Chapter Text

In the world of Fables, who and what you are born as determines your fate.

We've all heard the tales of werewolves. They eat humans and other animals alike. They should be feared. We should be taught to fear them. They are evil... they cannot be controlled. 

Ever since Akira was born, he was aware that he was different.

He had hard golden eyes coupled with dark frizzy hair. 

If that alone was all, this tale wouldn't exist.

But oh... life can be so cruel

Beneath his clothes lay endless amount of fur, that just seemed to never stop growing. Aside from his face, no matter how much he shaved - it just kept growing. Inside his mouth held many sharp, long fangs. The canines in question still ever growing. His nails and toes were almost an exact replica, similar to mini daggers webbed across his hands and feet. 

For as long as he could remember, Akira hated what he was... who he was 

From the age of 6 he wore a mask to cover his fangs. He wore clothing that stretched across every part of his body to hide his patches of fur. He even wore contacts to hide his unnatural eye color. He refrained from eating any type of meat, no matter how much his predatorial instincts tried to cave him into doing the act. 

It was never enough 

Because just from looking at him, you could tell he was different.

Maybe that's why Akira wasn't really upset or surprised when he and his father were banished to the farm a year later. It wasn't a shock to either of them. His father, a wolf himself with even more defining features knew his days in the city were numbered. They had recently been cracking down, a real urge to "cleanse" the city. 

The farm was a place where anybody who didn't look human enough were sent. There was only one way to look human... 

"Just get a glamour." They would taunt. A glamour essentially allowed you to look and mask as a human. 

What they didn't tell you was how expensive it was for one person, let alone a family of 2. 

In the city where beings were highly discriminated for not looking human, finding work was virtually impossible. Any work that you could find would barely be enough to sustain an existence. This was not irony, it was perfectly designed this way. 

So as they sat in the tarnished truck, rain seeping through the cracks of the roof - the sound of thunder blaring every minute or so. They felt a sense of relief. The young boy felt somewhat hopeful...

"Maybe things will be better here." 

They arrived deep into the night. The farm was quiet and almost void of any other animals. It had some resemblance to a farm that humans would keep animals in... but with more variants.

Nevertheless, the 2 wolves made their way to a small barn that was assigned to them. When they arrived, exhausted from their journey - they fell asleep. Ready to begin their new life. 

Life on the farm turned out to a bit better than in the city. The other inhabitants on the farm were cordial with the wolves, surprisingly not seeing them as a threat. The reason why became apparent. Here resided a couple trolls, bears, an alligator - and many more creatures that would be considered "ones to be feared". Saying that everyone lived in harmony would be pushing it, but there was a high amount of tolerance and respect for every being on the farm. Perhaps because they all shared one thing in common.

Secondly, Akira's father managed to find himself evening and night work at a nearby nightclub, about 10 minutes away from the farm. His main role was to protect the dancers from any customers who got a bit ahead of themselves. For once, his scary demeanor paid off. Quite literally. It wasn't amazing pay, but it was enough to afford bare essentials. Not to mention the older wolf was allowed to take home any food left over by guests in the morning.

And that's how Akira met him

A couple weeks into working at the club, an hour before his evening shift was due to start, the older wolf brought a woman and her son to their barn. Akira was nervous at 1st, still wearing his mask and contacts out of fear of scaring the humans. But there was no need.

Surprisingly, neither seemed scared by the pair. In fact, the woman was smiling at Akira. Her son was next to her, his eyes wondering round aimlessly, wearing a neutral expression on his face. 

The mother had mousy brown hair and was wearing a lilac colored dress. Akira could vaguely see the signs of dark circles under her eyes, despite the attempt to cover it up with concealer. As his eyes scanned the woman more, he noticed she was wearing a ribbon, matching the color of her dress upon her neck. It was subtle enough to miss if you weren't paying attention but a nice touch nonetheless. 

"Hello there! Its such a pleasure to meet you. I'm Akechi Mitsuri! But you can just call me Mitsuri. My son is your age I think, well. At least for the next 4 months... Anyway...Goro, say hi to him." She beckoned him to follow her example. There was no malice or fear in her tone. 

The boy beside her stepped forward.

The dark-haired boy looked up at the kid in front of him. He had light brown hair, the same as his mother's - which almost touched his shoulders. His tatted clothing exposed some of his arms and legs, which were more boney than the kids in the city. The kid had to be around his age, maybe a year older. But there was something different.. As he looked into the brown-haired boy's eyes. There was no fear... but curiosity? Maybe? 

"I'm... Akechi... Goro. Wha-- what's your name?" His eyes still gazing into Akira's. He was shy, but not in a fearful type of way. It just seemed like he hadn't been around many kids of his age. 

Akira looked away, shifting his eye contact to the ground again.

"Akira... Akira Kurusu." He murmured. 

There was a moment of silence, before Goro's mother broke it again, still smiling.

"Well, I hope you boys get along," She began, before turning to Akira, "Your father has been a huge help to me. I don't know how I'd ever repay him for doing this."

It was Akira's turn to be confused. Never in his life had he come across a human who was so trusting towards... well a wolf. 

His father shook his head. "There's no need for that. My son too could use a friend." 

Wait

A... Friend? Akira had never had one of those.

The situation was explained to the 2 boys. Mitsuri had picked up more shifts at the club, in a bid to make sure that she could afford rent, bills, food etc. She already was working evenings but it was barely enough to keep the lights on. She also explained that she couldn't leave Goro with anybody in the neighborhood during the night. She and Goro were hated and shunned for being "different" and a "disgrace". And even if they weren't, she still refused to trust anyone with her son for any period of time. Except the older wolf... somehow.

Akira had to wonder what kind of humans the mother and son had been around for them to put their trust in a wolf over their own kind. Regardless, this arrangement was only to be temporary. The woman explained that she needed a bit of time and she'd figure something out soon enough. And with that, they both left to start their respective shifts at the club. It was now just the 2 of them.

For a while neither said nothing. Akira sat on the ground, his back leaning against the wall in a bid to soothe his nerves. Goro was sat down against the wall too, looking slightly tired. It had been a while since he'd been around a kid his own age. Back in the city, most of the kids in the nursery were terrified of him. The ones that weren't simply despised him instead, throwing scraps of silver whenever they had the chance. 

Judging by his clothes, it didn't seem like this kid could even afford silver, which was a small plus. 

His train of thought was halted when he heard a small rumble... which turned out to be Akechi's stomach. It would've been too quiet for a human's ear to pick up but of course, wolves had to have advanced hearing too.

"At the very least, I can try to be kind to this human."  Akira thought to himself. He took a deep breath before turning his gaze towards the boy.

"Are you... um... hungry?" His voice was a bit muffled behind the mask. But his question came across. 

The boy's crimson eyes widened in embarrassment. But he nodded, clutching his stomach. 

Akira quickly went to the small portable fridge they had and took an apple. 

"Here. Eat this." 

The boy gently took the apple and it wasn't until afterwards that Akira realized he forgot to roll down his sleeves to hide the fur on his wrists and hands. 

Akechi was unfazed, simply glad that he was finally getting to eat. After a bit he turned to Akira - a small, relieved smile on his face before saying, "Thank you." 

They didn't say much else after that, but the silence was no longer awkward, almost nice in fact. And as the dusk sun disappeared into the night, the 2 boys dozed off. 

After the 1st day, the boys began to get used to the routine. Goro's mother along with Akira's father would normally see the boy to Akira's barn in the late afternoon. Mitsuri would wave goodbye at the 2, always expressing her gratitude towards both wolves for looking after her son. After that they'd both be off to work at the club.

For the 1st few days neither boy spoke much, but Akira always made sure to always have a chilled apple ready for Goro. And Goro always took it, without hesitation - smiling while he ate as in a way to say "thank you."

Goro would then start to doze off as the night hit. At the beginning, Akira maintained a distance. He was nocturnal, so it wasn't like he was tired, mainly out of worry for scaring the other boy. But he couldn't help but notice how the light-brown haired boy would shiver every now and then underneath his blanket.

Something shifted on the 4th day. When Akechi was dropped off, he was holding a small white bag. Akira played with his mask, wondering whatever it could be.

Without saying a word, Akechi opened the bag and pulled out a single pancake before holding it out for the small cub.

Akira blinked, not really knowing what to do. Akechi must've picked up his confusion, because he finally spoke.

"This... You never eat even though you go out of your way to feed me. So here." 

He found himself trying to hold back tears in his eyes. Still, he took the pancake and nodded before saying "Thank you, I'll eat it later." Hoping it wouldn't lead to any awkward questions.

But Goro was talkative today. "Why not now? Aren't you hungry? Does it have something to do with that mask?" Those ever-curious eyes boring into Akira's. 

"I...." He began, but couldn't find the words. It wasn't like he and Akechi were friends yet but that's what he really wanted . 

"I don't want you to be uncomfortable here." No, I don't want you to be scared of me .

Goro stared at him for a moment, and almost as if he could read his mind said, "I'm not scared of you. If you look and are anything like your father there's no reason to be." He said it so matter-of-factly that it couldn't not be genuine. 

The young wolf couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Bu-- But! Have you not read the stories of wolves? How could you not be--" 

"I have. Its true, you are a wolf, and you are feared by most humans. But I still don't see you as a monster." 

Akira had nothing to say that. He really was about to cry now. The other boy just took it as a cue to continue.

"My mother and I are hated in our neighborhood. They hate us because of her job, because I don't have a father, because... they're..." His crimson eyes were slowly burning in anger. It wasn't until he met eyes with the young wolf that some the anger was soothed away. 

"But then... I met you and your father. You both showed us a kindness no human has ever." He smiled at Akira, who was now on the brink of crying. "So eat this, please. Its not much but... wait can wolves even eat pancakes? I should've asked be--" 

Akira couldn't stop himself from flinging his arms around Akechi, pulling him into a hug. The boy made a startled noise, but made no attempt to break free.

"Thank you... just... thank you." Was all Akira could say before bursting into tears.

Akechi awkwardly shifted a bit, trying to find where to place his hands on the boy's back.

"Its okay. Thank you as well." 

And as Akira removed his mask and began to eat his pancake, he couldn't help but feel as if a huge weight had been lifted off his chest. Maybe... just maybe...

…he had a friend

After that day, the 2 began to develop a deep friendship. Akira no longer felt the need to wear his mask, or even his contacts. They quickly found out that they were both fans of the TV show Featherman. Even with no way to watch the show, it didn't stop the pair from talking about it, endlessly into the night. When Goro finally did drift off to sleep he did so with his arms pressed up against Akira's, snuggling up cozily under a shared blanket. Akira realized it was the 1st night where Goro wasn't shivering, finding comfort and warmth next to Akira's soft growing fur. The young wolf felt relaxed and ended up dozing off himself just after dawn - earlier than he usually did. When he woke up Goro was usually gone, but he usually returned. 

As the weeks progressed, Mitsuri picked up more and more extra shifts at the club - to the point where he practically lived at the barn. Whenever she came by to drop or pick him up, Akira couldn't help but notice how much darker the circles under her eyes had become. How her mousy brown hair seemed to be loosing its color.

What had stayed the same however, was the ribbon. Still upon her neck, showing no sign weariness unlike the rest of her. Despite how tired she was, she still made the effort to smile at Akira - although her smile never quite reached her eyes anymore. But it was apparent that she was just thankful that her son had finally found a friend... even if they weren't considered human. 

Akira's father didn't mind Goro being around one bit. In fact, he took the boy under his wing - almost treating him like his own son. There was no local school near the farm and Goro was shunned by his, so the elder wolf taught the boys basic math and writing skills.

Taking note of his skinny psyche and his mother's constant work schedule, he taught Goro the basics of the wild, how to forage for food and how to determine if said food was poisonous for humans. And slowly but surely, Akechi began to look healthier, had a bit more life in his face than before.  

The wolves also introduced the young human to the some of the other animals on the farm. As mentioned before there was a high amount of tolerance and respect for every being on the farm. That included humans. He was looked upon with curiosity, concern (it was unusual for a human to roam here) but they accepted him.

It meant that he and Akira could now roam freely on the farm, both day and night without any worry. Sometimes the boys would race up and down the farm, other times they'd chase each other. One being the thief, the other a detective.

Akira was so grateful for his new found friendship, and wanted to express that.

So 4 months after they 1st met, on a warm but clear night when the 2 were alone in the barn and the farm was quiet he had taken Goro's hand in his, told him to close his eyes and lead him to an unknown destination. 

"I trust you of course but...Where are we going?" Goro had asked. And he genuinely meant it. There was no skepticism in his voice. Nor had he tried to pull his hand out of Akira's. Or opened his eyes. That didn't stop him from being curious though.

But Akira simply turned round and smiled at him.

"Somewhere special. You'll see."

He kept running until he reached a rocky terrain just outside the farm. Other than that, it was bare and dark. 

"You can open your eyes now."

"Akira? I can't see anything..." Those crimson eyes were scanning the area in confusion.

He simply smiled at the boy, and laughed softly. "Just look up." 

Goro did as instructed and suddenly gasped. The entire sky was lit up with all types of stars sparkling brightly. The sky itself was a mixture of mostly black with a tinge of purple and blue in the distance. 

"It's beautiful..." Was all he could say, in complete awe. Akira watched fondly at his friend, who had the most genuine smile on his face. It was so rare to see. Even in Akira's presence, there was always a slight mask Goro wore. To see an emotion that was so pure... so genuine on his friend just. Akira would treasure it forever.  

"But... why would you do this for me?" 

This whole time neither had made an effort to pull their hand from the other's. So Akira simply squeezed Goro's before saying, "Because... Happy birthday." 

His eyes widened in shock. As if he had never heard such a phrase.

"How did you--" 

"Your mother hinted that you'd be getting older around this time. We met 4 months ago-- Ahh, today actually is your birthday right? Maybe I got the timing a little mix--"

Goro pulled Akira into a hug and it wasn't until a short moment later that the wolf realized he was crying

"Nobody... Nobody has ever celebrated my birthday like this." He stated, tears collapsing down his face. "My mother... she... she acknowledged it but was always too busy... too tired to... Not that I blame her but... I never thought someone would do this for me." 

Akira seemed confused by that. "Why wouldn't I? We're friends aren't we?" 

He nodded at that. "Akira... I truly appreciate you. I'm so glad I got to meet someone like you."

"You're acting as if we'll ever be separated from each other." The wolf laughed but truly, hearing that statement gave him such a warm, fluttery feeling in his chest. Someone, a human was glad that he existed. 

It was Akechi's turn to shake his head.

"That'll never happen. I would never leave you." 

They stayed like that for a long time, embracing one another, appreciating the nightly scenery before heading back to the barn and falling asleep - holding each other protectively. 

Ah yes. They were happy. They were best friends. Soulmates. They found safety and comfort within one another. As long as they had each other, they would be okay

Life is never meant to be that happy however

The next day, Akira patiently waited for his friend to arrive. It was late afternoon, the time Goro would normally come over if his mother picked up extra work. Except he didn't.

Akira shrugged it off at 1st, guessing his friend would just come over later.

Except... as the night approached... still no Akechi

Akira was worrying now. In the 4 months he had known Goro, he had always come over in the evening at least. 

Maybe he had done something wrong? Perhaps he had wised up and didn't want to be around a wolf anymore. But it couldn't be

"That'll never happen. I would never leave you."

So why....?

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a loud knock at the door. He bolted up, running towards the door and swiftly opening it. Goro hadn't abandoned him, he was simply just a bit la--

Except it wasn't Goro. Or even his mother. It was Akira's father, who when he saw his son, swiftly scooped him up into a hug.

"Ohhhh... Thank goodness you're alive!!" The elder wolf expressed. But his demeanor quickly changed to worry as he scanned the barn. "Akechi isn't with you?"

"No... he hasn't come by yet. You haven't seen him?" 

His father placed him down, panic surging across his features. After a while, he sighed in a way that signified defeat. "She... it happened just like she said it would."

"What... what do you mean father... what what...." He began to stutter. It couldn't be... No... it couldn't.... 

"Mitsuri was found dead in her home... and Goro is... gone." 

Chapter Text

9 years later

Navigating Shibuya was never an easy task.

The countless bright lights.

The numerous volume of people seemingly materializing in every direction.

The loud noises of piercing screeches of the trains passing by every other minute. 

There was part of Akira that was deeply fascinated by it all. And then there was another part of him that desperately just wanted to scream due the sensory overload he was currently experiencing. He sighed a little, slouching against the underground wall in an attempt to soothe his nerves. 

He had arrived in the city 2 months ago. Yet he still felt as if he had just arrived within the last hour. Simply finding the right line to take to go from home to school and back again was a feat within itself. No matter how many times he had convinced himself he had memorized the right one. There was never any time to think. To just breathe.

Such a stark difference to the literal farm life he had become accustomed to over the last decade.

It was an eerie feeling, returning to the place that had banished both his father and himself, for nothing more than well... not looking human enough. His skin ran cold whenever he remembered the treatment and discrimination they suffered. But things seemed... different now?

Akira himself, while still unable to afford a full glamour - looked more human now than he did a decade ago. All those defiant years of refusing to eat meat had finally paid off. He fur didn't grow much, near clear - shaven beneath his clothes, though it had become a lot darker - matching his truly unruly black hair. His eyes still bright as ever. Despite the potential public scrutiny he faced, he refused to go back to concealing his wolf-like features as he had done all those years ago. But to be honest, he didn't even need to. Akira was a man of a few words, his fangs having shrunken... barely noticeable those times when he did speak. His golden eyes - protected behind fake glasses. 

There was a time long ago where Akira hid his features so he wouldn't scare others. Make others feel uncomfortable But a certain... someone... special to him had showed him a different avenue. Allowed him to take off his mask and contacts with no risk of judgement. These days, he simply did it to blend in. He didn't want to be seen. Unless absolutely necessary. He didn't particularly care what mere strangers thought of him anymore. Call it an act of selfish rebellion if you will.

That being said, there wasn't the same hostility towards animals there was a decade before.  Akira had seen a few frogs and pigs sauntering around the station, people seemingly unbothered by their presence . Although maybe using omnivorous, not-really-a-threat-to-humans animals wasn't the best comparison. But there wasn't as many "non-humans not allowed" or taunts of glamour being screamed about. Akira had stopped by a weapons store, and was surprised to see that the tranquilizers and silver bullets were numerous, plastered with a huge sale sign - almost as if nobody was buying them anymore. Maybe... just maybe things were changing.  

Though not necessarily due to acceptance. More so because...

"Politician found dead near government office. Emergency services were called in the early hours of this morning to the address to the victim completely decapitated. This is in stark similarity to many cases over the past few months, the most recent involving a train driver who was somehow dismembered while at the wheel last month. Its highly likely that our serial killer has stuck once again." 

To say that the abrupt change in demeanor across the entire station was apparent would be a vast understatement. It was as if time stopped for a millisecond, then started up again but twice as fast. People went from causally walking to scampering into the nearest trains, seemingly in a bid to get home as fast as possible. 

Nevertheless, the broadcast continued. 

"And how are you so sure this wasn't the work of some carnivorous vermin? Perhaps via a crocodile or maybe even a wolf?" The interviewer sneered, disgust clearly prevalent in his tone. Oh well, never said there was no hostility.

Surprisingly, the reporter shook her head. "For all the ways an animal could kill a human, it would be very unusual and illogical to resort to beheading one. Not to mention the forensics showed no sign of any other part of the body being damaged or even tampered with. Which means... why would it just kill it and... walk off?  Why was there no blood trail? And even if hypothetically speaking that was the case... it would never be so... clean." 

There was a small silence. 

"Clean?"

"According to forensics, the method of dismemberment was one clean cut. No canine could match that. A canine would leave some sort of... bite mark. It just... isn't possible."

There was a small gasp. Realization was hitting in.  

"What... what... where are you going with this? You can't possibly still thin--"

"I believe the cause of this mayhem is via a human. One equipped with a ridiculously accurate tool. We have compared the way the most recent victim was cut to the others. The incision in all the cases are identical. So specific, not even an ordinary weapon could do such a thing."

And just like that, the entire station screamed and chaos commenced. 

Ah.

Of course.

Sometimes you're so focused on those different to you...

You forget what your own shadow is capable of. 

After what seemed like hours, Akira had finally made his way home. As soon as he stepped inside the quiet café he was met by his worried guardian accompanied a girl, a few years younger than the werewolf whom was hiding behind him. The older man just seemed to be relieved that he was home, while the girl - though still apprehensive of Akira - smiled a little at his presence.

He couldn't deny that it felt nice to know that he was cared for. Having humans show concern for him rather than because of him was something Akira hadn't experienced in a long time.

Not since... 

He reassured the humans that he was okay, giving them both a small smile and a wave before heading towards the stairs.

Once he reached the small attic, he hobbled towards the bed before collapsing on it, his limbs sprawling in every direction across the mattress 

Today had been a long day 

All he wanted to do right now is sleep. Enter a realm void of constant noise, panic and bright lights. Still, he couldn't help but be curious on who this potential human causing such chaos could be. And why. It wasn't like concepts like murder and manslaughter were foreign to humans. But normally, they were a lot more secretive about it. This time however... Akira couldn't tell if the culprit was trying to send out a message, simply just enjoyed killing or perhaps both.

Just as he was about to abandon all thoughts and sleep, he heard his phone vibrate from within his bag.

[ Panther ] : Does anyone know if Joker made it home safe? He's not answering my messages

[ Skull ] : I've tried calling twice and it went straight to voicemail. I'm worried man!!

[ Fox ] : I have to admit, I'm getting increasingly concerned too. Perhaps we should drop by his place?

[ Panther ] : All the trains that normally pass my station have been cancelled!!

[ Panther ] : It would take HOURS to walk on foot

[ Skull ] : Why not just run there then?

[ Panther ] : ......

[ Fox ] : That's not a bad suggestion 

[ Panther ] : ......

[ Panther ] : Both of you are idiots 

He was confused for a moment until he remembered. OHHHH. He had friends. 

That still took some getting used to. It had been a long time since he had a human, let alone multiple humans consider him to be his friend.

Akira had met Ryuji and Ann the same day he had started at the new school. Ironically, the trio bonded over being considered outcasts. Ann and Ryuji were not only at rejected by their peers, but targeted by a certain teacher whom had a deep trail of abuse following him. It was intriguing, Akira had thought -  the way so many humans seemed to discard their own kind and turn a blind eye to any injustice when it suited them. Many events took place and the fallout included said teacher resigning. Akira had expected the blonde duo to cut him off there and then. Instead they thanked him, expressing their gratitude by treating him out to an expensive buffet. The trio quickly became very close after that.

He had met Yusuke a little later on. The only real way to describe someone like Yusuke was that of an enigma. He too was an outcast among his peers, and the reason became all too apparent the more they found about about his living situation and guardian. Just like last time, many events took place. Uncovered lies, theft, extortion - decade long secrets that were originally ought to be taken to the grave. It took a while for the boy to see sense, but once he did - he left that shack and the trio quickly adopted him into their friend group. Yusuke couldn't go 48 hours without expressing how grateful he was to the 3 for getting him out of that situation.

Akira for one felt really good about that. It felt so nice to be helpful. It felt so nice to help others out of shitty situations. But all to often... his mind thought back to him

The only person who had saved Akira all those years ago. The one person who had really seen Akira. The only person who Akira had truly wanted to save, should've saved...

And yet couldn't 

Goro Akechi 

One could argue that someone you had only known for 4 months couldn't have possibly left such an impact on your life. In this case, it simply wasn't true.

Almost a decade later, Akira remembered the events as if it was yesterday. That night he had taken Goro stargazing. And there they had stood - hands intertwined, both simply just enjoying and appreciating the others company. There they had promised... promised each other that... 

"...I would never leave you."

And yet...

He was gone the very next day.

And his mother was found dead in their home.

Akira didn't actually know how Mitsuri had died. But judging by what his father told him... he knew it had been in some sort of bloody manner.

He, his father and some of the other farm animals conducted a search party for Akechi, but to no avail. For some reason, nobody could pick up his scent. There was nothing to go on; not even a single hair follicle. Even the possessions in the household were void of fingerprints. It was like Akechi had just disappeared. 

Or had never existed in the 1st place

As if someone had wiped out any trace of his existence. 

The whole ordeal had left Akira with deep scars that to this day had never fully healed. He had long let go of the possibility of ever seeing Goro again... but hoped that somehow... someway... somewhere he was still alive. Safe and happy. 

That's all he wanted. 

[ Joker ] : I just got home 

[ Joker ] : I'm not dead. Trains were just packed

[ Joker ] : My bad if I worried any of you

[ Panther ] : OH THANK GOODNESS 

[ Ryuji ] : HECK YEAH! I was SOOOO worried about being stuck at that TV station alone 

[ Panther ] : Oh I forgot about that!! 

[ Fox ] : I'm glad you are safe Joker 

[ Fox ] : Please make sure to keep an eye on Skull tomorrow 

[ Skull ] : SHUT UP

Akira couldn't help but smile at his phone. He truly did appreciate his newfound friends. He just hoped this time their friendship would last longer than his 1st attempt. 

He texted the group chat goodnight, before putting his phone down and slowly closing his eyes. 

He hoped tomorrow would bring more pleasant surprises 

Maybe not.

"I'm so PISSED off!" Ryuji screamed. "Aren't we supposed to be guests?? Why the hell do we hafta be doin manual labour!?" 

Akira.... couldn't disagree with that. It if wasn't for the wolf strength ingrained in him he'd be exhausted by this point. 

He gave his friend an understanding nod, allowing him to rant for another minute or so. 

"Quiet down will you?" Ann had appeared out of nowhere - glaring at Ryuji. Though her expression softened after a few seconds.

"I get how you feel though... that sucked for the both of us." 

"We gotta do more of this tomorrow too?" 

Akira felt his bag ruffle quite aggressively before a black creature popped out and perch themself upon his shoulder

"No flaking out Ryuji." Ohhhh right. Morgana 

The conversation quickly changed to where they should go to eat after finishing the school day.

"OHHHH! I know a place! I wanna go to that huge pancake-looking place we passed on the way here!" 

"Hold on... can cats even eat pancakes?" 

Andddd that was the moment Ryuji knew he had fucked up 

Akira just smiled, sliding into the background as he watched Ann hold Morgana back from ripping into a now smirking Ryuji. 

"Excuse me..." The trio suddenly stopped in their tracks turning to face the voice, Morgana retreating back into Akira's bag.

"I couldn't help but notice your uniforms. Are you students of Shujin Academy?" The voice was pleasant, but insincere. 

After the initial shock, Akira finally took a good look at the person who just spoke. It was a boy, most likely around his age. He had a chiseled face structure, equipped with light brown hair which very nearly touched his shoulders. Dark crimson eyes observing the trio attentively. He wore a smooth brown uniform, black gloves concealing his hands, one of which was clutching a briefcase.

Akira was taken aback. The boy was obviously... painfully gorgeous. But more than that.

Why did he look so familiar?

He couldn't pinpoint why but... he felt something was off. Like knew this person. 

Somehow...

"Ah, where are my manners? My name is Goro Akechi." 

Hold on...

Hold the fuck on...

"Akechi?" Ann questioned.

"Goro??" Akira didn't realize he had said that out loud until Goro shot him a questioning look. 

"Yes, that is indeed my first name." He laughed, masking his initial surprise with a smile that was almost as insincere as his voice. Almost 

But Akira didn't even notice. There were so many emotions spinning around in his head. He stuck his hands in his pockets, attempting literally anything so he wouldn't completely hyperventilate at what was going on right now. He was glad he had his glasses on, masking the emotional turmoil he was going through internally. He wasn't even sure if this was the same Goro from all those years ago. He looked so different now, the childlike features and mannerisms he had back then nowhere to be seen. 

But if it was

"... Oh? Am I mistaken? I thought I heard something about delicious pancakes."

Oh... No no… It was definitely him...Probably...?

Akira couldn't help gasp.... Which earnt him another concerned glance from Akechi before he quickly smiled, turning his attention to the blonde duo. 

"No matter. Welp, see you tomorrow." 

And just like that. He had left

Again

He suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder. "Hey man... are you okay?" Ryuji asked.

"Yeah," Ann chimed in "I've never seen you so shaken up before." 

Had it really been that obvious?

"I... I think I know him. Its... complicated though." 

"You know Akechi??"

"Yeah I.... there's something I need to do."

He wasn't even sure if this would work. Akechi didn't seem to recognize him at all. Which made sense, considering his human-like appearance. 

Akira had accepted a long time ago that he may never see Goro again. Just the mere fact that he was alive and happy after all that had happened was enough for the wolf. He was okay with Goro not remembering him... or now feeling contempt towards animals. Even if that did include him.

That didn't however, mean he wasn't curious all the same. He'd be able to see Goro tomorrow... one last time.

He had to try at least.

Somehow, he ended up debating Goro on live television. It was almost surreal. As they went back and forth with their opposing views - it only solidified Akira's confidence in that this was the boy he had befriended all those years ago. 

After the show ended and Ryuji abandoned him to dash to the bathroom, he found himself leaning against the wall, trying to think of a way to talk to the detective in a way that wouldn't freak him out 

Turns out he didn't need to.

As he looked up, he found Akechi approaching him

"I'm glad I found you. I wanted to thank you in person." 

WHAT IS GOING ONNNN??

Akira's mind was going at 100 miles per hour. Was this really happening??? Akechi approached him??? His hands were now glued to his pocket, stifling another potential hyperventilation.

He didn't even really catch on to what the detective was saying, simply nodding here and there. Until.

"If its all alright with you, would you continue sharing your thoughts with me?" 

It took a bit of time for him to mentally respond to that, out of sheer shock. Akechi's face began to show slight worry

"Oh! It's no problem if not though. Please don't feel pressured to talk to me if you don't wa--"

"No! It's not that!!" Akira shook his hands slightly. "There's just... something I should've given you a long time ago." 

Akechi raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what might that be?" 

A few ruffles in his bag, and he hands Akechi a chilled plastic container.

Akechi gives them the same confused look as he had yesterday. But opened up the container without saying a word. Inside were 2 pink lady apples, neatly chopped up and still fresh.

Akechi looked at the sliced apples, then glanced back at Akira - then seemingly nothing.

It stayed that way for a minute or so.

And then, a single tear fell down Goro's cheek.

"You... It really was you..."

Akira simply smiled at him before saying, "Here. Eat this." 

Chapter Text

"Here. Eat this." 

Akechi made a move to raise a shaking hand to wipe the existing tear off his face. He wasn't quick enough to act before more appeared, rendering his previous attempt useless. His crimson eyes had widened significantly - focusing entirely on the pink lady apples Akira had placed in his palm. 

Time seemed to be frozen as neither made an attempt to make eye contact, or break the silence.

But the longer the silence, the more Akira felt increasingly agitated at Akechi's reaction - wondering if his selfishness to make himself seen by him had backfired. When he looked up to peer at the detective's face, his initial distress only tripled. 

There were streaks of tears plummeting down his face and his pace of breathing had increased remarkably. The wolf couldn't tell if this was out of anger, frustration or what.

There was a part of Akira that wanted to bolt out of the TV station and never look back. But he considered that this would be even more selfish than what he had already done. So he took a more honest approach.

"I.... I'm so sorry." He began, his gaze fixated on the floor. "I don't even know if you remember me. We only knew each other for a couple months, many years ago. But you were a good friend to me, my only friend back then. I could never forget that. I could never forget you. And then one day you just..." 

He heard a faint gasp and couldn't help but look back up at Akechi. The tears had stopped, but it had been replaced with an expression of genuine shock - his hands still twitching. 

Akira took this as a cue to read between the lines before continuing. 

"Anyway... I'm glad that you're okay. You looked familiar and I know it's selfish but... I just wanted to make sure that it was you... that you were still... that you were okay." 

Still no response from Akechi.

Akira sighed internally. It made sense. A lot can change in 9 years. Akechi was now a detective who probably protected the general public from beasts like him. As much as he told himself that he only wanted to make sure that his estranged friend was still alive - there was a part of him, a selfish part that had hoped that they could reconnect, go back to how they were before - or even start again. He now knew that was asking for too much. 

With all his effort he mustered up a small smile. "Sorry for bothering you. I'll leave you alone now. You don't have to eat the apples if you don't want to. Thanks for hearing me out." 

And with that he turns around, scanning the area to see if he can spot Ryuji, Ann or even Mishima anywhere and retreat there. 

He doesn't get far before he feels a firm hand on his shoulder, which makes him turn round promptly. 

It's Akechi

His face was still puffy from crying - but his expression now completely unreadable.

Nevertheless, the detective breathes heavily, his crimson eyes staring right into the wolf's. 

"You were wrong about one thing. I never forgot about you."

There's a pause, and Akira can only mask his shock and watch as Akechi's eyes scan his face, seemingly hesitating to speak again.

But after a moment, he finishes.

"You were the closest thing I had to family, Akira." 

9 years ago, 5 days after Akira 1st meets Akechi 

It was nearing noon. Rain pattering heavily against the barn. Akira and his father having lunch. They were both seated on the floor, a huge wooden bowl filled with blueberries between them. For a short while, they ate in comfortable silence. Until his father spoke up. 

"I've noticed that our apple supply is running dangerously low. We only have a single one left. Care to explain son?" He questioned, looking directly at the cub, a small smile evident on his face. 

Being questioned on the spot sent Akira into a slight panic. "Oh! I'm so sorry Father... Akechi...he.... he seemed so hun..." 

But the older wolf simply shook his hands slightly, his smile only widening. "No no... its not a problem... although, let me know next time so I can stock up in advance." He paused for a bit, watching his son swiftly nod in response before continuing.

"I wasn't aware humans even liked apples that much... but I'm... I'm glad you found a friend, my son." 

Akira looked up from the blueberries with a warm smile. He remembered the events of last night. Akechi unexpectedly bringing the werewolf a pancake and assuring him that he didn't see him - or his father - as monsters. How Akechi snuggled up close to the wolf before falling asleep.

"I am too." 

They continued their meal in the same comfortable silence as before, until several abrupt knocks at their door interrupted the quietness. 

"I'll get it." The elder wolf commented, before getting up and approaching said door. To his surprise there was no one there. That is until he looked downwards and caught the sight of familiar brunet hair, which was now soaking. 

"Akechi?!?!" The elder wolf exclaimed, both alarm and concern heavily apparent in his tone. 

Akira by this point had began wondering to the door, eyes widening with every step as he set his gaze on his friend.

Akechi looked up at them both. He was completely drenched, violently shivering, his submerged clothes clinging onto his skinny frame. He was panting rapidly, struggling to speak. Yet, those crimson eyes as sharp as ever.

"I-- I'm sorry.... I didn't know where else to go."

Many moments of silence passed before Akechi broke it once again.

"I... Don't worry... I'll find somewhe--"

"No no." The elder wolf interrupted. "Come inside, you'll catch a cold in this weather."

Akechi looked hesitant to step inside, until he turned to Akira who gave him a small smile. 

10 minutes later and the brunette was bundled up in one of Akira's old blankets, close to a hay stack -  the large blueberry bowl next to his side. He was still shivering, but to a much less extent and his breathing rate had returned to normal. The wolves watched him slowly eat the berries before they began.

"Akechi, please know you're always welcome here. But... why did you come here at this time of day? Shouldn't you be in school?" The elder wolf  questioned.

The brunette looked up from the bowl, shifting beneath the blankets. There's a look of resignation on his face.

"I was kicked out."

"What on EARTH did you do for that to happen?? You don't particularly strike me as the kind of kid who causes mayhem?" The elder wolf can't hide his surprise or slight disappointment in his tone. The same that he used when Akira misbehaved. 

But Akechi's answer only added to this.

"I'm considered dirty."

"I'm.... I'm sorry?" The elder wolf took that phrase in the meant context.

"But... you look clean to me!" Akira added, completely missing the context.

The young human simply smiled at the younger wolf, a small chuckle escaping his mouth.

"Noooo... not that kind of dirty. You see, my mother is considered dirty because of the work she does. And because I'm her son... I am too" 

The elder wolf just looked bewildered. "Humans discriminate others regarding their employment?" And Akechi simply nodded.

It was a surreal concept to learn for both the wolves. Back in the city, they were so concerned with their own brand of discrimination for simply being non-human that the idea of so many different types of prejudice that the human species had within themselves was just a topic they never had the time to ponder about. They were aware of concepts such as racism and sexism, but outside of that were completely ignorant.

"They kicked you out of school just for that?"

Akechi looked back down at the bowl. 

"No. They-- someone found out that my mother and I befriended... some wolves and it was reported to the school. In their words, I'm a traitor to the human race. I'm no longer a dirty human but simply an animal... A monster...They even said that I may have contracted rabies so I had to leave... today."

If the elder wolf was regretful for agreeing to look after him those 5 days ago and consequences it had had, he didn't show it - simply crouching down to the young human.

"Is your mother aware of this? Is that why you came here?"

Akechi sighed, pausing before coming up with a response.

"She's currently asleep right now. Besides I... didn't want to burden her anymore than I already do. She's dealing with enough."

The older wolf's expression turned to one of alarm.

"I'm sure that isn't true." He wasn't sure if he was trying to convince Akechi at this point, or himself.

But the boy just shook his head. He didn't try to rebut what the wolf said but instead...

"Please don't tell her. If I'm bothering you I'll leave soon... My mother usually awakens shortly after I come home from school. I just needed somewhere dry." 

The elder wolf placed his paw upon Akechi's shoulder, rubbing it gently.

"Stay as long as you need. You're always welcome here, Akechi."  He assured him, nothing but sincerity in his tone. The young boy simply nodded, smiling a little before going back to the berries. 

The older wolf then got back up, collecting a rucksack before walking over to the front door. He turned to the 2 boys once more. 

"I'm going out to scavenge for some food. I should be back in a few hours." His eyes then met Akechi's. 

"I'll make sure to get lots of apples too." He smiled and he could've sworn he saw a flicker in the young boy's eyes. 

And with that, the door closed, leaving the small barn quiet once again.

Akechi began to busy himself with the blueberries while Akira... 

Akira had listened to everything, a huge pang of guilt consuming him. He had only known his only friend for 5 days and already... his involvement had already ruined his life. What exactly do you say to that?

"I--" He began, but found himself pausing. Too little too late however, as he had already caught the other's attention. 

"I'm... so sorry for what happened to you."

Akechi shot Akira with a genuinely confused look. "Sorry for what?"

"This never would've happened if you hadn't gotten involved with us. Now they fear you, the same way they do us."

Akechi's response to that was to simply roll his eyes. "I told before. I'm aware that most humans fear creatures like yourself and your father. But I have no reason to see either of you as monsters. The real monsters are..." He paused sighing a bit, turning away from the wolf. 

"Never mind." 

Akira just sighed softly, getting up and walking into the distance before returning back.

Akechi suddenly felt something cold upon his cheek. He looked to see Akira, holding the last apple. 

"Eat this."

"Thanks... I will. Later."

"......."

"It's okay to cry you know." 

"What?" 

"Humans cry when they're upset or frustrated right? I read that doing so can relieve stress. Wolves don't really... have an outlet like that. I mean, howling for a long time is kinda reliving too but it would probably annoy the other animals on the farm." He smiles a bit as his own joke.

A few moments pass before Akira hears faint sniffling. Akechi turns to him once more, tears streaking down his face. Shaking slightly.

Regardless, he still manages to give the young wolf a small smile. Akira couldn't help but wrap his arms around him, letting Akechi weep into his fur. 

They stayed like that for a minute and Akechi eventually stopped shaking. But instead of breaking away, he shifted his hands onto the wolf's back.

"Yeah. I guess you're right."

"And remember... no matter how many humans turn against you... You'll always have me."

The young human hugged him tighter at that.

"I know, Akira." 

Current day

Akira once again found himself in the busy Shibuya subway station. Unlike a few days ago, the station was void of any chaos. He found himself slouching against the wall (as he usually did). 

Meanwhile his bag twitched and a familiar cat popped out.  

"Are you okay?" Morgana questioned. "You've been acting a bit out of it since yesterday." 

Akira nodded. Though if he was being honest, what the cat said was an understatement. 

He was still trying to make sense of the events that had taken place a few hours ago. Approaching the detective could've gone so many ways, and he had prepared for most of them. Confusion, annoyance - downright rejection. He hadn't actually considered the fact that Akechi had remembered him and even more surprisingly, actually wanted to keep in contact.

They had exchanged numbers, the detective promising to reach out when he had free time to hang out before briskly wiping the remaining tears off his face and heading off, clutching the container close to him. It wasn't even 30 seconds later before Ryuji reappeared, a bewildered look on his face once he passed Akechi - eventually asking the him  "What happened to him?" to which the wolf simply shrugged. 

If you were to ask Akira to describe Akechi using one term, he would use "a puzzle". 

And that's because ever since the werewolf first set eyes on Akechi, he could never fully understand him. It was very unusual for a human to not be fearful when a wolf - or any beast for that matter - was near them. Yet, whenever their gazes had greeted each other, there was no fear in his eyes. No hatred. Not even apprehension. Simply curiosity...? Maybe even... acceptance?

He had always taken every apple Akira offered him readily  - not once hesitating to think that maybe this was the wolf's way of (hypothetically speaking) trying to poison him. And every day after that, smiling as a way to show his gratitude. Akechi trusted him, even when every book, be it fiction or non-fiction advised the opposite.

Akira initially thought that Akechi's reaction would lead to him being escorted out by security... but actually it was just...

Even after all this time... he still trusted him enough to cry in front of him.

But there were also times where Akira felt like Akechi didn't trust him at all. He had always had a wall up, which even back then Akira could only partially penetrate. 

The problem with Akechi was...

He was rarely ever 100% truthful

Akira pulled out his phone. His objective? Found out as much as he could about Akechi as he could. And credit where credit due, he did gather info though it was trivial at best. The detective loved sweet foods, he was somewhat of a celebrity - countless fangirls (Akira had to look up what that meant) fawning over him. In a few of his photos, was a bird that was comfortably perched upon his shoulder. The bird apparently went by the name Robin. Akira wasn't overly versed in birds, but if he was correct - it looked to be some type of dove.

Akira couldn't help but smile at that. Perhaps Akechi's time at the farm had rubbed off a bit. 

Then there were the comments...

"Wow, so Akechi-kun is popular with birds as well as humans? We support an unproblematic king."

"If only all men could be as handsome as he is :(."

"I fed the pigeons in my local park yesterday, do you think I have a chance with him?" 

He had also appeared on TV multiple times (which then were later posted and blew up on YouTube), mainly to give his input on any ongoing cases he was aiding the police in. He didn't have enough mobile data to dive into that however, so he instead made a mental note to do so when he got home.

Strangely enough, there was nothing about his past.

"Oh you're here!"

As soon as he open the café door he was greeted by a smiling Futaba, which was slightly confusing. While Futaba had no problem with the wolf and had warmed up to him a little over the past couple months, she was normally more reserved around him. As Morgana hopped out of his bag and scampered over to the cat food that had been laid out for him, Akira scanned the tables and found his answer as to why close to Sojiro. 

"So the big bad wolf returned." A woman, who went by the name Wakaba narrated jokingly. 

Akira couldn't help but smile a bit. He didn't really get to see Wakaba often. He knew that her career field was something regarding research - which she was very much engrossed in thus causing her to be working overtime. Now that he thought about it, Futaba always seemed to be more lively when she was around. 

Wakaba was extremely intriguing to the wolf. She had jet black hair, complimenting her dark grey eyes. She was always wearing some variation of a sleeveless turtleneck and jeans. What stayed the same however, was the small piece of purple fabric wrapped around her neck. But that's not was intruiging about her. When Akira had first met them all Sojiro was nonchalant, Futaba was extremely reserved (though she was like that with everyone, non-human or otherwise). Wakaba... Wakaba however couldn't stop asking questions.

"Can I measure your fangs?"

"How fast does your fur grow?" 

"Are you really a wolf?" 

"For a wolf you're very skinny. Don't tell me you're a vegetarian or something?" 

Akira had dealt with many different reactions from humans regarding his identity - ranging from simple acceptance to being threatened with silver bullets. He hadn't however experienced such blunt excitement. Wakaba found him equally as intriguing, to the point where she had begged him to let her do all sorts of experiments on him, promising that they wouldn't cause any harm - which Sojiro had immediately shut down - despite her protests. 

Although there was a daring, very reckless part of Akira that would've happily obliged. 

"Mom! Be nice!!" Futaba scolded, but they all knew Wakaba meant no ill will. It was just her unique (blunt) sense of humor. 

Before Wakaba could fire a response back, a familiar name, face and voice blared from the TV.

".... and today we are joined by Goro Akechi again."

"OH!" Futaba suddenly shot up. "Has the genius detective finally figured out the culprit?" 

"Culprit?" Akira questioned.

"The maniac going around beheading people."  

Akira couldn't help but internally panic at that. Why was Akechi going after something or someone that dangerous?

Sojiro must've sensed his concern. "Don't look so worried kid. He's been assigned to cases similar to this one in the past."

He followed the older man's advice, realizing that this was an opportunity to truly observe the detective. He had never really paid attention to the news before and he had been far too spaced out the last couple days to really take notice of Akechi's behavior in detail. 

The more he watched the detective on the screen... the more questions he had opposed to answers. It was strange to say the least.  While it could fool the average fangirl (and it had judging by the comments rolling in as he checked a livestream), the way Akechi presented himself gave Akira an unsettling feeling. As stated before, Akechi always had had a slight wall up, only ever allowing Akira to partially squirm his way through.

This however...

It was like someone had wrapped him in cling film continuously. His smile, his mannerisms, his laugh - all of it seemed heavily rehearsed, insincere. It felt like cheap plastic. 

"While I understand and support that the evidence points towards a human being responsible for this atrocity, I find it extremely upsetting to believe that one of the kindest, accommodating species could be responsible for such a heinous crime. Especially one who makes such delicious pancakes ♡." 

There was a sudden rupture of laughter from the crowd, following by many feminine sounding "oos" and "aweeees" which Akira could only conclude came from the fangirls. Even Futaba had snickled a bit. Morgana simply rolled his eyes. 

He honestly couldn't understand how anyone could believe this act was real. Were humans really this easily misled? In the few months that Akira had known the detective, he had never thought so highly of humans. Nor he had been this relaxed around them. Not even around his mother. At best, he had expressed apathy towards them. At worst? Downright detestation towards the discrimination he and his mother had faced. Akira had to wonder what had happened for his view of humans to be switched to such a positive light - to the point where he was defending them. Was Akechi really acting this way out of his own free will, or was there possibly someone behind the scenes pulling the strings? But if that was the case, what was the reason behind it? 

He was so spaced out in thought that he missed the majority of the show's segments. It wasn't until the near end that he tuned back in. 

"Well we're almost out of time. One last question for you Akechi-kun. You mentioned that you've made a breakthrough in the case and have a potential suspect lined up. Would that be safe to confirm?" 

The detective nodded, that ever familiar plastic smile upon his face. "It's safe to confirm, yes." 

"And who may that be? Could you give us a clue perhaps? Anything that would make us feel a little bit safer, right everyone?" The host gestures towards the audience, who don't hesitate to agree in unison.

Akechi's eyes scanned the audience for a moment. His usual upbeat demeanor turning completely serious. He then closed his eyes, taking a deep breath while doing so.

"Ohhhh... here comes the spoiler altert! He's gonna spill!!" Futaba exclaimed, practically balancing in her seat.  

Akechi opened his eyes and took a moment to fiddle with something on his neck before staring directly into the camera. And for the 1st time since reuniting with his estranged friend, Akira could see parts of the pleasant mask slowly slipping off - as his corners of the detective's mouth twitched into a small, but devious smile. 

"My lips are sealed."  

And the screen turned black. 

"WHAT NO! You can't leave us hanging like this!! The nerve of him to take the 'coming up next time' approach?!?! I was soooooo hyped as well!!!!" Futaba whined, resting her head on the counter. 

"Oh cmon, I was actually becoming invested in it!" Morgana joined in. 

"That boy is more calculating than I initially gave him credit for." Wakaba stated before turning to ridicule Futaba's outburst.

Sojiro just rolled his eyes at all of them, busying himself with drying some cutlery 

Akira wasn't entirely sure to feel about that had ended. There was a part of him that was relieved that the old Akechi was still there but there was another part of him that wondered.

Had he said that because he genuinely wanted to? Or because....

He never got to finish that train of thought. As if on cue, his phone buzzed and he couldn't help but gasp when he saw who it was. 

[ Akechi ] : Are you free this Sunday?

Chapter Text

Saturday morning. Akira had his back towards the wall, waiting for his train to arrive. Although this time, equipped with noise-cancelling headphones, courtesy of Futaba after he had - last night - complained about how noisy the city was, compared to the relatively quiet environment back on the farm. 

They worked like a charm. Perhaps a little too well. Blocking out the screeching sounds of trains stopping and zooming past, the cluster of chatter, the minute sounds that humans couldn't pick up on... but he could.

Of course it didn't help with the bright lights, but Akira's solution to that was the focus on his phone. He scrolled through his messages, responding to Kasumi's cheery request to hang out sometime next week and caught up with Yusuke, Ann and Ryuji's excited bombards of texts regarding the hot pot they had planned for later on that day. He then found himself hovering over... Akechi's contact. 

[ Akechi ] : Are you free this Sunday?

[ Akira ] : Hi! And yes I am. Did you like the apples?

[ Akechi ] : I did. Meet me at Shibuya station at 3pm this Sunday

[ Akira ] : Sure. I can't wait to see you

He had wondered, last night if that last part was a bit too much before hitting send. And after seeing "read" appear underneath the text shortly afterwards without another message, he was almost sure of it. It was hard to contain his excitement about seeing his childhood friend again. He wasn't even sure if the feeling was mutual, but then again Akechi was never the best at conveying how he truly felt about things. 

He felt a wave of anxiety about meeting up with him again. It wasn't the same anxiety as when he 1st arrived to the city, or when he came across something silver. No, this type of anxiety almost felt... exciting. 

He suddenly felt his bag rumble and a paw upon his cheek. 

"Hurry! If we miss this train we're gonna end up late." Morgana exclaimed. 

And with that, Akira sauntered towards the train, but not before sending a quick text to someone regarding his situation. 

The walk towards the school entrance was filled with students both in front and behind him, talking about Akechi's interview from both the TV station and late last night. 

"Did you watch Akechi-san's interview last night?" 

"Of course I did, ahhh he's so dreamy..."

"He's such a tease though, having a potential suspect and not saying who it is."

"But they're still only a suspect. Imagine the damage if he happened to be wrong." 

"True that. Hey, do you think the culprit is the same person who exposed Kamoshida, made him resign and turn himself in?" 

"Could be. Akechi-san did mention that incident lightly. What did he say again... That threatening and exposing someone even if done for a good cause is still immoral? Speaking of which I have a friend who's into the arts and apparently a big name artist suddenly quit and turned himself in." 

"News travels fast it seems." Morgana muttered.

"Wait really? I'm surprised that hasn't hit the news yet." 

"Me too. But what I don't understand is why they didn't just kill those two. Like, I don't know about the artist guy but Kamoshida? He's the kind of guy who deserves to have a noose tied around his neck." 

"That's because we don't kill." Morgana hissed.

It was true. The intention was never to kill. The motive was a lot more simpler than that. 

It had all started a few weeks before Akira had moved to the city. It was a clear night, a full moon in session. His eyes had come across a unfamiliar blue butterfly. And his eyes had followed said creature, until it halted -  the full moon behind it. Akira had then focused his attention to the moon, where he had then had a weird out-of-body experience. He felt his pupils dilate, his senses heighten, his arms and legs began to feel more weighted. His fur across his entire body becoming more thick and defined. The his teeth suddenly felt too big for his jaw. The moment had only last a few minutes, but he was shaken from that experience for quite a while afterwards.  

He had been thinking about that incident on his 1st day at the new school. He had also met Kamoshida on his 1st day. And as he watched the teacher beckon a shaking Ann into his car, he knew that there was something deeply devious about the man. His suspicions were only confirmed as the week progressed. He heard about Ryuji's leg, saw Mishima's bruises - witnessed the looks of fear whenever Ann or Shiho were anywhere near him. And when Shiho had attempted to take her own life due to the abuse, he knew - alongside Ryuji and Ann that this couldn't go on any longer. 

Unbeknownst to anyone at the time, Shiho refused to let Kamoshida get away with his crimes and sought to take action - even if she had to do it from beyond the grave. Just before being lifted into the ambulance and loosing consciousness she had whispered to Ann to check her locker. There in Ann's locker they had found a handwritten letter, a usb stick and a photograph of her and Shiho from when they were in middle school.

The letter went into detail regarding Kamoshida's abuse towards herself, as well the rest of the volleyball team. The usb stick contained audio footage of Kamoshida kicking, slapping and screaming at students in the background. Shiho had even managed to include a snippet of the teacher grabbing her arms, backed up with a lengthier audio recording about she would never be believed. There were also numerous amounts of photos on the stick showing the teacher aggressively grabbing pupils. Shiho had even gone to the extent of concealing the identities of all the students in the photos the best she could.

The single photograph of herself and Ann had 2 words written on the back.

"I'm sorry." 

Shortly after that Ryuji and Akira had gone storming into Kamoshida's office, who was already sneering at a sniffling Mishima. Events followed and the trio were kicked out and promised expulsion within the upcoming weeks. Which in Akira's case... was fatal. He was already on probation and there was no telling how he'd be treated in juvie once it was discovered he wasn't fully human. Ryuji had apologized profusely, promising him that they'd figure something out. 

And they did. Through a series of (yet again) strange events and that butterfly appearing once more, Akira came across Morgana. 

Somehow, the cat was aware of Kamoshida's abuse and had his own vendetta against him. He was also aware of Akira's identity. 

"You're a werewolf right? Hmmm, considering the circumstances you might just be useful to me."

The cat had ordered Akira to return the very next day, and to bring his friends with him. 

And that's when they began to start their plan to take down Kamoshida. Shiho had provided them with more than enough evidence to do so, benefitted them greatly timewise. Still, they wanted as much as much evidence as they could obtain - so they had Morgana break into his cupboard (curtesy of a toothpick). Morgana had then spent a day in Kamoshida's office silently observing him, granting him the password to his computer. 

There were multiple messages that had been sent to his email address, reassuring the teacher that no matter what he had done and how many parents complained, he would ensure that the incidents would be swept under the rug and Kamoshida expressing his gratitude for it. 

If any of them were hesitant about exposing him beforehand, it had been wiped away straight after that. 

Morgana had greatly stressed wanting to proceed with the plan on the night of April 22nd, exactly a week after the expulsion threat. When Ryuji asked why he had just looked at Akira and said "You'll understand soon. It's something only he can do." 

And so on that night the wolf, the cat and the blond-duo had met up at the school gates. Equipped with masks that hid most of their facial features. 

Morgana had made sure that the door that lead to the school roof had been left ajar. The only problem was...

"HOW the hell are we going to get up there?" 

"Ryuji!! Shut up!"

Meanwhile Akira heard a faint voice, telling him to look up at the sky. It was a clear night, a full moon present. As soon as his eyes locked onto the moon, he felt that same out-of-body experience he had those weeks ago. 

His arms and legs somehow felt heavier and lighter simultaneously. He felt the nails on his fingers grow rapidly. He felt increasingly warmer too, as if a heated blanket had been placed upon him. Once the sensation was over he tried to literally hop to catch his breath and had ended up propelling into the sky. 

He heard muffled shrieks from the blonde due below. And Morgana had simply meowed in satisfaction. 

"He's how." 

After Akira landed on the ground he took turns lifting the others up and leaping onto the roof. Normally, he would've felt the weight of a human in his arms but they felt similar to carrying an empty carboard box. Once there, they began to infiltrate.

Akira had only just "woken up" to his new power and decided to experiment with how much fun he could have with this. He had all night, after all. 

The aftermath the next morning was diabolical. The wall closest to Kamoshida's office was filled with photographic evidence and screenshots of the lengthy email messages which were essentially admission of guilt. 

There was a USB stuck in every computer in the school, with the instructions to check the contents inside. 

Kamoshida's office had been completely trashed and the every wall had been indented with deep scratches that could've only been made by an animal. His computer screen had been cracked and was malfunctioning and every key on the keyboard had been scratched off. 

Akira had wished back then that he had had headphones to block out all the noise that day.

There were shrieks and screams, the sounds of phones flashing and teachers yelling at students to get to their classes. The principal scampering around trying to take down all the evidence single-handedly. 

But what was the most interesting of all was Kamoshida's reaction. He didn't protest or try and deny. Nor did he help the principal in (unsuccesfully) removing the evidence. He instead started shaking violently, placed a hand on his neck and then screamed to be taken to the police. 

"Som-someone ca-ca-call.... the... the police right now. T-t-take m-me down there. Ple-please... please hurry, I-I-I-I need to go before they--" 

"Sir please calm d--" 

"FUCKING CALL THEM!! IT'S TOO LATE... BUT I WON'T LET THEM LAY A FUCKING FINGER ON ME." 

"Finally succumbing to his guilty conscience huh?" Ryuji had muttered bitterly. 

"Possibly a change of heart." Morgana had added.

And from 1st glance, it had really seemed like that.

Could his panic had been about something else entirely? Perhaps. Akira didn't think too deeply about it, simply happy that Kamoshida was put behind bars. After a week had passed, the discussion regarding him died down. Everyone had slowly seemed to move on after the initial outrage. 

Instead, he made his way to the classroom.

"So you're going on a date???" 

Akira hadn't even able to sit down at his desk before Ann had swung on her seat to face him, a huge grin on her face. 

He had needed to tell someone about this. But in all honesty, his confidant options were kind of limited at the moment. Ryuji was a bit too loud (and he wasn't a big fan of Akechi), he hadn't reached that friendship level with Futaba just yet, Yusuke... Yusuke would've actually be a pretty good confidant but Akira wasn't sure if he would be able to coherently explain the story from scratch. Kasumi... if they were closer friends would've been a viable option too, but she seemed too preoccupied with her gymnastics anyway. So that left Ann, who did give decent advice... along with the occasional teasing.   

"Uh... It's not a date per say." 

Ann just rolled her eyes. "Akira. Outside of his silver-haired work colleague I have never seen Akechi-san hang out with anyone. And even that is work based. And he has a whole bunch of fangirls that would literally drop everything to do so. And I heard that he has declined every one of their advances, because he's "too busy". And then you show up and suddenly he has free time." 

Akira shrugged. "We're probably just going to have a brief catch-up." 

Ann gave him a look, not even bothering to roll her eyes this time. "Ryuji said that he saw him crying right after talking to you. I've never seen him show any real emotion outside of smiling and perhaps annoyance. She looked at him with concern. "Akira... are you sure its just a catch up?" 

Honestly... he wasn't sure so sure himself. Outside of literally meeting up, he wasn't sure what Akechi was planning to do - if anything. He hadn't actually thought he would've gotten this far, and didn't feel like pushing by asking. 

"I'm pretty sure." 

Ann looked unconvinced but accepted the response anyway. "If you say so. Seriously though, I am happy for you. It's always nice to catch up with friends after a while. I hope I can do the same with Shiho soon. But enough of that... Are you planning on wearing anything nice?" 

"Anything that's not this uniform." 

Ann rolled her eyes hard, but she was smiling. "Sometimes I envy how nonchalant you are." 

If only she knew how he was internally screaming inside. 

And it was around this time when Morgana, who had cozied himself in Akira's desk popped his head out, ready to add his on input.

"Akira... I know this guy is an old friend of yours and you like him and all but... be careful. He's still part of the police. And he has made it pretty clear that he doesn't approve of what we're doing." 

Akira nodded, giving him a small smile.

"It'll be fine." 

"Your little date isn't going to get in the way of our celebration later on is it?" Ann questioned.

"No, no." Akira assured her. "We're still on for tonight." 

Ann smiled. "Good. Ryuji is excited for it. Yusuke too!! And its about time we properly welcome our new member, now that Madarame is gone for definite." Her expression changed and she began to fidget. "Although... there's still something about that night that bothers me a bit." 

"What he said at the very end?"

Ann nodded.

It had been May 21st when the group had proceeded with their plan against Madarame. Another night with the full moon present. The events were quite similar to Kamoshida's and progressed from Yusuke defending the man to downright disowning him. 

After one of his sins had been hashed out in the open, Madarame had started gasping for air.

"I-I-I'll han- haand myself to the p..p...police!! I'll do it! I'll do anything Yusuke! Just don't...." 

"Don't want? Answer me." Yusuke had demanded.

"Don't... Don't let them put that thing on me." 

"What thing? What are you on about?" But by that point Madarame had stopped listening.

They had wanted to press the issue further but with daylight approaching, left with more questions than answers.

"I just wonder... what did he mean by that?" Ann thought out loud. 

"It's possible that he thought we were there to kill him. The same way that serial killer is. It would make sense he if he thought that considering Akira's... claws that night." Morgana said, looking at Akira's now more human-like hands. 

"That's what confuses me. In all the murders the victim looses their head, so why would they be worried about something being put on them?" 

"Its hard to say." Akira commented. "From what I've observed, people say all kinds of things when they're frightened."

"Yeah, that sounds about right." Ann responded with a small smile. "Anyway, enough of that! Let's just focus on making tonight fun." 

"Yes, let's." 

The hot pot event went well. Akira felt like he had gotten to closer to everyone as they sat and ate, talked, laughed and shared their pasts with one another. It was late into the night when Ann and Ryuji left to catch one of the last running trains and Yusuke had began to settle into his sleeping bag. Morgana was already fast asleep on Akira's chest. 

Once the attic became quiet again, he wondered... would his meeting with Akechi be like this? Would they reminisce about short but the meaningful, old times they had spent together? Would they share stories of what they had gotten up to all that time apart? He couldn't help but just feel nervous.

"Hey Yusuke?" 

"Hmmmm?" 

"What's it like reuniting with someone you haven't seen for a long time?"

Yusuke chuckled a little. "Are you certain you want my opinion on such a raw subject matter?" 

"...Yes." 

There was a long pause. Until after what seemed like forever, he spoke again. 

"Ah. Well. It pains greatly me to admit but... I really don't have much expertise when it comes to aspects such as the human heart. Or rather humans in general. Sens- Madarame kept me quite sheltered so I am still attempting... with great difficulty... to understand how the human heart truly operates." 

Yusuke sighs fondly before continuing. 

"That being said... When I first set my eyes on the Sayuri, it was as if I had discovered a piece of myself that had been missing all my life. Now that I am aware of the raw truth that had been concealed from me for so long... that feeling all those years ago is clear to me now. Seeing the Sayuri for the first time, it felt like I had met my mother for the first time also." 

"..." 

"So to conclude your intriguing but very complicated question, it... felt...feels phenomenal. It's an experience I recommend to every human... and you too." 

"...Thank you, Yusuke."  

"Are you sure about this?"

Sunday afternoon. Akira had made sure to leave slightly earlier so that there was no chance of him being late. Akechi seemed like he had a busy schedule and he didn't want to be inconsiderate about that. After spending a good portion of his morning in his wardrobe, he settled on wearing something causal. A white top, a black jacket and blue jeans. And his glasses of course. He had handed Morgana off to a mischievous-looking Futaba and could only imagine the state he would find the cat in when he returned.  

And so he arrived at the station 5 minutes earlier than the agreed time. As he scanned the wall to find a spot where he could lean and wait, he was surprised to see that the detective was already there, back against the wall. 

He was wearing a blue and white checkered sweater vest. Underneath that was a white collared shirt which covered most his neck. Equipped with light brown trousers. In one of his gloved hands was his phone where he seemed to be continuously scrolling. The other holding a brief case. His hair while still tidy was not as groomed as it usually was on TV. The slight breeze had caused parts of his bangs to rest lightly on his face. 

It was weird. The detective still looked relatively professional, but there was a now casual touch to him. 

Once Akechi looked up from his screen and spotted him he pocked the phone, walking towards him

"So you came." Was all Akechi said, both his expression and tone unreadable. 

Akira didn't trust himself to speak and simply nodded.

"Well then. Let's get going shall we?" 

The 2 teens began to walk through Shibuya. There was a little distance between them, the detective in front walking with a slight brisk in his step. For a while, there were no words exchanged and Akira began to feel increasingly nervous. Not only that, but Akechi seemed to be scanning the area, quite frequently in fact. It was a Sunday, so the area wasn't as busy compared to a weekday or Saturday. Nevertheless, there seemed to be something bothering him

Suddenly, he remembered Akechi's new status and what Ann had said. Was he worried about being spotted with someone like him? And if they somehow found out that he wasn't fully human, how much of an effect would that have on Akechi's reputation?

"Are you sure about this?" The words left his mouth before he could even think

Akechi instantly stopped and turned round to face him, an eyebrow raised. "Sure about what?" 

"Sure about being seen with me? Considering what's going on, isn't it a bit risky to be seen spending time with someone like me?" 

He just continued to stare at him, his expression one of confusion. Then his eyes began to widen, as if he had connected what Akira meant. 

"Its no secret that I do have an image to maintain. And considering the recent events everyone is on edge, understandably so. I'm aware of the implications that can arise if I'm seen with you and your identity is found out." He then paused for a moment, stroking his chin with a gloved hand. "Though if I'm being completely honest... I can't bring myself to care about that." 

The werewolf couldn't believe what he was hearing.

The detective chuckled a bit at his reaction. "You don't have to look so surprised. Believe it or not, I truly meant what I said back at TV station about considering you to be family. And I also wanted to thank you for that gesture on Friday. And... maybe... perhaps catch up with an old friend, if that's what you would like too of course." 

Akira couldn't contain the massive grin covering his face. "Ready when you are." 

They kept walking for a bit, Akechi in the lead until they reached a pancake house, heading in and choosing a table in the outdoor seating area. 

"I can't help but regret not asking this sooner," Akechi began as they were both handed their menus, "But wolves can still eat pancakes right?" 

"If my head falls off I'm holding you personally responsible." 

The detective just rolled his eyes, but there was a fond expression on his face. "If that happens, be sure to let me know." 

Despite being apart for almost a decade Akira found it very easy to talk to Akechi. They delved into the show Featherman, talking about their favorite characters, the latest season and recent announcement of figurines of the characters being released. They reminisced about their short time at the farm, the topic of fruits and berries and Akechi had mentioned that the food in the city had never tasted as fresh compared to what he had at the farm. The topic of school subjects and after Akira had complained in great detail about how difficult he and his friends found advanced trigonometry.

"I can always give you my 2nd year notes if you like."

"Wait really?" 

"I insist. They're just collecting dust in my room. Maths is a subject that for some reason I find rather effortless to understand."

It was Akira's turn to roll his eyes in frustation. "What kind of hidden power do you posses that makes you able to understand such a language?" 

The corners of Akechi's mouth started to twitch to form a small smirk, his mask slowly slipping.  

"Wouldn't you like to know..."  He whispered, his smirk a lot wider now 

"....Is that a confession, detective?"

Akechi's eyes grew wide for a split second before his pleasant mask flipped back on. "Ahh. I was merely joking. My apologies, my sense of humor can be a bit crude sometimes." 

Akira couldn't lie, he was enjoying this. He liked getting snippets of Akechi's more raw, unpolished personality. It was a lot more real than the plastic caricature of him on TV. He also desperately wanted to tell him that it was okay. He didn't have to mask with him. 

But he didn't get the chance to. 

At that moment their pancakes had arrived and they both began to dig in. Akira had chosen the American blueberry pancake. Akechi had settled for a simple fluffy one with light syrup. For a while there was a peaceful silence until Akechi's eyes met Akira's and he broke out in laughter.

"Kurusu...You have blueberry juice all over your face and hands! Are all wolves such messy eaters like yourself?" 

Akira blinked. Was that the 1st time Akechi had used his name

"You can call me Akira you know. There's no need for formalities. We are friends after all." He said, despite knowing that the offer probably wouldn't be returned. "And no one ever really used utensils on the farm... and speaking of hands - aren't you left-handed?" 

There was a sudden sound of a fork hitting a plate.

"I... what?" 

Akira tilted his head in confusion. "Am I wrong?" 

"N-No you aren't but how on earth did you realize??" 

"Back then you used to always eat with your left hand. Oh, pretty sure you used to write with it too." 

"I... I can use both. Although I'm naturally left handed so that side is a little more dominant. But... Nobody has ever noticed that about me." 

Akira raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? Its something that I took note of straightaway." 

Akechi gave him a fond smile. "Indeed you did Akira. You truly are...."

"....Akechi?" 

"Oh, never mind I was just deep in thought. Anyway, let's finish our food before it gets cold." 

By the time they had left the restaurant, the sky was dark. They were now walking side by side in Inokashira park, shoulders brushing against each other every now and then, just enjoying the peaceful Sunday evening. 

Akira couldn't remember the last time he had had so much fun. This day had gone so much better than he could've imagined

But at the same time, none of the questions he had before today had been answered. As much as it pained him, outside of some blurry childhood memories and surface level conversations he really didn't know the boy beside him. He sighed internally. Whatever the consequences of prying would cause, so be it. 

"Akechi-san?" 

"....Hmm?" 

"Feel free to hit me if I'm overstepping a boundary or several by asking this but... what happened that night?" 

Akechi froze in place, only looking straight forward. By the way his hands shook and balled into fists, he knew exactly what Akira was asking.

After what seemed like an eternity, he spoke, still refusing to look at his friend. "I suppose I do owe you an explanation for disappearing all those years ago. Very well." 

"You remember my mother correct?" Akira nodded.

"Well, I don't know if you're aware but being a single mother in Japan is essentially a social death sentence. The stigma makes it difficult for them to find employment and on top of that, my mother was blacklisted from many career sectors. The only sector that offered her regular employment was the sex industry." He paused to take a look at his phone. "It's getting late, shall we make our way to the station before all the trains run out? I'll explain the rest as we walk." 

Akira nodded in confirmation.

"Very well. So my mother and I moved quite often and she'd take whatever work was available. I never really understood why we moved so much, it was just that way. When she was working I'd often just head to the nearest park, or a bathhouse if they were available. It was...lonely. And by the time we moved to the last place she must've sensed how much I needed company. And while I didn't expect it to be in the form of non-humans I'm glad... considering that's how I met you." He smiled softly at Akira.

"She trusted you and your father enough to keep me safe, and so she could go to work without worrying about me. And the club offered her any extra shifts available. I thought we would finally have a place to call home. But I suppose life is never that simple." He stopped walking. By this point the station was a couple steps away.

"I came home one day to find her dead body hunched over the bathtub. Blood everywhere. Suicide."

"How do you know that for sure?" 

"..... There was a letter near her that was from the club she worked at. It stated that she was fired and 'to not bother coming in tomorrow'. I imagine that was the final straw for her." 

"Do you blame her?"

"No, I don't. She did the best she could. Endured as much as she could. All so that we would have a roof over our head and food on the table. The snide remarks, the shunning, the beatings from drunk, deluded clients. She did so for years. Until one day she couldn't."

"Do you ever blame yourself?"  

Akechi just stared at him. Well, you really put yourself in it now Akira thought, wanting to slap himself for asking such a question.

"I... I can't deny that my existence was a burden for her. If I wasn't a factor, perhaps she..." He paused in thought, then shook his head.  "We're diverging from your original question. Anyway, I blacked out after seeing her. I presume from the shock of it all. When I woke up, I was in a white room surrounded by other kids. I don't know how, why or who brought me there. I stayed there for about a year until I was adopted. Through that, I got a decent education and obtained an internship with the police department... and so here I am. Chasing a serial killer with a unique method. Funny how life works right?" 

They had reached the station. It was almost empty, and unusually quiet. But despite this, Akira still felt a wave of unease after hearing Akechi's story. Even opening up as he did, the details still sounded vague. As hard as he found Akechi to read he somehow knew that pushing him to open up would only make him clam up even more. So, approach B it is. 

"Hey... Don't you ever feel scared that the killer might target you one day?"

It was so silent you could hear a pin drop. The only noise being the occasional train dart past. 

"And why would they do that?"

"Isn't it obvious? You literally announced on live television that you're investigating and even have a suspect lined up. And even if your suspicions on who it is are wrong, I still believe that you're in danger. If I was the killer, I'd certainly murder the detective that's supposedly hot on my trail." 

He sighed. He was hoping, truly hoping that he was getting through to him. One last push.

"Akechi, listen. When you disappeared that day, it felt like I lost a piece of myself. I know we only knew each other for a short amount of time but you were the first human who accepted and taught me to accept myself. You were my 1st friend and it's because of you that I'm no longer afraid of my wolf-like traits. It's also because of you that I managed to make other human friends. For a long time, I just hoped that you were alive... somehow. Even if it wasn't by my side, or didn't recognize or even if you hated my kind I was okay with that. But now that you're here...." He paused to take one of Akechi's gloved hands, intertwining their fingers.

"I... I don't want to lose you again. I can't. But if that does happen, I want to at least know who you most suspect. I trust your judgement and if I can't save you I at least will do everything I can to avenge you." 

He lowered his gaze to the floor. It was now just the 2 of them at the platform. It seemed dead silent, yet somehow Akira could pick up the minute sounds all around him. As time slowed down, his anxiety fastened. Akechi's hand slipped out of his, and he found himself missing the warm feeling that was replaced by the breeze.  

"Akira, you truly do intrigue me. You always have. So I'll tell you, but may I ask you something 1st?" 

"Of course. You can trust me." 

"Very well." And beside him, he felt light ruffling of clothes.

"Do you like my ribbon?" 

Akira looked at him and blinked. What? 

"What?" He asked. Because truly, what on earth did this have to do with anything? 

Akechi simply asked again. "Do you like it? My ribbon." Was this a joke to him? 

It was a lilac colored ribbon that was positioned on his neck. Akechi had his neck slightly bent was using one hand to pull his shirt so it was visible. 

This time Akira decided to entertain it.

"It looks nice, purple suits you." 

Akechi smiled sadly at him. "I'm glad you think so. I do to. My mother had one exactly like this one too until she...." He trailed off and turned his attention to his right. "Oh, my train is coming. I really ought to get going. Let's do this again sometime." He said, his tone being awfully similar to his TV persona.

But Akira decided to ignore that. "For sure. Text me when you make it home." 

Akechi smiled. "I will. I'll let you know when I'm free next." 

"I look forward to it. See you soon" 

"Yeah... see you." 

And with that he boarded the train, not looking back once. And as the train left the platform and zoomed past, Akira couldn't help but feel Akechi slipping out of his hands and disappearing once again. 

Chapter Text

Goro couldn't really remember what his mother looked like. He had no photographs of her, void of any visual evidence and so had to rely on what his mind had etched of her. But as each year passed his memory of her became less detailed, more blurry, more blotched to the point that he genuinely couldn't remember anymore. 

Sometimes he'd find himself looking in the mirror only to find certain features of hers staring right back at him. He had inherited many of his mother's features; her chestnut hair, her crimson eyes, her defined yet delicate jawline. And as he looked slightly below his face... the same lilac-colored ribbon his mother always wore fastened tightly upon his neck. 

His reflection was the closest imagery he'd ever get to recollecting what his mother looked like. His existence perhaps the last, if not only proof that his mother had ever walked on upon this Earth. How ironic, all things considered. 

He remembered small details about her. She loved collecting seashells. She loved the rain. She loved taking long baths, courtesy of bathhouses. She was never really a fan of walking and it was her most preferred way to relax whenever possible. Her favorite food was seaweed. It was a food that was inexpensive and didn't require any heating.

One thing he vividly remembered the morning before she had passed. It was the day just after his birthday. He had slept well that night, wrapped in Akira's arms after the two of them had gone stargazing. When he got home he heard a sizzling sound. He found his mother, still dressed up in her work clothes frying pancakes. She was gently smoothing out the sides, flipping it over every now and then. Next to her was the empty milk carton which was slightly past its use by date. On the other side, a small bottle of syrup. When she realized that Goro was behind her, she had turned to him and smiled.

"Happy birthday sweetie. I'm a little late aren't I?" 

He hadn't eaten pancakes for a while. His mother was often too tired from her nightshift to cook and she didn't trust Goro as much as to fry an egg without the house burning down. It was even obvious that day how drained she was. As she rubbed a hand over the dark circles surrounding her eyes, it was apparent to any bystander how much she craved sleep in that moment. And yet she still....

"It's okay, mom." 

Being a single mother in Japan was not easy. Being single mother with no trace of a father was even worse. From the very beginning - any insult that could've used against his mother was, whether to her face or not. Landlords would take one look at her baby and turn the other way. When she tried to apply for work, she found that she was mysteriously blacklisted from many career sectors. The only one she wasn't, ironically turned out to be one that pushed the stigma against her even further.

Goro never once felt shame towards his mother's occupation. In his eyes she had done the best she could, with what she had, under a society that had quite happily spat on them both.  

He did however, wonder why his father wasn't around. He had once off-handedly asked his mother this. At the time he was around 6 years old and had just watched "The Princess and the Frog" at school. Tiana's childhood resonated with him in some ways. While she did start off with a father, he had died when she was young, leaving her mother to raise and support the 2 of them alone. She was happy, they both were. But the story had very clearly emphasized how hard it was for the mother. But even then, she had community - whom had offered her love, care and support. It helped soften the hardship.

Take away that community support, replace it with disregard and contempt... it was no wonder she felt so hopeless. 

And even if that type of support was available, it was almost impossible to build when you had to uproot your life every 6 months. They never settled in one place for long, and he never knew why. It was as if she was neurotic about her surroundings, could never feel comfortable for long enough. 

But he had only ever asked once. Because right after that his mother had started shaking violently. He had watched her fists curl up and face twist in an type of fear he had never seen on her before. 

All she said was "My lips are sealed." And he knew well enough to just drop the topic entirely. 

Looking back, he should've sensed it. The weeks before she had taken her life, she had looked far more tired than usual. She had always disliked walking, but it had gotten worse - at times struggling to just stand up right. The best way to describe it would be like a wilted flower; beautiful all the same, but damaged, drained, dying.

Like she had given up

It had been 9 long years since Goro had stumbled across his mother's corpse. Her lifeless body was hunched over the bathtub. Blood splattered amongst the walls, water droplets from the tub quietly making their way towards the floor. It was hard to tell what she ultimately had succumbed to; be it blood loss or drowning.  

Goro never attempted to lift her up to get a good look at her head, only going so far as to approach one of her pale hands, in which a note wasn't too far from.

A typed letter from the club, essentially firing his mother. No specified reason. Just that she simply wasn't needed anymore. After years of shunning, abuse, ostracization and discrimination. Years of trying to just get by in a world so set on crushing her before she had even started. This undoubtedly was the final straw. 

He felt a lot of emotions merge up inside him, shock being the dominating one as he began to realize in the moment that his mother was truly... gone. She was alive this morning. Exhausted and jaded. But she was living. 

To an extent, he understood why. 

But there was another part of him that just... 

WHY did you leave me? WHY wasn't I enough? 

...Did you do it because of me?

...Was I too much for you to handle?

Even on that day....

"Since we're celebrating your birthday now, do you want me to walk you to school today?" 

She would say one thing, but her body language would speak another. Goro noticed her shoulders tense, her knuckles clutching the counter slowly turning white. She wasn't even aware of the fact that he was no longer allowed in school. He knew better than to stress her out like that.

"No, its okay. I can walk there myself." 

She instantly relaxed and nodded. 

"Okay. Get there safe. Here's some money, go buy yourself something to eat after school alright?" 

It had always been like that. Goro had become so attuned to people's body language, his mother's especially. Using it as a baseline to interpret one's moods and how to approach them.

And so from a young age he had tried to ease the burden off his mother in any way he could. Making sure not to eat too much, making do with tatted rags as opposed to asking for an upgrade. When he was bullied and shunned for his circumstances he simply dealt with it himself, never retaliating in case she was called in, never informing his mother, somehow knowing she was dealing with the same thing. When he did eventually get kicked out, not a word was uttered about it to her. When his mother got ready for work, he would briskly make his way to a bathhouse or park or library without any fuss. Whichever was nearest. 

He did all that and yet she still left him.  

In the end, she really had just viewed him as a burden. 

One that just ate away at her life. 

 Until she couldn't take anymore

He was now 10 years old. He had been at the orphanage for around 18 months now and was very used to the bleak routine the facility offered. Used to sleeping on a metal floor with a flimsy sheet for warmth. Used to fighting for a few scraps of food every breakfast and lunchtime, there was never enough food for everyone and it was first come, first serve. Used to the cold disdained stares he got from the staff, for they were aware of his mother and what she had done.

"Did you know? His mother offed herself."

"What a selfish woman. Although maybe its for the best."

"The child was probably the reason why she did it."

"Still...it can't be a good influence on a child. To have a mother engage in that sort of filth." 

"She should've kept her damn legs closed."

Every word uttered against his mother made him want to scream. She had kept him alive, which is more than what any other human had done. And had done so without the flicker of privilege that those who judged her had. 

He didn't have any friends there. All the kids kept to themselves and the conditions quite literally forced them to turn against each other, as if it was a real life version of the hunger games.

He was even more paler and skinnier than previous years. He was constantly shivering and covered in goosebumps. In video game terms, his life bar was continuously depleting. Living in the wild would've been easier. 

He had tried to escape a few times. Wanted to keep running until he came across the familiar farm he had come to (and always would) consider home. He never got too far before being dragged back and swiftly disciplined for doing so. They didn't care for his safety, they simply wanted the government funding his existence provided them with. They were deep in the countryside, too far out for anyone important to actually inspect the place. But just in case. 

After a while he gave up escaping, busying himself with reading, writing or playing with one of the broken toys available. He became accustomed to being alone. Humans had never been kind to him. He never particularly liked them. Why would he, when they treated his mother so badly she had to resort to trusting animals over them? When his own mother chose to abandon him in a world like this? But still... he was so lonely, so craving of affection, warmth and care. He was human himself after all. 

One day, while he was engrossed in an activity he heard the door swiftly open. The sound of astonished children followed shortly after. That usually meant it was a potential fosterer. Goro briefly looked up to see a flock of children running up to the man, full of smiles - all of them desperate to get out of this facility. 

The man however simply ignored them, walking right past as they all protest for his attention. He doesn't stop until Goro himself realized there's a shadow over him. He looks up. 

"Goro Akechi I presume." 

Akechi nodded. "What do you want?" He asked, his tone annoyed. He didn't like talking to people. 

The man took no offence, simply continued. "I want you to come home with me."

Goro scoffed at him.

"Excuse me?" 

"Let me start again. I want to adopt you." 

He nearly chocked. 

"Wh---"

"You'll be fed and clothed. You'll have a warm bed and a secure roof over your head. And you'll receive the finest education."

He couldn't believe what he was hearing or even seeing. A stranger coming out from who knows where, giving him a way out of this miserable rotting orphanage. It was too good be true

It had to be

"Why- why are you doing all this?" He asked. "All those kids begging to be adopted, and you choose me? Why?" 

The man's expression remained the same, but his eyes no longer met his. They instead were looking a bit lower.

"Because I see potential in you." 

Goro just stared at the man.

What potential? By societal standards, he had no such thing. He had never been seen as valuable to humans - just something to be spat on and discarded... so why on earth...

"I do however have one small condition." 

"...What's the condition?" 

"Make more of that ribbon of yours." 

It was then he noticed that the man was pointing to his neck. 

"That's it...? Nothing else...?"

"Just that."

Maybe he should've asked more questions, but at the time, the simple promise of warm food in his stomach and a decent shelter was too good to pass up. 

"Okay. Deal." 

"It's a pleasure, Akechi Goro." The man said, raising his hand for a handshake. "The name is Masayoshi Shido. I hope we get along well." 

And Goro shook it. 

It took him a few days to arrive at Shido's house. When Goro finally arrived he stood in front of a huge mansion. He couldn't believe it. This was something he had only ever seen in books and magazines. He couldn't help but make a small surprised gasp, to which Shido smirked at before putting his key in the door.

When the doors flung open he was welcomed to a sight; he had only just seen the hallway and was convinced it was a type of palace. He was so fixated on the marble floor that he didn't realize another figure walking up to him

When he looked up he saw it was a woman. Her face was young and pretty, a radiant aura about her. She couldn't of been older than early twenties. At this moment she was smiling warmly at Shido.

"Ohhhh Masa-sannnn! You're back!" She greeted. 

"You brought a kid back with you this time?" Was what she said when she noticed Goro beside him.

"Yumi, this is Akechi Goro. He'll be staying here from now on." 

Yumi had a confused look on her face but nevertheless made an effort to smile at the boy.

"Goro-chan huh? Well, its nice to meet you." She said, gently placing a hand on his shoulder.

He flinched a little at the contact and use of his first name, though did make an effort to nod in response. 

She then grinned curiously, scanning his face a little.

"Soooo... where did you find him?" 

"Have you prepared dinner yet Yumi?" Shido demanded, completely ignoring her question.

"O-f of course." She replied.

"Good. You can show him to his room then. And you'll be in charge of looking after him for the time being." He ordered, before disappearing into the hallway. 

Yumi swiftly nodded. She then sighed exhaustedly, before turning back to Goro and smiling. "Follow me."

His room was on the smaller end but still spacious. Pushed up against the wall was a double-sized bed with a small bedside and lampshade next to it. A chester-draws on the other side of the bed. A desk at the very far edge of the room. 

"Might as well introduce myself. The names Yumi. Shido-san will be busy so I'll be looking after you for a while." 

Goro gave her a small nod, which earned him a smile from her. 

"You should rest." Yumi stated, gesturing towards the bed. "I heard you travelled quite a way to get to Tokyo. We'll get you more settled in tomorrow." 

Goro found himself yawning at that, to which the girl chuckled.

"I rest my case. I'll leave you to it. If you need anything just press the buzzer on the bedside and I'll come asap." She said. "Anyway, sweet dreams."

Yumi exited the room leaving Goro to his own thoughts. He quickly jumped onto the bed. It was warm, comfy and bouncy. It wasn't long before he made his way into the covers, soon snoozing off.

A knock at his door the next morning.

"Open up! Rise and shine!"

Yumi...

It couldn't of been later than 8am but she was grinning wildly, radiant as ever. Normally being awakened would've angered Goro. He thought back to all the times back in the orphanage, when water would be splashed on him, even when there was no breakfast scraps left because how dare he sleep longer than they wanted.

But there was something so cheerful about this woman, something so genuine that he didn't feel like dampening the mood. He instead sat up on the bed, rubbing his eyes without saying a word. Oh... that and...

"I made you some breakfast." She began. "Shido-san didn't really specify what you like. Just said to feed you. So... if you don't like it I won't feel too offended." She placed the tray on his lap.

It was a traditional Japanese breakfast. A bowl of steamed rice, another filled with miso soup. A small plate with grilled salmon. And to top it off, green tea to wash it all down.

Akechi stared at the tray for a moment, then at Yumi. Then at nothing.

"I-I honestly don't mind if you don-- ahhh are you crying??"

He didn't even realize he was crying until she said that. As he looked at the food he realized how long had it been since someone made a meal for him? Over a year of choosing between scavenging for cold sludge or going hungry. He hadn't had a day were he felt completely full. Not a day where someone made the effort to make sure he was fed.

Not since....

"Here. Eat this." 

He quickly wiped his tears and turned to face her. He didn't cry in front of anyone. Ever.  

"No... it's just.... I haven't had a proper meal for a long time. It-I... I.... just reminded me of someone. Thank you. Thank you so much."

He expected Yumi's response to be either shock or amusement but instead...

"I'm glad. Eat up and let me know when you're done okay?" 

The next day

"Shido-san asked me to give you this." Yumi handed Goro an iPhone.

He blinked. What was this thing? 

"Get yourself set up on it he said." 

He blinked again. What?

This time she noticed the blank look on his face. 

"Wait wait... Don't tell me you don't know how to use this?" Slight shock in her tone.

Goro had never actually used a phone. His mother never allowed it, saying she never "trusted those things". The closest he had seen to an iPhone were the landline phones stuck to the walls. 

He sighed, shaking his head. "I've never seen one of these before."

Yumi shrugged. "Oh well, guess I'll have to teach you. Feels nice to not be the tech noob for once." 

"Now, see this button on the side? This is how you turn it on..."

As the weeks progressed Goro and Yumi found themselves slowly warming up to the other. At the beginning it was minimal dialogue, normally consisting of a small "thanks" from Goro whenever Yumi brought him food. She didn't always have time to cook up a huge meal for him and he didn't expect her to. Outside of being entrusted Goro's care Yumi's daily schedule was quite hectic, Shido demanding a lot from her it seems. She was constantly running around, most days looking completely exhausted. But she always made sure to smile whenever she saw him. Always made sure he was fed, even if it was just the odd granola bar at times. 

It was currently early January. Far too late in the year for Goro to enroll in the school year and to be frank he didn't really want to. Thanks to his time at the farm, his math and writing were on par with someone of his age. 

So at the moment he taught himself - making use of the vast information the home library provided. Some days he would immerse himself in astronomy, other days the human body.

On this particular day, he was skimming through a history book.

As it happened Yumi entered the library for her break. She was carrying something bulky under one arm. 

"Hey, Goro-chan!! Would you like to hear about a topic I'm passionate in?" 

And that's how they both ended up huddled on a huge table, papers sprawled everywhere upon the table and a heavy book in the middle. 

"I think we'll stop there for today. You're quite a quick learner aren't you?" She beamed, using a hand to ruffle his hair. 

He still wasn't used to touch. Nor genuine praise. Both gave him a strange feeling. But he couldn't say he disliked it. Shido had been too busy to pay attention to him, so she had been forced to. Yet he couldn't sense any disdain from her. She still had that kind, radiant aura from the very 1st day. So instead of flinching when she patted him, he slowly leaned into the touch. 

In a weird way, Yumi reminded him of his mother. A happier and more energetic version. What his mother could've been like if life hadn't been so cruel.

In another weird way, she reminded him of Akira. So carefree and easy-going. Had things of been different, maybe they would've been lying down in the barn reading, feeding each other apples and pancakes and laughing like this. 

He missed him. So so much. He was never one for such sentimentality but in Akira's case.... it was easy to make an exception. 

"I like learning about Fables." He responded. "I didn't know there were so many."

"Right??" Yumi grinned. "How about we recap? What's something you learnt today?"

"Hmmm... that a human fable's quality of life is usually dependent on how well-known their story is." 

"Correct! And are there any exceptions to this rule?"

"Um... The little mermaid? But only when she leaves the sea." 

"Spot on! How about animals in fairytales?"

"They're used for entertainment or to make a point."

"What a smart kid!" Yumi clapped her hands enthusiastically. "Should we do this more often, alongside the normal subjects?" 

Is this what it felt like to be wanted? 

"Yes. I'd really like that." 

"I need a ribbon made. Have it done by the end of today." 

It was 3 days later. Midday on a Saturday. Goro had been sat up on his bed, playing with his iPhone in a bid to become more familiar with it when the phone call had come through.

It was Shido.

Goro didn't really know what to make of him so far. He hadn't really seen the man around the house much and the few times he did he would always be preoccupied. Even if Shido was aware of Goro's prescience he would glance at him, before proceeding to ignore him once more. His meals, lessons and overall wellbeing was left to Yumi. 

As grateful as Goro was towards having a warm bed, food in his belly and an opportunity to receive an education, he felt like something was missing. He desperately wanted to be ackowledged by him. To show him that he wasn't just going to be a burden on his recourses. He wanted to show the man that he was indeed useful. An asset. Because had it not been for that man, he would still be in that orphanage, struggling to survive day by day.

"O-f of course! I'll get it done as soon as possible, sir." 

He couldn't let him down. 

"Good, it's about time you started pulling your weight."

And with that, the line went dead.

".... Perhaps it'll take more than that to win him over." Goro thought to himself.

But that was okay. He was okay waiting.

3 hours later

A knock at his door.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Yumi's cheery tone. 

Goro wasted no time opening the door, much to her delight.

She was holding a flat screen TV, to which Goro was staring at. The TVs he was familiar with were so much bulkier. 

"Hi." He responded with a smile.

"Would you like to watch a movie? You can pick whatever you want... as long as it's not too gory or anything like that." 

Goro was about to say yes... and then a thought hit him...

Why was Yumi doing this? Its not that he didn't appreciate her kindness and attention she gave him but. Was she acting like this on Shido's orders?

His smile dropped. He didn't want her to feel like she had to be around him if she didn't want to be.

"Yumi..." He began, "You don't have to hang out with me just to make sir happy. Please don't force yourself to." '

She just looked at him. 

"What?" She asked. "Where's this coming from? I mean yes, its true that Shido-san put in charge of caring for you but, I genuinely like you Goro. I want to hang out with you."

"But why?" 

"Well if you must know. You remind me a lot of my brother." 

"You have a brother?" 

"Yes. He's around your age I think. Want to see a photo of him?" 

He nodded.

Yumi placed the TV on his desk. She then took out her phone and swiped for a moment.

"This is Yuta. My little brother." Her tone was fond, but also slightly sad.

"I haven't seen him in over 2 years. Since I moved from my hometown to here. I miss him... a lot. We facetime each other and all but... its not the same. Spending time with you sort of feels like he's here. Even if I know its not true." 

"Why did you move?"

Yumi looked surprised at the question, sighing a little before answering.

"You see, my father died shortly after Yuta was born. It's just been me, him and my mother ever since. We were fine like that for a long time. But 3 years ago my mother was diagnosed with cancer..." She trailed off, looking towards the floor.

Goro watched her, not really knowing what to do. Yumi, the ever perceptive sensed exactly what he was doing. 

"No no its okay! They caught it quite early on so she received chemo and the tumor vanished. She's been in remission for 2 years now. But... the drugs took a lot out of her, she hasn't been able to work since. Of course rent and bills don't ever stop do they? Hahaha..." She faked a chuckle.

"Yuta was only 9 at the time so it came down to me to support him the best I could." 

He couldn't help but ask, "Did you ever resent him because of that?"

Yumi looked almost angry, as if she had never even entertained the thought. 

"Of course not. He's my brother and a child. I'm financially responsible for him at least until he's a legal adult. Why would I hate him for something he can't control? I mean, even if he was old enough to get a job I wouldn't want him to. He deserves to have a childhood. Every kid does." 

She caught her breath.

"Why would you even ask that?" 

He sighed. "Because... Because I feel like my mother did. Hated me I mean."

Yumi instantly softened in sympathy.

"And... why would you think that?" She asked softly.

And that's how ended up telling Yumi about his mother, how it began and ended. And she listened intently throughout it all. Never interrupting once. When he finally finished, she had an unreadable expression on her face.

Goro braced himself. 

Would Yumi start spouting off useless platitudes like "I'm so sorry" and "you're so strong" or would she just get straight to the point and start berating his mother like all those who were in a much more privileged position did?

But instead...

"... It can't have been easy for her." 

When Goro just looked at her in bewilderment, Yumi took this as a cue to continue.

"Japan for however 'progressive' we like to think it is, can be quite rigid in other ways. Single mothers aren't exactly treated with dignity. Neither is anyone who's a part of that industry. And to be both? I can't even begin to imagine the pushback she must've suffered because of it. I guess that's why you had to move a lot hmm? And why she..." She trailed off, in deep thought.

"Do you remember your father? You never mentioned him."

He shook his head. "My father was never around... but I did have someone... fill in the gap for a short period."

Yumi nodded and he took that as a cue to continue.

"He taught me the basics of the wild. How to forage for food. How to know whether certain foods were poisonous or not. At the time I wasn't really eating well... and I guess he took notice of that."

"Other times would teach me and my friend some Math and English."

"Wait wait." Yumi interrupted. "He taught you? How come you and this friend of yours didn't go to school?"

"Because they were wolves, Yumi."

"Wolves???" She screeched, clearly taken aback. She had to take a moment to fully absorb what he said.

"You were looked after by a wolf??" She surprisingly didn't seem scared or disgusted by that. Just shocked. "And your mother was okay with that?" 

He nodded. "She was the one who introduced them to me." 

Yumi still looked stunned. "I....Were they anything like the books say they are?"

He shook his head aggressively. "No. They were nothing like that. I have never and will never see them as monsters." 

She nodded. "I...I believe you. And the friend you mentioned... was he?"

He nodded back. "He was too. He was his son, around my age. When we first met, I was scared. Not because he was a wolf, but because... I didn't really trust anyone outside of my mother. His father worked at the same club my mother did and would leave us together. The first time it happened, I didn't really know what to do. But he... gave me an apple. And every day after that." 

"I guess the truth really is stranger than fiction." She thought out loud.

"Do you miss him?" 

"Yes... I do. I didn't know him for long but... He really was..." He trailed off and turned to see Yumi smiling at him warmly.

"What?"

"Nothing! It's just...I've never seen you smile like that. You two must've been close. " 

"We were. He was the first friend I ever had... The only friend. We spent everyday together... everyday until the day my mother..."

Yumi hummed sympathetically. "You know... it wasn't your fault."

"But I---" But she didn't give him a chance to speak. 

"No. I'm not arguing with you about this. No kid is to blame for their parent's suicide. And from what you told me it sounds like she did the best she could with what she had, to raise you. That must indicate that she loved you, or at the very least cared for you somewhat?"

"Yeah... I guess you're right."

"I know it's nowhere near the same as your story, but when I first moved here... and before I was hired by Shido I was working at a cabaret club. I would send however much money I could back home. Of course neither my mom or brother knew, they think I moved to Tokyo to start a new big corporate job. Huh, if only life was that easy..." She sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose before she continued.

"And... well it was decent enough money. The guests would sometimes leave gifts and sorts. Tokyo rent prices are abysmal though. Many times it was a choice between keeping warm or eating. Then Shido-san came into my club one day and took a liking to me. When he offered me a position as a maid here... I jumped at it. I've never had to choose between the two again." 

You would think she'd be happy about that but when he scanned her face there was a plastered smile, nothing like her normal one. Indicating that her feelings towards it were a lot more complicated than what she let on.

"But... isn't that a good thing? You don't have to worry about starving or being homeless?" 

Yumi looked at him for a moment. "There's always a price you have to pay. Even if you don't realize it at the beginning. I really thought I was just going to be cleaning and sorting out paper work. When in reality... there are many services he expects from me... some more than others." 

For a while they both stayed silent. 

And then he felt Yumi's palms on his shoulders. She had crouched down to be level with him, a deep look of concern within her eyes.

"I'm going to tell you something that most kids your age won't understand."

Another moment of silence.

"Goro. If something is too good to be true. It usually is." 

"I'm... not sure if I'm following...?"

"You mentioned being placed an orphanage, soon after your mother passed right?"

He nodded.

"...Is that how Shido found you?" 

"....Yes."

"And has Shido ever asked you to do anything in exchange for taking you in? Anything that you feel like is... wrong or harmful?" 

Well that wasn't a hard question. He had only asked Goro to done one thing and there was no way that a mere ribbon could cause any har--

"No. He hasn't." He answered.

Yumi huffed at that. "I don't believe it."

"I'm telling the truth!" He protested.

"No, no. I believe you... I just not sure I believe him." She scanned Goro's face more. "Would you tell me if the answer ever changed?" 

He... wasn't sure. Humans lied, but when they made a deal, they stuck to it right? 

"I'll try."

Yumi smiled. "That's all I can ask." 

She picked up the TV again. "Now, pick a movie." 

"Um... Princess and the Frog?" 

"The Disney version? Coming right up!"

And so they sat in a comfortable silence, watching the movie. It stayed like that for a while, until somewhere in the middle of the movie Yumi's gaze left the screen and landed on Goro. When Goro noticed and turned to face her, he realized she wasn't looking at him. She was looking slightly below that.

"Goro... that ribbon... did you always have that?"

"No. It was my mothers before."

"I... see."

It looked like she wanted to say something, but just shook her head instead.

"Nevermind... Let's get back to the movie." 

Just before night hit Goro heard several knock at his door. Knocks that were far too brass and impatient sounding to be Yumi's.

He swiftly opened the door to Shido. Near-black eyes staring straight into his. 

"Did you complete the task?" 

Goro handed over the small ribbon. A huge smirk formed on Shido's face.  

"Well done, Goro." 

Goro couldn't help but smile at the praise. It was also the 1st time Shido called him by his given name only. 

"I'm glad I could help you sir." He responded, hoping his gratitude was conveyed.

"Indeed you have." 

Shido was still looking at him, smiling. But there was still no warmth in his expression. He was still looking at him as if he was some pawn in a chess game. 

"As a reward, the 3 of us will be having dinner tomorrow. Be ready for 7pm." 

"Okay sir. I'll be ready." 

Shido looked at him one last time before leaving.

"Looks like you will be of use to me." 

Sunday evening approached and just as told Goro made his day to the dinning room. There was a dish covering ever part of the huge table. Both his and Yumi's eyes lit up so much at the scene that Shido smirked and told them to just get stuck in. 

For a good hour, they all ate in comfortable silence. There was a fresh batch of pancakes that Goro had occupied himself with. Eating them gave him a weird sense of nostalgia. That last day his mother had cooked pancakes for him. Slightly out-of-date milk and sour syrup. A stark difference to the rich butter and sweet syrup he could taste on these ones. If anything, it just made him appreciate his mother that much more. 

Shido suddenly clinked his glass, making both him and Yumi look up from their food. 

"I have an announcement to make." He began, then turning his attention to Yumi

"I have been very busy recently and you, Yumi-chan - have taken it in complete stride. Well done for looking after Akechi and taking on looking after the house." 

"O--Oh it's... it's okay." Yumi stuttered. "No really... he's a good kid." 

"No. Your hard work deserves to rewarded." 

He then fumbles a hand in the pocket of his suit. When the hand emerges, its holding onto a small box which he then pushes towards Yumi.

"What is--?"

"Open it."

She does. 

"A... ribbon?" 

"Indeed. One of the finest there is."

"I.... see."

......

"Are you not going to put it on?"

She said nothing.

But there was no need; her eyes did the talking. They turned towards Goro's neck... then back to the box... then his neck again. 

"Who... made this?" 

"The finest tailor Tokyo offers." He responded, looking straight at Goro. 

Wait wait

Why didn't Shido just say it was him?

Why was he being vague?

He wanted to open his mouth to speak, but he somehow knew it wasn't a good idea.

Yumi didn't look convinced. "Show me this person. Otherwise I won't wear it."

Shido's smile vanish and was replaced with a scowl.

"Just put the damn ri---"

"I should've known... I should've known!" She screamed, pointing straight at Goro. Within a split second there broken plates and half eaten food sprawled across the floor. 

Yumi's entire body was shaking. She was on the verge of a panic attack.

Shido watched the whole ordeal and rolled his eyes. He then approached Yumi and forcefully took her by the arm, holding onto her quite firmly.

"I think we ought to talk about your conduct." He then turned to Goro.

"Get to bed."

He didn't need to be told twice. 

Everything changed after that night. When Goro saw Yumi the next morning, she didn't greet him or pull him into a hug as she usually did. She didn't even smile.

He noticed some purple splotches on one of her arms. 

"Yumi... wha- what happened?" He asked, gently taking her arm. It looked as if she had fallen on it, or perhaps accidently shoved a door on it. 

 For a moment a flash of anger spread across her face. She began to shake a bit, yanking her arm back. 

"My lips are now sealed." - is what she eventually said, looking at him in the eye. 

He didn't understand what she meant, and she didn't elaborate. When they both went their separate ways, Goro looked back one last time.

She was now wearing the ribbon from last night. 

For about a week Yumi continuously distanced herself from Goro. He still saw her around, but she was always spaced out. She didn't want to be around him anymore. He didn't attempt to find out why, feeling like he'd annoy her more by doing so. But it hurt. So much. He finally had found somebody he trusted and liked being around. And now even she was pushing him away. He felt even more lonelier in this now hollow mansion that he had in the orphanage. 

Until one day, she left for good.

She didn't say goodbye.

She didn't leave a note.

It was actually Shido who had informed him. 

"Her contract has been terminated. I let her go today." Is what he said, as if it was just an ordinary day at the office. 

"....What?" He was sat on his bed, half asleep when trying to absorb what Shido was saying. 

"Don't look so surprised. She was... hitting the wall. Women once past a certain age don't listen anymore and just aren't functional to me." 

"So she just left...?"

"Yes. Is there a problem with that?" 

Yes there was. Would Yumi really leave without saying anything?

"No I just... I thought she would at least say goodbye to me."

Shido snorted in disgust. "Why would she? It's not like you two were close. She only was a maid after all."  

"Point is, she no longer wanted to be a part of the plan I envisioned. So I had no more use for her."  

"Your plan?"

He smiled. "Ah right. I suppose its time I was transparent with you."

"Akechi, would you like to know the true reason why I adopted you?"  

"I do, sir."

"Simply put, that ribbon of yours is beautiful. And you are gifted at making them. I am so sure we could make a small fortune if we sell them to the masses." 

He held out a hand. 

"What do you think? Care to make more?" 

It wasn't a hard decision for him to make. He finally had a use. All he wanted was to be of use to people, the best way he could. He never wanted to be a burden upon anyone ever again. And as much as he wanted to deny it, he desperately craved human validation. Craved acknowledgement. If making simple ribbons was the solution...and...

Now that Yumi had left... he had no-one else but Shido looking out for him. 

He wasted no time shaking his hand. 

"I'll do anything to repay the kindness you showed me, Shido-san." 

Shido grinned. "I don't doubt you will."

"Right now that's done, get up and get dressed. After that, time you start making more of those things. And you can make your own breakfast." He ordered, then left.

Doing as told, Goro got up and dressed. Went to the kitchen to grab a quick snack. As he was about to head back to his room he noticed something in the distance, near the front door.

Yumi's boots had been neatly stacked up with the others. They were her only pair and the ones she always wore, indoor and out. 

"Perhaps she forgot to take them with her." Goro thought out loud, not paying it too much mind.

After all, he had ribbons to make.

Current day

As he boarded on the train and sat down,  not making the slightest effort to look back at Akira - the one being he never thought he'd see again - he only thought of 3 things.

"If only I knew more about my father, mother." 

"If only I paid more mind to your disappearance, Yumi." 

"If only I could've stayed in your life a few years longer, Akira." 

Because perhaps if he did, maybe just maybe

things would've turned out differently. 

Chapter Text

The journey back to Goro's apartment from Shibuya was a lengthy one. It had allowed him to indulge in a privilege he so rarely had.

Time

He relaxed into the seat and closed his eyes. If he was awarded such time - he was going to use it to clear the current mess going on in his head. 

It had only been a few days since he had been reunited with Akira.

That first day back at the TV station when had he approached the noisy teens (with the screeching cat?)… his initial intention to quiet them down. But he knew he couldn't just say that outright. He had never really been able to mingle with his peers, their experiences so contrary to his.

Most of his peers didn't know what it was like growing up in extreme poverty.

They didn't know what it was like spending time in the foster system.

And they most certainly didn't know what it was like to be unknowingly groomed to be a tool by your own father. 

So of course they wouldn't be able to comprehend his cynical, misanthropic viewpoint of the world. After all a fundamental part of human nature was to build connections with one another and trust was an important aspect of that. Trust... such a concept barely existed in Goro's world. It had been years since he had that sort of connection, and he didn't feel like he needed it. 

That is until Akira... that wretched half-wolf... inserted himself into his life again. That day at the TV station when Akira called Goro by his first name... he had a slight inkling... could it be him? But the chances were so slim...

And if it was him... how sadistically cruel fate was to him. 

But he quickly shook that feeling off, instead putting it down to yet another fan not respecting his boundaries...

Until that menace of a wolf came back the very next day and had... 

"Here. Eat this." 

...handed him those sliced, fresh pink lady apples. 

The world had become blurry after that. He didn't even realize he was crying until Akira's expression went from hopeful to downright worried. 

Goro couldn't remember the last time he had received a gift or gesture that wasn't somewhat transactional. His many fans supplied him with gifts all the time. His social medias were filled with his fans complimenting him. But it wasn't really towards him. But instead towards the facade he had carefully sculptured. Would his fans still love him if they knew he was the bastard son of a sex-worker? Would they still ask him out if they were aware of his true, unfiltered and unmasked self? Would they stand by his side once the inevitable truth came out? 

Ha. Of course not. 

He himself hadn't been enough for his own mother. And his father...

Had it not been the very ribbon upon his neck he would've left Goro to rot in that orphanage. 

Looking back he should've never had gone with Shido. He would've absolutely been better taking his chances in the orphanage. Or better yet, the wild. A random stranger at the time who somehow knew his name, who had turned up from seemingly nowhere to adopt him. Promising Goro food, shelter and clothing. And only in return wanting him to make ribbons ribbons, rightfully assuming that Goro himself had no idea of the powers said ribbon on his neck held. 

But back then he was so desperate to get out of that miserable orphanage. He didn't question the validity of Shido or how suspicious that he was willing to offer Goro so much... and only wanted him to do one simple thing. Come to think of it... did he ever question how or why his mother had it? Or how he acquired the very one she had after her death. 

He later came to found that even if he had of asked, she wouldn't of been able to tell him. That was the whole point of the ribbons. Discretion was their guarantee. 

He thought back to what Yumi had said. 

"There's always a price you have to pay. Even if you don't realize it at the beginning."

"Goro. If something is too good to be true. It usually is." 

"Do you remember your father? You never mentioned him."

"You mentioned being placed an orphanage, soon after your mother passed right?"

"...Is that how Shido found you?" 

He couldn't help but laugh at the irony. Back then Yumi had already figured out that Shido was his biological father.

Which meant she knew too much, too soon. 

And that's how Yumi had become Shido's first victim. The first of many to come. 

When had he agreed to make those ribbons for Shido he had sealed his own fate.

In Goro's ideal world Shido would've met the guillotine by now.

But he that giving the man such a quick painless death would only be a hollow victory. Maybe reward him with a couple minutes of satisfaction and then what? No - Goro was going to play the long game. He had been compiling bits of evidence against his father over the years. And when the time was right... Once the antidote had been completed. He would expose everything. 

And he long ago accepted the future consequences of doing so. At best he was probably facing life in prison for the part he had played. If he even lived to that point. 

A fate which - up until a few days ago - he was so sure he had finally come to terms with. It didn't matter how much guilt and "what ifs" he possessed. Nor if he never intended for his ribbons to be used in such a way. Or even the simple fact that his long-planned scheme against his father left his and the lives of those around him in constant danger. 

But then of course Akira had to randomly show up. Of course had to prove him otherwise.

And that's why he had cried when Akira gave him the apple. Not out of shock or relief or even happiness. But anger.

Anger at what could've been... had fate been a little kinder.

He wished he could've had more time with him. 

He wished things could've been different. 

But it was far far too late for regrets now. Not with his freedom at best - life at worst slipping away by the day. 

Perhaps he should be grateful with the scraps given to him

Because once Akira did find out the truth...

He finally reached his stop. 

His apartment complex was located in a fairly secluded area - just a couple of stops away from where the train line terminated. 

By this point the sky was a few tinges away from being pitch black. Goro was glad he had the foresight to stuff a black hoodie in his briefcase beforehand. It was June so the breeze wasn't anywhere near sub-zero but it was still a bit chilly nonetheless. 

That was when he also remembered the glamour pack inside the case too.  

Goro always made sure to carry one for emergency usage. Glamours were a spell that allowed the user to change their appearance. In the past they were mostly purchased by non-humans so they could look more human like. Or humans, if they too wanted to disguise themselves. All you needed for it to work was the blood of that person. 

He had read up that around a decade ago Tokyo had been more populated with animals and non-humans. Of course, even back then the discrimination they faced was heavy. Then came the day when the city cracked down on them hard. Anyone who was deemed to not look "human enough" was to either obtain a glamour or be sent to the farm. And of course, in a society where discrimination made it extremely difficult for non-humans to find sustainable work, and mysteriously glamours becoming abnormally expensive... well, objective worked. Not that he was surprised. The system had been perfectly geared up that way. 

Glamours were far more difficult to get a hold of now, heavily restricted by the government. Naturally a scheme to deter non-humans living in Tokyo. Of course there were cheaper, more accessible versions that could be purchased somewhere at the black market, but they weren't half as effective. Not enough for someone to fully disguise themselves at least. 

He reached his apartment, quickly opening the door and sitting down on his couch. It was then that he took his phone out. He disabled the "do not disturb" feature and entered the messaging app, then clicked on the most recent thread. 

[ Akira ] : Thanks for inviting me out. I had a lot of fun today :) 

Goro couldn't help smile. He too had enjoyed himself. Spending the day with Akira had left him with a foreign fuzzy feeling inside. He couldn't remember the last time he had just hung out with someone for the sake of enjoying their company. The closest he had come to that was probably with Sae, who seemed to at least tolerate him - which was far more than what could be said about the rest of his colleagues. They would often get sushi together (courtesy of him begging and her relenting only under the condition that it was conveyor belt). But even that was under the guise of discussing work. 

He tried think of what ulterior motive Akira had. The wolf had remembered him, gave him apples, reminisced with him about their brief childhood together, asked what had happened that day, showed concern for his safety. Either Akira was trying to butter him up... or...OR... he genuinely cared for him.

A bitter taste began to form in his mouth. It stung when he thought about how many he had spent years trying to chase love and acceptance from Shido - who had never intended to give it to him in the first place. Unknowingly created a weapon for him that had unspeakable consequences. Just using him for the own gain. And here was Akira - who gave it freely, never wanted nor asked for anything in return but his presence. 

The fucking irony.

What was even more ironic was that he knew this concern couldn't last. If everything went to plan, he wasn't going to be seeing daylight. No way would Akira want spend time with him once he found out the truth. Not like he could tell him himself. Ha, perhaps his ribbon did have one benefit.

The intelligent option would be to delete Akira's number, exit the app and swiftly move on with his life. Save them both them the anguish that would happen later on. 

Then he thought about what Akira said before

"I... I don't want to lose you again. I can't. But if that does happen, I want to at least know who you most suspect. I trust your judgement and if I can't save you I at least will do everything I can to avenge you." 

If he just disappeared Akira would worry. And that defeated the whole point. So instead... perhaps it was better to just keep their conversations brief and short... maybe that way he could have his cake and eat it too. Would give him something positive to think about when he would get locked up. 

[ Goro ] : You're very welcome. 

[ Goro ] : I don't often do things like this. It was nice

He got a response instantly.

[ Akira ] : We should change that  

[ Akira ] : Lets hang out again soon, next time you're free 

Hmmm.... 

[ Goro ] : I'll let you know when my schedule's open

[ Akira ] : Okay :)

[ Akira ] : By the way did you get home safe?

[ Goro ] : I have indeed. I'm going to clock in for the night.

[ Akira ] : Alright. Goodnight Akechi   

[ Akira ] : <3

[ Goro ] : Goodnight

He swiped out of the convo, deciding to refrain from thinking too much about the heart Akira sent him and checked his other messages. 

[ Sae Nijima ] : Are you available after school tomorrow?  

[ Sae Nijima ] : I'd like to go through the recent vandalism case sooner rather than later. 

[ Sae Nijima ] : I do happen to have some coupons for that sushi place you're always banging on about

Sae-san. Not a message he unwelcomed. Though it was a bit cheeky of her to ask him to come in, considering she was well aware that he was in the middle of exam season. He couldn't help but roll his eyes fondly at the sushi part, as if that was her way of enticing him into the station. Well she did have a sister his age, perhaps that was what worked with her? 

He made a mental note to respond to her later on.

And then clicked on the next message thread. 

[ Unsaved number ] : I hope you made good use of your day off.

[ Unsaved number ] : I wanted to also thank you for all your hard work

[ Unsaved number ] : So I have left a gift for you at the university

[ Unsaved number ] : It should be ready for you in about an hour from now

[ Unsaved number ] : I'm sure you'll appreciate it 

Shido was thanking him? Giving him a gift? That he had gone to effort of preparing for him?

How odd.

Unless

Unless...

There was another meaning to it

His blood went cold. 

It couldn't be...

When Shido had informed Goro on Friday that he could have the weekend off he happily accepted without questioning why. Time off for Goro was a rare thing. When he wasn't doing TV appearances back to back or keeping Shido's conspiracy members in line he was having to dedicate time to keeping Sae off track regarding the serial decapitations. It would be difficult to explain if she found out the truth now. He needed a little more time. Which is why he was strangely thankful towards whoever was responsible for the recent vandalization cases.

Neither Kamoshida nor Madarame had been deeply affiliated with the conspiracy, meaning neither had needed to wear a ribbon. It was unlikely either knew enough to be a threat... but them now being locked up put a dent into Shido's campaign funds. And that made him panic, if even slightly. Goro had then been forced to speak ill of whoever had exposed them in a recent interview. But truthfully? He couldn't care less. Both men were disgusting in his eyes, having used their positions of power to take advantage of their students and then running to the police for protection. Absolutely pathetic. 

He had spent Saturday catching up with his studies and today with Akira. He had purposefully put his phone onto DND mode, opting to just have one day where he could just enjoy himself freely. And his time with Akira had done just that. 

And while he didn't (and would never) regret spending today with the wolf, he was beginning to wish he had left his notifications on. 

He checked the timestamp.

Those messages had been sent 30 minutes ago.

If his suspicions were right, the 'gift' in question was a person. 

He could only think of one person who was often at the university - on a Sunday no less.

Could it be?

Had Shido found out what they were planning?

"_____A?" He chocked out. 

It can't be

They said to not worry 

He found their contact, sent a message and waited a few seconds.

The message remained undelivered. 

They was always on their phone...

He sprinted off the couch, grabbed his briefcase and dashed outside.

If his inclinations were correct, this person would be somewhere in the university.

And if he was fast enough, they'd still be alive 

They couldn't die now, not when they was so close to finishing the antidote

Not when they were both so close to taking Shido down. 

One advantage of Tokyo was that there were manholes scattered everywhere, all of them leading to the same vast and complex sewage system. 

It was something Goro took advantage of whenever he needed to get somewhere fast. It allowed him to access almost any part of Tokyo undetected. Inside or out. 

Navigating the endless pipe maze would've been impossible if not for the rats, raccoons, possums and other small rodents residing down there. Thanks to his short time on the farm he knew exactly what to feed them to win them over and both parties had developed a mutualistic relationship with one another. They taught him all the ins and outs of how to transverse through the sewage system. And in return, he always showed up with some type of fruit or nut as an offering. 

After dashing a handful of berries to an ecstatic crowd of rodents, he began to bolt his way towards the university.

He could only hope he would get there in time. 

[ Akechi ] : Goodnight

After reading that Akira breathed a sigh of relief. He had wondered if sending a heart would be a bit too forward but alas Akechi hadn't blocked him. Yet.

It was... hard. He wanted to show Akechi he appreciated him. How grateful he was that Akechi was in his life again. But the last thing he wanted was to scare him off. Not after going all these years of feeling empty. 

He exited the messaging app and dialed a very, very familiar number. 

"Akira?"

"Father!" 

Since arriving at Tokyo - every Sunday without fail  Akira would phone his father for a catch up. Due to his outing with Akechi he had been a bit later than his normal calling time. When he had gotten back to Leblanc Sojiro had already closed up but he thankfully by this point trusted Akira enough to provide him with a key. So after letting himself in he had made his way upstairs being careful not to wake up a sleeping Morgana.

(Either Futaba had become so hyper-fixated on something that the cat had become too bored and came back here... or he simply ran back here for his dear life) 

He looked forward to their phone calls. His father was pretty busy throughout the week. He still lived at the farm and worked at the club, along with a few other jobs. Sunday was the only day where he wasn't working. 

"Sorry if I sound a bit surprised. Normally you call a bit earlier than this. I was worried you had forgotten about me... How could my own son do such a thing!!"

He sounded upset but Akira could clearly hear the fondness in his voice. 

"I missed you too father. I'm sorry, I was out with a friend today and time ran over." 

"Haha... That's fine son. I'm just happy you called and that you're okay. Sooo... what's the weekly update this time? You're not driving Sojiro crazy are you? Do you perhaps remember more regarding the human who caused you to get the record?" 

Akira pondered for a minute. Long enough for his father to become concerned. 

"Akira...?" 

"Father... do you remember Akechi-kun? That human we looked after for a bit... all those years back?"

"The one that was attached to you by the hip? I couldn't forget, especially with how close you two were... its a shame of what happened to him and his mother..." He replied, heavy sadness laced in his tone. 

"Forgive me for asking son but... what made you bring him up? You haven't spoken about him in ye--"

"He's alive." 

They were both silent for a moment.

"Hold on... he is? How could you possibly--"

"I found him. B- by accident I mean... It's a long story... that's actually... that's actually why I was late today. We met up and--" 

"How can you be sure? What if someone was using a glamour disguised as him?" 

"Because he knew who I was. He remembered the farm and the others - he mentioned you as well. Father... glamours only effect one's appearance remember? They can't interfere with someone's memory." 

He heard a relived sigh over the phone. 

"So... Akechi really is alive huh... I'm... that... how is he?" 

"He's okay. He looks healthy. He's somewhat of a celebrity now so I guess that would make it easier to afford food and stuff. He actually took me out to get pancakes... we talked a lot... it was fun." 

......

"Akira?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you ask him about what happened that day?" 

Somehow... somehow Akira knew his father would ask this.

"I did ask... he thinks his mother committed suicide." 

"That... can't be correct. The way his mother died, it couldn't of been self-inflicted." 

"I thought it was kind of weird too but I didn't want to push it by asking further."

"It's best that you didn't. What about him? Does he recall anything?" 

"No... he just said he blacked out and woke up in a white room surrounded by kids."

"So... an orphanage maybe?" 

"He did mention getting adopted." 

"Did he say by who?" 

"He didn't, no." 

"........"

"Father?"

A shaky breath. 

"Akira. Please look out for Akechi for me." 

"I will. Do you think he's in danger?" 

"Call it a wolf's hunch but yes. Shortly before his mother - Mitsuri passed she said she felt like she might die soon. She wasn't able to elaborate any further than that. Something about what you told me doesn't seem right. His story sounds far too convenient. It wouldn't surprise me if the person who killed Mitsuri and the people who eventually took Akechi in were somehow related." 

"Okay. I'll do everything I can." 

"Good. Anyway, I just realized the time! You have school on Monday no? Go get some rest." 

"Okay father. Goodnight to you too."

"Stay safe son. I love you."

"I will. I love you too." 

***

4 days later... 

After that day, Akira started training to become stronger. Which wasn't a hard thing to implement. He was wolf genes already gave him head start. He also had been running with Ryuji quite frequently for over a month now. He trained with Kasumi whenever he could. And in between holding Ann's shopping bags and the complex poses he did for Yusuke's "inspiration for art!" he knew that his balance and upper-body strength had to be improving. 

Between Kamoshida and Madarame Akira had felt a difference in his wolf strength. He had more energy the second time round. Was quicker, more agile. Didn't feel as exhausted the next day. So... it was working. 

He wanted to get stronger any way he could. While things had been quiet for the time-being, he had a feeling there'd be another obstacle to take down soon enough. Man, did he miss his quiet farm life. It wasn't as if he set out to become a leader of a vigilante group, it had just happened. But it was nice to be relied on. To know he was useful to his friends. And he couldn't deny that it was fun to go off and wreck havoc once a month. Plus it gave him a fighting chance to be able to take down whoever was responsible for the decapitations and keep Akechi--

"Senpai? Are you going to eat that?" 

Ah right. 

Akira was currently sat in Big Bang Burger, slowly making his way through his huge vegetarian burger. He had read somewhere that eating slowly helped with stomach digestion. Next to him was Ryuji making his way through his own whopping classic burger, looking slightly defeated. On the other side of the table was Yoshizawa with an empty plate, smiling brightly at him. 

How on earth she had managed to finish devour two burgers while he was still working his way through his first was going to remain a mystery till the end of time. 

"I'm getting there." 

"Ahhh... I see. Normally I would take more care when eating to avoid heart burn or indigestion, but that run with you and Sakamoto-Senpai has made me more hungry than usual. I'm almost tempted to order a 3rd." 

"WHAT?!" Ryuji exclaimed at the red-head. "That was your SECOND one?" It seemed that Ryuji was so engrossed in his own food he hadn't realized. 

"He really is the polar opposite of Akechi." Akira couldn't help but think while smiling. Ryuji was like an explosive open book; energic, boisterous and loud to a fault. But he was also the most genuine and loyal person Akira had ever come across. He was the first to befriend Akira and despite all the rumors still stayed by his side. Akechi on the other hand was like an onion. Hard to read, even more difficult to understand. Akira had a feeling that there were so many layers tucked under the usual, pleasant polite mask he wore for interviews. 

The wolf and detective did text each other daily, normally quick check-ins and updates about their day. They always texted each other "good morning" and "goodnight" at the start and end of their days which put him at ease. He at least knew the detective was okay. 

He imagined for a moment Akechi and Ryuji interacting with one another. Then ended up having to use his hand to stifle an outburst of laughter. 

"How do you eat so much yet stay so slim?? Ann keeps going on about how she has to constantly watch what she eats!" Ryuji blurted out.   

Well it was nice to know it wasn't just him who found Kasumi's stomach capacity bizarre.

Yoshizawa's eyes widened a bit at his forwardness, but she quickly relaxed into a laugh.

"Well I'm training to hopefully take part in the next tryouts for gymnastics, so my routine is pretty intense. I have to eat between 4-6 meals a day to make sure my body stays replenished." She smiled at him. "Speaking of which, I did want to ask if you had any tips for running, Sakamoto-Senpai. I'd like to improve my form in any way I can to prepare!"

"Haha, you don't have to be so polite you know. Just call me Ryuji. And hell yeah I can!" 

Yoshizawa and Ryuji exchanged training tips with one another for some time. Akira intently listened while finishing up the rest of his meal. He found himself learning a lot.  

Eventually Yoshizawa took note of the time and stood up. 

"Well! I have to get going. It's getting late and I don't want to make my father worry." She said. 

"Want me to walk you to the station?" Akira offered.

"I'll come along too." Ryuji added.

"Thank you, both of you. But I should be alright. See you soon, Senpai." The red-head smiled at Akira then turned to Ryuji. "It was nice to meet you too Ryuji-Senpai! I hope we can train together more in the future!" 

"Oh-- uh thanks. Me too!" Ryuji responded, looking stunned that someone would so openly and honestly express enjoying his presence. 

The three of them left the restaurant, Yoshizawa waved goodbye before walking briskly to the station.

It was then that Ryuji remembered what he actually needed to do.

"Crap! I promised mom I'd get some Yakisoba for tonight! Mind coming with me?" 

As Ryuji and Akira made their way to the store, Akira could've sworn he heard something... no... someone trailing behind him. Too silent for the average human ear to pick up (Ryuji was oblivious). But when he turned round to check, it was just a girl a few steps behind him, her head ducked into a textbook. She had dark brown hair, jawline length - one braid plaited neatly on the side. She was wearing a Shujin uniform too he noticed, the proper one - ironed shirt tucked into her neat plaid skirt. 

Oh. It was just the student council president.

Potentially tailing him.

Again.

Akira didn't really see Nijima as a threat. No - he just found her annoying and far too nosy. Ever since Kamoshida had left she had been snooping around him, Ryuji and Ann a lot more. She had been the one to ban the 3 from using the roof but not without sliding in how "interesting" their group was.

"The delinquent, the outsider and the transfer student." Something like that.

Akira couldn't help but wonder where Nijima's apparent detective spirit was when Kamoshida was freely abusing his students. Being the president meant she worked closer with the staff than any other student. Not to mention she was a 3rd year so it was unlikely she wasn't unaware of the rumors at least. He could tell that Ann was thinking the same, one snide comment away from loosing it and verbally screaming at the girl. 

Well it's not like he was surprised. It was human nature after all. He often had to remind himself that Akechi along with his friends and Sojiro were the exceptions - not the rule. 

And then the other thing that bothered him...

Why was she reading said textbook upside down?

Well no bother. If that's what she considered to be "camouflaging herself" then he'd probably be fine. 

***

Hahahahaaaaa. 

What was that human saying again?

"Famous last words"?

That's exactly how Akira felt the next day being interrogated by Makoto Nijima. He did find it strange when Kawakami told him that he needed to go to the student council room. Despite the student board pressing how they were there to 'support students' they had made no effort to arrange a meeting for him  when he had started at Shujin. Or even when his record was leaked which had worsened the rumors. So he clearly wasn't being called there for his own well being. 

"So you didn't have anything to do with what happened to Kamoshida?" 

"No but I hereby applaud whoever was. About time someone took action against such a scumbag." 

"So you think it's okay for the school to be vandalized like that?"

"Well it got the point across. Better than what the teachers or student council ever did." 

"AKIRA!" Morgana hissed from his bag. 

He probably should listen to Morgana and try to avoid riling Nijima up. Though she was making it increasingly more difficult to do that. It was no secret that Nijima kissed up to the teachers. It was very possible that she was aware, but kept quiet - maybe shunned others from speaking up about it - all for what? To have a fighting chance at receiving that precious golden letter of recommendation to use for university applications?

Perhaps the only other type of human Akira despised more than ones who took advantage of the weak were those who sat back, watched and reaped the rewards. And for bonus points - then pretended to be the moral justice police afterwards. 

Despicable. 

She chose to ignore his bait and continue. "Outside of your questionable friendships with Sakamoto and Takamaki, I also notice that you're friends with Yusuke Kitagawa, a student from Kosei. Care to explain how and why you became acquainted with him?" 

He shrugged. "Am I not allowed to make friends with anyone who doesn't attend Shujin?" 

"No that's not it. It's just that Kitagawa is... was a pupil of Madarame's. Who just so happened to be involved in an incident very similar to Kamoshida's." She paused, taking a moment to tuck a tuff of hair behind her ear. "It all just seems a little too convenient if you ask me." 

"And that's all you have to base your accusation on?" Because if it was, it was insulting. 

Nijima sighed. "No, but I thought it would be best to give you the integrity to come clean yourself. I guess now there's no other choice..." She reached for her phone and then held it up so he could see, swiping every 5 seconds. 

There were photos

Of him

One of him cleaning his glasses with his golden eyes on full display. 

Another of him on the rooftop with Ann and Ryuji, eating comfortably while some fangs peeped out. 

There was even some of him where he was posing for Yusuke. His sleeve was rolled up, showing more of dark fur that was above his elbow. Another was a close up of his hands, where his usually hidden claws were exposed. 

She placed her phone back on the table. "Golden eye color is very rare amongst humans... but not for other species. As for the sharp canines and claws, again uncommon for humans... funnily enough." She looked at him straight in the eye. "You're not fully human... are you?"

"Oh. She got us good." Morgana commented.

If Nijima heard him, she didn't show it. Instead narrowed her eyes at Akira.

"And what's wrong with that?"

"Normally there'd be no problem at all. But when you take a look at Kamoshida's office and the marks left on the walls, there's no way a human finger nail could've done that. Simply put, if my deductions are correct and you are what I think you are - you're a potential danger to this school." 

Me? For simply having some wolf blood? And standing up against a disgusting teacher? But not said teacher who was abusing his students - Akira itched to fire back, but held his tongue.

She sighed. "Look, I can sort of understand your motives. But that's part of the problem.  Individuals taking matters into their own hands is dangerous. What's stopping you from one day using your... your powers selfishly? We already have an established law system in this country which ensures fair justice."

"Fair justice". Hahahaha. The jokes were really writing themselves. 

"So what now? Are you going to hand me over to the police?" 

"No. Not yet. I'd like to test out your so called 'justice' first. Depending on how that goes we'll see." 

And then his phone rang - because what better time for that to happen than now. He looked at Nijima for confirmation to take it. 

She nodded. 

Well, not like this situation could get any wo--

"HEY BRO WHERE YA AT. WE'RE ALL WAITING FOR YOU AT THE SHIBUYA HIDEOUT. ABOUT TIME WE TALK ABOUT WHO WE'RE GOING TO USE YOUR WOLF POWERS AGAINST NE--" 

Oh Nevermind. 

"That IDIOT!" Yes Morgana. Yes indeed. 

Once he had gotten himself out of this mess, he was going to hold an emergency class on social etiquette. And Ryuji's attendance was going to be mandatory. 

"As loud as ever, but his timing is perfect." She smiled. "Now, will you take me to your friends?" 

***

Akira was exhausted by the time he reached Leblanc. Turns out Nijima had voicemails of them too. She had threatened all of them with the police unless they dealt with a certain person. A person whom she had no idea of their name - or even what they looked like. Unbelievably helpful. 

She had also only given them a fortnight to carry it out before she'd sell them out. Today's date was June 17th. If the lunar calendar was correct then next full moon was going to take place June 20th. Which meant they only had 3 days to find this person's name, find their establishment, come up with a plan and actually execute it. All while without being caught. 

It was impossible but he of course didn't say that to his friends. 

The whole situation was stressful but what stung the most was being called a "danger". That hurt Akira more than he thought. He was no stranger to being feared of. His wolf features were a lot more dominant growing up. Before going to the farm he went to a human nursery and kids would scream and throw silver scraps at him. As he grew up his human side took over, partially because he refused to eat any type of meat. Now, the majority of the rumors were regarding his record. Up until a few hours ago, he didn't think anyone outside of his friends, Sojiro or Wakaba were aware of his heritage. And none of them had shown any worry over it. 

Then Nijima had figured him out. And blackmailed him. He was going to be arrested in 2 weeks. He had gotten too comfortable. Forgotten that as much as he would like to... he would never fully fit in here. 

If he had the capacity to cry he'd be bawling by now. 

"You don't look good. Girl break your heart or something?" Was the first thing Sojiro said when he stepped inside. 

Akira shrugged. 

"Well remember its important part of life." He said while polishing a fork. "Anyway do you mind holding the fort down here for a bit? I have to go and pick up Futaba from cram school. Wakaba hasn't been responding to my calls or texts since Sunday."

"Since Sunday?" Morgana repeated. "Doesn't that sound worrying?"

Akira agreed. And he must've looked concerned, which prompted Sojiro to wave his hand dismissively. "Oh, no need to look so worried. She's most likely fine. Wakaba..." He sighed. "Wakaba sometimes gets heavily focused on a project at her workplace and ends up forgetting the world around her for a while. It's just one of her many quirks. Futaba and I have gotten used to it by now. Although she wouldn't normally go 5 days without at least a text."  

He shook his head. "Well I'll probably be gone for an hour or so. Friday evenings are surprisingly quiet so you should be able to manage. Try not to burn the place down while I'm away though. Make sure to feed that cat too." 

True to his word, there were no customers to start off with. Akira busied himself with wiping down the counter and preparing the cutlery in case someone did walk in. 10 minutes into his shift, the front door bell jingled.

That was when Morgana sprinted upstairs. 

"Hi, what can I get for--"

"Akira??" 

That voice was familiar but he couldn't pinpoint it.

He looked up and got the shock of his life. 

It was no other than Wakaba. She slowly walked up the counter and slumped down on the nearest stool.

Her sudden appearance was a surprise, but that wasn't the main concern. 

She looked... exhausted. Her appearance was a little disheveled and her expression was somber.

Akira didn't see get to see Wakaba much but even he knew this behavior was extremely unusual for the scientist. The few times he did see her she was always so bubbly, full of energy. Entertaining Futaba or chatting to Sojiro about whatever topic existed.

Actually come to think of it... Why had she referred to him by his name? Wakaba had never done that before. She had always greeted him with some sort of wolf euphemism.

It was strange. But considering what Sojiro had told him her behavior could probably be put down to her being burnt out from work. 

"Oh. Do you happen to know where Futaba is? Or Sojiro for that matter?" She asked sluggishly. 

"Sojiro went to pick her up from cram school."

"Futaba...? Cram school? Oh crap! I completely forgot..." she muttered, resting her cheek on the counter. "Thank goodness for Sojiro."  Well there you have it. 

"Has work been stressful?" 

She sighed heavily. "Super stressful...My research has been going well though. I believe I'm close to making a breakthrough." She grinned at him. "Now... I need coffee. You can make coffee right?" 

"Oh... sure. Do you want it in a certain way?"

"I'm not fussy. Just don't make it too sweet."

Akira got brewing. When he finished and set down the mug Wakaba was studying him, eyes wide.

"Okay what's wrong?" She asked.

"...Excuse me?" 

"You look like you're about to cry except wolves can't can they? So something must've gotten you in this state." 

"You sure you're not just asking for research purposes?"

Wakaba smiled, playing with the ribbon on her neck. "Well I'll admit I'm a little curious too." 

Should I tell her? He wondered. He barely knew her, but he also desperately needed to vent. 

Fuck it.

He'd be in a cell in 2 weeks anyway.

"Can you keep a secret?"

"I'm literally a scientist working with chemicals that aren't known to the general public. As in not even Futaba or Sojiro know. What do you think?" 

"Ah... Okay. Well... you know how Kamoshida and Madarame got exposed and arrested?" 

"Hmmm. I'm aware. I have a friend investigating that. Why?"

"I'm responsible for that." 

...

There was silence for a bit. But Wakaba didn't look angry or shocked but... impressed? Huh?

Then she burst out laughing. 

"Why am I not surprised?" She finally said. And then in a much softer tone, "Akira, you really are...." 

"Wait what?"

"My apologies, ignore that last part." She wiped a tear from her eye. (Since when had she been so polite??). "Anyway good to see you're putting those wolf genes to use." 

"So you don't think I'm dangerous?"

Wakaba raised a brow. "If I thought you were dangerous do you think I'd let you within 6 feet of Futaba?" 

"Ah... so you don't." 

"I would like to know who's putting those thoughts in your head though." 

"Oh... I--well. The student council president at my school said so. She sort of... found out and then yeah. Now I'm being blackmailed by her. " 

"You got to Shujin correct?" She asked. 

He nodded. 

A flash of anger in Wakaba's eyes. 

"That little pushover..." He heard her say. 

"Sorry?" 

"Oh! Ignore what I said. Anyway, they sound like a nasty piece of work. But that's human fucking nature. They're all shit." She finished and crossed her arms angrily. 

It was... so odd. He had never seen this side to Wakaba before. But he found it weirdly comforting. For her to get so angry on his behalf. 

It eerily reminded him of Akechi...

"Wakaba?" 

"Hmmm?" 

"Thanks. I'm glad I trusted you." 

He swore he could see tinges of pink on her cheeks but chose to ignore it. 

"You don't mean that." She frowned and her gaze hit the counter. 

"No I really do."

"But you wouldn't if you knew what I had done." 

Akira shrugged. "Try me. You can trust me. You heard me out, the least I could do is listen to you."

He could see a small smile form.

"Okay. I'll trust you." 

She looked up at him, not blinking once. 

"Akira...I think I might die soon." 

He almost dropped the plate he was wiping. "What makes you think that? Is someone threatening you?" 

Wakaba placed a hand right where the purple ribbon on her neck was placed. She then let her fingers lightly graze over the fabric.

She had been wearing that every over time he had seen her too. 

Hadn't Akechi had one just like this also? 

Was it a just Tokyo custom to wear ribbons? He wondered.

"I'm close to making a breakthrough in my research. And that may lead to certain..." It looked like she wanted to say something more but was unable to do so. 

"My lips are sealed." 

"You don't want to tell me? It's okay if you don't fully trust me."

"NO!" She protested. "It's not that I don't want to but that I can't--" She sighed frustratedly and buried her face in her hands. 

When she looked up again, her face was neutral. 

"Let me ask you. Do you like my ribbon?" 

He's heard this exact question before. 

"Wakaba, why do so many people in Tokyo wear those ribbons? My friend was wearing one too. He said he liked it." 

She smiled at him sadly. 

"I don't like it." 

He took a risk. "Then... how about you take it off?" 

The scientists eyes shot open in fear. She leapt back, making the stool she had been sitting on plummet to the ground. She was shaking her head frantically.

"NO! These lips are sealed! These lips are sealed!" 

"Oh... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." 

So she can't take it off... but why? 

While he pondered about what had just happened Wakaba was putting her coat on.

"Ahhhh don't worry about it. I'm probably just being neurotic about the whole thing. Well I should get back to the lab." She said cheerfully, as if the last 10 minutes hadn't taken place. She shuffled her pockets for a moment and then placed some coins on the counter. 

"Keep the change. Thanks for hearing me out. I don't know, probably nothing will happen but its nice to have someone actually listen to my rant." She grinned. 

"It's alright." He responded, because she genuinely seemed fine now. But for some reason, he wasn't so sure it would be.

"Say hello to Sojiro and Futaba for me will you?" She requested as she made her way to the door. "And... tell Futaba that I love her, and that I'm sorry."  

He nodded. "I will."

"And... Akira?" She turned round to look at him. One last time.

"You're not as bad as everyone says you are." 

And with that, the bell jingled goodbye. 

About 30 minutes later Sojiro rang the cafe phone and asked Akira to close up. Turns out Futaba had fallen asleep on the ride home and wouldn't wake up (apparently this happened from time to time). So he had to carry her home. Akira did as he was told, then retreated to the attic. 

He found Morgana upstairs on the couch - out cold. He gently walked up to the bed and laid down... quickly following suit.

Shortly after midnight he woke up to the sound of knocking. 

At first he was going to just ignore whoever it was and go back to sleep. What could be so important that it required waking him up at this time of night. Sojiro had keys to get in didn't he? And surely Futaba knew better than to play a prank like this right?

But when the knocking got louder and more frequent he relented, grumbling in the process. 

(Yes he was supposed to be nocturnal. Oh well). 

He made his way downstairs with the keys, heading towards to the door - ready to give an earful to whoever was be on the other side.

Except when he did open it... there was no one. 

No one... but there was a white bag placed neatly at the doorstep.

He looked around for the culprit, but the streets were empty. 

He sighed and reached down to pick up the bag.

Whatever was in here had better be worth it.

The bag was surprisingly heavy. From a distance his nose picked up a slight metallic scent. 

Eventually curiosity got the better of him and he opened it.

The 1st thing he pulled out was a note. Attached to the back of the paper was a roughly teared part of a ribbon. Lilac colored. 

You said I can trust you right?

Then forgive me, but this was the only way I could truly show you

...Show him what? 

It was only when he placed the note down and took the rest of the content out did he understand. 

His blood went cold

The world turned grey.

Inside the bag...

...was Wakaba

WAKABA'S HEAD 

Chapter Text

Wakaba...

Wakaba's decapitated head

WAS ON HIS DOORSTEP

WHY WAS SHE HERE

WHY WAS HER HEAD....

WHY WAS IT JUST HER HEAD

The more Akira looked at it...at her... the more his own head began to spin frantically. He forced himself to pace-breathe to prevent going into a full panic attack. He could feel every bit of hair upon his body stand up in distress. The warmth he had felt minutes ago, being safely tucked in bed suddenly evaporating. His eyes involuntarily shut abruptly, in a bid that maybe this was just an awful dream. But when he opened them again a few seconds later, it was Wakaba's own lifeless eyes that stared back into his, while the slight scent of metallic blood filled up his nostrils. 

If any normal human who had lived a normal human life had come across a bag with a such a sight in it - they'd be screaming by now. And perhaps during or after would've vomited their insides out. 

Not Akira however. His wolf genes somehow... thankfully kept him grounded. That and he had grown up on a farm after all, surrounded by carnivorous animals. It wasn't unusual for him to see said animals grazing on corpses, the remains messily scattered about. He wasn't squeamish. 

But that didn't mean he was unaffected by this either. 

He looked back at the head - an unsettling, eerie feeling spreading all over him. She had been alive mere hours before. Talking to him as he had been serving her coffee. When he compared that memory with the cold skinned skull in front of him it almost seemed like a fever dream. It wasn't like he knew her on a personal level... not really... but that didn't stop him feeling saddened by this turn of events.  

Now feeling a bit calmer he reached a hand out, carefully brushing his fingers against the eyelids to close them shut.

If Akira was a full human he would've perhaps by now have gone to the nearest police station to report his findings. 

But Nijima's words from yesterday were still ringing loudly in his head. 

Like she had said, he was seen as dangerous. It didn't matter if he was trying to do the right thing. Hell - him attempting to do just that was the reason why he had been dumped back in Tokyo after all these years. A permanent criminal record thrown in as a bonus. 

Akira himself was aware that he could be a bit too trusting at times. Even still, he would rather be shot with multiple silver bullets than place his faith in a cop. Humans as a whole were corrupt. What Kamoshida and Madarame did to their victims wasn't done in secret. No, rather it was done in plain sight - acknowledged and hushed by many, so long as it benefitted their interests. 

Why would the law system be any different? Due to the serial killings, the general public had been increasingly on edge. People were slowly loosing confidence in the so called justice system. That was evident by the whispers and murmurs of Akira's fellow classmates, cheering whoever had brought Kamoshida and Madarame down, and that the police were useless. It wouldn't surprise him, if the police eventually gave up looking for the real culprit and just found someone innocent to incriminate instead. 

In other words, if Akira went to the police now, he'd be in handcuffs faster than he could speak. 

No, trusting any cop was out of the question.

But then...

Could the same culprit have also targeted Wakaba?

It was a decapitation, just like the others had been.

And hadn't Wakaba herself said...

"Akira...I think I might die soon." 

A cold jilt travelled down his spine.  There were only ever 2 ways he could've interpreted that.

Either Wakaba really was neurotic and this was a coincidence.

Or...

She had foretold her own death.

So she knew she was going to die.

And she told HIM 

Oh goodness...

Could he have done something to stop it? 

What if he had stopped her from leaving? Or alerted Sojiro or Futaba? Would doing so had made a difference?

But then... 

"...tell Futaba that I love her, and that I'm sorry."

She hadn't told them either had she?

But why was that? He couldn't claim to fully understand human psyche but surely, surely it made more sense to alert someone you trust deeply right? Not someone who could be at best - considered to be a distant acquaintance. 

Suddenly, he remembered that live report that had taken place at the station. It had been over a week ago, a reporter and interviewer discussing a recent decapitation. And while the interviewer had been so sure the killer was some carnivorous animal, what the reporter responded back with surprised him...

"For all the ways an animal could kill a human, it would be very unusual and illogical to resort to beheading one..." 

Not only that.

"According to forensics, the method of dismemberment was one clean cut. No canine could match that. A canine would leave some sort of... bite mark. It just... isn't possible."

Taking a deep breath, he carefully turned Wakaba's head in a 180 degree motion so that the severed part was facing upwards.  

He came to find that there was a portion of the neck still intact. 

When he examined the sliced part of the neck, he got the answer he was looking for swiftly. It was exactly like the reporter had said. One sharp, clean cut. No bite marks, not even a scratch. 

So uniquely clean... most weapons couldn't do something so flawlessly.

That settled it then.

It was likely that whoever had killed Wakaba had also killed the others. A small conclusion, but one nonetheless.

But that didn't answer his question as to why it was here. It was only when he realized that the one who did this, and the one who brought her here didn't necessarily have to be the same person. 

It was then that Akira realized something else. Something that was so ironic and in-his-face he should've in hindsight realized from the get-go. 

"She's been placed here with care." He thought to himself.

Because she had. Placed neatly in a bag upon Leblanc's doorstep.

Almost like...

"With the intention to be found." 

Perhaps... so he could find it?

He remembered the knocks that only stopped just before he had opened the door. 

Not only that. When he ran a finger down the fabric of the bag, he recognized the material immediately. Leather - manufactured from cow skin, a sturdy type of fabric that did hold some water resistance. Meaning no blood or any type of liquid had permeated from the bag. What's more is that he had approached the bag he picked up a faint metallic smell. Even in his non-wolf form, his senses were above that of a human's. Meaning if he could barely smell it, the average human definitely wouldn't of. 

Which most likely meant...

Whoever had left the bag, had intended for Akira and Akira only to come across what was inside. 

So they must've known that he would be here at this exact time.

Which means....

"Whoever it was is aware that I'm living here." 

Akira could only think of a handful of people who knew. Sojiro and Futaba were immediately ruled out. Of course they would've told him, but not like this. He could tell that they both adored Wakaba; Futaba was much more relaxed and happy when she was around. And Sojiro was a bit softer too. Akira saw the way he looked at her. He couldn't picture either of them disrespecting Wakaba in such a way. 

Regarding Ryuji, Ann and Yusuke... while they knew that he lived in Leblanc's attic - there was no way that any of them would've resorted to doing this either. Ann would scream whenever she came across some sort of roadkill; Ryuji was nowhere near as squeamish, but even he wouldn't touch a dead body part. Even Yusuke, who wasn't always the best at understanding boundaries and normal social etiquette - had his limits. This definitely being one of them. No, all three would've called him immediately, even if it had taken 50 times for them to get through. And none of them had met or even seen Wakaba, so how could they make the link that she and Akira knew one another? And while Morgana did know Wakaba, he had a rock solid alibi. Presumably still fast asleep, unaware of the mess on outside. 

The only person who he could think of that knew about his living situation at Leblanc and also knew Wakaba was...

Wakaba herself

The note in the bag supported that. She had trusted him after all. For all good that did to either of them. The note had mentioned that this was the only way she could show him. If her death truly had been inevitable, it made sense. 

But then how could a decapitated victim transport themselves here? Had it been any other body part, he would've been more inclined to believe it. You could easily survive loosing an arm or leg. Being stabbed in the kidney or stomach would give you at least an hour before you'd succumb to your wounds. There were even cases of people remaining conscious hours after being shot in the head. But without - or just with - a head, you'd could only last a few seconds. Dead before your head even hit the ground. 

But even brushing that aside - And how would they have done that without being spotted? Sure it was deep into the night, but surely someone would have someone seen Wakaba? Perhaps bleeding or in distress right? 

He looked back towards the defunct head, scanning the surface once again for anything... anything he might had missed earlier on. His answer was found when he fixated her mouth, which was slightly parted. 

There was something sticking out. Something that looked a bit too thin to be considered a tongue.

He reached out, gently tugging the material. It was soft and thin, sliding out with ease. When he gotten it fully out and he brought it closer to his eye, he had to stifle a gasp.

It... was lilac colored, one edge roughly torn. 

Identical to the fabric that was on the note.

When put together he found they slotted into each other perfectly like a jigsaw, almost forming a small circle. 

Too small to be a necklace, too big to be earing, so... 

…A ribbon?

Oh. 

It was Wakaba's ribbon

The very same one she had been wearing hours earlier. 

But why had he found one part in her mouth? And another on the note? She had always worn the ribbon, which meant someone would've taken it off her after she was killed.

But who?

And...why? What would be the culprit's reason for doing so? 

He reread the note again. 

You said I can trust you right?

Then forgive me,

But this was the only way I could truly show you

Had this really been the only way? She had to be dead to show him? Show him what? What was it that she couldn't tell him? She could tell him that she was going to die, but wasn't able to elaborate on how...

But why? What had stopped her from --

A sharp rustle of a nearby bush snapped him out of this thoughts and back into his senses. He began to panic again. 

I need to get this out of here

He quickly glanced at his phone.

12:47am

He had been out here for 20 minutes. 

He looked around. There was no one about, but he didn't want to push his chances. 

He was running out of time.

He had to make a choice.

Would he put his faith in the police, hopefully evade arrest and wash his hands of all this?

Or would he try to figure it out himself, and become an accessory to a crime?

And he had to choose now

***

"Come for a late night check up, my little cub?"

Tae Takemi.

A back alley doctor who ran a clinic a short distance from Leblanc. She was neither human nor animal, but a fae. Her size wasn't much, perhaps twice that of a Monarch butterfly. Her main occupation was a doctor, and her care was extended to both humans and non humans alike. She developed and sold bootleg prescriptions, one of these being her version of glamour spells. Proper glamours from years before - Akira had found were no longer a thing. Takemi's objective was to mimic the original, but at the moment it's uses were severely limited. A full body glamour of Takemi's could only make the user look like an  older or younger version of themselves - or change their body size. If a partial glamour was used on a lone body part it could disguise it too look like anything fairly well, but the effect was only reliable for 12 hours.  

Akira knew it was risky to trust the fae with something like this. He did trust that any drug or potions she had him digest wouldn't kill him. And so far, so good. He had gotten some pretty neat prescriptions at a discount as a reward. They were definitely helpful when he and his teammates were running low on stamina during those moonlit nights.  

But he didn't have any other choice. He couldn't go to the police. He couldn't risk trying to hide Wakaba's head in his attic, for either Morgana, Sojiro or Futaba to come across. He didn't want to burden his friends with this. Takemi -being the one non-human was the only one who he knew would hear him out and had the ability to properly conceal something like this. She despised the cops just as much as he did. 

Well the fact that she was a stone throw away from Leblanc played a part in why too. It wasn't like he could risk travelling for a hiding spot in Tokyo in plain sight. 

And if she did decides not to believe him or even to sell him out, well - he'd only be missing an extra 2 weeks of freedom.  

Takemi hovered in the sky for a moment, before settling upon the x-ray view box. Chestnut colored eyes scanned Akira intently before their attention honed in on the bag.

"Is that a present? Trying to bribe me into lowering my prescription prices are we?" 

He sighed.  

Might as well get it over with.

"Well... you see..."

It took Akira half an hour to explain the full story. And while Takemi's demeanor was relatively calm as he spoke, Akira didn't miss the way her sapphire-colored wings flinched at the more sensitive parts of the story. 

When he had finished she didn't speak for a minute or two, her once playful expression now completely serious. And even though there was a phone just within her reach, but she made no attempt to take it, or even look in its direction. Akira was grateful for that at least, but he also didn't miss the way the fae's wings began to slowly curl up at the edges. 

"Kurusu..." She began, a coldness in her tone. And that's when Akira knew for certain she was angry. She had never referred to him by his family name. "Let me see her."

He placed the bag on her desk. Takemi swiftly flew down, grabbing the bag along with a pair of disposable gloves. She then made her way to the cubicle at the other side of the room, disappearing behind the curtain. 

She stayed behind the curtain for a while. It was a minute before Akira heard the sound of a gasp. Then the immediate scrambling of equipment. Then quick flutter of her wings.

It was a good 30 minutes before Takemi emerged from the curtain. If Akira thought she was angry before - she was seething now. Too enraged to even be able to focus on flying, one hand clenched tightly into a fist. 

"You know..." She began, her back to the wolf. "When you were telling me your story... At first I half-expected it to be some sort of cruel fucking joke." She turned to look up at him, and there was a resigned look on her face. "The problem with that theory however, is that it isn't like you at all."  

Akira said nothing.

"Then.. I found this."

She unclenched her hand, holding it up. What was inside were the 2 pieces of Wakaba's ribbon.

"I don't know if I ever told you this but..." She began softly, "I was never really was interested in TV. I just don't care to watch humans any more than I already need to. That is, until the serial decapitations started making headlines. It intrigued me, from a medical perspective... How did the killer manage to sever multiple heads without leaving any trace of evidence?"

"And how did they did all that, while managing to cut said heads off so cleanly. It can only mean one of two things; either a unique weapon was used... OR..." 

Takemi's eyes met his. 

"There was magic involved." 

Magic? But that was impossible...?

It sounded that way.

And then it hit him. 

What she had said yesterday...

"My lips are sealed." 

"Let me ask you. Do you like my ribbon?" 

"I don't like it." 

"Then... how about you take it off?" 

"NO! These lips are sealed! These lips are sealed!" 

"So she can't take it off... but why?"

It all clicked. 

He finally knew why. He finally understood why. The answer had been right in front of him the whole time. It was no wonder why the killer was still at large. Because this entire time, the killer in question was --

IT WAS THE RIBBONS

The look of shock on Akira's face must've said it all, because Takemi clicked her tongue loudly before saying, "I see you've come to the same conclusion I have." 

Removing the ribbon was what had killed Wakaba and the others. That's why she had freaked out when Akira had offered to remove it for her. That's why she had been trying to bring attention to it.

From the beginning... it was never a question of WHO was doing the killing but WHAT.

"It's the perfect way to murder." Akira said. And it was true. By removing the ribbon and killing the victim, you also were able to get rid of the only piece of evidence that linked to that method. You didn't have to bloody your hands, or even risk leaving finger prints. 

"Mhm. But not just that." Takemi added, startling him out of his thoughts. She held up a picture diagram which showed the anatomy of both the head and neck. "Something else I noticed, look here." She pointed towards the top of the neck. "The cut was made here, right in the center part of the vocal chords. Rendering it impossible for her and probably the other victims to scream for help when it was pulled off."

Well, it would be a bit problematic if the victim started screaming while being murdered. 

Wait...

Was that also why Wakaba couldn't tell him what was going on? 

"Do you think the ribbons could've effected her speech?" He asked, taking the note out of his pocket and showing it to the fae. "She was struggling to tell me what was going on yesterday." 

Takemi inspected the note, her eyes widenening a bit.

"It's... possible. I'm going to have to look more into it to confirm, however." 

"I'd assume because it was the head that was severed, that death would've been almost instantaneous." Takemi concluded. 

A medically correct statement. However...

"But then how did she manage to bring herself to my doorstep and leave me the note saying that she trusts me? Saying 'this is the only way to show you'? She couldn't tell me at the time, when she was alive yet... I don't know, how can a head just... " He sounded ridiculous, he knew that. But it had been the one thing about the whole situation that had bothered him. Because he couldn't think of anyone else other than Wakaba who brought herself there.

Takemi gave him a look. 

"That would be physically impossible."

"I know but... she literally told me yesterd--" 

"Akira... How well did you know this woman?" 

"She was a... an acquaintance." 

"So you didn't really know her." She sighed. "Akira... did it ever occur to you that someone may have disguised themselves to look like her?"

It hadn't... but there were a few problems with that theory.

"But how could they have disguised themselves so well? I thought the proper glamours from before are no longer available?" 

"No longer available to the general public, yes. But it's such a powerful spell I highly doubt the humans in power would've gotten rid of it completely." 

"But--" 

Takemi flew up to his shoulder, placing a small yet firm hand on one. 

"Okay look. You need to get home. You came here for help because you knew I could glamour and conceal the head while you figure out who's behind all this in the meantime, right?" 

He nodded sheepishly.

She chuckled. "Cubs are so predictable. Anyway, I don't have a problem with aiding you. But you need to get home. Sleep, even if for a little while. I can tell you're still in shock from what you've witnessed, understandably. You have school tomorrow, don't you? No chance you can act as erratically as you're doing now."

He hated how she was making sense.

She fluttered back behind the curtain. 

A short while later she emerged - now holding what looked to be a prickly type of plant.

"It's called a Datura stramonium." She explained. "Better known as thorn-apples to the humans. Poisonous to both them and animals alike. I won't have to worry about anybody accidently touching it."

Ah. So that's what Takemi had glamoured the head to look like.

"I would like to run a few more tests on the head in the meantime... and also, try to figure out where the ribbons could've come from. I'm sure there could be some sort of Fable story they relate to..." She muttered the last part to herself.

"I'll text you if I find anything." 

She then handed him a small bottle.

"Spray this where you found the head, and a bit on yourself too." She explained. "It'll get rid of the scent, so much so that not even those dogs will be able to pick it up." 

He nodded. "Okay. Thanks, Takemi." 

"I'm not doing this for free however." She responded, with a small smile. "Maybe we should look to up your dosage a bit."

He winced. Goodness, as if he needed anymore stress in his life. 

Hmmm. Then he remembered something.

"June 20th." 

"Hmm?" 

"June 20th, that's how I'll make it up to you." Akira said. "When the moon hits, I'll be able to show you something worthwhile."

Takemi smirked.

"Okay, little cub. We have a deal." 

Akira could feel their bond level going up quite a bit tonight. 

He nodded one last time, before exiting the clinic. 

It was almost 3am. The street was completely empty.

He made his way home, when he felt his shoe step in something soft.

Blueberries?

On top of a manhole?

He shrugged.

It probably didn't mean anything

***

Akira made his way back to the bed. He didn't sleep a wink however. Morgana was still passed out cold, in the same position - none the wiser and he couldn't help but envy the cat a bit.

No scratch that - a lot.

He just continued to stare at the ceiling - until he heard Leblanc's door open and the sound of sizzling.

Sojiro was making breakfast. 

Akira took a few minutes to breathe in and out, preparing himself. 

He would have to look Sojiro and Futaba in the face, knowing what he had seen HOURS AGO - and act none the wiser.

Act as if Wakaba's head wasn't occupying Leblanc's doorstep hours before. 

Act as if the very image wasn't tormenting his head. 

He wasn't sure he could do this. 

He quickly got ready, changing into his uniform - not bothering to tame the bush that was his hair. After that, he made his way down the stairs, rushing into the bathroom to quickly brush his teeth. 

When he came out there was a plate of curry set at the counter.

"You sleep well?" His guardian asked. 

Akira didn't trust himself with words right now, so he just nodded.

"That's good. Eat up before it gets cold."  

And he did. 

Morgana scuttled down the stairs a moment later, settling himself beside Akira's chair. The cat had slept well - If the tired noises he was making were anything to go by.

Oh, how much he envied said cat right now. 

Sojiro - hearing Morgana's drowsy meows retreated back to the kitchen to see if he could find any feline-suited food. 

He took a moment to check his phone, anything to keep him from thinking too much about what he had seen. 

He had two messages.

[ Tae Takemi ] : Remember to breathe, little cub. 

[ Tae Takemi ] : This may help :)

A 10 hour breathing video? 

That was so like her. But it made him feel a bit better, knowing was she doing the best she could to help.  

He swiped out to see the other message. 

[ Akechi ] : Good morning, Akira-kun

[ Akechi ] : Did you sleep well? 

How exactly was he supposed to respond to this? "Good morning Akechi-san! Yeah I was awoken to some strange knocking last night and when I opened the door there was a severed head of a woman whom I've only spoke to a few times on the doorstep. Now I'm somehow trying to figure out what the hell happened and I have less than within 2 weeks. But other than that I slept great!!" 

As if Akechi would have any idea what he was talking about. 

Back when they were kids, he had complete trust in Akechi. Even though they knew each other for only a few months, the bond they shared all but contrasted that. He was the only human to have ever really seen Akira, all of him - a child that was once so scared of rejection he hid his wolf features. And he had been the one who made Akira reject that way of thinking. Stood by his side. In some ways, he viewed the detective as his hero.

But things were slightly more complicated now. 

Akechi was a now respected detective and celebrity. And Akira was... what? A delinquent who was the leader of a vigilante group? Akechi had so many fans who loved and adored him. While Akira was mostly feared and hated, dealing with whispers and murmurs from his concerned classmates. 

He wondered if they were just... too different now. Akechi was too cool. He was perfect and intelligent and adorable and... didn't need the like's of a half-wolf like him potentially tarnishing his image. As happy as he felt when the detective had invited him out and referred to him as family... he had also half expected the detective to cease contact with him at the end of that day. 

There was a part of him that thought maybe... it would be best if they did just cut contact... 

But....

"Akira. Please look out for Akechi for me." 

Better to keep the interactions surface level. That way they could still be friends, without Akira potentially tarnishing Akechi's image. 

[ Akira ] : Good morning, Akechi :) 

  [ Akira ] : Sort of

[ Akira ] : I feel a bit tired

[ Akira ] : How about you, detective?

The response came almost immediately.

[ Akechi ] : Ah, that's good

[ Akechi ] : I unfortunately didn't get much sleep last night.

[ Akechi ] : Had a late night task to attend to.

[ Akira ] : Another case?

[ Akechi ] : Hmm

[ Akechi ] : Something like that. 

[ Akira ] : That... :/

[ Akira ] : You should sleep more

[ Akechi ] : Hahah.... I guess

[ Akechi ] : Talk to you later, Akira-kun. 

Point proven. 

As Akira placed his phone back into his pocket... Leblanc's door jingled open.

It was Futaba. 

The wolf felt an immediate jolt of panic go down his spine. The girl had a small yet hopeful smile on her face, though it vanished slowly as her eyes scanned round the café. 

"She's not here..." he heard the girl mutter, sighing afterwards. She walked up to the counter, taking the seat next to Akira's. 

Sojiro reemerged from the kitchen with some pieces of chicken and water for Morgana, who jumped at it - purring fondly.

His expression softened immensely when he saw Futaba. 

"I'm sorry, Futaba." He said, placing a plate of curry in front of her. "I've tried to get in contact but she's--" 

"It's fine, Sojiro." She interrupted, heavy bitterness in her tone. "She doesn't care. I get it." 

Sojiro looked like he wanted to refute that, but thought better and retreated back to the kitchen. 

For a short while, the 2 ate their curry in silence. Normally, Futaba would be gulping it down - smiling brightly and thanking Sojiro in-between bites, sometimes even pleading Akira to give her some of his. Supplying Morgana with endless head pats. But today she did none of those things. Her head was down, fixated on the counter and she was eating slowly. 

Guilt crept into his body. It was hard enough acting normal around Sojiro. But Futaba? He was struggling to hold it together, to be honest. Even sitting near her was distressing. He had to dig his claws into his hands to prevent himself from shaking. 

Seeing her so... down, knowing that the truth was 100x worse... 

He thought he could do this...

but it was fucking difficult.

Morgana picked up on it too. He looked up from his half eaten bowl of chicken, towards the girl - frowning a bit. He took a stretch in the way a cat would, then leaped onto the girl's lap.

"Futabaaaa... are you okay?" 

She didn't answer him, but used a free hand to stroke his head. The action seemed to soothe them both.

"Can I ask you something?"

He turned to see Futaba looking at him. She was sniffling and her eyes were red and puffy. She had been crying.

There was relief when he noticed there was no ribbon on her neck. Good, she was safe - for now. 

But that didn't stop the uneasiness he felt looking at her. Up close, Futaba looked a lot like Wakaba. It was almost sinister, the way Wakaba's severed head popped up even more when he looked at the girl.  

He briefly thought about running out of the cafe, but then remembered what Takemi had said about acting normal.

So he instead nodded, and that seemed to satisfy her enough to continue. 

"Do you... Do you uh, think I'm annoying?" 

He shook his head.

But Futaba didn't look convinced. "Really?" 

Ah. She's looking for a verbal answer. 

"No, I don't."

She looked down at the counter again. "Then why has my mom abandoned me?" 

He nearly dropped his fork.

He couldn't do this. He couldn't. 

"W-What makes you think that?" 

For a moment it seemed like she wasn't going to answer. Then she pulled out her phone, swiping a little bit before holding it out for him to see.

"Look at this. She's been ignoring me since last Sunday. I've tried texting and calling but she won't respond. I mean, she sometimes forgets to text back for a day or two when she's REALLY focused on a project but never this long." 

"I had cram school yesterday and she didn't even show up." Futaba added sadly. "Sojiro had to pick me up. She won't respond to him either. It's like she's forgotten about us... About me." 

Forgotten...

If only she knew how much worse the truth was. 

"And normally I wouldn't care. I'm used to it. It's just the way she is. Mom's lab work makes her happy. Happier than I could. But she promised..."

"What did she promise?" 

"...That we'd go to Akihabara today." She looked down at the counter again.

Akira felt like he was being stabbed.

Futaba sank lower into her seat.

"Where is she? What's so important that she had to break her promise?"

How was he supposed to answer that?

[ "She's dead, Futaba." ] 

[ "I don't know, but I know she loves you" ]

[ Say nothing ]  

If he could, he would tell her the truth. She deserved that at the very least. But he knew he couldn't. However Wakaba's head had got there... whoever had put it there did so that Akira and Akira only would discover it. 

It somehow didn't feel like the right time to dismiss the girl's feelings by telling her that Wakaba... did indeed love her. Worst case, she would ask how Akira knew that. And he couldn't think of a decent enough lie.

But it also seemed too callous to say nothing at all. 

[ "She's dead, Futaba." ] 

[ "I don't know, but I know she loves you" ]

[ Say nothing ]  

[ Offer to go to Akihabara with her ] 

"How about... I take you there instead?"

If Wakaba no longer could, then he would. It was the very least he could do. 

Futaba looked at him questioningly. "Don't you have school in like... 10 minutes?"

"Tomorrow." He corrected. "If your mom isn't back by tomorrow, I'll take you instead." 

"D- do you even know how to get there?" She asked, a glint of mischief in her expression.

"I'm sure I could figure it out."

"Well... good!! Because I don't!" She admitted, chucking a bit. 

"I'll teach you, its not too hard." 

"....Wait really? Are you sure?" 

Guilt trekked up his spine again.

He knew damn well she wouldn't be coming back. 

"I'm sure." 

Futaba smiled brightly at him. "Okay! I'm all in!" She replied, all the bitterness from before vanishing. She picked up her fork once more, taking a bite of her curry with the enthusiasm Akira had become so familiar with. 

"SOJIROOO!" She yelled happily. He appeared immediately. "Can you warm this up again for me?" 

Shortly after, Akira finished his plate and headed towards the door. 

"Hey... Akira?" 

"Hm?"

"Thanks... F- For listening. I guess wolves are pretty cool." 

"You're welcome. See you later." 

***

The subway was loud and chaotic as usual. Akira had never felt so grateful towards Futaba for the headphones. The video Takemi had recommended keeping him grounded. He stuck to the pace of slow breathing, and while he still felt immense stress - it was helping. He only took them off once he had reached his classroom and saw Ann at her desk along with Ryuji chatting - whom was sitting at his desk.

From a distance they both looked uneased.

"....Mishima....few students who..." He hears Ryuji say as he approached them. 

"Yeah, that's a good idea." Ann responds as she fiddles with one of her pigtails nervously. 

Ah right.

Nijima. Blackmail. He had almost forgotten about that.

The pile of evidence in photos and voicemails she had threatened him and his friends with. 

Though considering the hell he had been through mere hours ago - he couldn't really bring himself to care about that threat anymore. The bait Nijima had over them felt like mere child's play in comparison. 

Quite frankly, he was more scared of Futaba finding out the truth than anything could do Nijima right now. 

Not to mention her demand was impossible. It was nothing like the 2 previous times, where at the very least... he and his group were aware of the culprit's name and establishments.

Not to mention they only had 2 days to actually carry out the whole thing.

Perhaps he could somehow convince Nijima to extend their time limit? Under the guise of them all studying hard for their upcoming exa--- no wait. Ryuji and Ann studying? He would be laughed out of the student council office. 

"Leaaader! What do you think?" The blonde cheerily greeted him, getting up from his seat so the other could sit down.

Morgana - predictably - leapt into Ann's arms.

"You guys talking about Nijima?" The cat asked, in between purrs. 

"Yeah... Student prez doesn't seem like she's gonna budge with this." 

"Mishima knows a few students who may be involved with our target." Ann added. 

Akira pushed his glasses up and forced a determined smile.

"Let's go ask them." 

***

The few students they questioned were hesitant (understandably so) to tell them much. But they had a bit more information this time. 

1) The culprit mostly operated in Shibuya 

2) He had several lackeys who would convince high school students to deliver envelopes for him.

3) The reward for doing so being a large sum of cash.

4) Of course - said reward doesn't exist because it is a scam. The envelopes in question contains drugs.

5) Students involved end up being blackmailed and threatened via photos.

Akira had also made sure to discreetly check if any of the students were wearing anything ribbon-like. Thankfully, none of thenm were. Which soothed his nerves quite a bit. At least in this scenario, they weren't be threatened with their life. 

It wasn't much to go on, they still didn't even have a name. 

But it was a start. 

When school finished, and after meeting up with Yusuke at their usual meet-up point, they headed to the top of Shinjuku street. 

At this time of day there were still plenty of students about - and likewise plenty of suspicious looking men - dressed head to toe in black, dark sunglasses covering their eyes.

Most likely the lackeys.

"I suggest we split up." Yusuke advised. "It might be a bit suspicious if we all go up them as one group."

"True." Akira agreed.

"Although..." the artist turned to look at a particular blonde. "Ryuji might require a chaperone." 

Said blonde in question groaned.

"Are we STILL going on about this?? Didn't I say I was sorry??"  

"Well we likely wouldn't be in this mess if it wasn't for your big fat mou--"

"Mona... you little shi--"

"Alrightttt... that's enough." Ann chided them both. "Can we just get on with this? The time limit is stressing me out enough without you two arguing." 

"But Lady-Ann he--"

(Ann had turned her attention elsewhere)

"Ughhh... Can't you... maybe...I don't know... ask that detective friend of yours?" She asked hopefully, nudging Akira's shoulder. "He might have an idea of their name?" 

The sudden mention of Akechi took the him off-guard a bit. 

"I...uh..."

"What? That stuck up pretty-boy?" Ryuji had a disgusted look on his face. 

"N- No, I can't. It would be too suspicious." I don't want to annoy him

"Right." Morgana added. "Even if he had the intel we needed, he's still part of the police. And he doesn't even agree with what we're doing." 

Ann sighed. "Okay. Let's just get this over with." 

30 minutes later they back as a group to discuss what they had found. And found that they were no closer to finding the culprit's name. Anytime they had tried to subtly (or in Ryuji's case the exact opposite) ask the lackey's who their boss was they were turned away instantly. 

Akira can taken note of the fact that none of the lackeys were wearing anything ribbon-like on their necks. He wondered if that's why their boss was so well hidden. If it turned out they themselves had a ribbon then keeping their identity hidden would make sense.

Akira had also sensed Nijima in his field of vision. She was standing a bit of the distance from the group the whole time. Even now. No longer hiding, but obviously not making any effort to help the group. Simply observing, arms neatly crossed. Ann had noticed her too, rolling her eyes at the sight.

"Without a name we're essentially stuck in the mud." Yusuke said, and they all had to agree with that.

"Then what can we do?" Ryuji asked, slight panic in his voice. "We only have until Monday night to find the name and carry the plan out! And if we don't Akira will end up..." He looked towards the wolf.

Had the events of Wakaba never happened, he would've been a lot more scared. But he had come to terms with accepting his fate.

So he held one hand up, and placed another on the blonde's shoulder. "Don't stress about it. If it comes to that, I'll take the fall." 

Morgana and Ryuji just looked speechless. 

Ann's eyes widened. "Are you serious? We won't let that happen."

"Quite right." Yusuke agreed. "It would be extremely cowardly of us to abandon you in such a way."

"Hell yeah Yusuke! We ain't doing that to you man." 

"It's alright. The only tangible proof she has connecting any of us to either of the crime scenes is me. We don't all have to ruin our lives over this."

"But you do?" Ann shot back. 

"There surely has to be another way we can deal with this person." Yusuke said. "Even if... its without using your... unique technique." 

"Yeah, we'll think of something!" Ryuji added. 

It was nice to know that his friends were so loyal... didn't want to abandon him.

Would they still risk taking the fall with him if they knew what he was really hiding from them, he wondered?

"Anyway, there's no use discussing this here or now." Akira waved a hand dismissively, trying to steer the subject. "You guys get home. There's something I need to quickly check so go on without me. I'll try to think of a solution by tomorrow."

His friends looked unconvinced but complied, all heading to the nearby station.  

He walked the opposite way. 

He really didn't want to go home to Sojiro and Futaba. It was killing him. Hiding what had happened to Wakaba. Knowing that they both were worried sick about her. He couldn't do it.  

Not just yet.

He took out his phone, aimlessly scrolling so 

Morgana was in his bag, uncharacteristically silent for a few minutes, before popping his head out.

"Hey... Akira? Are you feeling okay?" 

"Hmm? Yeah. I'm fine." 

"What... you said back there... did you mean it?"

Oh right. That had really shaken up Morgana hadn't it? 

"Between you and me... I just don't think it will be possible for us to complete this task." He answered without looking up. 

"Our chances are low." Morgana admitted. "Either we'll have to somehow convince that student council to increase our time limit or... maybe by some miracle... someone will give us a clue."

The chances of either taking place being near-zero. He could maybe try asking Iwai if he knew anything? Though even if he did, their bond level might not be high enough yet for that level of trust yet.

Before he even had the chance of texting Iwai, he felt a firm presence step in front of him. 

From the way Morgana immediately retreated back into his bag, he assumed it to be Nijima at first. 

But Nijima... was nowhere to be seen. Which was strange. She hadn't been too much of a distance from him and the others a few minutes ago.

Only when the person spoke, forcing him to look up from his phone from shock - did he register who it was.

"Hey, Akira-kun."

"A- Akechi??"

The detective simply smiled at him.

"Hang out with me." 

Chapter Text

Though Akira had been in Tokyo for 2 months now, he hadn't really explored much of it. In between school, work and his vigilante business, he didn't really have much time spare to fully scope out the city. It had taken him quite a bit of time just to get used to city life. The busyness, the noise, how fast paced everything was. A stark contrast to the farm life he had spent most of his life being accustomed to. 

Outside of Yongen-Jaya (which he now knew like the back of his hand), the only other place he had somewhat adapted to was Shibuya. 'Somewhat' being the term used because truthfully, the area was still a bit of a puzzle for him. At first it would've been very easy for him to get lost in the waves of people and sounds. Though thanks to the friends he had made so far, he now could maneuver his way round, as well as familiarize himself with some of the places. Ryuji had showed him the gym and ramen shop, Ann (after dragging him around the underground mall) the crepe place and Yusuke the local art museum.

Then there was Akechi - who didn't try to fill in a piece, but instead replaced it with a new puzzle entirely. 

Upon being taken back to the station, Akira had immediately placed his headphones back on. Though it wasn't rush hour just yet, the noise coupled along with the stress of Wakaba and Nijima's blackmail was enough to put him into overdrive. He looked up from his phone at Akechi with a worried expression, hoping that the boy would understand... or at the very least - wouldn't take offence to his avoidant behavior. But the brunette gave him a small smile before gently placing one hand on Akira's wrist and guided him towards the correct platform.

Having spent more of his lifetime so far assuming that Akechi was simply dead or at best... missing forever - the fact that he was alive, standing right next to him, his fingers gently wrapped around his wrist was a concept that he was still trying to get used to. The unexpected glove to skin contact helping to soothe some of his nerves.

But not all.

He knew that as much as he wished it wasn't, things were no longer as simple as they were back when they were kids. Akechi was a detective. Akira a delinquent vigilante. He had easily brushed off his friends concerns about his friendship with the detective, but he also knew there was some truth to what they were saying. 

He couldn't fully trust him. And it was likely the same for the other too. 

The decade apart had changed both their circumstances massively.

And if being a vigilante wasn't reminder enough of that, then Wakaba served that purpose. 

No chance would Akechi take his side if he ever found out what Akira was hiding. 

The irony of the entire situation was all but lost on Akira though. Akechi was part of the investigation behind the decapitations. Akechi, the one who was loved and adored by the majority of Tokyo. And yet Wakaba... or whoever had left her head on his doorstep, had turned to him for help instead.  

He wished he could ask Wakaba why. Did she too have little faith in the police just like he did? And even if it hadn't been Wakaba herself who had left her head there, whoever it was... why? Could it perhaps be because they knew that this was the only way the truth about the ribbons would be discovered? 

If that was the case, then the system was even more corrupt than Akira had given it credit for. 

But what on earth had made whoever had done that trust him? 

...Was it because he had told her that he was the one behind taking down Kamoshida and Madarame?

"Our train is here." Akechi said, startling Akira out of his thoughts. Shit, he needed to remember where he was. Who he was with. If he started acting too nervous, the other would for sure know something was up. And then presumably ask questions. And in his semi-panicked state, Akira didn't trust his ability to lie for long.

Better to keep the interactions surface level.

So instead he nodded at the brunette, doing his best to form a small smile - hoping it was convincing enough. 

The train they boarded was fairly populated - but not packed - so the teens were able to sit next to one another. As they sat down Akechi let go of his wrist and Akira immediately found himself missing the firm contact. He tried to act nonchalant about it, instead keeping his gaze upon his phone and once again playing the breathing video Takemi had sent. Looking up every now and then to catch a glimpse of the view outside. Staying that way for a good 10 minutes until he felt another light squeeze on his wrist, signifying to him that they had reached their stop. 

Kichijoji - their destination - Akira found to be quite unique; It was colorful and had a bit of a personal touch. It was much less populated than Shibuya, though still it seemed to have a bit of something for everybody. The pace of everything was slower here too. There was a shopping district, which included a second-hand store. Another was an expensive looking accessories shop. Akira also passed by a few quick-stop eateries, most of which were slightly tucked away via an alleyway. Just like their last outing together, Akira followed a little behind Akechi, mostly due to him taking all the sights in. 

A few minutes later they stopped outside of what seemed to be a dessert café.  

"Ahh! It seems I forgot to mention why I brought you here." He said after taking note of Akira's slightly confused expression. "As you may know, the culprit of the serial killings is still at large... So I've been quite engrossed in work." He sighed tiredly, taking a moment to raise one hand in a bid to rub the dark circles forming under his eyes.

Meanwhile Akira tried his hardest not to flinch or panic as the other spoke. Every time he heard something in regards to the serial killer or decapitations, he instantly thought back to how he had found Wakaba... the way she had tried to warn him mere hours beforehand. It was frightening to think that whoever was responsible for her demise was still out there. Even more frightening how powerless any potential victim could be, now he knew about the ribbons role. 

But there was something else about Akechi's comment that worried Akira. 

"Haven't you already got a suspect lined up?" He asked, thinking back to that live show he had watched last week, where the detective had very clearly stated that. 

"Having a suspect in mind is one thing. Having enough evidence to successfully indict said suspect is another." Akechi explained and Akira immediately understood what he meant. "Though... I may have found another source to help me with that." He looked at Akira again, this time with an expression that the wolf couldn't make sense of.

"Anyway, enough of that for now. Point is, I want to relax a bit and take my mind off of work, if even for just an hour or so. I figured eating would do just the trick." 

Hearing Akechi say that made Akira feel a bit nostalgic. Back when they were kids, his way of soothing Akechi or helping him relax always involved some type of food. Also always involved them eating said food together. It was a simple gesture, one that Akira wouldn't of expected the detective to remember about them. To think that all these years later... he still-- 

"Is that why you brought me here with you?" 

Akechi seemed somewhat startled by that question, before a somewhat wistful expression began to form on his features. "Well...If I'm being honest you--" 

It was at that moment that Akira was reminded of Morgana's existence. His bag had ruffled for a moment, before feeling significantly lighter.

Seconds later and the black cat had leaped out onto the pavement, now looking between the wolf and the detective with an annoyed expression. 

"I'll... hang round here till you're done." He huffed, giving Akira one last look - the 'be careful' kind - before scampering off into a nearby alleyway.

Akechi watched the entire scene unfold, glancing at the cat until he was out of sight, eyes now a little wider than before. 

"You... keep your cat in your school bag?" He questioned the wolf, one eyebrow now significantly higher than the other.

Akira shrugged. "He likes it in there." 

"Surely you're aware there are pet carrier bags that are specifically designed to carry cats, yes?"

"Wait seriously?" He was completely stunned at this piece of information. Damn the country boy in him was showing. 

Akechi just nodded slowly, as if this should've been obvious to even country boys like him.  

"They... didn't have anything like that back on the farm." He mumbled back, using a few fingers to fiddle with his bangs. Something he usually did when he felt nervous or... embarrassed.

Or in this case...both. 

The detective continued to stare at him. Only this time a small but fond smile beginning to form on his face.

"W-What?"

"Oh! Nothing. Never mind. Let's head inside, shall we?" 

They went inside, settling down at a table on the outside balcony. The balcony was quieter compared to the inside of the restaurant, equipped with a slight warm breeze, both of which Akira found himself weirdly grateful for. 

Akechi at this point had already buried his head into the menu. Akira followed suit and then found himself holding back a gasp when he saw some of the prices. It wasn't anything extravagant, but Akira's bank balance was a little strapped after having to invest in Takemi's medicines or Iwai's weapons. He skimmed through the menu. Maybe it would just be best to order the most cheapest dish instead so it wouldn't leave too much of a noticeable dent in his bank accou--

"Order whatever you want. I'll cover the bill." 

"Are you sure?" 

Akechi looked up from his menu. "I did invite you here, did I not? So it would quite rude of me to not do so." 

Akira couldn't help but grin. "Thanks." 

"That does not mean 'order for the sake of ordering' however." 

"I see. In that case I'll just get everything on this menu." 

The brunette rolled his eyes. "A good handful of these items have some form of chocolate in them. Isn't that dangerous for your kind?" 

"Well... luckily for me my hybrid genes include the enzyme needed to break it down. Otherwise I would've dropped dead by now from the amount of coffee Sojiro makes me drink." 

"Sojiro?"

"My guardian." 

Akechi's expression turned a bit more serious. "You know, you never did get round to telling me why you--"

Their conversation was interrupted as a waitress came to their table.   

"Hi guys, are you ready to order? If so what can I get for--" She gasped loudly. "Oh my.....? Are you... are you the detective prince????" 

Akira watched in real time as Akechi's eased expression quickly morphed into that of the plasticky caricature he portrayed on TV.

He turned to the waitress, looking at her with a fake smile. One that Akira knew all too well, and one that he had come to detest. 

"Indeed I am." 

"Can I get a picture with you?" The waitress all but pleaded. "My friends won't BELIEVE you showed up at my workplace." 

"Of course." Akechi responded, his smile becoming a little more strained. But the girl didn't notice, seconds later shoving her phone into his face, the flash going off multiple times. 

"Thank you so much!!" She said, slipping her phone back into a pocket. "Wow, you really are even more handsome in real life! It's literally a dream to be able to see you like this." 

"Ahh, you're too kind." 

"Such a gentleman too. But since you're here - why not try out some of our new super sweet cakes? On the house!" 

"Oh thank you but I'd rath--"

"GREAT! I'll be right back with it and-- oh sorry, did you want anything?" She asked Akira, having suddenly remembered that Akechi wasn't the only occupant at the table. 

Akira quickly ordered a few things and the waitress swiftly headed back inside. 

Only when she was fully out of sight did Akechi's relaxed expression from before return.

"My apologies for that. My fans can be a bit... Overwhelming." 

"Mhm... It's fine. You're getting free food out of it after all."

Akechi rolled his eyes. "Of course you would focus on that point."

A short while later the same waitress arrived with their orders. She placed Akechi's down last, looking at him expectantly. "Soooo... go on! Try it!" 

The detective gave her that same false smile he had done a few minutes ago, before helping himself to the cake. 

"Mmmm. My, this is truly delicious." He said that, but Akira didn't miss the way he winced while chewing - as if the cake was too sweet for his liking. 

"Ahhh! I'm so glad you think so." The waitress beamed at him. "Be sure to enjoy your time here! Leave us a nice review while you're at it as well!" She said, proudly sauntering back inside and finally leaving them alone. 

Akechi then allowed himself to sigh heavily. 

"I suppose I should apologize for that as well." 

"No its fine...Its just... I can't believe you get free food just because you're famous." 

Well, that wasn't entirely true. Akira could understand why Akechi got free food. Hell, he himself used to give Akechi free apples all the time when they were kids. But that was out of friendship, appreciation.

This however... it seemed...

"Ah, it's not quite that simple. Are you aware that I run a food blog?"

The wolf nodded. Of course he was; it had been one of the first things to pop up when Akira had searched up Akechi's name. It was very popular, almost all the posts bombarded with multiple comments, presumably from his myriad of fans. Each picture of food coupled with a pic of him smiling  in an extremely attractive way into the camera. A few photos even including a white dove (Robin?) happily perched on his shoulder as he ate. It was no wonder why so many girls had subscribed to it, lured in by the immediate eye-candy. Though credit where its due, each of his reviews were very thorough and detailed - at least a paragraph dedicated towards describing each dish, price, the staff and overall atmosphere of the place. 

"Well then you must know my posts have garnered quite a bit of attention. So by posting my review of this restaurant online, it will encourage some of my fans to try this establishment. Hence, bringing the company more business."  

"I...see." Akira was beginning to understand. "If I'm being honest, it all seems a bit--" 

"Transactional? Exchangeable? Welcome to the world of humans." Akechi finished for him, smiling. Though while this smile wasn't like the false one he had given the waitress, it also didn't quite reach his eyes either. 

A wave of silence fell upon them for a minute or so. Akira kept his gaze down at his food, chewing slowly - anything to stop his mind from thinking about Waka-- 

He felt Akechi gently kick him from under the table, causing him to look up.

"So," The brunette began, "Did this help you relax at least?" 

"Relax?" Akira questioned.  "Um... why do you ask?"

"Well if I'm being honest you... it looked like you were about to have a breakdown. Back in Shibuya that is." Akechi explained. "That's why I thought it would do you good to bring you here. Figured you could do with a distraction." 

If the circumstances were normal... Akira would feel touched by this. But honestly it... worried him. Up until this point, Akira had assumed he had been masking his stress well enough. None of his friends, not even Morgana had noticed that he was acting weird. And then there was Akechi, who supposedly knew from one glance. 

Either his mask had slipped significantly... OR Akechi, being his estranged childhood friend just knew him better than he expected. 

And honestly, he didn't know which was more terrifying. 

"Thanks." He began. "But you don't have to worry, I feel completely fine--"

"Did something happen?" Akechi pressed, completely ignoring him. "Akira, look. I'm aware that we're not as close as we used to be but... If anything is bothering you, you can talk to me. I want you to know that at least." 

The look on the brunette's face was so genuine, almost as if he knew something was up - but wanted Akira to admit it himself to him. But he couldn't... it was just... to risky.

"I'm okay... just a little tired." He lied, using one hand to rub the back of his neck. He couldn't meet the other's gaze. "But enough about me, how are you? Are you making sure to get enough slee--" 

He stopped when he heard a fork drop. "Stop... Stop doing that" 

"...Doing what?"

"That thing where you try to avoid talking about yourself or your own feelings by changing the subject."  He scolded, crimson eyes seemingly looking right through him. "You always did that back when we were kids. It was one of the things about you that always infuriated me." 

"I...."

Except he knew he couldn't refute that.

Because Akechi was right.

Akira rarely ever spoke about his troubles with others. People had different ways of coping. Many turned to various outlets, others isolated themselves. Akira's way of getting by was making himself useful to whoever he could. Be the person that people relied on. The one that people turned to. And looking at most of his bonds, that's exactly what he was.

Assisting Ryuji while he built a new life, separate from the track team he had left. Being there for Ann's photoshoots and listening to her worries regarding Shiho. Aiding Yusuke in his quest to understanding the human heart, and moving on from Madarame's shackles. Supporting Yoshizawa through her gymnastics journey. Listening to Morgana's concerns regarding his 'human past'.  

In the case of a crisis his friends could call him at any time of the day and he would show up for them in a heartbeat. But when it had happened to him, he couldn't find bring himself to tell his friends. He was their leader, someone they relied on. Someone they found to be useful. Someone they associated with solving problems and alleviating stress. So it would be irresponsible for him, as their leader and friend to drag them into the ribbon decapitation mess. 

But he and Akechi had never shared such a dynamic. At the beginning, they were always on equal footing. Confided in each other, trusted each other. They had seen each other.

So it wasn't too surprising, that all these years later - despite the fact that they know stood on opposite pillars of society, their bond strained...

That they still were able to understand each other, in a way nobody else could. 

Even then, the bizarre circumstances circumstances he was in made it so he couldn't be fully honest with Akechi either. 

"I...I've just been feeling overwhelmed with everything that's happened recently." Was what Akira eventually settled with saying. Not a lie, but not something that exposed the actual truth either. 

For a minute or so Akechi didn't say anything. He wasn't looking at the wolf, his crimson eyes fixated into something in the distance. When he finally did look in Akira's direction, his expression there was understanding. But there was also something else, a bit more difficult to deduce. It wasn't pity or even relief. 

No, it was something more akin to... guilt? 

"Akira, I'm--"

"Ohhh my god! Is that the detective prince?"

"Akechi-san? It does look like him!" 

"We're a bit of distance away though."

"CMON! Let's get closer and find out!" 

A small crowd, no doubt Akechi's fans had spotted him on the balcony, making their way towards them. 

Akechi had caught the commotion too, sighing a little at the sight.

"Well, I guess our time is up." He said, the smile on his face not doing well to hide his exhaustion and annoyance at the situation.  "Though I wish we could've stayed a little while longer." 

"You shouldn't have to put up with this." Akira expressed. And it was true. It was strange to think that Akira had once looked at Akechi, who had so many fans, humans who adored him - wondering what it would be like to experience that. Instead of whispers, fear and silver scraps thrown at him. But after today, his viewpoint had changed a little bit.

If this is what Akechi had to deal with on a daily basis, on top of his detective work and school - it was no wonder he was so exhausted.  

"Ah, its quite alright." He responded, but they both knew he was lying. The resigned look confirmed that enough. 

Then a thought... (not a particularly good one) struck Akira.

"Come here a sec."

***

"Wha-- why are we here?" 

In hindsight, grabbing the detective's hand and taking him into the nearest bathroom probably wasn't the best idea. 

But they were here now so, not like they could go back. 

"I have an idea." He simply responded, his lips forming something of a smirk. Akechi's eyes grew a bit wider and before he could respond (or Akira lose his nerves) the wolf raised his hand, threading his finger's into the brunette's hair.

His hair was... soft. Unbelievably so. It also had a nice fragrance to it, smelling of a mixture of strawberries and shea butter. It was just... beautiful, it forms outside of just visual. 

He felt the other stiffen under the touch, mutter something inaudible under his breath...but didn't make an attempt to push the wolf away. 

After about a minute of ruffling through his hair, Akira finally (rather reluctantly) stepped back to admire his handywork. The detective's usual well groomed hair was now a complete mess, strands sticking out everywhere and his bangs disheveled. 

A good start. But to succeed in disguising him, they'd have to do a bit more. 

"Take my glasses." 

Akechi scoffed. "Don't you need them to see?"

Akira shrugged. "They're not real."

"Knowing what I do about you, I'm not even surprised." He retorted but reached out anyway, gently taking them off the bridge of Akira's nose and placing them on his own. 

"This better work." Akechi grumbled.

It ended up working perfectly.

As they returned to their seats and the crowd of pests got closer, their enthusiasm vanished upon seeing the 2. And not even a minute later and they were gone. Mission accomplished. 

Akira smirked and while the other rolled his eyes in retaliation, the wolf could tell he was trying to fight a smile too. 

"We should get going before it gets too late." 

They made their way to the station, (but not before Akira summoned Morgana) catching the train back to Shibuya. Neither spoke, but unlike the earlier scenario - it was a peaceful silence. Even with the usual subway noise, Akira didn't feel the need to use his headphones. 

A few more minutes pass as they stand close to each other at the platform, waiting for one of their trains to arrive. 

"Hey... Akira?"

"Hmm?"

"Look at me." 

He looked up from the endless scrolling he was doing on his phone to find Akechi looking at him with an unreadable expression. 

"Earlier on, were you perhaps looking for someone?" 

Akira's blood ran cold. It took everything he had in him to not flinch at that question. He could even feel Morgana stiffen from within his bag. 

How long had he been there?

How long had he been watching Akira and his friends?

How much did he hear? 

Was he aware of the scams? 

Even more perplexing was why Akechi was asking this in the first place... was it out of concern? He had to remember that his friend ultimately worked for the police. Did he perhaps suspect him to be behind what happened with Kamoshida and Madarame? If Nijima had figured it out, there was no doubt that a genius detective could. 

What was worse was he knew the other had asked in such a vague way, most likely to lessen the chance of being given a false answer.

"Ah, I'm not trying to catch you out or anything." He said suddenly. "You see, recently there's been a case of students in Shibuya falling victims to drug trafficking scams. Presumably run by a mafia boss. One that's quite elusive. Or at least that's what Sae-san believes." He muttered that last part more to himself. 

"Unfortunately the police aren't any closer to finding the mastermind behind it either. Anyway, the point I'm trying to convey is - be careful." 

"I was trying to help out a friend." He said, using a hand to rub his neck. Again not a lie, but nowhere close to the full truth. Maybe it would be easier if he was truthful, but the risk if it wasn't was not worth it. 

Akechi looked at him, as if he didn't quite buy it - but Akira wasn't sure. The brunette had never been the easiest to read. 

After a moment, he opened his mouth to speak. 

But whatever he was going to say, never would see the light of day. His train had arrived at the platform, and it would only be a minute or so before it would disappear again.

"Guess I'll be off." The brunette said. "Make sure to text me when you get home." 

"Likewise." 

Akechi gave him one last look before heading in and finding a seat. And just like their last outing, making no attempt to look back at the Akira.

And it was only when the train had closed and the wolf looked at Akechi, fiddling with his collar and then used one gloved hand to rub his neck. A sudden melancholic, drained look upon his face. Only then did Akira realize - No - remember something. Something that he should've remembered from the get-go but had completely forgotten about. 

Upon Akechi's neck... in the same position that he had remembered Wakaba's to be in.

That ribbon. The ribbon was still there. 

He had completely forgotten to ask him about that

But it would it had even been wise to ask?

Would asking potentially put Akechi in danger?

"What did I tell you about being careful?" Morgana scolded, starting him from his thoughts. He had only come out of the bag once the train had fully disappeared. "He was almost onto us!"  

"I didn't tell him anything." 

"You were hesitating back then." 

"That's because he knows me too well." Akira retorted. "If I had tried to lie it would've made me look more suspicious."

"All the more reason you should stop hanging out with him." Morgana responded. "If you're going to ditch me for someone, at least let it be someone with Lady-Ann type looks. Not him." 

Akira didn't respond but instead gave Morgana a few head scratches, which made him start purring loudly. 

"Cmon, let's get you home." 

"Don't think you can head-scratch your way out of this." The cat chided him. "We'll talk more about this later." 

Deep down, he understood where Morgana was coming from. Akechi firmly stood against everything he and his friends were doing. 

But he couldn't just leave him. Not after so many years of hoping that he was still alive. Not when something akin to fate had made them reunite again.

Not when his life... quite literally was dangling by a thread. 

As he restlessly lay in bed while staring at the ceiling, he realized that he was so unsure about what would happen day to day. Regarding school, their next target, Nijima's blackmail, how tomorrow with Futaba would go, how Wakaba had ended up there, how and why ribbons had such power... 

But he was sure of one thing. 

" I can't lose him again. I refuse to. Whatever it takes... whatever I have to do,

I'll make sure he doesn't meet the same fate Wakaba had."

***

The next day when Akira made his way downstairs he was greeted by Sojiro and a very resigned-looking Futaba. She was eating her curry in a neutral way. Not too slow, but nowhere near as fast or enthusiastically as she normally did. 

Morgana was already curled up in her lap, probably in an attempt to comfort the girl. 

When Futaba looked up and saw Akira, she gave him a small smile.

"Guess you're going with me huh?" Akira didn't miss the sadness in her tone as she said that. He knew it wasn't directed towards him but it didn't help ease the guilt. He had inavertedly let her get her hopes up, thinking that her mother would somehow show up and take her instead of him doing so. 

It disturbed him to think how much he was lying to her. Her and Sojiro. Even if it was for their own good and safety. It was eating heavily at him.

He knew he couldn't hide it from them forever.

"Yeah, I guess so." 

About 10 minutes later Futaba finished her meal and they got ready set off, Morgana swiftly hopping into Akira's bag. 

"You taking the cat with you too?" Sojiro asked as they headed to the door. Akira nodded. 

The man was currently drying some cutlery, looking at Futaba with a lot of concern in his eyes. It wasn't surprising. Although he had only known the both of them for a few months, he had never in that time really seen Futaba go outside on her own. Much less to a different district by train. 

"Be careful out there." Is what Sojiro eventually said to her. "And remember to stick by him."  

"I- I will!" Futaba reassured him, shuffling a bit closer to Akira. 

"And you." Sojiro turned to look straight at Akira. "Make sure she's within your peripheral vision at all times." 

"Yes boss." Akira promised, and that response seemed to satisfy the man enough.

"Alright. Go have fun, the both of you." 

***

The moment Akira stepped foot in Akihabara, he immediately understood why Futaba had been so adamant on visiting. From first glance it seemed to be the ultimate haven for nerds. He watched as Futaba slowly began to take the scenery in, her eyes lightening up in excitement. In the exact same way Morgana's would when he would come across Ginza sushi.

"Is this your first time being here?"

"F- First time in person." Futaba answered sheepishly. "But.... I visited countless times via Google maps! So I pretty much know where everything is!" She added on, rather proudly.

"Now, let us commence!" 

And before he could respond or react, Futaba set off - bolting into a nearby store, presumably the one she had set her eyes on. 

"Not so fast!" A half-asleep Morgana grumbled from within the bag when Akira set off to try to catch up with her. 

Honestly? Akira was glad to see some her enthusiasm back again. She had been mostly silent throughout their train journey, more than happy to occupy herself using her phone. 

Normally he would be fine with the quietness but with Futaba - considering what he knew - what he was hiding from her - it was unsettling. It somehow felt like a ticking time bomb, as if he was half-expecting her to starting screaming at him for covering up what had happened to her mother. Or worse, blaming him for her death. 

He knew that Futaba wasn't really keen on crowds either, which is why he was glad he opted take her here on a Sunday. The subway and Akihabara while still busy, were nowhere near as populous as it would be a Saturday or weekday.  

Unfortunately, the store Futaba had chosen to run into turned out to be a huge electronics store and he couldn't see her anywhere. Having unintentionally already broken Sojiro's 'peripheral vision' rule he sighed, wondering how many aisles he'd have to scour before he'd come across familiar orange hair. Then he remembered the hidden weapon in his bag.

Before he could ask Morgana to run through the aisles, his phone beeped. 

[ Unknown number ] : Aisle 15, around the middle

He found Futaba in the lane mentioned in the text, being questioned by a police officer. Though the officer's tone was one of concern, Futaba was shaking out of fear, struggling to say anything.

"Miss, are you lost?" 

"I-I... uhhh... OH!" Having spotted Akira, Futaba immediately ran to stand a little behind him, her hands gently grasping one of his arms

"Is she with you?" The officer asked him. Akira was about to answer but Futaba beat him to it, nodding rapidly against his arm. But that didn't quite seem to satisfy the officer, who was still looking at Akira for a response.

How was he supposed to answer that?

[ "She's my friend." ]

[ "She's family." ]

But neither of those seemed entirely accurate. 

[ "She's my friend." ]

[ "She's family." ]

[ "Sorry for the trouble." ]

"She's with me. I'm sorry for the trouble." He apologized to the officer and that was enough to appease him, leaving them both be.  

"S- Sorry... for... running off like that." She sheepishly apologized, once the officer had gone out of sight. "I... guess I was so excited to be here I forgot how over...whelming crowds are." 

"It's alright." He reassured her. "Just let me know beforehand okay?" And she nodded in response.

"By the way, how did you get my number?" 

"Oh about that. Well you see... I'm a little skilled when it comes to hacking." She simply explained. "Anywayyyy. I came here to look for some new computer parts. Let us commence part 2!" And she ran off, this time dragging Akira with her. 

"N- Not so fast!" 

By the time they had finished checking out all the stores Futaba wanted to, the sky had matured from a pure deep blue, to having a slight pink tinge. With evening approaching, they agreed it was time to head home. Even while holding multiple bags the girl still surprisingly had a lot of energy, walking a bit ahead of Akira towards the station with a slight spring in her step.

It was... nice to see Futaba so carefree. 

Akira, while clutching one bag himself took the time to absorb the scenery of the place. Just like Kichijoji, another new puzzle piece that made up Tokyo which he had only just begun to explore. It wasn't long before his wondering eyes set upon an item displayed in the shop window. 

It was... a toy gun.

But not just any toy gun. 

It was a gun from... the show Featherman.

The wolf felt a sudden wave of nostalgia hit him. 

Fond memories of when he and Akechi as kids used to talk about this show endlessly with one another, many many times deep into the night. 

"Wait- You- You like the show Featherman?" Futaba suddenly appeared right next to him and had taken note of what he was staring at. She was now looking at him with...shock?

Good or bad, he wasn't sure yet.

"Well I guess s--"

"And you didn't think to TELL ME?" She interrupted the wolf, looking very offended. "You've literally known me for 2 months, 2 months and not ONCE in that timespan have you even mentioned Featherman in my presence?? A crime! A crime against humanity!!" 

He couldn't help but smile at her exaggerated response. "To be fair, I haven't really been able to watch most the show." 

When he had previously lived in Tokyo he had viewed the first few episodes of the show. But after moving to the farm and having no access to a TV, that diminished. He was aware of the general gist of the show, characters and updates but had never been able to watch the full series. 

"Then I'll just have to make you binge watch the show from the start!" Futaba suggested, a glint in her eye. "And I'll watch it with you!"

"... You just want an excuse to watch it again don't you?"

"Well... duh! Absolutely!" She admitted with no hint of shame. "And it's waaay more fun to watch a show with someone instead of by yourself." 

Well he couldn't argue with that. 

Futaba smiles for a few more moments before looking down and fiddling with her fingers. "To be honest... I would've watched again it with my mom but..." She takes a brief second to sigh. "Apparently someone she works with is a fan of the show too and basically got her up to date with everything... so there'd really be no point. And I doubt she'd be interested in doing anything with me anyway." 

On the outside the wolf just frowned at that. On the inside however - pangs of guilt and repressed memories swam through his body.

He was glad that Futaba was looking downwards, unaware of the emotional turmoil going on his head. The sudden imagery of Wakaba. The sudden remembrance of Nijima's blackmail and limited his time really was. 

2 weeks... Less than 2 weeks

"We can watch it together." He said.

She looked up to give him a warm smile. "Thanks, Akira." 

***

Just like the morning, the train journey back to Yongen-Jaya was mostly silent. But this time, a much more peaceful silence between them. Futaba once more occupied herself with her phone, only choosing to speak when she noticed that the wolf was putting on the headphones she had given him - commenting that she was 'glad they were being put to use.' 

After today he definitely felt like their bond had gone up, even if just by a little bit. 

Akira in the meantime played the breathing video Takemi had sent. He wasn't feeling as restless as before, but it was still a good way to keep his breathing and stress levels in check - considering all that was going on.

By the time Futaba and Akira reached Leblanc, the sky was a navy blue. The bell chimed as they walked into the empty café, altering Sojiro to their presence.

"I was thinking it was getting a little late." He commented, his shoulders relaxing as his viewed the pair. "Good to see you're both back and safe." 

The man's gaze then set upon the bags they were holding.

"Hold on-- Futaba...how did you manage to afford all of that?"

Futaba looked sheepish then. "Uhhh...Through my usual route!" 

Sojiro shook his head sighed but didn't press further, most likely used to this. "Well as long as it doesn't trace back to you. Alright, let's get you home. I've made your favorite type of curry."

"Ohhhh yes! I hunger!" She exclaimed excitedly, rushing out of the door with immense speed. Sojiro just sighed again.

"She's just like her mother." He commented fondly, more to himself than the wolf.

As Akira made his way upstairs Sojiro called out to him once more.

"Hey kid."

"Hmm?"

"Thanks for doing that for Futaba. She may have an odd way of showing it but it meant a lot to her." 

"It's nothing." He responded. It's the least I could do

"Well, I just thought I'd express my gratitude anyway." Sojiro shrugged. "With Wakaba being so... busy now... I'm glad Futaba has someone her own age to hang out with." 

"For sure." 

"Anyway, I'm gonna head out now. Can I trust you to lock up behind me?" 

Akira nodded.

"Oh. One last thing. There was a parcel that came addressed to you." Sojiro mentioned just before he got to the door. "Didn't have a sender though. I left it behind the counter for you."  

A parcel? 

Akira locked the door and went upstairs to deposit a sleeping Morgana onto his bed, before heading back down and going behind the counter. Just as Sojiro had said - a parcel. Addressed to him but void of any sender. 

Immediately he was on guard. The last time he had gotten an unexpected gift like this... well.

The first thing he did was smell the box. Unlike last time, there was no metallic scent. Instead it smelled... almost book-like? 

He decided it would be best to open a little... and see for himself.

When he peered through he found there to be a huge stack of photos. All neatly organized into separate groups 

At the top were multiple photos of a large man with long and slicked back brown hair. A gold chain hung round his neck, coupled with a cheap-looking suit. 

Another batch of photos were of an 3 different establishments - which looked to be something like a hideout. Some of which including the individual mentioned above. Behind a couple photos, the full address and postcodes of each area.  

Another batch mostly consisting of lackeys - some of which Akira recognized from yesterday. Some of the photos were said lackeys in Shibuya, trying to coerce Shujin students into the scam. Under that, photographs of those same lackeys handing over large sums of cash to the individual. 

There had to have been around 100 different pictures. 

And at the very bottom of the box was a photo that was almost entirely white - except for some neat handwriting in the corner. 

'Junya Kaneshiro.'

'...That's who you were looking for, correct?'

Chapter Text

Monday 20th of June

As the night approached and the full moon began to make its monthly appearance - Akira and the others knew it was time.

They had only had 24 hours beforehand to effectively plan and then conduct the heist and somehow they managed to pull it off. 

They had decided to tread a lot more carefully with this heist. Unlike their previous 2 targets who had mostly committed their crimes alone, they were dealing with a mafia boss - one who had a whole crew of lackeys at his dispense. 

They couldn't just mess up his property like they had Kamoshida. Nor would it be wise to try to confront him head on, like they had with Madarame. 

Nijima's comment about perceiving him to be a danger rung through his head too.

It wasn't just that either.

Regarding the ribbons and decapitations, Akira was no closer to discovering the perpetrator today than he had been when he first came across the truth behind them. 

What he was aware of however was how the public were becoming increasingly impatient. 

And with that, the police.

A very real scenario would be them trying to pin the decapitations on him and his group. And considering the corruption and gullibility of humans - it wouldn't be difficult. Because just as Nijima had pointed out, the damage he had done to Kamoshida and Madarame's property (although extremely justified) didn't exactly paint him in a good light. 

Two major factors as to why Akira had opted for a much more passive approach this time round.

And it wasn't so bad this way he thought - as he jumped between building to building, soaring through the sky as the cool breeze seeped through his fur, his friends not far behind - faces concealed with masks carefully crafted by Yusuke, their identities further obstructed by Takemi's age altering glamours - 

"Its true that you never win if you're always on the defense but..." 

"Once in a while its pretty effective." 

:) 

By Tuesday morning, every photo that Akira had been given were plastered all across Shibuya central street. Most were low enough for the average passerby to take notice of, others deliberately too high for a lackey to rip down. Akira had taken an extra precaution, sending some photos to Mishima for him to upload on their vigilante website. Because even if by some miracle all these photos were stripped down and the public forced into silence - the internet would never cease to forget.

And just as expected, news online spread fast. Their vigilante website was going crazy. Before today, the site would average around 100 visitors per week. So far today it had 5,000 visitors and was growing. 

Mishima had also added a poll asking the public if they supported this group. And it was clear from the response and comments that Akira and his group's popularity had grown exponentially. 

The public were very clearly supporting them and at the same time - were slowly giving up on the police. 

It wasn't just online either. As Akira made his way through the station - it was filled with passengers gossiping about the incident.

"Hey, did you see what happened in Shibuya last night?" 

"Yeah its currently trending on Twitter."

"Word is the person in the photos is some sort of mafia or yakuza boss."

"But who put all those photos up on central street?" 

"Word is it was that vigilante group. The same group that went after that pedo teacher." 

"Didn't they go after that artist last month too?" 

Akira meanwhile refreshed yet another news page reporting the incident as he waited for his train, halfway through a yawn when he felt a playful slap on his shoulder.

When he turned round he found it was Ryuji, grinning gleefully - though he was looking even more tired than the wolf. "Man...have you checked the news online? What we did is literally going VIRA--" 

"SHHHHHHH!" Morgana rapidly leaped out of Akira's bag to hiss at the blond. "Have you forgotten where we are?? Keep that fat mouth of yours sh--" 

"I did." Akira replied quickly to avoid the chance of the blond and cat scrapping in the middle of a public subway station.  

"On my way here I kept hearing people call us heroes and shit." Ryuji excitedly continued, completely ignoring the cat's warning. "Pretty crazy right?"

"Definitely." He smiled at his friend. "Looks like all the training we did paid off." He had felt a lot stronger in his wolf form this time round. Was able to jump higher and much more nimbly. Didn't feel as exhausted the next day. Working out with Ryuji and Kasumi had definitely paid off. 

"Hell yeah man!" 

A short while later their train arrived at the platform and they hopped on.

"Real shit though, I don't know how you managed to find all that dirt on him." Ryuji said as he took hold of a hand rail. 

Akira by this point was certain that it was Akechi who had given him the stack of information needed to carry out this heist in the first place. The entire gesture of it caught him completely off guard - but with the time limit he didn't have long to think it over. Now that it was done and dusted... he found himself with more questions than answers. 

To have done what he did he must've known... or at least suspected that Akira was involved. He honestly wasn't too surprised that detective found out. What surprised him was that the detective hadn't sold him out or tried to frame him but instead....

Had Akechi... having noticed how stressed out Akira was gone out of his way and compiled all this evidence for him to take down Kaneshiro? 

Had Akechi... really risked his job and reputation... just to help him? 

If that was the case, then Akechi's stance on the whole vigilante matter was far more complicated than what he portrayed in his interviews. 

But it also wasn't lost on Akira that one of the ribbon's powers was to limit one's speech. That he wasn't able to say how truly felt on the matter.

Because perhaps if he did...

As much as he loved and appreciated Akechi for doing this for him, he couldn't keep relying on the detective to bail him out of situations like this. 

Not if he wanted to keep him safe.

"I told you I'd figure something out." Akira reassuringly replied to his friend, giving him a smile.  

Ryuji shrugged and looked up from his phone. "I know you did. Just... However it happened... I'm just grateful that it all worked out man."

When they reached the stop and stepped off the train, both were so heavily glued to their phones that neither of them noticed Kasumi approaching until she greeted them.

"Good morning Akira-Senpai, Ryuji-Senpai!" She beamed at them both, looking like her normal chirpy self. A complete contrast to how lethargic the pair were currently feeling due to last nights affairs.

"Oh-uh- um... hey Sumi!" Ryuji spluttered. Well, that had managed to make him a bit more alert. 

Akira being a little too tired to give her a verbal response settled for a small wave and smile. 

And Kasumi - being the ever polite person she was - didn't comment on the pair's very apparent drowsiness, instead continued to smile at them both cheerfully.

"Mind if I walk with you guys?" 

As the 3 made their way to the school gates Akira switched from the web tab to his messages one. 

[ Ann ] : Okay so I'm already at school and everyone here is talking about it!

[ Ann ] : Like non-stop 

[ Ann ] : It's a little overwhelming to be honest 

[ Ann ] : Where are you guys rn??

[ Yusuke ] : Unfortunately I had to leave a little early this morning

[ Yusuke ] : As I feared I would not have the sufficient funds for the train fare needed to travel all the way to school

[ Ann ] : ........

[ Ann ] : Oh my god Yusuke 

[ Ann ] : Did you spend your entire allowance on art funds AGAIN?? 

[ Yusuke ] : Worry not, I am currently at school

[ Yusuke ] : (After getting off a stop early)

[ Ann ] : ....

[ Yusuke ] : And the Shibuya incident seems to be quite the hot topic among my fellow peers as well 

[ Ryuji ] : Same here

[ Ryuji ] : Me n Akira just got off the train

[ Ryuji ] : N it was literally all anyone would talk about. 

[ Ann ] : Omg hurry up both of you!!

[ Ann ] : Esp you Akira!!

[ Ann ] : Mishima is driving me nuts 

[ Akira ] : We're almost there

[ Ryuji ] : What Aki said

[ Ryuji ] : Hey btw

[ Yusuke ] : Hmm?

[ Ryuji ] : Does this mean the student prez will finally be off our asses?

[ Ann ] : Oh! I passed by her omw to class 

[ Ann ] : She was too busy talking to some students to notice me

[ Ann ] : But I would think so tho

[ Ann ] : We 'dealt' with her request so

[ Akira ] : Let's not celebrate just yet  

[ Akira ] : Mona says we should wait to see what she says

[ Akira ] : And keep our heads down in the meantime 

[ Yusuke ] : I fully agree

[ Yusuke ] : Kaneshiro is still at large after all 

[ Ann ] : Ughhh 

[ Ann ] : Waiting around is just going to make me anxious :/ 

"Hmmm..." Kasumi too was looking at her phone as she hummed out loud. But her tone was one of unease, which caused both Ryuji and Akira to look up from their phones and at the red-head with concern.

"Oh!" She exclaimed, upon seeing two pairs of eyes on her. "I was just looking at the news regarding the Shibuya incident." She turned her phone round and held it out for them to see.

Of course Akira and Ryuji were already aware, considering they were the ones to have done it. All they had to do now was act clueless.

And of course that was easier for some than others

"Oh- Uh- Yeah right! Its trending everywhere!" Ryuji said, stammering a bit at the beginning. Akira could literally feel Morgana rolling his eyes from within his bag. "What do you think of it? Pretty crazy right?"

Kasumi hummed in thought. "Well everyone seems to be talking about it. Even father mentioned that once the man is caught he wants to hold a TV segment on the matter." 

"Father? TV?" Ryuji looked even more puzzled.

"Oh! I don't think I mentioned this to either of you before." She said after taking note of Akira's equally curious expression. "My father is the director of 'Good Morning Japan'. It's a pretty popular talk show. The one you and Akira-senpai visited for your 2nd year social studies trip?"

"Wait for real??" Ryuji blurted out. "So if he's caught they'll broadcast it there?"

Kasumi nodded. "I believe so." 

[ Ryuji ] : Guys new idea 

[ Ryuji ] : How about we go to Leblanc after school and watch the news there!

[ Ryuji ] : Just in case it he gets caught then

[ Ryuji ] : Boss has a mini TV in the café right?

[ Ann ] : Oh yeah I remember! He does 

[ Yusuke ] : Splendid! What a marvelous idea!

[ Ryuji ] : ... You just want free curry dude

[ Yusuke ] : Ah! That too!

[ Ann ] : Will boss be okay with that, Akira?

[ Akira ] : Okay with it?

[ Akira ] : Lmao more like ecstatic to finally have some customers

[ Akira ] : And Yusuke

[ Akira ] : I got you covered :')

[ Yusuke ] : I am forever in your debt Akira <3 

[ Ryuji ] : All right!!

[ Yusuke ] : Ah 

[ Ryuji ] : It's settled

[ Ann ] : Sweet!!

[ Yusuke ] : But I don't believe I have the funds to get there

[ Ryuji ] : ...dude, I'll spot you 

***

Kaneshiro remained at large for another 2 days.

By Thursday evening Sojiro had become long accustomed to the group showing up. He had been making curry for the bunch as they walked into Leblanc. Ensuring that there were extras of course - much to Yusuke's delight. Making sure that the channel was on the news station. His charity had ended there however, as he put Akira in charge of coffee-making duty.

And just like the previous 2 days they had eaten, talked about various things. Said hello to Futaba (whom on the first day had almost ran out the café when seeing Akira's friends, but was now a bit more used to them - waving and smiling back).

And perhaps got about 5 minutes of actual studying done when the announcement was made. 

BREAKING NEWS : MASTERMIND WHO IS BELIEVED TO BE BEHIND SHIBUYA'S BIGGEST DRUG SCAM TURNS HIMSELF IN. 

Junya Kaneshiro, believed to be aged between 35-39 is facing multiple drug trafficking charges...

It took another 24 hours for Kaneshiro to actually be charged for said crimes. 

Another full day before the reports showed that while Kaneshiro had been offered bail, he had refused it.

A mugshot of the man revealed that there was no ribbon on his neck. 

Throughout the week Nijima had made no attempt to contact Akira or the others. Though she was also no longer attempting to stalk any of them either - which was definitely a good sign.

It wasn't until the following Monday before Nijima summoned Akira, Ryuji and Ann into the student council room after school.  

There she wasted no time in expressing her gratitude towards the group for taking Kaneshiro down. And she seemed to be sincere, a complete contrast to the normal condescending tone she usually used with the group.

Which honestly... blind sighted them all.

But that wasn't it either. 

"I also want to apologize to the two of you... Sakamaoto-kun, Takamaki-san." Nijima looked at the blonds earnestly before continuing. "Kamoshida was abusing the both of you... and so many others. And as student council president I did absolutely nothing to help."

Ann remained silent, looking at the girl in slight shock. 

"Ehhh don't sweat it. You don't have to apologize." Ryuji shrugged. "In my eyes, the blame is purely on that piece of shit. Besides, most people didn't even realize how much of a scumbag he really was."

But Nijima shook her head. "That's still no excuse on my part. I could've found out. Could've done something. It's not that I couldn't investigate the matter... I just chose to remain ignorant and put it down to baseless rumors instead." 

She sighed, looking down at the table. 

"I guess I just... wanted to be useful. And I thought the best way to do so was to put my head down, keep quiet and just do whatever the adults told me to. People like me... really must be what others call scum of the earth." 

"You're wrong."  

Everybody turned to Ann, who up until this point - had not spoken a word. She was looking directly at Nijima, something akin to determination apparent in her expression. 

"I... I didn't even realize Shiho was suffering until she..." Ann stopped to take a breath, her eyes becoming more glossy with every word she spoke. "I had no idea of the pain my best friend was under... So if you think you're scum... How much worse does that make me?"

"Takamaki-san..."

"And real scum wouldn't call themselves that. Maybe you could've done more, maybe I could've paid more attention to Shiho... But at the end of the day the blame lies solely on Kamoshida - that piece of shit - who willingly abused students and the adults who knew and let it happen anyway." 

Nijima was silent for a few minutes. 

"I guess you're right." She eventually said to the blonds with a small smile. "And... while I can't change the past I can and will start implementing changes now. For one, I will be deleting all the evidence I have pointing towards you being vigilantes. Secondly, I am going to start putting the needs of students first."

"All right student prez!" Ryuji cheered. "Looking forward to seeing your new upgrade!"

Nijima shot him a look that could kill.

That look was then replaced by a smug smile. "That reminds me... mock exams are starting in a few weeks from now. Have you started studying - if at all for them Sakamoto-kun?"

Ryuji groaned so hard Akira was half convinced that the windows would start to crack. "Okay first of all, you know you can just call me Ryuji right? Secondly - why the hell would you bring that up?" 

"Well Ryuji, I did say that I would be putting the needs of students first. That includes education wise of course." 

The blonde's lack of a response was answer enough.

"I know being vigilantes must be time-consuming, but school and grades are important too." She continued. "If no one else is going to remind you of that then I guess I'll have to."

"She does have a point." Ann reluctantly admitted. Aside from English, her grades were nearly as bad as Ryuji's. 

"Yeah yeah I get it." Ryuji huffed. "Glad we got this genius here to aid us though." He added, slinging an arm round Akira. 

"I wouldn't say genius." Akira responded, but he couldn't help but smile at the compliment.

Nijima turned to look at the wolf too, giving him a small smile. 

They all stayed for a few minutes longer, before Ryuji and Ann got up, said their goodbyes and left the room. Akira too would've joined them, except... 

"Kurusu-kun?" 

The wolf's hand was on the door handle when he turned round to look at Nijima. She was still seated - staring at him, looking almost slightly nervous. Her eyes scanned his face, almost as if asking for permission to speak. 

"Hmmm?" 

"I've been meaning to apologize to you as well." She began, tucking a tuff of hair behind her ear. "The way I treated you was absolutely unacceptable." 

"It's alright. My kind are feared by humans. I'm used to it by this point." Akira shrugged it off. His response sounded nonchalant... removing as much vulnerability as possible.

But this had always been a sensitive topic for him. And hearing Nijima apologize... almost made him want to cry. 

"No it isn't. Nor should you have to be 'used to it'. Discrimination in any kind of form is wrong. And to think I contributed and then blackmailed you on top of that..." She looked away then, staring at nothing in particular. A few more moments pass before a small chuckle escapes the girl's lips.

"It's ironic... to be honest. There I was, lecturing you about the dangers of individuals taking matters into their own hands... complaining about vandalism...even calling you a danger... all the while doing nothing to help the situation." 

When she turned to look at him again she was holding her phone in one hand - the screen on and unlocked - equipped with a new resolved look on her face. 

"What I said to your friends applies to you too." And with that she went to photos app, scrolling till she got to photos of him.

The same photos she had used to blackmail him with over a week ago.

Without blinking she deleted every photo of him.

"Thank you for doing what you did. Your secret is safe with me." 

And with that...

Akira really... could cry. 

"I know I can't erase the past and what I did." Nijima said after a moment, pocketing her phone. "But I would like to extend my help to you too, if you'd like that Kurusu-kun." 

"Call me Akira." 

"What?"

"We kinda met on the wrong footing didn't we?"

"We did. I guess you're right." She smiled back. "Then I suppose you can call me Makoto." 

"All right." He responded. "See you round Makoto." 

"Take care, Akira." She smiled.

He left the student council room feeling so much lighter. One problem was solved. He wasn't facing arrest in 2 weeks. Of course, he still had the whole Wakaba situation but. 

He at least had a bit more time now. 

And to be honest, Makoto didn't seem as bad as he had originally thought. 

Maybe all of this would turn out okay. 

***

Having completed his interview for the day Goro returned to the dressing room, seating himself right in front of a mirror. He took a brief moment to scan his face. He found himself extremely grateful for how strong the stage lighting was - because no matter how much foundation he applied to his skin - it seemed to be useless in concealing his exhaustion. 

To say that the last 2 weeks had been tiring for him would be an understatement. In between his usual obligations of keeping the conspiracy members in check, his regular TV appearances and his day job of being a detective Goro was drained beyond belief.

And as if fate really was fucking with him Shido had somehow found out about Goro's plans - ultimately destroyed the chance of an antidote and had left him with a dead body at a university to clean up. 

Had he have gotten there 10 minutes...

"I'm so close to making a breakthrough."

Maybe even 5 minutes earlier.... 

"Neither of us will have to wear that thing for much longer."

He was once again reminded of how unfair the human world really was. 

The only silver lining in all of this had been Kaneshiro turning himself in. A choice, no doubt heavily influenced by the fact that his face, establishments and occupation were exposed all over Shibuya and the net.

Of course, like the last 2 times - he had been prompted to speak ill of the group behind exposing Kaenshiro during his interview today. With the mafia boss now behind bars - Shido had lost one of his biggest benefactors yet.

He could only imagine how outraged Shido was right now. 

Oh how it made Goro smile. 

Even better knowing that he had been the reason why Kaneshiro's exposure had happened in the first place.

Yes, Akira may be the one with the 'power'. Yes he may have a group of friends to rely on. But Goro was ultimately the one with the inside information. 

And although he disliked talking badly about the group... for he disliked doing anything that benefitted Shido interests... he couldn't say he entirely agreed with the group's actions either. 

As much as they tried to portray themselves to be the heroes of the weak... No one... No one was that selfless. Be it human or animal.

Another thing about the group that bothered Goro was that the vigilante's form of justice seemed to rely on the victims being completely faultless and the perpetrator completely at blame. Of course... he didn't for one second doubt that Kamoshida, Madarame and Kaneshiro were atrocious human beings who got what they deserved.

But what would happen if they came across cases that were more complicated than that? Where there wasn't any concrete evidence or proof to back up ones claim. Were they just going to expose and ridicule the party they deemed to be at fault? On the basis of what? Heresy? 

Humans were cunning... and it was easy to make yourself victim when you really are anything but. 

And if they did make a mistake and ruin some innocent person's life, would they take responsibility for it? Since they were anonymous they could easily just shrink back into nonexistence like before right?

Sae was vehemently convinced that the group were based off of childish ideals... and Goro couldn't refute with that.  

But Akechi also wasn't one to waste an opportunity when he saw fit. Whatever Akira and his group's motives were - it contrasted Shido's interests. And as long as it stayed that way - he would use that to his advantage. 

The irony of Akira's power compared to Goro's wasn't lost on him however.

Akira's power was cheered by the masses... whereas Goro's... caused immense fear.

.....

A human's power was more feared than a wolf's. 

In nature, wasn't it supposed to be the other way round? 

The detective took one last moment to apply a bit more foundation to his skin before leaving the room. No matter how tired, how drained he felt - he could NOT let it show. Humans were fickle and he had an image to upkeep. The interview he had just done where he disagreed with the vigilante group's actions already was threatening to tank his popularity. The last thing he needed was some tabloid to add to that and say he looked sloppy or something.  

Once he left, he didn't get far before bumping into a familiar face.

"Ah. Akechi-san." The familiar voice spoke, giving him a polite yet sad smile. 

"Yoshizawa-san." Goro politely greeted back. 

Shinichi Yoshizawa was the director of 'Good Morning Japan', a show where Akechi was often interviewed at. To Goro, he came across as a decent enough human being. And like Sae-san was someone that Akechi knew for certain wasn't affiliated with the conspiracy. 

"It has been quite a while. I hope you have been well." The man responded. 

"Likewise."

The elephant in the room as to why it had been a while... neither of them seemed willing to bring up. 

"Was there anything you needed?" Goro asked.

The man shook his head and Goro began to slowly make his way down the hallway.

"Actually." Yoshizawa began, making Akechi halt again. "I wanted to thank you again for speaking to Sumire back then." 

Ah. 

Goro remembered that quite clearly

Sumire was one of Yoshizawa's daughters. His other daughter - Sumire's twin Kasumi had died in a horrific accident back in March. 

Goro had never found out the full story behind Kasumi's death and he knew better than to ask a grieving parent for the details. 

But having known the twins for some time (and weirdly enough - growing to enjoy their company) - knowing Sumire was there when it had happened and witnessing Sumire's reaction following the accident he was able to put the pieces together. 

Both the sisters were heavily involved in gymnastics. Every time Goro had got together with the twins Kasumi would enthusiastically update him on the latest regarding her progress. 

Sumire... on the other hand rarely ever spoke a word about how her own gymnastic progress or merits - unless prompted to by her sister. 

And that to Goro had spoken volumes. 

Having spent his whole life analyzing humans, he was able to spot telltale signs of jealousy and resentment almost instantly. 

When Kasumi had died Sumire had gone into catatonic state. She wasn't speaking at all, had almost stopped eating completely, was barely reacting to people or anything in her environment. Her parents had panicked and tried contacting numerous councilors, but to no avail. Yoshizawa not knowing what or who else to turn to had asked Akechi to talk to her.  

The first time the detective had seen Sumire after her sister's death, the girl barely looked alive herself. He wasn't really sure how long the 2 of them had sat there but somehow... something he had said or done had gotten Sumire to mumble a few words. Something so miniscule, but her father had been so grateful towards Goro for even being able to do that. 

He hadn't seen or heard from Sumire since.

"How is she doing?" Goro was somewhat concerned about the girl's wellbeing. He was no stranger to death himself. Not when his ribbons left a trail of death in their wake. 

"She's... doing a lot better." Yoshizawa responded. Akechi didn't miss the uneasiness in the man's tone, but didn't press further. Honestly, it wasn't his business and he already had enough on his plate

"I'm happy to hear that." Goro settled with saying, making sure to plaster on another one of his fake yet considerate smiles. "Please send my regards to her." As he finished that sentence, his phone in his pocket buzzed. "Sorry, I have to take this. Take care Yoshizawa-san." He waved at the man - who nodded back at him in understanding -  before quickly walking down the hallway. 

Once completely out of sight, he took his phone out to investigate who had tried to contact him. 

[ Unsaved number ] : Get here immediately 

[ Unsaved number ] : We need to discuss your next move 

***

Throughout his time living with Shido, never once did he receive a gift from the man. 

Of course Shido gave him many things. Provided him with a home, food, clothing, education. All of which he appreciated.

But all of that that was under the guise of one condition.

"Make more of that ribbon of yours."

The unspoken part of the condition being if he didn't make them on command, Shido wouldn't hesitate to revoke all those things and make him destitute. And with his mother long gone, Yumi dead, him being god knows how many miles away from the farm and wolf he considered home, stranded in a city where there was no other being for him to turn to - what other choice did he have other than to be grateful and comply? 

Years later in the present however... Goro found himself wondering...

If he had known the true power behind his ribbons back then, would he of still agreed to make them for Shido? 

What alarmed him is that he didn't know the answer to that. 

He couldn't pretend to care about the human species as a whole. Not with the way they had treated his mother and him - and had ultimately pushed her to her death. 

But he himself was human too. And there were certain human needs that even Goro couldn't ignore.

As mentioned before, Shido gave Goro many things. But one of the few things he didn't give him was... 

Acknowledgement. 

When Shido spoke to Goro he never looked at him. His gaze was always casted slightly below his face, onto his neck - where Goro's own ribbon was plated. Almost as if the rest of him wasn't even worth wasting his sight on. 

When Goro was younger... he naively thought that if he did what he was told, made however many ribbons Shido wanted without complaint that maybe one day he would acknowledge him. 

Perhaps even come to like him. 

His younger self had been so foolish. 

After nearly an hour commute between making use of the subway and manholes - Goro reached Shido's mansion. Having moved out a few years ago, it was not a place he often frequented. From the outside, nothing seemed to have changed. It still looked pristene 

When he pressed the doorbell, the doors were opened a few moments later by a young-looking lady who he didn't recognize.

She looked somewhat exhausted, holding a broom in one hand and what looked to be a piece of broken glass clutched in the other.  

Goro's immediate response was to scan the woman's neck, withholding a breath of relief when he found there to be no fabric there.

So she must be new. 

"Are you... here for Masa-san?" She asked tiredly. 

Goro nodded.

She looked at him with a bit of curiosity... as if wondering what business could a high schooler have with such a man.  

But one thing that every employee of Shido's learnt pretty early on... is that you don't ask questions.

"He's... in his study. The main one." She eventually informed him, before turning her gaze towards the floor. "He's not in the best of moods right now. I would tread carefully, if I were you."

Oh did Goro, having spent most of his adolescence dealing with Shido's frequent outbursts - know that better than anyone. 

"I'll be fine. I'm quite experienced regarding his tempers." He assured her. That didn't seem to convince her anymore so but she refrained from arguing, stepping aside to let him come in and venture down the hallway.

Though he hadn't stepped foot in the mansion for a couple years - Goro remembered the layout quite well. Nothing much had changed inside either. The front still had the spotless marble flooring from before. The hollow feeling throughout the entire mansion had only seemed to grow however. He walked past his room, peeking through to see it looked the exact same way as he had left it. Another slight detour to the library. Memories of times where he and Yumi would be sat there - endless amounts of books and papers sprawled about amongst them - flooded his mind. 

When he eventually arrived at Shido's main study the door was wide open and their was a strong scent of alcohol flowing out. 

Out of spite, he decided against knocking before entering.

"Akechi." Shido didn't even bother to look up to greet him. He was sat down at his desk, a glass of half-drunken whisky situated not far from reach. The bottle it belonged to, placed on the other side. Goro could tell from the pinkness in his cheeks and lingering smell that it hadn't been his first glass. "About damn time you showed up."

"I was ensuring that I wasn't being followed here, sir." Which technically wasn't a lie - considering how stalkerish his fans could be. 

"And if you took all your obligations as seriously as you seem to do with that, we wouldn't be in this fucking mess in the first place." 

"...as I have tried to inform you before, trying to narrow down a group of potential suspects has been qu--" 

The sound of a glass slamming down on the wooden table made him flinch, effectively shutting him up. 

"All I hear from you are excuses, Akechi. Your complete incompetency allowed those damn brats to get Kaneshiro busted. Do you have any idea how much money you've caused me to lose out on? Kaneshiro is currently sat in a prison cell and I can't touch him without looking like some sort of sympathizer."

Shido raised his glass once more, gulping down the remaining liquid. 

"Every day you turn out to be more and more of a disappointment to me. All that money sunk into you a complete waste. I fed you, clothed you, provided you with an education and got you the damn detective role in the 1st place. Everything you have is because of ME. And you would do good to remember that."

Only after finishing his speech did he make the effort to look up at him.

Or more specifically... his neck. 

"Just be thankful you haven't outlived your usefulness yet." 

And there it was.

The reminder that his life always was - quite literally -  dangling by a thread.

It wasn't that Shido didn't want to kill him, it was just that he couldn't. 

His own father...

To think that this was once someone his younger self had so desperately tried to obtain acknowledgement and love from. 

So foolish

"So what's my next move sir?" He asked instead, doing his best to not to show that the man's words had cut him deeply. 

The man didn't respond straight away. Instead reaching out for the whiskey bottle, pouring the liquid till it reached the brim of the glass. He took his time to gulp down a portion of the drink before once again slamming into back onto the table. 

"Wakaba Isshiki." And the moment that name had left Shido's lips, Goro could've sworn he saw a smirk forming at the corner of his mouth. "Surely you remember such a name?" 

Goro's own hands began to morph into fists.

How could he not remember her? When he had been the one to stumble across her dead body only a few weeks ago? Had to witness the way one of her hands were wrapped around her severed neck in what was a futile attempt to prevent her ribbon from being taken off - the other arm stretched out towards her computer - which had been completely destroyed. 

"Shido's giving you a break? Good riddance! Go and be a teenager for once." 

"Akechi... don't worry so much! There's no way he'll find out and even if he did - the antidote is almost complete."

But Wakaba had been wrong. And Akechi had been even more wrong to have trusted her judgement. 

Somehow Shido had found out what they had been planning. And it had cost them both dearly.

"I do, sir. What's the concern regarding her?"

"A missing person's report was filed in her name." Shido began. "No surprise it took weeks for even the man she was shacking up with to notice she was gone." Goro could hear the humor and disregard laced in Shido's tone as he said that and it enraged him. 

Shido gestured towards a piece of paper that had suddenly appeared on the desk.

"You are to glamour yourself as an investigator, head to Sojiro Sakura's residence and hand him this. Inform him that this was found in her lab at the university."  

Goro took a few steps closer and grabbed the paper. He could feel heavy indentations upon his fingerprints. He flipped the paper over, eyes inspecting the words on the page.

"Or preferably... hand it to her daughter." 

...Daughter?

Wasn't that....

"To think you and my daughter share the same blood type..." 

"You like featherman too? God you really are Futaba's sibling."

But... why? 

Only when he began to read the contents of the paper... he understood why... and his rage intensified massively. 

This was a falsified suicide note.

A suicide note heavily implying that Wakaba had 'killed herself' due to her own daughter. 

"I regret ever giving birth to her. She was the biggest burden and curse upon my life..." 

He couldn't read anymore after that, the sides of the paper crumbling as his fingers trembled. That sentence came off as far too similar to his own experiences,  Except his own experience had been very real. He had been a burden and curse upon his mother. Had he not existed, she for sure would've lived a much happier life.

She would still be alive.

He knew better than anyone the lasting, detrimental effects believing knowing that you caused your own parent to commit suicide. It didn't matter how many years passed - the pain was always there. It never fully went away. It was never something you could just 'get over'. The fear of abandonment ever growing... your sense of trust still permanently fractured. 

Wakaba had been a single mother too... just like his own mother had. 

"She's always whined about wanting an older brother." 

"Once this is all over, I'll introduce you to Futaba."

"I think the two of you would get on well." 

Father of the year, ladies and gentlemen. 

How many more children did this man have scattered around Japan? Goro couldn't help but wonder. He thought back to when he lived with Shido, how a handful of the maids hired never made it to a full year - were always discarded around the 7th to 9th month mark. Was it just a sport for him to impregnate women... abandon them... and if they were ever so fortunate... later drive said mothers to their deaths and thrust the children left behind into despair? 

"You have until the end of July to get it done." Oh how incredibly thoughtful of him. How incredibly considerate of Shido to give him over a month of time to figure out how to break such FALSE news that would only serve to thrust his sister into the same hell he himself had endured for the past 9 years. 

A hell that he was responsible for creating.  

Sure, he hadn't been the one who had physically pulled the ribbon off of Wakaba's neck.

But...

He had been the one who killed her.

The ribbon on her neck was manufactured by him, years before he had even met the woman. Unknowingly sealing her fate before their paths had even crossed.

His childish...desperate need to be acknowledged all those years ago had come to haunt him. 

Goro made his way to the door, resisting the urge to scream and break down right there - refusing to dignify anything that man with such a spectacle.

"One last thing." Shido's tone was low and Goro's hand clasped over the doorhandle. "If either of them ask for her body, just say that it was donated to science. If they insist on having her body, glamour a corpse to look like hers. It is crucial that they never get access to her real corpse." 

"You did dispose of Wakaba's body... and the head properly, didn't you?" Shido was looking straight at Goro's face, bloodshot eyes scrutinizing his face for an answer. 

That day... and the few days after he had discovered Wakaba's body - he could barely remember any of it. 

But there was one thing... one event that he definitely recalled happening. 

The tired, defeated look on Akira's face when they had hung out in Kichijoji. The slight panic on his friend's face whenever he brought up anything remotely related with the serial killings. 

How he wished he could just be upfront with his friend. But... he couldn't. He couldn't SAY IT

'You said I can trust you right?'

'Then forgive me, but this was the only way I could truly show you'

"...My lips are sealed." Was the only thing he could say. "I'll see that the note is delivered sir."

"Good. Now get out of my sight."

Goro dashed out of the mansion, not bothering to say goodbye to the maid on his way out. He felt bile travelling up his throat, his vision fading, the nails on his fingers digging deeply into his hands. 

One day. One day he would expose everything he had on this man. He only had to endure this for a few more months. 

And he would do whatever it took for it to happen.

Even if that meant...

"... Akira... I'm sorry for all that I have put you through."

Chapter Text

Another weekday. Another day consisting mainly of school. 

It wasn't long before June had become July, brining 3 consecutive days of midterm exams along with it.

Perhaps if the last few weeks had been normal, Akira would've put more effort into studying. 

But a few weeks ago he was almost certain that he would be in a prison cell by now - either by Makoto's hand or by being framed. When compared with how stressed the majority of his classmates were regarding the upcoming exams - it seemed almost insignificant to him by comparison. 

Nevertheless... he did want to do well. Back in May he had come up with top scores, much to the surprise of all of his classmates. Something that he had secretly relished over. The abhorrent revelation that yes, he may be a criminal delinquent, but he was an intelligent one at that. To fail this set of exams would only make his previous scores come off as a fluke. 

That wasn't to say he had completely abandoned his studies. After Makoto had reminded them about the upcoming midterms - Ryuji and Ann had become surprisingly determined to revise. And so the 3 of them would sometimes spend their lunch breaks in the library, numerous books out. That wasn't to say that they were on topic the entire time however (but it was better than nothing).

"You're a good influence on them." Makoto had commented to him one day when they were in the student council room. Ann and Ryuji had headed off to the cafeteria to grab them all snacks. That particular day it had been raining heavily causing both the corridors and library to become much more packed than usual. Makoto as a result had let the trio use the student council room to study in. And they actually did study, with the student council president keeping them all (Ryuji and Ann in particular) on task. 

"Ryuji-kun especially. I didn't think I'd ever see him dedicate a lunchtime of his to study." 

"It was all him." 

"I'm sure part of that is thanks to you." Makoto gave him a small smile, before her expression became pensive. "But there's actually... something else I wanted to discuss with you." 

Her more serious tone caused Akira to look up from his textbook, nodding at the girl to continue.

"I'm not sure if you're aware but my sister is a public prosecutor at the Tokyo District Special Investigation Unit." Makoto explained. "She's also the one who is currently assigned to the vigilante case." 

Now that was worrying

"You don't have to worry about her finding anything out from me." Makoto quickly reassured him, like she somehow knew that was what he was thinking. "What I said to you and the others before still stands. But it is something you all should be aware of." 

Part of Akira was wondering why Makoto seemed to be putting his and his friend's interests over that of her sister's. But that was another can of questions to unpack. 

Nevertheless she was correct. Akira knew from the start that his actions would cause him to be hunted, thus it was essential to cover his tracks efficiently. And so far through Takemi's glamours and eventually Yusuke's carefully crafted masks - he had accomplished just that. 

His wolf power that only operated on a certain night was a benefit too. In his complete wolf form his entire body was covered in dark fur - the color matching his hair. It allowed him to camouflage during the night, as well as utilize the light coming off the full moon to navigate where he was going.

... But then there was always a disadvantage. 

"Has she told you anything?"

Makoto looked slightly down towards the table, fiddling a little with her Buchimaru pencil case. "Sis and I don't really... she hasn't said much. But from what I gather she's having trouble deciphering whether the suspects are human or non-human." 

"I don't think it has occurred to her... or anyone really... that it could be both." Makoto concluded, looking straight at him. "You also should be aware that principal Kobayakawa believes that the culprits are students from here. He's been desperately trying to come up with proof. He even asked me to conduct an investigation on the matter." 

"And that's why you approached and blackmailed us back then."

Makoto nodded sheepishly. "...Back then I thought I was acting in the best interest of the students and the school. I believed that the principal shared those views too. I guess I was just doing what the adults told me to and hoping that I was useful to them. Now I realize there's a fine line between being useful and being used." 

She looked back at Akira. "And truthfully, partially thanks to you and someone else... I've realized that there's more to life than being well... in their terms, a 'good girl pushover'." 

"That being said, I would advise you and the others to continue studying and focus on your exams. Best to prevent any attention being cast onto you." She added on, giving him a small smile. 

"That's all I know for now. If anything else happens I'll inform you." 

Akira couldn't show enough appreciation towards the girl for protecting his identity, divulging this information to him and going as far as to give him and the others tips about how to remain undetected. 

"Thank you, Makoto." 

***

The Sunday before midterms were due to start Akira invited Ann and Ryuji to Leblanc with the aim to study, bringing Yusuke (who unlike them - did not currently have the terrible burden of exams) along with them. Sojiro was so used to them all by this point - for they were his most 'regular customers'. Well, if he considered giving someone curry for free as a customer. 

Sojiro however... Maybe Akira was imagining it? But he looked to be a bit under the weather this time. As if there was something on his mind. A part of Akira wanted to ask his gurdian if he was okay, but he was also conscious of the fact that the man may prefer to just be left alone for now. 

"If either of you need help with anything English-related let me know!" Ann offered cheerfully, once they had all settled into a booth and got their books out.

Ann as it happened to be, was half-American and had spent some time abroad. Her distinct blonde hair and blue eyes being part of the reason why she had been shunned by her peers in the first place. An aspect of hers that Akira - having a mixed background himself - found that he could relate to all too well. Although in his case being half-wolf, half-human was a bit more complicated. 

Throughout his life he had never been "human enough" to ever be fully accepted by other humans. And while he knew his wolf side would be accepted by the average wolf pack... he had never really... felt like he belonged to one. Yes he somewhat looked the part. Yes his senses were slightly better than a human's. Yes he could even activate full-on wolf mode every month.  

But one thing he had always lacked was the hunting instinct that most full wolves possessed. Eating meat was a right of passage for wolves that would take place when they were young. Akira didn't remember much about from when he was a baby or pup - most likely down to infantile amnesia, a condition that most humans experienced as infants. 

But according to his father... even back then he had refused to eat meat. Though back then it was less of a conscious choice and more of a 'every inch of my body rejecting any type of meat to come anywhere near my mouth' kind of thing. Had he have been made of many other species - he would've been abandoned by his parent for being so defective.

But fortunately for Akira, wolves were a species that took care of their own - even if they were weak or defective. A full grown wolf took Akira in and had raised him with kindness, never forcing him to eat meat or made jabs at his human-like characteristics or features. Even when Akira had struck that drunk human (rightfully so) and ended up with a assault charge and shipped off back to Tokyo - his father never turned his back on him. Didn't even chastise Akira for his actions like so many others would've. Simply told him to stay safe, keep in contact and visit the farm if he ever got the chance. 

When Akira thought back to that and then reflected on Akechi's lack of a supportive parent or Ryuji and Yusuke's abusive ones - he realized that he was fortunate in one way that his fully human friends weren't. 

Ryuji sunk his head into his hands, groaning loudly in the process. "Ughhhhh... Why do we even need to know English again? Not like I'm ever going to need to use it here in Japan." 

Ann gave him a look. "You might as well try to learn it. Considering you can barely read or write in kanji." 

Anddd with that they began to squabble. Well, so much for studying. 

And while the blonds continued to quarrel with one another, Yusuke meanwhile buried heavily within his sketchbook - drawing god knows what...Leblanc's front door bell jingled open.

Long orange hair sauntered into café, clearly indicating that it was Futaba. She was clutching some colorful-looking figurines in one hand, slowly making her way to the booth they were all at.  

Futaba was now much more used to Akira's friends, always making the effort to say hi whenever she saw them. Though this time, her motive for coming to Leblanc in the first place was pretty obvious. 

"Akiraaaaaa. Are we going to finally start with Featherman now?" The girl asked him, holding out said figurines which seemed to be Featherman-related for him to look at. Upon closer look... Yup, they were. 

He couldn't help but feel guilty whenever she asked. He had originally promised to watch Featherman with her when he was certain that he only had 2 weeks of freedom left. But then circumstances had changed and between taking Kaneshiro down, the ribbons, preparing for his midterms and just life in general - he hadn't been able to put some time aside to watch the show with her. 

"Soon..." He reassured her. "I promise." 

Futaba looked disappointed at that, but nodded understandably.  

"Featherman? Isn't that a show for kids?" Ryuji asked, and Akira had to stop himself from laughing when he saw the blatant horror on Futaba's face.  

Yusuke on the other hand had now emerged from his sketchbook, staring at Futaba with intense curiosity. One hand began to slowly reach out. 

"How fascinating. I feel a sudden rush of inspiration hitting me. Say, would you mind if I took a look at yo--" 

"Yusuke!" Ann quickly reached over the booth to grab his wrist. "Don't mind him, Futaba-chan." 

The artist looked at Ann, with an expression of bewilderment. His eyes then widened when he figured out what Ann had assumed. "Oh heavens no. I'm not interested in drawing her in that way. Although if she'd like a headshot self-portrait I'd be glad to assist. At this current moment however...I'm much more intrigued with the ornaments she's holding." He explained, pointing directly to Futaba's figurines. 

"They're 'Phoenix Rangers Neo Featherman' figures." Futaba swiftly corrected him. "Get it right!" 

Yusuke uncharacteristically shrugged. "And they appear to be quite shoddily made." (He wasn't helping his case at all) "Regardless, I am drawn to them due to their compelling aesthetics. Ah, I must put this thought to paper immediately!" 

"As if you would even know aesthetics if it hit you in the face." Futaba muttered, making both Ann and Ryuji snicker. 

"How preposterous and rude!" Yusuke exclaimed which made Futaba smirk triumphantly at his outburst before she delivered another playful jab at the artist.

...Anddd just like that, they too began to bicker.

But despite the failure of getting much studying done, Akira couldn't help but smile at it all. It was... nice... to just hang out with his friends like this. Without the looming of a deadline. Nice to see Futaba fitting in well with his friends.

... One day... ideally when he had figured it all out... he would have to tell her about the truth about Wakaba.

And it would be easier for her to deal with it all if she had the support of friends around her. 

At least he hoped it would. 

***

The next morning Akira got ready and headed to the station for school. He ended up getting there much earlier than he normally did. Hanging out with all his friends like normal teenagers should be - void of any stress of taking down an adult or thinking about a certain serial killer - had greatly reduced his anxiety levels. So much so he had been able to both fall and stay asleep the entire night. Something he hadn't been able to do for over a month.

Though the bliss was short lived. A quick scrolling through his news articles on his phone showed that the serial decapitator had struck yet again. 

Akira's finger hovered over the article for a bit, deciding whether or not to actually click and find out more, but he eventually decided against it. It's not like the report would tell him anything that he didn't know already, otherwise nobody would be wearing any sort of necklace or jewelry around their necks right now.

What was concerning was that the ribbon killings were so frequent now they were no longer making headline news. It just seemed that the general public had accepted it to be a regular occurrence and continued to get on with everyday life. Ironically enough, Akira couldn't tell if that worked to his advantage or not. 

He felt his bag shuffle a bit before a weight settled onto his shoulder.

At first Morgana didn't say anything, simply remained perched on his shoulder - looking directly at the wolf's phone. 

What the cat said next however... nothing could've prepared him for. 

"Hey Akira... do you think its possible that the targets we've taken down so far are somehow related to the killings?" 

Akira had to stop himself from freezing on the spot. With how hectic the past few weeks had been, he often forgot that Morgana was almost always with him. 

The other thing he forgot is that cats... are unbelievably perceptive. 

But the cat's tone wasn't one of suspicion. More of just a thought or concern he obviously wanted to bring up to him. 

"It's possible. What makes you think so?"

Morgana shifted a bit on his shoulder.

"Well... when we first exposed Kamoshida and Madarame and they turned themselves in, at first I believed they had done so due to having a change of heart."

"Change of heart?" Was that another human saying?

"In other words, they came to realize that their actions were wrong." Morgana explained. "However... I've been recently thinking about what they both said just before they went to the police..." 

....What had Kamoshida said...?

"FUCKING CALL THEM!! IT'S TOO LATE... BUT I WON'T LET THEM LAY A FUCKING FINGER ON ME." 

And then a month later... Madarame...

"Don't... Don't let them put that thing on me." 

At the time Akira had never really put much thought into what they had said. In the midst of it all coupled with their meltdowns...perhaps he had subconsciously equated it to delusion. 

But... considering that he now knew the ribbon was what killed. And if he was to go by the assumption that it could be put on.

He was almost certain that 'thing' was... 

Maybe it was less about them going to prison as a way to take responsibility for their crimes. Maybe they hadn't had a 'change of heart' after all. Perhaps the true reasoning behind all 3 of them turning themselves in was for protection. 

Coupled with the fact that none of the victims of the decapitations had happened in prison. 

So whoever was responsible obviously was influential enough to scare an olympic gold medalist, an world renowned artist and an elusive mafia boss into running to the police for protection. That meant that even if you weren't wearing one - the risk of even talking about it put you in danger. 

And then even with what Wakaba had said... 

"I'm close to making a breakthrough in my research. And that may lead to certain..."

It suddenly occurred to Akira that whoever was behind these killings were a far bigger match then anything he and his teammates had dealt with before. All of these potential victims... or victim - seemed to connect to this one being - one obviously had more power and influence than all of them combined. 

"I think it's possible." Was the answer he eventually settled on. Morgana's theory was most likely correct but he couldn't outright say that. He found himself immensely grateful towards the cat for not trying to prompt him further. 

His information about the ribbons and killings - while better than that of the general public's was still limited. Takemi... even weeks later still hadn't gotten back to him yet with anything regarding Wakaba's head or ribbon, but she texted him every now and then to let him know that she still had to run more tests. Akira trusted her enough to take as much time as she needed. Because one thing he knew for sure was that he was nowhere near strong enough to take on such a killer yet. 

The idea of one day confronting the perpetrator and potentially ending up the same way Wakaba had...  

He was so lost in his multitude of thoughts that he didn't take note of a figure approaching him, or Morgana returning swiftly into his bag. 

"What a refreshing morning. How are you doing, Akira-kun?" 

...And there Akechi was... standing right next to Akira, leaning slightly on the wall as he was... while smiling softly at him.

Akira suppressed the urge to blink a few times to check if this was actually real. 

"Fancy seeing you here at this time." Akechi added on with a small chuckle. 

"It's a public subway station, what did you expect?" He heard Morgana mutter from inside the bag.

Akira decided to ignore it. 

"It's been a while, detective." He responded fondly.

And it was true. It had been a few weeks since they had seen each other in person. Their last time together had been them hanging out Kichijoji, just before they took Kaneshiro down. The fall of Kaneshiro and upcoming midterms had meant that both their schedules had become hectic. They texted fairly often and Akira would tune into Akechi's interviews whenever he had the time, normally while he was helping Sojiro with the cafe.

But seeing him in person was a different feeling entirely. The detective looked to be in his school uniform, void of his light brown coat or black gloves. 

"Indeed it has." the brunette agreed. He then looked away from the wolf, his gaze on the floor. In much softer tone he then said, "I wish it wasn't that way however." 

Akira could feel the inside of his cheeks warming up at that. But before he could even come up with a response-

"But there's no real use talking about hypotheticals. Are you free anytime this week? I'd quite like to spend some more time with you."

"I....um..." As much as Akira would love to jump on the opportunity and say yes... he was reminded that he really needed to study. Today's date was July the 11th. His exams would commence on the 13th. "I have midterms starting this Wednesday and truthfully... I really do need to study."

The detective gave the wolf an understanding nod. He then placed a hand on his chin, stroking it in thought. "I understand. Would you like my 2nd year notes to help with your revision?" 

It was like a miracle had just hit him. "Do your notes include calculus and advanced trigonometry explained in heavy detail?" 

Akechi laughed. "Ahh, is advanced trig still causing you grief?" 

Akira just nodded sheepishly.

"It is a tricky subject. If you'd like, I could explain the process to you. After school of course. I'll be sure bring my 2nd year notes along as well." 

"Y- Yeah sure. It'll be easier for you to just come round to my place." Akira responded. Then with a bit of a smirk added, "Not like you don't already know where I live right?" 

The detective looked a bit taken aback by that, but quickly recovered. 

"Well I guess there's no point denying that." He quipped back with a small chuckle. "I'll make my way there." 

A few moments later a train pulled into the station, causing the detective to pry himself off the wall. "Seems like my train has arrived. I'll see you later. Have a good day, Akira." And with that, the detective gave him a small wave, before stepping onto his train. 

After school Akira made his way to the Shibuya station in a bid to get home. He had given Morgana to Ann, whom was going to visit Shiho in the hospital and wanted some moral support to bring with her.

So here he was, accompanied by Kasumi, who he had bumped into on the way there. It was one of the days where the girl didn't have club practice. Maruki's lecture regarding short and long term memory hit a little too close to home for Akira - considering all that had happened in the last few weeks - and as a result he was feeling slightly tired. Luckily Kasumi had picked up on this, so their journey towards the station had been in a comfortable silence.

Only when they actually reached their destination did the red-head suddenly speak. 

"Oh! That reminds me....There's something I wanted to tell you. Would now be a good time?"

"Sure thing." From the tone of her voice, the news she had seemed to be positive. 

Kasumi smiled in response. "Thank you. Why don't we find a seat somewhere?" 

Before either of them could find a place to sit another... far more familiar voice was heard.

"Akira?" 

Before he knew it Akechi had appeared right before them, almost as if he had teleported - looking at the wolf with a curious expression on his face. 

When he turned to look at Kasumi however, his eyes widened abruptly.

"...Y-Yoshizawa?" 

If Kasumi had noticed his stutter, she was far too polite to show it. Instead she turned to the detective, giving him a warm smile.

"It's been quite a while, Akechi-san." 

Hold on... they knew each other?

Akechi gave Kasumi a smile back, but Akira could tell it was a manufactured one. His mouth may be smiling, but his eyes remained confused. 

"And the same for you." 

Was this... were they...?

Akira ignored the slight jealousy arising in his chest before he asked what was on his mind. "You two have history?" 

"Akechi-san is a family friend." Kasumi explained. "Do you remember when I told you and Ryuji-senpai about my father being the director of 'Good Morning Japan'?" 

"I work often with that station, so I eventually became acquainted with him and... friends with Su-- Yoshizawa-san." Akechi finished, still looking slightly bewildered. He turned to look at Kasumi again, and even though the look in his eyes remained complicated, this time he had a more genuine sort of smile. "You...look well." 

Kasumi gave him a small smile. "Thank you. I've been doing a lot better. Starting high school without my sister was..." She paused. "It was tough... But Senpai here has been a huge help!" 

"You're giving me too much credit. It was all you."

"A huge help huh?" Akechi was looking at Akira with a knowing smile. "Sounds exactly like him." 

Kasumi was now looking between the detective and wolf with a curious smile. 

"So... I've been wondering. How do you two know each other?" She asked, cocking her head a little. 

"We've known each other since we were kids." Akira explained. That was the short explanation. The longer version was far too complicated.

And Akechi seemed to share this view, just nodding in agreement. "So what were you two talking about? Anything interesting?" 

"Oh right! I was going to head home but I have some exciting news to share. I might as well tell you too, Akechi-san!" She answered, turning towards Akira. "It's about the summer competition I mentioned to you before. I was chosen to be club representative!" 

"Congrats!!" the Akira couldn't help but feel extremely proud - knowing how dedicated the girl was to her gymnastics. "You worked really hard for this. 100 per cent deserved." 

The red-head beamed. "Thank you so much Senpai! You've been such a huge help so far. I probably wouldn't of been able to do it without you." 

"Isn't your club's team considered to be quite prestigious?" Akechi chimed in. "Then I must say, it's extremely impressive that you're their representative." 

"Thank you." Kasumi said. "I feel like this is just the beginning..." Her phone then buzzed, drawing her attention to that. "Oh, that's my father. I promised him I'd come home early today. Good luck with your exams Senpai! And it was nice to catch up with you too, Akechi-san!" She waved before heading off. 

The detective gave her a warm sort of smile as she departed, but the moment she was fully out of sight the smile vanished. Quickly replaced by another complicated expression.

"What's wrong?"

Akechi raised a hand to stroke his chin, turning to Akira with one of his telltale TV smiles. "Oh, nothing serious... Just... That was the first time I believe I've ever heard Yoshizawa-san talk proudly about her gymnastics." 

"Wait really?? Kasumi talks about her gymnastics progress all the time with me." 

The brunette's confused look returned and was now directed towards Akira.

"May I ask... Why are you calling her Kasumi?" 

"Because that's her name...?" He couldn't for the life of him understand why the detective was asking this. "Or at least I hope it is." He half-joked, because maybe there was some inside joke to this that he was missing. 

But Akechi wasn't laughing.

"Because that isn't her real..." He paused for a moment, turning slightly away from the wolf, then shook his head in dismissal. "...Actually never mind. It's likely I've mistaken her for someone else." He said that, but the look in his eyes still indicated that something was up.

Akira made a mental note, but decided to drop the topic for now.

"Alright, so are you still up for helping me study?"

The detective smiled. "Of course. Lead the way, Akira." 

***

The train journey back to Yongen-Jaya was silent, but peaceful. Akira had tuned into his headphones and Akechi was more than happy to look over some case files in the meantime.

Once off the train Akechi stayed close by his side, their shoulders brushing against one another countless times as the pair made their way towards Leblanc. It was just...nice.

If the rest of his life were to include quiet moments like this with Akechi, Akira definently wouldn't object to that.

But once again, the peaceful bliss was cut short the moment Akira opened Leblanc's door. 

Inside the café was a silver-haired woman, stood next to the bar, arms crossed. She took no notice of the bell ringing as the door opened - or perhaps she simply didn't care, her gaze focused on Sojiro as she continued to glare at him.

"Regardless, her daughter will need to be removed from your care." 

"Y- You can't do that!" 

"As I stated clearly earlier on, you have no parental rights towards her. You are not her father or even a relative. And although you claim to have been granted legal guardianship through her mother... she conviniently isn't here to back up that claim." 

She was talking about Futaba wasn't she?

Was Sojiro going to lose Futaba?

"How dar-- If she was here she'd be more than happy to clear up any confusion for you!!"

If only he knew 

"So you keep saying." The woman responded dismissively. "Tell me, what sort of mother abandons her child with no notice? Seems to me like she isn't fit to be a parent. And since you were most likely aware of this neglect taking place and didn't notify the proper authorities then neither are you." 

"She would never abandon Futaba! Why do you think I filed that missing person's rep--"

The woman's eyes narrowed. "Yes, conveniently filed a week after she supposedly went missing. Tell me, why did it take you so long to file said report? Is there something else you're not telling me?" 

Just from that comment alone Akira felt himself beginning to shake. The fact that this woman was not only trying to take Futaba away from Sojiro but was now trying to imply that he was somehow involved in Wakaba's disappearance. 

HE HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT - Was what Akira desperately wanted to scream.

But he couldn't. 

Waves and waves of guilt that he had experienced weeks before began to flood his entire body. 

All this was happening because he couldn't protect Wakaba.

She had warned him.... straight up told him... and he didn't do anything about it 

So much so that her only choice was to die and send him evidence from the grave.

And he hadn't gotten any closer to solving the actual case. 

Half of him wanted to just confess there. The other half wanted to bolt out of the café and keep running and running until he couldn't anymore. 

Suddenly, Akira felt Akechi's warm hand gently take his, giving it a gentle squeeze. A few moments later and Akechi began slowly rubbing his thumb over Akira's knuckles, instantly relaxing them. 

The unexpected contact from the detective greatly soothed Akira. It didn't completely rid his nerves - but it was enough to prevent him from going into a full panic attack.

Akechi squeezed Akira's hand once more, before letting go and slowly walking towards the woman.

"I advise you stop right there, Sae-san." His voice was controlled, but his crimson eyes were almost burning in anger. 

The woman's eyes widened. "Akechi-kun?? What on earth do you think you are doi--"

"I think we both know what you are doing is unacceptable." He interrupted, tone low but firm. "Threatening someone like that? I never expected such behavior from you." 

"I--"

"Please understand, Sae-san. I'm not trying to attack or undermine you. As both my colleague and superior, I have a deep amount of respect and admiration for you. And as someone I consider to be a friend, you are of the few adults I have come to genuinely like and trust. Which is why witnessing you behave in such a manner, resorting to threats is so disheartening to see. I understand the importance of getting cases solved, but there are better ways than this to go about it." 

The detective's look and tone softened as he said the last part. "I think it would be best if you leave for now. Take some time to think this through. Before you do something you regret."

"Akechi-kun..." The woman said, clearly taken aback by what he had said. She glanced at Sojiro one last time. "Don't think this is over." She warned him. And then she marched out the café - the door abruptly slamming shut behind her. 

All 3 of them stayed silent for 30 seconds or so. It seemed that none of them were sure what to say. Akira himself still felt slightly shaken from the entire experience. Sojiro just seemed surprised that she had finally left.

"Ah, I apologize for getting involved in your private affairs, I just couldn't watch that continue." Akechi said.

"No need to apologize, kid. I was trying to get rid of that woman for some time. That damn Nijima really seems to enjoy riling people up." 

... Wait 

... Nijima?

That wasn't too common of a surname. The only other person he knew with that last name was...

"Does Nijima have a younger sister?" He asked the detective, to which he received a quick nod.

Ah. So she was Makoto's sister. 

Another streak of anxiety surged from Akira's veins. He was even more appreciative of Makoto for warning him to be careful now. If this was who was investigating them, he had to be even more vigilant.

"It's not intentional." Akechi defended. "She's just passionate about what she does. Sometimes it takes over her rational judgement." 

"If you say so kid." Sojiro responded. "I'm just thankful you got her out of my hair."

"Its no problem at all, sir." 

Sojiro looked at the detective for a moment, as if he was scanning him before he spoke. "Hold on... why do you look so familiar?" 

"Oh, to think I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Akechi Goro and I'm detective intern who often works with Sae Nijima." 

Sojiro just continued to look at him until what seemed to be a bright bulb moment in the man's head occurred.

"Aren't you that kid detective that often appears on TV?"

"... That too." 

The man shrugged. "Well as long as you don't bring any trouble here you're good with me." 

"Oh, of course not sir. I actually came here to help Akira here with some last minute revision." 

Sojiro chuckled. "Good to see you're a positive influence on the kid." He pointed in Akira's direction. "Well, you two go and get seated. I'll rustle up something for you both to eat." 

The pair did just that. The café was empty, so they both went the nearest booth. 

"I did manage to bring my notes from last year." Akechi said once they had settled. "So... what would you prefer we tackle 1st? 

Over an hour in... and Akira... actually did understand both trigonometry and calculus more than he did before. Akechi explained each step thoroughly, patiently guiding Akira through the entire process. His notes (just as expected) were clear and concise - easy for anyone to make sense of. 

That didn't prevent his head aching from all the mathematical equations thrown at him however. 

Sometime in the middle of all it, Sojiro had placed 2 plates of curry (vegetarian version for Akira) in front of them. He adamantly refused to take any sort of payment from Akechi - despite him offering numerous times. 

Akira was starting to succumb to the early stages of sleep, when he noticed Akechi's face appear on TV.

"Akechi-kun, I assume it must be frustrating for you and your colleagues to see that Junya Kaneshiro were caught by the vigilantes. A group that you are also trying to apprehend."  

"Indeed, I can't deny it was a little disheartening. I need to step up my game, otherwise they might just do me out of my job, haha!" 

The audience then erupted in laughter. 

"Well I believe I speak for everyone when I say we hope it doesn't come to that. Can't have our favorite detective sacked can we? But back to the topic at hand. Since Kaneshiro's arrest, more of the public are praising the vigilante group for what they did. Given what was happened, has your views on the group stayed the same?" 

There was a short pause, whispers slowly mounting in the audience - before Akechi provided an answer.

"While I can't deny that the group's actions have been beneficial to the public, I still believe they should be tried in a court of law. Vigilantism is still very much illegal. We have an established law system that ensures fair justice to all. So to answer your question, I am still very much committed to bringing this group down." 

The audience began to whisper amongst themselves once more. 

Clearly, Akechi's response was met with mixed responses. 

The Akechi in front of him wasn't even looking at the version of himself on TV, instead was fiddling with some of the papers on the table, a neutral expression on his face. 

What Akira asked the detective next... he knew was risky...

But considering that Akechi knew that Akira was somewhat involved... he desperately needed to know. 

"Do you really believe that?"

Akechi looked at him, one eyebrow slightly raised. 

"Believe what?"

"Believe that they should be tried in a court of law?" 

Akechi just looked confused. "Well, I believe I made my thoughts pretty clear on T--" 

"No." Akira interrupted. "I mean... yeah you did make it pretty clear on TV. But I'm not asking the detective prince. I'm asking you." 

The detective looked stunned for a split second, before relaxing into his neutral gaze once more. "If you want my unfiltered opinion, I believe what they are doing is dangerous. But not for the reason you may think. They're dangerous because they are beginning to allow the public to elevate them as some type of indestructible hero. And yes while they may have been fortunate the 3 targets they have so far exposed... I believe they need a face for that to even take place." 

"Say... what would they do if they came across another faceless criminal and were not able to find a way to decipher their identity? Its not like they can rely on someone out of the blue delivering evidence to them at their doorstop..."

Scarlet eyes seemed to burn straight into Akira's.

"... can they, Akira?"

Oh. He did get him there. It wasn't lost on Akira that if Akechi hadn't of given him all that photographic evidence when he had, he would be in juvie at this present moment. But it seemed that the detective was trying to tell him to just... give up? 

"So what are you saying? That they should just disband?" 

"For their own sakes, yes. Granted it would be easy for them to step back into the shadows - considering that they are faceless." He stated, taking his gaze away from the wolf.

"But if they really want to continue operating so badly then they're going to need to be a bit less naïve. It's all too easy to end up in a situation you can't get out of...And then be left unable to speak up about it." His voice began to dwindle as he finished that sentence, and his gaze was directed downwards to the table. 

Was he speaking from experience? Akira couldn't help but wonder. But his query was answered when the detective brought a hand to his neck, fiddling with the fabric on it.

Oh right. 

The ribbon. 

If what Akechi was saying was true, then Akira's theory on the culprit having a huge influence was most likely correct. 

And that's also when Akira understood that the detective was trying to warn him. Even though he disagreed with the wolf's actions, he still cared enough to keep him safe. 

However...

"Sorry." Akira eventually countered. "But as long as there's people out there that need their help, I doubt they'll quit." 

"Very well... Then I hope they look forward to me hunting them down." The detective responded, giving the wolf a cunning smile.

Akira knew a challenge when presented with one. 

"It's a deal, detective." And he stretched out his hand for the other to take.

Akechi wasted no time in taking it. 

"Let the games begin." he said with a smile. 

And for a while they sat there in a firm handshake - neither seemed willing to let go of the other.

Only when Leblanc's door bell rang and a familiar face raced in did they both quickly pull their hands away. 

"Akiraaaaa!" It was Futaba, this time carrying a laptop under one arm. She almost sprinted to the booth he was seated at. "They announced today that the Featherman movie is premiering next month!! We gotta start watching ASAP if we want to have any hope of finishing all the seasons before it starts show-- Oh...." She stopped, becoming a lot more nervous when she realized that he wasn't the only occupant at the booth. 

But the detective looked even more shocked, staring at the girl with wide eyes. If Akira didn't know better he would've assumed the detective somehow knew her. 

"Wait..." She stared right at the detective, looking shocked. "Aren't you--" 

"Did... did you just say Featherman?" Akechi abruptly interrupted. He was trying so hard to mask his excitement, but Akira could see the glint in his eyes. 

"Oh... um... yeah I did!! But hold on a sec... aren't you--"

"Ahhh... My apologies." The detective said a bit sheepishly. It was sort of adorable, how excited he had become at the mere mention of the show. "If your question was regarding whether I am the detective prince, I indeed am. I truly didn't mean to interrupt you but the sudden mention of Featherman caught my attention." He explained. "I can only apologize once again." 

Futaba just stared at him for another few seconds.

And then as soon as it clicked... 

"N- NO WAY! The Akechi Goro is a Featherfan???" Futaba squealed. Akira was certain that if the girl didn't have the laptop perched under her arm, she'd be jumping up and down by now. "My mom and I used to watch your interviews a lot. She would sometimes jokingly say that the whole 'detective prince' act of yours seemed to be bullshit but... no you really are pretty cool irl too!!"

A comment like that would normally make someone's day, but there was a complicated look on Akechi's face as the girl spoke. He quickly recovered, but not before Akira took note.

"Your... mother?"  

Futaba nodded. "I... we don't watch it together anymore. But, it was fun while we did. Anyway, who's your favorite character? Me personally - I'm a Feather Green stan till the very end!"

"Black-Condor." Akechi immediately answered. "I'm quite a fan of Gray Pigeon too.

Futaba smiled. "Ah, so you like routing for the morally grey, anti-hero character types?"

"Hmmm... I'd say its more because I can understand where both characters were coming from. Hypothetically speaking, of course." He chuckled, then turned to Akira. "What about you, Akira-kun? Who would you say is your favorite?" 

That was an easy question. "Red-Hawk." Just like him - a leader who everyone looked up to and depended on. 

"The protagonist in you really jumped out." Futaba commented. "Anyway! Let's all watch from the beginning!! Just one episode at least!" 

Honestly Akira didn't want to think about anything Math-related for even another millisecond. And he had promised her so. 

"Alright, let's do it."

Futaba beamed at him. "Alright! Let us commence!" 

"I would be happy to join too, if you are okay with that." Akechi chipped in, looking slightly apprehensive.  

Futaba's smile only increased.

"O- Of course!!! Now, let us commence par--"  

"Hey." Sojiro who had stayed quiet the entire time, still behind the counter, head buried within a newspaper suddenly chimed in. "If you're going to watch that show, head upstairs. I know for a fact you're going to have it on max volume, Futaba. And while I'm aware that this café is mostly vacant, I am still running a business for the 1-2 regular paying customers that come about." 

"... Fair enough." Futaba said. "Alright, I'm going to go grab my laptop charger I left in my room. BRB!" And she sprinted out the café.

Sojiro shook his head, but he was smiling.

"Thank you for doing this with her, both of you. Anyway, head upstairs." 

Bringing Akechi to his room was a bit nerve racking. Akira had done his best to turn the tiny attic into something that would resemble a home - but with not much luck. He had cleaned all the dust and cobwebs away. Yusuke and Ryuji had brought him a cheap TV - courtesy of the antic shop across the road. There was a plant he had been regularly watering. The contents of his shelves slowing filling up with ornaments from all the people he had befriended during his 3 months in Tokyo. In one corner, a small bed. In another - a work bench. There was also a small couch pushed up against one of the walls. 

Akechi was looking around said room - in a curious sort of way. His silence was making Akira anxious. 

"Um... I know its... a bit run down and all." He began, nervously fiddling with his fringe. 

The brunette just shrugged. "I've lived in much worse conditions." 

Okay... There's a lot to unpack there - Akira thought yet again. Just what had his friend gone through in the decade they were split apart? 

"On the contrary." Akechi continued. "It feels quite nice. Homey, even." 

Akira couldn't help but smile at that.

"Thanks, Akechi." 

The detective smiled back. "Although." He began. "I have to admit I am a bit curious on what circumstances lead you here. I assume Tokyo is quite a journey from the farm. Assuming you still lived there up to that point?" 

"It's a long story. Are you sure you want to hear it?" 

"Only if you feel inclined to." 

"Okay. Do you remember the club that your mom and my dad worked at?" 

Akechi nodded.

"Well, my dad still works for that very club. When I got old enough I'd sometimes help him out a bit. One night as I was leaving the club and planning to head home I started hearing the sound of someone shouting and woman crying for help close by. When I went to see what was happening, the man was raising his fist and I could tell he was going to hit her, so I stepped in before that could happen. But then he tripped over himself and fell. Ended up blaming ME for it." Akira explained, not doing well to disguise the bitterness he felt towards it. 

"He said that he was going to sue me. That he'd accuse me of hitting him. All the animals at the farm vouched for me but it didn't make a difference. The jury were all human and none of them believe a half-wolf, half human over a powerful person. Even the woman I helped out testified against me. Next thing I know I'm being given an assault charge and shipped off to Tokyo." He finished, gaze tightly fixed on the floor. 

The small attic was silent for a moment. Neither saying anything. Akira half-wondered if Akechi was planning to bolt and never look back. A prince detective friends with a criminal delinquent?? Even if the charge was false - it still stuck. Akira half-wished he had hit the man, at least then the treatment he received would've been justified. 

And then Akira felt a hand take his, slowly intertwining their fingers together. "Akira." Akechi began softly. "Do you remember what he looked like?" 

He didn't remember that much. It had been dark and his memory hazy from the entire experience and everything that followed after. All he knew was that it was a man. One that was influential enough to force a woman into making a false testimony.

"It's fine." He said, giving the brunette's hand a small squeeze. He greatly appreciated the detective for wanting to attempt to clear his name but Akira had long accepted it. "It happened a while ago. I've moved on now." 

"You can't be serious." Akechi said, looking at him in disbelief. "Someone essentially ruined your life and you're just... what? Fine with it???" 

"Well I wouldn't go that far." Akira responded. "I'm not fine with it per say. Never expected to get a criminal record... not this young at least." He half-laughed, nervously rubbing his neck with a hand. "But...." He hesitated. He had to choose his next words carefully.

[ "Its too late to change anything now." ]

[ "Its not so bad being here." ] 

[ "I'm finally able to be useful to humans." ] 

[ "I made so many friends here." ]

No. None of those reasons... despite them all being somewhat true, were quite right. He greatly appreciated his friends and loved operating his vigilante activities but that didn't make what he had gone through to get there 'worth it'.

There was only one thing that made it all worth it. 

[ "I got to see you again." ]

"Sometimes bad things leads to... much better." He said, looking straight at the brunette in front of him. 

It took less than 5 seconds for the confession to click in the detective's mind. What followed after was a long silence. The brunette eyes had widened dramatically, and he had quickly turned away from the wolf. 

"You shouldn't..." He eventually sighed and then removed his hand from Akira's. "Being so sentimental will only end up getting you killed one day."

Akira expected some sort of snarky retort to follow after it but... no... his crimson eyes were completely serious. 

Before Akira could decipher  - or even ask Akechi what he meant by that, Futaba had made her way up the stairs, loudly announcing her presence. 

"Alright!! Charger obtain- wait you have a TV up here too? Lemme connect my laptop to that and we can watch it on there!" 

The pair nodded, both giving her a smile. They both knew they owed the girl far more than this and they were going to make it the best experience for her possible. 

The pair moved the TV, placing it near the couch so that they could all watch it from there. Futaba meanwhile placed some snacks on the armrests, grinning. The 3 of them then settled onto the couch before Futaba enthusiastically pressed the play button. 

As the opening credits started, Akira reached over for some popcorn, popping it in his mouth, which earned him a scolding from Futaba, who was sitting beside him. 

"SHHHHH. It's starting!" She hushed him, eyes glued to the screen. Akechi who seated his other side said nothing, probably because he was too absorbed into the show. From the corner of his eye, he could see the detective smiling, his eyes lightening up as the episode began. 

Akira found himself smiling too, placing his own gaze back on the screen. 

1 episode turned into 2... then 3... then 4...then

Well it would've been longer, except Akechi had to get going.

"I should get going before the last train leaves." He stated, reluctantly getting off the couch. "As much as I would love to stay and watch this endlessly, I don't wish to walk all the way back home." He chuckled. 

"Do you want me to walk you to the station?" Akira offered.

"Ah, I'll be alright." Akechi politely declined. 

"Text me when you get home." 

"Will do. See you soon, Akira." He smiled, then turned to Futaba. "It was nice meeting you too, Futaba."

"You too!! I hope we can do this again sometime!" She smiled at him when he nodded. "Mission get home safe!" Futaba waved at him, and he waved back before making his way down the stairs and out the cafe.

Futaba then turned to look at Akira, taking one step forward, quickly wrapping her arms round the wolf's. 

"Th- thanks for today. I.... I can't remember the last time I felt so... happy? I begged my mom for ages to watch Featherman with me but... Just... Thank you for watching it with me, Akira." She squeezed him a bit harder, then added in a softer voice. "You're sort of like the older brother I never had." 

Futaba was hugging him hard enough that he was struggling to breathe. But after hearing that the girl considered him to be a brother... He couldn't bring himself much to care about his restricted airways. No, he much more felt like bawling.

Futaba... thought of him as a brother. In a way, he likewise did consider Futaba to be the younger sister he never had too. Even if that almost definitely came about from the guilt he had about not being able to save her mother. 

"I'm... so glad." He said. And he really was.

Perhaps everything really would be okay.

***

After that day, he didn't see Akechi or Futaba for a while. The detective was busy keeping up with his internship, school, interviews and other obligations so it made sense.

Futaba - for the first few days made sense. He knew via Sojiro that the girl was very introverted and would probably need a few days to recharge after hanging out with his friends and Akechi in the space of 48 hours. Even when exam week had came to an end and he still hadn't seen Futaba he just put it down to the girl wanting her own space.

The following Monday morning he texted Futaba in regards to the firework festival - asking if she'd like to come along too.

[ Akira ] : Ann, Ryuji and Yusuke are going too.

[ Akira ] : Its fine if you don't have a yukata to wear.

[ Akira ] : Me and Ryuji are both going casual

[ Akira ] : But if you want, I'm sure Ann has some yukatas that you can use

His messages were on delivered for a few hours before getting a response. 

[ Futaba ] : I don't feel up to it

[ Futaba ] : I'm sorry

Still, he didn't think much of it.

The fireworks festival started out fun before it started raining cats and dogs. Akira and his friends were reminded that before doing any outside event, they should probably check the weather forecast. 

He was still drenched by the time he got home. Morgana was in the bag, having happily found refuge in the wolf's bag. It was late enough that Sojiro had returned home and the lights were off but as Akira noticed that the door wasn't locked. 

Did Sojiro forget to lock it? Unlikely.

He pushed open the door, ready to head upstairs and dry himself off when he saw a figure sitting at the booth closest to the stairs. 

"... A-Akira?" 

The wolf registered both the figure and quiet voice as Futaba's. 

"Futaba?" He asked. "What are you doing here so la--" He was silenced when the girl came running towards him, pulling him into a hug like before. There she began to sob heavily, clutching his arms for dear life. When she looked up at him, Akira was shocked to see that her eyes were red and bleak. Like she had been crying for the last few days. 

"What... What happened?" He asked. 

Sniffling, she handed him a piece of folded paper, slightly wet from her tears.

As Akira unfolded the paper and began to read, Futaba spoke up once more... and he got his answer.

"My mom... she... she's dead... She... I... She died be- because... because of m- me." 

Chapter Text

≈ August 2013

By age 15, any slimmer of childlike naivety that Goro once possessed had been long beaten out of him. Gone were any childish delusions he once had about the world. A world that had never once been kind to him. A world that had been his mother’s ruin. A world where people like his father prospered. 

When Shido had first instructed Goro to make ribbons, back when he was around the age of 10, he had gotten Goro to mass produce them. There was always a set amount to make on a certain day. At the very beginning it was just 1. Then 10. Then 20. Then eventually 50. 

If he ever failed to meet his target for the day, he was barred from eating or bathing for 48 hours. He had only ever had to experience that once to ensure he’d never make the same mistake again. 

Back then Goro wondered what was so important about making them, what could possibly be so special about a piece of fabric. But he never dared question Shido about it. Even as young as he was, he could tell that the man wasn’t particularly fond of his presence. And so a desperate, childish, human part of him wanted to do anything he could to be acknowledged by the man. 

Shortly after he turned 12, Shido stopped demanding ribbons and Goro thought that was the end of it. 

Only… it would take a few more years before he witnessed pandora’s box be opened.

It had been a frosty night in November. The huge mansion should’ve contrasted such temperature, but the icy atmosphere inside was more of a contender. Shido, like so many other nights, was in a foul mood, the stench of alcohol circling him as if it was his own luna halo. 

Goro had long learnt to stay out of the way during these times, retreating and busying himself in his room. For whatever reason this time, he instead stayed at the top of the stairs, silently watching the scene play out. 

And when Shido couldn’t find his son to unleash his anger on, he subjected it to an equally helpless target. 

Goro had met countless maids who all had been hired by Shido. They were always young, barely a foot into adulthood. Shido would always seek them out from cabaret and strip clubs, promising them a better quality of life. He always chose women without much support, or ones who had moved from the countryside, who were ignorant of how things in the city truly operated. 

Add in the rising Tokyo rent prices and lack of decent paying civilian jobs going round -  It was obvious why they were always so happy to be picked by him, so eager to please him, in a bid to accept a better life, just like Goro once had been.

So naturally, when Shido would offer them a ribbon in the form of a ‘gift’ naturally they happily accepted. Unaware of the irreversible consequence they had put themself in. 

That day, Shido had started yelling at the maid. It wasn’t abnormal for him to treat them in this way. The sweet, kind honeymoon period was short before they registered the type of man he truly was. Most of them just learnt to take his yelling, hoping that the extent of the abuse would just be verbal.

But this maid, understandably Goro had thought - instead snapped and yelled right back. That action alone aggravated Shido. But it was what she said next that would prove pernicious

“You don’t think I can’t find a way to expose what you're doing? Even if my own lips are sealed I have friends in the journalism industry that would kill for a story li–” 

She stopped midway through her sentence and would never have the opportunity to finish. 

Shortly after, the sound of something firm hit the floor. 

His legs moved before his brain did, making their way down the stairs before he could think to stop them. 

A few metres away from him lay the decapitated body of the woman - who had been alive and screaming less than a minute before. A minimal amount of blood seeping from the clean cut made on the neck. 

When Goro turned round to look at Shido, he found a wicked smile on his face. 

“She won’t be a problem anymore.” 

“It was a necessary precaution.” 

….

….

….

“Who do you think YOU are, to look at me like that?” 

….

…..

…..

….

“Did you happen to forget, Akechi?” 

“This ribbon was what killed her.” 

“ You were the one who manufactured her noose.”

“ YOU were the one who is responsible for this.” 

“ YOU are the one with blood on your hands.” 

“YOU are the one who killed her.”

“ YOU ARE THE ONE WHO KILLED HER .”

When told something enough times, you eventually come to believe it. 

Every time after that incident Goro would try to spare the maids that came afterwards the same fate, but his pleas always fell on deaf ears 

DON’T PUT IT ON 

“My lips are sealed.”  

IT'S A TRAP 

“My lips are sealed.” 

HE’S GOING TO KILL YOU

“My lips are sealed.”

The only thing he could do was stand and watch as they would unknowingly seal their own fates.

If they were lucky, they would escape - forever sworn to secrecy and never able to come out about what they had suffered - but they were alive.

The ones that weren’t so fortunate…

The only evidence that proved that they had even been here was the dried out bloodstains on the carpet. 

***

Shido didn’t only exert his influence on the unfortunate. Goro had been to countless business events, filled with people who had more power and money than the majority could ever dream of. 

When Goro was younger, he had honestly believed that all rich people were happy. And why wouldn’t they be? When you were financially stable, what more could you ask for? He knew for a fact that if he and his mother had even a fraction of the wealth these people held, no doubt they would be more than satisfied. 

He quickly learnt how false his previous belief had been. In every one of these events Goro attended, everywhere he turned there was always someone chugging down an expensive glass of wine, another with a cigarette perched within their mouth, someone else inhaling a substance that looked awfully similar to a drug that was illegal for the general public. 

The phrase “money can’t buy happiness” was neither a solid truth nor lie. 

Money to a person living in poverty absolutely could buy them happiness.

But supplying money to an already wealthy person?

It bred boredom.

Because what else was there left for them to do, when they could afford all the privileges money could buy? When anything they wanted would be at their beckon call with the snap of their fingers? 

So naturally when Shido introduced them to the ribbons - a piece of fabric that could be used to control and then kill without any risk of leaving a trace of even a fingerprint behind - naturally some of the rich jumped on the wagon.

As protection from keeping the information about the ribbons from going out, the price that said wealthy people would have to pay to have access to the ribbons was to put one on themselves, fully informed of the risks. 

The risk that the very same thing could happen to them. 

And that was how the conspiracy began to form. 

Goro could recall a few who had jumped on the deal. The SUI chief - the chief who Sae-san worked directly under. Shido had been all the more keen to get an executive member of the police force on his side. Goro didn’t even want to think about the amount of decapitations they had committed and covered up together.

Another example was Kunikazu Okumura, the CEO behind Okumura foods and by extension, Big Bang Burger. Though Goro had never eaten from the establishment, he was aware of its popularity. 

All it took was a quick Google search to showcase a snippet of negative reviews left by ex-employees of Big Bang Burger, along with the biggest competitors of the restaurant - it suddenly became very clear to Goro why Okumura wanted to make use of the ribbons.

Silence his employees from speaking out about the inhumane conditions they were forced to work in, eliminate anyone from the competitors that threatened his success.

“We can just explain it away by saying something heavy fell on his head.”

“It was just an unfortunate accident… his family will probably eat that story up.” 

It was disgusting. They were all disgusting. Sick sick vermin who used whatever method possible to control those less fortunate than them. 

There were many Shidos, SUIs and Okumuras lurking within the world. 

In fact, a few times while attending the events, Goro had caught a few glimpses of Okumura's daughter. She was around the same age as him, normally  situated within a corner when alone, delicately holding a glass and smiling at anyone who took the time to stop by and chat to her. Never one to unnaturally draw attention to herself. If she was with company, it was only ever with her father or a slightly older-looking man. 

While others may have described the daughter of Okumura as ‘naturally elegant’, Goro could quickly decipher that from her mannerisms and appearance that she - perhaps similarly to him - had been groomed from a young age to play a certain role. One that of course was designed to benefit her father. 

He found himself somewhat relieved when he realised that she didn’t have a ribbon around her neck. At the very least, her father’s plan for her didn’t involve death. 

He vaguely wondered if Okumura was even aware of the monstrosities her father had committed. If she had even the faintest clue of how much of her privileged upbringing had been financed via blood money. 

Either way, it didn’t really matter. Sooner or later, she’d wake up to reality. She's have to take off the rose tinted glasses. Bear witness to how the world truly operated. Transactional to its core. A place where you either ate, or were eaten. 

Naturally, Goro learnt swiftly not to trust anyone. 

So when he a few months later was introduced to Wakaba Isshiki, a scientist who was a genius in her research field he no longer held any delusions regarding the morality of humans. Or really, anyone who willingly decided to work for Shido.  

Shido’s aim was to find out all the information he could regarding the ribbon. Its 2 main uses were controlling speech and decapitating users. However, of course, this wasn’t enough for a man like him.

Because the only setback was that Goro needed to be alive for the spell to work.   

And that enraged Shido. 

So he hired Wakaba to investigate what was so special about Goro’s genetic makeup that only he held the power to make and activate said ribbons. And whatever it was, to extract it. 

And Wakaba - being the scientist that she was - had been more than ecstatic to obtain a new lab rat to play with.

But from the very beginning, Wakaba was unlike any adult Goro had come across so far. 

A woman who was kind enough to ensure that she had gotten written consent from him, but ruthless enough to carry out every experiment she pleased on him. 

A woman who would panic over the smallest spillage of one of her chemicals, yet was seemingly immune to Goro’s screams when she subjected him to electric currents.

A woman who would keep a stash of granola bars and dried fruit for him, yet didn’t seem to care about the health hazards that came with consistently drawing his blood or exposing him to countless X-rays and MRI scans. 

That was the sort of person Wakaba was. She didn’t go out of her way to help anyone, unless she considered them family or beneficial to her research in some form. 

But, as he would a few years later on come to realise… that would also be the exact reason why said treatment only lasted for a few weeks. 

Because he had entered the lab one day, instinctively making his way to the table where all the tests commenced. He had laid down, closed his eyes - bracing himself for whatever treatment she felt like subjecting him to. Like he had so many times before. 

However, when he opened his eyes he was instead met with Wakaba standing in front of him, her face a little pale. 

He blinked at her in confusion, wondering if he had done something wrong. 

She blinked back at him before extending a hand that had a granola bar in her palm towards him. 

Goro was a lot of things, but he was NEVER the type to refuse free food. 

Silence filled the lab for a few minutes as he slowly ate. Wakaba continued to stare at him, deep in thought when she softly broke the silence. 

“To think you and my daughter share the same blood type.” She mumbled suddenly, so quietly she might as well have whispered it. 

But whether she was actually talking to him , or just wondering out loud in front of her lab rat… Goro wasn’t sure. 

He looked up from his snack, visibly confused. “...Sorry?” 

Wakaba cleared her throat.

“You have an AB blood type. A blood type which is extremely rare in Japan. The only other person I know with that type of genetic makeup is…” She trailed off, beginning to mumble to herself again.

Goro couldn’t stand listening to her absent-minded tone. As if she had somehow forgotten how much experimental pain she had put him through. The amount of suffering he had had to go through. All in the name of what? Science? To receive a paycheck from Shido? 

Shido and Okumura, for as bad as they were… they both at the very LEAST acknowledged the damage their actions caused. Even if it was only to relish in the misery they had caused for so many.

It seemed like Wakaba couldn’t even do that much. Still looking at him as if he was nothing more than an experimental rodent to prod at. Subject him to endless torture, so long as his was alive… or at least animate - it didn’t matter to her did it? She obtained the results she wanted. Why waste precious time considering the permanent damage done to the test subject?

He knew. He knew that she ultimately owed him nothing. 

Her task was to extract whatever made him unique, and after that there would be no reason left for Shido to keep him alive. 

His fist clenched the granola bar tightly, feeling the food slowly squish from the pressure when he felt a hand gently clasp his shoulder. 

“Hold on.” She said, her tone a little less neutral than what he was used to. 

“I would like to make a deal with you.” She said simply. “One that would keep you alive.” 

He… couldn’t believe what he was hearing. 

Was this a trap? Was this Wakaba’s way of trying to entice him into allowing him to conduct numerous barbaric practices on him? Because when he thought about– 

“Why? Why on earth would you want to help me?” 

She paused for a moment, as if trying to mentally compute the best way to answer that.

Her fingers instead did more of the talking, slowly making their way to the top of her turtleneck jumper pulling it down ever so slightly… 

…Revealing a lilac coloured ribbon fastened round her neck. 

“Maybe… we’re more similar than you think.” She simply said. 

“So how about it, Akechi?”

***

July 13th 2016

"She would never abandon Futaba! Why do you think I filed that missing person's rep--"

"Yes, conveniently filed a week after she supposedly went missing. Tell me, why did it take you so long to file said report? Is there something else you're not telling me?"

As he watched the argument play out in front of him... Goro faintly wondered... wondered if refusing Wakaba's deal would've changed anything.

Would she be alive right now? Would everything had worked out okay?

Would she of still met an early demise, merely a victim to Shido wanting to get rid of her anyway?

But thinking about hypotheticals was utterly useless now. 

Although he knew one thing for certain.

His magic, along with his very existence - was nothing but a curse. Had been the culprit behind the shortening of the lifespans of the very few who actually had given a damn about him. 

First his own mother, then Yumi, most recently Wakaba... 

The even worse part was that... he at the very least could've prevented Wakaba from dying. 

Wakaba's solution had been to create an anitdote which would nullify the magic in the ribbon. Meaning that you would be able to speak freely and wouldn't die if you took it off. 

Days before she had been killed, she had - in her own words, been extremely close to making a breakthrough. 

But even now, there was still a way for Goro to break the curse. A way to free all the users under the spell. 

However...

No. Regardless...There was no use thinking about that right now. His main priority was still to expose what Shido had been doing. 

Which also meant...

 "I can't let HIM die." 

He turned his attention over to said person, who had gone completely pale - no doubt from what Sae-san had just said. Before Akira’s anxiety could transform into a full-blown panic attack, Goro instinctively wrapped his hand around Akira’s, giving it a soft squeeze. There was so much he wished he could say, but was barred from it. This would have to do. 

It was never your fault

It was me

It was me who was the cause of the killings 

It was me who was responsible for Wakaba’s death

It was me who disguised myself as her that day

It was me who tried to warn you

It was me who left her at your doorstep 

It was me who put you in this position

It was all me 

He went another step further and began to gently rub his thumb over Akira’s knuckles. Almost instantly, he felt the other’s hand begin to relax in his. 

He gave his friend’s hand one last squeeze, before reluctantly letting go so he could confront his colleague.

***

"It was nice meeting you too, Futaba."

"You too!! I hope we can do this again sometime! Mission get home safe!”

It was eerie, almost painful how taken aback Goro was by how kind and friendly Wakaba Ishhiki’s daughter really was. When he was her age, any interaction that came by his way was met with some level of skepticism. 

Yet… despite him being a complete stranger to Futaba, she had befriended him easily. All it had taken was for him to enthusiastically (accidently) mention that he enjoyed Featherman. That was all it took. 

He felt his teeth bite into the skin inside his mouth. 

There he had been, spending years fruitlessly chasing the validation of a man he believed to be the only family he had left…

And what had he gotten from it? Absolutely nothing but pain, suffering and a trail of death that had begun with him. 

And then here was his half-sister… who undoubtedly… if she knew the truth, would’ve most welcomed him into her life with open arms. 

Blood spilled into his mouth. 

He refused to let his mind wonder towards a hypothetical timeline. One where he had never been cursed with a ribbon. 

One where…

"She's always whined about wanting an older brother."

"I think the two of you would get on well."

But that type of scenario was long impossible. Futaba could never find out that truth.

And besides…

"You're sort of like the older brother I never had."

It seemed that she already had Akira for that. Someone who fit that role better than he ever could. 

Goro slowly made his way down the stairs, making sure to give Sakura a nod before leaving the cafe. 

The brunette wasn’t certain of exactly how long he had spent in Leblanc’s attic watching Featherman back to back without a care in the world, but if the dark pink tinges in the sky were anything to go by, he would guess it had been a few hours. 

The July climate meant that it took a little longer for the darkness to come about. If he strained his eyes a bit, he could see the remnants of a waxing gibbous moon begin to make its way to the sky from the horizon. 

Hmmm…

Was Akira planning to take someone down soon? 

What a privilege it must be, Goro then thought… to have a power that only bothered you once a month. What he would give to be afforded such a luxury. 

And as thankful and as guilty Goro felt towards Akira for what he had put him through, it was hard to not also be envious sometimes.

From the time they had met, Goro had always thought of Akira as an enigma. He just could never fully understand him.

Since the very beginning they both had been trashed by the human society. Akira arguably - had started off even worse than him, having been only-half human. He remembered back when they were at the farm, when Akira off-handedly told Goro about the brief time he spent at the nursery in Tokyo. How some of the kids were so concerned they would throw silver scraps at him. 

Goro had begun to see red after that. It wasn’t like he didn’t have his own hatred towards humans due to how they had treated him. But somehow - when the human’s mistreatment was directed towards Akira - the hatred he felt was multiplied. 

Although, Akira had brushed off his friend’s concern.

“It’s okay, Goro. I’m sure they had their reasons to be scared.” 

If Goro had been given the same power that Akira had, he wouldn’t have hesitated to wreak havoc on every human that had so much as given him a dirty look. 

But Akira… used his powers… to help humans instead. Was so forgiving towards them. Didn’t have a single bone of hatred in him. So forgiving that even receiving a false charge wasn’t enough to make him reconsider. And Goro for the life of him couldn’t understand why .

Humans didn’t deserve Akira’s help. They were all vultures. Actually, vultures were a far more dignified species. They at least waited for their prey to be dead before feasting upon them. 

But maybe judging Akira was a tad hypocritical, considering what he had done in the past. After he had first witnessed the ribbon decapitatation, Goro had countlessly tried to warn other maids not to accept the gift of a ribbon.

Of course, whatever he said, his pleas always fell on deaf ears. 

“My lips are sealed.”

“My lips are sealed.” 

“My lips are sealed.”

Maybe it was less that he didn’t understand Akira - but more that unlike the wolf - what Goro had to work with was very limited. He had never been able to speak out about the ribbons, and there had been very few around him that cared. 

Akira's power gave him the freedom to unleash his power. Goro's was an eternal prison sentence. 

There were so many he wasn’t able to save. He, at the very least, refused to let Wakaba become another ‘mystery missing person’.

That didn’t mean that what he was going to next didn’t feel any less sadistic however. 

Goro was so certain that if Robin - his pet dove -  was here right now he'd attempt to talk him out of it. 

Goro made his way to the nearest manhole to hide out. Of course, the moment he popped down onto the sewer floor - a bunch of rodents instantaneously appeared at his feet, silently demanding their next supply of food.

He thrust an opened bag of nuts their way, watching with slight humor as they bolted towards the food source, leaving him alone once again.

Goro sighed, taking out the suicide note that been stuffed in his pocket. 

Prepped his glamour pack for usage. 

All that was left to do now was wait. 

Wait until Futaba arrived home. 

***

So much had changed after that day. 

Futaba had screamed and sobbed uncontrollably into Akira's arm. His other hand had been firmly clutching Wakaba’s supposed suicide note - slightly wet from tears, which had greatly placed the blame of her demise on her daughter. 

Morgana, having heard the commotion had immediately appeared at the girl’s side, gently rubbing his head along the girl’s legs - in a bid to try and calm her down, if even a little. 

He wasn’t even sure how much time had passed until Sojiro had come into the cafe, at first merely curious as to why Futaba was at the cafe so late. It had only gone even more downhill from there.

Sojiro ended up closing the cafe for a week. Only coming into said cafe to pick up a few supplies and then swiftly leaving. 

He wouldn't see Futaba for even longer.

More often than not Akira would be in his attic, sitting on his bed, Morgana curled up at his side,  both being painfully aware of how silent the cafe now felt, with the absence of the pacing, slight chatter, smell of curry cooking and coffee brewing. 

One of those nights, when the silence had become unbearable and his thoughts running mayhem, Akira found himself hopping on a train to Shinjuku and heading straight to Crossroads to do an evening shift. 

The atmosphere in the bar always had an element of tranquility to it, equipped with gentle music playing softly in the background.

He had started working at Crossroads shortly after taking Kaneshiro down. The bar was nothing conventional - and that included Akira’s work schedule. He was free to take any evening shifts when the help was needed and when he was available. 

Though… due to exams and just life… he hadn’t stopped by much. 

Which is exactly why the owner, Lala gave him a small nod and smile when she noticed him. 

“Welcome, honey. It’s been a while. I take it you’re available to do a shift tonight? It’s not too busy right now… however…” 

She turned her gaze to the sink which was half-full and then to a woman who was hunched at the counter, her fingertips brushing against the almost empty glass. Someone who Akira had begun to become familiar with too. 

He couldn’t help but smile. She was giving him a choice. 

“I’ll get her some water.” 

Lala smirked. “What would I do without you?” 

“Oh! It’s you!” The woman, Ohya, rejoiced as Akira set the glass of cool water by her side. “Man! It’s been a while hasn’t it? School kept you busy? Say… Got any gossip regarding the Phantom Thieves?” 

“...Phantom Thieves?” 

“That's what their fans have begun to call them online.” Ohya answered. 

Huh.

It was a little alarming how Ohya had known that before he did. When he watched Akechi’s interview, the host very clearly referred to them as the ‘vigilante group’. Although… that interview was now over a week old. So the shift in name change must’ve taken place sometime after they had taken Kaneshiro down. 

He half-wondered why Mishima - moderator of their website and (if Akira was being generous) biggest fanboy of their group - had failed to inform him of this. 

Actually…knowing Mishima, he probably had informed - but Akira had long learned to tune out most of what he said,

Because. It. Was ALL. He. Talked. About.   

He loved doing what he did. He really, sincerely did. But hearing Mishima endlessly gush about it got bothersome after a while. 

Well it was better than just being known as the ‘vigilante group’.  

“I figured I’d ask. It seems that all the youngsters today are crazy about them.” She added before giving the wolf a curious smile.

“Say… what’s your take on them?”

Akira hesitated. 

Did he - at this current moment - have the emotional labour required to come up with an intelligent, non-suspicious answer? 

No, no he didn’t.

In that case, best to play it safe.

“I think they’re alright. To be honest, I don’t really think about them much.” 

The woman raised a brow. “ Really ? For someone of your age, that's unusual. You’re not interested in them? Even though it's rumoured for the group to be students at your school?”

Oh for the love of God.  

It had completely slipped his mind that Ohya had approached and given him her contact card back when he and the others had been investigating Madarame’s shack. And he had had his full school uniform on display.

Well she was a journalist. Being perceptive was probably instinctual to her. 

Akira just shrugged. “Maybe they are. Maybe they aren't. I wouldn't know. Been too busy trying to keep my grades up to notice.” 

“Ah, so you’re a studious type. Guess I can work with that.” She smiled. “Sooooo…how ‘bout we–” 

“Ohya.” Lala sternly warned, looking up from the glass she was cleaning. “May I remind you that he’s still a minor. Whatever you’re planning make sure its–”

“Age appropriate Lala-chan… I know.” She grumbled back. “Anyway… how 'bout we do this... You supply me with info on the Phantom Thieves and in return...” She paused, using one hand to shift through her pocket. 

A few moments later, she was holding 2 small cards between her fingers.

“2 tickets to the aquarium.” Ohya said. And Akira must’ve looked confused at this because she then added, “You’re a self-proclaimed nerd right? Well then I’m sure your biology grade could benefit from taking a trip or two there.” 

She then paused, scanning Akira’s face before giving him what could only be described as a sly grin. 

“Or better yet… maybe take someone along with you. If you have that special someone.” She said, still grinning at him. “Though, I’m fairly sure someone with your looks is spoilt for choice.”

“You’re… trying to bribe me into getting info about the Phantom Thieves… by giving me aquarium tickets?” 

Ohya shrugged. “My goal isn’t to catch them. I just would like to know more about them, if possible. They’ve done a great deal of good so far. I doubt Madarame or Kaneshiro would've turned themselves in without their input… But… Even if you don’t take up my offer… Those tickets are yours. My colleague had a few spare so… take them. They’re free to use until the end of August.”

Hmmm

Maybe having a journalist on his side would be beneficial later on. 

He already had someone in mind who would be more than satisfied to talk endlessly about them.

“…I’ll see what I can do.” 

Ohya smiled. “That’s good enough for now.” 

***

Akira’s mind would drive him insane during school time too. It was the last week before summer break would commence - so everyone was a bit distracted. Still, it didn’t take long for Ann and Ryuji to notice that something was up.

The school day had barely started and they already were asking questions. 

He managed to brush their concerns aside, and was sincerely grateful when Morgana backed him up. 

Though, neither Ryuji or Ann looked too convinced afterwards.

“You have been looking more restless recently.” Ann commented, reaching over his desk to place her hand on his forehead. “Hmm…You’re a bit warm too! Maybe you’re catching a fever from the rain back at the festival?”

“Aghhh hell… don’t remind me of that.” Ryuji shivered at the memory from a few days ago before turning his attention to the wolf. “Anyway… Akira? Whatever is going on, you know you can always talk to us about it right?”

“Yeah.” Ann agreed, removing her hand. “I know you have a habit of dealing with things on your own but… it’s okay to rely on us too! We’re a team after all. If we don’t look out for each other, who else will?”  

Such a simple saying. 

Would it still hold the same weight if they knew what he was really hiding from them?

“Thanks guys.” He said instead, forcing a smile.

“We’re going to tell them the truth eventually, right?” Morgana whispered to him from under the desk. Classes had now begun, but he was in no state to concentrate. 

…The truth?

Before he could even stop himself Akira blurted out, “Which one?”

Morgana didn’t respond at first yet Akira felt him stiffen from within his bag. 

“Futaba’s mom…? The note…? Akira are you sure you’re feeling oka–”

“We’ll– I’ll get round to telling them eventually. Just… I think Futaba and Sojiro deserve privacy right now.” 

Morgana sighed. “Alright. That makes sense. It’s just… I don’t like lying. Especially to Lady Ann!” 

***

During break Akira made his way to the school rooftop, a place he hadn’t visited ever since the day Makoto had barred them all from it. He was surprised to find that the door was unlocked, gently pushing it open and allowing the summer breeze to hit his face. 

It was… weirdly nostalgic. 

Visually, the rooftop hadn’t changed one bit. The decaying chairs that he, Ryuji and Ann would often occupy were still in the exact same position. It had been one of the few quiet areas of the school that the group could retreat to, away from prying eyes, other judgemental students and just forget the system they were all under. 

Akira slowly made his way to the edge of the roof. He placed his hand on the fence. A fence that had only been erected due to what had happened with Shiho. Made sure to keep his gaze straight ahead. 

Beyond the tall fence panel lay a view… a huge view of the city. So many buildings, decreasing in size the further in distance they were from Shujin. Countless humans walking about - whom from this height and distance away looked more like ants. 

What was that human saying? Small fish in a big pond? 

That was an accurate way to describe how he was feeling right now. Taking in the entire sights… reminded him of how small he really was. 

As a wolf… on a certain night every month… he was powerful. A force to be reckoned with. A being that was useful to others. But on every other day… when he was mostly human… When he was just Akira …what had he achieved? 

Stepping in to aid a woman and ending up with a criminal record? Failing to save a woman who told him in advance that she was in danger and was now dead? Lying by omission to said dead woman’s family and letting her daughter believe that she was the cause of her mother’s death? 

He hadn’t been able to make much progress with the ribbons either. And the longer it took him to figure it out, the more potential people would die…

Hell, someone had already died. And that was just from what was reported online. Who knew how many victims of the ribbons slipped through the cracks, never to be heard of again. 

And that would include Akechi…

Time was running out. The fact that his friend, who was in charge of looking for said killer hadn’t been killed yet was something of a miracle. 

Fate had allowed him to reunite with him again… And now Akira was potentially going to spit in said fate’s face because he just… couldn’t do anything.

You couldn’t stop him from being abducted all those years ago, what makes you think you can save him now? 

The Joker in him wanted to defy that thought… But his normal Akira self couldn’t argue against it. 

Where it mattered, he truly was useless. He had so desperately wanted to be accepted by humans. But as one himself, he was… useless. 

He suddenly turned his vision to look straight downwards at the courtyard that lay many feet below… and suddenly…

Felt unbelievably…

Calm. 

At peace. 

Serene.

And he couldn’t help but wonder… if even for a split second.

Is this how Shiho had felt just before she…

“It’s a beautiful view, isn’t it?” A sudden soft voice, which had seemingly come from nowhere, managed to cut through his self deprecating thoughts. 

While the girl’s voice wasn’t one that Akira recognized, her tone was calm and thoughtful - void of even the smallest hint of malice. 

He didn’t feel like turning round just yet, in case she changed her mind once she realised that he was the ‘scary delinquent’. There was only so much discrimination he could take in one day. 

So he settled for nodding instead, hoping that that would be a sufficient enough response.

Surprisingly enough, it was. 

“I like to think that it’s a gentle reminder of how vast the world really is.” She continued. “Just from here, I can see so much of the city. Everything and everyone looks so tiny. Each passerby has their own individual story… their own life and strengths and struggles. It’s a reminder that we should all be kind to each other, and try to help one another, in whatever way we can.” 

“Yeah.” Akira agreed. “Yeah, you’re right.” 

They fell into a short silence after that, the gentle breeze of the wind replacing the sound of speech. Akira hears the faint sound of footsteps moving away from him.  

He for a moment wonders if the girl decided to just leave him to his own thoughts. But soon enough, the soft sound of her footsteps returned, and Akira felt something cold touch his hand. 

When he accepted it and brought the item into his peripheral vision, he found it to be - a small cucumber. It was a beautiful shade of green, free from any sort of cracks or tear. It smells fresh, and when he takes a bite out of it, he finds it to taste just as refreshing as he imagined it to be. 

“Thank you.” He says, finally turning around to look at the girl. 

Her voice matched her appearance. She had soft curly hair, the colour a mixture of auburn and pink. Like Makoto, her Shujin uniform was neat as ever, with the added touch of a pink sweater draped over her shirt. She was smiling softly at him.

“Oh, I’m so glad to hear that you liked it!” She beamed, gently clasping her hands together. “I grew the cucumber myself.” 

“They’re really good.” 

She gave him another warm smile, before her expression became a little contemplative.

“Oh! How rude of me to not introduce myself!” She laughed, looking a little sheepish. “I’m Okumura Haru, a third-year.” 

...Okumura…??

...As in?

“Okumura foods? Big bang burger ?” Akira thought out loud. 

Okumura nodded, though this time - her expression was a tad complicated. “Yes, Okumura foods are run and owned by my family. My father is the current CEO.” 

“I see that making good food runs in the family then.” He responded jokingly, taking another bite out of his cucumber. 

“You’re… very kind.” She said, genuinely meaning it. Her expression then became slightly sheepish.

“I apologise… It's quite embarrassing of me to not be familiar with my fellow underclassmen.” She began. “But, you look familiar. May I ask what your name is?” 

“Kurusu.” He supplied. 

“Kurusu…?” She repeated. And then… “Ohhhh yes! You must be Akira-kun! Mako-chan has mentioned you quite a few times.” 

Mako? 

…She was talking about Makoto right?

“All good things I hope.” He half-joked.

“Yes indeed! She spoke very highly of you. And I’m beginning to see why.” She added, pausing to give him another look. 

“Anyhow, please call me Haru. Any friend of Mako-chan’s is a friend of mine.” 

“Sure.” Akira smiled. “In that case, feel free to call me Akira.” 

Haru smiled. “I would love that.” 

They fell into a comfortable silence after that, basking in the calm summer breeze as they viewed what was beyond the roof. 

When break ended and Akira made his way to the door, he felt Haru tap his shoulder. He turned around to see her holding a small plastic bag.

“Some more cucumbers.” She said, extending the bag towards him. “I would like you to have them.” 

“Oh– no no I couldn’t.” He protested. He already felt immensely grateful towards the girl for feeding and just for keeping him company.

But Haru vehemently shook her head. “No, I insist. Please take them.” She smiled, turning her attention to the compost boxes stationed one corner of the roof, tiny saplings breaking through the soil. “I grow vegetables all the time and knowing that someone will appreciate them is more than enough for me.” She explained. 

He nodded, taking the bag. “Then… Thank you, Haru.” 

“Thank you as well.” She responded. “Oh… and Akira?” 

“Hmmm?”

“You’re always welcome here.”   

He gave Haru one last smile and nod of acknowledgement, before making his way back into the school.

***

Summer vacation couldn’t come fast enough - Akira pondered as he sat at his desk, counting down the seconds of this final class of both the afternoon and term.  

He had been tempted… so tempted to just skip coming in today entirely. It was the last day of term after all. He doubted his lack of attendance would go noticed. Until Morgana very adamantly reminded him that his delinquent status meant he couldn’t miss days off. 

Fortunately for him, Kawakami was teaching and due to their… unorthodox arrangement she tended to cut him far more slack than any normal teacher was.

Akira of course used this privilege to his benefit, propping a book up and proceeding to take a short nap. 

He needed it after the morning he had had.

When Akira had headed downstairs in a bid to get to school, he had run into Sojiro. 

His guardian had been situated behind the counter, a cloth in one hand heavily scrubbing a part of the wood that already looked spotless. The man’s eyes had been distant, as if he wasn’t really in the moment - most likely running on autopilot. 

It had been a week since the wolf had seen him.

Part of Akira just wanted to leave him be and head upstairs. The other half wanted to somehow tell him the truth. Even if it would end up with him being kicked out. Even if it would jeopardize his freedom. He was just so tired. So tired of keeping this a secret. 

But just like before, back when he had comforted Futaba… his vocal chords were rendered useless. 

So when Sojiro looked up and acknowledged the wolf’s presence for just a moment before looking back down, the only thing he found that he could utter was…

“I’m sorry.” 

And Sojiro’s immediate response was to look right back up again, his brows furrowed in confusion at what the wolf had said. 

“You don’t need to apologise, kid.” He responded eventually, shaking his head a bit. “It’s not like you could’ve prevented any of this from happening.” And with that, turned his gaze once again to the counter. 

His answer was supposed to comfort him, but the irony in that statement only served to worsen Akira’s nerves. 

“Still,” Sojiro continued, this time with a much more wistful expression. “Thank you for being there for Futaba.” 

And that was when his nerves shattered into pieces. 

Lies upon lies upon lies. It had been over a month since this whole situation had begun. It was getting harder and harder to keep silent about it. But it already felt too late to confess. He sighed, beginning to feel the guilt once again flow through his veins as he closed his eyes - hoping to at least catch up on a bit of sleep. 

Soon enough, the final class of the term ended. Back in May or early June, thinking about this moment would’ve made Akira ecstatic - but now considering the circumstances he was in - it only felt bittersweet. 

He was interrupted from delving any further into his thoughts when he heard his phone vibrate from within his pocket. And weirdly enough, that made him smile. Remembering that despite all of this… even if he had to keep it a secret… he wasn’t alone. 

Maybe it was Ryuji or Kasumi - asking if he wanted to train. 

Perhaps it was Ann - inviting him to another photo shoot.

Possibly Yusuke - he had been progressing on his journey to discovering the human heart.

The most reliving text message he could receive right now however… would have to be from Takemi. He hadn’t seen her much, that he almost forgot that she was the only other being who knew the true story. 

Though he could only hope - as Morgana perched himself onto his shoulder - that the doctor would be subtle in the messages if that was the case. 

#But when Akira unlocked his phone and entered his messages… he found it to be… from none of the above options.

The thieves group chat consisting of him, Ryuji Ann and Yusuke was still buzzing, but Akira had permanently put that into do not disturb due to Ryuji’s tendency to text while they were all in class. 

No… there was another.

[ XXXX-XXXX ] : Nice to meet you

…Unrecognised number? 

[ XXXX-XXXX ] : I am the one they call Alibaba

Alibaba? That wasn’t a name that he had heard of. Judging by the fact that there wasn’t even a number attached to this line, Akira had to assume that this was some sort of prank.

He was going to delete the messages entirely when– 

[ Alibaba ] : I want to ask you something 

Alibaba is typing…

Alibaba is typing…

[ Alibaba ] : You’re the leader of the Phantom Thieves, aren’t you? 

He immediately froze.. This couldn’t be happening. Had he been that careless? Had someone managed to figure it out? Yet again? First Makoto then Akechi and now this anonymous entity? All this time he had been worrying about being potentially framed for the ribbons he didn’t even consider–

Wait

Breathe 

Breathe.

“Is one of our teammates pulling a prank on you?” Morgana questioned, sounding equally as alarmed as Akira felt. 

Except that didn’t seem like a likely possibility. Ryuji definitely would play pranks… but normally it would be in person. Ann… her acting skills left much to be desired. Even over text.

And Yusuke wasn’t the type to play pranks. And even if he was, his texting style was more formal than this. 

And even though Makoto wasn’t a part of their group, she was well aware of their identities and fully supported them from the sidelines.

“Shouldn't you respond to it?” Morgana asked. 

Shit, he was right. 

[ Akira ] : You got the wrong guy

[ Alibaba ] : No

[ Alibaba ] : I don’t think so

[ Alibaba ] : Besides 

Alibaba is typing…

[ Alibaba ] : You’re not exactly in a position to be playing games 

Alibaba is typing…

[ Alibaba ] : I wonder what everyone will think when they find out about the skeleton in your closet 

He froze. That… That was a joke right? A human saying? A figure of speech? She didn’t mean that literally, right???

“Skeleton in your closet? Akira, what do they mean by that?” Morgana asked.

“I… I don’t know.” He answered. And for once, he was telling the truth. 

[ Akira ] : I don’t know what you’re talking about

[ Alibaba ] : Still choosing the denial route?

[ Alibaba ] : So be it

Alibaba sent a video 

Akira's finger hovered over the play button, shaking slightly.

Just from the format layout of the video Alibaba had sent, it looked to be from a CCTV. The timestamp showed it to be 20 seconds long.  He was sure he and the others had been so careful when they had plastered Kaneshiro all over Shibuya. And even with the help of Takemi's bootleg glamour and Yusuke's mask they had made sure to steer well clear of any security cameras. 

He felt Morgana tense on his shoulder, but he didn't say anything. 

He decided to press play... How bad could it be? 

As it turned to be... far worse than anything he could've anticipated. 

The video didn't have anything to do with the night they had taken Kaneshiro down. In fact, it wasn't based in Shibuya. Or even outside.

It was based in Leblanc

The footage consisted of Akira behind the counter talking to a customer, their back turned to the camera. They looked to be a woman, wearing a turtleneck sleeve. She had short black hair, one side of her glasses visible in the frame. 

Hold on...

"Isn't that Futaba's mother?" Morgana thought out loud.

It was indeed her. 

That had been the last time he had seen her alive. Before all the events afterwards took place. The problem was that, that day there had been no one else besides them and Morgana at the cafe. He was sure Sojiro would've informed him if there were cameras about. 

So how did someone manage to film this??

[ Alibaba ] : So you watched it 

Alibaba is typing…

[ Alibaba ] : I take it you recognize the woman in the video 

[ Alibaba ] : Wakaba Isshiki 

Akira froze. 

[ Akira ] : Where are you going with this? 

Alibaba is typing…

Alibaba is typing…

Alibaba is typing…

[ Alibaba ] : You were the last person to see her alive 

[ Alibaba ] : The Phantom Thieves motto is about always helping those in danger

[ Alibaba ] : You helped so many escape from that teacher, the artist dude and the mafia guy 

[ Alibaba ] : Yet this woman warned you that her life was in danger 

[ Alibaba ] : And you... 

[ Alibaba ] : Why didn't you do anything to help her? 

[ Alibaba ] : Why did she have to die?

Chapter Text

[ Alibaba ] : Why did she have to die?

That was… 

…That was a good question. 

One that if Akira was being honest… he had never expected. 

In hindsight, at least subconsciously - Akira had long known that this day would eventually come. 

It had been over a month. A month consisting of not lying once - but over and over again - everyday. Every time he had looked at Sojiro, every time he had stayed silent when Futaba spoke about how she felt abandoned by her mother. Every time one of his friends had suspected that something was up and he had swiftly brushed off their concerns. 

Quite frankly, to say that the whole ordeal had left him exhausted would be a huge understatement. 

The guilt and stress from all the deception had been slowly eating Akira from the inside out. It often felt like there was a tapeworm situated in his stomach, slowly feasting upon every lie and falsehood he had uttered, biding its time until the day it grew too big and began to rupture his organs. 

That day had finally arrived. 

And maybe that was why, even more than feeling terrified or shocked… as he peered down at the text message once more, he felt a wave of relief invade his body. Relief at the revelation that someone now knew. 

From the nature of the last texts, it didn’t seem like they were accusing him of killing Wakaba… but instead… letting her die. 

Whether that made him feel better or worse, he truly didn’t know. 

His phone buzzed again, causing him to turn his attention to the screen, where he was met with more messages. 

Alibaba sent a audio recording 

Alibaba sent a audio recording 

[ "Can you keep a secret?" ]

[ "I'm literally a scientist working with chemicals that aren't known to the general public. As in not even Futaba or Sojiro know. What do you think?" ]

[ "Ah... Okay. Well... you know how Kamoshida and Madarame got exposed and arrested?" ]

[ "Hmmm. I'm aware. I have a friend investigating that. Why?" ]

[ "I'm responsible for that." ]

[ …… ] 

[ …… ]

[ "Why am I not surprised?... Akira, you really are...." ] 

[ Alibaba ] : You don’t want to answer my questions, fine.

[ Alibaba ] : I won’t hesitate to send this admission of guilt to the police

[ Alibaba ] : I’m sure they’ll have MANY questions to ask you

[ Alibaba ] : You AND your co conspirators. 

Akira froze once more, his finger refusing to swipe down in order to read the rest of the messages. Morgana said nothing, staying put in his position, but the wolf could feel his sharp claws begin to dig into his shoulder. 

[ Alibaba ] : Ryuji Sakamoto

[ Alibaba ] : Ann Takamaki 

[ Alibaba ] : Yusuke Kitagawa 

The sight of his friend’s names on the screen made him tense that much further, Morgana following suit. It was one thing to have his own freedom put in jeopardy - but when it came to anyone else – 

[ Akira ] : Look

[ Akira ] : I understand that you want answers 

[ Akira ] : I truly do

[ Akira ] : But please 

[ Akira ] : Please keep the others out of it

[ Akira ] : I acted on my own accord.

[ Akira ] : They had nothing to do with this

Alibaba is typing…

Alibaba is typing…

[ Alibaba ] : And that’s exactly why

[ Alibaba ] : I’m including them on this matter

[ Alibaba ] : I have a feeling that if I only came after YOU, there would be no incentive to cooperate with me

[ Akira ] : …What do you want?

[ Alibaba ] : What I want is simple 

Alibaba is typing…

[ Alibaba ] : Tell Futaba Isshiki the truth

[ Alibaba ] : The truth of what happened that day 

[ Alibaba ] : Why you decided to let Wakaba die

[ Alibaba ] : Why you never bothered to tell the police of her disappearance 

[ Alibaba ] : Whatever the reason, her daughter deserves to know 

‘Why you decided to let Wakaba die’

That statement again…. 

The way they continuously used the term ‘let her die’ instead of…

[ Akira ] : How do you know that she’s dead?

For a short while, Alibaba didn’t respond. Not even the small bubbles to indicate typing appearing on the screen. 

Alibaba is typing…

Alibaba is typing…

[ Alibaba ] : Because her family were recently notified of her suicide

[ Alibaba ] : But it was suspicious from the get go

[ Alibaba ] : For starters, they weren't even allowed access to see her body  

[ Alibaba ] : Secondly

Alibaba sent an audio recording

[ "I'm close to making a breakthrough in my research. And that may lead to certain..." ]

[ Alibaba ] :  What person would commit suicide when they’re so close to finishing their research? 

[ Alibaba ] : Especially HER 

[ Alibaba ] : I just know she wouldn’t be the type to do that 

[ Alibaba ] : And I know YOU know something 

[ Alibaba ] : As I said before, YOU were the last person to see her alive 

[ Alibaba ] : There’s something you’re hiding 

[ Alibaba ] : And at the very least, Futaba should know the truth

Alibaba is typing…

[ Alibaba ] : She was the one who came to me for help

[ Alibaba ] : Do you understand now?

So Futaba… had been the one to reach out to this Alibaba person? 

[ Akira ] : I can’t 

[ Alibaba ] : And why would that be?

[ Akira ] : Because the truth could put her own life at risk

[ Alibaba ] : So you admit it

[ Alibaba ] : And you don’t think letting her believe that she was the reason behind her mom’s death isn’t also putting her life at risk?

[ Alibaba ] : She’s not as stupid or as helpless as you seem to believe 

Alibaba is typing…

[ Alibaba ] : You have until August the 1st to tell her 

[ Alibaba ] : If you fail to do it by then…

[ Alibaba ] : I’ll expose all your identities 

Alibaba is typing…

[ Alibaba ] : And you’ll be labelled as an accomplice in Wakaba’s death…. 

He tried sending a message after that, but found that there was no longer a sender recipient. 

He took a moment to sigh, suppressing the urge of a potential panic. He had fucked up. Royally and truly fucked up. Once again, his identity and freedom was at risk. 

“Akira… what… what have you done?” 

He had never heard Morgana sound so shaken. Had never heard the cat use a tone that came off as so accusatory. 

Morgana was looking at him in a way that indicated that the solid trust he had once had in him had now cracked under pressure, at risk of shattering entirely.

He decided not to entertain that question yet, quickly swiping out of that chat and to the group chat he shared with the thieves.  

[ Akira ] : Hey 

[ Akira ] : Can we all meet up tomorrow?

[ Ryuji ] : Hell yeah man! 

[ Ann ] : Sure

[ Yusuke ] : I believe my schedule for tomorrow is also clear

[ Yusuke ] : What may the occasion be?

[ Akira ] : Urgent meeting 

[ Ann ] : …Urgent??

[ Ryuji ] : For real?? 

[ Ryuji ] : What about??

[ Akira ] : Can’t say here 

[ Akira ] : I’ll explain in person

[ Ryuji ] : Uh… sure 

[ Ryuji ] : So what time should we head to Leblanc? 

[ Akira ] : We can’t….

[ Ann ] : Akira?

[ Akira ] : It’s not safe to talk there anymore 

[ Ann ] : ….What??

Ryuji is typing…

[ Ryuji ] : For real??

[ Ryuji ] : Hold on…

[ Ryuji ] : Did boss find out about us??

[ Yusuke ] : If that is the case, I assume he didn’t take the news too well

[ Akira ] : No

[ Akira ] : No that’s not it

[ Ann ] : Are YOU safe at least? 

[ Ann ] : Like you’re not at risk of getting kicked out or anything right?

[ Akira ] : No no don’t worry

[ Akira ] : It’s just that we need somewhere else to hold the meeting 

[ Akira ] : Someplace where no one can potentially eavesdrop 

[ Akira ] : I can’t risk it this time 

Ryuji is typing…

[ Ryuji ] : I would offer my place but my ma is on a zero hour contract 

[ Ryuji ] : So I don’t know when she’d be back. 

[ Ryuji ] : Sorry man

Ann is typing…

[ Ann ] : My place wouldn’t work either :/

[ Ann ] : I have a housemaid and front house security… so if I was to bring all you guys over one of them would definitely call my parents 

[ Ann ] : I’m sorry 

[ Akira ] : It’s fine

[ Akira ] : I’ll figure out something 

[ Yusuke ] : Hold on 

[ Yusuke ] : May I suggest we hold said meeting in my dorm? 

[ Akira ] : Yusuke…

[ Akira ] : Are you sure?

[ Ryuji ] : Didn’t you once say that the dorms were too loud for you? 

Yusuke is typing…

[ Yusuke ] : That much is still true 

[ Yusuke ] : But many of my peers have returned home due to vacation 

[ Yusuke ] : So I believe we can discuss private matters without much disruption

[ Yusuke ] : Also 

[ Yusuke ] : It would be beneficial to my funds if I didn’t travel

[ Ann ] : Alright Yusuke :D 

[ Ryuji ] : Hell yeah Yusuke!! 

[ Akira ] : Yusuke… You’re a lifesaver 

[ Yusuke ] : I am merely returning the favour you once did for me, Akira 

[ Akira ] : Either way I’m bringing food over for you :)

[ Yusuke ] : Ah, I would very much appreciate that 

[ Ann ] : I’ll bring over some snacks too!! 

[ Ann ] : Oh by the way… What time should we drop by? 

[ Ryuji ] : Can we make it sometime after 10am? 

[ Akira ] : Does noon work for everyone? 

[ Ann ] : Sure! 

[ Yusuke ] : Certainly

[ Ryuji ] : Yeah

[ Ryuji ] : See you all tomorrow then!! 

“Tomorrow.” Was all he said to Morgana, as he pocketed his phone, putting his all into sounding calm. “I’ll explain everything tomorrow.” 

***

27th July 

Days left until exposure: 5

Yusuke’s dorm room was so… unequivocally Yusuke that had it been any other circumstance, Akira would’ve been smiling at the sight. 

There were canvases all around the small room, a good portion of those filled with finished pieces - as well as half-finished ones. Yusuke’s paintbrushes, pencils and other artistic equipment were also scattered upon different areas of the room.  

Ann and Ryuji had already arrived - chatting amongst themselves - occasionally one of them firing a jab at the other like they so often did. Again, if the circumstances had been different, Akira would’ve smiled at that too. 

As soon as Morgana had seen Ann - he had jumped out of Akira’s bag and ran straight towards the girl. For the entire journey, Morgana had not uttered one word to Akira. In fact, he had been uncharacteristically quiet ever since yesterday afternoon. 

The reason why wasn’t difficult for Akira to decipher. Morgana had seen every single text message between him and Alibaba. Morgana was literally by Akira’s side (or bag) most of the time. He knew that the cat was hurt by the fact that he hadn’t shared what had been going on. 

Even with all the commotion going on in the background, the artist in question was still heavily concentrated in his element. After he had escorted Akira from the Kosei dorm reception to his room, he had sat back down on his wooden stool, a sketchbook and pencil in hand as he drew in the paper, whilst maintaining said deep concentration. 

On his way here, Akira had made sure to stop by a convenience store in order to buy some Jagariko chips for Yusuke. He placed the bag of chips by the artist’s side, confident that sooner or later he would get hungry and take notice of the food nearby. 

“Thank you again for doing this, Yusuke.” Akira said, smiling at the artist. 

The artist in question didn’t look up from his drawing, but nodded and hummed in acknowledgement. 

Akira took one last look at the scenery around him. At Yusuke in his own world, at Ryuji and Ann talking and laughing with each other. At Morgana, who had cozied himself upon Ann’s lap.

If Morgana’s very recent treatment towards him was any indication of how this meeting would go on then…

This was likely the last time he would be able to see imagery like this.  

He took a deep breath, before getting up from the beanie, and clearing his throat. 

This was it. The turning point. 

“I’ve found the culprit behind the serial decapitations.” 

He witnessed Ann’s eyes go wide as she simultaneously gasped, her hand quickly shooting up to cover her mouth. In her lap, Morgana was looking at him with an equally shocked expression. Seconds later, the sound of Yusuke’s pencil hitting his sketchbook could be heard. 

“Wait… For real??” Ryuji exclaimed. “That’s sick news man!” 

“As expected from our leader.” Yusuke praised. 

“Yeah.” Ryuji agreed excitedly, before taking a moment to scan his face. “But why the long face about it bro? Ain’t this a good thing?” 

Ann, who had stayed quiet up until now lowered the hand from her face, looking at Akira with concern. 

“Akira…There’s more to it, isn’t there?” She speculated, her features portraying worry. She then began to nervously fiddle with one of her pigtails.

“Could it be that…” 

“You’ve known for a while.” Morgana finished for her. It wasn’t a question, but a statement. 

His only response was to nod. 

“How long?” Morgana asked next, his tone laced with frustration. “How long have you kept this from us?” 

“Since June.” 

The excited smile on Ryuji’s face vanished, swiftly replaced by a confused look. Ann looked equally as confused, but at the same time - it was as if something had also clicked for her. Even Yusuke briefly looked up from his sketch. Though unlike the blondes, his expression was completely unreadable. 

“So that’s why–” Ann muttered out loud.

“Dude… You’ve known for almost 2 months?” Ryuji asked in astonishment. “Why didn’t you tell us sooner?? We could’ve exposed the culprit by now!” 

“It’s not that simple.” 

That only caused the blond to look even more bewildered. 

“Perhaps the dilemma was similar to Kaneshiro's.” Yusuke calmly chimed in. “Akira may have known one aspect of the culprit’s identity, but not enough to formally expose the person.” 

“Close.” Akira confirmed. “My reasoning behind not saying anything sooner was because I didn’t know anything at the time… And I didn’t want to risk putting any of you in danger or burden you with–” 

“Akira, why don’t you trust us??” 

“Of course I trus–”

“NO YOU DON’T !” Morgana screeched. “If you did, you wouldn’t have gone this long without telling us. Even now, you’re STILL hesitating to tell us. You’ve known about the culprit for WEEKS! You’ve been acting off for weeks and everytime I ask you just brushed me off!” 

“Tell me Akira. Would you have even said anything if I hadn’t been there with you yesterday? If I hadn't read those texts too??” 

“Mona…” Ann gently ran her hand on the feline’s back, soothing him greatly. Though Akira didn’t miss how the girl didn’t refute what Morgana had said. 

After she felt satisfied that the feline had calmed down enough, she turned towards him. 

“…When I said you can rely on us, I wasn’t saying it just to be nice you know? I genuinely meant it. You’ve always been there to support me during my shoots or listen to my rants about Mika but you never…” She sighed. “I could tell that something has been bothering you for a while too.” 

Akira turned his gaze to Ryuji, who looked like he too wanted to say something.

“I know you and I don't talk about our feelings much, man. But you were the first person to stick by my side when I was going through all that shit with Kamoshida… even when it almost caused you to get expelled. Ain’t no way in hell am I going to abandon you now. Whatever the reason.”  

“Likewise.” Yusuke agreed. “Had it not been for all of you, I likely would still be under the clutches of Madarame. Akira, I’m certain you had excusable reasons for concealing the truth from us for such a period of time. And regardless of what the reasons may be, I am more than willing to listen.” 

“Our decisions…” Morgana concluded. “We always agreed to make decisions unanimously. We all want to hear the truth. We want you to trust us, just as we do you.” 

They all nodded. 

Trust…  

He thought back to that day in the courthouse. The judge and jury had been made up of humans. Thought about how not one of them had believed him. Thought about how even the human who he had helped that day - had decided to testify against him. 

“But things are different now.”

“You can trust them .” 

He took a deep breath, pushing his glasses back against the bridge of his nose. 

“Alright, I’ll tell you everything.” 

And he told them everything. Starting with Wakaba. The day she came to Leblanc. How he had then been woken up hours later in the middle of the night to knocking and found her detached head neatly wrapped in his doorstep, along with the note.

He told them how he had freaked out, how he had no fucking clue of what to do. After inspecting the body, he realized she had died the exact same way as the victims of the serial killings had. How he had gone to his doctor for help. How they both came to realize the true identity of the killer. 

How after that day, he decided to keep what he had discovered a secret - at least until Takemi found out more about the ribbons. How he had never meant to lie to any of them, but did so for their own safety. 

“At the time, I panicked…I didn’t know if you guys would believe me.” He confessed. “Not that I wouldn’t understand if you hadn’t… To be honest, I’m still overwhelmed by all of this.” 

Ryuji looked sympathetic. “Man… to be honest. I’m kinda glad you didn’t tell me back then. I don’t think I could’ve gone through school knowing something like that without going crazy.” 

“I have no choice but to agree. Had I been a witness, I would’ve been eternally scarred and traumatized by such a sight.” Yusuke said. “Not to mention, the revelation that the weapon is not a human but a mere piece of fabric… I suppose the truth really is stranger than fiction, hm?” 

“And to think they couldn’t speak out about it either.” Ann said. She hesitated for a moment, biting her lip as she stayed deep in thought. 

“Hey… is that why Kamoshida freaked out back then? Is that what he meant when he said he didn’t want anyone to ‘lay a finger’ on him?” 

Akira nodded. “Most likely. The ribbons don’t just kill. Having one on you prevents you from being able to speak out about it. That’s why Wakaba could only tell me that she was going to die… but not how or why .” 

“Then that must mean… Madarame too.” Yusuke thought out loud. “I believe he said something similar.” 

All the pieces were coming together. 

“They most likely knew.” Morgana concluded, his tiny face scrunched up in thought. “At the very least, they knew about the ribbon and how dangerous it really was. Kaneshiro too.”

“So their intention regarding heading to prison wasn’t to repent for their crimes, but to seek protection from being noosed.” The artist added. “How cowardly.” 

“I guess that means that asshole Kamoshida never really changed either then.” Ryuji huffed.

Ann nodded, before she hesitated again. “And the fact that Akechi has one too…”

“I still can’t believe that pretentious ass is somehow involved in this.” Ryuji scoffed. “Hey…Ain't he the one looking for that serial killer in the first place?” 

“He is.” Akira fiddled nervously with his bangs. “But to be honest, I don’t think that’s by choice.” 

“By choice?” Yusuke echoed. “Hmmm… That would explain that rather odd phrase he often uses.” 

“Y- Yusuke?? Don’t tell me you’re a fanboy of–” 

“I make no such claim. I cannot, however, deny how aesthetically pleasing he is to view. Light brown hair and a perfectly sculpted jawline… I wonder if he’d ever agree to being my muse…” The artist’s tangent was swiftly cut off via Ann nudging him, Ryuji meanwhile rolling his eyes. 

“Many of my fellow peers seem to be fans of his.” Yusuke explained, looking a little sheepish. “While I can’t claim the privilege of having companions at this facility, I am somewhat perceptive to those around me. They would often speak about a certain saying of his. ‘My lips are sealed’ - I believe it was.” 

“I remember him saying that exact phrase before!” Morgana recalled. “Me, Akira and Futaba were watching one of his interviews at Leblanc! He said it when the host asked him to give a clue on the suspect.” 

“Maybe he already knows who… or what the ‘culprit’ is then.” Ann chewed her lip. “He just can’t say it.” 

“I…think so too.” Akira eventually said. “But... I don’t want to ask or do anything that would compromise his safety.”

“I certainly can empathize with that.” Yusuke commented. “When you all tried to make me see sense regarding Madarame, I was… terrified of the repercussions that could have potentially materialized. I would not be surprised if Akechi is experiencing a similar predicament.” 

That… was something that had crossed Akira’s mind. 

Many, many times.

"Hey... Don't you ever feel scared that the killer might target you one day?"

Come to think of it, the brunette had never actually answered his question; 

But had instead responded... 

"Do you like my ribbon?" 

He finally understood now.

Back then... Akechi had actually been trying to ask him for help. 

“I want to help him. I understand if you guys dislike him due to what he’s said about us and we do. Still... I need your help with this. I just... I can’t lose him…” He said, and then much more softly added, “...Not again.”  

They all stared at him, absolutely stunned. It was so rare that Akira ever asked for help, even more rare for him to say it so helplessly. 

It was suddenly obvious to them all how much Akechi meant to him. 

Ann gave him a reassuring smile. "You know you don't have to ask." 

Yusuke and Morgana nodded in agreement

And finally...

“Okay, I may not care much for his stuck up ass but that doesn’t mean I want him dead either.” Ryuji grimaced. “But wait… how does that Wakaba chick you mentioned before come into all this?” 

“Wakaba is a genius scientist. And… Futaba’s mother.” 

And that was when he told them about about the fake suicide note Futaba had been given, outlining that she had been the reason for her mother’s demise. 

After hearing that, Ann had gasped, looking visibly shaken. 

“Oh… Oh my God…Futaba-chan… How horrible…” 

“What an abhorrent thing to put on a child.” Yusuke commented, looking equally appalled at what he had heard. 

Ryuji meanwhile was furious, seconds away from banging his fist onto the nearest surface. “So someone killed her mom and then made it look like she killed herself and then blamed it on her kid?? What the actual fuck?? That’s so fucked up!! She’s a CHILD. How the hell could anyo–”

“Ryuji...” Ann stopped him, and her sad tone alarmed him enough to stop. She looked at Akira once more. “Is Futaba… is she… I mean she’s not at risk of…?” 

Given what had happened with Shiho, he knew exactly what she was trying to ask. 

“I know she’s alive.” He took out his phone, holding it out so the others could see. “Because she’s waiting for answers.” 

Morgana recognized immediately. “That’s… the person who was texting you yesterday.” 

Yusuke got up from his stool, approaching the phone so he could get a clearer look. 

“Alibaba… That word translates to ‘Great Leader’ in Arabic. A very interesting name, I must say.” 

“Dude… I don’t think that's important right n–  HOLY SHIT THE GREAT LEADER KNOWS ALL OUR NAMES?? AND THEY WANT TO FRICKEN EXPOSE US??”

“Ryuji!” Ann harshly nudged him. “Shut up! Do you want the entire floor to hear us??”

 “Sorry, my bad. But seriously. Is there anything we can do to stop Alibaba from telling everyone?” 

***

28th July 

Days left until exposure: 4

“Futaba-chan? We brought you some curry!” 

“Boss said it’s your favourite. The one that your mom helped him create?” 

“Boss told us about your mom. He talked about how much she loved you especially.” 

“I’ll leave it just outside your door.” 

“… Please know it wasn’t your fault, okay? Whenever you’re ready, we’ll tell you everything.”

***

29th July 

Days left until exposure: 3

“Hey… uh… Futaba? I brought up some curry for ya!” 

“Akira told me that you’re into manga and stuff, so I brought some of my volumes over!” 

“Oh, I remember you mentioning before that you play on the switch. We should play sometime! I’ve left my friend code on the tray!” 

“Feel free to add me whenever! We can play Mario or Zelda if you want.”

“Also… Akira didn’t lie to you on purpose… he just wanted to keep you and boss safe. We all do.” 

*** 

30th July

Days left until exposure: 2

“Greetings, Futaba.” 

“I’m just here to aid boss in ensuring that you are fed.” 

“I wholly apologize for calling your ‘Phoenix Rangers Neo Featherman' figurines shoddily made. It was a completely insensitive comment to make.” 

"And thus I have decided to replicate the Featherman sculptures on paper! I truly hope it is to your liking." 

"Futaba. I too know how hard it can be to avert your eyes to the truth. Truth hood can often be greatly more grotesque than the false alternative." 

"In your own time, when you're ready we'll be here to aid you. Just as they once aided me." 

***

31st July 

Days left until exposure: 1

“Hey, Futaba.”

 “It’s just me today.” 

“I didn’t manage to bring any curry today… Sojiro beat me to it.”

“I’m glad you’re eating at least. I was so worried that you… I’m glad that you’re okay.”

“I’m so sorry for hiding the truth about your mom from you. When she came that day and told me that she felt like she may die soon, it freaked me out. I didn’t know what to do.” 

“And then when I found her dead hours later… I… I just panicked.” 

“There’s absolutely no excuse for me lying to you and Sojiro for as long as I did. I know now that I should’ve told you, but… I didn’t know how.”

“You know… When I came back to Tokyo again, I didn’t really know what to expect… But from the beginning... you, Sojiro and your mom made me feel so welcome here. You guys were the 1st humans in a long time that treated me like one of you. And when you told me that you thought of me as a brother, I was so happy.” 

“The truth is…The suicide note wasn’t real. Your mom never committed suicide. Her death wasn’t your fault in any way. I understand if you refuse to believe anything else I say, but please, please believe that at least.” 

[ Alibaba ] : I heard everything

[ Alibaba ] : Everything you told your friends too

[ Alibaba ] : About the ribbon 

[ Alibaba ] : About why you didn't tell anyone

[ Alibaba ] : And…

Alibaba is typing….

[ Alibaba ] : I believe you 

[ Alibaba ] : ….But

The door in front of him had now become ajar. 

Futaba slowly made her way out of her room. She looked exhausted, her features clearly showcasing the grief she was in. 

“I already lost my mom... I don’t want to lose you and Sojiro too.” 

“Futaba…” 

“And I’m… I- I’m sorry for threatening you and the others like that. I just… I needed to know what happened to my mom.” 

“It’s okay…”

Futaba shook her head. “N- No. It… It’s…” 

She stopped, approaching Akira and wrapping her arms round him.

“My mom… in that video… she said that she loved me…” She sobbed. “She didn’t hate me… She…” 

“She never hated you.” Akira said gently. “Sojiro told me before that she did her best to raise you alone.” 

“I— I know… I was a selfish kid…” 

She sighed… sniffling and shaking amongst Akira’s arm. 

“The very last time I spoke to my mom on the phone… I shouted at her… I told that I was sick and tired of her choosing her lab work over me. That she didn’t care about me. I even told her that Sojiro was a better parent than she ever was. That he at least cared about me.”

She looked up at the wolf.

“And do you know what she did? She just listened to me scream and vent all my frustrations about her. When I was done, she just told me that she was sorry and that she was close to finishing her research.” 

“Just wait a little longer, Futaba. Please understand that this research means more to me than my life. Why don’t we go to Akihabara next week? As my way of making it up to you? And once I’ve fully completed my research… let’s go somewhere nice.” 

“Just the 2 of us. I promise.” 

“But she… she never… she never made it that–” 

Futaba buried her head into Akira’s clothes, clutching one of his arms. 

“I- I just… wanted… to tell mom that I’m sorry. That I was sorry for all the things that I said. But i- it’s too late now! S- she’s g- gone and I can’t… I can’t ever tell her…” 

The girl sobbed and sobbed into his arms, struggling to stay upright as she broke down in the hallway. 

Akira simply raised his hand, placing it on the girl's head, and began to gently pat her, the gesture helping the soothe the girl.

“Futaba." Akira began gently. "Listen to me. Whatever happens… I promise, I’ll find whoever was responsible for your mom's death."

“I know. I believe you.” 

7th August 

11:30pm

[ Tae Takemi ] : Hey there, little cub

[ Tae Takemi ] : Your test results are finally ready 

[ Tae Takemi ] : Drop by whenever 

“It’s been a while, little cub.” Takemi greeted him. 

“Sure has.” Akira greeted the fae back. “Did you enjoy the show back in June?”  

“I did indeed.” She gave him a cunning smile. “Good to know that my glamours and medicine are going towards a good cause.” 

“More could be going to a good cause if you—“

“I’m not lowering my prescriptions again.” 

Takemi laughed, gesturing at the wolf to take a seat, which he did. 

The fae then quickly placed on a pair of disposable gloves, before disappearing behind the curtain. When she emerged again, she was holding a prickly type of pl–

“Datura stramonium.” She clarified, giving the wolf a smile. “Remember? I did promise to look after her. Though having to remember to reapply a glamour every 12 or so hours gets strenuous." 

Her navy blue wings continued to flutter in the air as she looked at Akira contemplatively. 

“Well let’s get down to it. What do you want to hear first, my little cub? The good or the bad?

“Bad.” 

Might as well get it out of the way.

Takemi chuckled. “Fair enough. I guess you’re also wondering why it took me so long to get back to you, hmm?” 

Akira shrugged. “Maybe a little.” 

“Then I’ll answer 2 questions in one.” She responded. And with that, she poured a colourless liquid onto the plant, which removed all the glamour - revealing Wakaba’s head. 

Even though a month had passed, it was as if the head hadn’t aged - or decayed - at all. Though she was looking a lot paler, evaporation fog arising from the top. 

“Liquid nitrogen. Near absolute-zero temperature.” She had taken note of Akira’s confusion. “Speaking of which, did you ever happen to come across the rest of her body by any chance?” 

 “No. I would’ve come straight to you if I had.” 

Takemi frowned. “That complicates things.” 

“What do you mean?” 

“I’m no pathologist… but even the most experienced would struggle to run an autopsy when you only have 1 major organ to work with.” 

She sighed, her wings flickering in frustration. 

“In other words, I wasn’t able to determine an exact time of death.” 

Akira… couldn’t hide his disappointment at that. 

“But …” The fae began, her eyes now boring into the wolf’s. “One thing I do know for sure. The day she died and the day you found her were not the same.” 

Akira rubbed his neck. “Yeah… I came across her early the next da-” 

“No… what I’m saying is that by time she had come to ‘warn you’, she most likely was already dead.”

Already dead…?

“What are you saying?” 

“Soon after someone dies, a process called rigour mortis takes place. Think of it as a temporary hardening of the muscles. In this case, the facial ones.” Takemi explained. 

“It usually disappears anywhere between 24-36 hours. But by the time she was in my hands, the entire process had already taken place.” 

Her wings fluttered in deep thought. 

“Meaning that at the absolute earliest - she was killed at least 4 days prior to her visiting and warning you. And 5 prior to you finding her dead.” 

… Wakaba had supposedly died almost a week before Akira had found her?

“Then… Who was the woman who told me that she was going to die soon?” 

Takemi looked equally conflicted. “I don’t know. My only guess someone that had access to an exceptional glamour." She stopped to look Akira dead in the eye, "...And knew in advance that she was dead.”

"But why would someone cosplay as a woman who they knew was dead?" 

"...Maybe they knew it was the only way it would bring attention to their death." Takemi answered softly. "We already know that wearing one drastically limits what you can say. Its more than likely they were wearing one too. I'm not a psychologist but...Maybe they finally grew tired of watching others in their same predicament die." 

So... Wakaba had never spoken to him that day?

She hadn't even been alive then...?

If that was the case... whoever had come to him...

They too, had been asking him for help...

Just like...

"Akira, you truly do intrigue me. You always have. So I'll tell you, but may I ask you something 1st?" 

Was he missing something?

Something that would just make all of this make sense...?

She rested a hand on the wolf’s shoulder. 

“Hey, don’t look so down. I haven’t even gotten to the good news yet. I promise that it’ll be worth it.” She smiled, to which Akira nodded weakly. 

“Turns out… There is a Fable that the ribbons relate to. Even if it took near forever to find it.” Takemi handed him a book. 

“The ribbon derives from a fable called ‘the girl with the ribbon’ . Originally, she was the very first to bear the curse of the purple ribbon. The reason as to why is unknown to this day. But essentially, any attempt to talk about it was thwarted by the spell casted on it. And of course, she was unable to take it off. She however - was able to make ones just like her own, which held the same powers and thus subject others to the same curse.” She explained as the wolf flipped through the pages. 

“Once put on, there is no magic nor medicine that can free you. However… there is still one way to release the spell and break everyone from the curse.” 

“What do I have to do?” Akira immediately asked. 

If it meant saving others from Wakaba’s fate

If it meant freeing Akechi…

He would do anything 

“You have to find the original.” 

“The original?” 

“The one who has the ability to make them.” She clarified. “Find that person…”

“And kill them.” 

Chapter Text

9 years ago

Morning was arriving at the farm, the sun having only just peaked out from the horizon. Akira and Goro were perched outside, having made seats for themselves via the hay. And there they sat, sharing one apple between them, observing the farm around them.

Akira took in the sights, slowly leaning into Goro’s side, their arms pressing up against each other. 

They continued to bask in silence for a few more minutes until… 

“Hey Goro…? If you could be anything, what would you be?”

The young brunette smiled. He had known Akira for a few weeks, but that was long enough to have grown accustomed to his random questions.

…Never unwelcomed, however.

“That’s simple. I’d like to be a hero of justice! Just like Red.” He gestured his fingers to resemble a gun, just like the one from Featherman. 

He had lost count of the amount of times he had been home alone, running around - playing pretend hero. 

His mother had never been able to afford the official show’s gun but—

The action prompted Akira to laugh. 

“Sounds just like you.” 

“But..” Goro continued. “If I can’t be a hero… then I’d like to become a crow instead.”

Akira gazed at him curiously. “A crow?”

“Yeah.” He smiled. “To me, they’re so intriguing! I read somewhere that if you feed them enough, they’ll start to bring you stuff!”

“Huh, I never knew that.” Akira commented. “... Maybe I should start feeding crows apples then.” 

“Worth a try. It worked for me.” The brunette smiled. “What about you, Akira? What would you be?” 

The wolf pondered for a few seconds. 

“I think I would like to be a hero too. ” He began, before his happy expression dulled a bit. “One that humans weren’t so afraid of.”

The other couldn’t help but frown.

“Akira…I was never scared of you.” 

“I know…” He looked towards the ground. “But–” 

“Humans are stupid.” 

“Goro…” 

“They are. Anybody who is afraid of you is just stupid.” He declared, crossing his arms in disgust. He had seen enough of the damage humans had inflicted on his friend.

It ENRAGED him 

Meanwhile, Akira felt warm and happy over the gesture. 

They fell into a calm, serene silence after that, the only noise being the wind gently brushing the leaves, the sounds of birds chirping - signifying the morning. 

The sun was still low, resting just above the horizon, slowly making its way to the top. The remnants of the moon, fully glowing mere hours earlier, now gradually fading into the atmosphere. 

It was… beautiful 

So much like… 

“Hey Goro?” 

“Hmm?” 

Akira stretched his hand out.

“Let’s both achieve our dreams someday.”

Goro smiled, wrapping his own finger around the wolf’s. 

“It’s a promise.” 

August 8th

( 1 day later )

When Goro opened his eyes, he found himself in a white room, void of any windows. His first instinct was to rub his eyes, concerned as to why his surroundings looked nothing like his bedroom. Why was he sitting on a chair as opposed to laying under covers? His qualms were answered when he took note of the mirror slightly above him, and the door situated on his left. 

Ah

He was at the TV station

In the dressing room

…

He had fallen asleep in said dressing room 

He groaned, blinking a few more times in order to adjust to the light. Goro couldn’t remember a time where he hadn’t felt somewhat tired… but falling asleep somewhere that wasn’t his own apartment was a whole new level of exhaustion entirely. 

Then again, his schedule lately has been hectic. 

Unlike the rest of his age group who were currently enjoying their summer vacation and time off, he unfortunately did not share that same luxury. 

It had been over a week since the Phantom Thieves had declared victory over Mejed -  a group that consisted of highly skilled cyber-hackers, who had threatened the group at the beginning of this month. 

In all honesty, Goro had been all the more curious to see how Akira would deal with such an opponent. One that was both faceless and intangible, orchestrated by Shido in an attempt to catch the Thieves. 

But of course, the wolf once again managed to defy his expectations. Somehow, he had managed to temporarily shut down their systems, essentially succeeding in taking them down. 

… All while the moon was barely in the first quarter. 

It seemed that Akira’s powers extended to that of the cyber-world too.

That, or he had a seriously talented hacker within his team. 

Another jolt of jealousy threatened to creep down his spine. 

Either way, after that event, the popularity of the Phantom Thieves soared rampantly, all their critics and sceptics seemingly vanishing overnight. 

But as with Newton's law, when something was pushed, something else pulled to compensate. 

Consequently, Goro’s own popularity had begun to dip. The day he had first spoken out about Mejed’s defeat, the audience had noticeably been less reactive to his disapproving statements regarding the group. What he used to receive in the form of rounds of applause and gushing from the audience had now been quickly replaced by uneasy whispers and murmurs amongst the crowd. 

It wasn’t that much of a shock for the brunette. His reputation had been on the verge of taking a dive ever since Kaneshiro’s downfall. If anything, he had known from the very start of his idol career that any ‘love’ and ‘support’ he received from fans would only ever be directed to the carefully crafted caricature he displayed to the masses. 

Never, ever, him. 

Still, it was a testament of how fickle humans really were. How in essence, they were essentially just sheep, grazing on whatever was popular at the given moment. 

Goro simply was no longer the grass the public wanted to indulge in.  

It also didn’t help that Sae had now become even more determined to catch the group. He was running out of red herrings to feed her. The fact that she had bought into his acting for this long was nothing short of a miracle. 

Shido had also long believed he was merely too incompetent to have figured out the identity of the Thieves, but as of late…

It wasn’t like the man could kill him... not yet

However… 

He winced. 

The bruises on his arm were still fresh. 

… He was running out of time. 

He sighed, resisting the urge to further slump within the chair.

He had fallen asleep here 

… Shit 

Thank god he had passed out in the privacy of his own dressing room, and not in some public area. He didn’t even want to imagine such mugshots of him making their rounds on the internet. As if his reputation needed any more shots fired at it. 

Speaking of phones… What time was it?

He lazily stretched one arm out, reaching for his device in a bid to check. Upon grabbing it and attempting to turn it on, he found that it was completely dead. 

He frowned, making a mental note to charge his phone during his train ride home. 

His eyes then scanned all four walls of the room, in an effort to locate a clock. 

… Except there was none.

Hmm. How odd. 

Goro shrugged it off. Considering that no one had come by to kick him out, it couldn’t possibly be that late. It was at least early enough for the TV station to still be open. 

He got up from his chair, placing extra care to not exert much pressure on his hands, before taking a moment to gaze at his reflection. He was relieved to see that aside from his mascara makeup being a little smudged round the eyes, his appearance was relatively acceptable. 

It was comforting to know that amongst all the current stresses in his life, he could at the very least tick off the probability of a sloppy photo of him being pasted in some tabloid. 

Still - he thought as he suppressed the urge to yawn - Best to head home and get some sleep.

When he exited the dressing room and entered the hallway, he was surprised to see that around half of the ceiling lights had been switched off, the area completely silent, clearly void of anyone else.

A ‘caution wet floor’ sign along with cleaning supplies was stationed beside a door, a bit of a distance from where he was standing. 

Hmm

It was likely that the cleaners were doing their last rounds through the building. 

He had slept a lot longer than he originally thought

He needed to hurry.

He started making his way briskly down the hall. Maybe it was just exhaustion, but he didn’t remember the hallway being this long… nor having so many doors.

… Or a single clock.

Even when he attempted to pick up the pace, it didn’t seem to make a flicker of a difference. 

When he finally made it to the door with the wet floor sign, it, as if on cue, became ajar. 

He paused, wondering why he suddenly felt the hairs on him stand up. 

Why the ribbon on his neck had begun to feel that much tighter. 

…. He really was going insane. 

Countless lucid nightmares and subsequent insomnia over the years had caused Goro to become so neurotic that now even the sight of a damn door opening had threatened to put him on edge. 

No 

Don’t lose it here

Not now

He began to walk again, but only managed to progress a few steps when he felt a gush of wind brush on his skin, the sound of a door loudly hitting the wall, making him turn round, only to be hit with a blinding light. 

Somewhere within the luminance lay a figure, slowly making their way to him. They were dripping wet, one hand covered in foam, the other holding out a plate.

A plate filled with…

"Happy birthday sweetie.”

“Mother…?” 

She smiled warmly. 

(Wasn’t she supposed to be…?)

“I'm a little late, aren't I?"

He stared at her, dumb-founded. 

“It was your 19th birthday yesterday, remember?” 

(…Was it? 

… Had he seriously managed to make it that far?? )

Either way 

"It's okay, mom." 

Her smile widened. 

“I’m glad. Here, eat the pancakes before they go cold.”

…

…

The pancake tasted absolutely heavenly. The top was buttery and crisp, the inside delicately soft and light, the perfect temperature to finish it off. 

She watched as he ate, still smiling warmly. 

“...I made sure to make them just the way you like it.” 

It was true. Going off taste alone, the pancake had been completely catered to his liking. 

That is until… the moment he decided to swallow 

He wasn’t sure why 

Had he eaten it too fast?

Had some of the food gone down the wrong windpipe? 

Whatever the case, it suddenly got harder and harder to breathe.

He felt himself falling to the floor, his legs unable to stay afloat.

He felt a hand on his back. It didn’t attempt to pat, nor rub. 

Just stayed there

He looked up

“M-Mother….?” 

…She was still smiling. 

“Oh, my child...” 

Her fingers curled up against his back

“...You were always so foolish.” 

His eyes widened at the pressure. 

Skin chilled at her cold words. 

“Ever since the day you were born, I found myself wondering…” 

Her nails digging deeper into the flesh 

“...what possible atrocity did I commit to be cursed with someone like you.”  

And deeper 

“You RUINED my life.” 

He winced, clenching his teeth in pain.