This must be one of my favorite chapters so far and I am quite satisfied with the result! However, I am quite curious to know your opinions about what I will be talking about in my author's notes at the bottom of the page about a specific explanation I have provided in this chapter... Well, hope y'all enjoy this! ^^
"It's my free day today, Akechi-kun!"
"I know! But can't you make an exception and work overtime?"
"What's in for me, anyway?!"
"My… eternal gratitude?"
Those puppy eyes of him and that damn smile had a hypnotic power on her, and even though she hated herself for being so weak even after a whole year spent away from him and convincing herself she had forgotten him, here she was, agreeing to carry a letter all the way to Yongen-Jaya to a member of the Phantom Thieves. On behalf of a serial killer, Japan's most dangerous one as well as the culprit she might be writing about and earning a fortune by selling him off. But she didn't, because his story made absolutely no sense. And because she had something called feelings for the damn guy.
However, what happened to Okumura on live TV did remind her an awful lot of Ikeda-sensei collapsing in front of the entire school two years before. That couldn't be a coincidence...
"Why don't you buy another SIM card and talk to them yourself?" she decided to ask him.
"Because Shido must be filtering every call, text and e-mail on my phone, not only on my SIM card."
"How about a new phone?"
"Tamiko-chan, I could barely afford to buy insta-ramen after getting that SIM card this week, how do you think I can buy a new phone? Besides, no one would ever guess I am using such a rudimental means of communication..."
"Alright, then! Pass me the letter" Tamiko rolled her eyes exasperated, ignoring his comment about post delivery being rudimental. He smiled broadly as he handed her a small envelope, which she promptly stuffed in her bag.
She got changed and, just as she was about to open the door fully dressed in her uniform and leave her apartment, Akechi spoke again. "Thank you, Tamiko-chan. This means a lot to me."
She didn't turn to him, but simply smiled as her cheeks reddened. With one last nod, she closed the door behind her.
As she rode the train all the way to Yongen-Jaya, she examined the content of her bag and particularly Akechi's letter. From what she could understand, Akechi-kun was being forced to use some sort of supernatural power in an alternative world to kill targets on behalf of his father, the famous politician Masayoshi Shido, who had never acknowledged him and didn't know he was the boy's parent. However, Akechi met and gradually became friends with the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, who he had been ordered to eliminate. When he failed to obey the first time, Shido had put someone to spy on him and threatened him to kill his friends, so he wanted to use her as a means to communicate with the others and let them know what his plan was. Which meant she had just agreed to take part to an exceptionally dangerous and possibly life-threatening situation. Just great.
Of course, even if his story sort of made sense when analyzing the way victims died, as well as the modus operandi of the Phantom Thieves, she couldn't believe a word he said. However, she never liked that Masayoshi Shido everyone seemed to praise. The guy just seemed shady to her, and apparently she had been right all along.
When she arrived in Yongen-Jaya, Tamiko was starting to feel agitated. After all, Akechi-kun had told her Shido was spying on him, so what if she was being spied on too? What if she was discovered? Shido had ordered the death of so many people, it would be simple for him to have her killed and make it look like a tragic casualty…
But if she backtracked now, Shido would never be caught and pay for his crimes. She had to be strong and act normal. After all, she was just doing her job…
The café was easy to find and when she opened the door, she was greeted by a kind-looking man standing in the middle of the cozy locale as he cleared a table.
"Good morning" she replied with a smile and took the letter Akechi had given her out of her bag. "I have a letter for Mr. Kurusu Akira."
"Aaah, Akira. Wait, what has he done now?" the man frowned worried, but Tamiko smiled and shook her head. "Nothing to worry about. It is a perfectly normal letter. Maybe your son has got a penpal!"
"M-my son?" the man widened his eyes. "No, you are mistaken. He is not my son. I am just offering him a place to stay this year for his studies."
Tamiko smiled tenderly when she saw the man's face gaining more color as a small and longing smile appeared on it. She didn't doubt he was fond of the boy.
"Well, would you mind giving him this letter?" Tamiko extended an arm to offer him the envelope which he took with a curious look. "I will" he nodded. "And don't give me that look, I won't open it."
"By the way" the man spoke again as she prepared to leave. "This letter doesn't have a name on it. Who's this from?"
Tamiko turned slightly and smiled. "How would I know? I just deliver them. Good day."
"Wherever you are and whatever you're doing, come straight to LeBlanc ASAP."
Akira's latest message on their group chat concerned her: either something amazing had happened, or something really bad. And judging by the way he had written the text, she was expecting exciting news. After all, they knew each other enough by now to figure out their mood even from behind a smartphone screen…
Makoto was halfway done with her Literature essay but, with a resigned sigh, closed the book and went to grab a coat to head to Yongen-Jaya. One of these days, her curiosity and her double-life as a Phantom Thief would get her in trouble at school, but it was with little regret she abandoned her homework for the time being.
The howling wind and the heavy rain weren't helping her improve her gloomy mood but luckily the trains were not too crowded at that time of the day, so she could at least get a seat.
When she arrived to the small café, she greeted Sojiro and proceeded upstairs to Akira's room. Futaba, Ryuji and Ann were already there looking as concerned as she was. Haru and Yusuke joined minutes after her arrival.
"So" Morgana was the first to speak, obviously eager to let everyone know what was going on. "Akira got a letter this morning."
"…dude, did you call us here just 'cause you got a letter?" Ryuji asked disappointed and visibly annoyed for having been summoned for something like that during a thunderstorm.
"Let him continue!" Ann reprimanded him, but she looked just as disappointed as him.
Akira didn't say a word. Instead, he walked to his desk and took a small envelope, looking plain and with no name or address on it. Everyone frowned.
"Who is it from?" Makoto asked.
Akira lifted his gaze, looking at each one of them before opening his mouth. "Goro Akechi."
"Akechi?" Ryuji asked confused. "I thought you two were quite close. Why would he send you a letter and not a text?"
"Because…" Akira stopped to look at Makoto. "Maybe it's much easier if you read what he wrote. But I suppose Makoto and I have a little premise to make."
Makoto looked down as she felt her friends' eyes on her. Akira was obviously meaning to reveal Akechi's true identity to everyone else.
"I mean" Akira smiled bitterly as he continued. "I am quite sure it will not come as a big shock or surprise, but I do ask of you to let us explain until the very end. After that, you can react however you wish."
"Akira, you're scaring me…" Haru whispered and Yusuke, who was the closest to her, fraternally rubbed her back as a way to show his support.
"Let's get straight to the point" the black-haired boy said. "Goro Akechi is the true culprit behind the mental shutdowns and psychotic breakdowns. The Black Mask we're looking for. And Makoto and I have known it for a while."
Whatever reaction Makoto was expecting from her friends, she was surprised: all of them stood still, either sitting in their chairs or on the sofa, or leaning against the wall. None of them made a single sound as they stared at each other blankly.
"Of course it was him" Futaba smiled bitterly, her voice sounding uncommonly venomous. "I did tell you, didn't I?"
"What do you mean you and Makoto knew, though?" Yusuke interrupted the red-haired girl and untangled his arms across his chest.
"Do you remember the last day we spent in Hawaii, when Makoto came to sleep in my room?" Akira explained calmly. "It was when she discovered who he really was when she managed to check the messages on his phone while he was away."
"Did he attack you?!" Ann asked Makoto, visibly worried.
"He… got angry" Makoto said in a tiny voice, unable to look at them. "But he didn't do anything to me. He said… he only told me to contact Akira and meet up on the rooftop to discuss a plan he had come up with."
"What plan?" Yusuke frowned. So far, the blue-haired boy seemed to be the least agitated one.
"He confessed he is the one behind all the murders and accidents in Japan. Apparently his Persona is capable of driving Shadows mad and, consequently, people in the real world too. However, do you guys remember when he told us his childhood story? Of course, Haru and Futaba were not there…" Akira continued, and then glanced once more at Makoto for support.
"His father abandoned his mother when he learned she was with child. And his mother took her own life after giving birth because she was too ashamed, so he grew up in an orphanage and had a terrible childhood, changing foster homes and families all the time. When he learned who his father was, he swore revenge on him until he awoke to his Persona. But, instead of infiltrating his Palace straight away, he decided to help him rise to power before taking everything away from him by defeating his Shadow. And when I say defeat, I mean kill" Makoto explained sadly.
"That bastard…!" Ryuji shouted, but Akira shook his head. "You don't understand…"
"What exactly don't I understand, Akira?" Ryuji continued angrily. "You guys are just as guilty as him, coverin' his true identity and backin' him up!"
"Didn't I ask you to let us finish first?" Akira continued calmly. "There's more…"
"Right" Makoto nodded. "Of course, we cannot overlook the fact he is indeed behind all those deaths, including Futaba's mother…" the girl paused shortly to glance at Futaba, who was stubbornly looking the other way. "But Shido is the real culprit. He exploited his powers to put him up to this, and told Akechi-kun that Futaba's mother was working on the study of the cognitive world and would reveal his true identity to the world and have him arrested and killed."
"That is not true!" Futaba finally spoke, tears wetting her cheeks. "My mom would never do something like that!"
"We know, Futaba!" Makoto explained gently. "But don't you get it? Akechi-kun has grown up in isolation and abandoned by everyone. Shido has told him nothing but lies and played with his emotions. Furthermore, he had no idea how to trigger a change of heart without killing the Shadow. We would have been the same as him had it not been for Morgana."
Everyone fell silent again as they processed the new information, but they all still looked angry and suspicious.
"What about my father, then?" Haru asked, her tone almost shy as she inquired them about it. "Why did he kill him? At a certain point, you must have told him how to change someone's heart by stealing the ruler's Treasure, right? So why…?"
Makoto had no answer to that: after all, she was still confused herself about it. Akechi had promised them he would spare Okumura's life and join the Phantom Thieves to change his father's heart. So why did he kill the president?
Everyone but Morgana was quite shocked when Akira smirked broadly. "Don't worry, Haru. Your father is not dead."
"Only for you" he whispered, keeping the image of a smiling Makoto clear in his mind.
He pulled the trigger.
He aimed at a random spot inches away from Shadow Okumura's head, and the man knelt in front of him turned with a startle, gasping with fear.
"W-who… are you?!" the Shadow asked terrorized.
"Listen up" Akechi interrupted him quickly. "If you want to save your life as well as that of your daughter, you must do exactly as I say."
The black-masked boy stepped closer to the man in front of him and knelt down beside him, before whispering something in his ear. Shadow Okumura's eyes widened with realization and fear but, after a few seconds of silence, he swallowed hard and nodded.
"I am deeply sorry for this" Akechi muttered after standing up and summoning Loki. "I promise everything will go back to normal at some point."
Akechi nodded a silent command as Loki's eyes flashed red and its lips curled into a hungry smile while it approached the target, who was staring back in awe at the Persona as if enthralled.
Unlike the previous times, Akechi didn't stay behind to watch. Instead, he slowly made his way to the exit as Okumura's screams rang through his ears and everything around him collapsed.
"Yes, I delivered the letter. No, no one saw me!"
Tamiko was patiently answering Akechi's questions, the boy looking deeply concerned as he leaned against a wall by the window, nervously looking out of it to make sure no one had followed her. Ever since his first appearance at her place, Akechi would always wear a black hoodie to conceal his face whenever he left his apartment to go on his "special mission". In other circumstances, Tamiko would mock him and say he was becoming paranoid, but she couldn't deny he looked extremely cute in it.
His looks, combined to the tragic story he'd told her, just made him look more and more appealing to her. Feeling suddenly very bold, she asked him if he currently had any "special one" in his life.
The boy finally tore his gaze from the window and glanced at her so intensely she blushed. When he opened his mouth to speak, however, a long whine came from the adjacent room and she jumped in her chair.
"My gosh, Akechi-kun! Do I really have to keep him here? He creeps the heck out of me!" she complained as she rose to her feet to check up on the man lying in a cot in the kitchen.
He didn't answer, but merely gave her a guilty look and smiled shyly. Of course she had to…
"Will you ever tell me how the heck you managed to save his life? Everyone on TV says he has been proclaimed dead by the hospital!" she asked when she came back into the living room.
"You wouldn't believe me anyway" he shrugged his shoulders, but the stern look on her face said it all, and he sighed. "Alright then…"
"…I can't believe it" Ann whispered in awe.
"S-so… father is… alive?" Haru's voice was full with expectation and hope as Akira revealed the truth explained by Akechi in his letter. The dark-haired boy nodded with a gentle smile. "Yes, he is. However, for safety reasons, Akechi wrote he is not going to tell us where Okumura-san currently is at. He just said he is somewhere safe, where Shido cannot find him."
"But how did he survive?" Ann frowned confused. "We all saw him collapse on TV, and the doctors confirmed he was dead!"
"That part is quite genius" Akira smiled proudly. "Apparently, Goro infiltrated Okumura-san's Palace right after us, and managed to convince his Shadow to create a cognitive copy of the examination room as well as the morgue of Keio University Hospital, which we all know is right in front of Okumura's HQ. It is not a secret your father has been previously treated there, Haru, and that he therefore knows how the whole place looks like. Then, when the time came, he exploited the app to replace Okumura-san's real self with a cognitive version of him before the autopsy. When the doctors arrived, they examined the body of a fake Okumura, while he had all the time in the world to carry the real one somewhere safe."
"I'm not sure I'm following…" Ryuji's eyes were wide with surprise.
"Right. How did he know Okumura would be taken to that particular hospital?" Yusuke inquired.
"I dunno" Akira shrugged. "But isn't that like… the best of the best, where most celebrities and important people are treated? Besides, it was the closest hospital when he collapsed..."
"That was a lucky shot, though" Ann muttered, and everyone nodded.
"Right. He gambled a lot there!" Ryuji continued. "But man… I am impressed."
"But what's going to happen to my father?" Haru asked worried. "He did have a psychotic breakdown, after all."
"I am not entirely sure myself" Morgana replied with a frown. "However, Akechi did write he knows exactly what he is doing, and that he has a plan to bring your father back to normal after Shido has been taken down."
"What else does that letter say?" Futaba spoke next, obviously still suspicious of Akechi.
"Nothing else" Akira answered. "He just said to wait for further instructions."
"Who does he think he is? The new leader?!" Futaba exclaimed angrily, and grunted when no one else joined her in her frustration.
"I know you hate the guy for what he did to your mom, Futaba" Akira said softly. "But give him a chance… after all, it's all Shido's fault she died in the first place. We are fighting the same enemy, here."
"I'll just have you know I will never fully trust that guy, nor do I intend to forgive him for what he did" Futaba retorted stubbornly. "But… I guess you're right."
The Phantom Thieves' popularity was dropping dramatically ever since the news about Okumura's death spread out, and everyone was calling them murderers. Akechi would never understand the people in Japan: first they requested the man punished and dead, then they'd point an accusation finger at whomever was responsible and call them murderer. Talking about coherence.
However, he was extremely relieved to see Shido didn't suspect anything. On the contrary, the man had congratulated him multiple times with his unctuous smile and even patted him on the shoulder. It took all of his self-control not to flinch with disgust, as the boy thought the poker face he wore whenever he was around the man he hated the most deserved at least an Oscar.
On the other hand, in contrast with the Phantom Thieves', his popularity sky-rocketed again as everyone requested his appearances on TV to discuss the matter more and more often. He would accept only to keep up the charade, but made sure to sound much more neutral during the interviews.
He had to admit he didn't enjoy popularity as much as he did before meeting Akira and the others: the audience's love had always made him feel special and appreciated, but now he simply wished to be left alone. His life was busy enough without storms of girls following him once again wherever he went, which made his visits to Tamiko even more complicated.
He had taken the habit of walking around Shibuya in his uniform, making sure he carried his hoodie and jeans in a backpack -which had replaced his suitcase-, before stopping by some random diner or café where he'd change in the restrooms and leave from the window. It took a lot of effort to move carefully and make sure no one was following, but so far he was managing.
He couldn't say the same about poor Tamiko, who seemed to be on the verge of a nervous breakdown. The girl had to cope with studying hard, writing articles, delivering letters as well as taking care of Okumura-san. The man mostly was in a vegetative state, but sometimes he would wake up in the middle of the night and scream or whine, scaring the girl to death.
"How much longer?" she would ask him exasperated whenever he strode into her apartment as if it was his own and flopping onto her sofa. He would let her boil down her rage because he knew she'd always calm down whenever he was around, and then she'd proceed to make excellent dinner for the both of them. In other circumstances, Akechi thought he could have asked her out because she was pretty and brave and loyal. But for some reason, he wasn't interested. For some reason, whenever he thought of taking the girl out somewhere, he imagined himself sitting in a cozy restaurant with someone else…
"Hellooo?" Tamiko was poking his arm as the smell of egg noodles and chicken reached his nostrils. "I expect at least that you join me to the kitchen for dinner."
Akechi followed the girl to the other room, ignoring Okumura who was fast asleep in his cot as always, and sat at the usual spot with the girl across of him.
"I have another letter to deliver" he said as he took a spoon and let the exquisite food energize him.
"Mhm" the girl hummed nonchalantly. She was too used to his requests by now to be affected by them. "When and where?"
"Usual place. Possibly tomorrow afternoon" he explained, and she nodded quietly.
"I… really want you to know it is not easy for me to express gratitude. But I do owe you a lot, Tamiko-chan" he said sincerely.
"You could show it a bit more concretely, then" she retorted bitterly without looking at him.
Akechi didn't answer. He knew perfectly well what she meant by that, and it was something he couldn't give her. Sometimes, when they sat on her sofa after eating dinner and watching some trash program on TV in the semi-dark room, he thought it would be easy for him to wrap an arm around her shoulder and pull her closer and give her what she desired the most. But whenever he tried to send the order from his brain to his body, this wouldn't obey. And so, they kept sitting next to each other with Tamiko intentionally brushing her fingers against his, but without really taking the initiative.
His heart ached at the very thought of hurting the only person in the whole world willing to help and risk her life for someone as undeserving as him. However, he would feel even worse if he deceived her by pretending to have deeper feelings for her when his thoughts kept running to one particular girl. Her smile, those bottomless red eyes of hers and that pout she always put on whenever he irritated her would flash through his mind at the most inopportune moments.
He never realized before how often he let himself think of Makoto Niijima, but now that he was not allowed to see her or hear from her it felt much more intense.
When he forced himself to return to Tamiko's living room, he realized the girl was fast asleep, her head slightly bended to one side as it gently rested on his shoulder. He smiled tenderly and slowly moved her until she laid flat on the sofa, and put a plaid over her. After turning off the TV and giving her one last look, Goro Akechi put on his hoodie and left the apartment in the middle of the night.
"The time has come."
"Is it what I think it is?"
"Indeed."
"So infiltrate Sae-san's Palace and change her heart?"
"Yup!"
The day had finally arrived. Makoto sighed loudly as she read the illegal texts her friends sent during class.
So they had come to this point, the one she feared the most. One small mistake and they'd all be dead. However, she knew this was a necessary step towards their victory: after all, Akechi had told them everything from the start, so they knew exactly what to do and what to expect.
But no matter how hard she tried to reassure herself, she couldn't stop thinking about the fact that something could indeed go wrong: what if Shido found out? What if Akira or Akechi or any of them made a mistake and ruined everything? This required so much work and so much luck that Okumura's rescue plan paled in comparison.
Well, she needed to have faith. After all, Akechi-kun was putting his life on the line for them and she couldn't afford to lose focus. Besides, her sister had changed immensely ever since their father died, and Makoto sort of wished for her to experience a change of heart and return to being the kind and loving sister she once was.
But it was what came after stealing Sae's Treasure that worried her: Akira was supposed to be arrested by the police called on the spot by Akechi, then taken to the police station for interrogation. At that point, Akechi was supposed to kill him but he had sworn he had another plan to save the leader of the Phantom Thieves before infiltrating Shido's Palace. She hated to admit it, but she was worried. What if his was just an act and he would really eliminate Akira and then reveal their true identities? Could they really trust the boy who was responsible for so many deaths?
If that wasn't enough, the October's school festival was approaching fast and she was supposed to nominate a special guest for the annual panel. Since she had no idea who to invite, she resolved to let her fellow students decide for her. Unsurprisingly enough, the majority had voted for Akechi Goro.
"Cheer up, Makoto" Akira smiled at her when they were finished reading all the names on the pieces of paper. "At least we can talk to him properly!"
Well, she couldn't argue with that: it pained her to admit it, but she was missing him more than anything. She missed their silly conversations, their texts in the middle of the night, his smile and his whole presence in general…
She didn't think she would ever admit this but she even missed that tone of superiority he would sometimes use with her whenever he wanted to annoy her. And that was not a good sign.
It was therefore with shaky hands she started typing her first message to him after weeks of silence to ask if he could attend the panel. She thought a message like that looked totally harmless if Shido was ever to filter the boy's inbox. His reply came shortly after during break, but it was not an affirmative one. He simply told her he would think about it. What an idiot! That vague and somewhat cold reply irritated and saddened her, because she had hoped he would sound at least a bit excited to hear from her again after such a long period of silence.
To make matters even worse, as the day of the festival impended and girls from Shujin stopped her every second or two to bomb her with questions about Akechi participating or not, Makoto was seriously starting to feel hopeless. The day before the festival, as she desperately tried to find another guest who could fill in the gap, she received a text from Akechi confirming he would be attending.
"God, was it that difficult?!" she almost yelled at the screen of her phone, but then smiled broadly. He was going to take part to their festival. She didn't need to find a replacement!
She would be seeing him the following day!
It was with immense pride and joy that Makoto answered –way too happily- to her fellow students' questions that day before class. All the girls shrieked excitedly when Makoto confirmed Akechi's commitment as she felt a huge weight being lifted from her shoulders.
However, as the clock chimed the end of today's lessons and Kawakami-sensei's voice echoed throughout the school from the speakers to announce the festival would be commencing soon, Makoto was feeling so nervous her stomach ached.
How would it feel like to see him again? Natural? Awkward?
Or was she feeling that nervous because she was afraid he would be cold and distant like the messages he had sent her? Her mood would still darken whenever she read his last texts, which all sounded so impersonal and brusque compared to the ones he used to send her.
Did something happen during the weeks they'd been apart? Had he found someone? The last thought in particular made her stomach shrink painfully.
She decided not to go back home and change. After all, being the student council president, she had a duty to stay behind and made sure everything was ready before the rest of the school arrived. She was still patrolling the first floor when Akira and the others made their entrance, accompanied by Futaba –who had apparently won her fear of being surrounded by tons of strangers- and Yusuke.
"I smell food" Yusuke's nose twitched pleasantly as his lips curled into a smile full of expectation. "Do you perhaps serve yakisoba?"
"I think there is a booth on the-"
"Our booth has delicious yakisoba, Yusuke! You should try it out!" Ann interrupted Makoto with an over-excited smile.
"Uh? Do we?" Akira lifted a brow, surprised.
"YES, Akira, we do" Ann replied way too aggressively than necessary as she headed toward the staircase while literally dragging a very content-looking Yusuke.
The group made their way to the second floor, occasionally stopping to admire a specific decoration or the gadgets displayed at the many booths scattered all over the place, until they reached class 2-D, looking strangely devoid of people.
"Uhm?" Ryuji hummed as he looked around. "Where the eff is everyone?"
"No matter!" Ann butted in nervously. "It means we are free to talk in peace!"
And, with that, the blonde dropped her bag onto the floor and took a seat by the giant prop octopus sitting on the corridor floor. One of her classmates dressed in a maid outfit who had previously been appointed today's waitress, approached them and asked them what they would like to eat.
"Yakisoba" Yusuke said promptly, his smile fading instantly when the other girl shook her head and informed him they didn't have anything of the sort.
"But Ann…!" he exclaimed outraged, but the blonde pretended to ignore him.
The group of friends took a look at the menu on the table, but whatever they tried to order was apparently not available.
"What would you recommend with what you have now?" Haru finally resolved to ask the waitress.
"That would be the Russian takoyaki!" the girl answered merrily.
Haru then decided to place one order of takoyaki, as everyone chattered excitedly about the fact it was a "Russian" version of the famous Japanese dish.
The student maid arrived after several minutes carrying a boat-shaped plate with different takoyakis, as a larger one sat in the middle and looked dangerously spicy. Haru's eyes flashed with excitement and anticipation as she eyed the red ball in front of her but, right when she was about to claim it, Goro Akechi made his entrance and approached their table.
"Here you all are."
He had appeared so suddenly and unexpectedly that Makoto's heart stopped for a few seconds when her eyes met his. There he was in all his glory, looking the same as always and carrying that stunning smile of his.
"Yo Goro" Akira was the first to greet him as the others were too stunned to say anything.
"May I join you for a moment?" he asked politely and then went to grab a chair to sit with them. "Oh, is that takoyaki?!"
Akechi was eying the food at the center of the table with sparkling eyes, and particularly the "special" one. "I'm going to have one of these." And, without waiting for allowance, he took the red ball and ate it in one bite.
"Oh, the special one!" Haru gasped surprised as Ann palmed her face. "Eating it in one bite is a bad idea…"
Akechi's satisfied smile slowly faded as his face turned red and he began sweating. "Ngh…my throat…! Urgh! This is…! Ohhh… my stomach… it burns!"
"Are you OK? Do you need water?!" Ann asked him concerned, but the boy pretended to be fine and forced an awkward smile on his pained face. "I-I-I'm fine… eheh… I just love… spicy… spicy stuff… ha… haha… ugh."
"Dude, you're on fire" Ryuji could barely contain his laughter as he eyed Akechi struggling against the fire in his mouth.
"It's not funny, Ryuji!" Makoto reprimanded her friend, but she had to admit it was extremely amusing to watch Akechi fight against the spicy food burning his system as he tried to keep it together.
"Y-y-you know w-what, T-T-Takamaki…chan…?" he stammered as a single, lonely tear escaped his right eye. "I m-m-might need that w-w-water a-after all…"
Ann instantly ran to a booth nearby to grab a few bottles of ice cold water and passed them to Akechi. The boy opened one and drank it all in a few gulps but Ryuji watched him sceptically and grabbed the other bottle.
"That's never gonna work!" he announced happily as he stood up and opened the bottle in his hand. "This however…"
And, with that, he emptied the content of the bottle on the brown-haired boy's head as he froze at the temperature shock.
"Are you trying to kill him, you idiot?!" Ann yelled at the other blonde as Akechi sat totally still in his seat. "Look, he's not moving anymore! Akechi-kun, are you still alive?"
"Well, I must admit it was pretty cold…" Ryuji smirked as he examined the empty bottle which looked like it had just been taken out of a freezer.
"I think you just killed our only hope of survival" Yusuke stated amiably, his hands folded in hip lap.
"I say it's not bad news" Futaba smirked malevolently.
"Nah, he's a tough one, eh Goro?" Akira smiled amused and nudged his friend in the side, receiving absolutely no response. "Well, this may take a while."
"Yeah, let's eat what's left!"
When he regained control of his body and thoughts, Akechi realized Akira and Ryuji were helping him walk around by keeping him in balance.
"…his fault for gulpin' down the special one like that!"
"But what kind of idiot empties an ice cold bottle on some poor soul?"
"I think I am fine now, thank you" he finally spoke, making everyone gasp with relief.
"We thought you needed the hospital!" Ann exclaimed, a hand on her chest. "I mean, people were starting to stare at us in a weird way…"
"No matter!" Ryuji completely changed topic with a triumphant grin. "Let's check out the other booths! Do you think you can come along, Akechi?"
The brown-haired boy nodded and followed the very excited group when he noticed Makoto was slowing down her pace to keep up with him.
"Hi" she said in a tiny voice and blushing slightly.
"Hey there."
"How are you feeling now?" she asked worried.
"My stomach still hurts a bit, but I'm fine" he replied.
"Yeah. By the way, try milk next time. Water doesn't really help with that" the girl suggested and then stopped by a random booth. When she extended one arm to analyze an ugly-looking sculpture of what he could only guess was supposed to be a dog, he noticed she was still wearing it.
"…the bracelet we got in Hawaii" he whispered.
"Yeah" she replied with a nostalgic smile. "I wear it all the time."
There was a short pause where Makoto kept studying the horrible sculpture, though Akechi was sure she wasn't really looking at it.
"What about yours?" she asked him, her tone slightly more aggressive. "I bet you never use it, do you?"
She then replaced the small sculpture back on its pedestal and went to join the rest of the group without another word.
Akechi sighed in defeat: no matter how strong his Personas were, or how popular and influential he was in the real world, he would never understand what was going on in a girl's mind.
Goro Akechi could barely contain his joy. That day he would be joining the Phantom Thieves, he just knew it! And the best part was that he would do it with Shido's blessing.
It was with a huge smile on his face that he began his panel at Shujin, with a sour-looking Makoto asking him questions she had previously written down on a piece of paper, as they both stood on a stage in front of the entire school. Akechi knew Shido must have someone in the audience to carefully listen to his words in case he slipped up, but he managed to stay in character. When he stated in front of dozens of people he knew the identity of the Phantom Thieves, everyone in the large room gasped and their faces lit up with curiosity and anticipation. Now it was time.
The fake phone called he had previously programmed together with Tamiko came at the right time, and he excused himself as well as gesturing for Makoto to gather everyone up and follow him somewhere safe. The eight friends escorted him to an office and locked the room behind them.
"Why did you say that?" Futaba asked him angrily as soon as they were alone. "You didn't need to tell the whole school you know our identities!"
Akechi didn't answer, but merely sent her a warning look. For all he knew, even walls there might be working for Shido…
"So" he ignored the red-haired girl entirely and continued. "It seems that what happened to Okumura-san has greatly affected your popularity."
"Indeed" Yusuke nodded gravely. "We have gone from being heroes to filthy villains…"
"But we can infiltrate Sae-san's Palace and clear our names, now right? That's what you wrote in that letter…" Ryuji said happily, only for his expression to turn into a confused one when both Akechi and Akira widened their eyes with fear.
"Can you keep your damn mouth shut for once, Ryuji?" Morgana reprimanded the blonde in a whisper. "Shido might be anywhere!"
"Ops, sorry!"
"Hopefully we are safe" Akechi said after taking a nervous look around. "But yes, we can proceed with Shido's plan."
"Alright! Operation Sae Niijima! Ehm… no hard feelings, right Makoto?" Ryuji turned to the dark-haired girl with a concerned look, but Makoto shook her head. "Don't you worry, I will be fine."
"Show me that phone of yours, Mr. Detective" Futaba ordered Akechi as they stood outside the courthouse in Tokyo. The brown-haired boy lifted a brow and the hacker snorted. "Didn't you need that app for later?"
"Right" Akechi took his phone out of his pants pocket and passed it to Futaba, the girl snatching it out of his hands and instantly starting fumbling with the controls.
"By the way, Akechi-kun" Makoto turned to look at the detective. "It would be best if you shared your contact info with everyone else, not just me. From today, you are one of us after all."
"Already done, Mako-chan!" Futaba smirked triumphantly and tossed the phone back to Akechi. "I saved all our numbers on your SIM card."
"Ehm, thanks I guess?" Akechi blinked impressed.
"So" Morgana intervened. "We know her name, as well as the location. But what would her distortion be?"
"I often hear her call the courthouse a 'place of competition in which she must always win'" Makoto said seriously.
"Uhm, a competition means a match of some sort. Might it be a martial-arts ring?" Yusuke suggested, but when Akira tried it on the Nav app, the familiar dull voice responded with a "Conditions have not been met."
"Then… perhaps a stadium? Or maybe an arena?" Haru tried, but with no better luck.
"There are other competitions beside fighting and sports" Akechi said.
"Gambling, then!" Futaba butted in merrily, her smile vanishing instantly when she saw Makoto's face.
"It must be a casino" the red-eyed girl stated firmly. "Candidate found. Beginning navigation."
When the nine friends turned to look at the courthouse, they couldn't quite tell whether they were still in real Tokyo or in the Metaverse, because their surroundings hadn't changed one bit with the sole exception of Morgana's appearance.
However, when they approached the courthouse, they got their confirmation the Nav was working properly: the building had been replaced by a majestic casino, the bright lights blinding them as they came closer.
"Our attire hasn't changed. That must mean we aren't considered threats or hostiles yet…" Akechi mumbled as he observed each one of them.
"We will be very soon, though" Makoto sighed, and then eyed Akechi carefully. "By the way, you'll need a code name too."
"Huh?" Akechi furrowed an eyebrow at her. "…Code name? Oh, you mean how all of you avoid calling each other by your real name, right?"
"Yes" Makoto nodded. "I am pretty confident you know all of them already, but just in case… I am Queen, Akira's Joker, Morgana is Mona, Ryuji is Skull, Ann is Panther, Yusuke is Fox, Futaba is Oracle and Haru is Noir."
"Not too shabby" Akechi smiled.
"So, what would you like to be called?" Ann asked him.
"Uhm… how about… Raven?" he suggested.
"'Cause your clothes are all black, right?" Ryuji said with a knowing look.
"I might surprise you" the brown-haired boy smirked as the others gave him a quizzical look.
"What about Crow, then?" Makoto suggested.
"I like it" Akechi smiled brightly at her. "It has a nice sound to it."
"Then it's settled!"
"Now, since we can talk freely here in the Metaverse…" Akechi's expression suddenly turned much more serious. "I just wanted you all to know Shido has given me the task to get Joker arrested and killed by the 20th of November, which is our deadline to complete this Palace. However, we are not going to steal Sae-san's heart, because she is a victim of circumstances Shido has chosen to get Joker trapped."
Everyone gasped at the revelation, but Akechi continued. "It is imperative that everyone put their trust in me. I know it can be tough given the horrible things I have done in the past, but believe me when I say I have abandoned all thoughts of killing Shido long time ago, when I met you guys…"
"Akechi…" someone whispered, but he shook his head. "Do you see the police station over there, just by the courthouse?"
Everyone looked in the direction he was pointing at and nodded. "What we are going to do is convince Shadow Sae to create a copy of the interrogation room where Joker will be brought. At that point, once back to reality, I need you, Joker, to tell all the truth to Sae-san. You must gain her trust and, believe me, you won't have much time to do so. But I am confident you will manage. Once you're sure you can trust her enough, you must give her your phone and make her activate the Nav app shortly after I arrive to execute you. In doing so, a copy of you will be created in the interrogation room, and I can kill a puppet instead of the real Joker. At that point, Shido will believe you are finally eliminated and out of the game. That's when we're going to strike back…"
"Wow…" Ryuji whistled.
"So your plan is to create a copy of the interrogation room and kill a fake version of Joker. Sounds a lot like what you did with Noir's father" Morgana said, and Akechi nodded.
"Yes, that's where I took the idea from…"
"But how are we going to know when Sae-san is supposed to activate the Nav app?" Futaba asked with a frown, then she widened her eyes in realization.
"Yes" Akechi smiled. "That's why I asked you to install that app on my phone. That way, you can track me down and Sae-san can activate the app from Joker's phone in order to create the copy exactly as she remembers it."
"That is freakin' genius!" Ryuji exclaimed impressed. "You're so clever you effin' scare me!"
"Thanks" Akechi chuckled. "However, we must all work together to ensure this plan goes to fruition. One mistake and we're all done for."
"Now" he continued determinately. "Shall we?"
Akira nodded with a proud smirk, and then placed a hand on his shoulder. "Welcome to the Phantom Thieves, Crow."
Yay, Akechi finally joins the PT's! :D
I also wanted to point out the whole Okumura-plot thing. I tried to exploit the same method as Akira and the others use after infiltrating Sae-san's Palace by having her Shadow create a cognitive copy of the police station and of Akira before Akechi shoots him. The game leaves a lot of questions unanswered about the whole process, so I thought "why not having Shadow Okumura do the same?" After all, as long as a Trickster convinces the Shadow to create a copy of a real place they've been at, as well as copies of who they want to place inside it, this whole ordeal should be possible... Maybe my explanation is a bit weaker, but I hope it makes sense anyway.
Hope you enjoyed this chapter, and a biiig thank you all for the support you show me every time! Keep it up, guys, you make my day! :D