**March 20th, 2018**

The train heading to Tokyo Station wasn't far from its final destination. The sound of muffled wind blowing past was all that could be heard, along with the feeling of subtle vibrations as the train ran along its tracks. Among the passengers were a currently napping, messy black-haired eighteen year-old boy by the name of Akira Kurusu and his stowaway pet cat, Morgana—though he didn't like to be referred to as a cat. The two of them had been inseparable for nearly two years by this point—they were the best of friends and, at a certain point in time, literal partners in crime. Yet, during the entire five-hour length of their journey to Tokyo, Akira and Morgana didn't say anything to each other.

Morgana had very little clue as to why, but he felt that there was certain stiffness to the air surrounding them ever since they left home. Home in this case being Akira's hometown in the country. Akira mostly kept to his own for the majority of the trip back to the city, opting to catch up on sleep. The feline didn't want to disturb his human guardian and best friend, but at the same time, he couldn't help but be concerned.

He didn't know why, but the morning had started off fairly tense, not between the two of them, but between Akira and his mother. This was the last time Akira would see her in possibly a long time as, on this day, he left his hometown of Inaba and permanently moved to Tokyo for college. Yet, he didn't even say "goodbye" to her. He didn't even say "good morning." He and Morgana simply walked out of the house and headed for the train station.

Morgana's best guess was that Akira and his mother had gotten into some kind of argument the previous night. He had no clue what went on between them; he was out of the house when it happened and Akira didn't elaborate when he asked him why his mother was crying the previous night. Nevertheless, he was grew worried when he noticed that Akira was clutching his abdomen and thigh during most of the trip.

He was clearly in some sort of pain physically, but Morgana didn't utter a word as Akira looked like he was in no mood to discuss such things. Though, to be fair, he did have to be awake at five in the morning in order to catch his train. Besides, the time to ask was nearly gone as the train got closer and closer to its destination. The skyscrapers of Tokyo could be seen out of their window as Akira slowly began to awaken from his nap.

They were back in the city—back to where it all started for them. Akira was getting closer and closer to once again seeing the people whom he considered to be his second family—the Phantom Thieves of Hearts.

"… Argh," Akira quietly hissed in pain as he put his hand up to his forehead. The first sound he made in almost five hours.

"Are you okay?" Morgana asked, finally breaking the silence and testing the air to see if it was still tense.

"Yeah… I just have a bit of a headache, that's all," Akira replied, stretching his neck.

"You sure?" This wasn't new. Morgana recalled Akira having more than a few headaches as of late.

"Morgana, I'm fine, really. I think I just slept awkwardly and my neck is reacting." Morgana decided to take his word for it for now before making small talk to try and get a better read on him.

"I can't believe we're finally going to see everyone."

"I know. I'm a little nervous, to be honest. But it's probably just excitement getting to me," Akira responded. Morgana noted that he sounded more neutral than when they left his home this morning. Morgana was still in the dark, but decided not to press him for answers.

"Are the others going to meet us at the Leblanc like last summer?"

"No, not this time. But we're supposed to all go out to dinner later on tonight."

"Huh? Where at?"

"Ginza."

"Ginza? When did you decide that?" Morgana raised an eyebrow.

"A few days ago," Akira began, "sorry, I didn't tell you."

"Eh, it's fine. It's just too bad I can't come after last time… Remember the seared ahi incident, last summer?"

"Hehe, boy, do I," Akira chuckled as he recalled a particular incident. It was one Morgana preferred to forget about, but it made Akira laugh. The feline figured his partner could do with a bit of humor, even if it was at his own expense. "We almost got banned from that place because of you."

"I couldn't help it, it smelled too good! I got a little too excited."

"So excited that you let out a meow that broke the sound barrier?"

"Sorry, you know how seriously I take my fish."

"Don't worry, haha. I don't blame you."

"Thanks." Morgana then gave him sad eyes and said, "Hey, um, do you think-"

"Yeah yeah, I'll bring back some fatty tuna just for you," Akira responded flatly, but with a chuckle.

"Yes!" Morgana muttered under his breath, trying not to sound too excited. "Thanks, Akira."

"Anytime, buddy." Akira patted his feline companion on the head.

*This is Shibuya. The next stop is Shibuya.*

"This is us." Akira looked at Morgana, who was chilling in his old school bag, and smiled. "You ready?"

"You know it!"

As the train rolled into Tokyo station, Akira grabbed his bags, got up from his seat, and stepped off the train. He then stepped onto another train, this one being underground. He was only here for a year, and a few days give-or-take in the previous summer, but he remembered these lines well. Living in Tokyo, one has to be familiar with the underground subway routes.

A wave of nostalgia came crashing down on him as memories of Akira's first time arriving flooded his mind with every stop. That feeling kept up as he stepped off the subway train and wandered through the backstreets of Yongen-Jaya. As he was about to turn the corner and head to Leblanc, he spotted a familiar blue-haired woman in a white doctor's coat coming out of a small general store. He left his suitcase behind, power-walked up behind her, and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Excuse me? You wouldn't happen to have any special medicine would you? It's for my exams, I swear," Akira chuckled. The woman stopped and turned around; she had the biggest smirk on her face.

"Well, well, if it isn't my little guinea pig!" she said before pulling him into a welcoming embrace.

The woman in question was Doctor Tae Takemi, the back-alley doctor who ran her own clinic in Yongen-Jaya. She was an invaluable asset to Akira during his time as a Phantom Thief. Her medicine saved the group more times than he can keep count. Not only that, but she was one of the best people he had met during his year of probation in Tokyo, and was one of the many whom Akira had helped out. In Takemi's case, Akira helped her develop medicine for a young girl who suffered from a rare illness. Akira could say whatever he wanted about his probation year, but one thing he couldn't do was call it dull.

"How have you been?" Akira asked, chuckling at her guinea pig line, which he hadn't heard in quite some time. It added to that feeling of nostalgia that he was riding high on.

"Just fine, same old, same old, but you, you're anything but same old." Tae noticed that Akira had aged a bit since the last time she saw him, which was over a year ago. While still sporting his messy black hair and trademark faux glasses, he also began developing a bit of facial hair below his nose and on his chin. "Digging the beard and mustache," she said.

"Thanks, I like it too. I don't know if I'll keep it for long, though, might shave it off over the summer."

"Well, you do you. I like it, but I do miss that clean baby-face look you had." Akira chuckled and blushed slightly.

"So anyway, how's Miwa-chan doing?" he asked.

"Just fine, she already left to go on her spring break. Shame, it would have been nice for you to see her."

"Aw, I'm sorry I missed her, but I'll have more chances to see her since I am now staying in Tokyo for good."

"So I've heard, look at you mister college-boy!" Tae nudged his shoulder, causing a shy smirk to grow on his face. "Boss told me you were coming today. Speaking of which, you should go. He's probably getting tired of waiting for you."

"You're right, but it was great seeing you again."

"Stop by anytime!" She pulled him in for one last friendly embrace.

"Will do. See you, Tae." Akira and she headed their separate ways.

Before going into the Leblanc café, the place that served as his home for nearly a year in the past, Akira peeked in the laundromat and bathhouse across from it for another bump of nostalgia; taking in as many happy memories as he could, as if he was trying to forget what occurred in the last twenty-four hours. Standing in front of Leblanc, Akira took a deep breath, put on his happy face, and went to open the door. It was locked. Thankfully, Akira still had the spare key Sojiro had given him not long after he first arrived. He quickly unlocked the door and opened it. He walked inside the empty café; the lights were off and Sojiro was nowhere to be found. Once the bell chimed again and the door behind him and Morgana shut, Akira felt lost and slightly confused.

"Hello?" Akira called out and was met with the sound of silence in response.

"Huh, I wonder where the chief is?" Morgana asked.

"I don't know; maybe he stepped out for groceries?" Akira wondered.

"Maybe Leblanc went out of business," Morgana joked with a chuckle.

"Well, I guess that means we're sleeping in the laundromat, then." It was then that the pair heard a chuckle from behind the counter, followed by a slight bump and a faint "Ow."

"Did you hear that?" Morgana asked.

"I sure did, hehe." Akira put two and two together immediately and lowered his head while shaking it in amusement. "All right, guys; the jig is up. Come on out!" he called out.

"Ugh, nice going, Ryuji!"

"I couldn't help it! I got too excited!"

"We're the Phantom Thieves! We're supposed to be good at sneaking and staying quiet!"

"That's a lot to expect from Ryuji 'Big Mouth' Sakamoto, don't you think, Makoto?"

"Futaba, I swear to-"

"I'm still waiting in the dark here, guys! Haha," Akira laughed.

"Futaba, is your surprise thingy ready yet?"

"Gah, I don't think it's gonna work. That's what I get for leaving it til the last minute.

"Wow, Futaba made something that didn't work? That's new."

Akira sighed and looked down at Morgana. "So, how about that laundromat?" Morgana nodded in amusement.

"OOOH! I got it! Hit the lights, Inari!"

The lights came on and poppers from around Akira went off in the air, showering him and Morgana in confetti. Akira finally lifted his head and looked around to see his best friends pop out from their individual hiding places. Meanwhile, his former guardian, Sojiro Sakura, couldn't be bothered to crouch so he simply came out from his place in the kitchen. Surprisingly, Sae Niijima, the elder sister of one of his friends, was also there. He didn't have time to focus on how he didn't spot her immediately, she was simply sitting in one of the booths, as a herd stampeded towards him.

"OOOF!" Before Akira had time to react, he and Morgana were swallowed in a group hug from six of their former partners in crime.

—Ryuji Sakamoto; the hot-head of the group, a faux blond, former Shujin track star, turned rebel and a real dickhead in Tycoon.

—Ann Takamaki; the beauty of the group, a natural blond, rising supermodel in the fashion world.

—Yusuke Kitagawa; the weirdo of the group, a literal starving artist who needs to learn how to better manage his finances.

—Makoto Niijima; the brains of the group, former student council president of Shujin Academy, and definitely NOT a robot.

—Futaba Sakura; the hacking genius of the group, pseudo little sister to Akira, and really needs to understand the privacy of others.

—Haru Okumura; the wealthiest of the group, the kindest and secretly the most dangerous ball of floof you'll ever meet.

Quite a rag-tag group of individuals.

"Look at this guy right here; how've you been, man?" Ryuji asked his best friend while wrapping his arm around his shoulder.

"We missed ya!" Futaba exclaimed in a muffled tone as her head was buried in his chest.

"Guys… I… can't… breath…" Akira choked out.

"Me… neither…" Morgana followed.

"Hahaha, too bad, we're just so excited to see you that you're gonna have to deal with it," Ann replied, not bothering to loosen her hold on her friend. Akira began tapping on the shoulders of those hugging him.

"Hehe, all right, that's enough," Sojiro interjected from behind the counter. "Give the kid some room to breathe."

To Akira's eternal relief, they all relented, except Futaba, of course. By this point, Akira had gotten enough of his breath back to pull her off himself. The ginger-haired girl pouted slightly but smiled again once Akira rubbed the top of her head. Akira didn't let it show, but his abdomen was still hurting somewhat, and the group hug didn't exactly help.

"You okay?" Morgana asked him, knowing he was likely injured.

"I am now, hehe," Akira chuckled as he caught his breath. "Not that I'm complaining, don't get me wrong I missed you guys, but what are you all doing here? I didn't expect to see you guys until tonight."

"Uh, you do know I live here, right?" Futaba chuckled. "You were gonna see me either way."

"You know what I mean," Akira smirked.

"We thought it might be a fun to surprise you for lunch!" Haru said in her typically sweet tone of voice, beaming with happiness at the return of her dearest friend. "Did you get taller?"

"I don't think so, hehe," Akira chuckled. "But you got floofier." Haru playfully swatted at him.

"It's been a while," Yusuke said in his usual calm tone.

"Hasn't been that long."

"You look well," Makoto said with a smile on her face. "It's so good to see you!"

"It's great to see you too."

"What about meeeee?" Morgana playfully whined.

"Yes, you too, Morgana, haha," Ann replied as she petted the cat, causing it to let out a satisfied meow.

"Wait," Akira began, "if you're all here, then where's-"

"Hello, Senpai..." Akira heard a voice from further back say. The rest of the group made way for the familiar red-haired girl to approach the man she loved.

"Asked and answered," Sojiro chuckled.

"He didn't actually get to ask," Ryuji added before receiving a nudge from Ann, telling him to shut up and not ruin the moment.

"Sumire…" Akira smiled as he dropped his bag to the floor.

"Ow!" Morgana yelped. "Not cool!" Akira ignored him as he approached the redhead.

The girl in question was Sumire Yoshizawa, a future Olympic gymnast and the girl who had stolen Akira's heart. She and Akira embraced as the others watched in total happiness, happy for their two friends. Sumire let a few tears of joy drop; she had waited for this moment for what felt like an eternity, but it was finally here. Her one and only was back, and he was here to stay.

"I've missed you so much," she spoke.

"I'm not back for five minutes and you're already back on the whole 'Senpai' thing, huh?" Sumire tapped him on the back. "Haha, I'm kidding; I've missed you too," Akira chuckled.

"I'm sorry," Sumire began as she began to loosen her hold, "I'm just so happy to see you, Akira!"

"Me too," Akira said before looking up at his friends. "That goes for all of you," he added, looking at the others around the café. When Sumire let go of Akira, the boy turned his attention to his former guardian.

"Hey kid, long time no see. How are you doing?" Sojiro asked.

"Not too bad. A bit tired from the trip, but otherwise good."

"How's your mom doing?" The mention of his mom made the smile on Akira's disappear for a brief moment, it quickly returned, and he hoped the others didn't notice.

"She's-uh, doing fine," Akira replied. This was a sentence he forced out with grit, but he still maintained his happy mood. Thankfully, Sojiro decided not to prod any further.

"Good to hear; she knows you got in okay?"

"Yeah, I texted her when I arrived in Shibuya," Akira lied; he hadn't texted or spoken to his mother since last night. Morgana shot him a brief look; he knew he was lying. Akira then turned his attention to the woman who got him out of juvie, Sae Niijima. "How are you, Sae-san?" Akira said as he greeted her with a bow.

"Just fine, it's good to see you again, Akira-kun; welcome back," she said with a smile.

"I'm surprised to see you, but then again, the same can be said of everyone except Boss, hehe," Akira chuckled.

"Today is my day off. Makoto told me you were coming so I figured I'd stop by and see you. Come, have a seat."

"You guys settle in; I'll get lunch started," Sojiro said as everyone took their seats around the café, either in booths or on the stools at the counter.

As Sojiro prepared his famous curry, the others just talked about their lives. All the ex-Phantom Thieves, except Futaba and Sumire, were either in or about to start college. Sojiro was more than happy to give Akira his old room back rent-free, provided he help out around the café now and then. Akira, Ryuji, Ann, Haru, and Makoto would be attending the University of Tokyo while Yusuke would be attending Tokyo University of the Arts. The Thieves had time off for spring break and decided to plan a camping trip the next day.

At the behest of Futaba, Sojiro persuaded his customer to loan them his RV once again. The Thieves referred to it as their Phantomobile after their cross-country trip last summer. They found themselves laughing about that trip once more and gushed how exciting it was to visit so many places and try different cuisines. Akira had picked up a lot of culinary expertise, which he has since developed even further to the point of wanting to open his own restaurant, but that wouldn't happen for a while. For now, no need to worry about the future—just focus on enjoying the present.

"So what's it like back home? Makoto told me that you're originally from Inaba if I remember correctly?" Sae asked Akira.

"Yeah, it's all right. Life's a bit boring—there's not a whole lot to do over there. But otherwise, it's mostly calm and quiet."

"I hate to bring this up so soon after you just got here, but what about your 'reputation?'"

"It took a while to shake off the whole 'criminal record' thing thoroughly, but eventually, people moved on and forgot about it." Sae was relieved.

"Good, and how were your exams?"

"Painless," Akira smirked.

"Congratulations again on graduating with honors!" Makoto beamed. "I'm really happy for you."

"Did you expect anything less of me, Makoto?" Akira asked with a cocky smirk. Very few could pull off a move like that and still be charming. Akira was one of those few, though he wasn't always like that. Not that the others were aware of that. The following sentence from Ryuji was proof of that.

"You know, we don't really know that much about your life back in the boonies."

"Yeah, that's true. Do you have any friends that you hang out with over there?" Ann chimed in.

"Kinda, there're a few friendly people I see around town occasionally, but nobody on the level of you guys. I mostly hang out with my cousin and her boyfriend when she's not busy traveling for work. Aside from my mom, they were the only ones who tried to fight for me when I was first arrested. If not for them, I don't think I would've been able to hold out for the rest of the year."

"You didn't have any trouble at school, did you?" Haru asked in a slightly worried tone.

"Oh no, not at all. Even after people forgot about the criminal record, I just preferred to keep to myself. But no one ever bullied me or anything, if that's what you're worried about."

"That is a relief," Yusuke said. Akira did his best to quickly shoot down any concerns the group may have had. The group breathed a sigh of relief, but if only they knew the truth…

"Your cousin travels for work?" Sumire asked; Akira nodded. "What does she do?"

"She's an idol," Akira answered casually. The Thieves' jaws all dropped and their eyes widened. Ryuji chocked on his drink.

"WHAT!? D'you seriously just say your cousin was an idol?" he looked at his best friend with wide eyes.

"Yeah, she's been one since she was thirteen. She's twenty-two now and still working hard."

"Is she famous? Like really really famous?"

"Uh, yeah, hehe, you could say that…" Akira smirked.

"Well, we gotta know, who is she?" Ann asked. Everyone was curious; Ryuji especially leaned in with curious intent.

"Here's a hint: you've seen her on his wall upstairs," Morgana replied with a hint of a smug smirk on his face. Makoto translated what Morgana said to Sojiro and Sae, the only two people in the café who couldn't understand the feline. The Thieves thought for a second; Futaba was the first to say something.

"No way! You mean Risette?" Futaba's question nearly gave Ryuji a heart attack.

"NO FUCKING WAY!" Ryuji exclaimed before receiving a punch in the arm from Makoto.

"Hey! Keep it down, will you!?" she said in a stern, authoritative voice.

"Sorry…" Ryuji replied with a whimper. Sae chuckled with a bit of pride at the sight of her little sister putting the potty-mouthed teen in his place. "For real, though, your cousin is Risette!? THE Risette!?" Ryuji asked.

"Yep, although I just call her 'Rise,' or occasionally, 'cuz,'" Akira replied.

"Dude, you never told us you were related to Risette," Futaba said.

"You never asked…" Akira had a hint of frustration in his voice that thankfully no one caught. Likely due to everyone being surprised at the new info they had just learned about their leader.

"You said she has a boyfriend already, yes?" Yusuke asked.

"Yeah… Well, fiancé, technically. They're getting married this summer."

"Hmm…"

"What is it, Yusuke?"

"Do you think I could paint-" Akira knew where he was going and stopped him in his tracks.

"No, you can't ask her to model nude for you. She's family, for God's sake. I don't want to see her naked," Akira said before cringing in his seat.

"Isn't it weird that you have a poster of her on your wall, though?" Morgana wondered with a grin. Akira clearly knew where he was going.

"In my defense, Morgana, did you see any family pictures up there?" Akira retorted.

"Fair enough," Morgana conceded.

"Had I known, I wouldn't have gotten you her poster, haha!" Ann laughed.

"Must've been awkward to have your cousin's poster on your wall while you and Sumire were-"

"FUTABA!" Akira and Sumire yelled out in unison. The café all shot her a look.

"What? How often do you see that kind of symmetry in life?" the geeky ginger giggled. Yusuke came back into the conversation.

"I was simply going to suggest painting them for their wedding. Plus, I feel it would be interesting to paint a celebrity."

"I think you'd need to be formally invited, Yusuke," Haru chimed in.

"Ah, right…" He had a slightly defeated look on his face.

"Tell you what. If she wants a painter for her wedding, I'll put in a good word," Akira said to Yusuke's delight.

"Thank you, Akira. You have my gratitude."

"I love to eat at weddings. The desserts are so yummy!" Ann said.

"Where did that come from?" Sumire asked with a giggle in her voice.

"Eh, I'm just starving! I haven't eaten anything yet today because I knew we were doing this."

"I feel ya; I'm starving too," Ryuji added.

"Um, Yusuke, are you all right?" Makoto asked. Yusuke, being the literal starving artist he was, was trying very hard not to shed any tears.

"Boss, if I may ask, is the curry nearly ready?" he asked Sojiro, who chuckled.

"Hehe, don't worry, kid, it's ready. You get the first plate as usual."

"Thank you, Boss!" Yusuke did shed a tear that time, but a tear of joy. Everyone laughed.

"Oh, which reminds me," Akira began has he turned to Sumire, "being family and all, I was invited, and the invitation said I could bring a plus one. You down? It's in mid-August."

"Absolutely! I have a retreat early in the month, but I would love to come with you!" Sumire happily responded.

"Great!" Akira leaned in and kissed her cheek, causing her to blush.

"Lunchtime, everyone!" Sojiro announced.

For the next couple of hours, Leblanc was filled with war stories and laughs from everyone as they savored Sojiro's famous combo of curry and coffee. Akira felt like he was home. He didn't miss Inaba at all… or his mother. The Phantom Thieves were more than his best friends; they were like the siblings he never had…

After lunch, once everyone had left, Akira helped Sojiro clean up around the café. The two caught up a bit and shared a few chuckles. That was until Sojiro brought up Akira's mother.

"So what's your mom up to these days? Did she start teaching again?"

"Not much, and no. She's still on sabbatical," Akira replied, mentally preparing himself for a conversation he was not looking forward to.

"Is she dating anyone?"

"What are you getting at, Sojiro?" Akira said, raising an eyebrow.

"Hehe, don't worry, kid, it's not what you think." Sojiro tried to brush it off as a joke. He really was kidding, though. He had no interest in Akira's mother other than as a friend. "I'm just curious. I haven't heard from her in a while, or you for that matter."

"Well, I've been busy. You know, entrance exams, applications, et cetera…"

"Mmm-hmm. Well, I'm glad your back. Even with Futaba, it hasn't been the same around here without you. Just hope your mom won't feel too lonely now that…" Sojiro trailed off as he saw Akira rubbing his forehead. "You okay there, Akira?"

"Ugh, my head hurts; don't worry, it's not too bad. Do you mind if I go lie down?"

"Yeah, sure thing. I can finish cleaning up. Your room's how you left it; I put away the boxes you sent over and your bed's already made."

"You mean the thin mattress on milk crates? Gee, thanks…" Akira said sarcastically as he began walking up the stairs. "If you wanna stiff me up, why don't you just give me a brick to use as a pillow?" he said as he disappeared.

Sojiro was annoyed, but chose not to say anything and chalk it up to fatigue from the trip. Akira, however, was not happy. He remembered the first couple of weeks he was here during his probation year, trying to sleep in the attic. His "bed" was not comfortable at first; he did get used to it eventually, but not before waking up stiff every day for two weeks or so. Morgana was already upstairs. He heard Akira's comment and was not pleased.

"I heard that. That wasn't a nice thing to say to the chief, you know?"

"Look who's talking, mister, 'maybe he went out of business,'" Akira replied with more hostility in his voice. "It was just a joke, relax."

"You're seriously comparing my joke to what you just said? That wasn't a joke, that was just mean."

"Pffft, whatever." Akira wasn't in a good mood. He hoped Morgana would stop there. Then again, this was Morgana.

"Okay, what's up with you?"

"I'm fine; my head's just killing me, that's all," Akira said as he laid down, facing away from Morgana.

"Still?"

"Yeah, still, now can you leave me alone for a bit?"

"If that's your excuse for your behavior now, what happened last night when-" Akira quickly turned and faced the cat.

"One more word, and I'm sending you to Futaba's." Akira usually said this playfully. There was nothing playful about it this time. He was dead serious and clearly angry. "Now, let me sleep. Aren't you the one always telling me to go to sleep? 'Go to sleep, Joker!' 'Oh, Joker, you must be tired, shouldn't you go to sleep?'" Akira said in his best Morgana voice. "Get lost and let me get some rest, will you!? God…"

Morgana was hurt, but he should've known better than to try and ask about what happened between Akira and his mother when Akira was clearly not feeling well. He decided to leave him in peace. Once downstairs, he cuddled up to Sojiro, who was reading the newspaper inside one of the booths. Though he could not understand Morgana like the Thieves could, he still heard what Akira said upstairs.

"Hey buddy, you okay?" Sojiro asked, petting the cat and getting a few meows in return. Concern for Akira had been slowly growing for the past few months or so. Even if Sojiro couldn't understand what he was saying, Morgana couldn't not say anything anymore.

"I'm worried about Akira, chief…"

Something also crossed his mind, just then. Why did Akira refer to himself as Joker?