Yusuke stared down at the acceptance letter in his hand.

He hadn't thought that his application would go through. After all, he never considered pursuing further education focused on art past his graduation at Kosei. What was the point?

Really, it was sent on a whim, as something to do in between art pieces.

So to have been accepted at a prestigious school in America came as something of a shock to him.

"Yusuke," someone called out, pulling him from his daze. "You wanted to talk?"

He shook the cobwebs out of his head and looked up at his friend, Akira. He had invited him to his room to assist him with a problem he was currently facing.

"Right, of course, my apologies," he said.

Akira Kurusu had grown much since they met over a year prior. When they first met, he was still mostly trying to blend in with the crowd, his shoulders were slumped and he walked with an arch in his back.

Now he stood tall, confident in his own body. He wore a pair of dog tags around his neck, a gift from his lover if memory served correctly.

Love.

A truly vexing emotion, one Yusuke had never truly understood. He knew about love, in certain terms. There was love of his friends, of course, something he cherished deeply, but it wasn't the same type of love as what Akira had with his lover.

He could see the beauty in romantic love such as that, naturally, so there was certainly a place for it in the world. However, he had never truly felt it himself.

A hand appeared in front of him and snapped its fingers a few times. "Yusuke, you're doing it again."

"Sorry, I got a little wrapped up in my own head," Yusuke quickly apologized. He presented Akira with the letter. "Here. Take a look at this."

Akira took the letter and read it over. His eyebrows lifted as he looked back. "Wow, congratulations. You should be proud."

"Hmm," Yusuke hummed, nodding his head and pursing his lips. "This is the dilemma I wished to get your opinion on."

"Oh?"

He nodded and gestured to his room. "All my life, all I have known is Tokyo. Even when I was with Madarame, I never traveled outside the city. The trip to Hawaii was my first time, as a matter of fact."

He took a seat on the floor and motioned Akira to join him.

"So now I am faced with the idea of not only leaving the city for an extended period of time, but to a whole other country. Hawaii was one thing, but to California? I'm not sure what to do."

"So you don't want to go?" Akira asked, taking a seat across from him.

Yusuke shook his head. "Not necessarily. It is… confusing."

He reached over and picked up a painting he did of Mt. Fuji several months back.

"I've found such beauty in Japan. I can't imagine a place in the world that can hold such wonders." Yusuke frowned and placed the painting back down. "But that is the problem, is it not? I fear that I might hit a proverbial wall with my artistic inspiration soon enough if I choose to remain here my whole life."

"You don't have to go to America to find new views," Akira pointed out. "Japan might not be huge, but there's more to it than Tokyo. Hell, Meguro has a pretty view of the river nearby."

"I am sure it is beautiful," Yusuke agreed. "But there is all the time in the world for that. Will there be another chance like this in my future if I don't take it? To be able to experience a new part of the world, completely unbound by prior constraints of beauty?"

"I think I see the issue," Akira said, nodding. "You don't know what you want to do."

"Indeed. I feel as though this is not a decision to take lightly, but I am being pulled in two directions. I would like your advice, Akira."

Akira sighed and reached into a bag he had brought with him. He pulled out two travel mugs and handed one to Yusuke.

Yusuke removed the lid and let the scent wash over him. It was similar to the blend made at Leblanc, but there were subtle distinctions that lay within.

It held a smoky aroma, with many complex intricacies within that Yusuke's limited knowledge about the blending process couldn't pick out.

He looked up to Akira and asked, "Is this Sojiro's coffee?"

"No, it's my own personal blend," Akira said, taking a sip of his mug. "I developed it when I went back to my dad's. Do you like it?"

Yusuke took a drink. His eyes widened, wonderment filling his heart. It was quite delicious.

It wasn't as rich as Sojiro's blend at Leblanc, yet the body and flavor of the coffee still held within it a certain charm.

"Yes, I do."

Akira nodded and leaned back. "You know, going back to my hometown was hard. It wasn't as hard as it could've been, but all the same. I thought that it was a curse, going back."

He waved the mug at Yusuke. "I needed to find something to do to fill the time. Lo and behold, my boss, a guy named Javier, gave me the task to make my own blend. It was interesting. Took my mind off some issues I was having. Sojiro's even thinking about adding it to the menu."

"That is certainly high praise coming from Boss," Yusuke commented, taking another sip.

"Mhmm. I'm pretty proud of it, myself. And I don't think I would've developed it if I hadn't gone back."

"Ah, I do believe I understand." Yusuke presented the mug to Akira. "Had it not been for your journey, you would have made this fine achievement. You would have been stuck riding the coattails of Boss, never truly finding your own self."

"That's… one way of putting it, I suppose. Admittedly, moving out of the country for a time is a much bigger change than going to some country town a few hours away, but the point stands."

Yusuke rubbed at his neck to soothe a minor ache. Staring down at a sketchbook and easel filled him with joy like no other, but it left him with a sore neck at all times.

"You have demonstrated remarkable foresight, bringing your own blend to prove your point. Tell me, how did you know I wished to speak with you about this?"

"I didn't," Akira admitted. "I made extra and figured you'd want some. It's a happy accident that I could use the metaphor."

Yusuke chuckled a little at that and raised his mug in a toast. "To coincidences, then."

Akira raised his and they clinked their drinks

"Still," he said, nursing his coffee. "It is a big decision."

"That it is," Yusuke agreed. "Although hearing your thoughts on the matter has given me a different perspective into my dilemma."

"You realize I just waxed poetic about coffee, right?"

"Of course, but the fact remains that some beauty was brought into this world by you only traveling a mere train ride away. Imagine what wonders I could find halfway around the world? Potentially further if that is where my path takes me."

"Well, wherever you go, you'll have the backing of the Phantom Thieves," Akira assured him.

"Naturally. Anything else would simply be out of the question."