Sumire woke up early the next morning, as she yawned quietly and rubbed her eyes, before reaching for her glasses on the floor next to her. Noticing her boyfriend was still asleep, she picked up her phone and scrolled through her messages reminiscing of her past conversations with all of her now close friends. The year without Akira was a little rough, as he couldn't find the time to visit Tokyo, having to study for his third year and his entrance exams all while maintaining a perfect score at the top of his class. Sumire would always wait for hours on end for a text or a voicemail from Akira and she would find herself checking her phone out of habit every couple of hours, hoping in anticipation for a message from her boyfriend. She knew that he missed her as much as she did when they weren't together, but Sumire couldn't help but wonder if her love for him was never reciprocated, even though she knew full well that wasn't the case. Shaking her head a little, she scrolled through the Phantom Thieves group chat, going through their past lively and goofy conversations as she cracked a smile, waiting for her boyfriend to awaken from his sleep.
Take Your Time
Akira woke from his pleasant dream with a smile on his face before he stretched his arms and legs, yawning a little as he reached for his phone to check the time. Seeing that it was still relatively early in the morning, he decided to lay in his bed for a couple more minutes before he woke up for the day.
Not long after, Akira heard the bathroom door open downstairs as he sighed, and got out of the futon to fold it up. He watched his staircase as he heard footsteps trotting up and he saw his girlfriend's red hair slowly rise higher, making her face soon visible as she gave him a smile.
"Good morning Akira!"
"Morning, Sumire. How was your sleep?"
"I slept really well! I couldn't stop thinking about our date yesterday, so it was a little difficult to fall asleep, but besides that it was great!"
"I'm glad you enjoyed it as much as I did, sweetheart."
The two of them hugged briefly as Akira denied a kiss on the lips and settled for a kiss on the cheek each, claiming that his breath wouldn't have smelled good before brushing his teeth, to which his girlfriend pouted slightly but let slide. He made his way downstairs with a smile on his face as he entered the bathroom and started his morning routine.
As Sumire lay in her boyfriend's room for the third time in only a few weeks, she smiled to herself, wondering how she had gotten so lucky to have a boyfriend as amazing and as perfect as Akira before she shook herself out of daydream mode, and got up to change into her regular clothes.
After changing out of her usual Featherman PJs, she grabbed her phone off the table and to her surprise she found a few notifications awaiting her from multiple chat rooms. She giggled to herself quietly as she proceeded to enter the Phantom Thieves group chat, looking for an opportune moment to slide into the conversation.
Phantom Thieves Group Chat
FistOfThePhantomStar: Ryuji for the last time, there's a respectable line to draw when asking about details.
Runnin'FromCops: But then what about Futaba?
FistOfThePhantomStar: Futaba is an exception, and I'm sure she knows well that she crossed the line too.
FeatherCyanIsInnocent: Yeah… I kinda feel bad about it now, but Akira did tell me that he'd let this one slide…
SumiEvergarden: Hey everyone! Whatcha guys talking about?
RollOfFloof: Oh, hey Sumi-chan! We were um…
StarvingForArt: We were discussing how Ryuji was potentially stepping over a figurative yet well known line about privacy in things such as, and also involving the details of your date with Akira yesterday.
Runnin'FromCops: Man! You didn't have to say it like that! Well, now that you put it that way, I guess it does seem kinda bad…
SumiEvergarden: Oh, I see… Well Ryuji, if you really wanted to know, you could've just asked Akira, or even myself.
BeneathTheMask: Not that you'd ever let me speak of what happens on our dates together, or even speak of it yourself for that matter 3
SumiEvergarden: Hey! Akira!
BeneathTheMask: Sorry Ryuji, or to anyone else that's curious for that matter. What happens on our dates stays between us, with only a very few exceptions.
BurnMyDread: No need for apologies, you two. We totally get it, right Ryuji?
Runnin'FromCops: Uh, Yeah! Of course!
RollOfFloof: Ann's right! Everybody needs a little privacy sometimes.
BeneathTheMask: On a different note, what's everyone up to today?
RollOfFloof: I'm taking care of my newly grown flowers! Coincidentally, one of them happens to be a Violet!
SumiEvergarden: Really? I need to come and visit you some time, Haru. I would love to help you with your garden one day!
RollOfFloof: Of course! Just let me know!
Runnin'FromCops: I'm currently takin' a jog around my neighbourhood, just to clear the mind a little and give my body a good wake-up call.
FistOfThePhantomStar: I'm working on an assignment that I've been procrastinating on since the beginning of our break, and yes, I procrastinated on it.
BeneathTheMask: You? Procrastinate? Well, I guess there's a first time for everything.
FistOfThePhantomStar: Hey! Just because I'm a star student, that doesn't mean I can't procrastinate on my work like everyone else! I'm human too you know!
FeatherCyanIsInnocent: ...Really?
FistOfThePhantomStar: *sigh* Never mind…
StarvingForArt: Anyways, I'm currently working on my next piece, as the art exhibit draws ever so close.
SumiEvergarden: Oh, right! I nearly forgot that you were having one of your art pieces going on display! How far into completion is it, Yusuke?
StarvingForArt: It should be finished precisely one week before the exhibit's opening day. I shall be inviting Akira over for a final glimpse, if that's alright with him.
BeneathTheMask: Oh, of course Yusuke! I'd be happy to see what you've done with the piece since that day.
BurnMyBread: I've been cooped up at home, no modelling gig for me today! Although I guess I shouldn't really be celebrating… But it is a day off, so I can't really complain…
FeatherCyanIsInnocent: I'm heading over with Sojiro in a little bit, Akira! Make sure you and Sumire aren't doing anything suspicious~
SumiEvergarden: We aren't!
BeneathTheMask: We aren't!
Sumire looked up and realised that her boyfriend had long since come upstairs after brushing his teeth and changed into his regular daily attire. They both blushed slightly, not saying a word as they returned to the group chat, silently making their way downstairs as Akira got to work on the morning's coffee.
FeatherCyanIsInnocent: Uh huh.
FistOfThePhantomStar: ...Right.
BurnMyBread: ...Sure.
BeneathTheMask: Forget it, you guys are doing this on purpose :(
FeatherCyanIsInnocent: Sorry Akira :P, But anyways Sojiro and I will be there soon, and we're bringing Mona :D
SumiEvergarden: Oh, right! How was taking care of Morgana? I hope he didn't cause you too much trouble!
BeneathTheMask: You say that like he's already your cat…
FeatherCyanIsInnocent: Morgana's been really well behaved! We were watching some anime together, even! He seems to really enjoy KonoSuba, he just couldn't stop laughing!
BeneathTheMask: Oh, good taste.
FeatherCyanIsInnocent: Right?!
Runnin'FromCops: Oh, shit! I forgot I had some errands to run for my mom today, I gotta go! Catch ya guys later!
Runnin'FromCops has gone offline
StarvingForArt: I shall take my leave too to work on my piece. As they say, au revoir.
StarvingForArt has gone offline
FistOfThePhantomStar: I have an assignment I need to finish up on, which I got distracted from after this conversation started. I'll see you guys later!
FistOfThePhantomStar has gone offline
RollOfFloof: I'll be going too, my garden needs a little polishing if I want to make sure my flowers can bloom to their fullest potential. Goodbye Akira-kun, Sumi-chan, Futaba-chan and Ann-chan!
BeneathTheMask: See ya Haru!
BurnMyBread: Byeee!
SumiEvergarden: Take care Haru!
FeatherCyanIsInnocent: o/
RollOfFloof has gone offline
SumiEvergarden: Ann? What about you?
BurnMyBread: Oh, I don't really have anything to do today, I might check to see if Shiho's available, but if she isn't, I guess I'll be at home for a while…
BeneathTheMask: Fair enough, I hope you manage to find something to do. Remember that Leblanc's always open, so drop by if you're ever too bored.
BurnMyBread: Thanks Akira. I think I'll message Shiho just to check. See you guys!
BurnMyBread has gone offline
Sumire looked up from her phone to find that Akira was already pouring a cup of coffee for her with a smile on his face before pouring a cup for himself and an extra one that he set on the counter, soon moving away towards the fridge to look for ingredients as he started preparing some curry for breakfast.
"How's the coffee, sweetheart?" Akira asked his girlfriend with a slight look of confidence as she giggled and took a sip.
"It's perfect! Thank you, Akira. Your coffee is always delicious!" Sumire praised him as a light blush appeared on his face before it quickly disappeared from his face as Sojiro walked in with Futaba and Morgana.
"Hey there kiddo, Sumire-san." Sojiro greeted somewhat formally as he walked towards the cup of coffee set on the counter just a minute beforehand and took a sip of his cup before sighing in content. "Not bad, kid. You've still got it in you. It's a good thing that what I taught you all those years back still stays fresh in your memory. The curry smells delicious too."
"I second that!" Futaba chimed in as she took a seat at a booth, opening up her laptop and browsing through Steam. "I can't wait to have some curry for breakfast! It's been ages since Sojiro last cooked some curry for me!"
"Hey now, I can't have you eating my curry every day! Think about your diet! Didn't you say you wanted to work on that?" Sojiro exclaimed indignantly, as Futaba stuck out her tongue in response. Sojiro only shook his head at her response as he drank a little more of his coffee with a light smile on his face. "So kid, got any plans for today?"
Akira simply shrugged. "Not really. After yesterday, I'm taking a break. I was fully exhausted after bringing this one," He motioned to Sumire, "around the entirety of Destinyland."
Sumire blushed a little at the mention of their date the day before as she reached for her cup of coffee and took a sip. Akira seemed to have noticed, but made no further comments, presumably to save her from an embarrassing moment in front of Futaba or Sojiro. "I really enjoyed that date yesterday, Akira. I don't know how I could thank you enough."
"Seeing you happy is enough thanks for me, darling." Akira replied smoothly as Sojiro let out a chuckle. "What, Boss? Can't flirt with my own girlfriend, can I?"
"No no, nothing of the sort. I'm just happy for the two of you. Don't lose her, alright?"
"I wouldn't dream of it. She means everything to me and I definitely plan on keeping it that way."
Sojiro nodded his head. "Good." He turned around to Sumire, "Sumire-san, how's he been treating you?"
Sumire felt her cheeks turn red for the umpteenth time within the last week as she responded enthusiastically. "Akira's been nothing but the best for me over our entire relationship! I wouldn't give him up for the world!"
"Spoken like a true couple in love…" Futaba sighed a little dreamily as Morgana snickered on the table in front of her. "I wonder when I'll get a boyfriend…"
"Not that the chief will ever let you get one if he could help it!" Morgana did his signature laugh as Akira snorted at the joke made at Sojiro's expense. Although unfortunately for Morgana, Sojiro had caught wind of the distinct meowing and soon it became a back and forth battle between the two, consisting of many meows and indignant lines coming from both ends.
Akira shook his head as he turned to Sumire. "So. You're gonna be pretty busy for the next couple of days, right? With practice and all?"
Sumire nodded, as her smile slowly disappeared and was replaced with an emotion that Akira could only describe as bittersweet. He knew that she wanted to be able to spend more time with him before the school year started again, yet he still felt helpless at the inevitability that his girlfriend would be busy at certain times due to her frequent need to practice her gymnastic skills.
"Yeah… Coach Hiraguchi says I've had a long enough break. She doesn't want me to get rusty." Sumire answered before noticing Akira's bittersweet smile. "Don't worry, Akira. It won't be long, alright?"
"Right. Sorry… it's just that I wanted to spend a little more time with you, after not seeing you for so long and all…"
"It's okay, I totally get it Akira. Remember, you're speaking to someone else who loves you as much as you love me. If anyone would know how you feel, it'd be me. I'll be back before you know it. Promise."
"I appreciate it."
Take Your Time
After finishing up their breakfast of signature Leblanc curry prepared by Akira and a little help from Sojiro, Sumire politely said her goodbyes and left the Leblanc family as she headed off to practice for the day. Akira waved goodbye after being stunned at the kiss on the cheek he received from her yet again in the same position, catching him off guard the same way it did before. Sumire giggled, knowing exactly what she'd done and closed the door of Leblanc with a wave. Sojiro shook his head with a proud smile as Futaba and Morgana snickered in good fun.
"How was it, Akira? Was the second better than the first?" Morgana asked with a smirk as Akira blushed a little and sat down opposite Futaba in the booth.
Akira was quick to retort, the blush quickly fading from his face as it was replaced with an embarrassed smile. "Shush, Mona. You do realise that I'm the one taking care of you, right?"
"A-Anyways, do either of you have any plans for today?"
Akira chuckled as he knew he had the cat's tongue, contrary to the cliche phrase, giving his reply as straight faced as he knew how. "Not really. I guess I could meet up with Ann if she didn't get a confirmation from Shiho, but even that's an if. What about you, Futaba?"
"Oh, I'll be a little busy for today, I've got a group project to work on and I haven't done my bit yet. I need to take today and tomorrow to finish it off!" Futaba exclaimed, trying to sound excited, as she slumped back into her chair, a bored expression appearing on her face as she tapped away on her laptop. "How do people manage to get so hyped up about projects? They take sooooo long to do!"
Akira soon went back up to his room, acknowledging Futaba's pain with a few motivating words, even offering a tempting reward for a job well done as her eyes lit up in excitement, immediately starting her assignments with no further complaints. Akira sighed as he lay down on his bed, with Morgana soon following suit as he lay at Akira's feet.
"Do you have anything to do for the rest of the morning, or will you laze around doing nothing?" Morgana asked with a condescending tone.
"It's not like you're doing anything either, so zip it." Akira sighed in an annoyed tone, before he pulled out his phone. "Oh, I got a message from Ann. It seems Shiho isn't free so she's lazing around too."
"Oh? You're meeting up with Lady Ann?" Morgana perked up at the mention of Ann. "Can I join too?"
"It's been a while since I've spent some time with you as well. You can come along if you want to." Akira shrugged, inviting his feline companion to join in as Morgana's eyes lit up in delight.
"So, where are we meeting her? What are we eating? Where are we going?" Morgana shot question after question in pure excitement as Akira shook his head with a smile.
"Calm down Morgana, we'll arrange the details later. Let me rest a little, alright? I'm really tired from yesterday and could use a small nap." Akira calmed his cat down and lay back down on his pillow. "Goodnight Morgana."
"But but! Lady Ann! She'll be waiting for you… and and… my fatty tuna!" Morgana cried to no one in particular as Akira smirked and started to close his eyes, drifting off into sleep.
Take Your Time
Akira awoke with a start as he noticed the darkened sky outside his window, as he yawned and put on his glasses instinctively. The cafe was quiet, and Morgana had seemingly left his side for a reason unbeknownst to Akira.
"Why now?" Akira muttered to himself, as he slowly stood up from his bed, as the floorboards creaked, filling the eerie void with sound once again as he paused, hearing the bell on the door to Leblanc ring below him.
Akira shook his head, as he tried to calm his nerves, slowly making his way down the stairs, one step at a time. Before he made it to the final step, he heard a laugh. One he hadn't heard since his last nightmare.
"Akira? Is that you? Come sit down, and pour us a cup of coffee, would you? I'd like to have a little chat."
Akira froze, as he had yet to make his way onto the final step. He stood there clueless as to how this person had managed to know he was there when the cafe was nearly deserted, before sighing and stepping out, revealing himself to this 'intruder'
"Ah, there you are. I'll have a house blend, please."
Akira stood motionless, as he stared at his customer, his thoughts rushing through his head at unfathomable speeds. However, only one thought constantly ran through his mind again and again.
Why now? Of all times?
He had always had dreams of meeting Akechi, and the nightmares of his choice on February 2nd, but only ever after moving back to Tokyo had they been this prevalent. So why now?
"A-Akechi…" Akira tried to form a sentence, but nothing else came out. Akechi only let out a light chuckle as he turned towards Akira.
"Well, Akira. Is my coffee going to take all day?"
Akira cautiously made his way towards the shelf, and took a bag of beans down before starting to prepare Akechi's house blend as Akechi watched him closely.
"So, Akira. Have you figured anything out yet? I do believe the hints that I've provided should be sufficient enough to crack the case, wouldn't you agree?" Akechi asked with his usual smile, as innocent as he could be, yet Akira couldn't detect a hint of maliciousness.
"The case? What case?" Akira asked carefully, as Akechi only laughed politely.
"I really did expect better from my rival. You really still have no idea?" Akechi emphasized, before looking directly at Akira, as he shook his head.
Akira set Akechi's order down in front of him at the table, as he watched his rival take a sip, sighing in content.
"You really do make an excellent blend. I would say it's nearly on par with Sakura-san's." Akechi offered a compliment as Akira thanked him warily, still unsure of his motives. Akechi however, could sense this as he chuckled dryly, trying to ease the tension.
"Relax, Akira. I'm not here to fight you. If I were really trying to kill you, I would have killed you the moment you walked downstairs." Akechi sipped at his coffee, prepared black, akin to his liking. "I merely dropped by to… well… catch up a little. Although seeing as you haven't made much progress, there really isn't much to talk about… How disappointing."
Akira tried his hardest to think of his previous encounter with Akechi ever since arriving in Tokyo, he remembered the phrase that Akechi had scribbled onto a crossword puzzle, and he remembered the hint that he had left behind. "The object that you spoke of, Akechi… could it be used to grant wishes?"
"Ah, so you still remember. At least I wouldn't have had to remind you again." Akechi spoke in a condescending tone, irritating Akira a little before it seemed as though a light bulb lit up above his head, finally understanding the true meaning of Akechi's hint.
"Akechi… you couldn't be talking about Jose's wishing star… could you?"
"Ah, so you've figured it out. Splendid. I must say I enjoyed meeting here with you Akira. Our conversations always seem to turn out very intriguing. Thank you for the coffee."
Akechi stood up and walked towards the entrance to Leblanc, turning around and offering Akira a simple smirk before he exited, leaving Akira speechless behind the counter, an empty cup of coffee left staring back at him.
Take Your Time
Akira awoke nearly two hours later with a heavy feeling on his chest and a taste of curry in his mouth as he yawned and sat up, with the heavy feeling on his chest suddenly falling onto his lap.
"Mreow! Hey! I was having a good rest!" Morgana whined as he rubbed his eyes with his paws before getting up to stretch. "How was it? Did you sleep well?"
"I feel… refreshed, actually. I did have a weird dream though, but that's none of your concern." Akira curtly replied as he got up from his bed and pulled out his phone.
"Heh, knowing you, it was probably a dream about going on a date with Sumire." Morgana teased as he jumped off the bed. "Oh, right! We were supposed to meet Lady Ann!"
"Thanks for the reminder, partner. I nearly forgot about that."
"You forgot? Since when have you been one to do that?!" Morgana exclaimed in surprise, prompting Akira to shake his head.
"I've had a lot on my mind, alright? Now let me call Ann. It'll be better to get a hold of her now before she's caught up with something else."
After a few rings, he heard the line go through, and a bubbly voice greeting him from the other end of the line.
"Hey Akira! I noticed you had left me on seen, so I was wondering about what happened." Ann asked nonchalantly. "You had something to do?"
"Oh, I just took a nap. I was really tired from yesterday, so I wanted a couple of zzz's to energize me a little more." Akira responded, as poker faced as possible, before he heard a giggle from the phone. "Hey! What's so funny?"
"Nothing nothing, Akira." Ann giggled, trying to sound as innocent as possible. "How come you were so tired? Did you and Sumire get up to some… fun times last night?"
"What?! No no no! Of course not!" Akira flushed a little, declining anything that his friend could be suggesting. "Even if I wanted to, we were wayyy too spent last night. Besides, if we were to do it, she'd be the one initiating, not me. I swear on my life."
"Alright alright, I get it Akira. No need to work up a sweat," Ann chuckled lightly, as she attempted to stop herself from laughing to return to the topic at hand. "So, why'd you call me? I figured you'd just drop a text if you'd want to meet up or something."
"I figured that you might've had something to do, so I'd have better chances of reaching you with a call, rather than a text." Akira shrugged. "So since it's nearly lunchtime, what say you we grab lunch together? It's been a while since we've been able to hang out together."
"Lunch? That sounds amazing right about now! I'm soo hungry!" Ann cheered, her mouth watering at the suggestion. "Where do you propose we go?"
"How about a sushi place? Not like the one in Ginza, of course. That's a little too expensive, even for me…" Akira sighed as he peered into his wallet, having nearly spent his entire week's budget. "Do you have any recommendations?"
"Oh, sushi? There's a new sushi place that opened up in Kichijoji!" Ann replied, thoughtfully. "Shiho recommended the place as soon as I flew back to Japan, although we haven't gotten to go since. Apparently the prices are super reasonable too! So what do you think?"
"Kichijoji, eh? That's perfect. We could shoot some billiards later if you want, too, just to pass the time." Akira recommended. "Shall we meet at Central Square in 30?"
"Make that 20. I can be ready in 10 minutes tops." Ann answered, seeming very eager to get out of her house. "See you there, Akira!"
"Right. It's showtime!" Akira announced, as he heard a giggle from the other end of the phone before hearing the line click. Sliding his phone into his pocket, he got up from his bed, starting to prepare for his meet-up with Ann.
Take Your Time
Akira stood patiently in the main street in front of the bakery, tapping away on his phone as he scrolled through his notifications before putting it away and taking a long, deep breath. Morgana peeked his head out from his bag and looked around a little before they both saw Ann running towards them, clinging onto her purse in her usual red and white jacket as she finally stopped in front of Akira, panting a little. Akira chuckled, as did Morgana, to which Ann responded by pulling him into a hug.
"Hey Akira! Hey Morgana! I didn't realise you'd be coming too, but I'm really happy to see you both!" Ann excitedly released Akira from her hug before taking Morgana out of his bag and giving him a hug too. "It's been a long time since we've been able to hang out without the rest of the team… Don't get me wrong, I love meeting up with Makoto, Yusuke, and everyone else, but I really enjoy more of the quiet meetings sometimes… you know?"
Akira nodded in agreement. "I definitely agree. Sometimes a quiet chat does beat a large gathering. I do miss you all very much, but this does remind you of our old Shujin days, doesn't it?"
Ann paused, thinking hard before her face lit up. "Oh yeah! The times when you helped me through my modelling and stuff! I remember you helped me stick it up to Mika, and how we managed to shoot together for that magazine! You really helped a lot with my confidence issues back then…"
Akira shrugged, pulling her in for a quick hug. "It was nothing, really. I was just helping a friend out. How's the business been going? I've noticed you're being called in a lot more for shoots. I take it things are going well?"
"Ever since that magazine debuted featuring Mika and I on the front cover? Things have been going great! I got a ton of requests overseas too. It seems as though that magazine we featured in was a little more popular than I thought it was." Ann sheepishly smiled as Akira and Morgana stared at her quizzically. "Long story short, I was recognised by a few people at the transfer school I went to and then I got roped into a bunch of modelling gigs. I've since gotten less gigs after moving back here, but I kinda like it, actually."
"I get what you mean. It's a little more laid back, right?"
"Right! I don't need to spend too much time working anymore, and I can kick back and relax on a couple of days a week. On the down side, sometimes it ends up like today, in which I wouldn't have had anything to do, until you and Morgana showed up of course! Thanks for saving me, you two!"
"O-Oh it was no problem at all, Lady Ann!" Morgana spoke grandly, trying to be suave. "There's no need to thank us, we're gentlemen after all, right Akira?"
"Ha, sure. Whatever you say buddy." Akira smirked as Ann giggled. "Anyways, shall we head over there? I'm sure you can lead for once, right?"
"Of course!" Ann spoke with composure before taking in a deep breath, and in her best Akira impression, took the lead. "It's showtime!"
Akira started laughing as the three of them walked further into Kichijoji on their way to the restaurant while Ann and Morgana couldn't resist joining in on the laughter as they followed Ann into Kichijoji.
Take Your Time
After a little bit of walking, they finally found the place they were looking for. Greeted by the friendly staff outside who walked them to their seats, Akira and Ann sat opposite each other as Akira let Morgana out of his bag for some fresh air.
"Meow! Thank you! Now, where were we?" Morgana meowed, a little out of breath. "I believe we were talking about what to order?"
"Well, the menus are here, and we can take anything off the conveyor belt too!" Ann spoke, giddy with excitement. "Oooh! I just realised that our seats are really close to where the fresh sushi is put on the belt! Score!"
"Oh oh! Akira! Grab some fatty tuna and some salmon off the conveyor belt for me!" Morgana pointed with his front paw as he noticed some tuna pass by them on the belt.
"Should we order something, Ann? Do you wanna share anything?" Akira asked as he flipped through the menu, grabbing Morgana's fatty tuna off the conveyor belt without batting an eye. "Should we start with some rolls?"
"Yeah! How about some California rolls?" Ann's eyes lit up in glee as she proposed her idea to Akira. "The ones they make over here are really top quality!"
Akira punched in their order on the tablet the restaurant provided and kicked back, relaxing as the waiter came over and poured the both of them a glass of iced green tea. Taking a sip, Akira sighed in content, sinking back into his chair as Ann took a plate of tamago rolls off the belt.
"Help yourself, Akira. The bill's on me, so eat as much as you like!"
"Wait, whaaa? No no no, I can't let you do that!" Akira exclaimed, attempting to use his inside voice. "That's too much. Sorry Ann, but that's not gonna happen."
"Awww! No fair!" Ann pouted, as she took a plate of salmon nigiri and placed it in front of Morgana, his eyes lighting up in delight. "You always used to treat us to meals during our time as second years, let me have a chance to pay you back!"
"Nope. Can't be having that." Akira smiled as innocently as he could. "You do remember that I was also the one that was keeping all the money from our Thieving, right? I was the person on which everybody agreed it would be best to settle our gear and equipment using the money we earned in the Metaverse, or did you forget?"
"Oh that's right! I actually completely forgot about that…" Ann admitted, a little embarrassed at herself. "Alright then, you win Akira. I'll let you have this one, although next time, it'll be my treat!"
Akira chuckled. "Right. Now let's dig in. Itadakimasu!"
Take Your Time
The three of them engaged in idle conversation, taking plate after plate from the conveyor belt, occasionally ordering a special plate of nigiri or a custom roll from the menu as they continued to enjoy their sushi. Neither Ann nor Akira and Morgana had eaten quality sushi in nearly a year, so they continued to eat on, eager to make the most of this opportunity.
"Mmmm! The soft-shelled crab tastes really good! You have to try this Akira!" Ann continued to devour her roll as she handed one to Akira. Akira thanked her and took the roll, dipping it in some soy sauce before taking a large bite out of it, and was immediately surprised by the flavors that entered his mouth. "It's good, isn't it?"
Akira tried to speak but nearly forgot he had his mouth still full, and started chewing, all the while savoring the taste of the roll in his mouth. "That tastes amazing! Definitely the best sushi I've had in years. Shiho really knows her stuff!"
"I agree! Although nothing beats the gourmet shop in Ginza, this is definitely some good stuff too!" Morgana expressed his agreement through mouthfuls of tuna rolls. "We really need to come here more often!"
Soon enough they ate until they couldn't take another bite and attempted to finish off whatever they had left on their table, which consisted of a few extra nigiri pieces. Surprisingly, unbeknownst to both Ann and Akira, there was a special discount that day, and their total bill came down to an insanely low price of 7000 Yen. Akira happily footed the bill and the three of them made their way out of the restaurant, content and satisfied, still savoring the taste of the sushi in their mouth.
"We've totally got to bring everyone else here another time! I can't believe the bill only ended up being 7000 Yen!" Ann exclaimed in surprise. "Oh, speaking of time, what time is it?"
"It's nearly 1:30. I'm assuming you have a lot more time to kill, right?" Akira asked, before looking towards Penguin Sniper at the other end of the street. "We could go for a couple of games of billiards and darts if you want."
"That sounds great! Although it's not like I have anywhere better to be, anyways." Ann looked a little downtrodden before she shook her head, filling herself with a newfound motivation. "Don't go too hard on me, alright? I know you have a win streak going on, but I at least want a chance!"
Akira chuckled as Morgana popped out of his bag, as he brought a hand over and ruffled his fur. "Well, I won't go all out, but I won't be letting you win either. Got that?"
"You're on!"
Akira only smirked as the two of them walked up the stairs into Penguin Sniper.
"Good."
Take Your Time
The trio spent a couple of hours switching between games, going back and forth on billiards and darts. The score-card was updated much in Akira's favor as he knocked the last striped ball into its pocket as Ann woo'd in awe.
"Nice shot, Akira!"
"Heh. I do try."
Unfortunately for Akira, his shot was a little too powerful and the white cue ball followed his stripe straight into the pocket as he facepalmed, Morgana and Ann giggling on the other side of the table.
"Oops! Too bad Akira. It's my turn now!"
Ann knew she was on her last turn, and thankfully, her last solid was directly in front of the pocket. Placing the white cue ball in front of it, she managed to pocket it with ease, being careful to avoid the same mistake that Akira had made. Thankfully, the ball didn't go in, instead bouncing off the solid and rolled directly into the line of sight between the 8-ball and the pocket. Ann internally cheered as she confidently walked over for a better angle and sniped the ball into the pocket with no trouble at all, which resulted in Morgana erupting into cheers behind her.
"Great job Lady Ann! I can't believe you managed to beat Akira!"
"Oh, it was nothing, really! I just got lucky…"
"Hey now, you know you've improved since the last time we played, right? You're getting a lot better. If I don't start playing again soon, I'll soon lose the touch I previously had." Akira chuckled to himself as he took the chalk box provided and chalked his pool cue. "Shall we move to darts? We can call it after this if you want to get a drink in the Jazz Jin."
"I'm spent. I need a drink, if you don't mind Akira. Let's call it quits for now." Ann spoke, a little worn out after her win against Akira.
"Sure. The Jazz Jin it is."
The two of them paid their tab, and made their way down the stairs, walking through Kichijoji as they both took a breath of the slightly cool air. Going in relative silence, they found the entrance to the Jazz Jin soon enough and made their way down the wooden staircase.
"I've always enjoyed the ambience here, even moreso when there's a live performer." Ann whispered to Akira as they were seated at a table for three. Luckily for Morgana, that meant that he had a chair for Akira to place his bag on as he popped his head out, a little short of breath.
"I agree. The ambience here has always been great, ever since I was first here nearly two years ago..." Akira quietly whispered in response, trailing off a little before he attempted to switch the topic. "So, how's Shiho been doing?"
Ann noticed the sudden change in topic but decided not to question it, not wanting to push Akira to say more than he was comfortable to talk about. "Shiho's been doing great! I don't know if I told you this, but her physical therapy was a success! She still has difficulty sometimes, not unlike Ryuji, but I couldn't be happier for her!"
Akira's eyes lit up in surprise and joy as he received the good news. "Really? That's amazing! I'm happy for her."
"Yeah! I couldn't believe it either!" Ann took a sip of her cocktail and set it down, sighing in content. "We should all meet up sometime! I don't think she's seen you in ages!"
"Well I haven't seen her either since that day on the rooftop…" Akira reminisced a little, thinking back to the time he had helped Shiho up onto the roof and begrudgingly deny Ann's confession after she had left. "Speaking about the rooftop… I'm… still sorry about that…"
"Oh… you mean…" Ann managed to put two and two together, remembering what had happened that day. Her confession to Akira was turned down, albeit with a slight tinge of regret that she could feel coming from his words. "You don't need to feel bad for not reciprocating the feelings I had. And besides, you're with Sumire now, and trust me when I say this, I'm really happy for you."
"...Really?" Akira muttered quietly, just barely enough for Ann to hear as she nodded, trying to reassure him.
"Really. You and Sumire look so happy together! I couldn't be happier for you if I wanted to be. Trust me Akira, she's a keeper. If there's anything that would make me happy, it would be to stay with Sumire and take care of her."
"Thank you, Ann. I would never dream of losing her." Akira confidently replied with a smile on his face as he raised his glass. "Shall we toast to that?"
"Yeah. Here's to our friendship, and your relationship." Ann cheered as their glasses clinked, and they took a large sip of their drink.
"You're a really great friend Ann. Thank you, for everything."
"Don't mention it. You've helped me a lot too, y'know?"
"Touché."
The rest of their time in the Jazz Jin was spent reminiscing old times with Morgana joining in to chip in a few words of his own, before they moved on to chatting about their study plans for the future. Akira wasn't surprised to find out that Ann was going to pursue her modelling career even further by taking a course in fashion design, and neither was he surprised to hear her reaction when he told her what he planned to pursue in his own studies.
"Wait really? Wow… I guess I could kinda see that…" Ann thought out loud. "I'm sure you'll do great!"
"You know you will too. Have faith in yourself, Ann." Akira took the last sip of his glass before he set it down on the table. "Trust me, if I know anything about you, it's that you have a drive unlike anyone else. When you set your mind on something, you'll fight for it as hard as you can."
"Akira's right! I'm sure of it!" Morgana voiced his agreement earnestly as Ann could only look at the two of them with a thankful smile.
"Thank you, Akira. You too Morgana. I couldn't ask for a better group of friends."
"Don't mention it, Ann. That's what friends are for, right?"
"Right!"
Take Your Time
"Is this where we head our separate ways for today?" Ann asked, a little downtrodden, albeit still with a bright smile on her face. Akira however could see right through the mask she had put on and gave her a hug. Ann gasped a little in surprise as she slowly came to reciprocate with Morgana joining in as well. "Saw right through me, didn't you? I expected no less from you, Akira…"
"Of course. You're my friend, Ann. I know each and every one of the Thieves like I know the Featherman opening by heart. I care about all of you." Akira let her go from his hug with a smile. "Just because we've all spent a year apart, that doesn't mean that we aren't still all the closest of friends."
"Yeah… you're right…" Ann took a second to wipe away the tears forming in her eyes. "I… I just don't know what I should do…"
"Don't wanna tell me yet, huh?" Akira questioned lightly, with an understanding smile. " I get it. Just remember that we're all here for you. If you ever need any one of us, just let us know. I'm sure we'd all be willing to help you out."
He heard a quiet sniffle come from Ann as she wiped away a few more tears using her sleeve. "Thank you Akira. You always seem to know how to make us all feel better…"
"Don't mention it. Now do you need me to walk you home? I don't want to leave you in a state like this."
"I'll be okay, really. Although I do need to get home pretty soon, I have some chores that I need to get done before tomorrow. But thank you for today, Akira. I really enjoyed spending a day off with someone else for a change. Are you not heading home?"
"I might stay here a little while longer, but don't worry about me. If you don't need me to walk you home, I guess this is where we part ways for today."
"Right. We'll see each other soon! See you too Morgana! Goodbye!" Ann waved goodbye as she made her way towards the station.
"Bye Lady Ann! Have a safe trip home!" Morgana waved back from his place in Akira's bag as Akira waved alongside his feline companion until Ann was out of sight. Once Ann disappeared into the evening Kichijoji crowd, Morgana turned to face Akira, a look of concern and curiosity on his face. "So… you aren't heading back Akira?"
"I… have some unfinished business to attend to…" Akira trailed off as he started walking, with no real direction in mind as he sunk deep into thought. "If you don't want to follow, you can roam around a little and wait for me in front of Penguin Sniper in maybe… thirty minutes?"
"...Alright then. I'll be waiting for you. Don't forget about me, okay?!" Morgana made himself heard loud and clear as Akira nodded his head in response.
"I'd never forget about you, Morgana."
Turning around to leave, he made his way to his final stop, a place that he had yet to visit since coming back to Tokyo.
Take Your Time
Akira stood in front of the machine, eyes focused on the screen and his arms extended and gripping tight onto the toy-gun, taking aim and firing at the targets appearing in his line of sight and dropping them one by one, not noticing that he had gathered a crowd.
*Whisper whisper*
"Dude that guy's pretty good!"
"Do you think I could take him?"
"He plays just like the King too! I wonder if they know each other..."
Akira continues to blast away at the enemies that continue to appear from all sides of the screen, occasionally reloading his pistol whenever needed until the timer ran all the way down to zero. He breathed a sigh of relief as his score flashed on screen. It was a little below average, having not played Gun About for about a year now, but Akira shrugged it off, satisfied with the games he played.
Finding a place to rest, Akira took a seat after getting a can of Dr. Salt NEO and taking a sip, feeling the energizing and cool soda soothe his throat. Akira sighed and shook his head a little, looking back towards the Gun About arcade machine and drifting further into thought, memories of the past starting to resurface.
"Phew. That was a good match." Akechi lowered his gun as he turned to face Akira. "This game was quite fun. It's very well made."
"It seems like you've taken quite a liking to it.," Akira chuckled as he set his gun into its designated spot in the stand. "Even though you did mention that you've never played games like these before."
"That is true, although it does feel quite nostalgic…" Akechi reminisced a little as Akira tilted his head slightly in curiosity. "I used to have a toy gun when I was little, and I played hero with it."
"With friends?"
"...No. But she was happy when I pretended to be an ally of justice…"
Akira felt a slight bit of pity for Akechi, hearing the ace detective talk about his childhood memories, detecting slight amounts of nostalgia in his voice. "And 'she' would be…"
"But right now it's different." Akechi perked up. "Technically, I do have friends now, even though it's mostly give or take."
"I see…" Akira replied thoughtfully. "Would you consider us both friends?"
"Just to be clear, we made a deal." Akechi spoke a little seriously causing Akira to tense up a little before Akechi broke into a light chuckle. "I'm joking, of course. I am a little jealous of you though, your heart is always free…"
The conversation ceased abruptly as Akira could only stare at his rival in silence, thinking about what Akechi meant before he shook it off, deciding not to worry about that for now. "One more match. Let's make the most of our time here together."
Akechi smiled. "If only we'd met a few years earlier…"
Hearing the words slip out of Akechi's mouth, Akira froze up, inhaling sharply before the screen in front of him started flashing red. Thoughts racing through his mind, he shook his head briefly before he returned to reality as his rival glanced at him, a smirk appearing across his face.
"Akira? What are you doing? You'll lose to me if you aren't careful!"
Akira gave him a reassuring glance and looked confidently back towards the screen, immediately starting to blast away towards the direction of the incoming fire.
"You're on, Akechi!"
"If only we'd met a few years earlier…"
Akira was soon snapped out of his line of thought when he felt a slight change of weight on his right shoulder. Turning his head a little, he noticed a black and white feline making himself comfortable in his bag. Akira nearly facepalmed as he sighed, giving his friend a scratch on the head. "Sorry Morgana, did I worry you?"
Morgana only shook his head, and looked back at Akira. "Why do you think I came to find you? It's been 45 minutes since you told me to wait outside of Penguin Sniper, so I went to look around Kichijoji for you. I'm surprised this is where you came to though… Did you miss playing Gun About that much?"
Akira breathed a heavy sigh, shaking his head. "It wasn't that…"
Morgana decided not to press on the issue much more and instead attempted to change the topic of conversation. "A-Anyways, shall we head home, Akira? You seem a little out of it…"
"I'm alright, I appreciate it Morgana… Although you're right, we should probably head back before the cafe closes…"
"Right behind you, partner!"
Take Your Time
"Yongen-Jaya. This is Yongen-Jaya."
Akira stepped off of the crowded subway car onto the ever so familiar station as he made his way up the escalator towards the exit. Swiping his card on the machine, he walked through the open gate, making his way outside into a place he used to, and would continue to call, home. On his slow walk back, Morgana popped his head out of Akira's bag, attempting to stretch what body parts he could while still perched atop of his companion's shoulder.
"Do you think Boss is still in the cafe? He does work a little later than usual if he's still serving at this hour…" Morgana asked thoughtfully as Akira only shrugged his shoulders.
"Does it really matter that much though?" Akira replied a little cheekily, a wide smile on his face, having since cheered up a little after returning from Kichijoji. "We live there now, I'm sure Boss wouldn't mind us coming back a little late."
Akira walked past the laundromat and bathhouse outside Leblanc as he was a little surprised to see that Morgana was somehow right. The lights inside the cafe were still lit, and Akira could see a silhouette that he couldn't recognise sitting at the bar. Taking a deep breath, he took a deep breath and opened the door, the bells chiming to announce his entrance.
"Hey Boss, I'm back! Are… you here?" Akira shut the door behind him, the bells once again ringing their signature tune as he then turned around to a sight he thought he would never see again.
"Ah, you're back. I must say Boss's house blend really is something special. I wouldn't mind coming back for more in the future."
…
…..
…
A person that he had presumed to be dead. One Goro Akechi was sitting at his usual spot, taking a sip of a house blend that Akira assumed Sojiro had prepared for him before 'closing shop' for the night.
"Well, Akira? Are you going to stand around all day?"
"Another dream… I should have figured…" Akira quietly mused to himself, feeling an abundance of mixed emotions within him as he scowled towards the person sitting at the counter. "What have you come to tell me this time? Was your visit earlier today not enough?"
"A dream? Well I can most certainly tell you that this is definitely not a dream, Akira. You and I are as real as when we last fought together against Doctor Maruki." Akechi stated bluntly as it took a couple of seconds for his words to truly sink in. "I'm not quite sure what you meant by 'earlier today', but you can even ask Mona if you'd like. I can assure you that I am very, very real."
AN: Sorry for the extremely long wait once again! I've been really caught up with a lot of things, this time not as much studying but anyways I digress. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and I really hope that cliffhanger was done well. About the next chapter, I want to try and get it out near the beginning of March, but I might be stretching it, so I won't make any promises I can't keep. But regardless thanks everyone for all the support and I hope that I won't disappoint with what's to come! Special thanks to Shyne on twitter, go follow her if you haven't, she's an amazing artist and may have just posted something I commissioned for this chapter! (FF doesn't allow images on fics, so...) And Tharon (RainyDays Sunset Hours) For proofreading for me like always.