I don't own Persona or any title related to it. All of that belongs to Atlus and you should go and support the official release.

Sadayo opened the door to her apartment and slammed it behind her, leaning against it for support. Her run home left her hair a mess, resembling her usual hair style and her heartbeat echoed in her eyes. Sadayo took several deep breaths and clenched her chest tightly as the events of the night replayed themselves a dozen times a second.

'I've enjoyed our talks and I would like to keep seeing you. Just the two of us.'

'Is that really it? Because to me it's so much simpler than that.'

A few quick slaps to the face stopped Sadayo from thinking back anymore then she should and she raced to the kitchen. "Holy shit… I need a drink." She fished out a beer and snapped the tab back on the can, taking a big swig in order to numb her mind to the point where the emotions that swirled in her chest would vanish.

'I'm a man; you're a woman. What's wrong with that?'

"Nope. Stop it. Nononono," Sadayo groaned, setting down the can and ruffling her hair. "What was that? Did he really… I can't believe it. I… He confessed to me…" Again, Sadayo slapped her face a few times before downing the rest of her beer and lazily tossed the can into the trash, but missed. A groan escaped her lips as she went to throw it away properly and she made her way to her bed before stopping to look at her coffee table. The envelope containing the money from earlier remained where she had tossed it previously. Picking it up one more time, Sadayo inspected the contents again, and it was no mistake. I still can't believe they apologized, thought Sadayo, letting out a chuckle. "So much stuff has happened in the past few days. Just today the Takases blackmailed me, then did a complete one-eighty and apologized to me, and then…" Again, what happened at Leblanc echoed once more and Sadayo shook the thoughts out of her head. "Nonono… Why is this happening?"

Sadayo ran to her bed and buried her face into her pillow, kicking her feet as she screamed into her pillow. She hated to admit it, but what happened at Leblanc was no dream. It was no figment of her imagination. It was real, as real as the blood in her veins and the hair on her head. She rolled on to her back and stared blankly at the ceiling, before closing her eyes, letting the image of her student/master fill her senses. The smell of coffee and curry that clung to him. The stormy eyes hid behind a pair of glasses. The way his voice sent waves of electricity through her body as she spoke to her. "What am I going to do? He confessed to me…"

Before she could really think about what happened any longer, the exhaustion from the whole day came all at once. The whole day had been a series of events one after the other and sleep called for her the second her body relaxed. Not even bothering to change out of her maid outfit, Sadayo let the arms of sleep carry her into her dreams. One's filled with all the coffee and curry she could want.

~Next Morning~

Despite the fatigue from yesterday, Sadayo had run into a few hiccups during the night. A few dreams about a particular coffee-scented student had awoken her in the night. Making her face so red it could be mistaken for the rising sun. However, Sadayo had woken up feeling completely rested and a little lighter. The burden of the Takases no longer weighed in her mind and spirit, so today she would begin to make a fresh start as a teacher.

Sadayo was on board her train bound for the school and she was busy scrolling through her phone, checking various news sites to see what was happening. Not to her surprise, the recent event involving the Phantom Thieves was still the talk of the town. The recent events in Sadayo's life really didn't leave much room to keep track of current news so she was hearing the story mostly from the sites. Apparently the group had taken out a crime boss who had been running a crime ring in and around Shibuya. While the list of his crimes was extensive, involvement with drugs, blackmail, and money laundering were some of the big-ticket items that would land him in jail for years. Wow, this guy was a big deal. I know I've never put much stock into the Phantom Thieves, but this ridiculous. While scrolling through the site, Sadayo hand managed to find a video of the culprit, Jinya Kaneshiro, giving his testimony in court.

"I have committed many awful crimes." said the large man. "I was involved with the drug ring that had taken place in Shibuya. I tricked young teens, many of whom were students, into running drugs around the city. Then I demanded money from them by blackmailing them with what they did." The man started to cry as he recounted the events, " I am a shameless criminal. Please, lock me so I can atone for my sins."

The video went on about the steps the police are taking and the drop in crime around the city. Ok, this is strange, Thought Sadayo. This guy… he was acting just like Kamoshida did. Both of them sounded really remorseful about what they did. Gears in Sadayo's head began to turn as ideas swirled in her head. They sounded just like the Takases. Could they…

"Now arriving at Aoyama Itchome, Now arriving at Aoyama Itchome."

The announcement of their arrival at her stop, made Sadayo lose whatever train of thought she was having. Stepping off the train, Sadayo walked through the station towards the school, listening to the chatter of random students as they passed by, most of them complaining about exams set to start tomorrow. She did manage to get a few polite greetings from a few students as she made her way to the teacher's office to set down her thing. Ms. Chouno was sitting at her desk, getting her things in order for the day before looking up at Sadayo. "Ms. Kawakami," she said, both a little surprise and concern in her voice, "Are you alright?"

Sadayo gave her coworker a smile while walking to her desk, "If it's about what happened yesterday, I'm fine." she set her things down and turned to Ms. Chouno. "I just heard some news about a former student that turned out to be a miss understanding. Thank you for your concern," she said, giving a polite bow.

Ms. Chouno blinked for a second before smiling. "No worries. I was just concerned is all. The way you looked, it was like you saw a ghost."

The conversation fell into silence for a second before the door to the office slid open. "Excuse me, Chouno-sensei." Both turned to see a male student standing in the doorway of the office.

Ms. Chouno turned to her student, "Oh, Kaku-kun. Good morning."

The teen made his way to where the two teachers were standing and gave a polite bow, "Good Morning. I have an assignment from yesterday." Kaku reached into his bag for his assignment, failing to notice another piece slipped out onto the floor. "Sorry I couldn't give it to you yesterday. I had another interview for a summer job."

"No worries Kaku-kun. Did the interview go well?"

The teen hung his head in defeat, "No."

"I'm sorry to hear that. There is still plenty of time before summer so I'm sure you can find one before then. For now, just focus on exams."

"I will." Kaku gave a polite bow and turned to walk away.

Sadayo was about to take her seat but she caught sight of the piece of paper Kaku had dropped, "Oh Kaku-kun you dropped something." Looking over the paper, Sadayo could tell that it was a resume. Is this what he's using for interviews?

He walked back to the desk, "Sorry Sensei. I-."

"This could be better," Sadayo stated.

Ms. Chouno and Kaku stared at her, surprised at the sudden bluntness from the usually passive teacher. "That's just uncalled for Sensei," Kaku did his best to hide his annoyance.

Sadayo laid the paper down on her desk, "A lot of the information here has no relevance and was put there just to feel in space. Plus, there's your photo, a nice photo really does go a long way."

Kaku lowered his head, "I don't have nice enough clothes for a good picture."

"There's nothing wrong with having your picture taken in your school uniform," She assured. "I did it numerous times."

The teen tilted his head, "You did?"

"Of course, I was a teenager too once," Sadayo smiled at her student. "I had my fair share of part-time jobs in my highschool days." She slid the resume closer to him, "would you like me to help?"

This definitely caught Kaku and Ms. Chouno by surprise. Sadayo Kawakami, the teacher who notoriously distanced herself from her students, was offering help. "You… want to help me? Why?" he asked.

Sadayo did her best to not react to the teen's tone or choice of words. Instead, she just nodded her head, "As I said, I was a teenager once too. And it's my job as a teacher to help my students improve themselves in all aspects of life. If you would like, I can help you revise your resume to make you stand out a little better."

Kaku considered the idea for a second but gave an indifferent shrug. "Ok, I guess."

"Alright." Sadayo grabbed a pen from her desk and began to mark important parts of the resume. Explaining what interviewers were looking for in a candidate and giving advice on how to answer questions. After a couple of minutes, Sadayo finished marking the paper and handed it back to Kaku. "There you go. This should help your resume look a bit more professional."

Kaku took the paper from her and looked it over, a little surprised at the genuinely good advice Sadayo had given him. "T-thank you sensei." he bowed politely to her. "Kind of sucks though. I already had a bunch of copies printed."

"Then allow me." Sadayo reached into her bag and fished out her coin purse. "Here. Have a few new copies printed and get a new photo taken as well."

Again, Kaku stared at her surprised. "Oh, you don't have to do that Sensei."

"It's nothing Kaku-kun. It's just spare change and I'm sorry for taking up your time." Sadayo reached out and handed him the coins. "While I do understand wanting to get a part-time job for the summer. Understand that as a student, your studies come first. I advise you to hold off on the job hunting until exams are over."

He stared at the change in his hand before politely bowing. "T-thank you Sensei."

Sadayo just smiled, "You're welcome Kaku-kun. Class is about to start so you should head to class. Let me know how your next interview goes."

The teen nodded and gave another bow before turning to leave the office. Sadayo stared at the door for a second, I know I still have a long way to go. But I hope this is a start.

"That was magnificent." Ms. Chouno said with the snap of her finger. "Truth be told when you said you were going to make a fresh start as a teacher, I was a little hesitant. But after seeing what I just saw, there can be no denying your new-found dedication. Color me impressed"

Despite the eccentric nature of her coworker, Sadayo was pleased to hear a genuine compliment. "Thank you. I still have a long way to go. But I'm at the starting line now."

"This new boyfriend of yours must have really inspired you."

"B-Boyfriend!?" Sadayo stuttered out as her cheeks flushed with red.

"Relax Ms. Kawakami. I was only teasing." Ms. Chouno laughed at her coworker before tuning to the clock. "Class is about to start so we should go. Good luck."

Before Sadayo could even respond to her, Ms. Chouno was out the door. Boyfriend. Repeating the word in her mind caused her to think back to Akira's confession. NO NO NO. She slammed her head on her desk. I can't be thinking of that now. I haven't even thought about how I'm supposed to face him in class. How can I look him in the eye after that? She took a few deep breaths as she tried to calm down. You need to get through the day first Sadayo. Once you do, you can figure all this out.

With her face finally cooled off, Sadayo rose to her feet and made her way to her class just as the bell rang. She stood outside the classroom door and took a few deep breaths to calm her nerves. You can do this. Sliding the door open, the chatter of the students inside lowered in volume as she made her way to the podium in the center of the room. "Good morning everyone. We have a lot to cover today so keep it brief. As I'm sure you're aware, exams began tomorrow so today we'll be reviewing material that will either be present on the test or is something that I see students miss most frequently. Please pay attention."

The sound of snoring caught Sadayo's attention and she turned to see that one of the students in the row nearest to the door was asleep, head resting on his desk. She could have walked over to him and woken him up, but she was fighting an uphill battle. If she wanted the students to change the way they thought about her, then she needed to show it so she decided to take a page out of Mr. Ushimaru's book. She took a piece of chalk from the board and threw it at the sleeping students, hitting him square in the head. The students shot awake from the pain and looked around the room before turning to the teacher.

Sadayo gave her students a smile, not even fazed by the states of the other students."Kuro-kun. No sleeping in class."

The student blinked for a second while rubbing his head. "S-sorry Sensei."

"Alright. Before we began, let me take roll." She flipped open her attendance book and began to make her way through the list. Calling out a students name and marking them presence when they responded. However, she hesitated for a second as she came to a particular student's name. Sadayo swallowed the lump in her throat and called out, "Akira Kurusu."

"Here."

Sadayo looked over to her student and did her best to keep her face from blushing up a storm. He had his head in his hand with his elbow resting on the table and looking out the window. He was acting the same as he always does. Like last night didn't even happen. Her stomach twisted a little. That's how it should be.

She finished up the roll call for the class and began to cover the planned material for today, quickly getting into the groove despite her thoughts of Akira. Throughout the class, various students made remarks about how different she was acting.

"What's up with Kawakami?"

"She usually looks so tired."

"I talked with Kaku from 2-C before class, apparently she helped him with his resume. He said that she actually gave him some pretty good advice."

"And the way she threw that chalk. She seems different."

"Probably just trying to act like she cares."

The rest of the day continued like this. Sadayo would teach and her students would whisper about her sudden attitude change, a few dismissed Sadayo's change as having an ulterior motive. It was expected, She did expect all the students to just forgive her for her previous failings. It would take a lot of effort to make up for what she had failed to do, but Sadayo was willing to put in the effort.

By the end of the day, Sadayo found herself exhausted, but in a pleasant way. For the first time in who knows how long, she actually felt accomplished at being a teacher. It felt good to be able to say she truly put in all the effort she could.

The final bell rang and Sadayo walked down the halls as students made their way out of classrooms to head home. It's been so long since I put so much effort into teaching, Thought Sadayo before gaining a small smile. It was nice. Sure some students did talk behind my back, but that's nothing I didn't expect. She brought her fist close to her chest and clenched it. I have to work hard to get back the trust of my students. "Hard to believe that just a few days ago I was all depressed and sad over what happened. I wouldn't have realized anything without-."

As she rounded the corner, a person appeared and Sadayo accidentally bumped into the figure. She stepped back, "Oh, Sorry. I didn't mean to…" Her sentence trailed off as she turned to the student she had apparently bumped into, "K-kurusu-kun." Sadayo started to blush by instinct, but she shook her head before anyone could notice. "I'm sorry Kurusu-kun."

Akira smiled politely and dusted off his uniform, "I'm sorry to Sensei, I was distracted."

"Sorry Sensei. We were talking and we weren't paying attention." Next to Akira, Sadayo could see that both Mishima was next to the fuzzy-haired teen. Mishima gave a polite bow to his Sensei in apology.

"I-it's alright Mishima-kun. As long as no one got hurt." Sadayo did her best not to sound nervous, but she couldn't help it. I haven't talked to him since last night. What am I supposed to do? It's already so awkward just being next to him. She let out a sigh, At least it can't get worse.

"Alright Akira, I should get home. Make sure to check the Phan-site later ok." With that, Mishima made his way down the hall, leaving Sadayo and Akira alone.

Sadayo cursed herself internally as her other student dashed down the hall. She looked over at Akira. He was just staring down the hall as he watched his friend leave before turning to Sadayo. "Everything ok Sensei?" asked Akira, acting as if the previous night never happened.

"Y-yes everything is fine." Things were going to be awkward between the two, but she did expect not to be able to even look at him.

'Is that really it? Because to me, it's so much simpler than that.'

Sadayo blushed and looked away from him. "W-what were you and Mishima-kun talking about," attempting to break the tension.

Akira shrugged, "Nothing major. Just the recent escapades of the Phantom Thieves. Like usual."

"He does seem to admire the group." Sadayo crossed her arms, "Not very surprising, Considering how their connection to Kamoshida."

"Yeah. He's a real Phan-boy," he said sarcastically.

Sadayo did chuckle at Akira's comment and she turned to look at his face. His expression was the one of indifference that she always saw on him while at school. For whatever reason, seeing him act so coldly to her made her stomach tighten. "K-Kurusu-kun."

"Hey, Akira." Both Akira and Sadayo turned quickly to the call of the teen's name. Ann, along with Makoto, was walking down the hall towards the two.

Akira looked to the model, "Ryuji isn't with you?"

"He said he left something back in his classroom and went back to grab it," Makoto answered. "He said to meet him at the front gate." She let out a sigh, "I still don't see the objective in having a study session the day before the exam."

"Every little bit helps Makoto," answered Ann. "Plus, me and Ryuji could really use your help."

"I guess I can help, but you two better focus." The third-year finally took notice of Sadayo, who was standing next to Akira. "Oh, Sensei, I'm sorry. Did we interrupt something?"

Sadayo opened her mouth to respond but Akira responded for her, "It's nothing Makoto, we were just discussing exams."

"I see. Well, we should get going." Makoto bowed to Sadayo, "Have a good day Sensei."

Ann and Akria followed her lead, bowing politely before turning to walk away. Sadayo was about to call out for Akira, but she could hear footsteps approach her. "Oh, there you are Ms. Kawakami. We need to head to the faculty meeting," said Ms. Chouno.

Blinking for a second, Sadayo nodded her head, "Y-yes, we should go." The two teachers left in the direction of the teacher's office and Sadayo looked over her shoulder. Ann and Makoto were talking to her master, talking about their impromptu study session and making general small talk. A small pain stung Sadayo's chest and she clenched her chest with her hand. This is how it should be, we're just teacher and student. Nothing more than that. So why does it hurt? Sadayo shook her head, trying to quell the pain in her chest. No, I can't think of that right now. Once exams are over… And So, Sadayo made her way to the teacher's office, unsure of the emotions that lingered in her chest.

And so the time flew by… The four days of exams came and went. Sadayo did her best to focus on her work, but she couldn't help but sneak a few glances at Akira, who focused on his test.

Now it was late on Sunday night and Sadayo was sitting at her coffee table grading the last exams from her class, sipping on a beer while a silly romance show played quietly in the background. For the most part, her class did relatively well, aside from a few students who struggled with various topics. Taking a sip of her can of beer, Sadayo picked up a few of the graded tests. Mishima-kun did well, always consistent. Takamiaki-san did a lot better than she normally does. If only she would do as good as she does in English. She sat down the test and turned to the final test that remained ungraded. Seeing the name caused her expression to darken, "Kurusu-kun." Memories flashed in her mind like the flash of a camera, causing emotions to bubble in her chest. Sadayo looked over to her calendar, "It's been a week. I still haven't given him a response."

The whole time during exams, Sadayo told herself that she should focus on her work. Something that was more of an excuse for her. Now that exams are over, she knew she couldn't run anymore. All right Sadayo, you need to address this. One of your students confessed to you. He, of all the people in Tokyo, confessed to me. She read the name on the test once again, "Kurusu-kun."

'I'm a man; you're a woman. What's wrong with that?'

Sadayo ruffled her hair and shook her head, "No, don't think about that." Why do I keep getting so flustered over this? "I have to turn him down. That's obviously what I should do. Something like this isn't natural. We're teacher and student. I'm older than him. I have to turn him down. Right?" The thought of turning down the teen who had been so impactful on her life made her stomach turn. "Maybe I should wait a little while longer. It's only been a week. Yeah, I can wait." Reached for her beer to take a big swig but stopped herself. No. I can't, She thought. All I'm doing is running away. This is no different than the Takases. I'll just be doing the same thing I did back then. I have to stand up and face my problems, not run away from them. He taught me that. Bringing in her arm close to her, she clenched her chest before ruffling her hair again. "It's simple I have to say no. That's it! There's no 'ifs, ands, or buts', so Why am I so indecisive?"

"Why would he even choose me?! I'm a teacher who's only just started to act like one. I'm older than him. I'm not even that pretty. I can't cook anything. I even have trouble with just instant noodles. My only redeeming quality is that I can fish." Sadayo stood her quickly and accidentally bumped the table causing papers to scatter across the floor. She kneeled down to pick them up and continued. "Why!? Why?! WHY!? He could do so much better than me. He's amazing. He always puts other people's happiness over his own. He's always willing to hear people out. He never pitied or looked down on me. When I ended up in the hospital, he rushed over to see if I was ok."

Her tone became more and more frustrated as she remembered how much Akira had done for her. "He protected me from the Takases then too, he was so strong, standing up to them like that. Meanwhile, I just whimpered in the corner waiting for help. He's so kind, strong and is honestly the most incredible person I've ever met. He could have any girl he wants and HE confessed to ME. He's friends with both Takamaki-san and Nijima-san. Takamaki-san is a model and she's so gorgeous. Nijima-san is so smart, talented and determined. And the two of them are actually his age."

Her hands tightened into fist, crumpling the papers in her hands. "This has to be some sort of crush. Yeah, that's it. This is only some stupid crush. He probably just likes Becky. After a while I'm sure he'll forget about me. He'll move on and find someone else his age, someone better than me. That's how it should be. This is just a stupid crush."

Sadayo screamed the last part and took a few deep breaths to calm herself from her rant. "That's all it is," her voice a whisper as she kneeled down on the floor. Then, a single tear landed on the page, followed by another, then another, then another. Sadayo reached up and touched her face. She was crying, but she didn't know why. "Why… Why am I crying? I don't… Why…" Sadayo tried to wipe away the tears, but they kept flowing. "Why," she asked again. "Why does the thought of losing him hurt so much?"

Despite the tears that poured out of her eyes, Sadayo smiled widely, feeling liberated from her realization of her feelings. The thought of Akira leaving her life, not because of his record, but because he found some else. It was clear what the pain in her chest was. She didn't want him to go with some else. She didn't want to watch the person she cared about go away with someone else. Sadayo Kawakami wanted to be the one in his life. Collapsing onto the floor, she picked up the test she had looked to earlier and closed her eyes, smiling as the world drifted away from her.

Akira Kurusu… I think I have feelings for you.

"All right Sadayo you can't deny it. You've fallen for one of your students." The previous night had been enlightening to say the least and since she had woken up this morning, she repeated to herself that she did in fact have feelings for Akira Kurusu, her student. Since today was a holiday and there was no school, Sadayo decided to walk around the city in an effort to figure out what was going on. Now it was well past noon and she sat alone on one of the benches in Shibuya station, drinking a smoothie from the stand inside the station.

While it was liberating to come to terms with her feelings for Akira, there was still the issue on how to deal with his confession. Even after all the rumors that happened between me and Takase-kun, I still managed to fall for him. Taking a sip of her disgusting smoothie, she let out a defeated sigh. "At least he likes me back. Me of all people," smoothie. Something is definitely wrong with him. What does he see in me? I can never get a grasp on what he's thinking. He's always been so willing to reach out to me. There was the first night he requested me, him telling me about his record, then the night he… thoughts of the night Akira caught her in his arms caused her to blush. Then there was that time at the hospital. She remembered the inferno she saw in Akira's eyes that night, how angry he was for her sake. He stood up for me then, even though he didn't have to. That's just the kind of guy he is. "He even apologized for bringing up the Phantom Thieves. Even when the Takases came to the school, he tried to comfort me after I told him about the sister company." The memories replayed themselves in an instant. "If it wasn't for the Takases sudden attitude change I-"

Sadayo stopped herself mid sentence, blinking a few times as sparks went off in her mind. "Hold on. The Takases' attitude change was way too sudden to be a mere coincidence. And they did sound and act just like Kamoshida, even that Madarame and Kaneshiro guy too. Pulling out her phone, she quickly scanned online for videos of the other two's confessions. "Yeah, it's just like what happened with Kamoshida. A sudden change like that had to be the work of the Phantom Thieves. It's the only explanation." she tossed the remainder of her smoothie into the trash and got up to start walking, no particular destination in mind.

The station quickly faded into the background as she walked down the street. Alright, I'm almost certain that the sudden change in the Takases had to have come from the Phantom Thieves. A big change like that just doesn't happen in the span of a few hours. Crossing her arms, "But how did they know, the only people who knew what was going on were me, the Takases and Akria." There was a beat before Sadayo realized what she had said and her face flushed red. How can I say his name so casually? She reprimanded herself as she slapped her cheeks lightly. I need to focus. Don't get sidetracked. "Ak- I mean Kurusu-kun must have asked the group for help, but h-."Quickly pulling out her phone, she typed in a search and brought up the Phan-site. "I've heard students around school talk about this website. If the rumors are true, you can request the help of the Phantom Thieves by putting in a request here." Kurusu-kun must have done that. That's why he needed their names. It took some time, but Sadayo managed to scroll through all the various posts from the past week. Most of the posts on the site were of no real importance, either people complaining about their boss or their teacher. Although her name did appear in a few posts, she ignored it and focused on finding the Takases's names.

Later

It took some time, but Sadayo had managed to go through all the posts from the last week up until Saturday, when she was in the hospital. The site seemed to have a lot of traffic recently, given the arrest of Kaneshiro. The result was an increase in the amount of posts on the site.

Sadayo let out a defeated sigh, "Even after flipping through all of those posts, I couldn't find the Takase's names. I feel like I wasted my time." She looked down at her watch to check the time. She had been flipping thru page after page on the Phan-site for a while and hadn't noticed the sun had set and dark clouds rolling towards her. "It's getting late. I need to get home to get ready for school." With a quicker then normal stride, she made her way down the street back towards the station as she tried to solve the puzzle in her mind. Why weren't the Takase's names on the site? It had to have been the Phantom Thieves, But why weren't their names on the website so then… How? A tired groan escaped her lips, "I got sidetracked from what I was originally thinking about. I… I have to turn Kurusu-kun down. That's the only thing I can do. Both he and the school are in a tricky situation." Rain now began to pour down as Sadayo just barely made it to the station on time. Sitting down at another bench, she placed her head in her hands. Hypothetically, if we were to date and we got caught, a scandal would be the least of our problems. More than likely he would be expelled from Shujin and then he'd be arrested, sent straight to juvenile hall. "Forget what would happen to me, I can't let him throw away his future like that. After he tried so hard to help me find mine. This… this is for the best." It was a painful truth to admit. There was a pain deep in Sadyo's heart as she spoke to herself. She didn't want to distance herself from him, but it was the only way to insure their futures.

"I need to tell Kurusu-kun as soon as I can. I should ask him to request me as soon as I can. " rising to her feet, Sadayo made her way through the now crowded station. Why are there so many people, She thought. I guess there must have been some kind of festival going on today. With this many people I wouldn't be surprised if I ran into someone I knew.

As if on queue, Sadayo rounded a corner and bumped into some rounding the same corner., causing her to stumble into someone. Quickly getting her bearings, she bowed in apology, "Oh. I'm sorry. I…" She didn't even finish her sentence as a familiar pair of stormy eyes stared at her. "K-kurusu-kun!?"

"Kawakami, is that you."

Looking past her students, Sadayo saw that Akira was with Ryuji, Ann and Makoto. All four of them appeared to be soaking wet from the rain. "Oh. Sakamoto-san hello, and it's Sensei," she said with a mild glare.

The 'blonde' rolled his eyes and placed his hands in his pocket, "Yeah yeah, Sorry Senesi."

Sadayo smiled, "Better. Anyway, what are you all doing here? And why are you dressed in Yukatas?"

"There was supposed to be a fireworks festival today and we got together since exams are over." Ann answered before frowning. "Sucks that the rain came out and ruined it."

"It can't be helped Ann." Akira turned to look at the nicely dressed girl. "We'll just have to reschedule our celebration."

"Alright. Anyway what are you doing here Sensei? If you're not here for the festival, then…" Ann looked over to her teacher curiously.

Sadayo blinked for a second, debating on an answer. Before she could, Makoto spoke up, "Ann don't be rude."

"Oh no it's fine Nijima-san. I finished grading exams so I figured it would take a walk." Sadayo explained. "There were also a few things I needed to think about." She whispered the last part, but she looked over and just in time to see Akira twitch upon hearing her words.

Ryuji groaned, "man, let's not talk about exams. They're over and done with. Just thinking about them makes my brain hurt."

"Yeah, I'm sure I did much better then Ryuji at least." Ann smiled, sure that her words were fact.

"Hey! You never know. Maybe I got lucky."

Akira placed his hand on his friend's shoulder and just shook his head.

"Come on man. Not you too."

The four of them went back and forth like this for another minute or two and Sadayo just watched. The four of them really have gotten close to each other. Sakamoto-san and Takamaki-san have been close to Akir- I mean Kurusu-kun since he first arrived. Thinking back to those days, Sadayo let out a sigh. Late on the first day. Those two caused quite a bit of trouble with Kamoshida. If it-. Gears began to turn as Sadayo looked at Ryuji, Ann and Akira. Wait, Kurusu-kun supposedly got on Kamoshida's bad side when he first got here. All this stuff with the Phantom Thieves started right after Kurusu-kun came to Shujin. There's something here. But what… Now, Sadayo looked over to Makoto. Yeah, if my memory serves me right, Nijima-san asked him if he knew anything about the scams going on in Shibuya. After that, the guy responsible confessed to what he did. Finally, Sadayo turned to Akira, the pieces of the puzzle slowly falling into place. I'm not quite sure about that artist guy, but Kurusu-kun has had his hand in two out of the three targets of the Phantom Thieves. He was the only one to know about the Takases. Her eyes widened as everything became clear. "Oh my god."

"Huh, did you say something Sensei," asked Akira, turning away from his friend to see Sadayo's eyes wide, staring at him.

Realizing what she was doing, Sadayo blushed and looked away, "N-no nothing. Everything's fine." she chuckled nervously.

The other three gave her a strange look, "Ok. Anyway, it looks like the trains aren't as crowded so we should get home," said Ryuji.

"Right, Have a good night Sensei." Akira bowed goodbye and walked towards his train's platform.

The other three did the same and headed in the same direction, leaving Sadyao alone. Realising her chance was slipping away, she turned around to reach out to Akira, but stopped herself before she could. I can't call him out like this, not with his friends around. But… I need to talk to him. Thinking quickly, she reached for her phone and typed out a message.

S: Listen, we need to talk. Can I come over so we can?

Sadayo could see Akira reach into his pocket for his phone. The teen stopped only for a second as he read the message. He didn't look back at Sadayo as he started at the screen. Sadayo wondered if she had stepped over the line but her phone pinged with a message.

A: Alright. I'll let you know when you can come.

She let out a huge sigh of relief.

S: Ok. I'll see you soon.

Sadayo continued to watch her student/master until he disappeared around the corner. No turning back now I guess. "This is for the best." Her gaze shifted to a vending machine near her. "I need something to drink. All this stuff is making me go crazy." With her mind in another place, Sadayo put coins into the machine and chose a drink while thinking over her sudden realization. I'm not certain, but all the signs point to Kurusu-kun being involved with the Phantom Thieves in some way. A small groan escaped her lips, How could he do something so dangerous, he's already on thin ice. Resting her head against the cool glass of the machine, she looked down at the drink in her hand. "Coffee." Even after what I told him about the Thieves, he helped me. Why?

"I'll protect you."

Those words that Akia had said to her back as school now had a new meaning to them. Sadayo continued to gaze at the can of coffee in her hand. Why did he have to go and make this harder?

Later at Leblanc

"Alright, I'll bite. Joker you've been acting weird since we took down the Takases. I was writing it off as exams, but now I know it's not that. What's up?" Morgana walked with his friend upstairs into the attic. The walk home had been quiet and aside from a quick exchange between Boss and that silver haired woman, Akira had been quiet. It was normal from him usually, but Morgana could tell something was eating at him.

"It's nothing Morgana," assured Akira. "I'm just exhausted is all. Nothing to worry about."

The cat seemed unconvinced, "Does this have to do with Kawakami?" Akira twiched, signaling that he hit the nail on the head. "Ever since that night, you've been really distant. Again, I just chalked it up to exams, but when you bumped into her at school and back at the station… I don't know, you were acting weird is all."

Inside his mind, Akira cursed himself for not being better at hiding his emotions when it came to Sadayo. "It's nothing. I just said something that I shouldn't have. We're going to clear things up. She wants to talk so I'm going to give her a call." Taking out his phone, Akira turned to Morgana, "Hey can you…"

"Alright fine. I'll let you have some privacy. The rains let up a little so I'll be out for a while." Morgana quickly made his way up to the bed and pointed to the window with his tail. "Do you mind?"

Akira nodded and opened the window slightly for the cat to leave. Now, it was just him alone in the old attic. Looking back at the messages from Sadayo, he scratched the back of his head. Better to get this over with. It's what I deserve for being a fool.

As much as he didn't want to admit, Morgana was right. He had been trying to avoid Sadayo as much as possible. Deep down he was grateful for exams since it kept both of them busy, but when they bumped into each other at school before exams, Akira honestly wished for death. This was especially true when Mishima left him alone and back at the station wasn't any better. Why did I even confess to her? I'm such an idiot. Akira sat down on the couch near his work bench. Even after she told me about the rumors with her and Takase-kun, I confessed. She probably hates me for it. Phone still in hand, Akira typed out a message to Sadayo.

A: Hey, you can come over now. Boss left so we could talk in private. The door to the cafe is unlocked so you can just meet me upstairs.

Quickly, a message came back.

S: Ok. I'll be there soon.

Akira read and reread the message a few times before tossing his phone on his bed. Leaning back on the couch, he rested his head on the back, looking up to the ceiling. After a few minutes of starting at nothing, he heard the chime of the bell from downstairs. Showtime I guess. With a deep breath he prepared himself mentally as he saw Sadayo climb the stairs, dressed in her usual attire.

She looked over to him and did her best to smile, "Hey."

"Hey," he said, also trying to smile.

The tension was so thick, a spoon would be enough to cut it. Trying to think of something, Sadayo crossed her arms and looked around the room. "It feels weird being here dressed in a normal outfit." She turned to examine Akira and noticed his clothes. "Speaking of clothes, what are you wearing?" Her tone was much more stern than she intended it to be.

Akira just blinked, surprised by the sudden change in tone. "Um… what's wrong with it?" he asked, examining his clothes.

"They're still soaking wet. Why haven't you changed out of them? You'll get sick if you stay in them."

"It's fin-," he was about to protest but Sadayo's glare told him otherwise. Raising his hands, he complied. "Ok. I'll change."

Sadayo watched the teen pull out a box from one of the shelves and grab some clothes from inside. "Good. I'll wait here." Akira disappeared down stairs and when he was gone, Sadayo's face flushed red. Why did I say that? I completely messed up the atmosphere. I… I was just concerned. Yeah, I mean he really doesn't even really take care of himself. Walking over to the work bench, she dragged her finger across the top.

Footsteps could be heard from behind her and Akira reappeared, dressed in his sleepwear. He looked over to see Sadayo examining her finger near the workbench. Before he could say anything, she pointed her finger at him. "Look at this. All this dust you've let build up isn't healthy. Gez, you need to take better care of yourself. You may have been busy because of exams, but that doesn't give you the right to skip on self care."

Akira's pacinece was growing thin, he had expected their talk to be about his confession, not his cleaning habits. "Hey, I was busy studying for exams. I'm just trying to look out for my future. And you're not one to talk about self care."

Sadayo met his words head on, stepping closer to him, "I'll have you know that I am making a change for the better. You're still young, you should take care of yourself."

The two were silent, staring at each other for a second as silence rang through the room. After a beat of silence, Akira and Sadayo broke out into laughter.

"What was that," Akira asked thought his laughter.

"I don't know. I…" Sadayo couldn't finish her sentence as she grabbed her sides.

While the two laughed, they forgot about everything else. Sadayo forgot about how he was going to turn him down and how awful it made her feel. Akira forgot about his stupidity for confessing Sadayo. All they did was relish in the fact that just being in each other's company made them happy.

However, the laughter died down and the two were left staring at each other. "This… this isn't what you wanted to talk about. Was it?" Akira looked down towards the floor. Knowing what was coming, his body sagged in response.

"N-no." Sadayo swallowed the lump in her throat. Taking a deep breath to help get the words to come out. "... I'm sorry."

"I see." he tucked his hands into his pockets. He knew what was coming. He had been turned down by girls in the past, but this time was way different. "That's about what I was expecting."

"I really am sorry." Sadayo wanted to move closer to him to comfort him, but knew that would make things worse. So she remained where she was.

Shaking his head, Akira looked at her, "You shouldn't apologize. I was the one who confessed to you. Even after you told me about the rumors between you and Takase-kun, I confessed." Her bowed in apology, "I'm sorry."

"Kurusu-kun. It's fine. I really thought it through, though, you know? When you told me how you felt… I was really happy."

He quickly looked up from his bow and saw Sadayo's expression. She was blushing, playing with the edge of her shirt and looking away from him. "Wait… what."

"For a while now, I've always felt something when I was around you. Just talking to you made me really happy" Sadayo smiled, her face still red. "But, I was so unsure of what to do with these feelings. I thought 'he would never like someone like me', plus there is our situation as teacher and student." She swallowed the lump in her throat and turned to meet the teen's gaze. "When you confessed that night, I was so happy. The happiest I've ever been in my life. So happy I got scared and ran away."

Akira stared into Sadayo's chocolate eyes. The women he had fallen for, he hadn't pushed her away, instead she felt the same. "You mean… you feel the same?" She nodded, blush increasing as she did.

"But it's because of that, we can't be together." she turned around to face the window. "I'm a teacher and you're my student. You're in a tricky situation as it is. If we were to get caught, suspension would only be the beginning. You're whole future would go up in flames, and I don't want that." She tried to find some sense of comfort by rapping her arms around herself. "Kurusu-kun. You're very special to me, so I'm going to restrain myself… For you."

Akira stared at the back of the women he loved. While the weight from earlier was gone, he could deny that Sadayo was right. She's really thought about this alot, but she only mentioned what would happen to me. He let out a chuckle, "So responsible, but…"

Sadayo continued to face the window, waiting for him to finish his sentence. However, she felt a set of arms wrap around her. "Wha- Kurusu-kun, what are you…" she tried to protest, but her words came out as a stutter.

He tightened his grip around her, "We won't get caught." Akira could see the paths before him. On one side, he could let Sadayo go, this way the two could have the futures they had worked so hard to have. Sadayo could be the teacher she aspired to be and Akira could finish his probation. On the other hand, he could risk it all and try to have both Sadayo and a future. Before coming to Tokyo, he would have been more inclined to take the safe route, but now, Akira didn't want a future. Not one that didn't have her in it. "I promise."

Sadayo remained motionless as he listened to his words. They were confident, like them getting caught wasn't even a thought that crossed his mind. "Why are you confident? Is this the kind of confidence you need to be a Phantom Thief."

Akira's body twitched and he pulled away from her, eyes wide, "How did you know?"

"So it's true." she said, turning back around to look at him. Admittedly, she thought it was funny to see the usually cocky teen look like a deer in the headlights. "To be honest I only just figured it out today." she began to count with her fingers, "For one, that whole thing with the Takase-kun's guardians worked out way too good for me and you were the only one who knew about my situation. Plus, you seemed to have your hand in almost every target the Phantom Thieves go after. I'm still not sure about that artist, but you were on Kamoshida's bad side and he changed shortly after you came to Shujin. And Nijima-san asked you about the crime in Shibuya and later the man responsible turned himself in." She crossed her arms and smiled, "It's just there are way too many coincidences."

Morgana would surely have a few words regarding this development, but that was for later. She put the pieces together really easily. I guess I should listen to Morgana more about being careful. He let out a sigh, She already figured it out, might as well come clean. "You got me." he bowed like a showman, "I am Joker, Leader of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts."

"Joker?"

"My codename." he answered. "I'm sure you have plenty of questions, but before that, what do you plan on doing now that you know?"

She chuckled, "Don't worry, I don't plan on telling anyone." Her words caused him to relax a little, but she smiled, "Only if you promise to do something for me."

"You want to get back at me for that thing at the apartment don't you."

"Of course, you had your fun. Now it's my turn."

Rolling his eyes, Akira took a leap and played the part. Getting down on one knee, he bowed his head to Sadayo, "I am in your hands, my mistress." Cocky grin in full effect.

Sadayo immediately turned as red as a tomato. Before she could vocalize her surprise, she saw the look on his face. It was that ever confident smile he always seemed to have, the one that oozed pure assurance that things would work out. "I don't get you," she growled, "Not even a few minutes ago you looked like a downed puppy, literally. Now you're back to your usual self."

Rasing to his feet, he continued to smile at her, "I was bummed because I thought I had broken the friendship we had. But now that I know you feel the same, I'm not going to give up on you."

While it was truly astonishing how quickly he bounced back, Sadayo found it very annoying. She let out a groan, more out of frustration at herself, "Why are you so OK with this? Now I feel dumb for trying to back away! I had every intention of saying goodbye to you!"

She screamed the last part, a few tears streaming down her face as she looked at her man she cared so deeply about. Despite her tone, he hadn't ever flinched. Why is he so Ok with this? I told him I found out his identity, any normal person would freak out even a little. Well… he's never been a normal person has he. The two of them hadn't known each other long, but even Sadayo could admit she knew Akira. The teen seemed very aloof on the surface, but deep down there was a thick layer of confidence with the skills to back it up. He was stubborn, more so than any person Sadayo had ever known. She knew that when Akira said something, he meant it. He was a troublemaker, sticking his nose in business he shouldn't. Just to try and help people. All of these things were what caused him to get a criminal record. All of these things lead to them meeting in that old apartment.

And it's why she fell in love with him.

"Oh fine!" She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him as she buried her face in his shirt. "I'm mad," Sadayo said, pouting with her head still against his chest. "You broke your promise about not doing anything dangerous for owe me an apology, mister."

Akira jumped at Sadayo's sudden touch but mimicked her action, wrapping his arms around her. "I'm sorry." he chuckled, "Can you ever forgive my past transgressions?"

"Only if you promise to always come back. I can't date you if you're gone."

He lossend his arms around Sadayo so he could look at her face. Gazing into her chocolate colored eyes, "I promise."

Sadayo couldn't help but stare into his eyes as well, "Good. There are a lot of stories about the Phantom Thieves but in the end they help people like me, right? That's sooo you." She heard Akira chuckle and buried her face back in his chest, enjoying the comfort of being this close to him. "In exchange, I promise to be the best teacher I can be. You're not just a student to me." she pulled away again to look at him. "You're someone special who helped me realize my path as a teacher. A new path where I'll never abandon any of my students…"

"That sounds promising," said Akira.

"Right!? For my students… and for you."

The two stared into each other's eyes as a comfortable silence filled the room. Neither had expected things to work out like this. Akira figured when he came to Tokyo, the mundane would occupy his life. Now, he couldn't imagine it any other way. Sadayo had no idea that the problem child she met on that first day would be such an important figure in her life. She too wouldn't change a thing.

Sure the future was uncertain, and the past still had unpleasant memories. But for the two of them, the master and maid, the teacher and student, the thief and damsel… the present was all that mattered.

"Let's take a seat alright. I need to sit down after all this." Having been on her feet almost the whole day, she needed to stop for a second. Sadayo led her new boyfriend to the couch and they sat down. She leaned her head back and stared at the ceiling, "Life really is a roller coaster, isn't it?"

"It really can be unpredictable," nodded Akira. "But that's what makes it so much fun."

She smiled at his words, "yeah, I went from being a teacher to being a maid to dating a highschool student." An idea popped into her head and she figured it was her turn to have some fun, "So… as someone who went from being my master to my boyfriend, Do you have any request for me? I'll obey them, you know… even though I'm no longer a maid."

Akira did falter from his position, instead meeting her gaze head on. "I want you to rely on me."

Sadayo blushed and frowned a little, "Don't be so conceited. You're younger, so you should rely on me." Staring her posture, she patted her lap, "Here… by all means."

This did manage to get Akira to blush. The teen blushed and wiped his palms on his pants. He didn't expect Sadayo to be so forward and he choked on his words a little, "o-ok." Still blushing, Akira leans downard and rests his head in Sadayo's lap. It… it was nice.

"Looks can be so deceiving," she said, pleased she finally got Akira to blush. "I thought you were one of those shy guys who didn't pursue women."

"Truth be told, I'm kind of new to this." said Akira.

"It's alright. We'll take it one step at a time." She began to play with his hair. "Today's been a long day and you seem tired. Don't worry, I'll be here when you wake up."

The idea of some rest after being stressed about their talk sounded really nice. It didn't take long for Akira to drift into sleep, quietly breathing in Sadayo's lap.

She just played with his hair and listened to his breathing. "You're such a strange kid with a strange set of taste," she said quietly as to not wake him.

Before Sadayo could say anything else, she heard a noise come from the window which appeared to Morgana entering through the window.

The cat stretched his legs, "Hey Joker. So how did-" Turning to the couch, Morgana saw Akira sleeping in Sadayo's lap. "Hey, what's going on?"

"Shh. please be quiet," she said, obviously not hearing the cat's words. "He just fell asleep." Sadayo could swear the cat seemed to glare at Akira then at her before giving what looked like a shrug before curling up on the bed. "He's a strange cat. Just like his owner I guess."

She turned her attention back to Akira and smiled, I've gotten myself involved with a trouble maker. That's for sure. A quiet chuckle escaped her lips, I guess he's my trouble maker now.

And so the two sat alone together a while longer, Akira sleeping quietly in his girlfriend's lap and Sadayo's playing with his naturally messy hair. While there were most certainly going to be hurdles to overcome in their relationship, they would face them together.

"And that's it." Sadayo said, finishing the final part of the story. Her face was bright red as everyone, Akira and Morgana excluded, smiled at her. If it wasn't for the fact she was holding Akira's hand, she would have tried to hide her blush.

Haru clapped her hands together. "That sounds wonderful Sadayo," pleased at the romantic finale to the story.

"Indeed," smiled Yusuke. "A magnificent end to the story. It is truly a shame that I don't have my paints with me." The artist placed his hand on his chin, "the inspiration from this story has been invaluable."

Ann rolled her eyes, "Always with a one track mind, huh Yusuke." She turned back to Sadayo and Akira, "But I have to agree with Haru, I'm kind of jealous. I could only dream of something like that happening to me."

Sadayo blushed, but smiled at the model. "Trust me Ann. Even now, I can't believe it happened."

Ryuji leaned back in his seat, "Ann's got a point though. It sure does sound like a movie or something."

"Oh, we could adapt your guy's story and turn it into a movie." Futaba smiled, pleased with her idea. "We'd make a killing."

"Futaba," Maktoto shot the young girl a look, 'Queen' mode in full effect.

"H-hey. It was just a joke," she chuckled nervously.

"Anyway…" Makoto cleared her throat then turned her attention back to the couple. Her expression was lighter, "I'm pleased to hear that everything worked out. And that really does explain Akira's behavior at the time."

He tilted his head, "What do you mean?"

"Hate to tell you this man, but we could tell something was eating at you. You really aren't that good at hiding it," Ryuji grinned like usual and the rest of the group nodded their heads.

Akira let out a defeated sigh, "Was it really that bad?" What they had said about his emotions getting the best of him when it came to Sadayo seemed to be truer then he would like.

"Ryuji is correct Akira," Yusuke stated while crossing his arms. "I don't mean to be rude, but something appeared to be on your mind after we dealt with those guardians."

Makoto nodded her head, "I'm not sure about everyone else, but I just thought it was because of exams so I didn't mention it. Especially when we bumped into Sadayo at the station. Again, I didn't mention it because you seemed fine the next day." She smiled as she looked to Sadayo, "Now we know why."

Akira just lowered his head in defeat, "You guys were right. I do let my emotions slip when it comes to Sadayo."

Everyone did get a quick laugh from Akira's admission of his fault. "Before we get too far away from it," Haru spoke up, "According to the story, you realized Akira was a Phantom Thief because of your run in with everyone at the station."

She nodded, "Yeah. Seeing everyone together made me realize how much of a connection Akira had to each of your targets. I just kind of connected the dots."

Morgana sat up from his spot, "This is why I always say to be careful."

"Hey don't act like it was my fault," Akira turned to the cat. "Yes I was a little reckless back at the hospital and at school. But I didn't have the luxury of time."

"I know, but still. You're way too reckless sometimes."

"While that may be true Morgana, it does sound like Sadayo had more or less confirmed Akira's connection to the Phantom Thieves. Had I remained there, I would have ,as the saying goes, added fuel to the fire," said Yusuke. "It was unavoidable."

Sadayo looked at the artist curiously, "wait, you were with them before that."

He nodded, "Correct, the true purpose of the outing was to celebrate Kaneshiro's arrest. But due to the rain the celebration had to be delayed. The train back to Kosei was at a different section of the station so I had left the group just before meeting you."

"I see."

"It's kind of weird now that you think about it," added Ryuji. "We had no idea what was going on between you two back then. Now that we do know, it changes things."

The other three who were present nodded. "It does give a whole new level of context to back then doesn't it." agreed Makoto.

"See, that's a change in cognition," added Morgana.

Ryuji let out a groan and Ann decided to step in before they started to argue. "Hey before we get two off topic," Ann turned to Morgana. "From what Sadayo said Morgana, I'm surprised you didn't put up more of a fuss when you walked in to see Akira laying in Sadayo's lap."

"Well Lady Ann, given my natural charm and grace, I could tell those two had feelings for each other long before they even confessed," Morgana stood proudly with his paws on the edge of the table, like what he was stating was nothing less than fact.

"And you also have an undeserved ego too," pointed out Futaba.

"For real. Like you could even get a girlfriend," Ryuji stared at the cat, annoyed by his comment about charm.

Morgana turned to stare back, "I have a way better chance than you Skull."

"Says the cat."

"I'm not a cat."

The two barked at each other while the rest of the group sighed. Sadayo learned to whisper in Akira's ear after he translated Morgana's words, "Do they always fight this much?"

He nodded, "But looks can be deceiving. The two actually make a good team when in the Metaverse."

Sadayo thought about what Akira said, picturing the two dressed in their thieves outfits fighting side by side while Ann growled at the two, "Alright, stop you two." The two stared at each other for a second longer, before following her orders. "Anyway, back to what you were saying earlier Morgana."

"Right, like I said. I knew that the two had feelings for eachother, but I never said anything because it was for them to workout." Morgana turned to look at Akira. "He explained the whole situation to me the next morning. About his confession the day we dealt with those guardians and what happened before I showed up. Including, her finding out about the Phantom Thieves."

Akira sensed the annoyance in the last part and replayed, "Which we agreed was fine."

"I know, but that still doesn't change the fact that you were too reckless. I told you multiple times to be careful." He stomped his paw as he scolded Akira.

"I think you are being a little hard on Akira," Haru petted Morgana on the head. "It all worked out fine so there's no reason to get upset over it." Morgana purred at Haru's touch and retreated into her lap once again.

Makoto decided to take control of the conversation, "Alright, Sadayo," she said, turning to the teacher. "Do you mind if I ask you a question?"

"Am I correct in assuming that you would like me to explain myself about why I accepted Akira's confession." She asked with a smile.

"I don't mean to be rude, but-"

"It's fine Makoto," she interrupted. "It's understandable you would be curious, considering how risky it is for us to be dating." Sadayo gave one last look over the group before closing her eyes, to think back on the emotions she had and still does have about that moment. " I said earlier that by this point I thought of Akira as a friend. Well, I think deep down I knew I wanted to be more than friends. I just didn't want to admit it." She smiled, "Since Akira and I met back in that apartment, being with him felt natural. I mean we didn't honestly didn't know each other that long."

"Indeed," Yusuke nodded. "The two of you did form this relationship rather quickly."

"I honestly can't put it into words, but it was so natural being with him,"Sadayo did her best to stop her face from going completely red. "When we were together, it felt like I didn't have to hide myself like I did with Becky. Deep down, I knew Akira was special to me, but I pushed those feelings down because I was scared. Scared of what it meant that I felt the same. Which is why I ran..."

Ann leaned forward in her chair and attempted to comfort Sadayo. "It's understandable that you did. All things considering."

"Still, I knew I couldn't hide from the feeling any longer after that." A chuckle escaped her lips as she thought about the moments before she embraced Akira that night. "When I tried to convince myself to put distance between us, I think I secretly hoped Akira would convince me otherwise. When I saw him standing there, practically taunting me to come closer, I realized that I didn't care. I didn't care about the fact we were student and teacher. I didn't care about what might happen in the future."

Sadayo gave Akira's hand a squeeze as she stared into his eyes. "I realized that I didn't want a future that didn't have him in it. Akira made me feel loved like nobody else has in my entire life, so that's why I took the risk."

Akira leaned over to kiss Sadayo and she mirrored his action. To him, Sadayo was a woman worth protecting. She was amazing in so many ways that Akira had trouble keeping track of them all. He loved every part of her, her attitude, the way she stood when she was determined, the way her hands were soft yet callused, and her smile. To Sadayo, Akira was truly special, even before she found out he was a Phantom Thief. He was confident, had the skills to back up his attitude, he was kind and always willing to put others over himself, his strength when he faced a problem, and his smile. The two simply basked in the moment, forgetting they were being watched.

Haru giggled while blushing. "Aw. So romantic."

"You two are so cute together," Ann chuckled.

Yusuke smiled as he nodded, "Indeed, You two make quite a pair."

"The sweetness is going to make me sick," Futaba said with her childish grin.

"For real," Ryuji smiled while putting his arms behind his head.

Sadayo and Akira just blushed as the group commented on their display of affection. "Sorry," said Akira. "Just got caught up in the moment."

"It's fine," Sadayo tried to look over at him, but was too embarrassed.

"Alright we should get back on topic," Makoto clapped her hands to signal to settle down, but even she was smiling at their display of affection.

"Actually, there's something I've been wondering."

All eyes turned to Futaba, "What is it Futaba?" asked Akira.

"So you two have been going out for a while yeah?"

Sadayo nodded, still a hint of blush on her cheeks. "Y-yeah."

"Have you guys done typical relationship stuff. Like going on dates or whatever."

Futaba's question seemed to catch everyone's attention as they all turned to the couple. "That's a good point," said Ann. "All things considered, it would be pretty risky to go anywhere."

"While that may be true Ann, we have actually gone out of a few dates here and there," Answered Akira. "And Before you ask Makoto, I took measures to make sure we weren't found out."

She tilted her head, "Can you explain?"

"For one, the places we've gone two aren't very common places for teenagers to hang out." He pointed counted with his finger. "Our first date was to the art museum in Ueno. I showed her Yusuke's painting while we were there too."

"Which was beautiful," added Sadayo.

The artist bowed in appreciation, "Thank you."

"Make sense though," nodded Ryuji.

"I suppose, but still…" Makoto still seemed hesitant.

"Second, I would always use Third-eye to look around when we were out in public. I've used it so much while in school that I can tell if someone is a student from Shujin just using it. This is why we are able to still go to places that are relatively popular, Like the Ferris wheel at Seaside Park." Akira grinned, "which was where we had our first kiss."

Sadayo blushed at her boyfriend's proud decoration of their first kiss. She jabbed Akira in the side a few times. "Did you have to tell them that?"

"I'm sure they were going to ask anyway," Akira turned to Ann and Haru, who looked away to avoid his knowing gaze.

"Alright, you have definitely thought about this," Makoto admitted, but was still hesitant. "But why even go out at all? I know you two want to spend time together, but you can do that here in private."

"We thought about it and decided that it wouldn't do us any good to stay locked up in this attic," responded Sadayo. "We would fall into bad habits when we are able to go out in public once Akria turns eighteen."

Makoto seemed to think about their train of thought, "I guess that makes sense. You didn't want to be completely uncomfortable when the time comes to express your relationship publicly."

"Exactly," smiled Akira. He placed his hand in the air. "All the dates we have had were planned out in order to make sure that we would be safe. That being said, we have spent quite a lot of time in private."

"Akira's right. While we do have a few dates every now and again, usually somewhere out of the way like the art museum or the bookstore in Jimbocho, just sitting alone talking together is also pleasant," added Sadayo.

The third-year pondered their words for a moment before saying, "As long as you two are careful."

"We have and will be," the two smiled at each other before they noticed Ryuji staring at them. Akira Asked, "something wrong Ryuji."

"Yeah, I just remembered something else from back then." Ryuji's stare turned into a piercing glare. "On the last day of the school trip to Hawaii, you said you were with someone. Was that Sadayo?"

Everyone's eyes widened and turned to the couple. Ryuji got his answer when Sadayo blushed and Akira flashed his cocky grin. "You jerk," the 'blonde' rose to his feet again. "So while Me, Yusuke, and Mishima were out looking like idiots, you were…" Rather than finishing his sentence, Ryuji just grumbled to himself, "You traitor."

Akira just shrugged, "Hey don't hate me for what happened. From the sound of it, I'm glad I didn't come."

"I do remember that." Yusuke frowned as he thought about the event in question. "It was rather unpleasant. We were dragged around the whole day and we accomplished nothing."

"So wait, you two got to spend a day together in Hawaii?" Ann looked to Sadayo for confirmation and the teacher nodded while still blushing. The model smiled, "Man, you two are so lucky. Spending the day together on a beautiful island. Just the two of you." Ann leaned forward in her seat, now invested on finding out the details of their time in a foreign land. "Did you watch the sunset together?" Again, Sadayo nodded, but said nothing. Ann groaned and stomped her feet a little, "That's so romantic. So jealous."

Haru was absolutely beaming, "It must have been a beautiful experience. Watching the sunset over the horizon, sitting next to the person you love. Just imagining it makes my heart race."

Sadayo's blush got even redder upon hearing Haru's word. "I-it was a pleasant day yes."

Akira could see Makoto began to open her mouth but he answered, "And before you ask Makoto, the beach we went too was out of the way so there would be no students there. We were careful."

"Still..."

"I know it was risky," he turned to Sadayo to give her a peck on the cheek. "But the reward was worth it."

By now the group had grown accustomed to Akira's teasing of Sadayo and they just rolled their eyes while the teacher blushed. "It was." admitted Sadayo. With her hand that was still interlocked with Akira's, she played with the ring that she had given him. If Sadayo was being honest the ring wasn't very flashy, just a little gift she found in a gift shop on the island. But since she had given it to him, she hadn't seen him without. Be it at school or just alone together. Just the fact he treasured a simple gift from her so much made her heart skip a beat. As for Akira, he swore that he would always wear it. At least until they could have a matching pair.

Makoto relented, smiling at the two, "Alright. As long as it worked out. Sorry if I sounded rude."

Akira shocked his head, "No worries Makoto. You're just concerned is all."

Futaba grinned and chuckled out, "Makoto's just being the 'team mom'."

The hackers' comment made the third year blush, "H-hey. Don't call me that."

"You're blushing cause you know it's true," Ann teased.

"Can we not have this conversation. It's time for Sadayo's question."

Futaba perked up at this, "Oh, I almost forgot about that. What else do you want to know?"

Sadayo placed her hand on her chin and thought back to everything she had asked previously. "To be honest, I really can't think of anything. You guys have covered almost all the questions I had about what you guys do as thieves." She opened her hand to count with her fingers, "Your code names, Morgana, the Metaverse itself, Palaces and how you make a person have a change of heart, Mementos, and then Shadows and Persona. Plus those two small questions about Money and Sakura-san." She shrugged, "I honestly can't think of anything else that would warrant an immediate question."

Yusuke smiled, "We have covered a lot since we started and I must say you've understood it all rather quickly."

She chuckled, "Trust me, it's all still pretty confusing, but I think I'm better off thanks to you all being here to explain it to me. Thank you."

"Glad we were able to help," smiled Ann, pleased that their presence had helped Sadayo understand all the confusion that came with the Metaverse. "Are you sure that there isn't anything else that you would like to know?"

She paused for a second and thought hard about what to ask. While this 'plan' they had mentioned earlier was a possible question, the look Akira had given her told her that it was something to be discussed in private. Instead, she mulled over a question that had been in her head for a while. "How are you guys taking all this?"

There was a beat of silence as Sadayo's question sank in. Even Akira had a hard time understanding what she meant. Ryuji was the first to speak and asked for the sake of the group, "Um. What do you mean 'how are we taking all this'?"

"I mentioned this to Akira earlier, but you guys have taken the fact that a teacher is dating your friend really well. I'm just curious as to how you guys are taking all this since you know everything now; my job at Victoria, the Takase-kun and everything his guardians did. I know it's a lot to hear all at once, so… " She trailed off as she looked at the group, unsure at how they would react.

After everyone shared a look back and forth before they started to chuckle, much to Sadayo's confusion. Yusuke cleared his throat and waved his hand to get Sadayo's attention, " I understand your concern Sadayo, but I can assure you we have no reservations about you and Akira's relationship."

She looked to the artist, still confused, "What?"

"You asked for our options so allow me to take the lead." Yusuke placed his fingers on his chin as he closed his eyes. "Prior to yesterday, my only knowledge of you was your name and position. With such little information, finding out your relationship with Akira was quite a shock." He smiled, giving Sadayo a reassuring smile, "but now it is clear that the two of you share a very special connection. Akira once told me that love comes in many forms. Additionally, you two do seem to bring out the best in each other. If you were to ask if I had any reservation, I would most certainly say I have none. Although I must state again that I would like you and Akira to pose for a piece. Your identities would remain a secret of course."

"You're really not going to let that one go," asked Akira.

"Not when the two of you have sparked my artist imagination."

"Inari's weird art talk aside," Futaba ignored the frown of the artist. "I'm in the same boat. Sure it was weird when we walked in last night, but the whole demon and servant thing you have going on is so awesome."

Akira turned to meet the hacker's eyes, failing to notice Sadayo's blush and being called a servant. "Hey, that 'demon' comment is a little bit of an exaggeration."

"It's really not," She chuckled. "When we are in the Metaverse, you get a little sadistic when we fight Shadows. Like I said, a demon."

Akira looked around at everyone else, waiting for someone to refute Futaba's point or back him up. Instead, everyone tried their best not to look at him. He let out a defeated sigh, "can you get to the point Futaba."

"Sorry. The point is we've seen way weirder stuff than this."

"For real," added Ryuji.

"Plus Inari's right, you two do make a cute couple."

"Allow me to go next," Haru raised her hand before clearing her throat. "While the circumstances of our meeting yesterday weren't exactly in anyone's favor, I am glad to hear that we are the first ones you've confided in. Keeping a secret like this must be quite an ordeal."

Sadayo nodded, "I will admit that sometimes it was hard."

"I hope that having us know while making things a little easier Sadayo," Haru smiled. "As for my personal feeling on the matter, I have nothing to say other than I wish the two of you luck. And I agree as well, the two of you make a beautiful couple."

"My turn," Ryuji scratched the back of his head. "I'm not good with the mushy stuff so I'll keep it simple. If you two are happy together, then fine. Ain't any of my business to butt in on someone's love life. I know I sounded like an ass when I asked about Hawaii, but I'm happy for you man. You deserve some happiness after all the shit you've been through."

His friend's words did manage to get a chuckle out of Akira, "Thanks Ryuji."

"No worries man, but a thanks would be nice." He scratched the edge of his nose. "I mean, I am kind of the reason you and Sadayo got together."

Futaba rolled her eyes, "Oh please. Don't be so full of yourself Ryuji."

"Hey it's true. If it wasn't for Operation Maidwatch, these two lovebirds wouldn't have ended up like this."

"That still does make it better."

"Both of you cool it, I'll go next," Ann growled at the two before leaning forward to rest her elbows on her knees. "Considering you're not just Akira's but my homeroom teacher, it certainly was a surprise. And I was a little hesitant at first, after what happened with Kamoshida." She quickly waved her hand before anyone added, "I'm not saying that I thought you were like him or anything it's just…"

"You were worried about Akira," finished Sadayo.

"Yeah. I know now that I was wrong to think like that and I'm sorry." Ann bowed a little in apology.

"It's fine Ann. It's in the past."

"Thank you. Anyway, getting back to the point, I'm really happy for you two. Akira you seem to smile more than you did back then. Sadayo, you've done a lot to help fix all the stuff at Shujin and seem a lot more confident. You two do seem to bring out different sides of each other."

Akira squeezed his girlfriend's hand, "We do, don't we."

Sadayo mimicked his action and leaned into him again, Ann was right in that ever since they had started dating, she felt more confident.

Lastly, everyone turned to look at Makoto, who seemed to understand what their gazes meant. "I guess I'm last." The third-year cleared her throat. "It was certainly a surprise to find you and Akira in Leblanc last night and I'll admit that I was also a little hesitant about the whole situation. Even as you began to explain how you guys meet with this 'Operation Maidwatch'."

"It's understandable Makoto," assured Akira.

"I know, but you're my friend Akira and I would hate to see you taken away from us for any reason." The group nodded at Makoto's words and she continued, "something like this is really risky and I wanted to understand why you would take it in the first place." Her expression lighted a little and her lips grew into a smile. "But after hearing about everything; Victoria, Takase-kun, and everything else, I understand now. And it does sound like you two are being careful with your situation. As long as you two are careful about it, I have no objections about the two of you dating." Makoto blushed, "And I will admit that you two do make a nice couple."

A quick laugh was shared as everyone watched Makoto try to hide her blush. Sadayo was just relieved that the whole group had been willing to accept not just her and Akira's relationship, but her as a whole. In the past she had always worried people would judge her for her time at Victoria. I was extremely happy to know that they were willing to accept her as a friend despite that. Akira was pleased to see that his friend had taken to Sadayo well. Given how much the school had wronged them, he had worried in the past about when they would have to come clean about their relationship. To hear that they accepted Sadayo as a friend, it just made him even more thankful for everything he had gained since coming to Tokyo.

"Thank you everyone. I mean the world to me to have your support," Sadayo bowed her head to emphasise her apology.

Akira did the same, "she's right. Thank you guys."

"You're welcome." Haru smiled before letting out a yawn. "It is getting rather late. Is there anything else we should know."

"Nope, that's everything."

"Then I do believe we should stop here for today." Haru rose to her feet and stretched a little.

Everyone followed her lead, stretching as they stood up, "Akira, We'll clean up the mess. You can walk Sadayo to the station if you want." Ann pointed to the trash from the snacks Akira had laid out at the beginning.

"You sure," he looked to see if everyone was ok with it.

"Least we can do man," Ryuji walked over to start picking up the trash. "We barged in last night so least we can do is give you some alone time."

Akira was about to protest, but could tell his friends were going to insist on it. "Alright, Thank you guys." He looked over to Sadayo who followed his lead downstairs.

Now alone for the first time in a while, the two stood outside on the moonlit street of Yogen-Jaya. It was very late at night and the streets were void of people, considering the trains were going to stop running soon. Akira took this opportunity to grab Sadayo's hand, "Ready?"

Sadayo blushed, before turning to Akira. "We're in public. We can't."

"I know you want to." he said with a cocky grin.

As much as she wanted to deny his actuation, she knew that he was right. He walked closer to him and wrapped her arm around his. "You don't have to act so smug about it."

"You know you love it."

"I do," buffing her lips, the two began their walk to the station. Taking in the quiet noises of the city.

"So how are you feeling," he asked.

"About our talk or just in general."

"Both."

"Well, to be honest, I'm kind of glad we were able to tell them about us. It gets tiring having to keep such a big secret from everyone."

Akira nodded, "Yeah, I'm glad too. I guess that makes everyone our confidant."

"You sure do love that word," Sadayo said, noticing Akira's love for a certain word.

"Can't help that it works so well. In all seriousness though, I'm glad we were able to tell them. We would have had to eventually so I'm glad we were able to get it out of the way."

She nodded, "yeah. I'm also glad too. You, I mean we have a good group of friends don't we."

"That we do. But I have to ask, Do I really seem like a demon?"

Sadayo raised her eyebrow, "still bothered by Futaba's comment."

"I don't know why. I just hate that I love it so much."

"I won't worry about it," Sadayo blushed, "I mean she did call me 'servant'. But… I guess it's fine… since I'm yours."

She had whispered that last part but not quite enough to go unheard by Akira, "And you're the best servant this demon could ask for. Truly the only one I need."

Still blushing, she clung to his arm a bit more, "smooth."

The two continued their walk to the station in a comfortable silence. They had talked enough for one day.

After another few minutes of walking the station finally came into view and they stopped just before the crosswalk. Before the two could turn to each other to say goodbye, the street suddenly became illuminated. A quick glance upwards showed the moon breaking from behind the cloud, displaying itself in all its majesty.

Akira and Sadayo starred up into the night sky to gaze at the moon, "The Moon is Beautiful, Isn't it?" said Sadayo.

"Yeah it is," looking into the corner of his eye, Akira watched Sadayo stare at the moon and couldn't help be mesmerized. The way the moon shined in her chocolate-colored eyes. Her smile as she looked out into the night sky. The way the light breeze caused her hair to flutter in the wind. At that moment, Akira Kurusu knew that Sadayo Kawakami was his World. "You know 'The Moon is Beautiful, Isn't it' can also translate to 'I love you' in Japanese."

Sadayo quickly turned to him. She took in his words for a second before her face lit up red, "Where did you learn that?"

"From you during class," Akira said, amused to see his girlfriend's sudden panic over her words.

"O-oh I see. I'm glad to know you pay atten-." She yelped as she felt herself be pulled into Akira's arms."

"I love you."

Sadayo was at a loss at what to say and she couldn't help but be mesmerized. The way the greyness of his eyes were magnified by the pale moon. The way the moonlight shines against his naturally messy black hair. The strength and tenderness behind his hold on her. At that moment, Sadayo Kawakami knew that Akira Kurusu was her World.

"I love you too."

They leaned into each other and shared a kiss under the pale moonlight. The moment their lips were connected, the world around them faded and left only them. The kiss was simple, not even a two-second but felt like a lifetime. Akira and Sadayo knew that every moment they shared wouldn't be enough. The two broke apart and simply basked in each other's presence.

"Aw they are so cute together."

"Ann, be quiet. They're going to hear us."

"Why must I always be so ill-equipped to paint. I must start carrying a canvas with me."

"Inari, be quiet."

"Guys we shouldn't be following them."

"It's a little late for that."

"It would seem we have onlookers," Akira kept his voice down in order to not alert everyone that they noticed them.

"So it would seem," Sadayo couldn't keep hiding her blush. "I'm going to give them extra homework."

"And maybe a pop quiz too." Akira gave Sadayo one last peck on the lips. "I'll see you at school."

"Yeah, I'll see you then."

The two released each other and Sadayo continued down the street before disappearing into the station.

Akira watched her walk until she was completely gone before turning towards the direction of his friend were hidden. Checking for civilians with Third-Eye, he said, "You know for the Phantom Thieves, that wasn't very stealthy."

"I'm sorry Akira," Makoto bowed her head. "I tried to stop them, but they wouldn't listen."

"It was Ann and Ryuji's idea wasn't it?" he asked.

"Hey," said the two in unison.

"It was."

"Futaba!?"

The hacker shrugged, "What? He asked."

Ann wanted to protest more but did have anything to fight back with, "Sorry Akira. But I couldn't resist. But look at you go Mister ladykiller."

"Ann is right. You were very romantic." Haru blushed.

Ryuji slung his arm around Akira's shoulder, "Man you totally rocked it. I got to ask, How do you do it? What's your secret?"

"You want the truth?"

Both Ann and Ryuji nodded, very adamant to learn the secret behind Akira and Sadayo's good relationship.

"Speak from the heart," Akira said simply. "Don't think, feel."

"That's it?" Ryuji asked. "Come on, there's got to be more to it than that."

"Don't worry Ryuji," Akira brushed his friend arm off of his shoulder and started to walk back towards the Cafe. "It's fine if you don't understand it. You can think about it while you do the extra homework Sadayo's going to give."

"Hey man don't make jokes like that," Ryuji chuckled nervously.

Ann chuckled as well as a bead of sweat formed on her brow. "Yeah, that's not cool. Please tell us you're joking right?"

All Akira did was keep on walking, giving neither of them an answer or even a look. The blondes stopped for a second before they turned to look at each other. Quickly realizing the seriousness of their leader, they tried to catch up with him, "Akira wait!?"

Author's notes

My mind thought of this chapter going to be in the epilogue.