Once again, sorry for the long wait between chapters. As of now I am sadly still not able to give an estimate when chapters will be return to it's more consistent format, but for now I thank all of you that have been waiting patiently (and impatiently) for the next chapter to come, and know that a lot effort has been put because I want to make sure that I present you polished work.
Most of these characters don't belong to me, but to Atlus.
Chapter 17
"I did not expect to see you here. Will you not get in trouble with your lord for visiting?" Despite the fact that he was chained, the thief confidently smirked at the servant that snuck into his cell.
"Why did you do this?" the servant asked in frustration. "You had your tawdry piece of treasure and you escaped without being caught. Everything was as you said it would be. That was our bargain was it not? I gave you access to that room and then I never had to deal with you again. So why did you return?!"
"Because I realized that I had made a terrible mistake. I should not have agreed to that bargain. I almost left without my treasure."
"Are you a FOOL?!" the servant shouted angrily. "You had your treasure! And why are you acting so confident?! You got caught!"
"Because, despite these bonds, I have yet to be conquered." The thief stood proudly, walking as far as the chains permitted him to. "The treasure that I desire is not the pendant." His eyes softened with longing at the stunned servant as he gently placed his hand on her cheek. "And this time, I shan't depart, not without you..."
"What potions have you been ingesting?!" the servant slapped his hand away. "There is nothing between us; there never was! Our bargain is of mutual convenience — for you to obtain your treasure, and for I to exact my vengeance on that bastard of a lord. I thought that those terms were unequivocal."
Her hand tightened into a fist as she looked down dejectedly while her body shook. Softly, she said, "And I told you before — I cannot leave. Every time I tried he would hunt me down and kill anyone that ever tried to help me." She fully turned away from him then, wrapping her arms around herself. "If I come with you, he would never stop until I was captured again. I am nothing more than his property for him to use as he pleases. So why did you endanger yourself? I dread what will happen to you once dawn breaks, especially since you dared to steal from him."
"And that is what I mean. I am a thief. If he is so determined to keep you all to himself then it makes me want to make you mine even more."
The servant shook her head. "I do not understand you at all! Why did it have to be you that came that day? Why did you have to pick me as your accomplice?" Her voice broke, sounding more and more distraught. "This is not how it was supposed to be. I am soiled, there is nothing left for me, I had accepted that. But then you had to come along and make me think of foolish thoughts of freedom and happiness. How cruel of you!" She swiveled back to the man in fury and tears. "I hate you! I do not want to see you again! You should had left me behind… YOU SHOULD HAVE JUST LEFT ME HERE TO DIE—"
In her outburst, the woman did not realize that she moved close to the man, and he took the opportunity to pull her closer. Holding her securely, he planted his lips against hers for a deep, passionate kiss. The woman was shocked at first, before beginning to halfheartedly hit his chest in retaliation. But as it lingered, her hand slowly stopped, making their way to his shoulder to grip him desperately. Clinging to him with no intention of letting go as he embraced her.
Her tears rolled down her cheeks as she broke away. He moved to her neck, lovingly caressing, and she opened her mouth, moaning—
"Sadayo! Would you stop watching that show and give me a hand in the kitchen?!"
"Huh? Oh, sorry," Sadayo turned to her mother from the other end of the living room. Wiping the stray tears from her eyes, she sniffled as the TV rolled the credits. "I had been catching up to the show and the last episode had the two arguing so I wasn't sure what was going to happen and I just—"
"It's fine, just turn off the TV and get over here or we won't have enough time for us to eat before I have to head to the airport," Isako interrupted, rolling her eyes. She proceeded to put the first batch of chicken into the hot oil. "I thought you said you wanted me to teach you how to make karaage, but you ended up so enthralled in one of your corny shows. I'm surprised to see you still enjoy them, even after all these years."
"So what if it's corny?" Sadayo pouted.
"Nothing," Isako chuckled. "They're just not for me. I was more than content with your father so those crazy story plots never really interested me."
"Yeah, crazy..." Sadayo laughed nervously, considering how crazy her own life had become. "But even if they're corny, they're also intriguing, comforting, and optimistic." She grabbed her arm as a few bad memories came to mind. "Besides, they helped me through a lot during the last years when—"
Sadayo quickly covered her mouth, realizing that she almost revealed more than she intended.
"Helped you how?" her mother prodded.
Grimacing beneath her hand, Sadayo cursed her big mouth internally. She curled up on the sofa to gather her thoughts, tracing spirals on her couch with her finger. "Just… being on my own for the past years. I haven't had much of a social life since the whole thing with Takase-kun happened, so I haven't really been able to meet anyone new. Honestly, I have been so busy for the longest time that it felt like I barely had some time even to myself."
Everything was quiet for a while. Some clanging of the pots and pans made it seem that her mother was continuing her work in the kitchen, but a moment later, the stove was turned off and Isako took a seat by her on the couch. Similar to the night that Akira had confessed to Sadayo, Isako's expression was guilty and self-recriminating.
"I'm sorry for not doing more to reach out to you when you needed me," her mother said softly, teary-eyed like her daughter. "I should had listened to my instincts and tried harder to reach out to you."
"Mom, please don't be. I was the one that pushed you away. Besides," Sadayo looked away in contemplation before turning back and smiled awkwardly at her mother. "I'm... actually seeing someone now."
"So there is someone." Isako wiped away the tear at the edge of her eye, still regretful but also a bit relieved and curious.
Darn that parental guilt, Sadayo cursed internally. Even if her mother didn't mean to do it purposely, Sadayo hated seeing her mother like that. Her heart ached, knowing that she made her mother feel like she was unwanted. For years, her mother really had tried to reach out to her as much as she could, but considering how Sadayo was during that time, she knew that more prodding would only had caused her to push her mother farther away.
So Sadayo wanted to ease her mother's worry, to let her know that she was now fine, that she was now in a better place in her life. Her mother deserved better from her horrible daughter, so Sadayo couldn't lie... but she could omit some critical details.
"Y-yeah, though we only just started."
"If you don't mind me asking, how did you meet? From the sound of it, you've been quite busy with other things."
Sadayo opened her mouth…. then closed it. She couldn't tell her about his record, that he was a Phantom Thief, the fact that he was actually a student of hers and underage. She couldn't bring herself to talk about the whole situation with the Takases or how she forced to work herself to death and ignored her students. And she definitely didn't want to spill about how they were meeting in private while she worked as a maid and how close she was to selling her body.
But once she removed all of that, Sadayo realized that despite her desire to know more about him she still didn't know much. About his life before Tokyo, about his parents and his life back home about his hometown and the people he left behind. Shameful as it was for her to admit, Akira knew way more about her than she did about him.
Realizing that she had left her mother waiting, she quickly put those thoughts behind her for now. She hated it, but it looked like she would have to fluff her story a bit more than she had hoped. "It's nothing special really. He's just this guy that sort of started talking to me in this coffee shop I had started going to recently."
"A coffee shop?"
"Yeah, it's just this place that I got the location from someone at school. It's not fancy or anything but the coffee is good, and—" Sadayo bit her tongue as she turned away to her curious mother. The last thing she needed was her mother raring to look for Leblanc. "Anyway, he's one of their servers there and he would ask me about my day whenever I came in ."
"Did he do that with every customer? He wasn't just trying to smooth-talk you, was he?
Sadayo chuckled at her mother's suggestion. "I'm sure. We both kind of rubbed each other the wrong way when we first met. I was admittedly very cold to him since I was dealing with a lot of things during that time and was stressed out. I'm sure he could tell, and for some time we just passed each other with only the minimum of interactions. Honestly, it was by strange coincidence that we ended up interacting with each other as frequently as we did, otherwise I wouldn't had given him the time of day. But then, stuff just kind of…" Sadayo vaguely waved her hands, "happened."
"Well, that seems quite interesting" her mother's brows were raised in amusement.
"Not like that!" Sadayo protested, her face bright red at her mother's insinuation. "We just, started talking and got to know one another."
"It's fine. I understand quite well," was the carefree reply.
Sadayo doubted that she was really understood, and honestly, she didn't know what was worse — the fact that her mother thought she'd been sleeping around with a guy she just met, or having to explain that she hadn't done anything like that in years.
….Or that the closest she'd gotten were the occasional dreams that she tried to forget involving a certain troublemaker.
"Still, there must have been some reason why you decided to go out with him? What's he like?"
"Well, he can be really cocky and stubborn when it comes to doing what he wants. A lot of times, I can't tell what he's thinking and it's hard to keep up with him. But he's also very sweet and supportive. He likes to mess with me, but he's always willing to step up when it matters." Sadayo's smile grew warmer as her thoughts went to Akira. "No matter how much I pushed him away, he was always willing to be there when I needed him. When I was in the hospital, I was... admittedly kind of lonely, filled with regret on how I pushed everyone away, but then, out of nowhere he showed up without me telling him." She couldn't help but giggle at the memory of Akira rushing to her side. "You should had seen how panicked he looked when he arrived. For a moment I thought he was about to pass out because of how exhausted he looked from running. You'd think he'd be better at it considering how much he practices with Sakamoto-kun."
"Sakamoto-kun?"
"OH! Um…" Sadayo cursed herself for the third time "yeah, he's a close friend of his. They hang out a lot and I've run into both of them at the same time." Sadayo twiddled her fingers as she realized something. "I-I don't think he likes me very much..."
"Why do you say that? I mean he's your boyfriend's friend, isn't he? Wouldn't he had objected about you two getting together if he did?" Isako placed her hand over her daughter's, a gesture Sadayo appreciated.
"He… actually doesn't know yet that we are going out — none of his friends do. And I'm honestly afraid of how they'd react. I did a lot of things that I wish I could take back, I unfairly judged them, and..." Sadayo shook her head, stopping herself from continuing that line of thought before she ended up saying too much again. "Sorry, you asked me about him, but I ended up getting out of topic."
"Sadayo, I'm your mother, and I'm here for you if you ever need someone to talk to. I'm always here." The embrace that she received was motherly and warm, something Sadayo didn't know she had been missing, no craving might be a better term, until now. Even the gentle petting on her head that she was used to when she was younger eased Sadayo at the present. But it also made her feel a bit embarrassed.
"You don't have to treat me like a child," Sadayo pouted halfheartedly, not at all resisting.
"Just humor me a bit." Isako continued holding her daughter close. "I haven't seen you in such a long time and soon I'll be leaving again."
"I know," Sadayo sighed as she embraced her mother back, letting her enjoy the moment as an apology for keeping things from her. She wish that she could tell her mother everything that she had been through for the last few years, but she wasn't ready. To risk her and Akira's futures, to reveal the reality of her life for the past years to her mother, to show just how badly she had fallen from her and her father's ideals.
But most of all, Sadayo was afraid. Afraid to tell her mother that after all that had happened, after she tried so hard to defend her daughter from the accusations at her previous school, Sadayo had ended up falling for one of her students. One day, Sadayo hoped to be strong enough to tell her, but not today.
'I'm sorry...'
"Whaaaaaaaaat?!"
"Are you for real?!"
"Guys, calm down." Akira gestured at Ann and Ryuji to prevent attracting any more attention from the passing crowd at the Shibuya hideout. They really needed to get a private location soon, especially now with the size of their group.
They had originally met up so they could discuss what information Akira had gathered on Futaba Sakura. Strangely enough, it had ended with Alibaba pulling back his threats and simply disappearing after they started asking to meet with him so they can figure out Sakura's keywords. While confused, the group figured there wasn't much they could do with Alibaba since they had no way to reach him, and consider that for how much they boasted Medjed seem more then happy to proclaim their victory and leave it at that, making it feel like just one big prank. While Akira wish he could feel the same amount of relief as the group did, something about the whole thing still ate at him, especially after what had happened at Leblanc with that Prosecutor lady threatening Boss.
His thoughts had been pushed to the side when Morgana quickly and loudly reminded him that there was something he needed to tell the rest of the group, something he had been avoiding to bring up. Now that there's nothing to stop him from stalling, Akira was forced to follow up with what he and Morgana had talked about — that Sadayo is aware that they were Phantom Thieves.
"How am I supposed to calm down?! Why does she know about you and Mona?!" Ann hissed, still angry.
"This seems to be forming a habit," Yusuke added, quiet but distinctly disappointed.
"I'm sorry Akira, but I have to agree with the rest of the group," Makoto added, clearly exasperated. "If what you're saying is true, then there's the possibility that she might know about the rest of us."
Akira could see Ryuji in the back sympathetically grimacing. After all, he had gone through something similar when his slip-up caused Makoto to find out about them so he couldn't say much to back him up.
"Just let me explain," Akira raised his hands to try to calm the ire of his group; it was probably because they were in public that no one exploded. Yet. "It's not as bad as looks."
"Then tell us, why tell Ms. Kawakami all of this?" Ann glared. "We understood when you wanted to help her, but this is way beyond than just helping out! I mean, she even knows about Mona!"
"Guys, I didn't tell her anything, she found out all on her own. She's a lot smarter than you give her credit for and she managed to put the pieces together." Akira turned to Makoto who was quietly taking this information. "You said it yourself; the two troublemakers who were rumored to had confronted Kamoshida and one of his victims were seen together — we'd be suspect number one. It's just that at the beginning, she wasn't bothering to notice, but as we started talking, that began to change. She sees most of us on a regular basis so she was able to figure out a few things, like the fact that you were the one that had asked me to help out with the situation involving the scammed students."
He turned to Ann who still looked suspicious. "She even noticed that I got tired and exhausted the day after the calling card was sent. If she really meant to use that against us she would have, but instead she's been helping me out. She was very grateful about what we did for her and promised me that she'd do her best to support me in return." Akira thoughtfully tilted his head. "You know, I would had probably been expelled if she hadn't stood up for me. Yes, she made many mistakes in the past — she herself admits them and deeply regrets them — but she wants to do her best to make up for those failures."
Akira let out a tired sigh, grabbing his neck as he looked away with a hint of shame. "I honestly didn't plan to tell her anything, but when she confronted me about it and genuinely offered to still support me, I felt like the least I could do is to be honest with her."
"We had initially intended to discuss this with you guys, but things just kind of fell as they did," Morgana spoke up to assist Akira's case. "While I think the Chief would had been a better choice, he isn't aware of us being Phantom Thieves, so it's probably for the best to have someone who already does. And she does have some authority. As a teacher at your school, she can probably help with alibis and such.".
Half of the group were quiet as they pondered, begrudgingly agreeing that what they explained made sense.
But Ann wasn't deterred. "If that's true, then answer me this: you say that she just wants to help, but aren't you too close to her for just that?" Her eyes were narrowed like her Thief name, on the hunt. "You actually called her by her first name when you asked us to help her."
"Yes, I remember the same thing," Makoto added, the gears in her head clearly working towards a conclusion.
'Did I really do that?' Akira cursed internally as he awkwardly smiled.
"Now that Ann mentioned it, I also recall seeing Akira with some woman after we parted ways during the Fireworks Festival. She introduced herself as Sadayo Kawakami," Yusuke added to the list of evidence.
'Of all the things to bring up.' Akira's smile twitched as he rubbed his head.
"Did he now? If I remember correctly he didn't respond to our messages for quite some time." Makoto glared at Akira like an investigator was interrogating a prisoner.
"For real?! You were with Ms. Kawakami?!" even Ryuji joined in.
At this moment, Akira wished he could strangle Morgana for suggesting to tell the group about Sadayo. It raised their suspicion of her and now because of frustratingly unrelated factors, they were getting really close to finding out about his and Sadayo's relationship. He thought he was prepared to face the group's anger at another outsider who learned that he was a Phantom Thief, but he did not expect to have Ann and Makoto double-teaming him for answers. Especially Ann, who was pushing the hardest.
Akira took a deep breath. He didn't want to do this, but... "Fine, you're right. Ms. Kawakami and I are, indeed... much closer."
The others immediately went quiet. Hoping that the surrounding sea of the public wasn't listening, Akira kept his eyes forward and took in the suspicious, worried, and curious looks of his group. Ryuji in particular audibly gulped at the — correct — implications.
After moments of suspense, Akira scratched his head, finally looking away. The group's constant stare was making him uncomfortable. "The truth of the matter is… well… she and I... have become really close friends."
"Friends..." Ann parroted, still skeptical.
"For real?" Ryuji deflated, backing away.
"So basically the same thing as that doctor. It really is a pattern," Yusuke concluded.
"You can't be serious?" Makoto questioned, still in investigator mode.
"I am," Akira affirmed. "As I kept seeing her we got to talking, and at some point we became comfortable enough with each other to talk about more personal things. It's why I had told her about my arrest and why I found out about her situation." He shrugged. "Like I said, she's not bad if you get to know her. She can actually be fun to hang out with."
"So the first name thing..." Makoto pressed.
"Sorry, that was a bit of a slip. I was really angry and 'Sadayo' just came out since it's much shorter than 'Ms. Kawakami'," Akira scratched his head, self-deprecating. "It's a bit awkward for her because she still sees herself as my teacher, but she's gotten used to me calling her that so it kind of slipped my mind there."
"And the meeting at the Festival?"
"That was purely coincidental; I just happened to run into her while she was eating at the station and offered me one of her bentos while we chatted and waited for the crowds to thin out. But then I ran into Yusuke and we left together soon after."
"It is true that the area was filled with people, and it is also true what he saying about him accompanying me soon after." Yusuke confirmed, much to Akira's relief. "There were also only two bento… alas." His expression warned that if he was not cut off, he might begin to wax on about the very bento being eaten in front of him.
"But then, why didn't you tell us before?" Ann asked, still doubtful as she interjected, overriding the start of Yusuke's monologue.
But she was wavering. Akira hid a relieved and triumphant smile and did his best to maintain a cool and collected attitude. "Is it really so surprising? You're still upset at the school staff, so I didn't want to add to that. The only reason I'm telling you now is because we are a team, and as your leader I have to take responsibility for my mistake of letting our secret out, as well as let you know of any allies that our group has in case any of you need help."
"I-I guess that makes sense..." Ann begrudgingly conceded, unable to hide her bias against the school staff.
Akira then turned to Makoto, figuring her line of thought. "And no. We may be friends, but the most that it affects us at school is that she's willing to actually hear me out and stand up for me when others won't. She's made it very clear to me that she hopes that I do well at school on my own merits. That while she will be cheering me on, she won't help me in any way that she wouldn't do for the other students." Akira gave a nervous smile as he scratched his cheek. "She was very particular about cheating, and I know that she won't hesitate if I pull something like that. You'd probably approve of her, Makoto."
"I… see..." Makoto trailed off, not sure what to say.
"But see, this is exactly why we've been keeping it a secret," Akira leaned against the rail and let sourness cross his expression. "Not many would care if Dr. Takemi and I are friends, but if the school found out about Sadayo and I—" he paused at the group's conflicted expression, but figured he'd let them get used to it, "—you know that they'll try to use that against me. Even if it causes her to be hit by the crossfire, especially now that she has put herself on the line to vouch for me. They will definitely accuse her of helping me cheat. They'll expel me and fire her."
The anger at Sadayo's circumstances at her old school was familiar and confrontational. He didn't want to alarm his friends again so he forcefully cooled it off before letting worry settle on his face. "I know I keep asking a lot from you guys, but could you please keep this a secret for us?"
"Well, she did help Akira back then," Makoto admitted before clearing her throat. "I guess what's done is done. It is true that having other allies could help us out if we ever need it and she has proven to be willing to keep our secret as well. So I think we can give her the benefit of the doubt."
Akira let out a sigh of relief as the rest nodded in agreement.
Then Makoto gave him a glare, causing Akira to flinch. "Since the matter has been brought up, I still have one question. What happened with you after we fought the guardians that were extorting her? You were this close to killing them!" She furiously whispered. Fear and wariness crossed her face, before her sense of justice reasserted itself. "I've never seen you that angry and for a second, we actually thought you went off the deep end!"
"Woah, hold up!" Ryuji interrupted. "Like, I get that it got crazy at the end, but it's not like he's been the only one to wish he could, uh, off someone." He nodded at their uncomfortable expressions. "I mean, as much as I hate to admit it, I honestly didn't care if Kamoshithead ended up dead after what happened to Suzui. You felt the same way too, didn't you Ann?"
"Can't deny that ending him didn't cross my mind," Ann scowled, not too pleased at being reminded of that, before she joined Makoto in glaring at Akira. "But that was because I couldn't forgive what he had done to Shiho, but during all of that Akira was the voice of reason. Not once did he snapped like that for anyone else!"
"And I specifically told you about something like that happening," Makoto added, "but you told me you had it under control, so I didn't question it. So spill. What the hell happened there?"
By this point, Akira was tired; he didn't even need to hide his exasperation. "I told you already, Sadayo and I are friends. I saw firsthand just how their treatment of her was slowly killing her, both physically and emotionally, and I knew that she had been dealing with that kind of abuse weekly for more than a year now. So yeah, I got pissed when they switched from guilt-tripping to full-on blackmail."
Akira took off his glasses, a constant reminder of the mask he has to wear just to even try to have a normal life at school. "When I thought back to how much they ruined her life for all those years, I couldn't help but think of that drunk bastard that had me arrested. Just like when she tried to help that kid, I got ruined for helping that woman. You know what I've had to deal with since I got here," he smiled mirthlessly, "so when they admitted that they didn't even have a reason for doing what they did, that they did it simply because they felt inferior…"
He didn't need to finish the sentence. The group was silent, most likely reflecting on the people that ruined them simply because of jealousy or pettiness. And probably because of guilt that they forced him to bring up bad memories. As much as he hoped that it would deter them from asking anymore about Sadayo, he understood their concerns and didn't want them to hesitate if they wanted to talk to him because of this. After all, he was their leader.
He put his glasses back with an encouraging smile. "Come on guys, don't look at me like that. What's happened in the past is done. I don't even remember the guy's face or name so going after him won't do me any good. So let's just focus on what's in front of us." He nodded at the pensive group in front of him. "I mean, we haven't properly celebrated Makoto joining our team yet."
"Oh yeah! The Fireworks Festival was a total wash," Ryuji joined in, bouncing faster than the rest of the group. He clearly wanted to help ease the air. "Summer is about to start though, so we should go somewhere nice."
"Says the person who still has to go to supplementary classes," Morgana sniped from Akira's bag.
"Who asked you, you stupid cat?!" Ryuji snapped back with his usual retort. "Anyway, remember Kaneshiro's Treasure? Well, prepare to have your minds' blown! We got one hundred and fifty thousand yen out of it! Add the amount we got from those smug guardians and we are completely loaded!"
"That's true, I completely forgot about that! We can really go all out," Ann added in wonder.
"I would prefer we don't spend it all in one place. That's going to make us stand out way too much, but I do agree it would be nice to go somewhere nice," Makoto reminded the group, her interests obvious.
"Then how about sushi?" Ryuuji brightened. "I could really go for some eel!"
"Oh sushi! Make sure to save some for me as well!" Morgana spoke excitedly.
"Yeah, that could work!" Ann joined in on the excitement.
Akira leaned on the railing in relief at seeing the group move from his interrogation and begin to relax. He smiled and nodded. "Sushi it is then."
"Still…" Makoto said; and like clockwork, the group swiveled to face her.
'I thought too soon,' Akira mentally deadpanned.
"Considering what we discussed, I do feel that Akira owes us an apology."
"Oh, let's have Akira in charge of the entire bill!" Ann happily suggested.
"Wait, that's—"
"An excellent suggestion, Ann," Makoto ignored his half-hearted protest. "Very well, he'll be responsible for paying for our celebration party. After all, it was his idea to take so much money from the couple and I'm sure he still has plenty of his share. That means we can save the Kaneshiro funds for the group. He is our leader after all."
"Yeah, but—"
"That's quite an opportunity. It will allow me to try out all of the options and expand my horizons," Yusuke thought to himself out loud.
"There are definitely some really fancy stuff that you'd never get to try, so you should probably order multiples so you can properly enjoy it." Ann offered impishly as the group began to disperse for the day.
Deciding not to point out that he was always the one in charge of the celebration meals and supplies anyway, Akira was left with no other counter argument as the rest agreed with the punishment. He managed to avoid the worst result, but he still felt like he had lost. Part of him wanted to hang out with Sadayo after dealing with that, but he was still too afraid to tell her about Alibaba, not until he had found a solution to their problem.
Instead, the only comfort he got was from Ryuji who patted him on his shoulder. "I feel ya man."
"Any time you're done, Sakamoto-kun," a sweating Sadayo reminded her sullen student, fanning herself as she waited for him to finish his assignment.
The supplementary course was almost done for the day and all the other students had already finished and handed in their assignments. To no one's surprise, only Sakamoto-kun remained, grunting his frustration at being stuck. Unfortunately for the two of them, the temperature today was in an all-time high and the heat wave made the situation all the more unbearable.
Some time passed, but eventually Sakamoto-kun frustratedly groaned as he grabbed his head. "I just don't get this! My brain is too fried from the damn heat! I mean what kind of title is 'Norwegian Wood'?!"
"It's based out of a Beatle song which is the main character's favorite," Sadayo laid her head on her hand, exasperated. "You'd know that if you paid attention in class instead of texting, Sakamoto-kun."
"All I'm saying is that it's a weird title for a book." Sakamoto-kun started to pull his hair. "Why is reading these kinds of books so important?!"
Sadayo massaged her forehead. The heat was not helping her mood. "Are you done, Sakamoto-kun?"
Sakamoto-kun planted his face on his desk, defeated. "Yes Ma'am."
Letting out a sigh, Sadayo eyed her student for a moment. "If you're stuck then you shouldn't hesitate to ask questions. Staying quiet won't do you any good." She got up and moved to the seat in front of his and turned it around to join him on the table, much to her student's surprise. "So tell me, what can you tell me about the story?"
"Huh? Ummmm…"
Sadayo shook her head at Sakamoto-kun's dumbfounded expression. "You never read the book, did you?"
"Ain't into reading," Sakomoto-kun shrugged off.
"The number of mangas that I've confiscated from you says otherwise," Sadayo deadpanned at her student with a raised brow.
Sakamoto-kun simply looked away, disinterested.
Sadayo scratched her head in frustration as she tried to figure out how to explain it in a way that he could understand. "Tell me, what would you do if two girls showed interest in you?"
"Huh?" The question seemed to pique his interest more than she anticipated. "Why would that happen?"
"Just hear me out," Sadayo continued, feeling more confident in her plan. "You have one girl who you've known for a long time. You get along well and worry about each other. You tend to think alike and you've been there for one another through some tough times. But, there is something that happened with her that might prevent you from ever getting together with her. Something that could be overcome, but it is also likely to always be there. Now, add to this is that she's very vulnerable because of past circumstances." Sadayo noticed how lost in thought her student was with her explanation. "Are you following me so far?"
"Huh, oh yeah…"
"Now imagine that during this confusion another girl shows up. She's very different to the previous girl, but holds many of the qualities that you find appealing. You also get along and she seems to enjoy your company as well. You might even find yourself feeling more comfortable with being yourself around her, even with things that you worry others would judge you for. But the future's uncertain; you just met her, after all. What if she turns out to be a different person than you thought she was? And what of the other girl? Is it fair to just give up on her because of her situation and go for the new one which seems more in your favor? Doesn't that make the feelings for the other girl a bit superficial?"
Sadayo lifted her palms up like a scale, as if presenting different offers to Sakamoto-kun. "So which do you choose? The familiar with the girl that you've known for a long time? Or the new girl who seemed to have sparked something new in you? And keep in mind that even if you choose one, it's still not a certain win."
Sakamoto-kun scratched his head, expression conflicted in a way that Sadayo had never seen before. He took a long time to answer. "Can't say that I know…" He deflated. "Not like that's ever going to happen with me though."
"You never know, but it got you thinking, right?" Sadayo pointed out. "Stories like these help you see things through other people's eyes. See things from a different perspective and help expand your world. Who knows, it might change your aesthetic on things."
"My what now?"
"Your principles, Sakamoto-kun."
"See, why do you have to use big words like that or 'cognition' when there are simpler words?"
'Cognition?' Sadayo was curious about why Sakamoto-kun of all people would bring up a word like that, but decided to keep focus on the topic at hand. "Because expanding your vocabulary can help you impress other people and open up more avenues for you."
"We both know that those kinds of things ain't for me," Ryuji shrugged, disinterested.
"Don't you have any goals in mind when you graduate? Aren't you motivated to better yourself?" Sadayo asked, slightly annoyed but worried, frustrated that she was the one frustrated instead of him.
"Hard to say. I originally planned to get a scholarship through track so that I could go to college without burdening my mom, but…" Sakamoto-kun scratched his head with despondently before sighing. "And I'm not smart enough so it ain't like I'll be able to make it with my grades, so I'm probably better off just getting a job once I finish high school."
Sadayo was quiet for some time, before speaking in a shamed tone, "I'm sorry..."
"Huh?" Sakamoto-kun looked back at Sadayo. "What do you mean?"
"All this time, I ignored your problem and just constantly nagged and criticized you. But not once did I extend an ear and tried to understand your position and why you had changed so much. I never bothered to question why you struck at Kamoshida, even though you didn't cause problems before. Never wondered why you would bleach your hair and start acting like a delinquent and causing problems when you used to be so dedicated to track team."
Sadayo gripped her notebook, unable to look at her student as she was reminded of what she had told her mother. "I know that you and Kurusu-kun are good friends, and I'm sure that you heard me when I tried to convince him to not associate with you. At that point, I was just thinking of my own convenience, caring more about how it would affect me as his teacher if you dragged him into trouble. It was cruel of me to treat you like that, so I can understand why you'd hate me."
"WelI yeah, things weren't great for me back then. I lost everything because of that asshole, and I'm not going to lie and say that it didn't piss me off how no one even bothered to hear my case. The fact that most of you guys hounded my mom for what I did wasn't cool either."
Sadayo could feel the glare coming from Sakamoto-kun, as if confirming her fears. But it was surprisingly short-lived as he sighed and leaned back on his chair.
"But I'm just as guilty to blame; I let the bastard goad me into slugging him. I let my team down, I let our old coach down, and in the end, I was the one that made things worse for my mom," another sigh from Sakamoto-kun. "All that stuff had already happened, so there's no reason to dwell on it. Besides, you may nag at me constantly but you didn't bring my mother into it. So I guess, I'm thankful for that."
Hearing that made Sadayo a bit relieved that despite her failure, she wasn't hated by one of Akira's friends. At least, not him. "While I'm glad to hear that, that still doesn't stop the fact that my negligence hindered your future. I don't deserve your thanks. I only kept quiet because I just didn't care…" Sadayo turned back to her student and gave him a light bow. "I'm sorry. I failed you as your teacher. But if you give me another chance, I promise to do better by you all."
Sakamoto-kun just rubbed his head as he looked away awkwardly, obviously embarrassed.
Sadayo took that as a sign that she was getting through him. "It's because of this that I think that you should really put a lot more effort in your studies, like before. Your grades weren't that great, but at least you actually tried. I mean, I know you say you don't want to burden your mother, but have you asked her about this?"
Her student remained quiet. The discomfort in his face was a clear answer.
"You haven't, right?" Sadayo tapped her chin for a moment, wondering if it was a good idea to even suggest what she has in mind before speaking up. "Do you want me to be there for when you ask her?"
"Huh?" Sakamoto-kun whipped back to Sadayo, wide-eyed.
"I know that it's not easy to talk to your mother about stuff like this, so why don't we discuss it with her? You could come here or I can come to your place. What do you think?"
"I-I'm not really sure about that."
"Just think about it. We still have until the end of the week, okay?"
"I guess," he sighed, before he went back to his work.
Sadayo decided to leave things as they are and stood up. Occasionally, she'd peek back at her student and saw a renewed effort to finish. Eventually, amidst angry mutters and groans, Sakamoto-kun finished his work.
"You know," he said as he handed his paper to Sadayo, "Akira was right about you. You really changed a lot."
"Huh?"
"It's fine, he already told us about you two."
"Waitwaitwait, hold up!" Sadayo stood up, on the verge of panicking. "Wha-what exactly did he say?!"
"You know, that he told you about us being Phantom Thieves and how you two are friends. He also told us about what happened with you and those guardians, and honestly, after seeing them I can't really blame yah. It was a pretty messed thing they put you through."
"I… see." Sadayo took a seat once more, slightly calmed. While she was surprised that he knew of her situation, she was relieved that he didn't seem to hold it against her. Most importantly, there was no mention of the maid service or dating Akira. 'So we're friends, huh? I guess that works. Wait, seeing them?!'
Still... she was slightly miffed that she learned about her 'non-romantic friendship' through Akira's friend instead of directly from Akira himself.
Speaking of Sakamoto-kun… Sadayo noticed that he was annoyed, but she was surprised at his seriousness when he spoke of the Takases. She suspected that he was part of the Phantom Thieves, but the way he talked about the couple made her feel like he'd seen his fair share of situations like this.
Akira probably gone though the same thing as well. The Phantom Thieves must have confronted many people who had done terrible actions and hurt others. She worried about how it must feel to witness such things constantly. Worrying if that kind of responsibility was forcing them to grow up too quickly.
"Still, you should really be more careful about stuff like that," Sadayo frowned. "He didn't tell me anything directly; just confirmed what I asked him. He only admitted about him and Morgana."
"It's fine," Sakamoto-kun calmly stretched after having to remain seated for so long. "Akira trusts you enough to let you know. So if he's okay with it then so am I."
"If you say so..." Sadayo looked at her student in disbelief.
It was a simple matter to gather their things and head out. Sadayo trailed behind the energetic Sakamoto-kun and glimpsed his texts of freedom as he typed on his phone. On seeing the familiar icon congratulating Sakamoto-kun, Sadayo was reminded of the issue plaguing her all week.
"So… how is Kurusu-kun doing? I haven't talked to him in some time, but I imagine this whole Medjed thing is very stressful." Although Akira did say he wasn't worried about it, it still bothered Sadayo.
"It's been crazy, but we finally got a lead on what we can do," Sakamoto-kun nonchalantly answered, still typing. "He's been particularly invested in this one though, probably 'cause of who she's related to?"
"She…?" Sadayo parroted, confused as she turned the corner with her student. They nearly bumped into a waiting student.
"Did it really have to take you this long? Everyone else is waiting on us," Niijima-san said.
'So she's also a Phantom Thief too?' Sadayo thought. Niijima-san was with Takamaki-chan when Sadayo defended Akira, and now that the School President was associating with two confirmed Phantom Thieves, it wasn't a stretch to get that conclusion.
Nijima-san gave her a polite bow, but there was an accompanying scrutiny that was edging into a glare. Sadayo felt like she was being examined but let it be; there was nothing she can do, and Niijima-san was probably just looking after her friends. So Sadayo simply returned the bow with a nod and watched the two students leave.
"It's fine," Sakamoto-kun replied to his friend, "I'm sure Akira got some supplies so it would be a while anyway. You didn't have to wait here."
"I have my responsibilities as president, and I wanted to make sure someone didn't forget where to meet up," Niijima-san retorted as she typed on her phone.
"Yeah yeah..." Sakamoto-kun then turned towards Sadayo, grinning happily at her for the first time as he waved goodbye. "Later Kawakami."
"Please remember what I asked you, okay?" Sadayo waved back, before realizing what Sakamoto-kun said. "And that's Ms. Kawakami!"
[S]: Hey, is everything okay?
[S]: Please contact me as soon as you can.
[S]: I need to talk to you.
Sadayo placed her phone to the side and proceeded to wait once more, hoping to get a response. She hadn't heard much from Akira outside of school since last Tuesday and every time she saw him he seemed like something was bothering him. She tried meeting up with him last Saturday, but sadly it seemed that even then he was busy. While she had to admit that it had made going through the last few days of school before summer much easier, it also made her worry.
"I know we said that we needed to be professional and keep our distance at school, but that didn't mean that he had to avoid me." She laid down on her side as doubt started to cause her to become concerned.
The only message she'd gotten was when she texted him about the Medjed broadcast to cleanse Japan was a, "Leave it to me, I won't let them." Other than that, nothing. No good morning or good night, no wondering if they wanted to meet or asking her for help. Even those teasing remarks had stopped.
"Is he having second thoughts about this? Maybe he was unhappy when I set those rules? Maybe he's starting to be annoyed since we can't be together in public?" Sadayo wrapped her arms around herself, feeling very small at the moment. "Maybe… maybe he's bored with me already."
Sadayo quickly sat up, shaking off those thoughts. "No! Kurusu-kun isn't like that! I know first-hand how stubborn he can be. He wouldn't give up that easily and I shouldn't doubt him." In an attempt to keep her mind busy she grabbed one of her newer books from Airi Himura who seemed to be published another books just recently. Just as she read a sentence for the umpteenth time, her phone began to ring. She leapt and picked it up. "Hello?"
Her heart swelled at the voice she had been aching to hear. "Hey… what's up…?"
"Are you okay?" Sadayo frowned. Something was… off. "You don't sound very well. I haven't really heard from you in a while so I was beginning to worry."
"Sorry, just… a lot of stuff has been happening."
Sadayo recognized that tone; until just recently, she herself sounded the same. She immediately stood up and went off to get her things, phone still in hand. " I'm heading over, just wait for me, okay?"
"I-I don't think that's a good idea," Akira responded, sounding much more unsure than she'd ever heard him. "I just got back from an infiltra — I mean Phantom Thief work. My body is honestly at its limit."
"Then that's more reason why I should come over. What if you fall and you can't reach anyone? I know Mona is there but you'll need someone to help you up."
"Sadayo..."
"Please, just sit tight. I'll be there soon. We can talk then."
There was a moment of silence, no response coming from the other end. Sadayo was beginning to worry that something did happen. "Aki—"
"Okay… I'll wait for you here."
Sadayo sagged in relief even as she hurried to prepare. "Just sit tight, I'll be there soon."
When Sadayo entered Leblanc, she found Akira resting his head on the counter by the yellow public phone. "Well, this scene seems familiar."
Akira's vanity glasses were missing, but his eyes were bright as he turned towards her. "Hopefully, it doesn't end the same way," he smirked.
His arms shook when he tried to get up, so Sadayo quickly stepped in. "Here, let me help." She let Akira place his arms around her. "Let's get you upstairs."
"Aren't we forward tonight?"
"One more word and I'll drop you," Sadayo deadpanned, too worried for one of Akira's jokes at the moment.
Pressed close to him, Sadayo could feel the tension of his body as she helped him walk up the stairs at a snail's pace. Once they reached the second floor she was greeted by a cat practically draped over the arm of the couch.
"It's good to see you, Ms. Kawakami. I'm sorry that you have to witness such an unrefined sight," Morgana meowed out before slumping back down.
"He says he's happy to see you and sorry for looking like a mess," Akira translated.
"No kidding, you both look terrible," Sadayo frowned as she helped him cross the lengthy gap to the bed. "What happened?"
"Nothing to worry about. Just a few bruises and nicks. Most of it are phantom pains."
"Phantom pain?" Sadayo raised her brow in disbelief, which got a chuckle from him.
"Just lingering pains, nothing harmful or serious but they sure hurt like hel—" Akira winced, causing him to stumble.
"Ah, Kurusu-kun!" Sadayo quickly tightened her grip, making sure he didn't fall.
"Sorry. Doing our Phantom Thief thing takes a lot out of us."
"Come on, let's get you on the bed."
Once Sadayo was able to finally place him on the bed, Akira turned himself around and sat up, using the wall to prop himself as he looked towards his standing girlfriend. "Thanks."
"Are you going to be okay?" Sadayo wrung her hands. "I know it's late but maybe we can try contacting Dr. Takemi? She's the one that looks after you when you're hurt, right?"
"It's fine. These are nowhere close to the worst I've gotten and it's mostly because my muscles are sore. I should be fine after some rest."
"So the problem is your sore muscles?" Sadayo asked, feeling upset that he had gone through worse. Something to think about later. Right now, her boyfriend wasn't in a worse state, and he needed her. Although…
Sadayo bit her lip as she looked away to eye the couch. An idea came to mind, though she was feeling a bit embarrassed about suggesting it.
"Usually, yeah," Akira answered.
"Have you tried anything that could help it recover faster? Your body that is," Sadayo asked, still flustered, but relieved once she confirmed that Morgana had already conked out for the night.
"I've never really tried so I can't say." Akira raised an eyebrow at her questions. "I'm always worried about going to the bath house for fear of drowning when I'm like this. And I'll be honest, the last thing I want is to cover myself in those heat pads like some sort of mummy."
"Well, what if I can help with that?" Sadayo said nervously as her hands fidgeted.
"With the…" Akira almost coughed out, face bright red and eyes wide open, "bath house?"
"NO! Not like that!" Sadayo yelled out in embarrassment, her face just as red. "I was talking about relaxing your body! Wait, but not in like a weird way or anything, just in ah..." She quieted down before she dug herself deeper, sighing as chuckles came from the bed.
Buying herself some time to think, Sadayo took a seat at the end of the bed, an arm's length from her boyfriend. "If you want I can give you a massage and see if that helps out. I was taught while I was working at Victoria since it was one of those special offers. I'm quite good at it too if I do say so myself!" Sadayo cheerfully proclaimed as she pumped her fists confidently, deciding to go all-out before she can chicken out. "So what do you say?"
Akira looked at the couch in thought, now understanding why she kept glancing at it. If the massage did work, it could really help him out, and anything that gets rid of the pain is fine by him. On the other hand...
He glanced at Sadayo who was watching him excitedly.
'She's only working on my back, right?'
Akira swallowed the lump in his throat. "Okay, let's give it a try. As long as you're sure."
"Of course I'm sure. I'm the one who's suggesting it. Now please lie down Mas—" Sadayo quickly bit her tongue and looked away, embarrassed once more about how easy it was for her to slip into calling him that, not helped by the chuckles she heard again. Resigned but still determined to help, Sadayo turned back towards him. "Anyway let's get startwhatareyoudoing?!"
Akira paused from removing his shirt, perplexed that his girlfriend was covering her eyes. "I figured it would be easier on you if I took my shirt off. I'm used to doing this when Takemi examines me anyway so I don't—"
"Customers were required to keep their clothing on during our jobs so I can do it just fine with it on! And why would I care if she sees you?!" Sadayo yelled out in a rush as she continued to cover her eyes. It shouldn't have been a big deal, but the fact that a male student of hers was undressing in front of her made it all the more embarrassing. Wrong. Scandalous.
Not helped by this was the jealous ping she felt at learning that Dr. Takemi had not only seen him shirtless, but has done so multiple times. Sadayo knew it was simply part of the doctor's job, but...
Sadayo shook her head at her pettiness. She peeked through her fingers to check Morgana, who seemed to be still asleep. 'How tired is he to sleep through all that?'
Meanwhile, Akira simply shrugged and put his shirt back on. He laid down on the bed, face-down by his pillow, clinging to it in veiled trepidation. "Okay, I'm dressed. You can look back now."
Despite his assurance, Sadayo remained in place in an effort to calm her beating heart from jumping out. Though she couldn't hide forever so she turned back towards her bemused student. He looked fine, but in the short glimpse that she saw before panicking, she was able to notice a few marks on his body. The most noticeable was the one on his right side, the same side that she remembered seeing him hold in pain when he fell down right after confessing to her.
She climbed on the bed, slipping her shoes off to avoid dirtying the mattress and kneeled by him. "Just relax, and let me know if anything hurts, okay?" Sadayo gently spoke as she placed her hands on his back and waited for his go-ahead. When she saw Akira nod, she began to work.
He was still rigid, so Sadayo began to apply pressure, her palms forming small circles as she kneaded his muscles. "You really are stiff. Do you mind if I put a bit more pressure?"
Akira gave another nod, too preoccupied to give a verbal response.
With his permission she began to press harder, putting her weight into it, causing his body to twitch. But she could feel his body starting to soften and relax, noticeably when he finally rested his head on the pillow he was clutching and practically melted on the bed. Sadayo giggled, "I'm guessing that you're enjoying this service."
"They definitely taught you well over there," Akira's tone finally sounded more comfortable and relaxed. "I could get used to having you do this."
"I'll think about it," Sadayo giggled, finding amusement in the fact that the "violent" and "scary" delinquent that everyone at school was so afraid of looked so cute and complacent from her touch. It admittedly made her want to tease him a bit, but for tonight, she decided to focus on making him feel better. After all, if what he's said was anything to go by, she'd have other opportunities in the future.
Avoiding to put heavy pressure on his right side, Sadayo continued to work on his back, enjoying the soft moans that he'd let out at times as a good sign for what to do. Eventually, she expanded her work to his shoulders, legs and arms, giving each portion her loving attention. When his body was entirely pliant and relaxed, Sadayo knew she was done and shuffled back. She placed her shoes on and got off the bed to let Akira sit up.
"So, how do you feel?" Sadayo asked confidently, hands on her hips.
Akira began rolling his shoulders, stretching and moving his arms, trying to feel if there were any lingering signs of the pain or stiffness in his body, but much to his surprise they were mostly gone. While there were small pains from some bruises and cuts that still remained, they weren't limiting his movement. "Wow, I feel great!"
"That's good. I'm glad that some of the stuff I learned over there could be of use," Sadayo admitted, relieved. Despite her concerns, Akira seemed to be acting like his usual self. But then it had her wondering — what was going on that had him looking so bothered constantly? Why had he been avoiding her?
"Hey Kurusu-kun… can I ask you something?" Sadayo grabbed her arm nervously, insecurities still lingering in her mind.
"Sure, what's on your mind?"
"I messaged you several times, but you rarely answered back, and even if you did you just told me you were busy. I understand that you have a lot on your plate, especially with all the stuff with Medjed happening; it's a worldwide group after all. But back then, before we started dating, you still took the time to have me over." Sadayo lowered her head, hoping that she didn't sound clingy or whiny.
But she wanted to know the truth. "I was doing chores but you always made the time to talk with me when you got back, even if it was for a bit. So why not now? Why have you been keeping your distance this past week? Is there something going on?"
The moment she turned back to Akira, his complexion was already pale. He turned away from her for a second, only to face her again with a reassuring smile.
"Just a lot of things going on. Sorry for not contacting you sooner."
"Kurusu-kun..."
"I'll take care of it, so don't worry."
Sadayo glared, unconvinced. This wasn't the first time that she'd seen him put up a facade. When he had been threatened with expulsion, he tried to play off his problems as nothing. She knew this, because until recently, she had been the same.
She knew first-hand how lonely that feeling was, how many times she wished she could had talked to him and her mother, but instead she pushed them away. But despite that, he never left her and continued to push, and her mother never wavered in trying to contact her. So Sadayo intended to do the same for him.
Sadayo stepped toward her bothered boyfriend and crouched to meet him at eye-level. She repeated, with obvious concern, "Kurusu-kun… what's going on?"
"Nothing," Akira replied as he looked away, only for Sadayo's hand to guide him back toward her eyes.
"You told me that you'd let me know about your Phantom Thievery but that I only get one question per meeting, right? Well, that's my Phantom Thief Question of the night: what's got you so bothered?"
"Sadayo..." Akira clenched his hand tightly. Without his vanity glasses it was harder to obscure what he was thinking as his eyes darted to all directions to find another object of focus that wasn't her. He'd be quite impressed with how she used their deal to corner him for an answer if he wasn't dreading what he had to confess. "Are you sure that you want to use that on this?"
Straightening from her crouch, Sadayo gave Akira a firm nod.
"Okay, but please, just let me explain..." Akira let out a long exhale. Admittedly, he was a bit relieved that this would no longer be a secret and that he has more information now compared to a few days ago. "First of all, I'm sure that you're aware of what Medjed has been doing."
"Yeah," Sadayo nodded, sitting beside him. "Everyone is in a panic about what is going to happen. I mean, targeting the entire country is crazy. You'd think that the national defense or the police would get involved at that point. Although didn't you tell me you weren't worried about them?"
"Let me get to that," Akira nervously chuckled. "The group has targeted companies and got away with no problems so I'm sure that they are good at keeping hidden. Honestly, if it wasn't for the cruel acts that they've pulled in the past, I'd wish we had someone like them on our side. The last few days have made it painfully obvious how hindered we are when it comes to the digital stuff. We really just rely on information from the Phan-Site and quick searches online."
"Honor among thieves?" Sadayo snarked, reminding herself that despite his kind and caring nature, her boyfriend is, in all legal sense, a wanted criminal.
"Only those I put my trust on. So the whole anonymous thing makes it a deal breaker," Akira chuckled, doing his best to keep his nerves in check. "Anyway, we got contacted by a third party by the name of Alibaba. She said that if we could help her, she would provide us with info on the Medjed members, or even take care of them directly."
"That's... very suspicious," Sadayo frowned. "Awfully convenient timing."
"I thought the same thing, but at the time there wasn't much I could do. And, uh…" Akira rubbed his arm, his previously relaxed muscles all tense. "Uh, Alibaba knows about me, as the leader of the Phantom Thieves. She even sent a card addressed to me at the Boss' place..."
Akira swallowed the lump that was forming in his throat, and forced out,
"And… she knows about us."
Sadayo has always been beautiful, even with rings of tiredness, slightly sunken cheeks, and now paling skin. Akira watched in fascination and trepidation as horror morphed her expression into a new level of wide-eyed panic. He slowly raised his hands, like approaching a cornered animal. "Sadayo…."
"Wha—what do you mean that—"
"Sadayo, let me—"
"How!? Sadayo quickly jumped to her feet, her fingers running through her hair as she started to ventilate. "How were we—?! We've only just started! We'd been so careful—"
"Sadayo—"
"What are we going to do?! If that info gets leaked out — if the school finds out — we'll be—"
"Sadayo!" Akira grabbed her arm and urgently but gently turned her towards him. Guilt gnawed him inside when he saw the forming tears and her normally-combed pigtails threatening to escape her hair ties.
"Listen to me, I won't let that happen! I'll make sure that that information won't spread any further, and I'll find out how it got out in the first place." Akira leaned in as he rested his forehead against her and closed his eyes, wanting her to focus on him and his voice. "I'm sorry that I didn't tell you sooner. I'm sorry that I wasn't able to keep my promise. But I won't let anything happen to you."
"Kurusu-kun..." Sadayo trailed off, at a loss. His face was so close to her that her heart began racing about the prospects of what might happen if she moved just a little closer. It helped to refocus her head from her panic and made her realize that this must have been what was eating at him.
She cursed her weakness. All this time, Akira was terrified of what might happen yet he still carried all the weight on his own, and even now, comforted her. She said she'd be there for him, but all she did was panic. Sadayo cursed herself on how much she relied on her student and boyfriend, but at the same time, she felt so lucky to have found him.
"I'm sorry…" Sadayo exhaled, nuzzling her forehead against his affectionately. "I was just so scared about what would happen to us, and I—"
"It's fine, I screwed up as well. I should have told you sooner, but I'm working on it."
"Then why don't we talk about what we should do?" Sadayo pulled away, but held on to Akira's hand, giving it a warm squeeze as she gently led him. She did her best to give Akira a smile, letting him know that she was feeling a bit better despite her lingering worry. "Let's go downstairs; I'll make us some coffee while you tell me the rest."
"You don't have to—"
"I want to," Sadayo quickly interrupted, her hand squeezing his again to induce more calm. "Honestly, if I don't keep myself busy I'll start panicking about it again, so I might as well do something productive."
Akira squeezed her hand back as his thumb gently caressed her hand, sighing with a relieved smile. "Then sure, why don't we have you make one of my blends?" Unable to stop himself, he reached his other hand up to run it through her hair, letting the soft strands fall out of their binds as they draped over his hand. "Beautiful…"
"Flirt," Sadayo blushed, her heart skipping a beat. She wouldn't admit it out loud, but she missed hearing Akira's compliments after a week of silence. She lead Akira by their intertwined hands, passing the slumbering Morgana on their way to the stairs. She never let go, still trying to recollect herself from her display of weakness and rallied her confidence as a dependable adult.
Once downstairs, she asked him to take a seat and began working on the coffee, trying to remember what Akira had taught her the last time she tried. "So, what does this… Alibaba want from you?"
"She wants us to steal someone's heart. If we do that, then she'd help us deal with Medjed."
"Must be some big target if someone who can deal with Medjed hasn't done anything yet."
"Actually, the target is small. Her name is Futaba Sakura."
Sadayo nearly spilled her pot of water. "Wait, as in, someone related to Sakura-san?"/
"Yeah… turns out Boss has a daughter he hasn't told any of us about. She keeps to herself, locked in her room, unable to leave the house. She's actually the main reason why the Boss didn't want me to stay at his place, worried that that would stress her out." Akira sighed, sullen. "I can't give you the full details, but let's just say that she's gone through a lot."
"That's so sad..." Sadayo's heart ached, imagining what the poor girl must have gone through to become a shut-in. She began boiling the water. "But wait, why would someone want to target her? It doesn't sound like she's done anything to warrant that attack."
"Yeah, I thought so too. We tried getting more info on the target, but it seemed that doing so caused Alibaba to immediately back down."
"Wait, she threatened you, but then backed away just because you asked questions? Why?"
"Because Alibaba is Futaba Sakura."
"Are you serious?!" Sadayo gaped, pausing her bean-grinding. "Why didn't you just say that from the start?!"
"Sorry, context was kind of necessary beforehand," Akira chuckled nervously as he leaned slightly away from the frustrated Sadayo, trying not to fall from his stool. "But yeah, our target ended up as our very own blackmailer and benefactor. She wants us to steal her own heart, but was too afraid to tell us directly. So she contacted us as someone unrelated."
"So she wants you to steal her own heart?" Sadayo repeated, just to wrap her head around it. "How does that work exactly?"
"One question at a time," Akira retorted with a smug face, now relaxed and back to his usual self.
"Oh, fine," Sadayo rolled her eyes and resumed her brewing. Soon, she was pouring black liquid into two porcelain cups. She placed them on the other side of the counter before taking a seat next to him. At her boyfriend's grin, they raised their cups and clinked them together.
The nightlife was silent, but Leblanc was comfortable around them. It might be the light from the yellowing bulbs or the weathered grains from the counter, but the overall coziness seeped through their pores as they cradled their cups. The aroma was wonderful; Sadayo brightened and felt her confidence boost, especially when Akira perked as well. They blew on their cups and took their sips.
"I say that that was a success," Akira smiled, playfully nudging his girlfriend. "Congratulations."
"I'm glad..." Sadayo smiled back as she took another sip, enjoying the fruits of her effort, imagining that this must be how Akira felt when he discovered a new blend. "So, Futaba knows about us, but you say that she isn't going to tell anyone. But you still have Medjed around. So what's your plan now?" Sadayo ran her finger around the cup, feeling the mix of calm and nervousness that she was quickly becoming familiar with whenever she was with her boyfriend.. "I don't want to sound mean but… why focus on her when that big group is still looming over? She says she can take care of them, but is that actually possible?"
"The plan is to help Futaba, then deal with Medjed if she can't handle it." Akira took a sip of his coffee; once he lowered his cup, his expression was sharper, serious. No longer was he Akira Kurusu, the student from Shujin, but Joker, leader of the Phantom Thieves. "She's asking for our help, and after the stuff I've seen I can't leave her hanging. Not just for her, but Boss as well."
"What do you mean? Is something going on with Sakura-san?"
"Yeah," Akira nodded. "A prosecutor came over awhile ago. She seemed to be after some information that Boss has and was threatening him with revoking his parental authority if he didn't comply. The claim is that he is abusing Futaba and would take her away if he didn't comply."
"Wait, what?! Why would she do that just for some information?!" Sadayo immediately stood up in anger. "I mean, can that even happen?!"
Akira simply nodded.
"That's terrible," Sadayo deflated, reminded of how unfair the system could be.
"I want to help them both. I owe Boss a lot for taking me in, and I don't have a single doubt in my mind that he'd abuse her. He may be a bit blunt at times but I've been around him enough to know that he's a good guy. Plus if he is convicted of abuse," Akira sighed, worried but relieved that he can share this with his girlfriend, "he might be seen unfit to be my guardian, and I'll be taken away as well."
"Kurusu-kun…"
Akira put down his cup on the saucer, opting to stare at the coffee instead of his girlfriend's trepidation. "I've already caused a lot of problems for my parents. It was only by luck that they found Leblanc, but if I'm not able to stay with Boss, I don't think I'd have any other place to go. Ryuji and his mom have enough problems to deal with. Yusuke is at a dorm so I don't think the court would find that viable. Ann's parents are abroad and her servants don't count as ideal guardian candidates. Makoto's sister is a prosecutor, and might not like a criminal staying... "
Akira's eyes widened. "Wait, a prosecutor? Could she…? That's crazy... but they even look alike…?"
"Kurusu-kun..." Sadayo leaned and wrapped her arm around his. "I'm sure it will work out. You've done so much for other people, so I know you can do it."
She wished that she could do more for him. It was so unfair; after experiencing upheaval that kids his age shouldn't, losing everything was still a risk for him, even when he wasn't looking for it. Kamoshida, the close expulsion, and now this.
But even with all of that, he still fought on. Sadayo admired that in him, but she also feared that at any moment, she'd lose him because society seemed too willing to get rid of him.
That familiar fear welled up, reminding her of the time she accepted her feelings for him. Sadayo clung tightly to his arm, not willing to let go. "But... if anything were to happen... if you couldn't stay here anymore and had to find a new place... maybe you could—"
Electronic notes chimed, causing Sadayo to jump. She quickly retreated to her seat as Akira fished in his pockets.
"Pardon me," Akira apologetically said, retrieving his phone.
"It's fine," Sadayo said, even as she mentally slapped herself. 'What is wrong with you?! What are you thinking of suggesting?! There is no way they'd allow something like that!'
"Alibaba?!" Akira blurted in shock, causing Sadayo to join him around his small screen.
[Al]: Don't worry, as I said I will keep my word.
[Al]: Once your end is taken care of I will take care of Medjed.
[Al]: Also, I do apologize for threatening you as I did.
[Al]: I needed help, but I wasn't fully sure if you would oblige, so I needed some incentive to motivate you.
Both Akira and Sadayo looked at each other in shock.
"Kurusu-kun, how does she know about what we're talking about..."
Akira's phone pinged again.
[Al]: I suppose I could explain.
[Al]: A while ago I placed a bug on the first floor of Leblanc.
[Al]: That way I'm able to hear all that occurs in the shop.
[Al]: I will say though, I wasn't expecting to find a taboo relationship.
[Al]: If it's any consolation, I'm rooting for you both.
[Al]: Mwehehehehe
"Kurusu-kun, mind if we go outside?" Sadayo whispered with a strained smile, clearly at the end of her wits.
Akira calmly nodded and went ahead to the laundromat to make sure that it was empty. Sadayo quickly fixed her hair back into pigtails, just in case, and followed at his signal.
The laundromat was the nearest enclosed space they knew. The machines were motionless and empty of clothes, which meant that no one would be returning. 'Unless someone came in for a late wash, like Dr. Takemi,' Sadayo thought, rubbing her head as she and Akira settled in the back.
Mindful of her volume, Sadayo still couldn't help but explode, hushing, "There's a bug at Leblanc?!
"I swear, I knew nothing about this," Akira hushed in return, raising his hands in innocence. "I just found out about it. We actually thought she had hacked our phones."
"Does that mean that she heard everything else about us?" Sadayo slumped down on one of the stools in defeat. "Does Sakura-san know too?"
"He doesn't, I can tell you that much. He figures I have a girlfriend of sorts, but has no idea who it is."
Akira grabbed one of the scattered stools and scooted it close to his girlfriend. As soon as he sat down, Sadayo proceeded to lean on him and rest her head on his shoulder. Seeking mutual comfort, their hands met, their fingers interweaving.
"Are we really going to be okay?" Sadayo asked, exasperated. The sheer amount of surprises in one night was stupidly infuriating.
"I don't know… It's kind of unfair that someone already found out about us before we had even started," Akira squeezed her hand, once again thumbing her callouses, comforted in the fact that she didn't let go and reciprocated his gesture with her own. "But I do know one thing — I still want to be with you."
"Same," Sadayo sighed, eased by that one sentence. It always surprised her just how calming his presence was for her. Whether with choice words or silence, all it took is to feel his touch and she would feel safe. She knew that Akira would do everything in his power to keep her safe, and she wanted to do the same for him.
After savoring minutes of peaceful quiet, Sadayo turned back towards Akira, recalling their conversation before Alibaba's interruption. "Hey, you mentioned causing problems to your family, but aren't you too hard on yourself? I mean, I'm sure they were more than willing to help you find another school."
Akira sighed, shifting on his seat for a more comfortable position, "I did more than that to them. If I had stayed any longer, I'm sure my parents would had been forced to move out. There would've been nowhere to go, except maybe back to Osaka."
"Osaka?" Sadayo grimaced as she mentally thought of the city's distance from Tokyo.
"Both my parents came and grew up from there for most of their lives, but when my mom became pregnant they decided that they wanted to raise a family in a more peaceful area, so they moved to Nishinomiya."
Sadayo opened her mouth.
"No, I was born in Nishinomiya so no one called me 'Osaka'," Akira quickly interrupted.
Sadayo pouted.
Akira chuckled. "It wasn't easy though, since my dad had to close his family's grocery shop and try to move things to the new area."
"They must have been really serious about the desire to have a good life if they were willing to give that up and start from scratch," Sadayo commented, impressed at his parents' determination. "Still, that must have been a big strain for them."
Akira nodded. "Yeah, luckily my mom had been able to help stabilize things while he got his new shop up and running. She had saved up some decent amount from her previous works. Both had worked hard to make sure I grew up in a safe environment and I guess, that dedication kind of rubbed off on me?" Akira smiled awkwardly, scratching the back of his head with his free hand. "Once I was old enough to understand the effort they had taken, I offered to start helping them whenever I could. Admittedly, this meant I didn't socialize much at my school or join clubs. I didn't really talk to anyone other than—"
Sadayo blinked, surprised at how enthralled she was until he broke the spell. She wanted to ask why he stopped but Akira seemed lost in thought, before he snapped out of it and shook his head.
With a self-deprecating chuckle, Akira continued, "Anyway, that doesn't matter. When I got arrested, my school life might as well ended there and then. My parents did their best to defend me, protesting that at worst it was an accident and that they were taking this way out of proportion. But that's not what the rumors said, and shortly after, we had people telling my parents that I was a danger to their children and elderly and that I should be jailed."
Akira sighed, exasperated and exhausted, leaning almost entirely against the wall. He smiled when Sadayo placed her hand on his arm to give him a comforting pat.
"Eventually it escalated and one morning, we found that the shop had been vandalized. An effort to scare us away."
"So much for a safe location," Sadayo remarked, agitated.
Her indignation on his behalf warmed him inside, and gave Akira the strength to continue. "You'd be surprised what people will do when they can justify it as doing what's best for themselves or their loved ones. That was when I felt that I had enough. My parents did their best and sacrificed so much to build a happy life, and I destroyed that. Sure enough, once I was gone the neighbors laid off."
Sadayo frowned at his gave his hand a squeeze to remind him that she was present, glad that he returned it.
"So how do you know that things are better now?" Sadayo asked. "Have you talked to them?"
Akira shook his head. "I recently learned it from Uncle Tetsu, a friend of my mom who sometimes visit Leblanc," he explained. "I actually haven't talked to them since I left but I asked Uncle Tetsu to let them know that I was doing fine so they're at least informed."
"Kurusu-kun, I'm sure that more than anything, they rather hear it from you. Don't you want to call them?"
"It's fine — I'm doing well over here so they don't have to worry, and they are doing fine. I think it's best we keep that distance until I can prove to the others that I'm no threat."
Sadayo wished that she could get him to talk to his parents, but she understood where he was coming from. It's hard facing those you care about when you feel like you've let them down, and considering how much Akira worries about others, it was probably devastating for him to see what happened to his parents because of his unselfish deed. She hoped to someday help him over that hurdle, just like he did for her.
But for now, there was something else Sadayo could offer. "Hey, Kurusu-kun?"
"Yeah?"
"You said that you always end up exhausted when you come back from whatever it is that you do, right?"
"Pretty much."
"Then I want you to call me whenever you need help, okay? And I don't mean just the massages, but stuff like the laundry and housecleaning. I could even help with maintenance for your Thief stuff if you need it."
"Sadayo..."
"I mean you've seen how handy I can be at the workbench and if I got some practice I'm sure that I—"
"You don't have to do this," Akira interrupted, not just worried, but also guilty.
Sadayo could feel his head resting on hers, his breath on her ear causing her shivers. "Kurusu—"
"You're still recovering, and you have your own life to worry about. You're finally out of having to make those payments and being forced to work like that, so there is no reason for me to keep having you do all those—"
Before he could finish his statement, Sadayo pinched his cheek and pulled. It wasn't enough to cause any real pain, but enough to catch his attention by discomfort.
"You're not forcing me to do anything, Kurusu-kun," Sadayo scolded in annoyance, though her cheeks were slightly colored. "I'm happy that you care about my well-being and that you don't want me to be pushed into doing something I don't want. But I'm the one who chose to come here like this, and I'm the one offering to help."
"You know that would have you aiding a criminal, right?" Akira pouted, trapped between her fingers.
'So cute,' Sadayo thought. She drily replied, "I think it's a bit too late to worry about that, considering what I've gotten myself in."
'I can't really beat her,' Akira can only sigh fondly as his face was released. Still… "I'm sorry for making you do this."
Sadayo watched her boyfriend pensively patting his cheek. She knew that he understood her willingness to help, but it looked like he needed a bit more of an incentive.
"As I said, I don't mind. Besides..." Sadayo pursed her lips in contemplation, before lifting herself up to purposely line her mouth to his ear.
"...that way, Becky gets to see you more often, Master..."
Akira turned bright red, suddenly aware of how little the space between their bodies are. "I-I'll think it over."
"That's all I ask," Sadayo sat down once more, resting her head on his tense shoulder as her hand wrapped around his arm. With her other hand, she reached for his fist, patting it in apology. She wasn't quite sure if it was okay for her to mess with him just to win him over. Was she taking advantage of his teenage hormones? Or is she overthinking things?
One thing was for sure — it definitely affected him, which admittedly helped her confidence to know that she is able to have that kind of effect on him. She held his hand tight, hoping that she could offer some semblance of comfort in their crazy circumstances.
"Oh yeah!" Akira suddenly proclaimed, remembering something.
"Huh? What's on your mind?"
"Weren't you in the middle of saying something before Alibaba interrupted us?"
"Oh!" Sadayo sat up, nervously laughing at the confused Akira. "I'm… sure that won't be necessary. After all, you've already done some amazing things so I'm sure you'll figure something out. Just let me know if you need anything, okay?"
Akira chuckled as he gave his girlfriend a soft smile, "Thanks, I'll be in your care then."
"Right…" Sadayo leaned once more against Akira, sighing in relief.
Between them, their hands intertwined.
Sadayo sat still as Dr. Takemi listened to her heart with a stethoscope. The room was quiet, the sounds of heavy rain seeped from the outside. Today marked her third planned follow-up with the doctor; while Sadayo visited for her health, she admittedly had ulterior motives for coming to the clinic.
"Well, your vitals seem to be fine at the very least, but you said you still have some problems sleeping?" Takemi asked as she pulled away and fetched her clipboard.
"Y-yeah… I'm getting used to my new schedule, so I've been able to get some rest. But some nights… I just wake up in cold sweat," Sadayo nervously fidgeted with her shirt, avoiding eye contact.
Despite having come here a few times already, Sadayo still couldn't help but feel nervous. Every time she visited, she felt like the doctor was plotting something, like she knew something secret and found it all-too-amusing. Not only that, but based of what she heard from Akira, Sadayo suspected Takemi to also be aware of his secret identity.
After seeing the state that her boyfriend would be in after his 'adventures', Sadayo couldn't help but wish that she could do more. Her mind kept visualizing those injuries that she noticed when he had taken his shirt off. He had said that he was fine, but what if he came back worse? What if he got a serious injury, like a broken arm? Could he even climb the stairs, much less get back home if he ends up unconscious? He had mentioned that he'd go the next day to see the doctor, but should he really wait that long?
When Sadayo had burned her hand from her disastrous first attempt at curry, Akira had mentioned that he had learned proper first aid from the doctor. So if Takemi did know about Akira's double life, then maybe, Sadayo could convince the doctor to teach her a few things.
"Do you have any idea for why you'd wake up in such a state?" Dr. Takemi asked as she continued to take notes.
"It's because of the nightmares," Sadayo grabbed her arm. "Sometimes, I just have these dreams, and I wake up so frightened that I can't go back to sleep because I'm afraid of having them again."
"Do you have any recollection about these dreams? I'm not a psychologist so I don't think I could do much, but I can look into referencing you to—"
"If it's alright with you, I rather not talk about it," Sadayo interrupted. She knew the doctor has good intentions, but it was bad enough that she had them. The last thing she wanted to do was bring it up to a stranger, for more reasons than one.
"That's fair, though I recommend that you at least try talking to someone, and if it ever gets worse, I implore you to contact me, okay?"
Sadayo nodded, doing her best to stay focused.
"Very well. Overall, your health has improved, so I don't think you have to come for another follow up, but because of your family history I want you to be careful of overworking yourself like you did before. So please contact me if anything happens. Otherwise, you're free to go."
"Thank you," Sadayo bowed, genuinely grateful as the doctor nodded. Takemi proceeded to swivel in her seat and work on her desk, giving Sadayo some relief from her gaze.
'Okay, now is the time. Just go ask her if she could teach you. You want to learn so that you'll know what to do if any student becomes injured. That should be a good reason, shouldn't it?' Sadayo mentally pumped her fist.
"So, Kurusu came by earlier today," Dr. Takemi casually remarked. "He seemed to be doing quite well. Happy, even."
Caught off-guard, Sadayo mentally flailed. "O-oh really? W-why would I care about that?"
The scary doctor seemed amused. "Well, he is one of your students, and he was the one who asked me to treat you in the first place. Don't worry though, I didn't tell him anything. Doctor-patient confidentiality, after all."
"Right..."
Alarms bells rang through Sadayo's head when the Plague stood up with a smile that signalled trouble. Before Sadayo finished wondering if she should retreat for now, the doctor had already walked towards the door and leaned against it, locking it behind her.
"So what is it?" Takemi asked, putting her hands in her coat's pockets. "There's something that you want to ask me about. Am I correct?"
"Huh? Well, yeah but…" Sadayo glanced nervously around, searching for other exits. While she intended to ask eventually, she didn't intend to do so in this manner. She swallowed, doing her best to make the words come out. "I, uh, well, Kurusu-kun had told me that you had taught him some first aids, and I was wondering if you would teach me as well?"
Dr. Takemi looked quite surprised by her patient's request. "Any particular reason?"
"I just figured I should learn some in case any other student would get hurt or—"
"If a certain student ends up injured?" Dr. Takemi interrupted, halting Sadayo's argument in its tracks. "I haven't gone to high school in a while, but I'm sure that they have nurses there that are quite capable of doing their jobs. I'm sure you could even ask them to teach you if you really wanted to. So tell me, why come to me?"
Sadayo was sweating, frustrated at the huge hole in her reasoning. By the doctor's comment it was probable that she already suspected something, but how much?
"You know too, don't you?" Sadayo confronted the doctor, doing her best to put a brave face even when her nervousness was still obvious. "What Kurusu-kun's 'extracurricular activities' are?"
"And I take it that so do you?" Dr. Takemi sighed, her expression morphing into cold and serious. "Kurusu is my patient, if anyone should be responsible for his health it's me. It's my job, after all."
"But what if you're not there?" Sadayo quickly remarked, not willing to back down now that she was in too deep. "What if he's injured and you're not around?"
"But you would be?" Dr. Takemi countered, seeming more curious than agitated. "After all, my clinic is just by Leblanc. From your registered information, while your home address is not that far from here, it's still much farther than I'd be. So why are you so certain that you'd be there when I couldn't?"
Sadayo opened her mouth to speak... then bit her tongue, out of excuses. She lowered her head in defeat.
Rain continued to pour outside, filling the silence. Eventually, Dr. Takemi unlocked the door behind her. "Very well. You were my last patient today, so I'll be closing shop for the evening." She moved away from the door.
"I… I see," Sadayo sighed as she picked her bag and stood up. She made it three steps out the door when Takemi spoke again.
"It's been a while since I had a night out. I'm thinking of visiting that dining bar not too far from here."
"Huh?" Sadayo quickly turned towards the doctor.
Takemi was hanging up her white coat at the back of the room, the part of the wall that was usually covered by a curtain. She retrieved a familiar leather jacket that Sadayo had seen her wear at the laundromat. "So what do you say? Care to join me?"
Sadayo stared back with confusion. "Why are you—"
"As a doctor, I can't talk about my patients to others," she turned to Sadayo with a devilish smirk "but I don't see any problem with two girls talking about a mutual friend. I have to admit that I have a few questions of my own that I'd like to ask concerning your relation to him."
That last statement made Sadayo nervous. The insinuation in the Plague's voice with her imposing silhouette in her leather jacket blared the danger alarms again in Sadayo's mind. She backed away, making sure to keep the dangerous woman in her sights as her hand wandered behind her to grab her umbrella. "I-I don't think I should, I mean, I have a lot of stuff to take care of and and I still have to go to work tomorrow."
Openly amused, Takemi started walking towards her, hand bag in tow.
'Where is that umbrella?!' "Nothing against you of course," Sadayo added, sweating as the clack of heels signalled her doom, "it's just a bit sudden and with the rain this bad I should probably get home as soon as possible. Sooooooo I'll just take my leave." She decided to quickly turn to search for the umbrella with her eyes. It was farther than she expected, but with a lunge it was in her hand while her other appendage was on the door handle. She was home free.
"That's a shame," Dr. Takemi said right behind her, not bothered at all by her refusal nor her mad lunge. "Very well, please be sure to greet your little Master for me, won't you?"
Sadayo's hand froze at the door handle just as she had opened the door. She quickly closed it, afraid to look back, before slowly turning towards the devilish doctor with open horror. "W-what did you say?"
Dr. Takemi simply giggled as she took her umbrella and walked by Sadayo, opening the door to courteously lead her out.
"Why don't we have a talk, Becky?"
So fun fact. When I first planned out how things would play out, I had completely forgotten how quickly the game goes over the whole "Alibaba threatens you to reveal your identity" risk. Like Futaba makes mention of it, and then a few days later she takes it all back and retreats from the whole conversation and even apologizes. Despite that though, the concept that Futaba listening in on a good chunk of their discussion and was able to hear how their relationship form was something I always found amusing.
Speaking of listening in, I figure that it's worth explaining my understanding (thus the canon used for this story) of Futaba's bug. The bug is a mic, so the only thing she can do is hear whats' going on. It is also limited to the first floor since the attic seemed to be mostly untouched, so there wasn't a reason to bug it. What this means is that while she can listening on any conversation that is being had at the lower floor, the most she hear upstairs is some muffled voices.
Now I'm sure you noticed that I've had both them talking together downstairs a lot more frequently than up stairs. This admittedly wasn't because of the bug or me intentionally making it so Futaba could hear more of their discussion, but an nice little accident that turned up mainly cause I really liked the concept of them chatting while Akira offers Sadayo coffee, only to realize that I made it even more obvious for Futaba to hear.
Also as a little side note. The show that Sadayo was watching is based on a little story I made up in the appreciation threads a long time ago, as a way to point out how Akira and Sadayo's story is kind of like a modern fairy tale. It was also where the title of the story came from.
Thanks go once again to SomebodyLost for all their help. I hope you enjoyed the chapter and I'll see you in the next one.
