Begin!
~Normal POV
12/3 - Saturday
Akira woke up this morning feeling sore all over. All that fighting and running around yesterday had taken a toll on him. Morgana seemed to be feeling it too. Their deadline was drawing near. Shido was all over the news all the time. The Phan-site had practically gone up in flames too. Mishima told him that he spent half his time nowadays just removing hate comments on it. Akira didn't care though. Once or twice they'd still get the odd request on it, but that was it. He had a feeling that most of the praise they received before was just people jumping onto the winning side at the time. Whatever they said now was meaningless.
The boy decided to make a trip to the bathhouse across the street to relax his aching muscles while everyone was still at school. Hopefully he'd even be able to go back to school once they changed Shido's heart; he'd rather not live the rest of his life as a ghost. And finishing his education was important, even if it wasn't pleasant. He needed to graduate to be able to go to college after all; especially if he wanted a future with Ann. He let Morgana hop into his bag as usual and went downstairs to find Sojiro already working. Futaba apparently wasn't here yet. And thankfully, there were no customers to see him around so he didn't have to hide his face.
"Oh, good you're up. Come over here, I want to give you something."
Akira raised a brow at him but obeyed. It wasn't that Sojiro had never given anything before but it wasn't common. Usually, he only got a treat from the old man after he got high scores on his school exams and, well, this was unlikely to be the case since he hadn't been going to school lately.
Sojiro pulled out his wallet and grabbed a small bundle of cash from it, and handed it to him. "Happy birthday."
Akira stared at the present in shock. Was today the third? He didn't even check, he was so busy worrying about their mission and their deadline that he'd forgotten his own birthday… But Sojiro remembered? And cared enough to give him a present?
"It is your birthday, right? I saw it in your papers."
Morgana hopped up onto Akira's shoulder. "It's your birthday?! Why didn't you tell us?!"
Akira blushed. "I forgot about it…" He replied, sheepishly.
Sojiro chuckled. "Well, there's your reminder. Anyway, if you guys need the shop today just say so." He turned back to his work.
"Thank you, Boss…"
~...
Once school was over, everyone arrived at the hideout for their meeting. Evidently, Ann had "accidentally" let it slip to the rest of the team that it was his birthday, and he got a few more presents as a result. (Including a thump on the head from Futaba to scold him for not telling them.) But despite the occasion they had work to do. Shido getting his comeuppance would be the best damn present Akira could get for any occasion period. He would much rather be planning how to send this calling card than worrying about turning 17 today.
"But how are we gonna send it…" Ryuji asked.
"If we just send it to the Diet Building it'll get snuffed out by Shido's influence," Ann said, frowning.
"What if we try the Kaneshiro way again," Morgana suggested, "You know, dump them all over the district?"
Akira shook his head. "No, no, that will not work; it'll still get taken out before he can see it… This is our most important calling card ever. We need something… big. Something with a kick to it, something this son of a bitch will never forget and can't possibly avoid seeing…"
Futaba started giggling evilly in response.
"What are you laughing about…" Makoto asked, worriedly.
Futaba turned her laptop towards them with a huge grin. "My birthday present to you, Akira! I call it the 'Futaba Cannon!' Feel free to bow down and worship my brilliance!" Everyone stared at the screen in awe…
"It's kickass!" Ann shouted, excitedly.
"It sounds totally insane…" Makoto muttered.
"Oh my goodness…" Haru squeaked.
"How stylish…" Yusuke said, quietly.
"It's huge…" Morgana said, "And… almost scary…"
"Futaba, you're crazy… I love it!" Ryuji said, grinning proudly.
"What do you think, Akira?" Futaba asked, eagerly.
"It's. Fucking. Perfect."
"We still need to actually make it though, but that's the easy part," Futaba added. "It's hooked up but we need the ammo. Don't worry, nobody will see our faces, and our voices will be distorted."
"We've got time to head to Mementos today," Akira said, grinning. "Let's go."
~...
12/10 - Saturday
Masayoshi Shido was sitting comfortably in his home office in Shibuya, watching the evening news on his personal tablet. He wasn't in a pleasant mood. In the room with him was one of his many spineless lackeys working out their final preparations before election day. Unnecessary really. He had the country in his pocket now. Nobody stood against him. They hardly needed an election anymore; he basically already won.
But then why was he so angry?
This peculiar "bad feeling" started once he saw the name on that death certificate. Akira Kurusu. That was the name of the leader of the Phantom Thieves. But that name bothered him… And he simply could not figure out why. Something kept nagging at the back of his brain as if it was a name he should know. Why? It wasn't anything special. Certainly not a name worth remembering. Yet he couldn't let it go…
The "bad feeling" was ramped up to an insane degree when he started feeling a bit… weaker all of a sudden the past few days. He was well aware of the existence of his Palace and intended to hold onto it with every fiber of his being. That Palace was a blessing; he could get anything he wanted now. Wakaba's research was a godsend to have told him about it. All it cost was her meaningless life. She shouldn't have opposed him. Pity, she was an attractive one in her day; he could see why Sojiro carried a torch for her all these years.
The part that made him uneasy was that he had a suspicion that his Palace was getting weaker… He sent Akechi a notice, of course, telling him to silence any of their conspirators that he deemed suspicious. And the brat had actually talked back to him. He went on about how, "We should wait until after election day. The situation is too hot to dispose of them now." He'd simply shouted back at him to get on with and do as he was told. And since then, he'd not heard anything from Akechi… And none of his lackeys were able to find him. The news was no help either.
Given that Akechi hadn't appeared on the news, it was unlikely that he was betrayed publicly. If the brat turned himself in, it'd be the story of the century. No news outlet would ignore it. So if it didn't turn out that way, why was he suddenly missing? Hm. Perhaps he simply got cold feet and tried to run away in the end? Or perhaps the remaining Phantom Thieves went after him in revenge of their fallen leader? Well, he was gonna get rid of the kid anyway. No point mulling over it now.
"And that'll be the end of it," His assistant muttered. "I hope you have your inauguration speech ready, sir. I think you've got this election in the bag."
"Of course I do, you fool." Shido replied, boredly. He kept his gaze down at his tablet. The story they were talking about tonight was quite intriguing. He turned up his volume to listen intently.
"We first start with national news. Since the young man suspected to be the leader of the Phantom Thieves died while in custody, the police have officially announced that these crimes have come to an end, and assure everyone that the peace will be-"
Shido's eyes widened with shock as the live feed was interrupted by the mark of the Phantom Thieves along with their slogan "Take Your Heart" written under it. He'd seen it in the news before. What the hell was going on? But the transmission wasn't done yet… For the first time, these brats were speaking publicly behind distorted voices.
"Yo! What is UP, everybody!"
"We are the ones who you all know as the Phantom Thieves!"
"And all of us are alive and kickin'! But those shitty guys in power? They've been manipulating information to try to hide the truth!"
"What the- Uh, sir, you might want to take a look at this!"
Shido turned his chair around to the open window behind him and felt his jaw drop. This broadcast was being played on every screen in all of Shibuya. Huge crowds were gathering around them with interest. He looked back down at his live feed wondering where this was going. He didn't like the sound of it…
"So, before we appropriate our next target… We would like to first borrow your time!"
"Next target…" Shido muttered, "Could it be…?"
"The recent scandals of public figures, the accidents caused by psychotic breakdowns and mental shutdowns. These weren't caused by unknown reasons."
"One man is behind every single instance…"
"Simply to satiate his own greed!"
"That man was afraid his crimes would be exposed and shifted the blame on us! He even manipulated the police for that!"
"We only steal the hearts of criminals. But this asshole tried to dump what he did on us! That just shows he doesn't care about those victims at all!"
"The identity of that cowardly man is-"
Evidently, someone was finally able to cut the hijacked broadcast. Shido sighed in relief momentarily. For a second there, he was almost-
"The man behind it all is a current cabinet member of all things. The Minister of State for Special Missions… Masayoshi Shido!"
"NO!" Shido felt his blood pressure spike and his heart race as he stared at the new image of a picture of him being broadcasted through the Phantom Thieves' transmission. So this was his calling card? How dare they! And it was again being shown on every screen in the city; people were probably even recording it! The whole country was bound to see it at this rate! What the hell were they hoping to accomplish?! Their leader is already dead!
"Everything that guy says is a lie! And to prove that… Look! As you can see, all of us are alive and kickin'!"
There was a new image on the screen now. The first ever image of the Phantom Thieves; only in silhouette form though, so nobody could tell who they were. There were seven of them, he counted, plus a small, cartoonish-looking, cat creature at their heels. Three were clearly male based on their physical builds, four were obviously female, with their slender curves. Why did one of these girls look like she had a tail? From this image one could tell they were wearing strange costumes. The one in the middle in the trench coat especially angered him… Akechi had informed him they were all teenagers, the costumes must be part of their need to "play superheroes" or something… He was too busy seething with rage to even find humor in it. So this was what he was up against all this time.
"I'm sure the people investigating us can tell if this is a lie or not!"
"Shido himself will soon confess the crimes that he's committed!"
"Please, look forward to it, everyone!"
"We are not gonna sit back and watch some crook wreck this country just cause of his god damn ego! Ain't that right… Leader?"
Shido gasped. No… That's impossible! Akechi told him he'd killed the brat!
He could see the upper half of the boy's face now; obscured by an owl-like white mask around his grey eyes, some shaggy, raven black, hair fell over it slightly… Those eyes looked familiar…
"Yes. Before that happens, we will take this country!"
They were finished talking but the image lingered on those damn eyes… Why did they look familiar? No matter. He had a more pressing issue to deal with now. The transmission was cut after that.
"Very well… I'll crush them beneath my heel!" Shido turned to his assistant. "Get me Wakaba's research! Quickly! There has to be a way to stop a change of heart! And for fuck's sake where is that Akechi brat?!"
"I'll erase anyone who gets in my way… Just as I've always done!"
~...
Shido's Treasure room was the real life conference room of the National Diet members that was usually shown on the news. There was no sign of the Treasure yet but they were sure that it had materialized. He must have moved it. Akira was personally curious what this one would be. The Treasure of the man who fucked up his life… It'd probably be something that wasn't worthwhile in reality. That sounded likely… The room was empty when they walked in. Except for Shido's Shadow who was standing boredly at the center podium waiting for them. His Shadow looked… exactly the same. It was startling. The same suit, the same sunglasses… If it wasn't for the distorted voice and glowing yellow eyes, they'd have assumed the real man himself had entered his own Palace somehow. It must have been a result of how he knew he was a terrible person and had fully embraced it. The worst kind of scumbag.
Shido's Shadow greeted them disinterestedly. "Where did you lowlifes obtain that power?" He asked.
"As if we'd tell you, ya piece of shit," Akira answered, bluntly. Finally being able to tell this bastard off felt so good…
Shido rolled his eyes. "Well, it doesn't matter. If you have a complaint, I'm willing to listen."
"What did you do to Akechi?!" Yusuke shouted. "He was your son!"
"Hmph." Shido said, "I had a feeling it was something like that. He reminded me too much of that woman. I also have an idea as to why he approached me. He was hoping to trap me, was he not? Heh, he was sharp, but in the end, he was just a kid. I controlled him by merely offering praise. I intended to dispose of him as soon as I became prime minister. I could never keep someone with such intimate knowledge of my past alive… But I am a bit curious, do you happen to know where he went?"
"You can find his body lying in your engine room: dead from betraying you to save our lives." Akira said, glaring at him.
"Hm. Should have seen that coming. Well, his destroying himself saved me quite a bit of effort." Shido replied, uncaringly.
"How could you?!" Ann shouted, completely shocked by his horrid nature.
"YOU STOLE MY MOM'S RESEARCH AND TOOK HER LIFE!" Futaba screamed.
"Everything you've done has been for your own selfish gains!" Haru shouted, in disgust. "You even killed my father! I will never forgive you!"
"Gah! Sacrifices are inevitable in the path of reform. I only require that the foolish entrust themselves to their superiors. I shall guide them." Shido responded, simply.
"What the Hell makes you think you're so much better than everyone else?!" Ryuji shouted.
"You would never have been able to make it this far without Akechi's help!" Ann said, "With him gone, you have no fucking power anymore, shithead!"
Shido ignored this comment. "He only appeared because of the expectations God held for me. Moreover, it was thanks to me that Akechi was able to properly use his power to begin with. The 'changing of hearts' that you've been doing was nothing more than provoking the public."
"How selfish!" Yusuke shouted. "You were unable to win by honest means, so you used foul tricks to ascend the political ladder!"
"A cruel person like you has no right to stand leading the citizens of this country! You're nothing but a criminal who rose above others by climbing a staircase of sin!" Makoto said, firmly, clenching her fists in disgust. Every moment spent listening to this man was thinning her patience rapidly.
Shido rolled his eyes once more at their attempts to lecture him. What would a bunch of kids know versus his years of experience? "The life of a nation as opposed to a few sacrifices… There can be no comparison. The ignorant masses only care about their own personal happiness. I am merely granting that for them. That is the social reform that only I, as the one chosen by God, can enact!"
"I can't believe you look down on everyone else so harshly!" Haru cried.
"I'd never accept a leader who makes a teenager murder people!" Ann screamed. "You say it's for the country but I bet it's all for yourself! Nobody would wish for something like that!"
Shido smirked. "Nobody? Then why was I chosen? Why are they surrendering the seat of prime minister to me? Everyone denies the value of hard work these days! Instead, they seek to effortlessly gain wealth. That is why I must reestablish this mighty country. One that does not waver… One that others bow to!"
"Mighty, my ass!" Ryuji said, "That's just a crooked country made by a fucking crook!"
"We cannot let you do this." Yusuke added, firmly. "You are a disgrace to Japan! Hence we will take your deranged heart!"
Shido sighed. "Those who disobey me must be eliminated. However…" He paused. "Considering the loss of Akechi, it would be a waste to kill those who are actually capable. I will allow you to choose between life and death one last time. Devote your power to my social reform. I will give you anything you want, be it wealth or status."
Akira narrowed his eyes at the old bastard. How dare he even think of making such a stupid offer. He already admitted that he held no faith in the subordinates he already had, Akechi included, what could possibly make him think they'd trust him at all?
"I got everything I could ever want right here by my side!" Akira said, "So fuck your god damn offer!"
"No matter how many times you ask, our answer isn't gonna change!" Ann added.
Shido shook his head in disappointment. "It seems the ignorant masses are doomed to remain as such… I thought you were smarter than that. This is unfortunate… I have no choice but to eliminate you all. A small leak will sink a great ship. Great nations have fallen to such lenience. I will not make such incautious mistakes!"
~...
"It seems thieves should not be taken lightly if they come in great enough numbers…" Shido said, not looking particularly tired, even though they won the first round. He looked at Akira curiously. "So, you're the one unifying them…"
"A touching reunion, isn't it?" Ann replied, clenching her fists with rage at the man who ruined her boyfriend's life.
"The next time you crush a foe, I suggest you do it in a more certain manner." Yusuke added, tauntingly.
"Not that there'll be a next time for you!" Futaba said.
Shido raised a confused brow at them. "What are you talking about-"
Akira reached up and removed his mask. "Remember me, asshole?"
"This ain't the first time you failed to finish this guy off!" Ryuji said, smirking.
"You took him to court and yet you don't remember? You truly don't care about the fate of others…" Makoto said, in shocked disgust.
Shido racked his brain for a moment. "Wait… You're the damn brat from the night I was with my secretary!"
Akira put his mask back on and replied, "You call that a business relationship, you bastard? You ruined my fucking life!"
Shido chuckled evilly. "What an interesting turn of fate! But your efforts will be worthless in the end. Small sacrifices are inescapable for those wishing to be powerful, competent, leaders. How would you ever reach your destination if you stopped to count every ant you crushed on the road?"
"Are you saying the people you killed deserved to die?!" Haru screamed.
"He's totally insane…" Ann muttered.
"I wouldn't expect the ignorant masses of this country to understand." Shido continued. "Thus, I will offer proof… by forcefully crushing the Phantom Thieves!"
~...
It was a sound victory after a grueling fight. And for Akira, victory never felt so damn good. He had Shido's Shadow pinned to the wall by his throat, the man was covered in bruises and hung limply, too tired to carry on further. He simply awaited the inevitable punishment they'd planned.
"How could I… lose…?" He muttered.
"For causing countless mental shutdowns in others, you will atone… with your life." Makoto said, firmly.
"Don't you got something to say to our leader…?" Ryuji said.
Shido panted heavily from exhaustion. "Ugh… Yes…" He lifted his aching head to stare Akira in the eyes. "I acknowledge… that I incriminated you on false charges. I did it to protect myself… and I am… sorry for what I've done…" He paused thoughtfully. "Hm… It feels as though it's been quite some time since I felt sincerely apologetic… What do you want from me? Anything, it's yours, just please don't kill me…"
Akira glared the vile man down and replied, "Believe me, it's fucking tempting… But lucky you, the idea that the Phantom Thieves are murderers was a false rumor you spread… As for what I want…"
He didn't have to think twice. There was one thing that came to his mind immediately upon hearing the question. It was simple, not a grand request, but it'd give him peace of mind he'd been wanting for months.
"I want you to give back all the money you took from my parents…" The rest of the team seemed a bit curious by this request, but they quickly realized its significance and didn't question it.
"Done…" Shido answered, weakly. "Anything else?"
"Atone for your crimes." Akira commanded.
"Yes… I- I will…"
"Good. Now where's your damn Treasure?"
"Up there-" Shido said, pointing weakly. "The ship's wheel…"
From above a golden ship wheel fell down before them. It was sparkling brightly and had shrunk to a more pocket-able size for them.
"A wheel?" Ann said, quizzically. "Not what I was expecting…"
"It's to symbolize that I'm meant to steer this country…" Shido explained, softly. "If I don't, who will?"
"You do like to go on about that shit. Should have guessed," Akira said, "Now, one last thing before we go… Skull, Fox, would you kindly hold him up so I can keep my promise?"
"With pleasure, Joker…" Ryuji said, smirking.
"I'd be honored," Yusuke added.
Akira let go of Shido at last. Ryuji and Yusuke quickly pinned the man down by his arms to keep him from collapsing just yet.
"What are you- I said I'll atone!"
Akira smirked. "Oracle, I believe I granted you one punch in the face."
Futaba grinned eagerly. "Booyah! My time to shine!"
"You only get one so make it count!" Ann said, smiling.
"You sure you don't want in on this, Noir?" Ryuji asked, "Last chance."
Haru smiled, "I think I got enough shots in during the fight. Let her have her moment."
Futaba took that as her cue and quickly punched Shido as hard as she could, right in his bastard face. Everyone oohed in satisfaction. Despite how small she was, that punch looked like it hurt. Ryuji and Yusuke dropped Shido while he was groaning in pain.
"I hope the real you felt that!" Futaba shouted.
"Good shot!" Akira complimented, grinning proudly.
"That was awesome!" Ann squealed.
"Everyone be on your guard, Oracle's might could kill us all." Yusuke said, with a teasing smirk.
"You keep this up and you might be able to fight along with us someday," Makoto said.
Futaba blushed with pride behind her mask from all the praise. Their business here was done, now there was only one thing left to do.
"Mona, grab the Treasure-" Akira commanded.
Shido suddenly started coughing and gasping for air. He clutched his chest tightly struggling to stay standing before finally collapsing to the ground and vanishing… in a similar manner to what it looked like when they killed the Shadows guarding the Palaces…
"Wait, what?!" Morgana shouted.
Futaba looked down at her fist worriedly. "Did I just-?!"
"No, a single punch shouldn't have been enough to kill him!" Akira reassured her.
"Then what hap-" Ryuji was interrupted by the Palace starting to shake violently.
"Quick grab the Treasure!" Morgana hurriedly picked up the wheel and tossed it to Akira, who pocketed it.
"Why is the Palace collapsing now?!" Haru screamed.
"Something must have happened to the real Shido!" Morgana answered, worriedly.
"The only way to collapse a Palace from the outside is to halt all biological activity!" Futaba said, worriedly.
"One last fail-safe to kill us, huh?" Akira said, angrily. "RUN LIKE HELL!"
~...
The ship was sinking fast. They only barely made it to the open windows out to the main deck. The only way to exit the Palace now would be through the water. And the ship was slowly turning upwards to where they wouldn't be able to get across soon if it kept angling to near vertical. It was nearly split in half from the explosions.
"We're gonna die! I don't know how to swim!" Futaba cried.
"Nobody in this family is dying on my watch!" Akira shouted. "There has to be a way out!"
"Over there!" Makoto shouted, pointing. "There's a lifeboat on that hook!" It was on the other end of the deck, much too far for any of them to reach.
"There's a lever release for it, we just gotta get to it," Ryuji said.
"Joker, can you reach it with your grappling hook?" Ann asked.
"No, it's too far…"
"We're sinking too fast, we'll never reach it in time!" Yusuke said, worriedly.
"What do we do?!" Haru shouted, "We can't let it end like this!"
Ryuji stared at the boat release mechanism… It was pretty far… But if someone could go fast enough they'd make it. He narrowed his eyes in determination. "...I got this."
"What?!" Haru asked.
"Hang tight. I'll nab the boat!" Ryuji hopped out the window onto the angled wall; leaving them stunned and worried.
"Ryuji!" Ann shouted.
"Get back here, it's too dangerous!" Haru cried.
"Dude, what the hell do you think you're doing?!" Akira shouted.
"Paying ya back!"
Ryuji broke into a dead-sprint across the sinking ship. Everyone hurriedly climbed out the window onto the wall to watch as the ship continued sinking. Akira had never been more proud of his friend. Knowing how much it hurt him to run this hard, he was truly putting his all into saving them.
And he made it to the lever too, sending the lifeboat into the water right beside them.
"He made it!" Haru squealed with joy.
"That was the craziest fucking stunt I've ever seen!" Akira thought.
But they weren't out of danger yet. Everyone hurriedly climbed into the boat and drove it to the other end to catch him-
Until a huge explosion blasted from the rest of the sinking ship, blinding them momentarily and when their sight cleared Ryuji had vanished.
"No…" Akira's jaw dropped in shock, hoping the worst case scenario hadn't just happened…
"No way… It can't be…" Ann muttered.
"RYUJI!" Haru cried.
They were so busy staring at the burning ship they didn't notice the waves pushing them slowly towards the exit.
~...
Within moments they were back outside the Diet Building fence in reality. No one was around… And worse still, there was no sign of Ryuji…
"We're back…" Ann said, softly.
"Ryuji…" Haru whined, with tears streaming down her cheeks. "He- He didn't make it out…" She quickly buried her face in her hands.
How could this happen? How could she lose him? The boy who held her while she grieved over her father. The one who cared for her and protected her from Sugimura. The boy who always had a way to make her smile when she was down. She couldn't bear the thought… It simply couldn't be true… He was special to her, special in a way she never had a chance to tell him…
"We gotta go back!" Futaba cried, eyes watering behind her glasses.
"That's impossible…" Morgana said, quietly. His ears drooped and his tail became still… He deeply regretted all those times he'd called Ryuji stupid…
Akira was shaking and holding himself up by the fence. He wiped his eyes behind his glasses. "Fuck… why'd you have to do that…?"
His first friend after the arrest. The first person to truly believe he was innocent. His best friend in the whole world just sacrificed himself to get them out of that Palace. Akira had told him more than once that he didn't have to pay him back for saving his life… but he did it anyway…
Yusuke wiped his eyes with a nervous chuckle, seemingly in shock. "This isn't funny at all…"
"He was our fastest runner too…" Ann said, tearfully. She then went to give Haru a much needed comforting hug, while the girl continued sobbing.
Yusuke glanced at the ground, something small was glinting in the street light. He reached down and picked it up. "This must be the Treasure…"
"It's- It's a legislator's pin…" Makoto choked out, softly.
It was a good thing no one was around to see this group of teens weeping over their teammate…
"Man, that was close!"
Everyone snapped their attention to that familiar voice. Ryuji wasn't gone after all. He clutched his bad leg briefly as he walked over to them, still feeling sore from that sprint, but otherwise he was completely unharmed.
"For real though, why do Palaces gotta explode so much?" He said, "Can't they just disappear normal-"
"RYUJI!" Haru nearly tackled him with a fiercely tight hug.
"Whoa, Haru-!" Ryuji said, surprised by her enthusiasm.
"What happened!?" She asked, hugging him close.
"Well, there was an explosion and when I woke up I was lying in the grass in reality…" Ryuji answered, smiling.
"Fuck man, you scared us all half to death!" Akira shouted, wiping his eyes again and grinning widely.
"You must have been shot out of the exit," Yusuke said, conclusively.
"Never pull a crazy stunt like that again!" Akira added. "Seriously!"
Ryuji laughed, "Hey, I'm alive, aren't I? And I finally paid you back, bro!"
"I'm just glad you're ok!" Haru said, pulling back from her hug to look up at him properly. "I- I thought I lost you!"
She grabbed Ryuji by his blazer and pulled him down into a kiss. His eyes widened with pure shock but he didn't resist.
Unfortunately, they seemed to have momentarily forgotten they weren't alone. Everyone saw. Futaba quickly took a picture on her phone. This would be great blackmail for the future. Akira smirked; it was about damn time. Ann was happy for her friend; she always said they'd be cute together. Makoto smirked, rolling her eyes a bit. She had a feeling this might happen. Yusuke raised a curious brow at the sight but quickly shrugged it off. Love blooming between close friends should not be judged, he concluded. Morgana was simply stunned by the sight.
Haru pulled away from the kiss, letting go of his blazer. Ryuji was in shock, he stared silently down at her with wide eyes, trying to process what just happened… She then quickly realized what she'd just done. Her cheeks went bright red. She glanced sheepishly at their friends.
"Um… D-Did everyone just… see that?" She stammered.
"Yep…" Ann answered, mischievously.
Haru squeaked softly. "And… you'll never let us forget it…?"
"Never!" Futaba said, grinning widely.
Haru gulped. Beside her Ryuji was still in a daze.
"Alright, come on, the teasing can wait." Akira said, mercifully, but still smirking. "We just kicked Shido's ass, why don't we go celebrate before we head home?"
"Oh, we can get dinner together!" Ann suggested.
"Yeah, we earned it!" Futaba said, gleefully.
"Do we have enough for sushi?!" Morgana asked, quickly hopping back into Akira's bag. "Because I want sushi!"
"You always want sushi," Akira said, "We'll see what's open first." Ann grabbed his hand tight and the two led the way down the street while everyone followed suit. Minus Haru and Ryuji who lingered behind.
"Come on, we should make sure they don't leave us behind…" Haru said.
"Haru, hang on a sec." Ryuji said, finally snapping back out of his dazed state. He rubbed his neck absently. "Uh… So, about what just happened… Was that a 'heat of the moment' type thing or…"
Haru's cheeks lit ablaze again in embarrassment as she fiddled with the hem of her pink sweater. Well, she did just kiss him; no better time than now to let the truth out, right? She might not get another chance.
"Um… well… I- I was really worried… and I just couldn't take the thought of losing you… You're very… special to me, Ryuji-kun…" She smiled.
Ryuji returned her smile with a bit of a playful spark in his eye. "When you say special do you mean 'just as a teammate?'"
Why did he have to tease her like that? He knew what she meant, didn't he? Did she have to spell it out?
She shook her head, keeping her gaze down at the ground nervously. "No… as much more…" She confessed, quietly. "I… wish I'd said it sooner…"
She was cute when she was embarrassed, Ryuji thought. "I feel the same way… I would have told you the night we saw that movie together but… I figured it could wait until we settled our business first, ya know…?"
Haru instantly perked up, staring up at him with a bright smile. She quickly pulled him into another hug. Better prepared for the surprise this time, he gently wrapped his arms around her holding her close, resting his chin on her fluffy hair. Funny, he wasn't really confident with his chances with her, yet he kept staying by her side thinking maybe there was a possibility. And through all his shortcomings, he'd somehow stolen her heart… He sure couldn't provide her with the life she was used to, but he'd do his best to make her happy. She deserved it. And the others, well, they could handle the teasing. Akira would absolutely roll in it too; he's probably already got a full list of playful comments ready. Haru snuggled comfortably into his warm chest grinning widely; he was so much warmer than the chilly December air around them. Not only was he alive, he also returned her feelings. She couldn't be happier…
Somewhere in a distant otherworldly realm, Seiten Taisei bowed respectfully to Astarte and gently kissed her hand.
"Heh…" Ryuji said, suddenly thinking. "Ya know… we kinda owe Morgana for this, don't we?"
Haru giggled softly. "In a way, yes… If it wasn't for Mona-chan, I'd have never gotten so close to you."
"I'll have to thank him at some point… as much as it'll pain me. Come on, let's get going, they're probably tired of waiting for us."
Haru reluctantly pulled away from his arms. "Right… Um, c-can I hold your hand?"
"You say that like you have to ask." He answered, playfully, grabbing her hand.
~...
After the team's celebratory dinner together, Akira, Morgana, and Futaba returned to LeBlanc, eager to tell Sojiro they'd accomplished their mission.
"Did you seriously take a picture of their kiss," Akira asked, as they walked.
"Duh! It's great blackmail!" Futaba said, evilly. "Did you see the look on his face? Priceless!"
"I hope he treats her right at least," Morgana said, hopping onto Akira's shoulder.
"He will. Ryuji's dumb, but he's got a good heart and he's very loyal. You know that." Akira said.
Futaba opened the door to LeBlanc for them. "Sojiro, we're-"
The sight that greeted them when they walked into the shop nearly made their hearts stop. The whole place was completely trashed. It looked as if a hurricane had swept through. The counter was mostly unscathed but the floor was covered in scattered magazines and dirty shoe prints. A few stools were tossed aside carelessly. Worst of all, Sojiro was nowhere to be seen…
"Boss?!" Akira called out.
"What the hell happened here?!" Morgana said, hopping out to inspect the shop.
"Sojiro?!" Futaba said, running frantically about looking for her father. "I-I'm gonna get angry if you don't come out!"
They heard the door open and Sojiro walked in, thankfully unharmed. "Hey I didn't know you guys were back."
"You're the same as Ryuji!" Futaba cried before quickly running over and hugging him tight.
Akira smiled in relief at Sojiro's appearance. He didn't want anything to happen to the old man, especially if it was because of him.
"What are you talking about?" Sojiro asked. "After your 'big stunt' on tv, I was taken to that asshole Shido's place, but they suddenly told me I could go home. That's thanks to his change of heart, right?"
"Yep, we did it," Akira answered.
"Thought as much." Sojiro smirked. "They had me blindfolded the whole time so I have no idea where they took me. But man, my handsome mug was nearly ruined… Anyway, sorry to ask for your help when you're tired but they did a number on the shop. Mind helping me clean up?"
"Not at all, Boss."
With Shido's Palace destroyed, all they had to do now was wait for the confession of the century.
~End of Chapter