I own nothing, Monika does.
Sayori and Akechi set off for the Tokyo subway, eager to get some shopping done. Sayori's mind danced with the thoughts of the various outfits she would buy and the food she would choose, while Akechi's mind grumbled at the thought of the massive dent this trip would make into his bank account.
But, it's worth it for her sake, he eventually concluded.
The subway train was incredibly crowded, as was to be expected during rush hour in Tokyo. Akechi sat still, while Sayori found herself feeling quite anxious. "Y'know, I've never been on a subway before. At least, I don't think I have." She said quietly to Akechi, who chuckled in response.
"You get used to it, I promise. I used to hate being around all of these people, too. Now it's just part of daily life." Akechi responded while looking straight ahead. Sayori nodded while looking down at her feet. She spent the rest of the ride tapping her toes while Akechi remained incredibly bored.
Finally, the ride was over. They had arrived in Shinjuku. Both Sayori and Akechi felt great relief, albeit for different reasons.
"There's a great underground mall here. We should be able to get everything we need." Akechi said while guiding Sayori towards the mall.
They were making their way through the underground walkway when Sayori found herself overwhelmed by the massive crowds. There was so much information to take in. Subway line names, directions towards locations with hard to pronounce names, loudspeaker announcements, all of it made her brain spin inside of her head.
It was at this time that she somehow lost sight of Akechi. He was right ahead of her, and now he was gone.
Oh no! Where is he!? Sayori's anxiety at this moment nearly mirrored when Akechi found her on the bench. Her panic attack was suddenly interrupted by a young man bumping into her.
This young man had scruffy black hair and reflective glasses, and he was wearing a school uniform. With a soft, kind voice, he said "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bump into you." He quickly took notice of her panicked state. "Do you need help?"
"U-uh, y-yes." Sayori was on the verge of tears. "T-there's a young man, around your age. His name is Goro. H-he's wearing a blue sweater. H-he's helping me. D-do you see him anywhere?"
The young man looked around and spotted him. He took hold of Sayori and helped her find Akechi. "Are you Goro? This young lady was looking for you."
"Oh, there you are. I was wondering where you had run off to." Goro's somewhat irritated tone quickly faded once he noticed Sayori's fragile state. He looked up towards the young man and thanked him for his help as he walked away.
"Are you feeling alright?" the detective asked, linking his arm around her own in an attempt to prevent her from getting lost again.
"Y-yes. I don't know why I freaked out like that. I just lost sight of you, and…" Sayori tried to explain, her voice cutting out when she noticed their arms now linked.
"It's alright. You're not good with crowds. Don't beat yourself up about it. C'mon, let's get going."
Sayori looked up at him with both joy and confusion. I'm so pathetic! Why is he even bothering!?
Thankfully, as they got closer to the mall, her tears started to disperse. Akechi would be there with her the whole way. It was good that he was, because they spent quite a while shopping.
Sayori bought plenty of new and very pink outfits, while Akechi purchased plenty of healthy (and some not so healthy) food options. They were both satisfied with their choices, however Akechi winced as he received a notification on his phone about his now lowered funds.
The two were about to leave when they passed by a bookstore, and Sayori noticed something that made her smile with glee. A leather-bound notebook was sitting front and center in the store. Perfect for writing poems! Sayori thought to herself.
"Hey, Akechi. Do you think we could buy that notebook in that store over there?" Sayori asked with anticipation.
Akechi stifled a groan of frustration at having to spend more money. "Is there any reason why I should buy it? I'm nearly broke as it is."
Sayori thought back to a discussion she had with her friend back home. "I'm gonna keep writing until I die! That's what I said to him. Poems are my favorite thing in the world, Akechi. If I'm going to be with you for however long that I am, then I want you to be able to see that part of me too. It's important."
Akechi stared at her for a few long seconds, swallowed his pride and relented. "Okay, if it helps you survive while you're stuck with me, I'll buy it. But then I'm out of cash. Alright?"
"Thank you! It'll be worth it, you'll see!" Sayori's expression of joy shocked Akechi. He hadn't seen her this happy in their whole time together.
"Hey, I'll carry the bags. Alright?" Sayori offered confidently. Akechi smiled at this act of kindness, and handed her the bags. She looked as if she was about to topple over, but she persisted.
It was at that moment that Akechi decided that he would treat her like a child no longer. They were friends who must work together, equally. The two got on the subway and went home. Akechi found himself eagerly wondering what poems Sayori would write.
Yes, poems will be written in future chapters, though not many because I'm horrible at writing them. Also, important announcement, there will be no chapter next week. I'm going on a trip that weekend. the rest of the week will be preparing for the trip along with my other day to day tasks. But I promise that I'm going to pour as much quality into the next one as I can.