Is Akira Okay?

by AutomneLoup

In 2018, Akira Kurusu returns to Tokyo in order to start university. However, the thieves notice that something is different about him. He seems a lot more hostile towards others, even his friends and loved ones. When Akira's troubled past is revealed to them, the race is on. With help from his family, including a famous idol, can they save him before he is lost, possibly forever?

37. We Move Along

Author's notes:

Well, this is it. The final chapter. (also the longest) It has been so much fun writing this story over the past 3 months almost. I have other ideas for stories so I think i'm going to keep writing. For now, I'm going to go back through and fix any grammar/structural mistakes, as well as continuity errors that I definitely maybe made in previous chapters.

If you want to find me:

-twitter: LiamFalllWolf

-discord: LiamOmega#4548

I want to give a quick shoutout to goro_orb on Twitter who's artwork inspired some of this story. As well as a few shout-outs to other fics and authors that inspired me to write this one (These are from Ao3 and FanFiction, I don't know if they're all on both, but some I've read on Ao3 and some I've read on FF):

-"Prisoner of Glory" by SpyHunter29

-"The Future After Royal" by MonkKind**

-"Lonely Boy" by Linkin-Phoenix**

-"Unexpected" by RedVelvetKitty**

-"Moving Forward" and "Life Goes On" by MJ1Hawk

-"The Prisoner" by BlixaLooksCarsick

-"The Wings Of Life" by ZeromusTrueSelf

-"The Phantom Dragon" series by Monty Cristo

-"What News of Family and Death" by MadmanJrs

-"Let Us Help You This Time" and "Did I Say That Out Loud" by KnightCommander94

-"Growing Up With Ann" by jokermans

**These three especially.

If you haven't read these, check them out, they're pretty great. And if the authors of the mentionned stories are reading this, thank you for inspiring me to write my own story :)

***Update: I want to also give a shoutout to "Lotus, Violet, and Cherry Blossoms" by Deathmanstratos. Though I have not personally read it yet (I have a whole back catalogue of stories to read between here and ), I was inspired by goro_orb's artwork for the Olympics' part near the end without realizing that it was based on the mentioned story so, I felt it was only right to credit the fic as well.***

As you've read in the story and in the tags, a lot of this was also inspired by music. I was always listening to music while writing this and a lot of the songs I heard I found a way to incorporate them into the story. If you're curious, I made a Spotify playlist of songs that were directly in the story, helped write the story, or just inspired a chapter title. I like to consider it a concept album like American Idiot, Tommy, Ziggy Stardust, Black Parade, etc...

[UPDATE: I can't link the playlist here or in the reviews so if you want to check it out on spotify, look up the name of the story, or check the link on Ao3. Sorry.]

Thank you to all of you who left comments, kudos, bookmarks, reviews, favorites and follows. I really appreciated it and I'm glad I was able to get to some of you :)

With that said, hope you enjoy this final chapter.

---

TW: Mentions of abuse

---

**May 16th, 2011**

"Tetsuya! Tetsuya! Come on!"

Being a man of his word, Tetsuya brought his little brother up to the lake in order to cheer him up. He had also promised him that they would do the cliff jump they had talked about every time they came here. Today seemed like it was going to be the day; Tetsuya just wanted to make sure they were careful.

"Easy there, Akira, you're supposed to wait for me," Tetsuya began. "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…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." Akira began to feel sad and discouraged. "I'm sorry, buddy…"

"I just…wanted to prove to you that I'm not weak…"

"Akira, I told you already, you're not weak. I don't think you're weak. You don't have to make this jump to prove anything…"

Akira looked away. 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. Tetsuya had made the jump once with Naito; he said it was exhilarating, but agreed with his mother that it might be dangerous for Akira. Tetsuya began to regret promising Akira that they would do this. But he didn't want to let his brother down. He sighed before hesitantly looking over the edge once again. Tetsuya knew it wasn't the best idea but being the fearless daredevil that he was, he had pretty much written an entire book on bad ideas and he sure wasn't afraid to quote from it. He went over to Akira, who was facing away from him, and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Huh?" Akira turned his head to him, and Tetsuya softly smiled.

"We'll do it together. Are you with me?"

---

**August 22nd, 2018 — Kurusu Home**

---

It was just about the most perfect lazy Sunday imaginable. One day after returning from the hospital, Akira was resting in bed as the nurse had recommended. He was alone in his room, listening to Bruce Springsteen's double album, "The River," one of his mother's all-time favorite records. Kairi, especially, related to the title track as it told the story of two high schoolers driving down to a river and the boy getting his girlfriend pregnant. Similar to Kairi's late husband, the boy got a job working construction and ends up hating it, lamenting where his life choices led him. Unlike the man in the song, however, neither Minoru nor Kairi ever felt regret about where they ended up. They loved each other, they loved their sons, and not once did they ever wish they could turn back time. They may have faced hardships and dark times, but in the end, the Kurusu family always looked forward, never backward. As Akira listened to the Boss and the E Street Band jam out "Hungry Heart," he found himself picking at a feather in his pillow, trying in vain to pull it out, perhaps as a way to distract himself. Though he was by himself, he didn't feel alone. If he began to feel a sense of loneliness, all he had to do was look at his signed cast. It was getting to be around lunchtime; there was a slight knock at his door.

"Come in!" Akira called out. The door opened, and in-walked Sumire with a smile on her face and a tray with a homemade katsudon pork cutlet rice bowl and a tall glass of equally homemade strawberry lemonade for lunch. Sumire had her hair tied up in her bow and her contacts in her eyes. She walked in barefoot, wearing a white sundress with mini sunflowers. Akira didn't know if he was still feeling the effects of the change of heart or not, but to him, Sumire looked more beautiful than ever before. She looked angelic. Just like Kairi was for Minoru, Sumire was Akira's angel in white.

"Are you hungry?" she asked him.

"Yeah, starving. You look amazing."

"Thank you!" Sumire blushed as she set the tray down. "Your mother and I prepared this ourselves. I hope you like it!"

"I'm sure I will," Akira smiled at her before taking a bite.

"Do you like it?" she asked.

"No," Akira deadpanned before taking another bite and smiling. "I love it." Sumire cutely scoffed and playfully gave him a small pat on the leg.

"You're terrible!" she joked.

"I know," Akira smirked.

"But you're also amazing," she added.

"I know," he said before winking at her. Sumire clicked her tongue and shook her head, but she missed him seeing Akira smile.

"It's good to see you again." She could tell he was already doing better than yesterday.

After Akira finally let go of all the tears he had built up over the past seven years, Sumire brought him to the upstairs bathroom and bathed him in the tub. Akira was still shaken up and sore from his battle with Joker. Feeling the scars and marks on his body, and finally knowing their history made Sumire's heart grow heavy. Afterward, Akira looked in the mirror and made a decision. He pulled out a small pair of scissors and trimmed his beard before shaving it off entirely. To him, it made him look too much of a drifter, and it was a reminder that he almost ended up as one. Akira was back to the clean-shaven baby face he really was. Looking in the mirror, he still looked like a mess because of his injuries, but he didn't see the eyes of a stranger anymore. All he saw was Akira Kurusu.

When he went back downstairs after getting cleaned up, his companions saw the friend they nearly lost forever. Kairi, Rise, and Yu watched as Akira stood in the middle of the living room. He tried to speak, he knew what he wanted to say, but couldn't quite get the words out. As it turned out, he didn't need to say anything. One by one, his friends began to hold him. Similar to when Akira finally told them all about his abuse, in almost the exact same order, Futaba, Ann, Ryuji, Haru, Makoto, Yusuke, Morgana, and Sumire all enveloped him, held him tight and comforted him. The only difference was, this time, Akira broke down. He didn't feel restricted anymore; he felt free.

By this time, the Phantom Thieves should have been back in Tokyo, but because of Akira's need to rest and his upcoming court date, he couldn't leave right away. The others refused to leave without him and called ahead to let people know that they would be staying in Inaba a bit longer for Akira's sake. Futaba reluctantly told Sojiro about Akira having a Palace, and Makoto told Sae, but that was it. They all talked about what went down in the Palace; the drunk, the detective, the abuser, and the bully. Akira couldn't believe that some of his devastating memories, both former and recent, had manifested and nearly sent him down the darkest path imaginable. They all listened as Akira apologized to all of them for what he said, and for being so distant. They didn't hold it against him; in fact, they didn't feel like he had to apologize to them at all, but Akira knew he could only begin to feel better if he did so. They, of course, forgave him with open arms. The Thieves also apologized for the group chat and assured him that it was entirely gone. Akira understood their intentions and felt that his reaction was a bit overblown. Nevertheless, it was water under the bridge. Afterward, they all vowed never to tell anyone else or discuss between themselves what happened inside the Theater of Pain ever again.

Kairi prepared dinner for everyone. Despite what occurred during the week, it felt great to have everyone at the same table on a summer Saturday night. The dinner conversations were thankfully a lot more buoyant than their previous Metaverse-related discussions. Akira still didn't talk much, but everyone understood that he was exhausted. He did, however, eat like he was going to the chair. Afterward, Yu and Rise went home, while the Phantom Thieves decided to spend the night at the Kurusu home. Akira told them that it wasn't necessary, but they insisted. Plus, it guaranteed that Futaba and Yusuke wouldn't have to fall asleep listening to Ann and Ryuji, as well as Makoto and Haru, fornicating. Sumire slept in Akira's room, Ann and Ryuji took the guest room, Kairi got out a futon and placed it in the office for Futaba and Yusuke, and let Makoto and Haru have her room while she and Morgana took the couch. That night, Akira fell asleep in the comfort of his own bed while holding the woman he loved. He couldn't remember the last time he slept this well; it felt like it had been years.

The next day, the group left Akira in the care of Sumire, Kairi, and Morgana as they went back to the inn to get changed before going into town to pick up groceries, supplies, and painkillers the nurse had prescribed at the hospital. Sumire sat on the edge of the bed and watched as Akira enjoyed the lunch she had helped make for him. She picked up the picture of him and his parents that he kept on his nightstand.

"You look adorable here," she said as she showed him the picture.

"Yeah…" Akira sighed; he felt melancholic, and Sumire understood why when she looked at the caption. February 10th, 2009 — Akira's 9th Birthday.

"Oh…this is before…" she trailed off; Akira nodded. "… I'm so sorry."

"It's fine," Akira said before putting his bowl down. Sumire noted someone was missing from the picture.

"What about your brother? He's not in the picture?"

"Hehe…" Akira chuckled slightly. "Who do you think took the picture?"

"Ah…" Sumire looked at the picture again and looked around the room. She realized there were no pictures of Tetsuya in his room. The only ones she had seen were in photo albums Kairi had shown her and the others this morning while Akira was still asleep. Sumire moved over to the record player and lifted the needle off the record before sitting back down on the edge of Akira's bed. "…can I ask you a question?" she tentatively asked.

"Go ahead," Akira nodded; he knew what was coming, but he wasn't afraid to talk about it anymore.

"Why did you never talk about him?" Akira paused and took a deep breath before answering.

"I haven't thought about Tetsuya in years," he began. "After his death, I felt like I had lost a part of me. I was disconnected mentally and emotionally when he died. It was like a part of my brain just…switched off. I know I went to visit him and Dad at the cemetery, but…to be honest…I barely remember doing it until last year…" Sumire looked down in sadness as Akira took another deep breath. "The last thing I remember about Tetsuya was him yelling at me to keep swimming…"

"Keep swimming?"

"Yeah…" Akira nodded. "Do you remember when we watched the 'IT' remake?" Sumire nodded. "Remember when the Losers' club jumped off the cliff and down into the lake?"

"Mmm-hmm."

"Well, Tetsuya and I did something similar. There's a lake not too far west of here with a giant cliff. It's almost a hundred-foot drop down to an open lake that's connected to a river. Tetsuya and his best friend, Naito, whom you met at the hospital, had made the jump, and I had wanted to do it for so long, but Mom always said no. She said that it was too dangerous for me." Akira removed his glasses and placed them on his nightstand; he began to tear up as he kept talking. "One day, I was in a dark place after Raden attacked me and destroyed one of my dad's books." Sumire said nothing, but she recalled witnessing that particular memory in the theater. She also recalled Kairi saying that it happened three days before Tetsuya's death. "Tetsuya wanted to cheer me up, so…he told me that he would take me to the lake, and we would make the jump," Akira sniffed a few times.

"Here…" Sumire offered him a tissue, but he turned it down and continued on.

"I was so excited, but Tetsuya was having second thoughts. The current that led to the river was strong that day, but I didn't care. I still wanted to make the jump. Tetsuya wanted to back out; he thought it would be too dangerous for me. I started to pout; I wanted to prove to myself that Raden was wrong, that I wasn't weak. I thought making that jump would help me overcome that fear…and I was mad at Tetsuya for wanting to take that opportunity away from me…but I realize now…he was just looking out for me, like the big brother that he was…"

"I understand how you feel…" Sumire somberly said. As Akira told the story, he realized this was the first time he had told anyone what happened. He hadn't even told his mother. This was the first time he recounted the entire tale; it happened over seven years ago, but he remembered it clear as day.

"…Tetsuya knew it was a bad idea…but he made me a promise and didn't want to let me down. Sure, we ribbed each other constantly and sometimes got into arguments, usually about dumb crap, but he still hated seeing me upset…" Akira closed his eyes. "We were running…about to jump when…his knee gave out right when he reached the edge. Instead of jumping feet first, he stumbled and fell face-first down… I didn't see it…but I remember the scream he made before I hit the water…" His eyes reopened; he didn't look at Sumire, instead, he just stared out the window. Akira's breathing became erratic…

"Hey, hey, easy…" Sumire softly began comforting him. "Count to four, inhale, count to four, exhale, remember?" Akira ignored her and kept going.

"I-I…came back up to the surface… I was already being swept away by the current… I yelled for Tetsuya but didn't see him right away… He-um…h-he eventually came back up, but he was far away from me… The current was taking him… I-I think he was incapacitated… I started swimming towards him…but he yelled at me to go back to the shore and get help…he yelled at me to keep swimming…keep swimming…" Sumire grabbed his hand. "…after that…nothing… I don't remember anything else…"

"I'm so sorry…" Sumire said as she quietly shed a few tears, though not nearly as many as Akira was. He recomposed himself and looked back at Sumire.

"Hey…" Akira sniffed. "…do you remember the trip to Hawaii? … When you talked about how you thought about Kasumi during your awakening, and you cried about how much you missed her?"

"…yes. I do," Sumire quietly responded.

"That…was the first time I thought about Tetsuya since he died… That was the first time I realized how much I missed him…" Sumire softly gasped. Akira paused for a moment. "…after that, though, he disappeared from my mind again… I started to think about him more and more once I came home last March…but every time I did… I… I-I didn't want to bring him up again…" Sumire slowly pulled him into her arms; he sobbed into her chest for a minute, while she comforted him by softly rubbing his back. "Sumire, I… I miss him so much…"

"I know you do," Sumire whispered as she tried her best to comfort him.

"Tetsuya would've done so many good things… All I've done is hurt the ones I love…"

"You know that's not true. You literally saved the world, ha-haha," Sumire weakly chuckled. Akira sobbed for a while; Sumire never loosened her hold on him. She wanted to be there for him. After a while, he began to slow his weeping. "I heard what you said in the theater," Sumire began. "I think we all did."

"So much for a 'moment alone,' hehe…" Akira cracked a joke through his quiet sobs.

"You feel as though you're responsible for what happened to him?"

"I… I laid a guilt trip on him by pouting."

"Shhh…"

"I-If I had j-just listened to him…"

"Akira, listen to me," Sumire began as Akira lifted his head and looked her in the eye. "You were there for me when Kasumi passed away, and now it's my turn to be there for you. What happened to Tetsuya was not your fault, but I don't think I need to tell you that because I think deep down, you already know." She handed him a tissue.

"W-What do you mean…?" he asked before blowing his nose.

"I may not know as much about cognition as Morgana-senpai, but I do understand the concept of it. The Tetsuya we saw in the theater was your cognition of him."

"So?"

"Tell me what he said to you when you blamed yourself for what happened."

"…he said…that I don't force him to jump…"

"What else?"

"He said…that…it wasn't my fault…" Sumire began to smile softly.

"You know what I think?" Akira shook his head. "It wasn't Tetsuya who told you that. It was yourself. Your cognition told you the truth, told you what you needed to hear. You know, deep down, that you are not responsible."

"But…why do I still feel guilty, then?"

"Before, your emotions and your feelings were disconnected, and you're only now getting back in touch with them." Akira thought back to what Maruki told him about the five stages of grief and him being stuck in stage two: anger. "What I'm saying is, I think you're only now beginning to grieve for Tetsuya because you weren't able to before," Sumire continued. "Your desires were distorted, but now that your heart and your mind are clear, you're feeling what you were supposed to feel seven years ago. But don't worry, this now means that you'll finally be able to move on…or move along if you will," she winked and chuckled; Akira started chuckling slightly.

"You sounded like Doctor Maruki for a bit, you know, up until that last past."

"It might do you some good to go see him when we go back to Tokyo."

"I think you're right," Akira nodded.

"I know I'm right," she smirked; Akira began to feel better.

"Sumire," he began. "You've helped me so much in the last week; I don't know what would've happened to me if you weren't in my life."

"I don't want to think about that, but know that I don't know what I would do if you weren't in my life either, Akira." She pulled him in, and he rested his head on her chest as she stroked his hair. "I've been waiting for you for so long, and now I never want to let you go… I love you, Akira."

"I love you, Sumire… How many times have you saved me now? Did you catch up to me?" Akira softly smiled.

"Haha, I don't know. I lost count a long time ago."

"Why don't we call it even?"

"Haha, sure," Sumire responded as she closed her eyes and held him tight.

---

A couple of days later, Sae Niijima arrived in Inaba to represent Akira in court. The Phantom Thieves, Kairi, Rise, and Yu accompanied them and sat in on the hearing. Akira was open and didn't try to hide behind his mistakes. The court demanded he perform ninety-six hours of community service for underage drinking and carrying a fake ID. They ordered him to pay a sixty-thousand yen fine for the broken window and announced that he would be under twelve months' probation. Akira was less upset than when Shido sued him; that was just unfair, while this, he felt, was just. Although, there was a part of him that felt no regret over breaking Cinema City's window. Because fuck Raden, fuck Masato Takagi, and fuck his dumbass multi-media megaplex.

The first court hearing was quick and mostly painless, but the real battle came later. Sae was ready to fight like her own life depended on it in defending Akira against the Takagis. Lucky for her, between Naito Inoki handing her Raden's extensive collection of past offenses, and the testimony given by Kairi Kurusu, where she recounted the numerous times Raden and his stooges had bullied her son, her job was almost too easy. Despite their money, they couldn't buy their victory, and the Takagis saw they had no chance of getting the jury to side with them. They walked out of the courtroom with their tail tucked between their legs and dropped the charges entirely.

Once everything was settled, Akira found himself outside the courthouse when he came face to face with Raden for what would be the last time ever. Akira sat up from the bench and stared Raden down. He still hated his guts, but didn't feel the hate flowing through him like he had days prior in front of Cinema City.

"Well…?" Akira began. "Are you going to say something, or just stand there with your thumb up your ass?"

"Hmph," Raden huffed.

"I heard you and your family are going to be moving away soon," Akira said as he folded his arms.

"If you're expectin' an apology from me just because I'll be gone soon, you got another thing comin', Kurusu."

"Raden, I don't want an apology; I don't even want a 'goodbye' from you. The only thing I want is for you to get out of my life once and for all."

"Well, for once, I'm gonna give you exactly what you want. Although, I'd be lyin' if I said I wasn't gonna miss messin' with ya."

"And I'd be lying if I didn't say the opposite."

"Poor Kurusu…" Raden chuckled. "What will ya do without me?"

"That's easy, I'm going to move on with my life, and I hope you'll be able to do the same." Raden rolled his eyes. "Keep rolling them, maybe you'll find a brain somewhere in that head of yours."

"Fuck you."

"Take a number."

"You're still a weak-ass bitch, Kurusu. A freak with no friends, that's what you'll always be."

*Ahem?* Right then, Raden heard a throat clear behind him. He turned around to see a group of seven people staring at him with venomous anger. Raden looked back to Akira, still with arms folded, and the biggest smirk on his face.

"You wanna try that again?" Akira said as Ryuji, Ann, Makoto, Haru, Yusuke, Futaba, and Sumire all went to his side. "Nice nose, by the way," Akira pointed at Raden's still bandaged nose.

"Whatever, me and the boys still owned your ass in that fight."

"Yeah, well, I beat you in court, so now you can kiss it," Akira smirked as the Thieves snickered. "Let me tell you something, Raden. The sad thing is about bullies like you is that, right now, you think you're invincible. But I guarantee you that in the near-future, ten maybe even five years from now, you're gonna wake up one morning, after doing some serious thinking, and realize two things. One: don't be an asshole; it won't get you anywhere. Two: You and your dad dropped three-hundred thousand yen on legal fees, and walked out with the same result you would've gotten if you had just sent me an apology fruit-basket." The Thieves chuckled as Raden stepped up to Akira.

"At least I still have a dad…" the bully smirked; The Thieves stopped chuckling as their expressions turned to scorn.

"You little-" Ryuji was about to go and deck the brat, but was stopped by a calm and collected Akira, putting a hand on his chest, and shaking his head at him. Akira was done letting Raden push his buttons. He was in control.

"Ignore him, Ryuji," Akira said. "He can't help who he is; a poor, lonely boy with a father who doesn't love him."

"AH! Kurusu-kun!" Speak of the Devil. A middle-aged man in a slightly disheveled gray suit walked up to the group of youngsters. "Please, allow me to apologize for my son's behavior and actions," the man said without much emotion.

"I'm willing to let bygones be bygones, Takagi-san," Akira responded, sounding polite, even though, like Raden, he hated this man's guts. "Sorry about the window, by the way…" Takagi put his hand up.

"Nonsense, don't worry about it," he waved it off before reaching into his breast pocket. "In fact, I would like to try and make it up to you. Here, allow me to cover the fine for the window," Takagi said as he handed Akira a check for sixty-thousand yen. Akira accepted it and politely bowed to the shock and surprise of the Thieves.

"Thank you very much, Takagi-san. That's very nice of you."

"Well then, I hope you enjoy the rest of your summer," Takagi flashed a smile before turning around into a scornful look from Kairi Kurusu, who had walked up along with Yu, Rise, and Sae. "O-Oh…" he trailed off, flustered. "H-Hello, Kurusu-san…" Kairi didn't verbally address the man; the look in her eyes said it all. He walked away without another word. Raden looked back at Akira.

"Not that I want you to, but last chance to apologize, Raden. You know, for your sake?" Akira folded his arms and smirked at him.

"Go to Hell, Kurusu," Raden responded.

"I've been to Hell…" Akira began as Raden walked away. "…now I'm back." Akira smirked as he and everyone else watched Raden Takagi slowly disappear from his life completely.

"What I wouldn't give to have Martha with me right now…" Kairi venomously said.

"Mom, please; we're literally in front of a courthouse, haha," Akira chuckled.

"That Raden guy's a real tool. What the hell's his problem?" Ryuji asked.

"My brother always said he had a silver spoon up his ass, so I'm going to guess rectal cancer," Akira joked.

"Tch, like his dad's any better," Futaba commented.

"Agreed, truly a despicable man," Yusuke commented. Akira looked down at the check Raden's father had handed him.

"Pfft…" Akira scoffed. "Twelve years of bullying and all I get is sixty-thousand in compensation?"

"He really thinks he can buy your forgiveness?" Ann folded her arms and shook her head.

"That is, if you ever intended to forgive him at all," Haru added.

"I don't. If he wants my forgiveness, he's going to have to earn it," Akira said.

"But, he's moving away, isn't he?" Sumire pointed out as they watched the Takagis disappear from view.

"Too bad for him then," Akira said before giving the Takagis the middle finger balloon. "Sorry, Mom, it's a mean gesture, I know."

"I'll allow it, this time," Kairi said before she herself flipped the Takagis off.

"Sixty-thousand, what a cheapskate…" Ryuji scoffed.

"We've made more than that in a single Mementos run," Futaba pointed out.

"That's not the point, Futaba," Makoto sighed. "I'm surprised you decided to keep it."

"Who said I was keeping it?" Akira chuckled before tearing the check to shreds and throwing the bits of it in a nearby trash can. "Like I told Raden, I don't want anything but to never have to think about them ever again."

"I like the sound of that," Kairi said as her look of scorn disappeared in favor of a look of pride.

"Well, glad that's over," Yu exhaled. "I'll be glad to not have to keep a close eye on Takagi anymore."

"Thanks for sticking by me, everyone," Akira said to the group; they all smiled at him.

"Don't worry about it, kiddo," Rise began. "Now, come on! Let's get out of here already!"

"Niijima-san, would you like to join us all for dinner tonight?" Kairi asked Sae.

"Oh, thank you very much, Kurusu-san. But I don't want to impose," Sae replied.

"It would be no imposition. We have more than enough room and it's the least I can do for you helping Akira."

"I'd say, 'yes,' she won't let you argue your way out of this one," Akira said to Sae, chuckling.

"He's right," Rise added. The Phantom Thieves all nodded in agreement as well. Sae chuckled.

"Well then, I'd be glad to," she smiled.

---

They all walked away from the courthouse with their heads held high. All in all, today felt like a victory. Later, at the Kurusu home, the Phantom Thieves didn't let the result of the first hearing bring them down, and they all had a small celebration. Before dinner, Akira pulled Sae aside to talk privately in the kitchen.

"Sae-san, I can't thank you enough for everything you've done for me," Akira said.

"Please, Akira-kun, it was no trouble at all," Sae began, sipping her champagne. "I did tell you before you went home last year that whenever you needed help, I would be at your side."

"Hehe, yeah, I remember. I still have the card you gave me," Akira chuckled as he recalled his last day before going home. "I just hope I didn't drag you away from an important case back in Tokyo."

"Not at all; I actually had a couple of weeks off. The only thing you disturbed was my vacation."

"Uh…hehe, sorry about that…" Akira awkwardly chuckled as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Hahaha, don't worry about it. I never had any time off when I was a prosecutor, so it's a nice change of pace. But I was going to leave you hanging."

"Well, I'm glad you could help me," Akira smiled and Sae smiled back.

"Besides, it's been a while since I've been home."

"Home?" Akira raised an eyebrow. "I didn't know you and Makoto were from Inaba?"

"Oh, not Inaba, Fuefuki, the next town over, and just me. I was born there and my parents and I lived there for a while, but my father's job caused us to transfer to Tokyo a few months before Makoto was born. This is the first time I've been back since we left; it looks different, but it does bring back some memories…" she trailed off.

"I bet, hehe," Akira chuckled before sipping his own (non-alcoholic) drink. "Well, anyway, we should probably rejoin the others. I just wanted to thank you again for all you've done for me…" Akira also trailed off when he noticed Sae just staring at him, smiling. "…what? Do I have something on my face?"

"Oh, no, no, it's just…" Sae felt a sense of nostalgia as she looked at Akira and saw the young man who brought her a new bed he built with his father when she was three years old. She remembered tugging on his sleeve, him making silly faces at her to make her laugh, and she remembered flailing her tiny arms at him as he waved goodbye to her. She never learned the boy's name, but she saw him in Akira. They both had messy black hair and dark silver eyes. She pieced the puzzle together in her mind. It truly was a small world.

"…" Akira was still confused.

"…never mind. Don't worry about it," Sae said, still smiling.

"Guys!?" Kairi called. "Come to the table!" Akira and Sae looked at each other.

"Shall we head back?" she asked.

---

**August 29th, 2018**

---

The remainder of the group's time in Inaba had been a lot more upbeat and jovial. The Investigation Team and The Phantom Thieves got along well. It was interesting seeing two teams of Persona users bond. Chie took them out for meat, and Kanji gladly made a special Buchimaru-kun plushie for Makoto at Haru's request. Akira and the Thieves all went on one big quintuple date. They invited Kairi, but she passed on the offer. She wasn't jazzed about being a ninth wheel before Sumire arrived, let alone an eleventh wheel since Yu and Rise were joining them. Nevertheless, Akira spent a lot of time with his mother, mostly trying to make up for what he had said and for the way he acted. Plus, he would be going back to Tokyo soon, and he wanted to enjoy as much time with her as possible. The Thieves also hung around the house quite often. Now being a Phantom Thief herself, Kairi's bond with the group also grew. They watched movies, had barbecues, and they even all went to beach together. The best moments, however, were when they would simply spend nights talking and laughing out on the patio as crickets chirped and the stars shined brightly above them. It was those moments that made the Phantom Thieves fall in love with Inaba.

Soon, it was getting around the time to go back to Tokyo. But Akira couldn't leave Inaba before paying one more visit. The day before he and the Phantom Thieves returned home, he asked them to bring him back to the cemetery one last time, at least for the time being. He stood in front of the Kurusu grave, the one he thought he himself would have his name on not too long ago, and said what he should have said back in March.

"Well, here I am. Didn't think I'd ever come back. Then again I was in a dark place when I said that. But I'm better now; not great, but better…" Akira's voice began to waver as he felt tears building up in his eyes. "I-uh… I can't believe it's been seven years… It honestly feels like I just lost you, Tetsuya…like just a few days ago…" Akira sharply gasped. "When I saw in that theater, I wanted you to stay… I wanted to stay with you… I didn't want you to go away… I never wanted you to go away… I just needed more time to make things right… I wish I could make things right… I…I…" Akira closed his eyes as tears began strewing down his face. He felt like he was at a funeral; in his mind, he was. Akira had no more words, he just kept quietly crying until he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned his head to see Sumire standing there with a sad but hopeful smile. Akira slowed is crying down and found his ability to speak once again. "You-uh…you probably met her already, but this is Sumire; she's one of the reasons I'm still here. She's my soulmate."

"Hello again, Tetsuya-san, and you both as well, Minoru-san and Hiroki-san," Sumire politely greeted as she rested her head on Akira's shoulder. Akira continued to talk to his late-brother.

"You know… I think I'm finally ready to move on… But that doesn't mean I'll ever forget you, Tetsuya. I love Mom and Dad with all my heart, but you were the one guy I could always go to if I had a problem, no matter what it was. I know that you and Dad are in a better place, and that you're looking down on me being a blubbering mess right now," Akira weakly chuckled. "… And I want you to know that I love you…and I miss you…" Akira broke down once again. Kairi came over and hugged him, herself shedding a few tears. "You guys…made such a big impact on my life…" Akira addressed his brother and father. "I… I want to thank you both…for everything you've done for me… I love you both…so much. I'll never forget either of you…"

Akira finished saying what he had to say. It was a lot, and he felt like he could talk forever, but he had said enough for now. Sumire accompanied Akira back down to the hill where the others were waiting while Kairi said a few words herself.

"… I don't feel like I have to much to say, especially after that, haha," she chuckled and sniffed as she wiped the tears in her eyes. "But I want you both to know that Akira and I are okay. We-uh, we were touch and go for a bit, but everything's cleared up… Hiroki, Minoru, Tetsuya, I miss you all so much… Maki to one side, you guys and Akira are my real family, always have been, and always will be…" she softly smiled. "I-uh, I should go, but I'll be back soon, of course. If I see so much as a tiny speck of dirt, you know I'll be cleaning this gravestone top-to-bottom, haha… Anyway, I love you guys." Kairi began walking away before she turned back. "Oh, and do me a favor, cowboy, if you run into Calamity Jane up there, tell her I say, 'thank you' for her help in that other world and that, when I eventually join you guys, hopefully far into the future, I'll buy her a round at the saloon," she winked before heading back down to the join up with the others. Akira was all cried out and once again joking with his friends.

"…and then, lighting struck and Makoto flipped out!" Ryuji laughed, earning a glare from the woman in question.

"Makoto-senpai, how can you have such a threatening glare, yet be afraid of thunder?" Sumire asked, chuckling.

"I-It just caught me off guard, that's all!" Makoto pouted.

"Come on, Mako-chan; it's okay to admit you were afraid," Haru said.

"I told you all, I was cold!"

"Right…" Morgana rolled his eyes. "You were so loud, you nearly woke the dead."

"Having fun?" Kairi asked with a smile.

"Yep, you know it!" Ann exclaimed.

"Can we go? Not to sound mean, but I really don't like cemeteries," Futaba said.

"I do believe it is getting to be around lunchtime," Yusuke pointed out.

"Well then, let's get you kids fed!" Kairi happily said. The Thieves got in the van while Akira went with Kairi. In the car, Akira exhaled. "You okay?" Akira nodded without looking at her. Kairi looked down at the steering wheel. "You're…not mad at me, are you? For what we talked about the other—"

"No, no, not at all. Sorry, I was just thinking. I'm not mad all." Kairi looked back up and at him.

"You're not?" Akira shook his head.

"You were in a rough place, and you were trying to cope with it, I get that. I mean, I can't imagine what it feels like to lose your first-born son." Kairi began to tear up once again. Akira placed his hand on her shoulder. "But, Mom, I don't blame you for what you did."

"Even with what happened to you? Honey, if I hadn't—"

"Mom, you made a mistake. It doesn't matter anymore."

"Akira… I can't help but feel partly responsible for what happened to your heart…" Kairi shed a few more tears.

"Mom, I already had a Palace by the time that happened. But what's most important is that you came and saved me. I needed help, and you didn't abandon me. You dove straight into the fire and pulled me out; that's what really matters, okay?" Kairi nodded. "Like I said, I don't blame you for anything that happened to me. And you shouldn't blame yourself anymore either, you understand? It's all in the past, behind us, right?" Kairi nodded again. "I love you, Mom."

"I-I love you too, Akira." She let out a sharp gasp before pulling Akira in for a hug. She pulled away and wiped the tears from her eyes. "I'm sorry about that; I just wanted to make sure you didn't leave with any hard feelings."

"No worries," Akira smiled at her. Kairi took a deep breath and smiled back.

"Ready to go back to Tokyo?"

"Yeah, I think I am," Akira nodded.

---

The next day, the Phantom Thief van was all packed up. The Thieves all gave their contact info and said their goodbyes to Kairi, Rise, and Yu. When Rise pulled Ryuji in for a hug, he found himself holding on a little too long, and had to be yanked off by Ann. Eventually, it was just Akira who had to say goodbye; only, it wasn't goodbye.

"I'm gonna miss you, sweetie!" Kairi cried as she held her son.

"Mom, I'll be back in a few months; don't worry," Akira chuckled as he hugged his mother tightly. "The semester will go by quickly, trust me." Akira didn't want to leave, but life came a-calling. Kairi wiped tears of joy from her eyes. It was like March had never happened as she was getting the goodbye she had hoped for when Akira first left. "Besides, you've got work to do yourself, don't you?"

"Ugh, don't remind me, haha. I hope the high schoolers of today don't give me too much trouble," Kairi joked as Akira reminded her that she was getting back to English teaching in just a few days.

"You sound like an old woman, Obasan, heehee," Rise giggled.

"Quiet, you!" Kairi playfully nudged her niece before looking back at Akira. "I'm sure they'll keep me busy, but I'll never be too busy for you, Akira. If you need anything, just give me a call."

"I will; I promise," Akira smiled. He hugged her one more time before turning to Yu and Rise. "Thank you both for all your help."

"Hey, don't worry about it, Akira," Yu began. "Now that Rise and I are married, you and I are officially family. But even then, I wouldn't turn my back on you," he smiled, and the two of them shook hands.

"I know I've said it before, but, again, I'm really sorry about the reception; I hope I didn't ruin your wedding…" Akira rubbed the back of his head.

"Oh, shut up and come here, you!" Rise joked as she pulled him in for a hug. She held him for a while before letting him go. "Besides, what's a wedding anyway? Only the most important day in a girl's life, haha," she sarcastically quipped.

"Rise…" Yu facepalmed.

"Relax, hon'! I was just kidding."

"Eh, it wasn't that big of a deal to Minoru and me," Kairi commented. "We were just happy to be together."

"I remember that day," Rise said. "I think Tetsuya and I ran around the church garden, and I fell down and cried."

"Oh yeah! I can't believe you remember that," Kairi was stunned.

"Yeah, it was a good memory, you know, scraped knee aside, haha."

"Still, you guys were only two years old; how do you remember that far back?" Kairi asked.

"I dunno, I just do," Rise shrugged. "I guess I have nothing but good memories when it comes to Tetsuya."

"What about that one sleepover when the three of us had a pillow fight, and he accidentally knocked one of your teeth out with an errant elbow to the face?" Akira smirked.

"Hey! That tooth was already loose. If anything, he did me a favor; I had been trying to pull that sucker out for a week."

"What about when we all went to Destinyland and he threw up cotton-candy on you in the teacups?" Kairi asked; Rise noticeably cringed at the thought.

"Nope, still a good memory," she smiled while Akira was grinning mischievously.

"What about the fourth-grade talent show when he cut-" Rise quickly cut Akira off.

"STOP! RIGHT! THERE!" she yelled. "You swore never to bring that up again!" Akira laughed and put his hands up in surrender. After calming herself down, she looked at Akira again. "We'll see you at Christmas, and let us know when you guys get back, 'kay, kiddo?"

"Count on it," Akira nodded. He shared one more group hug with his mother and cousin.

*HONK* *HONK*

Akira heard the van's horn.

"Akira, come on! It's been fifteen days, five hours, sixteen minutes and counting since we've had Sojiro's curry!"

"Futaba!" Akira chuckled as he heard Makoto scold Futaba for honking the van's horn, and knew it was time to leave. He let go of his mother and Rise.

"Remember, Akira, I'll always have your back," Kairi began. "But so will they; don't you dare think differently," she said as she gestured her head towards the van. "Remember what the Boss sang…" Kairi then switched from Japanese to perfect English and smiled. "Don't make no difference what nobody says, ain't nobody like to be alone."

"Haha, 'Hungry Heart,' I get it," Akira chuckled.

"Save the English for the classroom, Obasan," Rise rolled her eyes and chuckled.

*HONK*

"I'M COMING, FUTABA!" Akira yelled.

"That wasn't Futaba, hehe!" Morgana yelled back.

"Morgana!" Makoto scolded the feline.

"Still can't believe he can talk…" Kairi shook her head. "Anyway, it sounds like you better get going." Akira took a deep breath and smiled at them one more time.

"I'll see you later." They smiled as they watched Akira get into the van, only for him to quickly run back. He pulled a scrap of paper and pen out of his pocket and looked to Rise. "Sorry, almost forgot. Before I left, I promised a doctor friend of mine I'd get your autograph for a little girl; one of her patients, who's a big fan of yours. Do you mind?"

"Haha, not at all!" Rise beamed. "Who do I make it out to?"

"Miwa-chan." Rise happily wrote a little message and her signature for her young fan and handed it back to Akira. "Thanks, you're the best!" Akira quickly hugged her before running back to the van as he heard Futaba getting more restless due to lack of curry. The group rolled the windows down and waved goodbye as they drove away. Kairi quickly wiped her tears away and waved back along with Yu and Rise, happy with the knowledge that she had her son back and that he was okay. Rise didn't recover as quickly; she sobbed for a minute. Yu put an arm around her.

"You okay?" he asked.

"…yeah," she said as she blew into a tissue Kairi had handed her. "It's just been a very emotional couple of weeks."

"Tell me about it…" Kairi replied as she breathed a massive sigh of relief.

"Hey, at least it's all over now," Yu assured them.

"You guys want some coffee before you leave?" Kairi offered.

"If you don't mind, Kairi-san," Yu smiled and the three of them began making their way back inside the house.

"On the upside," Rise began as she turned to Yu. "I am about ready to take you to bed and ride you like one of our old scooters," she mischievously smirked.

"Oh! God! Rise, please! I'm right here!" Kairi cringed.

"Sorry, Kairi-san. Crying makes her horny," Yu laughed; Kairi blinked several times.

"I did not need to know that, thank you very much," Kairi rubbed her forehead.

"Oh, relax, Obasan! It's nothing to lose your hair over," Rise nudged Kairi, who started laughing. "What? What's so funny?"

"Nothing," Kairi began smirking a she opened the front door. "When you said, 'lose your hair,' I thought of you in the talent show," she said before entering the house. Rise immediately went red.

"OBASAN!"

"Should I ask?" Yu wondered.

"Not if you want to get any tonight," Rise glared as her and Yu entered the house.

After three hours on the road, the Phantom Thieves arrived safely back home in Tokyo. Akira got emotional as he walked into Leblanc and watched the others take seats in the booths, at the counter, and watched Ryuji sprint to the bathroom to take a leak. When Akira left, he thought he'd never be back, but when Sojiro came around the counter to hug him, he felt like was right where he needed to be. Naito was right; home wasn't a place, it was a feeling, and once again, whether it was Inaba or Leblanc, Akira felt like he was home.

"How are you doing, kid?" Sojiro asked, pulling back from the hug. Akira smiled.

"I'm all right," he assured him. He then noticed Tae sitting at the counter. She left some yen as payment and walked over to him and hugged him. Akira didn't know what Sojiro had told her, but he didn't care.

"Welcome home, guinea pig," she said, pulling back. Akira pulled out a piece of scrap paper and handed it to her.

"For Miwa-chan, as promised," he smiled. His kind gesture earned him a peck on the cheek. Akira blushed as he looked at his girlfriend, who simply smiled.

"Thank you so much for this; you have no idea how happy this is going to make her," Tae said as she held up the autographed piece of paper. "She'll be coming to visit next weekend."

"I'll be sure to swing by the clinic," Akira assured her.

"Please do, and if you ever need anything, anything at all, don't hesitate to give me a shout. You know where I work and my door is always open for you. Got it?"

"Loud and clear," Akira smiled; Tae said her goodbyes and walked out of Leblanc.

"Wow, would you look at that?" Sojiro began. "Not even back five minutes and you're already getting sugar from your doctor, hehe. Reminds me of when I was your age." The others snickered. "Hey, trust me. When I was young, Hoo-boy, hehe." Akira rolled his eyes and chuckled. "Anyway, you guys hungry?" The response was a resounding yes. "Well, then you're right on time," Sojiro chuckled.

"CURRY!" Futaba yelled out.

The group enjoyed Sojiro's signature combo of coffee and curry and shared laughs. Akira no longer had to fake being happy. They had a fantastic night, just talking about life, their plans for the new semester, things for them to do before classes started back up. That was until Makoto reminded them that classes started back up in three days, and some of them still had homework to do. They then made plans to meet up the next day for a group study session. Afterward, when everyone but Sumire had left, Morgana going back with Futaba in order to give Akira and Sumire some alone time, Sojiro took them upstairs to show them Akira's brand-new bed. It was a queen size and was positioned the same as the previous bed.

"As you can see, I had to move the shelf and plant around a little bit, but what do you think?" Sojiro asked as Akira took a seat on the bed, feeling out the mattress.

"It's perfect. Thank you, Sojiro," Akira smiled.

"Glad you like it, kid," Sojiro chuckled as he grabbed and rubbed his lower back.

"Are you all right, Sakura-san?" Sumire asked.

"Yeah, don't worry. I nearly threw out my back once or twice, hehe."

"Oh, my gosh!" Sumire gasped.

"Bah, don't worry about it; I'm glad it was worth it in the end." Akira thought about making a crack at Sojiro's age, but bit his tongue, fearing it would ruin the moment. "Anyway, I gotta head back. You two have a good night," Sojiro said before leaving Akira and Sumire alone. Once he was gone, the two of them looked at each other.

"That bed does look comfortable…" Sumire said before smiling devilishly.

"It is…" Akira began, also smiling devilishly. "…but I think it needs to be broken in."

"Well then…" Sumire walked over and pushed Akira down before getting on top of him and passionately kissing him. She helped Akira remove his shirt and undo his pants before lowering the top of her dress.

"You know, the thought occurred to me," Akira began in between kisses, "we didn't get a chance to celebrate our anniversary last month…" Sumire unclasped her bra and threw it away.

"Then let's make up for lost time…" she smirked before kissing him some more. Needless to say, the bed was definitely broken in that night.

---

The next day, everyone gathered at Leblanc to study and get their homework done before the start of the next semester.

"GRRRAAH!" It wasn't going well. "It's hopeless…" Ryuji dejectedly began. "There's no way I can get all this crap done by Monday."

"Well, not with that attitude," Akira ribbed.

"Ugh…" Ann huffed. "Why does my audio science professor give us seven assignments? SEVEN! That's how many I have for all of my classes COMBINED!"

"Come on, now, Ann-senpai, where there's a will, there's a way!" Sumire smiled.

"You guys need anything else?" Sojiro asked from behind the counter.

"Thank you, Boss!" Haru kindly smiled. "You've done more than enough already!"

"Would it have killed you two to start your homework earlier?" Makoto sighed.

"Lady Ann? No. Ryuji? Maybe," Morgana joked.

"Can it, cat! Who's to say Ann didn't?"

"I did get a bit of a head start," Ann began, "it's just these assignments that are a pain. What's your excuse, babe?" she shot him a look.

"I-I-uh…seriously?" Ann nodded. "Man…now I really feel like shit."

"Not everyone leaves their work to the last minute, you know?" Morgana commented as Futaba winked at Ryuji.

"I wasn't gonna, but we got stuck in Inaba for an extra week because of…" Ryuji trailed off; Akira looked up from his homework and glared at Ryuji, who was sitting next to him.

"Because of what, Ryuji?"

"Uh…I-I-uh…"

"You're saying it's my fault that you didn't do any homework before we left and are now behind?" Akira sounded frustrated. The room went quiet.

"N-No, not at all! I-I-uh…" As Ryuji stumbled with his words, Akira's sour expression turned jovial.

"Hahahaha…" Akira started laughing. "Relax, I'm just messing with you, man." The others chuckled, while Ryuji sighed.

"Dude, not cool! I'm already stressed out enough from all this homework. I don't need you bustin' my balls either."

"Well, maybe if you had just started earlier, you wouldn't be as stressed out now, would you?" Akira smirked.

"Lucky for me, I don't have to worry about that because I…am…" Futaba began as she finished writing something. "…DONE!" she exclaimed, slamming her pen down on the table.

"Aw, come on!" Ryuji was in shock.

"As am I," Yusuke added.

"But you didn't bring any homework, Yusuke," Haru noted.

"That is true, but my work requires inspiration, which only comes spontaneously."

"Your homework is just to paint, Yusuke-senpai?" Sumire asked; Yusuke nodded.

"Why'd you come here then?" Ryuji asked, feeling betrayed.

"How would you feel if we were all together studying without you, Ryuji?" Haru asked.

"Yeah, no one wants to be the one left out," Ann added.

"Yeah, I guess," Ryuji relented. "So, what's your homework anyway, Yusuke?"

"Excuse me, shouldn't you focus on your own homework?" Makoto glared.

"I must submit a piece by the start of next semester," Yusuke replied. "Thankfully, I already have one prepared." Futaba realized something as her eyes went wide.

"Please don't tell me it's that painting of me eating instant-yakisoba."

"Well…yes, it is, as a matter of fact."

"Uh-uh, no! I don't want you to present me to everyone as your painting!"

"Well then, I may be in trouble…"

"Please, tell me it's not a nude painting…" Sojiro sighed from behind the counter.

"N-No! of course not! I assure you, Boss!" Yusuke vehemently denied.

"Oh, good…" Sojiro sighed in relief. "Then what's the problem?"

"Yeah, didn't you say you liked it?" Ann recalled.

"Here, I'll show you guys a picture…" Futaba pulled out her phone and showed her a picture she snapped of Yusuke's painting.

"Aww," Ann cooed. "That's kinda cute."

"I gotta say, it's cool," Ryuji began. "And it's not like I'm an art guy."

"Oh, we know, mwehehe," Morgana chuckled. "I agree, though, it's a nice painting."

"It's very lovely! Well done, Yusuke!" Haru took the phone and applauded the painting. "But I really don't see the issue, Futaba."

"It's embarrassing!" Futaba exclaimed.

"How is it embarrassing, Futaba-chan?" Sumire asked. "It's just you, sitting on an air mattress while eating noodles. To be honest, I think it's rather pleasant; like enjoying the little things about the one you love."

"Thank you, Sumire. I'm glad you understand," Yusuke nodded.

"It's one thing for Inari to see me like that, but an entire class of people!?" Futaba shuddered slightly.

"Regardless, I still don't see the issue, either," Makoto said as Haru showed her the picture. "It's a really nice painting. You're probably just overreacting, Futaba."

"Akiraaaa…" Futaba groaned. "Please tell them I'm not overreacting!" There was no response. "Akira?" She turned to him and saw that he was staring down at his work.

"Akira~?" Sumire singsongingly asked. Everyone turned to him; Akira was just staring at his math sheet.

"Boy, he sure is focused," Ann commented.

"You could learn a thing or two about focus from him, Ryuji," Morgana ribbed.

"Shuddup, Mona!"

"Guys!" Makoto scolded them before noticing that Akira wasn't even writing anything. "Akira, are you all right?"

"Huh?" Akira looked up from his homework and saw everyone looking at him. "Sorry, what?"

"Did you go somewhere?" Yusuke asked.

"Sorry, I was stumped on this math problem. Did you say something?"

"We wanted to know your opinion on the painting Yusuke painted of Futaba." Haru handed him the phone, and he examined the painting. Meanwhile, Sumire was unsure what just happened, but had reservations in her mind.

---

**September 2nd, 2018**

---

By this time, except for the cast he still had on his arm, Akira's wounds were completely healed. The scar on his forehead was barely noticeable, even without his messy hair mostly covering it. He felt ready for the new semester to start. While his first day back had gone well, today, Akira nervously walked into the lecture hall of Professor Nagata. The last time he was in there, things didn't go quite well, to say the least. He walked in and saw that Riku was already at his spot. He didn't notice Akira walking up to him.

"Is this seat taken?" Akira jokingly asked, smirking. Riku looked up, and his face lit up.

"Akira!? What are you doing here!?"

"What do you think? I'm here for the weekly lecture."

"Y-Yeah, but I thought you said you were taking a break?"

"Yeah, forget I said that. I wasn't in my right frame of mind."

"I'll say, you really freaked me out at the wedding reception. You doin' all right?"

"Yeah, I had kind of a rough summer…but I'm good now."

"Good to hear," Riku nodded and noticed his cast. "What happened to your arm, man?"

"Oh, just a minor accident. Don't worry about it." Akira sat down and felt a sense of déjà vu as he heard people whispering.

"Isn't that the guy that freaked out during the last lecture?"

"Didn't he threaten Nagata?"

"Hmph, and they still let him back on campus…"

"Didn't he have a seizure like right outside the hall?"

"What a freak."

Akira felt like he was back at Shujin, but it didn't bother him.

"Hey, don't listen to them, man," Riku nudged his shoulder.

"It's fine," Akira smiled. "I have thick skin."

"QUIET DOWN!" At that moment, Nagata walked into the hall, and the whole place went quiet. "Now, I hope you all enjoyed your summer break, and I equally hope you all had a nice first day back. But now, it is time to pay attention and focus all your attention on me." Nagata spotted Akira sitting at his seat, but didn't say anything for now. "Now then, picking up from where we left off last time…"

"Is it just me, or is he in a good mood?" Riku whispered to Akira.

"Yeah, seems like it." After the lecture was over and the bell rang, Akira and Riku got out of their seats. Akira was eagerly awaiting Tuesday lunch with Ann, Ryuji, Haru, and Makoto. He decided to invite Riku as well.

"I'll see you later, 'kay?" Riku said.

"Hold up, you said you changed your classes again, right?" Akira began.

"Yeah, I was taking a math class that was just waaayyy too tough. Why?"

"You free at eleven?"

"Yeah, why?"

"You wanna come and have lunch with us?" Akira offered.

"Really?" Akira nodded. "Sure, if you don't mind."

"Not at all," Akira smiled, and the two began walking out of the hall. "Oh, by the way, I wanted to ask-" Akira was interrupted by Nagata.

"Kurusu?" Akira turned around. "May I have a word with you?"

"I'll wait for you outside," Riku said as he exited the now empty lecture hall, Akira and Nagata being the sole exceptions. Akira walked over to Nagata's desk.

"Yes, Professor?" Akira was worried; Nagata sighed before speaking.

"How are you feeling?"

"Huh?" Akira was caught off guard by Nagata talking like this. He had noticed it during the lecture when he didn't throw out or even yell at a single student.

"I wanted to apologize to you about what happened in the last lecture. I realize now that I was in the wrong."

"It's all right, Professor, really."

"I recall you had a seizure when you left…or two if I remember correctly?"

"Yeah, I did. To be honest, the first two-thirds of the year was hard for me, but I'm all right now."

"Good, I'm glad to hear that," Nagata smiled; Akira never saw Nagata smile before. "Again, I'm sorry. You're a good student, Kurusu-kun. I hope you go far in life."

"Well, thank you, Professor. That's very nice of you." Akira's phone went off. Nagata took that as his cue to wrap it up.

"Well then, I've said all I needed to say," he softly smiled. "I'll see you next Tuesday then?"

"You bet," Akira nodded. "See you then," he said before heading out of the lecture hall. "All right, Nagata," he thought. "You're no longer Ushimaru 2.0." His phone dinged again; he checked to see who it was.

**Tuesday Lunch**

RS: yo Akira, still on for lunch?

AT: I'm already starving…

AK: definitely, btw, Riku is gonna join, that cool with you guys?

HO: Of course!

MN: Absolutely. The more, the merrier.

AK: Great, later everyone

Akira put away his phone and caught up to Riku in the hallway.

"So, what'd Nagata want?" Riku asked.

"He wanted to apologize to me for what happened last time."

"Really!?" Riku's eyes went wide. "I didn't think the word 'sorry' was part of his vocabulary." Riku thought for a second. "Though he did seem a lot more relaxed than the last semester."

"Yeah, he did. Hey, so, as I was saying, I had a favor I wanted to ask you."

"Sure, what's up?"

"Once I get this cast-off, do you have a guitar you could loan me?"

---

The following Saturday, in the late afternoon/early evening, Akira took the train to Shinjuku. Before going to his destination, he made a quick stop to go see Chihaya. He noticed her looking down at her cards, not sad, just concentrated.

"Chihaya?" Akira called out; she looked up from her table and began beaming. Without a word, she got up and rushed to hug him, to which Akira was not expecting. "Woah, slow down there, hehe."

"I knew it! I knew you'd be okay!" she beamed. "If there's anyone that can change fate, it's you, after all, haha!"

"Uh, hehe, what are you talking about?" Akira decided to play dumb.

"Sorry," Chihaya began as she pulled away. "I'm just thrilled to see you, Akira-kun," she smiled.

"I could tell from that hug." She noticed his cast.

"I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"Oh, no, no. I was just caught off guard, that's all. Anyway, I just wanted to swing by before my appointment with Maruki."

"Thank you, that's very nice of you," she beamed. "Well, I don't want to keep you. Have a nice rest of your day, Akira-kun."

"You too, Chihaya," Akira smiled back before walking away. He walked a bit more before coming up to a small office building. He entered the waiting room and hit the call button by the office door. Not long after, the office door opened.

"Akira-kun, it's good to see you again."

"You too, Doctor Maruki." The two smiled at each other.

"Please, come on in." Maruki let Akira into his office. They took seats opposite each other; Akira helped himself to a snack or two. "I was glad to receive your call the other day," Maruki said. "To be honest, I was hoping that I would hear from you again."

"Yeah, sorry about last time, Doc," Akira sighed. "I was messed up in the head."

"Are you still drinking?"

"No, not anymore. It was a dumb mistake."

"Well, cast aside, you seem to be doing well, a lot better than the last time we saw each other."

"Physically, yeah, I'm doing all right. Emotionally? Well, as you said, I'm a lot better, but I'm still not perfect."

"Would you like to tell me why?" Maruki asked as Akira opened one of the snacks he picked up.

"I have a lot I need to get off my chest…"

The following therapy session was heavy as Akira unloaded everything on Doctor Maruki; the wedding ceremony, running away, the fight outside Cinema City, the jail time, but most importantly, he finally told him about Tetsuya. Akira also admitted that Maruki was right about what he said about him being stuck in a place of anger, and not having moved on. It was a lot more than just that that affected Akira, obviously, but Maruki, now knowing the whole story behind Akira's past trauma, made it easier for him to try and help Akira through it. The only thing Akira didn't talk to Maruki about was the Theater of Pain. All things considered, it was more what happened before and after he entered the Palace that affected him the most. If anything, from what they told him, Akira thought it was the Phantom Thieves who might need therapy after what they saw in there.

"I'm terribly sorry about what happened, Akira-kun."

"Thanks, Doc," Akira said as he was sniffing in a tissue. After all, it had been over seven years since Akira cried. He had let out quite a lot in Inaba, but, as it turned out, he wasn't done. "You know, Sojiro Sakura once asked me, 'how do you heal emotional scars?' I told him that I didn't have an answer. What do you think?"

"Unfortunately, they don't heal. They'll always be there. All you can do is learn to live with them."

"Heh, right…" Akira sighed as he finished crying for good. "I kinda figured."

"However, sitting down and talking about them does help, don't you think?"

"I have to admit, it feels good to get all of that out in the open finally."

"Have you told your friends as well?"

"I've told Sumire, and I plan on telling the others soon."

"Are you afraid to tell them?"

"No…" Akira sighed, thinking back to what Joker said. "But I was…for a while, which is why I kept it to myself for so long."

"Why is that?"

"I don't know…fear of abandonment?"

"You thought they would abandon you if they found out?"

"No, not exactly," Akira shook his head. "Not if they found out. Just…that they would abandon me."

"Ah, I see…and you think this fear stemmed from what you told me happened to your father and brother?"

"Not just that…" Akira paused. "Do you, uh…have any experience with abuse?"

"Well, I haven't been a counselor for long, only about five years or so," Maruki began. "But yes, in my time, I've heard some pretty awful things from patients."

"That's not what I meant."

"Huh?" Maruki paused for a brief moment. "Oh…you mean personally?" Akira nodded. "Uh…no, I can't say that I have. Although, my parents did spank me whenever I did something bad as a kid." Akira chuckled slightly. "They were kind of old school in their parenting, but were, otherwise, loving, and caring. Why do you ask?"

"Remember how I said my mom went and worked part-time jobs after my father died to try and distract herself?"

"Mm-hm," Maruki nodded. "I do, yes."

"Well, last week, while I was home, she pulled me aside and told me the truth."

"What truth?"

"There were no part-time jobs; she just went drinking in a bar to try and cope."

"Oh, wow…" Maruki was stunned. "And do you resent her for that?"

"I'll be honest, I was a bit mad at first, but I understand why she did it. Everybody deals with grief in their own way."

"Have you forgiven her?" Maruki asked; Akira nodded.

"Yeah, she's done so much for me since then. I don't hold any of it against her, not even bringing that man home…"

"The man who abused you?"

"Yeah…"

"Hmm…" Maruki rubbed his chin. "I think I understand what you're saying. You believe that your mother leaving you at home with that man while she went to the bar contributed to your feelings of abandonment?"

"Something like that, yeah."

"I see. The losses you endured, mixed with your mother's actions, caused you to develop your fear of abandonment. Your mind tricked you into believing that because your father and brother passed away, and your mother left all alone, that meant everyone who was close to you would eventually leave you."

"I guess…"

"And when it came to your friends, you didn't want to be abandoned by anyone else, so you tried to push them away before they could leave you first. What I believe is that you weren't afraid of them walking away from you, you were afraid of losing them the same way you lost your father and brother. But you never stopped loving your friends, did you?"

"No, I never did," Akira shook his head.

"People who are abandoned at a young age tend to have a defense mechanism where they push people away before they have a chance to get close to them."

"Are you saying I have one of those?"

"Perhaps, but you never tried to push them away until recently, did you?"

"No, but I did always try to keep them all at arm's length, even Sumire. I never talked to any of them about my family or about my life back home during my probation year, and I only told them about my father after having known them for more than a year; even after they had visited my house."

"I see…" Maruki took notes.

"So, what? Do you think I have some kind of attachment disorder or something?"

"Oh, no, not at all, Akira-kun. After all, despite you never opening up to them, you always stuck by your friends, didn't you?"

"Yeah."

"You helped them out when they came to you for help?"

"Yeah."

"Were you glad to help them?"

"Absolutely."

"You no longer feel like abandoning your friends?" Akira felt like he was back in the Velvet Room and shook his head.

"Not at all."

"And you no longer feel like you'd be better off alone?" Akira smiled as he took a page out of his mother's book and quoted Bruce Springsteen.

"Ain't nobody like to be alone," he said in English.

"I'm sorry?" Maruki was confused; Akira chuckled before switching back to Japanese.

"Don't worry about it. The answer is no; I don't."

"Well, then no; I don't think you don't have an attachment disorder, Akira-kun. I think you're simply still trying to work through trauma you suffered because of the losses of your family members and your abuse. It will take some time, and like I said, I can't make those scars disappear, but I promise you, I will help you get through it."

"Thanks, Doc," Akira smiled. Maruki glanced at the time.

"I'm really sorry, Akira-kun, but I'm afraid our time is up. Same time next week?"

"I'd like that, yeah." Akira got up. "Thanks for agreeing to meet with me this late. I'm gonna assume I'm your last patient?"

"You'd be correct, haha."

"So, what's next for you now?" Akira asked. "Heading down to Crossroads?"

"Haha…" Maruki chuckled. "Not tonight, I'm afraid. I have plans."

"Oh?" Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

"Come on in!" Maruki said; the door opened and in-walked Hiromi Kimura in a casual date outfit consisting of a black blouse, jeans, and converse sneakers.

"Takuto? I hope I'm not inter—Akira-kun!?" Hiromi froze. Akira looked back at Maruki.

"Oh," he smirked. "I should have figured, hehe." Hiromi walked into the office.

"How are you doing? It's been a minute since we've seen you," she beamed.

"I'm doing well, thank you, Hiromi-san."

"How was your summer break?"

"Uh, it was something, to say the least." He looked at Maruki then back at her. "So, you guys are a thing now?"

"Well, you hooked us up," she reminded him. Akira blanked; he remembered Sojiro telling him he handed Hiromi Maruki's number, but he was having a blackout when he did so. Akira had heard of people doing crazy things while blacking out, but setting two lonely people up on a date? That's got to be a new one.

"So…you guys like each other?" Akira asked.

"It's probably still early to say, but we've enjoyed each other's company thus far, and we're interested to see where it goes," Maruki said.

"Yeah, we're in no hurry to figure it out. We're just taking our time," Hiromi added.

"Well, I'm happy for you both," Akira smiled. "I guess I should let you two get on with your date. Feel free to stop by Leblanc sometime; I'll whip you guys up some coffee and curry on the house."

"That's very nice of you!" Hiromi said. "We'll definitely take you up on that!"

"Have a good night, you two," Akira gave a head nod before walking out of the office. "Good for them," he thought. "Glad to know something good came of my blackouts."

---

**November 21st, 2018**

---

Akira had been keeping very busy the last couple of months. Since he got his cast off, he worked out with Ryuji, went to the art exhibits with Yusuke, ate God knows how many crêpes with Ann, grew vegetables with Haru, studied and practiced Aikido with Makoto, played video games and watched anime with Futaba, took Sumire on a date once a week, stayed up nights talking with Morgana (oh the irony), and they even all went to the movies together. Thankfully, it seemed like their most recent theater experience wasn't enough to put them off from going to see "Bohemian Rhapsody."

Of course, Akira always kept his mother and Rise informed of his doings. He texted with them fairly frequently in a family group chat Rise had set up with her, Akira, Kairi, Yu, and her parents, where she sent pictures of her and Yu on their honeymoon abroad. Kairi didn't respond as often to the group chat as everyone else, as she was fairly busy with work. However, she always made time whenever Akira called or messaged her. Whether he was dropping a line to catch her up on his news or forwarding her a meme Futaba had sent him, Kairi was never too busy for her son. She made sure to send memes of her own as well.

By this time one year ago, Akira felt in a mediocre state of mind, and by this time two years ago, he was beaten, tortured, and nearly killed. Now, Akira sat on his bed in his attic bedroom at Leblanc, warming up on guitar by playing blues licks on a sunburst Fender Stratocaster through a small practice amp that Riku had agreed to loan him on the condition that he come jam with him now and then. He couldn't crank the volume very loud, but it didn't matter much to him. The guitar being an electric rather than an acoustic meant that Akira could solo properly, which was harder to do on an acoustic due to limited access to the higher frets.

"Okay, I know what song to start with," Akira smirked. "Inoki-san taught me this one, way back when I was younger. He said it was a good song to show off with."

"Well, then, it's perfect for you!" Sumire chuckled before Akira looked at her.

"I love you, honey-bunny," Akira jokingly said to her in English before switching on the amp's overdrive setting and launching into the song, "Misirlou," the instrumental, surf-rock guitar track that served as the opening theme for the movie, "Pulp Fiction." Akira wowed the Thieves as he tremolo-picked the low E string and played the riff with gusto. He then repeated the riff on the high E string, upping the octave by two before ending with an E Major chord and adding vibrato by pushing and pulling the Stratocaster guitar's whammy bar. The Thieves applauded his opening act, and Akira bowed before looking back down at the guitar.

"So, what's next?" Morgana asked.

"Uhm…" That's when Akira was faced with a problem, he didn't know what to play next. "Give me a second, I'll think of something…" Thankfully, it didn't take him long to find something to play. In his mind, the perfect song popped into mind. Akira looked up from his guitar and around his room. His best friends were watching him and eagerly waited for him to wow them again. He knew exactly what song he wanted to play. "I couldn't quite do this one on the acoustic, but this is one of my favorites…" Akira said as he began playing the opening notes to "Under the Bridge" by the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

"OH! I love this one!" Ann exclaimed. "Mind if I sing?" Akira stopped playing to answer.

"Please do! I can't sing this one and play it at the same time. Come over here." Ann came and took a seat next to him on the bed. "I'll get the 'under the bridge downtown' part in the outro, though, 'kay?" Ann nodded. Akira started playing the opening notes once more, and Ann began singing. Though the song was about drug addiction, a few parallels could be made between the lyrics and Akira's life recently.

(Sometimes I feel like I don't have a partner)

(Sometimes I feel like my only friend)

(Is the city I live in, the city of angels)

(Lonely as I am, together we cry)

Ann sang just as beautifully as she did during their camping trip. Her voice was definitely prettier than Anthony Kiedis's voice; Akira wondered if she could rap "Give it Away." He played the song expertly, perfectly emulating John Frusciante, who himself perfectly emulated Jimi Hendrix. As the song progressed into the second verse, Akira got fancier with his playing, using embellishments, and playing mini licks and phrases in between the chords.

(I drive on her streets 'cause she's my companion)

(I walk through her hills 'cause she knows who I am)

(She sees my good deeds and she kisses me windy)

(Well, I never worry, now that is a lie)

Now came the part everyone was waiting for: the first chorus. Akira was really feeling it and played the chords with grit. It didn't quite hit as hard due to the lack of drums and bass to accompany them, but the other Thieves (minus Morgana, who didn't know the song) joining in helped make up for it. Akira felt another parallel.

(I don't ever wanna feel)

(Like I did that day)

(Take me to the place I love)

(Take me all the way)

(I don't ever wanna feel)

(Like I did that day)

(Take me to the place I love)

(Take me all the way)

Like the lyrics sang, Akira didn't want to feel like he did that day. Which one? Pretty much any day from last March to this past August when he was in his darkest mindset. As for the place he loved? He didn't need to be taken there; he already was there. By the second verse, Akira was feeling unstoppable. He felt like he and the Phantom Thieves could take on the whole world. Ann went back to singing the verse by herself, while Akira decided to show off by propping the guitar up on his thigh and playing it vertically.

(It's hard to believe that there's nobody out there)

(It's hard to believe that I'm all alone)

(At least I have her love, the city, she loves me)

(Lonely as I am, together we cry)

The second chorus kicked in:

(I don't ever wanna feel)

(Like I did that day)

(Take me to the place I love)

(Take me all the way)

(I don't ever wanna feel)

(Like I did that day)

(Take me to the place I love)

(Take me all the way)

Afterward, it was time for the key change and outro. Ann adlibbed the "Yeahs" and "Nos" as Akira strummed the chords and got ready to sing the choir part. Thankfully, the others would be there to help him with that part. It was in this section, however, that Akira felt the most considerable parallels between the song and his recent life experience. It made him think of when he left Yu and Rise's wedding reception and disappeared, taking shelter from the rain under a boardwalk on an unknown beach. As he sang his part and Ann sang the part after his, Akira got to thinking. He thought of still having the taste of blood in his mouth from biting his gums during his seizure in front of everyone.

(Under the bridge downtown)

(Is where I drew some blood)

He thought about his desperate need to drink.

(Under the bridge downtown)

(I could not get enough)

He thought about how he just left his friends and loved ones behind.

(Under the bridge downtown)

(Forgot about my love)

He thought about how he nearly lost everything he cared about.

(Under the bridge downtown)

(I gave my life away)

Akira replaced the word 'bridge' with 'boardwalk' in his mind; suddenly, it sounded like a crackpot conspiracy theory.

(Yeah, yeah)

(Oh, no, no-no-no, yeah, yeah)

(Oh, no, I said, oh, yeah, yeah)

(Where I stay)

Akira couldn't help but chuckle, though. He was thinking too deeply about it. Akira wasn't in that place anymore. He wasn't drawing blood anymore; he wasn't itching to drink; he wasn't abandoning anyone, and he wasn't giving his life away. Akira wasn't under a bridge or a boardwalk; he was right where he belonged. After strumming the final A chord, the room erupted into applause for him and Ann.

"Thank you for that!" Ann said as she grabbed and held him tight.

"Always a pleasure," he smiled before she went back to her seat in Ryuji's lap.

"You're amazin' you know that?" Ryuji said to her.

"Heehee, thank you," she kissed him in response.

"Was it as good for all of you as it was for me?" Akira chuckled at his conscious choice of words.

"That was absolutely breathtaking," Yusuke said, astounded.

"When I was younger, that was one I wanted to learn for a long time," Akira began. "I would spend hours practicing just that song, not bothering to learn chords or scales, or any of that stuff. Doing it on an acoustic was tough, though."

"Well, I think you did amazingly!" Sumire smiled before leaning in to kiss him.

"Agreed!" Yusuke began. "I admire the dedication you have for honing your craft."

"Thanks, Yusuke. I appreciate it," Akira smiled.

"So, what else can you play?" Morgana asked.

"Oh! Oh! I have a request! The Phoenix Ranger Featherman R theme!" Futaba excitedly requested.

"Ah, I don't know that one by heart; I'd have to listen to it a few times," Akira rubbed the back of his head.

"I seem to recall Rise-san telling us you could play any song you heard on the radio, just like that," Sumire snapped her fingers.

"Hehe, she was exaggerating," Akira chuckled. "I have a good ear, but it's not THAT good."

"What about 'Free Bird,' can ya play that?" Ryuji grinned.

"Really? Again?" Akira glared at him.

"God, you're annoying…" Morgana rolled his eyes.

"What? I'm just throwin' out some suggestions," Ryuji shrugged.

"Dude! That's the lamest music meme ever," Futaba said, rolling her eyes. "You might as well be asking him to play 'All-Star' or something."

"…anyway, here's 'Wonderwall,' hehe," Akira chuckled before playing the opening chords to "Wonderwall." His friends playfully booed him because no…just no.

"Speaking of lame music memes…" Futaba muttered.

"FREE BIRD!" Ryuji stubbornly yelled. Akira stopped playing.

"I got your free bird, right here." Akira playfully gestured his middle finger without raising it; everyone laughed.

"Aw, c'mon!" Ann began. "We just wanna see you do… you know, *meedily meedily* stuff," Akira laughed.

"Meedily meedily?" Haru began. "I think you mean 'soloing,' Ann," she giggled.

"Right, meedily meedily is what you do on an air guitar," Akira added. "Which any one of you could do."

"Morgana couldn't," Ryuji snickered.

"Hey! I bet I could play way better than you, you blond monkey!" Morgana shouted.

"Yeah, right! You don't even have fingers!"

"We're talking about air guitar…" Makoto facepalmed.

"Besides, if I wanted to play stuff like that, I'd have to turn up the gain, which would definitely get me in trouble, and I'd really rather not have my probation be broken because of a noise complaint of all things," Akira said.

"Oh, yeah, good point…" Ann rubbed the back of her head.

"Smart thinking," Makoto added.

"Have you thought about soundproofing the attic?" Yusuke suggested.

"Nah, that wouldn't stop 'Taba's bugs." Akira joked.

"Ha-ha," Futaba feigned laughter. Akira thought for a second.

"Well~? We're waiting~…" Sumire chuckled.

"Give me a second. God, why is it always hard to find songs to play in front of an audience?" he exhaled and spoke under his breath.

"Did your brother ever play?" Morgana asked.

"Nah, not really. Inoki-san tried to teach him, but Tetsuya never really took to it," Akira responded.

"What did he take to?" Haru asked; Akira realized that, despite telling them all about Tetsuya's passing, he never talked about what he was like before his death. Akira also realized, just then, that he was thinking about Tetsuya without getting sad for the first time in…well, ever.

"Well, like I've told you guys before, he was a daredevil. Like my dad, he liked to draw…oh, and he also worked out a lot."

"Sounds like my kinda guy!" Ryuji said as everyone looked at him in shock. "Oh! Crap! I-uh…I-I didn't mean it like that!" he quickly said as everyone laughed.

"He also did some judo; he was really good too. He even won first-place in a tournament one time."

"Impressive!" Makoto nodded. "Being a black belt in Aikido, I wonder if I could've taken him on myself?"

"I wouldn't bet on it if I were you, hehe. He was going up against adults, and still won."

"Damn…that's insane!" Ryuji's eyes went wide.

"He sounds very sporty," Haru smiled.

"He had a good heart, you know? I remember this one time, he started working at this second-rate convenience store called 'Urban Pantry' that our family would always go to. It was his first job, and he left after only three days."

"What? Why?" Ann asked, chuckling.

"Well, like I said, the place was pretty lousy. It was the kind of place that sold day-old bread and stuff like that. Anyway, on his third day working there, they got in a shipment of expired melon pan. The owner wanted him to use hairspray to wipe away the expiration date. Tetsuya didn't want to do it; he knew it wasn't right to pull a fast one on people by helping to sell them crap, so he quit. He later told me that, on the way back, he realized, 'Wait a minute, I ate that crap!'" The Thieves laughed. "After that, we never went to that store again, and they went out of business a few months later."

"He sounds like a terrific human being," Yusuke said.

"Oh, you guys would've loved him. Honestly, he probably would've been just as good of a leader, if not better than me."

"I can't imagine that. You were a tremendous leader, Akira," Makoto warmly said. Akira blushed and thought for a moment before smiling.

"But mostly, what he really loved to do was tease me," Akira chuckled, as did everyone else.

"Oooh, d'you have any 'big brother' stories?" Futaba asked.

"TONS," Akira responded. "But, looking back, this one's one of my favorites…" The Thieves listened intently. "So, when I was younger, I used to be terrified of ghosts. Makoto, you and I would've probably bonded over that had we met back then." Akira and Makoto shared a laugh. "Anyway, one summer, when I was six years old, Rise came over for a sleepover. She spent a lot of time at our house since her parents were always so busy. Her grandmother mostly looked after her when they were gone, but even still, she was at our house most days of the week and slept over at least once a month. So, whenever she'd sleep over, her, Tetsuya and I would all sleep in the living room. We'd even put up our own makeshift-tent."

"That sounds so fun!" Ann beamed.

"It was great, haha…well, except this one time…" Akira sighed and chuckled before continuing. "So, it's getting kinda late; Mom and Dad are asleep, but the three of us are swapping ghost stories, doing the thing with the flashlight under our faces and stuff. And my brother tells a story of how my room was supposedly haunted. I don't remember the whole story, but it was something about how one of our ancestors had supposedly passed away in there or something like that, and now his or her ghost was haunting the room and moving stuff around. Being the naive six-year-old that I was, I bought it. I put on a brave face on the outside, but on the inside, I was freaking out. Tetsuya said, 'Oh, well, if you're not scared, go sleep in your room, tonight,' and I said, 'okay.' I go to bed, fall asleep surprisingly easily, and wake up the next morning feeling fine."

"That doesn't sound too bad," Morgana thought aloud.

"That is…" Akira continued.

"Oh, boy, here it comes…" Ryuji chuckled.

"…until I looked around and noticed some books were neatly but randomly stacked on the floor, picture frames were moved across the room, and the lamp I kept on my bedside table was completely gone."

"Oh my…" Yusuke chuckled.

"I was so scared that when I went down to the dining room for breakfast, I was so pale that my mom thought I was getting sick. I looked over at Tetsuya and Rise; the two of them were giggling profusely, but trying really hard to hide it. My dad noticed them and went, '*sigh* okay…what'd you two chowderheads do to him this time?' and they said, 'Nothing. Nothing at all,' all while trying to keep a straight face. I found out later that, during the night, Tetsuya had snuck into my room while I was asleep, and moved a bunch of my stuff around. I really should've seen the whole thing coming…" Akira sighed as the Thieves chuckled.

"What happened to the lamp?" Sumire asked; Akira laughed before answering.

"Uh, haha… I found it when I went to the bathroom. The lamp was in the toilet." The room erupted with laughter. "Yeah…my brother was kind of a dick sometimes, but he still loved me. Him teasing me was just his way of showing it." Akira smiled; he also loved his brother. He still felt awful for having zapped him from his mind for several years, even though it wasn't his fault. Since his change of heart, plenty of old memories of Tetsuya had come flooding back to Akira; all of them positive. Akira never had another nightmare about the river ever again.

"Do you think you could teach us?" Makoto asked Akira.

"What, you mean guitar?" Makoto nodded. "You guys really want to learn?"

"Maybe we could all start a band?" Futaba jokingly suggested.

"Pfft, yeah, right," Ryuji rolled his eyes.

"A musical group comprised of only guitars may not do so well, success-wise," Haru pondered; Akira started strumming and picking some random chord progression.

"I mean, I could teach you guys a few things, it's not…" Akira stopped talking and playing for a few seconds as he looked slightly down. Everyone looked confused. "…wait, what was I saying? Oh, right, it's not that hard," he said as he started strumming again.

"Why did you pause?" Yusuke asked; Akira raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" Akira stopped playing once again.

"You stopped playing and talking for a brief moment."

"…" Akira just stared.

"…Akira?" Sumire asked, starting to worry.

"A-Are you all right?" Haru worriedly asked.

"Um…sorry, guys…" Akira began as he unplugged the guitar and put it down on the bed before taking a deep breath. "The show's over; I'm not feeling well…" The group understood but were concerned.

"I-Is there anything we can do for you?" Makoto asked, also feeling concern for her friend.

"No, no, I think I'm okay." Akira stood up; he began rubbing his hand and breathing in a slightly erratic way. They noticed his eyes were slightly rolled upward.

"Uh, Akira, you really don't look okay…" Morgana said.

"Yeah…you look kinda pale too…" Futaba noted.

"Y-You sure you don't wanna sit down…?" Ann worriedly asked; Akira shook his head and took a step forward.

"I'm just gonna—" Akira began to lose balance; he tried catching himself on the shelf, but ended up slamming into it, knocking a few items off, before collapsing to the floor. Everyone gasped. Akira's body began violently jerking as he experienced his first seizure since the wedding reception, or, more accurately, since his nightmare in the holding cell.

"Shit! Not again! I'll get Boss!" Ryuji panicked and ran downstairs.

"Futaba-chan! Hand me the pillows! Quickly!" Sumire demanded. She didn't panic; she had dealt with this before, but the question was, why was it happening again?

A few days later, Akira and Sumire got their answer when they went back to see Doctor Kimura. Hiromi had Akira take another blood test and another EEG test. Last time, she found nothing, but this time, she found something. Akira had a tiny bit of brain damage, a small tear in his cerebrum. He recalled his head bouncing off the cell bars and the stamps on his head courtesy of Joker in the Theater of Pain, but he also remembered something else. When Satanael's Megidolaon beam sent him flying, he felt the back of his head bounce hard off the stage floor. There was also the brawl with the trio; he was knocked to the ground, and his forehead was busted open on the concrete. Akira didn't know whether it was one of those or all of the above, not that it mattered, in the end. The result was the same.

"I'm sorry to say, Akira-kun…" Hiromi somberly began. "But I'm afraid you have epilepsy." Akira and Sumire's hearts dropped.

"So, what should we do, Kimura-san?" Sumire asked.

"Well, the good news is now that I've isolated the issue, I can get Akira-kun started on the proper treatment. It was a lot harder last time because his brain was perfectly healthy. But we're not completely in the dark this time." Hiromi began writing a prescription before turning to Akira. "You'll have to make a couple of changes to your everyday life, but nothing major; don't worry. Unless medical advancements are made in the future, I'm afraid you'll have to take medicine for life, but as long as you keep up your treatment, you may go long periods of time without experiencing a tonic seizure. Hell, they might even stop altogether, but that doesn't mean you should stop taking medicine, do you understand?"

"Yes, Hiromi-san," Akira nodded as he and Sumire got up out of their seats. "Thank you very much."

"All right, well, I'll see you both very soon." Hiromi got out of her chair. "Akira-kun, I will see you next month for a check-up?"

"You got it." Akira and Sumire said goodbye and left her office. They got in the elevator; Akira had a look of despair on his face as he looked down at the ground. He was worried; he hoped he could put everything about this past year behind him, but now, every time he had a seizure, he would be reminded of one of the darkest times of his life.

"Hey…" Sumire grabbed his hand. Akira looked at her; she was smiling. "Don't worry; I'll always be by your side." Akira smiled back. He wasn't worried anymore. Sumire gently pressed her head against his arm. "Everything's going to be okay."

---

**Eight Years Later — Kurusu Home**

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*Knock* *Knock*

Kairi opened Akira's bedroom door and walked in to find him sitting at his desk, staring at something.

"Akira? Sweetie…?" she asked. Akira turned to face her.

"Oh, hey, Mom. What's up?"

"It's almost time to go…" she paused. "W-Were you having a micro seizure?"

"No, no, definitely not. I was just working on my vows."

"Oh, okay, phew. It just looked like you were staring at something."

"Good catch, hehe. I was staring at this." He held up the Kurusu family dog tag. "I was going to wear it at the wedding."

"I think that's a great idea. A nice way to have your father and brother with you," Kairi smiled. Akira stood up and faced her. She put her arms around her son and looked him in the eyes. "They would be both so proud of you; I hope you know that."

"I know they would," Akira smiled and nodded before hugging his mother tightly.

The room Akira was in was filled with framed pictures on the walls, and on the desk. Memories like Akira, Ann, and Ryuji together at their college graduation ceremony, the grand opening of Akira's restaurant/café, Sumire standing on a first-place podium with a gold medal around her neck, the Phantom Thieves all together at Ann and Ryuji's wedding, and of course, a picture of Akira and Sumire's newborn twins. A lot can change in eight years. Relationships can vary, and people can grow closer to each other or further apart. Some of the strongest friendships can escape falling into the latter, but even then, life often gets in the way. Life, unfortunately, got in the way of the relationships between the Phantom Thieves.

Ann Takamaki got a big modeling break after college and had to move to New York. Despite being terrified, she had nothing to worry about as Ryuji Sakamoto followed her to the big apple. Ann's agency tried hooking her up with a personal trainer, but she balked at their proposition and hired Ryuji as her personal trainer instead. Soon, he got an excellent job as a personal trainer to other models. Despite this, Ryuji and Ann stayed together; he proposed to her on Liberty Island, and the two married not long after. The first couple of the Phantom Thieves to get married.

Yusuke Kitagawa felt a burst of creativity for pretty much the entirety of his time at university and just kept painting and painting. Now, he has two art galleries named after his mother in Tokyo and Kyoto. Sadly, he's still not great with money. Futaba Sakura finished high school and entered college, but dropped out after a year when she became the youngest person to join the biggest tech company in Japan. She now works as senior IT president at a tech company in Kyoto. Furthermore, after she and Yusuke finally consummated their love, they wondered what the hell they had been doing waiting this long, and have been going at it pretty much every chance they get. They're not married yet, but let's just say their honeymoon period is going to last a loooooong time.

Makoto Niijima and Haru Okumura were the only ones to stay in Tokyo. Just as she desired, Makoto worked hard and joined the Tokyo police services. She is currently known as the tough-talking, no-bullshit-taking Chief Inspector Niijima. She'll make it to Commissioner in no time. Haru, meanwhile, achieved her goal and opened her own chain of cafés, 'Le Café du Phantôme.' She is currently working to expand her chain all over Japan and has even opened one up in Inaba. Though, because of that, she has been involved in a bit of a rivalry with Akira and his 'Showtime' restaurant/café. The two friends do keep it professional and friendly, however. Haru and Makoto are still together and refuse to leave each other's side. It's only a matter of time before they both become Mrs. Niijima-Okumura…or Okumura-Niijima (they have yet to agree on the last name).

Yu Narukami is now known as Detective Narukami. He and Rise Narukami settled down in Inaba with their first child, a boy, and are currently expecting another. Rise did take a break from her idol work in order to take care of her son, but, before she got pregnant for a second time, she still kept working hard, occasionally bringing her son with her on tour, and even performed a few times while pregnant. People ask her what life is like on tour; is it wild? Is it bombastic? Her response: "When I'm on stage, I feel like a goddess on a mountain top, burning like a silver flame *wink.* When I'm not on stage, I'm in my tour-bus with my son, feeding him, bathing him, playing with him, and changing his diapers. The bus might be filled with kid toys and reek of dirty diapers, but I wouldn't have it any other way." She's clearly happy with what she does.

Despite how busy she was as a teacher, Kairi Kurusu never stopped writing. Like Yusuke, she also found a burst of creativity. She still wrote tons of original stories, both in Japanese and English, short and long, and even got a few novellas officially published. They ranged from quirky old west tales, to serious slice-of-life dramas, to stories about a woman living with a talking cat. "Write what you know," she always says. Her biggest project, however, is a screenplay about being the mother of two vigilante monster slayers who call upon their inner-rebel and harness their powers in another world based around human cognition. Remember that mantra? She clearly does. Despite never wanting to go through another Palace ever again, a part of her does wish she could return to the Metaverse for more inspiration.

Sumire Yoshizawa realized the dream she and her late-twin sister had set out for each other when she helped the women's Japanese team bring home gold medals in rhythmic gymnastics during the 2024 Olympics in Paris. Afterward, she and Akira Kurusu celebrated in a hotel room overlooking the Eiffel Tower. Nine months later, Sumire gave birth to twins. Rio and Hana Kurusu; a boy with black hair and red eyes and a girl with red hair and dark silver eyes. They settled down in Inaba and moved into the Kurusu home after Kairi announced that she would soon leave Japan and move to San Francisco. Despite her writing talents and accomplishments, she still wanted professional tutoring and decided to try for that screenwriting degree she wanted to get before she had Tetsuya. And maybe take a trip down to Asbury Park, New Jersey, the home of the Boss as well. After Kairi finally got comfortable with the fact that Morgana could talk, the two grew even closer to each other and, with Akira's blessing, Morgana said that he'd be going with her to America. Akira was a bit sad when he found out his mother and partner would be moving away, but they reminded him that it wasn't 'goodbye,' it was 'I'll see you later.'

However, before she left, there was still one more event she had to attend; something she wouldn't miss for the world: her son's wedding.

"Nice turn-out," Ryuji said as he looked around the church.

"Mm-hm…" Akira responded.

"Probably could've gotten more with an open-bar, hehe," Ryuji chuckled.

"Ryuji, it's a wedding, not a funeral," Akira rolled his eyes. "Besides, why would I want more people when I have ebverybody I could possibly want right here."

Akira looked around the church. All his confidants were there, Takemi, Chihaya, Kawakami, Ohya, Sojiro, Sae, Shiho, the Investigation Team, the Dojimas, the Kujikawas, the Yoshizawas (who were watching the twins), Coach Hiraguchi, Naito Inoki, and his boyfriend Kota, Riku, who was taking pictures, and his mother who was holding Morgana in her arms. Friends and family that he couldn't imagine ever leaving behind. By his side stood Ryuji, Yu, Yusuke, and Makoto, while on the opposite side stood Rise, Ann, Futaba, and Haru. While Akira picked Ryuji as his best man, Sumire picked Rise as her maid of honor. Like Yu and Rise before them, Akira and Sumire didn't want a big, extravagant wedding. They just wanted their closest friends and family. Ironically, their guest list surpassed Yu and Rise's by quite a bit. It turns out there were just too many people they couldn't afford not to invite. He knew he didn't have anything to worry about, but the longer Akira waited, the more nervous he got.

"Count to four, inhale…" Akira thought.

"Hey, man, you okay?" Ryuji whispered to Akira, who he noticed was shaking as he stood at the altar, waiting for the love of his life to walk down the aisle.

"Y-Yeah, just nerves, that's all…" he assured his best man.

"You're not gonna have a seizure, are ya?"

"Eh, I dunno, maybe…?" Akira deadpanned.

"WHAT!?" Ryuji's voice echoed throughout the church as everyone turned to him.

"Ryuji! Voice!" Ann whispered loudly from across the altar.

"Sorry, but you had freaked me out there, man!" he whispered to Akira.

"Relax, I haven't had a seizure in almost a year; I'll be fine," Akira assured him.

"It'd suck to have one now," Ryuji muttered.

"Heh, tell me about it. I'd rather not be three-for-three when it comes to me having seizures at weddings."

"You only had a small one at mine an' Ann's wedding reception, though."

"Yeah, while I was giving the best man speech," Akira shook his head. "God, that was embarrassing…" Akira felt a tug on his sleeve; he looked down at his and Sumire's five-year-old godson (technically, first cousin once removed but eh), Yu and Rise's first child. "What's up, Tetsuya?"

"A-Are you okay, Ojisan? R-Ryuji-san was loud," the child said.

"I'm okay, don't worry," Akira whispered. "Ryuji's just loud and obnoxious as usual, hehe."

"HEY!" Another echo. Yu, who was standing next to Ryuji gave him a nudge. "…oops." Ryuji quickly shut his mouth. Akira looked back down at Tetsuya.

"See what I mean?" he said before smiling and winking at him. "Now, go back to your spot, okay, buddy?" The child nodded and went back to sit with the other kids, of which there weren't that many, oddly enough. The only other child (aside from his and Sumire's twins) was Mei Maruki, daughter of Takuto and Hiromi Maruki. Thanks to Akira, he found love again and she finally found the right person. Akira started chuckling at Ryuji's mishaps.

"What's so funny?" Ryuji asked.

"You never change do you?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ryuji raised an eyebrow.

"Haha, nothing, just that I love you, man," Akira smiled at him.

"Pretty sure you're supposed to say that to the bride and not me."

"Fine, I hate you," Akira deadpanned.

"Can you even say the word, 'hate' in a church?"

"Tch, shut up."

As he stood at the altar, Akira felt truly happy. He didn't think things could get better, but somehow, when the music started playing, and everyone turned towards the opening church doors, it got better.

Sumire walked down the aisle in a beautiful white dress. Akira thought he was experiencing another blackout as he watched her come down the aisle. Both she and the surrounding scenery seemed to glow brightly. He remembered the first time he blacked out on the subway when he looked out at the window and saw Tokyo in rainbows. Akira knew he wasn't blacking out now, but he still felt the same as he did then, euphoric. Akira and Sumire stood before each other, staring into each other's eyes through her veil as they listened to the priest talk.

"Now, then, I understand you have written your own vows?" the priest said, turning to Akira.

"Yes…" Akira reached into his pocket for a piece of paper. "…uh oh." But it wasn't there. He realized he had left his vows on his desk at home. "…uh, this is embarrassing, hehe." He thought for a second. "You know what? I'm just going to wing it."

He cleared his throat and began speaking into the microphone that was placed between him and Sumire, straight from the heart.

"Sumire, my life has been marked by a lot of things; loss, hurt, tragedy, injustice…but it's also been marked by love, healing, joy, and happiness, and for that, I want to thank you. My life with you has been nothing short of amazing. When I was at my lowest point, many were there to lift me back up. And while I'm thankful to all of them, you know who you are," he winked, "I am most grateful to you because all it took was one look at you to keep me from making the biggest mistake in my entire life. I could talk forever about how you saved my life, but all I'll say is this: When I stumble and fall, I hope you'll always be there to pick me back up because that's just who you are and why I love you, Sumire." The bridesmaids and guests began to tear up. "Whether you're leaping in the air to catch a little girl's balloon or kneeling down to put my head on a pillow when I have a…well, you know…"Akira tapped on the epilepsy medical bracelet he was wearing under his sleeve before continuing. "You're always willing to help others and put them before yourself, and I hope that you will never change." Sumire couldn't hold back anymore and shed a single tear of joy. "Nine years ago, you gave me a ring for Christmas. I jokingly asked if you were proposing to me, and you turned redder than your hair." The guests laughed. "You told me that it was a gift from the heart, and I told you that I fully intended to marry you in the future. Well, today, I fulfill that promise. I vow to always be at your side. I love you, Sumire, and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you, Rio, and Hana, at my side. You'll always be my hero…and I will always be your Senpai… you and I, we're gonna live forever~."

Akira smirked as he switched to English and sang the falsetto part of the Oasis song "Live Forever." Sumire quietly let tears fall down her face. The church applauded as Akira finished his reciting his vows. For a guy winging it, he didn't feel like he did too badly. The priest then allowed Sumire to recite hers. She wiped a couple of tears from her face and started reading what she had written.

"Akira," she began, "during my first year of high school, at Shujin Academy, there was a school festival on the 26th of October, 2016. Do you remember? I was still calling you 'Senpai,' then, heehee," Sumire giggled; Akira nodded. "We decided to go to the post-festival party together. Before the student-sharing special, the dance club began performing. Ironically, being a rhythmic gymnast myself, I was unaware the school even had a dance club." The guests chuckled. "We both felt awkward at the fact that we were the only ones just standing around while everyone else was dancing, so I suggested we join in. You said, and I quote, 'It's showtime!' as you always did, and then, to my surprise, you impressed me by busting out some pretty stylish dance moves." Akira chuckled and nodded once again.

"I didn't know you could dance?" Ryuji leaned in and whispered to Akira. The bride and groom both glared at him. "…sorry…" He quietly stepped back as Sumire continued.

"Anyway, afterward, members of the dance club asked me for a favor. I told you to wait for me and to watch for what happened next. I walked in the middle of everyone in the gym and started dancing. All the other students were staring at me, but as far as I was concerned, only one person was watching me, and that was you. I ignored the gasps, cheers, and other reactions from the onlookers and just let the music guide me. I danced my heart out, and then extended my hand out to you. You smirked, walked out onto the dance floor, took my hand, and kissed me in front of everyone, which I was not expecting, but knowing you, I should've seen it coming." The church once again chuckled as Akira wiggled his eyebrows and winked at the guests. "After that, I knew that with you at my side, I didn't have anything to be afraid of. From the moment I met you, I knew you would be the one for me, and I am so happy that I was right. I didn't just save you; we saved each other. I, too, vow to always be at your side. I love you, Akira…and I can't wait to become your wife."

Once again, the church applauded; the bridesmaids, and Makoto on the groomsmen's side, were a mess of tears of joy, and the priest asked for the rings. Sumire slipped the wedding band on Akira's finger, while he pulled out his own wedding band and slipped it on Sumire's finger. Hers, however, had an engraving from Akira:

"To Sumire, My One, My Only, My Violet."

"Now then," the priest began, "do you, Akira Kurusu, take Sumire to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do."

"And do you, Sumire Kurusu, take Akira to be your lawfully wedded husband."

"I do."

"I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride." Akira and Sumire had kissed hundreds of thousands of times before, but this one felt different. When he lifted her veil and leaned in to kiss the woman who was now his wife, it felt like they were now complete, like they now had everything they ever wanted. At the reception, they each picked a song for their first dance. Akira's pick came on first; "How Deep Is Your Love" by the Bee Gees.

"Oh, this song!" Sumire realized; They talked while they danced.

"I figured it was our song."

"I feel like we have multiple songs," she giggled.

"Yeah, but ever since I played this for you that one time we went camping, I considered it to be our definitive track."

"I remember. One of the few good memories we have from that year. I love this, but I think I like your version better."

"I'll play it for you sometime, but not here. That version I want to keep just for us," Akira smiled. After the song was over, they waited for the next song to start. "So, what did you pick?"

"I had some trouble picking a song, so I asked for some help." Suddenly, U2's "All I Want Is You" started up, and the two of them started dancing once again.

"Hmm…" Akira thought aloud. "I haven't heard this song in forever."

"Really?"

"Yeah, Mom told me she and my dad had their first kiss to this son, so it's funny you should pick it for our first dance."

"Who do you think suggested it to me?" Sumire winked at him.

"Oh, hehe," Akira chuckled. "I should've figured."

"Let's not talk anymore, let's just enjoy this moment." Sumire suggested. Again, who was Akira to argue.

He and Sumire kept dancing; she put her head in his chest. As the second chorus came on, with all the instruments playing, Akira spotted his mother tearfully watching from the crowd. He lifted his right hand up and slowly waved at her. She happily waved back, thrilled that she had the chance to be here, but sad that Minoru and Tetsuya couldn't be here to witness this. Wherever they were, she knew they were proudly watching, though, and she found comfort in knowing that Akira was here, happy, healthy, and safe; precisely what she wanted for him. Later in the reception, Akira went to his mother and handed her his faux glasses.

"Do you mind hanging on to these for me?"

"Why do you still wear them?" Kairi asked.

"Can't help it. It's part of my signature look. Can't imagine myself not wearing them," he responded with a wink and a smirk on his face before heading off.

"Un-freaking-believable…" Kairi scoffed.

"What is it, Kai?" Morgana asked.

"He stole my line," Kairi said as she shook her head and smiled profusely before she and Morgana chuckled to each other. Akira got on stage and walked up to the microphone.

"Hi, excuse me, everyone? Hello," he greeted as he strapped a black Gibson Les Paul guitar around himself. "I want to thank you all for being here today; it means a lot to Sumire and me." He cleared his throat as the band around him got ready. "I want to tell you all a little story. My parents met in the third grade. My mother was the new girl in school, and she met my father on her first day. They didn't say anything; they just stared at each other. Kinda like when you and I first met, Ann." The hall chuckled, and Ann, standing next to him in front of another microphone, blushed. "Anyway, a few days later, he found himself sitting on a bench listening to a song from his favorite band, the Eagles, when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around and saw my mother, Kairi Kurusu, over there. Let's give her a round of applause, huh?" Akira pointed out to his mother, who blushed when everyone turned to her and clapped. "He turned around and saw her wearing a white dress. When he told my brother and me that story when we were younger, he told us that there was a lyric in the song about searching for an angel in white and that she was his." Everyone awed. "Well, today I would like to sing that song for you all, but I'm going to need some help, so I want to introduce the people up here on stage with me. Riku Ibushi on the drums. Yu Narukami on the bass guitar. Nanako Dojima on the keyboard. Naito Inoki on co-lead guitar. Ann Sakamoto and Rise Narukami on backup vocals. Finally, I am Akira Kurusu."

"WOOOOOO!" The guests cheered and applauded for every member and eagerly awaited the performance. Akira pulled out something from under his shirt; It was the original Kurusu family dog tag. There wasn't enough room for Rio and Hana's names, so he made them their own. He held up the dog tag in front of everyone.

"I want to dedicate this to my late father, Minoru Kurusu, my late brother, Tetsuya Kurusu; I love you guys, and I miss you." The guests applauded. Akira felt emotional as he tucked the dog tag back into his shirt.

He thought about his father and his brother; they were gone, but it was all right.

"But most importantly, I want to dedicate this to my wife, my own angel in white, Sumire Kurusu. I love you." He looked in the crowd and saw Sumire holding on to their young children as she smiled and mouthed "I love you" back at him. Akira closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and smiled. "It's showtime," he thought as he re-opened his eyes. "This was my dad's favorite song, and it's called 'One of These Nights'."

Fin.

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That's it. Hope you enjoyed ;)