What. A. Week! So we got a bird strike during take-off a couple of days ago, and all I could think about was "should I make the welcome announcement after landing or should I simply shut up?" and "We can't die now, dammit! I have a story to finish!", but it went smoothly and everyone got to return home to their families. Stupid birds turning themselves into grilled chicken club... At least you get to read more of this story xD I am still a bit stunned and tired, so I apologize if you find any mistakes. Enjoy! :D

Life was certainly not boring with the Phantom Thieves around, and Akechi enjoyed observing their progress from afar, although he would need to be more careful next time. Another distraction caused by the group of friends, and it could cost him more than just a few scratches: his identity could be discovered, too! He was leaning against a wall of mafia boss Junya Kaneshiro's bank, smirking almost proudly as Akira -or rather Joker, as the others called him in the Metaverse- landed quite a beautiful hit on a nearby Shadow when one of them spotted him, resulting in a superficial wound on his right arm. Luckily he had dodged the attack before it could be more lethal, but the incident had alerted the guards who, at the same time, informed Kaneshiro himself about the presence of a "black-masked intruder."

Well, at least he had got to see Makoto Niijima's awakening. He was quite surprised when he had seen the introverted girl walking through the double doors of Kaneshiro's Palace with the Phantom Thieves themselves, and he started wondering if Akira's "friend in trouble" had just been Niijima-san all along.

A few of Shadow Kaneshiro's words and there she was, ripping the mask off her face, the red color of her eyes replaced by a bright yellow one, and Makoto Niijima was suddenly riding a blueish motorbike and teaching those Shadows a lesson with her Persona's nuclear powers. He had to admit that girl was much stronger than he had originally thought, and she had finally found the strength to riot. Oh, he would give anything right now to see Sae-san's face if only she knew what her sister had become…

Oh, the irony! That's why he never got bored in a Palace if the Phantom Thieves were there, too.

Riding her motorbike straight against the entrance doors, Makoto Niijima created an emergency exit for herself and the others and they all escaped from the many Shadows that Kaneshiro had sent after them. But Akechi knew they would be coming back. They believed too much in their justice to let a little bastard like Kaneshiro get away with it.

So, he had been observing the Phantom Thieves for a while now and ascertained that they were getting stronger, and the group larger. If his assumptions were correct, Kurusu-kun was their leader and had most likely started the whole Phantom Thieves thing together with the monster cat, the girl named Ann and the punk-looking boy called Ryuji. Then, Yusuke Kitagawa joined them when they infiltrated Madarame's Palace, and now Makoto Niijima just had her awakening, too. So, in theory anyone possessed the ability to call forth a unique Persona as long as their will to rebel against society took over. The revelation disappointed him immensely, because he had always thought that only few, chosen ones had the power to summon a Persona. But he was special, wasn't he? Igor had told him he was a Wild Card, which meant someone with the extraordinary ability to summon multiple Personas.

But he had seen Kurusu-kun with different Personas too! The first time he had used a Persona called Ame-no-Uzume, and Akechi was pretty sure he was using a different one in Kaneshiro's Palace. Did that mean Akira was a Wild Card too?

The thought made him both angry and somehow proud, but he couldn't explain why: Kurusu-kun and the others were his enemies, right? Shido had told him they would be using the Phantom Thieves' name to accuse them of provoking the infamous mental shutdowns and psychotic breakdowns once their popularity boosted.

Of course, his sense of justice told him it was wrong to accuse innocent people of something he had done, but Akechi was too blinded by years of loneliness spent planning his revenge on both his father and society to really care. He could barely tell good from evil anymore…

And yet sometimes, when he was lying in bed after committing yet another crime, Goro Akechi would remember that Sunday morning spent with the dark-haired boy sipping delicious coffee and playing Goemon II, forgetting what he was and the things he had done, and simply enjoying the normal life of a normal teenager.

A life that every boy his age shouldn't be denied to have, and that he was undeserving of.

"How do they do that? I've been working on this case for months with no results! Then these Phantom Thieves suddenly show up again and save the day!"

Sae Niijima was currently pacing furiously across her office, her hands tucked behind her back while Akechi sat in a chair, his arms crossed over his chest as he pretended to be thinking hard.

"If we knew, we'd be heroes" he replied with a small smirk that –he knew- irritated the prosecutor so much.

"That's a very constructive comment, Akechi-kun. Thank you very much" she retorted angrily and then paused, her expression turning worried. "I am concerned about my sister. She is only a child and I am afraid she can be influenced…"

Akechi stared at her blankly, and almost felt pity for the elder girl: unbeknownst to her, her sister had already been influenced to the point of no return.

"Don't worry, Sae-san. Your sister is a big girl" he said simply.

"And how do you know that?" she asked suspiciously.

"I know more than you imagine."

July the 13th was approaching way faster than he had anticipated, and soon enough he was buried under tons of books and notes to prepare for his mid-term exams. It didn't help having Shido sending text messages almost every day, as if the man enjoyed watching the teenager's stress levels reaching an alarming peak. Akechi was really wondering why Shido wanted so many eliminated: after all, most of them were small targets that had no chance to hinder his rise to power.

The 12th night, after returning home past midnight for spending the whole evening in a weakling's Palace, he was feeling so exhausted he flopped onto his bed and fell asleep immediately, forgetting to set his alarm. He woke up with a startle and instantly reached out to grab his phone, falling off the bed in the process. Muttering curses under his breath, he rushed to put on his uniform and ran outside without even bothering to eat anything. He arrived just in time for his first day of exams, fully aware that his hair was a mess and his clothes all wrinkled.

The first day of exams was English, and he felt confident enough for he had mastered the language when he was still a small kid. Of course, there was the second part of the exam which required them to have basic knowledge of both political and cultural matters in foreign countries but he was not worried.

He was the first to turn in his exam sheets and returned straight back home to get ready for Social Studies. The second day would be the worst since the subject was a combination of multiple ones like Geography, History, Politics and Economics. However, being surrounded by politicians and police officers every day of his life was starting to pay off. Math and Japanese were scheduled on the third day, and Home Economics –the most useless subject in his opinion and yet mandatory during the last year- on the fourth and last day.

Ironically enough, Home Economics was the subject he struggled in the most: it was all about family life and it was mostly a practical exam, so he had no idea what was expected of him. After all, unlike the other students, he had never had a proper family and could only rely on what he had read in the books suggested by the teacher.

"Describe the importance of family, and its role in the society."

He was pretty sure his perfect image of honor student and Ace Detective would forever be scarred if he started laughing bitterly without an apparent reason at the first question on the paper, as well as tearing the sheet of paper apart.

He decided he had no other choice but to stick with the definition of family and its function as described in the book.

For the practical part it was required of each third-year student to prove their cooking skills. Now, Akechi would say he was far from being a master cook, but living on his own for three years had taught him enough for him not to starve to death. His chicken teriyaki had surprisingly impressed the teacher who was praising his excellent culinary abilities, and he earned more adoring stares from his female classmates.

"Oh Akechi-kun, the woman you will marry will be one lucky lady!"

"Is there something you can't do, Akechi-kun?"

He chuckled shyly as he rubbed the back of his neck, but all he really wanted was to yell in their faces he had no intention to get married or cook some damn chicken teriyaki for the kids he'd never have.

At least that meant he had passed the most feared subject and was finally free to breathe for a while.

"Come to my office. We need to talk."

No, he would take it all back. He never had time to breathe…

Shido knew perfectly well Akechi had just finished his mid-terms exams for his last year, but didn't even bother to ask him how he had done. Why would he care, anyway? He didn't know he was his father, did he? And even if he did, Akechi would bet his life he wouldn't ask anyway.

The cocky man was facing the large window overlooking Tokyo from the top of the building, his hands tucked behind his back as he spoke.

"Have you ever heard of Medjed?"

Akechi frowned at the unexpected question, and then replied with a yes.

"Aren't you a clever boy" the man chuckled evilly "At least that will spare me the bother to tell you who they are."

He finally turned to look at the younger man, still standing disciplined behind his large desk. "Now listen closely, boy. The plan to help the Phantom Thieves become popular all over the world will officially commence."

"W-what?" Akechi was actually surprised to hear him say it. "Why would you help them become popular?"

"Because, if you were as clever as I were, you'd understand that my intention is to make them famous world-wide before taking them down by accusing them of the murder of Kunikazu Okumura."

"Huh? The president of Big Bang Burger?" Akechi frowned "Why him?"

Shido shrugged his shoulders, looking indifferent. "Because I chose him as my next target. After all, I can't afford him to run for the presidential elections."

"So your plan is to make people believe they are heroes and then bring them down by accusing them of killing president Okumura" Akechi summarized, unable to hide his bitterness. "Very nice."

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you don't quite like my plan" Shido smirked. Akechi couldn't hold the intense gaze and diverted his eyes.

"What is it, boy? Are you growing fond of the Phantom Thieves?" Shido asked, his smirk growing larger.

"No!" Akechi retorted more vehemently than he had intended "It's just… it's a dirty trick."

"We've been playing dirty for nearly three years, young man. What's so different now?" Shido asked again, visibly amused.

"…Nothing."

Shido observed him for a few moments before continuing. "Don't let your curiosity get the best of you. I understand you are willing to find out more about the people that possess the same powers as you do, but one false move and you may… regret it."

At Akechi's questioning look, Shido chuckled again. "I… trust you" Shido made sure to underline the verb "But don't force me to spy on you. Now, just so you know. I have hired a group of hackers who will pretend to be the famous Medjed. And then we will assign the Phantom Thieves an impossible task against an invisible enemy. And of course, they will succeed because you have to make sure they do so…"

Shido had really thought about every single detail of his plan, and Akechi had been forced to listen to him and nod quietly: the terrible plan had an equally terrible ending, for Akechi was required to get the leader of the Phantom Thieves arrested and then kill him. In real life. That would be his first "real" murder. Normally Akechi wouldn't have minded because his soul got irreparably damaged long time ago, but for some strange reason he really didn't want to go along with the plan. He knew it was necessary for him to get his revenge, but at the same time it didn't feel… right. What was happening to him? Never before had he questioned his own actions, and this was definitely not the first time he exploited others in order to obtain what he wanted. So why was he having second thoughts now?

A small voice inside his head was trying to answer with a "Because Akira is your friend", but Akechi knew it was wishful thinking. After all, he didn't even have his contact info! Drinking a cup of coffee and playing a stupid game together for a day didn't qualify as establishing a friendship.

So why the heck was he feeling such a strong bond with the quiet boy?

He really needed some fresh air.

He walked around Shibuya without a set destination until he reached a crowded area, and he noticed how people were dressed particularly nice. Many were clothed with traditional Japanese yukatas. Only then did he remember today they were celebrating a summer festival with fireworks in the heart of Shibuya. Well, he couldn't care less. He needed a quiet place where he could think in peace. Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he crossed the street until his eyes fell on a group of teenagers around his age who seemed to have gathered for the festival. His heart skipped a beat when he realized they were none other than the Phantom Thieves themselves enjoying a festive day as normal students. They all seemed so happy, chatting and laughing as if they didn't have a care in the world.

Akechi suddenly felt the urgent need to be part of that group, and talk and laugh and live his life to the fullest just like they did. Before he even knew it, he was a few feet away from them…

"Oh, hello there" he greeted with an uncertain smile, and the five friends all turned to see who had spoken. They all remained silent as they stared back at him blankly, probably waiting for Akira to make the first move.

"Hi" Akira replied, but he was not smiling.

"Are you here for the summer festival too?" he asked, pretending their cold behavior was not affecting him.

"Ain't it obvious?" the punk-looking one that he knew was called Ryuji Sakamoto retorted quite rudely.

A pair of deep blue eyes emerged from Akira's bag as a black cat stared at him suspiciously.

Akechi quickly scanned each one of their faces, their expressions distant and reluctant, and he felt suddenly very stupid for stopping to say hi.

"I…guess" he frowned as he instinctively took a step back, almost as if expecting them to attack him any time.

He knew he had stated multiple times that the Phantom Thieves were to be arrested and judged for being criminals, and that they considered him an enemy for that reason, but it was still a shock to receive such a cold response, particularly from Kurusu-kun. It sort of…hurt.

"What are you doing here?" Niijima-san asked "To me, it doesn't seem like you were planning to attend the festival, judging by your…outfit."

Akechi's eyes automatically examined his own clothes, realizing he was wearing a pair of jeans and a plain, black long-sleeved shirt he normally used as a pyjama top when it was colder.

"N-no, indeed" he chuckled softly "I was just taking a walk."

"That shirt…" Kitagawa-san was now eying his clothes with great interest, and crossed his arms over his chest "…it looks like it can be improved. Maybe with the right brushes and colors…"

"Shut up, Yusuke" Takamaki-san retorted, elbowing him in the side and causing him to groan.

"Listen, not to sound rude or anything…" Sakamoto-san continued "But why d'you always come and say hi to us? It's not like we attend the same school or som'ing."

"I- well, neither does Kitagawa-san" Akechi tried to defend himself.

"Yeah, but Yusuke is our friend" Sakamoto retorted quickly, and Akechi opened his mouth only to close it immediately after. He really had no reply to that.

"You're right" he said simply, pretending once more his words hadn't really affected him. That they hadn't hurt. "I guess I will be taking my leave and let you enjoy the rest of the evening."

Maybe it had been only his imagination, but he could swear Kurusu-kun was trying to repair the damage when he opened his mouth to say something, but Akechi was already walking his own way, putting as much distance as possible between them.

He had been a fool to think, even for a second, that Akira Kurusu considered him a friend, or that he could be part of the Phantom Thieves. And he had been a fool to question his actions and decisions. From that moment onward, he would be following Shido's plan without further distractions.

"…Maybe we overdid it?"

Makoto was the first to speak after Akechi had left, visibly taken aback because of their aggressiveness.

"Eeeh, no way!" Ryuji brushed the matter off with his usual carefree attitude. "That dude is all over us!"

"Maybe this will teach you something, Akira" Morgana had now fully emerged from the bag and placed his paws on Akira's shoulders.

"What do you mean by that?" Ann asked with a frown.

"Well, this guy apparently spent a whole evening at the Ace Detective's place, and even invited him for coffee the following day" Morgana explained, the memory of Akechi stepping into the attic still bothering him.

"What?!" Ryuji could barely believe what he had just heard. "Dude, you serious? Why would you invite bloody Goro Akechi to your place?"

"I… don't know" Akira shrugged his shoulders, unable to look at his friends in the eye.

"Wait a minute, everyone" Makoto intervened "May I actually ask why you all want to avoid Akechi-kun? I mean, yes he is a detective investigating the Phantom Thieves and yes, he wants us locked up in jail, but why all the hate? It could prove useful to befriend him…"

Everyone exchanged a knowing look and then Morgana spoke. "Makoto, you'd better not trust that guy. He is not what he seems."

At her questioning look, the cat sighed and continued. "Pancakes."

"Excuse me?" Makoto was not sure she had heard correctly, but Morgana proceeded to explain what had happened during their field trip to the TV station.

"Wait, so he can hear you?" she asked, her eyes widening as realization hit her. "Which means he is a Persona-user too!"

"That's not all" Yusuke shook his head gravely. "Think about it, if someone hears Morgana speak in the Metaverse, they can hear him in reality too. That means he must have seen us in a Palace at a certain point, but he never approached us. Why?"

"Because… oh my gosh" she diverted her eyes, her brain working fast…

"Yes" Ann nodded gravely "We suspect he is the infamous black-masked person behind all the mental shutdowns and psychotic breakdowns."

"But that's… that's impossible! I mean he is…"

"He is what?" Ryuji laughed bitterly. "Charming? Polite? A detective? That is the point of it all: people like him always have some skeletons in the closet."

"But why aren't we doing anything, then?" Makoto insisted "We can wait for him in a Palace and confront him!"

"We have no idea what his true powers are" Morgana retorted "If he really is the one behind all the mental shutdowns, it means he must be incredibly powerful, and even our powers fused together may prove insufficient. What's more urgent now is to find out why he is acting all friendly around us in reality. He must have an ulterior motive…"

"I dunno, guys…" Akira finally spoke, looking conflicted "As Morgana said, I did run into him by chance and helped him out with some bags back to his place. He seems like a pretty normal guy and he… I dunno, maybe he's just a really good actor."

"What other explanation could there be?" Ryuji asked him.

"Maybe" Akira's intense grey eyes bore into those of his comrades "he simply needs friends."

Makoto's late dinner was resting on the large table in front of her, smelling delicious and looking inviting, but she had lost her appetite. All she could think about was the revelation about Goro Akechi's true identity. The charming, well-mannered honor student who cooperated with her sister was none other than the true culprit himself. And why was he doing such terrible things at the age of 17? He was still a child, damn it!

Had he simply gone mad? Was he seeking revenge? Or maybe attention? After all, she didn't know anything about him other than what he let on on TV.

Furthermore, he knew exactly who the Phantom Thieves were and all of their true identities but he had never reported them to the police. Why? Wasn't he the one saying he would do his best to deliver them to justice? The fact he hadn't yet made a move, either against them or in their favor, bugged her like nothing else ever did before. It made her believe he was not working alone…

And then there was Akira's testimony: he had admitted spending a whole evening and a morning with Akechi alone, and yet the latter hadn't so much as harm one hair on his head even if he had the perfect opportunity.

"Maybe he simply needs friends."

Akira's words still rang in her ears, but what to believe? After all, Akechi was extremely popular and she didn't doubt he had many friends.

After thinking thoroughly, she came up with three conclusions: either Akechi-kun was being forced to do what he was doing, or Akira was right, or he was completely mad. Or maybe all of the options were correct.

What a mess…

Now, she knew she was supposed to study hard for her finals as well as for her college entry, and she knew she was busy enough with being a member of the Phantom Thieves, but curiosity was taking the best of her. After all, investigating Akechi's real intentions was a duty in order to save innocent people. And possibly themselves.

The news of a group of hackers under the name of Medjed challenging the Phantom Thieves had spread out, and was all Akechi heard wherever he went. It was the main topic at train stations, at restaurants, bars, and basically wherever people gathered to talk. After hearing the name "Medjed" for the one-hundred and seventy-eighth time that day, Akechi lazily pushed the "off" button on the remote control and tossed it on the sofa across the room. Shido's plan had finally commenced, and all he was required to do was wait and observe. It would take quite a while before he could go back to action, but he didn't mind: for once, he could enjoy the summer. Besides, it was starting to get too hot to do anything else. Interviews on TV were more than enough, thank you very much.

However, he was indeed curious to see how the Phantom Thieves, who were nothing but a group of teenagers with mediocre fighting skills, would deal with a powerful group of hackers hired by Shido. Of course, they would not be facing the real Medjed, but the menace was real and it was their biggest target so far. The whole world was talking about it, and they must be feeling the pressure. Furthermore, their enemy was invisible, so they had no clue as where to start.

Well, that was not his problem anyway. After all, Shido was confident they would solve the mystery and save the day once more. All he could do was wait…

"…boring" he muttered with a snort. He stared out the window and at the setting sun. One more hot summer day with nothing to do.

His holidays had officially started and all he wanted was go back to school and fight Shadows. And yet here he was: the popular teen detective and the feared black-masked hitman, wondering what to do during his summer break.

His eyes scanned his own room: should he read a book? Update his blog? Maybe play a videogame?

As soon as he thought about games, he remembered Kurusu-kun still had his copy of Goemon II. He wondered if he ever managed to beat the game without his help. After all, Kurusu-kun hadn't seemed all too fond of puzzles and riddles…

Now, a voice in his head was screaming not to even dare think about it, but his legs were already moving on their own. Before he even knew it and just like that time at the summer festival, he was riding a train to Yongen-Jaya. Worst case scenario, he thought as his heart began beating faster than normal with each step he took towards the small café, he could always say he simply wanted a nice cup of coffee. They couldn't kick him out if he was there as a customer, right? Besides, hadn't Kurusu-kun said that his door was always open for him?

He stopped right outside the café, the rational part of him telling him it was a terrible idea, that he would end up regretting the decision because he would receive yet another rejection…

…the bell rang as he stepped inside the cozy locale, completely empty with the sole exception of Sakura-san watching the news on TV. The man greeted him with a kind smile, and told him he would tell Akira he was waiting downstairs.

Why the hell was his heart beating so damn fast?

He could hear footsteps descending the stairs, until the black-haired boy made his entrance, stopping by the counter.

"Hi…" Akechi said in a tiny voice.

"…Hi" Akira nodded his head, observing him in silence. Then, quietly signaling him to follow him, he headed once again upstairs. Akechi did as he had been ordered, keeping however a certain distance between himself and the other boy. The cat was not there this time, and Akechi imagined he had gone out for a walk on his own.

Unable to stand the heavy silence any longer, Akechi spoke again. "S-so, how are you? Enjoying the summer break?"

"Eh, can't complain" was Akira's short answer, shrugging his shoulders as he sat on his bed. Akechi noticed how the other boy was doing his best to avoid looking at him.

"Did I… do something wrong?" he finally decided to ask, frowning at his own words. Akira, however, finally lifted his head to stare back at him, a hint of indecision behind his grey eyes.

"I… it's complicated" he replied after several seconds of silence.

"Your friends don't like me very much, do they?" Akechi smiled bitterly "I mean, even your cat is avoiding me like the plague. Look at me, the famous detective everyone adores. And yet, I can't seem to be able to make friends with anyone…"

The words escaped his mouth without control, but Akira's eyes softened and he shook his head, standing up from his bed and positioning himself right in front of him.

"Akechi-san" he said "Please, forgive me."

And then, he did something Akechi would never have predicted: the dark-haired boy bowed his head to show how deeply sorry he was, and Akechi was left speechless and stunned.

"I have been avoiding you simply because my other friends were wary of you, not realizing that I was doing the exact opposite of what I had promised myself when I came here. And that is, give a chance to whomever deserves it."

Kurusu-kun's confession came so unexpected that Akechi had no idea what to reply to that. He simply stood there, his jaws dropped with surprise. But then something hit him.

"…your other friends?" he asked uncertainly, and Akira stood straight up again.

"Yes" he nodded with a smile "Other than you, that is."

"Am I… your friend?" Akechi asked wide-eyed, his heart swelling with something he had never felt before. It was such a potent feeling he thought his heart would burst anytime, even stronger than what he had experienced back in his very first Palace.

"Of course we're friends!" Akira chuckled "I mean, who else would help me finish Goemon II?"

"Uhm…Sakamoto-kun?"

"Nah" Akira smirked as he fired up the game on the old console he kept on a desk next to the second-hand TV "He would never appreciate an old-gen gem like this one."

Akechi sat in a chair next to Akira, watching the other boy play and cheering for him whenever he was in an intense fight, all the doubts he'd had now completely gone. The puzzles were left to him, because Akechi would be much quicker to understand what to do to progress in the game.

"Too bad there is no co-op" Akira commented as he downed another enemy.

They spent a couple more hours playing the game, eating snacks and discussing how wonderful it would be if they could afford a newer console so they could play together.

"I think this is it!" commented a very excited Akechi as he chewed on some chips Akira had previously put on the desk for them to feast on.

Apparently, their character had finally made it to the final boss, a fierce dragon hovering over him. "Give him hell!"

It was a tough battle which required Akira to keep focused the whole time as he tried to follow Akechi's instructions whenever the other boy discovered a weak point, but they eventually did it. The two friends actually jumped up and loudly celebrated their victory, followed by a high five.

"We make quite a good team, eh Goro?"

Akechi's broad smile vanished as he heard Akira say his first name. It felt so strange that someone actually used it, he had first thought he had mistaken him for someone else. Everyone –schoolmates, Shido, his guardians, his fans- called him Akechi.

"Did I say something wrong?" Akira asked again, his smirk growing larger as if he knew exactly what the other boy was thinking about.

"N-no… not at all, Akira."

The two boys smiled at each other before Akechi looked at the watch on his left wrist and almost cursed out loud.

"What's wrong?" Akira asked, his brow lifting.

"Oh boy, it's late! I missed the last train back home!" Akechi whined and then sighed. "I was having so much fun I forgot to keep an eye on the watch."

"Well, what's the problem?" Akira shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly "You can stay here tonight."

Akira was actually forced to poke Akechi's arms multiple times, for the boy seemed to be completely frozen, and it took him several seconds to snap out of it.

"But I don't have any spare clothes with me!" he said, but Akira simply smiled, opened a large box and threw some clothes at him. "You can borrow mine. Oh, and there's no shower or bathtub here. So you will need to head to the bathhouse just outside LeBlanc. It's open until late, so… Oh, and just knock on the door when you come back so I can open it for you, I think Boss already left."

Akechi did as he was told, returning half an hour later refreshed and in Akira's clothes as he carefully packed his in a plastic bag.

"I have a few extra toothbrushes in that other box. Just pick one, and you can use the toilet downstairs. Just make sure not to stain the mirror. Boss wants this place to shine when his customers arrive" Akira explained as he prepared "Goro's emergency bed", as he liked to call it. He would be sleeping on the sofa, but Akira was making it as comfortable as possible with soft pillows and light sheets. Akechi actually blushed and told him it was unnecessary given how warm it was in the room, but the dark-haired boy did it anyway.

"…Should you get hungry, you can always grab something from the fridge downstairs" Akira told him as he sat on his bed and changed channel on the TV.

"But won't Sakura-san…I mean Boss, get mad at us when he finds out I have spent the night here without his permission?" Akechi asked worried, but Akira shook his head with a smile.

"Not at all. Besides, I think he quite likes you."

At Akechi's questioning look, he continued. "I mean, he likes everyone who can tell the difference between a coffee bean and another. And you impressed him last time."

"But I don't know anything about coffee beans... I just know the Blue Mountain type because it's the one I always order at this other bar…" Akechi explained flatly.

"Well, there's no need to tell him that."

At that very moment, a black cat jumped on the windowsill and instantly froze when his blue eyes met Akechi's. The cat's pupils dilated and the fur rose, before he turned the other way and left again. Not a good sign.

Akira observed the cat walking away from the café from the backyard, but didn't look too bothered by it. Or maybe he was just pretending. Either way, the dark-haired boy decided it was best to get to bed for it was nearly 2 AM, and Akechi did the same.

"…still no comments from the Phantom Thieves after Medjed's most recent warning…"

Akira turned off the TV and threw the remote across the room, before it landed on the TV with a loud thud. Akechi didn't like the sound that followed: he was pretty sure the remote had just broken Akira's already fragile TV.

"Crap" the dark-haired boy commented, but lying in a comfortable bed was apparently more important than checking up on his TV.

After a moment of silence in the dark room, Akechi spoke first. "Akira?"

"Mhm?"

"Who do you think is going to win: the Phantom Thieves or Medjed?"

"The Phantom Thieves, of course" Akira replied immediately.

"You support them without ever even questioning their actions" Akechi chuckled softly "Do you think they are just?"

"I believe they are. What about you?" Akira responded.

"I…" Akechi frowned, unsure whether to tell the truth or not. "It's hard to say. I mean, they are ignoring and breaking all the possible rules dictated by law, but sometimes… sometimes I think they are doing the right thing."

Even if he couldn't see his face in the dark, Akechi was quite sure his comment had quite shocked Akira. The other boy remained silent, waiting for him to continue.

"I just know the Phantom Thieves will emerge victorious against Medjed."

"What makes you say that?" Akira asked.

"Well, don't they always?"

Waking up in the middle of the night after a wonderful dream, and finding yourself face to face with a pair of large, blue eyes is never a fun experience. Particularly if those eyes belong to a black cat standing inches away from your face.

Makoto knew all about it, as she woke up with a startle, screamed her lungs out and risked a heart attack after falling off the bed.

"What…the heck, Morgana!"

"I am sorry!" the cat jumped off the bed to check up on her "But this is an emergency!"

"What's wrong?" Makoto asked, massaging her temples and trying to calm her racing heart.

"Well, I didn't know where to go. I would rather avoid sleeping at Ryuji's or Yusuke's. Like really, those two are completely nuts. And Lady Ann…well…"

"Why not sleep at the usual place?" Makoto asked, now more worried about a possible fight between the leader of the Phantom Thieves and the strong-willed cat.

"Because…" Morgana diverted his eyes from her "Goro Akechi is at our place."

"WHAT?!"

"Quiet!" Morgana hissed, looking around to make sure no one had started investigating the source of all the noise, but the neighborhood from Makoto's window didn't seem to have been alerted.

"Goro Akechi… THAT Goro Akechi?" the girl asked more vehemently.

"How many Goro Akechi do you know?" Morgana replied with a sigh. "I believe Akira has invited him over… again."

"This is bad… I mean, should we even leave them alone? Akechi may kill Akira if he gets the opportunity. And this is the perfect one" she said.

"I don't think he will kill him. Not in real life. He would leave too many evidences behind, so I believe he would always prefer doing it in the Metaverse" Morgana stated after sitting down on the floor.

"But why do you think Akira invites him over and even lets him sleep at his place?" Makoto questioned the cat.

"Because he is a fool that believes hopeless people like Akechi can change" Morgana replied fiercely.

"Well…can't he? After all, we do change people's hearts."

"It's different with him. Remember that Persona-users have no Palace because they already managed to rebel against society's injustice and took off their masks. Akechi is well aware of his actions, and most likely doesn't even regret doing what he does. He is beyond redemption" the cat explained.

"But he… he is so young" Makoto whispered in disbelief, but Morgana shook his head. "Old enough to take responsibility for his actions."

"Ok, but why do you think Akechi is willing to spend so much time around Akira? He has made clear before he would pursue the Phantom Thieves and make sure we end up in jail. Plus, he can always use his powers to kill us. So why hasn't he taken action yet?" Makoto asked the question as her brain worked hard to think of an answer on its own.

"I don't know…" Morgana replied in defeat "That guy is a real mystery. But we must not let our guards down. He may strike when we least expect it."

The cat then jumped on her bed and curled up into a ball. "I guess I will be sleeping here tonight."

Makoto didn't answer: she was too busy thinking about the conversation she'd just had with Morgana. As the cat's breathing became more regular, she quietly sat on the bed and thought about the brown-haired boy who always smiled kindly to anyone around him. Could that young man really be behind all the mental shutdowns in Japan? Could he really be plotting the Phantom Thieves' downfall? So was he acting all friendly around them just to gain their trust, and then stab them in their backs?

She couldn't give an answer, but by the end of the night she was resolved to find out more.

So Goro gets a friend! Only took him 17 years but... ain't he cute? :) Too bad the others won't trust him no matter what!
Btw, I got an epiphany one night while I was trying to fall asleep, and I now know exactly how to end this story! Very excited to write more :P
And finally, a proper and original Goro-Makoto scene in the next chapter!

As always, let me know what you think and see you all amazing people on Friday!