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When Makoto said in the chat that the police were going to be interrogating the students at Shujin today, Ann grew nervous.
After Okumura’s death and the swift decline of support for the Phantom Thieves, things were just spiraling out of control. And it all happened so quickly that Ann could hardly make sense of it all. But now that the police were here at school interrogating everyone one by one, grade by grade… that just made Ann all the more uneasy. Were they really hoping to look for the Phantom Thieves this way?
All of it made Ann shudder in fear. She didn’t want to know what would happen if she happened to crack under pressure. Throughout lunchtime and her afternoon classes, she was dreading that moment where she had to come face to face with the police. She couldn’t even pay attention to the lesson when she actually wanted to this time. She was just too distracted over what was to come.
Then… the time finally came. Ms. Kawakami called both Akira’s name and hers, saying that they will go together. Apparently, the detectives were calling students over in pairs for their investigation.
‘That’s… not so bad.’ Ann thought to herself as she rose from her seat. Sure, one of them would have to wait outside for their turn according to Ms. Kawakami, but if Akira was the one walking with her on the way to the interrogation, then that was a small comfort that she’ll gladly take.
They left the classroom together, walking side by side as they headed up the stairs to the student council room. Ann swallowed the spit that was building up in her mouth out of nervousness, and cleared her throat. God, this was nervewracking! She felt like she was marching up to a jail cell instead of the student council room...! How can anyone stay calm through something like this?!
But then, just when her nerves were about to go to her head, she felt a firm hand grab her own.
“Ann. It’ll be okay.”
Ann looked up at Akira at that moment, noticing him looking back at her as they climbed up the stairs. His gaze softened up as he formed a faint smile, hoping to ease her spirits, but even Ann could tell from the look in his eyes that he was tense.
“How can you be so sure, Akira?” Ann asked him, brows furrowed in worry.
“‘...Cause we’ve been through worse than this so far, haven’t we?” he answered.
“Well… technically, yeah. But this is a whole ‘nother thing than just fighting in the Metaverse, you know,” Ann pointed out, shaking her head. “I’m not even in front of those detectives and I already want to eat my stress away…”
“Even so, it’ll be okay. It’s gotta be,” he assured her, giving her hand a squeeze. “...So don’t worry so much.”
Ann heaved a soft sigh then, feeling herself relax a little over Akira’s comforting touch. Seeing this, Akira then switched his focus back to the path ahead of him. It was then that Ann saw his lips thinning. He was trying to form that unreadable poker face of his the closer they got to the student council room, and yet Ann noticed his jaw tightening as he tried to remain calm. Seeing this, she frowned.
He was nervous too… he’s got to be. She has never known Akira to shake easily under pressure. When he wants to be, he’s one of the most cool-headed people she knew, and yet… even he’s got to be nervous over such an unlikely scenario like this, right? The police were practically hunting for the Phantom Thieves by combing through every student in Shujin like this. It was just so… extreme.
And just when that thought crossed her mind, another thought popped up in Ann’s head. And the mere idea of it made her even more uneasy.
What if… his nervousness goes beyond trying to not to get caught? What if Akira’s been through something like this before when he got arrested?
“....”
If that was true, then for Akira... this could easily open up some old wounds from that fateful night where he was set up for something he didn’t even do. And yet here he was, trying to stay calm under pressure and trying to keep her calm all the while.
How? How does he do that? Ann was so sure that if it was her in his shoes, she would crack before they even got up the stairs. To face something like a police questioning would be so overwhelming for anybody, but to face it all over again… it was unthinkable. Regardless of what may or may not be, Akira was trying to keep himself together. Ann has always thought that Akira was amazing, but if what she’s thinking was true then… he’s incredibly strong.
With that in mind, Ann knew she can’t give in to her frazzled nerves now. No matter how scary it was being face to face with the police, she had to stay calm and not say anything more than necessary. She had to get through this police questioning with no regrets.
Ann huffed to herself and patted her cheek a few times with her free hand. The impact made from her hand stung a little, but she could take it. She was trying to psyche herself up for the meeting ahead, after all. She can take a little pain.
“What are you doing?” Akira asked her, looking at her with a raised eyebrow.
“Trying to focus! I can’t be psyching myself out now! That’ll make everything so obvious!” Ann answered with a huff.
Akira chuckled under his breath, shaking his head at her all the while. “I don’t think you need to do that much, Ann.” he said.
“Sure I do! If I can keep myself together here and now, then going through this interrogation will be a cinch!” Ann claimed confidently. But before she could elaborate on her mindset further, a chilling voice stopped her in her tracks.
“There you are. Kurusu-kun and Takamaki-san, correct? You’re next.”
“A-Ah…”
All the bravado that Ann was trying to build up for herself deflated once she heard the voice of one of the detectives call them out. His voice was so… emotionless, and his peering eyes looked as though he could actually look through her. It made Ann’s skin crawl.
“We’re going to ask for Kurusu-kun to come in first. Takamaki-san, please wait outside until you’re called.”
“....” Ann felt herself going pale when she heard the detective give out his orders, and she felt herself growing paler the moment Akira let go of her hand. Akira stuck both his hands inside his pockets before stepping forward, his expression unreadable. But before he disappeared to follow the detective inside, he turned his head towards Ann and flashed her a small smile.
“It’ll be okay.” he assured her.
“Y-Yeah…” she replied nervously, nodding her head as she clasped her hands behind her back.
He then went inside. And all Ann could do now was wait.
-----
“Hey.”
She gasped once she heard his voice call out to her, feeling as though she could finally breathe. It might not have actually been long since Akira entered the classroom, but thanks to Ann being so anxious about the whole thing, it felt like forever to her. Ann immediately lifted herself off of the wall and rushed to Akira’s side, anxious to know if everything went alright.
“Hey…” she greeted back. “You okay?”
“...I’m fine. Nothing I can’t handle,” he answered, smiling weakly. “They’re calling for you next.”
“O-Oh…” Ann nervously twirled the ends of one of her twintails as she struggled to think of the words she wanted to say. “U-Uh… Anything that I should look out for?” she asked, her voice soft so that the detectives won’t hear her.
“It’s literally only three questions tops,” Akira whispered lowly, glancing at the open door from the corner of his eye. Knowing Akira, he was probably checking to see if the detectives were listening in. But the look on his face… his sharp narrowed eyes accentuating his intense gaze… he's still on edge. Though understandable, it still made Ann’s heart sink.
After a moment’s pause, Akira returned his focus to a worried Ann. His expression softened from the brief intensity he displayed before. “Don’t worry, Ann. Just take deep breaths, psych yourself up, and don’t overthink it. It’ll be over before you know it.”
“...Yeah. Yeah, you’re right,” she said, nodding her head slowly. Ann then patted both of her cheeks, feeling the heat rising up from the impact of her hands. She then shook her head and huffed, putting on her bravest face. “Alright, I’m going. It’s gonna be okay, right?”
“Yeah, it’ll be okay,” Akira assured, nodding at her. “I’ll be waiting out here. I won’t just go back without you.”
“Thanks… You’re the best, Akira.” Ann thanked as she gave him a soft smile. She then took a deep breath, gathered all of her courage, and went inside the student council room.
The two detectives that were waiting for her offered her a seat, which Ann wordlessly took. She didn’t bother crossing her legs like she usually did. She just simply sat there with her back straight. It was a clear show of her anxiousness, if one knew Ann. But luckily for her, the detectives just took that as well-behaved. Nothing out of the ordinary. They stated her name, briefly commented on her foreign heritage and job, then… the first question came.
“It says here that you were one of Mr. Kamoshida’s more notable victims?”
Ann flinched. Of course that bastard’s name would come up during an interrogation. Of course it would. “Y-Yes. That’s right.” she confirmed, her voice low.
“...I see. Sorry to bring that up.” The detective said simply, scribbling his notes down.
‘That’s one question down… Two to go.’ Ann thought to herself, remembering what Akira said.
“You’ve got an interesting group of friends, Takamaki-san,” The detective continued, now looking up from his notes. “Yusuke Kitagawa, Haru Okumura… and I’m assuming Kurusu-kun out there is included in that group as well?”
Ann blinked in surprise over hearing that question. Bringing up Haru and Akira... even though Ann was startled when she heard their names, she could understand why they were brought up. With Okumura’s death still fresh in people’s minds, and Akira being known for being on probation, they were rather infamous figures at school. But... Yusuke too? He doesn’t even go to the same school as her, and yet the detective brought his name up. Why?
...Whatever the case, Ann felt like she had to say something quick.
“W-Well, yeah! I met Kitagawa-kun during a modeling gig, and I met Okumura-senpai recently… and Kurusu-kun’s my classmate.” she answered, albeit nervously. Well, she didn’t exactly lie, but… how long has it been since she referred to Yusuke or Akira by their last names? It felt so weird to call them that. (And it especially felt weird to simplify Akira as just ‘her classmate’ when he’s so much more to her than that. But that’s okay… she knew the truth.)
“The more friends the better, right?” The detective commented, jotting down his notes again.
“....” Ann nervously twirled the ends of her hair in order to keep herself calm. One more question to go… she can do this...
“We have just one more question for you. Don’t worry, it will be quick,” The detective said, before continuing on. “Do you think that the Phantom Thieves are associated with this school?”
There it is. The one question that she’s actually a little prepared for.
"I mean… I always thought they were all just a big rumor, but… is it really true?" she asked.
"That’s what we're trying to figure out. But don't worry, we won't let anything happen to you guys." The detective promised her. (Although, Ann could sense that his words were empty… it creeped her out even more.)
"Thank you for your time. You may go now." The other detective spoke gruffly. Ann resisted the urge to outright jump in her seat. Since the other guy didn't say much all this time, his voice startled her once she heard it. Luckily, the most that she did in reaction was a slight flinch.
"Your answers will serve as great reference material," The first detective stated. "We're sorry to have taken up your time. You can return to class."
"...Thank you." Ann thanked softly. She got up from her seat, bowed her head, and left the student council room. Once she was out of the room and away from the door, Ann let out a deep sigh. God, that was as nervewracking as she thought it was going to be… She figured that those detectives will show up in her nightmares for a few days.
"Welcome back."
True to his word, Akira was waiting for her in the hallway, leaning his back against the wall with his hands in his pockets. Hearing Akira’s voice snapped Ann out of her troubled thoughts, and she felt relief upon seeing his face. Without a word, she rushed towards him and immediately wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug, making him gasp at the impact.
"...I'm okay. Just… give me a sec." Ann murmured, her face buried in his blazer. Just when she said that, she felt Akira's arms wrap around her, enveloping her in a familiar warmth that was more than welcome.
"I'm in no hurry." Akira assured her, his voice soft as he spoke. To that, Ann smiled.
Finally… she can truly say that she was okay.
-----
"Hey. So… today was crazy."
"You're telling me."
Ann and Akira were the only two people left in the attic now. After today’s meeting ended, everyone else headed home for the day. Morgana took a moment to head outside the attic window, saying that he wanted to get some fresh air to help clear his mind. (In reality, judging from Akira’s thankful expression, Morgana was leaving them alone on purpose.) After putting the chairs and table away, Ann and Akira were now sitting on the sofa, quiet as they held hands and rested their heads against each other.
“I definitely don’t wanna go through something like that again,” Ann murmured, idly playing with Akira’s fingers. “That was way too stressful…”
“...Police questioning can do that,” Akira said lowly, narrowing his eyes as he averted his gaze for a moment. “At least we all got through it this time. We just got to not draw suspicion to ourselves for the time being.”
“Good thing Makoto’s signed us all up for that school festival committee tomorrow, right?” Ann said with a half-smile. “I wonder what it’s gonna be like… Think Makoto’s gonna let us decorate for the school dance or something?”
“You’ll never know. Maybe we’re going to help set up food stalls instead, or even some of the other class stalls.” Akira pointed out.
“No way! Every class sets up their own stalls!” Ann cried. “It’s no fun if the student council sets up everything for the festival! Our class has to set up for our own thing!”
“Oh? Is that what you’re going to do for our class?” Akira questioned, raising a brow at her. “You never did tell me what our class is going to do.”
“Hey! Your fault for not paying attention!” Ann retorted with a grin. “You’ll just have to wait and see just like everybody else.”
“Heh… that’s something I’m willing to wait on.” Akira chuckled. Ann chuckled along with him, eventually letting the atmosphere go into a comfortable silence. After a while Ann spoke again, this time her voice was a bit softer as she squeezed Akira’s hand.
“You’re okay though, right? After today?” she asked.
“...Yeah. I’m fine,” Akira answered, nodding at her. “What, were you worried about me the whole time we were over there?”
“Of course I was…!” Ann cried, her expression falling as she lifted her head off of Akira's shoulder.
“...It wasn’t just because the police were asking questions about the Phantom Thieves, was it?” Akira then asked.
“...Nope,” Ann confessed. “I-It’s just… when I noticed how tense you were while we were on our way there, my mind just went all over the place. And then it hit me, like… what if he’s been through this before? Could that really be why he’s so tense? When I thought about that… it just made me more worried on top of how nervous I already was.”
“Ann…”
"But when I saw you trying to keep yourself together as best as you could, and even trying to cheer me up on top of that, I knew I couldn't let my own anxiety over the situation stop me. So… I tried to psyche myself up as best as I could. I was pretty scared, but… I didn't want to regret any of my actions, no matter what. I just had to go in there and not blow my cover. It felt like forever despite really being there for a few minutes, but I think I pulled it off. At least, I hope I did."
"...I think we did fine," Akira assured. "If we didn't, we'd be in a hell of a lot more trouble than we already are."
Akira then wrapped an arm around Ann and pulled her closer to him. Ann rested her head against Akira’s shoulder once more, wrapping her arms around his waist as she cuddled against him. Eventually they both relaxed as they sat there on the couch.
"...I was pretty tense back there, though." Akira admitted, rubbing Ann’s arm. "The circumstances are different, but… I didn't think that I would be at the other end of a questioning table again."
"...." Ann simply stayed quiet as Akira continued to rub at her arm. So… her gut feeling was right after all.
"I'll admit, when I kept saying that it'll be okay, I wasn’t just trying to cheer you up…" Akira continued. "I was trying to convince myself of that too."
"Akira…"
"Even so, we made it through this time. And we'll do it again, as many times as it takes," Akira declared, his expression serious. "No matter what happens, I won't let anything happen to you guys… especially you, Ann."
So determined… but that's part of what always impressed Ann. No matter how quiet he seems to be, he's always committed to anything he puts his mind to, with heart to match. She always admired that about him, but at the same time… she didn't want him to feel the need to bear it alone while doing it. She didn't know why she got that vibe from him, but… her gut's been right so far.
"The same goes for all of us," Ann said, her tone serious. "I was serious when I said I didn't want to regret whatever action I took. And I'm sure that everyone feels the same way I do, so we won't let anything happen to anyone... especially you Akira."
"...Yeah. I know," Akira said, forming a small smile. "And… Ann?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks… for worrying about me," Akira's smile grew warmer as he looked over at her. "It’s just like you to notice when something's up and try to care for me, so… thanks."
A small blush formed upon Ann’s cheeks as she smiled, snuggling her head against the crook of Akira's neck. "Hehe… Anytime." she said, relieved that she was able to be there for him.
There was still a long road ahead of them concerning the Phantom Thieves' innocence, but Ann hoped that it'll truly be okay in the end. No, she'll make it be okay. Despite how nervous she still was about the whole situation, Ann was going to go at it with no regrets.
She'll work to make sure it'll all be okay… for everyone.