I own nothing. Monika does.
"Hey! We were planning on meeting up for community service."
"gardening club.*"
"Are you there? This is Akira if my number got deleted or something."
Sayori let out a sleepy yawn, rolling over in bed to tap the snooze button on her alarm. Something kept her from moving towards the source of the noise, however, causing confusion in her not-quite-awake-yet brain. Reaching down to remove whatever was wrapped around her waist so tightly, she was even more confused to feel warmth coming from this oddly placed anchor.
"Do you not want to go today?"
Tired of the current confused state of her brain, and annoyed by the ever insistent ringing, Sayori finally decided it wasn't worth it and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. Much more aware of her surroundings, she reached over to check her phone, only for the warmth of the arms around her waist to start moving, hugging her even more tightly. Alarmed at the sudden movement, yet also slowly starting to remember the events from the past night, Sayori rolled back over, not fully prepared for the sight that met her eyes.
He looks so peaceful when he's asleep… From his beautiful brown hair fanned out around his face, to his peaceful smile that suggested pleasant dreams, Goro looked so calm that it made Sayori's heart melt. She felt afraid of moving now, not wanting to disturb the sight she felt so lucky to see. Any motivation for getting up and checking her phone was put on the backburner, as the girl simply moved closer to the detective and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Goro unconsciously reacted, his arms bringing her waist closer to his body, and his left hand moving up to stroke her back. Sayori shivered slightly from the touch, and felt as if she were about to re-experience all of the feelings she had felt last night, with how sensitive her body was. She didn't think she would mind that, honestly.
Their peaceful time in the small bed was brought to a halt when Sayori's phone started to ring much more insistently. It seemed that whoever must have been texting her had resorted to outright calling. Goro let out a disturbed groan, and Sayori could already tell that he wouldn't be able to sleep through it.
With the moment thoroughly ruined, Sayori decided to try salvaging as much of the happy feelings from before as possible. She reached out with her right hand, the girl brushed her hand through the detective's hair, noting with jealousy that even after the night they had, it was silky smooth. She traced the path of her strokes, gently rousing the detective from his sleep. When he finally reached up to gently grasp her hand, looking at her in tired confusion as he tried to comprehend what he was waking up to, Sayori smiled sweetly at him.
"Good morning, angel," she said softly, before abruptly removing her hand and sitting up, pulling the covers over her chest. She reached for her phone and answered the call right before it was about to go to voicemail. "What is it, Akira?"
"You weren't answering my texts. I was worried that maybe you… you know, disappeared on us," Akira replied sheepishly.
"Did you really have to wake me up so early?" Sayori asked, rubbing a hand through her tangled locks, realizing with embarrassment that her bow was currently stuck on the right side of her head.
"Um… Have you checked what time it is?"
Sayori felt herself going numb, realizing she had not, in fact, checked the time. Pulling the phone away from her ear, she was shocked to see that it was nearly noon. Before she could freak out too much, Akira chuckled. Without hesitation, Sayori put her phone to her ear and said, in a particularly whiny voice, "I just had a long night! That's all."
"Ah, I see. So a rough night means you get to also be late for school?"
Today was a school day? Sayori thought to herself in panic, even as she snarked back. "It was not rough! It was long!"
"Why is that such an important difference?" Akira seemed genuinely confused, before Sayori heard Ann practically squealing in the background. Akira suddenly gasped in realization as Sayori felt herself going red in the face. "So you… and him?"
"No…" Sayori moaned soundlessly, wanting this conversation to be over. "Can we not have this conversation right now? He's right beside me!"
"Oh, I bet he is!" Ryuji suddenly chimed in, and Sayori slowly dragged a hand down her face.
"I'm taking the day off from school," the girl said matter of factly, hearing Makoto begin to protest. "I'm hanging up now."
With that, Sayori pressed the button to end the call, set her phone down, and turned back to Goro, who had comprehended his situation long ago. He looked very flustered, glancing at his girlfriend, before quickly looking away with a blush. "Last night… we…"
"Yeah," Sayori said, matter of factly. "We had sex. I'm surprised you had protection with you already."
"Well, I never expected it to happen, but with the situation surrounding my own birth…" the detective shook his head, not wanting to talk about that subject anymore.
"Yeah, I get it," Sayori said, smiling sweetly at him. For some odd reason, it was an odd instinct to want to flirt with him, cuddle, and any other intimate thing she could think of. But the detective already looked flustered enough as it was, so she simply got out of the bed and stretched, noting the way he politely looked away. "I'm going to take a shower. I'll try to be quick... " Sayori trailed off as another thought occurred to her. "You have work today, don't you?"
"Yeah," the detective eased from his flustered state, sighing tiredly. "Though I don't think I'll be staying home, no matter how late I am."
"Boo…" Sayori pouted, crossing her arms over her chest. "You should. I want to spend more time with you."
"We spent plenty of time together last night, silly," Goro replied with a fond smile. "I don't think you should skip school, either." As Sayori continued to pout, the detective merely shook his head. "Sayori, stop acting like such a child. You'll make me feel creepy."
The girl dropped the act in response, giving a small grin in response. "You're right. I am older than you, anyway. I need to be responsible."
"I'm happy you see things my way," the detective replied cheekily, stretching his lean arms up and yawning. After a few seconds of this, he slowly got out of bed, dragging the blanket around his waist. "You get in the shower then. I'll clean this place up while I wait for my turn."
"Okay!" Sayori chirped, turning around to go towards the bathroom. At the last second, she turned around and blew Goro a kiss, stopping him in his tracks as if it were a well aimed arrow shot through his heart. His face lit up red, and the girl only giggled in response, turning into the bathroom and closing the door behind her.
Over the course of the next hour, the bedroom was cleaned, and both of them took a quick shower. All the while, the two couldn't help but notice that the atmosphere in the apartment felt more lighter than it had in ages. They talked, and flirted, and laughed as their friends sent them quite a few apology texts to Sayori's phone. Right before they were about to leave for school, and work for Goro as well, Sayori finally sent a response, saying she definitely wanted to do "community service" that evening.
"I'll miss you today," Sayori murmured as they were finally about to leave the small apartment. She leaned against Goro's chest, hugging him tightly.
Goro only chuckled in response. "I thought that was my line?"
"You're right…" Sayori thought about it for a moment, before smiling brightly. "Then I love you! I'll see you tonight!"
She giggled as the detective was once again flustered. "I… love you, too." The blush on his face made it look as if he were saying something scandalous, despite having already done something much more risque the previous night.
The two looked at each other for a few long moments, before Goro lightly kissed Sayori on the forehead.
"You missed," Sayori said, even though she was blushing anyway. Goro blushed even more at that, though he leaned in and closed his eyes a second later. Sayori quickly caught his lips and held them for a few seconds, before the two finally separated. They finally went out the door, down the stairs, and out of the apartment. They parted ways with heavy and longing hearts, though that feeling felt much better than what they had been feeling for a long time.
Later that day, the Phantom Thieves entered Mementos with yet another new request to complete. Since they had dealt with Mishima's distorted heart not too long ago, taking Phan-Site requests seemed much easier. More people were leaving requests, now that the admin was making an effort to be more welcoming to anybody that used the site, more requests were being sent.
With their growing skills, the fights in Mementos were going by much quicker. This would have been a good thing, had it not been for the fact that they needed to stay for as long as they could so that they could help Sayori stay present in the real world. Aside from doing their best to venture deeper into Mementos, and thus getting into harder fights, they had also decided to start taking multiple requests.
Already, the thieves had changed the hearts of several corrupted individuals. Almost all of them had been guilty of abuse in one form or another, and had been incredibly defensive and stubborn about their actions.
This, of course, meant the fights were very difficult and taxing on all of the thieves. Still, despite the deepening exhaustion, Valiant seemed to have an unlimited amount of energy. No matter what Shadow they faced, they never managed to knock her down. With her main job being to block attacks for her teammates, this also made it much easier for them to attack, without worry of being hit.
"Is it just me, or does Valiant seem… lighter than usual?" Noir asked after a particularly challenging battle.
Panther laughed at the girl's clueless state. "Well, considering what she told us… I imagine it's because she's less stressed after last night."
Surprisingly, it was Queen that decided to chime in next. "That makes sense. After all of the things we've had to deal with in these Palaces, and the stress of possibly dying by glitching out of the real world, she needed the chemically induced relaxation and happiness last night would have given her." At everyone's awkward stare in her direction, the girl blushed and closed her eyes. "It is scientifically proven that… intimacy of that nature produces certain chemicals in the brain that elevate levels of relaxation, sleepiness, and also satisfaction… and, er…"
Skull shot her a cocky grin. "What kind of stuff are you studyin' to know that, Queen? Here I thought you were oblivious and innocent."
Queen refused to speak after that, instead turning her attention to the subway tunnels they were in. Panther and Noir both tried to reassure her that it wasn't a big deal, while Valiant began to feel embarrassed. She was getting rather annoyed with her friends making insistent appearances and comments concerning her love life. She normally thought them all so mature, but it was times like these that she reminded herself that they were all still in high school.
Still, after the initial uproar and shock wore off, they would all stop mentioning it. She at least knew that for sure. Until that time arrived, she would use her newfound energy to continue making progress in this odd game she was involved in.
"Nobody even mentions how energized I am today," Oracle claimed, giving a fake pout. "Maybe Val and I are just excited that our party at Destinyland is getting closer?"
Joker gave her a sympathetic pat on the head. "Good job today, Oracle."
The girl stuck her tongue out. "Now you're just saying that to make me feel better."
"That doesn't make it less true," Mona piped up. "We've all been doing well, today. It feels like this team is really starting to feel whole."
"Perhaps as a way to celebrate our success, we can see about opening the next gate in Mementos today," Fox suggested. "The closer we get, the more interested I am to see what might be in there."
"You won't be saying that when you end up getting ambushed by a Shadow while you're trying to find 'true beauty,' Inari," Oracle said cheekily. At the artist's irritated huff, the girl crossed her arms. "I'm serious. Fights only get more difficult the further down we go. That trend isn't going to change anytime soon."
"Fair point," Fox consented, bringing a hand up to his chin as he looked around quizzically. "I have already borrowed inspiration from Mementos, and there are not enough new sights for any further work to be called original."
Joker watched the two for a few moments, making sure they didn't start teasing each other too loudly, before turning to Valiant. "Both you and the detective will be ready to come to Destinyland?"
"Yup! We're both really excited," the pink-haired girl exclaimed, bobbing up and down.
"Good," Joker stated, before turning to the rest of the group. "Everyone, let's get ready to leave. We've been down here long enough."
"Yeah, I think I'm gettin' a headache from this place," Skull groaned. "For real. This place is really trippy.
"Maybe you need glasses," Panther suggested with a thoughtful frown. Looking down in thought, she tried imagining the athlete wearing something like that. "If it's because you're looking at this and it's giving you a headache…"
"Nah," Skull brushed it off. "I'm perfectly fine in the real world. It's just Mementos that messes me up."
"Let's get going then," Mona stated. "Before poor Skull's head explodes."
"Why did you just sound so sarcastic?" Valiant asked with a nervous giggle.
Ignoring her, Mona quickly transformed into a bus, and all of the Phantom Thieves quickly piled in. They left Mementos quickly, avoiding any fights on the way out. Before long, the red and black lighting twisted and faded into the normal lighting of the Tokyo daytime. The Phantom Thieves parted ways right after. It was extremely late in the day, and they were all sore and tired from their activities in the cognitive world. With no particular plans in mind, they all promised to chat later, and went home to rest for the coming days.
Goro Akechi entered his workplace, and immediately felt that something was wrong. He could feel the dark atmosphere all the way to his desk. Placing his laptop down and sitting in his chair, the detective couldn't help but look around cautiously for any signs of a threat.
It had been a full week since he had spared Okumura, and yet he hadn't felt this level of paranoia since first leaving. He couldn't help but worry that his gut was trying to tell him something. Had Shido figured out what he had done in the Palace? Was he going to die right now, in the safety of the police station? Sure, there were plenty of dirty cops here, but they wouldn't actually kill him while he was inside the actual police station!
Goro couldn't figure out why he felt so uneasy and paranoid, so he tried to take his mind off of it by getting some work done. He went through some emails Sae had sent him about possible Phantom Thief suspects, and theories behind their methods, among other clues and puzzle pieces the woman didn't have the context to put together, growing more antsy by the moment.
When he was done with that, he moved onto the actual mystery he was dealing with. Once again, he found himself checking the many, many websites and archives where missing people reports were posted. He was as diligent as possible, but the blank faces of the masses blurred together. There was no flash of pink hair, red bow, or blue eyes. But it wasn't like there ever was. He felt even more antsy and irritated to get Sayori home, and away from him, as the number of days until Okumura confessed grew shorter and shorter. After all, he was about to die, and the conspiracy Shido had concocted was about to be busted wide open. Whatever entity that had told him Sayori would go home when the time was right ought to see that there was no better time. Yet, he saw not a single hint that this was the case.
As Goro continued to scroll, getting to all of the names he had run into the last time he had checked resources, he didn't notice that he had company until Sae was already behind him, her arms crossed, and a cold fury blazing inside.
"Why were you so late today?" the slate-haired woman asked him lowly, startling Goro from his investigation.
Jumping out of his seat and turning around, Goro couldn't help but feel like a deer caught in the headlights as Sae gave him one of the harshest glares he had ever seen her give. He couldn't help but feel nauseous at the knowledge that he was the one receiving it. However, his disdain for her glare would be nothing compared to the grief he would feel with her next words.
"Why was I so stupid to think a kid like you would be proffessional," Sae snarled, walking over and slamming the lid of his laptop shut. "You should be well aware how important this case is to me, yet you show up late and don't even respond to the messages I sent."
"I apologize, Sae-san. I was planning to reply when I figured out what I could possibly say," Goro said. "I wanted to give the best feedback I cou-"
"Enough of your excuses!" Sae yelled, whipping around and facing the detective. "What possible reason could you have for acting like an irresponsible kid. You're supposed to be 'The Second Coming of the Detective Prince'? What a joke!"
Goro looked down in shame, not wanting to meet the woman's eyes as he thought about what exactly had made him late. "You are right, Sae-san. There is no excuse. All I can say is that, in the simplest terms, I have let you down."
The woman seemed taken aback by the humbleness, but only a second passed before she was angry once again. "Of course. Everyone around me keeps proving to be a disappointment. Still, the only one who is going to have to pay for your mistakes is me."
Goro felt stung by Sae's words, but even worse was how wrong this seemed. She hadn't always been like this. "Sae-san, please calm down. I am going to make this right… Everything is going to be set right very soon. So please don't talk like thi-"
"Like what? It's the truth. You arrogant, know-it-all, Second Coming of the Detective Prince will get off scot free. You're so perfect, so you never have to work for anything! I have worked so hard to solve this case, but you're stupid mistakes are going to set me back so far! Yet, I bet when it comes time, you're going to be the one getting promoted, even though you've done nothing but coddle your girlfriend!" Sae was practically seething at the mouth now.
Goro felt cornered, unable to process what had happened to the woman he had considered a friend. He wanted to run away, but he felt disgusted with himself for it at the same time. If he was going to die anyway, then Sae deserved to let him know exactly what she thought of him, before she could no longer get it all out in person.
"What were you even doing… huh? What happened to make you come in so late?" Sae asked, after taking a few seconds to attempt composing herself.
Don't run away… The voice in Goro's head didn't sound like the usual one that always sought to destroy it. Oddly enough, it was calm and solemn. It wanted him to face the truth of what was about to happen.
He couldn't meet Sae's eyes as he said it, looking down as he knew the woman would not take kindly to the information he was about to give her. "Sayori and I… Last night, we…" He only needed to say two words now, yet they froze up in his mouth and made him choke.
However, Sae didn't need those two words to get a clear picture of what the detective was trying to say. Something inside her seemed to snap, as she looked down and clenched trembling fists to her sides. "'But don't think for a moment that I would let my feelings slow down my work.' Those were your exact words to me! You imcompetent… lying… foolish… useless…" The woman was unable to continue, a wound that she felt could never be prepared was forming. A betrayal worse than she had ever felt before was becoming more and more apparent.
Goro watched Sae silently, not wanting to say anything more as the woman tried to process this new development. Whatever was about to happen… would happen. No matter what she said or did, he would accept it. He deserved it, anyway.
Sae seemed to be trembling now. Rage boiled inside her skin, and at the very core of her being, envy for how this cocky brat got to do whatever he wanted without worrying about the consequences of his actions built onto an already hideous , the circumstances she found herself in were becoming more and more apparent.
Finally, she managed to whisper a response.
"Do you have no shame?"
The detective stared straight ahead now, waiting for if Sae looked up. He couldn't turn away from her eyes now. Not anymore.
"Akechi, let me make one thing clear. You are no longer working on this case with me. I'm doing it on my own, now…" Sae said, finally looking up and meeting his eyes.
"I wish you luck with that, Sae-san. I accept that choice. I apolo-"
"Don't" Sae interrupted, holding a hand up. "No matter what, I am solving this case. I don't need your help. If need be, I will get the help of far more dependable people. I already have Yaguchi." With that, Sae turned to leave.
Goro's eyes lit up in realization. Yaguchi… Panic took over his insides, and he reached out to stop Sae. If she was working alone with Yaguchi… then she might truly abandon her sense of justice! "Sae-san, wait!"
"No… I'm not waiting anymore, Akechi-kun. I'm done," Sae said, her voice calm yet cold. With that, she strode away, a new and sickening sense of determination making every footstep heavy, and her back ramrod straight with tension.
Goro was about to go after her, when a firm hand was placed on his shoulder, stopping him in his tracks. He knew without looking that it was Yaguchi holding onto his shoulder. He knew that to outside eyes, it would look casual and maybe comforting, but to Goro, it was a cold and unforgiving grip that may as well have been wrapped around his throat.
"Where do you think you're going?" Yaguchi had a sickeningly kind tone to his voice, as if they were engaged in a friendly chat, but there was a deeper meaning. Why are you stopping Sae-san from falling into the point of no return? Why are you stopping her from joining us?
"I need to try to fix my relationship with Sae," Goro replied evenly, though his heart was beating out of his chest.
"Really? You seemed fine with her casting you off earlier. Maybe you're just jealous that she'll be spending all of her time with me now," Yagushi remarked. His grip subtly tightened on Goro's shoulder, waiting for his response.
"I just want to fix my mistakes."
"What a lame excuse. I'm more and more getting the feeling that you're jealous," Yaguchi replied smugly. "But at the same time, that doesn't make any sense. You already have a girlfriend, right?"
I see… Goro thought, sighing to himself in resignation. "Let's go somewhere else to talk."
"My thoughts exactly," Yaguchi said, and the detective could practically hear him make that sickeningly confident smile, as if they were about to have a friendly chat. With no further prompting, the man began to walk, still with his hand on Goro's shoulder. The boy was led outside of the building, to a nearby alley. He was suddenly turned around and pushed into the building behind him, as Yaguchi's fatherly persona melted into a sneer.
"It's been a whole week, and Okumura still isn't dead yet. Care to explain?" The man waited patiently for a response he expected not to get, as he definitely suspected Goro for being the traitor he was.
However, Goro was very quick to respond. He had prepared for a possible confrontation, and though it wouldn't last forever, he wanted to buy himself as much extra time as possible. "These things take time, Yaguchi. You will see Okumura getting what's coming to him very soon."
"That's a lot of vague nonsense I'm hearing from you," Yaguchi said, his eyes searching Goro for any sign of deceit. "I was asked to come here myself for confirmation. Did you kill Okumura?"
Goro knew before he even opened his mouth to lie that Yaguchi would not believe him. There was a certain glimmer in the man's eyes that appeared when he spotted any tell or hesitation in an interrogation, and the man had that very same look in his eyes as he glared at the young detective.
"As I said, Okumura has been punished accordingly. He will experience an incident just like all of the others, and the Phantom Thieves will be linked directly to the crime." Goro found it best to speak the truth as often as possible when going up against Yaguchi. The man was trained to weed out deception and obtain confessions. His ability to catch someone in a lie far outmatched Goro Akechi's lying ability.
"Do you think this is a joke?" Yaguchi snarled, daring Goro to turn and walk away. Technically, he had already done his job of telling Yaguchi the confirmation he had come for, but leaving now would prove that he was a traitor to Shido's conspiracy. "Okumura's organized a press conference in a couple of days, where he's going to address all of the controversy surrounding his company. If he's not dead by then, it's enough proof to confirm you've been lying through your teeth, and you know what that means."
"Yes," Goro said tersely, "I do." He said no more as Yaguchi gave him a scathing glare. Compared to Sae-san, this man was hardly glowering.
"You're a fool."
"I'm well aware of that."
It was then that Yaguchi did something surprising. Never before had the man needed anything other than his words and his presence to hear the truth he was after, yet now that no longer seemed to be the case. Even as fear took root in the detective's body, and pain overwhelmed him, Goro couldn't help but wonder if he should be proud of the fact that Yaguchi felt the need to punch him in the gut. The move was cutthroat and clever. It wouldn't leave a mark on any visible part of Goro's body, and it was extremely painful.
"You aren't going to be able to escape the mess you walked into, Goro Akechi. You chose this path for yourself, and there's no taking it back," Yaguchi said coolly, and the detective suddenly began to wonder exactly how Yaguchi got confessions so well. It was likely, by how confident the hit had been, that this wasn't the first time Yaguchi had gotten so physical in a confrontation.
Of course, it was a foolish thought to have, as he was punched yet again for not paying attention. Goro wheezed pitifully as the man glared down at him, kneeling down and gripping the detective's shoulders, making sure their eyes were meeting.
"You won't ever escape, and if you refuse to accept it… if you fight it, your bitch will be the one to suffer."
Goro Akechi, despite everything, felt stunned as those words left the man's mouth. Any shred of respect he had once had for the man disappeared in that moment, and he fought the urge to fight back against him. He shouldn't do anything that would validate the man's suspicions. So instead, he continued panting and wheezing, pretending to still be reeling from the assault to avoid speaking. Still, that insult burned the detective down to the very core of his being.
"It's not even that she's going to die, it's what will happen to the both of you before that. Your lives will be a living hell before you die. I'll make sure of that." With that said, Yaguchi stood up and dusted himself off. After a few seconds, he leaned down and lifted Goro to his feet, leaning him against the building wall. Obviously, he couldn't let anyone see the detective kneeling on the ground in pain. When he was sure neither of them appeared to have been in a scuffle, the man turned from the alley and went back to the police station to go talk to Sae.
Goro stood there for a few minutes, processing all of what had just happened. Touching a light hand to his stomach, the detective cringed. He was going to get bruises, he was sure. But that was far from the biggest of his worries. Okumura's press conference is my deadline then. After that, it's over… I only have a day or two left…
As that dreadful thought entered his head, it didn't take too long for his mind to connect the dots. The conference is going to be on the same day as the party at Destinyland… He gasped in shock and agony. I can't be in their company when that happens. I'll only be putting all of them in danger. And Sayori…
Straightening up, Goro put the pain he was feeling out of his mind. He no longer had the leisure to relax. His friend's safety, and his girlfriend's safety, was his only priority now.
That evening, Sayori rushed home with a skip in her step. After such an activity filled day, her body was exhausted, but mentally it seemed as if her brain was doing a lot more than normal to give her the chemicals she needed to feel happy. Ever since stealing Okumura's Treasure, things seemed to be going more and more her way, and it didn't seem like that was going to stop anytime soon.
Just thinking about Goro and I going to a party, that both of us were invited to… I'm so excited for it. Not to mention, Destinyland was called the "Castle of Dreams." The sheer whimsy in that statement made the party seem all the more special. After all, she felt as if all of her dreams were coming true.
I have to finish up my poem for Haru by then! Sayori thought to herself with determination. She would have plenty of time when she got home to finish, and go over all of the new details of the party with Goro. They would need to find a nice, casual outfit for him. Hopefully they could dig one out of all of those suits, sweaters, and ties.
Before she knew it, Sayori was at the front door of the apartment. Not bothering to knock, she went through the door with a purposeful skip, making sure Goro knew she was there without making him think he was getting robbed. "I'm home!" She called, expecting Goro to be in the kitchen, or perhaps his bedroom.
But in fact, he was in neither of those places. Instead, Sayori went over to sit on the couch, only for the detective to already be curled up there, face hidden between his knees. He was very obviously trembling, even in the darkly lit room.
"Goro…" Sayori trailed off, looking for something to improve the dreary atmosphere. She went back to the front door, finding the lightswitch and flipping it up. The detective moaned, and Sayori wondered if she had accidently woken him up. But how could he have fallen asleep in such an uncomfortable position? Concern filled her, and she quietly but quickly went back to the couch, intending to do what she could to cheer Goro up.
Sitting beside him, Sayori thought for a moment, examining her boyfriend's fetal position. If he's hiding his face, maybe he wants me to pretend like I don't notice he's crying? But this curled position also makes it look like he wants something to lean on… Realizing that trying to figure it out for herself wouldn't get her very far, the girl decided to try talking first.
"Goro… Are you awake?"
A slight shift, and Sayori could see that he was nodding. Encouraged by this, the girl continued.
"How do you feel?"
Sayori got no response, so she decided to rephrase it.
"Are you feeling alright?"
Goro shook his head once again. Sayori felt somewhat relieved that he felt alright enough to properly respond and admit that. Perhaps it was a good sign.
"Can you tell me why you aren't feeling alright?"
This time, Goro only moaned and buried his head even deeper into his knees. Sayori frowned. Normally, even when the detective wasn't fine, he would at least pretend like he was, or be in a well enough state to admit what was troubling him… a lot of the time, at least. She would like to know what was troubling him, so she would have a better idea how to help, but she also knew to respect his privacy.
"Alright. Then I won't ask. But is there anything I can do to make you feel better?"
Sayori had expected a simple answer, like a hug, or simply no response at all. But instead, the detective started grumbling. She didn't know what to make of it, so she waited until Goro had started to quiet down before asking her next question, albeit hesitantly. "Goro… D-do you want a hug, maybe? Or maybe I could-"
"I don't want anything. I don't want you to do anything. I don't want anything from you."
"Wh-What?" Sayori stuttered., feeling nervous as the detective finally looked up. Unlike what she had thought earlier, there were no signs on his face that he had been crying. "Goro, what do you mean?"
"Exactly what it sounds like," Goro stated, looking away from the girl momentarily. "I don't want you to do anything for me, or that involves me…And I'm not going to Destinyland."
"What?!" Sayori shouted. "Why? You were looking forward to it so much! We both were! So why-"
"Because I said so! Because I do not want to!" The detective's voice was clipped and formal, though still impossibly loud. "Being seen with all of you… the thought of it makes me sick!"
Us… Me… Sayori's eyes began to well up, and she took a deep breath. "What's with this sudden change in attitude? Why are you trying to push all of us away? Why are you trying to push me away?"
"It's not obvious? You can't do anything besides giggle and offer hugs and everything else that won't help in the end. Sayori, you cannot do a single thing to help me, and I despise that fact!" As those words left his mouth, Akechi felt knocked out with the truth of them. Smiles and hugs aren't going to save me. They aren't going to avenge my mother, or erase all of the horrible things I have done. They aren't going to stop me from getting killed. Sayori can't do anything at all to help, and I'm risking my life for her! His own mind seemed to be spiralling out of control. In the next few days, he was going to walk right to his death, without ever achieving the one thing he had spent nearly his entire life wanting. He would be throwing away the golden opportunity that the being from so many years ago had offered when he was given these powers.
Why the hell am I even doing this? I can't do anything! So why am I even still alive? There's no point… Akechi stopped when he heard the very distinct sound of a sniffle. He looked over to see Sayori, who was now looking away from him as well. The frustration came to an abrupt halt as he watched Sayori continue to cry, but not speak at all.
Though she was not speaking, her head was suddenly flooded with thoughts that she hadn't needed to dwell on for a long time.
I'm useless.
I'm selfish.
I can't do anything right.
I'm horrible,
Terrible,
Don't deserve to…
Live….
Goro had only snapped at her once, when she had first started living with her. If he was doing so now, then she must have done something wrong… Why was she causing so much trouble? She didn't want to cause Goro trouble. She had made sure he wasn't involved in any Phantom Thief business aside from befriending the ones behind the mask. So how? How did this still happen?
But I want to…
Rain clouds seemed to roll into her head. Sayori hadn't felt like this in months, focused so much on other things that made her happy. Yet, now she felt so selfish.
Live…
Tears rolled down Sayori's face in fat streaks, sending daggers into Goro's heart as he realized his own shitty mistake. The power to corrupt a Heart… make it lose all inhibition… drive others mad. Goro didn't dare touch her, even though he desperately did want to wipe away those tears. He didn't deserve to be the one to do that. Sayori was entitled to her right to let all of her sadness out without having to hide her tears.
Still… I can't let everything end as horribly as this. Goro took a deep breath, trembling and shaking as he remembered the fears he had expressed the night before. As if to mock him on his last day, he felt more like his father than he ever wished to feel in a million lifetimes. But, he had to do something to right that wrong… Which was something Shido never did.
"Sayori… I am so sorry," Goro kept his voice even. He knew that crying would just make Sayori feel guilty, and she didn't deserve to feel that way. She should never feel guilty, because she never did anything wrong. "For making you feel this way… I deserve everything that is coming to me, though I am afraid I no longer have the time to fix this mess I have started." That was what hurt him most right now. Once again, he had hurt someone, but he no longer had the time to set things right.
"Goro…" What does he mean by that? Sayori felt herself begin to panic as possibilities ran through her mind, but the detective still had more to say.
"Sayori… All I have ever done is hurt you, and make things hard for you. I've been a useless boyfriend, a useless detective, and a useless guardian." Taking one final deep breath, the detective finally decided to wrap this painful conversation up. "I am sad to say, but I cannot go with you to Destinyland. Also, when you are done with your party, do not come back to the apartment. It would be best for you to spend the night somewhere else. Perhaps with Takamaki-san or Kurusu-kun."
Sayori sat in stunned silence, tears trailing steady streams down her face. She wanted to say something… anything, but she didn't know what. As she sat there, thinking and staring, Goro looked back at her and sighed sadly, before giving her a small smile.
"I'm sorry that things had to be this way." With that, he got up and left the living room. Sayori heard the click of the lock on his bedroom door.
I thought… for some stupid reason, that I wouldn't be sleeping on this couch anymore… That we… The wall that had been keeping her composed finally crumbled, and Sayori began to cry harder.
"So he couldn't come?" Makoto asked, frowning in disappointment. Sayori shook her head in confirmation, not wanting to say more than that.
Everyone was standing in the entrance area of Destinyland, waiting for the employees in the admission booth to verify Haru's reservation. It had been the agreed place to meet up, and when they were all there, Haru had finally decided to check in. Of course, everyone had immediately noticed the absence of one detective prince, and had immediately questioned Sayori about thing that Sayori didn't fail to notice was the disappointed look they all shared with each other, and grew even more upset because of it.
"You aren't going to start hating him again… Are you?" Sayori asked, looking at their collective frowns in worry.
"Not unless he gives us a reason," Ryuji stated, before closing his eyes in exasperation. "Man! And I was lookin' forward to to seein' the look on his face, too!"
Ann gave Ryuji a warning look, telling him to be quiet. But Sayori had already caught onto something strange.
"Why were you looking forward to seeing a look on his face?" Sayori tilted her head curiously as both blondes went quiet, and everyone seemed to tense up. Akira decided to try saving the situation.
"Anyway… let's not let Goro's absence get us down. We can still have fun with it being just us. That's how our parties normally are anyway."
"I guess," Futaba mumbled. "Still, each party only ever has one new member in it. It would have been fun for there to be two new people at the party for a change."
Sayori was still looking at the group for an explanation, so Yusuke decided to try relieving some of her curiosity. "Yes, especially since-" He suddenly grunted in pain as Futaba elbowed him sharply in the ribs.
Now Sayori was beginning to get frustrated. "Because what?" she asked again, stomping her foot childishly.
"How about this?" Akira said with his hands raised in compromise. "If you forget we said anything just now, and just enjoy the party with the rest of us, then we'll tell you what we meant when the party is almost over." He stretched out his hand in expectancy.
Sayori stared at his outstretched hand for a few minutes, slowly considering. Finally, she sighed and gave him a small smile. "Alright fine," She took his hand and they shook on it, "It's a deal."
"Here comes Haru!" Morgana suddenly piped up, popping out of Akira's school bag. "We just have to get past the entrance gate, and then I can finally walk around." He seemed relieved as Haru walked over to the rest of them, smiling sweetly.
"Everyone, Destinyland awaits," Haru said happily. "We will have to go through a bag check though, so it would be better if you got out of Akira's bag now Mona-chan. Though I hope it won't be too much trouble for you to sneak inside."
"Are you kidding me?" Mona replied with a smirk. He hopped out of Akira's bag with enthusiasm. "You underestimate me!" With an evil-sounding laugh, he scurried away to sneak around the ticket booth.
Everyone followed his lead, minus the laugh, and quickly made their way to the entry gates. It only took a few moments for them to get their bags checked, and then they were finally free to do what they wanted.
"What should we do first?" Ann asked excitedly. She looked around at the park excitedly. Soon enough, her conflict was clear, as she looked between the rides and the snack booths over and over.
"We should prolly do the rides first," Ryuji suggested. "There aren't any lines, so we aren't going to have to wait. They'll probably all go by really quick. 'Sides, we don't want to stuff ourselves and then puke it all up because our stomachs are spinnin.'"
"Though I wouldn't have phrased it that way, you make a good point, Ryuji," Makoto stated, a calm smile on her face as she looked around the theme park. "Though that barely narrows down our options. There are so many rides."
"Since there are only nine of us, we should all just stay together," Futaba suggested. "Unless you guys want to split up, for some stupid reason."
"You're right. We definitely should stay together," Sayori agreed. "A lot of these rides take your picture, and I want us to all be together for that." She smiled, even as her stomach flipped. She had never actually been to Destinyland before. The last time she had the opportunity was at the class field trip to Destinyland, right before the Phantom Thieves had discovered her Palace, so she hadn't been in the best mental state to go, instead going back to Goro's apartment. Since then, the subject hadn't come up. Now that she thought of it, there had never been a point in her life that she could remember getting on a rollercoaster, or amusement park ride of any kind. The only thing coming close was the stuff they all got up to in Palaces.
Sayori went pale, her hands went clammy, and she had the sudden realization that she was incredibly scared about getting on any of these rides.
Of course, becoming grounded in one spot by fear was bound to attract attention, especially from friends. So it wasn't long before her friends gathered around her, but kept a distance away in case she needed room to breathe.
"Sayori, are you scared, too?" Futaba asked, a reassuring smile on her face. Sayori glanced at her, so the girl continued. "I'm definitely scared! Probably much more than you, because I've been thinking about it for days. You only realized it now, though."
"Is that better?" Sayori asked weakly. She had no time to mentally prepare herself, unlike Futaba. Suddenly, Ann was patting her on the head, and Makoto patted her on the shoulder. "Um, why are you guys…?"
"Well, comforting you, of course!" Ann stated. "I think I saw Goro do this once. Do you like headpats, Sayori?" The model smirked as her friend blushed in embarrassment. "I'll take that as a yes!"
Makoto offered a reassuring smile. "This just seemed like the most natural thing to do. But I do have an answer to your other questions. In some cases, it is better to not have time to realize that you're afraid…I think. You don't have a lot of time to think about bad stuff, so in the end you just do it."
"I don't get why you're so scared, Sayori," Ryuji said nonchalantly. "After all, you have all these big strong guys to protect you. You also have Haru, who would sue the shit out of this park if something bad happened to any of us."
"He is right," Haru replied with a giggle, which sounded more unnerving than reassuring. "I would do much worse to them than that. Whatever injury they did to you, I would return. It's a fair exchange."
"What if one of us were to die?" Yusuke asked curiously. The only answer he got from Haru was silence. "... I see. I will say that is comforting in a very strange way. Wouldn't you agree, Sayori?"
"I… I guess," Sayori mumbled. She straightened up and removed Ann and Makoto's hands from their places on her shoulders and hands. "As long as you guys are there with me, having fun, then I think I will, too."
"That settles it, then," Akira stated. "We are definitely staying together than."
Everyone nodded in agreement. From there, they went from ride to ride, starting with the ones closest to them, working their way around the park. It only took an hour for them to get through all of the rides, since there were no lines to wait in. Everyone had a lot of fun, the adrenaline of each thrill-packed ride never quite wearing off before they got onto the next one. None of them had the opportunity to be scared because of that, and they even went back to the rides they favorited multiple times.
After two hours of these nonstop rides, Sayori could definitely say the only reason she was afraid earlier was because she had never actually had these experiences before. Hearing all of her friends laughing and screaming alongside her as they shot through the air was all she needed for the heaviness in her heart and head to dissipate. The feeling of being nearly weightless as the rollercoasters went down the first dropped also helped in that sense.
Overall, the first part of their Destinyland party was happy and memorable. After they were done with all of the rides, they all visited the souvenir shops, buying "I survived…" shirts for the more thrilling rides, and buying copies of all of the pictures they had gotten taken of themselves.
After all of this excitement, they all decided to visit one of the many restaurants that were strategically placed around the theme park. Each of them got a meal for themselves, and then sat together at one of the outdoor tables. They then dug in, knowing that the night would soon end after their meal.
Over the past few hours of thrilling rides, Sayori had indeed forgotten what all of the other Phantom Thieves had been talking about earlier. It was only when Akira turned to her that everyone realized that the time had come. They all stopped eating briefly, waiting for Sayori to notice their stares.
When she did, the girl nervously swallowed, feeling creeped out by the intensity of their looks. "Are you guys alright? Did I spill something on myself?"
"Well… you did. But that's not the reason we are staring," Makoto stated, closing her eyes as she suddenly felt nervous.
As Sayori wiped off her face, with Ann's instructions, all of the Phantom Thieves looked at each other, wondering who would be the one to tell her. They all thought at first that it should be Akira, since he was the leader, but they all felt that it might be too much pressure to put on someone. They had no idea how Sayori would react, after all.
It was Morgana who decided to step up. "The truth is, Sayori… There was something important we wanted to talk about with Goro. It was supposed to be the real surprise for the both of you, tonight."
"Oh?" Sayori felt a nervous pit beginning to form in her stomach. "What was that surprise supposed to be?"
"Well…" Morgana trailed off, looking down at their table's surface, where he was standing. "Do you remember when we invited him over to garden with us, and how we all thought that he knew we were the Phantom Thieves?"
"Yeah…" Sayori could feel her heart skipping a beat. If this was how they were starting their explanation…
"Over the past week, we weren't just spending time with you and Goro to spend time with you. We were also… analyzing the situation, so each of us could come up with an important decision. We all agreed it would have to be unanimous, and thought you would be on board with what we were deciding on from the beginning," Makoto explained, talking for as long as possible without needing to breathe. She took a drink of her water afterwards, breathing in deeply through her nose.
"I hope you've figured it out by now, Sayori," Morgana said. "After this past week of spending time with Goro, we all decided to trust him on this…" The cat took a deep breath as well. "We… Tonight we were going to tell him that we were the Phantom Thieves."
Even though Sayori didn't actually have any food in her mouth, the girl felt herself begin to choke up. She coughed and leaned over the table, tears welling in her eyes as she tried to comprehend what her friends had just said.
"Sayori?" Ann asked, worry clear in her eyes. "Are you okay? Do you need some water?'
When the girl only remained silent, Ryuji got up from his seat, planning to check if the girl was actually choking. However, it was soon proved that he didn't need to when Sayori looked up, tears trailing down her face.
"Do you all really trust him that much?" There was some hope in her voice, even as she couldn't avoid her own suspicions about the detective.
"Well, we all did get much more friendly with him last week," Ryuji stated. "And the dude obviously already knows we're the Phantom Thieves…" The blond leaned back in his chair.
"Somehow, we have managed to avoid getting caught by the police, even though Goro is part of the police," Makoto pointed out.
"No matter how I look at it," Yusuke started, "Goro only stands to gain by turning us all in as Phantom Thieves. He could very easily only incriminate all of us, leaving you as an uninvolved party, Sayori."
"Yeah. Judging from those files on Sae's laptop, he's deeply involved with solving this case. It couldn't even be described as shallow, or simply for getting popularity points," Futaba said. "Yet he hasn't given them anything about any of us. There's not even an inkling of a clue that they know we are involved."
"I do think he cares about all of us," Ann stated. "If we had gotten to tell him the truth about all of us tonight, I think he would be very happy that we decided to trust him with this."
"I want to believe that at the very least, he loves you enough that he wouldn't turn us in, because we are your friends," Haru said with a shy smile.
"You have him wrapped around your finger, Sayori!" Morgana said. "Not to mention, having a detective working on our side- especially one that's involved in our case- would prove advantageous."
"I just want to believe the best in him," Akira stated simply, not elaborating anymore than that.
"So… What do you think of all of this, Sayori?" Morgana asked nervously.
"I… I am so happy that you trust him so much, guys," Sayori began nervously. "I would love to have him on our side… and to not have to lie to him anymore." She looked down and began to fidget.
"I sense that you're about to add on a 'but' to this statement," Futaba observed, curled up on her chair.
Sayori cringed, hearing Futaba's voice. How can I let them trust him so easily when there is so much they still have no way of knowing? I only wanted him to be friends with them, so he would be less lonely, and more happy. I wanted to let him know there are people out there that care about him as more than just a popular celebrity. But after what happened to Futaba's mother, if that's even right, I can't completely agree with this decision… With that thought stuck in her head, Sayori wiped at her tear-filled eyes. "I want to believe in him, too. More than any of you, I want to trust him with all of this. But before we confess all of this to him, I don't want there to be any doubt. You all know as much as I do that your decision to trust him was still pretty shaky. If we confess something like this to him, there are things we need to learn about him, too."
Akira stared at her, impressed with her answer. "You do still want it, though. Still, as we said, it was supposed to be a unanimous decision. As of now, we all still agree. Right, guys?" At their leader's question, everyone else nodded. "Just let us know when you're comfortable with it, Sayori."
"Okay… Alright…" Sayori still felt uneasy, but now she knew with certainty what she had to do. She had been planning to do it already, but now it was just her primary objective. I'll have to-
"Hey, isn't it almost time? You know, for the press conference" Ann asked. With that, everyone quickly got out their phones and checked.
Goro sat down on the couch and quietly turned the TV on. He had debated simply not watching it, but for some morbid reason, he wanted to know the exact reason his life would be forfeit.
Still, he could barely concentrate as he saw the podium where Okumura would be answering statements. All he was thinking about now was the past. In the deepest, unspoken parts of his mind, he desperately wished Sayori was there with him. He felt like he was going to cry, and he desperately wanted comfort from her… or from anyone.
Finally, after hours passed in only seconds, the press conference finally started. From the side of the screen, Kunikazu Okumura walked in, standing up at the podium with a downcast expression.
So this is it…
"Ooh, perfect timin'!" Ryuji stated with a grin.
"Father…" Haru said sadly, looking at her phone screen. She gripped her phone loosely, unable to feel the enthusiasm that everyone else felt
Okumura stood up from his seat. "Thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to gather here. Today I'd like to elaborate upon the whole truth behind my company's labor situation." The flashes of cameras filled the area.
After the flashes ceased, Okumura continued with closed eyes. "How my employees were forced to work under severe conditions, how… lax we were with sanitation… And how my corporation acted as a whole to… cover up every facet of this scandal. For all of this, I wholeheartedly apologize." The man's voice began to break, and he bowed.
"So are you saying all of this was done under your orders?" a calm journalist asked.
Okumura nodded. "Yes. I… am solely responsible…"
"We heard that dozens of employees were forced to resign due to mysterious illness," the calm journalist continued, "Furthermore, these happened to be officials who stood against your proposal for overseas expansion. The same thing happened to executives at competing companies who were looking to expand abroad. Is all of this true?'
Okumura nodded once more. "Yes."
"Was it all coincidence?" the same journalist questioned. Okumura looked away at this, prompting the journalist to add, "We'd like some answers."
After a moment of deliberating, Okumura looked forward, bracing his hands on the podium. "About that… I have a critical piece of information to announce here today."
"Here it comes," Morgana said, his eyes narrowed in concentration. "Okumura's going to say who's really behind the mental shutdowns." The Phantom Thieves all looked at their phone screens closely.
Goro… Thinking of him, of her suspicions and her doubts, and the fact that she might be right, made Sayori cringe. Dark thoughts multiplied and took over in her head… But she wouldn't look away. She owed him the dignity of facing all of this head on, since she had kept his secret so long.
Here it comes… It's me… Goro trembled, admitting the thought to himself over and over again. He tried to convince himself he was ready, even though he sorely knew he was not at all.
Okumura cleared his throat, and opened his eyes, even as they filled with tears. "The culprit behind the mental shutdowns is Li4uIE1hc2F5b3NoaSBTaGlkby4iCgoiV2hhdD8hIgoKIlRoZSBtYW4gcnVubmluZyBmb3IgcHJpbWUgbWluaXN0ZXI/IgoKIlllcy4gVGhvdWdoIGhlIHdhcyBvbmx5IHRoZSBvbmUgaW4gY2hhcmdlLiBUaGUgb25lIHdobyB3YXMgYWN0dWFsbHkgY29tbWl0dGluZyB0aGUga2lsbGluZ3Mgd2FzIEdvcm8gQWtlY2hpLi4uIg==
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
When the world came back into focus, Sayori looked around, feeling as though she had just been hit with a truck. What she saw, was not at all what she expected. Her friends had leapt from her chairs, looking at their phones in horror. Deciding to follow their lead, Sayori looked at hers as well. Instead of the conference they had been watching, a crude drawing of a puppy chasing puppies in a field was on her phone screen.
"Wh… What happened?" Sayori asked, catching her breath as she realized Yusuke and Ryuji were helping her to sit up.
"You mean you don't remember?" Ryuji yelled, his face creased in anguish. "It happened literally a second ago!"
"No… Sayori fainted, so it makes sense," Yusuke began, before looking at Sayori with a distressed frown. "When Okumura was about to reveal who was behind the mental shutdowns… he collapsed."
Haru whimpered, unable to bear hearing those words.
"No shit, he collapsed!" Ryuji screamed. "It was a fuckin' mental shutdown!"
Sayori froze, before her entire body broke out in trembles. "He… He…" Her friends' words filled in the blanks, filling her brain with memories of what must have happened. Futaba compared the incident to that of her mother, with Ann and Makoto trying to offer comfort to both her and Haru, who had dropped her phone in shock, before beginning to cry. Akira had his head in his hands, leaning over the table as he tried to find something… anything to say. Morgana was mumbling to himself, wondering what had gone wrong.
"I'm…" tears rolled down Haru's face as she tried to excuse herself. "I have to go." The girl turned on her heel and ran for the theme park's exit.
"H… Haru…" Sayori trailed off, as a thought suddenly occurred to her. "I… I still haven't given it to you." With trembling hands, she got out a neatly folded paper and read it over to herself, tear filled eyes making it difficult to read as her mind ran in circles.
You yearn for a father
That you want to love.
You saw he didn't care about your heart.
So you donned a mask
So that you could be free
And happy in your future.
Together we have changed his heart
Which has led to an uncertain future.
You deserve an eternal love
Even if it doesn't come from your father.
One of the hardest things is to be free.
But I never want you to hide behind a mask.
If Okumura had a mental shutdown… then… Sayori gasped painfully, her head pounding as she connected the cruel dots of the conclusion she was making. I… I'm going to do it. Sayori slowly stood straight on her own, removing Yusuke and Ryuji's arms from her shoulders. "I have to go."
She began walking towards the park exit, before looking down at her poem once more. Without hesitation, she tore it in half, again and again and again, until only shreds of paper were left. She began to run towards the park exit now, bits of paper soaring from her hands as only one thing was on her mind now.
"Sayori!" Ann called, reaching out to her friend. "Wait! Where are you going?" She was about to run after the girl, when Futaba suddenly gasped, making it seem as if she were having trouble breathing after crying so hard.
"I… just remembered… That strange presence I saw in Okumura's Palace that day. Could it have been?" The girl trailed off, tears forming in her eyes anew. "Oh no. Haru… I'm so sorry."
"Are you saying the black masked Persona user was right there, under our noses?" Morgana whispered.
"I thought if there was another Persona user, it would have shown up on my monitor like all of you guys do… But it was so strange. I just thought it was some powerful new Shadow," Futaba sniffled and looked away.
"Don't beat yourself up over it. We all had the responsibility of paying more attention… Especially me," Akira sighed, taking his glasses off of his face to wipe at his forehead. He felt so ashamed. He was supposed to be the leader of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts… He was supposed to stop things like this from happening. Yet, this had happened, and he had let it.
"That's the same for you, Akira," Makoto said sternly, even as she was wiping tears from her own eyes. "If any of us are to be blamed for inactivity, then it has to be all of us. We can't simply place blame on ourselves or any one team member."
"That's why I'm worried about Haru and Sayori, though," Ann said, her voice downtrodden. "Both of them are probably going to blame themselves for this more than any of us combined… and they both left."
"We should give them space," Morgana advised. "Haru needs time to check on her father's condition. He hasn't been confirmed dead, as far as we are aware. So if the worst comes to pass, we can only be there for her. And in Sayori's case, she has Goro."
"They also both know that they can come to us," Akira stated, standing up and slipping his glasses back on. "Everyone, let's go home for the night. Our guardians are probably worried sick with what just happened. And for now… we can only wait, and try to do what we can."
The Phantom Thieves all nodded in agreement, albeit hesitantly. They left soon after that, confusion and shock rendering them mostly speechless.
What… What just happened?
Goro sat on the couch, dumbfounded at first. As soon as Okumura had started to choke, he had figured out what was going on. He had hoped that maybe… it wasn't his fault, what was about to happen. Perhaps someone working for Shido had slipped the man oxalate, or some other type of poison. But when the black liquid had started oozing from the man's face…
"But…" Suddenly, for only a single moment, rage gripped the detective's heart as it never had before, burning him like a brand. "I didn't do anything to him!"
Goro got up, feeling as though… is he wanted to, he could destroy anything he touched. It was that same euphoria he felt when he summoned Loki to his side. That same sensation only brought more rage to him.
"God dammit!" Akechi felt panic replace the restlessness that had possessed him earlier. This feeling of helplessness, this rage, self-hatred, fear… He hadn't changed a bit. Still, he was just some useless brat that caused others to die. It had always been that way, and he could never change it. Not even now, when he truly had wanted to try.
The detective suddenly collapsed on his knees, that thought turning all of that rage and frustration into… sorrow. It was relieving, in a way. He still wanted the world to burn for cursing him like this, but he felt less inclined to be the one to do it.
"Why? Why me?" Goro felt tears slip down his face, and hated himself even more for it. He didn't deserve to be the one crying right now. "Why can't I ever escape it? I get it! I'm a fucking curse on this world! You don't have to rub it in…" He willed the tears to go away, relieved he hadn't felt the urge to sob. He didn't deserve that relief… He didn't deserve anything.
Enough of this useless self-pity. His inner self returned with a vengeance, and Goro couldn't tell if it was Loki or Robin Hood telling him this. You know what you saw that day in the Palace. You didn't kill Okumura… So someone else must have.
"I… I guess I must have, if you're the one telling me this. But…" Once again, his wild emotions were replaced by something entirely different. Fear now fully seized him, as he realized what this meant.
There must be someone else… something else in the Metaverse that caused this. It would be a completely unknown factor. After all, the only ones in the Metaverse, with the power to bend and shape cognition in this way were himself, the Phantom Thieves…
And the one that keeps leaving me notes! Goro shot up to his feet in shock, a theory forming in his mind. The more and more he thought about it, it made sense that this unknown entity could do something similar to what he had been doing. Though at the same time, it conflicted with everything the entity seemed to be. It only ever left him notes. In the beginning, it hadn't wanted to interfere, but had done so in Okumura's Palace, to stop him from killing the man. Could it be that everything he knew of this entity was a lie?
The detective began to think, concluding that, if not this unknown entity, then it was still certain that there was an unknown factor that was doing this. If not the one leaving him notes, then it could be something entirely different. With this in mind, the detective began to think about what this might mean. What do I need to do next? How am I to-
The door suddenly slammed open, and Goro turned in panic, wondering if it was Shido's goons here to finish him off.
But no… it was Sayori. The girl was heaving and panting… and crying. She stumbled into the apartment with an exhausted look on her face. She had run all the way to the apartment, not stopping for anything.
"Sayori!" Goro jumped up and went to tend to the girl, but she backed away, a fresh wave of tears falling down her face. After a couple moments, she locked eyes with him, before taking several deep breaths to calm herself.
Why is she acting this way… around me? Goro suddenly felt very afraid, and backed away from the girl, trying to give her the space she obviously needed.
Sayori gulped once, trying to stop her body from trembling so hard. Even now, she wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt, but…
"Is it true?" She asked.
"Wh-what?" The question caught the detective off guard, not sure, but very afraid of what Sayori was trying to say.
"Is it you?" Sayori clenched her hands into fists, trying to stop herself from trembling… Just wanting to be calm during all of this. "Are you the black-masked Persona user?" There was so much she wanted to add to that sentence. So many details that she wanted to add, to give the detective more clarity about what she was talking about, but from the look on his face… he already knew.
She knows. Goro felt his body begin to tremble as he realized this. Sayori knew what he was. The blissful lie they had both been pandering to for so long was finally over. The days of peace, happiness, and love were done.
A strange weight settled over him. Already, he felt the sorrow from missing those calm days, but he also felt so… relieved. I don't have to lie to her anymore…
Sayori waited for an answer, afraid that she had made a dangerous choice. She had already waited for so long, but she couldn't wait any longer. After what had just happened, she couldn't pretend to be blissfully ignorant, even though there was still a small part of her loudly insisting that she was jumping to conclusions. I'm so tired of doubting him… I don't want to guess anymore. I… want to believe in him.
"Yes."
Sayori was snapped out of her thoughts by that single word. She came back into focus, and noticed a solemn look on the detective's face. He looked so unsure, Sayori suddenly wondered if she had heard him correctly. "What?"
"Yes," Goro Akechi repeated.
"I am the Black Mask."