5/7
Akira's sleep is troubled, but remains free of any Velvet visitors. He wakes to the dawn of an ugly day. Overcast skies the color of pencil lead. Sirens in the distance. He props himself up on his elbows, snatches his phone from its spot on the sill, and checks for any messages.
There are none.
Morgana, curled alongside him, stirs. The cat's tiny eyes open and squint in the muddy sunlight. He rises, stretches, and yawns. "Morning."
"Hey," Akira replies. The two sit in silence. The siren grows, bit by bit, louder and louder. Just as Akira feels his chest begin to seize, the sound passes and recedes into the distance.
He waits for a moment, until it fades. Then, looking at his friend, he says, "Alright, let's do this."
#
Kawakami yawns.
"I trust," Principal Kobayakowa says, "that I am not boring you, Kawakami-sensei."
"I'm sorry, sir," she blurts out. "It was-" She is about to say, 'a long night,' but wisely snaps her mouth shut before the words escape. "I'm sorry, sir," she repeats.
Kobayakowa nods and continues to lurch his way forward. Kawakami follows him a half-step or so behind, a respectful distance. They stroll the early morning halls of Shujin. The only students present are those belonging to clubs.
Her whole body feels sluggish. It really had been a long night. And it's shaping up to be a long day too.
"You were saying?" The Principal prods.
"Yes. Ann Takamaki," Kawakami says. "There really isn't much to tell, sir. She's a decent enough student. She excels in English."
"And her relationships?"
"I'm sorry, sir?"
He glares over his fat shoulder and spits, "Her relationships, Kawakami-sensei. I'm asking how well she gets along with her fellow classmates."
Kawakami frowns but averts her gaze. "Well, her best friend is Shiho Suzui. And, thanks to Kamoshida's rumors, she doesn't have that many other friends."
"What about Akira Kurusu?"
Kawakami blinks. "Sir, if I may ask, why are you asking me about her? Has she done something wrong?"
"I am not in a position in which I have to address your questions, Kawakami-sensei. Do answer mine."
Jackass. "She seems to get along well with him. I've seen her leave school grounds with him a few times."
"Do you think they are in a romantic relationship?"
"Not to my knowledge. But I don't see them outside of school."
Kobayakowa nods. "Of course, of course."
They round the hall. All Kawakami wants to do is retreat to the faculty office where she can drop her head and grab a few winks before the day officially begins. Why the hell is he asking me about her?
The Principal stiffens and halts. Outside his office stands a stern-looking young woman. She wears a jet black business suit and holds a shoulder bag in white knuckled hands. When her eyes pass over the two of them, they narrow, and her lips slide into a scowl.
Whoa. This chick is pissed.
The Principal recovers and opens his mouth to say, "May I-"
"Principal Kobayakowa?" She asks, cutting him off.
"Yes."
She tilts her head up and glares down at the two of them. "My name is Sae Niijima. We will talk in your office."
Sae Niijima? Like, Makoto Niijima? When Kawakami looks again, she can definitely see the resemblance. The woman doesn't look like she'd be formidable, but her tone and body language leaves no room for doubt. Makoto Niijima can be docile at times, but Kawakami has seen her mad on a handful of occasions, and did not envy those students the anger was directed at.
"I'm afraid I'm quite busy at the moment," Kobayakowa replies, and to Kawakami, it sounds like he's struggling to get the words out. When she glances at his face, it is a shade redder than normal. "What is this in regards to?"
Sae Niijima does not move. "It's regarding the blackmail you are committing against my sister."
Say WHHHHAAAAA- Kawakami feels her eyes widen, and they begin to dart back and forth between the two.
Kobayakowa's face continues to deepen in color. "Kawakami-sensei, if you wouldn't mind excusing us?"
She opens her mouth to acquiesce, but Sae cuts in. "She can stay. I'd like her input as well." Sae's gaze turns towards Kawakami, and the woman feels her blood go cold. "You are Sadayo Kawakami, correct?" Kawakami nods. "Makoto has, on occasion, spoken highly of you."
"Oh," she replies. "That's, uh, swell."
Swell?
Kobayakowa hurls a glare towards her. "I'm afraid, if would be entirely inappropriate for Kawakami-sensei to be privy to this conversation, Niijima-san, and-"
"As inappropriate as you holding my sister's letter of recommendation hostage? As inappropriate as you hiring a rapist?"
A few students were beginning to cast curious looks their way, and Kobayakowa shakes his head and roots around in his pockets. "Very well, very well," he spits, yanking out his keyring and sliding past Sae towards the door. "We'll speak inside." With the click of the lock, he turns his gaze back towards Kawakami. "Don't you have anything else to do, Kawakami-sensei?"
She recoils, but dips her head in apology. "Of course, sir. I'll be on my way." She takes a step back and casts one last look at Sae Niijima. The woman stands there like a pillar, and when she notices Kawakami looking at her, gives a single, resolute nod, before she turns and follows Kobayakowa into his office.
The door shuts behind them.
What the hell was that all about? What had Sae Niijima meant by holding the letter of recommendation 'hostage?' Kawakami is familiar with the somewhat shady methods by which Shujin instructors distributed their coveted letters of rec, but was something else going on?
She retreats from the hall, all thoughts of a nap banished by the morning's strange events.
Makoto Niijima is right where Kawakami suspects her to be, bent over a book in the Student Council Room, her pencil flying diligently over the page. She looks as tired as Kawakami feels, and the latter has to clear her throat several times before she looks up, blinking.
"Oh, Kawakami-sensei," Makoto says, standing.
"Good morning, Niijima-san," Kawakami says, sliding into the room and gently closing the door behind her. "Tired?"
"I'm alright," Makoto replies, and immediately yawns. "Sorry."
Kawakami shakes her head. "It's okay, I know the feeling. So," and she pauses, trying to find the right way to phrase things, "I just ran into your sister."
Crimson floods into Makoto's cheeks, and her face whips back towards the book. "I see."
As she opens her mouth to speak, Kawakami realizes that at some point, she had gripped her hands tightly together. She unclenches them and asks, "Is everything alright, Niijima-san?"
"Of course, Kawakami-sensei."
"Because I just saw your sister...insist upon a meeting with the Principal." She also said some things.
Makoto nods and looks back up at Kawakami with the faint hints of a smile. "Everything's fine, honest. It's nothing my sister can't handle."
Kawakami stares into the eyes of the girl and sees some real worry there, but all she can think to say is, "Well, okay then. It's alright if you'd like to tell me something." She could kick herself. That's just a line teachers use when they know the student won't actually reveal anything. It's a way to circumvent the guilt. Everyone knows it, but no one acknowledges it.
"Thank you, Kawakami-sensei," Makoto replies.
Kawakami sighs, but what can she do? I should just mind my business, I guess. Then, a fragment of her earlier conversation with the Principal returns to her. "Oh, by the way, Niijima-san, are you still tutoring Kurusu?"
Makoto stiffens and the pencil halts its scribbling. "Yes, I am, in fact," she replies.
Kawakami is taken aback by the reaction. "He's not giving you any trouble, is he?" If he is, I swear I'll-
But then Makoto looks back at her, and Kawakami sees a smile on her face, and a look in her eyes she's seen so many times in her students. "He's not," Makoto says. Realization comes fast and hard.
Wow. She's got it bad. Has Makoto Niijima ever had a boyfriend? Kawakami doesn't know her that well, but she doesn't think so.
A slow smile spreads itself across her face.
When Makoto sees this, she asks, "What?"
"Nothing," Kawakami replies. "Well, I'll let you get back to work. I hope everything works out with the Principal."
"I do as well," Makoto says. "Thank you, Kawakami-sensei."
She cannot help herself. As she steps out of the room, and into the hall, she says, "Oh, and Niijima-san?"
Makoto looks back at her. "Yes?"
Kawakami's smile erupts into a grin. "I told you he was cute."
The red returns in force to Makoto's cheeks and then Kawakami shuts the door.
#
Kobayakowa does not get to offer Sae Niijima a seat. She simply strides across his office's floor and sits down in a chair, uninvited. He bristles from the rudeness.
What did that bitch tell her? He had banked on Makoto Niijima simply doing what he had instructed. But of course, he's heard the name Sae Niijima. A Public Prosecutor that despite everything aligned against her has made a name for herself in the legal world. "Niijima-san, I assure you that-"
"You are withholding my sister's letter of recommendation until she digs up dirt on another student for you," Sae says.
Goddammit! He smiles and forces out a chuckle. "I'm afraid that you are mistaken. I have made no such arrangement with your younger sister. I merely asked her to look into a certain situation here at Shujin, and explained that I would provide the already promised letter of recommendation once the task was complete. I am not, as you put it, holding it hostage."
Sae shakes her head. "Please. I am not some naive parent you can string along. You are withholding your letter of recommendation for my sister, Makoto Niijima, until she figures out how involved Akira Kurusu was in Suguru Kamoshida's confession."
Does she know about the Phantom Thieves connection? Kobayakowa fights down the urge to swallow. "Again, I-"
"Are you aware that Suguru Kamoshida attempted to assault my sister?"
His mind goes blank. "I... what? When?"
She leans towards him, and despite himself, he reclines further into his chair. "Does it matter?" She asks. "He attempted to sexually assault my younger sister, in this building. In your school."
"K-Kamoshida-sensei's proclivities are-"
"Proclivities?" Sae asks. Her hand slaps down onto the hardwood desk, fingers splayed. "You still do not seem to grasp what I'm getting at. So, allow me to put it plainly. You will provide my sister with the letter of recommendation. The letter you already promised her. You will not require her to further probe into the business of her fellow students. If you do not do these two things, I will make life very hard for you."
He reaches his limit, and stands. "Now, see here! I will not stand for-"
Sae stands as well. "You will shut up and do what you're told. Do you expect me to believe you were unaware of a rapist operating on your campus? You were either complicit, or truly were unaware, and therefore, incompetent. Which do you think will play better?" Her words drip from her mouth like venom. "Do what I tell you, or I will come after you with the entire backing of the Special Investigation Department. We will squeeze you until there's not a drop of blood left in your body. We will ruin you. I will ruin you. Do you understand me?"
His hands shake. "I-I have friends in high places!" He spits.
Sae straightens, and shoulders her bag. "I trust I've made things clear. Stop this sham of an investigation and give my sister her letter of recommendation. If you don't, you will regret it." She turns on her heel and marches out the door. She slams it shut behind her.
He drops back into his chair. How DARE she?! His hands still shake. Who did she think she was? To barge into his office and bark at him like a dog? Didn't she know who he was? Didn't she know what he was capable of?
He smiles.
Well, I can certainly show her.
He pulls out his phone and dials a number he was told to only ever call in an emergency. A part of him screams to calm down, to think clearly, but his blood is pumping too fast.
When the phone is answered, Kobayakowa says, "Hello? I'd like to make a request."
#
Makoto steps out of the Student Council room and joins the throng of students pulsing their way through Shujin's halls. It is almost time for homeroom, and thanks to Kawakami-sensei's jab, she'd been hard-pressed to focus her attention on the requisite paperwork. Despite everything involving the Principal, Akira, and Kamoshida, she still had work to do as the President.
Sae had accompanied her to school, quelling Makoto's fears about showing up later than usual to her office, but explaining that such an action would necessitate her staying late for the next few nights in a row. Makoto felt bad about that, but once Sae's mind was set upon something, she did not waver.
When they had arrived, Makoto had pointed her sister in the direction of the Principal's office, and retreated to the Student Council room, keeping her ears pricked for the sound of incoming sirens, whether an ambulance or police cruiser. You never call tell with Sis.
The school still seems intact, however, and Makoto wonders if Sae is still in Principal Kobayakowa's office, as she descends the steps to the first floor and makes her way towards her classroom. Her thoughts are so occupied, that she does not notice someone calling her name until the third time it's uttered.
"-oto?"
She glances in the direction of the voice. Akira Kurusu is standing close. Very close. Unbidden, Kawakami-sensei's words stab through her mind. I told you he was cute! Makoto stiffens, make a noise that sounds something like, "Meep!" and takes a few steps away from him, pressing her back into the wall.
Akira blinks, then smiles and extricates himself from the students that cast him glances and whisper into each other's ears. He does not seem to notice them. Or if he does, he'd rather notice her. The thought makes Makoto's chest feel like warm chocolate.
He walks up to her and leans against the wall alongside her, his posture relaxed, his movements slow. "Hey," he says, softly.
"Hi," Makoto replies. Okay. Relax. Don't let him know you're investigating the Phantom Thieves. That'll just scare him off!
"Did you get any sleep last night?" He asks, his smile twisting into a knowing one.
"I did," she says, and glances around, suddenly feeling very awkward.
"Sorry if I kept you up," he says.
A pleasant nerve is struck, and she tosses him a glare she doesn't really mean. "Oh, please. Not everything is about you." She punctuates the sentence with a smile she can't help.
"Whatever you say," Akira replies with a shrug, his soft smile twisting into a smug grin. "I was thinking we could study together on Monday."
"Monday?"
He nods. "It's right before exams start, I know. But I'd like to get one session in with you before they actually begin."
"I see."
"Does that work for you?" He chuckles and looks down at the floor, as if suddenly embarrassed. "It's been a while, after all. I could really use a refresher."
"I think that works for me," Makoto says, and proudly keeps the excitement from her voice. "I trust that this session will actually be a session, and not something outrageous?"
Akira's eyes dart up towards her own. "Well, so long as you don't clock me in the face, I think we'll be fine."
Akira's face flickers for a brief second. He looks a mix between, uncertain, excited, and...
Sad?
Then, his grin returns. "I'll do my best. Best behavior. Promise." He inclines his head. "Please, teach me."
She shakes her head. "Oh, stop it. Honestly, sometimes you're too much." Akira straightens, and looks on the verge of response, when his face pales and his eyes go wide. They focus on something behind her. A sudden presence gnaws at Makoto, and she stiffens. "What's wrong?" She asks, but then a throat clears behind her.
She turns and comes face to face with Sae. Her sister's arms are crossed across her chest, and a look of distaste is sculpted across her face. "Akira Kurusu," she says, the words like distant thunderclaps.
What happens next is something that takes Makoto several moments to process, because Akira Kurusu screams. Or rather, he yelps. It is high-pitched, squeaky, short and panicked, and Makoto cannot believe a sound like that can come from him.
"U-uh," Akira babbles out after it, his face redder than she's ever seen it.
"Hi, Sis," Makoto says, louder than necessary, trying to redirect her sister's attention. "How'd it go?"
Her eyes don't even flicker away from Akira. "There should be no further issues."
"Th-that's good," Makoto replies. "Thank you."
"Akira Kurusu," Sae Niijima says again, and Akira straightens.
"Yes?"
"Join me outside, won't you?"
Neither Makoto nor Akira says anything for a moment, and then the latter stutters out, "W-well, homeroom is starting soon, so-"
"A minute is all I need."
Makoto is able to issue a strangled, "Sis!" under her breath, before Sae brushes past her and closes in on Akira.
"I'll see you at home, Makoto," Sae says, and gestures for Akira to follow her out to the front steps of Shujin.
He glances at her for one pitiful last look before he trudges after her.
Sae is mad, Makoto thinks. Crazy mad. She'd warned Akira to stay away from Makoto. She'd told Makoto to stay away from Akira. And here she had skipped out on her own job to straighten things out at Makoto's school, and had discovered the two of them defying her orders. I should've said something. I should've stuck up for him. Now Akira was at Sae's mercy, and Makoto found herself genuinely wondering if she would ever see the boy again.
#
Akira angles himself towards the steps, prepared to sprint to safety if need be. A few students rush past the two of them, and into Shujin's hall. Sae stands there, waiting for them to get by, issuing them a cold look to hurry them along.
When they are alone, she says, "I had a talk with my sister last night. About you."
If the stairs aren't an option, I could dash back inside. No one would help me, but I know the hallways pretty well by now. I could run out to the courtyard and leap over the wall. He says, "Oh."
"She told me what you did for her."
Akira's mind runs blank. "What I did for her?"
Sae nods. "She told me she was in a room with Suguru Kamoshida, alone. She told me you got her out of that situation."
Akira's hands drift up to his cheeks. The swelling and discoloration is gone, but he still remembers the gift Kamoshida had given him for that defiance. "I-"
"Thank you." Her face deflates. A small smile crosses her lips. It looks nice. "If it were not for you, my sister would have been in tremendous danger. So, thank you." As Akira begins to wonder just what he should say in reply, Sae's shoulders slump just a bit and her eyes drop to the ground. "Makoto's still young, and sheltered. She doesn't understand how things work. I'm sure she thought she had good reason to be there, but to put herself in a compromising position like that..." She shakes her head. "She needs to be more careful."
Before he realizes what he is doing, Akira says, "It's not her fault." She was trying to help me. She didn't ask to be taken into that room by that bastard.
Sae's eyes snap back to his. "I didn't say it was." Her shoulders stiffen, she straightens her posture, tilts her head back. Looks down at him. "That being said, as Kamoshida is secure, the danger has passed. I recall telling you yesterday, to stay away from my sister. I'm sure she's learned her lesson, and no longer needs you looking out for her, if that is what you mistakenly believe you are doing."
"That's not-"
"Enough," she says, and Akira's mouth slams shut. "I know about your past. And while I am not ungrateful, my sister will not waste any more of her time on you. Do I make myself clear?"
Akira's eyes narrow. "How did you..." but then he remembers. Sojiro had told him that Sae was a Public Prosecutor. Finding out about the assault would've been easy for her.
"This isn't about you," Sae replies as Akira trails off.
Akira's mask slips. "Yeah, it never is."
"Understand that my sister is someone with a bright future ahead of her. And to successfully get there, she needs to focus. What she does not need to do, is take time away from her studies and her work, and spend it on lost causes."
And there it was.
Akira's jaw works itself through a slow circle. After a few circuits, he mutters, "Okay. I understand."
Sae takes a step closer to him. "I don't know if you do, Akira Kurusu. So, get this through your head. Leave my sister alone."
"I get it."
"Good," Sae turns and begins to walk down the steps. "I don't expect we'll have reason to meet again, Kurusu. Goodbye. And thank you, once more."
Akira watches until she reaches Shujin's front gate and turns into the street. Then he says, "Morgana?"
The cat's head pops out of his bag. "Man, that was scary. Maybe we should-"
"Follow her," Akira says.
"Huh?" The cat wiggles his way out of the bag and drops to the stairs, landing on his paws. "What'd you mean?"
"She may not think we'll meet again, but my guess is we will. We should learn all we can about her."
Morgana stares down the steps, at the spot Sae had just occupied. "Well, if you're sure. Want me back after school?"
Akira nods.
Morgana hesitates for a moment before turning and trotting down the steps, then he turns in the direction Sae went, and likewise is gone.
Akira waits another minute, before he reenters Shujin, a scowl on his face.
#
Ann sighs and pouts. "Remind me why I need to be here for this?"
Akira glances up from his phone and takes a deep breath. "Everyone needs an alibi for the next few days."
"Couldn't I have just gone shopping then, or something?"
Akira looks back down at his phone. He finishes typing his message to Makoto.
AKIRA: Your sister reiterated her orders. I'm supposed to stay away from you. So, I guess the study session is a no-go.
He smiles as he sends it, and tells Ann. "Then you'd be no different from the hundreds of other schoolgirls kicking off their weekend. That's why Ryuji is-"
"I know, I know," Ann replies. "That's why he's going around to different gyms and asking about their facilities. Couldn't I have just gone with him?"
Akira's phone vibrates. As he reads Makoto's message, he asks, "Getting sick of me?"
MAKOTO: We ARE studying on Monday. I will drag you to the library if need be.
Akira smiles and starts to type.
Ann frowns. "No, I just don't like this guy." She gestures towards the neon sign of 'Untouchable.'
AKIRA: That sounds like it could be fun. ;)
Morgana's head pops out from Akira's bag. "This is for the good of the team, Lady Ann. And I think Akira's got the right idea about this guy." The cat had followed Sae Niijima to an office complex in Shibuya, but seeing no easily accessible way inside, had abandoned the search.
Ann frowns, shuts her eyes tight, and shakes her head. "Fine. Let's get going then." She looks down at Akira's phone as it vibrates. "Haven't you flirted with her enough?" Ann rolls her eyes and splays her fingertips beneath her chin. In a high-pitched voice she says, "Oh, Akira! Your texts are sooo manly!"
MAKOTO: (ง •̀_•́)ง
"Wow," Akira says. "She got better." He casts a sidelong glance at Ann. "And that sounds nothing like Makoto, by the way."
"Oh, Akira," Ann continues. "I just love how the thought of me punching you in the face gets you excited, even though my psychotic older sister forbade our love!"
Akira tries to fight down the laugh, but fails. Ann does so as well. He sends one final message.
AKIRA: Point taken. I'll see you Monday. Gotta run. Bye!
"Okay," he says, sliding his phone back into his pocket. "Let's procure some illegal equipment."
"I'll let you do the talking," Ann says, as they approach.
"Good idea," he says, as he pushes the door open.
A blast of cool air greets them as they step inside. Three sets of eyes turn towards them. Two belong to some young men, who look to be in their early twenties, standing together near the back of one of the aisles, heads ducked together in conversation.
The third belongs to the grizzled man with the charcoal cap behind the register. "You're back," he mumbles.
Akira waits for him to say more. He doesn't, so Akira nods. "We are."
The man's feet are up on the counter, but he withdraws them and sets them on the ground, leaning forward in his little chair. "If you want your fake medal back, it's already gone."
Akira shakes his head, and withdraws Nakanohara's picture frame from his bag. "I was looking to sell this."
The man holds out his hand, and Akira passes the frame over to him. "Nice," he grumbles, then tosses it onto the counter. "I'll give you a thousand yen for it."
"A thousand?" Ann shouts. The two men in the back twitch at her outburst. "That's crazy!"
"You morons know I'm not a pawn shop, right?" The man asks. "You can't just haul your junk in here and expect me to offload it for you."
Akira puts a hand on Ann's shoulder. "To be honest, we're not really here for the picture frame."
"To be honest," the man replies. "I don't really care. You want the thousand yen or not?"
Akira stands before the surly manager, and narrows his eyes. "We'll take it, but we were hoping you might have something else."
The man stares up at Akira. "Oooh," he says. "Something. Else. Look, why don't you cut the bullshit and just tell me what you're doing here. I'm busy."
"Doesn't look like it," Ann mumbles.
Akira shuts his eyes and sighs. "You mentioned, last time, that you had... connections. We were-"
The man stands. "Shut up."
Akira blinks. "What?"
The man kneels down beneath the counter.
"What's he doing?" Ann whispers. Akira shakes his head. He does not know.
He straightens up a moment later, a paddle-like object in his hands. Another second, and he has marched around the counter. He stands before the two teens, and without a word, begins to pass the rod over them, held only a few inches from their skin and clothes.
"What're you doing?" Ann asks, taking a step back. "You pervert!"
"I already told you you're not my type," the man replies. "Just hold still." He passes the paddle over every inch of their bodies, then satisfied, nods and goes back behind the counter. "You're not wired. Guess you're not as dumb as you look."
"Huh?" Akira asks.
"You come into my store, sell some stuff, then come back a few days later with a picture frame, and act all weird? What was I supposed to think? Figured you were wired."
"Like, by the police?"
The man nods.
"I'm not," he says.
"I can see that." The man crosses his arms and leans back in his chair. "So, what'd you want?"
Akira lets out a small breath and feels himself droop forward. "I, um, need something. A device."
"Is this a model gun related device? Because if it's not, I can't really help you."
Akira's eyes narrow. "You didn't just pat me down to tell me you don't have fake guns in stock."
The man smiles. "Why don't you be a bit more specific?"
Akira sighs. "I need a device that would let me communicate with my friends, without being tracked or recorded."
"So, a burner phone."
"Well, it would have to be something we could get on the cheap, disposable. Preferably something I could get more of if I needed it."
"So, a burner phone."
"It wouldn't have to be a smartphone or anything. Just something simple that I could use to make calls, and I'd need a few of them."
"Kid," the man says. "Trust me. You're talking about a burner phone."
"Oh," Akira says, blinking. "Okay then."
The man raises his arms in a shrug. "And why would you come to me for a burner phone?"
"Because," Akira says, and leans in a bit. "You said you had 'connections.'"
The man frowns. "But why not just go to a store? You can buy burner phones on the up and up. They're just prepaid pieces of junk."
Akira averts his gaze. "I'd rather not."
The man smiles. "I get it. You're doing something you're not supposed to be doing."
"Can I go through you to get those phones, or not?"
"How many would you need?"
"Three, for starters."
"It'll cost you."
"How much?"
The man gives him a figure. Ann blanches.
Akira frowns. "Fine. But you said they'd be prepaid. How much would they be prepaid?"
The man gives him another figure. Ann blanches further.
Akira sighs. "Fine. That's good for now."
"For now?" The man chuckles. "Just how much shit are you into?"
Akira smirks a little. "Do you need to know that?"
The man returns the grin. "I suppose not. But I don't like the idea of you walking out of my Airsoft shop with a bunch of prepaid phones. So, you're gonna have to buy something else. I can put the phones in the box with the guns."
Akira nods. He'd been meaning to upgrade the Phantom Thieves' arsenal anyway. "Deal."
"Well, then, I guess we-"
The door chimes and everyone turns to stare at the young, bespectacled boy that hurriedly steps inside. "Hey, Dad?" He squeaks.
"What is it, Kaouru?"
"W-well..."
The man grimaces. "Spit it out, already!"
"Those guys are back. The ones you said to keep an eye out for. They're outside, down the alley."
The man's face breaks into a scowl and he stands. "Shit."
He turns and moves to a small door behind the counter, and disappears through it. He returns a moment later with a bundle of cloth. He moves around the counter, grabs Akira's bag, and zips it open. "What the hell?" He asks, jumping back. "You've got a cat in here!"
"What's going on?" Morgana mewls.
Akira looks up at the man and says, "So?"
The man shakes his head and shoves the bundle inside, next to Morgana. "Never mind."
"What're you doing?" Akira asks, and the man whirls around on him.
"You want my help? Then you're going to help me first. Take this to your home and keep it there. Come back in a few days and return it to me." He reaches over to the countertop and takes a flyer advertising a new assault rifle model and holds it up to his face. "Don't come inside until you see this flyer in the window. That'll mean it's all clear."
"What's going on?" Ann asks.
Akira nods. "Yeah, what is going on?"
"Here's another lesson, kid," the man says. "Don't ask too many questions. It'd also be best if you don't open that bundle, either. Do this, and I'll help you. I'll even knock down the price a bit on the stuff we talked about."
Akira narrows his eyes, then says, "Fine."
"One more thing," the man says. "Those guys outside, they might stop you if you just start marching down the alley. So, when you get outside, you two are gonna have to kiss, passionately."
"What?" Ann shouts.
"Huh?" Akira replies.
The man shrugs. "Got to make them think you've got nothing to do with this place. Two teenagers locking lips should be enough."
Ann's face is beet red. "I'm not gonna just kiss him!"
The man rolls his eyes. "Then freaking decide on something else, but get moving!" He nods towards the door.
Akira steals a glance at the kid, the one the man had called Kaouru near the office. His face is pale and his hands are shaking a bit.
"You know," Akira says, as he shoulders his bag. "I never got your name."
The man rolls his eyes. "Right, like I'm about to give you that now. Get going." He shoves Akira towards the door.
Ann opens it first, and marches outside. Holy shit, Akira thinks. Am I seriously about to kiss Ann? He swallows. He'll do it if it's for the good of the team, but it doesn't feel right.
They take a few steps, and Akira starts to close the distance, when Ann whips around with a storm on her face. "You call that a date!?" She screams.
Akira blinks. "Huh?" Behind her, further down the alley, he can see two men in plainclothes standing around as if they belong there. When Ann screams, their eyes dart over to her.
"You've been begging me all month to go out with you, and when I finally do, you take me to this dump!?" Ann screams again. "And you spend the whole time texting another girl?"
One of the men nudges the other and the two share a small chuckle.
"You better not think I'm ever gonna go out with you again!" Then she whispers, very quickly, "Sorry about this," before she brings her hand around and smacks him in the face.
Somehow, the blow knocks the wind from him, and over his shock, he can hear a full-fledged guffaw from one of the men down the alleyway. Ann whispers, "Meet you at the diner?" And spins around, her hands clenched into fists, and marches off.
Akira stands still for a minute, until he feels Morgana squirming in the bag. "What's going on out there?" The cat whispers.
"Nothing," Akira mumbles. He dips his head forward and begins to walk out of the alley.
When he passes the two men, one of them calls out, "My condolences." The other laughs.
Akira smirks as he turns the corner, and brings a hand up to his face. Nice thinking, Ann. But... DAMN that hurt.
"Morgana?" Akira asks.
"Yeah?" Comes the voice from inside his bag.
"Why do girls keep hitting me in the face?"
"You must have one of those faces."
Akira laughs, and turns down the road that'll lead him to the diner. "I guess so."
#
Akechi slides his phone back into his vest's pocket. A great marble staircase ascends before him, carved into the side of an enormous hill. He tilts his head further back and regards the swirling black clouds above. They rage and thunder and billow, but ultimately, release no rain. Impotent, despite their bluster.
A single, lazy step up the staircase is all it takes for the shadows to burst forth. They rise, writhing from their sludge-like pools, and distort themselves into caricatures of Greek hoplites, adorned in bronze chest armor and Corinthian helmets. Each grips an obsidian spear in their hands, and the weapons are leveled, one by one, towards Akechi. "Halt!"
"I seek an audience with the Great Educator," he says, a lazy lilt to his voice. He has much better things he could be doing. But, though house calls are his least favorite activity, he's aware of their necessity. "My name is Crow."
The shadows cast glances at one another, then raise their spears to point skyward. "The Great Educator," one intones. "In his boundless wisdom, is expecting you." He steps clear of Akechi's path and gestures towards the glittering Pantheon at the top of the stairs.
"Of course." He begins his trek, and the shadows fall in line alongside him. Honor guards? Or just guards? The minds he's encountered in the Metaverse tend towards the static, but Akechi allows himself the capacity for surprise.
Like this most recent development. Two uneventful years of Metaverse wet work, and suddenly a group spontaneously bursts onto the scene, carves up the Palace of - of all people - a gym teacher, and throws all the higher-ups into a panic.
Akechi had been positively delighted, until Kamoshida's interrogation. He was almost certain the names provided by the disgraced Olympian were the so-called Phantom Thieves, but he lacked definitive proof.
It didn't matter. The kids were sloppy, and sooner or later Akechi would seal their fates. For a moment, he had allowed himself to hope.
He reaches the top of the stairs and steps between the grand pillars of the Pantheon. The soldiers leave him, but he is greeted by another contingent of Shadows, these dressed in variously dyed togas, in a wide, flat amphitheater, all their faces turned towards the center.
There, stands the Shadow of Principal Kobayakowa. Similarly dressed in a bright, purple toga, the man gestures to his adoring audience and is in the middle of pontificating about something or other, when he spies Akechi approach.
"Ah!" He shouts, and smiles wide. "I take it you are the one known as Crow?"
Akechi nods. "I am."
"And I," the man says, gesturing to himself. "Am Kobayakowa, the Great Educator!"
"Uh-huh," Akechi replies. "So whom does the Great Educator fear so much that he wants me to kill them?"
Kobayakowa's eyes narrow, and the shadows bristle as they turn their heads towards Akechi. "I fear nothing and no one, and you would do well to watch your-"
"Let me explain how this works," Akechi cuts in. "You give me the name. You give me the reason. I leave. That's all." Some of the shadows begin to creep towards Akechi. "Keep your students in check."
The Principal frowns, but nods. "Very well. I seek the mental shutdown of Sae Niijima."
Akechi stares at the man for a moment, then breaks out into a laugh. Kobayakowa's frown deepens. When he can, Akechi says, "Sae Niijima? The Public Prosecutor? Are you joking?"
When the shadow speaks, his voice is a growl. "I do not jest! This woman seeks to directly hamper my investigation into the identity of the Phantom Thieves!"
Akechi's laughter stops, and he stares past Kobayakowa towards the far wall of the amphitheater. How could Sae Niijima affect his assignment? It's true, she's the older sister of Makoto Niijima, but I never truly suspected that pushover to be a member of the Phantom Thieves. Her name was in that file to cover the bases. Kamoshida nearly raped her until Kurusu stepped in.
"Explain," he says. "Now."
Kobayakowa does, and the more he speaks, the more Akechi chides himself for being surprised.
"So, if I understand this correctly," Akechi says, once Kobayakowa finishes his story. "Almost immediately after you were assigned those names to investigate, you handed off this vitally important task to a high school student. And not just any high school student, one of the students you were supposed to investigate. Or, rather than handed off, perhaps I should say, blackmailed. This high school student, naturally, complains about this to her older sister, who is a prosecutor, a fact you should have considered before attempting to blackmail her, who then marches right into your office and tells you to back off." Akechi pauses. "And because of this, you want me to kill her."
Kobayakowa says nothing.
"I am," Akechi says. "Impressed by how spectacularly you have managed to fuck this up."
"How dare you?" Kobayakowa shouts. "I am the Great Educator! This is my school! You will not speak to me in such a manner!"
"Can you explain to me your reasoning behind blackmailing Makoto Niijima into doing this task?"
"Sheep," Kobayakowa says. "By means of obvious self-preservation, don't speak to wolves. If you wish to find the wolf in sheep's clothing, you send in another sheep."
Akechi stares at him, then sighs. "You seem to think yourself a wolf. Allow me to educate you. You are no wolf." He tilts his head down towards the floor. "This is. Fenris!" His mask vanishes in a blue flame, and his chosen Persona materializes mid-leap. The great, shaggy wolf slams into Kobayakowa's form and tackles him to the dirt. It closes its jaws around the man's throat, but does not puncture the skin, merely holds him there, awaiting its orders. The Principal had not even had time to scream before he hit the ground, but he does now.
The surrounding shadows convulse, unsure of what to do.
"Be quiet," Akechi says, and walks over to where the Principal is held. He kneels down until their faces are inches from each other. He stares into the pitiable glowing yellow eyes of the shadow. "If I wanted to, I could kill you right now. Or delay it, have you do something horrible in the real world. Maybe I'll have you drive your car into a playground full of children. Maybe I'll have you stab some of your students with a butcher knife. Maybe I'll have you go into a hospital and smother a newborn baby in a crib." He looks into Kobayakowa's eyes for a little while longer, searching for something. Always searching for something.
He doesn't find it. He stands, and Fenris disappears. Kobayakowa scuttles backwards, eyes wide.
"Your request is denied," Akechi says, as he walks away. "Your real world counterpart will be informed as well.
"W-why?" Kobayakowa shouts. "I understand that I made a mistake in assigning Niijima to the task, but now that her sister is interfering, shouldn't we do something about it?"
Akechi's response is to pull out his phone. "I'd worry more about yourself," he says.
The man's next words come in a whimper. "I-I am the Great Educator-"
"You," Akechi says, as he pushes the button on his phone. "Are a high school principal. A sycophant with delusions of grandeur. You are nothing. Just like everyone else." With that, Akechi vanishes from the Metaverse.
#
Kobayakowa stares at the ceiling from his bed. How much longer is this going to take?
When he had called earlier that day, to make the request against Sae Niijima, before he could get out her name, the voice on the other line has said, "Not another word. Crow will be in contact."
But no one had. The day had passed uneventfully.
His phone rings. His hand shoots out and snatches it off his nightstand. "Finally," he says, as he sees the words, 'Unknown Number' on the caller ID. He answers it with, "Hello?"
"Request denied," comes the voice. The lines goes dead.
##
A/N: I'm back.
Took long enough, am I right? Thanks to everyone who kept reading, who kept leaving me comments and reviews and kudos while I was away. I really appreciate it. It was a busy couple of weeks, but things finally feel like they're settling back down. Hope you all enjoyed the new chapter!
I'm thinking of setting up a Twitter so people can drop a line if they would like to. Will probably do that sometime later this week, whenever I get the chance.
Anyway, I hope you all have a wonderful Monday, and I'll talk to you soon! Thanks again!