**December 24th, 2017 — Inaba Station**
It was almost seven in the evening on a cold winter night. The sun was long gone, and small gusts of wind blew as Akira stood on the platform of the train station, lost in his thoughts, anxiously tapping his foot against the pavement. He couldn't quite tell if he was shaking because of the cold winter temperature or whether he was excited/scared. It was the latter; Akira was never one to get cold, but he was one to get scared. Sumire was coming to visit his hometown for the first time, and she was going to meet his mother. Another gust of wind blew through causing Akira to shiver. Maybe he was cold after all.
**One Week Earlier**
Akira was studying at his desk, preparing for his final exams, and listening to The Clash's "London Calling" album on vinyl when his phone rang. It was Sumire calling for their nightly phone conversation. He stopped the record player, which was currently playing "Train in Vain" and answered the call.
"Hey, you!"
"Helloooo Akira~! How was your day~?" Sumire seemed like she was in an excellent mood, more than usual anyway.
"Just fine. Mostly hung out around the house. How about you? Did you have practice today?"
"I did. It went perfectly!"
"Great! Happy to hear, so how's-" Akira was cut off.
"IMCOMINGTOVISITFORCHRISTMAS!" She yelled into the phone.
"Uh… sorry, Sumi, hehe, what was that? I didn't quite understand."
"Sorry, sorry. I'm just really excited, uh…um… remember when we talked about Christmas plans last week?"
"I do."
"Well… since you said you weren't coming back to Tokyo for the holidays, I talked with my parents…"
"Okay…?"
"And, if it's all right with you, they're letting me come and visit you for Christmas."
"R-Really!?" Akira couldn't believe it. He was so happy.
"Mm-hm! As long as I'm back in Tokyo for New Year's. So, is that okay with you?"
"Are you kidding me!? Of course, I'd love to see you! We'd be more than happy to have you!" Akira said, "We," which to Sumire implied he was talking about him and his parents. Both of them… "So, when are you thinking of coming?"
"The earliest I could come is the 24th. I can stay until the 29th. That's not too short notice, is it?"
"Not at all, that sounds great! You know, I'm more than happy to cover the cost of your train ticket. Call it a Christmas gift."
"Akira, I couldn't ask you to do that. Speaking of which, what would you like for Christmas?"
"Are you kidding? I'm going to see you in person for the first time since July. You don't have to worry about getting me anything. If there's anybody you should worry about getting a gift for, it's Morgana," Akira laughed.
"I see. Unfortunately, I don't think fatty tuna from Ginza will survive the trip to Inaba, hahaha," Sumire joked.
"Too bad. He's not happy with the sushi here," Akira chuckled.
"It's subpar! It's not my fault I have a high bar for sushi," Morgana interjected from the bed. Akira put his hand over the phone and spun his chair around to face the feline.
"Do you mind?" Morgana got off the bed and strutted out of Akira's room with the biggest shit-eating grin on his face. "And it's not subpar! You're just a picky eater!"
"Senpai? Are you there?"
"Yeah, sorry. Morgana was just being Morgana," Sumire chuckled. "By the way, it just occurred to me what I want for Christmas."
"What's that?"
"For you to never call me 'Senpai' ever again."
"Hmmm, that's asking quite a lot, don't you think?"
"What if I ask nicely? Hahaha," Akira and Sumire laughed as they enjoyed each other's voice. Even with the distance separating them, they still loved each other just as much as if they were in the same room. "You know, this is two Christmases in a row you've spent with me instead of with your parents."
"Mm-hm, and your point is?"
"I dunno, I guess it's just… it feels insane to me that we're where we are in our relationship."
"Why's that?"
"Well, I mean, two Christmases ago, I didn't think I'd find myself here, about to spend the holidays with the one I love. I guess, I'm just really lucky," Akira smiled.
"Me too, and I can't wait to meet your parents!" At that moment, Akira's smile faded as he realized something.
"Oh… right. I haven't told you yet…" Akira quietly said.
"Told me what? I-Is everything okay?"
"Y-Yeah, it's just that… I forgot to tell you; my father isn't around anymore."
Sumire went quiet on the other end. She hadn't heard what Akira told Ryuji, Yusuke, and Morgana in Sendai over the summer. It was time to remedy that. Akira told Sumire what he told the others about his father, almost word for word, but without mentioning his abuse at the hands of the man whose name he refused to even think about.
"Oh, Akira… I'm so sorry, I-I didn't-" Akira cut her off.
"N-No, no, please, Sumi, you don't have to apologize. It's my fault, I should've told you a long time ago. It's just hard to talk about…"
"I understand. It's still hard for me to talk about Kasumi."
"That's still fairly recent, to be fair."
"Again, your point is?" she sounded slightly frustrated.
"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that, I meant… um. I don't know what I meant, actually," he awkwardly admitted. "I-It's just that… my dad died a long time ago, and Kasumi… well, that wasn't even two years ago."
"You don't have to remind me, you know…"
"I-I'm sorry, I-I don't know why I said that. That was really stupid of me," Akira stammered as he apologized for putting his foot in his mouth.
"Akira, what does length of time have to do with anything? It doesn't matter how long it's been. The loss of a family member can be difficult, no matter what."
"Right…" Akira was deep in thought; he felt like he'd screwed up and said something wrong. "I'm sorry again."
"It's fine."
"I guess I just felt bad for not telling you about him sooner."
"I understand." It was clear from her minimal responses that Sumire was still slightly hurt by what he had said, mistake or not. Rather than keep talking, they decided to cut their phone conversation short.
"Look, I hate to hang up so early, but I have homework to do for tomorrow."
"That's okay. I do too."
"I'll-uh… I'll talk with my mom and text you what she says, but she shouldn't have any problem with you staying with us."
"Great. I love you."
"I love you too. 'Night, Sumire," he said before hanging up. Akira slapped and berated himself. "Idiot! Why did you say that? And why didn't you tell her earlier?" Finally, he calmed himself down and went downstairs to the kitchen, where his mother was preparing dinner.
"Hey, Mom," he called out. Kairi looked back at him and smiled.
"Hey, sweetie! I just started dinner. Should be about twenty more minutes."
"That's fine."
"How's the studying going? You're not going to have to pull an all-nighter, are you? Hahaha," Kairi chuckled.
"Heh, no, I'll be fine."
"Good! What do you have tomorrow?"
"English."
"Ah, your dad's favorite," Kairi said with sarcasm.
"Right, hehe," Akira chuckled. "Listen-um, there's something I need to ask you."
"Go ahead, shoot." She was focused on the stove, but still listened to him.
*Pew* Akira shot finger guns before speaking. It was a little inside joke within the Kurusu family that whenever one of them said, "Shoot," someone would pretend to shoot with their fingers. It was dumb, but they found it charming. "So…" Akira trailed off, trying to think of the best way to ask about Sumire staying with them.
"Does it have to do with your exam?" Kairi asked.
"No, no, it's not that."
"Well, don't hesitate to ask if you need some help. Perks of having a former English teacher as your mom, you know?" she chuckled. "Sorry, go ahead."
"Um… would it be okay if I had somebody over for Christmas?" Kairi looked away from the stove and to Akira.
"Of course! Who were you thinking of inviting? Somebody from school?"
"Uh, no."
"A friend from Tokyo?"
"Not exactly."
"Well then, who?"
"M-My girlfriend from Tokyo…"
"Oh. My. God!" Kairi was beaming; she nearly jumped out of her socks. "Akira, that's amazing! I'm finally going to meet… um… oh darn, don't tell me, don't tell me, ugh…" Kairi's excitement dwindled as she began snapping her fingers, trying to remember the name of her son's girlfriend. "S-Sumi…ko?
"Well, you got the first two syllables right, haha." Akira chuckled. "It's 'Sumire.'"
"Dang it, so close…" Kairi muttered, still loud enough for Akira to hear. "When is she coming?"
"Tuesday night."
"For how long?"
"Until the 29th."
"Oh, that's awesome!"
"Hehe, yeah. So, anyway, would it be okay if she stayed here?" Kairi's excitement diminished slightly.
"Oh, she would be staying here? Not at the Amagi inn?"
"Mom, I'm not gonna ask her to shell out for a room at the inn. Please!"
"Why don't you give Yukiko-san a call? She might give you a family and friends discount or something."
"Mom, come on, please?" Akira tried his best puppy dog eyes; Kairi rubbed her chin and thought about it for a moment.
"Mmm, I suppose it could be all right, but she'd have to stay in the guest room."
"Oh, come on, Mom. It'd be too much of a hassle to clean it out; there's so much junk in there…"
"No complaining, Akira. Those are my conditions," Kairi said sternly.
"Ugh… fine. I'll clean it out. But I don't know where we're going to be able to put all that stuff~. It's still going to be cluttered~," Akira smirked. Kairi wasn't stupid. She knew he was clearly trying to persuade her to change her mind.
"Well, you do have a point…" Kairi thought some more. "Have you two already…um…well, you know what I'm asking, don't you?" Akira looked confused, but quickly got it.
"Wha-oh! You mean…" Kairi nodded. "Uh…yeah. Only once, in the summer before she left for Europe."
"And you were both using protection?" Kairi folded her arms and raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, Mom, we were. Can we drop it now? I feel awkward…" Akira was internally cringing. He didn't expect to have this conversation with his mother today. Kairi thought a bit more.
"How serious are you about her?"
"Honestly? Extremely serious. I love this girl so much. She means a lot to me. Hell, I could actually see myself marrying her some day."
"Really?" Kairi's eyes went wide. Akira nodded.
"Really."
"Hmm… okay. I just don't want you to make the same mistakes your father and I made at your age." Akira went wide-eyed. Kairi gasped and covered her mouth as she realized what she had just said. "Oh, God… Akira, I-I'm so sorry, that sounded horrible. I-I-I didn't mean it like that, I swear. You are not a mistake, neither was-"
"It's okay… I know you didn't mean it," Akira quietly said before looking down at the ground. "I'll… handle the guest room. I'll even sleep in it if I have to so she can have my bed."
"N-No, honey, no. Don't worry about it; I trust you. She can stay with you-"
"I SAID I'LL HANDLE IT!" Akira shouted as his head shot back up. He quickly realized the error of his ways.
"…o-okay, it's up to you," Kairi calmly said.
"S-Sorry, I shouldn't have yelled. I don't know what came over me." Akira chalked it up to stress from his phone conversation with Sumire…but who was he kidding? It was more than that.
"It's okay, no harm done. I'm sorry too. Do you forgive me?" Akira nodded, but didn't make eye contact. She walked over and hugged him. He hugged back but didn't hold on as tight. She then grabbed his cheeks and smiled. "I'm very excited to meet her!" Akira managed to crack a smile.
"Just make sure you learn her name before she gets here," he joked.
"Oh, ha-ha," she said before playfully bonking Akira on the head. "Now, is there anything else you need? I have to focus on dinner."
"No, that's it," Akira said, Kairi went back to the stove. "Thanks again, Mom."
"Don't mention it, sweetie, and again, I'm sorry about what I said."
"Don't worry about it," Akira assured her. However, the truth was, whether it was a simple slip of the tongue or not, what Kairi said still hurt him. Now, he understood how Sumire must have felt. "I'll let Sumire know the news."
"S-Sumire…?" Kairi jokingly asked; Akira scoffed. "I'm kidding; I'm kidding, haha." Akira smiled, shook his head, and went back to his room. He texted Sumire the good news. However, despite how happy he was that Sumire was coming, a word kept repeating in his head.
'Mistake'
"Stop it," he quietly muttered to himself. "It wasn't your fault. Let it go. It was just a mistake."
"What was a mistake?" Morgana wondered as he came back into the room.
"N-Nothing, just noticed I made a mistake on one of my assignments," Akira quickly said. "Hey, good news! Sumire's coming!" he added, trying to change the conversation.
"Hehe, did you forget I was in the room when she called?"
"Oh, right…"
That was a few days ago. Akira and Sumire hadn't had a full phone conversation since that night, and instead communicated through text messages from the Phantom Thieves group chat. Akira felt like things were a bit awkward between him and her, but he'd hoped it was all in his head. Sadly, his mind kept racing through possibilities. Was she mad that he hadn't told her? No, she wouldn't be mad at him for that. Was he afraid she knew he was hiding more from her? No, the others knew he was hiding a lot from them as well. Whatever it was, or wasn't, Akira had to stop stressing about it and just be thrilled that the girl he loved was mere moments away from arriving in his hometown and being in his arms once again. An accidental shoulder bump from a stranger brought him out of his thoughts and back to the real world, just in time for the passengers from the train Sumire was on to begin disembarking. He stood up straight, eagerly awaiting for her to come into his view. Eventually, he spotted her. She had on a black coat, black pantyhose, and a red scarf. She also had on a red beret that matched her scarf. Black and red; Akira's two favorite colors.
"Sumire! Over here!" he waved at her. She spotted him, and her face lit up. She ran, pulling her suitcase through the crowd of people and practically jumped into his arms before forcing him to engage in a bit of PDA as the other passengers awkwardly walked by, not that Akira complained. On the contrary, it seemed like he had no reason to worry after all. Everything was okay between the two of them.
"Merry Christmas, Akira Kurusu," Sumire softly said, smiling.
"Merry Christmas, Sumire Yoshizawa," Akira replied, smiling back.
"I missed you so much!"
"I missed you too! How was the trip, not too bad?"
"Not at all!" she shook her head before feeling a shiver down her spine. "It's chilly here. Aren't you cold?" She had on a winter coat, while he had on a simple bomber jacket.
"Nah, I've lived here my whole life, so I'm used to it," he chuckled. "Shall we go? Mom's waiting on us."
"Where is she?"
"She's by the car. She figured it'd be nice to let us have a moment to ourselves," he said before grabbing the handle of her suitcase off the ground. "It's okay; I got it," he said, as Sumire tried to take it back from him. They began walking off the platform and out of the station. "I love your hat, by the way."
"Oh, thank you! It was a gift from Haru-senpai. We all exchanged gifts at Leblanc yesterday evening."
"Yeah, I saw the pictures Ann sent in the group chat. Morgana and I are bummed we couldn't be there."
"So were we, but you and Morgana-senpai also got gifts from them."
"Is that why your suitcase is so heavy?" Akira sarcastically asked, moving comically slowly while pretending the suitcase weighed a hundred pounds. "What did they all get us, rocks?"
"Ha-ha," Sumire feigned laughter. "I'm sure you'll like them," she smiled.
"I'm sure I will." Akira smiled back.
They made their way out of the station and headed towards the parking lot. Kairi was leaning against the family's 1980 Suzuki Jimny 4×4, wearing dark blue jeans, a black trench coat, and black winter boots. She rubbed her hands together and exhaled. The warm moisture in her breath immediately turned into a small, misty cloud. She looked to her right and spotted her son approaching with a beautiful red-haired girl at his side. Suddenly, she wasn't feeling cold anymore; the excitement and anticipation warmed her right up.
"Well, hello there!" Kairi began. "You must be Sumire-chan," she smiled.
"Yes, Kurusu-san. Sumire Yoshizawa. It's a pleasure to finally meet you!" Sumire smiled and bowed.
"Likewise!" Kairi bowed back. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this. And please, you can call me Kairi. No need to be so formal with me, haha."
"Yep, she's definitely Akira-senpai's mother, all right," Sumire thought. Akira put Sumire's suitcase in the back and climbed in after it. "Akira? What are you doing?" Sumire asked, confused. Despite the Suzuki Jimny being a 4×4, it was only a two-seater vehicle. There was barely enough room in the back to fit a suitcase and a young adult.
"Do you see how small the car is?" Akira chuckled. "No way in hell I'm making you sit in the trunk. Don't worry; It's not a long ride."
"Akira, don't be ridiculous," Kairi began, "get out of there. Sumire-chan can just sit on your lap in the passenger seat."
"W-Wh-What?" Sumire's cheeks grew red as she was even more confused.
"Are you serious, Mom?" Akira asked.
"Very much so," Kairi nodded. "When your grandfather drove us around, I would sit in your father's lap."
"Well, yeah, but that's when you two were kids. Sumi and I are older than that."
"Haha, trust me; it'll be fine. Come on, get in already. You're letting the warm air out of the car," Kairi demanded as she got in the driver's seat. Akira looked to Sumire for approval, who simply nodded with a smile.
"I wouldn't want you to crush my suitcase, anyway, haha," Sumire joked; Akira rolled his eyes. He got in the passenger seat before Sumire climbed in after him, sat on his lap and shut the door. Akira grabbed the seatbelt, and, to their surprise, it went around the two of them perfectly.
"You two comfortable?" Kairi asked as she put on her seatbelt and turned on the ignition.
"Yes, Kairi-san."
"Yeah, Mom." Kairi saw the two of them together and chuckled. "What's so funny?" Akira asked.
"Oh, nothing, you two just look adorable," she smiled as she pulled out of the parking spot. Akira and Sumire blushed.
Thankfully, the drive was only about fifteen minutes long. It was mostly quiet as Akira and Sumire simply watched the night zoom past them, occasionally stealing kisses from one another. Kairi took notice, and it brought a smile to her face, albeit a melancholic one, as she found herself thinking back to when she and her late husband were their age. Once back at the Kurusu home, Sumire walked with Kairi up to the house while Akira got the suitcase out of the back. Sumire walked into the house and immediately felt a sense of comfort. The yellow carpeted floor, the beige-white wallpaper with tree embellishments, the rosewood bannister for the stairs directly in front of her, and the very small but still pretty chandelier directly above the front door; it like she had lived in that house her entire life. She saw was the Christmas tree in the living room, beautifully decorated with only a small number of presents underneath. Akira walked in after them.
"Well, this is it. What do you think?" Akira asked Sumire.
"It's a beautiful home!" she replied.
"Sumire-chan, you just get settled in and make yourself at home. Akira, why don't you show her the guest room and take her suitcase upstairs? I'm going to head back out and grab our Christmas dinner."
"Sounds good. Thanks, Mom."
"Thank you very much, Kairi-san!"
"I'll be back in a bit!" Kairi left as Akira and Sumire went upstairs to the guest room. There were still a few lingering boxes and odd junk lying around like a snowboard, some art supplies, and a cat playhouse that Morgana refused to use out of protest. Akira set her suitcase down as she removed her coat and took a seat on the bed. The mattress felt good and the bed was significantly larger than the one in Leblanc.
"Sorry, the room is a bit cluttered. We kinda used it as a storage room until about…" Akira checked the time on his phone. "…four hours ago, but the sheets and everything are clean."
"We're not sleeping together?" Sumire joked.
"Ha-ha, very funny."
"I'm kidding," Sumire chuckled. "I understand, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't hoping for a repeat of our anniversary," she said before cracking a mischievous smile and biting her lip.
"Well then…" Akira now had his own mischievous smirk. He moved closer to her, putting his hands on either side of the bed between her and getting up close and personal. "That makes two of us," he said before leaning in and kissing her. They laid down on the bed, passionately kissing before…
*Ahem?*
Akira panicked and jumped out of bed, expecting to see his mother standing in the doorway. Instead, he looked down to see Morgana staring up at him, wagging his tail back and forth.
"Jesus, Morgana! What are you trying to do, give me a stroke!?"
Morgana chuckled. "Look, I get that you two want to be alone, but there's a time and place for that, and now's probably not it."
"Well, not anymore it isn't, you big jerk!"
Morgana rolled his eyes. "Oh, by the way, hi, Sumire. It's good to see you again."
"H-Hello, M-Morgana-senpai." Sumire's face was as red as a tomato. She made sure her clothes weren't too wrinkled before she got off the bed herself.
"Well, it looks like I killed all the romance in the air, so I'll go now. See you two in a bit. Good job on the room, by the way, Akira," Morgana said before walking out.
"Thanks," Akira replied before turning to Sumire, who just snickered at what just happened.
"Well, that was embarrassing, haha," Sumire chuckled.
"Tell me about it. He's lucky I don't move his litter box to the street after that."
"Come on, you wouldn't do that." Sumire folded her arms and smirked.
"That's exactly what I want you to tell Mom, haha." Sumire playfully smacked him on the arm. Akira chuckled. "Well then, why don't I give you a tour and then we can settle in the living room?"
"I would love that!" she smiled.
"Don't worry; we'll find some time to, uh, catch up," Akira winked; Sumire walked out of the room and Akira followed. "I can't believe I just got cock-blocked by a freaking cat of all things," he muttered to himself.
Akira proceeded to show Sumire around the home he grew up in, just like his father and grandfather had before him. The house had been in his family for generations. He never knew his grandfather; he passed away before Akira born. Despite this, he was told that he was a great man, which Akira believed. Especially considering all he did for his mother, taking her in and looking after her like she was his own daughter since her folks weren't exactly the parents of the year, to say the least. After the tour, Akira and Sumire put on some ugly Christmas sweaters and snuggled up on the couch in the living room, watching some random holiday special on TV. Eventually, Sumire's stomach growled.
"Oh, I'm sorry," she apologized, feeling slightly embarrassed.
"Haha. Don't worry; I made sure to let her know how much of a nourishment vacuum you are," Akira said before receiving another playful smack on the arm along with a peck on the cheek.
"I have to say; this Christmas is already much better than last year's," she beamed as she nuzzled her head on his pec.
"Heh, you're telling me. Last year, we almost died, the world nearly ended, we fought a God, and, on top of all of that, we couldn't get a dinner reservation," Akira joked.
"We at least got cake."
"That's true; we did get cake."
"I hate to ask this early, but are we going to have cake again this year?" Sumire giggled; Akira nodded.
"Mom got one earlier this week."
"Yes," Sumire happily whispered to herself, beaming. Akira chuckled at her cute gesture. "Oh! I'll be right back." Sumire got off the couch and went upstairs. She came back down and handed him a small, gift-wrapped box. "Here, for you!"
"What's this?"
"It's your Christmas present!"
"Sumi, I told you, you didn't have to get me anything. You being here is more than enough for me."
"I know, but I've actually had this for a while. Come on, open it!"
"Now? Why not tomorrow?"
"It's just the two of us. Plus, I couldn't wait. Now, OPEN!" she demanded.
"Hehe, okay, okay." Akira took the box, undid the little ribbon on top, removed the wrapping paper, and opened the velvet box. Inside was a ring, similar to the heart-shaped one he'd gotten for her for White Day back in March before he went home, along with a bouquet of roses. Except that this one had an engraving.
Akira. My One. My Only. My Joker.
He looked her in the eye and smiled. "I love it."
"Merry Christmas, my love," Sumire said as she sat back down, leaning in to kiss him.
"This ring doesn't mean what I think it means, does it?" Akira smirked.
"O-Of course not!" Sumire went red again. "It's just a gift from the heart."
"All right, just checking." Akira put the ring on his left middle finger. "But just so you know, I fully intend to marry you in the future," he casually said.
"WHA-" Sumire was cut off by Akira jumping on her and kissing her; she initially resisted due to the shock of what he said, but quickly forgot about it and fully let him in. They kissed on the couch until…
"DINNER'S HERE!" Kairi announced, walking through the front door with bags of KFC. Sumire quickly pulled back as Kairi walked into the living room with Morgana brushing against her leg. The feline simply smiled and shook his head at them. "Uh… was I interrupting something?"
"N-No, not at all!" Sumire said before clearing her throat.
"Right…" Kairi smirked. She was young and dumb once herself, but she wasn't stupid. "Well, anyway, are you guys hungry?" she asked, holding up two buckets of fried chicken and a bag likely containing other food items. "Don't worry, Sumire-chan; Akira told me how much you eat for your gymnastics, so the big bucket is all yours if you want." Sumire shot Akira a look.
"What? You thought I was kidding?" he shrugged and smirked as they all went to the dining room to eat.
Dinner was marvelous, although Akira felt kind of left out as Sumire and Kairi could not stop talking with one another. Not that he minded all that much; he loved the fact that his girlfriend and his mother were getting along so well. They clicked like two peas in a pod, which would continue for the duration of Sumire's stay.
By the end, she and Kairi were so comfortable with each other that they both dropped the formalities and honorifics, simply calling each other by their first names instead. Akira and Morgana were shocked. After all, Sumire still used honorifics with the other members of the Phantom Thieves, who by this point she had known for well over a year, but here she was, chatting up her boyfriend's mother like she was her best friend after not even a week.
Although she was comfortable around Kairi, Sumire did feel awkward once she and Akira found time to "catch up." Kairi wasn't blind, and she definitely wasn't deaf. She could tell that the two of them were aching to "catch up." Sumire and Akira, once again, assured her that they were both using protection. Nevertheless, Kairi still felt weird about having to make herself scarce so her son and his girlfriend could… "catch up."
Sumire stayed for five days before she went home for New Year's. Akira and Kairi brought her back to the train station early in the morning. It was a slightly tearful goodbye for Sumire. Akira smiled and gave her the same goodbye he gave his friends when they dropped him off back in March.
It wasn't goodbye, it was just 'I'll see you later.'
Akira stood on the platform as Sumire's train pulled out of the station. She could be seen waving at him from her window. Once she was gone, Akira walked back to the car where his mother was waiting for him. Though it didn't show on his face, she could tell he was sad.
"Did she have a good visit?" Kairi asked in the car.
"Yeah, she did," Akira smiled. "So, what do you think of her?" Kairi scoffed.
"Are you kidding? She's wonderful! She's kind, funny, smart, and did I mention kind?"
"You did, hehe."
"Such a sweetheart, I look forward to hearing more from her." Kairi realized something at that moment. "Oh shoot!"
*Pew* "What's up?"
"I just realized I never gave her my contact info, and it totally slipped my mind to ask her for hers."
"I'll give it to you, don't worry," Akira assured her. Unfortunately, it would slip both of their minds, and he never did give it to her.
Back at the house, Akira felt empty once again. He figured he was just missing Sumire after spending such a fantastic time with her over the past number of days. Every time he stared at the ring that Sumire gifted him, he felt sad. Kairi asked him why he didn't go with her and spend a few days with his friends in Tokyo since he still had about a week left of break. She didn't mind; she never particularly cared for New Year's. Kairi only cared about spending Christmas with Akira, especially since she couldn't spend last Christmas with him. The other Phantom Thieves all had their own plans for New Year's, and some would be out of town. At least, that's what he told her. The truth was, he just didn't feel like it.
Winter break came to an end without much excitement. Akira went out a few times, saw some of Yu and Rise's friends and Nanako around town, did homework, and talked with the other Thieves through the group chat. One afternoon, Yu and Rise came by for coffee after they got back from their mountain getaway, and Akira noticed something new, a ring on Rise's finger. Yu had finally proposed to Rise. Akira was surprised; he was sure that Rise would be the one to propose to Yu first. Rise was upset when she found out she had just missed her chance to meet Sumire. From then on, Kairi would not stop gushing over Sumire as Rise listened intently, wanting to know as much as possible. Akira felt embarrassed but was still happy to hear his mother speak so highly of her.
The early months of 2018 were uneventful. January happened, and so did very little else. February happened, and so did very little else. During that time, Akira started getting headaches, not bad ones, and they didn't happen all the time, but they were still frequent enough to be annoying. He was able to keep them at bay with simple over-the-counter aspirin. Unbeknownst to Akira, the beginning of the year was only a small part of a larger map of bad things to come.
Akira was feeling burnt out and found himself just going through the motions at this point. Finally, he passed his college entrance exams and got accepted into the University of Tokyo for the start of the next term in April. In early March, he graduated from Yasogami High School with honors. His mother cried tears of joy at the graduation ceremony. Everything was happening so quickly to her. Akira had already shipped a few of his things to Leblanc, as he would be leaving for Tokyo in just two weeks. While she was more than happy for him, she also felt like she was losing her son again. Especially since he had been so distant since Christmas.
Sadly, the graduation ceremony wouldn't go off entirely without a hitch. Kairi was talking with other parents while Akira was off hanging out behind the gym, texting with the Phantom Thieves through the group chat, and sending photos that his mother had taken. Aside from his mother and Sumire, no one was prouder of him graduating with honors than Makoto.
"Yo, honor boy!" A voice called out to Akira. He knew who it was; he could smell their cheap cologne from a mile away. He turned to see Raden, Jiro, and Kaz approaching him. Akira sighed as the Raden sauntered up in his long blond-ish hair. Like Ryuji if you replaced a lion's heart with a pig's.
"What do you want?" Akira unenthusiastically asked. Raden did all the talking, while Jiro and Kaz just stood by him and reacted.
"Chill, man, we just wanna congratulate you on graduatin' with honors n' all that." Raden was smiling, but Akira wasn't fooled; they weren't friends.
"Oh yeah?"
"So, what are ya up to next?"
"University of Tokyo."
"Ooooh, nice. When are ya leavin'?"
"The 20th."
"Good, good, it'll feel good not to have to see your ugly-ass face around here anymore."
"Hmph," Akira went back to his phone. Raden noticed the ring on Akira's finger and started laughing.
"What the fuck is that?"
"What?"
"That ring. Whattaya somebody's bitch now?"
"Fuck off."
"What? I didn't know ya had someone special. Is she cute?" Jiro and Kaz started laughing.
"Wouldn't you like to know? Like you could ever get any without paying top dollar. Does your father give you a special allowance for whores?"
"At least I still have a father." Raden hit one of Akira's nerves, but so did Akira to Raden. "Who the fuck gave you the right to disrespect my family, Kurusu?" Raden said as he shoved Akira.
"Don't take that shit from this little bitch, Raden," Jiro said, or maybe it was Kaz. Akira didn't know and didn't care; he kept going through his phone. Raden kept hurling words at him, which he simply ignored.
"Screw it, this little bastard ain't worth the trouble anymore. It was way more fun when we were kids. Remember when you'd actually fight us instead of ignorin' us? Face it, Kurusu, you're a weak, little bitch, a waste of space." None of his words got to him. Except for… "Too bad your brother ain't around-"
*BAM*
Akira snapped away from his phone and decked Raden, who went down to the ground in one punch.
"Don't you DARE say a word against him, you son of a bitch!" Akira yelled. The other two were stunned, but before they could retaliate, a teacher found them.
"What is this? What's going on here?" The faculty member asked. Akira somehow managed to compose himself despite wanting to kill Raden right then and there.
"Nothing, sir," Raden began, "I just fell over."
"Well, you're not supposed to be back here. Go and join everyone else at the front gates."
"Yes, sir. We'll be right there," Raden said as the teacher walked off. He turned back to Akira after noticing he had a nosebleed. "You're lucky today's graduation, Kurusu. You better hope we never see you again; otherwise, you're gonna pay. Come on, guys, let's go." The trio walked off, leaving Akira still fuming with anger. He eventually rejoined his mother.
"Hey, there you are!" Kairi smiled, but her smile faded as she could tell something was wrong. "Are you okay?"
"I just wanna go home," Akira said.
"Okay, let's go," she nodded and brought them both home. Akira said nothing as they walked in the front door. He immediately went up to his room without saying a word. Morgana, who was napping on his bed, was unexpectedly snapped out of his slumber by Akira's sudden slamming of the door.
*SLAM*
"GYYYYAAAHHHHH! Jeez, you scared me!" Morgana said, still half asleep. "Phew… so, how was the graduation ceremony?" Akira said nothing; he just had a dead look on his face. "Hey, come on. Why the long face? You should be happy!"
"…"
"Akira…? Hello?"
"…"
"…ooookay. I guess I'll just leave you alone. I'm going to get some air. See you later," Morgana said before leaving the room. Akira couldn't hear anything in the real world. All he could hear were his thoughts.
'Brother' 'Weak' 'Mistake'
Suddenly, he found himself back on the cliff, the last time Akira saw him alive.
"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 do it."
Akira was sad, but as he looked over the edge, he understood what Tetsuya was saying.
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.
"Okay…" Akira said in a deflated tone.
Tetsuya smiled at him. "I'm sorry, buddy. We'll do it some other time. What do you say we go home? We'll get pizza and watch a movie. Sound good?" He stuck his fist out to Akira.
He turned around to face Tetsuya and smiled. "…Yeah!" Tetsuya noticed something odd.
"W-Wait. W-Where's the dog tag?"
"W-What?" Akira asked.
"Did you lose Dad's dog tag!?" Tetsuya sounded mad.
"I-I… I don't know…" Akira started to tear up. "I-I'll find it…"
"You better! Dad gave that to me! I wasn't supposed to give it to you! Find it, NOW!" Tetsuya and Akira looked around the cliff side for the dog tag. There was no sign of it. "GOD DAMN IT, AKIRA!" Tetsuya was furious.
"I-I'm sorry…"
"I DON'T GIVE A DAMN! THAT'S THE ONLY THING I HAVE LEFT FROM DAD!"
"I-I-I…" Akira was in tears.
"What got nothing to say!? I know now. Giving you that tag was a mistake. Once, I won't be making again. Look at you, you're crying, instead of helping me find the damn thing!" Tetsuya huffed. "Maybe those shitheads are right. You are weak, after all," he said before looking around the edge of the cliff, when suddenly… "Woah! AAHHHHHHHHHHHH" Tetsuya fell down a hundred feet, landed in the lake, and never returned to the surface. Akira had pushed him over the edge in a fit of anger. He realized what he had done and got scared. He looked over the edge to try and spot Tetsuya, frantically calling out to him.
"Tetsuya…? Tetsuya? Tetsuya!?"
"Akira…?" He felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see his mother and realized he was back in his room. She put her hands on his cheeks. "Are you okay? You looked lost in your thoughts, and you're so pale…"
"I-I uh… I thought about him again today… about Tetsuya…"
"Oh… my poor baby…" She held him tight. Kairi recognized the look on Akira's face when she walked into his room. Akira often had the same look for years, from Tetsuya's passing until he was sent away to Tokyo; a look of emptiness. "I know you miss him, honey," Kairi continued, "I miss him every day, too," she began to tear up. "D-Do you want to go see him and Dad?"
"N-Not right now, but I plan on going before I leave for Tokyo," he said, devoid of emotion.
"Okay," Kairi nodded. She kissed her son on his forehead and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Are you hungry?"
"No, I'm fine, thanks."
"Are you sure? I can make something. It's no trouble at all." Akira rejected her offerings.
"Really, I'm not hungry right now." Kairi gave up.
"Okay, well, let me know when you want to eat. I can make whatever you want." Akira nodded. She kissed him on his head one more time before leaving his room. "I love you."
"Love you too, Mom," Akira forced out a smile, which immediately disappeared when she did.
*She Blames You!*
"…what?" Akira said, Kairi came back in the doorway.
"Did you say something, honey?"
"No, I thought you did."
Kairi shook her head. "Nope, nothing."
"Huh, okay. Sorry." Akira turned back to his desk as Kairi went downstairs. "That was weird," Akira thought.
**March 19th, 2018 — One Day Before Akira Leaves For Tokyo**
True to his word, Akira went to the cemetery one more time before leaving Inaba. His mother offered to drive him, but he said he wanted to be alone. She wanted to see him as much as possible before he left but respected his wishes. He walked downtown, bought some flowers, and took the bus to the cemetery. When he reached the Kurusu family plot under the big oak tree, he noticed how dirty it was. Kairi came once a week; sometimes it needed to be cleaned, sometimes not; but due to a big rainstorm that occurred earlier in the week, the gravestone was covered in dirt and leaves. Akira wasn't about to leave it in this state. Before he said his goodbyes, he decided to clean the gravestone. Kairi typically brought her own supplies, but the cemetery had a spot where you can rent the cleaning supplies for a few yen, as well as a place to fill up the bucket with water. Akira got what he needed, headed back to the grave, and got to work. It was an easy job. It was just dirt, after all. By the time he was done, the night was beginning to fall, but the gravestone was spotless. He put the supplies down and laid the flowers he had bought at the foot of the gravestone.
"I know this isn't when I usually visit, but I'm leaving for Tokyo tomorrow, starting college and all that, hehe…" Akira paused. "Although, if I'm honest, I do regret not coming here more often…" he sighed. "…but I don't know when I'll be back. I got my invitation to Rise's wedding this summer, so… maybe I'll come by? But to be honest, I don't want to come back at all, and I don't mean to the cemetery. I'm not happy here anymore. Inaba doesn't feel like home for me anymore. I'm sorry…" He knelt and put his hand on the gravestone.
"I love you, Dad." He shifted his hand. "I love you, br- b-" He couldn't even bring himself to say the word 'brother.'
"…I love you, Tetsuya." He got up and took one more look at his father and brother. "I'll miss you, guys…" Akira started walking away, but turned back one more time. "…goodbye."
He walked back to the bus stop, feeling empty as usual after visiting the cemetery. By the time the bus dropped him off, it was fully nighttime. It was a full moon out, and the stars were covered by lingering storm clouds. The weather forecast didn't call for a storm that night… well, no meteorological storms at least. To walk back to his house, he had to cut through a small patch of woods. Akira didn't need a flashlight; he knew the trail like the back of his hand. As he was walking along the dark, unlit path, Akira heard a branch crack off to the side. It felt like he was being followed. His nose caught a whiff of a familiar cheap cologne when suddenly, the metaphorical storm hit.
*WHACK*
Akira got hit in the back of the head and fell to the ground. The next thing he knew, his back and lower half were being beaten with two branches. It went on for a while; it was only about thirty seconds, but felt like thirty minutes. He imagined this was what it felt like to join a street gang. Take a beating and you're in. Sadly, if the assault had continued longer than it did, the only gang Akira would be joining was the one the patients were forming down at the hospital. Eventually, the beating stopped.
"Pick him up!" Two guys were holding up Akira. He pieced it together. It was Raden who had jumped him; Jiro and Kaz were holding him up.
"Damn, this shit-bird's heavier than I thought," one of them said.
"He's not heavy; you just need to hit the gym more, fat-ass," Raden retorted. "Anyway, how ya doin,' Kurusu? Such a shame, you had to walk through here while we were hangin' out n' all. But, then again, I told you last time we met, you'd pay for that sucker punch," he chuckled. "Looks like it's time for me to collect." Akira was in too much pain to respond, let alone fight back. "How much cash you got on ya?" Raden searched Akira's pockets and pulled his wallet out. "Four-thousand yen? That's it? Pathetic…" Something caught Raden's eye. "Gimme that ring too."
"N-No…" Akira managed to get out.
"Wasn't askin'. Boys, get me that ring." Akira struggled, but Jiro and Kaz overpowered him as they forced him to the ground. It took a lot of force, but they got Sumire's ring off Akira's right middle finger and tossed it to Raden.
"Akira. My one, my only, my…joker? The fuck is that 'sposed to mean?" Raden laughed.
"Give me that back!" Akira yelled out.
"Sorry, uh, joker, but what's yours is now mine. I think I'll keep it as a souvenir, maybe wear it around my neck in a necklace."
"Uh, won't that look kinda… I dunno, girly?" Asked one of the stooges.
"I didn't ask your fuckin' opinion, Kaz!" Raden said before turning back to Akira. "Look, since you're leaving tomorrow, we'll stop here, but mark my words, Kurusu. If I see you again…" Raden grabbed Akira's hair to make him face him. "I will kick the living shit out of you. Do you understand me?" Akira didn't react; he just glared at him. Raden let him go and kicked him one more time in the thigh. Akira grunted and hissed in pain before the stooges threw him back down on the damp and muddy ground. "Pathetic, just like his brother. Come on, boys, let's get outta here. Enjoy college, Kurusu."
The trio walked away, leaving Akira alone in the woods. Eventually, he found the strength to get up and limp back home. His body and legs ached. He was furious at himself, at Raden, and at the world. Between the cemetery and his run-in with Raden, Akira felt a whole mess of emotions. Anger, sadness, emptiness, among others. His head also hurt, but not due to any blows to the head. The pain was internal. Morgana saw Akira go into the house from outside. He got home and walked up to the bathroom, not noticing his mother calling out to him. Akira checked himself out in the mirror. Thankfully, the trio didn't touch his face, so he had no marks or bruises to cover up with make-up. He limped out and found his mother waiting for him.
"Where were you? I didn't expect you home so late," Kairi asked.
"I cleaned the plot," Akira said as he walked out of the bathroom. The anger in his voice was evident. She noticed his walk.
"Why are you limping?"
"I tripped in the woods."
"Akira, I know when you're lying to me. What happened? Look at me!" she demanded. He turned around, clutching his ribs with his right hand. "Why are you holding your side like that? A-And where's your ring?"
"I left it here."
"Akira, I know you had it on when you left earlier."
"Leave me alone," he started limping towards his room.
"No, we're not done talking!"
"Well, I am."
"Akira Kurusu!" She got madder and madder. Akira was facing away from her, fiddling with things on his desk.
"I'm fine. I lost the ring in the woods, okay!? I'm mad enough at myself as it is. I don't need you giving me shit about it."
"First off, watch your language. Secondly, I'm not here to 'give you shit' for losing the ring if that is what really happened, which I don't think it is…" She took a deep breath and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "…I'm just worried about you, honey."
"Mom, I'm fine. Now, please, just leave me alone. I still have to get ready. I have to get up at five-thirty tomorrow morning." Kairi paused before speaking once more.
"I don't think you should go tomorrow."
"What? What are you talking about!?" Akira was stunned by her words.
"Sweetie, you can't lug a suitcase, a backpack, and Morgana while limping."
"It's not that bad. I'll be fine by tomorrow morning."
"Look, I'm just suggesting postponing your-"
"Mom! Do you know how long I've waited to leave? I'm leaving tomorrow and that's final!"
"Why? Why are you in such a hurry to leave?"
"Because there's nothing left for me here!" Kairi was silent for a moment.
"What do you mean? I'm here, and Rise's here, and-"
"Mom, you don't understand. I don't want to come back here ever. I realized something at the cemetery. This town has nothing but painful memories for me. Losing Dad, losing Tetsuya, the scars on my body…" Akira got nauseous, thinking about that last one. Thinking of both his father and his brother made him angrier and gave him a real mother of a headache. "I don't want to come back here ever again. Tokyo felt like a new beginning for me. I felt like an entirely new person, and I liked it." Kairi was silent, but the following sentence shook Akira to the core.
"…and who was that new person, a Phantom Thief?" Akira couldn't believe what he had just heard as he turned around and faced his mother.
"What… did you say?"
"You heard me." Kairi folded her arms.
"…how did you-"
"When the Phantom Thieves took over all the screens in the country to send a warning to Shido, and the leader, who had supposedly committed suicide while in police custody, stepped forward, I knew from your eyes that it was you. But it wasn't just that; I recognized your eyes, your hair, I mean, did you really think I wouldn't recognize my own son's voice!?" Akira was silent but eventually spoke up.
"Why didn't you tell me before?"
"I was hoping you would, but I couldn't let you leave for good without talking about it," she said as she began to tear up. "Do you realize how scared I was when I realized you were the leader of the Phantom Thieves!?" Akira didn't say anything. "DO YOU!?" she yelled.
Akira sighed. "I don't care. I'm leaving tomorrow morning, and that's final," he sternly said. "I'll come back for Rise's wedding, but after that, that's it. I'm not coming back."
"So that's it then? I'm losing everybody I love?"
"Like I didn't lose anything either!" Akira retorted; Kairi slowly began to cry.
"Let me tell you something. When I was younger, I had dreams I wanted to pursue and goals I wanted to achieve. But then I had Tetsuya, and that halted everything. I gave up the future I had planned for myself so your father and I could raise him. But you know what? I don't regret any of it for one second. I loved Tetsuya more than anything in the world. Then, your father and I had you, and I felt the same way. Your father and I were young, we had minimal life experience, but we tried our best to make it work for the both of you. Now… I've lost my husband and my first child… I am not going to lose you either!"
Akira sat on his bed, silently listening to her talk through her sobs. "It's my fault that he died…" he quietly said.
"W-What did you just say?"
"I said…" Akira paused. "It's my fault that Tetsuya's dead…"
"Oh no! No, no, no. Don't you dare go there! That is not true, and you know it!"
"Then how come you never told me that!?"
"W-What?"
"I may have completely shut down emotionally after he died, but I was still mostly sane and aware. You never once told me that it wasn't my fault!" Kairi never believed for a one second that Akira was responsible for Tetsuya's death, but he was right. She never told him that.
"Akira, I-" She began.
"No, no. You don't get to talk! Rather than comfort me and tell me what I needed to hear, you abandoned me! When Dad died, you abandoned Tetsuya and I to work pointless part-time jobs! When Tetsuya died, you left me all alone with some fucking scumbag who abused me! Am I wrong!? AM I!?" He was right; more than even he knew. Kairi felt shame.
"Akira, you're right; I'm sorry. Please, just-"
"No, it's over. You had your chance." Akira's headache was getting worse and worse. "I cried for weeks when Dad died. But I haven't cried once since Tetsuya died," he paused and sighed. "Do you want to know when my life finally took a turn for the better? When Shido got me arrested. That's when. For all the trouble he caused me, he allowed me to start over and leave all of this behind me. Now, it's time I do it for myself. This whole town, and everything about it is poison to me…including you."
"…Akira…" Kairi couldn't face her son. She was hurt by his words. Her heart was beginning to crack until Akira delivered one final killing blow.
"You may be my mother, but as far as I'm concerned, I don't have a mom."
Kairi softly gasped as her heart shattered into a million pieces. Akira faced away and finished packing his suitcase.
"You're right…" she quietly began. "… I did abandon you, and it was the worst mistake I ever made. Losing your father and your brother hurt me more than you can imagine. But I never stopped to imagine how it made you feel, and for that, I'm so sorry." Akira didn't respond. He just kept packing as she kept talking. "I'm sorry for what 'he' did to you. I would do anything to change what happened, but I can't, and that pains me. I wasn't the mother you needed back then, and realizing that now also pains me. I tried for years to make amends and be the loving mother you deserved, and I will keep trying until the day I die. You'll always be my son, Akira, and I'll always love you. No matter what you say, I will never give up on you. I love you. I loved Tetsuya and your father… and now… you're all I have left of either of them."
Those were the last words that were shared between the two of them. She began to cry again as she left the room. After that, Kairi went to bed and cried herself to sleep. Akira finished packing and went to bed as well. Morgana asked why she was crying, and Akira said he didn't know. Morgana decided to sleep in her room that night, which gave her some comfort.
The next day, at five-fifteen in the morning, Akira expected to leave before his mother woke up. He thought wrong. She was awake in the living room with the light on, reading a book on the couch with a cup of coffee on the end table. She and Akira looked at each other one more time. She flashed him a small but sad smile. Akira wasn't mad anymore, and surprisingly, neither was Kairi, but he wasn't sure if he regretted what he had said to her or not. Thinking about it gave him a headache. He simply looked at her, sighed, and walked out. Kairi put her book down and started to cry once more as her only remaining child walked out of her life without a word. On the way to the station, Morgana noticed Akira was limping slightly. While on the train, Morgana didn't ask what was up with the weird tension in the air. He and Akira didn't say a word to each other during the entire journey to Tokyo.
To Akira, it didn't feel like 'I'll see you later,' for his mother. Instead, it felt like a goodbye.