Ace In The Hole Chapter 57: 56: With The Stars and Us, a persona series fanfic

Chapter 56

With The Stars And Us

Sunday, February 19th, 2017

"Court is now in session for the trial of Goro Akechi," the judge pronounced. "He stands accused of obstruction of governmental operations and first-degree murder."

Sae could barely suppress a wince at the last part. But… it was the truth. He killed people—at the behest of Shido—with the intention to kill. But it was still… hard to swallow.

The judge, Shinobu Ranpo, was a woman in her mid-fifties. She had sharp gray eyes and black hair that was starting to gray a little, pulled up into a tight bun.

She had presided over many court cases over the three decades of her career, so it was no surprise that she was chosen to preside over such an important case. Never had a record of taking bribes or major controversies. She was stern but a fair woman. All things considered… she was one of the most natural choices to preside over this case.

But she folded her hands in front of her, looking straight at Sae. Sae couldn't help but straighten up a little under her sharp gaze.

"Prosecutor Niijima, your opening statement?" she prompted.

Fortunately, this was a closed trial. She was thankful that there were less eyes on her for this. Sae took a deep breath to steady herself, clasping her hands behind her back.

"The defendant, Goro Akechi, has a hand in the mental shutdowns, which has done nothing but cause chaos within Japan. He has come forward stating this, and justice demands that he face the consequences for this."

Sae's nails bit into her palms as she tried to give an unbiased statement. She had to admit, she was nervous. She had to essentially convince the judge to convict Akechi-kun and try to make the case sound credible, despite… the supernatural elements surrounding it.

"Thank you, Prosecutor Niijima," Ranpo said coolly. "You may call your first witness."

Sae nodded. "The prosecution calls the defendant, Goro Akechi, to the stand."

She had to look at this with an objective lens. No matter how difficult it was.

Akechi-kun was escorted to the stand by the guards. Sae bit her lip as he looked calmly at her.

She could do this…

Sae flicked her hair over her shoulder to buy herself a little time. Then she forced herself to walk forward, trying to ignore how her heart was now hammering against her chest.

"Akechi-ku—Akechi," Sae quickly corrected herself.

Sae mentally kicked herself for the slip of tongue. She had to be professional about this.

"Please tell the court of your involvement with the mental shutdowns."

Akechi-kun shrugged. "Very well. It was two years ago when I approached Masayoshi Shido. He had… wronged my family in the past. I wanted collateral against him, so I offered to work for him."

During her preparations for the trial, Amada-kun had informed her that the serial murder case in Inaba had been similar. Adachi had used a Shadow nest to conduct his killings. She had pored over that case, even had the chance to speak with Shirogane-san, but Sae had to wrack her brain on how to make her arguments.

"You agreed to facilitate the mental shutdowns for him? How did you accomplish that, exactly?" Sae pressed.

Akechi-kun just touched his chin, thinking for a moment before speaking.

"Shido had created these drugs, using the research of Wakaba Isshiki, shortly before I had even approached him. He even arranged for her to meet… an accident after stealing her research. These drugs are the cause of the mental shutdowns," Akechi-kun stated in a neutral voice. "I believe the head scientist in charge of this was Shuichi Aso."

Sae couldn't help but wonder how he did it. Keeping such a straight face while weaving these lies, with just enough truth to implicate Shido and his circle.

Judge Ranpo frowned. "But… that doesn't add up completely. There were some deaths, like with Kunikazu Okumura. What happened there? What caused the discrepancy?"

Akechi-kun just shrugged. "Okumura was on the older side. Quite unfortunate, but I believe due to his age, his body could not handle the drugs all together. So, it shut down completely. The drugs were supposed to suppress your brain's inhibitions. At a high enough dose, they'll act erratically with their brain's inhibitions completely shut off."

"I see…" Ranpo frowned. "But why do this? What did Shido gain from this?"

Akechi-kun just chuckled. "What did he gain? With the instance with Okumura, he discredited the Phantom Thieves. Prior, the public started to look to them as saviors. But that was all a set-up, I'm afraid. Shido wanted to cause chaos, so he could become the people's savior."

Judge Ranpo sharply inhaled at that but then her expression became extremely neutral. She then narrowed her eyes at Akechi-kun.

"Even so, you admit your guilt. Why? Why do all this?"

"I didn't care about the consequences," he said bluntly. "I wanted Shido to suffer, like how he made… someone I loved dearly suffer."

Akechi-kun's defense attorney stayed quiet as Akechi-kun continued his testimony. Understandably. Since Akechi-kun was taking a plea deal, his job would be to argue for a lighter sentence.

Sae cleared her throat. "We are veering off topic here. Were there any other services you did for Shido?"

"I gathered intel on him. He wanted as much dirt as he could for his potential rivals. Anyone he saw as a threat… he wanted it to be removed. He had… a vast network of information. He rubbed elbows with wealthy business people, promising them favors for funding his cause. Other politicians, which he promised to help facilitate their own rise in power. It was essentially quid pro quo, up to eleven."

Ranpo just steepled her hands together, frowning. "Why you, though? Why did Shido pick you to do this? And how exactly did you slip these people these drugs?"

Akechi-kun crossed his arms over his chest before smiling thinly at her.

"Why wouldn't he? He wanted someone to administer the mental shutdowns, someone who wouldn't be traced to him. I was a newly rising star. I could get close to the targets he needed. Such as Tomohisa Hori, the director of the Special Investigations Unit. I worked with him personally so it was too easy to crush the drugs and slip it right into his coffee."

Ranpo paled at the blase tone Akechi-kun took on, but her expression then hardened.

"I see."

Sae then cleared her throat. "The prosecution would like to submit some evidence as well."

She reached into her bag, sliding out a manila envelope. Inside was a photograph of Akechi-kun 'investigating' the Okumura HQ on behalf of Kunikazu Okumura. But this was to paint Akechi-kun as being there to slip the drugs to Okumura. Thankfully Makoto's friend Haru was more than happy to supply this. There was even video evidence that Haru had provided her.

"This enforces Akechi's statement," Sae said, her voice steadier than how she felt. "I also interviewed some of Okumura's personal servants. They report that his health declined the day after Akechi visited the Okumura headquarters. Akechi must've slipped the drug after reporting to Okumura. But… did you intend to kill him, Akechi? This incident was used to lambast the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, after all."

Akechi-kun just raised his hand to his chin. "Well… Shido sought to silence Okumura, along with his desire to pin the blame on the Phantom Thieves. However, with how that panned out, I will admit that Shido got the same idea for Hori. Hori was an integral tool to Shido but… Shido wished to tie loose ends."

"I see… thank you, Prosecutor Niijima," Ranpo acknowledged. "But still… how did these drugs even work?"

Akechi-kun shrugged. "I'm no scientist. Even if I gave you a list of all the components, I wouldn't be able to tell you how they worked together. But you could ask the head scientist in Shido's employ. I would be more than happy to testify about their involvement."

"Proceed."

"Shuichi Aso came into Shido's employ shortly before I did. I'm not aware of the exact timeline, I'm afraid. He was… wronged by his previous employer, in his eyes. He utilized his ex-employer's resources in a way that did not please them, and so he was let go. But when he was employed by Shido, Shido was intrigued by his work in psychology and gave him funding to create the drugs that cause mental shutdowns."

Even as Akechi-kun spoke, Sae couldn't help but wonder how she'd be able to prove this for Shido's case… Maybe she would have to speak to Kirijo-san, perhaps she knew someone who was as well-versed in cognitive psience? She had to know something, right?

"Thank you." Ranpo's eyes then flickered to Akechi-kun, a frown pulling at her lips. "It's a… shame, Akechi. You had a bright future, as a police detective. You were brilliant."

Akechi-kun said flatly, "Every action I took for the past two years—it was all for my goal. My future? I cared nothing for it. I only wanted justice for what happened in the past."

Ranpo slowly exhaled at that. Sae could only close her eyes, feeling her heart break upon hearing how bitter Akechi-kun sounded.

It just… saddened Sae to see him admit that his 'justice' was nothing like Sae had believed it to be.

"The Detective Prince the public knew… it was nothing but a farce."

Sae fought the urge to wince. But still, she couldn't help but wonder. If she knew about Kaneshiro's hand in her father's death, would she have reacted differently?

Ranpo was quiet before she sighed. "I am ready to pass judgment. Mikagami, do you have any final statements?"

Akechi-kun's defense attorney stood up from his seat. He looked to be in his early thirties, if she had to guess. He had hazel eyes that looked quite weary; the poor man probably wasn't getting much sleep.

He had caramel colored hair that was a bit scruffy looking. It reminded her of Amada-kun, if he was trying to style it like Ren-kun. She choked back a laughter at that thought, it was neither the time nor place to be thinking such silly things. He was well put together however, in his brown dress shirt and matching suit pants, with a lighter brown color vest over the shirt, with a black tie.

She wasn't as familiar with Kazuma Mikagami, since she's never faced him in court before. From what she heard however he was actually one of the more honest defense attorneys. Supposedly he seemed to have a soft spot for helping troubled young men, especially juvenile delinquents. And he would try to get them lesser sentences or help them get their life on track… or so she was told. She didn't know his history, but she couldn't help but feel it must be something personal for him.

Mikagami stepped forward. "Your Honor, I understand that my client has many crimes on his conscience. I'm aware that justice demands that he face his crimes, which he has done so on his own accord. But I would like to emphasize that he was sixteen when he approached Shido. I say that he deserves a lighter sentence, on account of that. Not to mention that he's more than willing to testify to ensure that Shido will face the justice he deserves. I think he should have ten years at most—"

"No. Twenty years."

Sae choked on her saliva at Akechi-kun's objection. She quickly fished out a handkerchief, coughing into it. She then reached for her water bottle, taking a couple of quick gulps.

"Akechi… why…?" Sae asked. "He's right. You were underage in the eyes of every country in the world."

"I'm done running away," Akechi-kun said, lifting his chin. "Yes, I was young but I knew what I was getting into. I didn't care, I only cared about getting revenge on Shido. Everyone else was just collateral. I have the blood of countless people on my hands. I was set on this path, because Shido drove someone I loved dearly to the jaws of death… or at least that's what I told myself."

He then cracked a sardonic smile.

"No more excuses. I had a choice, and I chose revenge above all else, no matter the cost. It's what she would—" Akechi-kun cut himself off and cleared his throat. "I'm done…I'm tired… I'm ready to face the consequences. For the sake of the people who were left behind because of my actions."

It was quiet. Quiet enough to hear a pin drop.

"But—" Sae started.

"Don't let your own bias cloud your eyes," Akechi-kun abruptly snapped, giving her a sharp look. "Tell me, if you came face to face with your father's murderer, would you be inclined to give him mercy if he was underage?"

Sae's breath caught in her throat. "That's…"

He was… right. She was falling in the trap that she had been so worried about. And Akechi-kun had stepped in to stop her from making that mistake.

"Forgive me, I overstepped," Sae muttered.

Ranpo then blinked, looking down. Sae's eyes shifted to Mikagami, who just wearily shook his head. But… it was what Akechi-kun wanted, so he had to follow suit.

"I see. Well, I believe that I am ready to pass judgment." She raised her gavel. "This court accepts these terms proposed by the defense team. I sentence Goro Akechi to twenty years in jail. He may be let out early, however, based on good behavior."

Makagami sighed heavily. He probably wasn't hoping for such a heavy sentence; maybe he felt sorry for Akechi-kun in a way. What she heard about him might be true after all.

But in a way, Akechi-kun was left off lightly, despite his insistence on doubling what Mikagami was suggesting. Sae looked into Tohru Adachi's case at Amada-kun's suggestion. Due to his personal involvement with the case… Adachi had been given a life sentence. Though perhaps it makes a lot of sense due to their ages when both had committed their supernatural crimes.

Twenty years was still a long time. Maybe, after Akechi-kun's served his time… he could finally start all over.

Once she stepped out of the courtroom, it finally felt like Sae could breathe.

It was done…

Sae had always assumed that she'd be happy to have prosecuted the one responsible for the mental shutdowns. Little did she know, it was her own partner behind all of this. She couldn't help but feel conflicted that she was the one who condemned Akechi-kun like this.

But still, it was what he wanted, right? And she was insistent on seeing this through to the end after all.

Sae sighed lightly to herself. She had to think about the positive side. Along with Ren's testimony, this was what they needed to prosecute Shido. Her work wasn't quite over yet.

But a sudden movement caught Sae's eye. Akechi-kun was being escorted out, probably to a detention center until it was time to prosecute Shido. Before Sae realized it, she had called out.

"Wait!"

Akechi-kun's escort looked at her quizzically. "Is there something you wanted, Niijima-san?"

"Yes, actually…" Sae swallowed. "I was wondering… could I speak with Akechi? Just for a few minutes."

Akechi-kun wouldn't meet Sae's eyes. The police officer looked to Sae with… pity in his eyes.

Sae had always disliked pity. She remembered seeing it during her mother's funeral. Then her father's funeral. But now… she realized it was born out of empathy. So that… took away the sting.

"Five minutes," he said in a neutral voice. "That's all I can spare you, Niijima-san."

Sae slowly exhaled before looking towards Akechi-kun.

"So, did you want to speak with me… one last time?" Akechi-kun asked.

He made it sound like she wouldn't visit him while in jail. She was about to disappoint him on that in the future. She pushed those thoughts away for now. She didn't have time to correct him on that, and he'll see her soon enough again, eventually.

Sae raised an eyebrow. "Akechi-kun…"

She then sighed before pulling him to the side.

"There is no easy way to say this…" she sighed out, keeping her voice low, too aware of Akechi-kun's escort's gaze burning into her back. "But… thank you, Akechi-kun. For reminding me what I set out to do."

Akechi-kun made a soft scoff. "I did nothing. You're the one who pointed out that this was only something I could do. To do… what's right."

Despite his statement, his lips twisted in a grimace. Sae cocked her head at him.

"I know that it was difficult to do. And I have to commend you for putting yourself out there, Akechi-kun."

Akechi-kun sighed. "Yes, well… you're not the only one who pushed me to do this."

"I'm sorry?" Sae's brow furrowed at Akechi-kun's statement.

She didn't exactly follow what he was alluding to…

Akechi-kun huffed, the puff of air ruffling his bangs. He then looked away.

"It doesn't matter. Not anymore," he muttered. "Either way, you just gave me a reminder, a promise I made long ago."

"Even so… it was your choice to do so, Akechi-kun," Sae said. "And that is something to take pride in."

"Pride…" A bittersweet smile pulled at his lips; he then shook his head, his smile fading. "Even with people cursing my name… it's still something I had to do. Like you said. But still… what made you change your mind?"

Sae hesitated at his question. She… doubted that Akechi-kun would be happy to hear that Ren influenced her.

"Makoto reminded me," she said instead. "Of the justice that our father instilled in us. Of the justice I originally pursued when I took up law as a profession."

That wasn't a total lie. However anytime Makoto brought up their father, she sadly wasn't listening at the time. But still, it was a seed planted there. And Ren-kun gave her the final push she needed to wake up.

"I see." Akechi-kun then closed his eyes for a moment. "I see that our parents still influence us, even when they've long passed."

"Akechi-kun…" Sae trailed off.

Akechi-kun shook his head. "As I said, my mother's death is what set me on this path. But I realize now… that I've been just running away from the guilt. Wakaba Isshiki is dead because of my actions. I don't… understand it, but Okumura still mourns her father, despite everything he's done. And it's not just Sakura and Okumura—several people are mourning their loved ones because of me."

Sae winced at how… matter-of-factly he stated this.

"I know that I'm lucky," Akechi-kun stated before cracking another sardonic smile at her. "Don't feel bad for me, Sae-san. I turned myself in, knowing what would happen."

Sae could only fiddle with the cuff of her shirt. Even though he had been the one to turn himself in… Sae couldn't help but feel guilty. Because… of what awaited him. Even if he was let off lightly due to his youth, Sae could feel her stomach twisting into knots.

"I know… but it's still a difficult pill to swallow." Sae attempted a smile, but it came out as a grimace.

She gripped her left forearm with her right arm.

"I suppose… but I just want to thank you," Akechi-kun said quietly. "For… reminding me what was really important. I might've just… rotted away, otherwise. I may have been free physically but I would've been stuck in limbo."

Then his breath hitched and he swallowed. He then looked at Sae right in the eye, making her straighten up.

"Goodbye, Sae-san."

Sae then swallowed down the lump forming in her throat.

"Goodbye, Akechi-kun," she whispered.

Sae forced herself to take a step back. His escort then stepped up to Akechi-kun, his expression… unreadable. And then Akechi-kun was led out of the courthouse.

Monday, February 20th, 2017

"Breaking news: Goro Akechi has confessed to being the one responsible for mental shutdowns. He has confessed that this was all to aid Masayoshi Shido's rise to the top. This has been quite shocking, given that…"

Ken vaguely listened to the news report, fiddling with a spare napkin on the table he sat with Makoto, Haru, and Ryuji.

It was done. Akechi had confessed and intended to atone for his crimes.

But even so, Ken felt… mixed about all of this. He couldn't help but wonder what Niijima-san had said to Akechi, to convince himself to turn himself in. She must've said something drastically different to him to convince him. Nothing he or the rest of the team said anything that seemed to get through to him during their last confrontation. But then again, Akechi wasn't trying to kill her while she was trying to convince him.

Ken rubbed his forehead, holding back a sigh. He felt… unsettled about this. His stomach twisted into knots, and a small headache starting to prick at his temples. Why did everything have to be so complicated?

"Hey Ken, are you okay?" Ryuji asked, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"I'm… I'm fine. Just tired, that's all."

Ken quickly took a sip of his drink, so that his friend wouldn't press him further. But when he set down his drink and dropped his hands back to his lap, Makoto took his hand and gave it a light squeeze.

He closed his eyes for a moment, rubbing his thumb over the back of Makoto's hand. He was grateful that Makoto just… understood how he felt.

After opening his eyes, he cleared his throat. "I'm glad that he's admitted to his crimes, though."

"He stopped running away…" Futaba mumbled from where she sat at the bar.

She had a rather mixed expression on her face.

Ken couldn't help but feel guilty. Shinjiro-san would probably tell him there is nothing wrong with Ken's feelings and he wasn't selfish for having them. But he couldn't help it… he felt selfish for having these ambivalent emotions when there are others probably going through even more complicated feelings right now regarding this.

It was plain as day on Futaba's face, she clearly had mixed feelings about this too. This was the person that took her mother away from her at Shido's orders.

Ken couldn't help but look at the ground, not wanting to look in Haru's direction either. It's not just him who's going through this.

He felt Makoto squeeze his hand again; he looked up at her and gave her a half smile. She always knows how to help him back to reality when he's letting himself overthink and get wrapped up in his emotions.

Makoto shifted in her seat for a second. "Well… Sis convinced him somehow. But this means… that Akechi's testimony should be the nail to the coffin, to ensure Shido's pronounced guilty."

"Did your sis tell you how long his sentence is?" Ryuji interjected before he crammed a fistful of shrimp flavored chips in his mouth.

"She was… a little withdrawn last night, but… yes. He'll be sentenced to twenty years in prison. I honestly was expecting they might go easier on him due to his age, the plea deal, plus him being a celebrity." Makoto closed her eyes and shook her head. "I should probably have more faith I suppose… but I guess it's a bit of a middle ground. Other people in his position with the crimes committed would get way harsher treatment. They aren't going too easy on him due to his age, but they aren't going too harsh either."

"True… you mentioned that criminal Adachi, right Ken-kun? He got a life sentence," Haru asked.

Ken just nodded towards her, still struggling to meet her eyes. But he took another sip of his drink to hopefully distract from that.

"So, he'll be testifying against Shido, for the plea deal I mean…" Anne ventured. "It should be over soon, then."

"Not just Akechi," Ren said suddenly.

Haru tilted her head and said, "What do you mean Ren-kun?"

Ren dragged his fingers through his hair, mussing it up.

"I'll be testifying too," he clarified. "Remember why Sae pushed me to turn myself in before?"

"Oh… that's right." Yusuke's eyes went wide. "I figured that was because they didn't have Akechi, so with him showing up you wouldn't be needed but… how are you feeling?"

"Well, you are right Yusuke, that was the main reason I was approached, along with protecting the rest of you. But regardless, you can't bank on just one testimony to sink something this big…" Ren sighed and licked his lips. "But to answer the latter… I guess I'm kinda nervous? Though it's something I have to do. I'm ready to finish this."

Ken took another sip of coffee as his friends started to reassure Ren that he'd do fine. Ken didn't have any doubts in that regard either.

"Is it safe to assume that this will be a closed trial?" Yusuke inquired.

"Well… considering that this involves the man elected to be prime minister…" Makoto then nodded. "I think it's all but guaranteed."

"So… anyone know who's gonna be our prime minister now, then?" Anne asked, twirling a strand of hair around her index finger.

"People are speculating it'll be Toshiro Kasukabe," Futaba piped up as shut her laptop to look at everyone. "He's on the younger side for a member of the Diet, but he's got credentials, apparently. Though some people are rooting for a guy called Taro Namatame too."

"Either way, I assume it'll be decided after the entire Shido incident is cleared up," Ken said finally.

"Do you think we will be able to get those dick scientists too?" Ryuji asked. "I mean, they've got that drug suppressing recipe-thing."

Makoto lightly squeezed Ken's hand again. He slowly exhaled.

They could only hope… Now that they all knew that the old Kirijo Group scientists were in Shido's pocket, they all wanted the scientists contained, so they wouldn't be able to cause further harm. His shoulder, where Shido's goon had jabbed him with the needle to dose him with the drug, seemed to ache for a moment.

"Sis says that her goal is to push Shido's associates to a corner. So, they'll face their dues," Makoto said gravely.

Futaba gave a decisive nod, her expression hardening. "Good. They deserve it. Twisting my mom's hard work like that."

Hopefully that meant Mitsuru-san can finally be at peace, with the last of the remnants of those loyal to her grandfather hopefully being brought to justice. She still held so much guilt about the Kirijo Group's past sins…

"I'm just glad it'll be over." Yusuke sighed, shaking his head. "I never expected all of our targets to be inter-connected like that."

Ren nodded, his gaze dropping to the table. "Yeah…"

Then he cleared his throat.

"But um, there's another thing I wanted to share," Ren said hesitantly.

When they all looked at him expectantly, Ren rubbed the back of his neck. He took in a deep breath and his gaze swept over everyone.

Ren said finally, "As you guys know, my probation is ending in less than a month. And… I've decided that I'll be going back to Shimoda."

For a handful of seconds everyone remained quiet. Nobody even moved. Futaba was the first to break the silence.

"Are… you gonna be okay there, though?" Futaba asked. "I mean… you always brought up how you felt alone after what happened with Shido. You sorta have your parents… but what about kids your age?"

Ken cleared his throat.

"Well… I wouldn't worry about that too much," Ken said carefully.

"Huh?" Morgana looked to Ken. "What do you mean?"

This was the first time Morgana spoke up the whole conversation. Ken masked it but he was a bit startled, he almost forgot Morgana was there, curled up in Haru's lap.

"Well, I went with Ohya-san when she visited Shimoda. She believed that the town's attitude wasn't a monolith, that some people had to have different opinions. I talked to some of the younger people there." Ken then wavered.

He was unsure how Ren would react to this. But… Ren was going back to Shimoda. He ought to know.

"I… spoke to Ohba-san, Ren," Ken finally said, trying to keep his voice more neutral.

"...Takeshi?" Ren visibly tensed before he asked in a wavering voice, "What did he say?"

His friends looked confused, exchanging quizzical looks. But they remained quiet, with Ren's reaction.

"He didn't want to talk to me at first about you," Ken admitted. "But then some of your… previous friends came by. Some of them started to insult you but Ohba-san snapped at them to stop it."

Ren stared blankly at Ken. He didn't blink for several moments. Honestly, he might've looked less shocked if he had been hit over with a baseball bat.

"Takeshi, he… really…?" Ren trailed off.

Ken nodded. "After I told him that I went to your new school and we were friends, he was a little more open to talking. He… admitted to me eventually that he regretted letting people browbeat him into believing that you had committed the crime."

"...I see," Ren mumbled out, he then sighed, shaking his head. "Well… I guess I'll see when I see him again."

Ken could only nod.

Ren then scratched the back of his left hand and sighed. Anne leaned forward and took his hand gently, to stop him from the nervous scratching.

Ken couldn't help but feel bad for Ren, it was understandable why he would feel conflicted about this news.

"Um, Ren-kun…" Haru said tentatively. "If you don't mind sharing, may I ask who Takeshi is?"

Ren's shoulders slumped before he rubbed at his face.

"He's… I've known him since we were practically babies," Ren said finally. "His parents helped out mine when they first moved to Shimoda when they were still an engaged couple. We were born just a few months apart of each other, so we ended up being joined at the hip for an early age. I thought… we were really good friends but then he…"

Ren then cut himself off, shaking his head. Ken couldn't blame him. Even if he had resolved to be open to work things out with his parents… everything was still raw. Ken couldn't help but worry for Ren and how he'd handle things.

"Oh… I see," Haru said, bowing her head and biting her lower lip.

"Ren…" Anne sighed out, her eyes growing sorrowful.

Ken couldn't help but kick himself. Maybe he should've figured out a way to break the news more gently.

"I'm sorry, Ren, I should've told you sooner," Ken apologized, bowing his head.

Ren just forced a smile, which… didn't reassure any of them.

"It's okay, Ken. I know things have been crazy. And it's not like you can just say it so randomly." Ren sighed, shaking his head. "I'm not… avoiding the subject, I promise. It's just a lot to take in right now…"

That he could sympathize with. Ken fought the urge to sigh as his mind unwillingly veered back to Akechi.

He just… didn't know. He hated that he didn't know what to think, what to feel. And sometimes his thoughts veered to…

"What would Mom think about all of this?"

Sometimes… he wished he could just hate Akechi for everything he's done. Or maybe the opposite… either option was easier. He wished he didn't feel so torn about all of this… all he felt was a mix of emotions that just twisted his gut.

Ryuji looked between everyone before he jumped his feet.

"Come on, guys, what's with the down faces?" Ryuji asked. "I mean, Shido's gonna get what he deserved. We should celebrate… right? We should take all the time with RenRen we can while he's still here."

"I would've thought you would object more to Ren's decision," Yusuke stated.

Ryuji scowled. "Come on, I dunno how I feel about Ren's parents still… but it's Ren's decision."

"Huh…" Morgana mused. "Even Ryuji can grow up."

"Can it, you dumb cat!"

After breaking up Ryuji and Morgana's argument, Haru suggested a hotpot dinner. It was still rather cold, so everyone readily agreed. They swung by the nearby grocery market and picked up ingredients. It was delicious and Ren, Ryuji, Morgana, Anne, and Yusuke had even mused on their last hotpot celebration. Ren then made them another round of hot drinks. It was very cozy, just spending time with his friends.

But when Ken walked Makoto back home, they were passing underneath the jumbotron.

"It truly is baffling on why Goro Akechi—"

Ken fought the urge to sigh. Of course this would be big news. Akechi was a celebrity after all…

Makoto's grip on his arm tightened. When he looked at his girlfriend quizzically, Makoto pulled him to the side.

"What's wrong?"

Makoto released his arm before crossing her arms over her chest, quirking an eyebrow at him. "Shouldn't I be the one saying that?"

She then sighed, rubbing her palm over her face.

"Ken… I'm not blind. I saw the look on your face when the news started talking about Akechi and then… before."

Ken let out a frustrated sigh before reluctantly looking into Makoto's eyes.

"How could he not? It just… it just frustrates me. That he wouldn't listen to reason back then. Maybe we could've saved ourselves from so much grief if I had just…"

Makoto let out a sigh. "Oh, Ken… You shouldn't blame yourself. I'm not going to pretend I know what's going on in Akechi's head. I don't. Just because you were able to turn yourself around because of your senpai… doesn't mean you're responsible for Akechi's actions. You're not his life coach. It's not on you to try and fix him or try to turn his life around. It's his life, not yours."

"Even so…" Ken sighed. "I just feel unsettled. With how we last… parted."

Makoto pursed her lips. "Have you thought about visiting him then? In jail, when the dust settles."

"Huh?" Ken blinked at her before he rubbed the back of his neck. "Um... no. To be honest, the thought hasn't even come to my mind. Honestly… every time I think about him… I just feel so… well a mix a lot of things. It's really uncomfortable, I guess."

Makoto nodded. "I mean… it's been literally just one day. Just think about it, okay? Not for him. But for you. I think you need closure. It'll keep bothering you if you let it sit and fester."

Ken just hummed in response. "I'll think about it. I'm not going anywhere so…"

But then he stepped closer to her before dropping a kiss against her temple.

"Thank you, though. I know this has been bothering me for a while but you're always so supportive."

Makoto just smiled before lacing their hands together.

"And I always will."

Saturday, February 25th, 2017

Ren didn't look at the judge as he pronounced Shido's sentence—a life sentence in jail. Ren looked straight at Shido. Even though Ren had witnessed a target's change of heart several times, watched Kamoshida grovel and beg for forgiveness, all while swearing that he'd atone, this was… different.

Seeing Shido stoically accept his crimes was a relief but it was also… bizarre. To see him lacking in his pride and arrogance. But Ren was mostly relieved that this was over and done with.

Shido would finally face his dues. It finally felt like… Ren could breathe again. On top of that, Shido's cohorts would also face justice. Shido had specifically testified about Futaba's mom's death, as well as naming the scientists under his employ… which meant that Futaba and the Shadow Operatives would be able to see justice.

It was… finally over. For real this time.

Ren got to his feet, feeling like he was in a daze. He walked out of the courtroom, only snapping to attention when his lawyer called out to him. He was a man in his mid-thirties; his name was Shin Kondo. He came at recommendation from Sae to his parents. He was a well put together man, in a nice navy-blue suit with a red tie. He had neat, short steel gray hair and violet eyes.

He'd been helping Ren go over his testimony and prepping him. He also apparently was working with his parents and Sae, to help get him released. Sae said he was a very dependable attorney to his parents and he couldn't help but agree.

"Great job, Amamiya-kun," he said, putting a hand on Ren's shoulder. "You did fantastic! Shido will see justice… thanks to you."

Ren smiled wryly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Thanks, Kondo-san. And well… Sae's been working so hard. It wasn't just me."

Not just her either. Mitsuru-san had helped with providing a witness who could testify about cognitive psience. A man under her employ.

Kondo-san nodded. "Yeah, Niijima's brilliant. But don't sell yourself short. I bet you'll do great next time too."

"Next time…?"

Kondo-san blinked. "Your parents didn't tell you? They contacted me. They're suing the police for what happened during your first arrest. I assume you'll have to testify for that as well."

Ren's mouth suddenly went dry. His parents were suing?! Okay, his family wasn't exactly poor—they footed the bill for Shujin, after all—but still. They were far from being wealthy. And lawsuits were expensive!

"I… I see," he finally managed to get out. "I guess… they're still working out the paperwork, so they didn't tell me."

"Oh." Kondo-san blinked at that before he rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry, I didn't mean to take you by surprise."

"Nah, it's fine," Ren said, waving his hand all while forcing his face to remain neutral.

But still, this just reminded him that he needed to talk to his parents. But it seemed so impersonal to talk to them over the phone. No, in person would be best. But he would have to reach out to them this time. He… needed to meet them in the middle.

"But thanks again, Kondo-san." Ren took the moment to bow.

He didn't always remember that courtesy (he was no Ken, after all, who was polite to a fault), but… Kondo-san did help him out. Especially, since he helped Ren close this chapter in his life.

Shido was behind bars. It felt like… he could finally move on.

After bidding Kondo-san farewell, Ren headed off. It was tiring, being in the courtroom practically all day. He was glad that he had left Morgana with Futaba for the day.

But as Ren walked towards the exit, he noticed that Mitsuru-san was standing by the door. She was speaking with the witness who testified about cognitive psience. He had light brown hair and wore a lab coat over his professional attire. A woman with shoulder-length red hair stood by his side.

"I really appreciate you coming out here, Maruki," Mitsuru-san was saying, firmly shaking the man's hand. "Thank you again."

"Of course, of course." He nodded. "I'm glad to help. After Isshiki-san…"

Ren hastily stepped away. He felt… out of place, with their discussion. Plus, it might be awkward to be caught eavesdropping, by Mitsuru-san of all people.

His eyes then moved towards the door leading to the courtroom.

Akechi was… being escorted out. He held his head high, even when whispers broke out and he attracted blatant stares. And with Ren being on the receiving end of whispers and stares all too many times… he couldn't help but feel a smidge of sympathy.

But still… it had to take a lot of guts to do what Akechi did. He named several politicians associated with Shido. Maybe some of Shido's richest associates would be able to flee the country but they would be forced to keep their heads low. Sae also said something about digging into Shido's records to implicate the lower-ranked men, which was a relief. They deserved everything justice would hand to them.

So he had to give Akechi kudos for that.

Their eyes met for a minute. Akechi then scowled, looking away. Ren had to fight the urge to shake his head. Well… even if Akechi had turned over a new leaf, there was no denying that Akechi still deeply resented Ren. But even so… something nagged at Ren. He felt… uneasy with where they were now.

Maybe when things died down a bit, he ought to visit Akechi…

"Amamiya?"

Ren jumped at the sound of Mitsuru-san's voice.

"Oh… hey Mitsuru-san." Ren winced at how subdued his voice sounded; he must be more tired than he realized. "I'm surprised that you could…?"

Mitsuru-san sighed, pursing her lips. "Shido's men are finished. I wanted… to see it done. With my own eyes."

"I see." Ren nodded; it was fair, with how much Shido had prevented her from acting.

Though he supposed he could thank Shido for a couple of things. He would've never gone to Tokyo if it wasn't for the incident. He never would've met his friends. And without Shido's actions, Ken wouldn't have set foot in Tokyo.

"Though… I have a question," Ren said slowly. When Mitsuru-san gave him a questioning look, he elaborated. "The guy you found to help testify about cognitive psience. I overheard him mentioning Futaba's mom."

"Ah, Maruki." Mitsuru-san nodded. "He interned with Isshiki during his final year of undergraduate university. That was what kindled his interest in the field of cognitive psience. She wrote him a letter of recommendation afterwards. We ended up hiring him after he acquired his PhD. So, he and his then-fiancée moved to Port Island four years ago. They've lived there since. Maruki was glad to testify—he held Isshiki in high regard. He's not Isshiki, but the man is brilliant. We needed someone credible to explain Isshiki's research to the court, I was more than happy to help Niijima get in contact with him."

Ren gave a small smile. "Well… I hope Futaba can rest easy now. Now that Shido's behind bars… as he deserves."

Mitsuru-san just nodded.

"But Amamiya… I can't thank you enough. For stepping up, when we couldn't do anything. You should be proud of what you've accomplished."

"I only did the right thing," Ren said simply.

Mitsuru-san chuckled. "If you say so. But still… if you're interested in joining the Shadow Operatives, we'd be glad to have you once you've graduated from high school."

The Shadow Operatives…

Ren couldn't deny that the organization did a lot of good. But at the same time, he couldn't picture himself as a Shadow Operative. It might be… dangerous. Shido sympathizers might still lurk in the government.

He could only hope that they would be rooted out eventually… Hopefully more people like Yoshida would eventually step up to the plate.

"I appreciate the offer, but I will have to pass," Ren said. "I kinda like what we have going on right now."

Mitsuru-san raised a brow. "I see. That's fair enough, I suppose."

Ren just nodded, relieved that she understood. Even though his perspective had changed due to his friendship with Ken… Ren wasn't sure if he'd be happy working under the Shadow Operatives. Not like Ken. And besides, it seemed that the Shadow Operatives had more than enough Wild Card power.

"I'd be happy to help you whenever possible, though," Ren added in a low voice.

Mitsuru-san just smiled. "Thank you, Amamiya. But I think we might have to call on you sooner than you anticipated. If Amada's stories are correct, you're quite the magnet for trouble."

Sunday, February 26th, 2017

"We are now approaching Shimoda Station. Please remain seated until the train has come to a complete stop."

Ren sharply inhaled at the announcement. He had his bag resting in his lap and Morgana poked his head out.

"You could've asked them to come see you, you know," he said quietly. "And Shimoda's not even that far from Tokyo."

"I know…" Ren said quietly. "But I wanted to. They sought me out two times in person. It's… my turn now."

Morgana fell quiet before giving a small nod. Then he ducked into the bag once more. Ren took a deep breath, drawing his hood over his head. He was wearing the same hoodie he had worn to sneak around Tokyo, during his month of house arrest. It worked for him before so Ren figured it would serve him well for the same purpose.

Last thing he wanted was anyone noticing him. Sure, what Ken and Ohya said made sense, especially considering he didn't have the full picture regarding his parents. But it's not like he was ready to face anyone yet. And beyond that, he didn't want to deal with anyone who still doubted him.

The train gradually slowed before jerking into a stop. Morgana let out a yowl at that and Ren quickly hushed him. He then stood up, picking up his bag and headed off the train.

The sea breeze tickled his face as he made his way back to his house.

His house was rather modest, almost cottage-sized. There wasn't even a guest bedroom—just the master bedroom that belonged to his parents and his room. But it was built in the Western style and was surrounded by a white picket fence. He pushed the fence open and it swung open with a soft click. The flowering plum tree in the front yard was in bloom, profuse pink blooms being the only splash of color. He then walked up to the front door.

Ren fished out his house key, quietly unlocking the door. When he entered, he could hear the faint sound of jazz music. Mom had always loved jazz music, despite her work as an idol in her youth; Ren's grandfather on her side had been a jazz musician and had instilled a love of music in her from an early age. Ren himself had fuzzy memories of his grandfather sitting him down on a piano and teaching him a few simple tunes.

He slowly lowered his hood.

"Mom? Dad?" he tentatively called out.

For a moment, he wondered if his parents had left the house. It was Sunday, after all.

"Ren?"

Dad had appeared in the kitchen door, gaping at Ren.

"W-What—" he sputtered out. "What are you doing here?"

"Um… hey." Ren rubbed the back of his neck, offering Dad a sheepish smile. "I thought I'd stop by. I wanted to talk…"

Dad sighed, shaking his head. "You could've called, Ren."

Ren's chest tightened at the pure exasperation in his voice. It was achingly familiar, yet it felt like it had been a lifetime since Dad's taken on that kind of tone with Ren.

Ren quickly shook his head, hoping that it would shake out his thoughts before he cleared his throat, looking nervously at Dad.

Ren scratched his forehead, "I know, I'm sorry. I just… I found out about what you and Mom were planning to do."

"...I see," Dad said quietly, and turned towards the back. "Yuri is in the backyard. We'll be back momentarily."

Ren nodded before wandering over to the couch. He let his eyes drift, taking in the living room. His mom's taste in interior design wasn't exactly minimalist like how Anne's parents decorated her apartment. Of course, there was a kotatsu. Honestly, he didn't know how people managed without a kotatsu. There were a few photos of Ren's grandparents with his family, a couple of landscape paintings. But on the bookshelves and the lone dresser, Mom had decorated it with various knick-knacks—mostly things she's found at markets.

But Ren's personal favorite decoration was always the record player. It had been his grandmother's first anniversary gift to his grandfather. When his grandparents had passed, it was bequeathed to Mom, their only child. Over the years, Mom had added to Granddad's already substantial collection of records. But Morgana, who had never seen a record player, was fascinated.

"What is it?" Morgana asked, jumping on the dresser. He prodded the record player, before resting a paw on the record already inserted in.

"Don't touch," Ren chided, standing to grab Morgana before there was an… accident. Mom would be devastated if something happened to it. "It's an antique. It was my granddad's—"

"Is that a cat?"

Ren internally cringed at the sound of Dad's voice. He stared at Ren with an eyebrow raised.

Ren shuffled his feet.

"Sorry… I thought Sojiro mentioned that I had taken in a cat," he bluffed.

Dad gave a short exhale. The corner of his mouth twitched, like it did when he was barely holding back a rebuke. Mom pursed her lips, her eyes scrutinizing. But Ren just stood straight, to sell his bluff further.

Well, if Dad was gonna hold his tongue and not scold, Ren might as well get into it.

"Look… I came home because I wanted to talk to you about something…" Ren said hesitantly.

Mom sighed. "Why don't we sit down first?"

At her prompt, Ren went to the loveseat, sitting across from his parents who sat at the couch.

"First… I wanted to say that I'm sorry too," Ren said quietly.

When his parents shot him startled looks, Ren took in a shuddering breath. He then pressed a hand to his now thudding heart.

"I shut you out. I talked to… some of my friends, after I saw you last. They gave me some things to mull over. We both screwed up after… everything." Ren then swallowed the lump forming in his throat, taking a moment to clear his throat. "And um… I heard that you're suing the police force?"

"That's right," Mom said finally. "I decided to dip into some of my old royalty money to start the process. What they did to you was wrong. Everything. I know it won't take away what they did but…"

"They should be ashamed of themselves for conducting themselves like that," Dad said vehemently. "If we had known how much shady activity there was, we would've… done things differently."

Ren inhaled. "I… thank you."

His parents remained quiet. For a moment, Ren debated on telling them about Shido. But… he decided to hold his tongue. That would get into too much. They'd ask questions. And the answers… he wasn't sure he was ready to share them yet.

Ren's gaze then dropped to his lap, his hands gripping his knees. He swallowed; his mouth suddenly having gone dry.

"And… my friends helped me realize something too," Ren said quietly.

He tried to swallow subtly, to try and mask his nerves. He licked his dry lips before speaking up again.

"That… I don't want to walk out of your lives. I… I'm not ready to fully forgive you yet. But I want to try. I still want to have a relationship with you."

For several moments, it was quiet. Quiet enough that the light ticking of the clock on the wall behind him suddenly felt so loud. Then Mom gave a small sob, pressing a hand to her mouth as tears filled her eyes and flowed down her cheeks. Then she suddenly surged to her feet and moved towards him. But Dad suddenly put a hand on her wrist, halting her and giving a small shake of his head. Mom's face fell and she gave a tiny nod.

Ren's chest tightened. They were still trying to give him the first move.

Dad then coughed. "But Ren? What's with the cat?"

He wanted to change the subject. Ren understood, they didn't want to push Ren into anything. Settling for a different subject was fine, it would give his mother a chance to dry her eyes and relax a little.

"This is Morgana," Ren said. "I found him pretty early on. Sojiro let me keep him, said something about making me learn responsibility."

Morgana jumped on the coffee table and then into Mom's lap, making her squeak.

"Oh… hello there." Mom tentatively scratched Morgana under the chin, making him purr. "Oh, he's a handsome creature, isn't he?"

Ren held back a snort. It was obvious what he was trying to do. Turn on the charm and woo them with his cuteness. Morgana began to preen at her comment and Dad let out a weary sigh.

"Careful, he's got an ego on him, Mom," Ren warned. "Don't stroke it too much."

Morgana then turned and glared at Ren.

Dad seemed to stare at Morgana intently before he cleared his throat. "He seems like he has a… cattitude."

Mom just groaned, pressing a finger against her temple. "Junto… why?"

Ren just snickered. "Good one, Dad."

Morgana stared up at Dad in horror. "He's where you get it from?!"

Ren shrugged. "Guilty."

"What was that, Ren?" Dad asked.

"Oh it's… nothing," Ren quickly coughed to divert his parents' attention. "I was hoping that I could bring Morgana back home… I know you never liked pets much, Dad, but ever since I found Morgana… things in Tokyo started to look up. I really… I don't want to leave him behind."

His parents exchanged looks, his mom giving his dad a heavy frown.

"I see…" Dad sighed. "And you clean up after him?"

"Yeah, yeah, don't worry." Ren waved his hand.

Ren was a little worried if Dad asked where the litter box was. Morgana was… very indignant when Sojiro came to Leblanc, bearing a litter box for Morgana's use. Not that Morgana ever did use it. He refused, felt it was shameful. He was so independent and Ren never asked. Just opened the window and let Morgana go for "walks". He always came back safe and content, so he left it at that.

"Well… your mother already seems to adore him," Dad sighed before dragging a hand through his hair. "I don't think I can say no."

"Yes!" Ren cheered at the same time as Morgana.

His mother just smiled and scratched Morgana under the chin more, probably sounded like a cute meow to them.

"How cute, he's really taken a shine to you Ren!" his mother cooed. "And he seems pretty—"

But then Ren's stomach suddenly growled, cutting her off.

"U-Uh…" Ren felt his face grow hot.

Mom clicked her tongue. "I hope Sakura-san has been feeding you…"

"Thank god for that," Morgana snarked.

"He has, don't worry," Ren hastened to reassure her before shooting Morgana a look. "I just wanted to take an early train, that's all."

He hoped that Mom didn't come barging into Leblanc to see what Sojiro has been mainly feeding him. She wouldn't hesitate to lecture the pants off of Sojiro, if she saw that he only fed Ren curry. Not that Ren hasn't bought himself takeout or groceries and made his own food. But it wouldn't matter if the curry was always a mix of different meats or vegetables every time and making sure Ren was always hydrated on more than just coffee. She'd just hear the only cooks him curry part and would assume the worst.

He could practically hear, "But has he been eating proper nutrients?"

Ren held back another snort when he realized Shinjiro-san would probably get along with her in that department.

Mom then crossed her arms. "Very well, then. I'll go heat up the leftovers from breakfast then. Though I suppose I could get started on an early lunch…"

"Leftovers are fine," Ren said hastily. "Um… thanks."

Mom just smiled at him. Ren was struck by how… he hadn't seen Mom smiling in such a long time. It felt like a lifetime ago.

As Mom prepared it, they all moved to the kitchen. The dining table was inside there.

It wasn't long until Mom set down a plate loaded with fried mackerel, tamagoyaki, and even a small okonomiyaki loaded with veggies in front of Ren. She then handed him a bowl of miso soup and a bowl of white, fluffy rice. He gave his thanks before digging in.

Morgana was given his own bowl of milk and he was happily lapping it up.

Dad got up to make him and Mom a cup of coffee. Probably just to busy himself so he wasn't just staring at Ren while he ate. Mom cupped her cheek with one hand.

"Um, so Ren… how's school?" she asked tentatively.

"It was okay. My friends make it bearable," Ren responded.

He raised the bowl of soup, drinking deeply. It settled comfortably in his belly. It felt good, after walking in the cold.

"All of them go to Shujin?" Dad asked as he sprinkled in just the right amount of sugar for Mom's cup.

"No, Yusuke attends Kosei. They focus on more art-related pursuits," Ren answered.

But he eyed the instant coffee machine, even as Dad stepped away and carried the two cups to the table. That… would not do. Going back to instant? After nearly a year of enjoying properly made coffee? No thanks.

Though, now that he thought about it, he still had so much money from their Phantom Thievery. He should divide that up and give everyone their fair share. He could take some of that money and buy a French press or something.

"Ren, do you want anything to drink?" Dad asked.

"Uh… just some tea, I guess."

Something hot would be nice to drink anyways. But he was not drinking the swill that was instant coffee.

Dad nodded before putting some water in the electric kettle they had.

"What about clubs?" Mom asked. "You were always wonderful in your—"

"My record was leaked before I even got there on the first day," Ren interrupted.

"Wha…?!" Mom went slack jawed. "That's…!"

"Who's behind this?" Dad asked, turning around with his eyes narrowed.

"Remember Kamoshida?"

Both of his parents paled and Mom nervously twisted her wedding ring.

"But at least he's behind bars now." Ren shrugged. "And I found my own group of friends. I'm fine."

He then shoved an entire mackerel piece into his mouth, to avoid going further into it. Mom snapped to attention.

"Oh for heaven's sake, Ren, eat it in smaller bites," she scolded.

"It tastes better this way." The familiar retort was out of his mouth before he realized it.

He didn't realize how much he had missed his parents' cooking. Sojiro was a fantastic cook, as was Shinjiro-san. But… there was nothing like home cooking.

"It may taste better, but it won't if you choke on it," she continued to scold.

The kettle then went off and Dad got up to make Ren some jasmine tea. Ren looked over to see his dad grab the jar of citron honey on the counter. He took a spoon and mixed in a small spoonful of honey into the tea. Dad was kinda funny in that he didn't like his coffee sweetened too much but he always loved citron honey with his tea.

He looked down at his plate. He still felt nervous about coming back home. But… coming back really hammered in that the what-ifs might've bothered him forever if he had walked away.

"Ren?"

"I'm sorry," Ren muttered out. "I was an ass to you guys. I shut you out completely."

"Ren…" Dad sighed, walking over and handing Ren his mug of tea. "I-It's okay. We don't blame you, after everything you went through. We should've handled that differently. Unfortunately, we can't change the past."

That was true. And it was still true that Ren couldn't regret what had happened during this past year. The path he took led him to his friends. A home in Tokyo.

And… that wasn't something Ren would want to trade away. For anything.

"All we can do is move forward," Dad finished before taking a drink from his own mug of tea.

Ren could only nod. He blew at his tea, taking a careful sip. It was… the perfect temperature. Dad remembered just how he preferred it.

"Though… there is something you have to know too," Mom said carefully. "You remember Junto talking about his little sister, right? His other two siblings are still… coming around. But she and her husband and their daughter will be visiting Shimoda after exams are done in March. They have a son in college but he already made plans with a trip with his girlfriend."

Ren chewed slowly at the last part.

An aunt, uncle, and cousins. That was a little… foreign to Ren.

Dad then said, "Their daughter is just a little younger than you. They won't be staying here obviously, there's no room."

Ren just smiled wryly. Their house really wasn't equipped to have overnight guests.

"Okay," Ren said, unsure on what else to say.

He finished his meal and got up from his chair.

"When is your train leaving? Back to Tokyo?" Mom asked.

"Uh well… I was just gonna buy a ticket at the station," Ren admitted. "I only reserved a ticket early in the morning to come here."

He wanted to give himself some time. Since Shimoda was about three hours away by train. The express train took even less time. Honestly, Ren was relieved. If he wanted to, he could take a train to Tokyo, like maybe on a half day. Spend the weekend with his friends.

The distance wasn't as difficult to circumvent, compared to how Fuuka-san always had to plan extensively if she wanted to visit Ken and Shinjiro-san.

But he wasn't sure how long the talk with his parents would take. He wanted to give himself some wiggle room.

"I see…" Dad then rubbed his chin. "We could… give you a ride to the station?"

"It's okay," Ren said, shaking his head.

Morgana then ran up to him and Ren bent down to slip Morgana into his bag. His mom raised a brow at that action but said nothing regarding it.

"I don't want you to deal with any questions," Ren finished with a shrug.

Mom scowled, a dangerous glint in her eyes.

"It was never about our reputations, you know. We were worried about you, Ren. What people thought of us was never part of the equation."

Ren let out a heavy sigh. Mom was getting worked up.

"So, you march yourselves to the car. We're giving you that ride," Mom finished, hands on her hips now.

Dad just chuckled. "You better listen to your mother, Ren."

"Yeah, yeah…" Ren just grumbled before trudging towards the door.

The ride to the station was… weird. Not bad, but weird. There were some attempts at stilted conversation but… Ren knew they had a long way to go.

However, Ren was going to stick with his choice. He was going to see this through, to try and put the pieces back together again.

When Dad pulled to a stop, his parents both got out.

Mom then said, "Text us when you get back to Tokyo station, Ren. We'll see you in a few weeks, okay?"

"Yeah." But when his parents turned back to the car, he blurted out, "Wait!"

When they looked to him, questions in their eyes, Ren quickly threw his arms around both of them.

"I'll see you guys soon. Bye."

Then he quickly stepped away and rushed to the station entrance. He shut the door behind him, letting out a sigh.

It wasn't perfect, no. But… this was a start.

And yet… somehow… this was the easier conversation. Ren couldn't help but smile wryly.

"What's with that smile?" Morgana asked suspiciously.

Ren just shrugged. "Just thinking… I want to see Akechi eventually. And that conversation will be… fun."

Morgana frowned. "You don't have to, you know."

"I know that." Ren nodded. "But it's something I want to do. I can't really explain it, Morgana but…"

Morgana sighed. "I'm just glad that there will be a glass wall between you two and he won't have any weapons now. But um, Ren… I'm glad things went okay with your parents."

Ren could only smile faintly before he scratched Morgana behind the ear.

"Me too."

Wednesday, March 1st, 2017

"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?"

Ren looked at his girlfriend, giving her a crooked smile. "I'm sure. It's just… I dunno. I feel I should go into it alone."

Anne and Morgana were the only ones who knew that he was planning to visit Akechi in prison today. He wasn't… sure how Ken would take it. He had been kinda distracted, but Ren could hazard a guess on why he was so… off. He was… pretty bad at faking smiles, so he wouldn't be surprised if everyone had picked up on it too.

Anne bit her lip. Ren gave her a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry, Anne. I'll be fine."

"If you say so…" Anne sighed. "It's reassuring that I know that Akechi won't be able to do anything to you at least."

He refrained from making a joking comment that Morgana said the same thing. They were worried for him after all, no need to make light of it with his usual banter.

Ren nodded. "Yeah. I'll see you tomorrow, yeah?"

Anne nodded before she smiled at him. "Uh-huh!"

Ren then dipped his head, kissing her lightly on the forehead.

Then he left school, taking the train station to the nearest stop to the detention center. After he informed the people inside that he would like to visit Goro Akechi, he was interrogated on his reasons why. It was kinda a pain… they almost didn't let him through until he got in touch with Sae and she vouched for him. He was grateful that she agreed to never tell Makoto or Ken about what he was doing.

But after dealing with their questions, he was finally led down the hallways, where the visits were conducted. On the other side of the glass walls, a door opened. An officer ushered Akechi in.

Akechi glared at him. "What do you want?"

"Gee, I'm hurt." Ren eyed him before lifting one brow. "And here I thought we'd have a more heartwarming reunion."

"Just get to the point, Amamiya," Akechi bit out with a scowl. He then grumbled, "I can't believe this is who the officer was talking about Sae-san sending to talk to me."

Ren narrowed his eyes. "She never sent me, so don't blame her. She just vouched for me is all. I think some people in here still have it out for me, not like I am staring at one of them."

He didn't want Sae to get blamed for this. For whatever reason Akechi respected Sae, and she seemed to still hold some type of fondness for him… for some reason. He didn't want to damage anything for Sae. That's not why he came.

"Then why come at all?" Akechi glowered.

Ren leaned back in his chair and said, "I've been wondering for two weeks… why did you do it? Turning yourself in?"

Akechi scoffed, giving Ren a scornful look. "Really? You dragged yourself all the way to ask me that?"

Ren placed both hands in his lap. "How else am I supposed to ask you? You aren't exactly accessible for a normal chat. And I wanted to know. You could have run, you know. Started anew, in like America, South Korea… or somewhere in Europe maybe."

Akechi huffed before he rubbed his forearm with his other hand. "I'm well aware. Sae-san has told me."

An awkward silence between them fell. Ren pursed his lips.

"Well… thanks. I know that you turning yourself in helped overturn my sentence."

"I didn't do it for you."

Ren rolled his eyes.

"Obviously… it's about Shido, huh?" Ren asked.

"That's not—" Akechi then cut himself off, looking away.

Ren couldn't help but feel struck. The way his mouth twisted in a petulant scowl made him think of Ken. The mere thought made him frown.

"It's no longer about him," Akechi admitted before his lips curled into a mirthless smile. "But still… what does it matter? You got what you wanted. Shido will face justice. Now you've truly prevailed over him."

Ren raised a brow. "What do you mean by 'truly'?"

Akechi scoffed, waving his hand. "You didn't let Shido ruin your life… how did you even do it? You rose above your circumstances, what fate doled out to you. You didn't seem to care. Not to mention on Christmas Eve—I fully expected you to lose. You always seemed… to turn the tides, no matter your circumstances."

There were several beats of silence as Ren tried to comprehend what Akechi said. Then he burst out laughing.

Looking into Akechi's eyes… Ren could see that he genuinely believed that. It was kinda… sad. That Akechi had misread things this badly.

"I didn't care?" Ren repeated, unable to hold back the scorn he felt. "That's a joke if I've ever heard one. You didn't see me when I first moved to Tokyo. I was told that I shouldn't have done it, that I was an idiot to try and help someone who needed it. Keep my nose out of trouble. I was beat over the head with that sentiment, ad-nauseum. But when the opportunity to walk away showed up, I realized I couldn't do that. I wouldn't turn a blind eye."

Arsene's words, so long away, remained burned in his mind.

"Was your previous decision... a mistake then?"

Even though Ryuji was a stranger to him then, even if he was hostile to Ren originally…

No, he could not walk away.

Akechi's expression grew neutral at Ren's statement.

"And… I was lucky to find real friends, friends who would stand with me in that mindset," Ren finished.

Akechi then glowered, his hands balling into fists. "Including him…"

Red-hot irritation flared inside him. Ren levelled a glare at Akechi.

"Is this still about Ken?" Ren tapped a finger against his chin. "What was it again? I 'stole' his loyalty. For hell's sake, Akechi… Ken is not a piece of property. He has his own feelings. What's it to you anyway? And don't give me because you're related, we're not having this argument again. He didn't matter to you until you found out your relation."

But it didn't look like Akechi had processed what Ren said. And that ticked him off. Akechi was just so entitled about this. It felt especially glaring, looking back on how they interacted prior to Akechi's discovery.

"You would always throw barbs at him and he—"

"That's what friends do." Ren couldn't help but feel exasperated.

But at the same time, he looked at Akechi with a frown. Had Akechi really not known anyone he could call a friend? Even before his mother died? Despite everything, Ren couldn't help but feel a twinge of pity. His way of thinking was just so… broken. Ren couldn't wrap his head around it.

"You wanna know what I thought when I first met him?" Ren asked. "I bumped into him at school. Knocked him down. But he was courteous with me. I remember being struck by that, because well… you said it yourself. Shido ruined my life. On top of that, Kamoshida ruined my chances of a fresh new start. But still, I didn't know about him. But he slowly started to open up to me and everyone else. But that's your problem. Do you know Ken?"

"I knew some things…" Akechi muttered.

"Oh yeah? Are those 'things' personal, or the things you dug up personally like he was some target?" Ren glowered, and when Akechi glared at him, Ren just pressed forward. "What's his favorite show? Or what's his favorite meal? What about what career path he wants to take?"

"I… I…" Akechi scowled as he cut himself off. "Are you just here to gloat? You're a real piece of shit, you know that?"

"I'm not here to gloat."

Ren didn't bother denying Akechi's last statement, not that Ren could convince him. But he had a bone to pick with Akechi, despite everything. Back in Shido's Palace… he didn't get the chance like Futaba did. But he wouldn't get another chance so easily, to point out something about Akechi that's been bothering Ren.

"I just want to point out that you closed yourself off. Ken is willing to open up to people who try. But you shut yourself away, behind that fake detective prince mask of yours."

"Let me guess, I just needed to be a good boy and tell him any insecurities and we sing kumbaya?" Akechi scoffed.

Ren felt another flare of irritation.

"Where do you get off at feeling like Ken owes you something? You haven't done a single thing for him from the moment you reunited. And do not deny that the day before you found out your relation, he was on the list with the rest of us that you were gonna snuff out! You tried to kill him before that too!"

"That was before—"

Ren cut him off, his eyes narrowed. "Before you realized who he was? Before you thought you could use him for your ends for revenge? Before you deluded yourself into thinking he's just like you?"

Akechi jolted up out of his chair, hands slamming onto the counter in front of him.

"What do you want me to say?I" Akechi all but snarled out.

Ren wouldn't be surprised if Akechi would've spat in Ren's face if there wasn't a glass wall separating them.

"Grovel in front of you and say how I was so wrong?! Not in a million years! Never to you, got that?"

Ren studied him closely. "Do you believe that you're wrong? I'm not interested in groveling, you know. I just wanted… to know what your reasoning was."

When Akechi stayed quiet, Ren sighed. Arguing with Akechi will get him nowhere. He wouldn't listen. It seemed abundantly clear that the only one he would listen to about these things was Sae probably.

"I saw you leaving the premises, the day of Shido's trial, you know," Ren continued. "I was struck by it. You knew you'd be reviled. That people would hate you for your crimes."

Akechi merely looked away. "I know. I know that. She told me that…"

She… it didn't take a rocket scientist to know who Akechi was talking about. But Ren sensed it wasn't a good idea to bring up Sae right now.

This solidified what Ren already concluded. Sae really was the only person he seemed to have any… kind of relationship with. A real one. As much as he didn't understand it. But it was something. Maybe she could actually help him…

Akechi's expression was conflicted. And his gaze kept shifting, refusing to look Ren in the eye.

"There was no point in keeping it up, not when you made sure that Shido started groveling for his crimes. I saw it on the news. I knew then it was over," he finally said.

Ren raised an eyebrow. The way Akechi put it was almost matter-of-factly but Ren could hear a slight waver in his voice. Maybe Akechi would never come out and say it outright…

Ren rubbed the back of his neck and said, "I doubt you'll believe me. But I have to give you some respect for owning up to your crimes, to swallow the public's opinion of you utterly changing."

Especially since he knew personally how it felt. He still remembered how it felt after Okumura's death. It was like the rug was yanked out underneath his feet. And Ren had the shield of anonymity as a Phantom Thief.

Of course, the situation wasn't completely the same. But Ren had to admit that it took a lot of guts to do what Akechi did, even if it was the right thing to do.

"What are you saying?" Akechi looked at him suspiciously, eyes narrowed.

"I won't ever like you as a person," Ren said flatly, folding his arms over his chest. "And I'll never forgive you for the harm you caused the people I care about."

Akechi had tried killing him. Killed Haru's father, only to try and frame her as own father's killer, alongside her friends. He killed Futaba's mother, and his actions sent Futaba into neglectful and abusive homes, on top of her spiraling down into depression for two years. Not to mention all the auditory and visual hallucinations she suffered because of that. He nearly killed Ken a couple times. Put Ohya's friend in a coma, which caused Ohya to turn to liquor to cope after being shot down and disgraced for wanting to look into it.

Akechi probably wouldn't have lost a wink of sleep if Akechi had succeeded in killing Ren. And was going to go and kill all his friends after he was killed and framed too.

And that didn't even compare to the large list of crimes that Akechi had under his belt. But still…

"But you've changed since we last met," he said finally.

Akechi glared at Ren. "I don't like you either, Amamiya. Don't think that me turning myself in has anything to do with you."

"Yeah, yeah. I didn't even entertain that thought. Relax..." Ren just waved a hand at Akechi. "But still… I mean it, Akechi. You have my respect for accepting the consequences of your actions."

"Whatever," he muttered out. "And like I said, I didn't do it for you."

Ren bit back a snarky comment that the more he took offense to that thought and kept objecting, the more childish he looked.

"Good luck," Ren offered him instead.

"Good luck?" Akechi repeated, baffled.

Ren shrugged. "Hey, you are trying to do better. I have to give credit where credit is due."

Akechi then huffed in response but didn't make a snarky remark.

Then Ren's gaze met Akechi's. Akechi shifted uncomfortably before looking away.

Their… relationship was a strange one. Ren didn't like Akechi, and nothing about that changed currently. He'd definitely qualify Akechi as his enemy still, but in a weirdly enough, he did come to respect him recently.

Ren didn't think he would want to see Akechi again in person, after he's been let out from jail. There was just… too much bad blood between them. But still, Ren couldn't help but feel that he understood Akechi a little better now.

Friday, March 3rd, 2017

Shinjiro-san rather resembled a fish right now, with how he was gaping at Haru. Then he finally snapped to attention, looking at Haru sternly.

"Did Ken put you up to this?" he demanded.

Haru just giggled. "No, not at all. It was completely my idea."

"But you can't just give me an entire property!"

"Well, the building belongs to the company, which I've inherited. I can choose to sign it over to whoever I please," Haru said.

"Your company's still recovering, I can't accept this," Shinjiro-san snapped out.

Haru giggled. "I've been thinking a lot about this, Shinjiro-san. When I told Ken-kun about my idea—"

"I'm gonna kill him," he grumbled out.

"No, you won't," Haru said, still giggling.

It was rather amusing how Shinjiro-san would 'threaten' Ken, but everyone knew that it was all bluster.

"But he said he thought you might accept. A 20% chance, he gave it," Haru added.

"Ken…" Shinjiro-san growled out, his brow twitching.

Haru stifled another giggle from bubbling up. It was honestly quite amusing to see him like this.

He looked at Haru before taking a deep breath. "Okumura, come on. You know I hate charity."

"It's not charity," Haru insisted. "But Ren-kun's been helping me figure out what I wanted to do with our company. I want there to be passion for cooking good food, among… other things. But I look at you and I see someone who loves cooking. You… deserve to be able to share it with people sooner."

This was why her grandfather started the business in the first place. A passion for what he did, and giving to others. Shinjiro-san was rough around the edges, but had a good heart, and wanted to see people well fed and taken care of. He would be exactly the kind of person her grandfather would trust. She was sure of it.

Shinjiro-san slowly exhaled. "But… why me? If it's because you're good friends with Ken—"

"Well, if it wasn't for Ken-kun, I probably would've never tasted your food," Haru cut him off immediately. She then took another breath and stood up straighter. "But I'm offering this because I believe that you have what it takes to create a wonderful restaurant."

Shinjiro-san looked wary still. Haru lightly shook her head and let out a sigh.

"There's still… I don't know a lot about food and cooking," she admitted. "But I know that I want to someday have a café, where people will feel like it's a second home. To eat comforting food, to enjoy a relaxing atmosphere… I want to be like my grandfather."

She chanced a glance at Shinjiro-san. He had frozen when Haru brought up her grandfather. A sad smile formed on her face.

Her grandfather was such a giving man, to a fault. It's sadly what eventually pushed her father on the path he eventually took because he was too generous, and that affected his family, namely her father. However, her father went on the opposite extreme. Caring too much about success and slowly over time becoming colder and greedier.

It was easier to say at least you want to be more like your grandfather and not admit... you felt you could strike a balance. Learn from both the patriarchs that came before you. From their strengths and weaknesses. Admitting that would be... delving into territory about her father and all the what-ifs. And that was still a sore subject.

Her father, her grandfather... there had to be a happy median. To be kind and generous like her grandfather, but aim to do better finically she wouldn't hurt the company and her future family. But there was still so much she didn't know. But perhaps, with proper guidance… and some trusted allies and companions, she can make Okumura Foods a company that her grandfather would be proud of, and one her father originally hoped to create before he became so distorted. Maybe, if she tried her hardest, she could make it better. Honest but still successful. Creating smiles for all who come to sample what they have to offer, but providing opportunities and jobs for those in need of them.

She dared not voice it yet, Shinjiro-san would definitely deny he could help make that possible. But as the saying goes: "Little by little, little becomes a lot."

"But when I taste your cooking, I'm just… amazed. It's like you know how to make your cooking feel like you're trying out the dish for the very first time. It's just incredible and it… saddens me that you view help from others as just charity."

Shinjiro-san just sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "It just… feels like a handout."

Haru tilted her head. "I think you're being unfair to yourself, Shinjiro-san. Ken-kun's told me a bit about your… outlook on life. You dislike your friends trying to help you, even if it's for the sake of your health. And yet, you berate others for trying to shoulder the burden on their own. I think you should give yourself more chances, like you give others."

Haru had learned that it was best to try and take the hand reached out to you. She had almost pushed her friends away while wallowing in her grief. She was grateful to Mitsuru-san for giving her the final push to reach out to her friends once more.

"That's… different," he hedged out.

Haru pursed her lips before sighing. "You truly are stubborn, aren't you?"

Shinjiro-san groaned. "Okumura… why me, though? There are others who might deserve it more, y'know. You should give it to an employee or somethin', who wants to start something new."

Haru just crossed her legs. "Well… I don't know them. I know you and your cooking."

Shinjiro-san's expression still didn't waver. Koromaru suddenly jumped next to where he sat on the couch, giving a small bark. Haru couldn't help but feel that the shiba inu was agreeing with her.

"Does my cooking really remind you of your grandfather's?" Doubt crept in Shinjiro-san's voice.

Haru nodded furiously, her curls bouncing around her face. "It really does! And it really is fantastic, it makes me think of a… simpler time. A time where a delicious home cooked dinner could make me forget all of my issues."

She couldn't help but smile sadly at that. From what she remembered, her mother wasn't much of a cook. But Father… had loved cooking for her. He learned from his father. He spoke fondly of certain cooking techniques taught by Haru's grandfather. She could remember vaguely him explaining the process to her or her mother.

Haru couldn't help but close her eyes and picture it; the fleeting memories of how Father doted on Mother during her second pregnancy. He'd make her breakfast in bed, she'd smile up at him and thank him, and Father would kiss her and then caress her baby bump. They had been… so happy then, it was truly a simpler time before Mother had died…

A lump formed in her throat and she quickly blinked away the tears threatening to spill over. She subtly wiped at her eyes, masking it as her rubbing at her eyes.

"It just felt… fortuitous, since you were returning to Port Island," Haru said quietly. "And we have to consolidate our holdings anyways."

But Shinjiro-san looked uncertain still, so she fought the urge to sigh.

"But… I won't force you, Shinjiro-san. But it would mean a lot to me if you would consider it."

She didn't want to keep pushing the matter. Shinjiro-san had his pride after all and she didn't want to make things tense between them. It would be difficult on Ken, as well.

She then slowly rose to her feet, as Shinjiro-san had yet to say anything.

"Okumura, wait."

Haru looked to him with hopeful eyes. Shinjiro-san heaved out a sigh, rubbing at his face and muttering something that sounded like "This girl…" under his breath.

"I'm not sayin' yes, but… I'll take a look next time I go back to Port Island and we can talk about this again."

Haru couldn't hold back an excited squeak.

"It's not a yes, but you've got a point," he admitted, a small blush creeping into his cheeks. "I'll be going back to see Fuuka for White Day so I'll let you know."

Haru beamed, clapping her hands together. "Thank you, Shinjiro-san! And let me know if you have any questions!"

"Yeah, yeah." Shinjiro-san waved a hand at her. "Anyways, you gonna stay for dinner?"

Haru's eyes widened. "Oh, um, I don't mean to impose!"

Shinjiro-san's eyes flicked towards the ceiling before he let out a snort.

"And yet you offer me an entire goddamn restaurant."

Haru smiled sheepishly before clasping her hands behind her back. "Um, I suppose… when you put it that way…"

Shinjiro-san threw her a smirk but before he could say anything, the front door opened and Ken stepped through.

"Shinjiro-san, I'm b—" He then paused, tilting his head. "Oh, Haru. I didn't know you were here."

Haru giggled. "Hi, Ken-kun. I just wanted to ask Shinjiro-san something."

Koromaru then made a beeline for Ken, headbutting Ken in the leg. Ken just laughed, kneeling down to pet the shiba inu.

"Ken, Okumura is staying for dinner. Put another setting on the table tonight," Shinjiro-san told him.

"Of course, Shinjiro-san." Ken then straightened up, which made Koromaru whine.

Haru had to suppress another giggle again. Perhaps Koromaru wanted some more attention from Ken.

Ken then followed his guardian inside but Haru followed them, lingering by the counter. Ken was washing his hands, since he had been petting Koromaru.

"Um… would you like some help?" Haru offered as Ken shut off the water and grabbed a towel to dry his hands.

Shinjiro-san huffed before opening the cabinet, pulling out a wok. "Leave it, Okumura. You're a guest. Just sit down and play with Koromaru if you want."

He then set it on the stove and moved to the fridge to grab some ingredients. With the older man's back turned, Ken just rolled his eyes at Shinjiro-san before opening the cabinet holding the dishes to retrieve three plates.

After he grabbed three pairs of chopsticks from a drawer, he set them on top of the plates and started walking towards the table.

"Um… hey, Haru?" he said in a low voice. "Did you ask…?"

"He said it was a maybe," Haru said in an equally low voice.

Ken sighed, shaking his head. "So stubborn. Still… it's something, I suppose."

"You had to learn it from somewhere, didn't you?" Haru couldn't help but lightly tease him.

Ken glared at her for that but Haru just gave him a sweet smile.

"What are you two whispering about?" Shinjiro-san gave them a suspicious look, his eyes narrowed at them.

Ken just shrugged. "Just asking her opinion about what I'm thinking of doing for Makoto for White Day."

"Riiight…" Shinjiro-san deadpanned, clearly not buying Ken's lie. "Well hurry up already so you can help me chop these onions."

Haru couldn't help but smile as Shinjiro-san bustled around the kitchen. While personality wise, he was nothing like Grandfather… he was also so passionate about food and cooking like Grandfather. Her father definitely wouldn't have liked him, that's for sure. But she wondered, when she was a child, maybe his opinion would have been different.

Haru shook her head. She liked him. What-ifs weren't going to help her right now. She needed to focus on what's forward, not back.

Saturday, March 4th, 2017

"So… I'll be out of a bartender soon enough," Lala sighed. "Are you sure you can't stay, Aragaki?"

Shinjiro just shrugged. "Sorry… But my stay in Tokyo was always gonna be a temporary thing. I'm going back to Port Island near the end of the month."

Lala shook her head. "Well… I suppose it can't be helped. Especially since you have that fiancée of yours waiting on you."

Shinjiro could only nod. "Yeah… But I also wanted to give you something else."

"Aside from your two weeks notice?" Lala asked. "What—oh."

Lala's expression was a bit unreadable as she looked at the invitation in Shinjiro's hand.

Fuuka had been surprised when Shinjiro brought up inviting Lala. But… he genuinely liked her. The wedding guest list wasn't terribly big—he and Fuuka were hardly social butterflies, like Minako was, after all. They had invited some old classmates—all from her year; Shinjiro didn't exactly bother to get to know his classmates during his first year of Gekkoukan, after all.

She then took it, scanning the contents of the invitation.

"It's not far off," she noted. "July thirtieth?"

Shinjiro shrugged. "We're not going to make it a big event. And trust me… the maid of honor's been going a little nuts with the planning."

"I see." Lala chuckled. "You wouldn't mind if I bring Ichiko then?"

Shinjiro rolled his eyes. "Just do me a favor and don't let her near Yukiko Amagi. Especially during the reception."

He had always thought that Amagi was somewhat of an oddball, but one of the tamer ones, compared to her friends. But that perception had been wiped away the moment he saw her drink a cocktail that was little more than just fruit juice.

Lala just tilted her head. "Why?"

"She's also nuts when it comes to alcohol. But I think Amamiya will be more of a handful anyways," Shinjiro explained.

Recognition lit up in her eyes. "Oh, that's right, he's friends with your ward, no?"

"Unfortunately…" Shinjiro grumbled.

"He's a good boy, don't be so ornery about him." Lala then set the invitation down on the counter; a warm smile then spread across her face. "But… thank you, Aragaki. I appreciate this, from the bottom of my heart. I hope whatever you choose to pursue, you'll be happy."

"Thanks, I will."

He wasn't sure about Okumura's offer. He kinda thought it was a little crazy. But he could say with confidence that he was happy now.

In seven months… it would be ten years since he accidentally killed Ken's mom. Sometimes, he still wished it had never happened. But he had learned to forgive himself a long time ago and he could say now with confidence that he was happy.

Lala said, "Well… good night. I'll see you next shift, yeah?"

Shinjiro nodded. "Of course."

He then headed for home. Tonight hadn't been too crazy but he was ready to crash for the night.

Tokyo wasn't too bad when it was a bit calmer. But he really preferred Port Island. And he was looking forward to returning to the apartment he shared with Fuuka… even if Ken wasn't coming back.

At the thought of Ken, Shinjiro frowned. Ken had been a little quiet lately, probably because of what happened with Akechi. Ken always got down about Akechi, even though it wasn't Ken's fault. He cheered up a little when he was around his friends at least.

But Shinjiro wasn't entirely sure how to address it.

Maybe he would try to talk to Ken about it after school today. He just… hated seeing Ken being so down about something that was beyond his control.

But he had finally made it back to the apartment. He rode the elevator to the top floor, heading to the door to unlock it. Shinjiro let out a tired sigh as he kicked off his shoes by the door. He went to the kitchen for a glass of water before he would shower and head to bed.

After putting the glass in the sink, Shinjiro collected his pajamas from his bedroom. But… he then realized that the light in Ken's room was still on, seeing the light through the crack of his door. Shinjiro groaned. He swore if Ken was passed out on his desk again, he was gonna bop him upside the head.

He opened the door… only to see Ken was sitting on his bed, cross-legged, with a familiar photo album balanced on his lap. The light was dimmer, probably since Koromaru was lying next to Ken, fast asleep.

"Ken, it's nearly three in the morning!" Shinjiro hissed out, keeping his voice low for Koromaru's sake. "Why are you still awake?"

Ken jerked up at the sound of Shinjiro's voice.

"Shinjiro-san! You're back—"

His voice died as Shinjiro gave him a stern glare.

"Ken…" he said in a warning voice.

Ken let out a weary sigh before he rubbed at his eyes. "I'm sorry. I couldn't sleep…"

"Did you have a dream about your mom?" Shinjiro asked, feeling a little concerned.

"No, it's… not that…" he trailed off.

Ken crossed his arms and let out a sigh.

Shinjiro sighed before moving to sit next to him on the edge of Ken's bed.

"Then what is it?" he asked.

Ken pressed his lips together, his gaze downcast.

"You know about Akechi," he said finally. "It's just… I don't know. I know that I can't control his actions. But still, I wonder… what would've Mom thought about all of this? Looking back on it, I think… she regretted the wedge that formed between her and her sister. She would always get kinda down on her birthday especially."

Shinjiro just slowly exhaled. He could understand why this was weighing heavily on Ken's mind. Granted, Akechi had claimed that he knew what Ken's mom would've wanted.

Shinjiro only knew her through what Ken had recounted to him over the years. But there was one thing Shinjiro was confident about Hikari Amada.

"Your mom would've wanted you to be happy. To prioritize yourself, not Akechi," Shinjiro said.

He reached out to touch Ken's shoulder.

But to his disappointment, Ken just let out an uncommitting hum at that.

"But you ain't your mom. Akechi ain't his." Shinjiro sighed, lowering his hand. "Ken… I know that it sucks that your mom and your aunt weren't able to talk things out before your mom died. But you don't owe Akechi shit."

Ken bit his lip. "I know that… But still, I keep thinking about the what-ifs."

But he finally closed the album. Some of the tension from his shoulders finally melted away.

Even so, Shinjiro disliked seeing Ken being so torn about Akechi. He was just… so hard on himself about this, even though Akechi obviously was intent on doing whatever the hell he wanted to do.

"But if you're stuck wondering about Akechi, maybe you ought to see him," Shinjiro said.

He was tempted to say one last time, but he didn't know how exactly Ken felt. If he could see something salvageable or if he wanted to never see Akechi again. (Personally, he would've preferred the latter.)

But he did know how Ken operated.

"I know you, if you keep bottling it up, you'll start coming up with a gazillion what-if scenarios. So, you need to face it head on. Face him. You guys did hash out some things when you last saw each other but…"

Shinjiro trailed off at that last part. He still wasn't happy with how Akechi had trapped Ken. It was beyond Ken or the others' control. But the fact was that… Akechi had tried killing Ken. Again.

The thought of going to see Akechi himself had come to Shinjiro's mind. Akechi had been a little whatever to him before finding out the truth about him. A bit of a braggart and full of hot air, but Shinjiro had similar sentiments to most celebrities.

But finding out about the truth of Akechi's actions, what he tried to do to Ken and the Phantom Thieves multiple times, not to mention his aiding of Shido… It still boiled his blood, thinking about it.

But he highly doubted that Akechi would even want to see him, but still… he couldn't help but feel it weighing in his mind. Tsukiko Himura… another name… another causality. No, he didn't kill her. But the consequences of not controlling Castor that night didn't just end with the Amadas, even though they were the most directly hurt. But like throwing a rock in a pond, you never know the ripples it causes.

Tsukiko Himura's suicide was one of them. And her son growing up to go on a warpath was another. Yes, there were many other factors that led to Akechi's mother taking her life, but Ken's mother dying was the last straw that broke the camel's back. Akechi obviously had… many issues… but his mother's suicide was definitely a key factor in pushing him on the path he was on.

The ripples from that one rock thrown. How many people Akechi ruined or killed… maybe none of that would have happened had he just had control that one night.

Shinjiro shook his head. He was lecturing Ken about what-ifs and here he was doing it too. For all he knew, they would eventually be driven down those paths through some other means being the cause. Obsessing over what-ifs was pointless and helped no one.

Shinjiro let out a heavy sigh. Still… he wanted to visit Akechi. Maybe if only to personally apologize, look at one of his indirect consequences in the eye and explain the truth. If he could face Ken, he could certainly face Akechi. The boy would definitely not accept it, but that isn't the point. He's not looking for forgiveness, if anything… maybe he can impart something for the boy to use.

He doubted he'd ever take advice from him. But still, couldn't hurt. The worse he could do was scream at him and tell him to fuck off.

"I still can't believe he was jealous of the twins," Ken muttered, pulling Shinjiro from his thoughts.

Akechi was just lucky that Aigis, Minako, or Takeba weren't present for that. Aigis and Takeba would've made him into target practice and Minako… probably would've beat his ass with that cheerful smile of hers.

"And you," Shinjiro reminded.

"Hard to forget that…" Ken sighed before letting out a huge yawn. "But… I think you're right, Shinjiro-san. Thank you for talking it out with me."

"'Course, any time," he reassured Ken. "But for now—go to bed. It's past three, for fuck's sake."

Ken just chuckled. "Okay, okay, I will. Good night, Shinjiro-san."

Shinjiro-san stood up, stretching the kinks from his body. Then he ruffled Ken's hair, unable to hold back a smirk as Ken glowered him.

"Any time, Ken."

Sunday, March 5th, 2017

For the past six years, Ken had gone to the cemetery to visit Minato-san on this day. But after his talk with Shinjiro-san yesterday… Ken knew that it'd be better to not put it off any longer.

So here he was, waiting to see Akechi.

He had received a dubious look at the front desk when Ken stated he was Akechi's cousin and wished to visit him but he was more occupied with worrying about what he wanted to say to Akechi than what strangers thought.

Ken looked up at the sound of a door opening. A police officer stepped out.

"You can come see Akechi now," he stated, only to add another comment under his breath. "Not that I know why people keep comin'..."

Ken ignored this last comment, giving a small bow of his head. "Thank you."

He was then led to where meetings were conducted in the detention center. Akechi was already waiting for him, sitting on the other side of the glass wall.

"Ken," Akechi greeted him curtly.

Ken did not speak until he sat down, forcing a smile to his lips. "Hello, Akechi."

Looking at Akechi was a little… bizarre, if Ken was being honest. Last time they had seen each other, Akechi had been aggressive—his detective prince persona completely wiped away, leaving behind only a bitter and angry teenager. He looked different too. His hair was shorter than when he last saw him.

Ken wasn't sure where to start. But then Akechi suddenly snorted.

"Are you here to say 'I told you so'?"

The question took Ken aback, only for irritation to bubble inside of him.

"Are you always planning to think the worst of me?" Ken retorted.

Akechi slowly exhaled. "I'd say the same for you."

Ken couldn't hold back a huff of annoyance, the puff of air ruffling his bangs. He couldn't help but wonder if Akechi would ever not get under his skin.

But… thinking the worst of him? What, because Ken actually held him accountable for his actions?

Akechi then looked away; arms crossed over his chest. "What do you want, then?"

Ken pressed his lips together. "I didn't know what to think when I heard the news."

"What do you want me to say?" Akechi sneered. "I was seized by my consciousness and I had to turn myself in?"

Ken scowled to himself. He was lucky that a glass wall separated them. If only he could smack off that insufferable look off of Akechi's face…

"On top of that, I still haven't figured you out," Akechi suddenly said. "You'll give me shit for my actions but Aragaki killed your mother."

Ken felt his jaw tighten as he hissed. "How is that comparable?! I didn't go out and murder people that had nothing to do with the person who took her life. Don't you start with me, our actions are not the same! Stop trying to fit me into your box! I told you it was an accident! Shinjiro-san's control over his Persona wasn't perfect and they were pursuing a Shadow into the city!"

"They…" Akechi echoed. "Kirijo was one at the time, then? The Kirijo Group covered up your mom's death, how could you—"

Ken slammed both of his hands on the table, standing up. Akechi stared at him; his mouth slightly agape. But Ken didn't really care that he had startled Akechi.

"Shut up! And for once, actually listen to what I'm saying! I'm only going to say this once. Mitsuru-san was sixteen at the time. She didn't call the shots to cover it up. And Shinjiro-san—he put himself through hell because of his guilt. And you… you don't get to dictate how I'm supposed to feel, about people I care about, for people who stuck their necks out for me. You weren't there! You don't know anything about that night or what we all went through! Just because you dug around into my past without my permission doesn't mean you know the real details!"

Shinjiro-san and Akihiko-san were ready to take on Shido… for him. They risked their lives that night, and he still remembered the terror clawing at him when Shido pointed his gun at Shinjiro-san's head.

It was quiet. Dead quiet.

Akechi's expression grew pensive at that, his eyes growing distant. For a moment, Ken contemplated revealing the full details exactly Shinjiro-san went through to Akechi, to help him understand. But… would it even matter?

Ken had attempted to explain what happened with Shinjiro-san and Mom before but… It didn't matter to Akechi. He still thought that Shinjiro-san deserved to die, even if it was a complete accident.

"So, you're telling me that you've never felt a smidge of resentment about the Kirijo Group covering that up?" Akechi scoffed. "I find that hard to believe."

"Don't put words in my mouth. The difference is that I learn to let it go and not be consumed by it," Ken spat out. "What's the point of just hanging on to it? Yes, the Kirijo Group buried the truth of Mom's death. But the person responsible for the group's wrongdoings is long dead. Shinjiro-san tortured himself enough from that accident. Mitsuru-san has been desperately trying to fix the mistakes of the company she inherited. There is no reason for me to hang onto resentment and bitterness."

Not to mention, Mitsuru-san had gone through horrific things, at the hands of her very own grandfather. All for the sake of her father.

And she had lost her purpose when her father had been killed. She… would never get that back, even after finding her true purpose. It didn't matter that Ikutsuki was dead as well. She had been completely shattered by it.

And looking at Akechi… he still held so much resentment inside of him. Maybe their circumstances weren't perfectly alike, because Shinjiro-san was a good person and Shido wasn't. He didn't have all the context of Akechi's childhood, like Akechi didn't have the full picture of him. But it still… was unnerving. To see him stay so bitter and angry.

"Good for you, I guess," Akechi said with a shrug. "I just don't understand how you can just roll over and let everything go like it's nothing."

"Nothing?" Ken said flatly.

Mitsuru-san's deep guilt… it was so apparent.

Both with seeing the memory of how Ken became aware of the Dark Hour and… seeing what the Kirijo Group had done to Labrys and her sisters and seeing the effects of the experiments inflicted on Sho Minazuki.

For something that she didn't even do, but she considered herself guilty by association.

"You didn't listen to a word I said. It was not Mitsuru-san's fault. And… you don't know what I went through either. Or Shinjiro-san, for that matter," Ken said with a glare.

"So you keep saying. I seriously doubt he lost any sleep over that," Akechi scoffed.

Ken's hands clenched over his knees. His attitude was so… so infuriating.

"You don't know the first thing about him. Did you lose any sleep? Do you still think about it? What you did to Haru and Futaba? Or all those people who's lives you ruined by fabricating those crimes. Or the people you killed or put in hospitals along the way? Their families? Isn't that why you're here? Isn't that why you turned yourself in?" Ken challenged.

Akechi remained silent for a stifling few minutes and Ken couldn't bear it. He wouldn't even look up at him.

"Do you hate him? Shinjiro-san?" Ken demanded.

"Why wouldn't I?!" Akechi demanded. "He's why Mom is dead. She became so overcome with guilt about never reaching out to your mom that she overdosed on pills. He's why I was left behind!"

Pills. Pills. If only Akechi knew. No… more than likely he would find it perfect, fitting… but a shame it didn't claim him.

A small scoff escaped Ken and Akechi narrowed his eyes.

"What's so funny?"

A part of him wondered if he should tell Akechi. Or if he was just wasting his breath again.

But hearing how his aunt died… Ken barely held back a shudder. He couldn't even begin to imagine the grief and guilt his aunt must have felt. So many things in the deck were stacked against her. And she beaten down one too many times. She deserved better. But it was not Shinjiro-san's fault.

It dawned on Ken… maybe Akechi didn't know what to do with everything now that his plans were stopped and his target of revenge was neutralized by them instead. Ken couldn't hold onto his rage and anger anymore, especially when the ones really responsible were long dead, there was no point. Plus, Shinjiro-san's sacrifice and words…

But Akechi… he still wanted to hang onto that bitterness still it seemed despite turning himself in. But the ones who wronged his mother were out of his reach. So, he's choosing to now push the anger and blame elsewhere. Not that he didn't already make it clear to him when he revealed their blood relation, he wanted Shinjiro-san dead, but still… This venomous resentment would destroy him if he continues to cling to it.

But still, he couldn't help but pity Akechi. For feeling left behind. Because… he had felt that way once. He had thought living was too painful, the only thing driving him was the thought of avenging Mom.

"Well?" Akechi spat out.

Ken huffed. "Tell me, are you just convinced that your side of the story is the only right one? Or… are you willing to hear the other side?"

Akechi narrowed his eyes. "Don't dangle it over my head. Tell me the entire story or don't tell me at all."

Ken shrugged. "Just thought I'd ask, since so much of what I say seems to go in one ear and out the other… but forget it. It's clear to me you aren't interested in the truth. I'm not gonna waste anymore of our time regarding it."

Akechi glared at Ken's jab. But Ken didn't care, not with how Akechi had rebuffed him time and time again. He was just… tired. It shouldn't feel like an uphill battle…

"Fine. Whatever." Akechi scowled. "What else did you want to talk about, then?"

Ken's brows knitted together.

"Would it have mattered if Shido regretted what he did to your mother?"

Futaba disliked, if not hated Akechi, for what he had done to Isshiki-san. And… Ken couldn't fault her for that. Or… Akechi for that matter regarding Shido. But… he was genuinely curious.

And… after all, he had said to Ryuji not too long ago that he understood if Ryuji would never be able to forgive his father.

"I…" Akechi then cleared his throat. "Well, it doesn't matter. The asshole's in jail now."

"Shido seems ready to atone though. What about you?" Ken asked.

"What about me?" Akechi spat out. "Isn't it enough that I'm here?"

Ken eyed Akechi warily. "What about when you leave?"

Akechi let out a bitter laugh. "Jumping the gun, aren't you? I'm not supposed to get out for twenty years. What, got our physical reunion all planned out?"

"No," Ken said sharply.

Seriously, after all the crap about them being family? Heaven forbid that Ken tried to push him to do better. Maybe it was too much to ask for with how Akechi was now. He was too emotionally stunted, because he had never found anyone to reach out to him while he was still young.

"Honestly, Akechi? I'd be perfectly happy if we never saw each other again. I don't need you," Ken growled out. "I cut out my uncle recently, you know. I've known for a long time ago that I don't need him to be my family. Shinjiro-san and everyone else—they're practically like my older siblings. They drive me batty sometimes but I love them. On top of that, I also have everyone in Tokyo too."

Akechi stared at him.

"I…"

"But there is someone who still cares about you, the way Shinjiro-san and the others care about me. Don't throw back her well-wishes in her face," Ken said. "After everything… I'd pity for her efforts to be wasted."

Niijima-san stuck her neck out when it could have been dangerous. She chose to take him in when he was injured and bandage him back him. She chose to seek him out, alone, to ask him to turn himself in. Akechi lied to her about everything and betrayed her trust, but there seemed to be some genuine friendship buried in there. Niijima-san believed in that. And her belief paid off, Akechi clearly respected her enough to actually listen to her when she reached out. He trusted her enough to go to her when he was desperate.

If he continues the way he is now, he could push away the only friend he has. And he'll truly be alone, struggling to turn his life around.

Akechi's jaw clenched tightly before his gaze dropped to the counter.

"...I see."

Ken then pushed his chair back and stood. He could only hope that his words actually meant something to Akechi. There was… nothing he could do. His friends were right, there was only so much he could say. The rest… was in Akechi's hands.

"Only you can improve yourself, Akechi," he said flatly. "Not me… not anyone else. Think about what you want to do with the rest of your life. Not your mom, not me, not anyone else. What you want to do with your second chance."

But before Ken could turn to leave, Akechi spoke.

"So you don't care to see it further?"

Ken's fingers clenched around the top of his chair.

"At this point… I don't know…" He then raised his eyes to look at Akechi. "The ball's in your court, Akechi. Make the most of what you've been given. Be a better person… the one she believes you're still capable of. Because… not everyone gets to turn over a new leaf."

He didn't wait for Akechi's response but Ken noticed there was a pensive look in his eyes right as Ken shut the door.

He meant what he said. He could only hope that Akechi would take his words to heart…

Niijima-san had faith he could and will, when nobody else had. He could only hope that the person she saw in Akechi… was actually there.

Friday, March 17th, 2017

Tomorrow would be their last day of high school. It felt almost surreal to Ken, even after their graduation ceremony last week.

But even as the bell rang, some of their classmates seemed to linger. Perhaps the same realization had hit them as well.

"Ken?" Even though Makoto spoke quietly, Ken immediately grew alert at the sound of her voice. "Are you okay?"

"No, I'm fine," he reassured before starting to pack away his belongings. "It just… sank in. That tomorrow is our last day at Shujin."

It wasn't like he was terribly involved with Shujin, beyond helping Makoto with student council work. But… it wasn't all bad, either. He was only here for less than a year, yet it felt longer than that. In a weird way, a part of him was starting to miss it already.

He supposed that was all due to the friends he made here. A ghost of a smile tugged at the corner of his lips thinking on all they went through in and out of school.

Makoto just smiled before standing, pushing her chair in. "I know. But it doesn't mean everything is going to change."

"I know, it just feels surreal," he said with a light nod.

Makoto let out a small hum. "I think a lot of people feel that way. You're not alone in that."

Ken gave her a slight smile. "I know, and it… feels nice to not be alone in it. But do you want to go see what Haru's up to before we head off?"

Makoto looked thoughtful before smiling warmly. "That sounds great. Let's go."

Makoto took his hand before they left the classroom together. They checked the roof since Haru was usually tending to the rooftop garden after school. And sure enough, they found Haru filling a water can to water some of the plants. But she set it down as Ken opened the door, allowing Makoto to step through first.

"Oh, Mako-chan! Ken-kun!" Haru gave them her usual sweet smile and a wave.

"Hey, Haru. I see you're at hard work as always," Ken greeted.

Haru beamed before brushing a stray curl out of her face. Ken wondered if she was aware of the smudge of dirt streaked across her forehead.

"Thank you!" Then a bittersweet smile began to tug at her lips. "I will say, I think I'll miss this."

"The gardening? Well, you could always start a little garden too," Ken said.

Haru chuckled. "Oh well, I was actually thinking about… high school as a whole."

Then she gazed out to the skyline, an almost wistful smile on her face now.

"Oh… I see," Ken said.

Makoto was right again, no surprise. He wasn't the only one feeling this feeling today.

Besides him, Makoto cleared her throat. "Have you found any apartments near your university yet, Haru?"

"I'm touring some apartments this weekend. I know I don't have to get a place of my own but… I feel that I should," Haru admitted.

"You have time. I hope you find something that works for you," Ken reassured.

Haru smiled. "Thank you, Ken-kun."

Makoto just shook her head. "You two make me feel that I should've gone and looked, instead of staying home with Sis for now."

"There's nothing wrong with that, Mako-chan!" Haru reassured her. "I mean, it'll let you save up money when you're ready to move out. Honestly that's way smarter to do financially. Why my father did just th—"

Haru cut herself off, her eyes widening just a fraction. She hastily turned away. Ken and Makoto both glanced at each other, mirroring each other's concerned expressions.

"Haru?" Ken spoke up after a few seconds of awkward silence.

Haru turned back around, a sad smile on her face.

"I'm sorry… I'll be alright." she turned back to watering the flowers. "Certain complexes are very expensive to rent in the city. You want to find one in a safe area, after all. Though I suppose you could always stay at the dorms, but at least this way… you'll get more time with your sister and you get to save up your money. You could put money towards what would go for renting to a savings account."

Ken let out a sigh. Makoto gave him a weak smile. Haru clearly wanted to change the subject regarding her father, which was understandable. He could accommodate.

"Yeah, that would be prudent. Start building up some savings that could go towards a future car, or even a home," Ken suggested.

Haru set down the pail again and smiled at Ken.

"Oh yes, that would be very forward thinking. Of course, you could also use that money to go towards school expenses and tuition. But either way I think it's great and you shouldn't feel you're wrong to stay with your sister for your first year."

Makoto just chuckled. "I suppose that's true."

Then she headed out closer to the edge, gazing out at the skyline. She then gave a light sigh.

"Is there something wrong, Makoto?" Ken asked before standing next to his girlfriend.

"Tomorrow will be our last day..." Makoto's expression was wistful. "I know that Kamoshida's actions or Kobayakawa's complacency wasn't my fault, but I can only hope that whoever becomes the next student council president will be able to do more for Shujin."

"Makoto… you shouldn't blame yourself," Ken said quietly. "And… you've more than made up for it. You made sure that Kaneshiro paid for what he did to Shujin's students… not to mention all of his other victims."

"And don't forget what your goal is, Mako-chan," Haru said softly. "And your speech last week at the graduation ceremony… it was wonderful, truly. I especially liked that line…"

Haru wet her lips as she thought. She stood up a little straighter and looked up to the skyline, a smile tugging at her lips.

"Become the foundation of the world. Make every day count and keep working towards your dreams and goals," Haru repeated Makoto's words.

Makoto blushed faintly at that. "Thank you. I really wanted to inspire people to not remain complacent."

Ken smiled. "And I could see it resonating with people in the audience. You did a wonderful job, Makoto."

"You helped," she quickly deflected as her blush darkened slightly.

"I only helped polish it." Ken took Makoto's hand again, giving it a squeeze. "Give yourself credit."

"If you say so…" Makoto said, almost bashfully.

Haru giggled. "And I did love the speech being centered around everyone's futures. Things are looking bright now but I can only hope that things look up even further."

There was something about Haru's statement that made Ken think of the promise SEES had made… right before they had managed to free themselves from the Abyss of Time. To create a world where… people would no longer desire the Fall.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," Makoto said with a warm smile. "But would you like any help?"

"Oh…" Haru's brow furrowed. "Yes, that would be nice, but shouldn't Ken-kun be headed for the train station in Shibuya soon? I thought Shinjiro-san was coming back today. You were going to meet him, right?"

"You're right," Ken breathed out, only to smack his forehead. "I can't believe I forgot. I'm sorry, I have to go."

Haru just nodded in understanding. But Makoto grasped his hand to stop him before leaning up to kiss his cheek briefly. Ken felt his cheeks warm up. They had grown to be a little more physically affectionate ever since… Christmas. It was a nice feeling but it still made Ken a little flustered.

"I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" Ken murmured before leaning in to kiss Makoto's temple.

Makoto nodded before taking a step back. She turned back to grab another small pail to help Haru with the garden. Ken waved goodbye to them both before he hurried to the train station. He managed to catch the train right at the right time.

He stepped off before making his way to where the trains from other cities were pulling in. It took maybe ten minutes before Shinjiro-san came into view.

He was expecting his guardian to be just carrying his usual tote bag. And while his beat-up gray duffel bag was hanging off of Shinjiro-san's shoulder, he also carried… a dog carrier? What, did he bring Koromaru's mate back with him?

Ken pushed aside the questions in his mind, shaking his head. He could find out later.

"Shinjiro-san!" he called, lifting a hand in greeting.

"So glad to be off that thing…" Shinjiro-san griped.

He let out a weary sigh before setting down the dog carrier, rolling his shoulders.

"Did you bring Hoshi?" Ken asked.

"Nah, it's…" Shinjiro-san then shook his head. "I'll tell ya when we get back to the penthouse. You mind carrying my bag? It's starting to kill my shoulder."

Ken raised an eyebrow. How odd for Shinjiro-san to be cryptic like this…

But he nodded, taking Shinjiro-san's bag before they started walking back. Shinjiro-san shared with him how everyone on Port Island was doing. Akihiko-san, to nobody's surprise, was already wrapped around little Kiyomi's finger. The twins were happily settling into Port Island and were looking forward to starting the first grade in just a few weeks. Yukari-san was making the last few steps before she was ready to open her boutique.

Either way, he was happy for his friends.

But they finally made it back and Koromaru greeted them both with joyful barks. He sniffed the carrier as Shinjiro-san set it down.

Shinjiro-san let out a short breath, rubbing the back of his neck.

He said slowly, "There is… another thing I wanted to tell ya. I—uh… I talked to Mitsuru about the Shadow Operatives."

"About what?" Ken asked, feeling a little lost.

"About… adding me to the Shadow Operative auxiliary team," he said.

When Ken looked at him in shock, Shinjiro-san let out a small laugh before rubbing the back of his neck.

"It's funny, 'cause after I woke up from my coma… I promised myself that I'd make it count this time. I'd step up if my friends needed me… but you made me realize that kind of mindset is narrow minded," he explained. "That I oughta do more, to fulfill the promise we made when we were still in the Abyss of Time. Guess I've still got some things to learn, huh?"

"Shinjiro-san…" Ken trailed off.

"I still have my priorities, of course," Shinjiro-san sighed. "And… I promised Okumura to look at the place she's offering me. It's… it's not bad."

"Are you gonna take it?" Ken said, trying to keep his voice casual.

Even though Shinjiro-san had told him that he didn't need to get it now, when Haru told him… Ken couldn't help but feel hopeful.

"I guess I am," Shinjiro-san said. "Though Minako called me a dumbass for not outright taking the offer. I still need a lot of work to get it running though. Redoing the interior, getting all the permits… that plus the wedding, I'm going to have my hands full."

"But in a good way," Ken said.

"Yeah… in a good way," Shinjiro-san echoed before he shook his head. "I'm not entirely sure about when I'll be packing up everything to Port Island. But I plan to stick around until after you take Amamiya back to Shimoda."

"Glad to hear that," Ken said with a smile.

Though… Shinjiro-san's statement made it sink in that he'd be leaving for Port Island for good soon. And Ken would not be going back with him.

He had thought from time to time about what it'd be like when he moved out but this was… it felt bittersweet.

Shinjiro-san cleared his throat. "But uh… back to your first question. Fuuka and I were talking and I know that you'll have your friends here, but it's different when you're living on your own. Fuuka never found a family for the last of Koromaru's puppies so…"

He then knelt down, finally opening the carrier. A black shiba inu burst out, letting out several barks to celebrate its freedom.

"She's not Koromaru obviously but we thought it might be good for you to have some company," Shinjiro-san said.

He then stood up straight again. He gave a small smile and a shrug.

"If you want her, anyways... sorry to assume but… Fuuka and I thought it was a good idea for ya."

Ken knelt down himself and let the puppy sniff his hand. She let out a bark, pressing her paws against Ken's legs. It was true, nobody would ever replace Koromaru. But he still couldn't help but smile at her.

"I wouldn't mind having a dog with me," Ken admitted before scratching behind her ear. Then he looked back up at Shinjiro-san. "I'll keep her."

"Good to hear," Shinjiro-san said. "Fuuka's been calling her Sesame, by the way."

"Well, her brother's also named after food… so why not," Ken laughed lightly.

Maybe he could talk with Ryuji and see about having a little playdate for their dogs, then. He wondered if Shoyu even remembered his littermates.

"Speaking of food…" Shinjiro-san looked at him sternly. "You've been feeding yourself properly, haven't you?"

Ken fought the urge to roll his eyes as he stood up. "Yes, Shinjiro-san."

He wouldn't be surprised if Shinjiro-san would be calling him very often to make sure that he was properly feeding himself, once Shinjiro-san was back at Port Island…

Sunday, March 19th, 2017

Ren zipped shut his bag before taking a moment to survey the attic.

Most of his things were already shipped to Shimoda, including his room decorations. So… it was almost like how Ren left it, minus the majority of the dust, and clutter of boxes, books, and other forgotten knick-knacks.

"So… this is it," Morgana said.

Ren nodded, unable to stop the bittersweet smile.

It was a… wild year, to put it lightly. When he first arrived in Tokyo, he had just… wanted the year to be over. For his punishment to be done with. But he had made friends, found a second family in Sojiro and Futaba… and he had helped take down the man who had ruined his life… not to mention that he fought a false god.

But now… he had the future to look forward to.

He stepped down to the main part of the cafe, where both Sojiro and Futaba were. Futaba was perched on one of the booth seats and Sojiro, of course, was manning the counter.

"All packed up?" Sojiro asked.

Ren could only nod and Sojiro just chuckled, shaking his head. Sojiro then took off his glasses and wiped them with his apron.

"Hard to believe that you're taking off tomorrow," he said as he put his glasses back on.

"Oh, and Sojiro said you don't have to work today!" she chirped out.

Which wasn't a surprise. Sojiro wouldn't put him to work the day before he had to leave. Ren just put his hands in his pocket, and gave Futaba a smile and a nod.

"You should go and see your friends before you leave," Sojiro suggested.

"Heh… thanks," Ren said.

Sojiro nodded. "Off you go then."

"Try not to cry," Futaba teased.

But one of Leblanc's regulars had entered the cafe, distracting Sojiro. So Ren approached Futaba.

"So… how are things?" Ren asked. "You got into Shujin, didn't you?"

Things have been so hectic lately. Ren had been trying to squeeze as much time as he could with the whole group of friends that he hadn't really done much one-on-one hangouts with his friends.

Futaba blinked. "Yeah… I'm kinda glad that I'll have Anne and Ryuji… and Nishima with me at least. But um… I also have some more good news! Kana-chan passed her high school entrance exam! She told me when she messaged earlier today!"

Her relief was good to see. He wondered if Kaoru had made it to Shujin, though. If he did, it would be good for Futaba to have a possible classmate.

"Also, you do know his name is not Nishima, right?" Ren quirked a brow at her.

Futaba just snickered, "My special nickname for him now."

Ren just shook his head and rolled his eyes. Ren then scooted over to get out of Sojiro's way so he could bring cups of coffee over to his two customers.

"Hey Futaba, when you are there, I want you to keep an eye out for someone… if he made it in, that is," Ren said.

"Hmm?" Futaba tilted her head.

Ren answered, "His name is Kaoru Iwai. He'll be a year younger than you. I don't know if he'll end up in your class or not. But he could probably use some friends going into a new school."

Sojiro moved back to the kitchen to start making the curry for the customers.

"Kaoru Iwai huh? Any relation to a certain supplier for us?" Futaba asked with a knowing glint in her eyes.

Ren chuckled and nodded, "Yeah, his son actually."

"Ooooh! Interesting!" Futaba than sat up straight in her chair and gave Ren a salute. "You got it leader!"

"Knew I could count on you Futaba." Ren placed a hand on her shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze.

It was a little… bittersweet, though. Because Ren was dreading seeing his old school friends once more.

Futaba then pumped a fist, looking up at him with bright eyes. "I'm going to do my best in high school. I'll make sure I use everything you taught me. Once I fulfill my promise to go to high school… I'll be coming for that reward."

"You won't let me forget," Ren chuckled.

"You can count on it!" Futaba grinned. "But um… I wanted you to have something, actually."

She reached into her pocket, pulling out a piece of paper.

"The promise list?" Ren asked.

Futaba nodded, tucking in her chin. "I want you to hold on it. I'm gonna… keep pushing myself. It won't be easy with you being gone but… I'm gonna try my best!"

Ren chuckled before giving her a pat on the head. "I believe in you, Futaba."

"Thanks! But… come back soon, okay?"

"It's a promise," Ren vowed.

He meant it. He wasn't sure about Golden Week entirely; he had looked it up and Constitution Memorial Day was on a Wednesday this year so he could possibly take a late train on the second and he'd be able to spend most of Golden Week in Tokyo. But summer? He was definitely coming back to have fun with everyone.

Then he looked over to Sojiro, who had finished serving his customers. He walked over.

"Hey."

Sojiro raised an eyebrow. "Didn't I tell you to get out of here? Come on, it's not like you're not seeing me tomorrow."

Ren rubbed the back of his neck. "I just wanted to say… thanks. I mean, you didn't have to take me in. And you did it for free."

Sojiro huffed, looking to the side. "You're painting me as a saint. Look… I know I was an ass to you in the beginning."

"You meant well," Ren said with a shrug. "Water under the bridge."

When Sojiro looked at him, baffled, Ren offered a sheepish smile before shoving his hands in his jacket pockets.

"Sorry, western saying. Learned it from Anne."

"Ah." Sojiro nodded. "But still… I appreciate everything you taught me. You taught me not to run away. Looks like I learned more from you than the other way around."

Ren meant to reach out and take Sojiro's hand to shake it but when he pulled out his hand from his pocket, his probational journal fell out. Ren blinked, bending down to pick it up.

But… since he was no longer on probation, maybe he should give it back to Sojiro.

"Sojiro… you want this?" Ren asked.

Sojiro blinked. "Huh… I forgot about that. I'm surprised you kept a log this whole time."

Ren shrugged in response. It ended up becoming a log for his days, though he did omit the Phantom Thief part.

"Thanks though," Sojiro said, slipping the journal in his apron. "I'll keep it safe. Just… behave once you're home, okay? Oh, and here. Take this."

He pulled out another notebook, this one new. On the cover read Recipe Notes.

"Of course, I know you've got the coffee and curry recipe down pat. But… I figured you'd appreciate some other recipes I've tinkered with. Maybe impress Anne-chan with it someday, eh?"

Ren just laughed. "I'll consider it, thanks."

Sojiro then jerked his head towards the door.

"Well… go on. Get out there and say your goodbyes."

"Thanks for kicking me out, I guess," Ren joked.

Sojiro just huffed, shaking his head. Ren, in turn, just gave him a salute before heading outside.

Ren knew where he wanted to go first, though. He made a beeline for the underground mall. Anne was standing by a magazine stand, with someone standing by her.

"Shiho?" Ren couldn't help but feel surprised.

"Ren-kun!" Shiho's expression lit up. "It's good to see you again."

Ren chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Heh, likewise. What are you doing here?"

"Actually…" Shiho said before biting her lip. "I think I'm ready to face Shujin again. I… convinced my parents to let me transfer back for third-year."

Ren's eyes widened at that. He hadn't expected that, even though he had seen with his own eyes how Shiho had healed.

"I'm really glad to hear that," Ren said sincerely.

"Mm-hm, I want to conquer my fears," Shiho said solemnly.

"I'm with you, Shiho," Anne vowed.

Her eyes were bright, practically sparkling. Ren smiled, seeing Anne so happy.

"Thank you, Anne, I appreciate it so much." Shiho gave her a grateful smile; and she glanced back at Ren, clearing her throat. "But… I'll leave you two lovebirds for now. I'll give you ten minutes."

"Shiho!" Anne's cheeks puffed out in a huff and was blushing.

Shiho tilted her head before deciding, "Hm… better give you fifteen minutes, then."

Ren couldn't help but chuckle. Anne was seriously so cute when she was flustered.

"Ugh, you're the worst!" Anne griped, pouting even as Shiho giggled.

She gave a small wave as she walked into the nearby clothes store. Anne was still pouting even when Ren walked up to stand beside her.

Ren grinned before quickly kissing Anne's temple, an arm around her waist. "It's pretty funny, though."

"Not you too!" Anne huffed.

He couldn't help but chuckle some more as he gave her a one-armed hug.

"What were you and Shiho looking at, exactly?" Ren asked, quickly changing the subject.

"Oh…" Anne then showed him the latest Vague magazine. "It's next month's copy. They… did a special feature on me, actually."

Ren's eyes widened. "Anne, that's incredible! I'm so proud of you."

Anne giggled. "I only got where I was because of you. It feels nice. And a little girl stopped me the other day in Shibuya. She said she saw me in magazines… and that she wants to be just like me when she grows up. It felt incredible. I want you to have it, though."

Ren took the magazine. He already was looking forward to flipping through it on the train back home.

"I actually talked a little bit about you in the interview, Ren… and Shiho too." Anne beamed at him. "You two are my biggest inspirations, after all. I gave Shiho a copy too… I hope she'll like what I said."

"I'm sure she will," Ren reassured her.

Anne nodded before letting out a small hum. "There are times when being a model is tough, but I want to keep at it. I need to be strong, not just for Shiho, but for people everywhere. I'm going to work hard until I make it to the top. I want to be a ray of light to everyone. Like you were to me."

"And I'll be with you, every step of the way," Ren promised. "I'm rooting for you, Anne."

"Ren… thank you. And um…" Anne's cheeks turned pink. "I'm so glad that I met you, Ren. I love you so much."

Ren then embraced her tightly with both arms and Anne buried her face against his shoulder.

"I wish you didn't have to go…" she murmured.

"I'll be back soon, I promise," Ren said, his grip around her waist tightening. He pulled slightly away to cup her cheek. "And we'll have online dates as much as we can."

Even though she had given him several big pushes in regards to his parents… he knew how much it would suck to having to go long-distance after seeing each other nearly every single day.

Anne took a step back, wiping at her eyes before giving him a teary smile.

"I know… and I appreciate it. But one day… I'll become a perfect lady. Just for you, Ren."

Ren chuckled before kissing her briefly.

"Anne… you don't need to be perfect. I love you how you are already. I wouldn't change a thing about you," he said as he released her from his embrace to instead hold onto her hands.

Ren then leaned forward and pulled her right hand to his lips, giving it a light peck. Anne's blush was so adorable, and her smile was beautiful as always.

Ren couldn't help but think back to the day they first met. He felt so pessimistic about his school life, didn't think much of his future. And it was dreary weather on top of it that day. Then suddenly she appeared, and for the first time in forever, someone greeted him with a kind smile. He'll always remember that smile.

He softly stroked the back of her knuckles with his thumbs. He leaned forward again, this time to plant a kiss on her forehead.

"You were always my ray of light…" Ren murmured softly into her ear.

After spending more time with Anne, they parted ways so Anne could keep hanging out with Shiho. And Ren slowly circled around, finding all of his friends.

It was almost as hard to say goodbye to Ryuji…

He promised that no matter what happened, he'd come running if Ren needed it. And… Ren really wished him the best. He could only hope that whatever Ryuji chose to pursue… it included track. He deserved it and more, after all the crap Kamoshida put him through.

Haru shared some details about what she had planned for her little café, which she was considering calling Café Noir. She explained that was because Noir the Phantom Thief was always going to be a part of her. Either way, Ren was looking forward to whatever she had planned.

Makoto mentioned to him how she was taking care of some enrollment paperwork for Wasada University. She told him that she planned on staying with Sae a little longer, before thanking him for helping her with everything with Eiko.

Yusuke… really surprised him with gifting him Desire and Hope. Ren… wasn't entirely sure how he was going to explain taking home this rather… large painting to his parents but he appreciated the sentiment. But he was thrilled to hear that Yusuke was quite inspired now, unable to keep his brush still. He was confident that whatever Yusuke tried his hand at… he'd be great at it.

After making a quick stop to drop off Desire and Hope at the café, Ren decided to head to Tokyo Square. He ran into Yoshida first, who was passionately making a speech. Ren couldn't help but listen. They… needed people like Yoshida.

To want to do better for everyone.

After stopping to chat with Yoshida briefly, Ren set off again. But then a series of barks caught his attention.

Ken was standing by the Buchiko statue—no, rather, he was kneeling down and rubbing (his new puppy) Sesame's head. He looked up when Ren approached, though.

"Hey."

Ken just raised an eyebrow before standing back up again. "Hey, yourself. What's up?"

Ren shrugged in response. "Just walking around. It's my last full day in Tokyo, so…"

Ken's face fell. "So… this is it, huh?"

"Come on, don't act like I'm never coming back." Ren quirked an eyebrow at his friend before slipping his hands into his pockets. "I mean, I'll probably swing by during Golden Week. Not to mention summer vacation!"

Ken just huffed. "Well, you better reserve some of summer vacation for visiting Port Island. Rise-san is kicking in high gear to ensure a summer wedding for Shinjiro-san and Fuuka-san, you know."

It made sense, gotta make sure that Ken could come to the wedding. It was especially important since he was part of the bridal party. But Ren couldn't help but feel amused at the thought of Rise-san being so enthusiastic about wedding planning. Shinjiro-san probably hated it.

"Maybe she's just making up for how she isn't engaged yet," Ren joked, only to look straight at his friend. "But… going to Port Island sounds fun. You've gotta show us your old stomping grounds."

Ken smiled. "You can count on it."

But then he suddenly fiddled with something in his pocket.

"But… I'm glad I ran into you. I have something for you, actually..."

"Huh?" Ren couldn't help but feel puzzled.

But Ken finally produced a familiar golden pin.

Ren's breath caught in his chest. "Ken…"

He didn't know what to say. It felt… different compared to what Mitsuru-san said to him. Words were sometimes just that—words.

"I know… that some of the Shadow Operative practices may not be your exact thing and I understand—it's not for everyone," Ken said. "But it's… more than that. I mean, it kinda brought us together, right?"

Ren just tilted his head, mulling over Ken's words.

It was because of the Shadow Operatives' existence that Ken came to Tokyo. If they didn't exist, maybe Mitsuru-san wouldn't have been as worried about the Phantom Thieves' operations.

Would their paths have crossed, if that wasn't the case? Not to mention, they had helped him out too.

Well, he supposed it wouldn't do him any good, wondering about the what-ifs.

He reached out, taking the pin from Ken. "Thanks… I appreciate it. Not sure if I want to join the Shadow Operatives officially though."

Ken laughed lightly. "I figured. But I just want you to know that if you need my help, I'll come running. Being a Phantom Thief became just as important to me as being a Shadow Operative. Just… say the word and I'll come as fast as I can."

Ren just cracked a smile. "I'll be counting on that."

Ren took extra effort after running into Ken to talk to everyone else. Kawakami, Iwai and Kaoru, Hifumi, Shinya, Takemi, Ohya and Lala-chan, Mishima, and he even ran into Kaori Sato on the way after meeting with Mishima to say his goodbyes.

The most surprising one of all after meeting with Ohya and Lala-chan, was seeing Lavenza standing outside the Velvet Room. She handed him a key that should have been given to him from the start, according to her. She was quite apologetic about the whole affair. He waved it off, as the whole thing wasn't her fault, it was that false god's. Giving her a light bow, she returned the favor.

He got back on the train to head back to Yongen-jaya, Morgana remained quiet the whole ride.

Just before he headed back to Leblanc, he noticed Sae standing outside. Ren smiled and walked up to her, Morgana slightly poking his head out of the bag.

"Long time no see," he said with a wave.

Sae uncrossed her arms and relaxed her posture.

"Hello Ren-kun…"

Monday, March 20th, 2017

Even though it had been nearly eight hours since Ren had departed from Tokyo, it still… was boggling his mind that his friends had come with a plan to drive him home.

But still… those men who had tried to stake out them… it was bothering Ren.

"Hey, Ren? Something bugging ya?" Futaba piped up.

"It's… the men in that car. I know it was funny for Morgana to mess with their wires and stuff… but I thought all of Shido's men were in jail now or they fled the country," Ren sighed.

"Don't worry about it," Ken said, turning from the passenger seat to look at everyone. "Guys, Mitsuru-san already talked to me about it. She had a suspicion about one of Shido's supporters especially. He's a politician too, and one of his biggest supporters. His name is Oyamada. But Mitsuru-san said that she's taking measures to ensure our safety, like having Shadow Operatives positioned to keep surveillance. And… since Namatame won the position of prime minister, Yu-san has contacted him to slowly start wiping away Shido's men's work, like all the experiments they did. The most Shido's men can do is either hide, run, or scramble from a distance. Oyamada could be a problem potentially but Mitsuru-san is keeping an eye on him."

There was a beat of silence, only for Ryuji to break it.

"You know, I'm glad Mitsuru-san ain't yakuza. She'd be scary as hell as a clan leader."

"I don't know about that, she seems scary enough already," Morgana quipped.

"I mean… she scares Ken enough as is," Futaba snickered out.

Ken huffed but didn't refute Futaba's teasing comment. "As I was saying, try not to worry guys. Mitsuru-san is sending men to Shimoda too, so Ren and his family should be safe from any ambush."

"It was nice of her to take all of these steps to help us out," Morgana said, nodding.

Though Ren couldn't help but wonder what they were even like. Judging from the other Shadow Operatives… they probably were all interesting characters.

"Let's just be thankful that Mitsuru-san is on our side," Makoto chuckled. "I can't imagine being at odds with her."

Then she gave a light gasp.

"Oh, Shimoda's coming up!"

"Wow, already?" Anne's face then fell. "I guess this is it, huh…?"

"Anne… don't worry about it," Ren tried to comfort his girlfriend, laying a hand on her arm.

He was dreading this too, even after their goodbyes. But it was only going to be a few months at most until Ren would visit them. He was… trying to look at the positive side of this.

"We're gonna miss ya, RenRen," Ryuji mumbled out.

Haru looked between them before bowing her head, biting her lip. "We all will, Ren-kun."

"Come on, guys, I'll be back before you know it," Ren tried to reassure everyone. "I might be able to swing something for Golden Week, even. That's less than a month and a half away!"

He just… felt bad. He didn't want his friends to be sad about this…

"We know, Ren," Yusuke spoke up. "But we also must not forget that our bonds will not fray for something so petty as distance."

Ren chuckled at that, typical Yusuke. He could be a real oddball sometimes but there was no denying that Yusuke had his moments of wisdom.

"And don't worry, I'll be making sure that Ren actually takes care of himself." Morgana perked up. "You're welcome, in advance."

Ryuji grumbled under his breath at the last part, shaking his head. But then Ken let out a delicate cough.

"You're right, and it's not like we won't be able to keep in contacts. We have phones, after all." Ken then sighed lightly. "It's not like Akihiko-san who only popped up in short bursts during the two years he was training to get stronger for the Shadow Operatives."

"Oh, when he was wrestling bears right?" Ryuji joked.

Everyone had a good laugh over that.

"Hey, it got him a good bod at least," Futaba snickered.

Ken cringed for a moment before he groaned. "Ughhh… don't even start Futaba."

Ren raised an eyebrow. He felt that he was missing some funny story on that.

"But don't worry, I won't pull anything like that," Ren couldn't resist from joking.

"Dude, I can't even imagine you as super buff," Ryuji snickered before poking Ren's arm. "You're gonna be stuck as a noodle boy forever, man."

"Hey, if anything, that's Yusuke!" Ren said indignantly.

"Udon noodles would be wonderful right now actually," Yusuke said absentmindedly.

Ren snorted. He would miss Yusuke's off-kilter comments…

Makoto chuckled before she pulled to a stop, due to the traffic light turning red. "Well… we're officially in Shimoda now."

Futaba pressed her face against the window. "Dang, you weren't kidding about it being small."

"What do you even do here?" Ryuji said incredulously.

"Oh you know… just hanging out with friends," Ren said lightly.

Ken scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Uh-huh. I'm sure that's all you did…"

Anne giggled before leaning against Ren. "Well, it looks pretty at least! And there's a beach!"

"Mm, yeah." Ren then leaned around to look at the street signs.

It was a bit hard to see from this angle. Maybe he should've gotten into the passenger seat, like how Ken offered. He just shrugged to himself. Oh well.

"Okay Makoto, so you wanna turn right after this light. It'll be the third left after that, my house is the fourth one down," he said.

"You might need to repeat that, Ren…" Makoto murmured as the street light turned green.

He tuned out his friends' conversation as he repeated the instructions to Makoto. Makoto managed to find parking, squeezing in between two cars. She let out a relieved sigh as she shifted the gear to park.

"Phew… that'll do it," she announced.

"Thanks for driving, Makoto," Ken said, turning to look at her with a smile.

"It's fine, don't worry," Makoto said. "Was a little nervous about the parallel parking though, I need to practice that more."

"You did great, Mako-chan!" Haru exclaimed.

His friends kept chatting as they piled out of the van. Ren led them up to the door, unable to stop himself from smiling as Haru started to gush over the garden that Mom kept.

But before Ren could reach for his house key, another voice called out to him.

"Ren…? Is that you?"

Ren stiffened, narrowing his eyes. "...Takeshi."

Takeshi Ohba had been his childhood best friend, growing up. They had practically known each other since they were in diapers. They were next door neighbors since forever…

Takeshi stared at him. Takeshi hadn't changed much. He still had bright bleached blond hair, wearing his favorite shades, masking how bright red his eyes were. He had a black leather jacket on, along with a pair of ripped jeans.

He always got weird looks for how he styled his hair and dressed. But people always end up letting up on their judgements when they saw how diligent he was with keeping up his grades so they backed off. He also didn't have much of a temper compared to Ryuji, which both were probably reasons why people didn't let up on judging Ryuji based on his hair style and the way he dressed.

But even still… Ryuji never stabbed his closest friends in the back. Ren bit back a snarl that threatened to rise out of his throat.

After what Ken explained, he probably shouldn't let his emotions get the better of him. He took a deep, quiet breath through his nose to calm himself down.

"Ren… you're back," Takeshi said.

"I am," Ren said cautiously.

It was awkward as they eyed each other uncertainly. God, you could cut the tension with a knife. But… Ren found himself reluctant to make the first move.

"Ren, look, I…" Takeshi sighed deeply. "I'm sorry, man. The shit that happened after your sentence… I shouldn't have done it."

"You stabbed me in the back." Ren couldn't keep the undertone of frustration out of his voice. "I thought of you like a brother but you dumped me like a pile of garbage. So now that I'm innocent, I'm okay to be friends with again?"

Takeshi grimaced. "It's not… that. It's just ugh…"

He hung his head. Out of the corner of Ren's eye, he could see his friends stepping back, giving them a semblance of privacy.

Ren sighed to himself. He tried to keep what Ken told him in mind. But it still stung… badly.

"Look, Ren… Kaname, Hana, and Hideki were so convinced about your guilt. And they kept harping on it… bombarding the subject ad nauseam… until I started to believe it too. I'm not saying it's right, to go along with the rest of them… I shouldn't have done that. I should have kept my faith instead of letting others sway me." Takeshi rubbed the back of his neck, "As for what changed my mind—it was when my folks started talking 'bout it when your parents were trying to reach out to you. That made me start to doubt."

"…I see."

So his assumption that everyone had turned against him… wasn't true? Maybe his cognition of everything had been distorted too, like with his parents.

"I know that it's not fair to expect you to be cool with me. I should have trusted you. I never should have doubted you. And I really am sorry, sorry for not reaching out sooner. Sorry for being so weak to be brow-beaten by others. And sorry for not sticking up for you when it really counted," Takeshi said. "But uh… I just wanted to say my piece. See ya around."

Without another word, he walked away. Ren couldn't help but stare at his retreating back. Takeshi's apology had just… knocked the wind out of his sails.

He wasn't entirely sure if he wanted to reach out to Takeshi right now but… Ren just closed his eyes. This was going to be harder than he thought.

Morgana popped his head out of Ren's bag.

"Ren… are you okay?" Morgana asked tentatively.

Ren took a deep breath before looking back to his friends.

"Um… I think so," he gave Morgana a half-smile, "But come on, I don't think we should linger here too long."

He didn't want to encourage any of the gossips, after all… he reached for his key in his bag before he unlocked the door, pushing it open.

"Mom, Dad, I'm b—"

He stopped short at the sight of a girl sitting on the loveseat. She had a phone pressed to her ear.

"It's pretty, I guess but—ugh. There's nothing to do here! We really gotta plan to do a trip to Tokyo someday, Sumire-chan! You and Kasumi-chan need to show me your old neck of the woods—"

She looked around Futaba's age, sixteen or so. She had shoulder length dark brown hair, dark blue eyes, and freckles sprinkled across her face.

She then paused, glancing in Ren's direction. She suddenly froze.

"Oh shoot, my cousin's here now actually. I gotta go! Bye-bye!" she said hastily.

She stuffed her phone in her jean short pocket, hopping to her feet.

"Um… hi," she said, clasping her hands behind her back. "You must be… Ren, was it?"

Ren had to rack his mind to remember what her name was. He knew that Dad had texted it to him a couple nights ago.

"Rise…? No, I'd definitely remember if it was that. Then… Rika? Rina? No, dammit… I suppose I could ask her but, I should remember this! I think it had an s in her name… Lisa? No, that's not right! Wait… no I remember now! Risa! That's what he said her name was," Ren thought to himself.

"Risa, right?" Ren said slowly before bending down to remove his shoes.

She nodded. "Uh-huh. Um… it's nice to meet you!"

She then bowed her head. Ren looked at her uncertainly. His mom had been an only child so… having cousins was a new experience for him.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to blabber on and on while you were standing there." Risa twirled a strand of her hair, biting her lip. "Mom and Daddy can be soooo protective so they haven't let me explore the town or anything, so I've been calling and texting one of my best friends back home."

"It's quiet so I get that," Ren said. "So… where's everyone?"

"Oh!" Risa ducked her head, her cheeks tinting pink. "Sorry, sorry, I've been talking your ear off now! But um, Mom and Daddy and Uncle Junto went grocery shopping. Aunt Yuri's actually straightening out your room. For like the tenth time since we came and we came two days ago!"

Ren fought the urge to groan. Just perfect… Mom's idea of cleaning was moving everything around and then he wouldn't be able to find anything. He could only hope that she had only did some minor unpacking…

"So… you're Ren's cousin?" Anne asked, trying to break the awkwardness.

"Uh-huh, Risa Utada at your service!" She gave a little bow, flashing everyone a cheeky grin. "My mom Sora is Ren's dad's little sister. Er, the younger one, anyways."

"Younger?" Morgana said, baffled.

"How many siblings does your dad have, RenRen?" Ryuji sounded baffled.

"There's Ren's dad, then our auntie Himari, then Uncle Matsu, annnnd we have the baby of the family—my mom!" Risa began to tick off her fingers. "But um… it was nice for you to bring Ren home."

"It's nice to meet you, Risa-chan." Haru then smiled kindly at her. "I'm Haru Okumura."

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance." Yusuke gave a light bow. "My name is Yusuke Kitagawa."

As the rest of his friends introduced themselves, Morgana finally jumped out of Ren's bag. Risa's eyes widened at that, only for them to sparkle.

"Oh hello!" she cooed before scooping Morgana in her arms. "Who's this little sweetheart?"

She scratched Morgana under the chin, making Morgana purr. Ryuji snorted at the 'sweetheart' comment, though. Morgana snapped out of his nirvana to glare at Ryuji. But before he could retort, Mom suddenly entered the living room, wiping at her forehead with the back of her hand. Then she stopped, her eyes growing wide.

"Ren!" She then put a hand on her hip. "I thought I told you to call when you were getting close."

Ren said as he scratched his cheek, "Sorry, it slipped my mind. Though, what is Dad shopping for groceries so late?"

Mom cleared her throat, casting a glance in his friends' direction.

"Well, since we have several more people joining us for dinner… your father thought it would be best to go shopping," she stated.

"Oh, Amamiya-san, that wasn't necessary," Ken said with a wince. "We could've just bought ourselves take-out. We already had plans to stay the night at a hotel too."

Mom cleared her throat. "Well… consider it a thank you. For… being there for Ren."

"Amamiya-san, it was no trouble," Makoto said politely before giving a bow. "In fact, Ren has done much for us. He has been a wonderful friend to all of us."

"Even if he could lay off on the puns—ow!" Ken yelped as Makoto jabbed her elbow into his side.

Ren just shook his head. Ken would never understand the art of a well-done pun.

Mom gave a weary sigh, pulling a face. "He gets that from Junto, I'm afraid. I swear, the number of terrible jokes I've had to deal with over these past two decades…"

But then the doorknob jiggling made everyone jump. The door swung open to reveal Dad, but his face was hidden by the bulging grocery bag. He was followed by two others, who were likewise carrying huge grocery bags.

Morgana jumped out of Risa's arms, choosing to sit right at Ren's feet.

"Yuri, I'm home—"

Ryuji immediately shuffled over to take the bag from Dad, walking off without another word. Dad stared blankly at Ryuji.

"Um… Yuri?"

"What was that about?" Morgana whispered.

"Welcome home, Junto." Mom moved to give Dad a quick greeting kiss. "Ren's friends brought him home."

"I… see…" He coughed before looking between everyone.

Poor Dad. Maybe he really should've sent a heads-up text. But he had been so distracted with everyone's conversations that it completely flew out of his mind.

"Well in that case…"

The shortest of the adults dumped the grocery bag on the ground.

"Ren-kun, right?"

Ren blinked, looking at his… aunt. Unlike Dad, whose hair was more of a rich chestnut, his aunt had bright red hair. It was a similar texture as Ren and Dad's though—so messy and frizzy. It was no wonder she kept it short, just below her chin. She had the same dark gray eyes too. She had a smattering of freckles across her face, making her look rather youthful.

Dad didn't like talking about his side of the family much. But… she looked an awfully lot like his grandmother, who had passed away in her thirties. She was the only relative Dad was okay with bringing up in the past.

Ren cleared his throat, even as the second man lowered his own bag. "Uh… yeah, that's me."

Aunt Sora's eyes brightened. "It's nice to meet you… finally. Oh, and this is my husband, Taichi. You've met Risa-chan, I see."

Then she gave Risa a pointed look.

"You did greet Ren-kun, right?

Risa huffed, tossing her head. "Of course I did! I wasn't raised in a barn after all, jeez, Mom!"

"Well, you've been glued to that phone of yours—"

"Because it's the only way I can chat with Sumire-chan and Kasumi-chan!"

"Listen here, Miss Sassy Pants—"

Dad and his Uncle Taichi exchanged twin exasperated looks before Dad cleared his throat.

"Um, Risa-chan, I found that flavor of ramune soda you like so much," he said.

It was like a switch flickering on. Risa's eyes practically glowed with happiness as she clasped her hands together.

"Oh, that's awesome Uncle Junto! Is it still in the car?! I've been craving it so bad—"

Without another word, Risa ran out to the driveway. The door slammed behind her just as Ryuji came back as he started grabbing the groceries his aunt placed on the ground. He stared, rather bewildered at Risa's abrupt exit.

"…The hell?"

Ryuji then shrugged and disappeared with her groceries. Aunt Sora just pressed a hand to her forehead, clearly frustrated.

"Ugh, this girl…" she grumbled towards her husband. "I really don't know how she's best friends with Sumire-chan and Kasumi-chan. One is practically an angel and the other still has good manners despite being so competitive."

A snicker suddenly escaped Uncle Taichi.

"Reminds me of a certain headstrong girl I knew growing up," he trailed off teasingly.

Aunt Sora's mouth dropped before her face flushed. "Excuse me?! I was never headstrong! Tell him, Junto!"

Dad's eyes darted between his sister and brother-in-law and coughed into his fist.

"See?" Uncle Taichi looked rather smug.

Ryuji wandered back over to the group, staring incredulously at how Ren's aunt started berating Dad for taking Uncle Taichi's side again—apparently this had been a thing when they were younger. Ryuji shrugged again and then just took the groceries away from his confused uncle and disappeared yet again without another word.

But this couldn't help but make Ren realize that there was a lot to his dad… and maybe his mom, too, that Ren hadn't known.

"What is even happening here…" Morgana mumbled out.

"Who cares?" Futaba snickered. "Pass the popcorn!"

Mom sighed, rubbing her index and middle fingers against her temple. Then she looked towards Ren's friends, flashing an apologetic smile. But her smile was a little awkward. Maybe she was unsure about how to act around his friends.

"Ah well… it's good to see you again," she said. "Perhaps after Sora and Taichi finish their… little tiff, you can introduce yourself properly."

"It's all right, Amamiya-san," Makoto reassured her with a kind smile. "But um… maybe we can help put away in the rest of the groceries? I'd be happy to help with the cooking too."

Dad quickly stepped away from Ren's still bickering aunt and uncle.

"That would be helpful, thank you…" he trailed off, unsure.

Makoto chuckled. "I'm Makoto Niijima."

"Ah, right, my apologies." Dad blushed faintly.

"I mean, we only met once," Anne interjected. "It's totally understandable."

"I was already going to cook but Yuri had already pulled out the foldable chairs and tables," Dad mentioned.

"Oh, Ren! You should totally help out!" Futaba exclaimed. "Show your parents what Sojiro taught you!"

"And that would be…?" Dad asked, eyebrow raised.

"Sojiro might've… taught me a couple of tricks in the kitchen," Ren said sheepishly.

Anne nudged him in the side. "Oh, Ren, don't be so modest—"

"Never thought someone would say that to Ren," Ken quipped, raising an eyebrow at Ren.

"But Ren's an amazing cook!" Anne finished gushing. "He's made the most amazing carbonara udon!"

"Whaaaat?" Futaba gasped. "Ren, you better make that for me when you come back to Tokyo!"

Ken sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Futaba, you complained of stomach troubles last time you ate a dairy rich dish. I'm pretty sure you're lactose intolerant."

"So?! If anything, it'll help me grow."

"Hmm… I see that you're hanging onto a foolish hope," Yusuke remarked.

Ren had to choke back a laugh at how blasé Yusuke's comment was. His parents stared quizzically at Yusuke. Risa took that moment to come barging in with a paper bag, in her arms, a soda bottle poking out from the top.

Dad cleared his throat. "Well… I see why you hardly blinked at Sora and Taichi's bickering."

"By the way, Dad, you bought milk for Morgana right?"

"I did," Dad answered. "I also bought a couple of dishes for him to eat out of as well. I would rather… not have him eat from the dishes we already eat from. Also—he stays off the kitchen counters."

He could only hope that it wasn't a stereotypical pet food dish. Morgana had hated the fish-shaped dish that Sojiro had bought for him early on in the school year.

Morgana huffed at the last comment.

"If anything, I'd be worried about Ryuji being more of a slob…" he said sulkily.

"Hey! Who are you calling a slob?!" Ryuji growled out.

"…Nobody did?" Risa blinked in confusion.

"Uh…!" Ryuji paled.

Ren just grinned. "Oh yeah, Ryuji is just a cat whisperer. No big deal."

Haru giggled, obviously remembering the lie that Ren had made up before she had joined the Phantom Thieves.

"Yes, Ryuji-kun and Mona-chan are great friends, he understands Mona-chan so well," Haru seconded.

"Ryuji and the cat pretend they argue all the time, call it their running gag. Pay them no mind." Futaba snickered.

"…I see," Dad said after a moment.

Ken coughed. "But um… we should start helping bringing in the rest of the groceries."

Without another word, he grabbed Ryuji by the arm and dragged him outside

"Okay, okay—ow, ow! You don't have to pull so hard!" Ryuji whined out.

Ren followed them out, along with Haru. He noticed Yusuke, Futaba, Anne and Makoto heading towards the kitchen to help his parents.

"You guys suck!" Ryuji finally huffed out once Ken released him.

"Hey, Haru was right about you two being buddies," Ren said with a snicker.

"Yeah right!" both Morgana and Ryuji scoffed at the same time.

"Just please try not to slip again," Ken sighed out.

"Yeah, yeah…" Ryuji grumbled, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Let's just get the groceries in—holy shit, that's a lot of groceries. I thought I grabbed a lot already!"

It wasn't just the trunk that was filled. There were a couple bags in the backseat as well.

Haru giggled. "Well, it looks like we will be eating well tonight. Shall we then?"

Dinner was… different tonight. Not a bad thing but different.

He had wound up learning stuff about his dad that Ren hadn't known before. Like he had never known that his dad had helped raise his younger siblings or that he wasn't crazy about having a pet because of the chaos in the household. Though Ren found it a little unfair that Dad said no to him about pets growing up because of that. He wasn't that chaotic.

And of course, his parents made careful inquiries about his friends. Some people were more willing to divulge. Risa had been fascinated with Anne's decision to be a full-time model.

Ryuji… was still a little leery of his parents. Futaba was a bit shy, but Risa attempted to pull her out of her shell.

Ren had to step out to the porch though. It was dark but… Ren tipped his face towards the sky, where the twinkling stars greeted him. He hadn't realized he had even missed this sight. In Tokyo, the city lights had dimmed the stars, practically snuffing out their light.

He heard the door slide open behind him.

"Thanks, Ryuji." He heard Morgana say before Morgana jumped onto the railing.

"What brings you out here?" Ren asked, turning to see his best friend join him.

"Ehhh, we got bored with playing Uma but that killer game Risa proposed ain't my thing. So I bounced with Morgana." Ryuji shrugged lightly. "But what's up, RenRen? You've been hanging out here for like twenty minutes."

"Just been… thinking," Ren said vaguely.

"'Bout what?"

"Just… thinking about how I didn't want to think about Shimoda for the longest time," Ren said. "And um… my parents."

Morgana sat down. "They seem a bit unsure about things still."

"Things aren't going to be perfect," Ren sighed. "I don't know if it'll ever be perfect."

"I mean… I love my mom," Ryuji spoke carefully. "Is she perfect, though? Hell no. She's soooo naggy, yells at me for leaving my clothes on my bedroom floor, and if I forget about wrapping up food and sticking in the fridge, she'll—"

"Your point, Ryuji?" Morgana drawled out.

Ryuji blushed a bit at that.

"Sorry. But uh, my point is that your parents are trying. And it was nice that they gave a shit about all of us too." Ryuji then tilted his head up. "It is nice, though. I've lived in Tokyo all my life so… I wonder sometimes if my point of view is too small. I've wondered if I should try to branch out. I've considered looking into physical therapy to help my leg but I… dunno. If it's too late or not."

"It's never too late," Ren nodded. "I say go for it."

"Maybe eventually… Mitsuru-san went to my mom, though. She offered to pay for some surgery procedure that would help my leg." Ryuji said with a small smile.

Morgana looked to Ryuji. "Have you said anything?"

"Told her that we'd sort it out after we brought you back," Ryuji said with a shrug. "I haven't told Ken yet, by the way, but I wonder if he knows."

Mitsuru-san probably knew because of Ken anyways.

"She kinda proves my point too," Ryuji mused. "That I was so set on adults being bad that I became… so blind."

"It's not like you didn't have a reason," Morgana said, his ears drooping. "But… I think we've all grown during our time together."

That, he had to agree with. Like Ryuji… he had been convinced that only they could make a difference. How narrow-minded of him… and arrogant.

But they had been humbled and they had grown from that mindset. And… it was up to them to do better. For the kids who came after them… They deserved better.

Ren and his friends had to do their part, too. They'd be adults soon enough, after all.

Ryuji sighed. "Yeah… Just sucks that we kinda have to separate for now."

"Come on, you'll still have Anne, Futaba, and Mishima at Shujin… also Kaori seems to be talking to you more too," Ren said with a smile. "And I'm sure you'll crash at Ken's place at some point."

"Sato? We ain't exactly friends y'know…" Ryuji raised a brow at him.

Ren just shrugged. "You and Anne weren't exactly friends either originally, sometimes I wonder if you two ever would end up hanging out at all had it not been for Phantom Thief stuff, or Mishima for that matter. Heck Mishima, you kept dragging into stuff almost against his will half the time but I can tell he genuinely grew to enjoy hanging out with you."

Ryuji frowned a bit. "Yeah… suppose ya got a point there. Honestly if it wasn't for you, I prolly never would have given Anne the time of day. We didn't exactly get along."

Morgana snickered, "You still don't."

"Shuddup…" Ryuji rolled his eyes.

"But anyways, point being look at you all now. You and Mishima hang out more often, you and Anne are actually friends now. Give Kaori a chance, she's not so bad once you get to know her," Ren said as he leaned against the railing.

He just hoped this upcoming school year she'd have more success for the newspaper club.

"Yeah okay, I see your point RenRen." Ryuji slouched a little while speaking, "It will still feel weird without the rest of you at Shujin though. But yeah… it's not like I won't be alone."

"And I don't doubt you'll drag Yusuke out to go out and eat," Morgana added, only to flash Ryuji a grin. "And probably bug Makoto to help save your grades."

"I repeat… shuddup," Ryuji huffed out, but there was no heat to it.

"And we're meeting up for summer at the latest. You can count on it. I mean, Shinjiro-san and Fuuka-san already set a date." Ren stated.

"Heh. That's true," Ryuji said, cracking a grin. "I could only hope that they have something good planned for the menu, though."

"Come on, it's Shinjiro-san," Ren snickered. "You think he'd let subpar food at his own wedding?"

"He'd cook for it if they let him," Morgana quipped.

They could only laugh. Ren just felt relaxed and… content, in the company of his two best friends. The ones who had started the Phantom Thieves with him.

The Phantom Thieves was a big part of Ren. It still was. But… Ren was looking forward to tackling the future.

For once, the future looked bright.

Annnd that wraps up Chapter 56! There was a LOT to cover, so it took a while to get everything sorted out. Just a few things to note—

First of all, Akechi's fate. I wanted there to be a substantial consequence. I thought it'd be poignant for Akechi to argue for a harsher punishment than what his attorney proposed. He still has a long way to go. He's still quite bitter, as evident with his conversations with Ren and Ken. I've also chosen to leave Ken and Akechi's future relationship ambiguous. Some people were rooting for Ken and Akechi to become close but that's not the story I wanted to tell here. Ken and Akechi are foils, Akechi serving as a reminder of what Ken could've been if he didn't have SEES and if he hadn't made the resolve to live for his mom and Shinji.

Secondly, you may have noticed there were a few Royal easter eggs. So the Royal characters' fates were altered a bit in this AU.

** Warning, Royal spoilers **

As Mitsuru explains to Ren, Maruki interned under Wakaba. The Kirijo Group hired him directly due to Wakaba's rec. He and Rumi got married after the move to Port Island. Secondly, Kasumi and Sumire both are alive here. The family moved out due to a job transfer that Mr. Yoshizawa accepted to be more present for his girls. Sumire still suffered from an inferiority complex but Risa befriended her and help bridge the gap between the Yoshizawa sisters.

Also some fun trivia—Judge Ranpo and the two attorneys in this chapter were a bit of an easter egg. Their names all come from Ace Attorney. Shinobu Ranpo is pulled from Juniper Woods' Japanese name, Shinobu. Kazuma Mikagami… Kazuma is of course, Kazuma Asogi from TGAA, and Mikagami comes from Justine Courtney/Verity Gavelle's Japanese name. And lastly Shin Kondo has his name pulled from Shin, Gregory Edgeworth's name in the Japanese version. Kondo is Phoenix's seiyuu's last name.

I also decided to cut the White Day dates from the chapter. It was just getting WAY too long. I do have Shuann's partially written out so I hope to post it on Full Deck soon. I have a couple of wips for Full Deck started, including a bit of a reimagining of the Strikers opening and a oneshot set during P3. I've received a few messages about if there will be a Strikers sequel. Tl;dr no full sequel, but I have a couple of ideas regarding Strikers in this verse. Furthermore, I've got some ideas of how Ken's inclusion in Tactica would change but I think I have just one idea for a oneshot, which I'll post in Full Deck. I've been editing the PQ2 chapters as well, adding more details and making adjustments. I'm going to be revamping how the second arc in PQ2 goes a bit more but I hope to get the new chapters up soon.

I've shared this on my tumblr but the prologue up to Chapter 14 (Futaba's awakening) are now fully edited. My beta angelrin89 didn't come on until the Sae arc so we will be going through and editing the chapters that she hasn't edited yet. We will be focusing on those edits while I continue to write the epilogue. I will post the links to the Futaba arc once those edits are 100% done!

And as usual, thank you to my amazing beta, angelrin89. She did a fantastic job with this chapter! She was also super helpful while I was writing the courtroom scene.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I would love to hear what you think of this chapter! Thank you again for staying for the ride!