I own nothing. Monika does.
Sayori stood there for a moment, her face frozen in shock. I was… right? He's… Goro took a tentative step towards her, and Sayori took a step back, and then another…
"Sayori… I have done terrible things. I have committed heinous atrocities. But what you just saw… I swear that I didn't kill him…" The detective noticed the obvious fear in her eyes, and backed away from her until his back hit the wall at the opposite end of the room.
He's… Goro is Black Mask? He's… he's a… Sayori felt her face tighten as tears threatened to spill over her face. She took one more step backwards, before turning on her heels and running. Down the hall and down the stairs, and soon enough Sayori was outside, her feet carrying her as far as they could go. She had practically run all the way to this apartment from Destinyland, and now she was running even more. Her body felt so exhausted, but her mind fueled every step, running on her shock… and by her fear.
Sayori had been running for a good five minutes before her body finally protested, forcing her to slow to a stop. She stood there, bent over with her hands on her knees and panting. Even after her heart finally settled in her chest, her body trembled as the truth caught up to her. Why am I running? I already thought this might be the case… I don't want to feel like this!
Still, her feelings couldn't be helped, and as Sayori slowly started to come down from her rush of adrenaline, one thing became obvious. She wasn't going back to that apartment after what had just happened. I thought I was prepared for this… but I'm not… What do I do? Sayori got her phone out, and with a few moments of hesitation, called Ann.
"Hello? Sayori, what is it?" Ann spoke through the phone. Sayori would have described the voice as tired, but it wasn't as though she had just woken up. Sayori then remembered that all of the Phantom Thieves were in the same boat, having to deal with what had just happened to Haru's dad. Ann was stressed.
"I'm sorry to be a bother, but can I spend the night at your place, Ann?" Sayori asked, her voice nothing more than a pathetic whisper.
Ann was quiet for a few moments, mulling over what her friend had just said. Finally, Sayori heard the sound of the girl shifting positions and standing up. "Yeah… we were already planning on having a sleepover tonight before…" The girl cleared her throat and sighed. "Anyway, yeah. The subways are closing soon, so maybe try grabbing a cab. I'll text you my address. I'll need to buzz you in, by the way."
"Thank you," Sayori said, trying to keep her voice from cracking. She didn't think she could handle answering any of the questions Ann undoubtedly had. She especially didn't want to now, over the phone, and so close to something she didn't want to be around right now. Hanging up the phone, Sayori quickly followed Ann's instructions, hailing a cab and giving the friendly looking woman the address that appeared on her phone. She felt lucky that she hadn't dropped her phone or her wallet when she had run out of Goro's apartment.
Goro watched as Sayori ran away, a massive weight crashing onto his shoulders as he sank to his knees. Sayori was running away from him, and he had no right to chase after her. He would not chase after her this time. He could picture the fear that was already inside of her multiplying, and that became too much to bear.
His better judgement tried to make clear that he needed to manage the situation. After all, if he didn't go after her, Sayori would tell someone about what he had just revealed. But the last spark of his resistance was quickly fading into ash.
After a few minutes of staring at the door left ajar when Sayori fled the apartment, Goro walked over to it. Taking a deep breath, he put one hand on the door and gently closed it, before walking back to the center of the room and sitting on the couch. He felt neither calm enough to sleep, nor energized enough to pace the room.
All Goro Akechi could do was wait. After all, he had so many things to wait on. He was waiting to die, waiting for an answer, for the truth, for justice. Any moment now, someone would come into his apartment and release him from this horrible life. Any moment he would die from starvation as he waited. Any moment, he would fall asleep and dream of the moment where a woman would come in and help him with his timetables. Or perhaps it would be the moment where he would dream of a life where he had not made so many regrettable choices, and he was living happily and peacefully ignorant with a girl he loved and friends that cared.
Ann opened the door for Sayori as soon as she was up the stairs, having buzzed the girl in barely a minute ago. Her hair was hanging loose around her shoulders. She was wearing the same clothes she had been wearing to Destinyland, having only taken off her uniform jacket and her shoes. It was obvious she had intended to sleep in her clothes, judging by her frowning face, which was tired and worried.
"Make yourself comfortable, Sayori. My parents aren't here, so we have this place to ourselves." Ann tried to smile, but it seemed forced, so she just gave up, moving away from the door so Sayori could come in.
"Thank you again, Ann. I'm sorry to burden you… especially after tonight," Sayori said with an averted gaze. She stepped tentatively into the small apartment, taking in the brick walls and wooden floorboards. Random clothes were shoved into closets, drawers, and shelves, giving the apartment a cramped but cozy feeling. A few boxes of miscellaneous candies and desserts lay opened on a table next to a makeup stand. The sweets were newly opened, becoming a clear sign that Ann had begun to stress eat after the night's events.
Ann noticed Sayori taking everything in, offering her a kind smile that the pink-haired girl couldn't see. "You're not a burden, Sayori…" The blonde quickly found her mood already dampening even further, and took a deep breath to calm herself. She had a guest now, and needed to do her best to be a good host. Thinking quickly, she went to another closet in the corner, where she knew all of the extra blankets, sheets, and pillows were kept. "You can help yourself to the snacks, but first can you help me get some blankets and sheets together? My bed isn't big enough to be shared, so you'll need to sleep on the floor. Hopefully I have enough blankets to make a comfortable pallet…" Despite her solemn mood, Ann realized she hadn't been properly prepared for Sayori to stay the night in the first place. That was an embarrassing realization, though the feeling quickly faded like all of her other emotions had tonight. All Ann could comfortably feel right now was worry and grief for Haru.
As Ann pondered these feelings, Sayori walked up beside her and opened the closet door, causing several articles of clothing and shoes to topple out. Neither girl had the energy to feel embarrassed by this. Instead, Sayori reached up to the top shelf and grabbed several blankets and sheets that had been stacked on top of eachother. Ann decided to move her table and chair to the sides of the room, leaving a bigger space open in the center of the room.
For the next several minutes neither girl spoke, focused on spreading the blankets on top of each other on the floor, until they had a thick stack comparable to the thickness of a mattress. As a finishing touch, Ann grabbed the red heart-shaped pillow off of her chair and set it at one end of the stack, making it look much more like a bed.
"All done. I haven't swept my floor very recently, so hopefully there won't be any stones or peas to disturb you in the middle of the night… or however that story goes," Ann tried to joke. Sayori gave her a microscopic smile, sitting on top of the makeshift bed with a sigh.
The model cleared her throat, suddenly uncomfortable as there was nothing in the way of asking the questions she knew she needed to ask. Ann honestly didn't know how much more emotional strain she could handle today, but she knew she needed to ask these questions to avoid emotional stress further down the line.
"So… the pallet can easily be rolled up and stashed in the corner of the room during the day," Ann began, trying not to laugh nervously. "How long are you planning on staying?" She watched as Sayori looked away once again, looking sad and pitiful from where she sat on the floor.
"I… I don't know. After what happened to Haru's dad… and what happened with Goro just now… It's just a lot to take in." Sayori released a shuddering sigh, hugging her knees to her chest. "I have no idea how long it will take before I feel ready to… to go back there."
Ann frowned, tilting her head in curiosity. "Well, you can stay as long as you want to. I'm alone here a lot anyway, so the company is nice." She straightened up her posture and averted her gaze as well. "I really don't want to ask this, so feel free to not answer… What were you and Goro fighting about?"
Sayori felt herself freeze up, before she buried her head in her knees and shook her head. "Don-wanna-talk-bout-it," she said, her legs muffling the sound.
"Oh," Ann felt herself grow worried, her eyes widening. "Alright. Well… just to make sure… He didn't hurt you or anything, right?"
"No," Sayori said, making sure her voice was clearer, but not wanting to look up just yet. "If things had gotten violent… I would have said we got into a fight, but instead I said we got into an argument." She worried for a second that she sounded rude, but also found that she didn't care overall.
"I get it," Ann muttered. "Well, hopefully you feel better about that in the morning. You saw the group chat on your way here?" At Sayori's nod, Ann continued, "Well, then we both know we have to be there for Haru when we see her again."
"Yeah…" Sayori blinked and finally uncurled herself from the feeble position from earlier. "I'll make sure to do that." The girl quietly got under the top cover of the pallet, pulling the blanket close to her and sinking her head into the heart pillow. Ann decided to go to bed as well, stepping around the girl and turning off the light, before going to her own bed as well.
It wouldn't be until a couple hours later that Sayori would sit up from her rest. Looking over at Ann to ensure she was really asleep, the girl would only get her phone out once she was satisfied. Typing quickly, Sayori sent a message before she had time to regret it. She had already spent hours awake, mulling the decision over in her head.
When the message was sent, Sayori waited until it said that it had been read, before deleting it and exiting out of the chat-app. She put her phone back on the tabletop where she had left it, before sinking back under her covers and going to bed.
Goro Akechi was still sitting there, staring blankly ahead, when his phone buzzed lightly on the table. He nearly managed to ignore it, if not for the notification screen lighting up to tell him who exactly was texting him at such a late hour. He reached out with muted and slow movements, grabbing his phone and blearily looking at it. It took a few seconds for his blurry vision to clear, and the detective slowly realized that he had been crying. When had that started? And how long had he been doing it?
Those questions fizzled away like smoke, as Goro merely gave his eyes a brief swipe to clear them of any debris, and looked at the message Sayori had left him.
"I haven't told anyone, and I don't plan to. I just need space right now. I'll let you know when I'm ready to talk, but I need you to tell me everything that's going on. I hope you understand."
A few moments after reading it, the message disappeared. Sayori had clearly deleted it when it had become obvious her message had been delivered. She didn't want an answer. He had read the text, and replying to it after it had been deleted would only make it clear he didn't understand at all. Sayori had only asked for space, in exchange for keeping his secret for now, and for still listening to him. Her simple condition felt so unfair, so all the detective wanted to do was keep up his end of this one-sided deal to the best of his ability.
Seeing the text was such a relief, it almost made the detective start to cry again. There were no thoughts of how, soon enough, he would have to deal with an apartment that would be empty once again, or the unclear situation with Shido, or even the looming fear of explaining every horrifying detail of his motivations to Sayori.
No. Goro Akechi was exhausted and relieved. The lonely weight of his sins would end soon. No matter how uncertain, eventually Sayori would come back and bring her light with her. She was willing to give him another chance. Later, he would feel a determination unlike any he had ever felt before to not waste this chance, but for now all he felt was relief. A few minutes passed before he slumped over on the couch, hugging one of the pillows to his chest and breathing deeply as sleep finally claimed him.
At school the next day, Sayori nearly jumped out of her seat when her phone vibrated in her pocket. She had been antsy all day, wondering if Goro would go back on their silent agreement to leave her alone for the time being. However, when she looked behind her, she saw Akira and Ann were both checking their phones as well, and realized that she was getting messages from the group chat.
Sayori waited for a few moments for Mr. Inui to turn back to the chalkboard, and then quickly took a look on her phone. Last night's messages about Haru's dad had been worrying enough, especially with his death being confirmed like Makoto predicted. Then Haru hadn't shown up, likely to get her affairs in order at home. So why are the police at the school then?
Nobody in the chat could figure it out, and Sayori wondered if there was some detail they were all missing. Maybe Goro would know… She banished the thought from her head, sliding her phone back into her skirt pocket just as Mr. Inui turned back to the class. She still felt gutted, and her mind was unfocused on what the history teacher was saying. Thinking of Goro had only filled her with confusion today, and she was thinking a lot about the past. She had suspected him, yet she had wanted to be ignorant.
But no matter how much she wanted to unlearn the truth of this world and the role Goro and herself played in it, and no matter how much she wanted to ignore all of it and declare it unimportant in her false reality, Sayori found that she couldn't stop caring. It was all pointless, she knew, but even if she knew better now, she was still a character in this world, alongside the friends she had made. If they died, she knew it wasn't truly reality, but it was still the reality that she lived in.
I'm sorry… for being so indecisive and selfish… Sayori didn't know who she was apologizing to. Maybe it was herself? Not like it mattered.
That train of thought and indifference did lead Sayori onto an entirely new train of thought though. When Okumura had died, Sayori had felt weird for a few long seconds. She had been told she had fainted, but she didn't feel like that was true. Afterall, she had fainted when she had watched Shiho attempt suicide, but that had felt… different, somehow. Sayori tried to remember in what way it had felt different, but trying to remember those few moments from last night only filled her head with static.
When Okumura died, something felt so off… Wait! When Goro admitted everything, he still insisted he didn't kill Okumura… But how does that make sense? Trying to process these thoughts only seemed to fill her head with more static, and Sayori felt that she just wanted a moment of peace to clear her head.
When class was over, and everyone in the group chat had been advised to go straight home, Sayori turned to Ann to tell her something.
A few moments later, Sayori found herself dazedly walking into the library. Her phone vibrated, and she got a text from Ann saying she would be waiting outside the school gates for her so they could walk back to Ann's apartment later.
You could have just come into the library with me. It would have been a lot less suspicious that way, Sayori thought to herself, walking up to the front desk to greet Mai. However, the girl was not sitting in her usual spot. Sayori looked around the library for a few moments, before realizing the ebony-haired girl was actually in the back room. She was rubbing the bridge of her nose with her fingers, and wore a frustrated expression on her face. A small notebook sat in front of her, a bunch of illegible scribbles, marked out scribbles, and arrows pointing to different scribbles covered the current spread she was on.
Wondering what was troubling her friend, Sayori approached the door to the room almost cautiously. She didn't feel right approaching Mai when she was anything less than the cheerful librarian Sayori had come to know. It was like meeting an entirely different person.
"No… this can't be right. I don't understand," Mai muttered, pulling at a few loose strands of hair before smoothing them back. She looked down at the tabletop she was sitting at before shaking her head. "I guess this place is just a lot different than home."
Sayori, feeling incredibly intrusive, politely cleared her throat to let Mai know she was here. Mai flinched and jumped up from her seat. She slowly, cautiously turned around. Upon realizing it was just Sayori, Mai relaxed before shaking her head. "Sayori, you should have knocked first!" The girl slumped in exhaustion. "Thought I was about to get broken into." Mai shrugged, before pulling out a chair. "Eh, whatever. Come and sit down. Let's chat for a while and clear our heads."
"Yeah," Sayori agreed, managing a calm smile. "That's exactly why I came in here." She took a seat in the chair Mai offered, scooting herself against the table.
Mai shut the notebook she had been staring at for so long, before getting up to stretch. "I have tea over here if you're interested. I'll get us both some."
"Please and thank you," Sayori replied, getting comfortable in the small chair. From where she sat, she easily noted that the confident strides Mai used to have had become a slumped walk, and she seemed very much lost in her head, as she overfilled a teacup not once, but two times. Luckily the saucer it sat on caught most of the spillover.
"So, what have you been up to lately, Sayori?" Mai asked, setting both cups down on the table.
"Well, I went to space," Sayori said, her tone dull as she stared down at her tea. "Space was pretty boring to be honest." Neither of the girls laughed at her attempt at humor, instead sipping at their tea silently for a few moments.
"Alright, don't tell me," Mai muttered, though she wasn't at all offended. She just seemed… sad. "Things have just completely gone to shit, and I don't know what to do." The woman shook her head as if to clear away fog. She drank the steamy tea in a huge gulp, barely paying attention to the way it scalded her mouth.
"It's not your fault. It's not like you could have done anything to stop what's been happening," Sayori said calmly, trying to reassure her friend. However, it had the opposite effect.
Mai slammed her cup down on the table harshly, a loud clang reverberating from the table. "That's the problem! I've been workin' my ass off lately, and nothin' ever changes!" A scowl marred her face, and Sayori felt herself beginning to tremble. The tension in her friend made her think too much of…
"It's just… I tried so hard… But everything is just…" The anger almost immediately melted out of Mai, who noticed Sayori's fearful wide eyes. "Everything just feels stuck... No matter what seems to be different, nothing ever truly changes."
"I… think I might know that feeling," Sayori whispered, drinking from her tea some more as Mai refilled her own cup.
Mai looked away from Sayori, frowning thoughtfully. "I'm… sorry, Sayori."
"Huh?" Sayori tilted her head curiously, trying to catch Mai's eye. "What for?"
"I guess for not bein' smart enough. I feel like a bad friend," the woman looked in front of her blankly, and did not elaborate further.
"No way! If nothing else, you're consistent, and that means so much to me right now," Sayori replied, hoping she sounded reassuring. "You've always been honest and easy to read. Lately, it feels like nothing is how I always knew it was… People aren't always who you thought they were." A lump grew in her throat, so Sayori stopped talking and finished off her cup of tea. Still, it didn't stop her throat from tightening or her eyes from becoming misty.
Mai froze for a moment, her grip on her own teacup tightening even more so. "I guess… I'm happy I can help you out with some things, Sayori. Still…" The woman smoothed back her hair once more, "I could be a lot more helpful than I've been. It sucks feelin' this powerless."
Sayori, once again, felt confused. Why was Mai talking like this? She was taking responsibilities onto her shoulders that weren't even hers. Things hadn't changed between the two. Neither girl had done anything different in their friendship, so why was Mai talking as if she had fallen short on something? Sayori didn't understand it at all.
"Well, don't push yourself too hard, Mai. You've already put in a lot of effort."
Mai nodded, before going back to the teapot that sat at the small desk in the room. She put her cup and saucer on it, with plans to wash all of the dishes later. "I'll keep that in mind, but only if you keep somethin' in mind for me, too."
"What would that be?" Sayori got up and put her teacup beside Mai's.
"Well… I think with what you said earlier, that you're havin' issues trustin' people… I have no idea about the context, but don't lose hope. Eventually, everything is gonna clear itself up," Mai said, before giggling to herself. "Gosh, I'm ramblin.' I think I've gotten good at these motivational speeches though."
"Yeah, I appreciate it, Mai," Sayori replied, giving her friend an unenthused smile. Not wanting to give Mai a chance to figure out her disbelief, Sayori stood up and grabbed her backpack, slipping over her shoulders. "I'm going to head out now. I hope you don't have more trouble with the cops, Mai."
"Same to you, Sayori," Mai replied. "Try not to look too glum. It makes you look really shady." The woman waved, grinning at Sayori's deer-in-the-headlights expression.
"I'll…try." With that, the two parted ways. Sayori left the library quickly, only focused on getting back to Ann's place as soon as possible.
After school the next day, everyone gathered at Leblanc. Haru had asked all of them to meet with her. Since no one had heard from her since the night at Destinyland, the others all rushed to be there, wanting to check on their friend's condition.
Sayori felt a chill go up her spine as she arrived at the front of the cafe. Nearby, a man was holding a political campaign, speaking so loud into a microphone that the girl felt her ears might pop. She already felt like she was drowning in a stormy flood with the anxiety she felt about this meeting, but this man somehow made the weight on her heart increase.
"We must build a society in which the young can be hopeful of a brighter tomorrow, and-"
Sayori shut the door behind her, but the cafe's walls were too thin to completely block the speech. It was only muffled, making Sayori moan and cover her ears. Her head felt filled with fog and thunder, and Sayori wondered if the rain would start soon, too.
"Sayori." Futaba was suddenly crouched down next to her, a downcast expression on her face. "Are you okay? Do you feel glitchy?" Sayori only shook her head in response. Futaba sighed. "Which are you saying no to? Both?"
"I just want it to stop…" Sayori resisted the urge to start crying. She felt so pathetic, driven to this by some random man's speech. Though she supposed it was also only the tipping point, after everything else that's happened.
"Maybe it will be quieter upstairs," Futaba said, forcing a hopeful smile. "Let's get to the meeting. We don't want to be late." The younger girl helped Sayori up, and the two walked up the stairs. They arrived to see the one who had summoned them was still not there, yet.
"Hrm? Where's Haru?" Futaba asked curiously. Sayori wondered that as well, moving to sit next to Makoto on the couch. The brunette looked at her with concern. Even she seemed to pick up on the gloomy aura Sayori was giving off. Sayori smiled, trying to look reassuring, only to fail miserably. She used to be better at hiding this distress, but now her own face was betraying her.
"She's the one that called us, so she'll show up eventually," Ryuji muttered, leaning against the wall. He tried to appear nonchalant, but his entire body was tense. Everyone in the room was uneasy, though they tried not to show it.
Ann crossed her legs and reclined in her chair, looking at her phone. "Well, even though things have calmed down, she must be occupied with what happened to her father…" The blond suddenly flinched, before looking closer at her phone. "...wait, WHAT?"
"Wh-what's up?" Futaba asked nervously, eyes widening.
"People are posting that we killed President Okumura!" Ann shouted, holding up her phone for all to see.
"Huh…?" Sayori felt her heart sink even further as she looked at the phone screen. Is that the trap I overheard Goro talking about? She looked away from the screen, shaking her head, trying to not think about it and pay attention to her friends.
"So it's begun already…" Yusuke muttered, glaring at nothing in particular.
"What!?" Ryuji shouted, leaning forward angrily. He hadn't quite figured it out yet.
"Think about it. The CEO collapsed the way he did, during an apology conference that our group caused," Yusuke prompted. Nobody noticed Sayori flinching as everything was spelled out for her. The group was finally starting to catch up…
"Still…!" Ann yelled, incredibly frustrated. "They were raving about us so much… and now they just treat us like murderers?"
"What a lightning-fast change of attitude!" Futaba said, frowning in frustration.
"They don't know a damn thing about our situation…!" Ryuji stomped his foot on the ground, dragging a hand through his hair.
"Calm down. Not everyone is necessarily saying that…" Makoto tried to sound reassuring, but it felt half-hearted at best. Ryuji only shook his head, angry at the situation they were in.
"But there's no way to vindicate ourselves," Yusuke said regretfully. He looked down at his feet.
Just then, Haru walked into the room. Sayori felt as though her chest was being compressed until it was flat, seeing the friend who had been so hurt by what had just happened. What I allowed to happen...
"Haru!" Futaba shouted, looking at the girl with a mixture of sympathy and relief. Everyone had been worried for her.
"I'm sorry I'm late," Haru said, a calm smile painted onto her face. She sounded far too casual. "I'm the one who asked you all to make time for me too…"
"My condolences. It must be rough," Makoto said with closed eyes. Perhaps she was thinking of her own father.
"I'm OK now," Haru said reassuringly.
Sayori felt like she was going to vomit. Why was Haru acting like she had already recovered from her grief for their sake? She's not fine… No one here is fine… Nothing is… I'm not...
"Um, I called everyone together because there was something worrying me. Did you all target the principal?" Haru asked, hesitant at first, but stern as she asked her question. If they had gone after her father, with everyone else knowing that this would likely happen… But she had to believe in them… and give them the benefit of the doubt.
Is that even what she really thinks? Or is it just… Sayori brought her arms up to her knees and hugged herself tightly. Is this just what I'm assuming? Just like how I assumed he…
"Huh? The principal? You mean ours?" Ann stood up, confusion plain on her face. Their principal had died, so…
Goro killed him, too…
"Yes," Haru confirmed, giving them all a stern frown. Why had she not thought to ask this of any of them sooner? Haru didn't know, but…
Stop.
"What makes you say that?" Morgana asked, eyes wide as he stood up. He had known Haru the longest, but he had still been with the Phantom Thieves when Kobayakawa had died. So…
Stop.
"Yesterday, a public prosecutor came to my home," Haru explained, before looking down sadly. "Um… It was a woman named… Niijima-san."
Stop.
Makoto's eyes widened. "That's-"
Stop.
"I overheard her saying a calling card was found in the principal's office," Haru finished her explanation. "Considering that this was right after what happened… It's got to be Shujin's."
Stop.
"That's the first I've heard of it!" Ryuji yelled angrily.
Stop.
"Doesn't this all seem weird to you?" Makoto asked after a moment. "It may just be my imagination… But I feel as if… things are escalating far too quickly after President Okumura's incident."
Stop.
Stop.
Stop.
"SHUT UP!"
"Sayori?"
"No! Just stop talking! I can't take it anymore so just shut up!" How long was she supposed to listen to this? When was it going to end? Sayori screamed and covered her ears, not caring who heard her. She didn't want to listen anymore! She didn't want to watch any of this any longer! That's all she ever did!
"Sayori, what's wrong? Talk to us."
"I just said no! You already aren't listening so stop talking!" Her breathing picked up as tears streamed down her face. Sobs wracked her body. She found it alarming that no one touched her, or tried to comfort her, though a distant but incomprehensible voice in her head told her it made sense. This wasn't supposed to happen. She wasn't supposed to act like this.
Her vision was so blurry… She couldn't see anything. Her screams were so loud… She couldn't hear anything. She was alone… alone with nothing but herself, and it terrified her. She was terrified as she remained in this spot, barely able to move or anything. How long had it been like this now? Hours? Months? Just how long had she done nothing?
The rest of her friends stood around her. Sayori had asked them to stop talking, so they had all gotten out their phones to communicate. The girl was in hysterics, and looked like she might break, or break herself, if anyone tried to touch her.
"What should we do?" The chat was filled with that message. Everyone was clueless about what to do, looking for guidance. Akira felt like he himself was at a standstill. There wasn't a single hint as to what he should choose to do.
Minutes seemed to pass, and Sayori's cries and wails seemed to be on loop. It felt like everyone was frozen in their places, unable to move or process anything in their environment.
This wasn't supposed to happen.
I'm not supposed to be crying… This is wrong! I'm messing everything up and everyone is suffering because of me! Those thoughts piled in one after another, and Sayori's body relaxed against her will. Even crying was exhausting to her. Her mind hated her for it, but that feeling barely had the strength to last for long.
It had been quiet for a few minutes. Sayori's body was starting to relax. Akira was just about to check on her when-
"I should go."
Nothing else was said. Sayori stood up on wobbly legs, shaking her head and wiping the tears away from her face. It felt like he was moving in slow motion as Akira was finally able to make the choice to reach out to her.
"No…I don't think I can handle that right now. I just need some time to myself. I'm sorry, everyone," Sayori said tiredly. She went down the stairs, and out the door. Everyone heard the bell ring on her way out.
"Should we be worried about that?" Ryuji asked, looking in the direction the girl had gone. "It's not possible for Palaces to come back, is it?"
"No, that's not what's happening here," Morgana said sternly, though with none of the hostility that he would have had.
"Well, she probably just has a lot of things to think about," Futaba speculated. "I mean… she is the one that's dying. Maybe she just needs some time to herself to calm down?'
"I hope you're right," Yusuke said, looking down at the floor grimly.
"We should all go home," Makoto said suddenly. She turned to Haru sadly. "I'm sorry this meeting got cut short."
"It's perfectly fine," Haru said. "I got the answer I came for, so there is no need to dwell."
"Sayori is probably going back to my apartment," Ann speculated. "Should I go home, or should I give her some space?" The blonde thought to herself for a moment, before shaking her head. "Actually, if she needs space I can just go into a different room. I should still be there to keep an eye on her."
"That's for the best," Akira agreed. "Let us know how she's doing."
"I will," Ann agreed, before turning and beginning to leave.
"Before everyone leaves, let's all make one thing clear," Makoto stated. "We all need to act as normal students for now. We can't afford to draw attention to ourselves. It's safe to say we're in danger, since we've been set up."
Everyone nodded, and before he knew it, Akira was standing in an empty room.
Sheets of paper were scattered across the tabletop, with even more crumpled on the floor. Markers of several different colors were arranged on the side of the table, carefully color-coded for the detective's convenience. A worn journal was open, with a few pages torn out. A laptop had several files open, and was plugged in to avoid it suddenly dying.
Goro Akechi sat across from this mess, looking even worse for wear. The clothes he was wearing were rumpled and stained with coffee. His hair was a rat's nest and his eyes were dark. He was having a hard time remembering when he had last showered. How many days had it been? He wasn't sure, because at this point his brain hardly worked. It hadn't been working properly for a while, but now it was especially bad for several reasons.
Theories about what had happened to Okumura lay to one side. The only real possibility was underlined several times. Someone else must have done it, because Goro hadn't killed him. Though how could he be sure that it really happened that way? All of the Thieves had already left, and he had been the only one in the room. He should have known if there was anyone else. Then again, perhaps this possible other person was just more stealthier then he gave them credit for. Then there was the question of who this other person could be.
Despite his limited knowledge, the detective still speculated about this. On the other side of the table were plans to remedy this lack of information. Recent developments meant he needed to come up with more than one way to do this. He had to come up with what to do for any contingency.
Just outside the window, lightning flashed and thunder cracked. The detective frowned as his mind continued getting stuck on certain thoughts. The last time he was able to lay plans out like this was when Sayori had gone to Hawaii. Now, he was able to do it once again, for a much worse reason. Once again, Sayori was gone, but now there was no guarantee she would be coming back.
That thought had been choking him for the past few days. He had given her space, because he knew she needed that time. Hopefully she was spending it with the friends who could actually help her. He had been avoiding Leblanc, as well as any other of the group's hangout spots, because of this. He had avoided going outside altogether actually.
In the past, this would have been alright. He would come home to an empty apartment and think of his future plans, speculating what it would feel like when he achieved his goals. The apartment would be quiet, empty, dark, and peaceful… except he no longer found any of that peaceful.
It was maddening, being alone with thoughts of his plans and sins. It had been maddening during Hawaii and all of the time Sayori had spent in the cognitive world. But now even more so, because it was indefinite. The apartment would stay empty like this now. Sayori wouldn't come back here. She was too smart for that. And in the scenario that she wasn't, he knew he couldn't let her.
Because this is my punishment…
He deserved to stay in this room forever and slowly rot away. Even more deserved would be the addition of a straightjacket and no access to luxuries such as food and water. Goro Akechi knew this, but the more time he spent alone in this house, the more he found he couldn't take it.
Putting the cap on a fading red marker, he finally stood up from the couch and stretched, his back making several cracking sounds. He went over to the window and looked outside, staring at the deep puddles being struck by raindrops. After a moment's hesitation, he smoothed his hair down and disappeared into the bathroom. Twenty minutes later he exited, his hair combed and his face clean shaven. He wore clean and pressed clothes and a mask of charmingness.
He took slow steps towards the door, grabbed an umbrella from the corner, and left behind the lonely room he had been in. He didn't stop to talk to neighbors, or even look at them. There were no distractions he found worthy of addressing. He simply made his way to the building's exit and out into the rainy day.
As he expected, the rain was absolutely miserable, making the world dark and gloomy. Still, breathing in the city air made him feel as if he were in an open field, even if the scent of rain in the air made him want to gag. Normal people were supposed to find that refreshing, so Goro swallowed that reaction. Once again, he was out amongst the public. It was instinct by now to keep his mask on around these people.
So it was with a painted smile that he began to think. The rain never failed to do that. He thought of stormy nights and falling bodies that he had never seen. He thought of spending the years that would follow in a living hell, surrounded by people who didn't care about him. He would grow hateful. He would swear revenge at any cost, all so he could say he did something with his worthless life.
But if she were still around, he knew she wouldn't have wanted that. She would have wanted him to forget those people who made him feel like trash. They were the worthless ones, in her eyes. Though her actions had contradicted her words, she had only ever wanted him to be happy, loved, and safe. She would have wanted him to hang onto the love he had found for as long as possible.
I'm sorry, but I had already ruined everything before I even found it. My hands are covered in too much blood now. I killed one of her only friends; my friend's mother, and another's father, and so many more…
I shouldn't call them my friends. Not after all of this. If only I could have met these people sooner… It was a sappy thought, yes. But Goro Akechi was already drowning in his regrets, so he might as well…
Suddenly, his phone rang loudly, and Goro quickly grabbed it out of his pocket. It was only for a moment, but he found himself desperately hoping that it was Sayori. He would tell her anything she asked for. No… he would just tell her everything.
Hopes were quickly dashed, replaced only by a cold fury. To anyone else though, Goro Akechi only looked minorly inconvenienced, and perhaps annoyed, as he quickly answered Shido's call.
Sayori sat numbly on the small chair in Ann's place. She had been picking at loose threads on her skirt, causing the fabric to become thin in some places. Perhaps it would even tear. She didn't know. She didn't care. Maybe if she found one certain thread, the entire thing would fall apart. It would be fitting, anyway.
Ann had come in briefly to check on her. Perhaps Sayori had looked like she had fallen asleep, because the girl had gotten quite close up to look at her. After a few seconds the blonde let out a small sigh, perhaps in relief, before standing up and leaving. She went in the next room after that, leaving with the small whispered promise of giving her space.
Is that really what I need right now, though…? Sayori asked herself silently, pulling yet another thread loose. How much space do I need before everything is okay again?
She knew that wasn't how it worked… but that's how it felt. It was a torturous contradiction she was feeling right now. Having people close to her while she was like this only made her mind want to conjure up hateful words. But at the same time she longed for that closeness. She wanted someone to hug her tightly and tell her things would be alright…
But would they be lying to me?
Sayori didn't know anymore. She just wanted to go to sleep today. With that thought in mind, the girl found the energy to get up and go to the rolled up bundle of blankets in the corner of Ann's room. She reconstructed her pallet and slipped under the first layer of blankets, and closed her eyes and tried to relax. But no matter how hard she tried, sleep just wouldn't come.
Once again, Goro sat uncomfortably in the small chair facing Shido's desk. He had to wonder if Shido was going to kill him, but one look from the man's face told him otherwise. Obviously, the man believed Okumura was dead because of him, and Goro wasn't about to correct him on that either.
"I can only imagine you timed that so he would die at the very last minute," Shido said, a smirk on his face. "Any time after the calling card would have done, but killing him so that he would die on live television? I had no idea you could come up with something so diabolical." The man's glasses glinted in the artificial light of the room, and a princely smile formed on Goro's face.
"I like to live so that I am constantly impressing people," the young detective replied, tacking a small chuckle onto the end for effect.
"The rate of approval for the Phantom Thieves has seen a dramatic decrease. I'm surprised it's gone down so fast," Shido remarked. Goro pretended to enjoy the compliment, even as it made him feel like spiders were crawling across his skin. "Though I have to ask, why did you not tell us that this was your intention from the beginning? It would have saved you a beating from Yaguchi."
Goro had come prepared for this. "Aside from the fact that- again- I like to defy expectations and impress people… I have to say the lack of trust I had been receiving up until then had been frustrating. I have been working for you for a few years now, Shido-san." The detective bowed his head slightly. "I suppose I didn't say anything earlier because I felt that I should let my work speak for itself."
"And indeed it did," Shido agreed. He gave one firm nod of acknowledgement, his wicked smirk growing wider. "Though, according to the recent information I received from Yaguchi, I can tell there is another reason for your odd behavior."
"What would that be?" Goro asked, trying to look as though he were curious and not worried. However, what Shido said next made it impossible to hide his discomfort.
"How was it?"
That question filled Goro Akechi with a disgust that he hadn't ever felt. Thinking about this man, and the way he had shamed his mother, and countless other women, gave him the intense urge to strangle him.
Shido didn't give him a chance to, laughing it off as if his question wasn't a big deal. "Considering how you're reacting, I guess it was your first time." That seemed to make him laugh even harder, sending chills down the detective's spine. "To think, the detective prince was a virgin until barely a week ago."
"Could you please get to the point, Shido-san?" Goro asked politely, though he knew he was letting his irritation show with his clipped words.
"Well, with your consistent good work that you recently displayed, as well as the extra benefits that resulted from how you went about Okumura, I have decided to reward you," Shido explained. "With the election coming up, the two of us will be parting ways soon, anyway. I have decided that the need to hold Sayori Matsu over your head is no longer needed."
The detective resisted the urge to snort. Aside from the fact that there was no way Shido was being sincere, Sayori was not associating with him at the moment, anyway. Of course, if something happened to her even while she wasn't staying with him, he would still do whatever it took to keep her safe. But she was not as close to him as she was before. At least, she wasn't close in the literal sense.
"I am thankful for that," Goro replied instead, giving Shido a wide smile. Hopefully it looked clueless enough to make the man think he believed his nonsense.
"Well, now that the Phantom Thieves have fallen into our trap, it is time to discuss what you must do next. It is finally time to deliver the finishing blow, and then both you and I will be free to pursue our ambitions," Shido explained.
Goro made a show of sitting at attention, and Shido chuckled. The detective paid close attention to the details of Shido's plan, happy enough that it coincided with his own in some ways. This would make going behind the man's back, and eventually betraying him, much more easier.
A few days later, after exams, Sojiro found the seats of his cafe filled by teenagers once again. Akira, Futaba, and their friends, except for Sayori, were spread out around the cafe, idly chatting. Apparently, another one of them had wanted to meet everyone here. Haru had wanted to do that earlier, and now it would seem that Ann wanted to as well.
Sojiro wasn't really interested in any of that teenage drama, but it was hard not to listen in. Afterall, Ryuji had a tendency to be very loud.
"For real?! So are you sayin' they broke up?!"Ryuji asked, scowling. "But that doesn't make any effin' sense!"
Everyone stared directly at Ann, interested in what she had been talking about. "Not exactly… Sayori didn't confirm or deny it when I asked. All she said was that she and Goro got into a fight…"
"A fight?" Yusuke asked in shock.
"No! Not that kind of fight!" Ann said, immediately correcting herself. "Sayori said that it was an argument, so they only fought with words. At least, that's all she's told me." The blonde closed her eyes and shook her head. "I mean, she looked perfectly fine, so I assumed he hadn't touched her… But what if I was wrong in assuming that?!" The girl pulled her pigtails anxiously. Am I about to repeat the mistakes I made with Shiho?
"Ann, calm down," Makoto said calmly, reaching over and patting the girl lightly on the shoulder. "Sayori phrased it as an argument because she knew that if she said that they fought, you might get the wrong idea. If they had actually fought, Sayori wouldn't have phrased it that way." Explaining how Sayori typically worked when she was trying to be dishonest, Makoto became more confident in her answer.
Ann took a few deep breaths. "You're right. Still…"
"It's also worth keeping in mind Goro's usual behaviors, as well," Haru commented. "I believe that we have spent enough time with him to know he would never raise his hand against her. He is also regarded as an expert at debate, so he would clearly have an advantage if the two of them argued."
Futaba nodded from where she was crouched on her chair. "Not to mention, Sayori looked fine at the meeting we had… At least it didn't look like she was physically hurt." But mentally… I'm not so sure. The girl hugged her knees to her chest. "Still, I wonder what was so bad that Sayori decided to go live with you, Ann."
"She didn't say…" Ann replied regretfully.
"Maybe it's about us," Akira theorized.
"For real? What's that mean?!" Ryuji asked, offended. "Does he not like us bein' her friends? I thought he saw us as his friends? So why-"
"Not like that, idiot!" Morgana interrupted. "They could have gotten into an argument about the Phantom Thieves. It was on the same night as Okumura's mental shutdown. If Goro really does suspect us of being the Phantom Thieves, and doesn't know we weren't the ones who killed Okumura, then he might have been trying to warn Sayori."
"It's likely that Sayori was offended, and then the argument escalated," Yusuke concluded, looking down with a sigh.
"Of course, that's only one theory about what could have happened," Makoto said. "We also have to consider that it could be because of recent pressures they had begun to feel because of their relationship." When everyone looked at her, she blushed slightly and looked away. She wasn't about to give a lesson on sexual education again.
"Goro did want to stay home from the party, when he had recently been so excited," Haru added. "I can relate to what he could have been feeling about their relationship quite well. Perhaps he felt that they were going too fast, and wanted some time to himself to process things…"
"But after what happened to your father, I don't think a recent night of passion would be at the front of their minds," Yusuke said, wincing as he brought it up once again.
"You know…" Sojiro suddenly cut in, stepping up to refill Ann's cup of coffee, "You guys could ask Sayori what happened."
"Tried that," Ann replied. "Didn't work. Last I saw her, she was still trying to sleep the day away… I honestly shouldn't have come here, actually."
Sojiro grunted. "Still, she probably wouldn't appreciate you guys gossipping and making theories behind her back."
"Well said, Sojiro," Futaba commented. "I feel sorry I brought it up now…" The girl shrunk in shame.
Sojiro shook his head. "Don't feel bad about it. You're just concerned for your friends."
"What do you think we should do, Boss?" Ryuji asked, wishing that the man could provide answers for much more than their friends' relationship problems. Still, solving these issues might make their lives return to some hint of normalcy.
"Well, from what I've heard, just be there for them… but stay out of their business. Sayori especially sounds like she needs the support," Sojiro advised. "Whether the relationship lasts is up to them. Choosing what to do next depends solely on them."
Haru couldn't help but look away at this, sighing sadly to herself. Everyone looked at her in concern for a few moments, before Ann suddenly stood up in alarm.
"Shoot, I really need to get home, now that I think about it. If Sayori's still sleeping, I'll need to be the one to make dinner for the both of us." The blonde grabbed her purse, slipped a few yen bills out of it, and ran out of the door with a shout of "thank you!"
"Well, if the one who summoned us here for this meeting is leaving, we should all disperse," Yusuke said. He got up as well, quickly realizing his pockets felt too light to pay for his own meal. He was about to turn to Sojiro to explain his financial situation, only for the man to wave him off.
"There's a new mandatory rule in this cafe," Sojiro explained. "The 'Yusuke Kitagawa Exception" is a rule that basically means that if Yusuke can't pay, he doesn't have to." He jerked a thumb at Akira, "He just has to pay it off through his work."
"I thought it was your idea though, Sojiro," Futaba commented, before turning to Yusuke and giving him a shooing gesture. "You heard him, Inari. Go home and paint whatever it is that you wasted your money on this time."
Yusuke nodded in agreement, relief washing over him. Still, he felt guilty about not paying for his meal, so he made a mental note to paint something beautiful that could be hung on Leblanc's walls. Maybe that would attract more business and pay for his meals by association. He looked at the Sayuri for a brief moment of inspiration, before quickly leaving.
"That guy's gettin' off too easy," Ryuji complained. "Why aren't we all exceptions?"
"Are you forgetting the "Akira's Friends Get a Discount" rule that Boss made months ago?" Makoto asked incredulously. "We come in here all the time, and he needs money to support this place, you know." She set down her own payment, before heading out as well.
Ryuji scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Now I feel bad." He set his own money down, making sure it was without the discount as an apology. "Akira, do you wanna train later?"
"Sure," Akira replied, moving to the back of the cafe to get started on a pile of dishes.
"I will take my leave, too," Haru said, setting down her full payment, as well as a handsome tip. "I have a lot of business I need to attend to."
"Once again," Sojiro said, causing the girl to pause, "I'm sorry for your loss."
Haru, already facing the door, gave a small nod. She left quickly after that.
With that, Leblanc was empty of any customers. Only the people who called it a residence remained. Sojiro and Akira began to clean up and prepare for the next work day, while Futaba chatted idly with Morgana. Suddenly, the young girl's phone buzzed. Pushing her glasses up her nose, the girl got out her phone and opened up her chat app. It only took one second for her to let out a small scream.
Sojiro and Akira rushed over, only for Futaba to stick the phone in Akira's face. One look at the message told her that it would be better to not tell Sojiro.
Akira pulled the phone away from his face, and Morgana hopped onto his shoulders. A message from Ann had just appeared, and from the wording, Futaba had every right to be panicking.
"Sayori disappeared! When I got back home she was just gone! And I couldn't find her anywhere…"
"You don't think she…?" Makoto's text came immediately after.
"I didn't glitch," Sayori replied after a few moments. "There's just something that I needed to do. And I thought, 'if I just do it, maybe things will be okay?'"
"I'm tired of things being not-okay."
"That's not reassuring at all!" Ryuji texted.
"What are you going to do?" Yusuke asked.
Sayori did not reply.
Goro was sitting alone at home, looking over the current drafts of his plans and theories, when his phone chimed. His heart skipped a beat, recognizing the ringtone had set up to alert him that it was Sayori. As he got out his phone, he noticed his hand was shaking.
"I'm ready to talk now. I'll be at the apartment soon."
The detective began to worry. Should Sayori really be coming here? Wouldn't she feel safer if they just talked over the phone. Though he supposed it was possible that a call could be eavesdropped on…
How soon is soon? He suddenly asked himself, before jumping up from his seat. He began to sort through all of the plans he had made, finding the papers he would need to show Sayori. Depending on how their talk went, he would be able to figure out exactly which plan he needed to use.
Goro did his best to keep his mind occupied as he waited for Sayori to arrive. He wouldn't dare trick himself into believing or hoping that Sayori would want him after this… That she would forgive him beyond the required amount she needed to understand the circumstances they were all in. It wasn't fair to entertain these feelings when he didn't deserve to have them reciprocated.
None of that matters now. How she feels about me won't change how I feel about her. It doesn't change the goal I now have… No matter how much I wish she knew I cared.
As soon as Ann left to meet with everyone else, Sayori peeked her head out from under the covers of her pallet. She slipped out and quickly changed out of the pajamas Ann had let her borrow. She had been borrowing the girl's clothes for a week straight, so hopefully it would be okay to borrow one more outfit.
After a few minutes, Sayori was all dressed up in a skintight black sweater, white dress pants, and her own normal blue and white mary janes. Studying herself in the mirror, Sayori considered what to do as she combed her hair until it no longer looked like she had been laying in bed for days. Looking down nervously, Sayori finally made her decision as she clipped her red bow onto her hair.
"Keep wearing this. You'll only give him what he wants if you show people he got to you."
Those words had been ingrained into Sayori's head ever since that first day at Shujin Academy. Goro's voice always seemed to repeat inside her head whenever she had doubts… Whenever she felt alone and afraid, she would think of how he had clipped it into her hair, assuring her that he would keep her safe- not only from Kamoshida's lust- but from whatever would dare make her feel unsafe. He would always support her, and that had filled Sayori with the sense of safety and trust so intimate that it would cause many other feelings to bloom after that.
Sayori adjusted the bow so that it sat slightly askew on her pink hair. She picked up her phone and typed out a quick message to Goro. She took a deep breath, and then hit send. She left the apartment quickly after that, a bundle of nerves coiled tightly in her chest, warning her that she was walking deeper into a lion's den with every step she took.
The phantom feeling of gentle arms hugging her as she cried, and then clipping her bow onto her hair, filled her senses. Remembering that touch, Sayori found that even her nerves were disappearing. Strangely enough, she wasn't afraid.
I hope you all liked the chapter! It was shorter, but I also got it out more quickly then normal. Hopefully you'll like how things are going to go from now on. I'm looking forward to the next chapter, too. Anyway, please read and review, and I'll see you all next time.