Chapter Text
Akira’s last day in Tokyo comes too soon.
Though to be fair, he doesn’t think he’d ever be ready.
He’d freeze the days if he could, repeat the same week over and over and over again, but time is inevitable and his year is up.
The train ride ahead of him is hours long, and he still finds himself dragging his feet. Making the conversations with Sojiro and Futaba last as long as he can. Mulling around the familiar sections of Shibuya, drinking in the locations he’d taken for granted. It won’t be long before the crisp memories are blurred with time, so he savors them while he can.
But he can only delay the inevitable for so long. He talks to everyone he can, even the people he never learned the names of. The writer that hangs out in Leblanc, the elderly man outside that feeds the cats, the patrons at Crossroads. He commits each and every one to memory, and if they don’t remember him, he’ll remember them instead.
The familiarity of Shibuya Crossing is almost painful.
It feels like just yesterday he’d first stepped foot here, when everything was so big and expansive that he’d gotten lost on his first day. How long did it take until navigating the trains became natural, so natural that he could operate on autopilot most days? It’s a skill he no longer has any use for, and heading to the station one last time feels like saying goodbye to the city itself.
“Kira!” a voice cries.
Akira notices the police first, then his friends. Still, he doesn’t say anything. The last thing he wants to do is ruin what precious little time they have left with worrying. Instead, he smiles and waves. Where did they get a van?
Yusuke comes up beside him, a soft smile painting his lips. “What would you say to one last excursion?”
And with an offer like that, how could he ever say no?
The others usher him into the middle row, putting him dead center in the middle of everyone, and it only takes a few moments of fiddling with the engine before they turn smoothly into the flow of traffic.
He turns to watch out the back window, the police growing smaller and smaller in the distance as they struggle with their engine.
“Where are we going?” Akira asks.
Futaba turns to him, eyes glittering with a scheme. “You’ll see!”
And while that’s hardly an answer, Akira accepts it regardless. It was easier to ignore when it was just him and one other person, but shoulder to shoulder with his best friends, the ones he’ll be leaving soon, his younger headspace presses in.
There’s a lull in the conversation, glances between friends as they try to figure out what to talk about. With time drawing so short, what left is there to say? Especially with Akira waffling between mindsets.
But Akira doesn’t need to say anything, nor does he need anyone else to speak.
The quiet company is more than enough.
Akira sits, content to watch the scenery pass by through the windshield.
“Take a right here,” Ann instructs, looking at a map on her phone. Akira cranes his neck, trying to get at least a glimpse of what they’re navigating toward, but Futaba catches him and gives his arm an admonishing shove.
But he’s not kept in suspense too long before they park, though Akira has quite a few lingering questions. They’re near a shopping district, but he doesn’t know what they could possibly be shopping for.
Ryuji leans over the back of his seat, ignoring the huff of protest Futaba gives him. The grin on his face speaks volumes. “Ready for your last surprise?”
Not trusting his voice yet, Akira just nods.
Futaba points a dramatic finger in his face. “You’ve never been to Build-A-Bear Workshop!”
Akira blinks. It’s true, so he nods, but he has no idea what that has to do with anything. He hasn’t been to a lot of places.
Futaba’s face splits into a mischievous grin. “Well, we’re about to fix that.”
And despite himself, Akira’s stomach turns over with anxiety. The idea is nice, but that’s a shop. On a day where there will be a lot of people, and especially a lot for someone who gets nervous around crowds.
He wants to trust his friends, because they’ve clearly planned this, but the selfish, afraid part of him still wants to pump the brakes.
But a voice rings louder still that this is their last day. The last time in a long time that they might ever be together. Couldn’t he be brave and tough it out, just for one last time? A victory lap. To show everyone how far he’s come.
So he takes a deep breath to try and steady himself, and once he feels safe, he follows his friends inside the store.
It’s entirely empty.
Haru catches his eye, offering him a conspiratorial wink. She doesn’t say it outright, but she doesn’t need to. One last surprise, one last gift. A rented-out Build-A-Bear for a crowd shy regressor to run amok in.
Makoto’s grinning. “Sis took me here once for my birthday. I’ll never forget that. Great thinking, everyone.”
There’s a nudge at his back. Haru gives him a gentle smile. Her voice is even softer than usual, and that’s saying something. “Find something you like, okay?”
Then, in a clear effort to give him space, she joins Makoto in talking about childhood memories.
Akira glances around, finding himself at a loss for what to do. Like Futaba said, he’s never been to a Build-A-Bear before. Where is he even supposed to start?
Makoto sidles up beside him, a gentle hand on his forearm. “What kind of animal do you want?” she asks, directing him toward a row of unstuffed plushies.
Well, he already has a lot of teddies. His mind drifts to Mrs. Bun, the newest addition to his collection. Maybe she wouldn’t feel so left out if she weren’t the only non-teddy?
He drifts down the row, but nothing catches his eye. Makoto tries to spur his interest, but it’s a losing battle. That is, until he spots the sheep bin.
He doesn’t even realize what he’s doing until he’s already picked it up. It’s so fluffy, and it kind of reminds him of Haru. What better way to honor the person that rented out the store than to choose a plushie in her likeness?
He runs his thumb down the side of her head, to find the material incredibly soft. Akira bites his lip as any lingering hope of aging up flies out the window.
Makoto leans in, her voice soft, like she’s trying not to scare him. “Is that the one?”
He gives a shaky nod.
“Alright.” She gently takes the plush from his hands. “I’ll hold onto it until you’re ready, okay? You go find a nice outfit for her.”
He gets to dress it too? Looking back at the rows of clothes, it makes sense, but he didn’t think that would be part of the plan.
The bigger part of him knows that this is a lot. A lot of spoiling, a lot of attention… but the tinier part really wants to find a nice outfit.
Still, he drifts down the racks of clothes, trying to find the cheapest possible solutions. Toward the back of the store, there’s a small selection of discount clothes, and though he didn’t expect to find anything great, he instead finds something eerily familiar.
Akira huffs a quiet laugh. Of course they have Phantom Thieves clothes for the toys.
It’s a dying fad, one that most people have relegated as a silly phase. Even his classmates roll his eyes, talking about how they have no idea how they could have even bought into such an outlandish idea. And though the Phan-Site still sees a decent bit of traffic, the requests for help are few and far between. Even those that are posted are usually met with advice from other forum members.
It’s not like Build-A-Bear had much to go on anyway. His mask. His flowing coat. But both of those items are available, tucked away in the corner with a hefty discount tag attached to them.
Part of him wants to pretend he never even saw it. After all, the Phantom Thieves stuff is a part of his past. But wouldn’t it be hypocritical to go back now? What better reminder of the past could he possibly have?
Maybe he wants to remember.
For better or worse.
“How darling,” Yusuke comments. He joins Akira at the shelf, and it’s then that Akira finally realizes what they’re doing.
Even now, they’re trying to keep him from getting overwhelmed, approaching him one-on-one.
“Will your sheep be a Phantom Thief as well?”
Akira nods. It might make her an odd one out among the others, but whose to say they weren’t all Phantom Thieves as well? Even if they didn’t all go into the Metaverse, weren’t their accomplices just as valuable?
“Excellent choice.”
“Guys, look what I found!” Ann beckons everyone over, showing them a small chip. “You can record messages on these things! Isn’t that so cute?”
Futaba gasps. “We can get one for everyone!”
And while Ryuji smiles, his grin immediately falters. “Yeah, but ain’t it a bit expensive?”
Haru waves him off. “It’s my treat, remember? Please don’t worry about the price!” She clasps her hands together. “Oh, what fun! It’ll be like a reminder of all of us.”
“They should be goodnight messages!” Ann chirps. “That way he can play them right before bed.”
“Yo, that’s a great idea!” Ryuji says.
And so it’s decided. One by one, his friends head off to the corner to record their messages. For whatever reason, they don’t want to record them where Akira could overhear, something about it being a surprise, but Akira won’t question it.
He wanders down the rows of items again, looking over the clothes he hadn’t picked. Nothing stands out to him, but he wanted to confirm it just in case. Now he’s sure he picked the best choice. His sheepie is a Phantom Thief, and that’s way cooler than a cheerleader or a model or anything else she could be.
Futaba and Yusuke are in the corner, and judging by the use of the word fursona, it’s a conversation he’d rather not know the context of. And despite Makoto’s multiple attempts to shut down the conversation, they persist.
It’s not long before Ryuji joins him, and though Akira wasn’t looking at anything in particular, Ryuji still finds something specific to talk about.
“Whatcha think?” Ryuji asks, picking out a yellow sundress. “Should we get one of these for Momo? It looks like it’d fit.”
And Morgana, confined to the bag, has no means to protest or even know what’s being talked about. He bonks Akira’s shoulder through the bag, just to make it clear he’s listening.
Akira wants to be nice about it though. Especially since he’s the one making the long trip home with Morgana. “Don’t think he’d like it,” he murmurs.
Ryuji snickers. “Yeah, prolly not.”
That doesn’t stop him from trying, though. He picks out three different dresses, all of which Morgana would hate with equal ferocity, before Akira has to puff his cheeks and tell Ryuji to stop being mean.
Ryuji backs off after that, and Akira finds himself drifting in Haru’s direction.
He overhears snatches of Haru’s conversation with the woman at the counter, kindly requesting she treat Akira like she would any other child. The specifics hardly matter. It’s not like he’ll be back at this store anytime soon.
If there’s one thing he’ll miss most about the city, it’s the anonymity of being in a crowd. His hometown is too small to have a chain store like Build-A-Bear, but even if they did, there’s no way just the visit would be the end of it. People would talk, word would spread. And in a little town where reputation was everything, it wouldn’t matter that his criminal record had been wiped clean.
“Alright!” The woman steps forward, and Akira immediately recognizes the voice she’s using is meant for small children. “Are we ready for the stuffing and heart ceremony?”
Ceremony? Akira hadn’t realized it was that big of a deal. Unfortunately, the decision is up to him, and every head swivels in his direction. Put on the spot, he has no choice but to nod.
They stuff the sheep first, making sure to put in the messages as they go. Futaba’s and Makoto’s messages go into her back legs, Ann’s and Yusuke’s on her front. And then Ryuji’s and Haru’s near the shoulders, just far enough away that they won’t bump into each other.
“All you have to do is give them a little squeeze!” The woman moves to demonstrate but stops short, offering Akira a conspiratorial wink. “But I’ve been told the messages are a surprise.”
She has Akira select a plush heart that looks so tiny sitting in his palm. This is what makes his sheep real, she tells him. She’s very careful to explain every step.
“First, we have to rub it to wake it up.”
Akira does as instructed.
“Next, touch it to your ears so they’re the best listener.”
Akira tilts his head. That doesn’t sound like it would work, but he’s not the Build-A-Bear expert here. So he’ll take her word for it.
She walks him through a few more steps. Touching the heart to his nose so his sheep always knows when he needs help. Touching it to his back so she’ll always have his back. Even tapping it against the side of his shoe so she’ll always be with him no matter where he goes. That last one makes Akira wonder if Haru was a little more specific with her instructions than Akira first thought.
“Almost done!” The worker claps her hands together. “Now you have to make a wish!”
Well, that’s an easy one. Akira doesn’t even have to think. Clasping the little heart in his hands, he sends a wish up to whoever’s listening that he and his friends find each other again, that they’ll have the chance to make new memories.
He gives the heart a kiss before slipping it into the sheep’s back, and then he gets to dress up his sheep. Haru and Makoto try to be stealthy as they make their way back to the cash register, but Akira still sees them go.
“Whoa, she’s gonna steal so many hearts!” Futaba says once Akira’s affixed the mask to the sheep’s face.
“Truly, the best Phantom Thief of all,” Yusuke agrees. He’s been playing with the coat, just to give his hands something to do.
“We should get her a weapon!” Ann says. “To make it official.”
Ryuji shoots her a look. “I don’t think they sell miniature weapons at Build-A-Bear.”
“What of a Persona then?” Yusuke suggests. “I’m sure Akira wouldn’t object to having another stuffed companion to take home with him.”
“Oooh!” Futaba jostles his shoulder, prompting him to smile. “What should your sheep’s Persona be, Kira?”
“I bet she likes pirates,” Ryuji decides.
“No way, knights!” Futaba replies.
“Maybe a princess?” Ann says.
Akira can’t help but notice the conversation never gets any more specific. Now that finals have passed, all historical figures have unceremoniously exited their collective consciousness, and any deeper discussion would have to involve them doing actual research.
Akira wishes he could press pause on this moment, to linger in the present for as long as he can, but he can’t ignore the ever-ticking clock.
“The station,” he murmurs, and immediately, it’s like the spell has been broken. At the stroke of midnight, everyone blinks as the fairy godmother’s spell dissipates.
“We should probably get you back there, huh?” Ann says.
Futaba sighs. “Do we have to?”
“’Fraid so,” Ryuji mutters, but he looks just as downtrodden as the others do.
Akira wishes he could do something. Anything to put the smiles back on their faces. But goodbyes are inevitable, and the more they drag this along, the harder it will be. He doesn’t want to. He really, really doesn’t want to.
But he has to go.
Makoto takes the long way back to the train station, but Akira doesn’t call her on it. Even if it’s quiet, he soaks up the company for as long as he can. Futaba sits beside him, and without prompting, she threads her fingers through his and squeezes his palm. With a surge of relief, he squeezes back. It’s not enough time. It’ll never be enough.
Once they reach the station, Akira climbs out, but only has a moment before Makoto kills the engine and climbs out with him. Along with everyone else.
Akira’s eyes well without his permission. What he wouldn’t give to stay here at Shujin. If only for another year. Life and the future could rip them asunder then, if he only had a few more months with his friends.
But their time is up, he knows. The bubble they’ve constructed was always bound to burst, and even if he stayed, it wouldn’t be the same. Haru and Makoto would be headed off for college. Ann was in talks of studying overseas. Things changed. Paths diverged. That was just how things went.
Ryuji grins. “We couldn’t keep ya for much longer, but I hope this was enough.”
Enough. It was more than enough. More than anything he could’ve ever asked for really. And still, Akira wants one more thing.
“Can I get a hug?” Immediately, his throat protests, and he coughs. That’s the last of his words for today.
“Are you sure?” Ann asks. “You don’t have to push yourself if you’re not ready.”
But he wants a hug, a bunch of hugs, more than anything. Just to savor the feeling, to try and put it to memory. He can handle the physical contact if it’s them. If it’s the last time in a long time.
No sooner than he’s nodded has Ryuji swept him up in a gigantic bear hug. He’s a lot stronger than he looks, and in that moment, it feels like Ryuji wouldn’t let him go for the world.
“I’m gonna miss you so much, lil guy,” Ryuji murmurs. Abruptly, he pulls back, and from the way he turns his head, it almost looks like he’s trying not to cry.
Ann next. Vaguely, he recognizes that they’re going in order. Not just the one-on-one time order, but the order in which they entered his life.
She wraps her arms around his shoulders and squeezes. “You can call me any time, okay?”
Akira nods, swooping in for another hug before she can move out of reach. Maybe it’s not fair to take two hugs, but he’s not exactly being kind to himself either. After all, it’s getting harder and harder to let go.
Yusuke braces his hands against Akira’s shoulders, his smile nothing short of fond. “Our little one.” He says nothing more, pulling Akira into a hug and politely stepping aside for the next person.
Makoto slots in next, gently folding her arms around his shoulders. "Be safe. And remember you can always call us." And while there's clearly more she wants to say, she lets it drop for now.
Futaba throws her arms tight around his middle, squeezing him as hard as she can. Which granted, isn’t very hard at all, but the effort still makes her smile.
“You just let me know if you ever wanna watch something with me,” she says. “I can even set up bots so we can listen to music together!”
And last but not least. Haru’s hugs are gentle, soft and strong all the same. Kind but if she needed to, he knows she could squeeze the life out of him.
Akira tucks his face down, resting his nose against the top of her head.
“Travel well, Akira,” she says. She takes a step back, trying her damnedest to blink away the tears beading in the corners of her eyes.
He waves them off one last time, lingering by the drop-off area just so he can watch their van disappear into the flow of traffic. Where are they heading, he wonders? Some place fun, he hopes. He doesn’t want this to bring down the mood for them.
Akira checks his watch. There’s only so much time before he has to board his train. It’s time to move on.
Thankfully, the crowd is sparse for Tokyo foot traffic. And as he navigates, he finds that even that isn’t as overwhelming as it used to be. He could learn to love the hustle and bustle, if given a second chance.
He keeps his sheep in his bag, just to keep her safe from prying eyes. He’ll have to give her a name, but luckily they have an hours-long ride ahead of them.
Once he’s found his seat, the train surges ahead, and Akira glances around. The immediate area is empty, so maybe it wouldn’t hurt.
One by one, he presses the recorders, letting the soft sound of his friends’ voices ease the last of his worries.
’Night, Kira!
Goodnight, baby.
Sweet dreams, little one.
Sleep well, Akira.
Sleep tight, baby bro.
Off to sleep now, sweet one.
And Akira knows he’ll be fine.