Chapter Text
[Akira]: There’s going to be a big announcement tonight. Meet in Shibuya?
It had been the last text either of them had gotten the rest of the evening. Tatsuya had tried inquiring more about specifics, but the messages had gone unanswered. It wasn’t terribly grating. Tatsuya understood the need Akira had for discrepancy, especially with all that he was balancing. Tatsuya still would have liked more details. He supposed that came from a more parental place than genuine curiosity.
A large group of teenagers were loitering a few steps away as Tatsuya waited in the square. They were on the other side of the Buchiko statue. Their laughter was rambunctious, but so was the rest of the nightlife in Shibuya. Tatsuya thought of Akira and his group of friends.
His fingers tapped against the side of his phone as he stared down at the unchanging, blank screen. An anxious buzzing was humming just under his skin and it was growing harder to ignore. His phone finally chimed in his hand.
[Jun]: I just got off the train.
It hadn’t been who he was waiting to hear from, but it was who he had been expecting. Tatsuya’s heart skipped and his shoulders slackened. A lot had happened. He missed Jun. He knew it hadn’t been easy on Jun, either.
It had only been a little over a week, too. Even with the near daily calls and texts, Jun had been quiet. A gut feeling had told Tatsuya it was more than just a loneliness causing Jun’s silence. He tired not to think too much of the implications. Looking back down at the message, it was a comfort all its own. Jun would be here soon.
The group of teenagers laughed loudly again as they gathered their things together and headed off towards the main street. It wasn’t long before they were replaced by a group of businessmen. Tatsuya could smell the alcohol wafting from them despite the stale air of the smoking area nearby. He almost missed the kids.
A small spark, deep in the back of his mind, was enough of a nudge to get his attention. Tatsuya looked up over the square towards the stairs to the underground station. Through the thick crowd, their eyes met. Tatsuya immediately lowered his phone and fumbled as he tried to slip it back into his pocket. He never looked away and just stood there dumbly as Jun weaved his way past faceless people.
At times, Tatsuya would think he was too old to still get lightheaded and feel weightless whenever his heart raced. Jun finally reached him, and if his smile wasn’t the warmest and brightest thing in the entire damn city. There was a twinge of fatigue wearing down on him. It reminded Tatsuya of the burden they all used to carry. At least Jun could smile.
Tatsuya’s hands moved of their own accord, reaching up and gently cupping Jun’s face. Jun’s smile softened. It was like gravity, an undeniable pull, that Tatsuya pressed their foreheads together. He could still feel Jun’s eyes on him. It felt heavy and Tatsuya worried if he could tell there was much still weighing on him.
Jun pushed away, and his dark eyes looked over Tatsuya. His smile faded. Maybe Tatsuya hadn’t been hiding his concerns that well at all. It had been silly of him to think otherwise.
Jun took a gentle hold of Tatsuya’s hands.
“Something happened,” Jun stated. Tatsuya did not want to deny it but he wasn’t sure how to talk of it. Jun got the idea by Tatsuya’s hesitancy.
“He’s fine,” Tatsuya settled with. “His friends are fine, but…” Tatsuya glanced across the square. There was another group of high school students by the Teikyu building. Excitement buzzed from them as they chatted over something on one of the girl’s phone. “I’ll explain later.”
It didn’t satisfy Jun, but he accepted it nonetheless. He took a step back and looked over the crowd himself. Tatsuya watched one of Jun’s hands come up to rest by his heart, just under a small yellow flower in his coat’s breast pocket. It was a cluster of thin petals. It reminded Tatsuya of a dandelion or a small daisy. Jun’s fingers gently brushed against the underside.
“Have you heard anything from him yet?” Jun asked. His gaze was still looking over the square.
“No.”
Jun nodded and pulled his phone out from his pocket. Tatsuya happened to see the same messages from Akira on that cracked screen he had gotten earlier as well. No new news.
Tatsuya didn’t like the lack of a clear plan.
The phone slipped back into Jun’s pocket and he looked to Tatsuya decidedly. Tatsuya understood. Akira was not the one they were here to meet up with. There was no point lingering. Jun held his hand out and Tatsuya took it.
All these years later, Tatsuya still liked how Jun’s hand fit in his.
They ended up wandering Shibuya more than half an hour. The later the night went, the more people seemed to amass in the thick crowd. Mindless chatter and jovial laughing filled the brightly lit streets. The news broadcast on the giant screens overhead echoed out just above the thrum of city nightlife.
The crosswalk was still red as they waited among the crowd for the change.
“—first start with national news. Since the young man suspected to be the leader of the Phantom Thieves died while in custody,” a news anchor droned on from overhead on a large screen. Tatsuya kept his eyes down. Jun did the same. He had straightened back and squared his shoulders, though. Jun held himself firmer for reassurance. They knew the truth, but hearing it laid out so plainly still struck a chord.
The light turned green and the crowd moved. Tatsuya and Jun were swept up in the current. As the wave moved, a glimmer caught Tatsuya’s eye. It was insignificant, a flicker among sparks. But the blue was uncanny behind the crowd, butterfly wings passing by people like shutters.
He was staring. As he moved with the crowd, deafening silence despite the roar of the populace, Tatsuya couldn’t look away. His heart pounded in his ears.
A woman who looked to be in a hurry bumped his shoulder and Tatsuya lost track of where he was. They made it to the other side of the street and when he looked back towards the street he remembered Akira frequenting, the blue was gone.
“The police have officially announced that these crimes have come to an end and ensure everyone that peace will be restored—”
“What’s wrong?” Jun asked, voice low enough Tatsuya almost hadn’t caught it over the news anchor overhead. Tatsuya wasn’t sure what to say. Jun pulled him close to the side of a building nearby, the glass panes shining from the ads and displays on the other side. The glow cast on him made Tatsuya’s chest ache. It made Jun look so young, so ethereal, that Tatsuya was once again reminded of the past. His breath was caught in his throat as he tried to find the words. It wasn’t pleasant.
The screens by the glass flickered and as Jun was about to ask once again, the sound of static overcame even the entire crowd. Tatsuya realized the news report had been cut off as the image of the anchor sputtered out violently.
Everyone around them stopped and all eyes looked up the towering buildings as the screens went dark.
The screens spark back to life in blinding static and a collective gasp roared over the crowd as a familiar bold red logo was displayed on every available screen. Both Tatsuya and Jun stared.
“Yo! What is up, everybody!” a loud and sudden voice echoed out over the confused and excited mutters. Despite the distorting filter over the boy’s voice, Tatsuya recognized that enthusiasm.
“We are the ones who you all know as the Phantom Thieves.” Another voice, just as distorted, and just as familiar. A hand raised to Jun’s mouth as he stared up at one of the screens. His eyes were wide with shocked recognition. The logo of the Phantom Thieves had changed to something oddly familiar with its large mouth and sharp teeth.
“And all of us are alive and kickin’!”
It dawned on Tatsuya that he does in fact know that logo. He remembered it from that dreadful night, flashing on Jun’s broken phone screen. The thought alone left a foul taste in Tatsuya’s mouth. It did not have the chance to linger as Jun stepped forward towards the main street into the frozen crowd. Getting seperated in the confusion is the last thing Tatsuya needed. Besides, as easy as it could be to hide in this fuss, the same was true for any other watchful eyes.
Tatsuya had to swallow down the growing concern as he followed and grabbed Jun’s arm. It was already risky enough for Jun to visit so soon in the first place. The thought that it might be related to Jun’s silence made his stomach churn. His hand unintentionally tightened its hold on Jun’s coat sleeve as they both gaze up from the middle of the sea of people.
“But those shitty guys in power?” the vulgar voice continued, “They’ve been manipulatin’ information to try and hide the truth.”
“So, before we appropriate our next target…” a high feminine voice butted in, filtered like the others. The excited energy laced with the distortion is just as familiar as the other two. “We would like to first borrow your time!” The icon on screen exploded with a comic bang. Tatsuya realized, despite the other-the-top theatrics, the Phantom Thieves are no longer playing around. This was not anything compared to past calling cards. They are all well past the point of no return. Tatsuya’s heart burned eagerly.
“The recent scandals of public figures, the accidents caused by psychotic breakdowns and mental shutdowns,” the deep and smooth voice echoed across the streets, “These weren’t caused by unknown reasons. One man is behind every single instance… Simply to satiate his own greed.” Even with the voice filter, the disgust and loathing rung out clear.
All around them, people bustled with excited or concerned chatter and mumblings. Phone screens held high overheads lit the streets like stars and they all pointed to the Thieves. Everyone was watching. Jun’s hand found Tatsuya’s. There was a quake in that hand, but Tatsuya saw how firm Jun’s eyes are, focused as he held his breath against his racing heart. Tatsuya found it hard to breathe himself.
“That man was afraid his crimes would be exposed and shifted the blame on us.” There was clear bite to the girl’s tone. “He even manipulated the police for that.” Tatsuya could feel Jun’s eyes shift to him, but Tatsuya couldn’t bring himself to look away from any of the screens still displaying the toyingly mocking icon of Alibaba. He knew this was on a bigger scale than he could imagine, but the guilt still settled like a rusted knot in his gut.
“We only steal the hearts of criminals.” The overall tone was shifting. Their frustration and anger was becoming more and more evident as their speech continued. “But this asshole tried to dump what he did on us. That just shows he doesn’t care about those victims at all!”
Somewhere on the outskirts of the crowd, police were yelling.
“The identity of that cowardly man is—”
The deep voice was interrupted and all the screens across the city went black.
The crowd uproared. Whining and shouting rushed over the streets as everyone grew anxious and expectant. The longer the screens remain silent, the more uneasy the commotion grew. People were demanding the announcement to be put back up, as though this were all just some show for their entertainment. It settled wrong in Tatsuya’s gut. There was so much on the line. It made him sick thinking about it.
With a burst of static, the broadcast cut back in and their logo is displayed proudly once again. All around them, the cheering was deafening, and phones were raised once again.
“The man behind it all is a current cabinet member, of all things,” the deep voice rung out once again.
“This is it,” Jun said at his side. His gaze was focused so intently at the screens, like so many of the people surrounding them in the suffocating crowd. But Tatsuya saw the way Jun’s hand pressed against his own chest, near his heart just under that bright flower. “There’s no turning back for them. Or us.” Tatsuya could never understand how he could be so grounding. He didn’t know what to do with himself.
It was terrifying. Tatsuya recalled the reports from all those months ago from when he first looked into the calling cards. From such humble and crude beginnings, it hit Tatsuya that these kids were truly shaking the very foundation. Whatever was going to happen after this, it would never be the same again. They would do better.
Every single person on the streets with them all held their breath. His own once again caught in his throat. Jun’s hand tightened in his own and they both kept the other from losing grip.
“The Minister of State for Special Missions,” the words spread out over the anticipation, “Shido Masayoshi!”
The crowd uproared as the screens shifted to unabashedly display a portrait of the target.
“Everything that man says is a lie!” the feminine voice spat out over the cacophony of the crowd. Tatsuya could barely hear it and yet it was all he could focus on. “And to prove that…” Her voice coyly trailed off as the screens faded. Nervous anticipation tightened around Tatsuya’s throat.
The screen flashed back on and eight figures were silhouetted by blinding backlight. The crowd collectively gasped. Jun and Tatsuya immediately recognized a few of them. Jun was transfixed on the screen, eyes wide and shoulders taut. His breath was caught just like Tatsuya’s.
There are no holds barred.
“Look!” the girl’s distorted voice called out eagerly, “As you can see, all of us are alive and kickin’!” she repeated her partner’s earlier words. They rung out across the city, and the lie every news outlet and article was spitting out held no basis any more. It felt like a weight off Tatsuya’s shoulders. Old habits were hard to break and he still had to remind himself now and then that rumors weren’t what they used to be.
“I’m sure the people investigating us can tell if this is a lie or not.” There was confidence in her voice; a challenge. “Shido himself will soon confess all the crimes that he’s committed. Please look forward to it, everyone!”
The shot of everyone vanished from the screens, replaced with Shido’s portrait again. Alibaba’s logo is humorously gnawing on his bald head and someone had written “villian” next to him with a big arrow.
“We’re not gonna sit back and watch some crook wreck this country just ‘cause of his goddamn ego.” The vulgar, filtered voice was back. That boy had seemed the kind easy to anger, but there was no worry over the rage consuming any of them. It was rightful and focused.
All the screens across the brightly lit city all switched back to two silhouetted figures. Neither Tatsuya or Jun necessarily recognized the masked outfit of one of them, but Tatsuya had gotten familiar with that confident voice and bold bleach blond hair. But it was the blackened figure next to that boy that had their attention. There was no way either of them could forget that high collar or pointed mask.
The crowd was almost deafening around them. Phone screens lined the streets with blinding lights. Somewhere across the masses, police sirens screamed.
“Ain’t that right… Leader?”
He stepped forward and into the light. Tatsuya no longer could hear the crowd. It was just distant static in his ears. Jun stepped forward and all Tatsuya could do was watch. Tatsuya could not see his face.
“Yes.” His voice was firm. Tatsuya’s heart lodged itself in his throat. “Before that happens, we will take this country!” His eyes were as sharp and clear as his voice. He left no room for any other truth. Tatsuya saw Jun cover his mouth with a shaking hand.
Passive had never been a word Tatsuya associated with Akira. He had never been the sort of kid to cause waves or instigate. He had always been the one to react, and this was explosive.
Tatsuya looked up to the screen again. Akira’s piercing eyes were proud and unwavering. This wasn’t ideal. This was far from how any of this should have happened and there were countless things Tatsuya could have done differently to maybe prevent this. There was solid resolve set in Akira’s gaze, but maybe, one again, it wouldn’t have mattered.
Tatsuya’s chest ached, but for the first time since the fiasco started, it wasn’t unpleasant.
The screens cut off and the entire city went dark. Jun looked back to Tatsuya and through the ambient glow of store lights and cellphones, he could see Jun’s eyes shining. He felt the same.
Tatsuya had never been more proud of their son.
The sea of people around them gossiped loudly, curious about the legitimacy of what just happened. Some express excited support, more frequent, others held firm to the belief the Thieves were nothing but lying murderers. Jun’s hand came up once again to his chest, the other sought out Tatsuya’s. A group of teenage girls by a shop were practically bouncing as they looked at their phones—probably rewatching the recording they just took. Businessmen seemed apprehensive as they continued on across the street when the light turned green.
Tatsuya noted how quickly the flow of city nightlife returned, the current correcting the disruptions. Jun’s hand tightened in his.
One way or another, things would change. It was hard to say how things would play out after this was over.
There was a soft ring from his pocket as his phone vibrated. As he pulled his phone out, Jun did the same.
A new message notification lit up their screens.
[Akira]: We’ll be in Shibuya soon
It was some time before an impromptu conference was broadcasted publicly. Most news stations were covering the response the next target of the Phantom Thieves had to say. Almost every screen in Shibuya had the man’s face once again plastered to it in some way. It left a bad taste in Tatsuya’s mouth this time.
“The notice put forth by these so called Phantom Thieves is absolutely groundless,” Shido spoke into the microphone confidently. Tatsuya could see the sweat on his brow nonetheless. He had doubts it was from the overhead lights. “It is nothing more than a wicked terrorist act, aimed at obstructing the elections. What we need now is a powerful, unyielding leader. I am willing to risk my life to fight them.” Jun scoffed beside him. It was deplorable how readily the man deflected.
Tatsuya took a subtle look over the rather large group of people that had formed around them. All of Akira’s friends were standing tall and staring defiantly at the screen overhead. Resolve was set deep in each of their eyes. Jun had a hand resting on Akira’s shoulder. Tatsuya could see the tension just under the skin but they were both holding firm. The bruising on his face had cleared, though an ugly yellow still lingered on his cheek. His eyes were intent and sharp behind those thick frames.
“Which one is right?” a passerby asked as a few people stopped on the sidewalk to catch the news, “Shido or the Phantom Thieves?”
“I hear what Shido-san is saying, but is it true?”
Tatsuya couldn’t blame people for believing the lies and slander Shido spewed regularly, yet a part of him wanted to believe people would see through the deceit.
“I speak now to those who call themselves Phantom Thieves. Your actions are gravely serious crimes.” Jun’s hand squeezed Akira’s shoulder tighter as his eyes rolled. Akira reached up and placed his own atop Jun’s. He never looked away from the screen. “You are rebelling against the laws of this country and unnecessarily causing alarm among its citizens. I call on you to surrender yourselves at once and apologize to the people of this proud country.”
The news continued and Tatsuya fought the urge to roll his eyes himself. He turned to the group around him. The crowd started to move, started to carry on with their lives as though this wouldn’t affect them. They would keep watching, their curiosity insatiable in the end. It was oddly, unpleasantly nostalgic.
“Don’t you think that Shido looks like a criminal, too?”
“I don’t know who to believe anymore…”
“I hope they catch them soon…”
There was a clear divide in opinion of the crowd. It wasn’t surprising. Looking back to Akira and his friends, they must notice but don’t seem to mind. Tatsuya couldn’t even begin to imagine what must be going through their minds. A seed of worry was firmly planted in his stomach, one he doubted he’d ever be able to uproot. It fueled his hesitancy, wanting him to stop all this. It was a futile line of thinking.
Things were different now. This needed to be done. These kids were the only ones who had hope left. The iron knot in his gut would never go away. Tatsuya knew this. Akira met his eyes and a spark inside of him ignited. Akira held himself tall and tightened his grip on Jun’s hand still lingering on his shoulder.
Tatsuya trusted the kid.
Akira turned to Jun. He offered no smile, no real look of encouragement. The resolute determination in his focused anger was reassuring enough.
“We need to go,” Akira said.
Jun finally nodded and let his hand slip off Akira’s shoulder.
“Akira,” Jun called before they could all leave one last time. Jun held himself tall and firm as he stepped forward. His hand pulled at the front pocket of his coat, fingers gently plucking out the yellow flower and small vial around the stem. The coltsfoot was tucked carefully inside Akira’s own dark jacket pocket. Akira stared down at it as his hands hovered. “Make sure you all come back safely.”
Akira’s fingers hesitantly brushed against the cluster of thin yellow petals, carefully tucking the vial securely into his pocket. His hand pressed firmly against it as he finally nodded. He wore it proudly. Jun reached out once more and his hand rests overtop Akira’s. He held their son’s gaze.
“Do your best. Joker.”
Akira’s breath hitched. But he smiled. It was small, yet shined of nothing but resolution.
“I will.”