She looked down in shame as she gave her poor excuse.
"Bull," Mai deadpanned. "I mean it when I say you gotta pursue your happiness no matter what, Sayori. Shit could hit the fan any moment, so you have to enjoy yourself while everything is pretty simple."
Sayori was shocked at the stern language she was being subjected to. Mai really wasn't joking about this. But… Shit had already hit the fan a long time ago. It was hard to imagine things getting any crazier than the fact that your boyfriend was probably a murderer.
Mai sighed as Sayori continued to look conflicted. How many different ways did she have to say the same thing? "Sayori, don't doubt things so much. If you want it, then you have to pursue it. Hell to all of that other stuff!"
The young and budding poet and part-time thief was shaken gently on the shoulders, and Sayori began to wonder why Mai was so adamant about this. Though at the same time, her words had indeed struck a chord in Sayori. Even though she had told herself not to care, everything she had found hurt her resolve, because she knew the boy she loved, and the boy she wanted to forgive no matter what, had also been the same one to cause pain to everyone else.
But I suppose Mai is right. Even if I have an idea of all of the bad things Goro has done, I really don't know anything about the situation yet. Just what I've managed to overhear. Sayori sighed, giving her friend a calm smile. The librarian released her assistant's shoulders, and the two sat in silence for another few moments.
The librarian finally took a long, drawn-out breath, before beginning to talk once again. "From how gloomy you always are," Mai began, attracting Sayori's attention, "I'm thinkin' you found out your guy isn't as good as you always wanted to believe. But everyone's a little bad inside. Even you and me…"
Where is she going with this?
"But Sayori, it's your choice if you want to forgive. Doesn't mean you have to forget, but you shouldn't let any other person influence your opinion on another. 'Sides, you should know more than anyone else that it's okay to be a little selfish with how you feel about something… Especially in a place like this." Mai quietly finished her calm ranting, giving Sayori a pointed look.
Sayori was somehow always surprised when Mai managed to give wise advice, and now was no exception. The librarian had hit several marks that meant more to Sayori than they would for anyone else. The thought of being able to forgive, as long as she didn't forget, was very enticing. The girl's face seemed to lit up as she could finally accept what Mai was saying.
"You're right, Mai," she mumbled, closing her eyes for a moment. She felt so calm, hearing those words.
"Yeah… Course I am! Enjoy the taste of success while it lasts, Sayori," Mai said with a cocky grin. "That's a great way to cheer up. Also, bring Goro around here sometime. I wanna be friends with him like everybody else!"
"I'll try," Sayori replied.
"Don't stress," Mai cautioned. "You have plenty of time."
It was only later that day that Goro began his campaign of spending time with everyone. In the late afternoon, he asked Sayori to see if anyone was free. As luck would have it, both Ryuji and Yusuke were. Sayori discussed it with them, receiving occasional input from Goro. Eventually, they came to the agreement to meet at the park.
Yusuke was the first to arrive, a small bag of art supplied at his waist as he sat back to look at the autumn environment. He looked closely at the red and orange leaves that clung to trees and stuck to the ground, paying careful attention to the exact shade. It was a beautiful environment, but he found himself waiting impatiently for his companions to arrive. Any good piece of art should have a subject to draw their attention, and those three would make excellent models.
At the very least, Sayori and Goro will. They can actually stay still long enough to let me paint them. Just as those thoughts entered the young artist's head, he heard a shout and looked over to see the other friend that had decided to come today.
Ryuji went over to Yusuke as soon as he spotted him, going at a slow jog as he breathed in the slightly chillier air. While it was satisfying to work up a sweat by exercising in the summer, Ryuji could easily say that Fall was the best time to do anything outside. It was even better to do it late in the day. The blond athlete was also fueled by the thought of showing some of his other friends, besides Akira, his progress.
"Yusuke! Are we the only ones here?" he asked, catching the artist's attention. As Yusuke sighed, Ryuji closed the distance and sat beside him, accidentally shoving him to the side.
Yusuke quickly composed himself, sitting back up and dusting off imaginary dirt. He checked his sketchbook to make sure nothing had been messed up. Relieved to find no tears, creases, or smudges, he decided not to be rude to Ryuji. He didn't want to be in the middle of an argument when Sayori and Goro finally arrived. Instead, he curtly answered his friend's question. "Yes. I am surprised you weren't the last to arrive, Ryuji. Normally, you are not so punctual."
Alright. Maybe he decided to be a little rude.
However, Ryuji didn't seem bothered. "Wonder what's keeping them. Maybe Goro's pickin' out a tie? He has a bunch of weird ones if Sayori was bein' for real."
"What do you mean?" Yusuke asked, watching Ryuji crack up.
"Turns out Goro's got a big collection of weird ties. Sayori used a couple to mark her bags when we were goin' to Hawaii."
As the blond continued to crack up, Yusuke sat in stunned silence, failing to comprehend what he had just heard. The idea of such a dignified person owning something so ridiculous was… interesting to say the least. At the most he could say it was… inspiring.
The young artist immediately began attempting to visualize an art piece with what he had just learned in mind. It could have the message that you learned things you never expected to learn about other people. It could say to never make assumptions of people based only on what you know from shallow first meetings. He was so entranced with this idea that he failed to notice the very subjects on his mind arriving.
"I'm sorry we are late," Goro Akechi began, walking hand-in-hand with Sayori. "We wanted to bring some food with us as well."
Sayori was the first to notice that something was off, noticing that Ryuji still had tears in his eyes from his earlier laughing fit. "Ryuji, why are you crying? And why is your face so red?"
Before Ryuji could answer, Yusuke suddenly stood up with an intense, determined look on his face. "Akechi!"
The detective jumped back in surprise. "Me?" he said, fearing for his life.
"Yes, you!" Yusuke strode towards him. "I wish to make a request!"
Goro suddenly felt very nervous, as one should always be when Yusuke Kitagawa was making a request regarding art. "What would this request be?"
"I wish to see your ridiculous tie collection!" With these words, Ryuji seemed to erupt with laughter, falling onto his back and holding his stomach.
"Oh shit! I can't breathe, ma-" He was interrupted by another burst of laughter, tears forming in his eyes once again.
Sayori gawked at her blue-haired friend. "Yusuke, his collection is not ridiculous," She chastised. Goro smiled as his girlfriend began to defend him, only to feel even more embarrassed when she added, "His collection is cute!"
"Is that so? Very well, then," Yusuke turned to face the detective once more. "Akechi! I would like to request that I use your cute tie collection for my next art piece!"
"Um… This is… What even…" Goro seemed to struggle for words as Yusuke looked at him with deadly seriousness.
"Now, what's the magic word, Yusuke?" Sayori asked with her hands on her hips.
"Right," Yusuke replied with a nod, before once again turning to the embarrassed detective. "Please!"
Goro felt his face heat up in embarrassment, unable to keep himself from glaring at Ryuji, still laughing on the ground. Did making friends require him to give up the brain cells he had left? If that was the case, perhaps he was better off isolating himself.
Yusuke was still waiting for a response, so the detective sighed. "Perhaps another time, Yusuke. I don't wear any of those ties, so I may as well do something with them." Yusuke seemed to become infinitely brighter at that, smiling and turning around to return to where he was sitting.
It's not something to worry about. I won't have to worry about any of this stuff soon enough, Goro thought to himself with a sigh. He may as well enjoy it.
"Goro, mind helping me get things ready?" Sayori asked with a smile and a wink. The detective was definitely beginning to think Sojiro was right when he said Sayori had him wrapped around her little finger, as he went to help her set out a thin sheet on the ground and lay out the small pile of snack food they had bought from a convenience store on their way here.
As soon as they were done, Ryuji appeared, grabbing a small bag of chips. He had a sheepish grin on his face. "Sorry for losin' myself like that. Yusuke is such a weird guy it's hard not to lose my shit whenever we're hangin' out."
"Are you sure it wasn't that you were laughing at me?" Goro asked, noting with satisfaction the way Ryuji's posture became much better as he stiffened like a deer caught in a headlight.
"Maybe a little…" Ryuji admitted, causing the detective to smirk. The blond looked over to see Sayori deep in a conversation with Yusuke, so he decided to talk to the detective for a bit. There was definitely one thing he needed to check in on the detective with.
"So, do you think there's any other tips you have for getting a girl's attention?"
Goro seemed flustered by the question, though also a bit irritated. "Ryuji, I don't think there's any advice I can give you that would work. We all have different charms that would attract another person to us. I don't mean to be offensive, but the two of us are too different for anything I say to work for you."
Ryuji pouted, before shaking his head. "That's alright, man," the blond smiled, even though he felt a little bit bummed out. He honestly wasn't sure what to talk about with the detective. Goro was right when he said they didn't have much in common. The only thing he could think of was that they were both close to Sayori, with the detective a bit closer than Ryuji was.
"Is there anyone you have your eye on?" Goro asked hesitantly. He did something to talk about with the blond after all. It was satisfying to see the blond embarrassed, avoiding eye contact and rubbing the back of his neck.
"Yeah, a little bit. Not that I'd say I 'have an eye on her.' That just sounds gross," Ryuji stated. "Still, I don't think I'm going to go for it. We've been friends forever and I don't want to make it weird."
Goro decided not to pry into who it was. Ryuji was so talkative, so he would have told him who it was if he was at all interested in sharing that bit of information. "I see… Though I for one think that friendship is the best place to start if you want to have a relationship with someone. I am not an expert when it comes to relationships… at all, but having history with someone is beneficial."
"Do you have history with Sayori?" Ryuji asked, and the detective shook his head in embarrassment. "I didn't think so." That came out ruder than he had wanted, so the blond quickly tried to correct himself. "Oh shit! Sorry, Goro. You guys were definitely friends before you started dating so that's my bad."
"It's alright," the detective replied with a shrug. "Again, I am not good at relationships at all. Before I met Sayori, I didn't have any friends at all… Which honestly makes me wonder if I'm approaching this relationship with her entirely wrong."
"For real?" Ryuji asked in shock. "Dude, that's so depressing!" He looked down with a thoughtful expression, before grinning as an idea came to mind. "But hey, you're friends with all the rest of us, and I bet you feel completely different for Sayori than you do for the rest of us, right?"
Feeling stunned, Goro turned away shyly. It gave him a confusing mixture of uneasiness and happiness for one of the Phantom Thieves to call him their friend. Still, Ryuji had been one of the first to lighten up around him at the beach, so this was probably to be expected.
Realizing that Ryuji was still waiting for an answer, Goro nodded his head. "Yes, I do feel a much more intense feeling of happiness for Sayori than I do for the rest of you."
The blond laughed once again. "You could just say you love her, and you like all of us!" Deciding to move on, Ryuji thought of something else that he had been wondering about the detective.
"So, how are things goin' with the Phantom Thieves?"
The detective shuddered slightly, and Ryuji felt a small flash of worry as the boy across from him looked very small all of a sudden. "I would say that it is far from going well. I feel like I am going to be taken off of this case very soon, if I'm to be honest with myself."
"Why's that?" Ryuji asked, tilting his head. He made a mental note to mention this conversation the next time the team met up, in case this conversation gave them a better idea of where they stood with the detective.
"I am preoccupied with something that concerns me much more," Goro began carefully. He couldn't say the real reason, after all. "It has caused me to fall short in what I need to be doing for this case to come to an end. And also…" the detective hesitated, "I feel that I have a conflict of interest… and I can no longer say that I don't support the Phantom Thieves."
Now that was interesting. "Whaddya mean by that?" Ryuji asked, sounding much more excited about this than he needed to be. The detective looked at him with a deadpan expression, and the athlete found himself much more sure that Goro Akechi knew he was a Phantom Thief with that sardonic look that suggested he should already know why.
"Well, the main reason is that they helped Sayori in a way I could never hope to achieve. I owe them a great debt for that," Goro explained. In an effort to not think about what he was admitting, he grabbed a small grab of animal shaped crackers and began to bite their heads off. "The second is that they have helped nearly every member in your large friend group as well. I already knew of you and Takamaki's problems with Kamoshida, thanks to the media, the same going for Madarame. And I found out through investigation what nearly happened to Niijima when Kaneshiro turned himself in."
Ryuji smiled at that. "Nice to know that you care about us like that." However, the detective's comment also reminded him of how those words had been a comment of suspicion a few months ago. Afterall, their odd little group was made out of major victims from each of the most attention grabbing hearts that the Thieves had stolen.
Ryuji had to admit that it was nerve wracking, wondering what was going on in this detective's head. The guy probably knew exactly what was going on, but was willingly keeping things to himself. The problem was that he was keeping things from them, and they had no idea if he was being truthful that he was keeping things from the authorities. They had no idea if he was truly on their side.
Still, Ryuji felt he had an answer to that. Goro Akechi was on his own side. Whichever side aligned with his goals the most would be the side he would help, but if the situation changed, the detective could betray them at the drop of a hat. Still, there was this "conflict of interest" keeping him anchored to one side. Goro Akechi was attached to the criminals he was chasing, and the Phantom Thieves were going to do whatever they could to keep him on their side, until hopefully he would choose them of his own free will.
Because the Phantom Thieves were becoming attached to him too, no matter how much they didn't want to admit it.
Meanwhile, Sayori and Yusuke were chatting as well, picking up certain fallen leaves and arranging them into a display on the ground. They were aiming to create a mosaic sort of drawing, using the different shades of red, orange, and yellow that were available to them. It wasn't what Sayori was expecting to be doing, but Yusuke had the odd desire to try something new and unique.
The artist himself was silent, a look of intense focus as he studied the ground. Still, though Yusuke did often have a frown on his face when he was focusing on something difficult, Sayori couldn't help but notice how his eyes narrowed in on her whenever she tried to get his attention. Something was obviously frustrating him, and it had to do with her.
"Yusuke, did I do something to upset you?" Sayori asked, dropping a leaf into their growing pile.
"I'm not upset. I am just thinking," the artist said, not sounding very convincing even to himself.
"What are you thinking about?"
Yusuke averted his eyes, sighing as he remembered his frustrations of only a few days prior. 'I am just thinking about how you were distracted in the Palace. After what you recently revealed to us, it worries me that there are still things you aren't comfortable with telling us."
Sayori nodded. She had expected that Yusuke would bring this up sooner, rather than later. "It… You don't need to worry about it, Yusuke."
"You know… It's possible that you could die soon, Sayori," Yusuke stated bluntly, yet quietly so that Goro would not be able to hear. "It's already been proven that the secrets you keep are dangerous, so I am sorry if I am invading your privacy, but I want to know. You are a close and dear friend, who has comforted me and inspired me, so I only want the best for you."
Sayori felt her face tighten as guilt constricted her lungs. She always felt bad whenever she was faced with this, but she still refused to bend. It would be better for her friends if they didn't know such dangerous information right now. If she told them about Goro, or that there was someone behind the scenes ordering her boyfriend to hurt people, the Phantom Thieves could end up rushing into a situation they aren't prepared for.
"I only want the best for you guys, too. Don't worry, because no matter what happens, I know things will turn out alright. When we're all together, we always pull through," Sayori assured. If nothing else, she believed this. It was the only reassurance that she could offer right now.
Yusuke frowned, but nodded in acceptance. Deciding to move on to a topic more suited for public disclosure, he quickly took notice of something else. "All of these warm shades in the leaves would be suitable for Goro. Perhaps he could sit on this leave pile after we are done arranging it."
"That's a good point. I'm sure that idea would be much less embarrassing than revealing his tie collection to the world," Sayori replied with a grin. "I suppose I'm a bit more of a Spring, while Goro is an Autumn, right?"
"Yes, both of your styles incorporate colors from the transitional seasons," Yusuke mused. "Now, if only I could find two other models for Summer and Winter. That could be an interesting topic to paint."
"You're coming up with lots of ideas today," Sayori said, a happy smile on her face. She found a rather large cluster of leaves and began to hold them up for Yusuke's judgemental eye to examine.
"They are much more mundane, casual ideas than I would normally go for, but I am up for anything if it means finding true beauty," Yusuke replied. He scrutinized each leaf Sayori held up, before pointing to where they should be placed.
"I'm happy that it hasn't rained, otherwise these leaves would be soaked," Sayori commented, placing the down according to the instruction she was receiving.
"Let's not test our luck. It is already very windy," the artist said with a stern expression.
"Good point."
When Sayori was done with her pile, she looked up to find Yusuke still with that frustrated look on his face. "What's wrong?" she asked worriedly.
"I suppose I am having second thoughts on whether or not this is a good idea," Yusuke said, looking at where Goro sat worriedly. "After all, Goro Akechi is hated by many, and for others he is too popular. How would an art piece of him be received?'
"Well… It would be controversial!" Sayori sprung up in excitement. Yusuke looked at her in bewilderment. "Isn't that what artists should want from an audience. Controversy sparks discussion."
"I am not sure that the controversy of 'Goro Akechi; Hot or Not?' is the kind of discussion I want to be centered around my art, though."
Sayori cringed at the thought. "True. Still, you already have so many other ideas. If this is an art piece you want to do, you should paint it regardless. It can be a private piece that only you and certain people can see." Yusuke smiled at the sentiment, giving a small nod.
"Despite your many moments of gullibleness, you have a very wise viewpoint, Sayori."
"Thank you?" Sayori wasn't sure if she should take that as a compliment or not.
"I am satisfied with how this looks," Yusuke said suddenly, and Sayori dropped the rest of her pile of leaves to the side. "I will fetch Goro. You can keep Ryuji company."
Yusuke went over to where Goro and Ryuji were chatting. Goro looked thoughtful for a second, before nodding and getting up from his spot on the blanket. Ryuji grinned, before springing up and going over to Sayori.
"You wanna run a few laps around the park while Yusuke does his art thing?" Ryuji asked, to which Sayori visibly paled. She wasn't nearly as good at running outside of the Metaverse as she was inside of it.
Still, Ryuji seemed eager to show off, so she bit her tongue and gave him a weak smile and nod. "If you want to. I will do my best to keep up."
"Great!" Ryuji grabbed her hand and started out slow, giving Sayori a chance to get used to the feeling of running. It was better to go slow at first anyway, regardless of past injury or lack of experience. Otherwise you would get winded too quickly.
Sayori smiled fondly, despite her struggle to keep up, It was a good thing that Ryuji was improving to the point that she struggled to keep up with him. If not for what Kamoshida had done to him, that should have always been the case anyway. Still, she tried her best to keep up.
"So, I was thinkin' about what we could do to help your glitchin','" Ryuji said offhandedly. Sayori almost panicked that he was talking about it in public, afraid that this problem of hers would become the new "we're the Phantom Thieves," but decided not to worry. Without context, it probably only sounded like Sayori's laptop was malfunctioning or something.
"Did you come up with anything?" Sayori asked, genuinely curious. Her lungs were starting to burn, so her words came out with a slight struggle for air.
"No… But I was thinkin' that maybe this whole thing has to do with the Metaverse in other ways," Ryuji thought aloud, being mercifully quiet so nothing suspicious could be heard. "Maybe you're like Morgana?"
"How... so?" Sayori panted, only managing to get those two words out. She slowed down a bit, trying to ease her body into a slower pace while not immediately stopping.
Ryuji slowed down a bit so they could keep talking. "Well, if Morgana's secretly a human," At this the blond rolled his eyes, "then maybe you're secretly a cat?"
"Are you… trying to call me a cat-girl… Ryuji?" Sayori asked, slightly irritated by the thought.
"Nah… That's more like Ann's thing. I was just jokin.' But I am serious that maybe you're like Morgana." Ryuji grinned as Sayori gave him a withering glare.
"What do you…" Sayori couldn't quite finish her sentence, wishing she had thought to grab a water bottle before she started running with Ryuji.
"Maybe whatever you need to stop glitchin' is at the same place we're tryin' to get to in Mementos," Ryuji clarified. He felt proud of himself when Sayori seemed to consider the idea. "Or, y'know, maybe there's something in the Palaces we could grab that would help."
"We would have noticed… in Palaces."
"Yeah," Ryuji admitted. "But we hafta think of everything possible. 'Sides, why do you think you'll just be able to sense whatever it is that you'll need to stop glitchin'?' He was starting to get tired himself, so he slowed down and began to walk besides the more exhausted Sayori. "I got water with me. You just drip it into your mouth…" The girl did as she was told, lifting the bottle he had with him above her mouth and letting the water fall into her mouth.
"Well, it's me. Something weird and scary is happening to me. I guess I just want to hope that we wouldn't just look over the only possible solution because we were doing something else in a Palace," Sayori finally answered.
"Yeah, that's pretty scary," Ryuji replied. "Still, we're the Phantom Thieves. Every month we seem to be doin' things that others find impossible. Hell… Maybe Futaba just needs to hack into somewhere and fix all this."
"But if she did, we don't know where," Sayori concluded. "That's probably what worries me most. We're all just humans with a weird voice in our head that gives us powers when we're in another plane of existence. And Morgana is a talking cat that may have been human, but can't remember anything that could be helpful." The girl seemed to deflate and came to a standstill.
"Yeah, there's a weird way that all this stuff works." Ryuji grimaced. "I still don't get how all this stuff works. But the rest of you have big brains, so we'll figure this shit out."
"I hope you're right…"
"Course I am…" Ryuji grinned with a confidence that Sayori honestly couldn't understand. "Things will work out. Isn't that what you think?"
Sayori thought back to her earlier conversation with Yusuke, remembering her own words. She gave a light, but genuine smile at the thought. "Yes, I know things will work out as long as I'm still here. I'm not going to stop until I'm happy, and if everyone else is happy, then I can always find a reason to smile."
"You don't mean that in your old depression way, right?' Ryuji asked in concern, and Sayori blushed, before shaking her head.
"Of course not," Sayori looked forward with determination. "It's just how I always am. I find my
happiness when I spend time with the people I care about."
"Alright then," Ryuji accepted the answer. "I just want you to believe what you're sayin.' We're here to help, and we're gonna effin' do it. That's what the Phantom Thieves are good at. Kickin' ass and takin' names, and helpin' people by doin' the impossible." The two slowed to a stop once they made a full circle, and Sayori collapsed onto the picnic blanket with a huge relief. Ryuji was happy to stop, too. His leg was starting to hurt like hell.
Ryuji grabbed another snack bag, wondering not for the first time what the Phantom Thieves needed to do. He had faith that they would figure it out and do whatever it was, but it was still hard to fathom the unfathomable. Still, the Phantom Thieves were working towards a solution. It would just require a huge leap of faith.
While Sayori and Ryuji had been busy exercising, Goro had been instructed to sit perfectly still on a small pile of leaves that the meticulous artist had put together. The detective did his best to sit in a way that wouldn't ruin the structure, getting into the most comfortable position that would still look stylish.
Goro did not talk for a while, watching as Yusuke sketched the best outline he could. The colors would have to come later, and would probably require a picture with the lighting shifting so much. The artist seemed rather frustrated by this fact, but did his best to hold these feelings back and work quickly.
"Perhaps working outside was not the best idea," Goro mumbled, hoping his mouth wasn't moving too much.
"This is fine," the artist replied stubbornly, drawing lines with a practiced confidence. Just from looking, he knew exactly how many lines he would require to capture the detective's likeness, and the background around them. There was no need for lines that needed to be erased, for they wasted too much time.
A few minutes passed, and Yusuke could already tell the detective's attention was beginning to wander. His eyes intently followed Sayori as she trailed behind Ryuji, though he didn't seem inclined to move.
Knowing he needed to keep his model happy and focused, the artist decided to try having a conversation. "You know, it is hard for me to believe how I first met you and Sayori…"
"How so?" the detective asked curiously, gluing his best smile onto his face while he talked.
"Well, aside from still being under Madarame's thumb back then, things have grown and changed a lot these past months," Yusuke said. "Still, it hasn't changed that Sayori has been encouraging and inspirational since I met her, even when things were falling apart for her so long ago."
"Yes. I suppose that is a very accurate statement," The detective replied. He could feel his face starting to ache. He had kept his face in one expression for too long.
"I am surprised that is all you have to say. You must take your new, temporary role as a model very seriously," Yusuke replied with a chuckle. "You've always struck me as the type to be a chatterbox."
"I am normally like that during interviews. You probably just haven't noticed how quiet I am when I am with your group because others are talking."
"True," Yusuke frowned as he noticed the detective's face looked very strained with that smile. Wondering if there was a way for him to fix that, he continued speaking. "Why is it that you do not talk? You always seem to be trying to find a reason to attract attention to yourself. Whether it's during an interview, or when you decided to spit in frozen yogurt…" The artist cringed. That was honestly a memory he wanted to forget. Not only because of the extreme and slightly disturbing behavior from the detective, but also because of those guys that had tried harassing the girls in their group.
"That is a fair assessment," Goro said. "I suppose I am just skilled at only being noticed when I want to be." The detective's smile dropped for a few seconds at that statement. Almost on instinct, Yusuke drew the expression with barely a flick of his pencil. Still, that statement didn't sit right with him, at all. He had heard some stories of the detective's origins, but they had been kept short and curt out of respect for Goro's privacy.
If all goes well, perhaps he could elaborate what he means by that in the future, Yusuke thought to himself, before thinking of a reply. "Yes, avoiding unwanted attention is a great skill to have. Still, you also seem starved for it all the same."
Goro flushed red at that accusation, unable to respond for a few precious seconds. He could practically see where this conversation was going to go. He would rather not be flustered and red-faced when he needed to keep his appearance as picture-frame-perfect as possible.
"It is an interesting dynamic that continues to inspire me as well. I feel like we can both relate to pursuing beauty," Yusuke said simply, finishing the rough sketch he had made. With a sigh, he took out his phone. "Because it is starting to get late, the colors are going to shift too much for me to finish this piece. I will take a picture and then set you loose."
Goro said nothing, keeping perfectly still so that Yusuke could take all of the pictures he needed. It also gave him a good excuse to think. The comment about pursuing beauty was making conflicting emotions rise within him. On the one hand, the artist was right. But at the same time, what did he mean when he said that. Obviously, he had called Sayori beautiful, but earlier he had mentioned that she inspired him, and that he was pursuing beauty in a way that the detective was.
The rational part of his brain was still very much present, so Goro didn't get too worked up. Still, the ridiculous jealousy he had stuck with him as he saw Sayori finally come to a collapse on the picnic blanket.
For the rest of the evening, the detective stayed by Sayori's side. Ryuji and Yusuke sat with them, munching on snacks and enjoying their evening. The atmosphere was relaxed and everyone left feeling as if they had all grown a little bit closer.
It was barely sunrise the next morning when Sayori woke up to an insistent ringing phone. Unsurprised to see that it was Ann calling her, the girl answered with a weary, "Hello?"
"Sayori, why does it sound like you're just waking up? I need you for a shopping trip for Haru! Bring Goro, too!" Ann shouted excitedly over the phone. Sayori could only mumble confused nonsense as her tired brain tried to catch up with what she was hearing.
"Why are we goin'?" she finally managed.
"Makoto and I decided to help Haru find the perfect break up outfit for Haru to wear when she dumps Sugimuru!"
Now that was something that woke Sayori up. With a grin on her face, she said, "We'll be right there," and hung up the phone. Not wasting a second, she knocked on Goro's door and shouted for him to get up. Then she went straight to getting ready for the day herself, going to the living room closet and sorting through her clothes.
With Haru in mind, Sayori quickly grabbed her pink sweater, and a pair of black leggings. While it didn't exactly match her friend's normal attire, Sayori thought it matched enough to show what she hoped could be called visual support. She was a member of Team Haru, through and through!
From there it was the normal morning routine. Goro came out of his room right as Sayori was finished strapping on her shoes. With one look at the girl's attire, the detective disappeared back into his room, reappearing a few minutes later. He had his sweater vest on, and was also sporting a very dorky grin.
Sayori nodded in approval, and quickly filled him in on where they would be going for the day. Goro nodded, a thoughtful expression on his face, and his grin grew even wider when he learned why they were shopping for Haru.
"I see. I imagine that conversation is not for my ears to hear, but I am interested in witnessing Haru breaking up with her fiance," the detective said, noticing an eager smile on Sayori's face. "I assume you think the same as me?"
"Yeah!" Sayori replied, wiggling in place with a happy aura. "We need to hurry so we don't keep the girls waiting!" The girl quickly went back to preparing herself for the day, causing her boyfriend to chuckle in amusement. He finished his own self preparations as well, grabbing one of their leftover snack bars from the day before for a small breakfast.
As soon as they both deemed themselves ready, Sayori grabbed Goro's hand and tugged him out the door, walking quickly so neither of them would be late. Ann hadn't given her details on where they would be meeting up, but Ann had taken her on so many shopping trips that it wasn't hard to guess that she and Goro would need to wait in front of the sweets shop next to the mall. If not, then Sayori could always call Ann to ask for more information.
Of course, Ann was already in the sweets shop with Makoto and Haru. She noticed Sayori and Goro right away, and glanced over at Makoto with a grin. The brunette saw the mischievous twinkle in her eye and inwardly sighed.
"Do we really need to keep them waiting?" Makoto asked in annoyance. "I'm getting rather sick of watching you tease them. It's not like they're going to make out on the street with all of this Phantom Thief controversy."
Haru had been standing there, awkwardly looking at the two waiting for them outside. "Makoto, you may want to rescind your statement." A blush painted the heiress's face as she watched Sayori suddenly yank the detective forward.
"Why would she…" Makoto went over every possible reason why Sayori would suddenly do that. Though they were very forward and affectionate when in the company of those they trusted, it went without saying that it was better to just let their relationship be a tabloid rumor. Not to mention, the shocked look on Goro's face made it awfully clear that Sayori hadn't asked first, and that was so unlike her. So why-
Ann noticed immediately how Sayori had used her sweater sleeves to block Goro's face from view. She then noticed three people walking past them, obviously trying to get a glimpse and double-check if Goro Akechi, the charming Second Coming of the Detective Prince, was actually at a shopping mall this morning. Whether they were fangirls or the worst kind of "critic" was not known, but it didn't need to be. As soon as the interlopers rounded the corner, Sayori released Goro's face and very clearly tried to apologize. The detective only covered his face to hide the cherry red hue his face was becoming.
"It's fine," Ann stated confidently. "The only thing new is that we get to see Sayori be possessive for a change," The model grabbed sugary confection she had purchased for herself, took a very smug bite, and went through the store's entrance to greet the two.
Haru and Makoto stood together for a few more awkward moments, looking at each other, then back to the front, then back to each other. Half of a minute passed before Makoto finally managed to say something.
"This-This… Doesn't really happen that much…" Makoto then remembered all of the times she had seen of the two wrapping possessive hands around each other, and began to backtrack. "Well… not to this scale, at least. Or wait, is that even right? What does that scale even look like?"
"It's not a big deal, Mako-chan." Haru shrugged, managing to quell her conflicting feelings for the moment. "I am very happy for them. They are able to go to very great lengths to protect each other."
"I'm not sure if that's how I would phrase it," Makoto paused for a second of consideration, before closing her eyes and smiling to herself. "But you are right."
The two grabbed their own food and walked out of the shop, nodding to Sayori and Goro, trying not to let their amusement become obvious. Of course, the two were a blushing mess, barely able to look each other in the eyes.
"Alright, everyone! Let's get started," Ann stated, nodding to Makoto, who quickly took a shopping list out of her bag. "We have a lot of stuff we need to get, places we need to go, and things we need to do. We need to stay together in a group to offer maximized moral support, and fashionable opinion, to make sure Haru has no trouble feeling confident and superior when she breaks up with Sugimuru, who will from now on only be referred to as, 'The Bastard.'"
Goro seemed to choke on his own breath, and everyone looked over at him in concern. Sayori was especially concerned, patting her boyfriend's back, wondering if what Ann said would be taken as offensive. She was about to suggest that they come up with a different name for Haru's fiance, when she felt a small tremor run through the detective… and heard laughter.
None of the girls would ever admit it, but as the detective's laugh took on a more crazy lilt, they felt nervous. Haru, swallowing her fears, walked over to Goro's other side, in case he actually started to choke. "Ann-chan, I think you broke him."
"Br… broke him?" Sayori thumped Goro's back lightly. It was like flipping a switch to off, as he looked up and wiped tears from his eyes.
"Sorry… Not really sure why, but that was hilarious. Are you sure you're not more suited to be a comedian, rather than a model?" Goro looked at Ann, who frowned and gave the detective a small glare.
"I wasn't trying to be funny! I was just… being peppy," The blonde suddenly looked away in embarrassment, crossing her arms.
"My sincerest apologies," Goro smiled kindly. "How can I help to bring down this bastard?"
Makoto looked down thoughtfully. "A male opinion on clothing would be helpful. Unlike Ryuji, Akira, and Yusuke, you have a closer personality to The Bastard. We want clothes that he would hate, but not ones that would not cause an outlash from him."
"Is… Oh… Thank you?" The detective didn't know if Makoto was trying to paint his "similar personality" as a good thing, or if this was an underhanded way of insulting him, but she did have a point. He often did portray himself as a smug, charming individual, with refined taste, while being truly rotten on the inside. So hopefully his tastes would match The Bastard's well enough.
"We should probably get all of our shopping done, before it gets too late," Haru suggested, turning to Ann. "Lead the way."
Ann quickly began striding to the nearest clothing shop, looking at Makoto's list for guidance. "First of all, even though it's not normally something Haru would wear, we need to get some sleek, covering clothes. No fluffy sweaters! You are not soft, Haru! Not for The Bastard."
"Right. I want clothes that show how much I hate him!" Haru seemed very impassioned by this thought.
"I don't know if there are fashionable clothes that would give off that message. What I think we should aim for are clothes that show you are above him," Makoto suggested. "You're an heiress to Okumura Foods, so maybe something that says that you mean business."
"Yes. Perhaps a suit?" Goro threw in, only for Ann to blanch.
"I… don't think I have enough money for that," Ann sighed in disappointment. A suit would look nice. And it wouldn't show off any of the traits that bastard found attractive enough to try to assault. "Sayori, do you have any suggestions?"
"Well, I think Haru should dress in something she would normally wear. Haru is perfect and beautiful the way she is, so she shouldn't wear something that makes her look like she's hiding," Sayori said, her hands balled into fists and a confident smile on her face.
Haru blushed at the compliment. "Yes, something like what I normally wear would probably be cheaper, too." The girl looked around the clothing shop, spotting a raven black sweater. "What about that?" She pointed at it, and everyone went over to look at the loose, unrevealing piece of clothing.
"This could work." Ann looked at it thoughtfully, resisting the urge to check the price tag. "It's still soft, but it also feels sheer."
"It's so black that there would be very few shadows in the curves of the body," the detective thought out loud. Hand on his chin, he seemed to be examining the sweater the same way one would look at a crime scene.
"I'm not sure," Makoto looked doubtful. "Wouldn't you want something with a lighter color. That is something you normally wear, after all."
"Actually," Haru looked down with a shy smile, "I really like it. It's very… Noir." Makoto, Ann, and Sayori all froze at that comment, while Goro put a hand to the fabric and continued to examine it.
"The material is very soft. It seems to be made of polyester, if my guess is correct…" The detective checked the tag on the neckline and nodded to himself. "Aside from that, you're right. It looks like the clothing that would be worn in a Noir film. I'm not quite sure if that is the look you want, but it would paint you in a very serious light." He handed the sweater back to Haru, who eagerly took it.
"Well… if you like it so much, you should try it on," Makoto suggested, pointing to a nearby changing booth. Haru smiled, giving a small nod of agreement, before striding over to the changing booth.
While Makoto and Sayori looked around the store for pants that would match the sweater, Ann smirked at Goro. "I knew I could trust your judgement. Thanks for the help."
Goro looked at the model in bewilderment, not believing for one second that she would actually trust him when it came to fashion sense. "What makes you say that? You are aware that I'm wearing-"
"An atrocity? Yeah, I know. To be honest, your opinion on what Haru should wear to dump The Bastard isn't important. That was just a trick to get you to say something that actually meant something while we were here," Ann covered her mouth with one hand, before laughing at herself. "I'm such a bad liar. It's ridiculous sometimes."
Goro had to fight the urge to glare. He wasn't in the mood to mince words after that comment. "What do you mean? Do I normally not contribute anything of value?"
"I don't want to be too mean, but yeah. Sayori talks a lot about how you talk at home, and also that one time you spilled your entire sad past to Akira. You never seem honest when you're around the rest of us though. Sure, you spit in some perverts' food for us, and helped us in Haru's garden… But I would be lying if I said I didn't feel like I got a shallow feeling both of those times." Ann crossed her arms, trying to come up with something to say that wouldn't make her sound like a brat.
"I see…" Goro looked down in consideration. "You and I didn't spend much time together either of those times. Did we?"
"Nope," Ann confirmed, before looking down sadly. "I guess… Sayori wants you and the rest of us to become friends. Back before we spent any time with you at all, she practically begged us to let you come along to the beach. It's sweet, the way she's looking out for you… It's nice to be trusted with something like that," Ann ran a hand through one of her pigtails, watching as Sayori began to hand Haru three different pairs of dress pants from under the stall.
The detective could sense that Ann was thinking about something personal, and he didn't want to ask. Still, would it not be a step in the right direction? "If I may ask, was there a time when Sayori didn't trust you, or was there someone else who didn't?"
Ann paused, remembering the moment Sayori had disappeared right in front of the Phantom Thieves, and then decided that they shouldn't worry the detective. A part of Ann thought that wasn't a good idea, as he should know about his girlfriend possibly dying, but once again… Ann liked that Sayori trusted them all with something like that. So instead, Ann's mind turned to something else, or rather… someone else.
"Yeah… Back when Kamoshida was still at our school, one of my friends was getting harrassed by him. She tried to-" Ann could feel herself begin to choke back the tears, but Goro spared her the pain of remembering by raising a hand.
"Sayori told me about that the day it happened, when I came to pick her up after fainted," he explained, causing Ann to nod in understanding.
"Yeah…" Ann took a deep breath to calm herself, before putting a smile back on her face. "Anyway, I guess what I was trying to say was, I want to be friends with you, Goro… Can I call you that? All of the guys do." At the detective's nod, she continued. "I want to be friends with you, but I don't feel like we're quite there, yet. You share things with Sayori, and also Akira to a lesser extent, but I don't feel like I know you at all."
"That makes sense. I do want to build deeper relationships with all of you, too," Goro said, unable to stop that small hope of taking another step forward and cloud the dim reality of his future.
"Well, keep saying what you honestly think, then. Already, I'm learning more about you," Ann grinned cheekily. "Goro Akechi likes polyester blends. Maybe I should get one for Sayori, too."
"Don't forget that we're here for Haru," Sayori suddenly exclaimed from where she sat outside of the dressing room. She gave them both a grumpy pout, before turning back to the dressing room. "Are you almost ready to show us?"
"I think so… I just can't decide on the pants. They're all… tan. " Haru suddenly squeaked in embarrassment. "I was hoping there would be a pair that would be a nice shade of purple... or pink."
"So… like Noir, then?" Makoto asked. Haru gave a sheepish laugh, confirming Makoto's question. She took Sayori's hand. "Come on, let's go see if we can find a pair of pants like that in this store."
"You think we might have to go to a different one?" Sayori asked, treading along. She glanced behind her to see Goro and Ann walk over to the booth to keep Haru company.
"We might. This store doesn't seem to have a lot of lighter colors," Makoto commented. "So we wouldn't be able to get anything close to Haru's light pink shirt. But we might be able to find a purple that's dark enough." Makoto stopped in front of a large shelf, piled high with folded clothes.
"This place isn't organized very well," Sayori commented. "That must be driving you crazy."
"It is," Makoto confirmed, digging through the large stacks of black and grey and all of the other formal, plain colors to a small bundle of what she hoped was dark purple. It could have just been a trick of the light.
"We could ask one of the people that work here," Sayori suggested, gesturing to the two girls that were sitting at the register, near the entrance. Both of them sported heavy frowns, looking like they'd rather be anywhere else. Sayori couldn't blame them. It was the weekend, and they were probably very bored,
"I don't want to bother them," Makoto said stiffly, digging her way so deep into the shelved clothes that it looked like she was about to topple over a card tower.
"You're probably bothering them more by messing up those neat stacks they'll need to refold later," Sayori pointed out, causing Makoto to cringe at the logic.
"Of course, you're right. I hate it when you're right," Makoto grumbled. She backed away from the shelf carefully, watching to see if it would tip over. When it didn't, she sighed in relief, before walking over to the front desk.
"How may I help you today?" One of the girls asked, a tired look in her eye even as she sported a friendly smile fit for customers.
Makoto smiled, nodding slightly. "My friend is looking for some dark purple bottoms… Preferably pants. Do you have any in this store?" The brunette looked away nervously as the two girls thought about it.
"We got a new shipment of pants like those earlier, right?" The girl behind the register asked.
"I think so. We haven't been able to put them on the shelves, though," The other one sighed. "Those pants are supposed to be hung on that rack," she said while pointing to the far corner of the store. "I'll go dig a pair out. You can check what the tag is in the meantime. What's your friend's size?"
Makoto felt the relief she was beginning to feel evaporate from her body. She didn't know Haru's size! Feeling foolish, Makoto shook her head.
"Whatever," the second girl said. "I'll just get a few pairs and you guys can give the ones she doesn't fit back. About time we started unpacking those boxes, anyway."
Makoto felt incredibly awkward as both employees disappeared to the back of the store. Currently, only her friends and herself were shopping at this early hour, so Makoto wasn't worried about a theft occurring. Deciding to follow the advice she was given, Makoto went to the shelf she had been directed to, and checked the price that was written on a small tag in black marker.
That's not too bad. Especially for a mall, Makoto thought to herself with satisfaction. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Sayori practically running over to her. It might have startled her in the past, but Makoto had grown used to her friend's excitable nature. She didn't even buckle when Sayori practically tackle-hugged her.
"You did great!" Sayori cheered, encouraging Makoto to scoff.
"Of course I did. Those two girls were also very willing to help. They were probably looking for something to do or someone to talk to…" Makoto paused, suddenly worried. "At least… I hope that was the case." She didn't interrupt something, right?
"It's fine," Sayori reassured. "They get paid to help us out. Besides, you were very polite, Makoto." The pink haired girl eased out of the hug and looked at the rack that Makoto was examining. "What are you doing here?"
"Checking the price for the pair of pants that are supposed to go here, since they'll hopefully be the ones we want," Makoto's attention was suddenly drawn to the two store employees. They had found the pairs of pants that she had requested. One girl was handing them to Ann in a polite manner. With the very short distance between them, Makoto could hear snippets of the two girls talking animatedly about modeling. It was clear that this employee was a fan of Ann's work.
The other one also seemed to be a fangirl… of Goro. Makoto couldn't help but sigh in exasperation. Coming to the mall on a weekend with Goro Akechi was probably the worst idea Ann had ever concocted. The detective was wearing a polite smile and answering the girl's questions in a polite voice. However, Sayori was now looking quite worried, as she had noticed Makoto staring and had looked, too.
"Is he uncomfortable?" Makoto asked in a low voice, watching the situation and considering different ways to intervene. "Or are you the one that's uncomfortable, Sayori?"
Before the pink-haired girl could answer, the employee talking to Akechi asked-very loudly-, "So! When are you going to catch those thieves and put them in their place?"
Well, now Makoto was uncomfortable, and from the way Ann stiffened up, she was, too. Haru was still inside of the dressing stall, so Makoto couldn't tell from where she was if Haru was uncomfortable as well, but it was plainly obvious that she would be. Without waiting to check on Sayori, Makoto walked towards the others, wanting to attempt pulling the plug on the entire conversation, but Goro stopped her.
Shaking his head, the detective could only sigh at the girl that stood in front of him with all of the subtlety of a brick wall. In reality, he wanted to scoff and tell her to stop asking idiotic questions, but that would not do in a place like this. So instead he merely frowned and shook his head. "In truth, I have no say in when they will be caught. It would be unfair of me to give you an estimate when there can never be a guarantee. If the Phantom Thieves of Hearts are caught, it will only happen… when it happens."
The girl in front of him looked bored by this answer, as if she was expecting to get some more interesting details about a confidential case. Even if Goro did have any clue on when or if the police would arrest the people he was trying to befriend, he wouldn't tell some unimportant, faceless employee any details anyway.
Before he could say anything to indicate that he would rather not have this girl in his presence, Makoto stepped in with a polite smile. "Thank you for finding those pants for us. I appreciate the help. You can go back to your seat at the register now and relax." The brunette turned to Ann and tilted her head in Sayori's direction. The blonde got the message and excused herself from the conversation she had been having, with the pretense of checking on Sayori.
With no one left to bother, the two girls quickly lost interest and walked back to the front of the shop. Makoto let a smile of relief spread across her face as they would no longer need to interact with those two girls, except when they needed to check out.
"Is everything alright?" Haru asked from within the changing booth. "I'm sorry for not saying anything sooner, but…"
"It's fine, Okumura-chan," Goro said politely. "Just focus on yourself right now."
"Oh… Alright."
The sound of clothes rustling continued on, and Makoto and Goro stood together in awkward silence for a few moments. It was Makoto that broke the silence first, sighing to herself. She felt embarrassed to only be saying it now, but she supposed it was better late than never. So, rubbing the bridge of her nose, she looked up at the detective.
"I… forgive you for being rude to me, a while ago," she said, looking the detective in the eyes, even though she wanted to blink and look away. "I'm not one to hold a grudge, and the insult didn't even matter to me by the time we all went to the beach… Still…"
"It's fine, Niijima. If it means anything, it won't ever happen again. That's a promise that I'm sure I can keep," Goro smiled happily, and Makoto didn't really know how she knew, but it was definitely genuine. She supposed one could never tell the difference between a real smile and a fake one from the detective. Sayori had said something like that once. People who never experienced the real one didn't know it was fake, but the real smile made it obvious, because the fake paled in comparison.
Makoto smiled back, happy that she didn't need to think about that incident ever again. She wasn't "the good girl type of pushover" anymore. Goro Akechi knew this and respected her, and she didn't care even if he didn't.
"Normally it would be Ann saying this, but you should hold Sayori's hand when we leave. Just hearing that girl talk was giving me a headache," Makoto suggested with a smirk. As the detective blushed and looked away from her, she laughed. "I'm sure it was even worse for you."
"In all honesty, yes," the detective confirmed.
While they had been talking, Ann and Sayori had begun a conversation as well. Obviously, Ann had noticed Sayori's discomfort with the previous situation, and had internally congratulated Goro on ditching his fangirl on his own.
"See? Goro can handle himself in situations like that, Sayori. There's no need to let the green-eyed monster get ahold of you," Ann lightly teased. Sayori tried to laugh it off, only to bury her face in her hands in utter embarrassment.
"I shouldn't have kissed him earlier, then!" She whined. "I feel like such a jerk, and a creep!" Sayori grabbed handfuls of her hair and pulled, causing well deserved pain in her scalp.
"Sayori, I heard you apologize to him over and over earlier. He forgave you. You regret your actions and aren't going to do it again. So stop feeling so guilty," Ann stated. She held up four fingers to show her list of reasons, waving them in Sayori's face.
"If Shiho were here right now, she'd say the same thing. In fact, I should call her and have her scold you," the model stated, reaching for her phone.
Sayori grabbed Ann's hand and shook her head. "Please, can you not? I promise I'll forget all about it!" Ann made a show of considering the deal, tapping her chin and looking off to the side. After what felt like ages, she slipped her phone back into her pocket and gave Sayori a thumbs up.
"To be honest, I wasn't even going to mention your surprise kiss…" Ann waited, watching Sayori's eyes light up as she caught on.
"What surprise kiss?" Sayori asked, feigning curiosity, her head tilted innocently to one side.
Ann laughed, happy that Sayori's acting was at least better than her own. "Anyway, I was actually going to talk to Shiho about all three of us having a sleepover after Haru's welcome party. Maybe if we all decide to not mention our community service, Shiho could even come to the party itself."
"That sounds like a lot of fun," Sayori agreed, happy at the thought of seeing Shiho after so many months. Not to mention, she had heard that Ann had a trundle bed, so maybe she could finally sleep on a mattress again.
"Also, with that thought in mind, everyone was thinking of inviting Mai… and also Goro," Ann added, causing Sayori's eyes to widen at the thought.
"Really? Wouldn't that be suspicious, though?"
"Again, we would all make sure not even to mention the Phantom Thieves. And if Goro asked what the party was for, this shopping trip offers a good excuse, right? We could say we're mainly celebrating that Haru dumped The Bastard," the blonde watched as Sayori processed the idea, her body seeming to vibrate with excitement.
"I'm so happy! I don't think I've ever looked forward to one of our welcome parties as much as this one!" Sayori hopped up and down, her voice only just quiet enough to avoid being overheard by the others in the store.
"You didn't hear it from me," Ann replied with a wink. "Akira was actually going to surprise you both with the invite the next time you went over to Leblanc."
"Oh yeah. Definitely! We've just been talking nonsense these past few minutes," Sayori made the motions of locking her lips and throwing away the key.
Just as she did so, Haru finally emerged from her dressing room stall. With a wide flourish of her arms, she shouted, "I'm ready!"
Everyone's conversations immediately stopped. Goro and Makoto, standing the closest to her, turned their heads and began to quietly clap. Sayori and Ann walked closer to get a better look. Almost immediately, they began to shout compliments.
"You look so sophisticated," Sayori said in awe. She was barely able to contain her excitement as Haru, on Ann's suggestion, put her fists on her hips and struck a pose.
"You could be a model," Ann stated. "The Bastard won't know what hit him when you dump his sorry ass."
Haru giggled at the vulgar compliment. Ann and Ryuji definitely had a history if they talked so alike. "Thank you, everyone. This means a lot to me."
"Is this what you want to get?" Goro asked. "Or is there anything else you have your eye on?"
"I think this is perfect," Haru said with a happy smile. "I want to get this right now, put it on, and slap my ex in the face!"
If everyone didn't already know how vicious Haru could actually be in the Metaverse, they would have been shocked at such harsh words being said in such a sweet voice. But of course, no one was surprised. Makoto only smiled with satisfaction. "Get changed back into your old clothes so we can check out."
"Of course!" Haru said, disappearing back into the changing booth. "Hey, now that I think about it, could Sayori and Goro keep me company outside? I haven't really gotten to talk to them since I've been busy changing."
"Of course," Makoto said. She and Ann left, leaving the couple behind. They were admittedly curious about why Haru wanted to speak with them alone, but knew that it was obviously something Haru wanted to discuss in relative privacy.
Goro and Sayori looked at each other from the other side of the dressing room door, both silently wondering what Haru could possibly want both of them alone for. They soon got their answer, as Haru decided not to delay talking to them from the other side of the door.
"You two are such a cute couple," Haru began with a sigh. She felt sad as she began to strip off her clothes, alone in the small booth. "I know that I don't want to have anything to do with Sugimuru… I hate him with all of my being, and want him as far away from me as possible. But… I'm somehow still sad to be ending the relationship."
"Haru…" Sayori trailed off, placing her hand on the dressing room door, wishing she could place it on the girl's shoulder. Goro also looked troubled with the admission.
"I remember that Sugimuru… he was once very nice to me; pleasant enough that I was fine with being engaged to him. But then we did get engaged…" Haru felt herself starting to tremble as unpleasant memories filled her head. "I'm sad that I don't have that pleasant relationship, anymore."
Goro's face tightened with an unspoken grief, and Sayori frowned in concern as his hands balled into fists. "It was all an act, Haru. Whatever charm or pleasantness he showed to you back then was…"
The detective struggled to say what he wanted, and was about to excuse himself. Haru must already understand the meaning of his words, anyway.
"Goro Akechi, if there is something you want to say, then say it," Haru said firmly. She knew perfectly well what the detective meant, but hearing him say it would set more fire into her. To hear yet another person validate her hatred was what she wanted.
"...It was all an act to get into your sheets," the detective said with venom, though both girls could tell that there was a much more vulgar, much more venomous slew of words just beneath the surface.
Haru accepted the admission, nodding to herself. "I know that, of course. That's why I am breaking things off." She felt herself begin to wilt as her previous line of thought returned to her. "But admittedly, I have found myself envious of your relationship. Since I first met Sayori, I have been craving that kind of genuine love that you two share."
Sayori had already heard this admission before, nodding grimly to herself. However, Goro was visibly shaken. The two looked at each other for a brief moment, wondering if they should say anything. Haru seemed to wait for a few moments, but when no words came, she released yet another sigh.
"I'm sorry if that's wrong. I just wanted to let you guys know before everything moves forward. I've felt so alone, for so long. And then there were all those times when I was Sugimuru, and I just…" A shudder ran through her body, so Haru paused to take a deep breath. "I really want the kind of relationship that the two of you have."
The admission hung in silence for a few moments, before Sayori finally decided to speak. "Haru, you are my friend, and I love all of my friends. If you want my love, believe me when I say that you've got it. I want you to always be happy, and to always be smiling."
"Yes, and if it is worth anything, I like to consider you a friend, too," Goro added. "No one should have to go through what you did…No one. And it breaks my heart to know that you went through it." He could feel his body tensing up with every single continuing thought about what Haru ust have gone through. It lead to even more ugly thoughts. Kamoshida and his stupid leering smile trying to touch Sayori, and Shido… getting his mother pregnant and leaving her to rot!
He saw brief flashes of red, before processing Sayori looking at him with that same worry in her eyes. He could sense that Haru hadn't said anything either, and he knew that if he looked, he would see Ann and Makoto looking at him, too. It was enough to remind himself that he didn't need to think about these things anymore. The people he considered friends were safe, and if at all possible… they could bring Masayoshi Shido to justice for him.
"I apologize… if I scared you," Goro mumbled, looking away.
"It's alright, Goro," Sayori reassured, smiling kindly at him. He heard Haru take in another long breath, preparing to say something.
"Yes, and to be honest… I wanted to thank you."
The detective nearly felt himself tip over from shock, his body frozen stiff at those words. "What could you possibly be thanking me for?"
"Well… A little while ago, you tried to meet with me to discuss something important. And after that, you tried to give my father a note, saying you wanted to discuss something important with him," Haru hesitated for a moment, waiting to hear Goro's reaction, unaware that he was frozen in shock. "I read the letter meant for him… and it seems that you were genuinely concerned for his safety. So… thank you for worrying about my father… and for worrying about me."
Goro slowly came down from his state of shock, trying to form a response to this. He had nearly killed Haru's father. Even if she didn't know that, there was no reason Haru should be thanking him.
"Goro, could I ask you why you were so concerned about my father? Are you worried about the Phantom Thieves hurting him? Or is it something else?" Haru asked, catching him off guard once again.
This time, the detective easily figured out how to respond. "Don't worry about that any longer. I have already taken care of the problem. If anything, please forget that it ever happened."
Haru had been about to thank him again, but thought better of it. Still, she stored this information away. If Goro Akechi had already taken care of whatever issue he had been so worried about, then obviously he was not referring to the Phantom Thieves. "If you say so."
With that, Haru opened the door to the dressing booth, wearing her usual clothes and holding her new outfit in the crook of her arm. "Let's get going then. We still have a lot of shopping to do."
Before she could get too far, Sayori stepped in front of her and gave her a gentle hug. Haru gladly returned it. She knew for certain that Sayori meant every word she said. Sayori saw her as a close friend, and would always care for her and her happiness. All of her new friends did.
The group finally bought the new clothes. Goro did indeed take Makoto's advice, holding Sayori's hand on the way out. He had nothing to lose by doing this now, so he was going to spend as much time with Sayori as he could. They continued their day like that, helping Haru pick out new shoes, as well as a very nice, very blunt necklace. A large charm with the word "single" hung from the chain.
Overall, they all agreed that the day's events were worth the expense.
A couple of days later, it had just started to rain when Goro and Sayori found themselves at Leblanc's front door. It was meant to be a date, but neither felt the need to dress in anything special for another date at the coffee shop. They would be spending their time with other people as well, so if anyone wanted to be picky about it, it probably didn't even count as a date anyway.
Still, Sojiro didn't see much of a difference between this time, and the last time the couple came here on a date. The only difference was that he knew the two were in a relationship this time. He only wished that the two had called ahead of time, because he would have liked to have had time to shoo Akira, Futaba, and the cat out. They had all been meddlesome last time.
Sayori quickly dismissed his worries. As soon as the two stepped inside, she seemed to invite the two other teens into a conversation. Thankfully, Goro didn't seem to have any qualms about this either, pulling a chair out for Sayori with a smile in the direction of the other two. Soon enough, they were both seated at one of the booths, exactly like last time.
"Hoo boy… Looks like I'm going to have to make some fresh food for the both of you," Sojiro commented. Not only would he need to prepare their usual drink options, tea and hot chocolate, as well as an additional coffee for the detective, he also needed to make another batch of curry. After the long work day, he was nearly out of the ones he had prepared earlier that morning.
"I hope it's no trouble, Sakura-san," Goro replied, smiling guiltily. Sayori nodded in agreement, frowning at the thought.
"Hey, it's Boss," the man replied with a smile. "It's won't be any trouble for my well-paying customers." He turned around and began gathering ingredients, giving a pointed look to Akira. "Take their orders, would ya?"
"I feel like you already know what they want," Akira retaliated, not willing to get up off of his stool. Smirking, the teenager quickly turned to the couple. "The usual?" He asked.
"Yes, please!" Sayori chirped. Goro nodded with an amused laugh as Akira turned back to Sojiro with a smirk.
"They ordered the usual," Futaba stated from her seat beside Akira.
"I heard," Sojiro grumbled with a shake of his head. "I figured since they basically invited you over for a conversation, you should go sit with them." He turned back to his work, mentally running through a few things in his head he figured he might want to mention later.
Futaba and Akira looked over at the other two teens, before shrugging. They didn't want to raise their voices across the small cafe, so they got up and went to the booth beside the one Sayori and Goro were sitting at. Futaba beckoned for Morgana to follow, and the cat quickly complied. There were a few things they should discuss with Sayori, hopefully without the detective nosing around.
"So, Sayori," Akira said in an almost sing-song voice, "I have a surprise for you." The ebony haired boy smirked at the genius of his surprise, not noticing as Sayori stiffened. Futaba distracted Goro with a different conversation, already knowing what Akira was going to say.
"What would that surprise be?" Sayori asked innocently, feigning a curious smile.
Akira grinned proudly. "Well, we've all been discussing where to go for Haru's welcome party, and it turns out that there are some plans to rent out Destinyland for one night. But because of the scandal, Okumura Foods can't use it for the company party they were planning on having. So we're going to have the park all to ourselves for a night party."
Sayori blinked twice, her mind trying to process the news. It shouldn't have been a surprise that Okumura Foods could afford it, but it was really that easy for Haru to get the reservation all to herself just because some plans fell through? Wouldn't it be easier to just cancel the reservation and save money?
"Is… This isn't reality," Sayori stated to herself, knowing already that Akira wouldn't get it. She shouldn't be shocked about something like this anymore. In a place like this, the limits of realism could be stretched sometimes.
"There's some kind of condition for booking Destinyland for one night," Akira explained, sensing the girl's confusion. "If you don't cancel the plans within a certain limit of time, the park won't refund you. So rather than waste a bunch of money, somebody should be able to enjoy the castle of dreams for one night."
Sayori nodded slowly, her face finally processing the massive amounts of dopamine running through her. A grin spread across her face. And she had been under the impression that they would just be using the school festival as their celebration. "That's really awesome! How late do you think we'll stay?"
Akira shrugged, before smiling in a teasing manner. "Save your questions for after I've gotten to the best part." Pushing his glasses up his nose so that they reflected in Leblanc's light, he leaned down towards Sayori's ear and-after making sure Goro was sufficiently distracted-whispered, "I'm inviting Goro to come with us, too."
Though Sayori had already known this, she once again felt surprise run through her. "Wha…? Wha, wha, wha, wha?" The puzzle pieces in her mind now had to rearrange themselves. She had thought Goro would just be coming to their culture festival, but instead he was coming to Destinyland for a night of fun with only the Phantom Thieves? "It really is the castle of dreams!"
Akira quickly put a hand over the girl's mouth. "I'm just about to invite him. Don't spoil everything at the last minute, silly." Sayori, with his hand still over her mouth, gave the leader a serious look, and a salute. Satisfied, Akira took his hand off of her mouth and went up to the front counter to check on the food Sojiro was preparing for them.
Meanwhile, Futaba had decided to distract Goro Akechi with one of the only things she could think to talk about with him. Digging around in her pocket until she found it, Futaba grumbled half hearted complaints about her hoodie pockets. They needed to be cleaned out. Still, it didn't take her ridiculously long to find the neatly folded piece of paper.
"So, about this weird poem you gave me a while ago…" Futaba began, already beginning to lose her train of thought, "Why exactly did you want me to have this in the first place?" Straightening her glasses, the girl blinked twice at the detective, who seemed to be deeply thinking about what answer he could give. Internally, Futaba wondered if this had been a mistake, and Goro Akechi was once again going to overshare, like he had been compelled to do the last time he came into Leblanc.
"Well… it didn't exactly help me very much in the long run, but that poem was an aiding factor in getting me through difficult times," Goro finally replied, seeming to want to be vague as possible. Futaba could tell he did not want to delve too deeply into why, but she had to make sure no surprises were spoiled somehow.
"Why? What does the poem mean to you?" the girl stared the detective down, daring him to look away and spoil everything the group had been planning.
"The meaning of the words always had a special meaning to me, and also to…" Goro seemed hesitant to finish that sentence, so he went in a new direction. "During the worst moments of my life, I often felt like the plum blossom that is the subject of the poem, and I felt that you might be able to relate as well." The detective seemed nervous, and Futaba knew that she probably wasn't getting the full story.
"...I guess." Slipping it back into her pocket and putting her hands behind her head, the girl laid back against her seat and yawned. "You and I are living in similar situations, anyway," Futaba didn't miss the way the detective froze at that declaration. Not wanting to make him feel uncomfortable, she soldiered on to her next statement. "But hey, neither of us are alone. We've got tons of people rooting for us!"
"Yes. I have been hearing that from many of you guys," Goro actually did seem to relax at that. "It's nice to feel genuine affection. Admittedly, it's much better than the fanfare."
"That seems like it would suffocate me," Futaba replied with a frown. She wasn't about to point out that dealing with fanfare wasn't a good thing to complain about. Even if she wasn't famous, she had a surprising number of friends who were well known. Ann was a model, Haru was an heiress to a famous food company, Yusuke was making a name for himself in the art world... And Goro Akechi was a male idol detective. Not to mention that, despite being in the shadows, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts were very popular right now.
"Yes. I feel it would be especially tough for you. I'm constantly trolled online, and I hear from Sayori that you are online a lot," the detective said, worrying to himself that he sounded like a jerk when he said that.
Futaba playfully rolled her eyes. "Oh no! The internet wouldn't even be safe for me anymore… as if it ever was."
Flinching, Goro rushed to apologize, but Futaba only laughed. "You don't need to worry a single hair on your head, detective. You present a fair point. Just making sure you aren't trying to be a jerk on purpose. But you apologized, so you have passed your test."
"Oh… I see." Laughing nervously, Goro avoided contact, just as Futaba did the same.
"And… just so you know, I'm rooting for you, too. As long as you aren't ever a jerk-on-purpose," Futaba said, blushing from embarrassment. I'm botching this super hard. But it's not like I wanna talk about super heavy stuff with him. That would be weird when you're trying to be friends. Still, we should talk about it eventually. He can also relate to having a dead parent, at least.
Goro Akechi looked touched as the shy girl pushed her glasses back up her nose, turning her head away after her declaration. So… she also considered him a friend? That thought didn't sit right with him at all, thinking of how he had wronged her. When she had asked him about the poem, he had wanted to tell the truth. He wanted to say that he had given it as an unworthy apology. He had taken away her mother, so she could have something of his mother. He was sorry for destroying her mother's life, and he was unworthy of being seen as the subject of his own mother's poem. Futaba fit the description more than he ever could.
"Are you listening? For a detective you're pretty dense. I'm rooting for you, so you better ship-shape up," Futaba gave him a playful glare. "You can at least do that for me, right?"
Those words did seem to strike a chord in the detective. Nodding, he said with a genuine smile, "Yes, it is the least I can do for you, Futaba." Then he turned away once again, leaving the girl in a state of confusion.
My objective is complete. But something still feels off.
Just as those thoughts entered Futaba's head, Sojiro carried two trays of food over to the booths that the teenagers were sitting at, Each tray held two plates of curry, and two cups. In two of these cups were regular coffee, and the other two held the tea and hot chocolate that Sayori and Goro normally had. The third cup of coffee for Goro would probably be given after the detective finished off his tea.
"Order up," Sojiro said with a sarcastic smirk. He set the two trays down, and everyone grabbed their own meals. Akira moved over from where he had been sitting next to Sayori to give the couple some privacy. Sitting at the separate booth Futaba had chosen, he hurriedly began to eat. He needed to get the chess board set up right afterwards.
Sojiro chuckled as everyone began to engulf his food, before going back behind the counter to get some curry for himself, and also for Morgana. The cat was meowing very loudly, probably complaining at him. Too bad none of us speak cat. Then we could tell him to be patient.
"Could you please quiet down, Morgana?" Sayori whispered. "I'm sure he's getting some for you, too."
"Why wouldn't he serve mine along with yours? I'm sitting at the table, too," the cat grumbled.
Goro chuckled, and Morgana turned to glare at him. It took all of the detective's willpower to continue pretending that he couldn't understand what had been said, so instead he looked towards Sayori. "I don't believe speaking to him will work. He seems rather insistent."
"I'm standing right here!" Morgana whined, stalking up to the detective. He slammed a paw against the long brown bangs that covered the teen's forehead, but didn't dare let his claws come out. This was supposed to be a slap, not a punch. Besides, his claws would probably get tangled in all of that hair.
"What are you trying to do, Morgana?" Sayori asked curiously, leaning over the table to put his paw down. When she was done, she began eating her own food, giving Morgana an expectant look.
"I am teaching this prideful detective a lesson. He needs to speak to me if he's talking about me when I am literally in the room," Morgana huffed indignantly. Sure, the detective couldn't understand him, but that didn't stop other people from talking to animals they couldn't understand.
"Are you trying to get my attention?" Goro asked, making sure to make eye contact with the cat. Morgana blinked a few times, confused at first. But then he only began to feel impressed. Perhaps Goro Akechi wasn't such a bad detective, if he could figure out what Morgana wanted through body language alone. Deciding to prove the detective's claims, Morgana did his best to make some sort of affirmative cat noise. Cats purred when they were happy, so he attempted that, even though it made his throat feel weird.
"I think you got that right, Goro," Sayori commented with a giggle. "You like Goro. Don't you, Morgana?" The pink-haired girl continued to casually eat her meal as Morgana blushed in embarrassment.
Is that what purring actually is? Stupid cat body! Stupid communication barrier! Morgana felt himself pout, only for the delectable smell of fresh curry to fill his nose and effectively snap him out of his funk.
"If you are really so noisy because you are impatient, you can have my curry," Goro offered. "Sojiro is getting another plate that was supposed to be for you, so I can wait a bit longer." Taking a sip of his tea, the detective abruptly ended his one-sided conversation with the cat, in favor of fawning over his girlfriend.
Morgana looked down at the plate, then back up at the distracted detective. He looked down again, then up once more, before grinning. Using his paws, he picked up a piece of food and ate it out of his palm. He turned to Sayori and nodded once. "Yeah, I like him. He shares his food like all good people should."
Sayori smiled in appreciation. "I will take that as a yes, then." This caused Morgana to pause, realizing he had once again begun to pur. Had he even said anything at all?
Realizing that the detective had given up his food to the demanding cat, Sojiro stepped quickly around the counter with another plate. He shot a quick glare at Morgana, who seemed to give him a cheeky smile, before sighing in defeat. He placed the plate that would have been for Morgana in front of Goro. "Sorry about that. Morgana is pretty impatient."
"It's not a problem. I did need an excuse to get closer to him. I am grateful for the opportunity," Goro replied. Almost immediately, he felt very aware that what he said probably wasn't as close to what he meant as he had aimed for. Going crimson, he immediately began to backpedal. "Not that I see becoming friends with a cat as an opportunity, or some advantageous situation. Wait! That sounds even worse… Um, I actually meant to say-"
"We get it," Akira assured. He nodded to the booth seat he had been sharing with Futaba, where a chess board had been set up. "Do you want to play a round before you and Sayori leave?"
"Yes. After I have eaten," Goro replied. Sojiro nodded in approval before once again returning to his spot behind the counter.
Everyone began to eat their own curry. Morgana, after finishing his pilfered plate, hopped off of the table where Sayori and Goro were sitting at, deciding to join Sojiro behind the counter for the time being. He still had business down here, after all. Meanwhile, Futaba and Akira looked at a new game Futaba had recently obtained, knocking over a few pieces of the chess board in the process. Sayori and Goro also ate, all the while they chatted about the most lighthearted things they could. Neither were in the mood to get into a deep, emotional conversation at the moment. Neither of them thought they could handle it.
So, while working his way through his plate, Goro quietly discussed chess strategies with Sayori. She tried her best, but in the end could not make head or tail of what he was talking about. Still, the detective appreciated the opportunity to bounce his ideas for strategy off of Sayori, who did her best to offer valuable input. It was a rather pleasant way to help himself think. If he could have told her the truth about his crimes before, maybe he could have come up with even better ideas for escape.
It's too late to dwell now, Goro thought to himself nonchalantly, picking up his plate and bringing it over to the counter for someone to wash later. Now that he was done eating at Leblanc, it was time for the part where he would once again defeat Akira Kurusu in a game of chess.
At least, it seemed like it would be that way. For awhile, the same routine occurred, where Akira would try his best, but ultimately his formation of tiny plastic knights and towers had one notable flaw that Goro could pick at. The detective was just about to launch his final attack, when Akira suddenly gave him the most shit eating grin he had ever seen on another human being before.
"So, detective. It's fair to say you have captured the hearts of all of my friends," Akira said, a sudden frown forming, though it looked so dramatically sad that it made said detective want to vomit.
"They all say I am their friend, but I would not say they are that taken with me," Goro said, hackles rising. Without breaking eye contact, he moved another piece, capturing yet another one of Akira's pieces.
Akira grinned, before shooting off multiple, rapid-fire questions. "Really? That's what they say? What about what you say? Do you see them as your friends?"
Doing his best to keep track of the conversation, as well as the board, Goro frowned and clenched his first under the table. Juggling the questions and next moves, the detective continued on with split focus. "I see all of you as my friends, yes. With so many of you being genuine towards me, I would be a fool not to accept your invitations for friendship."
"So, would you want to spend more time with us, then?"
That question hit harder than Akira had probably intended it to, as it had an even deeper layer of meaning for Goro. His time was shorter than Akira knew, so spending even more of it with these people was…
Exactly what he wanted. He wanted to spend as much time as he had left with these people. Even if he felt guilty. It was with that he happily nodded, causing Akira to chuckle fondly.
Moving another piece, Akira continued on with what he was saying. "Well, that's fortunate, because we want to spend more time with you. It just so happens that a perfect opportunity to do that has come up." The detective was far more invested in the conversation than the game. He moved one important piece into a very vulnerable spot, and barely took notice of when Akira caught it. "Have you ever been invited to a party?"
"None that I have enjoyed," Goro replied, thinking bleakly of all of the birthday parties he hadn't been invited to as a child, and all of the disgusting parties Shido and those at the TV station had forced him to attend. He didn't notice the way Sayori and Akira both looked at him with momentary heartbreak.
"Well, Haru has booked Destinyland for one night, and everyone in our friend group is coming," Akira said, offering the detective context clues of where this was leading. It could only be described as fascinating to watch Goro Akechi's light up with… anticipation? Akira had seen realization somewhere in there, but it had quickly transformed into waiting.
Am I about to be invited to a party? Instead of being either forced to attend or simply being ignored? The detective was almost more excited about this than the idea of actually attending a party.
Akira felt himself grow quizzical, before hesitantly using the detective's moment of distraction to move into position besides the king. "Goro Akechi, would you like to come to our private party at Destinyland in a few days?"
The genuine glee was both satisfying and saddening. He smiled so wide that it looked painful, bobbing his head in a furious nod. Moving a random piece in a random direction, the detective turned his attention to Sayori, who was finishing up a conversation with Futaba and Morgana. "Sayori, I'm going to be joining you at the party in a few days!"
The happy and equally excited look on Sayori's face would have fooled most into thinking she was just as surprised as he was. But there was no shock, only happiness for the new opportunity the detective had just been offered.
"Checkmate," Akira said, smirking at his victory. He had finally beaten the detective at chess! That alone was another reason to celebrate.
Still, the victory felt hollow. Goro didn't even care that he had lost, only even more excited that he had a chance to talk to his girlfriend even more about his good fortune. Akira knew it had been a dirty tactic, so perhaps that was why. Akira shouldn't have usen good news as a tactic to beat the detective at chess.
Well, the next time I have good news for him definitely won't be during chess, Akira thought to himself, deciding to find yet another silver lining to his hollow victory.
While the two had been playing their game, Futaba and Morgana had decided to use the time to discuss something of greater importance. Checking to make sure Goro was thoroughly distracted, the girl and cat turned towards Sayori with serious expressions.
"Have you started glitching again?" Morgana asked, keeping his voice quiet, despite the fact that Goro couldn't understand him.
"I should still have a couple of weeks left, if the aftermath of Futaba's Palace is anything to go by," Sayori whispered back.
Futaba made a mental note of that, counting the number of days between the final day of her Palace and their trip to the beach. "It will probably be off by a few days, more or less. I wish we could have access to our phones while we were in the Metaverse. If I could time it, I could find the exact unit of time you get without disappearing."
"Maybe you could bring an actual, physical stopwatch in with you? Or maybe use your Persona?" Morgana suggested, before sighing to himself. "This feels like a pointless discussion. We already know that the Metaverse gives you more time in between disappearances. We should be trying to figure out a way to stop them for good."
Sayori scratched Morgana behind the ears. Morgana felt too discouraged by the situation to fight the show of affection, but he also didn't react to it at all. Sayori stopped after a few moments, distracted by Goro.
"None that I have enjoyed," he said, causing the girl's heart to splinter. She blinked away a few brief tears, before bringing her focus back onto the conversation.
"Any clue or piece of data about this could prove useful. We just need to be willing to think creatively. Don't just think outside of the box, because there never was a box," Futaba said sagely.
"True," Morgana admitted. "Maybe looking around Mementos for something other than enemies to fight and gates to open would be helpful."
"Maybe there's a clue laying around somewhere… or carved into the wall?" Sayori guessed, bringing a hand up to run the side of her head. "Or maybe there is a certain Shadow we could question?"
"It might also be helpful to consult sources outside of the Metaverse," Futaba suggested. "Seriously, your glitching feels like something I've watched recently…" Those words seemed to spark an idea into Futaba. "And actually, since the Metaverse is influenced by cognition, maybe that could be a way to find a solution!"
"What's that mean?" Sayori asked, hopeful that Futaba may have just found a solution.
"If I could remember what the glitching came from, I could also remember how that show or movie solved the problem. That solution could also be how we figure out how to solve the problem in real life," Futaba exclaimed.
"Maybe there's even a trope for it," Morgana added. "Then there might be a whole list of solutions we could try out!"
Futaba held her hand up, and Morgana put his palm against it for a high five, Sayori high-fived the girl next, feeling happy that they may have finally gained some form of direction for their current dilemma.
Just as Sayori put her hand down, Goro suddenly turned to her, looking so happy that she felt her heart burst. Obviously, Akira had just invited him to the party. Despite already knowing this, the knowledge that Goro would actually be coming with her made Sayori excited all over again.
The two continued to eagerly chat about the party, discussing what rides they most wanted to go on, and the snacks the park had to offer. Soon enough, they were completely absorbed in each other, and it was definitely starting to feel like a date, rather than spending time with friends. It was cute to watch, Futaba taking the time to snap a photo of them. She wouldn't post it on a public forum, or share it with anyone besides the other Phantom Thieves. It was too cute, with both Sayori and Goro's eyes lighting up with stars, and their noses pressed together like two eager fangirls discussing their favorite book series. Ann would probably have a meltdown from all the warm-fuzzies she would get.
Before too long, it was time to go. Goro paid for the bill as Sojiro cleared the dishes away from the table. Futaba, Akira, and Morgana all went up to the attic to play Futaba's new game, leaving the cafe owner alone with the two teens. For the first time, he finally had a moment to talk, without Futaba and Akira acting like two embarrassed children every time he opened his mouth.
With that opportunity, Sojiro also noticed something he hadn't before. Though it was starting to let up, it was still raining outside. Goro Akechi looked… uneasy about that. Sojiro tried to remember if he had looked that way when he had first come into the cafe, but his memory failed him on that front. Still, seeing the detective looking so uneased by the rain of all things was unsettling. Sayori looked equally concerned, though she did her best to hide it. She smiled calmly at the detective, linking her arm with his and placing her other hand on the side of his face.
"It's not a big deal, Goro. We'll call a cab, or go into the underground walkway and onto the subway," Sayori assured. Obviously, she had seen this happen before.
"What seems to be the problem?" Sojiro asked, frowning in concern. He walked over to them, noticing the way Sayori cringed. Obviously, she didn't feel comfortable talking about what was going on. Knowing she could be a blabber mouth when she wanted to be, Sojiro put together that he wasn't going to get any answer from her, because the question wasn't for her to answer. Figuring this out, Sojiro turned to Goro.
"It's nothing, Sir- Er… Boss," Goro hurriedly corrected himself, even though he didn't seem to be paying any attention to see if Sojiro had a problem with that. The boy was a million miles away, thinking about something that would be better off not thought about, or only thought about in better places, like a therapist's office.
"Sure it isn't," Sojiro replied. He didn't believe the detective at all, but he wasn't going to force a confession out of him either. Besides, if he thought about it for more than twenty seconds, he could make a logical conclusion about what this could be about. Irrational fears normally had to do with childhood incidents. There were probably a lot of bad things that happened in Goro Akechi's childhood to cause this. This meant that prying definitely wasn't a good idea.
Still… Sojiro rubbed the back of his head, hesitating for a second, before looking at the couple. "Don't spend your day like this, kid. Being sad is the worst way to end a date. Trust me when I say that. You should let anything out now so you don't have to think about it all day." the cafe owner waited a bit for a reply. When, after a few minutes, he got none, he decided to head back to the counter.
He was almost there when he heard the silent admission. "My mom died on a day like today, outside and in the rain."
Outside, huh? Was she in a car accident? All Sojiro knew about it was that Goro's mother had died, but not how. He had a few suspicions that it was something much worse than an accident, but he wanted to hope for a different death than what it most likely was.
"Well… that's tough… but…" It was probably the lamest reply he could come up with on the spot, but Sojiro was nothing if not someone who tried, and who emphasized with what kids like Goro and Futaba went through. Futaba had been afraid of cars for a long time, too, from what Sojiro remembered of the descriptions of when she had lived with other family members. But just like cars, rain was something natural to have outside. "It's never going to stop raining… Not forever. I'm not saying that you need to man up, but it's better to face what you don't like rather than hide from it," Sojiro said, hoping he wasn't making himself out to be a jerk with what he was saying.
"Yeah… Makes sense," the detective mumbled offhandedly, unable to move his eyes away from outside the door.
"Well… maybe you could think about it a different way," Sojiro suggested, causing the detective to give him a passing glance. "Think about it this way, maybe. Rain is part of the water cycle. No matter how many times it falls, it evaporates, rises, and then falls again, but falling is never the end." Was it his imagination, or did the detective cringe when he said that. "The same rain that's falling now might also be the same rain that was falling during a happier time."
Goro grimaced. "It could also be the same rain that was falling when she…" Trailing off, his attention once again drifted elsewhere.
"It could be the same rain falling when we got together?" Sayori suggested, looking outside with a hopeful smile. "Besides, Sojiro has a point. Everytime the rain falls, it rises again, no matter what," the girl continued to talk, her own words turning into a babble that filled both men's ears. It had a calming effect on the detective, Sojiro noticed. He seemed a bit less tense.
"Sayori, keep talking when you go out. You have the right idea," Sojiro stated, finally making his way behind the counter.
Sayori grinned sheepishly, adjusting her bow and fidgeting. "I dunno… Don't I sound a bit overwhelming?"
"Definitely not," Sojiro said quickly, smirking. "Any guy would be lucky to have you, constantly talking, and not letting the silence stretching on."
"I could be better about that, still," Sayori mumbled, all too aware of the times she had been too quiet for comfort.
"Nonsense. Everyone should get time to be quiet and depend on someone else… Even you," Sojiro said, a stern look on his face. He pointed to the door. "Get going. Don't block my door all day." He was happy that the two teens didn't interpret what he was saying as rude. They both gave him smiles, though Goro's was pitifully small, and left quickly after that.
Sojiro smiled fondly to himself, before getting prepared for the rest of the work day.
It was nice to finally be back home, after what felt like days of going back and forth between this place and another, all to spend time with friends. Still, no matter how relieving it was to be home, neither Sayori nor Goro could fully shake the uncomfortable feeling of being trapped in cold, soaking wet clothes. After excusing themselves to change into pajamas, Sayori suggested that they have the rest of the day to themselves to relax.
This is how they both find themselves on the couch, watching a few old movies, and curled up under one blanket. Changing into different clothes hadn't completely fixed the problem of being cold, afterall.
Of course, Sayori had been the one to suggest it, and like all of her ideas, it was genius. Cozy and warm and comfortable, it was much better than Goro Akechi would ever be able to dream of, with his limited social skills. Still, if there was anyone that cared enough to ask, he would say this was exactly how he would want to spend his dwindling time. He never wanted to get off this couch again.
Sayori was, admittedly, very proud of herself for coming up with this idea. It was nice to be soaked wet from the rain, especially if it always ended in this, instead of taking turns to have a hot shower. Instead, she could wrap her arms around a very drowsy detective, and lean her own tired head on his shoulder, and just… The girl felt giddy just from the idea of staying this close to her boyfriend.
Of course, as always seemed to be the case, neither could be completely happy the entire time. During any moment they had to relax, dark thoughts weren't too far. But this time, there were no outside factors to distract them from focusing on the necessary problems they needed to address. There were no Treasures that needed to be stolen, and no phone calls from Conspirators to be expected. It was just them, and they both knew there were so many problems they needed to address.
Because once more, Sayori had to wonder… Were these feelings that blossomed in her chest when she spent time with Goro Akechi… even real? The thought of who she necessarily was - what her purpose was - as a videogame character, made her wonder if her feelings were even valid. She didn't even have the benefit of ignorance about her situation to make her believe all of this was real. She wanted so badly to believe, but the doubt of her own existence persisted. Sayori peeked over at Goro, whose attention seemed to be on the blaring TV in front of them.
This, of course, could not be further from the truth. Though he had trained his eyes on the TV, his attention was not at all focused on it. Instead, the constant weight of Sayori, pressed against his side, wrapped around his chest, was giving him the faintest hints of dread, fear, and worry. Not much longer now… and this could never happen again. Where would that leave Sayori… after he was dead. Slowly, his imagination played tricks on him. Sayori's presence melted and shifted, and Goro's own presence was replaced, too. Instead, the detective imagined a very different scenario, which predated all of this. A conversation he had once overheard of an incident that predated his existence, but not his conception.
A man and a woman, sharing a bed for one night. But by the next morning, the man left, leaving the woman to wake up alone, after a night of passion that she expected to last. The only thing she had to prove that the night had ever happened was the child beginning to grow inside of her. But she could not prove the night had happened with that man, causing the woman grief and distress.
Thinking of that image, Goro felt himself growing uneasy with what the two of them were doing right now, because in a few weeks, it would be the same situation, but with different circumstances behind it. Sayori would be abandoned by him. That thought sent chills through him, which only prompted Sayori to lean in closer, thinking him cold. But the only thing that chilled him was the possibility that he would soon be seen the same as the man he hated the most.
"Goro, you're shaking," Sayori whispered. She lifted her head up to look at him, forgetting her own worries for the moment. "What's wrong?"
"It's nothing." Ignoring the pounding in his brain, the detective leaned his head on top of Sayori's, turning her face in so she could only see his neck, and not his tear-filled eyes that threatened to spill over.
It took no effort for Sayori to move her head out from his neck, grab the remote off of the coffee table, and pause the TV. With that done, she established right away that she wasn't dismissing anything. Setting the remote back down, Sayori immediately began to adjust their positions, until she was laying on her back, and Goro was resting on her chest. Normally it would have been the other way around, but the girl found this was the best position to comfort him in.
Petting the detective's head, Sayori continued to attempt to coax Goro into confessing what was wrong.
After a few long minutes of head pets and whispered words of comfort, the boy finally sighed. "I'm thinking about… my parents, again."
"You mean your mom?" Sayori asked in concern, unwilling to give Goro's bastard father the privilege of the title of parent.
"And also… him."
"Oh," Sayori said quietly, frozen in thought for a few moments. Before long, she stopped any curious thoughts on what might be the problem, and decided to go to the source of these musings. "What about him is bothering you?"'
"Do you think that I will… ever be like him?" Goro braced for some kind of reaction. Sayori had the habit of tensing up when she was worried, or scared, or… what if he accidently made her angry by presenting the possibility.
However, no such tension formed. The girl only continued to stroke his head, before saying, with the most authoritative tone of voice, "No."
"No"? Goro lifted his head up, feeling very unbalanced all of a sudden. His head swayed in the air for a few seconds, before he finally just rested his chin on her sternum. "But what if I leave you alone, like he did?"
"No," Sayori continued, absolutely confident. There was no desperation or worry in her voice at all.
The detective frowned, suddenly wanting to convince Sayori of the possibility. He needed to prepare her for the future as much as he could. "What if I disappear one day, and you never hear from me again? You would surely resent me for it, then."
"No."
"What if I betrayed you one day, and stabbed you in the back?"
"No."
"What if I hurt you…?" That question seemed to choke the detective, making him become extremely pale as he considered the possibility in a brand new light, and made him wonder, Did Shido ever… hurt my mother?
"Goro, listen… look at me," Sayori whispered, catching his dimly lit eyes and holding them. "You wouldn't ever abandon me, like he abandoned you and your mother. You know better than that. Besides, if I could…?"
Goro noticed her pleading expression, and shifted his head slightly so that he could nod. "Do what you want."
Sayori smiled, before pulling the detective closer. Kissing him once on the forehead, and then once on the lips, she sighed heavily. "You trust me, and I trust you. Believe me when I say that I know you would never abandon me… Not on purpose. If anything, I…" Now it was Sayori who suddenly became quiet, remembering her own worries. It may be what I think - what I know - but everything I know in this world… isn't real.
As Sayori seemed to shut down, Goro only needed a second to accept that her words were true. It suddenly became very obvious, as it was now his time to help her, and he jumped at the opportunity. Immediately awake, he sat up and brought Sayori into a hug, noting very briefly that she was rather limp in the embrace, not returning, not leaning into it, but not leaning away either. He carded his fingers through her hair for a few seconds, considering what to say.
Sayori beat him to it. Sniffling, she began to murmur endlessly. "What if… this love I feel is just… a distraction. What if it's just an excuse? I don't know what's real anymore, or if it's…" Sayori felt like she was getting into the territory of things she couldn't say yet. Because no matter what, she couldn't say that she knew nothing was real… she couldn't destroy people that had such rich lives. The conflicting thoughts meshed together, and tears slipped from her eyes.
Goro, not knowing the deeper meaning of what Sayori meant, could only do his best to draw his own conclusions about what she meant. Holding her tight, he leaned his forehead against hers, trying to come up with something to say.
"Sayori… I know it's hard to feel any other way sometimes, but your feelings are real. Your emotions are real, and they matter to me," Goro said, noticing the way she looked at him wearily. "I love you… That's really how I feel, Sayori."
"I…I…" Sayori hiccuped, covering her mouth and looking away. "Goro, so many people say that they love you… Everyday, people stop you, and praise you, and tell you…" Cutting herself off, Sayori visibly shook as she took a deep breath. "If I say that I love you, how can I be sure it's not the same as the way everyone else says it?" How do I know that what I'm feeling is true, and that it's not just a preprogrammed reaction? Do I even… know what love is?
"Sayori," Goro could describe so many ways that she was nothing like any other fan that stopped him. In every single way that mattered, they were beneath her. She was never fake, and had only ever been honest with how she felt around him. The only times this wasn't true was when she pretended to be fine, even as she was being destroyed. "Don't ever compare yourself to one of my fans, because you mean so much more to me than they could ever hope to achieve."
"Huh?" Sayori peeked over at him again, being met with an impassioned smile that made her heart race.
"You are so… bright, Sayori. Every time I am met by you, you shine so brightly. You are honest, and passionate, and… real," Goro sighed, not knowing how else he could possibly describe it.
"I'm… real?" Sayori didn't sound so sure, though he could already feel her becoming more drawn in by the embrace. She was leaning into it, and beginning to return it as well.
"Yes… You are one of the most real people I have ever met, and I love you, Sayori… I do, and I'm not going to stop, and I won't run away like my bastard father did!" Goro felt like he was on fire with that confession.
Sayori suddenly wrapped her arms around him, so tight that the detective worried for his breathing. It took only a second for her to loosen her hold on him to something more bearable, but the joy in her eyes was obvious. "I love you, too. I want to stay by your side for as long as I can."
"Then don't," Goro replied. It was in the realm of possibility to do that, the detective realized. He wanted to do that. He wanted to stay like this forever, holding her. He wanted to kiss her until he could no longer breathe. He wanted to change her surname from that ridiculous one he had come up with to something more appropriate for the girl he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. He wanted…
"Sayori, I want to look back, and feel absolutely no regret," the detective said, shuddering slightly. He suddenly felt very shy. "Could I… kiss you?"
Sayori nodded, breathless. She felt it inside of her now, really and truly. Even if the world around her was false, she wasn't, and neither were the ones she cared for. The love she felt was real, and she wanted so desperately to show it. Holding Goro so tightly against her barely scratched the surface of that wanting. So when the detective caught her lips in a delicate, shy kiss, she dove in with a startling amount of hunger. She heard Goro lightly gasp, then sigh, melting into what he had wanted all along.
They continued this kiss until neither could breathe, and even then they felt hesitant to stop. Coming up for air, they both locked eyes with each other, and immediately there was a sense of understanding between them.
They both separated for a moment, moving back into a sitting position. Blushing, Goro coughed lightly into his hand, looking at Sayori with a timid smile. "Would… Would you like to… move this somewhere else?"
Sayori smiled at him fondly. "Do you have a specific place in mind?"
"Well, I was thinking…" the crimson shade of his face made it very obvious what he was thinking. "My bedroom...?"
Sayori giggled. "Goro… I thought you would never ask."
So there was supposed to be a lot more stuff after this point, because some plot stuff was going to happen, but the chapter was getting way too long, so I cut my plans for it in half. Looking at what I have planned for next chapter, it works much better for tone anyway. Hopefully, I can get it out relatively quickly, since I'm stuck in the house. And this way, I'm giving you guys more stuff to pass the time while you are stuck in your homes too. If you would like, leave a review down below, and let me know what you thought about the chapter(stuff that you like, stuff that you don't like, and how I could possibly improve?). Be polite, please.
Stay safe, please read, review, and I'll see you all next time!
