Chapter 5
"What do you feel about me?"
"She WHAT?!"
Morgana could hardly contain himself when he heard the news. Ryuji sighed as rested his fist on his temple, leaving an untouched plate of curry before him.
"It's exactly as I told you. We both went to the aquarium, she confessed to me, we kissed, and I walked her home. What more d'ya want?"
"B-but… but she… I was… WHY YOU?!"
"That's… somethin' I can't answer."
"Well then you'll answer in hell! HYAA!"
"Whoops," Akira said, merely catching Morgana by the scruff of his neck. The smallest member of the Phantom Thieves desperately fought back, but all he could do was flail his limbs at the blonde boy.
"Lemme at him! He's lying! I know it! He probably spent yesterday all by himself in his room feeling sorry for himself and came up with that on the spot!"
After trying to fight against Akira's grip for a minute, he stopped to catch his breath.
"Feel like talking now?", Akira asked.
"Not by a longshot! Especially not to you, you blonde monkey!"
"The hell'd you just call me!?"
"Okay! Okay, both of you calm down. Don't make me grab your collar too Ryuji", Akira said to him.
Ryuji sighed and sat back in his chair while Morgana continued to glare at him.
"There's no way she would invite you of all people to hang out with her. If anyone, it would have been me, had I grown a body at this point."
"Am I interrupting something?"
Akechi closed the door behind him and sat down at the bar. Nodding to Akira, he was soon presented with a cup of coffee and a plate of curry seemingly identical to the one in front of Ryuji.
"Hey Crow, get a load of this. The dumb baboon over here claims to have gone on a date with Ann to the aquarium! He says she even kissed him too! Imagine that."
"I know. I was there to see it myself."
"Exac- wh-d-huh?"
Akechi sipped his coffee and his expression mellowed at the taste.
"Has Boss acknowledged your talents yet, Akira? I'm pretty sure your level now rivals his at this point."
Akira shook his head.
"The most he was willing to do was say I developed my own signature taste. Glad you think so, though."
"Wait, hold on, you saw it?"
Akechi nodded while digging into his curry.
"Yes. I was there with Haru. I don't think Ann realized it, but she made quite the crowd. Imagine both of their faces when they found out their private conversation turned out to be not-so-private after all."
Morgana was absolutely horror-struck, his mouth gaping wide open. Ryuji sighed and shovelled a spoon-full of curry into his mouth.
"You believe me now, cat?"
Morgana shook off the insult and faced Ryuji once more.
"B-but that's not reliable at all! He might be in kahoots with you! I refuse to believe any of it!"
"Dammit Morgana! Do you want me to recall the whole thing for you?!"
"Yes! I'm sure that this is just some lame joke you came up with!"
"Fine!"
Flashback Start
"Man, I didn't know they still had that exhibit! Where to next?", Ryuji said whilst following Ann.
She led him over to a small gift shop that had a bunch of tacky T-shirts and accessories.
"Remember this place?"
Ryuji looked at the gift shop with a quizzical look. Then, the realization hit him.
"Oh yeah! I remember this spot! They're even selling the giant plushie that I bought for my mom!"
"Uh huh. Man, was it hilarious when you remembered that the money you used was for the fare back home."
"Yup! And you ended up… paying for me… Wait, this was planned wasn't it?"
Ann fidgeted around a little, not making any eye-contact.
"Ann, you do realize how many crepes I bought for you, right? If anything, at this point, you're starting to owe me money."
Ann deadpanned when she realized what he was saying.
"No! No, I didn't bring you here for that!"
She turned around, looking back at him.
"If you stop and think about it… that was the first time we really talked to each other."
Ryuji remembered. It was fairly early in her transfer to the school and they barely knew each other. When he lost all his money, she was the only one kind enough to lend him money to go back home. The next day, he saw that she was being bullied because of her hair color, which led him to dye his hair the same color.
"Yeah. Really takes me back. Although, you gotta admit it; I was rockin' that hair color."
Ann giggled a little before looking serious.
"I brought you here because… because I didn't want things to stay the way they were. After everything that we've been through, I can say that our relationship has really grown from acquaintances. That one time you ended up sacrificing everything just so we could escape Shido's palace, I was really worried that I'd never be able to see you again. When you showed up out of the blue like nothing happened, I was so relieved but angry that you would play off something so serious. You were acting like a real idiot…"
Ryuji nervously scratched the back of his head.
"Heh heh, yeah. I gotta admit, I did act a bit out of line."
"But I love you for that."
"I know. I'm sorry- wait what?"
Ryuji looked back at Ann, eyes wide. Ann looked right back at him, her face blushing deeply.
"Geez, could you at least listen when a girl's baring her heart to you?"
Ryuji still looked dumbfounded, however.
"Wait, so we were talking about when we first came here… then about the time I… I thought we went over this before, I paid you back more than enough times."
"AUGH, YOU IDIOT!"
"Wha-mf"
Ann pulled him into a quick kiss before pulling away. She breathed deeply before looking back up at him.
"Now do you get it?"
"... OH! Ooooooh… Wow, I was awkward."
The two laughed while another pair passed them by.
"Mission accomplished", Haru muttered as she turned away from them.
"Hm? What was that, Haru?"
"Nothing."
Flashback End
"And that's what happened."
Akechi nodded alongside Ryuji, pushing his finished plate away.
"I can faithfully say that he is telling the truth as well. Every embarrassing blunder he made was true, rest assured."
Morgana just looked down at the table, his mouth still hanging open.
"But… but I loved her… I would have given her everything… "
"Morgana, this is just something you need to learn", Akira said as he wiped his hands.
"What Ann chose, she chose of her own accord. Love isn't something that is straight-forward. It has twists and turns, people fall in and out of it, and sometimes it's one-sided. Your love of Ann, no matter how brightly it showed, was one-sided. Ann chose to be with Ryuji because she loves him and they're together because the feeling is mutual. The next best thing you can do right now is to let her go. If you truly love Ann, let her be happy."
"... "
Morgana slumped his head down and remained silent. Ryuji, who was silent ever since recalling his story, let out a sigh.
"Let him have some time to think over it. He's just in shock right now so the best thing is to give him space."
As Ryuji stood up, he fished out some change from his pocket.
"See you later, guys."
"Ryuji, wait."
Ryuji stopped and turned around to see Morgana face him with a serious expression.
"I'll let Lady Ann love you. Her feelings are hers, not mine. But if I want to see her be happy, I want you to confirm that you love her too. So please tell me, do you really love her?"
Ryuji walked back to the bar and nodded.
"Yeah. I really love her."
"You gotta be more serious than that Skull. Do you love her?"
"Yes! I effin' love her! I'd do anything for her!"
"Really?! Do you really love her? Do you love her even more than me?!"
"I SAID I FUCKING LOVE HER!"
Everyone stayed silent after Ryuji shouted. They all stared at Ryuji with wide eyes and gaping mouths. Finally, Akira broke the ice.
"Ryuji… bro… I'm so proud of you… now wash your mouth with soap."
"What?"
Akira handed Ryuji a bar of soap and pointed to the bathroom.
"You heard me. Go wash that filthy mouth of yours. I will not have that kind of potty language in this household."
Ryuji looked at Akira, then the soap bar, and then the bathroom before hearing Akechi stifled laughter.
"He… he actually said it", Morgana muttered in disbelief.
"He actually said fuck… "
"Aw shut the eff up, guys!"
Ryuji retorted to them, slapping the soap bar out of Akira's quivering hands. He left the cafe to two guffawing teenagers and one very stunned cat.
"Well then", Akira started after catching his breath.
"How did your date with Haru go? Couldn't help but notice your interjection there."
Morgana made himself comfortable, this time his eyes were on Akechi.
"Yeah. I've more or less made peace with the bonehead for now, so I could use a little scenery change. How did it go?"
Akechi shrugged.
"Well, it wasn't anything like what went down with Ryuji. We, more or less, spent some time together, watched the new exhibits that they had, ate lunch, and talked a little before parting ways."
"And? What did you think?"
Akechi just shrugged.
"I mean, I had a good time. What were you hoping for?"
Akira shook his head and typed something into his phone before clearing Akechi's plates.
"Oh well. Maybe next time then."
"I agree. You've gotta sharpen your senses, Crow."
Morgana leapt off the table before walking up the steps to the attic. Akechi continued to look puzzled before checking his phone.
"Well then, if you'll excuse me, I have a lecture I need to attend. Thanks for the meal, Akira."
"Anytime, Goro."
Akechi made his way out of the cafe door. He walked a ways before checking behind him to see if he was being followed before letting out a breath of relief.
"Phew, I'm glad they didn't press any further. I don't think I would have been able to keep it a secret."
Little to Akira and Morgana's knowledge, something did indeed happen between the former detective and his date that day, something that Akechi would rather they not know about.
Flashback Start
"Ooh, what are they doing over there?"
Haru pointed over to a staff member with two little penguins at his feet.
"It is observed that emperor penguins will mate for life. During mating season, they will continue to mate with each other and continue to produce offspring. Are there any romantic couples here who would like to share their love like these penguins?"
Akechi suddenly felt a strange sensation in his stomach.
"Uh, maybe we should-"
"What about over there? Come on over, you two!"
The staff member pointed to the two of them. Haru suddenly caught on and started shaking her head.
"Oh, uh, we aren't dating! Honestly! We're just spending time with each other!"
But it was already too late. Multiple eyes were on them as others cleared a path so they could take center stage. Before they knew it, they were standing on opposite sides of the instructor.
"Well you two, I hope your love for each other is as strong as these two penguins here!"
Akechi fiddled with the lapel of his coat while trying to avert his gaze. He constantly apologized to Haru in his mind for this misunderstanding he may have caused for the both of them.
"Ahem, I'd like to say that I really appreciate you for being here with me, Akechi-kun."
"Hm?"
Akechi looked up to see Haru, who was equally blushed in the face as he was, attempting to make conversation.
"You were one of the many people that truly saw me for who I was, a-and helped me get through tough times in my life."
"N-no, I should be the one saying that", he quickly interjected
"I always felt like I never really belonged, and a part of me kept on pushing people away, afraid that I might ruin everything. I've done horrible things to other people, things that shouldn't be forgotten, but you were able to forgive someone like me and even be friends with me. I am truly the one indebted to you."
"But you helped me a lot too! After everything that happened, you did your best to clear everything up. Just seeing how you worked to have everyone trust you again, it inspired me to take action in my own life! I always admired your hard-working personality and your willingness to help others even if you would get hurt."
"Well now! Isn't this a great moment for our two lovers here! Everyone give these two a big hand!"
Akechi and Haru looked around them to notice that quite the crowd had gathered around to watch their spectacle. Blushing even more, they both looked at the ground to avoid looking at anyone. The instructor, however, couldn't take the hint.
"So, does this mean a proposal might be in the works?"
"WE'RE NOT DATING!"
Flashback End
Akechi groaned as he recalled the event. Sure enough, things began to get a bit more awkward between the two that day, but they were able to leave on a good note. A few snapped pictures here and there, lunch, a couple more exhibits and the date was over. Simple.
What wasn't simple, however, was when they lost track of time and it began to get dark. He mentally cursed himself for insisting to walk her home, only to find out that her landlady was very strict on a 'no couples' rule in the rooms and showed her first-hand experience in taekwondo when he tried to convince her he was just dropping her off. The bruise on his side still stung a bit.
He looked at the subway, mentally processing on what he should do before shaking his head. His next lecture was just for an elective class anyways, there was no harm in missing one session. Besides, he had too much on his mind anyways.
"Maybe I should head to Shibuya and grab a book. My shelf's been looking quite empty lately… "
As soon as he stepped off the train and out of the underground, his phone buzzed.
Stream Open
Futaba: Hey, could you grab something in Shibuya for me? I've already paid for the order and everything, but they messed up the address and said I have to pick it up in person.
Akechi: Sure, I just arrived there. What is it?
Futaba: Just go to the pharmacy down the street and show them my order code. They'll take it from there.
Akechi: Gotcha
Futaba: And whatever you do, DO NOT look inside it
Akechi: … okay?
Stream Close
After picking up a book from the nearby store, Akechi stepped into the pharmacy.
"Excuse me? I'm here for a pick up."
The clerk nodded and asked him for the code which he quickly recited.
"Oh, are you perhaps picking this up for someone else?"
Akechi nodded.
"Yes, I am. How did you know?"
The clerk scratched the back of her head.
"Um, a wild guess? Give me a moment, I'll be right back."
"Strange", Akechi said to himself as the clerk went into the back of the store.
Moments later, she arrived with a large bag.
"And here's your receipt. Have a good day."
"Thank you."
As Akechi walked out, he lamented over the fact that the clerk did not meet his eyes.
"What made her avoid my gaze? Is there something on my face? Or maybe… "
Quickly, he ducked into the alleyway that led to Untouchable before opening up the bag and checking its contents.
"Oh you must be kidding me."
Futaba's Room
"Oh, thanks Akechi!"
A very perturbed college student walked into the hacker's cluttered room and handed over the bag.
"Now that I've brought it over, may I ask why you requested me of all people to carry around 'High-Cut Class Seductive Lingerie'?"
Futaba immediately blushed behind her glasses.
"I thought I told you to not look at it… "
"Well, when you get a weird stare from the cashier, I think it merits well enough. God, I don't think I'll be able to go there anymore. And why do they have stuff like this in your size?! It should be illegal."
Futaba pressed the tips of her index fingers together nervously.
"Well, you kind of sort of already know about my super-secret-not-really crush on Yusuke… "
"Did he put you up to this?!"
"NO! Nonono he didn't! It was my decision!"
"Oh. Well then thank goodness."
Akechi let out a deep breath that he had been holding in for quite some time. If Futaba hadn't clarified in time, he would have contacted Akira, Morgana, and Ryuji, marched over to the artist's apartment, beat the ever-loving life out of him, and staged it to make it look as if he owed money to the yakuza.
"But that still doesn't answer why you ordered it."
Futaba sighed in defeat, letting the bag fall down to the ground.
"Promise me you won't laugh."
"Alright, I promise. Now please tell me what's going on."
"... I thought it would increase my charisma stat."
"... snrk"
"Hey! You promised!"
Akechi stifled his laugh with his hand as best he could, but he couldn't help but let out the single noise.
"I'm sorry, but the way you said it was a bit much."
After calming down, he took a seat on her bed.
"So you bought this and thought that you would be able to get him to like you?"
Futaba nodded her head.
"And how exactly did you think you would do that?"
"I'd just talk to him."
"While still wearing clothes over that?"
"Yes."
Another sigh. Oh boy, this was going to take some explaining.
"Futaba. You do realize it doesn't work that way, right? He has to actually see it in order for you to seduce him."
"... right. I knew that."
And with that, Akechi stood up.
"Alright then. Well, I think I'll be heading out now. Try not to go too crazy, alright?"
"Wait, could you help me with just one more thing?"
Akechi stopped and turned back to her from the doorway.
"It's about Yusuke. I know I'm all over the place with this love stuff, but I really need help. How do I get him to notice me?"
Futaba hugged her knees to her body as Akechi leaned on the doorframe.
"I mean, I'm short, quirky, not to mention I slip up all the time when I talk. The only thing I've got going for me is my hacking skills, but that really doesn't win points. I'm just a little kid while he's going to Kosei with all those other girls that are a hundred times better than me. What do I do?"
Akechi pinched the bridge of his nose. Something like this, he thought, should really be something that Akira should deal with, but Futaba trusts him just as much. Plus, who was he to turn down this opportunity to act like a big brother; he never had any siblings so this was a new kind of emotion for him.
"Futaba, for starters, don't put yourself down like that. Sure, you have drawbacks, but at the same time who doesn't? You have much more going for you. You're smart and quirky, in a good way, and you are always there for other people. Sure, you may stumble sometimes, but that just goes to show how hard-working you are to overcome your fears. And you have something that those other girls don't have: you're already great friends with him. Besides, when I was talking with him the other day after the prank-"
"Please don't remind me about that"
"We came to a conclusion that he feels the same way about you, although Yusuke being Yusuke just has a hard time expressing it. So don't worry if he doesn't like you, because you're impossible to not like."
Futaba peered up at him through her thick glasses and beamed at him.
"Thanks, Akechi. You really do have a way with words. Heck, you're probably even better at this kind of thing then Akira!"
Akechi chuckled.
"Don't get me started on that. Whenever we hung out last year, all he ever did was say 'I agree' or 'That's a good point'. I swear, there were at least a dozen times where I could say 'Thanks, Captain Obvious'"
Akechi said his goodbye to Futaba and walked out of the Sakura household, making his way to the station.
"Well then, now that he's gone… "
Futaba picked the bag up again.
"Let's try this out!"
It took a few tries but eventually, Futaba was able to get the thing on her.
"Huh, not too bad if I do say so myself."
Posing in front of a full-body mirror in her room, she tried moving around slightly.
"Huh? Why's this part so loose?"
Readjusting, she looked back at her reflection before seeing the piece she moved up slip down again.
"Maybe they got the measurements wrong… oh no… Ooooh noooo."
She dashed over to the bag and checked the labeling. Reading it in horror, she recoiled at the dreaded words.
Made for B-cups and above
"SON OF A BIIIIIIITCH!"
Akechi unlocked the door to his apartment and set his stuff down. After changing, he lounged on his chair with his new book and began to read. After clearing a few chapters, he marked the page and set it down and went to check the time.
"Wow, I should get dinner soon."
Going over to the kitchen, he took a look into the fridge to determine what he had in stock. Upon finding a packet of tofu and some leftover ground beef, he decided that Mapo Tofu was probably the best way to go. While preparing the ingredients, his mind wandered over the events of the past few days.
"Why did so many things have to revolve around romance? It certainly isn't helping my situation."
And it most certainly didn't help that he drifted back to the event that involved Haru at the aquarium. What if that made things awkward between them again? What if she thought that he was infatuated with her? All these questions drowned out the sound of his rice cooker beeping, indicating that he was ready to eat.
Scooping out a small bowl for himself and a small plate of the tofu, he dug into the meal. It had a bit more of a kick to it than Akira's curry, but it was still delicious nonetheless. Maybe if he had a knack for this kind of thing, he could ask Sojiro for a part-time job. Then he imagined the old man's face paling in realization that he would lose even more money thanks to a second employee.
"Maybe I should keep that to myself instead", he chuckled as he finished the food.
After doing some extra studying, he finally closed his textbook and made his way back into the kitchen for some tea to relax.
"Now that I think about it, what did Haru-san invite me to the aquarium for? She could have asked anyone else, but why me?"
He could feel Robin Hood and Loki stirring inside his mind ever-so-slightly at his question. Well, at least he wouldn't have to tackle this question alone.
"Any ideas, you two?"
"Like we can come to a conclusion when you can't", Loki retorted sarcastically.
"We are you after all. The only thing we can do is mull over the details; the final decision is still yours", Robin Hood answered, keeping a more respectable tone than his counterpart.
Akechi had to thank that when the Metaverse disappeared, his Personas didn't disappear along with it. Sure, he had friends now, but things just wouldn't be the same had he lost his two important friends from the beginning.
"Perhaps we're reading too much into the atmosphere. I mean, she did say that she received extra tickets after all. We just happened to be the only ones available."
"But doesn't it seem too convenient? It seems that something has been troubling her lately; need I remind you of the pancake fiasco?"
"No need. That fact is still prevalent in my mind."
"She could have been baking for anything at all! It could have been for a fundraiser or something."
"Then why send gifts to the rest of the group? The proceeds could have been used at a charity drive and raked in more cash than ever. Besides, have you ever seen pancakes at a bake sale?"
"Huh. Touche."
"Alright then, so we can label that baking incident as something she hadn't planned. But how does this tie in with her invitation?"
Silence emanated from their conversation, leaving Akechi to brainstorm on his own. Then, Robin Hood finally spoke up.
"What if she is interested in us?"
Akechi, who was unfortunately in the middle of sipping his tea, unceremoniously choked at the notion; his Personas trying to calm him down as he recovered.
"What? Did that really take you by surprise?"
"Truth be told, yes. Yes it did."
"Now that I think about it, your conclusion isn't too far-fetched."
"B-but how is that possible? I mean, I've done so many things wrong-"
"And you have been forgiven. Don't try to play that card again; we both know it is no longer a valid argument after what happened."
"He's got you in check now. 'Sides, didn't you remember at that show during your little date? All that she said really sounded heartfelt. Plus, the audience thought you two were a genuine couple to boot."
"It was just a mistake is all! Anyone could have come to that conclusion!"
"Everyone came to that conclusion."
Now Akechi felt that he had to retract his previous statement; if it meant that he wouldn't have reached this conclusion, he would have been perfectly fine had both Loki and Robin Hood disappeared with the Metaverse. Loki spoke up as if to reply to his thoughts.
"You know you don't mean that."
"Indeed. You may not accept the conclusion we have arrived at, but you will eventually see the truth you always wished to seek."
Akechi sighed and wiped his mouth.
"While I do not deny the fact that I may have… feelings, for lack of a better word"
"What about l~ove?"
"None of the presented evidence is especially concrete. We have no way of knowing for sure if Haru Okumura is truly trying to interact with me out of romantic interest."
"... fine, I did say you'll arrive at the conclusion eventually."
"Deny it all you want, lover boy! She's definitely into you!"
The two finally slipped back into his unconsciousness as he finished washing the dishes. With the debate finally finished, he came to a conclusion.
"Maybe I should conduct more experiments to test this theory. Besides, there's no harm done if I paint it in the guise of wishing to spend more time together."
Pulling out his phone, he tapped a few messages before leaving to brush his teeth.
Earlier that day…
Haru had finished her last class of the day and resolved to meet up with Makoto at a nearby cafe. When she arrived, she saw that the former Student Council President was sitting idly while smiling at her phone.
"Did something good happen lately?", she asked.
Makoto noticed her presence and put her phone back into her pocket.
"Oh, it's nothing. How did your date with Akechi go?"
And there it was; the elephant in the room. Haru sighed and sat in the chair opposite to Makoto.
"Well it went pretty well, although there was a slight hiccup when we were called out and mistaken for a couple."
Makoto suddenly leaned forward, her hands nesting her head as she smiled.
"Really? Details, please."
Haru relayed the date's events to her as the waiter arrived to take the order. By the time she finished, the drinks had arrived.
"Huh, so Ann ended up confessing while you two were there as well. What a coincidence."
Haru nodded while sipping her drink. Coffee outside of Leblanc never tasted as good, but it was nice to have a slight change of pace every now and then.
"And on top of that, you had a semi-confession moments later."
"I wouldn't call it that. But it did help to voice out my thoughts of him when he was present. It cleared up his opinion of me as well, but I'm still unsure on what to do."
"Don't think too hard about it. You'll end up second guessing yourself. Trust me, I've had way too much experience in that department."
A beep came from Makoto's phone indicating a message from Akira. She picked it up and saw a video file attached to it.
"Hm? Wonder what this is… "
As soon as she hit play, she could hear the not-cat in the background.
"Really?! Do you really love her? Do you love her even more than me?!"
"I SAID I FUCKING LOVE HER!"
She gasped as soon as she heard Ryuji shout. A follow up message soon came up.
Stream Start
Akira: I'm so proud of him… *sniff* He finally grew up and started using big boy words.
Ryuji: Goddammit, Akira! I told you to shut the eff up about it!
Yusuke: I must admit, I've grown accustomed to him censoring himself, but this is more of a shock than realizing he pronounced his love.
Ann: Wow, I am SO telling your mom about this :)
Ryuji: No! Anything but that! I don't want ma to see this!
Futaba: Well, I can make it disappear for a price…
Akira: Wait, Futaba, what are you planning to do to me?
Ryuji: Whatever, I'll do anything. I'd sell my soul if it came down to that.
Futaba: I'll need you to do me a solid later, but for now, consider it done.
Akira: Wh- where's the video?! I can't find it anywhere!
Akira: Dammit, I forgot to back it up!
Akira: Futaba, why is there a gargantuan woman outside of Leblanc? Please tell me she's not here to eat me.
Akira: OH SHIT! SOMEBODY HELP! SHE THINKS I SWIPED RIGHT ON HER LUMBER ACCOUNT! GOD HELP ME!
Akira: Morgana here, he dropped his phone.
Akira: Fearless leader was dragged out to God knows where. Safe to say that he won't be back anytime soon. I'll try to close up Leblanc as best as I can.
Ryuji: Holy shit! Futaba, consider our deal done! I will follow you to hell and back to repay you for this!
Futaba: I'll save the request some other time. You're welcome.
Akechi: So you made a fake Lumber account and she responded in seconds? How long have you been keeping that in store.
Futaba: Just a few days ago. Pro tip: If a person's status has been labeled as 'single' ever since they made their account, you can conclude that they're thirsty as hell. Even more so if they're super fugly and the account was made over half a year ago.
Makoto: Okay, I'm stepping in on that one.
Stream End
Makoto put her phone away once more and stood up.
"Sorry to cut our meeting short, Haru, but Akira needs saving. Same time tomorrow?"
"Sure, Mako-chan. See you soon."
The rest of the day was a blur as Haru went back home. Recalling the events of the date kept her much too occupied to do anything productive that day. Before she knew it, the time was already 9 PM.
"He did say his fair share back then as well. Maybe he's in the same predicament?"
"If that's the case, then maybe he's realizing his own emotions."
Apparently, Astarte was also conscious of the situation.
"Oh, nice of you to pop in."
"I assumed you could use a second opinion. No need to fill me in; I already know everything."
"As expected of me. Maybe you can help answer my question?"
"Your relationship with him has the potential to bloom into something new altogether. However, that is only dependent on what you wish for it to become. As for your decision, I have no say in regards to that."
"I thought as much", Haru said dejectedly.
Her phone vibrated slightly. When she picked it up, she saw that Akechi had messaged her.
Stream Start
Akechi: I'd like to thank you for your invitation the other day. I had a good time.
Akechi: If you wouldn't mind, I'd like to spend some more time with you in the near future. I don't have anything planned at the moment, but would you be available next Sunday?
Haru: Sure! Send me the details once you've decided on a spot, okay?
Akechi: Very well then. See you Sunday.
Stream End
As Haru put her phone away, she could hear Astarte chuckling in the recesses of her mind.
"Is there something funny?"
"No, no there isn't… Well, perhaps there is. You are aware of what just happened, correct?"
"No, not really."
A sigh emanated from the celestial voice.
"While you were mulling over his feelings for you, Goro Akechi asked you for a second date. And you just accepted."
Haru's face suddenly flushed as Astarte's voice slowly disappeared, leaving her with nothing to think about except for how much she now hated having a voice in her head to talk to.
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand we are BACK! Hey all, I'm here once again. Sorry for the delay but I once again am preoccupied with a lot of work to do. Finals are just around the corner for me and final projects are not to be messed around with. Hope you all are doing alright in this time of dismay, what with all the politics going on as well as the pandemic. I'm personally doing alright and I've done a bunch of stuff to distract myself; one of which was learning how to cook Mapo Tofu (which I made Akechi make in this chapter). I could use a little more practice, but whatever. I'll still be on a hiatus more or less since I'm busy studying and preparing to transfer to a university next year, but I'll do my best to finish up this story. I know, quite the long chapter, but I felt I owed it to you guys at the very least since I've been away for so long as well as I wanted to cover Akechi and Haru both in this one. Sorry if it feels a little lackluster, but I want to ease myself back into everything (rereading my past chapters helped me out a lot). So far, the chapter's name is more focused on Akechi, since I felt that he needs more time to shine in the limelight on his situation with Haru and he personally knows himself a lot better. While Haru is on the ball on whether or not she wants to start a relationship with him, Akechi is already aware of his feelings but is still in the state of asking "Is this alright for me to do?"; I guess you can't shake off bad habits. Anyways, please leave a review for this story if you can and share your opinion! I really want to know what you guys think and where I should be going with this story, especially how it's going to end. So, with that being said, love you guys! Seeya!