Archive of Our Own

Akechi always considered Jazz Jin to be a niche, relaxing spot where he could get some work done while enjoying a drink and the occasional live performer. Very few people would approach him asking for an autograph, choosing instead to enjoy what the club had to offer. Only a few locations could make him feel part of the crowd like how this one does. However, that’s not why he’s here tonight.

This jazz club was the perfect location to focus on his current investigation:

The Phantom Thieves: a group of vigilantes known for exposing the corrupt misdoings of those abusing their power.

Requests for their targets are submitted via the Phan-site; a website that’s dedicated to all things Phantom Thieves. Ever since that site appeared, the police have confirmed cases occurring mainly in Shibuya, but also a few in Shinjuku and Kichijoji.

Once the Phantom Thieves have their target, they scatter a load of calling cards at the scene of the target’s injustice or somewhere nearby that couldn’t be missed. The very next day, a huge data leak of all the crimes they’ve committed would be released to the public, that’s usually when the police get involved.

This may seem like the noble acts of a select few fighting against injustice, however, the means at which they achieve their so-called “justice” can’t be legal.

A while ago, the police contacted Akechi to work alongside them to bring down the Phantom Thieves. In their words, they were “tired of being shown up by a bunch of amateurs.”

It’s rare for Akechi to accept requests from the police. With the amount of corruption going on under the guise of public safety, he’s a firm believer that their problems are their own to deal with. Besides, he works best on his own.

However, the Phantom Thieves are such a wildly popular and infamous case, there’s no way he could refuse.

Plus the police would have barred him from conducting his own investigation had he refused. It’s a nasty tactic but they’re incredibly desperate to prove themselves to the public, and they genuinely believe that Akechi is capable of identifying the culprits. The police were not going to let some high school detective take all the credit for a case that’s been beating their asses for months.

Only, ever since he’s started working on this investigation, Akechi’s hit nothing but dead ends. It’s infuriating. He spent so much time looking for a decisive pattern between the cases that hasn’t yet been identified, but he’s drawing a blank.

Still, Akechi was never one to give up so easily. Maybe there’s just some piece of information he’s unaware of…

“The Phantom Thieves, huh? I knew someone as skilled as you would be trying to catch them.” A voice spoke from behind him.

“I beg your pardon?” Akechi responds, turning around to see the face that voice belonged to.

“Oh I’m sorry, I never introduced myself.” A tall boy with black curly hair and round glasses dressed in a school uniform stood before him. His posture was rather relaxed, as if he didn’t know, or care, that he was talking to a celebrity. Interesting. “I’m Akira Kurusu, I’ve seen you come here pretty often and thought I should say hi. It’s rare to see people my age at a place like this.”

“Nice to meet you Kurusu.'' Normally Akechi would politely decline any conversation with random strangers while he’s supposed to be working.

But something about this person intrigued Akechi, it’s not often that people approach him like Akira did.

Not to mention he’s fairly attractive… Actually, he’s very attractive.

So Akechi turned in his seat to properly face him, deciding one quick conversation couldn’t hurt. Who knows, he might be a fan. “So, do you come here often?”

“Only when I’m in the area, I like the ambiance this place gives off.” Akira answers.

“I agree, it’s also nice that there’s never too many people here. Oh, my apologies, I never introduced myself.” Akechi turned back around to face the table, gesturing for Akira to sit with him. He knew he didn’t really have to introduce himself, he’s Goro Akechi, who wouldn’t know him? But it’s all part of the polite character he plays for both the people who adore him, and those who couldn’t care less.

“No need, you’re Goro Akechi, the Ace Detective, the Detective Prince, the handsome genius who’s going to put a stop to the Phantom Thieves… Am I forgetting anything?” Akira purrs, slipping into the empty chair at Akechi’s table.

“So you already know me, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.”

“Of course, how could anyone forget someone like you.” Akira hums with enough charm to make Akechi’s chest grow warm. Not bad Kurusu, but two can play at that game.

“You’re one to talk, I doubt anyone could forget about you either.” Akechi says in a polite tone, but allows his lips to curl into a tempted grin.

The two of them spent the rest of the night flirting with each other until the owner had to remind them that the club closes in ten minutes. Afterwards, they parted ways leaving each other with nothing but the memory of that night.

Akira Kurusu… Such a fascinating person. The more they spoke to each other, the more Akechi really did believe that Akira was unforgettable. In fact, he remembered everything about him. From the way his hair framed an alluring grin, to the silky tone that lined his words. The memory of Akira was worth its weight in gold, so much so that Akechi found himself hoping he could see him again.

One of the detectives working with Akechi at the police station celebrates her birthday today. It’s a shame she still has to come in to work, but that’s what happens when your superiors are hellbent on catching the Phantom Thieves.

Akechi doesn’t know her that well, but he didn’t want to be rude, and of course there’s still his Detective Prince persona to maintain. So he decided to buy her some flowers because who wouldn’t love a beautiful bouquet of flowers on your birthday? Not to mention it pairs perfectly with being a prince.

Akechi made his way to the flower shop in the underground mall in Shibuya, entertaining the thought of what kind words his coworkers had for him once they saw how great he is.

“Hello detective.” A familiar voice called, completely capturing Akechi’s attention. It was from the same curly haired boy with round glasses and a charming smile that he met at Jazz Jin, Akira. Only now, he was dressed in an apron displaying the logo of the flower shop where he stood.

“Kurusu? You work at this flower shop?” Akechi asks, a little surprised.

“That’s right, you’re buying flowers for someone who isn’t me? Wow, I’m heartbroken.” Akira jokes with a pained hand over his heart, earning a muffled laugh from Akechi.

“They’re for a coworker, today’s her birthday.” he explains.

“Ah, in that case, I have the perfect flowers for you.” Akira says, turning around to look through the vast selection of flowers.

Who knew that Akechi would see Akira again in a flower shop of all places. It’s a shame they couldn’t talk too much since both of them had work to do, but that didn’t mean Akechi couldn’t make the most of this interaction.

For example, Akechi paid close attention to Akira as he worked. Every flower he touched was handled with such delicacy and carefully gathered into a stunning bouquet. To be honest the whole process was fascinating to watch, Akechi couldn’t look away. Of course this was mainly due to how alluring Akira was himself. In Akechi’s opinion, Akira could probably make any mundane task worthy of a performance so long as he’s the one doing it.

Akira handed him the finished bouquet in a box wrapped with a sleek ribbon. Akechi fished his wallet out of his pocket and paid for the flowers.

“Thank you, I’m sure she’ll love these.”

“Anyone would love to receive flowers from the Detective Prince Goro Akechi.” Akira purrs low enough for only Akechi to hear. However, there was no one else around them, which could only mean one thing.

Akechi donned the same smirk he wore at the jazz club. Sure they only had a few minutes together, but he did say he’d be making the most of this interaction. “I'll remember that.”

“I’d hope so, and here.” Akira reached behind himself to pull out a single bloomed rose. “A little something extra, for you.”

Akechi eyed the rose before returning his gaze back to Akira with a raised eyebrow. “You sure you’re allowed to give out flowers for free?”

“So long as a certain cute detective doesn’t tell my boss.” Akira responds with a wink.

Hmm well played, Kurusu. Akechi lifted the rose from his hand and allowed the flower to just barely brush the side of his lips. “Alright then. I hope I can see you again Kurusu.”

Akira’s expression softened for a brief second. Akechi would've missed it had he so much as blinked. “Same here, Akechi.”

Akechi walked out of the underground mall and onto the station platform to wait for the next train. As he stood there, Akechi stared at the rose Akira gave him.

It’s a nice coincidence that Akira works at that flower shop. It’s not a job Akechi would expect, yet it fits him perfectly.

Maybe Akechi wouldn’t mind dropping by a few other days to see him, otherwise he’d have to wait until he shows up at Jazz Jin again.

As Akechi walked to the police station, he was left wondering how soon their next encounter may be. Though he did look forward to it, he never realized just how much he really wanted to see Akira again.

The detectives working at the police station all decided to get dinner together. Akechi tagged along because they offered to pay for his food, and the only thing better than delicious food is delicious free food. He didn’t even need to ask, they were more than happy to treat him.

Not to gloat, but Akechi has been doing a great job at maintaining his detective prince character. Thanks to his hard work, everyone at the station loved him. All that’s left to do is blow them out the water by solving this case, then he’ll be back to working on his own, and with a few more fans and connections than last time.

One of the detectives recommended a beef bowl shop just outside the train station a while back. Everyone agreed that ramen seemed like a great idea for a small outing, so that’s where they decided to eat tonight.

The detectives took a seat at the counter in the shop and immediately started discussing what they should order. The shop was awfully busy tonight, Akechi had yet to see a single worker anywhere. It can’t be easy having to serve so many customers with so few staff, whoever’s working tonight must but be overwhelm-

“You’re here too Akechi? Just when I was starting to think the entirety of Japan chose to eat dinner here tonight.” Akira complained from behind the counter where Akechi sat. To his surprise, he was dressed in a work uniform displaying the logo of the beef bowl shop.

“Kurusu?”

“And you brought others too, that’s a lot of orders to remember…” Akira looked around at Akechi’s coworkers as they continued to discuss the menu items, furrowing his brow and the number of people he’d have to serve.

“You work here too?” Akechi questions.

“Yup, in fact it feels like I’m the only one who works here.” Akira complains, briefly taking off his uniform hat to run a tired hand through his hair.

“Oh, are you guys understaffed?” Akechi asks, trying not to pay attention to how nice Akira looked with his hair back… Well, not too hard, he looked really nice.

“Very.” Akira confirms with a sigh.

“I’m sorry to hear, you must be exhausted.”

“You have no idea.” Akira’s expression changed, but not in a way that Akechi’s seen on him before. It seemed like he was going to flirt with him again, but something’s different... “You being here might give me the energy I need to keep going.”

Akechi glanced over at his coworkers, they were so distracted by the menu that they had yet to notice that Akira was right in front of him. Alright, that’s good. “Is that so?” Akechi coos, propping an elbow on the counter and resting his chin in the palm of his hand.

“Mhmm, I really am happy to see you again, Akechi.” Akira spoke with a smile that looked almost too genuine. Akechi knew the many captivating smiles and tempted grins Akira gave all too well, but this particular smile was nothing like Akechi’s seen from him before. It was the type of smile to throw him completely off his game and make his cheeks flush the same shade of red as the ginger next to him on the counter.

And now those words, and that smile, were never going to leave Akechi’s mind.

“Hey waiter, I’m ready to order!” someone shouted from within the restaurant.

“And that’s my queue, I’ll be back later to take your order.” Akira left him with a small wave and disappeared further into the restaurant. But Akechi remained frozen, trying to process what Akira said. And that smile, that devastating smile.

That… was not something that Akechi was expecting, and definitely not prepared for. But why did those words, that smile, have such an effect on him?

And Akira… did he really mean what he said? Akechi felt his chest tighten.

“Akechi?” One of Akechi’s coworkers waved for his attention, snapping him out of his reverie.

“I’m sorry, did you say something?” Akechi responds, quick to don his usual princely smile and pleasant tone.

“Don’t worry about it, is he a friend of yours?” The coworker gestured to Akira taking someone’s order, it seems they really did notice the two of them. Akechi had to stop himself from thinking too hard about it, apparently the mere thought of Akira was enough to make his cheeks red. He took a sip of water to cool his head down, and maybe hide his awfully persistent blush.

“You could say that.” Akechi muttered into his water.

The rest of that night was fine. The detectives had a good time together, and Akechi had fun too when he wasn’t forcing himself to stop sneaking glances at Akira as he worked. And when Akira eventually came back to take everyone’s order, Akechi had to not-very-smoothly shield his vision with the menu to prevent his cheeks from having their way again.

Akechi fell onto the couch in his apartment and thought more about what happened at that shop. Akechi never expected Akira to have two jobs, that was definitely a surprise. Though it’s not too unusual, maybe he really needs the money.

Hopefully Akira didn’t have to work too much, otherwise Akechi wouldn’t be able to see him very often…

He said he was genuinely happy to see Akechi again, that his presence gave him the energy he needed to keep going…

And now Akechi’s cheeks were a light shade of red, again. Great.

Akechi was in need of a decent cafe with nice coffee and a relaxing atmosphere where he can peacefully review case information without distraction.

He enjoyed the jazz club because it matched this description perfectly. But unfortunately, he can’t work there anymore because he’ll end up thinking about the time he spent with Akira. Last time he went, all he did was check the entrance and wonder whether or not Akira would show up.

For that reason, Jazz Jin will be off limits for the time being. All thanks to Akira Kurusu.

He stood at the entrance of an old shop tucked along the backstreets of Yongen-Jaya. His coworker suggested this cafe named Leblanc. They said it matched the description of what he was looking for, Akechi was here to judge that for himself.

Akechi opened the door of the cafe and enjoyed the warm smell of coffee that swirled through the air, welcoming him. The cafe carried a nostalgic ambiance that paired nicely with the somewhat dim lighting and vintage furniture, all with no other customers present. Yup, this place was exactly what he was looking for. It’s warm, it’s peaceful, and most importantly, there was no Akira.

To be fair, maybe it wasn’t Akira’s fault that he had such an effect on Akechi’s productivity…

No, it was definitely his fault. How could he just smile at Akechi like that, does he have any idea what that thing is capable of? Hell, he probably had a trail of lovestruck admirers and didn’t even know it.

Anyways none of that matters right now. Of course Akechi would love to have another chance to speak to Akira, but now he has to focus on the investigation. The sooner he catches the Phantom Thieves, the sooner he can go back to the jazz club to await another night with Akira.

“I didn’t think I’d see you here too.” Akira stepped out of the tiny kitchen tucked in the back behind the corner dressed in an apron, a fucking apron.

“Huh?!” Akechi exclaims, almost dropping his briefcase.

“Hello to you too.”

“How many jobs do you have?” Akechi tried to appear calm, but he had yet to take another step from the door of the cafe.

“A few.” Akira nonchalantly answers, as if it were nothing.

“Just a few?”

“Yup, just a few.”

“Kurusu, this is the third store I’ve seen you working at. Aren’t you still a high school student?” Akechi was honestly at a loss for words, how the hell did he even have time to go to Jazz Jin in the first place?

“Aren’t you one too, detective?” Akira counters.

“Yes, but that’s hardly the same as having three jobs.” Akechi tries to reason.

“Your words, not mine. Anyways, I can’t make you coffee if you’re not going to step inside the cafe.”

Akechi had every chance to leave and not deal with whatever the hell was going on right now. But, he was stubborn. If Akechi wants a nice cafe where he can work, then that’s what he’s going to get. So, he gave up on reasoning with Akira and opted instead to finally step inside and take a seat at the counter.

“The house blend, please.”

As Akira brewed his coffee, Akechi took the opportunity to sort through the papers in his briefcase. This was his chance to prove how ideal this shop was for his productivity. That he wasn’t going to let the presence of this man affect him!

Akechi was able to focus for a good five minutes before proving himself wrong.

He looked around at the cafe, realizing that he and Akira really were the only two people there. But he’s not bothered by that. Nope. Not one bit.

“Is this place understaffed too?” Akechi asked so as to distract the butterflies giving a world class performance in his stomach.

“Boss is out taking care of his daughter because she got sick, so it’s just me today. Good thing this cafe doesn’t get many customers.” Akira placed a steaming cup of coffee in front of him. Akechi took a sip, preparing for it to be as good as a part-time barista could make coffee. But to his surprise, it was way better than he thought.

This place really is perfect.. Good coffee, few customers, and a relaxing atmosphere. Akechi was determined to make this his new work spot, he just had to get past this hold that Akira had on him.

“Not bad.” Akechi comments.

Akira huffed, curling his lips into a teasing grin and closing the space between them with a lean onto the counter. “I’m glad you like it. I could make something else you might like too.”

Akechi was able to match his grin, albeit for a brief second, until he had to hide the developing blush on his cheeks with another sip of coffee. “I assume you’ve been working here for a while?”

“Well this is the job I’ve had the longest, so I guess you could say that.”

“The job you’ve had the longest, huh?” Akechi chides. Akira understood what he was implying, letting out a small chuckle that honestly shouldn’t have been as cute as Akechi thought it was.

“It’s not like I have all these jobs because I have nothing better to do, I have my reasons.”

“Ok, then what was it about this place that made you want to work here?” Akechi asks. It’s a strategic question; If Akira has three jobs, then there’s a chance that he might not work here as often as the other two. It all depends on how much he was willing to take shifts at this store, meaning that the fate of Akechi’s plan rested in Akira’s response.

“That’s a long story. But in my defense, I don't just work here.”

“What do you mean?” Akechi asks before raising his cup back up to his lips.

“I live here.”

...What?

Akechi calmly placed the cup back onto the counter and folded his arms. Well that explains why the coffee was so good, Akira probably makes himself a cup everyday when he wakes up, and maybe another before he goes to bed, or before working one of his other jobs. Yup, that makes perfect sense.

Akechi will not be coming back here any time soon.

“You’re… quite an... interesting person...” Akechi choked out. He was suffering from a mix of defeat from his plan being a failure, and disbelief at what Akira just said. He did say that he lives here right? Akechi didn’t hear that wrong, did he?

“What? You’ve never met someone who lives in a cafe?” Akira mocks. Looks like Akechi did hear him correctly.

“No Kurusu, no one has.” Akechi could feel his princely character falter, but there’s no way he could fix it, this was all just too much for him. “Do you live at all your work places?”

“Nope, just this one.” Akira responded with an innocent smile that made Akechi feel even worse.

“I see…”

A small meow sounded from the floor behind Akechi’s chair. Sitting there politely on the floor was a small black cat with white paws and bright blue eyes in a yellow collar. He stared back up at Akechi as if he were expecting something from him.

When the hell did a cat get in here? Did Akechi accidentally let him in while he was standing at the door for who knows how long? He should probably apologize for his carelessness.

“Bad Mona, go back upstairs.” Akira stepped from behind the counter and swooped the cat up into his arms.

Oh great, there’s more.

“You have a cat?” Akechi didn’t know why he bothered to ask. Of course he has a cat, of course the man who has three jobs and lives in a cafe had a cat. Why wouldn’t he?

“Yeah, his name’s Morgana, or Mona for short. But he’s not allowed down here while the café is open, even though he’s just so cute.” Akira carefully took one of the cat’s arms and made him wave a paw at Akechi, all with the brightest smile on his face that Akechi has ever seen.

As Akira carried Mona back upstairs, Akechi stood completely still at his chair, his hands still folded on the counter. Only now, his brow was furrowed and his eyes were closed in a pained expression.

That… That was so fucking cute. It’s a miracle that Akechi was still sitting at this counter. His heart ached so much, he could barely hold himself together. He had to get out of this dreadful store, right now. Akira cannot see him like this.

Oh, and Mona will never be forgiven for serving as Akira’s accomplice. Never.

Moments later Akira returned from upstairs to see Akechi frantically shoving his papers back into the briefcase and searching every pocket for his wallet. He threw the money on the counter just before finally noticing the questioning look on Akira’s face.

Akechi froze like a deer in headlights.

“I have to go, the payment is on the counter.” He rushed.

“Leaving so soon?” Akira walked up to him with an eyebrow raised.

“Something came up at work.” Akechi utters, turning away to look at his abandoned cup of coffee.

“Alright, until next time Akechi.” Akira says just before taking that cup draining the rest of the coffee in it, all without breaking eye contact. Akechi wasn’t sure whether it was that, or the fact that he said ‘until next time’ that made him freeze up yet again. But regardless, even he would have to admit that he probably looked like an idiot right now.

“Yeah… Goodbye.”

Akechi slowly walked out of the cafe, only to hide what was going through his head. But the moment he was out of Akira’s view, he bolted to the nearest train station, hoping that no one was around to see the pathetic shade of red that covered his face.

Untouchable is an airsoft gun and weapon memorabilia store rumored to have close ties to gang activity. Those rumors brought Akechi here to investigate, there’s a chance that the owner may know something about the Phantom Thieves that the police don’t.

The store gave off such an intimidating feel, no wonder it had so many rumors. Akechi stepped through the door and immediately glanced at who was sitting behind the counter, letting out a sigh of relief when he saw a rather menacing older man with his arms crossed staring back at him instead of a flirtatious curly-haired boy.

In his defense, Akira has been in every store he visited so far this week, there’s only so much of him that his heart could take. At this point it’s not even about focusing on work, Akechi just needs a break to catch his breath and rebuild his pride.

Akechi briefly scanned the merchandise that decorated the store before walking up to the man behind the counter and greeting him with a polite smile.

“Can I help you?” He asked, though it sounded more like a threat coming from him. Maybe it didn’t help that everyone knew he was working with the police.

“Yes, I was wondering if-”

Akechi was interrupted by the sound of a phone ringing from the man’s pocket. He dug around for it and let out a sigh upon seeing the name on his screen.

“Hold on.” He turned to face the back of the store reserved for employees only. “Hey part-timer, come help this customer I got a call to take.”

The man answered his phone and disappeared into the back of the store. Akechi took the opportunity to take a closer look at the weapons advertised in the display case. It’s almost hard to believe that they’re replicas, an untrained eye could hardly differentiate between this and the real deal.

Even more of a reason to believe the rumors of this store’s involvement in the underground…

There’s a chance Akechi might be in over his head. He’s been to several shady locations in the past, but usually then he had a backup plan in case things went south. Coming here on his own unprepared might have been a mistake, but he still had no plans of leaving here empty handed.

There’s a chance that this part-timer might be someone dangerous as well. Good thing Akechi knew what he was doing, he just needed to choose his words carefully and keep an appearance of unwavering confidence. He’s Goro Akechi, there’s no one who could possibly get the better of him.

“You like guns Akechi? That’s surprising.” ...? Akechi blinked. What the hell is he doing here? He’s behind the counter... Why was he behind the counter?

Wait. No...

“... Are you kidding me?” Akechi felt his shoulders collapse like a deflated balloon. Just when he thought he’d finally escaped this man, he shows up at the one place he shouldn’t be. This is so cruel, so unbelievably cruel. What god did he piss off to deserve this?

That part-timer was none other than Akira Kurusu, yet again.

“You know, you’re not very good at saying hi to people.” Akira teases.

“Kurusu, what the hell are you doing here?”

“Working.”

“Working?” Akechi repeats, visibly agitated.

“Yeah, you heard him call me a part-timer didn’t you?”

“You know exactly what I mean.” Akechi’s at the end of his wits. It's crazy enough that this man was everywhere, but why? Why was he working at a place like this? Akechi felt stupid thinking about how he was worried about the people he’d encounter here, all for it to just be Akira. Akira Fucking Kurusu.

Actually, scratch that. Akira is the scariest person he could encounter right now. Akechi’s living through his worst nightmare.

“I’m just here to get paid, I swear.” Akira said with a laidback grin, he really doesn’t understand the situation he’s in does he?

Akechi let out a sigh, bringing a hand to the temples of his forehead. Alright, fine. Akira works at a flower shop, a beef bowl shop, a cafe, one that he lives in with a small black cat by the way, and a shady weapons store. Sure, that’s completely fine.

Except it’s not ok, by no means is any of this ok. What the hell is wrong with him?

“Ok, but why do I see you at every store I walk into?“ Akechi is using every shred of energy he has left to hide how distressed he is.

“Why are you asking me? From my perspective, it looks like you’re the one following me around, do you really like me that much?” Akira shoved his hands in his pockets and looked at Akechi through a mischievous grin.

That damn grin of his was starting to become a bad omen. Unfortunately, it’s a very effective one.

“No, I-...” Akechi starts, but then decides it’s best that he doesn’t say anything that could possibly give Akira more power. As much as he didn’t want to, he should accept defeat, again. “I’m going back to work.”

“Hmm? You don’t need anything? Maybe you really did come in to see me.” Akira continues. Akechi turned around so that he couldn't see the look in Akira’s eyes, it might destroy him.

“I’m... I’m going to leave now.” Akechi forced himself to turn around and took very, very painful steps to the door of this godforsaken weapon shop.

“Alright, I’ll see you later.” Akira calls. That time, it was enough to send a chill through Akechi’s spine.

“Yeah…” he mutters.

After leaving the store, Akechi went back to the police station to report that he found nothing. He also suggested that the store was a waste of time to investigate and that they’re better off forgetting about it altogether.

He then proceeded to do no work for the rest of that day.

This is starting to get a little too weird. Mind you, it’s been weird ever since Akechi walked into Leblanc a few days ago, but Untouchable too? This is ridiculous.

Akechi started making a list of all the places Akira worked in hopes that it would make this whole situation seem less unusual. It didn’t work.

The flower shop in the underground mall, the beef bowl shop on central street, an old cafe in the backstreets of Yongen-Jaya, and an airsoft shop in the alley of central street. At least the stores were all located in Shibuya, but still… How was this man in every store Akechi went to? At this point he’d seen him everyday this week, without fail.

Also, Akechi was in such bitter defeat from not being able to find a new place to work. Of course, there was always the option of remaining at the police station. But it was always so loud from citizens filing in to make reports, or police and detectives alike scrambling to complete their investigations and respond to emergencies.

It wasn’t an environment conducive for working. Hell, even the temporary desk the police gave him was old and uncomfortable.

All this to say, Akechi was really upset that he won’t be able to work at Leblanc. In the meantime, he'll be taking his work home until he finds somewhere else.

Though at this rate, he might collapse the moment he steps through the door of his apartment. Today was unbelievably exhausting.

There was an emergency at the station that called for everyone’s help, even Akechi’s. He wanted to refuse, he really did. Afterall, he was only there to investigate the Phantom Thieves. But, what kind of Detective Prince would he be if he didn’t lend a helping hand to people in need.

Although that “helping hand” was more like his entire soul. Akechi was surprised that he could stand on his own two feet after the hell he went through.

At the very least he needed to get something to eat, something quick that just needed to get the job done regardless of how good it tasted.

Akechi was never very proficient at cooking, so the next best option was whatever food they had at this convenience store in front of him.

He dragged himself into the store and scanned the isles for any food that could pass as a decent dinner. It’s pretty hard to focus on his surroundings, to be honest he’s on his last string. It sure would be nice if he could get a cup of coffee at a comfortable cafe while he worked, but no, apparently that’s too much to ask for. He’ll just have to settle for the instant coffee he has at home.

Akechi grabbed a sandwich without bothering to check what was on it and made his way to the register. By the time he dumped the sandwich on the counter at the register, he was already looking for his wallet, ready to get home as soon as possible without any further hindrances.

“A sandwich? Don’t you think you should be eating more than that, detective?” A far too familiar voice said from behind the register. Akechi didn’t even bother to look, he just let his arms drop to his side as he closed his eyes.

“...”

“You know, I can get you some better food at Leblanc, just don’t tell my boss that I said that. Do you like curry?”

“...”

“Hello? Earth to Akechi. Anyone there?”

“…I’m leaving.” Akechi mutters. The convenience store on central street, great, another addition to the list. Was there any store that Akira didn’t work at?

“Without paying? Isn’t that a crime?” Akechi still refuses to look Akira in the eye. Part of him wanted to believe that if he didn’t see Akira working, then none of this ever happened.

“Keep the sandwich, I’m not hungry anymore.”

“You got to eat something. Working all day on an empty stomach is the worst, believe me.” Akira definitely said that on purpose. Now that was irritating, Akechi had no choice but to glare at him in disapproval.

“I’ll cook something.” Akechi states. But once he saw that same disapproval reflected back at him from Akira’s eyes, he realized his fatal mistake.

“If you could cook something then would you really be here buying a cheap sandwich?” Akira says, leaning forward towards Akechi. Too close, way too close.

“I-” Akechi started, but then turned his head away. He remembered that he didn’t have the energy to properly respond to Akira while dealing with his annoyingly over-excited heart. “I’ll figure something out.”

Akira narrowed his eyes, unconvinced. “If you say so. But maybe you should take the sandwich, just in case.” Akechi could feel the concern dripping from his voice. He couldn’t blame him, hell, Akira could probably see the exhaustion in Akechi’s eyes.

That’s right, it’s normal to be concerned when seeing someone completely drained from a long day of work. It’s normal. Completely normal.

So why the hell was Akechi’s face warming up again?

“Fine.”

Akira scanned the barcode on the sandwich’s wrapping while Akechi finally fished out his wallet and paid for it.

“Have a good night.” Akira says with a reassuring smile, clearly an attempt to comfort him.

“Uh huh.” Akechi mutters before walking out the store and chiding himself for thinking about Akira’s smile, or the fact that he’s worried about him.

It was a very long and unforgiving walk home, but once he got there, Akechi left the sandwich on the table of his kitchen next to the rose from the flower shop. Every now and then he would just glare at them as if they were the source of all his problems.

You’d think that Akechi would love to see Akira everywhere he went. This is Akira we’re talking about; Cute, charming, captivating Akira Kurusu.

But no, you couldn’t possibly be any more wrong.

Akira is cunning, he always knew exactly what to say to get the reaction he wanted, Akechi’s sure of it. Hell, he’s even willing to bet that every move he makes is precisely calculated for the maximum amount of heartache he can inflict on Akechi. That man knows exactly what he’s doing.

He was drawn in by Akira’s allure like a siren, and now look at him. He’s pathetic. The mere thought of seeing him again was enough to send Akechi's heart beating at a mile per minute.

And hey, so what if Akira wasn’t doing this on purpose. Even if this is a one-sided war, Akechi is still losing. Dreadfully.

Not to mention the pitiful state of his work and productivity. The police station was the only place he knew Akira wouldn't be, so he ended up spending the whole day working there. However, he can only stay in a place like that for so long. Especially after what happened yesterday.

His options may be limited, but there was one spot Akira had no chance of being at. It’s a last resort, honestly Akechi wouldn’t bother coming here on any other occasion. But right now, he’s desperate.

Crossroads, a bar in the red light district of Shinjuku.

A lot of his previous cases required him to investigate in the red light district, it got to the point where the owner of this bar knew him well enough to let him come in to take a breather with a glass of water.

Thank goodness for that. Now Akechi finally had the chance to look over his materials and get himself together before facing Akira again.

That’s right, Akechi wasn’t going to shy away from that man and his stupid flirtatious grin or cute smile any more. After tonight, he’ll be ready to spend the evening talking to him at Jazz Jin, or even Leblanc. He’s going to overcome this!

Akechi bravely stepped into the building and settled into his seat at the bar. He immediately opened his briefcase and started sorting through his notes and going over all known evidence collected thus far on the Phantom Thieves for the hundredth time that day. While he was so engrossed in his work, a glass of water was placed in front of him, likely from the owner.

“Thank you.” Akechi took a refreshing sip from the glass without tearing his eyes away from his papers.

The bar had only a few customers that night, so it was fairly quiet. Just what Akechi needed. It’s been a while since he was able to relax and effectively focus on his work like this. He smiled into his water, finally he could get some peace.

“So, a bar this time. Did you have a rough week?”

Akechi damn near needed to cover his mouth to stop himself from spitting water all over his notes. Luckily that didn’t happen, but instead the water was forced in the other direction and down the wrong pipe.

So there he sat, hunched over at a bar coughing his lungs out.

“Hey, did you forget how to drink water?” Akira says, not knowing whether or not he should help Akechi out with a pat on the back.

“Akira…” Akechi mumbles between coughs.

“Woah first name basis already? You’re so forward Akechi, or should I say... Goro.” Akira purrs. He said his name… he said his first name.

Oh great here come those fucking butterflies again, as if he wasn’t suffering enough already.

Akechi eventually regained control of his lungs and gave Akira a stern look before taking another sip of his water, proving that he didn’t in fact forget how to drink water.

“So, you work at a bar too.” he grumbles.

“Yup.” Akira answers like it’s completely normal, like there’s nothing wrong about any of this, like working at a bar was the ideal job for every high school student, like Akechi didn’t see him at six other jobs everyday this week.

Akechi clicked his tongue, he’s insufferable.

“You, an underaged highschool student working at a bar in the red light district.” Akechi states, Akira had to realize how bizarre this is, right?

“Pretty much.” Akira responds in the same exact way...

Fine, so be it.

Akechi sighed. “I would ask how you managed to get a job here, but honestly I’m starting to think that rationalizing why you work where you do is pointless.”

He gave up. At this point, him running into Akira at whatever store he went to was inevitable. Akechi might as well just accept his fate.

“Aww have you finally had enough of me?” Akira teases, he’s enjoying himself isn’t he?

Akechi took one last regretful look at his papers before ultimately deciding that no work was going to be done today. Akira’s here, in all his irritatingly enticing glory. He’s done. He lost.

All he could now was just pretend like he wasn’t even more of a mess than Akira already saw. “I see you nearly everyday. I know I already asked this, but how many jobs do you really have?”

Akira brought a hand to his chin to mimic a look of deep consideration “Hmm, I guess this is more than just a few, isn’t it?”

“You think?”

“You’ve seen all my jobs though.” Akira dropped his hand and crossed his arms, adopting a rather serious expression. That’s new. “But I guess there’s one more.”

“There’s more… Of course there’s more.” Akechi huffed. “What is it? A diner? Shoe store? Maid cafe?” He was being sarcastic but to be honest Akechi wouldn’t be surprised if all those answers were somehow correct.

“That’s a secret.” Akira stated, still maintaining that uncharacteristically serious expression.

“A secret?”

“Mhmm, secret.”

Weird… Akechi narrowed his eyes as he took another sip of water. “Is it legal?”

“I’m a high school student working at a bar in the red light district and you’re worried about it being legal?” Akira pointedly states.

Akechi shrugs, “Fair point.” Maybe a good police officer would report the owner of this bar for employing an underaged student, but Akechi was only working alongside the police, so this was none of his business. And frankly, he didn’t want to deal with anything else that involved this man.

He was serious when he said that rationalizing why Akira works where he does is pointless. Look at him. He’s a florist that works at a beef bowl restaurant, an airsoft weapon shop, and convenience store. Who also lives in a cafe, which he works at as a barista by the way, and of course who could forget about the bar in the red light district.

Forget the job being legal, Akechi wasn’t sure how having this many jobs as a high school student was legal. Just thinking about it gave him a headache.

Akira softened his expression, it’s the same he had at the convenience store. Great, here we go again. “You’ve been looking kind of tired lately, was this week really ok for you?”

Akechi wishes he could roll his eyes. “It's your fault.”

“Mine?”

“Yes, you were literally everywhere I went. I thought I was going to lose my mind.”

“Lose your mind?” Akira asks with a raised eyebrow.

“I will not elaborate.” Akechi states, earning a complaining look from Akira that Akechi ignored.

“It’s not my fault I need money.” Akira sighed with a nonchalant shrug. Akechi wasn’t convinced.

“One does not work seven jobs just for money, why are you really doing this?”

Akira looked off to the side, like he was carefully thinking about what his next words were going to be. Yet another rare sight. “I guess... I can’t turn my back to those who need my help.” hmm, weird answer for someone working a part-time job, but then again there wasn’t anything normal about Akira.

“Seven jobs, all just to help people?” Akechi prys. “I think there’s an easier way of accomplishing that.”

“Maybe.” Akira's eyes were drawn over to the stack of papers next to Akechi. “How’s the investigation going?”

Usually Akechi isn’t allowed to disclose case information until he’s granted permission to make it public. He knows better, but truthfully he had nothing else to hide. The entire world knew just as much about the Phantom Thieves as he did.

“To be honest I’m hitting a roadblock. I still have yet to make any real progress.”

Akira gave him a sympathetic look that Akechi tried really hard not to think about. “Hmm that sucks. Obviously I can’t help, or even offer you a drink. But can I at least treat you to my company instead?”

Akechi stared at him for a while, not knowing what he should do. Akira Kurusu… Cute, charming, captivating Akira Kurusu. He’s a man who worked seven jobs but still had the energy to charm Akechi every chance he got.

And always with that lovely smile of his.

But this time Akira Kurusu wanted to do something different, something that veered too much in the direction of genuinely caring about Akechi in a way that’s harder to explain than physical attraction or flirting.

And honestly, Akechi was weak to it. He’d realized his feelings for Akira had entered this stage days ago, there’s no other explanation as to why Akira had this sort of effect on him.

So, as one who is weak to the kindness of a man he’s developed feelings for does, Akechi allowed himself to forget about playing some character. He smiled, but not like he usually did. It grew into something so lovestruck it’s unthinkable that he’d allow himself to be seen right now. Only this time, he didn’t bother to hide it from Akira.

“It’s not like I haven’t seen you everyday this week. But sure, I would love that.”

Today was the day that Akechi vowed he would finally make some progress in this dreadful case.

Maybe these Phantom Thieves weren’t just amateurs, why else would it take him this long to catch them? However, no matter how skilled a perpetrator is, there’s no such thing as a perfect crime. There will always be evidence leading back to them, and it’s that evidence that’s bound to uncover a pattern leading him straight to the Phantom Thieves.

Akechi just needed to look closer, and think a little harder.

The Phantom Thieves had far too many targets to narrow down to specific frequent locations. Likely because you didn’t need to physically be there in order to access private information through hacking. However, after looking through the Phan-Site a little more, Akechi learned that not every target received a calling card. The only evidence showing that the request had been fulfilled were thank you comments left by the requesters or the occasional status update.

Everyone else concluded that those calling cards were simply reserved for larger, more vile targets. However, Akechi wasn’t convinced.

The Phantom Thieves only left calling cards in locations mainly in Shibuya, Kichijoji, and Shinjuku. Additionally, a select few of the targets from those same cities never had an online request made. One could assume that those cases were simply such a big deal that news of the target’s misdoings reached all the way to the Phantom Thieves, but then why was it just cases in those three cities. And why did targets with identical crimes from other cities receive no physical calling card?

It’s reasonable to assume that the Phantom Thieves were based in Shibuya since that’s where they spread the majority of their calling cards. But unlike the rest of Akechi coworkers, he wasn’t ready to just ignore the cases in Kichijoji and Shinjuku, especially the ones with no online requesters.

What was it about those two cities that somehow made news of these crimes reach the Phantom Thieves?

Akechi furrowed his brow, he’s been asking himself that same question all week. Yet here he is, completely empty handed.

He rummaged through his briefcase once more to see if looking through the investigation reports for the fifth time that afternoon would make him realize something. Just as he was about to pull out the file, something folded up near the bottom caught his eye.

It’s that list of all the locations Akira worked, he was supposed to throw that away last night.

The time he spent with Akira in that bar was wonderful to say the least, Akechi was using every fiber of his being not to think about it.

...And here he is getting distracted by Akira while he’s supposed to be working, again.

That’s why he needed to get this case over with as soon as possible, so he could just worry about school and what drink Akira would like at the jazz club. You know, like a normal high schooler.

He really should throw away that list though, this briefcase was supposed to hold nothing but work items for a reason. Besides, Akira said that Akechi had seen every job that he works at other than that one mystery job. He didn’t need this anymore.

Akechi took one last look at the paper before folding it back up to throw in the wastebasket. Still, it’s pretty crazy to think that Akira has seven jobs while still being a high school student. But what’s even crazier was his reasoning. To help people? What was that supposed to mean?

At that moment, an idea crossed Akechi's mind, a thought so absurd it was laughable. He shook his head and criticized himself for wasting time on just a baseless conclusion.

That is… Until it didn’t seem so baseless after all.

Akechi stopped himself from dumping the list in the trash and quickly unfolded the paper.

Wait...

No way.

No fucking way.

Akechi grabbed his briefcase and rushed out the door of the station, ignoring the confused looks his coworkers gave him. He didn’t know where exactly he was planning to go first, but what he found would lead him right where he needed to be.

And what was it that he found? A pattern.

The more he thinks about it, the worse it gets. All the locations where a calling card was dropped in both Kichijoji and Shinjuku, and even several spots in Shibuya... They all had something in common: They were in the general vicinity of a selected few stores and restaurants.

And what did those shops have in common? A certain overworked part timer with a secret job.

So, went down the list of every store and cafe he visited this week. Starting with the jazz club in Kichijoji. He scanned through every store, questioned every employee, and even examined the area around the store in search of the very man he spent this entire week trying to avoid.

But alas, after searching every location, right down to the bar in Crossroads, Akechi was starting to think that maybe this was an overzealous conclusion. Akechi sighed, he didn’t even work in Kichijoji, he just visited the jazz club, that’s not unusual. This deduction was all over the place.

Akechi’s just overreacting, or maybe this was just an effect from the feelings he had for Akira. Regardless, this was a huge waste of time. He walked out of Crossroad and down the main street, deciding that it’s pointless to check the nearby areas.

But then, a small meow sounded from very close nearby. Curious, Akechi peered over in the direction it came, just to be met with something that cleared any doubts he still had.

A cat, but not just any cat. That black fur, white paws, blue eyes, and yellow collar were instantly recognizable. It’s Morgana.

Akechi stared at him for a moment longer before Morgana got up and trotted into an alley off to the side. Of course Akechi couldn’t just leave him, there’s only one way for a cat like him to end up all the way in Shinjuku.

Following Morgana’s lead, he turned the corner into the alley and was greeted by several red and black calling cards displaying the Phantom Thieves iconic logo scattered all over the ground. And in the middle of all of it, holding stacks of even more cards, was just the person Akechi knew would be there.

“Akira.” Akechi called.

The boy froze for just a second, but then he dropped his arms in defeat and looked over his shoulder at the detective. After all this time, it looks like Akechi had finally won.

“Hey Goro, looks like you found my last job.”