Chapter 47: Heralding Recipes
{R}
Since it had been some time, and apparently after her excursion with Ann yesterday, Aki suggested to everyone that they have a group exercise day, especially since they had Makoto in the team and she probably would like it. Unfortunately, all the Thieves were busy for one reason or another for the day, though Ren wondered if what Ryuji meant by "looking into something" was what he suspected it was considering the track team. So that was quickly shot down, to his sister's disappointment. Serendipitously though, Yoshizawa had snagged the gym for her training and invited him and Aki along. So they decided to accept, seeing as Ren could easily just visit the wardens tonight.
Oh, and Yoshizawa was offerring food too.
That had Aki skeptical, but considering how the red head talked with Ryuji about nutrition, they both figured it was worth a shot.
"I'm sorry for calling you so suddenly like this," Yoshizawa said.
"Hey, no problem."
"We promised to execise together when we can after all."
"Thank you. But remember last time?"
"More or less, yes," he said.
"Well I've been thinking about other things I'm really invested in besides gymnastics...and I figured it out! It's this!"
Aki scoffed and smirked. Ren gave her a half-hearted glare even as he turned amused as well, warning her not to quip. Her smugness got worse, but she nonetheless obeyed his silent notice.
So he said, "And would that be making bento?"
"Yes! I can cook. And since I wanted to thank both of you, I decided to make you some. But I figured this would definitely help me get my confidence back!"
Aki eyed him curiously.
"She wants to boost it since she's been having trouble with gymnastics lately."
"Oh right! I, uh...forgot to tell you..." Yoshizawa said.
"Hey, no problem," Aki said. "We've all been busy with stuff."
"No need to blame yourself for that."
"Thanks. Again. As for these thank you bentos... I made this specifically with your body types in mind and how much you exercise..."
Ren stilled. That's...not good, probably. They knew their Metaverse capabilities don't exactly transfer to the real world and yet they still used up energy. So he wasn't sure if that would've affected how Yoshizawa would've done the meal, and thus as it was now, it might not match his and Aki's "specifications".
"Do you want it?"
Still, he couldn't turn it down. So he said, "Yes. It looks good."
"Well, I definitely wanna try it, I can tell ya that."
Yoshizawa smiled. "Then go ahead! It's all yours!"
Just as they dug in though...
"Uh...is that...?"
...they noticed the box Yoshizawa had before her, which was the size of both of their bentos combined.
"Oh? You mean this? Yes, this is mine."
He stared.
Then he turned to Aki, who was also wide-eyed.
Yes, their appetites weren't any better, but still, it wasn't everyday that they met someone else who could eat a lot like them.
And Yoshizawa explained that, as an athlete, not only did she need it, but that the bento was less than her usual.
"Scratch that. She could probably beat us in an eatin' competition and still be hungry," Aki whispered.
"I know you would still try to beat her though," Ren whispered back.
She glowered. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing." Aki opened her mouth to retaliate, but he said, "Come on, let's eat before it gets too late."
His sister huffed, but nonetheless went with his suggestion.
Unfortunately, Aki tried, and failed, to hide her grimace and her true opinion about the food.
This time though, while Ren didn't find it, well, inedible, the flavor reminding him of curry, even he would admit that it didn't match the simple bento meal. It was like trying to make a savory soup sweet.
"Amamiya-san? Amamiya-senpai? Are you two okay...?"
"Uh..." Aki glanced at him with a pleading look.
"Yes. It's just that the unique taste caught us off guard."
"Do you think so? I don't think it's that weird for an athlete."
He was going to have to confirm that with Ryuji if that was the case.
"Were the spices too light? Excuse me for that..."
"Uh, more like...were ya...tryin' to make curry or somethin'?"
It turned out, she answered that yes, she had indeed tried to make it taste like curry. Why?
"I figured everyone likes curry! Right?"
Well, then she was lucky Aki has taking a liking to curry now, thanks to their caretaker. But by that point...
"Oh, I'm sorry. Did you not like the flavor...? Or, wait, maybe you prefer the super spicy ones!"
"No!" Aki said then flinched at her outburst. "No wait I mean—"
"I'm so sorry! I did this all wrong!" Yoshizawa said, standing up abruptly and cutting off his sister. "Should I get mayonaise? Soy sauce?"
"Yoshizawa."
"Maybe miso?"
"Yoshizawa."
"Do you think you Dr. Maruki would have some salt?!"
"Yoshizawa! Calm down!"
"Oh right! I should just buy something new you can eat right now!"
"Oy! We said calm down! It's fine! I don't mind eatin' it."
"Yeah, Aki's just a picky eater."
His sister glowered at him. "Am not."
"Are too, and you know it."
Yoshizawa stared at them, surprised. "Really...?"
"Yes. The fact she's willing to eat it means it's not bad."
So this time, Aki didn't continue their banter, instead just quietly grumbled.
"Okay, if you insist..."
"I do."
"I don't..." Aki mumbled.
"Then let's really eat," Yoshizawa said as she retook her seat.
With that, they dug into their meals and, thankfully, Aki was able to finish hers. Yoshizawa thanked them for that and apologized again for the flavor not turning out right, as she had been indecisive on what to go for.
Yoshizawa groaned. "I'm so embarrassed... I thought it was so great when I presented it and now..."
Aki gave a reassuring grin. "Hey. You can try again. Like me and my coffee practice."
Ren smiled and nodded. "Exactly. Just keep at it."
"You're very kind... Okay, I'll go buy that super spicy 'Megido-sauce' for next time!"
Ren gulped.
Aki sweated.
Neither had the heart to correct her.
Especially not when she then said, "It seems like you're always helping me forward, Amamiya-senpai, Amamiya-san. If I didn't have you two, I'd let my failures get to me and end up in some big pessimistic spiral again."
They both sighed at their inability to just tell her.
Then they shared a look, no doubt thinking about how much it could go wrong if she was left unchecked.
So on second thought, they would tell her next time.
For now though, Ren said, "You have to give yourself some credit. You're doing your best to improve."
"Yeah! That's why you're doin' this, right? Findin' things to use so that when you're havin' those stupid thoughts, you got somethin' to fight 'em back with!"
Yoshizawa chuckled, and for a moment, Ren had thought she had cheered up, but then she seemed...almost wistful as she said,
"When you put it that way, maybe this kind of confidence can help me figure out who I really am."
And both of them were similarly sobered.
That... That was something Ren wished he could help her more with, something more concrete than just a willing ear, when he was sure that Dr. Maruki fulfilled that role for her. But since he couldn't, he just said,
"I'm sure you'll figure it out, one step at a time."
And Yoshizawa smiled and thanked them and resolved to do just that.
She also resolved to work them both even harder during their exercise.
He and Aki groaned.
(A)
After that rather...mixed pre-exercise meal with Yoshizawa, they got on with the main event. Akira had actually been feeling pretty good about it. She hadn't been wheezing from lack of breath after their warmups and kept up a decent pace with Yoshizawa and her brother, though she was still "dead last", so to speak, completing her reps and sets quite a bit after they did.
But then...
"Ow ow ow ow ow ow!" She doubled over and clutched herself.
"Aki?!"
"Amamiya-san?!"
...her stomach cramped.
Well, that was just wonderful. She had hoped that, since Yoshizawa made their meal specifically to fuel them during their exercise, and that they had actually waited the minimum amount of time to digest their food, she wouldn't have to worry about stomach cramps. But, of course, her body didn't like it.
The only bright side was that it had nothing to do with her asthma.
She appreciated a break from any asthma problems after what had happened during Kaneshiro's boss fight.
"Oh no...I'm sorry. Your stomach is cramping, right?" Yoshizawa said as she and her brother helped her onto a bench.
Aki groaned like a deflating tire. "Yeah..."
"I guess we should've waited longer before we started. I didn't think your stomach would cramp so soon."
You think cramping after only thirty minutes after we ate is too soon? For real?
It still amazed her how...unbelievable Yoshizawa was at times.
"Do you want me to get some tea?" Ren said, slipping from also being dumbfounded by Yoshizawa's behavior to concern for her.
"Nah, I'm...fine... Just gonna...lie down here...if ya don't mind..." Akira said as she did just that.
"Well, I guess this as good a time to stop as any..."
"Oh no you don't," she said, glaring. "Don't stop just 'cause of me, you hear me? Or I'm gonna whack you guys myself. Preferably with a newspaper. And then maybe throw stuff or something..."
"That's not exactly very encouraging," Ren said with a slight smirk.
"You know what I mean!"
Yoshizawa frowned. "But..."
Ren laughed.
"Huh?"
"All right all right. But if you need anything, just say so, okay?"
Akira smirked. "I'll promise to be very clear about it then."
Her brother chuckled. "Okay then," he said, walking off. "I'll go on ahead and keep going, Yoshizawa."
Akira huffed. "Good." And then she groaned before she said, "Ugh...and I was doin' real good this time too... Damn it... Stupid stomach..."
It was only after her complaint did she realize that, all the while, the red head just stared at their exchange, first befuddled, but now...
Akira frowned. "Is somethin' wrong with you, Yoshizawa?"
...wistful yet again, even when she seemed to have broken out of her daze to answer her.
"No, nothing. It's just nice to see the two of you be so close." And then she smiled and Akira felt a tiny bit of pain from their link as she said, "It reminds me of my sister actually. She was quite the go-getter like you."
And then she went off to continue her training with Ren.
Akira frowned as she eye the red haired athlete. That... That had been worrisome. If how she referred to her sister was any implication... She wondered if her speculation was true. But there was no way she could know at this point. They weren't so close that Yoshizawa would be willing to confide about the absence of a loved one.
All she could do now was let her know that she's more than willing to listen should she choose to confide in her.
Oh, and hope her stomach cramp would go away soon so that she could maybe catch a few more minutes of exercising before they had to leave school grounds.
{R}
It seemed whatever plan Akira had last night would be put to action while he visited the twins.
As much as he was tempted to follow her, she had already acquiesced to bringing Mona with her to her planned destination, so he resisted it and went to the Velvet Room door at Shibuya, once again bracing himself as Caroline kicked him in. After a bit of stretching to relieve the pain from that, he said,
"What does it mean when I obtain the ultimate secret of a Confidant?"
"Do you mean your maxed Confidant you say? I certainly didn't expect to see one so soon."
"Why is that?"
"With it, you can now create the ultimate Persona of the Aracana of your maxed Confidant. It is a Persona of incredible power that you can only be granted access to when you max your Confidant."
"But don't get cocky, Inmate! Just because you gained access to it, doesn't mean you can already summon it. You need to work on your strength to control it."
"I see..."
That made sense, considering how some Shadows wouldn't turn into his or Aki's masks unless they were just as strong as them. They likely needed a stronger will to keep them in check. Speaking of strength though...
"Then may I do some fusions to do your request?"
"Very well."
"Hmph. Fine."
And so Ren sat down, focusing on his Personas and directing his wardens through his compendium. It was easy enough to create an Ame-no-Uzume that learned Frei from her components. Justine predicatably was impressed and voiced her praise while Caroline was "tsun-tsun" about it. With that done so soon, he asked for his next task, and they gave him one, apparently coming from a list they had prepared. That one had been even easier, with Eligor being a component of Flauros and already having Tarukaja.
Caroline grumbled.
"Is something the matter, sister?" Justine said.
"N-Nothing! Just thinking the Inmate could be even faster with his fusing if he's already going this far this quickly."
For real?
"Hey! Don't give me that look, Inmate! You may be breezing through the list my sister wrote now...but know it really will get more difficult as we go on!"
Ren kept up his look. Uh huh. Sure.
"As impolite as it is to treat us this way, we will not degrade ourselves and stoop to your level."
But then Justine said, confused, "I am not the one who wrote this list. I have always assumed it was you..."
And both him and Caroline were astonished.
"What?! I don't know anything about that thing."
That... That just made him wonder who did it then.
"An unknown element in a place like this leaving a list such as that is worrisome. Almost like an ally slipping an escape tool to a prisoner."
Ren frowned. If that was the case, that just raised even more questions.
"... I suppose now that I consider it, this list is far too precise for you to have written it."
"Quiet! You don't have to say that!"
Despite his worries, Ren couldn't help but chuckle at the two sisters, being reminded of his own.
It was brief though as Caroline said,
"But wait...who wrote it then? It wasn't our master, was it?"
Ren doubted that.
"No, I have not heard him mention anything of the sort... How long have we had this list?"
None of them had an answer to that.
Though the sisters were tempted to ask their master, they dismissed the thought before Ren could make a comment, saying that they didn't want to bother him...not that Ren felt he would've answered them.
So Ren didn't mind that they moved on to assign him his next task: a Phoenix with Counter. When he finished that one though, Justine began to question whether helping him with fusing Persona would truly rehabilitate him, much less his little sister. Caroline was quick to dismiss it with reminders of their orders. But Justine brought up another point:
"The author of this must have known that the one carrying out these tasks would possess the power of the wild card."
"You've gotta be kidding me! Who could predict that?!"
Ren frowned. Who could predict that indeed... It only increased his worry more. As Caroline pointed out, not even Igor knew he and his sister would be Wild Cards, particularly Aki since the jail master had been surprised at her possessing it. He worried if the reason the author created that list was because they wanted to use him and Aki and needed a lineup that would make the most of their "Persona slots". But without anything besides that list with an unknown author, none of them had any way to solve it.
And so he just went to complete yet another task, Setanta with Rakukaja, when Caroline was about to give him his next one and was startled.
"Huh?!"
Ren tensed. "What's wrong?"
"I-It's none of your concern, Inmate!"
"Well, it is mine. What is it, Caroline?"
"... It...feels like I've seen the writing on this list before..."
Justine turned astonished. "Do you speak of the penmanship?"
Ren let out a deep sigh.
As if he needed even more mysteries for that list...
"Argh, I can't remember. Do you recognize it, Justine?"
...now there was another question and the confusing fact that they recognized it, yet they were still nowhere closer to even having a simple guess.
Justine flipped through the list. "'Compliment him after he finishes the next task'," she said.
Ren stared.
What.
"'Don't spoil him though. Do it like you practiced, with a piercing glare and angled hips'..."
Did Caroline just...?
"W-Wait, not that! Those are my notes!" the girl in question said.
And Ren couldn't help but laugh.
Of course, Caroline glared at him. "Hey! How dare you laugh at your warden, Inmate!"
"Well, it is quite amusing. It seems you were looking forward to him completing his tasks."
"Never mind that!"
Ren laughed harder.
"You! Shut up! I was talking about the handwriting of the tasks themselves!"
That, actually, did sober him up, the reminder of the mystery making it hard to be amused, all these questions made him worry over what could be the answer. So the best the wardens could come up with was him simply finishing the list, not only so that they could see him grow, but to see if the culmination of that would answer their questions.
Unfortunately, that would have to be put on hold for now. His next task, a Neko Shogun with Dekaja, was a bit too strong for him to control. He would admit that he'd been tempted to use the new exception the twins gave him to summon it already, but if getting stronger meant he could summon the samurai cat at a much lower price, if not outright free, with the skill he needed, then he would wait. He wanted the money be prioritized for their equipment, items and, most especially, Aki's medicine.
Besides, it was likely late, so he had to go.
"Thank you for helping me," he said. "Good-bye, Justine, Caroline."
"Don't forget about your assignment, Inmate."
Ren smiled, even if he wasn't entirely up to it. "I know."
(A)
Yes! She's here!
"How fortuitous."
The fortune teller she, Ren and Ryuji had passed by when they first came to Shinjuku was in the exact same spot as last time.
"Oh, are you going to get your fortune read?"
"If I have to."
"Huh?"
What she actually wanted was being taught about the meanings of Tarot cards from someone rather than just read it up, but she doubted she could get that on her first go. So, as the blonde woman said,
"Uh, well then... Please take a seat!"
Akira obeyed and said, "Thanks for havin' me."
The woman smiled pleasantly. "This is your first time here, yes? I'm more than happy to help you through it. I've had many other high school girls come by."
I'm sure you do. Akira smiled back and bowed her head a bit. "Again, thanks."
"Anyways, my name is Chihaya Mifune. I will be reading your fortune today. You can begin by telling me your name."
Now, if this had been anyone else, she would've just answered it straight. But seeing as this was a fortune teller...she couldn't help herself.
"Hey, ya mind tryin' to guess my name?"
The fortune teller was surprised, if not off-put, by her request. But still she said, "Well, I suppose I could attempt to divine it, if you'd like."
She nodded. "Yeah, I would."
"Very well. Let's start with your family name then."
Akira expected her to use the cards already, but instead Mifune-san focused for a few moments, seemingly "looking into" the threads of fate. Akira figured that fortune tellers didn't really do much when they told fortunes, but even she would admit that she had hoped to at least see her use her Tarot cards.
But then Mifune-san said, "Is it Kusumi? Or maybe Kurusu? Or is it...Amamiya? Hmm...this may take longer than I expected..."
And Akira tensed. Did she just...? She had said an alternate reading of her old family name and the actual reading of her old family name before finally landing on the one she held now. She wasn't sure exactly how common was her family name and its kanji was, but she still felt the chances were low for Mifune-san to be that close to being right...
...and then saying, "Ah. No, it is Akira Amamiya, yes?"
There was still the chance of being lucky, but for this, Akira nodded and conceded. "Yeah, it is."
Mifune-san smiled much more warmly; less plastered. "Your name is quite lucky. I can feel the love for it from you and your family. Your mother made a good choice."
Okay that's kinda hard to not get convinced by.
Akira was glad the blonde fortune teller moved on and said,
"That aside. What kind of consultation can I interest you in today?"
Akira hummed, thinking on the best way to go about getting something close to what she wanted before she could work on making it reality.
"Give me the full package," she decided, hoping that it would show quite a number of cards.
The woman frowned. "Very well. I suppose the life of a high schooler is difficult, after all. Now then let's begin with an initial reading to test the waters of your fate," she said. "O divine power...bring forth this girl's fortune!"
With that, she shuffled the cards and placed down seven, then arranged those into columns, with the center column having three cards. The first card flipped over was one Akira took a bit to recognize since she hadn't made a Confidant of that Arcana, Fortune. The second though she recognized immediately, the Sun. Akira smiled unconsciously at the sight.
"Yes. I've seen everything. A stream of light obscuring the sun...like an arrow tearing through the sky..."
Is that supposed to be a play on my name? It probably wasn't, but still, with the way she said it, it almost seemed like she was describing what Akira did as a Phantom Thief.
"I see. There seems to be new wealth in your future. Your financial future is looking good today. This wealth of which I speak of will come...from your house." She smiled. "Head home without detour and you will find five thousand yen will await you there!"
Five thousand yen? What? Mr. Grumpy Chef's gonna feel generous and give us some money? She doubted that, but she didn't want to jinx things, so she nodded and said,
"Got it. Will do."
The blonde nodded in satisfaction and said, "As you should. Fate is absolute!"
Akira frowned.
She shouldn't really have been surprised, but she didn't like that Mifune-san had that mindset. It made it seem like she thought they couldn't do anything to change it.
After all, if Akira had thought that, her life would've been ruined by this point, if not outright lost...literally and figuratively.
But Mifune-san wasn't done yet, as the fortune teller continued turning cards to then reveal...the Moon.
"What is this?" she said, frowning. "How strange, Amamiya-san. The general flow of your future seems to indicate..."
Another card turned. The Tower.
"Ruin...?"
And yet another. The Devil.
"And an inmate, locked away in a lonely cell..."
Okay, if that didn't make her believe that Mifune-san had some kind of seer abilities, which was very much possible considering her Third Eye, than she didn't know what would.
The fortune teller then flipped the last two cards, one being what she assumed was Strength and the Fool thanks to their numbers, before she asked,
"These cards... You seem to be a good person then, Amamiya-san...but, are you perhaps mixed up with the wrong crowd?"
Akira chuckled hollowly. "Not exactly, but trouble always finds me."
"Oh... I see... That...worries me as beyond that..." she said. Akira had a feeling where she would go. "...if you contuinue on your current path, it will lead to your death."
Yeah, I thought so. She had suspected as such with Igor.
And though she also had a guess for the answer as well, she asked, "...anything that can help me avoid it?"
Mifune-san frowned and shook her head. "I'm sorry. I cannot offer advice to that end... If this divination is coming to me this clearly, the truth of it is simply undeniable."
Akira sighed. "Figured..."
"Although..." the woman said, and Akira saw her smile become plastered again, which she only realized now thanks to being genuine moments before. "...there may be a way to counteract your destiny."
She had yet another feeling on what she might do.
"All you need is...my spiritual object: the Holy Stone! With its power in your control, you can avoid even the most unfortunate of futures...probably."
And she was right again.
It was clearly a scam, unlike her fortune earlier. Mifune-san went on to tell her that it was "usually" for her more "experienced" customers, but Akira's future was apparently "too dire to ignore". Akira couldn't tell how genuine she was about that, especially without a Confidant link, but even while the blonde woman detailed how it "worked"—that it had an aura of joy and needed a moonlight recharge—she was tempted to get it. It might not actually outright change her future, but considering Mifune-san probably had a good number of customers and there was a general supersition of lucky stones, Akira figured it might at least be helpful in the Metaverse.
And then the fortune teller said,
"As for the cost, it's only one hundred thousand yen."
"One hundred thousand yen?!"
That was how much she was scamming people?!
"Akira! Not so loud!" Mona whisper-shouted.
Akira squeaked and covered her mouth.
But could anyone blame her? That amount was insane. Now she felt bad for the ones who paid it in full. And the only reason she could even think about paying such an amount was thanks to her "job" as a Phantom Thief.
Meanwhile, Mifune-san's smile became a little bit awkward at her outburst, but still, she continued on.
"But of course. It's an item that can change your very future. So if anything, I'm selling it for a rather cheap price, yes?"
Akira grumbled.
In theory, she would agree...if it wasn't so obviously a scam.
She wished that Mifune-san wouldn't scam people, especially if she had some kind of legitimate fortune telling power, but she couldn't really just tell her to stop. She was just a stranger...one that was here for ulterior motives much like the woman's business. And she was going to take her chance to get what she actually wanted. So dealing with her scamming would have to wait.
"If I bought a stone, would ya be willin' to also teach me?"
"Huh? Teachin' y—er, you want me to teach you?"
"Yeah. I wanna know the meaning of the tarot cards. What better way than learnin' from an expert?"
"Uh, well...I never had someone be interested before..." Mumbling, she added, "Much less someone from the city..."
Akira smirked behind her mask. "Then how 'bout this? You think about if you're up for teachin' me or not and I'll think about if I wanna get the Holy Stone after all. What you say?"
Mifune-san was mostly quiet, only making noises as she contemplated on her choice.
She sighed. "Well, if this is the only way to possibly convince you to buy a Holy Stone and save yourself from ruin...I'll think about it."
"Great! I'll be goin' now then," Akira said as she stood. "With no sidetrackin', like you said."
In truth, despite keeping her promise, Akira didn't quite think she'd get five thousand yen when she got back.
So, of course, she did get five thousand yen. From Sojiro. Who had some extra from his lottery winnings and felt like sharing.
Akira glared at the paper money as soon as their caretaker was gone.
"Something up, Aki?"
Akira heaved a sigh. "Just fate makin' fun of me again."
"She had her fortune told and it was exactly right!" Mona said.
"I'm sorry, what?"
Akira explained what had happened, but left out her deal with Mifune-san. Thankfully, Mona also didn't bother to mention it either, for whatever reason. She didn't bother asking and she would tell Ren after she got an answer from her anyways, so there was no need.
She had been worried she would have to put that on hold when it started raining the next day. Luckily, by the time night rolled around, her and her brother's afternoon spent with Doc peaceful and, in her case, apologetic, the clouds had cleared up and she could head to Shinjuku's red-light district.
"So?" Akira said as she sat before the fortune teller. "Will you teach me if I buy a Holy Stone?"
Mifune-san looked annoyed, even mumbling, "I can't believe I'm doing this..." But she nonetheless said, "After giving it some thought...yes. But only if you buy the Holy Stone first. And, after today, I will only give lessons on Tuesdays, Thurdays and Saturdays."
Akira frowned. "Eh? Why those days?"
"That's when I don't have as many customers."
"All right... Fair enough. So, I buy a Holy Stone now, you give me a lesson, and then after that, lessons are only on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Deal?"
"Yes."
With that, Akira whipped out the hundred thousand yen she had prepared beforehand, much to Mifune-san's brief astonishment, but the fortune teller quickly hid that with a smile, a "thank you for purchasing", and saying,
"So, since you're a beginner, I'll start with a quick description of the meanings of the Major Arcana, and then we can go more in-depth in our later lessons."
And so, despite actually knowing most of the meanings Mifune-san described, Akira paid attention to it. After all, it was best getting a thorough grasp of the basics to have a solid foundation for the advanced stuff, which she had no idea was for Tarot readings.
{R}
With both Aki and Mona out, Mishima busy with both the Phan-Site and various social media sites to see of any hint of quests they could do, and Ren not really in the mood for staying in the café, he decided to finally visit Sunset Road again. It was a good chance to see the wares, particularly the clothing. Though he wondered if Ann knew any good spots. She likely would considering how much she knew about fashion. And even if she didn't, he could get tips from her for fashion.
Actually, maybe he should arrange a time for them to buy clothes together... He certainly would like thoughts on his look.
For now though, he was fine with just taking pictures of clothes he thought Ann would like and sending them to her. It was just as fun seeing her "complain" how he was tempting her with his sightseeing while she was busy.
It was in the middle of his scouting did he spot a familiar face.
"Oh, Akechi. Are you here to relax?" he said.
It was slight, and quickly disguised with a smile, but Ren saw Akechi startle from his approach before he said,
"Oh, Amamiya-kun, I didn't expect to see you here. Yes, I was contemplating that. Maybe another game of pool. But I was debating whether to do that or just go home."
Well, since he was here...
"Well, can I come with you if you do play?"
"Oh? Me?"
"If you don't mind, of course."
He didn't have much better to do, and he knew for a fact that Aki would berate him for not helping her friend relax. From her stories of him, he sorely needed to.
Plus, spending more time with Akechi meant he could learn more about him.
Luckily, after a brief look of interest, the boy smiled even more pleasantly before he said,
"Well then, I guess I will be playing then. I have been meaning to chat with you."
And so Ren found himself playing billiards with the detective, after he did a crash course on the rules and how to hold the cue. In their first match though, Akechi was the one to break the formation of billiard balls and when he did, several balls went into the pots and the brunett said,
"Oh, my apologies. A break ace."
That smile on his face, plastered and nothing close to ones he made towards Aki, was anything but apologetic in Ren's eyes.
He would admit though...
"That was impressive."
He would expect nothing less from the experienced player.
But the boy just chuckled and said, "Oh, it was just a coincidence."
Ren highly doubted that, but if that was what he thought of his skills, he would play along, literally and figuratively, for now.
They started the next round, this time with Akechi not doing a break ace, and Ren quite enjoyed it. Holding the cue, calculating how much force to put behind his strike, choosing which ball to target, all the while not under a definite time limit... It was quite relaxing for him and enjoyable, even though he wasn't faring that well against Akechi at first. He should come here more often, whether to play this or darts, and preferably with Aki, Ann and friends.
Speaking of his sister, while they played, he said,
"So? How are things with you and Aki?"
The detective glanced his way briefly before he said,
"They are well, though it's been some time since I've seen her with my own eyes. Why do you ask? Is something wrong with her?"
Ren smiled at the concern. "No." Thankfully. "I was more asking for your sake."
Akechi's hand twitched...his free left hand, now that Ren realized which one he was using to control his cue.
"Well, I can assure you, I'm fine. I quite enjoy the company of your sister and our conversations on the phone," he said, taking his shot with his right hand. Unsurprisingly, Akechi flinched at the outcome of using his non-dominant hand. "Oof... Bad move on my part. If you get the next one, I'm in trouble."
Curious. Ren didn't mind Akechi taking it easy, constantly getting trounced wasn't exactly the best way to learn from someone, but with how the brunett explained billiards to him, Ren had thought that he just wanted to gauge the gap between them, and maybe show off.
But upon remembering how he was like when Aki made coffee he didn't necessarily like...
Ren took position, made note of how much force he would likely need and where to hit the ball so that it would score, then managed to get two balls into pots. As Akechi commented on his move, Ren repeated the process all over again...except he adjusted it slightly to strike just short of the requirement, the ball close but not falling into the pot. He suppressed his smirk at the slight inquiring look in Akechi's eyes. From there, Ren continued to purposefully and gradually worsen his play as the game went on, until, at last, Akechi won. And the first thing the teen said, still with a plastered smile,
"I couldn't help but notice your play seemed off at the end. I didn't happen to intimidate you, did I?"
Ren smirked. "I could say the same to you if you're holding back without telling me."
"Hmm? What makes you say that?"
For real? Ren thought, and showed as much with his flat look, as he only stared at Akechi's left hand in answer.
Thankfully, Akechi followed his gaze and realized his meaning. "Oh? I'm impressed you noticed," he said. "I'm rather dextrous with my right hand. I can even use chopsticks with it. Frankly, I didn't expect you to see through it."
Ren smiled, though it was melancholic. "When you have a sister with a chronic illness, you tend to learn to be on the lookout."
Akechi mask finally loosened as he frowned in sympathy. "Ah... That explains things." And then it was back on. "Well, I can assure you that it's nothing against you. Going all out against a junior just seems a bit guache."
Another flat look. "That's not what I'm complaining about."
Then it was off again, with Akechi being surprised. "It isn't?"
"No. I don't mind you holding back so we can both have fun, especially since I'm a beginner and you would've destroyed me otherwise. What I don't like is you not telling me or just doing it from the beginning."
Akechi narrowed his look. "Why?"
"Because, unless you mean it as a joke, it feels unfair, you holding yourself back without asking if I'm fine with that."
"I...see... Well, I'll keep that in mind for the future."
"You better. If you do that with Aki, she'll give her a piece of her mind." Very loudly.
Akechi grimaced. "Ah. I can certainly see that..." he said then paused, contemplating. "Then how about this? If you, or Akira for that matter, can defeat me with my right hand, I'll face either of you with everything I have."
"I'll hold you to that. Or you will hear Aki complaining."
To his amusement, Akechi glanced away as he quietly huffed and said with a smile just as soft, "I'm sure I will..."
Ren chuckled and disguised his own amusement by saying,
"So? Do you want one more game? Or do you have work to do?"
The detective checked his phone to see that he did have to go, paperwork, both for his job and the usual homework, needing to be finished. And so Ren bid the brunett good-bye and went home, Ren smiling and chuckling to himself. Even if the detective was still wary of him, and most likely the others if they saw him again, he was glad Akechi at least let some of his walls down whenever it involved Aki.
Speaking of his sister though, he had returned to Leblanc before she did, helping Sojiro lock up by the time she arrived and Mona complained about gravel being in her bag.
"Gravel? What are you—" Her eyes widened. "—motherfucker! You gotta be kiddin' me!"
"Hey, watch your language. What's gotten into you?"
Akira flinched, but was still disgruntled despite the scolding. "Sorry, Boss. I'm just a little salty."
"You're salty?" their caretaker said, confused. Luckily that led to: "That reminds me, I was about to head out and get some salt for the shop. I'll be back in a bit. Don't close up until then."
Ren made a sound of affirmation as Sojiro left. Once he was gone, the non-feline went back in Aki's bag while he said,
"So...what happened? Is it Mifune-san?"
"Yeah, pretty much... Ugh... I knew she was scamming customers but I can't believe it's up to this..."
"Blech!" Mona said, popping out. "The Holy Stone is just salt!"
Ren raised a brow. "You bought the Holy Stone? But you said it was too expensive."
"It was so I could get lessons from her, okay?!"
Ren laughed.
"Oh shuddup! It's not funny! Especially for all her other customers! She's swindlin' 'em with fucking salt! Not even just a normal rock!"
That realization did indeed cut off his mirth. In fact, he was tempted to give a piece of his mind to her. But Aki was fuming, and she was the one who "knew" of her, so he knew his sister would do that for him.
He still thought the little incident amusing despite that. He could easily use it for teasing later.
(A)
Akira groaned as she stretched.
She really wanted to give a piece of her mind to Mifune-san, especially since it was Thursday, but she already had plans with Yoshida, so she would have to wait for the weekend. For now though... Maybe she should spend some time with Ryuji...especially since Ren was hanging out with him too. It had been a while since they last hung out like that.
But just as she thought that, she spotted a familiar pink sweater and saw how...downcast Haru-senpai looked. Then she remembered how she acted last time.
So instead, Akira went up to the rooftop.
"Hey Haru-senpai, mind if I help with the garden?"
"Oh, Akira-chan," she said. "No, not at all. In fact, mind if you could help me carry some of the fertilizer?"
Akira grinned. "Sure."
She most definitely was not grinning by the end of carrying that. Haru-senpai was definitely stronger than she looked if she could carry three whole sacks of fertilizer through three floors...while all she could manage was one.
"Thank you, Akira-chan."
"No..." She wheezed. "...problem..."
"Oh dear. Are you all right?"
"Never better." Not. But she wasn't going to tell Haru-senpai that, not wanting her to worry...as well as it being a bit embarrassing. So she said, both to get to why she came here and to stop her from asking, "So...is...anythin'...wrong with you?"
"Huh? W-Wrong? What do you mean by that?"
"You... Okay, you don't gotta tell me if you really don't wanna, but you looked sad when you answered your phone last time I hanged with ya."
Her senpai flinched. "Oh, um, well..."
Akira's heart stung with some guilt. "Hey, like I said, you don't gotta tell. I just wanna let you know I'm here for ya, even if it's just listenin' instead of helpin' you."
The auburn girl was quiet for a bit and Akira let her be, deciding to continue with helping the garden to let her know she wasn't pressuring her or anything. So she was glad that, when Haru-senpai started her gardening again, she said,
"I'm just...a bit nervous since my father has been having me meet several men he thinks are good marriage prospects."
"Aaahg!"
"Akira-chan! Are you okay?!"
Akira tripped. She actually, legitimately, tripped in surprise. Damn it. Though at least she had the excuse of carrying fertilizer for why that happened. But still, that was embarrassing. Again.
So she took her mind off of it by saying,
"Yeah, I'm fine. Better question is why the hell is your dad looking for fiancée's for ya?!"
"He's just worried for our business."
"Is it really that bad he's gotta do that...?"
Haru hesitated. "I don't mind. I know he just wants what's best."
Akira frowned at her senpai dodging the question. "Well, I mind. 'Cause I don't care who you're dad is, if he hurts you and stuff, I'm gonna give 'im a piece of my mind."
Haru-senpai giggled. "Thank you for your concern, Akira-chan. But it's fine. After all, I can't very well judge my would-be fiancée before I even meet him, can I? Maybe I can get along with him. I would like that."
Akira sure hoped so, especially since, while she preferred arranged marriages not be done, that didn't mean love within an arranged one wasn't possible. If anything, it made it all the more heartwarming in her opinion, to find love in what was basically a business deal. But to have it arranged so young...didn't still well with her.
"Good luck with it then," she said, having nothing better to say.
"Thank you again," she said. Then her smile, her real one, was back. "Now, shall we get to spreading the fertilizer?"
"Sure," Akira said, proceeding to open it...
"Blagh!" She keeled and put a hand over her mouth, repressing the urge to vomit.
...and regretting it.
"Oh dear. I forgot that they're quite pungent. Perhaps you should just leave this to me."
You couldn't have warned me before?!
She was glad she was going to a sushi place tonight with Yoshida to meet the grandkid of his old friend. She'd use that as consolation for nearly spilling all her meals.
[G]
When his phone rang, his immediate thought was Akira before he reminded himself it was most likely the SIU chief instead, especially considering that the Phantom Thieves had just changed the heart of Kaneshiro. So he nearly dropped his phone when he realized who was actually calling.
An unknown number.
The only number that would've been suspicious should he have had it.
Akechi took a deep breath to calm his unexpectedly frayed nerves. But then again, it had been a while since Shido last called. The last time he did was...
Before you saved Akira the first time.
Before you first met Akira-chan.
...a few months ago. Since then, he hadn't received any hits on anyone, only requests to cause scandals, and even then, those have lessened in frequency and become more spread out ever since the Phantom Thieves came onto the playing field. So Akechi wondered what could he be calling for.
Akechi breathed one more time before he picked up and said,
"Hello, sir. Do you require my services?"
"I've heard that you're part of the investigation on the Phantom Thieves now."
Why hello there you literal motherfucker.
You can stop patronizing us with your obvious statements, "Captain".
Of course you've heard. I'm sure you've known for a long time now...
"Yes I am, sir. Why do you ask?"
"Apparently, you have a list of suspects from the school already?"
"Yes sir. But I have yet to identify who are the members."
There was a scoff from the other end. "Well, that's what I'm here about. We could use them to our advantage."
Akechi's breath caught.
Loki snarled and Robin Hood seethed.
"Oh? How so?" he said, voice thankfully even.
"Simple," he said. "We'll raise their presence then make them fall."
OH YEAH?! YOU WANNA GO MOTHERFUCKER?! I DARE YOU TO EVEN THINK ABOUT HURTING AKIRA. I FUCKING DARE YOU!
OVER MY DEAD BODY YOU ABHORENT FIEND!
Akechi clenched his fist, resisting the urge to gasp as he asked for details on this "plan" of his. It was incredibly simple. There would be three "phases", the first of which they would benefit whether the Thieves won or lost, as they threatened the Thieves with the shut down of Tokyo. If the Thieves failed to counteract it, they would be painted as cowards and Shido and his associates would swoop in to comfort the masses. If they won, it would lead to the second phase, where they could easily frame them as the perpetrators of the shutdowns as well as find out their identities, with him hiding in their selected Shadow's Palace while they stole the heart. And that would thus lead to the third phase, where he would work with the Thieves as a mole to ensure their capture in the hands of the police.
It was perfect.
Akechi said as much to Shido.
Of course the egotistical maniac was pleased.
And the plan was perfect. Shido would rise to power and Akechi would "get" what he "wanted": fame.
But if he went through with this...
...Akira could die.
That fucking sucks.
I don't want that to happen.
But what about our fucking plan? No way in hell are we going to stop now.
But what about Akira-chan?
Well it sucks and I don't want it, but she's gonna be collateral.
NO! How could you?! This is Akira-chan we're talking about! I refuse to let it be that way.
Then you got any fucking ideas to make our plan happen AND keep her to ourselves, bird brain wannabe?
...
Hmph. I thought so.
So what are we going to do then?
Akechi sighed as the call ended.
He would keep moving forward.
Author's Notes: While I have researched plenty about the meanings of the Tarot cards, I don't know as much about doing a reading with them, especially with the spread (ie the way the cards were arranged) that Chihaya used, which I. Couldn't. Seem. To find. AT ALL. Okay, well, I did find one spread that was exactly like the one she shows on her table, but it was just for love readings, so I don't know how it would apply more generally and thus am just making up how the spread is used.