The Phantom Thieves had been on the road for about an hour at this point. Makoto's driving had gotten a lot steadier since the summer trip as she was used to how the RV handled by this point. The best part for her was that all Thieves, except Futaba and Morgana, had obtained their driver's license since they last all together. Should the occasion call for it, she could easily hand over the reins to someone else, but maybe not Haru. Not after last time. At one point during their summer trip, Makoto had grown too exhausted to keep on driving. The only other person in the group who had a license was Haru. When the auburn-haired girl offered to drive in her stead for a bit, Makoto went pale. She loved her girlfriend more than anything but was terrified of her driving. Unbeknown to the rest of the group, Haru was a speed freak. The gang found themselves trying very hard to keep their lunch in their stomachs as Haru swerved through traffic at 160 mph. By the end, everyone vowed never to let Haru drive ever again. This didn't hurt Haru's feelings but left her somewhat confused. Makoto was unfamiliar with the driving abilities of Akira, Ann, Ryuji, Yusuke, and Sumire but concluded that they couldn't be as bad as Haru. While Makoto did the driving and talked with Haru in the front seats, the others tried to keep themselves occupied in the camper. Ann had set up a Bluetooth speaker and put on some music for everyone to enjoy as they talked more about their lives. Futaba began to grow bored.
"I spy, with my little eye..." Futaba began.
"Futaba, no. We're not playing I Spy." Ryuji quickly shot down her game.
Futaba pouted at Ryuji's comment. "Well, we gotta do something." She said gently, slamming her face down on the table. "Hey Makoto, how much longer? We've been driving forever..." She whined in a muffled tone.
"It's only been an hour since we left, 'Taba." Akira replied.
"And we have about another two hours to go." Makoto continued. "Unfortunately, we hit the holiday traffic, which could've been avoided had someone not shown up late." She said bitterly. Though her back was turned, Ryuji could feel her directing her Niijima death glare from the back of her head. He chose to bite his tongue and not say anything. Morgana and Futaba snickered.
"So, Akira," Yusuke addressed the former leader of the Phantom Thieves, "If you don't mind my asking, what exactly happened last night? If you don't feel comfortable discussing it, I completely understand." Everyone but Makoto turned to him.
"No, it's okay," He replied. "Sumi, 'Taba, and I were heading back to Yongen-Jaya when two guys started cat-calling the girls. We ignored them and kept walking, but they soon found themselves standing in our way. Once again, we tried to ignore them and move past them, but one of them grabbed Sumire's behind. Seeing that, I lost it and punched the guy; the other grabbed and threw me to the ground and started kicking me."
Ryuji grew enraged hearing this and slammed the table. "Fuckin' assholes! Who the hell would beat up a kid like that?"
"I'm not a kid, Ryuji. I can take care of myself." Akira retorted.
"Yeah, I know. Sorry, man. It just pisses me off so much that there's still so many shitty adults like that still around."
"That's just how the world is. It's full of assholes." Ann shrugged.
"What annoys me is that every time Akira tries to defend the honor women, he ends up suffering in some way," Yusuke commented. This caused Sumire, who was next to Akira, to hug his side and lay her head down on his shoulder.
"Maybe nice guys finish last after all." Akira joked, attempting to lighten the mood.
"It's total bs. You've done so much, not just for us either, and you never seem to get your due diligence." Futaba said.
"I don't do the things I do because I expect something in return. I know right, and I know wrong, and I have the good grace to know which is which." Akira said sternly.
"Dude, if everyone was like you, maybe we wouldn't have had to fight an evil fucking god," Ryuji said.
"Maybe, but at the same time, if Shido weren't such a terrible human being, I wouldn't have met you guys. In a way, I owe him." Akira implied.
"You don't really mean that, do you?" Sumire asked.
"Yeah, I do. Maybe, I should send him a fruit basket." Akira said sarcastically. The others giggled.
"Yeah, maybe a card that says 'fuck you' on it too," Ryuji added.
"Well, in any case, I am thankful I met you all," Yusuke said.
"Dude, you say that like this is our farewell tour," Ryuji said. "I betcha we'll all still be hangin' out when we're a bunch of old farts."
"I'm sure we will be," Akira responded with a grin.
"Phantom Thieves 4 Life!" Futaba yelled enthusiastically. Everyone nodded in agreement.
Eventually, the group arrived at their destination. They drove around in the woods, looking for a nice spot to stop. They found a perfect location that seemed like it had been used as a camping spot by previous visitors. There was a makeshift firepit, a fallen log that could be sat upon, and plenty of space to set up their tents. The thieves had decided a while ago to set up tents and sleep outdoors rather than sleeping in the RV. Best of all, the riverbank was only a short 2-minute walk away.
"We have a bit of time before lunch. What should we do?" Makoto asked.
"I've been dying to go for a swim!" Ann excitedly responded. The blonde had put on her swimsuit under her clothes before heading to Leblanc earlier in the morning.
"We could go for a walk around the woods? Perhaps look for some firewood along the way?" Sumire suggested.
"Why don't we all do our own thing for now," Akira said before checking the time on his phone. "Right now, it's 11:30. We'll have lunch around one. Until then, free time. Sound good?" Akira asked. Everyone agreed.
"You got it, leader!" Ryuji said, nudging Akira with his elbow.
Ryuji, Ann, Morgana, and Futaba made their way towards the riverbank for a swim. Yusuke went with Akira and Sumire to look for firewood. Haru and Makoto stayed behind and decided to start setting up their site. They brought out the foldable table, set up the grill, and pitched their tent in advance. Knowing the others would likely be gone for a while, the pair then decided to spend a bit of alone time in their tent. Sounds of giggles from inside could be heard from the outside.
The firewood trio made its way through the woods and gathered plenty of wood for the campfire. Yusuke dropped his wood and separated from Akira and Sumire once he noticed a beautiful stretch of trees that he knew he had to sketch. That left Akira and Sumire by themselves. Once they were far enough away, they also dropped their wood and began making out behind a tree. It was evident love was in the air. Akira and Sumire broke their kiss. He brushed away some of her red hair that was covering her eyes and smiled at her. She did the same to him.
"I absolutely adore you," Akira told her, prompting Sumire's face to go red.
"Me too, Senpai," She winked at him.
"I told you, you don't have to call me that," He said smiling, rubbing her hair.
"I like it. It's like my little nickname for you." She replied. The two kissed again before she decided to ask, "How's your headache?"
"What headache?" Akira said with a charming "Joker" style grin on his face. He could tell, however, that she was serious. "It's gone now. Don't worry, your pretty little head."
"It's your head I'm worried about, my love."
"It's good. I'm ready to have a nice relaxing weekend with you and the others." He replied, smiling. He was only partly telling the truth. While less prevalent than before, Akira did still feel pain in his head. Despite taking some more aspirin before leaving, it didn't seem to have much effect. He hoped after a bit of R he would get better. He knew Sumire would worry about him if she knew the truth. "It's just a headache," he thought—no big deal.
After making their way back to the RV, Akira, Sumire, and Yusuke noticed Makoto and Haru's clothes and hair were slightly messy. Akira and Sumire grinned at the two, knowing full well why that was the case. Yusuke, on the other hand, wasn't as subtle.
"Makoto, Haru, forgive me for pointing this out, but it seems your clothes are disheveled. You may want to readdress them."
"Um... Y-yes, you're right. Thank you, Yusuke." Haru replied. Yusuke was slightly caught off guard. He noticed Haru didn't add the "Kun" formality after his name. He paid it no mind. Akira and Sumire were trying their best to hold back their laughter. At the same time, Futaba and Morgana made their way back to camp.
"Where are Ann and Ryuji?" Sumire asked.
"They're still swimming. The water was too cold for me. It was fun, though. Ryuji found a rope tied to a tree that we can swing on and jump into the river," Futaba replied.
"I don't like water, obviously, so I got bored watching," Morgana added.
"Sounds like you're starting to accept the fact that you're a cat," Akira chuckled.
"I am NOT a cat!" The cat growled.
"Let it go, kitty," Futaba said, patting the top of Morgana's head. Everyone chuckled.
"Alright, good moment, but I think it's about time we start lunch," Akira suggested.
"Lovely! I'm starting to become quite famished." Yusuke said, holding his growling stomach.
"When are you not hungry?" Akira said, chuckling.
"Sadly, never." Yusuke deadpanned. Akira was caught off guard. He wasn't expecting a serious response from Yusuke.
"What's on the menu? Shall we do the barbecue now?" Makoto asked.
"Nah, we'll save that for tonight," Akira said.
"CURRY! CURRY! CURRY!" Futaba exclaimed, jumping up and down.
"Didn't you have that this morning, Futaba-chan?" Haru asked.
"Come on! You can never get enough of Leblanc curry." Futaba replied.
"My thoughts exactly," Akira said. Whether it was Sojiro making it or Akira, Leblanc's curry was irresistible to everyone. You could eat it for every meal until the end of your days and never get tired of it. Akira began preparing the curry, Haru and Sumire helped with the rice. About thirty minutes later, it was time to eat.
"Alright!" Akira announced, bringing the pot of curry to the foldout table. "Feeding time!." He looked around the table and noticed two empty seats, and raised an eyebrow. "We're missing two people."
"Ann and Ryuji must still be at the riverbank. Can someone go and get them?" Makoto asked.
"I'll go get them," Futaba volunteered.
"I'll go with you, Futaba-chan. I'd like to see the river." Haru said, getting up out of her seat.
"So would I!" Sumire followed.
"Okay, but that's enough. We don't all need to go." Makoto said as Yusuke slowly sunk back down in his chair. He was excited to see the river for a sketch he was working on.
The three young women made their way to the riverbank. Once they arrived at the spot where Futaba had gone with them earlier, Futaba looked out at the river. The blondes were nowhere to be seen.
"What the heck!? Where are they?" Futaba asked, completely puzzled. That was until she heard Sumire and Haru let out unison gasps. She turned to them to see them looking to their right. She looked as well, turning towards a spot of shade under some trees. "Oh yeah, that's where we found the ro-" Futaba stopped her speech when she saw what made Haru and Sumire gasp, and her own jaw hit the ground.
Ann and Ryuji were making out under the shady tree.
Haru and Sumire both let out silent yelps while Haru picked her jaw up off the ground. The three started giggling. Eventually, their giggles got the attention of the two blondes. Ann and Ryuji looked over and saw three of their friends and hastily pulled away from each other before awkwardly making their way over to the three.
"Sooooo..." Futaba said, smirking, "How long has THIS been a thing?" She asked, pointing at the two of them.
"About a couple of weeks..." Ann replied, looking down in embarrassment. "We didn't say anything because we felt like it was still a bit early."
"Yeah, we ain't exactly sure yet if we could gel, ya know?" Ryuji added, rubbing the back of his head. "But we like being together."
"Then that's all that matters. You shouldn't doubt yourselves if this is something you both want." Sumire advised, smiling.
"I agree. We just want you to be happy!" Haru added, also smiling.
"Thanks, guys. We'll tell the others eventually." Ann said.
"Take all the time you need, Ann-chan," Haru said.
Ryuji and Ann finally looked up at their friends and smiled. The group, minus Futaba, engaged in a group hug before slowly making their way back to camp.
Futaba lingered slightly behind, "Poor kitty..." She thought as the others walked away.
Lunch was great. Everyone savored their curry. Lots of laughs were shared between the group. After lunch, Haru made tea for everyone as they relaxed and digested their meal. Once they were ready, everyone changed into their swimsuits. Akira's bruises from the night before were still fresh, but no one decided to pay any attention to them. Lord knows he didn't want to. As they made their way to the riverbank, the sun was shining brightly, and the temperature had gotten warmer than before. While the women decided to bathe in the sun for a bit, Ryuji quickly pulled Akira and Yusuke towards the rope. Akira stopped him before heading towards Sumire.
"Mind hanging on to these?" Akira handed her his faux glasses.
"Why do you still wear these?" She asked him.
"It's part of my signature look. Can't imagine myself not wearing them." He responded with a wink and a large grin on his face before giving her a quick peck on the cheek. "Love you!" He added before heading off to join Ryuji and Yusuke. Sumire just shook her head while smiling.
"Check it, dude! We gotta rope to swing from and jump in the river!" Ryuji said, grabbing the rope.
"Ryuji, that's not a rope. That's a vine, you sure it'll hold?" Akira asked, slightly concerned.
"I must agree. It does not look entirely safe. Are you certain the water deep enough?" Yusuke then added.
"Guys, don't worry about it! I tested it out earlier. This baby can totally hold us. Here, watch!" Ryuji said before walking backward while holding the vine. He then took a deep breath and sprinted at full force. Before he knew it, his feet were off the ground, and his body was up about 6 feet in the air, above the pool of water. He let out a Tarzan-style yell before letting go of the vine and plummeting into the water below him. As he lifted his head out of the water, he heard applause and "woo-hoos" from the sunbathing women.
"See? Told ya it was fine! C'mon already, you guys!" Ryuji shouted at Akira and Yusuke, who looked at each other.
"You wanna go, or should I?" Akira asked.
"If you don't mind, I am rather excited to try it," Yusuke replied nervously. Truth was, he was more anxious than excited, but too late to back out now.
Akira smiled at him, "After you then." He said, motioning his arms forwards.
Yusuke did exactly what Ryuji did. He grabbed the vine, walked backward, took a deep breath, ran forward, and before he knew it, he was up in the air. Unfortunately, he forgot to let go and ended up right back where he started. He heard booing from Ryuji, who was still floating in the water, and from the women onshore. Akira chuckled.
"My apologies, I seemed to have frozen up. It was exhilarating, however." Yusuke said, slightly shook.
"Do you want to try again?" Akira asked.
"Not right now. Please, go ahead, Akira." Yusuke replied.
"Alright," Akira said. Like Ryuji and Yusuke before him, he repeated the process. Vine, backward, deep breath. Only this time, he added a little something else. "It's Showtime!" he yelled before sprinting forward and propelling himself off the ground. He managed to get higher than Ryuji. Once he let go of the rope, he performed a shooting star flip in the air, gaining enough rotation to land in the water feet first rather than front first. Once his head was above water, he rubbed the water out of his eyes and saw Ryuji looking awe-struck. The women were cheering and clapping loudly from the shore.
"Duuuude, I didn't know you could do that!" Ryuji said, still in shock.
"Did you forget the fact that I did flips and stunts like that all the time in the metaverse?" He chuckled, catching his breath. "I guess I retained some of that muscle memory," Akira smiled at him. "Plus, Sumire taught me some gymnastics."
"Damn, dude! Kudos to ya!" Ryuji said before high-fiving his best friend. Suddenly, the two heard a yell from above them. They moved their heads, only to see Yusuke, who thankfully remembered to let go of the vine this time, but unfortunately for him landed flat on his stomach next to Akira and Ryuji. The two boys cringed at the sight of it all. The women were confused as to what had happened. Yusuke stayed underwater for longer than the other two screaming in pain.
Eventually, Yusuke resurfaced. Letting out one more pained yell before stating, "Never... Again..." As he wailed in pain. Akira and Ryuji burst out laughing.
Everyone had a great time swimming. Though it took some convincing, Akira and Ryuji managed to get all the women to try the vine as well. Ann, Futaba, Haru, and Sumire loved it and immediately wanted to try again. Sumire, especially, twirled majestically in the air. Though Makoto didn't want to admit it, she too enjoyed it a ton. Unfortunately, their time with the vine was cut short when right as Ryuji was about to take flight, the vine snapped, and he tripped and tumbled head-first in the river. Akira dove in after him to make sure he was okay. Thankfully for Ryuji, the only thing that was hurt was his pride. Eventually, the sun started going down, and the temperature got cooler. The thieves made their way back to the RV. After drying off and getting changed, and as the others were minding their own business, Akira started building a fire. Akira looked like a natural. Sumire walked over and kneeled down next to him.
"You look like you've done this before," Sumire said, impressed at her boyfriend's fire-starting abilities.
"My... dad taught me how... when I was younger. He and I... would go camping often." Akira said with a blank expression. Sumire immediately regretted asking.
Some would've assumed it was because he was focused on the fire, but in reality, it was because Sumire had inadvertently brought up a sensitive topic for him. Akira's father, Minoru Kurusu, passed away from a construction accident when Akira was only 9 years old. The thieves found out during their summer trip the previous year. Their first night in Sendai, when Akira, Ryuji, Yusuke, and Morgana were sharing a tent above the RV, Ryuji had asked Akira if he'd ever gone camping before. This lead to Akira telling them about his father, a great man who loved his family very much. Minoru Kurusu was part of a construction team hired to build a giant new movie theater in the next town over from Inaba. Due to a poorly secured scaffold, Minoru Kurusu ended up falling from 25 feet in the air and landing right on the back of his head. He ended up passing away after being in a coma for ten days. Akira got to see his father a few times before he died. Sadly, the last time he saw him, he watched his father's heart monitor go flat. Akira said he cried for about three weeks straight afterward, and, despite everything that has happened to him since then, he hasn't cried once since. Ryuji apologized for digging that memory up, but Akira waved it off, saying he had done all the grieving he could. The RV roof was thin, and, despite their best attempts to speak quietly, their conversation was still heard by the female thieves sleeping inside the camper. Their hearts sank for their friend's loss. Sumire found out over a phone conversation the two had one day when she asked about meeting his parents. She eventually met Akira's mother, Kairi, during Christmas when she went to Inaba to spend winter break with him.
"I... I'm so sorry." She calmly said. While Akira didn't mind talking about his father, it was still a bit of a sensitive topic.
"Don't worry about it." He said, giving her a reassuring smile as he lit the fire.
Thankfully, the mood got lighter from then on. Akira grilled burgers for the group, and they roasted weenies over their open fire. When it came time for dessert, Ann suggested smores.
"Futaba, can you go grab the marshmallows?" Akira asked the ginger-haired girl.
"No problemo, where are they?" She asked.
"They should be in the closet/pantry." Makoto pointed out.
"Kk," Futaba nodded. After about a minute, the group heard Futaba go "Woah!" from inside the RV. Fifteen seconds later, she returned with more than just marshmallows. "Check out what the owner left behind!" she said, holding an acoustic guitar. A chorus of "oohs" and "woahs" could be heard around the campfire. Akira got up and walked over to her, and she handed it to him. The guitar had a black body with a white pickguard, rosewood fretboard, and Fender's signature six-in-line headstock, also in black.
"Wow, it's a Fender Sonoran," Akira said, checking out the guitar. "It's an electric acoustic."
"Do you play at all, Akira-kun?" Haru asked.
"I used to, for about eight years since I was 5. I just... sort of lost interest in it." He replied. The others stared at him with keen interest.
"That does it!" Futaba exclaimed, "You're playing for us right now!"
"I don't know. I haven't played in a while, and I wouldn't want anything to happen to it since it's not mine." Akira said hesitantly.
"Aw, c'mon dude! It's not like we're gonna have you smash it inna million pieces. Plus, we'd really get a kick outta ya playin!" Ryuji tried to convince Akira.
"Yeah! It's a perfect time too!" Ann added. "The moon and stars are out; we got a campfire going, we got smores. Plus, we know you can sing from our time at karaoke. This could really be the icing on the cake!"
"Come on! Joker! Joker!" Morgana began chanting, causing everyone else to join in. Akira eventually gave in. He brought the guitar back over to his spot and sat down. He grabbed the pick that was nestled in the strings and strummed an open G chord to check to see if the guitar was in tune.
It was WAYYYY off.
The strings were grimy and clearly hadn't been changed in a while, which made keeping the guitar in tune difficult. After about a minute or two of tuning the guitar back to standard, Akira pondered what he could play. He wanted to start with an easy song to get himself back in the swing of it. "Okay, I've got it," He smiled before strumming the opening chords to Green Day's "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)." Having graduated from High School recently, the song had lingered on in his mind, as well as the minds of Ann, Ryuji, and Yusuke, all of whom had also just graduated. He sang the opening lyrics in near-perfect English. Though none of the Thieves, save for Ann, were particularly well versed in the English language, it was still a song they all knew, and we're able to sing along to. As the song went on, Akira grew more confident in his guitar abilities. It was all coming back to him. He began strumming faster and louder during the interludes and even managed a picking solo in the middle, which left the others wide-eyed. Once he finished the song, he was met with applause from everybody around him.
"Okay," Akira cleared his throat before turning his attention towards Sumire, "This one goes out to you." He said to her as he looked her in the eye. He heard oohs from everyone, especially Futaba. He started strumming the opening chords and singing the opening ah to the Bee-Gees' "How Deep Is Your Love." He impressed everyone with his falsetto singing during the chorus. He sang the song, all the while looking right at Sumire, who was fighting to hold back tears of joy as the boy she loved was serenading her. When the song was over, he mouthed the words, "I love you," to her, and she did the same. Ann then made her way over to him and asked him if he knew how to play a particular song.
"Which one?" He asked.
"A song by the Eagles-" She was quickly interrupted.
"Let me guess, "Hotel California?" He grinned.
"Haha, no. Um, it's called "One Of These Nights," She suggested. Akira's heart sank, though he didn't let it show. That song was one of his father's favorite songs. It was one of the first songs he learned. Ann continued, "...and I wanted to try and sing the harmony parts with you since you have that high singing voice."
"...Okay. Let's do it." He said, deciding to bury his sadness. He soldiered on and started playing the song.
"Yay!" Ann said excitedly. The two performed the song beautifully. This time, it was Ann's turn to wow everyone with her singing ability. Though she had demonstrated chops before at karaoke, performing with just an acoustic guitar as an accompaniment was something else entirely. By this point, Akira was fully confident in his playing. Doing more complex strumming and even doing some percussion by knocking on the body of the guitar. Everyone was surprised as he let loose a surprising falsetto during the chorus parts, where he and Ann harmonized wonderfully. Akira either looked down or kept his eyes closed for the entirety of the song. He did the same during "Good Riddance," and the thieves assumed it was just shyness. Akira and Ann were met with even louder applause from the others, who all looked like they had stars in their eyes. Ann thanked him, and the two friends embraced before she went back to her seat.
The rest of the night, Akira played them a few more well-known acoustic guitar songs and showed off his skills by doing some finger-picking improv. Ryuji decided to be a pecker and decided to shout for Akira to play 'Free Bird,' to which Akira responded by playing the chords and began singing gibberish in a mock southern accent. Everyone laughed. For a moment, the pain in his head seemed to disappear as he looked around and saw the joy on his friends' faces. As much fun as everyone was having, however, it was eventually time to call it a night. Everyone got changed in their sleeping attire and made their way to their respective tents. Akira and Sumire shared one, as did Haru and Makoto. Haru shot Ann a look when she her and Ryuji getting in separate tents. Ann shot her a look back, basically saying, "I know. I know." Morgana slept in Futaba's tent, and Yusuke was about to head inside and settle in the camper as he forgot to bring a tent of his own.
"Oh no, you don't, Inari," Futaba called out to Yusuke. "You're sleeping in a tent just like everyone else."
"B-but, who will I share a tent with?" The artist asked.
"Don't look at me, dude. Mine's way too small for the both of us." Ryuji said.
"Mine too," Ann added, though, in reality, she just didn't want to share with Yusuke. Rude.
"He can stay in mine. It's big enough." Futaba quickly said. "Mona, out!" She then added, kicking Morgana out of her tent.
"Wha- Why?" Morgana asked, completely baffled.
"Because I said so!" Futaba demanded, growling at the cat. "Go sleep with Ryuji!"
"WHAT? NO WAY!" Both Ryuji and Morgana said in unison.
"You both heard me! Don't fight me on this!" Futaba said, barking at them. Morgana reluctantly made his way to Ryuji's tent, who gave Ann an exhausted look that read, "Let's tell them tomorrow so we can share a tent." The reality is that Futaba had an ulterior motive. When she heard that Yusuke had forgotten to bring a tent, she saw a golden opportunity. Though she didn't want to admit it, she had developed feelings for the starving artist since she first joined the Phantom Thieves. The thought of her getting the chance to share a tent with him made her gitty. Yusuke settled in Futaba's tent, turning to her to say goodnight before turning his back again and quickly falling asleep. Futaba mouthed the words "Goodnight, my fox," and landed a soft kiss on his head before turning away from him and going to sleep with the biggest smile on her face.
Akira was the last to fall asleep that night. He had gotten an adrenaline high from performing in front of his friends. He didn't want the night to end. Even with the pain in his, this was the first time in a while he truly felt happy.
"Nothing could ruin this night." He thought.