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“Joker’s doin’ it again.”
“It?”
“Yeah.” Ryuji motioned his hand nonchalantly at Akira, who was standing several feet away with his back to the rest of the team. They had just returned to the entrance of Madarame’s Palace after securing the route to the phony artist’s treasure. “Zoning out. Staring off into space, whatever it is.”
“He’s been doing that a lot lately,” Morgana said. “Not just in Metaverse but also outside.”
“Hmm, maybe he’s meditating…? Or thinking through our plan?” Ann suggested, and added after a beat, “Come to think of it, he’s kind of like Mona in this state.”
“Me? Why?”
“You know, like a cat sometimes just stares at nothing? Or something that no one but they can see?”
Ryuji exploded with laughter, while Morgana yowled, “But Lady Ann! I’m not a cat!”
Yusuke stepped to the side so he could get a glimpse of Akira’s face. Hands in his pants pockets, the leader was completely still, his eyes trained straight ahead at nothing specific. Completely oblivious to the conversation that was going on behind him.
Yusuke hummed, framing the leader with his fingers. “This is…peculiar.”
“I swear sometimes he’s even weirder than Fox is,” Ryuji said as his laugh died down. “…Er, no offence, Fox.”
“None taken.”
Yusuke was well aware of his own eccentricities. Being called ‘weird’ or ‘odd’ never bothered him, though. Not before, when Madarame told him being different from others was what made him a true artist; definitely not now, when he had made close comrades who shared similar backgrounds and the same belief and accepted him with open arms. This newfound friendship with a group of outcasts was a fresh and pleasant experience, and he relished every second of being around each with them. In particular, with Akira.
Akira’s composure and confidence as Joker were undeniably impressive, yet what really moved Yusuke were his unwavering kindness and endless patience. Akira offered him a place to stay when he was homeless, even if the leader himself was under someone’s roof. Akira let him be when he got wrapped up in his artistic world recreating his vision on canvas. In spite of his unfamiliarity with art, Akira always gave spot-on and insightful remarks to Yusuke’s works. Even volunteered to help him break out of his art slump and went along with his string of unconventional requests for the sake of seeking inspirations for his next pieces.
It was only natural Yusuke wanted to spend more time with someone as great as Akira, and their outings had allowed him to witness this state of trance the leader was often caught on. Yusuke figured this was either Akira’s thought process or his way to cope with the tremendous stress on his shoulders, so just like Akira being considerate with his art creation process, he would give him space when he zoned out in the middle of their activities by continuing to work on his piece in silence. And usually by the time he had finished his work, Akira would have already snap out of his stupor on his own.
On a sunny yet chilly Saturday near the end of November, a week after Akira’s ordeal with the police, Yusuke had invited Akira to go people watching with him. Sitting side by side on a bench outside Shibuya Station, they observed pedestrians from all walks of life pass by.
This pastime of theirs had always been a tranquil affair; they would exchange a few words every now and then, a good part of the time spent in comfortable silence, each of them lost in their own thoughts. Today seemed to be no different at first, but when Yusuke turned to Akira for some advice on his sketch, he noticed the stupor Akira was now wrapped up in was not quite the same as his usual one. His gaze less relaxed, more troubled, like there was a undercurrent hidden beneath a calm sea.
Before Yusuke could call his friend’s name, the moment was broken by a sneeze from Akira. A couple more followed, then he sniffed and visibly shivered. Yusuke frowned.
“Please accept my apology, Akira.”
“Huh? What for?” Akira blinked at his words.
“It was insensitive of me to invite you out so soon. After all, you’re still recovering from the--"
“No, no I wanted to get some air too,” Akira cut him off. Another sniff. “This is good for me. LeBlanc’s attic is…getting kind of stuffy.”
Yusuke nodded after a moment. Akira gave him a small smile before bringing his attention back to the crowd. Yusuke’s eyes didn’t leave his friend, though, noticing his cheeks and nose were slightly flushed from the cold. There was a shakiness to his shoulders and hands too. Not only as a result of the weather, Yusuke believed.
Without a second thought, he removed the scarf around his neck and draped it over Akira’s shoulders.
Startled, Akira turned his head to meet Yusuke’s eyes. “No, Yusuke, you’re wearing even less than I am.”
“I insist you take my offer. In any case, I don’t really need the scarf. It is solely for aesthetic purpose.”
“…You sure?”
“Certainly. The cold never bothered me.” It was the truth; even before Yusuke awakened Goemon he had been a cold weather person. The leader, on the other hand, was not fond of the chill, much like his original Persona Arsene who was weak to Ice. And a cat.
After some hesitation, Akira nodded with a ‘thank you’ and wrapped the scarf tighter around himself.
The vibrant color and intricate patterns of the scarf made a sharp contrast with Akira’s raven hair and pale skin, yet nicely complementing his handsome features under the setting sun rays. Without his glasses, the soft light touched his grey eyes and played across his cheekbones and wind tousled hair, as if adding a glowing layer to his whole being.
In that moment, Yusuke found himself mesmerized.
How could he never notice this? The perfect subject for his next art piece had been here next to him all along.
“Akira, would you let me paint you?”
That brought Akira’s reverie into another surprised expression. But he recovered just as quick. “I’m afraid I don’t know how to pose like Ann does,” he chuckled.
“There is no need to do such a thing. You may just proceed with your usual thought process.”
“So I just…sit here and watch people?”
Yusuke nodded. “That would suffice.”
“…Okay, Yusuke. Whatever you need,” Akira said, a warm smile spreading over his face, and diverted his gaze back to the scene in front. Ever so slightly, the stormy grey of his eyes seemed to lighten up a shade.
Yusuke turned the page on his sketchpad to a blank one and started moving his pencil.
This would no doubt be his most brilliant work to date.