I own nothing. Monika does.
A few days later, the Phantom Thieves once again found themselves in Mementos. The new request they'd gotten had given them the perfect opportunity to practice with their new team mate. Of course, Oracle took to it easily, helping to lead them deeper and deeper into Mementos.
Of course, while this progress was exciting and worth celebration, Valiant couldn't find it in herself to be happy at all. The deeper they ventured, the longer she had to stay with the group. That meant that sooner or later she would run into the inevitable. Sooner or later, she was going to disappear again, and their wouldn't be any place to hide. Her teammates were too vigilant, too wary to let anybody out of their sight for even a minute, afterall.
That thought is supposed to be comforting, but instead it's being ruined by this horrible… whatever it is that's happening to me! Valiant thought with an unsettling amount of bitterness as she unmasked and unleashed Psyche on a trio of unsuspecting Shadows. Two were destroyed, and the last was incredibly weak, so the Phantom Thieves performed their usual routine. Joker walked away with a new mask and a grin on his face.
"Good work, everyone. Valiant, thank you for finishing that up," Joker said, reaching over to pat the girl on the shoulder.
While the Phantom Thieves had always known the noble-themed member to be jumpy, everybody was shocked to see the girl physically recoil away from him.
"It was nothing… I guess I just have a lot of energy," Valiant tried to excuse, smiling nervously. The fidgeting she often performed was another expected behavior, but this time there was an unknown purpose as she folded her hands together and rubbed the back of her left leg with her right.
Five fingers on each hand… two hands… and I can still feel my legs. Good! Still, I shouldn't let anyone near until I figure out what's going on. The pink haired girl rubbed the back of her head with a too-wide grin. "We should get going, right? We have a request to do today!"
Before anyone could object, Sayori was already stepping into the Monabus, taking her seat in the back, and waiting patiently for the others to follow.
"This is… weird," Panther commented, casting her eyes to the ground with a frown, as if that could solve the problem. "Do you think something happened?"
Before anyone else could open their mouth to answer, Oracle could be heard nervously spluttering from within her Persona. "What? Wh… Why would anything be wrong with her? She probably just got a sunburn at the beach, and doesn't want anyone to touch her!"
"But she's as pale as she's ever been," Queen remarked. "And she hasn't said anything like that to us…"
"I… We… Well, is Valiant really the kind of person to complain a lot about what's bothering her?" Came the new navigator's panicked retort.
"Nope," Skull replied. "At least, not for stuff like that. She had the right idea though. We should get goin'!"
Everyone reluctantly agreed and got into the transformed vehicle. However, right before she did so, Panther frowned thoughtfully as she noted something odd. She scrutinized the large bus, which purred like a kitten, despite the fact that Mona was fully grown. The bus was acting like a bus, but that didn't make much sense at all.
"Mona, you've been quiet for awhile… Got nothing to say?" Panther flipped one of her pigtails to her back, placed a hand on her hip, and tapped her foot.
Mona said nothing, though from the way the bus suddenly violently jerked, he had obviously reacted to what she had to say. Panther counted to ten in her head before shaking her head in disappointment.
"I guess not," the blonde sighed, stepping into the bus and taking her seat. The transformed bus let out a low rumble, as if to show that the cat it had previously was trying to convey its own negativity about keeping quiet.
But Mona was no snitch. Sayori will come clean eventually. She has to…
Joker hit the gas and the Phantom Thieves rode further and further into Mementos. Oracle's UFO followed closely behind. In between her constant scan of Mementos, making sure to report her findings to everyone, the girl considered her thoughts.
Whenever I look at Valiant on my scanners, she shows up differently from everyone else. Not only that, but whenever I check her stats… Oracle made sure that there were no Shadows near them before once again checking the information she had gathered.
Aside from being able to scan and document Shadows for their type, strengths, and weaknesses, Oracle had also found that she could do the same for her teammates. As she looked over most of her teammates, she found the same thing over and over again. The list was extensive and detailed, showing their full names, code names, the Personas they could use (Joker's list took up an entire screen), and every single detail that came with it…
But Sayori's hadn't shown up like that. It had been the same thing during the battle with the cognitive of Futaba's mother.
Name: Sayori . chr
Codename: Valiant
Persona: Psyche
Persona Primary Skill Type: Bless
Persona Stats: Strength 28, Magic 35, Endurance 40, Agility 22, Luck 25
Social Stats: Knowledge 3, Guts 2, Proficiency 2, Kindness 5, Charm 4
Oracle glanced at the information once more, tapping her fingers rhythmically against the control board only she could touch. She had attempted to go in and change the name back to Sayori's actual last name, Matsu, but it had immediately autocorrected itself back to what the hacker could only assume was a file name. What was even more strange was that when Oracle had clicked on this file name, not really expecting anything to happen, she had been rewarded with an even stranger message for all of her hard work.
This file's contents are in a different location, and are currently inaccessible.
This was frustrating in its own right, but with all that Oracle had learned of Sayori in reality, from her absence on the internet, to the incident in the bathroom that she was still having trouble processing, the navigator felt as though her head was spinning in confusion and anger.
Futaba had spent every day since she had last seen Sayori preparing for a confrontation. She had spent almost the entirety of those few days psyching herself up and planning what she could possibly say. Now all she had to do was find a moment where she and Sayori were alone to explain what she had seen. She had considered just opening up a private chat, but that seemed too impersonal, even for the struggling hermit that Oracle was.
Even if it makes me incredibly uncomfortable, when I tell Sayori about all of this, she will probably need someone to talk to that at least somewhat understands what's happening to her… Not that I even understand what the heck is going on, either…
Actually, the navigator thought to herself suddenly, it wouldn't be a bad idea to find out what's happening to Sayori before I spill the beans. I wonder…
With a new objective firmly in her mind, Oracle snapped right back into action, shouting the arrival of a Shadow and offering her assistance in the ensuing battle. The Phantom Thieves completed their mission for the day in record time, and managed to open up yet another wall. With another success in the bag, the group headed home for the day, making promises for another meeting in the near future.
Everyone pretended to not notice the way Valiant cringed at the arrangement.
Sayori couldn't help the involuntary shiver that passed through her spine as she walked along the sidewalk towards Shujin Academy. Most would think she was making a joking gesture as she neared the institution, but that was simply not the case. Sayori had real reason to fear being out in public, or even being with close friends she trusted. The constant thought that she could disappear at any moment was a tornado in her mind, tearing away her ability to focus, and feel even the slightest bit happy that she was meeting with a friend she hadn't seen in nearly two months.
Still, Sayori forced a smile onto her face as she made her way into the building and navigated her way to the library. Inside, she found Mai struggling with a heavy, sealed box. Hearing the door opening, Mai turned around, a big grin already forming on her face. "Sayori! Welcome back into the fold!" The black haired girl released a grunt, beginning to topple over with the weight of the box.
"Whoa!" Sayori shouted, running over and catching the end up the box, steadying it and allowing Mai to regain her balance.
A wry grin formed on Mai's face, noting how Sayori was taking most of the weight of the box. "I see you still have unexplained, unnatural man-strength, despite having a diet of pancakes and cat-cupcakes."
"Believe it or not, I exercise a lot," Sayori excused, taking the box from Mai and setting it on a nearby table.
"Well, thanks for getting that weight off of my shoulders. I'll get your new permission slip to be my little teacher's aid this year," Mai laughed, heading off into the back room. "By the way, I was wonderin' if there was another guardian you have this year to sign the slip?"
Sayori immediately caught on to what Mai was asking. "Sadly no, Goro hasn't made any progress finding my parents…" Or at least, she thought that was what Mai was asking.
"Uh… I kind of figured that out already, Matsu. I get the feeling you'd be going to school at your home if your detective had made any worthwhile progress." Mai replied, a sympathetic expression on her face as she came back to the front with her slip. She blew a lock of black hair out of her face before grabbing her keyring. Using one of the keys, she sliced the tape on the box open and began sorting through the newly bought books inside, acting as if she hadn't said anything.
"Well, what were you trying to ask me?" Sayori asked, looking around for a cart to transport the books.
"Exactly what I was sayin'" Mai replied. "Not that there's any problem with getting your boyfriend to sign it, since he is technically your guardian, but I remembered something last year when I handed your slip to Kobayakwa…" The black haired girl looked down at her lap, blinking rapidly and twisting her lips, feeling confused and frustrated.
Sayori frowned, not understanding what could possibly be wrong. "What did you remember that's making you so gloomy?" She took a seat across from the girl and leaned forward.
"It's probably nothing, but he got this weird look on this face. Like he was confused, which might have made sense, since you wouldn't expect 'The Second Coming of the Detective Prince,' to be the one signing a permission slip. But then… he got this weird, shit-eating smile on his face, and excused himself. Said he had to make an important phone call," Mai looked incredibly worried as she said these things, until she looked up and noticed that Sayori had gone pale.
"It probably ain't anything worth getting so wound up about!" Mai waved her hands frantically, as if trying to swat the worries out of Sayori. "Just… if you can, maybe it would be a good idea to get someone else to sign the slip? It probably won't do anything in the long run, but…" the librarian looked conflicted, silently debating to herself, before slumping over in defeat. "Actually, nevermind. It probably won't make any sense to you if I said anything else. I've just never trusted the principal all that much. Maybe it would help my nerves if there was a chance of him not findin' out that you're still with the detective that's at the top of Japan's hate list right now."
That explanation made sense, but to Sayori, it didn't seem like a full answer to Mai's nervous behavior. Still, she decided to trust the librarian's word for now and put the permission slip in her pocket. "Maybe I can get Boss to sign it or something," Sayori said, trying to sound reassuring. She failed miserably, knowing that it probably wouldn't work out.
"Who's Boss?" Mai asked suddenly, obviously looking for a change of subject. She leaned back in her chair and began to sort the unboxed books into categories, prepping for when she would put them on the bookshelves.
"We've mentioned him to you before… Haven't we?" Sayori asked, trying to recall the times when her Shujin friends had joined her in the library.
"It's been a minute, so if you did, I don't really remember," Mai replied, tapping a finger on the side of her head. "I just have a memory of a goldfish, I guess."
"Actually, Makoto mentioned the other day that goldfish actually remember things for up to two years," Sayori said, giggling as Mai seemed to shut down and grumble at that fact. However, she didn't object to that knowledge, so Sayori could only assume she didn't have a problem being called out.
"Well, that wasn't the point. Again, who's Boss?" Mai asked impatiently.
"Sojiro Sakura. He owns Leblanc and is Kurusu-kun's guardian," Sayori explained, reciting the words as if giving a speech.
"Leblanc's a cafe… right?" Mai tapped a finger on her chin, lost in what Sayori could only assume was some deep introspection. Afterall, Boss's coffee is supposedly really good, not that Sayori was allowed to try it.
Sayori nodded, only for Mai to slam her fist on a nearby table and shout what she was actually thinking.
"You should totally take Akechi there for a date!"
"Wh… What?" Sayori stuttered, blushing furiously. "What does that have to do with-"
"It has absolutely nothing to do with the stupid principal! That was the entire point!" Mai interrupted.
"Yeah, I get that… But why did you get that idea specifically?" Sayori asked.
"Akechi just seems like the type of person to like coffee. Not to mention… a date at a cafe? It's so cliche, and I love it!" Mai seemed very enthusiastic. It was almost scary how similar she was becoming, compared to when Ann got on her matchmaking streak.
What she's saying makes sense, in a weird way… With how much his popularity has plummeted, Goro probably needs something nice to take his mind off of things. But…
Sayori looked at her trembling hands, waiting for the inevitable to happen. Once again, her moments of disappearing had taken a brief pause. Ever since yesterday, she had had that same feeling of constant anxiety. What if she did go on this possible date? Would it be ruined, just like the first time this stupid curse had occurred? Would the futility of this reality, of this existence, keep finding new ways to ruin her life just when she was starting to get used to it?
"I… don't know, Mai. What if-"
"Don't say 'if somethin' bad happens?' You're not some skittish deer, Sayori," Mai said, her voice suddenly low.
Sayori looked up, her mouth clapping shut. Mai looked completely serious as she strode over and put her hands on Sayori's shoulders. Instead of comforting her like last time, in that big sister sort of way, Mai violently shook her. Sayori felt like her brain was wobbling, as Mai continued to jar her, both with the shaking, and the next words out of her mouth.
"Whatever's happenin' to you wouldn't be happenin' if you couldn't handle it, because you can handle anything, Sayori!"
"I… can?" Sayori asked. "I don't know if that applies to thi-"
"It does! Believe in the Mai that believes in you!"
"O… Okay…" Sayori replied blankly, starting to feel dizzy. A second later the shaking stopped, Mai apparently satisfied with the answer she had gotten.
"Good! Then go on your date and enjoy your life! That's all you need to do right now!" Mai once again seemed ecstatic, piling the books onto a cart and rushing around the room, putting them away with practiced accuracy.
"Don't you have to put checkout tags on those first?" Sayori asked, raising a hesitant finger in the air, almost afraid of how Mai would react.
The woman stopped dead in her tracks as the statement began to process. After a few seconds, she hung her head and nodded limply. "Yeah, I do. I guess I'll go find the books so I can start doing that…" Mai began to backtrack, before looking back at Sayori and shooing her away with a hand. "You can go home now, though. You aren't an assistant librarian just yet."
Sayori smiled and took a seat at the table, making a point to not offer help. "The least I can do is keep you company."
"Is that all you're gonna do?"
"Yup!" Came the bright response.
Mai sighed, silently grumbling to herself. "I guess I deserve it. Just don't be annoyin' about it."
"Will do!"
And so the two spent the afternoon in relative peace, Mai slowly but surely doing her job, while Sayori encouragement and conversation from the sidelines. They both considered it a strange role reversal, compared to the year before.
"You keep blowing your hair out of your face, Mai," Sayori noticed, preparing to leave at the end of the day.
"Yeah. I lost my hair ribbon a while back, so I decided to just roll with the style. But now my hair is longer and more annoyin,'" Mai waved the conversation away with her hand. "It doesn't matter much, now. You have a date to plan."
Sayori smiled, turning to leave. "I'll see you when school starts!"
Mai waved goodbye, knowing Sayori couldn't see her. When she was gone and the school was once again quiet, she allowed a frown to slip on. Shit, it's not going to work… I'm sorry… But I won't be able to change this…
Mai frowned and blinked the thought away. No matter how much she regretted it, she couldn't take it back now. She couldn't just ask for the permission slip back.
I'll have to hope that he'll be able to make the right choice… Please…
One week passed. School started…
And Sayori started disappearing again. It was yet another unfortunate, startling occurrence, just barely missing Goro's notice. He had been busy preparing himself for another day of work and study, hogging the bathroom to himself. Overall, it had been their average morning. But he stepped out, straightening his tie, only to find Sayori leaning against the wall and breathing heavily, tears dripping from her eyes in a steady stream.
She imagined it must have been a bad sight for him to see, as his panicked reaction to start doting on her had been almost immediate. But there had been school and work, and now there was the "gardening club."
Still, if there was one silver lining in the restarting of her disappearances, of Goro's stress and worry for her that he didn't deserve to feel in the midst of everything else, it was that Sayori was beginning to get a grasp on what might be a pattern.
After we finished Futaba's Palace, I had a few weeks of peace. And then… after we went to Mementos to fulfill that request, I had a little over a week… Sayori thought over and over about this as she blocked attack after attack from the Shadows, going on the defensive so her friends could be on the offensive. The pattern was certainly a possibility, and she wondered what that meant for her exactly.
But at the same time, I wouldn't be able to say if there's really any correlation between the time we spent in the Metaverse, and the times I haven't disappeared. We made several trips to Futaba's Palace, each a few hours long, and I got only about three weeks of not disappearing. But then I make one trip into Mementos that only lasts about two hours, and get about eight days without disappearing. It seems too inconsistent…
Sayori finally gave up on coming up with a logical explanation for the idea. The closest conclusion she could come to was that if it happened a third time, she couldn't ignore the pattern.
I have to figure it out though! If this really is the case, I just have to go to Mementos more often. Then my friends won't have to worry, cause I won't disappear… I won't leave them alone… any of them!
But Sayori wasn't aware that her friends already were worried for her. She had been acting less and less like herself lately, and it was starting to worry all of them. Only two knew the reason for why this was happening, and even they were beginning to have doubts that this was the only reason.
Why would Sayori not tell us? Mona thought to himself, watching intently as Valiant fought on. We could help her… Or maybe… she just doesn't think we could? It hurt the cat creature to have that thought enter his head. One of his teammates didn't have faith in him - any of them - to help her out. He found that this hurt more than any cruel or thoughtless comment that his teammates had made to him in the past.
Am I really that useless?
Oracle meanwhile, was taking careful note of Sayori on her monitors, taking note of any behaviors she thought unusual. By doing so, she hoped to identify anything that could be considered a symptom. It was definitely a long shot, what she was planning to do, but she had to try her best. Taking matters into her own hands like this was embarrassing enough, but it would be mortifying if she got no results simply because she hadn't given her all.
She was going behind everyone's back, and if she got a good enough conclusion, she was going to go even more behind Sayori's back. However, Oracle honestly thought that it was fair payback. Afterall, whether Sayori had done it intentionally or she was just too dumb to consider it, she was going behind their backs too.
At the end of that day's work in Mementos, Joker took notice of his three tensed up teammates. Valiant seemed to be making an effort to stand up, panting heavily after all of the effort she had put into destroying Shadows. Mona droopy eyes and frown made the cat creature look incredibly tired, and most likely sad about something. And Oracle hadn't spoken for nearly half an hour, staying safely hidden away in her Persona and away from any of his scrutiny.
"I think after this, we'll take a break from missions for a couple of weeks," Joker decided out loud.
"Why's that?" Skull asked.
Joker hesitated for a moment, considering what to say. It probably wasn't a good idea to draw attention to the odd behavior of their three teammates, especially not right in front of them. Though Joker had a feeling the others already knew. If any of them didn't, he could explain it later, maybe in a separate chat. With this in mind, the team leader was quick to reply, "We need to slow down and take some more time to analyze the consequences of our actions. Besides, too much of this work will wear us out."
Almost everyone seemed to accept this answer. However, as soon as she processed it, Valiant was very vocal in her objections.
"No! We can't do that! What if I need to-"
"To what?" Queen interrupted, genuine curiosity in all of her face, except the eyes. They held an intense, stone gaze, attempting to break down the walls Valiant had built up and find the truth.
Valiant sighed. "It's nothing. Nevermind."
"You know… You can tell us anything-" Panther began.
No, I can't. Not right now.
Those thoughts entered Valiant's mind with a cold ferocity. The freezing bite to them forced a chattering and shaky smile to her face. "No, really. I'm fine. I am actually feeling tired, now that Joker mentions going home." The immediate backtracking from her previous protest only served to make the Phantom Thieves more wary.
Nevertheless, they each did as their teammates suggested, piling into a transformed Morgana and heading out of Mementos. The doubts that permeated the quiet, tense air around him made Joker grip the steering wheel. He knew that if he wasn't wearing gloves, he would find that his knuckles were white.
It was a slow, lazy day at Leblanc. Sojiro spent this time tidying the place up, keeping a close eye on the two teenagers lazing about in the front. Futaba and Akira were also making use of the day, playing card games and texting with their group of friends. Sojiro sighed, a serene smile on his face. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Akira's cat, Morgana, tilting his head curiously at him.
It had always been spooky how expressive the cat was. This was no exception, as the feline glanced in between the adult and two kids, letting out a soft sigh and tilting his head down. Sojiro was just beginning to wonder if it was possible for cats to get depression, when he overheard a few sentences of Futaba and Akira's conversation.
"How much money did Ann make off of all of your bets anyway?" Futaba asked curiously, glancing down at her small stack of cards.
"I should have never let them tell you that story… Now I'm really never going to hear the end of it. I don't really want to talk about it anyway. I guess it went towards something that could be considered a good cause…" Akira looked down at his own cards, a mischievous smile forming on his face.
"Sayori's date fund?" Futaba asked curiously.
"No… It's more accurate to call it Ann Takamaki's matchmaking service. It's just that Sayori has been her only customer." Both of the teens laughed.
Sojiro raised his eyebrows. The group of friends Akira had found never seemed to talk about normal teenage things, at least not in front of him. So it was rather nice to hear it. Still…
"Are you really losing money, then?" Sojiro asked, putting the broom he had been using aside and going in to do his duty as a father figure. This duty of course, was to butt into any and all weird teenage conversations.
Akira looked over, raising an eyebrow in confusion. "What do you mean by that?"
"Well, it's just that if this is Sayori's dating life, it would still be benefiting you, right?" This time Sojiro smirked, waiting for the ebony haired teenager to push up his glasses and look down, a clear sign that he was flustered or embarrassed.
However, Akira only looked more confused. At the same time, Futaba seemed to flinch. Sojiro couldn't see her face, but the tips of her ears peeking out of her ginger hair had turned red, meaning that Futaba was embarrassed about something.
"Uh oh…" Futaba pursed her lips and got up from the stool. "Looks like it's time for me to make like a roadrunner and meep-meep!" The girl began to hurry towards the front door of the cafe, hoping to escape from the predicament she should have seen coming.
"Wha…" Akira finally seemed to figure out what was going on, all of a sudden sitting straight up and swivelling to face the retreating Futaba. "You traitor," He said that with just enough emphasis to get Futaba to stop in her tracks, but gentle enough not to yell and unleash both Futaba's tears and Sojiro's wrath on him.
"A-Alright. I'm coming back," Futaba grinned nervously at the occupants in the room, returning to her stool and pretending like nothing had happened. She laced her fingers together and set her hands on the table, smiling as innocently as possible. "So Sojiro, I may have made a tiny mistake…"
Those were not good words for anyone in Sojiro's position to hear. He was about to send a withering glare in Akira's direction, when Futaba waved her hands and brought his attention back to her.
"It doesn't even really affect me, but it would be better for you to know so you don't suddenly sprout white hair and become a grandpa instead of a dad, because you're confused so much by a visit from Sayori and her… well…" Futaba began to spout nonsense, speaking more quickly with each word.
"Speaking of, Sayori just sent me a text saying the two of them are coming here now…" Akira pushed up his glasses, somehow able to keep a straight face as a wide, panicked smile slipped involuntarily onto her face. Adding insult to injury, he continued to read the text that appeared a moment later. "They're rounding the corner, actually. You should probably say what you want to say Futaba, before they get here in a few seconds."
"Text Sayori that she's rushing me!" Futaba snapped bitingly, starling Akira into dropping his phone. This of course, made it difficult to send any such text, and Futaba found herself with even less time to admit her error in assuming relationships.
In her panicked state, she didn't even pause to take a calming breath before rushing out an explanation. "Akira isn't Sayori's boyfriend, so you've probably had the wrong idea this entire time, because neither of them are interested in each other, because Sayori has bad taste and-"
Sojiro snapped his fingers in Futaba's face to stop her rambling. When Futaba was calm enough to look at him, he let out a small scoff. "Not like it matters. As long as Akira doesn't get into a fight with some jealous punk, it doesn't matter." That's what Futaba meant when she said Sayori had bad taste, right?
Recognizing that his slow day was about to get a bit busier, Sojiro slipped behind the counter and put on his apron. "Well, who is this guy? Any idea what coffee he would like?"
Out of the corner of his eye, the cafe owner saw Akira put up a hand as Futaba began attempting to stutter an answer. With each passing second, he put one finger down. First his thumb, then his pinkie…
When only his index finger was still up, Akira pointed to the cafe door with an admittedly over dramatic flourish. On cue, a very familiar detective opened the door and held it open for a very familiar girl.
"Hey, guys! Sorry I sent you a text on such short notice, but deciding to come here was kind of sudden too," Sayori giggled nervously as everyone else besides Goro looked at her as if she had sprouted another head on her shoulders.
Futaba froze and swivelled around to face the two, before releasing a bat-like shriek and running up the stairs to Akira's room. Morgana followed behind, lingering on the stairs for a few seconds to look at Sayori with an unreadable expression.
Akira recovered from his shock at his perfectly timed point in only a second. Without missing a beat, he joined Sojiro behind the counter and slipped on his own apron. Sojiro looked at the pair in confusion, not knowing quite what to make of anything anymore.
"Dang, Futaba. You might have broken him," Akira commented quietly, before turning to Sayori and Akechi. "Go ahead and take a seat at a booth you guys. I guess we just need to get our heads on straight right now."
"Okay, Akira," Sayori chirped, taking her confused boyfriend and leading him to a booth. "I know the rules… No coffee for me. So get me hot chocolate or tea then. What would you like to get, Goro?"
"Hm?" The detective seemed to be pulled back to the current situation, blinking rapidly for some unfathomable reason. After another few seconds, he seemed to register what he had been asked. "I'll just have what you're having, Sayori…"
"That settles it then," Sayori said with finality, before turning to Sojiro. "I know that this is a coffee place, but do you have any Plum Blossom tea, Boss?'
The detective seemed to immediately snap back into attention, looking at Sayori in worry. "I don't want to be any trouble to them, Sayori. I could also just settle for whatever is already made-"
"Nonsense," Sojiro cut him off. "Most of the time, I completely agree with the sentiment, but the customer can occasionally be right. And Sayori is a valued customer. I might have some in the back… maybe…" The man retreated into looking through his shelves of coffee grounds and other supplies. He began muttering about looking for it in the back, becoming absorbed in his thoughts.
Akira went to the sink, picking out two mugs to wash. With that, Leblanc had taken on a much busier rhythm, one that he had grown used to in the months he had stayed here.
Why did I agree on coming here again? Goro Akechi asked himself silently. Sayori had mentioned that they should go on a relaxing date before school started, but he was definitely not relaxed right now. It took only a second after he opened his eyes to notice so many unsettling things.
Futaba looked a lot like her mother did when… The detective didn't let himself complete the thought, knowing that Futaba hadn't been afraid of him… At least, not just him. They had just startled her. It was to be expected from such an antisocial girl.
Don't think about it.
Goro schooled his expression into a calm smile. It was easy with the soothing presence that Leblanc naturally radiated. All he had to do was focus on the warmth, and the smell of coffee and tea being brewed.
Through some unknown means, Sayori seemed to guess that he was uncomfortable, because she began to poke and prod him in all the places she could reach that she had pinpointed as ticklish sometime ago. It was bothersome, and almost annoying, but Sayori's brightness in such a situation was an epidemic, infecting him and almost making him forget why he was feeling like trash in the first place.
Because you are trash, a small voice whispered in his head. The detective felt green and sick at the thought, but once again, Sayori seemed to know all of the special tricks to refocus his attention on her.
Still, one fear remained. He was normally very good at hiding his thoughts, and not talking about personal things in public. However, with Sayori and the nostalgic smell building in the room, Goro knew such a natural skill would be much weaker than usual.
"So Akechi, my daughter seemed to make a small mistake earlier," Sojiro said with a small smirk, placing two mugs on the table. "And it lead me to wonder how you and Sayori know each other so well."
"Ah, I believe she and I met around the first time she met Akira. She's been staying with me for quite some time," Goro explained shortly, taking a sip of his tea so he wouldn't speak anymore.
"Yeah," Sayori confirmed. "I'm sorry if we confused you, Boss. The two of us are pretty private about our relationship, though. So it makes sense that you wouldn't know."
"Well, he knew," Sojiro jerked a thumb in Akira's direction. The ebony haired boy set down the book he was reading and had the guts to look offended.
"You could have told me, Kid. It would have saved me the embarrassment of not showing them proper manners," the man said sternly.
Sojiro left the two alone to chat for a few minutes. Feeling slightly more calmed down, Goro continued sipped from his cup thoughtfully.
"Something else on your mind, Gloomy-Gus? No, wait… Gloomy-Goro," Sayori smiled sweetly at the dour look the detective sent her way.
"Yes, actually," setting down his teacup, Goro set down his mug and made stern eye contact with Sayori. "I'm expecting an important phone call soon. Perhaps in the next week, I'll receive it. Afterwards, I have to go to an important meeting to discuss some of the… unfortunate developments in my reputation."
Sayori smiled good naturedly. "This isn't the first time this has happened, Goro. As always, I'll wait at the apartment, and maybe make dinner. Thank you for letting me know, though."
"Actually, instead of doing that, perhaps it would be a better idea for you to come here after you are done with school for today. I'll come get you after I'm done with school, and when I'm done with the meeting," the brown haired boy began to slightly fidget, noticing Sayori get increasingly confused.
Before she could ask what was wrong however, she was interrupted by Futaba, who had somehow snuck up into the booth seat behind Sayori. However, since Goro's seat was closer to the stairs of the building, it seemed impossible for Futaba to do such a thing without them knowing.
"I told Sojiro we should start handing out punch cards. Then at the end of the week Sayori could get something free to celebrate becoming a regular here!" Futaba said with a surprising amount of self confidence in her idea. Sayori jumped. The statement wasn't very loud, but Futaba was very close, making it feel like the ginger-haired girl was shouting into her ear.
"Futaba, could you maybe back away? You're standing a bit too close," Sayori asked nervously, a few beads of sweat trailing down the side of her face.
"Nope. I'm here for an examination," Futaba replied with an almost too cheery tone of voice. She held up a light blue clipboard with a single sheet of paper attached. Holding up a lavender purple pen with a pink fluff ball dangling off the end, the girl gave Sayori a wide eyed stare. "Dr. Futaba Sakura M.D. is reporting for duty. I'm here to document side effects on my latest patient!"
"Eh?" Sayori asked, her mouth curling upwards in panic. "What do you mean?"
Futaba ignored her, going around the booth the couple sat at in a curve, before turning around and going back to the other end. Every few moments she'd take her pen and begin moving it around on the paper, sometimes writing something, and sometimes letting it hover a centimeter off the page, as if she was pretending to have something to write about.
After a few seconds, Goro waved, getting Sayori's questioning gaze back onto him. "I think she's just here to observe. So let's just try to carry on with our date."
"Sure…" Sayori replied tentatively. She took a sip of her own beverage and once again tried to engage in casual conversation with Goro. It felt rather awkward with Futaba's close observation, but it wasn't like it was that bad.
So instead Sayori focused on the coffee date that she had been the one to propose. In the end, she had decided to pull a fast one and get Goro the same sentimental tea that they usually had when they talked at home. After all, she knew that part of becoming friends with someone was by opening up. So it stood to reason that if Sayori could sway Goro into opening up, by surrounding him with familiar things he associated with the activity, the others could get to know him better.
Afterall, Futaba hardly spent any time with him at the beach. Her mind was on… other things… Sayori thought nervously. She hadn't known that Futaba would be here today, but upon discovering she was, Sayori decided to try her idea out.
So far, she was getting no results. Goro just had that same painted on smile he always did in public. However, as always, Sayori found it easy to read his feelings with his eyes. His face was, for the most part, completely trained to not betray his emotions. Sayori had managed to catch his slip ups a lot of times, but if there was ever anyone else around, it was nearly impossible. But his eyes had a way of lighting up, of practically glowing, when he was happy.
But now they seemed dim and dark as he swirled a small spoon in his tea. Occasionally, he would glance up to make a point in their talk, and they would very briefly light up again. It was a trait Sayori had never known anyone else to have, and she was grateful that she even knew to look for it now.
But still, the fact that she had to look so hard just meant that he was still so far away from opening up. Sayori knew how much his thoughts and memories must hurt him, but she had never really known that brand of sadness. As far as she knew, she didn't even have parents. She wouldn't want to tell any of her friends Goro's secrets either. Still, if she could at least do her best trying to bridge the gap, maybe she really did have a chance-
It only took her a few seconds to realize that Goro had opened his mouth and said something entirely surprising, judging by the way Akira's eyes snapped over to look at them with a composed, yet intimidating look. Futaba cocked her head in confusion, her mouth parted in surprise. And Sojiro looked downright stupefied, his own eyes wide and whatever words he wanted to say trapped in his throat. It was a far cry from the normally suave Boss, and Sayori couldn't say she liked it.
She wasn't the only one who noticed the tension in the cafe. Goro coughed as smiled weakly, looking embarrassed. "I suppose that came out of nowhere… I apologize. Sayori and I don't really get out much, so I have probably acclimated to being able to say pretty much whatever I want with her."
"Sayori wasn't paying attention though," Futaba pointed out, flashing a small smile in response to Sayori's look of betrayal.
"Ah, perhaps you are right. Sayori has heard this story before though, so it makes sense for her to tune it out. Perhaps I was merely voicing my thoughts aloud then?" The detective finished his cup of tea and glanced at the bottom of the cup absentmindedly.
"We just weren't expecting it," Akira immediately replied, attempting to play it cool. "I overheard some of your fans talking the other day. It seems to be common enough knowledge that you're an orphan."
Yet again, Sayori couldn't tell from his facial expression, but somehow she knew that under the table his hands were clenching and unclenching. They would be forming a fist before releasing it. An overwhelming want to hold his hands and see for herself if she was right appeared in Sayori's mind, but she pushed it down for the time being.
"I wouldn't say that I'm an orphan," Goro replied, and Sayori had a sad thought that she knew exactly what he would call himself. But she wouldn't bring it up now.
"Would you like foster care better?" Akira asked dismissively, walking over and taking both of their cups to refill. "I should let those girls at school know what you like being called. Not that their fantasies are any more likely to happen even if they do correct themselves…"
Akira actually seemed to be pondering the consequences of this, as if he was actually thinking about doing it.
Sayori shook her head, catching Akira's eyes. He only smirked and walked back behind the counter. Releasing a huff of annoyance at the thief leader, Sayori looked at Goro apologetically. "Sorry, but I'm afraid that I didn't actually catch what you said."
Goro opened his mouth to reply, only for Futaba to cut in. "He just mentioned that his drink reminded him of his mom, his mom dated a jerk that I think is supposed to be his dad, something self-loathing… and then he sighed a lot."
Sayori blinked a few times, trying to process the report she had just been given. Goro blushed, embarrassed by it, but nodded slightly in confirmation.
After a few moments, Sayori giggled, startling everyone. "Very observant, Futaba! It makes me wonder what you're observing about me…"
She had meant it as a joke, but Futaba seemed to take it seriously, tapping her chin and glancing at the ceiling as she relayed her information. "Well, judging by how sweaty you suddenly seem, despite the air conditioning, I think you're breathing rate has increased. You've grown about two shades paler, and your pupils look like they're about to start constricting. Do you feel any different?"
Goro looked over at Sayori in concern, despite the things that Futaba had observed not being as extreme as it sounded. Her sweating wasn't even that noticeable, feeling like a slight mist on her forehead. One shade paler wasn't much of a difference, and her pupils might just look smaller in the lighting.
But actually, now that she asks me that question… my throat! Without another word, Sayori bolted from her chair and left Leblanc. She ran as fast as she could, intending to get to the bathhouse and find a nice place to hide until her disappearing incident passed.
Inside the cafe, Goro was about to follow, feeling incredibly worried, when Futaba held out a polite arm and opened the door. He soon found that she wasn't doing it for him, but rather for Akira's cat, who ran scurrying out the door, looking quite determined from his posture.
"What exactly is going on?" Goro asked, suddenly suspicious of the girl beside him.
Futaba responded with an innocent smile, backing away and giving a welcoming gesture to the door. "It was nothing much. I just need to find something to prove a theory. Or something like that…"
"Everyone else is actually coming over here soon," Akira called helpfully from his previously abandoned stool. "So if you think we're annoying, everyone is about to crash your date."
"Maybe you two should go somewhere more private after you check on her," Sojiro suggested, giving the young detective a smirk.
"Maybe so," Goro replied, finally leaving Leblanc behind. The door shut behind him with a quiet dinging sound from the bell above, letting Sojiro know it was time to give the two kids the evil eye.
"What was all that about?"
"I was gathering research to help Sayori with something," Futaba defended herself.
Akira, meanwhile, looked dumbfounded. "I didn't do anything this time!"
"Exactly! You could have helped keep me from looking like a geezer while handling customers," Sojiro sighed in disappointment.
"Wait…" Akira went over the events that had just transpired. "They didn't even pay!"
"They forgot, which is perfectly understandable. It will be on the house this once." The tired cafe owner ran a hand through his beard, closing his eyes. "Let's get this place clean again before your friends come."
Akira nodded and went to clean off the table that Sayori and Akechi had just used. After some time of this, he looked up at Sojiro and Futaba and decided to ask what they were all thinking. "What did you think of Akechi's slip up?"
"I think I read about his mother dying online before…" Futaba trailed off, a melancholy look forming on his face. "But everything online was pretty cryptic. It kind of makes me wonder if it's the truth, or if it's just some lie some script writer came up with to make his fans like him more…"
"He's telling the truth," Sojiro said with a blank expression on his face. At the confused stare of the other two, he continued. "That story about a deadbeat dad feels like it would only make people look down on him, if it's just some fable. Besides, he seemed pretty genuine, from what I noticed."
Akira nodded in agreement. "Sayori is a good judge of character, and she seemed to believe him. So I'll believe him."
"Well, he was right when he said it came out of nowhere though," Futaba replied. "He seems like a good person for Sayori… I think. Actually, I don't really know about this stuff…" She sniffled a bit before taking a seat on one of the stools. "Still, he sucks for making me think of my own mom."
"Hm…" Sojiro silently pondered something to himself as he closed the box of tea he had managed to find. "He reminds me of something from way back when, but I can't remember what it is…"
The three continued their conversation, pausing briefly when Morgana came to the front door and knocked his paw against it. Futaba came into let the cat in and gave him a delighted squeeze. It was Sojiro who noticed the odd things clipped to the cat's collar.
Futaba, without a word, took them off and put it in her back pocket. "You did awesome, Mona!" she congratulated.
Sojiro decided to question it later, instead focusing on remembering what he had thought earlier.
Sayori still felt the same unease she always did after disappearing, and with the possibility of it happening again very soon, the best place to go right now was back home. She had told Goro as much, and he completely agreed.
So side by side, with their fingertips brushing over each other's occasionally, the two made their way to the subway. Sayori wouldn't have minded cutting to the chase and simply holding hands. Afterall, they had been much more affectionate in public before without repercussions, but she got the distinct feeling that Goro wouldn't appreciate it at the moment.
It was nothing personal. But with summer break nearly over, the streets were even more crowded than usual, filled with people rushing around to get very last minute school supplies. Still, despite the fast paced ways of the crowd around them, they all seemed to have plenty of time to pause and stare at the detective, whispering among themselves. A few of them were the loyal fangirls and fanboys that whispered giddily about seeing him, but there were so many others whose stares turned into glares and dark muttering.
Goro was the picture of oblivious, waving and smiling at every single one of the people who had noticed them. Sayori had done much of the same thing at school, but left a cold feeling in her stomach when the more hateful of their observers turned away from his politeness and began grumbling their thoughts even more loudly.
It's probably a miracle that none of them have gotten more vocal… or more physical, Sayori thought with a shudder. She scooted closer to him, wishing that in some way she could help him get out of this situation faster. She wanted to protect him, like all of the times he had protected her. Except for maybe the exact way he had protected her at the beach. Despite just having had a drink at Leblanc, Sayori's mouth was too dry to spit anyway.
But that was besides the point.
Thinking about it, Sayori figured that keeping up conversation might be a good way to go. So she lightly tugged on his jacket sleeve and smiled at him when he looked over at her. "So what do you think you'll be discussing at the next meeting?"
Goro flinched and shook his head, looking an odd mix of confusion and sadness. "I'm not really sure. Probably what happens next. Now that Medjed has been defeated, I imagine we'll have to sort out which interviews I should actually go to…" Sayori thought there was more he could say, but the detective stubbornly kept his mouth shut.
Still, scheduling seemed like a reasonable thing to talk about. Goro's days were usually busy. He'd stop by the police station in the morning, go to school, and then go to the police station once more. Then there were also the interviews he had to attend regularly, with barely enough free time in between.
Yet, the mention of Medjed brought another issue to Sayori's mind. She still remembered the suspicious phone call he had made before Medjed had made their move. Now that Futaba had confirmed the crackers to be posers, and with her own suspicions growing, Sayori knew there had to be more to this meeting than she knew at the moment.
Maybe he's meeting with the cop, or whoever it was, that was on the phone? Sayori wondered. Well, it doesn't matter much, anyway. Whatever Goro learns, I just have to be there to stop anything bad from happening…
"Is Sae going to be a part of the meeting?" Sayori asked idly. Sae was with the police, and Goro was pretty close with her. Maybe if this was the case, she could talk to Sae about-
Goro snorted, shaking his head with an amused smile. "No, Sae isn't part of the campaign I'm in. It's a bit of a relief actually. All of the people that are a part of it are an unpleasant bunch."
"Odd choice of words," Sayori commented. "You're not unpleasant afterall."
"Think what you want, Sayori. I'm simply hoping that soon enough I can stop associating myself with them as much," Goro replied, a conflicted look on his face as he said those words.
Sayori nodded, deciding to drop the subject and think of something else to talk about. At the very least, they had both been sufficiently distracted, unnoticing of the gossip and criticism around them. They were now entering the underground walkways. All they had to do now was find the subway that would take them home and be on time.
"You'll be going on the Hawaii trip, right?' Goro asked, his voice sounding slightly unsure. Sayori glanced back up at him, noting that he was still composed as ever. The question had seemed loud in her ears, but he had most likely only whispered it.
"Why? Can you not pay for it? Or is it just because you'll miss me so much?" Sayori replied with a teasing voice.
"No. Actually, I want you to go," the detective replied. "Maybe travelling so far would jog your memories somehow. I'm not sure, to be honest."
"Oh?" Sayori knew that the idea would have sounded appealing to her, if not for the fact that she already knew the truth. With her current limitations, it was almost impossible to actively search for a way home, so she decided to simply enjoy herself here while she could. She rarely even felt homesick. The only time she ever felt anything like it was when she worried about Natsuki, Yuri, and Monika. But she was safe here, so they had to be safe too. They had to be!
"Well, if you think that, it would probably be worth going. Are you sure it wouldn't be too much for you to pay? Besides, I'd worry that you'd get lonely," Sayori replied, knowing that with the way the summer had gone, she didn't want to leave Goro alone like that again.
"We'll just call often if you're so worried about it. But I'd much prefer that you go," Goro replied.
"Well, it will happen rather soon, won't it? I may not be able to go at this point…"
"I've already taken care of it," the detective replied.
"What?" Sayori paused in the long hallways, conveniently stopping by the subway they needed to get on. "Why even bother asking me, then?"
"It was my way of easing you into it," Goro replied cheekily. He entered the subway and took a seat, patting the one next to him so Sayori wouldn't end up standing.
"Well… I guess I needed more opportunities to wear my dress," Sayori said with a sigh, taking the seat. The car began to fill up, leaving everyone pressed together and uncomfortable.
"Thank you for agreeing, Sayori. I know you'll have a lot of fun with all of your frie-" Goro was cut off as Sayori leaned her head on his shoulder, giving not a care for the people who could be watching them.
"If I'm going to have to go away on a trip, we should spend a lot of time together until then. Don't you agree?" Sayori asked with a small, innocent expression. On the inside though, she was congratulating herself on making the detective struggle so much to remain composed. If she had known this was all it took to break down his guise in public, she would have done it sooner, and more frequently.
The train ride home was long and boring. Being stuck in the same position for so long left them both with cramps and aches. When the vehicle finally stopped at their location, they let everyone else leave before standing up and stretching out. They quickly left before others could start boarding, rushing all the way to the apartment building. It was a nice way to loosen their stiff limbs.
The lobby was full of the people that were also living there, bringing in grocery bags full of school supplies and other commodities. Leblanc, Sayori imagined, would become even busier as people finished their shopping sprees. Hopefully the other Phantom Thief members weren't giving him and Akira a hard time.
Not bothering to dwell on it for too long, Sayori and Goro quickly walked up a flight of stairs to the door closest. They quickly entered and began the familiar motions of making dinner and preparing for bed. Sayori began to feel the same hiccup building up, knowing that they had come home just on time. She excused herself to the bathroom, grabbing a towel from her things. She may as well do something while she waited for this odd occurrence to run its course. It was always terrifying the moment she disappeared, but at the very least, Sayori had begun to calm down before it happened. As long as nobody would be able to see, she knew she would just accept it. It would be just like every other unfortunate confusion that was entering her life.
Let's hope this is the last one, Sayori thought to herself, stepping into the shower fully clothed and closing the curtain behind her. After about a minute of waiting in anticipation, Sayori wondered if she had mistook the feeling. She was just reaching for the shower curtain, stepping over the edge of the tub, when the same pain and shock coursed through her. Sayori gasped, tripping over the edge. The only thing that stopped her from splitting her head open was her fast hands, gripping onto the shower curtain for all they were worth.
After a full minute of shuddering and gasping, Sayori eased herself out of the tub and quietly resumed what she was doing. She would wait until she was in the shower to let the sad and terrified tears fall down her face.
Goro was relieved when Sayori finally stepped out of the bathroom. He was initially going to smile at her, but it turned into a grimace when he noticed her sad sunken eyes, rimmed red with tears, and the heavy frown that seemed stuck on her face. He wondered what could be making her so sad, and thought about whether or not there was something he needed to apologize for.
Her frown seemed to disappear as she took a seat across from him at the small kitchen table, looking at the plates he had set out. It wasn't as reassuring as Sayori thought it was. They ate in silence, Goro wondering to himself if he really should make the choice he was about to make.
It had been easy to decide when he was alone. The two had had a lot of awkward and sad nights in the past few weeks, one of them always going to bed without even so much as a glance at the other. It made him feel like a jerk when he had first done it. He already felt like a villain most days, when everyone in the stupid campaign, and his oblivious fans kept telling him he should feel like a hero. He didn't want to add jerk to the list.
Reviewing it in his head, Goro decided that he still didn't want that. He was nearly done with his plate, so he quickly got up to rinse it in the sink and went to the living room to sit on the couch.
He waited until Sayori joined him, before turning towards her with the same intense stare that she could easily interpret by now.
"What is it?" she asked, more awake then she had been before. After a few moments of hesitation, she finally gave into the small need she had felt all day and grabbed his hands, squeezing them to try to reassure him.
"You're right. We should spend a lot of time together before you leave…" Before you learn how awful I really am.
Goro shook his head of the increasingly harsh intrusive thoughts. He couldn't give into the self loathing now. This wasn't just for Sayori, this was for him too. "I don't want to look back on my time with you with any more regret than I deem necessary."
Sayori looked confused, and more than a bit troubled with his statements. But at this point, fear and more than a bit of anger at himself were dictating what words he was saying. It really was unfortunate that the few relationships he did have weren't only run by the happiness and love that a lot of other people ran their relationships with. But if he was going to have any chance of getting the things he wanted from this pathetic life of his, he had to roll with the punches.
"We've kissed plenty of times already, but I want to do it plenty of times more. Before…" He couldn't complete his sentence, because at this point he didn't even know what he wanted to say. So instead he made one last effort to clear his mind and calm his words. "So if it's alright with you…"
Whatever he was going to say after that was replaced with a sigh of contentment, because Sayori always seemed to catch on supernaturally fast to the signs he allowed himself to reveal. It seemed to be an instinct for her, locking lips as soon as it was clear that was what both of them wanted. For the first few seconds they found themselves completely engaged in that first contact. However, the difference in their height allowed them plenty of options to get even more deeper.
He wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned back on the couch, allowing Sayori much more comfort compared to before, when she had to lean her head back. It might have only been slight, but this was much better. Besides, he much appreciated the ability to wrap his arms around her, to trace lazy circles on her back, and to play with her hair the way she was currently doing to him.
Sayori didn't even seem to be registering the changes in gravity, completely focused on the task at hand. She was completely invested in hearing the sighs and hums from kissing, and the occasional moan from running her fingers through his hair.
Anything he could do would pale in comparison, so instead Goro focused on grabbing the edge of the blanket and pulling it over the both of them. This was always as far as they went. Kissing and cuddling without ever shedding anything off. That was fine with both of them. They weren't interested in anything else at the moment.
After a long time of her giving her all into every single contact between them, Sayori finally came up for air and leaned her face into Goro's neck, allowing both of them a moment more to think.
Goro didn't want to think about anything else, but he knew that he would always have to. For once his more hateful thoughts towards himself were silent, and he could simply wonder in peace. While he still could, he wanted to make Sayori happy. Time was probably running out for him, and right now he saw no way out.
Simply killing Shido would never work. Everyone in the organization would immediately suspect me. I'd be dead within a week. Running away would have the same results. The only thing I can do is go for some of the original plan and bring him to justice…
Ever since he had left Futaba's Palace, he had found time to try to think of a way out. In every single instance, he found himself dead or arrested or in an even more miserable existence than he had been in the past, probably wishing that he was dead. And in every single case, the knowledge of how afraid and lonely he would be lingered with him.
He looked down at the girl who was now sleeping peacefully. He had asked himself the question thousands of times, even before he knew Futaba Sakura even had a Palace. What would she think of him when he was revealed. Right now she had a calm, content smile on her face as she leaned on him and wrapped her arms around his neck. What would she look like when she found out.
She'd be afraid, angry, and probably disgusted… with you and herself for ever getting this close… Once again, Akechi was glad they had always only gone so far.
Whatever was going to happen when he met with Shido next, the detective reminded himself that all of this bliss and happiness could be gone in a second. With that same fear, and that same anger at himself and at Shido, Goro Akechi settled himself into bed to try and enjoy what he still had.
It was nearly a week later when he got the call. Goro had been on his way home when his phone started ringing, and upon seeing who was calling, he immediately turned around. It was annoying, but sadly unavoidable. He would call a taxi when the call hung up, but until then he would have to walk so he wouldn't get distracted.
Of course, it was just his luck that the SIU Director would be the one to call him. The man had a habit of talking someone's ear off. Goro had always figured he just liked the sound of his own voice. Still, the detective would agree that he had been similar. He still acted that way in public of course, but at least in the privacy of only talking to Sayori or her friends, he was usually free to simply not talk at all.
So it just made it all the more tiring that the SIU Director was not nearly as short with his talk. Goro was relieved when he finally heard a "Don't be late," on the other end before he was met only with empty air.
He quickly called a cab and politely asked to be taken to the Diet Building. Luckily, this driver seemed to take note of the slight urgency in his voice and navigated the quickest way, dodging traffic with practiced ease. When they arrived in front of the large building, Goro quickly paid his fare and stepped out of the vehicle. Walking through the large building, he couldn't help but compare it to the Palace that it helped to perpetuate.
He arrived at the waiting area near Shido's office with more than enough time. It was going to be a private meeting today, thankfully. Goro could only be thankful that it hadn't been Shido who called. However, it soon occurred to him that this might be the case because of whatever Shido was preparing to meet with him about. If that was the case, he should probably be worried.
It took ten minutes for the secretary to finally announce that Shido was ready to see him. This would mean that Shido was the one who was late. Though Goro would sooner bite off his own tongue, than say such a thing in front of the diabolical man.
Feeling more than a little nervous, he stepped towards the door slowly, noting the tired secretary out of the corner of his eye. He wondered just how much of the worn expression came from a self inflicted lack of sleep, and how much came from something- someone- else keeping her awake at night.
He banished the thought as soon as he creaked the door open, walking calmly into the room and setting his briefcase by the plain wooden chair and taking a seat. He was long aware of the calculating, cold eyes that followed his every move long before he made contact with them.
"It's been some time since you needed a private meeting like this," Goro decided to remark. "What do you need me for this time?" He decided to flash a grin, aware that Shido was not at all happy to see him.
"It's an extra precaution. Members of our campaign have gotten their hearts stolen in the past. This is frightening some of the sheep into straying from the flock," Shido explained coldly. "I can only trust my most loyal members, and nobody else can be allowed to hear."
Goro nodded, keeping himself composed despite the rapid pounding in his heart. Did Shido know he was one of those sheep? No! There's no way he could know… This is normal, so just breathe… The detective calmed himself as he chose his next words. "I assume this meeting is to discuss these troublesome sheep?" In this analogy, he probably compares me to a sheep dog, he thought wryly to himself in order to keep himself from losing his composure.
Shido nodded, taking a few photos from a yellow folder and setting them on the desk. "A few sheep in particular. You'll need to take care of them for me before they get too far."
Goro looked at the three pictures set before him, surprised to see all of them. Kobayakawa, Okumura, and the SIU Director… He could understand Kobayakawa. The principal had been growing skittish lately, and it probably wouldn't be long until he tried to betray them. But Okumura was as steadfast as ever, as was the SIU Director. In the past, they had even requested Akechi's services as well.
"I assume your confusion has to do with these two?" Shido asked.
Goro allowed himself a moment to hesitate, before nodding slowly. Shido seemed happy enough to explain, flashing him a smirk that made the hitman slightly flinch. But it was only slight, because he couldn't show any hesitation. He hadn't done that since after his first hit, when he had learned just exactly what he could do to someone's heart. That was the first and last time, besides now, he had expressed doubts.
"Simply put, Okumura is the next step in our plan to catch the Phantom Thieves. We've already begun manipulating the Phantom Thieves Aficionado Website. When they reach the peak of their popularity, and change Okumura's heart, you'll be right there to pull the rug from underneath them," Shido seemed proud of his plan, and Goro was growing more nervous as he followed the path of the plan, and where it lead.
"The bigger they are, the harder they fall," The detective remarked, faking a similar evil smirk to the man in front of him. "And I assume the SIU Director is afterwards, as insurance that we won't be sold out?"
"Clever as always, Detective Prince," Shido praised, and Goro couldn't stop the surge of dopamine that entered his brain. It was like an automatic response that had been drilled into him, and he had to remind himself of his hatred of the man to keep himself seeing even remotely clearly.
"Thank you, sir," Goro replied. "Kobayakawa is my top priority at the moment, right? When would you like me to take him out?" As long as he had a set date, he could use his time to plan accordingly. Maybe he could think of something to do in that time…
"You just need to keep an eye on him and decide that for yourself. You have a month. If he looks like he is about to go to the authorities, then you know what to do," Shido explained.
Goro internally cursed. He would have to decide when to do it, and if Kobayakawa went to the police because the detective wasn't paying attention, then he would be blamed.
That just means I'll have to be careful and think quick. If nothing else, maybe I can fake an injury just as he's about to go to the authorities? No, that's stupid. It wouldn't work anyway… The detective was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't realize Shido was waiting for a response.
Growing impatient, the man slammed his fists down onto his desk, shocking the detective out of his reverie. "I expect you to answer when I say something to you! Got it?!"
"G-Got it." Goro replied, not liking the struggle it took to say something. "I was just thinking how best to get the job done," he lied.
Shido seemed to calm down after that, sighing in disappointment. "This should be an easy job compared to what you've done in the past. Kobayakawa is already so obvious about his plans to betray us… I can only imagine you're thinking so hard about this because you enjoy it." He made sure to give a pointed glare in the detective's direction, letting him know that he expected a response.
Goro's clammy hands were folded neatly in his lap, which was good on his part because nobody could know how nervous he was at a meeting he had once been comfortable attending. "Of course I would enjoy weeding out all of the obstacles in our path," he replied confidently. "Any menace that stands in our way doesn't deserve to live. Not Kobayakawa, not Okumura and the SIU Director, and definitely not the Phantom Thieves!"
He shouted it with so much conviction that he couldn't help but be startled by himself. When he had calmed down enough, he noticed that Shido was once again looking at him with that same smirk that Goro hated so much. He would have liked to smack it off his face one day, but right now he needed Shido to dismiss him before he could indulge in such vengeful thoughts.
"Good. I'm glad you've kept our goals in mind. Kobayakawa actually mentioned something interesting to me right before he got cold feet," Shido said with disinterest. "I was actually worried that he might have a point…"
Goro felt his stomach twist into several knots. What could Kobayakawa possibly have to say against him? Unless…
But I swore him to secrecy! Goro thought to himself in panic. Whatever Shido said next would be because of Kobayakawa, so the detective paid close attention, knowing he could use whatever information he could get his hands on.
"There was another reason I wanted to have a meeting in private today. I couldn't have any curious ears hear something they weren't supposed to, just in case a wandering sheep got any bad ideas about leaving," Shido said casually. The man quickly got out a sheet of paper, one that Goro recognized from months before.
The permission slip! How did Kobayakawa even see it? I thought only the librarians needed to see it! Goro began thinking back to all of the other things had his signature on it that the damned school principal had kept track of.
"You haven't been doing a good job of keeping your roommate a secret, yet you've never bothered to mention her to me during our long calls where you could have been spied on," Shido commented. "Any particular reason why/'
"I figured it wasn't important enough for you to know about," Goro replied quietly. There was one thing Shido absolutely could not know about. If Shido knew about it, then it was all over.
Surprisingly, the detective never knew a word about it, though he heard plenty of other things.
"There's no room for doubt in this campaign."
"I won't hesitate to get rid of the ones abandoning the flock."
"You're smart, Goro Akechi. Don't let something so trivial get in the way of your goal of becoming a hero."
Goro took all of these things in stride. Every single one of them was like a knife in his back, but he couldn't lose his composure. As long as Shido didn't suspect Sayori of knowing things she shouldn't know, or being involved with the enemy, it would be safe.
Please don't mention the Phansite post!
"Lastly, I want you to keep in mind everything we've discussed today. And keep your little flame under control. The cleanup crew should have no problem snuffing it out for you if it gets out of hand."
Goro gave a nod in understanding, somehow managing to give him a smile of assurance. "We've been working together for a long time. It hurts how much you still don't trust me. Don't worry. I wouldn't let such an unimportant girl get in the way of your glorious goals."
Shido smiled wickedly, probably not even aware that what he thought was the future face of Japan would make babies cry. The bald man made a shooing motion with his hand, to which the detective gladly obliged.
Goro left the Diet Building as quickly as he could, wanting to get home as soon as possible. He called another taxi and gave directions to the apartment. In the back of his mind, he remembered that Sayori was expecting him to walk her home from Leblanc. As the taxi began driving at a leisurely place, he sent a quick text, asking Sayori if she could get home on her own.
He wouldn't get a reply until a couple hours later, a clear sign that she was not, in fact, at Leblanc, but at a different place entirely.
"Good job today," Akira said after leaving Mementos. Sojiro had been downstairs at the time, far enough away to avoid being sucked in with them, so once again the group decided to take a request.
"We've made a lot of progress, Morgana," Futaba shouted, jumping onto Akira's bed and bouncing on it happily, spilling the boy's pillows onto the ground. "You must be really happy, right?"
The cat seemed unsure how to respond. "I would probably be more excited if we knew exactly how big it is. For all we know we could be moving at a snail's pace."
"Ah, lighten up," Ryuji commented. "We all did good today, and soon enough we'll get to celebrate our hard work by going to Hawaii!"
"Not all of us are going to Hawaii though," Yusuke said, reminding them that he was going somewhere else entirely, and that Futaba and Morgana would be staying in Japan."
"It kind of sucks that you forgot to fill out the room assignments form, Sayori," Ann said. "You, Makoto, and I all could have shared a room." She took one of the chairs near the meeting table and slumped over in it.
"Wait, there was a room assignments sheet?" Ryuji asked, eyes wide in panic. When everyone nodded he sighed and closed his eyes tightly. "Damnit. Akira and I could have gotten a room together! What if I get stuck with someone totally lame?" he whined.
"You know you can check who you get, right?" Makoto asked, causing Ryuji to brighten as he got out his phone to do just that.
"Who do you have, Sayori?" Yusuke asked, tilting his head curiously, causing his long bangs to tilt slightly, despite evidently being gelled.
"Uhh," Sayori got out her phone and went to the trip information page. "Okumura, Haru," She read aloud.
"Oh, I know her. Hopefully you'll have a good time rooming with her," Makoto commented.
"Yeah, I hope so," Sayori agreed, noticing that she had gotten another notification. "I just got a text from Goro. He wants me to get myself home in… two hours ago!" Sayori jumped up into the air and ran down the stairs, shouting a hasty goodbye to Sojiro, followed by the door loudly slamming behind her.
"She had the right idea. The subways are going to stop running for the night," Makoto said, checking the time on her phone.
"We're all too tired to walk, so it would be wise to leave," Yusuke agreed. With that, everyone but Akira, Futaba, and Morgana got up and left, going a lot slower in their farewells.
After a quick round of video games, Futaba left Akira to get ready for bed. She went down the stairs to see Sojiro looking frustratingly down at a familiar box of tea.
"Sojiro, are you still obsessing over that?" Futaba whined. "You're going to worry yourself sick, old man."
"I'm not that old," Sojiro replied, smirking. "I'm young at heart at least. Besides, if it's nagging at me this much, it could be important."
Futaba went over and lifted the box up to her face, reading the words on the back with slowly widening eyes. "I know this poem. Sayori gave it to me a little while ago. She said that Akechi wanted me to have it."
"Yeah. It reminds me of someone your mother and I knew. And something about the way that detective held himself. It's honestly too familiar to be a coincidence," Sojiro remarked.
"Was it a girl or a boy? If it was a boy, would you say he was a jerk?" Futaba asked. "He talked a lot about that once he took a sip of this stuff. Actually, is there some alcohol in this, because he was really chatty compared to the beach trip." She began looking at the ingredients listed on the side of the box as Sojiro seemed to come to a realization.
"No, it was a woman. She was Wakaba's intern, I think. A close friend too, from what I could tell. Wakaba dragged her along when the three of us, and a few friends, went to parties and bars, and places like that… What was her name?" Sojiro began to wrack his brain even harder than before.
"I can look it up. If she was an intern under Mom, I could probably find a record online or something…" Futaba theorized. Then again, if this was like her mom's research, it could also be just as impossible to find.
"No need for that. I think I know what's going on," Sojiro said, shocking Futaba. "We can just ask the detective when he comes here again. He's come here for coffee before, afterall. He even played chess with Akira once or twice."
Futaba threw her arms up in exasperation. "Why don't either of you tell me anything? If I'm not needed, then I guess I'll just go to bed." Overdramatically, Futaba left and slammed the door behind her.
Sojiro sighed. He wondered about Futaba sometimes. He decided he would check in on her later, after she had calmed down.
For now though, he thought back to the memories that he had finally unburied. He had just opened Leblanc when Wakaba had started visiting, a mousy looking young woman trailing behind. Even as Wakaba would tell her embarrassing stories about Sojiro, she would always have that same gentle, shy smile on her face, nodding along with the story politely. She had been pleasant and calming to be around, and Sojiro could understand why Wakaba was such close friends with her.
He could see clearly in the way that the detective held himself, with his hands folded primly in his lap and his posture kept perfect, that he was trying to imitate the woman. Still, his smile, though convincing, was certainly forced. He could distinctly remember that a few days before Wakaba stopped bringing her that the woman's smile was also forced. After that, Wakaba came in, crying that the woman had quit her internship, and dropped out of college.
Sojiro had wondered why that had happened at the time, but only now did he have a possible explanation.
"Guess I'll have to look into it," he said to himself, walking over to the door and heading out into the night air. He flipped the sign from Open to Closed, saving Akira the trip down the stairs.
Sojiro sighed, wondering if what he thought he knew was true, or if it was some sad coincidence.
"The principal handed you the means for his death…" The voice softly whispered in his ear. Goro awoke to find himself in the same place as before, unable to see whoever had said that to him, but somehow able to tell they were sitting next to him, watching him.
"He chose to give that wicked man one more thing to hold over your head, and now he's about to pay the ultimate price… Ironic, isn't it?"
Goro shook his head. He didn't want this, not anymore. The need for revenge- for justice, still burned brightly inside him, but she didn't deserve to be used as some cruel motive for murder.
"I sense the doubts in you beginning to form again. Perhaps splitting you up wasn't as effective as that monster first thought. I should let that other girl know. She's been keeping a close eye on everything, but even she probably doesn't know about this…"
A violet flash caught the detective's eye in the corner of the rotting cell he sat in. All too soon that voice was gone, leaving Goro alone… Alone with the monster.
For once, Sayori could actually see her dream. Sitting in a field filled with various and sweet smelling flowers, it was as if she had fallen right into a fairytale. Still, despite the beauty of it, Sayori knew that if she really was supposed to be a fairytale princess, the ivory covered walls that surrounded her were the cage she needed to escape from.
"Escape from your own cage, and rescue the poor lost prince from his own," A playful voice remarked. It was a voice Sayori had never heard before.
"He's trapped, so go down to the Underworld, go down to Hell and save him," it continued on helpfully.
Sayori looked all around her, but saw no one. Yet she knew someone was there. She glared in frustration.
"I guess that sounds unfair though, doesn't it? Ooh! Maybe you could save each other! That would be fun!"
Sayori was starting to find the dream voice annoying, and said as much. "Stop bothering me!"
"I'm bothering you?" Though Sayori couldn't see it, she knew that whoever was speaking to her was tilting their head in mock confusion. "That's so hurtful! And I've been with you for so long, fighting those horrid battles while all you did was run around and fiddle with your mask! I've adapted, you see?"
"Huh? But you sound nothing like Psyche!" Sayori shouted.
"You'll find out just who I am when you evolve. You aren't that far!" With a giggle, the voice faded away, and Sayori found herself alone in her beautiful prison, even more confused than before.
I hope you guys like the chapter! Not much to say at the moment because I'm tired. So please read, review, and I'll see all of you next time!