A New Route

by Nevermore-the-Dragon-Sings

Something strange happens after Sayori is deleted. Now she's fallen into a new environment with no clue how she's gotten there. Luckily, a seemingly harmless detective has her back. Soon a new mystery arises, connections are made, and Sayori has to decide. Who should she trust? Unfortunately, not everything is as it seems.

46. Chapter 45

I own nothing. Monika does.

A few weeks had passed since the successful theft of Futaba's heart. Since then, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts had been distracting themselves with the lingering stress of Medjed through a whirlwind of activity. Everyday, it seemed, Sayori would be spending time with one of her teammates. This was rather fortunate, because as the date of Medjed's supposed cleanse grew closer and closer, Goro had more and more interviews to attend.

Though Sayori felt the cruel irony of this twist of fate, that Goro was now having to leave her alone for hours of the day, this could also be taken as a stroke of luck. Afterall, she had plans to make if she wanted to achieve her most recent goal for summer. This goal had the potential to make daily life for Sayori much easier, or much more difficult. However, these nerve-wracking possibilities didn't change the fact that in Sayori's mind, this had to be done.

---

"Hey! Are you ready? Makoto, Ryuji, and I are waiting outside your apartment right now!"

Sayori read Ann's message over with tired eyes. She was in fact, not ready, having only just woken from slumber to the sound of the loud and insistent ringtone on her phone. Looking down at her pink pajamas, Sayori wondered if she could get away with wearing the matching tank top and shorts in public, or if Ann would declare her a crime against fashion.

"Yeah! I'll be down in a minute. What's Ryuji doing with us though? I thought this was just a shopping trip for us girls?"

"Akira and Yusuke apparently are going to be busy all day. Yusuke and his starving artist ways, trying to understand the heart and everything, means that they're going to be busy all day. So that just left Ryuji free without anything to do…"

"What about Morgana?" Sayori texted back, laughing at herself only a second after pressing the send button.

"We only have money for swimsuit shopping today. We aren't paying bail because one of their stupid fights got violent. Besides, Morgana is probably with Akira too… Or wandering around doing who knows what…"

Sayori somehow managed to get herself to look at least half decent, switching out the patterned shorts from her PJ's with a peach colored skirt, which she desperately hoped would look well with the pink polka dots on her white top. If not, Ann would probably march her back up the stairs, forcing Sayori to admit that her shirts were once again becoming too tight around the chest, when Ann tried to pick something else out.

That conversation would be better for a day when none of the boys would be with them. With those worries in mind, Sayori ran her fingers through her hair and hastily tied her bow on, making sure it looked as neat as possible before grabbing the small allowance Goro had left on the table.

He was going to be gone the entire day for this interview, and this would likely become a trend until the date of the cleanse passed. This would only leave ten days of summer. Even then, depending on the results of whatever Futaba was going to do, there could be even more interviews.

And that was why this shopping trip was so important. The Phantom Thieves were once again plotting, but this time it had nothing to do with the Metaverse.

Sayori ran out to the front of the building, an excited smile on her face. Despite the fact that Ann looked almost too eager to pick out swimsuits for everyone, Sayori knew that the end result of this plan (nicknamed "Operation: Get the Stick Out of the Detective's A-" by Ryuji, before Makoto and Ann both smacked him on the back of his head) would lead to a great day, secretly celebrating the Phantom Thieves most recent victory.

"Sayori, school is going to start soon enough," Makoto scolded lightly. "You shouldn't be sleeping in so late."

Ryuji waved the girl's worries away and smiled a rather crooked smile at Sayori. "Just means she's part of the club. 'Sides, when school starts up again Akechi probably makes a good alarm clock. I wonder how you snooze him." The blond waggled his eyebrows.

Sayori blushed and bit back a smile at the joke. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Ryuji."

"Come on, guys," Ann sighed, looking up at the sky in exasperation. "Both of you need swimsuits, so we need to get going."

"Yes," Makoto agreed. "Sayori needs to dress to impress…" The brunette raised her eyebrows, before they settled back into a resting position, and then raising them again.

It took a full minute for anyone to realize what she was trying to do.

"Wait… Makoto, are you tryin' to do this?" Ryuji asked, once again wiggling his eyebrows.

Makoto nodded, squeezing her eyes, embarrassed. "I imagine I didn't do it right, then?"

"It didn't even make sense with what you said," Ryuji said with wide and astonished eyes. It only lasted a moment before a wide grin spread over his face, showing a lot of teeth with it. "Don't worry, I'll make sure Sayori looks impressive to any guy that sees her. Good thing you brought me along, eh?"

Ann, fed up with the conversation at this point, grabbed Sayori by her wrist and Ryuji by his ear, before proceeding down the street, towards the entrance to the underground walkways located a few blocks away. "I think Akechi-kun's taste is different from yours, Ryuji. Now stop it with all of your stupid, perverted comments before you corrupt Makoto and Sayori more than you already have!" She yanked particularly hard on Ryuji's ear as she said that, a growl escaping her lips.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Ryuji grumbled as he tried to pull away from the model's tight, cold grasp.

Sayori glanced at Makoto, who strode confidently beside them, not having to be in Ann's grasp, which was becoming more like a child-leash each time they went on these shopping trips. Instead of feeling envious of this, or embarrassed by the stares they were getting as Ann dragged them along and Ryuji loudly protested, Sayori tried to remember what her old sun hat looked like. She would need one like it so Goro wouldn't wonder where the old hat had gone.

Slowly, the rest of the world faded out as Sayori gained a clear picture in her head of what she wanted her new clothes to look like. If only she had money for the camera too…

---

On the twenty-first of August, the entire city was in disarray. Nobody could relax with the threat of Medjed's punishment hanging over their heads. The gossip and bickering on the street was loud and insistent, creating a nervous buzz in the air. If one were to listen in on these arguments, they would hear the stubborn groups of people insisting that either the Phantom Thieves would pull through, or that the rambunctious group of delinquents had failed to retaliate. Even then, there was also the smaller groups that were counting on the police to do something.

However, for one group of people, though spread out as they were, they knew that their deal with an introverted hacker had finally paid off.

It was early morning when each member of the Phantom Thieves, sans the cat, received a text from their leader. They all felt relieved, for Futaba Sakura was finally fully awake and working on stopping Medjed.

There was also another person who learned of this fact, yet didn't know how to feel about it.

Out of the corner of his eye, Goro watched from the small kitchen in his apartment, noting the relieved smile that crossed Sayori's face as she looked at her phone. Because of the date, it was easy for the detective to figure out what could be affecting the girl in such a way. He continued to peer for a second, watching as Sayori's posture relaxed on the couch.

He was almost jealous that she could be so carefree. Sayori had been worried for weeks about the unseen threat that was Medjed, and in the rare time that they had gotten to spend time together, he had noticed her glancing at him too, a silent question in her eyes that she didn't dare speak out loud.

However, if he were to put it on a scale, the contents of this question weren't nearly as high on the list of things that currently made Akechi feel like digging a grave and laying himself on it.

What will happen in retaliation to their success, and what part will I play in it? The detective asked himself, stopping his hand from trembling as he prepared a small breakfast of fruit and tea. Even so, those worries about the future didn't make him nearly as anxious as his worries for the past. Afterall, he knew that in a little cafe not that far away from here, there was a family of victims sharing an anniversary with him.

The day I sold myself to the Devil for the sake of revenge… The day I knew there would be no turning back from this choice… So why did he suddenly so desperately want to do just that?

Goro shook these thoughts from his head. He hastily poured tea in two cups and arranged the fruit on the accompanying plates. His own anxieties and worries had no business in his head during breakfast. He had the entire walk to the police station and TV studio to think these miserable thoughts.

Sayori was lured to the small table in the kitchen by the scent of the tea. She sat down, took one look at the plum blossom tea, and gave him a deadpan look. "What's on your mind, Goro? I didn't expect you to be nervous… You've never really worried about Medjed before."

Goro felt himself shrink under her gaze. As always, she's too perceptive for her own good… He wasted not a second to straighten up and meet Sayori's inquisitive gaze with a small, shy smile, before picking a piece of fruit and popping it into his mouth. "It's really nothing, Sayori. I guess I'm just nervous about my interview later…"

"You're lying, but alright," Sayori sighed before somberly picking bits of fruit off of her own plate and nibbling at them. "I thought you and I agreed to be more truthful about these things… Neither of us like it when the other is pretending to be fine, afterall…"

We have to keep so many secrets from each other, so I suppose it would be foolish to keep things like this in the dark… Goro closed his eyes and took a sip of tea, before glancing at Sayori. She was looking at the small window in the kitchen, not paying attention to much else.

"I guess today is just a sad day in general. It brings back bad memories…" Goro said, making sure not to mumble.

Sayori smiled at the admission. "That's better… By the way, I gave my friend that poem of yours. It kind of made me sad to see it go. It was a nice thing to have with me, and I thought about a lot of things when there wasn't much else to do… Like how worried I always feel, but not about the right things…"

Goro hummed in agreement. "I see we're trading truths this morning. I could find a copy of it online if you wanted, but your friend might need the original more."

Sayori smiled and shook her head. "I'll be fine. I have plenty of my own poems…" Now done with the piece of fruit she was nibbling on, she took her own cup of tea and sipped at it, managing to drink half of it in one go.

"You're really thirsty this morning,":the detective observed, bringing bits of peaches up to his mouth. After a couple of bites, he pushed his plate away. He wasn't that hungry today, he found.

"My throat… feels funny," Sayori said, suddenly sounding small.

"Maybe we should get some fresh air then…" Goro thought out loud, before getting up to take his dishes to the sink.

"It is a nice day out," Sayori agreed as she got up to follow suit, though the distracted look in her eyes told Goro that she wasn't really paying attention to that.

The morning passed slowly after that. Both of them were nervous about two very different things. It wasn't until later that evening that one of them was reassured.

Futaba had completed her job, and gone back to sleep right after that.

None of the Phantom Thieves were too shocked by this.

---

The day of the long awaited beach trip finally arrived. That morning, everyone woke up with an excited smile, packing their beach bags with swimsuits, towels, and anything else they might need. One look outside their windows told everyone that they'd be needing sunscreen. That is, everyone except Yusuke, who had no sunscreen and no funds to buy sunscreen. He instead had to settle for wearing a white hoodie in order to cover up.

Everyone was prepared, even the unexpected and unknowing guest. It was incredibly lucky on Goro's part that Sayori was dragging him into this day knowingly, packing his bag while he prepared a small lunch, for he assumed that this would be a picnic between the two of them.

Sayori smiled as she finished packing. Everything fit perfectly, except for the large woven hat. Squeezing it in wasn't an option, because it could crush the beautiful flower decorations that clung to the white ribbon around the base with nothing more than glue and pins. She considered simply wearing it herself, but that seemed like no fun…

She frowned and tilted her head, her eyes going wide as she thought of the simple solution of having another person wearing the hat. Sayori turned around and caught Goro's eye, watching with amusement as he proudly held up the basket holding their lunch. He was dressed surprisingly simple, with a faded blue buttoned shirt, and black swim trunks. A pair of shades rested on his head, and brown sandals were strapped to his feet. Sayori's outfit for the day was carefully hidden in the bag, except for the hat that Goro thought he had gotten for her, not knowing that it was an improved copy of the original.

This was why Sayori felt no shame in striding over to him, flapping the hat like a fan, and giving him a sneaky smile, before saying, "You look very handsome today, Goro… But you're missing one thing…"

Goro's eyes widened in confusion. "What would that be?" He set the basket down and looked over himself, leaning his head down and allowing Sayori full access to the top of his head.

Without hesitation, Sayori slipped the hat on his head. "A pretty hat to protect you from the sun, of course. I want you to keep it safe for me until we get to the beach."

The detective looked up in astonishment, before an even more sly look crossed his face. "In that case we'll make a trade…" He slipped the sunglasses off of his forehead and put them over Sayori's eyes, making a point to let his hands linger on the side of her head.

Sayori turned pink, but she smiled softly despite herself. "The hat is all crooked now…" In a show of power, the pink haired girl put her fingers on Goro's chin and brought his face closer to her own. She used the white ribbon fasteners that hung from the inner edge of the brim to tie a neat bow under his chin.

Of course, with their faces so close, one would reasonably think that they were about to share a tender moment. As a mostly reasonable person, this was Goro Akechi's first thought as his face turned a bright red. Sayori wasn't doing anything to convince him otherwise. She let her gaze linger on his, maintaining eye contact with a sparkle in her eyes that was evident even with the shades covering them. In this light, everything looked soft and cute, from her fluffy pink hair to her gentle yet excited smile.

Goro, for the first time in what felt like a long time, was completely enamored by Sayori. Everything had been so busy lately, and he was still wary of who and what he could trust… He had always known that Sayori was sweet, kind, and attractive in her own adorable way, but being able to focus so intently on these things was like discovering them all over again.

He didn't even realize he was leaning in until Sayori, with a wide smile and open smile, snapped into action. She grabbed his hand, hoisted both her bag and the food basket over her shoulder and began running for the apartment door. "We have to hurry! We don't want to be late!"

The wide range of emotions Goro Akechi felt in that moment were overwhelming. He was disappointed, betrayed, sad, and above all else, the cruel sting of rejection hovered over him like smoke. However, there was still the unspoken promise that Sayori was conveying by holding his hand. Her grasp was tight, her thumb rubbing his knuckles, as if she were trying to massage away the stress and tension that she knew he felt. She looked back at him and smiled sweetly, winking (or perhaps blinking… It was hard to tell from that angle).

Goro felt relieved and happy by this, so much so that he almost didn't process what she had said.

"Wait… What do you mean by, 'we'll be late?'"

---

The beach was bright and full of life. The yellow sand, rolling waves, and clear skies were the ideal conditions, resulting in many visitors. Clad in swimsuits, couples, families, and friends all roamed the beach. Taking advantage of this, vendors strategically placed themselves all around, hoping to make a profit, selling ice cream, meals, and souvenirs.

One such group was waiting by the dressing room, not only being kept waiting by the three girls in the changing room, but also by the two late arrivals. The black cat was the first to notice the pink blur dragging a certain staggering detective behind her. Morgana's ears pricked and he tensed up slightly, turning sharply towards his comrades and shouting, "They're coming! From this point forward none of you mention anything about being Phantom Thieves, or anything that could lead to talking about the Phantom Thieves. I'm looking at you, Ryuji!"

The blond sighed in exasperation. "He'll prolly end up talking about them anyway. Unless Sayori is distractin' him, that's all he seems to know how to talk about." Ryuji grumbled something else under his breath.

"You know we're here to try to be friends with the guy. Right, Ryuji?" Ann asked as she stepped out of the large wooden building. She adjusted her bikini, making sure there was no area that pinched.

"Ignore him if he starts acting like a jerk, but remember that we're doing this for Sayori," Makoto added, adjusting the skirt attached to her own bikini bottoms. "We trust her, don't we? Sayori said this would be a good way to keep him from suspecting us… She even went as far as saying that even if he does get suspicious, being closer to him could create a conflict of interest-"

"Pipe down!" Morgana yelled again, arching his back slightly. Sayori and Goro were so close now that the group could almost make out the finer details of the two. This was how Ann could clearly see Goro's eyes widening in shock, his mouth forming a near perfect "o."

"We're here!" Sayori shouted, raising her arms excitedly and causing her companion to stumble. "I hope we weren't too late. The two of us have been looking forward to this, afterall…"

The detective continued to gawk as his brain tried to catch up with the situation. Sayori smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of her leg with her foot.

Akira smirked, jabbing a thumb in the direction of the changing area. "You're right on time. I'd hurry up and get dressed though."

Sayori nodded in response, putting the food basket on her shoulder into Goro's frozen hands.

"Could you check on Futaba, by the way? She hasn't finished getting dressed and Sojiro said to not let her out of my sight…" Akira ran a hand through his hair shyly.

"Sure. I'll help if she needs it," Sayori replied. She turned and was about to make her way into the changing area when Goro suddenly reached out and took her hand, holding it tightly to make it less obvious that his arm was trembling.

"You said we were going on a picnic…"

Sayori smiled calmly, reaching up and adjusting the hat on Goro's head to hide his eyes from view. "We still are…I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, but I wanted it to be a surprise." The girl winked at him, confident in herself and her scheme. "Afterall, you said you wanted to meet my friends…"

Without another word, Sayori entered the changing area.

Goro swallowed down the bitterness that he was deceived so easily. He should have known… He should have figured it out. Then at least he could have been prepared.

But now he was in the lion's den. The lions that were in it were sleeping… calm, but one wrong step and he would be in trouble. Any tricks he had learned on TV wouldn't help him at all, as the Phantom Thieves were impervious to his charms. Goro felt his mind race with all of these worries, even as he straightened up and offered the group of teens next to him a smile.

Ryuji Sakamoto crossed his arms. Makoto Niijima coughed awkwardly and looked away. Yusuke Kitagawa offered him a polite nod, before turning away to look at the beach's scenery, in the process whipping away and refusing to make eye contact. Ann Takamaki gave him an awkward wave, giving him a trembly smile that had trouble staying there.

There was a sudden thumping sensation at Goro's legs. He looked down to find the group's black cat glaring rather fiercely.

"My eyes are down here," it said, and Goro Akechi had to do everything in his power not to respond. Instead he simply offered the cat a smile and looked back up towards the others.

The only one who gave him an even slightly realistic friendly reaction was Akira. The black haired boy smiled, somehow able to make it reach his eyes, despite obviously being just as tense and awkward as everyone else.

"So…" Akira began. "You thought you were going on a picnic?"

"Yes," Akechi replied, before looking at the basket with regret. "Though I apologize because I only packed enough for Sayori and I."

"That's fine," Ann said, almost too quickly. "We all brought money for ourselves, or prepacked anyway."

"Yeah. I may not know the feeling personally, but feel free to find a more private spot if you two want to…" Ryuji trailed off awkwardly, before sighing in disappointment, as though he simply didn't have the energy to finish his sentence.

"If it makes you uncomfortable, I could leave…" Goro immediately offered, feeling his throat become tight at the thought.

"Absolutely not!" Yusuke suddenly exclaimed, sweeping his hand in front of him in a dramatic gesture.

Goro found himself stumbling back in surprise. "Why is that?" He asked, gripping the hat on his head.

"Well, it's simple," Makoto suddenly piped up. "Ann and Yusuke spent a lot of time and money trying to matchmake the two of you. I know the people around here may cause you to present yourself a certain way, Akechi-kun… But I'd still like to observe things for myself…" The brown-haired girl took a step forward and locked her gaze onto the detective's face, the intensity burning through him and setting his brain ablaze with a silent panic.

"Afterall, Sayori may not be the good girl type of pushover, but I want to be there for her when I can." Makoto stepped back, her icy voice fading into nothing more than a lingering memory. She smiled sweetly before grabbing a drink from the cooler they had brought with them.

Goro Akechi had been no match for Makoto's silver tongue, and he could only stand there in silence as he wondered what the group would do next. The Phantom Thieves looked between the two, Ann Takamaki opening her mouth to ask a question to Makoto.

However, the brown haired girl shook her head as she popped a straw through the plastic seal of the plastic juice box. "I'm willing to forget about anything that's happened before this point. Besides, for the most part… I'm over that little jab, and I'm not tearing that wound open when Sayori comes back…" Makoto took a thoughtful sip from her juicebox, before glancing once more at the detective.

"Akechi-kun, use this chance wisely…"

After a tense moment of silence, Yusuke sighed and shook his head. "That wasn't what I meant at all… I was simply hoping I'd find a perfect moment to capture on canvas…"

---

Sayori could clearly hear the conversation going on outside, and she'd be lying if she said she wasn't bothered by it. These were the issues she had wanted to have a serious discussion about later, when everyone was more welcoming of each other. It would be much easier for everyone to discuss their problems with one another and apologize for them, and maybe come up with a reasonable consequence for those who had caused the problems.

Releasing a quiet moan of despair at the horrible start of her plan, Sayori went into a stall and began to change. She quickly replaced her plain clothes for her swimsuit, adjusting the straps and sleeves on her shoulder and spreading the skirt out.

Now for the difficult part…

Sayori grabbed the yellow ribbons on either side of her waist and reached behind her back. For a couple minutes, she struggled and flailed to make something decent, eventually even trying to look at her back, but the effort was futile. No matter how hard she tried, Sayori couldn't tie a bow.

With a frustrated grunt, Sayori pulled on the ends of the ribbon to try again, but the knot on her back would not come undone. So instead, she grabbed the loops in an attempt to untie it that way, but all she accomplished was making the lopsided knot tighter.

Sayori wheezed, beginning to panic despite the fact that there was barely any danger. She could still breathe easily, but the frustration inside her was welling up, making it difficult to look at the situation with even half of her normal amount of common sense.

After a few seconds, she heard an incoherent mumble, and all of a sudden there was another pair of hands working away at the tangle of ribbon Sayori had created.

"How'd ya d'this?"

"Futaba-chan?" Sayori asked, looking in a nearby mirror to see the girl's head was covered in a white cloth, making the younger girl's words impossible to understand.

Futaba grumbled, sticking her fingers into a newly formed loop and using it to collapse the knot. "Who y'thing? Wi' diggy?"

Sayori's nose wrinkled. "Futaba, why are you covering your face like that? Nobody will be able to understand you…" The pink haired girl took the ribbons in her hands once again, looping them around her back and bringing the ends to the front, making a much better bow this time.

Before Sayori could say anything else, Futaba made her way to the small building's even smaller exit, stumbling out for everyone to see her head, wrapped up like a mummy's. Sayori took the sunglasses off of her face and clipped them onto the front of her new swimsuit, intending to trade them when she left. However, for now she was more focused on applying sunscreen.

---

"What do you guys think?" Sayori asked, a giddy smile on her face. She was unable to help herself, twirling around a bit and letting the skirt fan out around her.

Yusuke, Akira, and Morgana looked at the girl in shock, their eyes wide. Makoto and Ann high fived each other from their spot beside Futaba, where they were currently trying to unwrap the fabric from the hacker's head.

"She looks like a flower girl," Futaba physically pointed out, gesturing to the girl with an excited hand.

Ann eyes narrowed, "For some reason, she doesn't quite look how I imagined. She looks more like Marilyn Monroe…" The blonde put one hand on her hip and the other on the side of her head, looking around the beach, and then back at the girl, wondering what about the image in front of her made it so.

"Yeah… Something's missing," Ryuji said, before quickly spotting the abnormality. "Akechi, give her the hat."

Goro seemed to jump three feet in the air, startled from the thoughts flooding his mind as he gazed at Sayori. He would never bring himself to admit the observations aloud of course, but all of the others seemed to notice anyway, flashing him amused smiles without his knowledge. Even though Ryuji had interrupted his reverie long enough to remind him that yes- Sayori was indeed missing a key part of her attire, he still found himself in a trance like state.

Slowly, he took off the hat and walked over to Sayori. The pink haired girl grinned in response and took off his sunglasses, meeting him halfway. Folding the sunglasses, the girl was quick to slip the shades in the detective's shirt pocket. She hoped it looked decisive, and perhaps bold, but in her heart, Sayori knew she looked more like a shy girl trying to get the task done as quickly as possible. It didn't help that her clumsy hands somehow missed the pocket entirely, instead brushing against the thin fabric of the shirt.

Sayori noticed out of the corner of her eye all of the supportive gestures her friends were giving her with panic and disdain. Makoto, Yusuke, and Futaba seemed to be the only ones not smiling suggestively, giving her a thumbs up, winking, or a combination of all three. For that small saving grace, Sayori knew she owed them immensely.

Goro took Sayori's distraction as a chance to place her large sun hat back on, savoring the extra seconds to drink in the completely adorable beauty that was so uniquely Sayori. From the simple beige sandals to the short white dress with a flowing skirt and ruffled top, Sayori seemed to truly embody an angel…

A guardian angel… A strange, distant voice agreed in the back of Goro's head. He was half tempted to reach out and adjust the ribbon that tied the flowery hat to Sayori's head, almost finding himself envious of all the others who would look at her beauty and not be able to see half of the brightness and promise that he saw. He made the hesitant choice to trust the Phantom Thieves not to look at her with the same hunger he suspected everyone else on the beach might possess. Afterall, Sayori trusted them as her friends, and trusted him not to be a stupidly jealous fool.

With those thoughts now determinedly locked in place, Goro stepped out of the way and let the rest of their company see her. A pride he knew he didn't deserve to feel bloomed in him at the compliments Sayori received. Afterall, he wasn't the one who picked out the outfit, and he most certainly wasn't the blushing girl that somehow managed to be modest under the weight of the compliments that her friends offered over and over again.

"I knew the yellow ribbons on the dress would be better than the pink!" Ann shouted with a victorious fist raised in the air. She smirked and eyed the three boys next to her. "Which of you guys said that over the group chat? Because I believe you owe me… big time."

Everyone politely pretended not to notice Akira Kurusu, who quickly averted his eyes from the grinning girl.

"Is that really fair though?" Makoto questioned. "To make it a completely fair trial, we would have to buy the other dress too and see how it looks… right?"

"Ain't like it matters," Ryuji responded with a wide grin. "Sayori looks good in everything she wears."

"Is that really the appropriate thing to say?" Yusuke questioned innocently as Ann and Makoto shot the blond boy a death glare. "Afterall, if Sayori already has a commitment to someone else… it could make the both of them rather uncomfortable." He nodded his head subtly to a gaping Sayori, and Akechi, who seemed rather stiff.

Makoto and Ann relaxed at the artist's surprising words. At the very least he had situational awareness for once-

"Of course, I have to agree that I am once again tempted to seek Sayori's guidance, or perhaps find a way to capture the beauty itself…" Yusuke suddenly straightened up with a determined stance. The shadow of his hood was unable to hide the inspired gleam in his eye. "Actually, that is a marvelous idea! Sayori, would you-"

"Unfortunatelyyy…" Ann interrupted, drawing out the word for good measure. "Us girls already decided to go on a banana boat ride together. We need you guys to watch our stuff." The girl strode over to Sayori and took hold of her wrist.

The pink haired girl finally came down from her stunned silence, looking nervously at her boyfriend. "Is it really already time for that? I was hoping that you guys could have some time to get to know each other better."

"That's exactly what's going to happen," Makoto reassured, much to Sayori's confusion. The brown haired girl then whipped her head in Akira, Yusuke, Ryuji, and Morgana's direction, causing them all to stand at attention in panic. She then nodded in Goro's direction. "All of you guys will have plenty of time to get to know each other… while you watch our stuff…"

"Aw man, I wanted to ride a banana boat," Ryuji groaned.

"Sorry, we only got one for the four of us," Ann said with a smile that didn't look apologetic at all. "Unless of course someone is willing to trade?" She looked between Futaba and Sayori.

Futaba seemed to shrink, shaking her head vigorously with a nervous look in the detective's direction. "I don't really think I'm ready to face too many people right now. Besides, it's kind of hot right now, so some time on the water would be good." Even now her voice was shaking a bit as she adjusted her glasses.

Sayori sighed, realizing with sadness that she wasn't willing to trade either. The water did sound nice in the heat… and she didn't want to be an awkward chaperone, no matter how much she had pushed for this meeting. With a sigh, she made sure Goro had a good hold on the beach bag for her. "Keep this stuff safe for me too?"

The detective couldn't even frown, feeling squeamish at the thought of separating. Nevertheless, he kept a tight grip on the bag. "This is for the best. Hanging out in small groups is a better way for me to get to know your friends. Besides, I've already run into Kurusu-kun a few times at the subway station."

Sayori nodded, her smile encouraging. "We'll be back for lunch. Then all of us can hang out!" She tipped her hat awkwardly before joining the other girls. "Find a good place to put our stuff, please?" She asked the other guys.

"Of course," Akira replied. The two groups then separated, Ann leading the group of girls in one direction, and Akira leading the group of boys in the opposite.

---

"I don't really feel like us guys get appreciated enough," Goro heard Sakamoto say. The detective glanced over quizzically, finding the blond looking at him intently.

"You got all the luck, Akechi. I get that you and Sayori are roommates, but still, it all seems too easy for you…"

Goro chuckled nervously. "I'm not really sure where you're going with this Sakamoto-kun, but I will agree that I must be lucky. Sayori really is amazing…" The detective sighed, and everyone but Kitagawa rolled their eyes.

"Yes, I remember when I first saw the two of you at that fateful exhibit. I could sense the energy of a deep relationship, I suppose...:"

"Oh brother…" Morgana muttered under his breath.

Goro pretended not to notice, instead smiling at the artist. "Thank you, though at that point we hadn't known each other for very long. I'm glad the relationship we had led to what we share now…"

"That reminds me of something I've been wanting to ask," Kurusu trailed off with a thoughtful frown. He glanced over at Goro to see the detective offering him an inviting smile.

"What is it you mean to ask? I'm almost positive that I'd be happy to answer…"

"Well," Kurusu considered his words for a long moment before turning to completely face the detective. "What was your relationship when you and Sayori first became roommates? Or… How did you become roommates?"

Goro froze as Sakamoto seemed to agree with the black haired boy's questions. "That's true! You were famous by then, Akechi. How is it that you and Sayori started liking each other so fast without worrying about how popular you are makin' everything fake?"

"Uh… Uhh…" The detective found himself at a loss. Were they meaning to tell him that despite being teammates, Sayori had never mentioned to any of them that she had amnesia, or that she was missing from home, with the home itself being the thing that was lost? More importantly, was Sayori purposefully choosing to do so, or had it simply slipped her mind not to mention these things?

Just in case, Goro decided to simply try being as vague as possible. Surely they'd leave the origin story alone, both with him and Sayori, if he gave a somewhat decent answer that sounded too personal to be pursued further. Afterall, telling the full truth would also have the added effect of sounding like he was boasting; by helping a poor amnesiac find her home at the cost of his own expenses. Then that would surely make any attempt at befriending the Phantom Thieves impossible… Which was not acceptable.

Taking a deep breath, the detective looked thoughtful for a moment, taking a few seconds for a grimace to appear on his face, as if he were bringing up truly painful memories… not that it was hard. Remembering the sight of Sayori huddled on a bench in ragged and bloody pajamas, with a scar around her neck was a memory he would rather erase from his mind entirely. When he was sure the others had noticed, the detective began speaking.

"It's rather personal subject matter, and not really my story to tell… But when we first met, Sayori needed me… Actually, perhaps it was simply me that felt that I needed to help her. She didn't really know of my popular status at the time... I honestly don't think either of us were really thinking at the time, but we started living together… That's all I really feel comfortable saying."

The others nodded in respect of their privacy, but Sakamoto wasn't quite done prying. "Think Sayori would be willin' to tell us more?"

"If you ask, maybe… Though I wouldn't bother her about it unless there's a good reason to bring it up," Goro replied, deciding to leave the rest of Sayori's mess for her to clean up… when she was ready, of course.

"Well, now I wanna know any tips you got!" Sakamoto exclaimed, jumping up from his place on the sand.

"Huh?!" Goro felt more confused than ever, noticing with chagrin that Kurusu seemed to be in agreement with whatever the blond was implying. At least Kitagawa kept him company in his confusion, as now even the cat was beginning to understand where the two were going with this.

"Akechi, tell us how you got Sayori to fall for you! We're at this beach for a reason, and that reason is to have fun!" Sakamoto exclaimed.

"I… I don't think I understand, Sakamoto-kun," Goro said reluctantly. "How would my stories help you enjoy a day at the beach?"

"Easy! Those girls we came with don't have any respect for the awesome guys they came with. So I saw while we're here, we steal a girl's heart!"

Goro blinked once, then twice, confusion and panic running through his head. He wondered for far too longer than he should have whether or not what Sakamoto was saying was hyperbole. Thankfully, Kurusu came to the rescue.

"Yes, we have tried to get girls to fall for us before, but none of our attempts at flirting have brought us to the goal we were aiming for," The black haired boy got out his glasses, which Goro was pretty sure were fake, simply to push them up his nose to convey the supposed seriousness of the matter.

"Are you talking about what the two of you and that Mishima character were doing?' Kitagawa asked. "What was it again? Operation: Mai-"

"Don't say it!" Sakamoto interrupted, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

Goro weighed his options. Perhaps this could be what he needed to get these boys to befriend him, like Sayori wanted. But if the girl companions found out, then it would almost certainly send him back to square one, or perhaps even farther back. Goro shuddered. He wasn't sure if they made squares that low, but if they did, Makoto Niijima would definitely put him there.

Still… Perhaps he could pass it off as him simply telling them about how he and Sayori got together for posterity's sake. With that thought in mind, the detective gave a discreet look for the others to pay close attention. When they were all huddled around him, the detective pretended to look lovesick, doing his best to keep up the illusion of innocence he had mastered.

"Well, if you must insist, I will say that when we first started taking an interest in each other, I did my best to take her to scenic locations on the first day. We had already grown attached to one another, through a series of activities and talks relating to things we both enjoyed. Though I have my suspicions that Sayori began liking me before I was aware of it. I simply didn't notice how she felt until I knew I felt the same way…"

He eyed the other boys with patient eyes, seeing how they would respond.

"So are you sayin' that we should take a girl with us to a scenic place on this beach or…?" Sakamoto didn't seem to get it. Kitagawa held out his hands in a framing motion, searching for a place that met those requirements.

This time Goro rolled his eyes. "No, that was when we already liked each other, if you recall…"

This time it was Kurusu's turn to guess. "Are you saying… That we should stand near a group of girls and say our interests, and then see which one agrees with us?"

The detective's eye twitched. "No! I'm saying to be aloof! You'll freak out every girl within a mile if you just start hitting on her!" Goro gestured to Kitagawa. "Out of all of you, he has the best shot because he has that attitude down pat!"

Sakamoto jumped back. "Wow! You really seem to care a lotta 'bout this!"

Goro sighed and offered a weak smile, thankful he hadn't devolved into insulting them. "I just want to help out how I can," he offered. In truth, he was mostly hoping that he could save the females on this beach from three more idiotic boys that tried too hard. Even if none of these three found someone to date, at least they wouldn't embarrass themselves too badly in the process.

"Well now we gotta go try it," Sakamoto exclaimed. Akira and Yusuke stood beside him in agreement. "You two watch our stuff."

"What?!" Morgana exclaimed. The cat creature began to furiously complain, going ignored by his three teammates as they discussed what to do.

"I hope my advice is helpful," Goro responded at the end of the conversation, forcing a smile. He was not pleased that he would have to stay in one place and guard everyone's stuff, but it would only help him in the end.

"I hope it will be… It might make it easier to find new sources of beauty to paint," Kitagawa's eyes sparkled.

"I sincerely hope it does, Kitagawa-kun," Goro replied. He attempted to smile, though he was aware it probably looked more like a grimace.

"Please, call me Yusuke."

"Yeah, no need for formal, fancy junk at the beach. It's Ryuji."

"Akira."

Goro blinked, stunned, at the three smiling boys. Had this really been all that he needed to do? He would have thought it would be more difficult, especially with his stance against the Phantom Thieves that he broadcast on TV. But then again, there had been a couple of times when he had been openly thankful to the Phantom Thieves in front of Sayori, simply because they helped her out of bad situations.

Even if not… if these three were simply letting go of formalities because it was as Sakamoto… no, Ryuji had said, yet another bright spot shone through in the boy's heart. He watched them leave, knowing very well that it would end in disaster if they flirted as a group, yet feeling happy all the same.

I suppose it's a step in the right direction, Goro thought wistfully, leaning back on his beach towel and realizing that it was just him, and the black cat that he had to pretend to not be able to understand.

"Hello," the detective said cheerfully.

Morgana looked at him with a wrinkled nose, before turning around, flicking his tail at him, and stalking off.

I guess it's just me than…

---

"That was so much fun!" Ann shouted, her wet hair splattering water on the girls behind her as she moved around on the beach excitedly, getting used to being on land again.

"Yeah, crazy, super-duper fun," Futaba mumbled in agreement, trembling slightly.

"Is something wrong, Futaba-chan?" Makoto asked with concern. She went over to feel if the girl had a fever.

"Can't walk… Need nourishment…"

"Oh no! We can't let her shut down in the middle of the beach," Sayori took off her hat and used it to fan air towards the young girl. "Akira could get in trouble!"

"We should go back to our stuff," Ann said before rolling her eyes. "Though the boys probably wandered off by now. I'd be surprised if nothing got stolen…"

"Goro will still be there," Sayori pointed out, waving a finger in the air.

"Well than at least your stuff will be there," Makoto replied distantly.

"What does that… Oh, yeah." Sayori sighed as she remembered the grayed out memory she had peeked in on before Kaneshiro's Palace, as well as what she had heard outside of the dressing room.

"Hm? What is it, Sayori?" Makoto asked with concern.

"Nothing, we should go… Futaba isn't looking good," Sayori looked around for the closest booth to get food, before concluding that the lines were too long. They would make better time simply by getting back to their stuff. Still, she noticed a frozen yogurt and ice cream booth not too far, and resolved to get some with Goro before they left the beach today.

"Staple food… with stuff," Futaba mumbled. Makoto nodded and began to lead the tired girl back to their stuff.

They finally arrived at their setup and Futaba hurried to her own bag, getting out a small package of TV dinner and digging in.

"Why aren't any of the boys here?" Ann asked, looking around the beach for any sign of their friends. She sighed in disappointment and got out her own lunch, the container containing her dessert far bigger than the one holding her meal.

Sayori sorted through her bag and found nothing missing except for the things Goro was most likely to have with him. She sighed in relief and readjusted the strap of her hat, her wet, flatter hair having knocked it loose. "Maybe they went to one of the food stalls, or to the bathroom?" Sayori didn't seem concerned as she noticed similar sighs of relief as the other girls checked their own bags.

"Well, we didn't really have any other plans, so we can wait until they get back," Makoto said, settling down to eat her own meal.

Sayori got her own lunch out, but knew she wasn't going to be able to eat until Goro got back. This food had originally been intended for a date, afterall. She should at least eat the food he had worked hard on with him.

She tapped her finger against her thigh as she waited, looking down and focusing her attention on the sand. Shadows of passerby darkened it every few seconds, but she was waiting for the ones that would stop in front of her and begin to complain that they had started without them.

About five minutes passed until she found two dark shapes stopping in front of her. She looked up with a wide beam- only to find herself immediately frowning.

These two men were not her friends. Sayori could see Ann's face transforming into a look of intense annoyance, and Makoto schooling her own into patience. Futaba was thankfully taking a nap under one of the beach umbrellas that had been left out for them, unaware of the annoying strangers with dark, obviously fake tans and bleached blond hair. Sayori was doubly grateful of this fact as the two older men began flirting with Ann and Makoto.

"We're with friends," Makoto explained, gesturing to Sayori and Futaba, and also looking out of the corner of her eye for any of the males that were supposed to be accompanying them.

"Oh, come on… Don't lie to us…" The men continued their pitiable excuses at flirting, and Sayori felt disgust welling in the pit of her stomach.

"Are you listening to a single word she's saying?!" Ann questioned. "We're not interested, get lost!"

"Two women like you shouldn't be spending time at the beach with little kids. You could have a real fun time at our party on our boat. There will be tons of famous people there too."

Sayori couldn't help the small gag in her throat as she found herself standing up too, making her posture as straight as possible. Words from months ago entered her head, and Sayori knew that she seemed unaffected and confident. The others would be here soon enough, and they could go about their day. For now, she would act polite. "Please sirs, my friends and I are here to have fun as a group. And I'm sorry to say, but you need to have an invite before you can barge in and interrupt us…" Sayori knew it sounded lame, but hopefully she could get the rejection message across eventually.

"We weren't talking to you," one of them said curtly, and the snootiness in their accents made Sayori's teeth ache as she clenched her mouth to keep from screaming in frustration.

"Well, actually, I'm curious," the other one said with a devious glint in his eyes. "How does one get invited?" He took a challenging step towards her and smirked as she realized how tall he was compared to her.

"I step away for one minute to get snacks for when you girls got back, and this is what I find?" A new voice chimed in, and Sayori's heart sung in relief as she noticed Goro stepping carefully towards them, balancing eight cups of white frozen yogurt on his outstretched arms. The yogurt had a yellow powder on them, which Sayori assumed was lemon zest, and the edges of the bowl looked liquidy, as though it had begun to melt in the summer sun.

Behind him trailed Akira, Yusuke, and Ryuji. Yusuke also seemed to be going slow, holding something red and squirming in both hands.

"Woah, we didn't think you were telling the truth when you said you had friends," One of the men replied. Both boys turned to leave, only for Goro to immediately step into their path, knocking over almost all of the frozen yogurt onto the ground, except for the two in his hands.

"That's hardly an excuse for taking such a bold approach towards my girlfriend, along with her friends," The detective said, a pensive frown on his face. "I expect you to make it up to me."

One of them rolled their eyes. "It's shocking to see such a mocked figure still sporting such confidence. Move out of the way, Detective." They moved to push past as Goro was momentarily shocked at the scorn used in his title, before swiftly blocking their paths again.

"I only insist that you take these two frozen yogurts off of my hands, since all of the others have been spilled." Goro then smirked. "Afterall, you should probably know that taking another step towards those four girls would probably have resulted with your fingers… broken and bleeding. Niijima-san and Takamaki-san are people who don't mess around with the likes of you."

The two seemed shocked and offended, grumbling to themselves. After only a few moments of this, they took the two small bowls of yogurt.

"We really appreciate you making it up to us, then."

"I'm sure you do," Goro replied, and only Sayori noticed the smirk that appeared on his face for a moment.

Goro sat down at the place where Sayori had set up their meals, Sayori taking a seat beside him a moment later.

"Those guys were jerks," Ann grumbled in explanation to the other three boys, who glared in the direction of the retreating men.

"Why did you give them that frozen yogurt?" Makoto asked, slightly frustrated.

"What's this about frozen yogurt?" Futaba suddenly woke up, looking around in confusion as Morgana reappeared, slinking onto the edge of Futaba's beach chair.

"You need not worry about it, Sakura-san. That frozen yogurt was already contaminated."

Sayori stopped picking at the rice in her meal, turning to gape at her boyfriend. The others had already turned in caution, wondering what the detective could possibly mean.

"What did you put in that frozen yogurt?" Makoto asked with a glare.

Goro seemed confused, before his eyes lit up with realization and he laughed lightly. "Do not worry, Niijima-san. Those frozen yogurts weren't meant for you the moment I saw those… cretins-" His eyes went dark for a moment, before quickly going back to a calm caramel as he wrapped an arm around Sayori's waist. "They weren't contaminated when I intended to give them to you all, but when I saw that those men were bothering you, I added two ingredients to all of them, knowing they might get suspicious if only two of them were different from the others…"

It took several seconds before the others realized the detective had paused for dramatic effect, waiting for them to prompt him.

"Akechi-kun, what did you put in them?" Ann asked.

"Well, I poisoned them, what else?"

"WHAT!?" exclaimed Ann.

"No, I just spat in them. I put a little sand in there too."

Sayori thought back to the powdery substance and the watery texture of the yogurt, realizing just what that meant.

"What if they come back and kick your ass?" Ryuji asked, his voice concerned despite the fact that he was grinning.

"I'm almost positive that even if they have realized what is wrong with their refreshments, they won't come back here and make a scene. Besides, I'm confident in your abilities to fend them off," Goro looked towards Ann and Makoto. "You have taken Aikido lessons. Right, Niijima-san?"

"Right." Makoto confirmed, her eyes wide in shock. "But I thought you said…"

"I can tell that whoever you might have been in the past, you certainly aren't…" Goro grimaced, "What I said you were, earlier. I apologize, though I don't expect you to forgive me."

Sayori grinned at Goro, leaning on his shoulder as relief flooded through her. This is good, she thought. However slow, progress was at least being made.

"And also, I appreciate your willingness to help and protect Sayori when I can't," He looked at both Ann and Makoto seriously at this, before releasing a forlorn sigh. "I feel rather bad I wasted the opportunity to express that by ruining the refreshments."

"Do you not have any money," Yusuke asked curiously, everyone knowing he could relate.

"I have no more with me," Goro replied.

"Well, I suppose it is only a stroke of good fate that I took your advice, and it worked," Yusuke said with a self satisfied smile. He then held up the two squirming red shapes in his hands, giving everyone a full view of the two lobsters he had gotten. "By acting aloof, I was able to get these beauties for a cheaper price, and I think I have enough left for a few items from the ice cream stands."

"You spent all of your money on… lobsters?" Sayori asked, getting up to look at the crustaceans. She wiggled a finger at one of them, immediately drawing back before it could snap its claws.

"One look, and I was in love. I haven't been so inspired since I first saw Ann, or heard your woe, Sayori," Yusuke replied, oblivious to the mixed reactions he was receiving.

Ryuji slouched over in embarrassment, while Akira simply shook his head. Ann sighed, rubbing her nose to prevent a headache.

Futaba shot up from her seat and began to grab at the lobsters, only for Yusuke, with his superior height, to begin holding his new treasures out of her reach.

"Inari should forget about the lobsters if he's serious about getting ice cream," Futaba grumbled, her sweet tooth talking for her.

"I was actually thinking of popsicles," Yusuke replied sheepishly. "Specifically, the kind that you can split in half. I wouldn't have to get nearly as many that way."

"If you want to find a better place to put those," Goro began, " Sayori and I could simply take the money you're willing to give us and get the popsicles ourselves."

"That sounds preferable," Yusuke replied, shifting the lobsters in his hands for better access to his hoodie pocket. He removed a few bills and grimaced. "Sorry if you can't find anything good enough."

"This should be plenty," Sayori reassured, taking the money from Yusuke's hands. She grabbed Goro by his hand and began to run towards the ice cream stand she had seen earlier. Before she could get far enough she heard a distant shouting behind her.

"Wait! I have to come too," Morgana shouted, coming to a stop. "They all said I should keep an eye on the two of you guys in case your cocky boyfriend was wrong, and those guys do come back." The black cat puffed up with pride. "Of course, if they do come back, I'll take care of them for you!"

Sayori smiled, being careful with her words for the time being, "Thank you for keeping us company, Morgana. We'll make sure to be slower." She began walking in the direction she had been going, allowing Goro to walk ahead so that they were now side-by-side.

"So, would you say you're getting along with everyone?" Sayori asked, smiling hopefully at her boyfriend.

Goro considered the question, looking down at his feet for a few moments, before looking back up to give his answer. "Apparently, I've won over the males enough for them to want me to call them by their given names… Though I think that was a hasty decision they made simply because I gave them helpful advice. In truth, I spent most of the time you were gone watching everyone's stuff… by myself." If he was bitter about that, he kept his tone calm, taking a spot in the long line for the ice cream booth.

"Well, I'm sure Ann and Makoto appreciate what you did with those guys," Sayori pointed out. "That reminds me, you haven't gotten to spend time with Futaba yet…"

"I get the feeling it will take longer for her to warm up to me," Goro replied, squeezing the girl's hand. "Besides, I'd much rather spend time with you."

Both of them made a point to ignore the gagging sound Morgana made. "Why am I on scout duty. I want to join in on the fun too," the cat whined. "Besides, they're probably talking about the same thing, but with less mushy stuff."

"Morgana, you can head back," Sayori said, trying to make her words neutral. "We'll be fine getting back ourselves."

"No way! Akira trusted me to make sure nothing happened to the two of you!" Morgana declared. "And I will succeed! Otherwise, I'll be…" The cat's mouth seemed to tremble as he trailed off.

"What flavors do you think everyone would want?" Goro suddenly asked, before glancing at Morgana and rubbing his chin. "Do you think it would be safe for Morgana to consume a popsicle?"

"That's random?" Sayori giggled, before thinking seriously. "It would probably be better just to get one of each, and then everyone can choose. They didn't have many options for popsicle flavors, so we won't be getting too much."

"Well, I'd prefer to be exact, so I wouldn't be spending too much of Kita- Yusuke's money," Goro cringed as he corrected himself.

"Well, Ann would probably like chocolate, and I like strawberry…" Sayori trailed off.

The two continued discussing possible flavors to get as they worked their way through the line, finally settling on getting four fruit flavors, and a small cone of ice cream for Futaba. Goro held onto the change and the cone on the walk back, while Sayori gripped the plastic wrappers of the popsicles. They figured this was for the best, because if Sayori tripped, she wouldn't lose the change or ruin Futaba's cone.

They talked on their way back, Morgana deeming it safe to run ahead and tell the others that they were coming. The line had been rather slow, so the sun was beginning to dip low in the sky. In probably only an hour, it would begin to make the sky glow pink and red.

"We should all take a picture when the sun sets," Sayori suggested wistfully. "No matter how slow, it would be a good way to remember the day my friends became your friends…"

"I don't really think we're that far yet, Sayori," Goro pointed out, receiving a reluctant nod of agreement from the girl. "Still, I appreciate your faith in me, and in your friends. I hope we can become friends… I just…" the detective was at a loss for words.

"I talk a lot about you with them. You aren't the same person you are on TV, or in public… for the most part," Sayori smiled at the thought of his scheme from earlier. "If I have anything to say about it… You'll all be fast friends." Very quietly, Sayori added under her breath, "And then you'll be okay."

"Would that make you happy, Sayori? I don't want to somehow make you feel sad, like what you said happened in your old club," the detective visibly shuddered at the thought.

"That won't happen this time," Sayori replied, looking forward resolutely. "My friends will be your friends, you'll be my boyfriend, and we can all be happy together until it's time for me to go."

"You make it sound so simple," Goro shook his head. "But even if they really do come to like me so fast, after all that has already happened, and all that's going to continue to happen… I don't think I'll be able to…"

"And that's why you need friends like them, and a girlfriend like me," Sayori said, smiling brightly. "I'll make sure nothing bad happens. I don't want you to regret anything else. I want to be happy… I want to be happy together!"

"I'll do my best to not let you down," Goro replied, doing his best to ignore the threat of tears burning in his eyes. He was suddenly aware of a cold feeling running down his hand, and looked down to see Futaba's ice cream beginning to melt.

With that, conversation ceased, and the two began to sprint back towards their place with the others, doing their best not to spill or drop anything.

---

"Perhaps getting popsicles that split in half wasn't the best idea," Ann commented as she held up her treat. Trying to split them perfectly had been a challenge, oftentimes resulting in one person getting a large chunk of popsicle attached to the side, at risk of falling off entirely. Even worse, the other person who shared would get only half, leaving too much of the popsicle stick exposed, forcing everyone to eat their popsicles rather awkwardly.

"You guys should have just scrounged up enough money to get ice cream… like a smart person," Futaba said, smirking as she dipped her spoon into her bowl. After a few bites, she began to slurp the now melted dessert up, smiling even wider as a liquidy mustache appeared on her upper lip. "It's my favorite flavor too! How did the two of you know I liked chocolate?"

"Lucky guess?" Sayori shrugged, before getting back to her own business. She tugged on her own stick of her shared popsicle, while Goro tugged on the other. After a few seconds, the pink popsicle split, leaving the Sayori with the small popsicle and Goro with the larger.

"Shoot! Looks like you get to make a wish, Goro," Sayori said, casually licking her popsicle while everyone looked at her in confusion.

"What do you mean by wish?" Akira asked. He was one of the only people to get an exact half. He had been left to share with Makoto, who insisted that she split it herself.

"You don't know? You play tug-of-war, and whoever gets the larger half gets to make a wish!" Sayori smiled, as if it were common knowledge. However, everybody else was even more confused.

Ann was the first one to figure it out, giggling as she went over to correct the girl. "I think you mixed this up with a wishbone on a turkey. That kind of thing happens a lot at Thanksgiving…"

"Well, it's not Thanksgiving right now! So this is a… a summer wishbone!" Sayori declared, raising her popsicle in the air. The sudden jolt caused some of the melted liquid to drip onto her arm.

Goro handed her a napkin, doing his head not to smile as the girl cringed from the slight cold touching her arm. "In that case, would you like to trade? I wouldn't even know what to wish for."

"It doesn't work like that," Sayori replied. "Besides, I know you well enough to know that there has to be something for you to wish for."

"Would it not count if I said it aloud?" The detective asked, tapping the popsicle against his chin in thought. "I heard that that's a common condition for making wishes."

"Akechi is shy," Futaba commented, before looking around at everyone else. "This means that Ryuji and Inari also get to make wishes."

"I could use some new paint brushes…" Yusuke began to ponder quietly to himself.

"I was already planning on gettin' myself some ramen tomorrow! So I'll make a wish I know will come true!" Ryuji shouted with a grin.

"If only I was the one with a wish," Makoto began. "Then I'd wish for your grades to reflect the effort I know you're capable of, Ryuji."

"It's summer! Cut me some slack!" Ryuji protested.

"I would definitely be able to make some use of that wish," Morgana sulked, bowing his head.

"Oh, don't be so down, Morgana," Sayori said. She grabbed the cat creature and set him on her lap, scratching the top of his head lightly. "You had fun today, didn't you? And you're still perfect to pet!"

"I'm nobody's pet!" Morgana protested, writhing out of the girl's loose grasp.

"Morgana seems… proud," Goro commented. He looked at the retreating cat, and back up to the group of Thieves, who were all poking fun at each other. Even with all the ways he had tried, and even with the way some of them had seemingly warmed up to him, the detective still felt like he was only observing. The guilt of knowing exactly what he knew didn't help in the slightest, and he couldn't help but pathetically look down at his popsicle stick.

Despite everything, he still felt like there was an impassable barrier in his path, and as time went on, observing the group, he felt the desperate need to get away. Perhaps things would be better if he simply let things go back to the way they used to be. He knew he'd probably be a lot more comfortable with that. The Phantom Thieves would be free to discuss whatever they wanted, without worrying about censoring themselves.

It only took him a few seconds to make up his mind. He stood up and smiled at the group. "I think I'll be getting ready to go home soon. I'll leave you guys to talk amongst yourselves for some time…"

Sayori got up to join him, only for him to shake his head. "Shouldn't I go with you if we're leaving?" she asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"No. I'm not leaving yet, Sayori. It's just something I feel like doing…" The detective was quick to stretch and fake a yawn. "I'll see you when you all come to the changing area."

With that, Goro Akechi turned and left the group to their own devices. The rest of his popsicle melted and slipped off the small stick, still gripped in his hand. All the while, he couldn't help but think about what wish he would like in this moment. Things going back to the way they were… wasn't an option.

No… He could only wish that before things crumbled around him, he could be a true part of the group that Sayori found so special… that Sayori was a part of. None of the awkwardness and lies and half baked secrets.

But for now, those walls stood tall. Sayori was the only one able to even attempt to cross from side to side. And right now, Goro felt that leaving her and the group to their own devices would be the best course of action.

---

"So what did you guys think?" Sayori asked, finishing off her popsicle with a final bite. She cringed as the cold stung her teeth.

"Well, I suppose he did what he thought he could have done to break the ice," Makoto looked down with a sigh. "I don't really want to hold a grudge against him, but it was all so awkward. I can't look past everything that's already happened."

"He never struck me as anything worth being distraught over, though his negative opinion of the Phantom Thieves makes it hard to feel any kind of friendship with him," Yusuke said regretfully. "However, perhaps my mind can be changed with time. Afterall, it was his advice that lead to me getting such inspiration for a smaller price."

Futaba glared at the box where the lobsters were kept. "That might just be another jerk thing he did, honestly. Still, I was too shy today to really have a good opinion. He got me ice cream though, so that's one point. Or… I guess he got me frozen yogurt, and then used Yusuke's money to get me ice cream when that didn't work out."

Sayori nodded along to each opinion, not really expecting much other than neutral opinions. At this point, that was all she could hope for. Akira had met him plenty of times on his own, yet never talked with him about much other than politics and Phantom Thieves. Ann was amused by his attempt to "save" them from the guys that had bothered them earlier, and was more than willing to give him a shot. Morgana was mostly suspicious and worried about him finding out about their status as Phantom Thieves. Lastly, Ryuji seemed open to getting to know him, as long as he "had anything cool to say, like earlier."

Whatever that meant, Sayori was happy. As long as she got more chances, she knew she could continue to turn things around for the better. This made her happy to sit and watch as the sun came closer and closer to the horizon, listening to her friends chat. Not wanting to keep Goro waiting, they all soon decided that it would be best to get ready to go home themselves.

But before they left, everyone turned to see Futaba crouching down by the shore. The girl was deep in thought, and only after long moments of prompting did she finally voice her thoughts.

"You know… All this time, I thought that it was my fault that my mom died," the girl began. The melancholy in her voice seemed to make the casualness of earlier conversation dissipate. Sayori felt an urgent need not to disturb her.

"It's because everyone said that I killed her. Everyone looked at me thinking I was a murderer. I ended up hating this world. That's why I shut myself in and covered my ears," Futaba stood up, a regretful look on her face. "I wished… I wished my mom would come back to life. Sometimes, I'd wake up and think it was all a dream. But nothing had changed in the world. That's why I'd sleep again. It'd be a repeat of that…"

"Ah." Makoto seemed uneasy, walking slowly over to Futaba's side.

Sayori felt a shudder running through her. She hugged herself in a half-hearted attempt to make the feeling stop as she listened to Futaba's words.

"I loved my mom. I wanted to become like her. How she'd work late into the night. How she'd wake up early and make me a boxed lunch everyday. How she'd do her best to further her research. How she'd scold me for peeking at her notes," Futaba smiled fondly at the memories running through her head, saying each sentence with an overwhelming confidence. Now she could look at these memories without any fog or clouds to blind her.

"It was cognitive psience, wasn't it?" Makoto asked.

"'The cognitive world can become distorted through desires. If it becomes distorted, a person begins exhibiting problematic behavior in reality. That cognitive world disappears when you remove it core, and further problematic actions stop.'" Futaba recited in a monotone voice, despite the shock that all of her surrounding friends felt at hearing these facts.

"Isn't that about Palaces…?" Ann asked with wide eyes.

"That's the Metaverse!" Morgana confirmed. "She knew about that?"

"It made no sense back then, but now I understand, after it actually happened to me. All I thought about was my mom. I was trapped in a cognitive labyrinth. I couldn't get out of it. There was nothing I could do by myself," Futaba said. The only sign of distress was the crack that appeared in her voice every few seconds.

"That's why you asked us to steal your heart? That's a huge jump in logic in so many ways!" Ryuji exclaimed.

"At first, I didn't believe the rumors about the Phantom Thieves… That they steal hearts. But I overheard you accidentally. I learned that you were near me," Futaba explained. "I also who was involved… and how."

"Overheard?" Yusuke asked, before he seemed to put the pieces together. "Ah, the bug… So why were you listening in on Leblanc in the first place?"

"I had to keep an eye on Sojiro. Make sure he was actually working." Futaba replied with a smirk.

"Talk about an awful hobby…" Ryuji commented.

"What… What exactly did you hear, Futaba-chan?" Sayori asked, her face turning pink. If Futaba had learned who they were, she hoped it at least wasn't too humiliating for the Phantom Thieves. They were supposed to be vigilant, afterall.

"You talked about stealing hearts. When I heard that, I was so happy I jumped up and down. I thought, maybe the Phantom Thieves could cure my heart." Futaba truly seemed excited as she recounted the memory, her smile bright and her eyes wide.

"You could've just told us that from the start…" Ann sighed, shaking her head lightly.

"You might have been wary of me if I asked you out of nowhere. And besides, you could have been bad guys. That's why I cautiously got in contact with you guys. I checked many times to see how you'd react," Futaba explained. The girl then blushed, rubbing her arm sheepishly. "At the time, I also got in contact with Sayori… because I made a mistake in how I thought she was related to you guys…"

"Yes, you had us twisted around your little finger," Makoto replied with a knowing smile, before she processed the other part of what Futaba said. "Wait, what do you mean by that?"

"I overheard a conversation between Akira and Sayori a couple of weeks after Madarame was exposed. I thought they were dating…"

Sayori jumped back in shock, not knowing how to respond. "Why… How… What… We aren't!"

"I figured the stupid online magazines that said you were dating the detective over there were just 'This Week's Next Top Garbage!' I only realized after seeing the two of you, all… mushy near the dressing booth that maybe they had a point…" Futaba blushed in embarrassment, before clearing her throat. There were plenty of other things she could talk to Sayori about. The girl's love life was not high on Futaba's list of priorities.

"Futaba, you didn't talk to anyone besides Boss for a long time, right? You must've needed a lot of courage to talk to the Phantom Thieves," Ann pointed out. Everyone could tell from her gentle demeanor that the model was confused, and it was easy to guess that she must have also been proud.

"There were two reasons for it. One was Medjed's taunt. The Phantom Thieves were so pitiful, it frustrated me. I would've been in trouble if they got disbanded too…" Futaba explained, straightening her glasses as she went back to her exposition mode. It was much easier for her to explain this, her process, rather than her failure to grasp what counted as signs as romance and what didn't.

"Indeed. You were our only hope…" Yusuke said. He seemed somber, yet he did so with a purpose. Sayori still seemed to be grappling with this new information. Though they were all paying rapt attention to the story they were being given, it was easy for the artist to notice the sorrow and confusion taking hold of his friend. He too felt that way, afterall. Sorrowful, for being concerned with such trivial things now, and confused, for missing such a big oversight that could lead to a misunderstanding.

"The other was what I heard through wiretapping Leblanc. Sojiro was being blamed with lies, like abusing me… He was being threatened to spill everything about my mom…" Futaba said sadly, slumping forward as fears from not long ago once again weighed on her.

"Talk about makin' shit up," Ryuji snapped.

"We all know Sojiro would never do something like that!" Sayori exclaimed. "If not for you, we would have all done this for Boss just as easily!"

"It made me sad, and it hurt. I thought, I have to save Sojiro. I gotta do something," Futaba's words turned into a slight mumble, though everyone heard the determination in her voice loud and clear.

"So that's why…" Ann trailed off.

"But the Phantom Thieves… I didn't think you guys would be taking such risks for me. I didn't think you'd worry about me so much," Futaba smiled slightly, before an even deeper frown took its place. "I'm sorry that I acted like I doubted you guys."

"Do you believe in us now?" Ann asked.

"Yeah. I can tell. You aren't bad guys. That's why I have a request. Let me join your team," Futaba said, straightening up in determination.

"We already decided that you were one of us, Futaba!" Sayori replied, a bright smile suddenly lighting up her whole face. Everyone nodded in agreement.

"I'll be honest. Changing people's hearts isn't my goal. I want to learn what happened to my mom… The reason why she was killed," Futaba admitted. She frowned, and her eyes narrowed, and everyone could tell that she was completely serious.

Still… The disbelief, shock, and hurt that was building up in Sayori's heart made every sentence that followed Futaba's statement feel like a nail being pounded into her skull.

"Killed?" Yusuke asked, astonished. All of his attention was now focused on Futaba. This meant that everyone was fortunate enough to miss the way Sayori gripped at her head, tighter with each passing second.

"It was written in her notes," Futaba admitted, shaking slightly. "Should the self in the cognitive world die, the self in the real world would lose consciousness…"

"Is this about mental shutdowns?" Ryuji asked, connecting the dots in time with the pounding of each single nail.

"Then, the criminal that Kaneshiro mentioned…" Slowly but surely, the pounding was getting louder.

"Yes, that could be the case. I don't like pursuing this line of thought, but perhaps your mother's Shadow was…" Makoto trailed off, her eyes shining with unshed tears for the word left unsaid.

Killed… Died… I died… she died… we died… But somehow I'm here… Why?

"I don't know for sure… But, right before my mom died, she didn't seem right," Futaba said, recalling one of the truths she had previously been unable to see.

"In what way?" Ryuji prompted.

"No matter how much I talked to her, she wouldn't answer back. And she didn't jump into the road. It was more like she collapsed and fell in…" Futaba's voice remained surprisingly steady, despite the melancholy that rocked her shoulders. "That's why I thought what was written in the notes was real and looked into it. I read books, checked theses that were released online… I even snuck into the networks of various research labs to look at their classified data."

"That's why you're good at hacking. What kind of brain do you have?" Ryuji shouted, mouth open wide.

"But, I didn't figure anything out. My mom's research was nowhere to be found. She was killed by someone, and her research was treated like it never existed," Futaba said, her voice getting lower and lower as sorrow was replaced with fury. "I bet it's them… Those adults in the black suits who read the fake suicide note. I'll never forgive them." The girl stamped her foot to emphasize her point.

"Futaba…" Ann whispered. She looked down at the ground and took a few deep, calming breaths.

"If I stay with you guys, I think I can find out more about that cognitive world. Then eventually, it might even lead to those men in black," Futaba continued sternly, before suddenly looking unsure. "It's a super-personal reason why I wanna join you… Is that OK? Or would I just be dead weight?"

"If anything, you're dependable. Ain't that right, Mona?" Ryuji remarked, looking pointedly at the cat.

"Why are you looking at me? Are you trying to say I'm inadequate!?" Morgana snapped. The two were once again about to be at each other's throats, but before either of them could get another word in, Ryuji found himself shoved away, and Morgana jumped back as a foot kicked up sand in his direction.

"Both of you stop! This is serious, and I'm not in the mood to hear you're pointless argument!" Sayori screamed, her voice raw as she trembled. Nobody could tell if it was from anger or sadness, but the tears and the hiccups that were threatening to spill out would answer their question soon, if she wasn't careful.

"Is something wrong!?" Akira asked in panic, going over to check on the girl. She held up a hand to stop him before he could get far though.

"Yeah… Something is always wrong. But that's not important right now…" Sayori closed her eyes and silently counted every breath she made, until she was calm enough to slowly back away from the group without trouble.

"This is what the group is like… I hope we get along, Futaba," Makoto said, her voice full of doubt as she looked hard at the normally peppy Sayori. If anyone noticed the confusion in her voice, or the harsh stare, they didn't bring it up.

"Thanks," Futaba said, smiling in gratitude despite the sudden intense pressure in the air.

With that discussion out of the way, everyone gladly moved onto the next important topic that came with getting a new member. They had to decide on a codename. It took several long minutes of thinking, of agonizing. They went through several different suggestions, Futaba denying all of them. Finally, Futaba decided on her codename. Everyone agreed that it was perfect, and went back to the dressing room with her words repeating in her head.

"With my vision, I'll guide you all to victory."

Oracle.

---

Sayori quietly changed into her extra clothes, the droopiness of her hat as she took it off reflecting her current disposition. The shadows that became larger and darker on the changing stall's walls as the sun went down would have filled her with unease, if she already wasn't incredibly scared.

He's been acting funny ever since I mentioned anything to do with helping Futaba… Is that another clue?

Sayori sniffled, doing her best not to shake as she put her beach outfit back into her bag. Now more than ever, the pressure to do something with the knowledge she had been given weighed heavily in her mind. It all felt like some sort of fate that she had ended up in this situation.

She knew so much more than everyone else, and yet the question of what to do with that information made that power feel more and more like a curse. It choked her, drowned her, crushed her, and boiled underneath her skin.

Sayori knew that with the way everything looked, Goro didn't stand much of a chance of being innocent. The evidence, no matter how coincidental or circumstantial, was too damning to be denied. The right thing to do would be to tell the authorities, or the other Phantom Thieves. She should cut her losses… cut him out and leave.

But, the hollow, hiccuping feeling in her throat made Sayori realize just how hollow that option was. Through some higher means, she had realized the reality she lived in was a mirage, had learned how meaningless things were. Sayori had learned that Goro Akechi was up to something, probably before anyone else ever would, but…

She had been allowed to become close to him before any of that. Sayori wouldn't believe for a second that it didn't mean anything. Goro had admitted time and time again that he had never been as close to anyone as he was with her. To simply take the information she had and turn it against him, when she could do so much more, would sting much more than she would ever be able to admit.

Sayori frowned as all of her doubts trickled away. She had spent plenty of time observing, now it was time to take what she already knew and use it. That is… If she wasn't already too late.

That poisonous thought snapped her out of her reverie as she looked at the changing stall that was growing darker and darker. There was a thin line of windows near the ceiling, too high to reveal anything of whoever was currently using it. It let natural light in. Now that it was getting dark, Sayori knew she had to hurry before night fell completely.

Though the determination for her newest resolve never left her, Sayori felt unfocused as she slipped a shirt on and combed through her hair with her fingers. The tightness in her throat felt different, and Sayori had to squint as the world around her turned white around the edges.

Different, unpleasant sensations rippled across Sayori as she realized what was happening. She forced herself not to cry out as fire and ice shot through her veins.

It was over in less than a second. Sayori came back, gasping for air, trying to fill up her lungs that for a moment, hadn't existed. She wiped the sweat off her forehead and panted as she finished changing, slipping on shorts and sandals, before hurrying out of the changing room as fast as her legs could carry her. Her resolve was nearly pushed to the backburner as the panicked realization struck her with the force of a bullet.

I'm disappearing… again.

Unbeknownst to anyone, there was yet another factor in this game. In her rush, Sayori hadn't noticed the pair of feet peeking out from one of the other stalls, or the dark shape that slid across the window. From the stall, a pair of astonished, brown eyes watched her go. From the window, shining blue eyes saw the entire scene, before going back to meet up with the group waiting outside for the two girls that had taken so long to change.

A second later, Futaba Sakura emerged from her own stall, tapping her foot anxiously on the ground as she processed what she had just seen. She would have missed it if she blinked, but Sayori's feet had been gone, and then the girl was panting, as if she had been underwater for too long and was just coming up for air.

That settles it. I definitely need to discuss what I saw in the Metaverse that day… I need to solve this puzzle!

With a firm nod, Futaba strode out of the building, ready to find the truth she sought.

I hope you liked this chapter! There was supposed to be more stuff in this chapter but when I reached the fifteenth page of this fic and it was still the beach, I decided to just save the rest of that for a separate chapter. I think it turned out better this way. It's an "end of summer" chapter. Also, because I have little faith in my ability to describe clothing, Sayori's beach outfit is actually based off of a piece of art in the Salvato Store. I believe it's part of the "date" series. Funny thing, my partner said it's similar to Haru's swimsuit. Anyway, please read, review, and I'll see all of you next time!