For Akira Kurusu, the nightmare was always the same.
"Tetsuya! Tetsuya! Come on!"
"Easy there, Akira. You're supposed to wait for me. I don't want you jumping on your own. Heck, I don't even think we should jump from here, it's too high, and they say the current is strong today."
"But you promised!" Akira threw a tantrum.
"I know I did. I just want to make sure we do this safely. Just hold on. Mom's gonna be pissed if something happens to you." Tetsuya looked out over the edge. "Look, buddy, I know I promised we'd make this jump, but I just don't think it's safe. Besides, my leg's still not at a hundred percent. Maybe we shouldn't-" Akira didn't listen. It was a hundred-foot drop down to a lake. Akira had wanted to make the jump for so long, but his mother forbade him, saying it was too dangerous for an eleven-year-old. Akira was too impatient to wait for Tetsuya, though.
"IT'S SHOWTIME!" Akira yelled as he ran ahead.
"AKIRA, WAIT! GET BACK HERE!" Tetsuya yelled as he ran after him.
Akira jumped off the cliff. He felt alive as he made the long drop down to the water below. He expertly positioned his body to land without getting hurt. Right before hitting the water, he heard a scream of terror from above him. Akira didn't have time to fully register it as he hit the water and stayed under for a while, enjoying the feeling of adrenaline he had received from the dive. When he resurfaced, he looked around for Tetsuya, but couldn't see him.
"Tetsuya…?" No response. He frantically looked around him, nothing.
"Tetsuya?" Still no response. He checked underwater, nothing.
"Tetsuya!?" Akira was left floating in the water, all alone.
"TETSUYA!" Akira yelled. His eyes shot open. He was breathing heavily. He quickly sat up and frantically looked around like he had in his dream, not knowing where he was. He was stuck in between dream and reality, believing he was still in the lake.
"Woah, Woah! Calm down there, Akira. It's all right. It's okay. Breathe…" A familiar voice said. Akira was still dazed. He heard the voice but couldn't tell who it was. All he could make it out was that it was a woman.
"W-Wh-Where…? Where's…" Akira was frantically breathing.
"Shh, Shh. Slow down. Breathe…" Another voice said. He didn't know if his daze was wearing off, but he had no trouble recognizing that voice. It was Sumire's. "Remember. Count to four, inhale…" Akira copied her breathing. "Count to four, exhale…" After a minute or so, Akira regained his senses. He had the mother of all migraines and was drenched in sweat. He looked around and realized he was in his room at Leblanc. All of his Phantom Thief teammates were there. Sojiro was there, and so was Takemi. He figured hers was the first voice he heard.
"Do you know your-" Takemi began.
"Akira Kurusu. I'm in my room at Leblanc, and I can name everyone in the room, including the code names of my teammates," Akira quickly said, eyes closed, clutching his temple. The anger in his voice was evident.
"Okay, that settles that then," Takemi said. "I take it you also know what happened to you?"
"Let me guess, I had another seizure?" he asked.
"Mm-hm. Sakura-chan there came running into my office in tears, saying you needed help," Takemi said, pointing at a worried Futaba.
"How long was I out for this time?"
"You regained consciousness after about five minutes. Then you said you were tired and went back to sleep for another few hours. That's when we put you to bed. We came up when we heard you screaming in your sleep," Akira didn't remember waking up, he didn't remember much after Makoto left.
"Are you okay?" Sumire asked. Akira dodged the question when he noticed there was a missing Phantom Thief in the room.
"Where's Makoto?" Akira asked. That earned him a subtle glare from Haru.
"No idea. She was the only one who didn't respond to Futaba's message in the group chat," Ann said.
"Have you heard from her, Haru?" Yusuke asked. She didn't respond to Yusuke. Instead, she got up and walked over to Akira.
"Mako-chan told me what happened when she came to visit you. She was deeply hurt by what you said to her," Haru said. Her tone was a mix of anger and sadness.
"What are you talking about? What did I say to her?" Due to the seizure and the nightmare, Akira still wasn't fully aware and had a gap in his memory.
"She showed concern for you, and you spat in her face!" Haru was furious at this point.
"W-Wait a minute, what the fuck is going on?" Ryuji asked. It started coming back to Akira. The conversation he had with Makoto started replaying in his head, most notably the words, "Fuck Off." This wasn't the first outburst Akira had had. Nor was it the first time he had snapped at one of his friends. But for the first time, he didn't feel regret.
"Oh, yeah, I remember now. She was sticking her nose into my personal business," Akira grumbled.
"Was that any reason to raise your voice at her!?"
"Uh, Haru, maybe you should ease off-" Ann began but was completely overshadowed as Akira and Haru proceeded to argue with each other.
"Look, maybe I went a bit overboard, but she had no right to interrogate me like that!"
"She wasn't interrogating you!"
"Yeah? Well, it sure as fucking hell felt like it!"
"Don't talk to me that way!"
"Guys, please stop fighting!" Sumire tried to keep the peace.
"Haru, I know she's your girlfriend, but wouldn't you hate it if she started asking you questions about shit you didn't want to talk about!?"
"I wouldn't scream at her to fuck off!" The group gasped. Haru wasn't usually the kind to swear, even if she was quoting someone else's words. Haru's eyes were starting to well up.
"She deserved it!"
"You really said that to Makoto?" Ann asked, looking at Akira in disbelief.
"He did. I heard him." Morgana said.
"Shut the fuck up, Morgana! You're a cat, not a rat!" Akira yelled. "And if you say one word about you-know-what, I will send your ass to the animal shelter! YOU GOT THAT!?"
"H-HEY! D-Don't t-talk to M-Mona like that!" Futaba ran downstairs, sobbing. Yusuke glared at Akira before going after Futaba. Morgana and Sojiro followed. The room was quiet for a moment as Akira seemingly stared down with everyone in the room.
"What!?" Akira yelled. "For fuck's sake, if you have something to say to me, spit it out!"
"Akira, you really need help…" Ann said as she got up and went downstairs.
"I don't need your fucking help, Takamaki!" Akira yelled back.
"What's up with you, man?" Ryuji said before following Ann.
"Same shit as always, nothing new! Except for these FUCKING seizures!" Akira callously yelled, slapping his head in the process.
"Akira, please-" Sumire began before Haru took over.
"You owe Mako-chan an apology," Haru simply said before leaving as well.
"Oh, yeah, sure. I'll send you two a fruit basket. Or if you don't like fruit, why don't you both just bite me, instead!" Akira was feeling so bitter and resentful that he wasn't hearing himself.
"AKIRA KUSURU!" Despite his fuming state, Akira began coming back down to reality once he heard Sumire's voice. She herself was not pleased with how he was speaking to their friends, but she was more concerned than angry. Akira looked at Sumire, expecting a bit of sympathy.
"Look, Sumire, I…"
"Akira, I know you're going through a lot, right now, but this? This isn't like you at all. Frankly, I'm scared. I don't recognize the person I fell in love with," Sumire said as she got up, "I want my Akira back." Sumire made her way downstairs. Akira sat back down on the edge of his bed, running his hands through his sweat-soaked, frizzy hair.
"Wow…" Takemi exhaled after watching all of that unfold before her. "…that was something."
"Hmph," Akira responded, putting his hands over his face.
"Never seen you that angry before. Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever seen you angry, period."
"…"
"I'd blame it on the mood swings you're getting from the seizures, but I have a gut-feeling there's more to it than that, am I right?"
"…"
"Fine, don't answer me. What do I know? I'm just a doctor, after all," Takemi sarcastically quipped.
"Can you just leave me alone?" Akira grumbled. Takemi began making her way downstairs before stopping and turning back to him.
"Did you start seeing a therapist yet?"
"Yeah, why?" Akira scowled.
"How often are you going?"
"Once a week."
"Hmm…"
"'Hmm,' what?"
"I'd try to get in at least three sessions a week if were you." Akira rolled his eyes. Takemi left his room. He was all alone.
"Finally, some peace and quiet," he muttered. "Why is everybody on my fucking case today?" His phone then pinged. He picked it up and saw he had a text message from Riku, his classmate.
RI: Hey man, it's Riku. I was wondering if you'd like to hang out tomorrow if you're not too busy. My parents left to go away on business and I'm bored.
Akira didn't feel like company, but he also thought it might be nice to get away from Leblanc for the day to let things cool down.
AK: Sure.
RI: Great! We can hang out at my place if that's cool. I'll text you the address. Later!
Akira closed his phone and, lacking a better idea, he decided to take his meds and go back to sleep.
Since Akira had gone to sleep so early, he woke up relatively early in the morning. It was almost six in the morning. Akira wouldn't be up this early on a Sunday. Sojiro wouldn't be in the café for another hour. He decided to get up, freshen up, take his meds, and make himself some breakfast. He hadn't had anything to eat in almost a day. He wanted to leave before Sojiro arrived in order to avoid the inevitable conversation at least a little while longer. He got dressed and left Leblanc.
Akira didn't expect Riku to be up this early, so he decided he had, at least, a few hours to kill before meeting up with him. Akira headed to the Protein Lovers gym, which was thankfully open twenty-four hours. Ryuji didn't work there on Sundays, so Akira wouldn't have to risk running into him. Besides, hitting the punching bags and wooden dummies always was a good stress reliever for him. When he walked in the empty gym, one of the male trainers recognized and greeted him.
"Kurusu-san! Welcome!"
"Hello," Akira simply replied. His mood had not improved, but he tried to muzzle it as much as he could.
"We've never seen you here this early before. You're lucky; the gym is usually empty at this time on Sundays. Will you be training with Sakamoto-san?" the trainer asked.
"No, it's just me, today."
"All right then. Enjoy yourself and let me know if you need anything," the trainer smiled and waved as he walked away.
Akira went and got his gym clothes out of his locker. Akira always kept a clean pair of workout clothes at the gym in case he decided to do a spontaneous workout without the hassle of going all the way back to Leblanc to get changed. As he walked out of the locker room, he noticed the clock and saw that it was close to seven in the morning. Akira walked out towards the punching bags and began hitting one of them to warm up; no gloves or taped-up fists. As he punched the bag, he began to think. He thought about everything. His friends, his mother, his seizures, getting assaulted by two drunks, the two rich pricks at Sumire's gymnastics meet, blacking out and ending up in the middle of nowhere.
*POW* *POW* *POW* Akira started hitting the bag harder.
He thought about getting sent to juvie and being betrayed by Akechi. He thought about Kamoshida, Madarame, Kaneshiro, and Okumura. He thought about Shido getting him arrested in the first place. He and his friends nearly dying when Mementos fused with the real world—nearly dying while fighting a god.
*POW-POW* *POW-POW* *POW-POW* He hit the bag harder and more rapidly than before.
He thought about the man who abused him. He thought about his father's death. He thought about…
*POW-POW* *POW-POW* *POW-POW*
Every fucking horrible thing that happened to him in the last ten fucking years of his fucking life. Nothing but bad memories played in his head. They all seemed to eclipse the good memories. His mind was nothing but a highlight reel of his worst memories, replaying constantly.
"GAH!" Akira let out a pained yell. He no longer felt in control of his body. His hands were moving on their own. He was simply a passive observer as he watched while he destroyed himself.
"Kurusu-san…?" Akira felt a hand on his shoulder, which made him flinch. He felt like his soul had been re-injected in his body. He finally stopped punching the bag and clutched his forehead as his migraine raged on.
"WHAT!?" he yelled.
"A-Are you all right?" the trainer asked; Akira huffed.
"Why did you interrupt me!?" he expressed his frustration.
"Well… your hands…" Akira looked down at his hands and saw that they were bloody. They hurt like Hell. "You know, you shouldn't punch the bag without protecting your hands, especially for such a long period of time." Akira caught that last part and was suspicious. "Hang on; I'll go get the first-aid k-"
"W-W-Wait, hold on." Akira stopped the trainer from leaving. "What do you mean a long period of time?"
"Well, you've been at the bags for almost a full hour," the trainer said. Akira looked at the time and saw that it was eight in the morning. In his mind, he had been hitting the bag for just a few minutes. He realized he had blacked out again. "Stay there, and I'll go and fetch the med kit for your hands," the trainer said, walking back to the office. Akira sat down on the crash mat, exhausted. He breathed heavily while he thought about Sumire. No matter what the situation was, thinking of her always put his mind at ease. He thought back to the school trip to Hawaii.
**September 10th, 2016 — Hawaii**
The school trip to Hawaii had been enjoyable, but not particularly exciting. Because of fallout from a tabloid news article that implied that Shujin Academy was knowingly covering up the crimes committed by Suguru Kamoshida (which they were), planning a school trip seemed to be the last thing on the faculty's mind. Hence, the students were taken to Hawaii without a solid plan and were primarily left to their own devices for three days.
Akira, Ryuji, Ann, and Makoto, the latter assigned to be a chaperone, mostly hung out together during the first day. The second day was nothing special either, except for the sudden and unexpected arrival of Yusuke. The third day would be special for at least one of the Phantom Thieves. While hanging out with Ryuji and another classmate, Mishima, in the hotel lobby, Akira's phone had gone off. Fearing it might be Phantom Thief-related business, Akira chose not to check due to Mishima being around, as he was not involved with the Phantom Thieves. Not directly, at least. Akira returned to his room and checked his phone. He was expecting Futaba, but was instead pleased to see it was his girlfriend.
SY: Hey, Senpai! How's Hawaii so far?
AK: Still with the 'Senpai,' huh? lol
SY: I can't help it. It's like my nickname for you :)
AK: Hawaii's pretty boring tbh. How's training camp going?
SY: Not too bad. I'm working as hard as I can. I want to do better after that last meet.
AK: You know I believe in you ;)
SY: I know. Thank you *heart emoji* So what are you up to now?
AK: Well, nothing really, since the school didn't really plan anything for the students to do. We've pretty much been doing whatever.
SY: Why don't you head down to the beach? You should try some garlic shrimp if you haven't yet. It's delicious. There should be a stand nearby.
Akira was suspicious. How did she know where the garlic shrimp stands were?
AK: How would you know that?
There was a brief pause before Sumire texted back.
SY: I did some research online.
Akira smiled. If this meant what he thought it meant, he was in for a great day at the beach.
AK: That's a good idea. I'm gonna get changed and head out now. Text you later?
SY: Sounds good! Talk to you soon!
Akira smirked. He put his phone away, got changed in his swim trunks, and headed for the beach. It didn't take long for him to stumble upon a garlic shrimp stand since they were pretty prevalent. He decided to go up to it and order.
"Hi, I'd like to order some garlic shrimp, please?" he tried to ask in his best English. Thankfully, the food stand owner was more fluent in Japanese than Akira was in English.
"You from Japan?" the owner asked.
"Yeah."
"How 'bout them Phantom Thieves, huh? The guys that steal hearts, hehe."
"You know about them?" Akira was still getting used to the fact that the Phantom Thieves were now internationally famous.
"Heard about it on the news! They're all the rage in Japan, yeah? Say, if y'run into 'em, tell 'em I say hello. And ask 'em to change people's hearts so everyone loves shrimp!" The owner chuckled.
"R-Right, hehe," Akira replied. "So, can I get a plate of shrimp, please?"
"Comin' right up!" The owner smiled and prepared his order. The smell was enticing, and Akira's stomach growled in excitement. The owner handed Akira a plate of shrimp.
"Thank you very much!" he said.
"Hellllloooooo…" A voice quietly said behind Akira.
"You got it, enjoy!" the owner saluted him. Akira turned around.
"SENPAI!" Sumire yelled; Akira yelped. His girlfriend's sudden ambush caught him so off guard that his plate of shrimp flew straight up in the air and landed right in the sand. Akira looked defeated. "Oh… I-I'm so sorry," Sumire hastily apologized. The owner saw the whole thing happen and couldn't help but laugh.
"I should've seen it coming, haha," Akira chuckled. "I've been waiting for you," he smiled at her.
"Wha-how did you know?" Sumire said, surprised.
"Your text about garlic shrimp kinda gave you away, Sumi," he chuckled.
"Dang it. I should have known that would be too obvious," she muttered.
"Don't worry about it; I'm just glad to see you!" Akira said, taking her in his arms. "Why don't we go and take a walk on the beach?" he suggested.
"Hey, hold up there!" the owner said, signaling Akira to come over. "Here, on the house. Call it a couple's special, hehe." The owner then handed Akira two plates of garlic shrimp.
"Really? Thank you so much!" Akira was stunned. He walked with Sumire, who was also stunned at the owner's generosity. The two found a bench and began enjoying their garlic shrimp. Akira couldn't help but admire Sumire's beauty. Her red hair was tied up in her signature bow. She had a pair of sunglasses on top of her head. She was wearing a red bikini top with white dots, a short white beach-skirt, and white sandals.
"People here are really kind, aren't they?" Sumire said, taking a bite of shrimp.
"Tell me about it. We'd be hard-pressed to find hearts to change over here," Sumire laughed at Akira's joke. "But enough about that. Why didn't you tell me your training camp was in Hawaii?"
"I wanted to surprise you. Though, I guess I gave it away earlier than planned."
"Your text honestly, saved me," Akira chuckled. "If not for you, I'd probably be getting dragged around by Ryuji, helping him score girls right now."
"Oh? Planning on getting some out-of-town strange?" Sumire laughed.
"Never," Akira said, "you're all I need," he smiled. Sumire laughed again and they kept eating. "So, how does it feel to be a member of the Phantom Thieves?"
"'Honorary' member," Sumire clarified. "I haven't officially joined." Sumire didn't mind helping the Phantom Thieves out occasionally, but she was too focused on gymnastics to make a full-time commitment like the others had.
"Right. Either way, I appreciate your help for the other day. We had a lot of Mementos requests, and I wanted to get them all taken care of before leaving."
"No worries. It made for great training, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy the catharsis of it all," Sumire giggled.
"The door is always open for you to join us; you know?"
"I know, but I'm not ready to fully commit to it yet."
"I understand," Akira smiled. The two finished their shrimp and decided to take a walk on the beach. Eventually, the sun began to set.
"You know, a thought occurred to me the other day," Sumire said.
"What's that?" Akira asked.
"I never thanked you for saving my life in Kaneshiro's Palace."
"Oh, yeah. Ryuji was pretty upset about that, haha," Akira chuckled. "Honestly, though? I think you're the one who saved us. Had you not awakened to your Persona, we might not have made it out of there. Besides, it was nothing. I wasn't going to let anything happen to you," Sumire smiled at his words. "Hey, do you mind if I ask you something?"
"Of course."
"How did you feel during your awakening?" Sumire took a deep breath before answering Akira's question.
"I… I felt nothing but pain," she began. "Do you remember how I told you that I had a meet that day, and that it didn't go well?"
"Yeah, I do. You got third place, right?" Sumire nodded.
"It wasn't enough for Shujin. They were putting a lot of pressure on me, wanting me to have the best results, but no matter how hard I practiced, I always stumbled somewhere in my routine," she paused before continuing. Akira listened intently. "When I was being held captive by that… man, I thought I was going to die. I thought about leaving my parents behind and not getting a chance to fulfill my dream, as well as Kasumi's," Sumire's eyes began to well up as she continued. "I felt weak… I felt inadequate… Kasumi was always better at gymnastics… I could never be as good as she was…" Akira led Sumire off the beach and onto another bench for them to sit down. "Before my awakening, I thought about her… I felt guilty. I was angry that Kasumi died when it should've been me… I hated myself for taking her dream away from her…" Sumire began to cry. "That car should've hit me!"
"Shh, shh… don't say that," Akira held her tight as she cried on his shoulder. "It was just a tragic accident."
"If-If-If I hadn't… ran away…"
"Sumire, I want you to listen to me," Akira said as he looked into Sumire's puffy red eyes, still filled with tears. "It's not your fault. Do you understand me?" Sumire nuzzled her head into Akira's shoulder as he comforted her.
"I-I'm s-sorry…"
"Shh, it's okay… let it all out," Akira softly said; Sumire kept sobbing. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked."
"N-No… It's n-not y-your fault…" Sumire slowly sobbed less and less. "I-I just… miss her so much…"
"I know you do…" Her words got Akira thinking about someone. A person he hadn't thought about in years. Unbeknownst to anyone, Akira also suffered from survivor's guilt. He hadn't felt it in years and, at this moment, he, too, became sad but didn't shed a tear. "Do you… still feel guilty now?"
Sumire didn't answer right away. She rubbed her eyes and sniffed a few times."… yes… I-I…" She lost her train of thought, pulling out a pack of tissues she kept in her purse and blowing her nose. "…But Doctor Maruki is helping me a lot. I'm slowly learning to accept the fact that, no matter what, Kasumi is not coming back… and I have to live with that fact. He's helping me understand that I can't dwell on the past… otherwise, I'll tear myself apart… and, if that happens, I can't make our dream a reality…"
Akira softly smiled. "I'm happy for you, Sumire… and I want you to know, that if you ever need my help, I'll be there for you."
Sumire began to softly smile as well. "Thank you, Akira… but then again, you and the others already risked your lives to save me in that Palace…"
"You knew it was me from my threats to Kaneshiro's shadow, didn't you?"
Sumire nodded. "It was then that I was pushed to the edge. I knew I had to do. I had to let go of my weak and insecure self." Akira held her tight once again. "I'm sorry," she sniffed, "I-I didn't mean to cry."
"You have nothing to apologize for. I should've known better than to ask about something like that."
"I'm happy I told you," she kicked off her sandals and laid down across the bench, resting her head on his lap.
"Are you comfortable?" Akira asked her as he stroked her hair.
"Yes, thank you, Akira. I feel safe when I'm with you," she let out a soft smile. As they watched the sunset, Akira held her hand tightly.
"I love you." Akira went wide-eyed. "Did I really just say, 'I love you?' I've never felt this way before," he thought.
"Y-You do…?" Sumire stammered as she sat up and looked him in the eye. Akira looked into her eyes.
"Yes, I do," he said with absolute certainty, "I love you, Sumire."
"I-I…" Sumire was in shock. She, too, had never felt like this before. "I-I love you too, Akira," she spoke softly. Akira smiled at her, and she smiled back. They leaned in at the same time and kissed. Afterward, she rested her head on his shoulder as the Hawaiian sun slowly disappeared.
"It's getting late. I'm gonna have to head back to the hotel soon," Akira said.
"Just a little while longer…" Sumire said, gripping his hand tightly.
"Hehe, sure…" Who was Akira to argue?
**Present Day**
"There you go. All patched up." The trainer had just finished patching up Akira's bloody knuckles.
"Thanks," Akira responded.
"Try to remember protection next time you hit the bags, okay? Tape AND gloves."
"Yeah, yeah. I got it."
"All right then." The trainer got up and walked back to the office. Akira felt his hands. The lightest touch stung.
"Akira-kun…?" A voice called out. Akira turned his head towards the entrance.
"Doctor Kimura. What a surprise." Hiromi walked up to him and went to shake his hand. She then noticed his hands were bandaged and decided to bow instead.
"I'll say. What are you doing here?"
"Just… getting a workout in."
"Uh-huh, must've been quite a workout," Hiromi said, eyeing his hands.
"Uh, yeah. It was." Akira put his hands in his pockets. "How are you doing?"
"I'm good! Just here for my Sunday workout. I come here since it's close to my office. I must say, though, I've never seen you here before."
"I don't usually come here this early, or even every day. I just had a bad day yesterday, so I come here and hit the bags to relieve stress." Hiromi nodded in understanding.
"I see, sorry to hear about that. I hope today goes better for you!" she smiled.
"Thanks. I'll see you around, Kimura-san."
"Hope to see you again soon, Akira-kun!" She waved goodbye and Akira began heading for the male locker rooms. He showered, got changed, and left the gym. He headed for the Bikkuri Boy diner on Central Street. Formerly his favorite place to go and study during rainy days. Now he was going there to forget rather than to remember.
He ordered some food and tea, sitting in the diner, alone with his thoughts. Akira tried not to think about the previous night, and, instead, tried to figure out when it was that his existence became less about walking the path he wanted to set out for himself, and more about deciding whether or not he wanted to travel that path alone, but he wasn't doing a very good job at it. Akira couldn't think straight; his mind was still foggy, but a bit clearer than before. Ultimately, Akira couldn't decide whether he needed the Phantom Thieves or not. Did he simply feel like they were growing apart? As some friends tend to do after high school? No, that couldn't be it. Their trip to Rainmaker Park was one he wanted to take again, and not by himself. In his mind, he wanted to be with them, but in his heart, he wanted to be alone. Yet it was in his head that he felt the most amount of pain.
"More tea?" The waitress asked, snapping him out of his thoughts.
"Huh? Uh, no, thanks. Can I get the check, please?" The waitress nodded and walked off. Akira's phone went off. He had received a message from Riku.
RI: Hey man, when do you wanna come over? I'm free right now.
AK: It should take me about 20 minutes to get to the address you sent me. I'm on my way now.
RI: Sounds good! See you then.
Akira paid the bill and left the dinner. He got on the subway and headed for Riku's home, putting in his earphones in the process. Riku lived in one of Tokyo's wealthier neighborhoods. His parents were well-off, business-minded folks. They weren't around at home much due to traveling for work. Akira couldn't remember what Riku's parents did for a living, but it didn't matter. He arrived at the address Riku gave him. It was a relatively large house with a front gate and an intercom. Akira pressed the call button, and Riku opened the gate for him. As Akira made his way to the front door, Riku stepped out and welcomed him.
"Hey, dude! Good to see ya!" Riku exclaimed. "What's up?"
"Nothing much, you?"
"Nothin', same shit, different day, haha. Come on, let's go inside. It's kinda cold out here." Riku brought Akira into his home. It was rather fancy, with nice decorations, expensive-looking vases, and artwork on the walls. "I don't know if you can tell, but my parents are kinda materialistic."
"You know that you mention it…" he sarcastically said, earning a chuckle from Riku. "What about you? Are you materialistic?"
"I'd say 'no,' which is the honest answer, trust me, but once you check out my zone, you'll think I'm like them," Riku said. Akira followed him through the large house and entered the basement. "Don't get the wrong idea, my room isn't in the basement. It's upstairs, but this is where I spend most of my time."
"It's fine, my room is in an attic, so…" Akira trailed off and shrugged.
He understood why Riku spent most of his time down in the basement when he entered it. It was like a professional recording studio. Riku didn't just have a laptop with GarageBand. The cellar had sound-proofing foam on the walls, mixing equipment, a desk with a computer running a digital audio workstation, microphones, guitars, basses, keyboards, amps, and a hell of a drum set at the center of it all. It even had a comfy-looking living room area with a couch and coffee table. Riku could rent this place out to up-and-coming bands to record demos or EPs.
"So, what do you think?"
"Wow," was all Akira could say.
"I know, right?"
"You sure you're not materialistic?"
"You tell me."
"You're not gonna like the answer," Akira said. Riku chuckled, and the two of them took a seat on the couch. "You know how to play all of these instruments?" Akira said, admiring the racks of guitars. There were some pretty expensive-looking ones from the major brands.
"To a certain degree. Drums are my main, but I can fake my way through a decent number of songs on the other instruments as well. I at least know enough to write and record my own music with them."
"Your parents bought you all this?" Riku shook his head.
"Some, but not all of it. I have a couple of side businesses going on to get some money."
"Side businesses?" Akira raised an eyebrow; that sounded somewhat shady to him.
"Hehe, don't worry. Nothing too bad. I just have a business mindset. I got it from my parents." Akira decided not to prod any further for now. Riku eventually asked the question Akira had been waiting for. "So, you wanna jam?"
"I'd say 'yes,' but uh…" Akira pulled his hands out of his pockets without saying a word. Blood was showing through the bandages.
"Jesus! The hell happened to your hands, man?" Riku looked concerned.
"I went to the gym and hit the punching bags this morning. Like an idiot, I didn't tape up my hands before."
"Wow, rookie mistake. You're always supposed to protect your hands. Even I know that, and the punching bag isn't even part of my workout routine." Akira didn't appreciate Riku's condescending attitude, but decided to stomach it for now.
"Yeah, I'll remember that next time…" Akira was trying not to let his anger slip through. He massaged his head.
"…you all right, man?" Riku asked, still looking concerned. Akira nodded.
"Bad day yesterday, that's all, and no, I don't want to talk about it."
"Fair enough," Riku said before walking over to his mini fridge. "Here, I know it's still kinda early, but you want one?" Riku came back with two beers in his hand and handed one to Akira.
"Where did you get those? Did you steal them from your folks?"
"Hell no! I bought them all myself."
"How? Aren't we around the same age?" Akira was confused. Riku set the beers down on the table in front of them.
"With this!" Riku exclaimed as he pulled out an ID card.
"Who's Kazu Shibata?" Akira asked, raising an eyebrow.
"It's me, duh. Well, the slightly older version of me, hehe." Riku took his seat back on the couch. "The version of me only bars and liquor stores get to meet."
"So, it's a fake ID?"
"Bingo."
"Where'd you get it?"
"What business is it of yours?" Riku asked, sounding defensive. Akira felt he went someplace he shouldn't have.
"O-Oh, uh, sorry, I…"
"Haha, relax, Akira. I'm just messing with you." Riku laughed at the flustered Akira. The former leader of the Phantom Thieves was in no mood to be toyed with and, injured hands or not, would've likely hit Riku in some way had he still been as angry as he was the previous night.
"Not cool, Riku."
"Haha, sorry. I like to tease curious cats that ask about my fake ID. But you sounded interested there for a sec. You thinkin' about gettin' one yourself?"
"Uh…" Akira didn't expect that follow-up after that. He was just asking out of curiosity. Despite how embarrassed and annoyed he was feeling, a thought occurred to him. Akira was known to be a bit nosy at times. Realizing that fact, he thought about Makoto and his argument with her. He chastised her for trying to peek into his business when he had done the same with some of his other confidants, if not all of them. He felt like a hypocrite. Especially since he did it in the hopes of getting more assistance for the Phantom Thieves, even though he did genuinely want to help as well.
He felt bad about what he said to Makoto. She was concerned and worried about him, yet his first instinct was to push her away as soon as she tried getting close to him. Again, his mind and heart were at odds. He wanted to be with his friends and alone at the same time, but he couldn't have both. It was like that old U2 song that went, "I can't live… With or without you." He thought, maybe he should apologize to Makoto and the others, but how many more times is this going to happen before they decide to leave him for good. If Akira was being honest with himself, he was afraid of being alone… yet, he still wondered… is that what he wanted? Either way, the guilt came back, and so did the migraines.
"Hello…? Akira, you there?" Riku snapped his fingers in Akira's face.
"Huh…? Sorry. For a minute there, I lost myself."
"Mmm. I get it. I daydream all the time. Don't worry, I won't go all Nagata on ya, hehe. So, back to my question, are you thinking of getting a fake ID too?" Akira was not interested, but that wasn't his response.
"Sure, why not." Riku shot him a look of interest and grinned at him.
"Follow me then." Akira and Riku got up from the couch.
"Why did I say yes to this? What the hell am I doing?" Akira thought. Riku led him into another room. It looked like an arts and crafts room. There were some really well-done pictures framed on the wall. Akira didn't have a good eye for photography, let alone art, but even he was impressed by the shots taken. The room even had a backdrop for photography. "What is this room?" Akira asked.
"You remember that side business I told you about?" Akira nodded. "Well, this is it. I make and sell fake IDs. They're completely legit, one-hundred percent guaranteed to work, or your full money back."
"But they're not legit."
"Well, yeah, duh. But they look legit, and that's all that matters." Akira remembered Ryuji's fake ID he mentioned during the camping trip.
"Did you make Ryuji's fake ID by chance?"
"…who?"
"The blond guy I introduced you to the other day, remember?" Riku thought for a moment.
"Oh yeah! That guy! Yeah, I did. Aw, man, I was wonderin' why he looked so familiar to me."
"So, you had met him before?"
"Nah, I don't meet my customers face to face. It's all done online, the order, the transactions; all I ask is for them to send a picture that I can use to make the ID," Riku said as he had a sudden realization. "Huh, you're my first in-person customer, haha." As Riku explained his process, Akira had to admit; he was pretty clever. He would make a great salesman should his music career never take off. "Anyways, you still interested in gettin' one?" Akira made sure to watch his mouth this time before answering.
"I don't know. It's not that I don't trust you or anything. It's just… I once had a criminal record."
"Shit, what'd you do?" Riku was shocked. He thought: really? This guy had a criminal record? He sure didn't look like the type.
"Nothing, I was framed for assault."
"By whom?"
"It doesn't matter. The point is, the record's gone, but my friends went through a lot to get it wiped clean. Getting caught with a fake ID would be a slap in the face to all the hard work they poured in for me." Akira thought about his friends; he really did love them.
"Shit, man…" Riku was sympathetic. "I'm sorry you had to go through that. Look, I'm not going to force your hand, but the offer's open if you change your mind."
"Thanks."
"You want me to take your picture now, in case you do, though? I mean, you're right here and all. No pressure, just throwin' it out there."
Akira didn't want to.
"Sure, why not."
"Damn it. There it went again," he thought.
"All right then, have a seat there, and I'll grab my camera." Akira once again felt like he wasn't in control of himself. Why did he agree to this? Too late to back out now, as Riku came back with a fancy-looking camera. "All right, no need to smile, just stay neutral. Oh, and, uh, glasses off." Akira removed his glasses. "Okay…The flash went off, and the photo was taken. "All right, not a bad one."
"So, you're a photographer too?"
Riku nodded. "It's another hobby of mine. Drums and photography have been my main interests since I was little. I've even gotten hired to shoot stuff for other people before. Weddings, fundraisers, families, et cetera. Even a few models, hehe."
"Like Ann Takamaki?"
"Who?"
"My other blond friend, I introduced you to?"
"Oh, duh!" Riku tapped his temple. "The really hot one! Yeah, she said she was a model. Don't tell her, but I actually went out and bought a few magazines she was in."
"Didn't need that mental image in my head, but thanks," Akira groaned.
"Not like that, dude. I'm a respectable gentleman. Anyway, no, I haven't shot anyone like her. Mostly wannabe celebrities or influencers. Not all of my pocket money comes from fake IDs. I have actual jobs on the side. I assume you do too?"
"Not right now, but I used to work at a flower shop, a bar, a beef bowl place, and a convenience store."
"All at once?" Riku raised an eyebrow.
"Throughout the week, yeah."
"Jeez, did you have any time off?"
"Surprisingly, yes. Time management is one of my best skills," Akira smirked. He was beginning to lighten up, once again.
Riku nodded, impressed. "Any 'side businesses' as well? Hehe," he winked.
"Yeah, I stole treasures from the rich and powerful," Akira deadpanned. Riku was stunned. "Hahaha!" Akira laughed, winking back. Riku joined in.
"Hahaha! Good one. Anyways, what do you want your name to be?"
"Ah aha, m-my what?" Akira stopped laughing.
"Well, you wouldn't want to use your real name. I mean, you could, but I wouldn't recommend it. Besides, I think it's more fun to be someone else, wouldn't you agree?" Akira knew plenty about being someone else. He already had another identity. Unfortunately, just "Joker" wouldn't look right on a fake ID, let alone a real one.
"Uhm… How about…" he thought for a bit. "…Ren?"
"Ren, who?"
"…Amamiya."
"Ren Amamiya. Nice name. Where's it from?"
"Uhm, nowhere in particular…"
"Gotcha. All right then, Ren Amamiya. If you ever decide you want me to make you one of these fake IDs, you let me know. I can have it ready in just a few days."
"Thanks, Riku. I appreciate it."
"No worries, now come on, let's hang for a bit." Riku left the art room, and Akira followed.
"A fake ID? What the hell am I doing?"