Chapter Text
RANK 1
The cafe had been cleared out the next night, Sojiro was kind enough to close up early due to the lack of foot traffic in the shop. Around 5:50 the tables had been cleared while Akira stood behind the back fixing himself a cup of coffee. Sojiro inspected the area before deeming it clean enough and heading for the door.
“Alright don’t be up too late ya hear? And when that girl gets here you better serve her a cup of coffee for her time. Got that?” Sojiro grunted while adjusting his hat, Akira nodded amicably as he had learned it was best to let Boss get his piece out before he left.
Sojiro nodded to the student with a quiet bye now before heading out of LeBlanc.
Morgana excitedly paced the booths before settling on the table closest to the stairs, mumbling about having guests and something about it being a girl . Akira merely rolled his eyes before setting the last clean dish on the drying rack, shaking his hands out on his apron to dry them before hanging his apron up.
“Why’re you still in your uniform? Isn’t that thing stuffy?” Morgana bemoaned, Akira shrugged at the cat's antics and sighed.
“Too lazy to change, besides I’m going to be learning anyway… no better outfit right?” The thief jested, snorting at Morgana's huffy sigh.
Akira scooted into the booth, while Morgana hopped off the table to sit on the booth next to Akira. But before any other lame jokes could be made, the LeBlanc bell chimed, drawing the attention of both phantom thieves.
Looking about Akiras age, a girl wandered into the shop with a tired look in her eye. The first thing that caught the attention of the Shujin student was the bubblegum pink hair, tied into two loose buns atop the girl's head, the leftover loose strands hung over her sagging shoulders.
Her eyes were lidded in exhaustion, cool grey peered around the cafe, lips creased into a low frown and eyebrows pulled low beneath her parted pink bangs. Akira took note of her left eyebrow that had been notched, as well as the pink twin scars that sat on her left cheek.
About the same height if not shorter, the noiret noted mentally. A black crop top with a flame print cling to her curves, black hoodie hanging off of her arms left little to her shoulders. Low cut cuffed jeans with a pair of beat up sneakers, slung over her torso a messenger bag stuffed full of textbooks and binders.
The look screamed a tired university student.
The pinkettes eyes suddenly settled on the thief for a moment before she grinned lazily.
“You must be Kurusu. I’m Joey Aerglo it’s nice to meet you” the girl trotted up to Akira and held a hand out amicably, which the Shujin student gently shook before gesturing a hand towards the empty seat before him.
Joey nodded silent before settling into the booth and removing her bag. Placing her elbows on the table, the newly appointed tutor leaned forward, leaning against her clasped hands and studying her pupil for a moment. The cool grey of her own eyes felt like they were piercing through the heart of the thief before her, There was a subtle unease.
Akira felt uncomfortable under the scrutinizing gaze of his tutor, in a single fell swoop she swiped his glasses right from the bridge of his nose.
“They’re fake” she snorted, “What are you hiding?”
“You could tell they were fake?” Akira sat stunned for a moment.
“You’re a terrible liar and hiding your eyes is the first sign.”
Akira blinked slowly at the bold statement, unable to comprehend how fast she’d called him out.
“How the hell did you realize so fast?” The student mumbled in awe, maybe there was something to take from these lessons.
Blowing away some of the bangs over her eyes, Joey smiled in a cattish way.
“Well a few things, first- your glasses are immaculately clean, no scuff marks or any wear and tare, usually long-time glasses owners are sold out by the state of their glasses”
“What if I just bought them?” Akira shot back.
“Then I’d notice how your lenses aren‘t prescriptioned- they’re regular plastic. Usually prescription glasses have a certain sheen to them- also they’re too thin.”
“And if I had near immaculate eyes? Maybe I had a light prescription”
Joey sighed and placed the glasses back on the table, pressing them back into Akiras hands.
“If your eyes were that good you'd be wearing them occasionally, not full time. I can tell you wear them full time because you’ve more or less confirmed to me they’re fake and the fact that, despite wearing glasses to ‘ help your eyes’ your hair covers them anyways so it’s not like you’re seeing much to begin with.”
Akira sat back for a moment, not bothering to pick his glasses back up. “So it’s about deduction then, not about lying” the thief concluded.
“No I bullshitted half of that” Joey replied, throwing an arm over the booth while using her free hand to emphasize her point.
“I did- however know they were fake by the way you were hiding your eyes, I just needed to confirm it. The rest was me lying out the ass to get the answer I wanted to hear, ykno most people need a little push and shove before they’re honest.”
Akira paused for a moment, watching the girl purse her lips, studying her nails and frowning at finding one of them had chipped.
“What if I am hiding something?”
“Then you’re awful at it” Joey snorted amicably, shaking her head slowly she sighed. “I’m sure anyone who knows you well could probably tell you’re lying from a mile away, but others probably feel intimidated by-“ she gestured her free hand up and down at the student “all this. Have you ever heard that eyes are the window to the soul Kurusu?”
Akira nodded his head in a yes but before he could speak up, Joey had shook a hand at him.
“That stuff's bullshit- but, there is some merit to it. When a person lies, there’s usually a tick that follows. Whether it’s because they’re embarrassed, guilty or afraid of being caught, there’s always a sign. Normally, people avert their eyes when they lie, others may tap a foot, hum or tug on their hair when they lie. It’s about learning the ticks.”
Before Akira could inquire more about it, Joey had promptly moved on and shuffled her books out of her bag. Pressing a three ring binder onto the table labeled ENGLISH on the front in the same shade of pink as her advert in Shibuya.
“But- I digress, that’s not what I’m here for today…” she mumbled, shuffling through a stack of notebooks, before pulling out two green coloured books. Joey placed the excess books back into her bag before straightening herself out.
Akira had placed his hands on the table suddenly, drawing the pinkette out of her concentration.
“Please, would you teach me more about lying?” The thief pleaded.
Joey blinked for a moment before looking down.
“Kurusu, there’s a lot that comes with lying y’kno. To be a good liar you’ve got to be stealthy and quick on the draw. But there’s also a lot emotionally that comes with lying and a lot of it comes from learning to detach yourself ”
The noiret nodded and patted his chest for a moment “if you’d teach me, I’d love to learn… I’m sure there’s a lot I could benefit from.”
Placing a hand on her chin for a moment and inspecting the phantom thief, Joey nodded to herself and sighed. “My sister was an awful liar-“
Was, Kurusu noted. Past tense? “She was a loudmouth and could barely hold her feelings in, it got her in a lot of trouble, she was a little fireball of emotions. But- you seem like a good kid and I could use an apprentice to keep my skills sharp…”
Joey hummed, rubbing her chin thoughtfully as she looked down at her lap.
“Hmmm, alright. I’ll teach you a thing or two-“ Akira almost cheered “BUT, you’re going to repay me, you’re already paying me for my tutoring, but for my special lessons you’re going to repay me in favours, understood?”
Holding back the need to respond with a yes ma’am . Akira nodded politely and offered a short smile.
“Ok, It’s a deal.”
“Great! Your first favour starts now.” Joey replied sweetly before smacking a thick file onto the table, two fingers sliding it across the table and into the Shujin student’s empty hands. The file was labeled SEARCH FINDINGS in all bold.
“Everything in this file is not to be touched or opened . I will know if you peak at even a single word that lies in there- got it? You’re going to hold onto this for me, somewhere where no one- not even yourself will touch it.”
Looking upwards into the steely eyes of his tutor, the thief briefly wondered what he had gotten himself into.
I am thou, thou art I. Thou hast acquired a new vow. It shall become the wings of rebellion that breakth thy chains of captivty. With the birth of the Archangel Persona, I have obtained the winds of blessing that should lead to freedom and new power...
“Alright, the green notebooks are exercise books for you to practice your English, the binder is your lesson plans. I’m here to oversee your work and help with any questions you have. We’ll work in alternates, this session we’ll work on your English and next session we’ll work on your social studies, alright ?” Joey smiled at Akira as if she hadn’t just nearly threatened him moments ago. Akira sat back and sighed tiredly.
“When do my special lessons start?”
“When I say they do, and don’t say special lessons like that you make it sound weird.”
“... yes ma’am”
“Also, don’t call me ma’am you make me sound old.”