Chapter 3
"Back to normal, more or less"
*ding-a-ling*
"Hm? Ah, you're back," Sojiro said after setting his newspaper down.
Akechi nodded and eased himself onto the stool.
"So, how are ya feeling?"
"Thankfully, I wasn't hurt too bad so I was able to get to a hospital soon enough without many injuries. The doctor just told me to take it easy for a few days while my ribs healed up. Still, 2 weeks was way too long for staying in the hospital; even longer was the amount of time I wasn't allowed out of my home."
"Is that so? Well, I'm glad to hear that. Have a cup on the house."
Akechi nodded in thanks as Sojiro got out a few bags of coffee beans and his grinder. While he waited for his drink to be finished, he checked the TV that was going on in the background.
"And now, we're back with an exclusive interview with Toranosuke Yoshida," the man said as the camera panned onto the politician sitting in a nearby chair.
"Your recent ratings have gone through the roof in the coming years haven't they, Representative Toranosuke?"
The man nodded his head.
"Indeed they have, and I am very grateful for those who have given me much support."
"This is a big step ever since your debut as a Diet member. If you don't mind, would you tell us what you were like back then?"
"Why sure! Back then, I was a naive and corrupt man who only cared about making it big in the field of politics. Many of the acts that I had done were unbecoming of a representative as well as a common member of society. After my fall, I had realized my mistakes and sought to right the wrongs that I had done, and thanks to some help, I was able to realize my goal in becoming a member of the world of politics as we know it today."
The reporter nodded along with what he was saying before turning back to his notes.
"One more thing that I would like to ask; what was your reason for pardoning the former Ace Detective Goro Akechi? Surely, what he has done is unbecoming of a detective as well, is that not correct?"
Akechi cringed at this and turned away from the screen.
"I will not deny that some of the acts that he had committed are without a doubt crimes, but I believe that he was deserving of forgiveness. After all, he is one of the many people that my campaign is built upon. The strong taking advantage of the weak, the older generation seeking to exploit the younger, that is the society that I wish to fight against. There is no doubt in my mind that Akechi-kun is likely one of the victims of such a society as well."
Then, Toranosuke turned straight to the camera.
"Akechi-kun, I don't know if you are watching this, but if you are, I hope that you will be able to live the life you never could now. Many people will hate you for what you did and some may never forgive you, but I hope that there is a group of people who will accept you for who you are."
Akechi smiled at the television set and bowed his head. The sound of a cup and saucer could be heard from the table as Sojiro set down his drink.
"Ah, thank you, boss," Akechi said as he sipped the drink.
Smooth and bold with a slight citrus flavor, Sojiro sure knew how to brew good coffee.
"No problem. If you need anything, I'll be outside," Sojiro said while grabbing his lighter and a pack of Wild Seven's.
Akechi nodded and continued his drink. Then, a noise could be heard in the seat next to him.
"Oh, morning Morgana."
The black cat jumped onto the stool and sat down next to him.
"Morning Akechi. How goes the ribs?"
Akechi rubbed his sides and slightly winced.
"Please don't remind me. Although, I've gone through worse. Care for some coffee? I'm sure Sojiro wouldn't mind if I took a little extra for you."
Morgana shook his head.
"No thanks. As much as I'm sure I'd like it, it might not be such a good idea. After all, a cat's tongue is more sensitive to taste than yours."
"Hm hm," Akechi mumbled.
"So you've finally admitted to being a cat. You surely have grown."
"Hilarious, Crow. Besides, just because I'm a cat right now doesn't mean I can't find a way to become human later."
In the recent months following his redemption, Akechi found the not-cat to be quite the conversationalist. One thing led to another, and eventually the two got into a basis of chatting from time to time whenever Akira wasn't around. He also discovered that they had a similar taste in sushi, so there was practically no reason for them to hate each other.
"I heard things went well with Haru. Pretty contradictory to what happened, though. Mind sharing the details?"
Akechi sighed and eased into his seat.
"She accidentally tripped while trying to catch up to me and ended up landing on top of me. Besides that matter, she accepted my apology and we're now on good terms. But I still feel like something is off… "
Morgana struggled to scratch the back of his ear but listened attentively.
"What makes you think that?"
"Well there was that matter of all those pastries that everyone received… "
Two weeks ago…
Makoto: Um, hey guys, did you get a box full of cakes? I just found a big one in front of my door.
Ryuji: Yeah, same here, except I've got a bunch of cookies.
Ryuji: Had to borrow my neighbor's hand truck just to get it inside. Ma was really surprised.
Yusuke: The same happened to me as well. The school said I had a delivery and they brought up a rather large box filled to the brim with sweet rolls.
Yusuke: I must say, despite it being such hefty baggage, I haven't been more grateful; I've begun to get tired of eating nothing but bean sprouts for some time
Futaba: Inari… that isn't healthy…
Futaba: It happened to me too! Sojiro just brought in a box of pound cake!
Futaba: Although, I don't think we can finish it all by ourselves so he's serving some with the coffee at LeBlanc
Ann: I am in heaven right now. I haven't tasted bonbons this good ever, not even when I went to France. Whoever sent these is an angel.
Yusuke: Indeed. I'm considering making a cup of coffee to go with these sweet rolls of mine.
Akechi: That sounds rather strange. Are you sure these aren't from fans? It's happened to me a lot before.
Akira: Yo, Akechi, so I was going to check up on you since you can't get out of the house right now, but I found a huge box outside of your apartment.
Akechi: Oh? Strange, I never expected anything today. What's inside?
Akira: Oh god, whoever sent these has a hilarious sense of humor.
Akechi: Wait, if it's what I think it is…
Akira: They're pancakes.
Akira: STACKS
Akira: OF BUTTERED
Akira: PANCAKES
Futaba: LOLOLOLOL
Ryuji: LMAO!
Akechi: … Believe it or not, this isn't the first time it's happened to me
Akira: Okay, but seriously, who did it? We're the only ones who joke about pancakes with Akechi this much.
Akechi: Actually, hold on a moment, Akira. Rumor about my love of pancakes is very well-known so it isn't surprising that I got these.
Akechi: What is surprising is that everyone else got packages as well.
Akechi: Maybe the general public has found out about our identities as former Phantom Thieves?
Akira: Oh crap, that might be true.
Futaba: Ryuji, this is all your fault!
Ryuji: Wait what? Why me?
Makoto: Well, I found out about your identities one time thanks to Ryuji…
Ryuji: Well, can't argue with you there…
Ryuji: Wait, but you guys are fully enjoying this though, why are you angry at me?
Ryuji: Futaba's probably stuffing her mouth with that pound cake as we're talking right now.
Futaba: This is all your fault. This delicious, light, fluffy pound cake is all your fault.
Haru: Oh, sorry everyone. That was me.
Ryuji: For real?!
Akira: Seriously?
Akechi: I'm glad I was wrong then.
Haru: I was baking something and I ended up making too much. Hope you guys can help me finish this.
Yusuke: Haru, I am forever in your debt. If you ever have an abundance of food, I shall always be available.
Haru: You're welcome.
Akechi: What caused you to over bake like that?
Haru: Oh, you know, I just got carried away.
Akechi: That seems rather concerning. Are you sure you're feeling alright?
Haru: Yes, I'm fine!
Akira: Hey Akechi, do you want to borrow my maple syrup?
Akechi: Why? I already have a jar inside the cupboard.
Akira: One jar won't cut it for this stack
Akechi: What do you mean? How big are those pancakes?
Akira: Its diameter is the same as my wingspan. The stack is up to my waist.
Akechi: … Haru? Are you sure you're alright?
Haru: Perfectly fine! Never been better!
Flashback End
"Haru must have broke the record for the biggest pancake at that point," Morgana exclaimed.
"Mm, no she didn't. The record is about a 15 meter diameter somewhere in the UK," Akechi said whilst taking another sip of his coffee.
"Really? That's quite impressive. Say, how did you know about that off the top of your head?"
Akechi froze in place.
"... I happened to search it up that day."
Morgana raised his eyebrow.
"Really? But you still remember from that long ago? Even the details?"
Akechi quickly put his hand on top of Morgana's head to shut him up.
"Wh- hey! Ow! Ow, that- hey. Oh, actually… that actually feels really… really nice… mrrooow."
Despite his claims, a cat is still a cat, and Akira had to make him shut up at some point. Akechi was grateful for how open his bespectacled friend was in his methods of silencing the feline. Said silence was short-lived, however, when Haru stepped inside.
"Oh, hello Akechi-kun. I hope you're doing better."
Akechi smiled and nodded.
"Not to worry, I'm fine. Speaking of which, care for a cup of coffee?"
Haru quickly shook her head.
"Um, actually no thanks. I decided to, uh, to… to give Mona-chan a visit! He's been pretty lonely ever since Akira and Mako-chan started going out more often."
Akechi tilted his head.
"Really? I thought Akira was actively trying to avoid Makoto, especially ever since that incident."
*ding-a-ling*
All of a sudden, Akira dashed into the cafe, panting as if he had run a mile.
"Guys, I wasn't here, I didn't go upstairs, and you never saw me, alright?"
Before either of them could respond, Akira dashed up the steps to his room. Now, they both looked even more confused.
"What was he talking about? And what was he running for?"
"Crap! I almost forgot!"
Akira then ran downstairs again and unplugged the radio-set that Futaba usually used to communicate.
"Akira, is there something you want to tell us?" Haru asked.
But Akira made a mad dash upstairs once again.
"Wait a second, was he wearing that onesie again?"
*ding-a-ling*
Slowly, Akechi turned around and his soul filled with dread.
"Ah, good morning Akechi-kun," Makoto said in a sing-song voice.
She was wearing a panda onesie as well, and seemed to never stop smiling.
"G-g-good morning, N-n-niijima-san," he stuttered, struggling not to spill his coffee.
She looked around the room before speaking again.
"Say, you wouldn't happen to have seen Akira anywhere, have you?" she asked.
Akechi started sweating like crazy, but he shook his head.
"Oh really? Well that's too bad. What about you, Haru? Morgana?"
They both shook their heads as well, not wanting to say anything at all. Makoto, however, did not seem to be convinced.
"So none of you have seen him at all? I was sure he ran this way."
Then, she leaned over to Akechi and whispered into his ear.
"Say, you wouldn't happen to be lying to me, would you? Lying will only make things worse."
Akechi tried to speak, but couldn't squeeze out the words due to his sheer terror. Luckily, Haru jumped in.
"Oh, you know we would never lie to you Mako-chan, why would we ever lie to you?"
Makoto stayed still before backing off.
"Yeah, you're right, Haru. You would never lie to me."
She turned around and stepped out the door. After a few seconds of anticipation, everyone let out a deep breath. Akechi pulled out his phone and texted Akira.
Akechi: She's gone. You're safe.
Akira: Thanks, I owe you one.
Futaba: Did you think that taking out the radio and the bugs would ever make you safe?
Akira: Futaba, don't you dare.
Futaba: I'll do it if I feel like it. You know what I feel like right now? Lunch
Futaba: You have 10 minutes to get me deluxe sushi or I'll give Makoto your location. Forget about ditching your phone, too; I have access to all the cameras in Yongen-jaya.
Akira: Dammit, alright fine!
Akira walked down the stairs looking defeated. Haru, feeling sorry for their leader, patted him on the shoulder.
"I'm so sorry about this, Akira."
Akira looked confused but shook his head.
"It's fine. I just need to hide from her for another day or two."
As he checked if the coast was clear, Haru covered her face.
"I've created a monster. Oh well, here goes nothing."
Then, Akechi tapped Akira's shoulder.
"Hey, you know, there is a way to get back at Futaba for this."
"How? She's got all of Tokyo's technology under her thumb."
"Well, she is human, after all. And the way that she's been sleeping, she's bound to crash anytime soon… "
Akira's eyes suddenly lit up as a plan began to unfold.
"Yeah… yeah I can work with that… I wonder how much I can get away with this on my current funds… "
Haru brought out her credit card from her purse and handed it to him.
"Here, go ahead and use it as you see fit. Just don't spend too much."
"Seriously? Are you sure Haru?"
Haru nodded as Akira happily accepted her card.
"Great, now everything is in motion. I'll give this back soon, Haru. And Akechi, thanks for the tip! I owe you some Haru pancakes!"
Both Akechi and Haru blushed at the comment, but before they could respond, Akira had already left. Morgana, somehow reading the situation in record time, jumped off the chair.
"I'll go make sure he doesn't get into any trouble. Have fun, you two."
An awkward silence filled the air as the two were left alone. Not knowing what else to talk about, Akechi cleared his throat.
"*Ahem* So Haru, what were you baking for anyways?"
Haru scratched the back of her head nervously.
"Actually, I kind of forgot why I was baking in the first place… "
Akechi raised his eyebrow.
"Really? Then how did you end up making all of those pastries?"
"Well… " Haru started.
What was she doing at that time anyways? She remembered feeling pretty guilty after hurting Akechi but he told her everything was fine. Still, it bothered her so she decided to bake to take things off her mind. Then, before she knew it, she had already made several dozen pancakes…
Pancakes? Why did that pop out of nowhere? Why did she even consider baking that? Was it because she was thinking about Akechi…
"Wha- No I wasn't thinking about him! I mean, I think of him yes, but mostly as a friend, well maybe a little more- No! I definitely think of him as a friend!"
Akechi started to get more and more confused as Haru continued to make herself flustered.
"Haru? Who are you talking about? Who do you see as just a friend?"
"Oh it's y-"
Haru quickly covered her mouth before she spoke anymore. Then, she quickly grabbed her bag and excused herself.
"Sorry, but I just remembered something I had to do today. Bye!"
"Good-"
*CLANK*
"-bye… wonder who she was talking about. Maybe Yu Narukami?"
As Haru walked through the alleyway and towards the station, she heard someone coming up from behind her.
"I knew something was up the minute Joker left," Morgana said as he leapt down from the fence post.
Haru sighed and pressed her fingertips to her forehead.
"Mona-chan, please tell me you haven't been listening in on that conversation."
Morgana stretched before speaking again.
"Sorry, but you two made it too interesting not to listen in on. In fact, I'm pretty sure Boss heard a little something while he was outside."
"Sojiro-san too? Oh, this is going to be a problem."
Out of all the Phantom Thieves, she knew Sojiro for the shortest amount of time, but from what she gathered from Akira, he was rather doting and loved to tease at times. The last thing she needed was for the safe haven to be overrun by Sojiro's constant jeering. She could practically hear the 'hoo boy' as he launched into yet another one of his famous lectures.
"I doubt he would pick on you as much as he did to Akira. But either way, we should try to address the source of your thoughts."
Haru nodded and continued to make her way to the station.
"Oh yeah, they'll probably won't let you on the train, Mona-chan. Hop on into my bag."
"It's been a while since I've been with just you, Haru," Morgana said.
As soon as the not-cat was secured inside, Haru set off again and eventually took a seat. Now to sort out all of her emotions and thoughts.
"So what makes you like Akechi so much?" Morgana asked.
It was fascinating how Haru could help many others describe their feelings for other people but somehow could not express her own emotions. She took a deep breath and pictured Akechi in her mind.
Of course, the looks were definitely present; he was regarded as being very handsome by his fans, but something seemed different to her, as if there was a lens that only Haru could see Akechi through. That small smile that would show when he was enjoying something, the ever-so-slight tilt of his head when something puzzled him, how he absolutely refused to comb his bangs out of the way which showed his childish side, it was almost too much for the heiress to take in without having her heart burst from the blood rushing through so quickly.
"Everything about him just appeals to me. I don't know why, but I can't help but smile whenever he smiles or feel down whenever he's sad."
"That's usually how friends are. Everytime Akira had a good date with Makoto, even I can't help but feel glad for him", Morgana replies.
"How is your feeling any different?"
Haru sighs.
"You know, Mona-chan, you don't have to make everything so difficult."
Morgana rustled around in the bag to face her.
"I'm just trying to help you figure out why you like him so much. I mean, I was attracted to Lady Ann at one point, but now I'm not too sure. Although, it's not like I've given up on her; it's just going to be on hold until I become human."
Haru suddenly felt a lump form in her chest, however this time it felt like guilt. Looks like she owed an apology to him later. Brushing it aside, she continued to think.
"I don't know how to describe how I feel about him. It's just really complicated… "
"That's a good start, Haru. After all, love is complicated."
The announcer came up on the PA and signaled that their stop would be arriving soon. Getting up, Haru walked through the doors and made her way to her apartment. Once there, she unloaded her companion and he made his way onto the couch.
"I've got a couple things I'll need to mull over so make yourself at home for the time being, Mona-chan."
Morgana nodded in response, quickly curled up in a ball, and dozed off. Meanwhile, Haru gathered up some papers and walked over to her desk. Putting on a pair of reading glasses, she went through her notes planning to study, but the image of Akechi kept on popping into her head.
"Why does this all have to happen so suddenly?" she asked herself, but there was no response.
She could hear the not-cat breathing ever-so-slightly in the background as she tapped her finger on the table. Well, since she had all this time to herself, she might as well use it to reflect with a cup of coffee.
Meanwhile…
The bell jingled as Sojiro came back into the cafe. Akechi was still in the same spot thinking about Haru's last words before she left, leaving the rest of his coffee untouched.
"Oh, sorry I let the coffee go cold, Boss. I was just caught up with something."
Sojiro shook his head and returned behind the counter.
"It's fine. Besides, it still tastes alright even if it's cold. A little something I've been working on ever since Futaba came home with that damned cup of Sunbucks."
Just the sight of Sojiro seeing his daughter with such a cup in hand was enough to make him shiver. At one point, he remembered the time Akira had pranked Sojiro by having everyone bring Sunbucks cups to the cafe. Even though they had been filled with water, Sojiro still refused to serve them any curry until all traces of the brand were erased within a 30 meter radius.
"You can't really blame people for liking it. I mean, Ryuji isn't really into bitter things so I guess it makes sense he'd rather have coffee jam-packed with sugar."
"All the more reason for me to turn him away from that. He's lucky he works out often or else he'd be diagnosed with diabetes by the time he's 20."
Akechi chuckled and finished off the rest of his coffee. Then, considering whether or not he should continue, he set down the empty cup.
"Excuse me, Boss, but don't you think Haru seems a bit different lately?"
"If you're referring to that time she went on a baking spree, yes and no. If she really did have a screw loose, she would've probably replaced the sugar with salt."
"Yes, but it's a little odd that she would get that carried away with baking."
Sojiro leaned on the table and let out a deep sigh. His eyes looked up at the ceiling and never strayed for a moment.
"Hmm… should I? … Nah."
He stood up and took Akechi's empty cup.
"Well, I might have an idea of what's going on, but I think you should figure it out yourself. After all, you were a detective."
"You're not really making things easy when you say you know but don't tell me what."
"Mhm. Sure. Fair warning, I don't make things easy, but this was pretty simple to figure out. Just look at the bigger picture."
Akechi left the cafe feeling refreshed but confused at the same time; a rare feeling for the former detective. Checking his phone, he decided it was high time for him to head home.
After half an hour, he once again entered the familiar room of his apartment. The bags dropped to the ground and he fell on his bed while turning on the radio. As he closed his eyes, he could hear the recent results of the polls; looks like Toranosuke is a shoe in for the next election as well.
"What is going on with Haru?"
He mulled over Sojiro's words once again.
"It's really obvious? Maybe he means whatever's happening to Haru is very common… Ah! Maybe she's on her perio- no, I'm pretty sure that doesn't last a long time. Or does it? Oh well, it's not like she's been agitated lately."
He checked his phone once again for any notifications, but dropped it once he saw there were none.
"She's been avoiding me lately, so maybe it's something I did? Or perhaps she feels guilty about my broken ribs. If that was the case, she's already done more than enough to compensate. Besides, it wasn't that big of a deal."
This went on for a few more minutes until he gave up.
"Some ace detective I was. I can't even solve this mystery."
*PIPIPI*
"Hm?"
Akechi checked and saw that an unknown number was calling him. Reluctant to answer, but too curious to let it go, he slid his finger to the right on the screen and perked it to his ear.
"Akechi? Are you there?"
Ah, that explains why it was an unknown number. Akira was calling from a phone booth.
"Yes, I can hear you. Still on the run?"
"Yeah. About that, do you have a tux? Like one that you wear to a wedding?"
"Excuse me?"
"Just, do you or not? I'm limited on time here."
Looking through his closet, Akechi found a black tuxedo jacket that he had only worn on a few occasions.
"Yes, I have one. Why do you ask?"
"Oh, great. See, it's for something I have planned. Call the others except for Futaba to get fancy clothes ready, the kind you wear at weddings. I'll explain to you when we all meet up after Makoto gets out of this phase."
"Wait, what do you have in mind?"
"Like I said, I'll - wait, oh no."
"Akira?"
"Holy shit, she spotted me! Sorry but I'm gonna have to cut this short."
"Makoto's there? How did she find you so fast?"
"Crap she's fast! She's already here! Akechi! Please, don't hang up on me man! Don't let me face this alone! Don't hang u- *beep*"
Akechi pulled the phone away from his ear and saw that the connection was disconnected. Silently saying a prayer to his friend, he returned to his bed and laid down, closing his eyes.
"A wedding, huh? I wonder what he has in store… "