AN: Will my brain just leave me alone for five minutes?! I'm supposed to be in school, damnit; I can't be focusing on Persona 5!

Did anyone else feel that the scene in the P5 Anime where Futaba's uncle accuses Ren of causing him to fall was a little underused? I was surprised Ren didn't react more, considering the flashback of Shido we got so many times throughout both the game and the anime. And Akechi was right there, too! So this is just a little one-shot about how I wish it had played out. You guys can take it as RenxAkechi if you want, but I don't exactly intend it like that.

A Side to You I've Never Seen

"I can understand how she feels. When I was a kid, my mother got into a relationship with a really terrible man. She was abandoned by him quickly when he found out that she was pregnant. Needless to say, she got depressed, and that sadness led to her death. But he was long gone. I bounced in and out of foster homes for years. But, I think I'm handling myself well on my own. Anyway, that's enough about my life-story. I'd appreciate it if you kept it to yourself."

"This is all because of you! You did this-!"

"I can't believe how much that hurts! Your little prison-escapee shoved me! This is assault! I'm suing!"

"Damn brat! I'll sue! ...You have no idea the hornet's nest you just poked, kid."

Ren Amamiya was such an intriguing specimen, Goro thought. Quiet, unassuming, yet with determination to act on his own sense of justice. The younger teenager was so aloof, his expression unreadable to almost everyone. Goro yearned to make that blank expression crack, to see Ren in his entirety. Perhaps that would be his greatest victory over the leader of the Phantom Thieves.

Yet...now he saw an entirely different side to his rival.

Futaba's uncle was little threat to any of them, Goro thought disdainfully. A pitiful waste of a man. However, when that man wildly accused Ren of ruining his chances of regaining custody of Futaba, he slipped and fell. Harmless enough; he'd have a bruised ego, along with actual bruises due to his own stupidity.

Then he uttered that one sentence. He ranted about assault and suing both Sojiro and Ren before storming out of Leblanc; Goro watched the man leave, disgust for the corrupted adults of this world surging forward. The hidden assassin clenched his fists. He turned to Ren to ask his opinion on what had just happened, only to see something entirely unexpected.

Ren stood absolutely still, except for minute tremors. His dark gray eyes were wide behind his (fake) glasses, mouth open. He looked...

Scared. At the very least, worried.

Sojiro didn't seem to notice, gruffly telling his ward that he was heading home to check on Futaba in case her uncle decided to try his luck there next.

Ren still didn't move.

Goro nearly left as well, partially turned towards the door before something stopped him. Maybe it was Robin Hood, the vague remnants of a child's sense of justice and righteousness. Or perhaps...no, Goro refused to entertain the thought that it was any sense of friendship. Ren was his rival, his enemy, his victim. Goro's plan required Ren to die at a very specific time, and not one minute before. That was the only reason he would ever care about how Ren was doing.

So the Detective Prince turned around and walked over to Ren's side, plastering a concerned expression across his face. Ren still didn't react, even as Goro sighed and said, "Come on, Amamiya."

He managed to get the Phantom Thieves' fearless leader (ha) up the stairs into his bedroom/attic, guiding him over to the futon propped up on milk crates before making him sit down. Ren only reacted once Goro reached over to take his glasses off, flinching backwards like he expected to be hit. Goro straightened, one eyebrow raised. Ren blinked, finally realizing where he was and what had just happened, before averting his face.

"So..."

Ren didn't react to Goro's questioning statement, keeping his face away from the detective's line of sight.

"I don't believe I've ever seen you react in such a way before, Amamiya. It was most concerning."

Still nothing. Goro narrowed his eyes; if Ren thought that a little silence was going to stop Goro Akechi, he was dead wrong. This was a potential weakness, and Goro had long since learned to sink his teeth into such a weak spot and not let go. He would get to the bottom of this.

"...Forgive me for asking such a thing, but...this wouldn't have to do anything with your probation here in Tokyo, would it?"

Ren barely flinched; anyone else would've missed it, but Goro wasn't like anyone else. He barely contained a gleeful smirk, forcing himself to not break character. Ren could not become suspicious of him, not now when his great plan was so close to completion...!

"...Futaba's uncle sounded exactly like that man."

Goro blinked, thrown off by Ren's statement. "...That man?"

Ren finally faced Goro, and the older boy felt a shiver go down his spine. Those eyes were not the eyes of a calm and collected individual. No leader would look at anyone like that. No...Ren had the eyes of someone willing to do anything for the sake of his own justice, even if those acts chained him down to Hell itself.

Ren was enraged, and Goro had never liked him more. 'There you are...'

"...You know I was sent here on probation for one year," Ren stated. "I was falsely accused of assault, by a drunken man trying to force himself on a young woman. I just pulled him away from her, but he was so drunk he fell over on his own and hit his head. When the police arrived, he pressured her into lying about what happened. I was dragged away, and you can guess the rest. But...I can never forget what that man said after he'd fallen. 'Damn brat, I'll sue'."

Goro finally understood.

Who would've guessed...the leader of the Phantom Thieves was willing to burn down this entire society around its ears and dance on its remains. Goro had to wonder if Ren's precious friends knew this, if they managed to see how hot Ren's rage truly burned. Perhaps they didn't; they might truly believe that Ren had only good intentions at heart for doing this whole Phantom Thief business.

"I see," Goro finally replied, locking eyes with his rival. "And I suppose there's no name?"

Ren shook his head. "He seemed to have a lot of influence; the police didn't even question what he told them, and his name was never mentioned in court. My memories of that night are kinda hazy; I can't even really remember what he looked like. But when Futaba's uncle fell, yelling about assault and suing us...I froze."

"It's nothing to be ashamed of, Amamiya," Goro said. "You are only human, and being reminded of the worst night of your life, one where your entire life was ripped apart trying to do what was right...no one can blame you for freezing like that."

Ren stared down at his lap, eyes strangely vulnerable.

Goro stood, strangely feeling like he was finally beginning to truly understand this impossibly intriguing person. "I truly apologize, but it's getting quite late. I should head to my apartment before the trains stop running for the night."

Ren looked back up, mostly composed once more. "...Alright. Take care, Akechi. And...thank you."

As Goro walked back down the stairs and towards the door of the cafe, his insides felt strangely warm.

"What's wrong? Get up. It's far too early for checkmate."