I've been finished with most of this chapter, but I had to clean it up and find where to break it. Please enjoy! I will be adding in another chapter after all to this.

To my reviewers:

SkyleRaphael: Thank you! I hope you enjoy Part 2!

khynwinmaung: I really hoped for some character development, but given the whole 'You are the Protagonist' angle Persona likes to use, I figured his relationship with his parents was up for interpretation. This was mine.

Guest: Akira doesn't mess around when it comes to Futaba. Going into the conversation with them would already trigger his security up to the max. And here's how it's going down!

odstd56: Akira, show some mercy!

Hyakudori: Next one's ready! I hope you enjoy!

foxchick1: I hope this appeals!

Winter Kitsu: To clarify for those who weren't able to catch it, Akira had their numbers blocked originally. They got new phones and his mom called him since she still would have his contact number.

Elementor: We'll have to see here ;)

warman225: Next part down and one more to go!


The holiday was approaching and Akira hated it with a burning passion. The hot spring inn he called where they were meeting said that he and Futaba had a separate room from his parents. They'd dine together, but that was about it. He should be grateful for that, but a part of him hoped they wouldn't show up. Yukatas would be offered at the inn, so all they had to bring were extra clothes for the weekend.

Morgana was left at Haru's for the time being since the inn was strictly 'no animals allowed.' Sojiro saw them off in the morning, but he had to smirk at Akira's scowl. He really wasn't up for today. Even during breakfast, his smile hadn't faded when Futaba made them omelettes. His voice said he loved them, he ate like it was one of the best things ever, but his face said he was already done with today. Sojiro cleared his throat.

"Just keep things civil. And keep Futaba out of any harm without causing trouble yourself. Don't think I'm forgetting about what happened at your school," he added with a glare. At that, Akira smirked cockily.

"Was I wrong to do that?" he sneered with his glasses glinting mischievously in the light.

Sojiro grumbled. "Well, no, but that doesn't make you right either."

Because Futaba refused to tell him who dared to speak down on her, Akira chose to attack all of the first year boys in her class. She said a boy, but that was all she wanted to share. So what choice did he have? He didn't like them anyway, a bunch of them unwisely tried to hit on her despite her telling them she had a boyfriend.

Akira and Ryuji decided to treat the first years to a game of dodgeball during PE. His offer was so innocent that to any third party, it looked like a senpai encouraging a fun activity to bond with the kouhai. But Futaba knew better than to trust that devious smile. He had the appearance of boy-you-introduce-to-daddy but was actually sir-your-daughter-calls-me-daddy. And the results were brutal. Akira was smirking like Joker during the game and Futaba swore she could see Satanael smiling down on him. The boy Akira suspected, thanks to his nasty leers and an off-hand comment to Futaba, got one hell of a gut check. And he failed and had to be stretchered out while barely able to get a word out. Whoever laughed at the comment to her got similar punishments by Joker and Skull, the latter who was all too happy to follow his former leader's orders. Mishima had to hide under the bleachers out of fear even though he was on their side. Akira and Ryuji got a hell of a reprimand from a teacher, who called Ryuji's mom and Sojiro.

Sojiro shook his head. "Just don't get into any trouble. It's a hot spring. People go there to escape drama."

Akira rolled his eyes. "It's not like I wanted them to be there."

Futaba shook their entwined hands. "Think of it as a boss fight!"

"Optional boss fight," he muttered. "It's not required."

She blinked innocently. "But you get stronger regardless, right?"

She got him there. Sighing, he pressed a kiss to her forehead and felt calmer. He could do this with her.

Boarding the train, the two waved at Sojiro as the doors closed and he faded into the crowd as they pulled away.


The inn was beautiful, which wasn't a surprise. Their things were taken by staff when they got out of the taxi and Futaba hid behind him as they were escorted to their rooms.

"Have the Kurusu family checked in yet?" he asked, trying his best not to sound spiteful. Politely, the innkeeper shook her head.

"Not yet, sir. They won't be arriving until closer to evening. You and your guest are free to enjoy yourselves for the time being. Shall we call for you when they arrive?" asked the innkeeper. He nodded stiffly and bowed as she let them into their room and handed them the key.

"Your yukata will be on the beds. We prefer all of our guests to wear them to truly relax. Please let us know if there is anything else you need," she concluded, taking her leave. Akira not so gently shut their door and locked it for privacy.

"I should ask for sake and get drunk to get myself through this," he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck to work out the irritation. Underaged drinking be damned. This was an emergency. Futaba clicked her tongue at him.

"Liquid courage isn't exactly courage. It just takes the filter off your language," she chided. He turned to snip back, but immediately lost all motivation to do so when he saw her pulling off her shirt.

"I wanna wear a yukata!" she announced, changing the subject. She grunted as her shirt got stuck halfway up her body. Curse fitted clothing. Ann's advice was stupid sometimes. "Help!"

Chuckling and in a better mood, he walked up to her from behind. Seizing the sides of her shirt, he pulled the rest of it off effortlessly and tossed it onto the bed. Her hair was wild from the ordeal and her plain green bra was in full view.

"Need me to take off more?" he asked, fighting to keep his voice sounding innocent and sweet. She put her hands on her hips, seeing through his mask.

"Haha, you'd like that, wouldn't you? Shoo! Go change!" she snapped, chasing him into the bathroom and tossing his yukata at him.

When he finally emerged in the spring green yukata, he saw her fumbling to tie hers.

"All done!" she cheered as she finished. She looked cute and elegant despite the yukata being plain. He approached her and gently cupped her face with both hands before planting a firm kiss on her lips.

She squeaked when his tongue ran across her lips, pulling away with a faint 'pop.' She sheepishly stared up at him. "Feeling extra romantic today?"

He grinned. "I'm in a beautiful place with my even more beautiful girlfriend. And..." his grin slipped off his face and looked dead, "we're gonna be going into a battle that requires a lot of patience that I don't have when it comes to this."

He became dead weight and took her down with him onto the bed, head on her lap. She stroked his hair with her thin fingers.

"We're going against twin palaces, huh?" she asked. He made a muffled noise of agreement. She giggled.

"You can do it! But if they really try to patch things up with you, you have to not push them away if you want them to change. That doesn't mean go have dinner with them every night, but whatever works at your pace," she added. He groaned.

"It's easier to stay pissed off at them, but you're right. I should at least accept the effort of them trying. Not like I'm going to just let them waltz back into my life," he muttered. His eyes hardened like steel. "But if they hurt you in any way, if they say something and I see you want to cry, deal's off. We're going straight back to Leblanc."

She nodded understandingly. "You should warn them though, it's not fair and makes you look like the bad guy if you just blow up without them understanding why."

He knew deep down that he should. It was mature. If he wanted to move on, with them or without them, he was going to make sure to give them as little ammo as possible to badmouth him at home without lying about the details. She kissed his head.

"Want to explore this palace a bit before the bosses show up?" she asked. "Or we can stay in this safe room to prepare for battle."

He grunted. What he wanted more was to spend all of his time with her, but the walk could help focus his mind. But before they went...

He slowly climbed up and pushed her onto the bed gently. Her mouth opened with surprise, covered when he grasped her cheeks and kissed her deeply with his tongue inside her mouth.

She moaned, cheeks reddening brighter than her hair. She grasped his yukata and let him play with her mouth before he pulled away with a look that sent warm jolts between her legs.

"I want you," he breathed, glancing down her body before meeting her eyes again. She shakily nodded, reaching down her yukata and spreading the folds apart to reveal her undergarments to him. Hooking his thumbs on either side, he reveled in her shivers as he pulled her underwear out of his way.

She saw stars brighter than treasure when he sunk down and used his mouth on her other lips. The sounds she made were heavenly in his ears along with her soft hands running through his hair as she was closing in on her peak. She closed her eyes, letting out soft moans as her body relaxed with each stroke of his tongue.

The buzz and shrill of his phone distracted her, delaying for just a second while she hit his shoulders repeatedly. She clenched up around his tongue.

"Akira, ph-phone!" she cried. He growled to himself. Nope, whoever was calling could wait. Or...

She looked mortified when he reached for his phone while still pleasuring her.

"Y-you're...ki-kidding-!" Was he seriously going to answer right now?!

But luckily he didn't, Futaba screaming his name as she came.


They laid in bed for a few minutes to catch their breath. He leaned over to kiss her cheek.

"I'm gonna see who called me outside," he murmured, adjusting his robe on modestly.

She groaned. "Leave me and never return," she replied, completely embarrassed at the thought of having to answer a call mid-coitus. He chuckled and moved off the bed.

Outside, he checked his phone and felt his mood tank when he saw that he was being called with his father's new phone. Well, he should expect it after blocking his mom's and only keeping his dad's after agreeing to meet with them. Praying for patience and strength, he called back.

"Akira, we're almost there!" was his mother's first comment when she answered.

He nodded. "That's fine. I wanted to let you two know a couple things in advance."

He thought back to what Futaba said about warning them. To be petty meant going off without a moment's notice, but he didn't want to deal with the bitching he'd get later from his parents for not informing them. Even though he would back then and still be ignored, but he figured to do it again so the info was at least out there.

Aika seemed surprised, still not used to him being blunt. "O-oh, alright."

He took a deep breath, all concerns related to Futaba. "My girlfriend doesn't like physical contact. Please don't try anything like hug her when you first meet."

"But its just a simple greeting!" she whined. He wanted to sigh in annoyance. His mother always had a hard time accepting a 'no.'

"Mom, please. She doesn't like it. Just say hi to her. If she wants it, she'll let you know. You don't need to hug her to make her feel welcome." Futaba wouldn't like that and he didn't want her to feel uncomfortable. Meeting his parents was already uncomfortable enough. He heard his father's voice next.

"Akira, you really shouldn't baby her," Kazuma muttered gruffly.

Akira twitched. Baby her? His ass. He was making sure they wouldn't push her buttons. Warn them now, go scorched earth if they keep doing it. They should be glad he was at the very least warning them. "I'm not babying her. I'm telling you what she's comfortable with and what she's not. I'm not telling you to treat her like she's something different. But she's been through a lot and I don't want her to be disrespected."

He cursed himself for the last word. Kazuma always felt slighted when someone so much as mentioned him being disrespectful. In his eyes, that person was treating him like a child.

"I am not disrespectful," the older Kurusu voiced strongly.

Akira bit his tongue to keep his true reply in his throat. "...also, her name is Futaba."

At the change in topic, Kazuma's attention shifted.

"Wakaba's daughter? Sojiro was close to her," he commented as he remembered the exchanges with the man before they became unpleasant.

Akira was proud of how calm he was. "Yes. She's still hurting from her death."

"It's already been years since she died." The way his father said that had him gripping his phone tightly. It sounded exasperated, like he couldn't believe someone could still be grieving. He should know damn well that grief didn't have a timely expiration. That response alone had him tempted to hang up and leave the inn, but he chose to stick to his high-level patience and kindness.

"And she is still hurting," he repeated, trying not to sound condescending.

Kazuma grunted in his way of understanding. "...I see. Fine. And Akira, your mother is still hurting from the time you yelled at her and that was more recent. Have you apologized?"

The abrupt change in subject had him taken aback. "I did. She was there," he remembered. Aika was silent on the other line.

Kazuma continued. "She said you didn't."

Holy shit, she was fucking lying?! "What? I did," he repeated firmly. Of course, the change in tone wasn't appreciated.

"Akira, you're talking back," his father accused. Again, he was the one with the attitude when they come in with false accusations. It was hard not to be annoyed.

"I'm explaining. I apologized before I hung up," he remembered. It was then when Aika spoke up softly.

"I...don't remember. I don't think you did," she answered. Oh, he knew that tone of hers. It meant she wanted an 'official' apology.

"Mom, if you don't remember me apologizing to you, then why didn't you ask me when you called to tell me about this visit?" he asked, trying to piece logic in with his mess of a dysfunctional family.

"Akira!" Kazuma scolded. Oh, both Kurusu men were pissed off. His father always did this to get his mother out of any wrongdoing. If Akira didn't apologize, then his mother would hold a grudge for months.

"...I'm sorry, Mom." His own apology tasted like sand.

"Oh, it's alright, dear," she replied as if she were benevolent the whole time. This was the last fucking game he was playing. If they pulled any of this crap with Futaba, he was going to throw a table.

"I gotta go." Not caring when they tried to protest, he instinctively drummed his nails on the receiver to imitate static before hanging up. Something he learned to do as a kid when their rants would be draining and he couldn't be blamed for static. It was easier with a candy wrapper.

He sighed deeply. What did he get himself into? And he dragged Futaba in. Why did he do this to her?


Coming back to their room, he felt unceasing guilt when he saw Futaba's face brighten up at his return. But it immediately fell. Without a word, she opened her arms and waited for him to fall in and take her down with him.

They lied still for several minutes with Akira nuzzling into her neck. 'His parents must've called,' she guessed.

"Boyfriend~," she sang in hopes to get his attention. No response. Poke his head, no response. Tickle his sides, not even a flinch. She hummed in thought. How to get Akira to look up?

"I sent you my nudes on a private server." His head whipped up so quick that it startled her. In that same second, he was hastily checking his phone.

"Where?" he asked, his face blank but his voice eager.

She giggled evilly. "Got your attention now! Now tell me what happened."

His face drooped. "So...you didn't send me nudes?" he asked quietly.

She smacked his shoulder in a fit. "You know I didn't!"

"This conversation is over..." he muttered, dropping his phone and nuzzling back into her neck. She shook his shoulder.

"Hey hey! Up! You tell me what happened or insert punishment here!" she threatened. He groaned.

"Let's just say this because repeating it right now will piss me right the fuck off. If my parents say anything that upsets you, give me a signal and we are done with that. No more talk of meeting my parents again. When we get married, I'll only tell them right before we walk to the altar. Then they'll never be able to make it in time."

Aww, he seemed really upset. Well, she couldn't fault him for that because she was thinking the same thing.

"But wouldn't they have enough time to make the reception?" she pointed out quietly. It took a minute for that to process in his head. When he groaned in pain, she giggled.

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry. Wanna go on a walk to clear your head? You always told me it's no good to keep cooped up for too long," she mentioned, thinking about a time he carried her out of the house one time before they started officially dating. She couldn't carry him, but she'd use her secret charm skill to coax him out by sweet talk.

He sighed. He'd get up because she asked and he really needed a clearer head about this all. Slowly getting up, he gave her another kiss and helped her stand.


She clung onto his arm as they walked around the inn. High up in the mountains and hidden away in the quiet was this inn. It was peaceful and serene. While parties were had in banquet halls and larger rooms, the room they would be in was small.

Closer to the backyard garden was a small pond. The two gazed out into the garden while listening to the pond's small waterfall. Futaba was being held by Akira from behind, his chin resting on her shoulder.

"I'm kinda glad we came. It's so relaxing here," she murmured softly. And it was a plus that not many people were around.

He nuzzled into her. "I'll bring us here for another weekend. Just the two of us. We can make good memories here if today happens to be a bust." It was a promise.

They heard footsteps behind them and heard the voice of the innkeeper.

"Kurusu-san, Sakura-san, the rest of your party has arrived. The dinner hall is being prepared. Please proceed to the Orchard Room in about fifteen minutes." After her announcement, she turned and hurried away to finish preparations.

He clung tighter to Futaba. They were here. He didn't feel nervous, just on edge. That phone call really killed it. This day could go badly and he didn't mind it taking a turn so long as Futaba remained untouched. She looked up and poked his cheek.

"Don't make that face," she chided, regarding his scowl.

He didn't alter it. "I'm not making a face," he disagreed.

She rolled her eyes. "Uh huh."

He sighed and kissed her affectionately.

"Futaba-chan, let's just ditch this meet and enjoy our weekend with just us two." He could give her tons of love and they could make a romantic getaway to test the waters for a wedding night. She rose a brow.

"Didn't they pay for it?" she asked, remembering the bank details she checked. He frowned.

"I'll send them the money." He didn't want to owe them anything and have this included in the crap they held against him. She gripped onto his arms and marched forward, ignoring his protests.

"I hunger! Dinner time!"


The room they would have dinner in was spacious. The table was spotless and held four places for them to sit. They took their seats and waited with Futaba holding his hand. Smiling, he leaned against her and sighed in content.

He heard them before they came in. Even their voices pissed him off. He grasped her hand tighter and slowly moved his body to shield her from the view of the door.

"The drive was so long!" Aika complained.

Her husband scoffed. "Imagine how long it would've been had you been driving, Aika."

"You know I can't drive well in the city," she chided. They were right behind the door now. His free hand clenched tightly, afraid of hurting Futaba if she felt how frustrated he already was. He was calmed by a light peck on the cheek from her. Turning his head, he was met with an innocent smile.

"I love you~," she sang. That smile healed the scars on his heart.

"I love you so much more," he replied, kissing her gently. She giggled and kissed back.

The door sliding open had the two turning their attention back to it, seeing the older couple they were waiting for. Kazuma Kurusu was an older man with short, black hair cut and styled like a seasoned elite. His hard features mimicked Akira's when the teen was fairly cross and the two were currently sporting identical scowls. He was wearing a yukata like them, but walked in with all the arrogance of Madarame. For some reason when he walked in, Akira had a faint vision of his father wearing all the armor of a tyrannical shogun.

Aika Kurusu was very well-kept. Her long black hair was brushed back and silky, held up in a ponytail with wisps of hair purposefully swept out to give her more of a natural beauty. She looked more like the Wii Fit instructor with that hair. She walked in with the grace of a high-born lady. Only in appearance though. To her son, she appeared to be a manipulative okugata with a meek smile and calculating eyes.

Their scowls faded when they remembered their manners to greet each other. Sighing internally, Akira reluctantly let go of Futaba's hand and stood up.

"Mother. Father," he greeted formally. At once, Aika burst into tears and launched herself in his arms like she realized he was alive. Awkwardly, he held fast. He wasn't used to affection from his parents. She held on like she was afraid. He briefly wondered if she was seeking comfort from him rather than hugging because she was missing him.

Behind her, Kazuma nodded stiffly to him. "It's good to see you, Akira," he greeted, his voice a little softer than normal. Akira just nodded, refusing to let his guard down.

After a fight, which he tried not to have when growing up with them, they refused to speak to him for days, then act like nothing was wrong afterwards or nag at him for icing them out when they talked to him. It would be his fault if he didn't reach out and grovel to them first. He recalled a lot of times having to apologize for shit he didn't do if they were upset. Even if his parents yelled first and he yelled back, he had to apologize. He rarely instigated fights until rebelling hard when he refused to come home.

Aika stepped back and looked at him up and down. "You've grown so much in a year. And more than a year."

She wasn't wrong, he had muscles now. His adventures had something to do with that. He simply nodded.

"Yeah, I did," he replied. She peered over his shoulder.

"Aren't you going to introduce us to this lovely lady?" she asked. Futaba gulped. Why did she have to look at her?

Immediately, Akira's mood soared when he looked at her. He went onto his knees and held her hand, gazing at her like she was gold.

"This is Futaba Sakura. She's my future fiancée." She turned cherry red and shook his shoulder. Why did he introduce her like that?! And so sincerely!

His parents nearly toppled when they were taking their seats across from them.

"F-f-fiancée?!" Aika cried, a hand flying over her heart. Had she heard correctly? What had her son been doing in the past year?

Akira looked at her quizzically.

"I don't think I stuttered. But yeah, fiancée," he affirmed, gently pulling her hand into his where it belonged.

"You mentioned being in a relationship with her, but I never thought it would be on a level that you would think to get married. You two are still so young!" Aika added. He resisted the urge to shrug. Instead, he smiled.

"That's how strongly I feel about her."

Futaba mashed her face into his arm before she quickly remembered to greet them. She bowed her head.

"N-nice t-to me-meet you! My name is Futaba!" she ended confidently. Aika giggled across from her and bowed her head. Kazuma was stern-faced as usual, but he nodded cordially.

"It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Futaba. Sojiro's daughter, correct?" he asked. She nodded proudly. "Yup!"

The maids of the inn swept in with a kaiseki dinner for them. As they waited to be served, Akira busied himself with watching Futaba brighten up as she looked at each dish. He was used to lavish vacations, but they were pretty boring being alone with his parents. Her being so happy made him happy too. She scooted over to lean into him.

"I feel like I'd have to sell my computer for a meal like this," she murmured. He smirked and nodded. She wasn't wrong.

They began to eat, but of course his parents had questions for them.

"So Futaba, how did you meet Akira? I'm assuming you were there when Sojiro brought him to Leblanc?" Aika asked.

Futaba froze a little. No, she was a hikikomori at the time. Akira could see the question made her uncomfortable. Before he could answer, she spoke.

"I...no. I didn't. I didn't meet him for a couple months after he came. It was hard just thinking about leaving my room," she whispered. His hand instinctively came up and was on her back, rubbing soothingly.

Kazuma nodded thoughtfully. "Wakaba," he replied.

She looked up in shock. "You knew my mom?"

"Yes. Sojiro was in love with her. He mentioned her quite a bit. It was a true tragedy when we heard she died. A brilliant woman," he added, nodding as he remembered her. Aika smiled in sympathy.

"It must've been so hard for you, Futaba. I can only imagine how difficult it was to try and go to school with all of that going on," Aika said softly.

Futaba nervously reached for Akira's hand, who grabbed hers in support.

"I-I never went back..." she muttered, getting more and more nervous about their reaction. It was never good to mention that.

Like she predicted, the two adults were surprised.

"For over two years? Didn't that set you back?" asked Kazuma, frowning. She nodded shakily, it was so bad that Akira looked like he was trembling.

"I couldn't. I was...I was scared. And-" He cut her off by gently kissing her cheek. The gesture had her sighing in relief. He stared at his father.

"It was hard for her, Dad. Please, we can explain that another time." 'If you keep persisting, I'm gonna fucking end you,' he thought darkly. Satanael would be so proud.

Kazuma simply agreed, much to his surprise. His parents exchanged looks as they continued to eat.

Akira continued rubbing her back and smiled at her. "She's been doing much better now. She started as a first year a while ago and is top of her class already. She's incredibly smart. She's built her own PC and laptop. She's read a ton of difficult textbooks in science and memorized them all. She's even read a book that you had to read for medical science. She's introduced me to a lot of fun things. One of our favorite things to do on the weekends are to play video games. And I always beat her," he jabbed purposefully. In retaliation, she plucked one of his sashimi pieces off his plate and shoved it in her mouth. He totally deserved that in her opinion.

Kazuma looked impressed and nodded in approval. "Smart girl. A genius. Wakaba was a genius too. I am not surprised her daughter is the same way."

Futaba blushed and nodded awkwardly. Aika put her hands together as she remembered something.

"Ah! Speaking of smart girls!" She reached for her bag and pulled out a folder. "Do you remember Kimiko Ishida?"

Akira tensed, which didn't go unnoticed by his girlfriend. Of course. One of the girls his mother approved of. He never dated her. She was too high maintenance and she talked incessantly about holding him to the standards of a doctor's son.

"...yeah..." he said slowly. Aika giggled.

"She was always such a bright girl. And thoughtful too. When she heard we were coming to visit, she organized a little present for you from the rest of your old classmates and friends!" She suddenly presented a large card from the folder. It was a folder in itself. The monstrosity was floated over to him and nearly took him off-balance.

It looked fairly nice, if not generic. It was bordered with fancy squiggles and when he opened it, there were messages from everyone he had known back in his other home. Messages that urged him to come home soon, they missed him, blah blah. These had nothing on the messages he was sent when Shido's accusations had plagued him. Poorly visible threats written in fake blood telling him he was an embarrassment to the school. How he should watch himself before a couple guys would show him how to really assault someone and make sure they never snitched. Because of the witness account, girls thought he had devious plans and marked him as a pervert.

How were any of these messages supposed to be comforting after everything they put him through? It wasn't even a good start. God, he was pissed off. But inside the card was a smaller envelope. He paused to take it out and opened it to pull out a smaller card. It was painted with pink cherry blossoms with a lacy white border trimming. For some reason, a strong floral scent permeated the air. He remembered Ann putting it on once for a shoot and when she ran to hang out with the group after, Morgana passed out because it was so strong. Even they could smell it from the doorway of Leblanc.

Inside was a message from Kimiko herself. 'Kurusu-kun, I hope this card finds you well. When I heard from your family that you had no plans to return, I was devastated. I hope one day you will at least visit. There is much to catch up on. I hope you will not forget us. I promise I always believed in your innocence.'

The last line made him want to gag. Believed him? What a lie. When she first heard about the accusations, she was skeptical, but once she heard a female was involved, she immediately assumed he was a lecher and cast him out. She went behind his back and accused him of looking at her strangely a few times, which caused her followers to spread rumors.

He was finding more reasons why he should never come home.

Futaba paused from her dinner and glanced over. Feeling much more like herself, she swallowed and grinned.

"Mwehehehe, the paper's been sprayed with perfume. Ann mentioned the scent is overrated. 'Think of me, Akira. Me and half the girls in our old class who use this perfume.'" Her last remark had him chuckling and putting the cards down next to him so he could put his head down and laugh. He never laughed so much in front of his parents. It surprised them.

Nervous albeit a little irritated by her remark, Aika smiled. "Kimiko-chan is quite a capable girl, Futaba. She may not be as smart as you, but she is one of the top in her class as well. I am fond of her. I thought she would make a great daughter-in-law, until I heard of you, of course. She checked up on us constantly throughout the year and did her best to provide comfort."

Futaba's face went blank. "Oh really? How nice of her. Except..."

Keeping her cool, she pointed over at Akira. "No one checked up on him. He didn't get any comfort. He got people hating him right off the bat. Even Sojiro hated him before he got to really know him and that was before he was exonerated of the charges. The school hated him and so did the public whenever they heard about why he was here. The only ones who gave him a chance the first time were outcasts. Me included, but much later."

That was one of the reasons why they had been attracted to each other. They were wounded by others and left to bleed out. While Sojiro was there for her, he could never heal the open scars left by many. When she and Akira started talking without the others around, it was first about two dogs licking each other's wounds before they healed and moved on.


Their Heart-to-Heart

"Do you know how that's like? For people to accuse you for things you've never done and judge because it was convenient?" she asked one day, thinking about the day her mother died and her 'suicide' note was read to the family. She could never forget the nasty looks she got and the screaming she was subjected to. The blame they all hurled at a young girl who had seen her mother kill herself just days ago. Akira was pouring her a drink at the time, pausing for a second.

"Of course I do. That's why I'm here," he answered casually. She glanced up, sorrow in her eyes and a blank nothingness in his.

"It hurts, doesn't it?" she asked. He continued pouring her drink until the cup was full.

"Yeah, it does. But it stopped for me. My home isn't there anymore with the people who hated me," he muttered. She smiled softly at him when he handed her the cup.

"Do you see this place as your home now?" she asked, pausing to take a few sips.

"I didn't before, but it's starting to stick. Can't exactly remember when it started." But as he said that while she drank, he looked at her longingly.

And while he had been initially silent about his feelings for her out of fear of her rejection and loss of their friendship, she wasn't. She actively spoke up about feeling something for him. He was the one to initiate their first kiss.


His heart soared, taking her hand and squeezing it in comfort. She smiled back at him and leaned onto his shoulder like she had on Valentine's Day. This. This was one of the many reasons why he fell in love with this girl. They understood each other the most in the group. He had been concerned when he developed feelings for her and ultimately decided to keep his mouth shut to preserve their friendship and his respect for Sojiro before the man told him he was alright with having them date. But once she had asked Akira why he did things for her and mentioned that she felt strongly about him, he stood up so fast to confess. His only regret was that he should have done it sooner.

His parents both looked uneasy now. He was glad that they would try to keep up appearances as best they could because they didn't want their reputations to fall. This was a classy inn, after all.

His mother finally spoke. "The accusations were difficult on all of us. Please understand. Kazuma had patients refuse to see him due to the reputation of having a delinquent son. My family and friends rejected me and they were all I had. Our town turned against us and we received no peace. The probation was to grant us a recovery period." She sounded like she was repeating the same excuse as to why he needed to go on probation.

Futaba was having none of it. "But you turned against him too. He was the one who had everything taken away from him! He was never a delinquent! And no one supported him or told him that they at least cared! Even if you were recovering from the repercussions, it wouldn't have been damaging to at least call him! It's not like anyone would've known!"

She was getting frustrated. Excuses on excuses! They turned on him because of what happened and thought about saving themselves over their own son.

Kazuma was turning red with anger and Akira caught on quickly. His glare warned his father about what he had told him before. Kazuma glared back at him and Akira vaguely thought about throwing a rice bowl at his face.

"We didn't know that the allegations were false. You can't even fathom what my wife and I went through when we heard Shido confess. We felt like we betrayed our son. And we can't even make up for it because he refuses to return home so we can right our wrongs," he stated, keeping his eye on Akira.

The younger Kurusu narrowed his eyes and clenched his free fist. "I was hurt because neither of you even attempted to believe me. You just assumed I did it because of him and the witness. You know me, but not as well as I thought. You asked for forgiveness before you could sincerely apologize for how you treated me. You said you felt that way because of everything you heard. You could always explain away your actions to justify how you felt, but how can you ask me to forgive that? 'I'm sorry, but that was because of whatever...'" he spat it out bitterly. "That's not a real apology to me. Not when you try to make me feel bad for you instead of apologizing to me because you were straight up wrong."

Aika was crying out of frustration while Kazuma stewed in his anger.

"Akira, please. We're here now and we want to rebuild what we've lost with you. It's been so difficult without you. Our family is asking for us to come back and we can have what we had before again!" she shouted, thinking about how excited she was that her family finally reached out again. She sounded hopeful. Of course. His mother hated being outcasted despite doing it to her son.

Akira sighed. He wasn't giving in. "Mom, I'm happy with what I have now. And more so than what I had before. I have friends who won't cast me out as easily as my old ones back home. Ishida did too, so I don't know what she's been telling you. I feel like I can be myself here and I have people who encourage me to follow my own path. I can't keep following my dreams if I'm constantly concerned with what others dream for me."

Kazuma slammed his fist on the table, rattling the dishes. "You're abandoning the family, Akira? We birthed and raised you! You talk about resenting being casted away and yet you do the same to us!"

Akira stood his ground. "You did it first, Dad. You taught me to stop associating with those who wronged you." The only lesson he took from his dad's lectures to heart these days.

"We're family and you know that's different," Kazuma shot back, annoyed that he dared to say that. The fucking family card. The ultimate excuse as to why he needed to forgive. He wasn't falling for it anymore.

"Us being family didn't stop you from sending me away. You couldn't wait for me to leave so you could start brushing things aside. You don't even have a real reason for why you didn't contact me. You wanted me gone. I heard you the night I was supposed to leave. And neither of you can convince me I heard wrong. That day I can never forget even if I tried." At his reply, Kazuma was taken aback. Like he didn't know Akira listened in that night. Seeing his reaction, Akira slowly looked over at his mother. The way she went pale was enough for him to piece things together.

"Mom, you didn't tell him I knew?" he asked, more out of formality than a question. He wanted to give her a chance to say something.

She flinched like she had been electrocuted. "I..." she trailed off, looking down nervously. Kazuma gently nudged her.

"Aika," he coaxed. She finally looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

"I just didn't want to tell you because I knew how upset you'd be, dear." That wasn't a lie. But lying on omission was still as bad.

Akira scoffed bitterly. "And that was around the same time I told you I was sorry the first time for yelling." He knew it was a jab and intended for it to be.

After gazing into his wife's eyes and speaking without words, Kazuma sighed tiredly. "Akira. I suggest that we put our differences aside and start over. If we want to move on as a family, we must allow ourselves to cast aside whatever bad blood we have between each other."

Akira shook his head defensively. "Oh no, I am not going to just set things aside and start over. Not after everything I've been through. I have gone through too much for someone to tell me to just get over it and move on. I'm moving on. My own way."

Kazuma scowled. "And that includes completely abandoning us. After all we've done for you."

Akira kept his tone even with his father's. "I'm not saying that. I'm saying I'll keep in contact here and there, but I can never be the son you thought I was before. That was never me. My life was about stepping over eggshells and catering to everything you wanted from me because I wanted you to be happy. I can't keep sacrificing my happiness for yours anymore. That's what I'm saying. You can move on and heal without me. You were doing that well for the last year. Or."

He suddenly thought about his hometown. Everyone knew he was innocent now. And it had been months since and he never contacted anyone outside of family from home. The gears in his head turned rapidly before he came to his conclusion.

"I'm guessing the town has asked why I haven't come back and now everyone is blaming the family? And gossip has gone around and people's negative judgements have come out?" He knew all too well about how that was like. Now his parents were being directly blamed for something rather than having strings attached to him in his 'guilt.'

Aika winced, slowly glancing over to him. "They won't stop..." she admitted. If they weren't judging her for her son's actions, they were judging her for his reasons not to come home.

Kazuma was more mentally strong and wasn't bothered by the gossip. "They aren't even worth being concerned about."

Akira narrowed his eyes. "Then ignore them and move on. That town was trash anyway. Look how easy it was for them to turn against someone? Not like anyone attempted to find out the truth themselves. You two could easily pack up and move closer to Mom's family. Or Dad's. Last I checked, Gramps isn't a complete asshole like the ones you complain about on Mom's side. Start a new life there. But as for us..."

He was feeling bittersweet and just a tad bit guilty, but he chose to be selfish this time. Even though both of his parents stared at him with quiet breaths. He had to choose his own life for once. "I can't give you a second chance right now."

Aika immediately let out a heartbroken scream. It tugged on his heart strings, but he kept his cool. "There's just too much between us that will take me years of unraveling to start to forgive. And based on what I see now, it's better if we go our separate ways for the time being."

Aika was howling and sobbing, clutching tightly onto Kazuma's yukata while the man grit his teeth angrily. Akira felt bad, he truly did. But he couldn't see himself letting his parents back into his life after everything they put him through. That was even before Shido. Shido was just the final few pieces of straw that woke him up to what he had been doing all of his life.

As he continued to reflect with a quiet expression on his face, Kazuma glanced over at Futaba with a stern look. She flinched. She thought she was invisible for most of the conversation.

"Didn't Futaba get a second chance as well? Considering what I heard she had put Wakaba through before she died," Kazuma mentioned vaguely. Aika nodded hurriedly.

"Y-yes. I heard from several of the friends we had connected to the family and now she is loved unconditionally," she explained, feeling a little bitter towards the teen. She had been the one to tell Kazuma one day several years ago while Akira had been at school.

Akira's sympathy for his parents cracked like glass when Futaba trembled for a split second before she stopped herself. She was hurt by what they said. He was now pissed off at one hundred percent, fuck ninety-nine. They knew about Wakaba and what those bastards said about a little girl, yet they believed them. Futaba's hold on his arm held him back from doing anything brash. Instead, he kept himself calm for her sake.

"That's not what happened at all. All of that was false, just like the allegations made against me. And Shido was behind that as well," he added, cursing the bald bastard for once again bringing pain even though his heart had changed now. Had he really personified Arsene back then, he would have killed the man.

Aika blinked rapidly, heart dropping. She shouldn't be wrong. Many others had told her this. "But I heard-" Akira cut her off.

"I don't give a fuck what you heard. You only heard. I'm telling you what really happened because we were there when the truth came out. Don't bring her into what's going on between you two and me. She's here because she wanted to be here for me. Her agreeing to come made me choose to even be here. You aren't going to use her to guilt me into anything."

Their jaws dropped in shock. Even though they started fighting months ago, never had he sounded so steeped in anger. His parents' reaction to his tirade surprised himself. He didn't know he could sound so pissed off and just done. If they truly wanted another chance, they should've asked to meet up again months or years from now. They should have apologized. And not once in their conversation were they genuinely sorry. They had their excuses and thought that was enough to exonerate them.

Nothing was forgiven when Futaba was used. He slowly laid his hands on the table.

"We're done here. I said the deal was off if she was offended or hurt by what you two said. She is. I'm out. Using her mother was a low blow and I didn't even think you'd ever stoop so low to use lies about a child."

Shaking out of his shock, Kazuma coughed roughly. "Akira, we didn't know-"

He cut his father off this time by punching the table harder than Kazuma had.

"You don't know anything and yet you still judged us! I'm tired of it, Dad! When the hell are you two ever going to pull your heads out of your asses and fucking think for yourselves?! When are you ever going to think that something doesn't sound right? You hear people talk and automatically believe what they say? Does that sound like something a supposed smart person would do? Didn't you two teach me that being naive was pathetic? Then why are you?!"

He didn't care about hurt feelings or being disrespectful. Nope, not anymore. You don't get to blame Futaba for what happened to her mother and then claim you never knew the truth and shouldn't be called out for it. They infuriated him just as much as the bandwagoning fucks who voted on the Phan-site against them. He gently helped Futaba stand and began to lead her out of the room while his parents were still in shock. He turned back to them with a scowl that mirrored his father's.

"We're done here. I never want to hear from you two again unless you apologize to her first. And not because you want me to speak to you again. I'm not ever going to speak to you again until she gets any sort of respect from either of you. I don't care what our town thinks, they can burn. Move out of that shitty place if it bothers you so much. Maybe you'll stop being so fucking naive."

Kazuma broke out of his shock again and started to get up.

"Akira-!" he called out. When Akira glared, Kazuma thought he saw his eyes turn red.

"Stop," he commanded. Fear rooted his father and mother to the spot. Their boy wasn't...their boy. When had he become so demonic? So angry? But when he turned back to Futaba and gave her his full attention, his attitude shifted. He was gentle and still when he started for the door with her.

Before he could make his way out of the room, Futaba held fast. He glanced back quizzically to see her look determined. She had been so meek the last few minutes that she was disgusted with herself. That wasn't her anymore. She had to do something to establish her dominance. She wasn't going to just hide behind her perfect boyfriend.

"I'm gonna say it," she muttered darkly as she was faced to the door. While confused, he much preferred this side of her. She looked confident and unbothered. He tilted his head.

"Say what?" he asked. She looked up at him wickedly. Her eyes held the fire he loved out of her.

"I'm gonna say it!" she cackled wildly. His heart sunk to his stomach. Was it...?

"Oh no..." He couldn't even finish his sentence before she turned back to his parents with a wild look in her eye.

"I'M PREG-" she started to scream, stopped when Akira quickly carried her out like a sack of flour.

"No!" he shouted, his yell carrying across the inn.

Her maniacal laughter echoed through the hallways. Left in their wake were two parents who sat defeated. A shogun and his okugata with distortion in their hearts. Maybe when pride and blind belief weren't so dominant within them, they could deconstruct their palaces built from poor judgment and blind truth. What could change their heart was a genuine apology to the younger couple. There were no more Phantom Thieves so the change of heart couldn't be done quickly. It could take years and their own self-awareness. Who knew how long that could take?


I'm adding the sex later. This was getting too long. But school is taking over so I can't guarantee a quick update!