G: Hey there, 자기야. Rough day, eh?
G: So, anyway. Guess what? It's Christmas Eve! Asian countries tend to have a different approach to this holiday in particular, so…
G: How about we spend some time together? You know, like lovers do.
A: I would like that very much
G: Great!
G: Let's meet in Shibuya. I'll be at the station.
"For someone who calls himself a Phantom Thief and works in the shadows, you're surprisingly reluctant to use underhanded techniques."
The small chime atop LeBlanc's entrance sang the moment Akira slowly closed the door, keeping the cold and any unwanted visitor outside of the small establishment. "Eun Hye, you wanted to hack into the reservation system of a restaurant just because they didn't have any spot for us."
The older woman pouted at her boyfriend's scolding. "And you should've let me do it. I mean, what's the big deal? It's a special occasion and it would've been nice to eat in a fancy place."
"It is a big deal because: A) Doing so would mean stealing someone else's spot. And most probably they also thought of having a special time, just like us. And B)..." He stepped towards his girlfriend and slowly drew her into a loving hug. "This is a special occasion not because of where we go, but because I'm with you."
"You always know what to say, eh?" Grace sighed as she returned the gesture. "Let's go somewhere more private, ok?"
Akira nodded.
However, as they slowly climbed up the stairs, the Thieves' Leader felt like his heart was being torn apart. He knew that this was the last day he would be able to see his love. The last moments before he gave himself up to the authorities. And even when he knew he was choosing the only way that allowed his companions, his confidants and most importantly, Grace, to get out of the radar; even then, he felt like he was betraying the only person in the world who would give her life for him without thinking it twice.
But he had to do it. He had to surrender. It was the correct thing to do. One life in exchange for the freedom of countless others.
Once both had finally settled down on the sofa as they usually did, Grace stretched her limbs a little. "Aaaaaaaaah, I'm so tired. But look at the bright side, we finally made it to the end." She smiled at the young man. "Congratulations on your successful mission, Mr. Phantom Thief."
The teenager chuckled a little bit. "Merry Christmas to you too, Eun Hye."
"Do you take pleasure in ruining the moment?" She crossed her arms, pretending to be angry.
Akira carefully leaned onto her shoulder. "Only when I'm with you."
"That's cheating…" Grace whispered.
After that last sentence, the hours went by. Between their lively banter and their little shows of affection, the evening reached its end without the pair even noticing.
"Ah, that's right!" The older woman exclaimed, somewhat startling her younger lover with the sudden outburst. "I have a present for you."
Grace quickly rummaged through the insides of her bag, and after finding what she was looking for, she presented a small box to her boyfriend.
"You really shouldn't have, Eun Hye…"
"Oh no, you're not gonna get rid of this that easily." She procured a small envelope from her pocket. "Not after all the trouble I went through to get it."
Akira threw his hands up in defeat. He tried to reach for the box, but before he could touch it, the older woman snatched it out of his grasp, offering the envelope instead.
"I guess I have to read this first?" He arched an eyebrow, somewhat amused.
Grace nodded. "That's correct. What I'm giving you is something so special, that to really understand it, you must read what's on the envelope first. And after you have read what's inside, give it back to me. That's how special it is."
The master rogue slowly grabbed the envelope. "Is this a gift or a riddle?" He slowly opened the envelope.
"That's on you. It's whatever you want it to be."
After the letter was out, the Thieves' Leader proceeded to turn his eyes to the writing on it.
"To Kurusu Akira-san:
It is with great pride and gratefulness that we present to you (handed by one of our former and most brilliant operators) the first and only award this institution will ever give to a third party.
For gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty, for saving the life of a member of our team without asking anything in return, we award you the title of Rainbow Member Honoris Causa. Please, accept this gift, from all of us here at the base.
We will be forever thankful for your actions and determination.
Six"
Akira couldn't stop reading the last lines over and over again. Once his mind was able to process what they meant for him and his girlfriend, he slowly looked at the woman beside him.
She was smiling. Not with her usual smug or sadness, it was a smile full of pride and love. It was the smile of someone who loved him more than anything in the world.
"What I have here is a one-of-a-kind present for the man that saved me." She slowly opened the box in her hands. "Just as there's only one Akira Kurusu in this world, there's only one award like this in existence. And it's the one I'm handing to you right now."
Inside the box there were three things: Two patches, one of the Japanese flag, another one that only read 'Kurusu A." and the last one was a small star, with a blue ribbon and an inscription at the bottom that read: "In Tenebras Lux"
That moment, that entire moment was surreal to the teenager. Not only he had been nominated as an Honoris Causa member of a secret organization he didn't even know existed until a few months ago, but his girlfriend also had procured something that materialized his reckless act to save her even if he forfeited his life in the process.
He tried to speak, but no words came out of his mouth. Grace, sensing his astonishment, slowly deposited the box on his hands while taking back the letter.
And he understood that no words were needed. With care, he closed the box, and after putting it somewhere safe, Akira hugged his older lover with everything he had.
"Merry Christmas, my hero." She whispered in his ear.
But what Grace didn't know, and it was something that the teenager was infinitely thankful for, was the increasing guilt and pain growing constantly in his heart. If she knew, if only she knew what was about to happen. What would happen once the next day arrived, how they would be separated once more, it could be devastating. And so he only kept latched onto her, trying to silence his thoughts and doubts. Reassuring himself that he had to protect her, his friends and confidants. Every single person that believed and helped him.
Because that's what a leader does. And if only one had to fall, then what better than the infamous Leader of the Phantom Thieves.
"Is everything alright?" The question burst the little bubble he had created with his negative thoughts.
Without even realizing it, Akira was trembling. It was subtle, almost imperceptible, but Grace was keen enough to pick up even the slightest change in his body language. And that skill was even more effective when the two were glued to one another.
"It's nothing. I'm just a little tired, that's all."
The older woman separated herself a little from him. "Are you sure? I already told you, whatever it is, I'll help you." She looked at his eyes.
He smiled. It was fake and forced, but even so, he smiled with everything he had. "No, don't worry. It has been a very long day and I'm a little tired. Nothing more."
But the korean woman was too good at reading the mood. She could read his facial expressions like an open book. "Yeah, I guess you're right. After everything that's happened, anyone would be tired." It was her way of telling him that she wasn't going to press if he wasn't willing to trust her. "Maybe it's better if I go now."
The feeling of his letting his lover go hurt like a thousand knives on his heart, but he had to endure it. Because if he broke down at that moment, there was no guarantee that he would be able to give himself in the morning.
"Let me walk you to the station." Akira offered, as Grace gathered all of her things.
This time, it was her turn to force a smile for him. "No, don't worry. It's better if you rest." She looked at him, her eyes shining with sadness and concern for his well-being. "I'll see you tomorrow, ok?"
An answer. He had to answer. It was the least he could do for the woman who gave him her unwavering love and support. Even if it hurt more than anything. One more time, one last time, with feeling. "Sure. See you tomorrow."
Grace nodded and climbed down the stairs.
Once the bells chimed one last time, Akira threw himself on the sofa. With that phrase, he had given his last goodbye before going to prison. There was nothing else to do except to wait for the inevitable.
With care, he took the box he had been gifted from the safe spot. It was a shining reminder of his actions, but also the burning memory of his lies.
Suddenly, something on the corner of his vision caught his attention. On the floor, near his feet, an envelope laid. The young rogue slowly picked it up. He carefully inspected its outside. There was no writing. No symbols, no stamps, no nothing. It was just a common envelope.
"This is…" He remembered.
It was the envelope that contained the letter Grace gave to him. The letter that she took back after handing him the box.
And then it hit him. If he couldn't tell her with his words, then at least….
He stood up from the sofa and, with the box and the envelope in his hands, he went straight to his desk.
Akira Kurusu had one last mission. And this time, he knew what to do.
"We're gonna save our leader, no matter what it takes!"
Sojiro Sakura saw the remaining members of the Phantom Thieves walk out of his little establishment in Yongen-Jaya, in their minds a mission and a fiery blaze burning in their hearts.
He felt proud of them, of their unwavering sentiment of camaraderie and loyalty to their fallen leader. Once upon a time, he also had that same feeling, the recipient was more or less different to what they had, but it was a noble sentiment nonetheless.
Right now, however, he had another duty. It was one he had reluctantly accepted, but one that he couldn't really refuse. Not after everything one rowdy teenager had done for him.
The bell atop the entrance door sang once more, its little chime the herald of an unavoidable meeting.
"Ah, Grace-san. Welcome back." The café owner smiled. "I was wondering when you would come."
The familiar figure of Grace Nam appeared on the front door once again. Thankfully, she was in a much better shape than the last time Sojiro saw her. She was wearing another one of her beanies, a little more colorful, given the festivities, her glasses and a big and comfy coat to shield her from the terrible cold december came with. No high heeled boots this time, just a pair of sneakers. It was a lesson learnt with pain and suffering, and one that the korean woman would never forget.
"Good evening, Sojiro-san." Her voice had a tint of sadness on it. "Say… by any chance were those…?"
The old man scratched the back of his neck with a smile on his lips. "Pretty much. Well… minus one, as you may know by now."
It was obvious that someone with such a sharp wit and boundless intellect as Grace would be able to correctly discern that the group of teenagers that exited LeBlanc an instant before her arrival were nothing more than the Phantom Thieves. Sans their leader. Because she knew better than anyone who their leader was.
"So it wasn't my imagination after all." Grace sighed in defeat. It wasn't the first time, and it probably won't be the last she would do so.
"Care for a cup of coffee, miss?" The veteran barista pulled out a cup and saucer. "I know I can't replace what you lost, but I'll do my best to rise up to the occasion."
"Thank you very much, Sojiro-san."
As the raven haired-woman took a seat near the older man, the master barista took his time to delicately pour a cup of his best blend. It did so to give her time to set in and think. To put her thoughts and emotions in order.
"It smells delightful." Grace took off her beanie and carefully caressed the cup in front of her, basking in the warmth that irradiated from it. "You know what's funny? The last thing I said to him was… 'I'll see you tomorrow'." She kept looking at the black vortex swirling inside the cup. Incapable of drinking from it, unable to let go her feelings of guilt.
Sojiro gave her a condescending look. "It's been a long day, huh?"
"Longer than it should be." At last, she decided to take the cup and sip a little bit of coffee. "And the worst…" Grace's voice started to rise. Not enough to cause a ruckus, but just enough to startle the café's owner. "The worst thing is that he managed to keep the promise he made to me. And not only that! There's also a part of me that knows and understands he made the best choice possible."
"He did what he thought was right." Akira's guardian tried to defend his actions.
The Korean woman sighed once again. "That doesn't mean he had to do it. Maybe there was another way, why not just stop and think about it a little?"
"Grace-san, you know as much as I do that the government is a rabid beast." A disgusted expression flashed on his face. "A rabid, and prideful beast. If you keep it inside a cage to starve, it's just a matter of time before it breaks free and starts devouring whatever it can."
She took another sip of coffee. "That's a good analogy."
A little smile flashed on the lips of the old barista "Thanks." He cleared his throat after noticing how sheepish his expression was. "Anyway, the thing is, that the kid saw the same as you and me. And he chose to protect everyone. That was his duty as a leader."
Grace hid her face between her palms. She knew it. She knew it better than anyone that Akira's choice was the most logical one, the one that ensured minimal collateral damage. It was a decision born from all the goodness and sense of duty in his heart. But that didn't mean she accepted it. In that moment and place, she was allowed to be a selfish and spoiled woman, and she was going to do so as long as it helped her aching heart.
The gentle sound of her cup being refilled gave the Korean woman the strength to abandon her impromptu tantrum. "I'm just going to say sorry now, because I feel like I'm going to need a lot of coffee to help me get through this." She took a sip, heat and pain be damned. "And again… and once again he left me out of it! What good is all the skills in the world if I can't help the one I vowed to protect?"
Sojiro cleared his throat once again. Grace looked at him with the eyes of someone who had just been interrupted at the peak of their monologue. "That's not necessarily true." He answered with a cocky grin on his face.
"And that's becauseeeeeeeee…?" The woman asked in a mocking tone.
Slowly, like someone who brings light to a world of darkness, the older man took an envelope from the pocket of his apron. "Because, here is proof that the kid trusts you more than anyone else in the world." He stretched his hand towards the Korean woman.
At first, Grace thought that everything was just a terrible joke. After the envelope remained before her eyes, on the hand of the café's owner without even quivering, she understood that Sojiro Sakura would never do that kind of thing.
With shaky hands, she took the envelope from him. Once she had it directly before her, she inspected it. "Backup." Grace read the word in a hush. It was written on the front of the envelope, in black ink by a steady hand. The hand of someone whose time had already run out but his mind had but a single goal.
The envelope wasn't sealed. It was obvious Akira had trusted that whoever had it under its care, would refrain from opening or peeking its contents until it had reached her hands. Grace gulped. Even after all the complaints she had about his actions, the young rogue still managed to surprise her.
Slowly, almost in fear of tearing the paper, she took the letter out of the envelope and firmly settled her gaze upon the words written onto the pages.
"Eun Hye:
Words cannot express how sorry I am for lying to you, but I'm confident that you more than anyone understands what I had to do. I know it's a little bit late, and I hope you will forgive me for this someday, but I love you... "
The raven-haired woman stopped at that moment. Her already heavy heart was being assaulted by the feelings of love, anger, hate and helplessness she tried to repress since the morning, when she saw the news about the leader of the Phantom Thieves. She stood still, letter on one hand, the other covering her mouth, keeping her whimpers and cries inside.
Sensing her distress, the older man took the time to refill her cup to the brim with another serving of a perfect brew. "Take all the time you need. No one's looking for you right now."
Grace nodded. In her eyes the unmistakable gleam of gratitude towards the kind gesture.
It took her a while to start reading at a steady pace. Every word felt like a sudden stab and a gentle kiss on the lips, every sentence a blast of molten iron on her lungs followed by a sweet scent on her nostrils. But eventually she overcame the pain. Because she needed to see with her own eyes what the man she loved had to say for himself. What selfish reason he would use this time, what treacherous words he would write to appease her, how much pain he had to endure to stop himself from telling her in person the hell he was about to enter.
"I love you… always have. Always will." She read in a hush to herself and smiled, recognizing the same phrase she had sent him on the darkest day of her life written almost at the bottom of the letter.
"I'll take that this time the kid finally gave you an honest answer." The tall man grinned just as a proud father does when witnessing his child standing up for itself.
A small tear fell on her right cheek, but Grace quickly wiped it away. "Yes... yes, that's correct. I think that this time…" She sighed once more, tears falling slowly as a smile full of love appeared on her lips. "This time I'll allow it. Because we're going to save him, isn't it?"
Sojiro Sakura straightened himself, just as he always did when the matter required his full attention. "We'll save him. Even if we have to tear this entire country down."
Grace closed her eyes for a moment. "I won't let him shoulder the burden alone. Not again." When she opened them, the same fire Sojiro had seen on the kids' eyes was burning, infinitely stronger. "This time, we fight back."
The tall man sighed and let out a small laugh. "Perhaps it's time to get in touch with a few friends…" He scratched the back of his neck. "Just like the old times."
"Ah, that's right. Sojiro-san…" The voice of the Korean woman interrupted his machinations. "Can I ask you a somewhat big, BIG favor?"
"Sure, but I can't think of anything this old geezer could provide to someone with your talents, Grace-san."
"Is there any chance that I could talk with Futaba-chan?"
Sojiro Sakura felt his blood pressure drop into the negatives for a single moment.
"Don't try to stop me, Sojiro!" The high pitched voice of Futaba Sakura resounded throughout the small house in Jongen Jaya. "I'll do whatever I can to help Akira!"
"Hey, listen for a moment…" The old owner of the house tried in vain to convince the small girl to stop and hear his words. She was already stubborn before joining the Phantom Thieves. But now? Now she was unmovable. "I'm not trying to stop you, I just need to tell you that…"
The petite hacker ignored his last words and quickly slammed open the door to her dark abodes. It should've been fairly normal, if it wasn't for the quiet figure of a certain woman, sitting in silence on the bed alongside the lit screen of her computer.
Futaba stood paralized on the entrance. The room was almost engulfed in darkness, but she was already used to it. That's why the sudden appearance of another woman in there was even more shocking to the ex-shut in.
"Wait a minute… I know you." The orange-haired girl squinted her eyes, the initial shock slowly drifting away from her mind. "Y-you are…!" An exclamation escaped from her lips.
"Futaba, let me explain. This person here is…" A sudden slap to his stomach made Sojiro bend in pain. The small girl had accidentally hit him right in the guts in her sudden realization.
"YOU'RE THE WOMAN THAT WAS WITH AKIRA THAT NIGHT!" Futaba shouted once more, the memories coming back as clear as a spring river. "IF YOU'RE HERE, THEN… THAT MEANS…!"
"F-futaba, can you listen for a minute here?" The old barista tried to get up, but his attempt was cut short when the small girl grabbed him by the neck and started to violently shake him.
"SHE'S A GOVERNMENT SPY." Futaba shouted at Sojiro, earning her the dumbfounded stare of the man. "SHE WASN'T ASKING FOR FOOD, SHE WAS TRYING TO GET INFO ON AKIRA." She pointed a finger with violence towards Grace. "AND NOW THAT YOU GOT HIM BEHIND BARS YOU'VE COME FOR ME, ALIBABA. BUT YOU'LL NEVER TAKE ME ALIVE, YOU HEAR?! NEVER!"
Sensing that the conversation was going nowhere, Grace sighed with irritation. She stood up, and with a single movement, the raven-haired woman took a small tablet from her backpack. She did a few swipes on it and then, everything went dark.
Suddenly, the phones of the barista and the small hacker started to vibrate. The computer screen flickered wildly, quickly changing between the screensaver, multiple folders and files. The AC unit went berserk, turning itself on and off without anyone using the remote. The lights flickered and what seemed like a dozen alarms went off in the distance.
Futaba took her cellphone out of her pocket. A strange and grotesque creature on the screen alongside some text in a language she couldn't read greeted her incredulous stare. Slowly, she looked at the woman in front of her. Her face had a smile filled with smugness and mischief.
A few swipes more, and everything went back to normal. No more lights flickering, the creature and the buzzing disappeared, the AC worked normally again. It was as if nothing had happened at all.
"Futaba Sakura, it's a pleasure meeting you again." The korean hacker tucked her tablet back into her bag. "I'm glad you remember me, but I'm afraid you're a little mistaken about my intentions: I'm no spy at all. You see..." Grace slowly took her fake glasses off. "I'm here because of something important. It seems that we have a friend in common. A very, very good friend. One that is in dire need of help."
The petite girl gasped in surprise. "You mean… Akira? Could it be… that you…?"
"Futaba-chan… can I call you Futaba-chan?" The woman asked.
Futaba nodded.
"Futaba-chan, this friend of ours… he told me about your skills. And you see," Grace put her glasses on once more. "I also possess a very similar set of skills. Skills that right now could very well be the edge we need in this upcoming battle." On her eyes a fiery blaze burned. A dangerous mix of valor, determination and mischief. "So that's why I've come. I'm offering you the chance to upgrade your skills to the next level. To leave the kiddie playground behind, to go beyond your wildest dreams. I'm here to teach you… Cybernetic Warfare." The korean hacker extended her arms to the side in a grand gesture.
The small girl was flabbergasted. She looked at Sojiro, trying to get some sort of confirmation that it wasn't just her imagination or a prank. That everything was very real.
"She's telling the truth." The tall man was finally able to stand, still a little sore because of the attack. "I was trying to tell you that someone asked to see you. She's Grace Nam, a very good acquaintance of Akira. And now she wants to help you. Accept it or not, it's your call. Not mine."
Futaba's eyes avoided the woman in front of her. "A-are you sure that I'm worthy of that chance?" She shuffled awkwardly on her spot. "I'm not really sure I'm the best choice."
The raven-haired woman smiled with kindness. She heard that one before. More than once. "Listen, Futaba-chan. I know it's hard to believe you have what it takes to accept this offer. But…" She slowly put her hands over the shoulders of the small girl. "You need to believe that you have what it takes. You have to believe in yourself." Futaba's little eyes made contact with Grace's eyes. The older woman could see the traces of insecurities and past experiences still shining deep inside them, but that only meant she would have to work harder to ensure her younger protegé learnt about her inner strength. "Believe, because Akira also believes in you. And not only him; Sojiro-san, your fellow companions, your friends, and also… me. I believe in you. Not because Akira told me to, but because I see in you the foundations of something great, something grand. So I'm willing to take every single risk to see your potential bloom to its fullest. So, what do you say? Shall we help Akira, together?"
Tears started to form in the corners of Futaba's eyes. "Y-yes. I would like that… v-very much." She clumsily wrapped her arms around the older woman, a gesture that Grace returned with as much tenderness as she could. "C-can I call you 'big sister'?"
The raven-haired woman laughed a little bit. "Of course, there's no problem. We're almost a family at this point, isn't that so, Sojiro-san?"
"Good grief." The old man sighed trying to appear bothered, but the wide smile on his lips betrayed his intentions. "At this rate, I'm afraid to receive a sudden call from an old friend. But that's alright. This little family can get a little bigger still."
"Wait, YOU CAN SPEAK JAPANESE PERFECTLY?!"
"Oh, that's right…"
AN: Welp, here I am. These past months the world has plunged into chaos. But that doesn't mean I can slack off! Well, a little bit, perhaps. But here it is, a new chapter. This time, Futaba got what she deserved, a loving older sister. Does this mean the rest of the Thieves will meet Grace? Don't worry, there's a time for everything. Including droping bombshells on your friends.
AN 2: A lot of you have pointed this out, so I think it's worth to discuss; I know that Grace appears as a somewhat "defenseless" damsel. But that's far from the truth. The thing is, that the enemies that have appeared up until now can only be fought with the help of the Metaverse. Something that I thought was only for teenagers with rebellious souls, but now that Strikers literally threw a detective (Zenkichi) at us, now I don't believe in anything anymore. Anyway, since Grace didn't had the power of the Metaverse, she couldn't fight against the demons. But now there's no metaverse. That means you're on her side of the field now. What you need to remember, is that Grace is not only a soldier. She's a professional, an specialist. When she goes into a mission, she goes all in. There won't be any survivors left, no corner left unchecked, no secret left buried. This time, everything shall go up in flames. You asked for this, now it's time to accept the consequences of your choices.
AN 3: Dokki has been getting her fair share of screen time with the recent R6 cinematics, and I've been overjoyed to see her personality in action. I was glad to see she was somewhat baffled thanks to the overwhelming amount of people in the arena, showing us that she is indeed somewhat meek. Hope she gets an elite skin soon...
