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Akechi found himself on top of Shujin Academy, longingly staring at the Autumn skyline. The sky danced with deep reds, candy pink clouds, bright yellows, and neon oranges. He had just combed his hair back to its original state, clean straight bangs, after Ren decided to ruffle his hair, but his presence on the school roof was there not entirely because of Ren, but because of Haru.
Earlier that day, the Phantom Thieves and Akechi had finished their first expedition into Sae’s Palace. Everyone was tired after the trip, but since he seemed to have the most energy out of everyone, he was chosen to help Haru with her garden, but his celebrity status and Haru’s heiress status was just a problem waiting to happen, so in order to not draw attention Ren had disguised him by ruffling his hair to look shaggy. Akechi was tempted to recomb his hair every second that he was in his disguise even if it would make it a pain for Haru, but for her sake and his, he remained miffed as he endured the humiliation of his disguise.
After fixing his hair he lazily stood around waiting for Haru to order him to do something, but she was there gardening by herself, with seemingly no need for him. He took it as a sign and sat down in one of the empty chairs, resting his body on top of one of the discarded school tables.
“It’s quite nice here, isn’t it?” Haru began to speak up, the soft sound of dirt being patted down accented her soft bubbly voice.
Akechi began to look around him, the mostly barren and worn down roof left much to be desire, “You could say so.” he calmly replied
Haru let out a small chuckle while Akechi let out a scoff, but she continued to plant, seeming to not notice or mind.
“Could you please hand me the trowel that is right next to you?”
He quickly grabbed the trowel and handed it to her. With the trowel in hand, she began to hum as she worked with the dirt. He listened to the rhythmic sound of dirt being cut, picked up, and moved all to the tune of an unknown song that felt oddly nostalgic. He was lulled into a sense of security. He found his gaze fixed on the trowel, how its sharp edges seamlessly cut through the dirt. But once Haru had dug the trowel into the ground next to her, his eyes were fixed on her hands, how they delicately moved the seedlings into the ground.
“Gardening is a great way to destress.”
Akechi was caught off guard by the sudden statement. He wasn’t stressed, quite the opposite, he was already in a calm mood as soon as he got rid of his disguise. He rested his chin on his hand while he supported himself with the table. He continued to focus on Haru’s movements. He felt his eyelids grow heavy as he tried to stare at Haru’s hands, a hypnotic trance he didn’t understand, but one he did not mind. Through his blurry vision he noticed Haru slowly getting back up to her feet. She handed Akechi a single flower, a black rose that she had been growing.
“Thank you.” Akechi said, bringing the flower closer to himself to inspect
“No problem!” Haru replied with a bright smile
He gave the flower a small whiff and was soothed by the pleasant aroma from the flower.
“We’ve finished everything for today.”
“Very well.”
He walked down the steps back to the first floor where he quickly escaped Shujin. He held the rose delicately between his index and his middle finger. He continued to study it while he made his way back to his apartment. He grabbed a large cup of water and placed the rose inside of it and would stare at it intently every chance he got.
Every couple of days after the Palace visit or on a regular day, Akechi found himself helping Haru with her garden. Each time she finished she would give him a flower, a black dahlia, an orange lily, a buttercup, and a few repeats. Each flower was placed in the same cup all before he bought a vase to properly house the flowers.
___
Akechi walked into the kitchen to brew some tea and noticed the flowers in the vase beginning to wilt, but the black rose stood tall amongst the other flowers. After Sae’s Palace there was no reason for him to visit any of them, especially after killing their leader, but he was happy that he did not have to visit Haru anymore. She wouldn’t have to deal with him anymore. Even so, he thought about the times he felt relaxed with her in the garden on the roof of Shujin. But that was gone just like everything else he had.
___
He laid sprawled on the hot engine room floor. His entire body ached, lungs burning from the steam that filled the air, his brain pounding against his skull. He looked at the faces of the thieves. Pity. The disgusting look came from everyone of the thieves, even Haru and Futaba. But even so he could see the look in their eyes, a small sense of satisfaction, a sight created by his sin of murder. That’s it, that’s the look he deserved. It brought a smile to his face. He heard the heels of shoes approaching him.
“It’s finally over. Now pull the trigger.” Akechi shakily handed his gun to Haru
“I have no intention of forgiving you for what you did to my father, but… I sympathize with what you had to go through.” Her soft words caused his smile to fade.
She continued to speak with the same tone and after she finished, the other Phantom Thieves added on to what she said, but he tuned them out. Their words failed to reach him, even after his monologue they didn’t seem to get it. Even after their fight they didn’t get it. Even after “killing” their precious leader and numerous others they couldn’t seem to get it through their thick skulls. How naive they were, thinking with a simple speech they could rescue him, but he was too far gone for any of them to try and help him.
“Well, well, well. What do we have here?” Akechi heard his voice ring in his ears, but his mouth had not moved a millimeter, “Has the dog lost its bite? Well, you already know what happens to those who cannot help Shido, don’t you?”
A new Akechi slowly walked closer to the real Akechi brandishing a gun that pointed at Akechi. It was a sight that Akechi remembered, but this time he was the one facing the barrel.
“Surely you didn’t believe that you were finally useful, that you were part of something more than yourself?” Cognitive Akechi began to chuckle to himself, his laugh only getting louder
“It’s still not too late! We can change his heart together!” Haru exclaimed over the laughter
“What’s all this nagging about? Do you want me to take care of you first?” The gun that was pointed at Akechi had switched its target towards Haru and the unmistakable sound of shadows being summoned echoed throughout the boiler room.
“I’ll give you one last chance, maybe Shido can still wring some usefulness out of you. So, shoot her.” the real Akechi shakily raised his gun up towards Haru, his finger resting on the trigger
“...Don’t misunderstand. You're the one who’s going to disappear!” Akechi shifted his aim and shot at a button behind the thieves
“The watertight bulkhead door has closed. All personnel within the partition wall: evacuate at once.” the ship’s PA system announced, accompanied with a blaring alarm and a bright flashing red light
“You fool! Are you trying to get yourself killed!?” Yusuke exclaimed, slamming his fist on the giant steel door
“Change Shido’s heart… in my stead… End his crimes….”
“I’ll hold on to your glove.”
“After all of this, that’s all you have to say? You always were something else.”
“You bastard!”
“So, my final enemy is a puppet version of myself…”
“Akechi-kun!” Haru cried out
Akechi and his cognitive version both pulled the trigger. Two gunshots rang inside of the boiler room. Akechi dropped his gun as the cognitive version of himself quickly dropped to the floor. He pushed himself up against the partition wall unmoving, the shadows that were summoned had seemingly disappeared. He could feel a sharp pain in his abdomen. Akechi knew what it meant, but he smiled.
___
Akechi opened his eyes, his eyes adjusted to the low light levels of the room he was in. He felt the soft mattress and pillow below him. He looked around and recognized the feeling of where he was. He wandered around his apartment taking note and realizing that it was in the same condition it was the day he went to Shido’s Palace to confront the Phantom Thieves. He checked his phone, 12/24, 8:34 pm. He was surprised by the date, but he pressed on. He walked around the apartment, looking to see if anything was out of place. He walked into the kitchen and looked at the flowers Haru gave him. They were alive, but the most confusing part was that they were different flowers, the only one that did not change was the first black rose. He stared intently at the black rose again and noticed a faint blue light on the rose, he slowly walked over to it, it looked like a bright butterfly, but it began to fly away as he approached it. He could hear something or someone call to him, so he chased after it. Akechi ran down the hallway and down the steps, the butterfly only being able to escape his sight for a split second. He followed it all the way to Shibuya Crossing, when it suddenly disappeared allowing him to shift his attention to a conversation between familiar voices.
“Turn yourself in, for the sake of the others.”
“...”
“If they have the true culprit then there is no need for him to turn himself in, right?” Akechi said, calmly walking into the conversation.
“Akechi?” Ren asked, his eyes glimmering with a small glimpse of hope
“Think of it as repayment.”
Ren wanted to say something to Akechi, but he remained silent as he received a message from his phone. Akechi walked with Sae to the police station waiting to be put behind bars. He was given a phone call as standard procedure, but with no known relatives and Shido behind bars there was no one to call. He thought about just giving up his phone call, but as a long shot he decided to call Haru. He could vaguely remember her phone number and typed it into the dingy wall mounted phone. He listened to the phone ring, then again, again, again, and again. No response. Of course not. It was Christmas Eve, she must be busy with people she actually wanted to see. He sat down on the shoddy bed he was given and began to wonder why he even turned himself in, but he knew it was recompense for his crimes, to Ren, Haru, Futaba, and all the others who were the target of Shido’s wrath. It was going to be a long sentence, but he knew what he had to do. It was a tragic realization, but he laid down on the bed and began to await his sentence.
___
“You’re free to go.” a police officer informed him
A few days had passed since he first entered the police station and the new year came and went inside of the cell he was in. He walked out and looked at the officers, something felt off about them, but he continued to let them push him forward. He saw the same blue butterfly he saw a few days ago just outside of the police station, he followed it and it led him towards Shibuya. There he listened to the conversations of others around him. One person had won the lottery, a rarity to hear out in the open, another one also claimed the same thing, to hear another person winning the lottery, the same one no less, there had to be foul play going on. He ventured back to his apartment hearing great news from strangers on his commute. His apartment had been the same as he had left it, but the only thing that had changed was the black rose, it was replaced with a ruby red rose. He wanted to throw it away, he enjoyed the black rose, even if he only learned the meaning of it and the other flowers after he betrayed the Phantom Thieves. Haru was smart, but he only grew to appreciate it after their time together. He admired her brazenness to showcase her true knowledge and feelings towards him in such an overt way. He left the rose alone and began to search the internet and found people being extremely lucky or fortunate in every facet of life. He thought it must have been his imagination, but it seemed that everything was going well for everyone, maybe too well. It was still quite early, but after staying in prison for multiple days in a shoddy bed, he just wanted a good night's sleep, so he went to bed at eight pm in the comfort of his own bed.
In the morning he needed to find somebody to talk about this. There were two people who came to mind, Ren and Haru. But after his failed phone call on Christmas Eve, he decided to go visit Ren instead. He made it over to Leblanc and noticed someone who was not supposed to be there. One of the first people he killed, Wakaba Isshiki. He requested to speak with Ren in private, which was granted. They moved into a nearby laundromat where Akechi explained what was going on and Ren chimed in with his own information. It seemed that Kunikazu Okumura’s death had also been reverted, his work under Shido had gone down the drain, but it might have been for the best. They teamed up and met with Kasumi in Odaiba where they ventured into an unknown Palace, the ruler unknown to any of them, but Ren and Kasumi had already been inside of the Palace once before. They ventured further into the Palace, fighting a few battles and then confronting someone he had no affiliation to, but one that his teammates seemed to already be acquainted to. Ren and Akechi fought Maruki when he tried to force his new reality on Kasumi or who she really was, Sumire, but they had to retreat after a gruelling fight with one of Maruki’s henchmen. They couldn’t go back in and fight Maruki without preparing first, so Akechi made sure to investigate Maruki around Tokyo while Ren tried to recruit the other Phantom Thieves again and bring them to their senses.
During Akechi’s investigations he found himself in Kichijoji in the late morning. It was a strange sight for him. Despite living in the residential district of Kichijoji, most of his time in Kichijoji was spent at night, when Penguin Sniper was in full swing and Jazz Jin was finally open and he could enjoy the ambience and drinks there. He was in Kichijoji to get some coffee in the cafe he frequented, while Leblanc’s coffee would have been preferable, he decided against it as Ren would have been trying to get his friends back to their senses and the commute would be unnecessary as he was looking for information in Harmony Alley, because according to Ren many teachers would go there to wind down, so that was his target for the day. As he sipped his black coffee he stared out of the giant windows and began to choke on his coffee. He confirmed with his own eyes another one of his victims walking around alive next to his daughter, Kunikazu Okumura. A part of him wanted to avoid the situation and leave it up to Ren, but he felt an obligation to try and make her see reality. He took his coffee outside and pretended to walk up to them.
“Ah, Haru. It’s a pleasure to see you again.” Akechi calmly started a conversation, sipping his coffee intermittently
“Akechi-kun, what brings you here?” Haru asked, her soft words were bubbly and full of energy
“I came to drink some coffee.” Akechi replied, showing it off by extending his cup a bit towards her, “A wonderful coincidence to see you here.”
“Likewise, I would have enjoyed having some coffee with you, but I’m here to scope out potential new locations for our company with my father.”
“My, my Haru. A male friend… or is he more than just a ‘friend’?” Kunikazu Okumura asked, his question was phrased in a way only a doting father would
“Father!” Haru exclaimed with a slight blush, bringing Akechi a moment of hesitation
“I was merely teasing you Haru. But should a man appear in your life, make sure to tell me right away, understand? Especially if he’s the famed Detective Prince.”
“Oh, Father– is that jealousy I’m detecting?”
Akechi felt slightly perturbed at what he was witnessing and at the mention of his old title. Not only was Kunikazu alive, but his wretched personality had seemingly been replaced by a kind one, seemingly a perfect father, which he certainly was not. Akechi felt an ache in his chest watching Haru’s feelings being contorted in Maruki’s reality. He had made everyone, but two people see the world in an idyllic rose tinted way and this was no different. This was nothing more than a way for Maruki to bring Akechi into his way of thinking, but there was nothing between them aside from animosity.
“Your father seems very nice, a little doting, but fine nonetheless.”
“Uhm, yes he is.”
“Is this really how he was?”
“I believe so?”
“Try to remember.”
A memory popped up in Haru’s mind, a memory of a strange place with people she did not recognize. It was nostalgic, but painful. Taxing on her body and mind.
“I…” Haru started before being brought to her knees
“Are you okay Haru? It seems that this excursion took a bit more out of you than expected.” Kunikazu helped bring Haru back up before turning to Akechi, “It was nice meeting you, but it seems Haru isn’t doing so well.”
Akechi watched as they walked away, waiting until they left to let out a scoff. If he truly was a good father he wouldn’t have had a palace. He wondered if what he said had got to Haru enough for her to break away from Maruki’s brainwash, but all he could do was wait. Akechi called and informed Ren that he had talked to Haru, but he would continue to look for information on Maruki.
___
Ren and Akechi both made their way through Maruki’s Palace fighting through many enemies pushing their way towards Maruki. When they finally reached Maruki, he presented them a world where they could live without the fear of pain or struggle, presenting Ren’s friends as an example of what life could be like.
Maruki began to plead, “A world where there is no pain or suffering. Wouldn’t you like that?”
They both refused his offer. Despite their refusal Maruki could not accept their choice, instead of him trying to get to them he used Sumire’s feelings to try and get them to understand. Ren and Akechi were able to defeat Sumire, but Maruki supercharged her Persona, making it nigh impossible to beat it alone. Everytime it seemed her Persona was close to being defeated the minion beside it was devoured making her Persona regain strength. It readied the same attack it used previously, a large sweeping slash attack. There was no way to survive the attack, but they both braced for impact.
“It’s not over yet!” a loud brash voice sounded from behind them
“Tetrakarn!” another voice, feminine, bubbly, familiar, yet fierce sounded from behind them
Ryuji ran in front of Ren to block the attack while Akechi was prepared to take the brunt of the attack, but instead he heard the sound of the attack being reflected, a unique sound that matched with a unique ability that only one other Phantom Thief had. Despite surviving the attack Akechi was only hanging on by a thread. Akechi’s body was dragged to the back lines, with Yusuke taking his place. Ren stood next to Ryuji, Yusuke, and Makoto. Akechi tried to keep his eyes open, but he eventually closed them after being helped by the Phantom Thieves.
Akechi slowly opened his eyes. He looked around for anything familiar, but there was nothing he could recognize except for three figures around him, one was tall and skinny, covered with a large black overcoat with a dark blue shirt with geometric patterns and short neatly combed blue hair. Another figure sat beside the first, with long orange hair, bulky red and black headphones, and a large neon green sweater with a purple alien character. The final figure he noticed was wearing a white fluffy sweater that had a slight tinge of pink to it, a pink beret covering the figure’s curly copper hair. When he laid his eyes on the final figure his eyes were finally able to focus.
“You’re finally awake.” Haru whispered to Akechi, soothing the pain he felt all over his body
Akechi let out a soft scoff, “Where am I?”
“You’re in my house right now.”
“And what brings the others here?”
“I needed someone else to carry you here and Yusuke volunteered.”
“And I assume she decided to tag along.” Akechi pointed his thumb over at Futaba, who stuck her tongue out at him
“Yes.”
“That brings me to my other question. Why am I here?”
“I’m here for answers.” Futaba answered with a fierce determination in her eyes
“I assume you are too?” Akechi said to Haru
“Not at all.”
“I am here for Futaba’s sake.” Yusuke calmly replied. Akechi watched as Futaba gave Yusuke a death glare that did nothing to affect Yusuke.
“What exactly are you looking for?”
“Did you kill my mom? No... You killed my mom, didn’t you? You’re the only one to have such an ability. No one else had access to the Metaverse aside from us and everything points to you. So tell me, you did it, didn’t you.”
“I did. She was one of my first targets.” Akechi responded, Futaba was left speechless. Yusuke moved closer to Futaba, holding her hand to calm her down.
“Is that all you wanted to hear?”
“Yes…”
She stood up and Yusuke followed beside her still holding her hand, leaving Akechi alone with Haru. She stared at him with an unsettling smile, one that he had given to others before.
“If that’s all, I shall take my leave.”
“Verry well. See you soon.”
Akechi prepared some black tea as soon as he got back to his apartment and he caught a glimpse of the vase, the flowers were back to their old wilted selves and the black rose returned. The flowers that were meant as a sign of disdain, brought him a sense of comfort.
___
The Phantom Thieves drove down through the depths of Mementos after getting roadblocked in Maruki’s Palace by overgrown tentacles. Through the winding corridors, the myriad of enemies, and the countless dead ends they made their way through the new section of Mementos. Akechi found himself stuck between the right wall of the Monabus and Haru. He felt a nice sense of comfort with Haru as they ventured through the awful labyrinth that was Mementos. The subtle rumbling of the car was a nice addition, all until an abrupt turn caused everyone to be flung within the confines of the car. Once everything settled, Akechi felt his abdomen strain as he found his eyes staring at the seat in front of him and his head resting on something soft. He shifted his head so his eyes looked up to the roof where he locked eyes with Haru. Her soft brown eyes looked at him in confusion. Akechi was about to apologize, but was interrupted by someone’s shriek.
“Gah, you… you spilled it all over my pants! I’ve been soiled!”
“Sorry Yus-Inari!” Futaba quickly exclaimed
Haru giggled as Akechi slowly fixed himself back into his seated position. His face became a light shade of red for the time being.
____
They continued to fight through Maruki’s Palace. The palace seemed to stretch for eternity. Countless stairs and lifts were required to even traverse the palace. They finished after an excruciatingly painful light puzzle and a difficult fight, but it was over for the time being.
He waited in his apartment not interacting with any of the other Phantom Thieves, only texting them if the need arises. They had finished exploring Maruki’s Palace quite early, securing the route to the treasure with two whole weeks of down time left. He would’ve spent his time alone and away from the Thieves, but he had received a message from one of them.
Haru’s Chat:
“Would you like to visit me?”
“Sure...”
Akechi made his way to Haru’s place, the one he found himself in when he first woke up after their second excursion into Maruki’s Palace. On the way over there he continued to wonder why she had asked him to visit. He could see the tall alabaster colored mansion with windows as tall as his room was wide seemed to be the norm. The door he knocked on was tall enough to let in a giant. While he waited he marvelled at the forest sized garden and the intricate pottery that was scattered around.
“Would you care for some tea?” Haru asked as she opened the door
“Yes please…” Akechi cautiously replied
He walked into the giant house, clean white walls and carpet, expensive decorations and furniture seemed to be the norm in the house. He took a seat on one of the couches, a dark brown and black couch with snow white throw pillows.
“Here. I didn’t know what kind of tea you liked, but since we are both tired after the Palace, I brewed a bit of black tea.”
“No need to worry about it, black tea is my favorite.”
The bold flavors of the tea breathed life back into his fatigued body, he continued to sip his tea, mildly impressed with the quality of the tea. He began to dissect the flavor profile of the tea, until Haru returned back to the coffee table with a plate of snacks, a few scones, shortbreads, and other pastries. Akechi’s shoulders tensed up before reaching for a scone. The sweetness of the blueberries and the flavor of the tea paired well, but there was something that bothered him. He looked up at Haru who sat across from him on a large white sectional couch.
“What do you want from me?” Akechi started after placing his scone and tea down, “If you wanted answers, you could have asked earlier. But I assume that isn’t what you want, is it?”
“My, my. You are quite quick on the uptake. I’m here to talk to you, to bury the hatchet.”
“...So, what exactly did you want to talk about?”
“I wanted to thank you for the help with Maruki. I had talked to Ren already, but I wanted to thank you personally.”
“...There’s nothing to thank me for. Not after the first time.”
“About that… I know you did it under Shido’s command and I… and I also know that he was a bad person, but… he was still my father. You know what that feels like, don’t you?”
“Of course I know. It was the reason why I did everything I have up until now.” Akechi replied, his voice becoming irritated as he tried to explain himself
“I know. I still don’t know how I feel about it, but currently I don’t know if I can forgive you.” Haru replied with the same soft tone and patience she had with everyone, her composure when sitting across from her father’s murderer irked him
“Of course you should hate me! I have not atoned for anything… but here I am with the Phantom Thieves, the champions of the people but here I stand with you as a murderer.” Akechi shot up from the couch staring fiercely into Haru’s eyes
Haru’s eyes softened when she met his eyes, “...If you would like to talk more, I’m still here.”
A scoff was all he could muster. He made his way back home, but he couldn’t keep his mind off of what Haru told him. Instead of trying to confront the thoughts, Akechi went bouldering. He visited the climbing gym and decided to warm up with one of the easier routes. A simple kick off from a rock to a higher ledge a few feet to his right. He finished it quickly and moved on to a different route, a hard one no doubt, but one he’s recently been able to do somewhat consistently. He started a bit of the way up and reached a protrusion in the wall. A colored marker showed him where to reach. He had to jump up and reach outside the protrusion to reach the end. It was going to be a nice warmup, but his hands couldn’t grip the hold properly and he landed on the mat below him. He got up and tried the jump again, but failed, and once more led to the same result. He walked away and applied chalk to his hands to improve his grip. He again attempted the jump with the same results. He reapplied chalk after a different attempt and tried the jump for the final time. He breathed in slowly, swaying his body back and forth to generate momentum and help him guide himself to the next hold. His fingers entered the hold, but his jump was a tad too strong. His fingers strained as he tried to pull himself back to the wall, but the momentum he had was only barely stronger than his strength which left him looking up at the sky as he fell. He hit the blue mat and stayed sprawled out on it motionless. He reapplied chalk and moved on to a harder jump, one that he had very little experience with, but one he wouldn’t be disappointed in failing.
___
There was still a lot of time left until the calling card was sent, Akechi stood in the doorway of his bedroom pondering his next move. It was early in the morning, his body was fatigued after yesterday’s bouldering session and he wanted to brew some black tea for breakfast, but after all of his physical activities recently he had run out. He could have gone to the cafe where he normally gets his coffee, but their black tea was subpar. He would’ve bought the black tea he normally got from the store, but it would have been a long trip to Shibuya and back just for breakfast and the black tea was not cheap. It pained him to do so, but he sent a quick text before heading over.
“Welcome!” Haru exclaimed with the same energy she always had, acting as if nothing had happened the day before
“Thank you for letting me in.”
He made his way to the kitchen instead of the living room. His impromptu visit had him sitting alone at a large table that could easily seat all the Phantom Thieves. He could smell the tea brewing in the kitchen and hear the soft rattling of the kettle.
“I apologize for the small amount of snacks today.”
“It’s fine. I should have given you more warning.”
After a bit of waiting Haru brought out the black tea. She placed the tea right in front of Akechi and took the seat across and to the right of him. Akechi noticed a difference in the aroma and after taking a sip it confirmed that it tasted different than the last time he had the tea.
“It tastes quite different, right?”
“Yes. It’s a little more fruity than I would want it to be.”
“I’m glad you noticed! It’s a different brand than what I normally use and I wanted to try it out. I’ll take note of your observations and maybe I’ll switch it up next time!”
Next time? The tone of her voice seemed positive enough and it didn’t seem like her offer was supposed to be transactionary. Akechi let a small smile appear on his face as he contemplated possibly visiting more times.
___
The day to send the calling card to Maruki loomed over the Phantom Thieves. Each Phantom Thief had their own reservations about what was about to happen and yet they each continued to live on as they had previously. They had faith in their strength, the strength of their comrades, and in their leader. Akechi had some of that, but he had something weighing him down, his mortality. While no one else knew it, he was certain he died in the battle with the thieves, leaving him with no energy, his frenzy further depleted his power, and the gun shot was definitely fatal. Yet here he stood in Haru’s kitchen brewing his favorite blend of black tea. His mind didn’t wander to his immediate future, no matter how dark it may be.
“My my. What superb technique.” Haru exclaimed
“Thank you.” Akechi replied
He waited for the tea to finish its first steep, where upon its completion he dumped it and proceeded on the second steep to continue to develop the flavor. He then dumped the second steep of the tea, to finally bring out all of the flavor. Once the tea leaves had their third steep he gently poured out two cups, carefully bringing a cup in front of Haru and sitting right next to her to enjoy breakfast as they had started doing a few days ago. Their relationship had begun to develop during their shared breakfast, their initial talks were awkward, but they began to grow more comfortable as time went on with Akechi revealing a bit of his past and Haru did the same.
“Are you busy tonight?” Akechi asked before taking a sip of his tea
“My, my, how brazen of you to ask me out given our past, but I am free tonight.” Haru replied, without so much as a hint of hesitation
“It’s nothing like that. I just wanted to show you a place that is special to me.”
“I thank you for trusting me with this info.”
“It’s not as serious as you think it is.”
“I’m just happy that you have enough confidence to share anything with me.”
They continued to eat their breakfast together. His once drab mornings have seemingly brightened up ever since he took up Haru’s offer. After breakfast Akechi made his way back to his apartment, waiting for the evening to take Haru to his favorite place.
The sun set over the horizon and Akechi walked over to Haru’s house. He knocked on the door and waited for Haru. She opened the door in her bright pink outfit.
“Are you ready?”
“Of course.”
The crunch of gravel was combined with the sound of stepping on freshly fallen snow as Akechi and Haru made their way over to the commercial district of Kichijoji; they made their way down an alley and into Jazz Jin.
“Welcome back Akechi.” the manager said while cleaning the front desk
“I would like a table for two.” Akechi replied handing over the fee for both of them
“Wonderful. We have a singer tonight, so make sure to enjoy the performance.”
They made their way to a table close to the singer. They looked at the menu and both ordered mocktails. Akechi ordered a bitter blackberry mocktail with Haru ordering the same thing. They listened to the singer, her velvety voice soothed the entire jazz club, any conversation died down to a soft murmur, all to hear the lyrics of the song.
“It’s nice here.” Haru leaned over the table to whisper to Akechi
“It’s a great place to unwind after everything.” he replied mirroring her action to whisper in her ear
Once the mocktails arrived at the table they drank their mocktails and enjoyed the vocals of the singer beside them. They would whisper to each other after sips of their mocktails about any little thing that had happened to them recently and when the singer finally finished her set they both exited the Jazz club.
“Thank you.” Haru repeated once more outside of Jazz Jin, her breath rising up in the cold winter night
“It was nothing.” Akechi replied again as he walked back home from the jazz club leaving Haru alone.
A smile painted her face as she made preparations to go back home. Haru giggled a little when she remembered how Akechi asked her to join him at the Jazz club.
___
Akechi continued to have breakfast with Haru, but his visit on 2/2 was different. He slowly made his way over, dreading the visit. When he reached the front door he knocked and wanted to leave, his legs facing away from the door ready to leave at a moment’s notice.
Haru heard a knock at her door. It was one of the few sounds she enjoyed when everything in her house was so quiet. She walked over to the door and opened it. She didn’t see anyone in front of her, she looked to her right, nothing but plants, when she looked left she heard the crunch of gravel as she noticed someone beginning to leave, his unmistakable soft brown hair and his large brown overcoat.
“Akechi-kun?” Haru's voice reached Akechi. His shoulders tensed, before slowly turning towards Haru.
“Haru…” he muttered under his breath
She held the door open for Akechi and he quickly walked into the house. Akechi took a seat on one of the lavish white sectional couches in the living room instead of at the table. Haru walked into the kitchen. He sat in silence for a few seconds, but he caught the sounds coming from the gas stove and the soft whistling from the kettle, the one he recently got accustomed to using.
“Black tea, just how you like it.” Haru’s soft and bubbly voice was punctuated by the harsh sound of porcelain
Akechi nodded in acknowledgement, his eyes stared at his muddy reflection in the tea, observing his pitiful state.
“You’re not here for just breakfast, are you?”
“That’s right, it’s about Maruki.”
“That’s right, today is the day he is supposed to visit Ren.” Akechi placed his hand on his restless leg, the words resting on his lips,
“Tomorrow will likely be my final day.”
“Yes, about that.” Haru began, Akechi flinched, his mind began to race, had she figured it out? “There is no need for you to be working as a Phantom Thief after tomorrow, am I right?”
Akechi’s eyes widened. He opened his mouth, but hesitated, “That’s not entirely true.”
“You’ll continue working with us?” Haru asked, a tinge of hope laced her words
“Not that either. After tomorrow’s fight there won’t be any time to work together. I… won’t have time.”
The light in Haru’s eyes dulled and her shoulders dropped. She quickly regained composure, but her dreary eyes told Akechi how she truly felt.
After finally grasping the gravity of the situation Haru asked, “Surely you could still find the time?”
“I’ve looked at it every which way and my schedule is filled.”
Haru paused and looked into his eyes, “How do you feel about it?”
“I’ve come to terms with it.”
“If you are okay with it, then I can make no objections.”
Akechi got up and bowed to Haru before leaving. She looked at the untouched cup of tea she brewed for him. She was surprised when she began to wipe away tears that had mysteriously begun streaming down her face. She didn’t want it to be like this, but after all was said and done, it was always meant to end this way. She drank her cup in the newfound silence.
___
The loud roaring of the helicopter engine added to Akechi’s discomfort as he was pushed to the back of the helicopter with Haru pressed up against him.
She wrapped her arms around Akechi and whispered. “Will I see you again?”
Akechi averted his gaze, her shaky voice filled him with dread, but he responded in a wavering whisper, “Certainly.”
___
Akechi’s eyes fluttered open at the sight of bright light. He tried to lift his head up but was met with searing pain in his abdomen. He was alive, or he was being tortured in hell for his past transgressions.
“Woah, slow down boy!” Akechi slumped back into his bed, “You’re in rough shape right now, so please don’t move.”
Akechi did as he was told. Laying down in the bed awaiting any sort of direction, but nothing came for the time being. He let his eyes close for a few seconds and was met with the doctor when he finally opened his eyes.
“Glad to see you awake. The results came in and you should be fine. You will experience pain for a few weeks, so we’ve prescribed some painkillers. Additionally it might be a bit difficult to walk, so do you have anyone we could contact?”
Akechi pondered for a moment. He had no family, immediate or otherwise, who could help. Anyone he knew from Shido’s association was thrown into jail with Shido, so there was no one left.
“Haru Okumura.” Akechi said, then began to recite her number to the doctor.
“Very well. We’ll contact her soon.”
Akechi sat there waiting until he was discharged. He slowly stumbled out of the hospital, searching the entrance of a hospital for a glimpse of Haru, but was met with a tall muscular man in a suit holding a sign with his name on it. Akechi followed the suited man outside to a limo, no one was in there except for the driver. It was an all too familiar sight. The same thing would happen when he had to travel for his television appearances. He entered the car that felt cold no matter how hot it truly was.
The door beside him opened and he was faced with a large and luxurious apartment complex. It wasn’t what he was expecting when he was being driven, he had wholeheartedly expected to be brought back to the Okumura Mansion, but it seemed she did not want to stay there. He was escorted up to the fourth floor, set in front of a door, and was left alone. He knocked on the door, his vision began to blur and his legs began to wobble as he heard faint footsteps from the other side of the door.
“Hel- Akechi?” Haru asked
“Thank you.” Akechi stumbled forward. He saw the same lavish sectional couch from the mansion and laid down on it. He felt his eyelids grow heavy as he began to fall asleep.
Akechi woke up in the middle of the night or in the early morning. He was met with searing pain in his abdomen again. He slowly lifted himself up from the couch, his legs shook under each uneven step, propping himself up with any furniture he would stumble upon in the dark. He continued to wander around in the dark until he reached the fridge he opened it and blindly rummaged through the fridge until he found a water bottle to satiate his thirst and seized the opportunity to take his medicine and waited for the pain to subside. He slowly found his way back to the couch, his eyes steadily adjusting to the low light. Akechi saw a figure sitting in a chair near the couch he slept in. The figure’s curly hair immediately gave away who they were. Haru Okumura, the heiress to Kunikazu Okumura’s fortune and one of two people he trusted. He stared at her intensely in the low light conditions, her chest slowly oscillated, she looked peaceful despite her stiff posture. Once his pain finally subsided he tried to go back to sleep, but it felt like he had forgotten how to do so, every sleeping position he assumed led to discomfort. After he had his eyes closed for a few minutes, they quickly shot open, having him stare into the void above. He shuffled his arm around until he hit his phone, he opened it and lowered the brightness; he first looked at the date, 2/23, three weeks after the battle with Maruki. He checked the internet for any mention of him, but the only thing he could find were a few articles back in November about his disappearance, after that only a sparse few articles in December and January, but nothing more after that. His entire being forgotten, the image he cultivated for years down the drain, he was nothing more than a blip on the people’s radar, only to be discarded once his relevancy had expired. He turned off his phone and resigned to stay awake despite it still being too early to do anything. He just sat on the couch, thinking about his next move. He couldn’t just show himself after his “disappearance” as it would cause a lot of confusion for his “fans” and the Phantom Thieves as well. It felt like he was a dead man walking, unable to show himself for risk of being found out. His prison sentence still remained a mystery. He was released during Maruki’s control of Japan, but that didn’t mean he was completely exonerated of his crimes. Although even if he was tried for his crimes they would not be able to ascertain the way he committed said crimes and would lead to a lighter sentence or even no sentence. But there was no reason to dwell on what ifs, he had to figure out what he was going to do for the foreseeable future. He continued to browse through his phone, looking for nothing in particular, just for a way to pass the time. As the clock slowly approached five am, Akechi stood up and slowly walked into the kitchen. Despite not having been able to do any strenuous activity for weeks, his body ached and he knew what could help. He searched through cupboards looking for black tea, after spending a lot of time with Haru, he knew she kept a wide variety of coffees and teas, as she was always open to trying new things. Akechi found the tea in the cupboard above an electric kettle. Rummaging through the different brands he found a large portion of loose black tea leaves from his favorite brand. He began to work the electric kettle, bringing it up to temperature and readying the leaves for their multiple steeps. He dumped the first steep away, its subpar flavor not fit to his liking. The second steep was also thrown away for the third steep to finally be the drink of choice. As he waited for the final steep he looked around for some accompaniment for the bitterness of the black tea.
“If you are looking for snacks, they are in the cupboard near the fridge.” Haru’s soft yet tired voice reached his ears
Akechi jumped at the voice, surprised that she was already awake, but was prepared for such an event as he was already making tea for two. Her footsteps slowly faded away, but he continued to make breakfast for the both of them, exactly how he did a scant few times in January. He found a few scones that only required a few minutes in the toaster oven, he popped them in and looked in the fridge for anything extra to add to the scones. He placed the condiments on the small table, a fraction of the table back in the mansion. He placed the plates beside each other and placed a scone on each plate. He saw Haru come out of a hallway. She had changed out of her old clothes and wore some light pink pajamas and slippers.
“Thank you for making breakfast.”
“No problem, it was the least I could do.”
Akechi sat down next to Haru, enjoying breakfast together in relative silence. When they finished eating Haru cleaned up after both of them. Akechi sat back down on the couch with Haru sitting back in the chair she slept on.
“I like the new place.” Akechi nervously said
“Thank you. I moved after I realized how lonely the other place felt.” Haru calmly replied, her depressing response filled the room with silence.
“Akechi-kun. What happened?”
“...I don’t know. After the fight with Maruki, I was in the hospital recovering, and then I came here.” Akechi hesitated before continuing, his words becoming rushed and panicky near the end
“And I was your emergency contact?”
“...You were the only one I could turn to.”
“I’m glad to hear that. Do you know what you are going to do?”
“No. It seems the public has forgotten all about me. For all intents and purposes I am a dead man.”
“Just know that you are free to stay here as long as you need to.”
“Thank you, Haru.”
“Now go freshen up. I don’t believe the hospital allowed you to keep the best hygiene." Akechi blushed at her remark. He was led into the restroom and was given a quick rundown of how to operate the bathtub.
“What size clothes do you wear?”
“Medium.”
Haru left after he responded and went to go buy some clothes for Akechi. Akechi sank his face into the bathtub’s hot water, thinking about everything that happened recently, but his mind continued to focus on the pain he felt in his abdomen.
Akechi heard a knock on the door followed by Haru’s voice, “I’ll leave the clothes near the entrance.”
Haru opened the door and placed the clothes on the sink counter. Once Akechi heard the door closed he waited a couple of seconds before drying himself and then changing into the clothes provided. It was a comfortable fit, plain white dress shirt and black jeans. He walked out and heard some tumbling from a room nearby. Akechi walked into the room where the sound was coming from and watched as Haru cleaned his clothes.
“I could do it myself.” Akechi sorely stated
“Maybe you’ll be able to do it another time.” Haru playfully responded
Akechi and Haru both walked out and for the next few days while Haru was out working, Akechi would find himself doing chores around the apartment. Cleaning the house with the robot cleaner Ren gave him a while ago, cleaning the parts of the apartment that the robot could not reach, and he would do his own laundry. When Haru arrived back at the apartment he would help make dinner for the both of them. It was the only thing he could do with his injury and it allowed for him to heal while giving him a feeling of usefulness.
When Ren was supposed to leave for his hometown, Akechi did not go to meet him properly. He waited at the train station that Ren would be in and watched as he entered the train. Akechi walked past the train, catching a glimpse of Ren’s proud face. When the train left the station, Akechi heard the soft clack of heels behind him.
“Did you get to see him?”
“Yes.” was all Akechi could reply with before they both made their way back to the apartment in silence, only listening to the sound of the city around them.
___
“Would you like to join me at work tomorrow?” Haru asked out of the blue one evening over a dinner of curry
Akechi gave a terse answer, “Ok.”
In the early morning Akechi was woken up and he began to get ready. Haru and Akechi sat across from each other in the limo as they were taken to Okumura Foods headquarters in Roppongi. He wore the olive green suit he normally wore while Haru wore a black suit, a white undershirt, black tie, and black pants. He walked behind her through the building, a few people sparing glances over at his direction. He paid them no mind. At the meeting he sat next to Haru and listened to the plans of expansion and other things they wanted to do. At first the board members were hesitant to explain their plans with the addition of an outsider, but Haru talked them into continuing. His presence there was nothing more than a formality. After the meeting they left together side by side.
“Would you like to continue working with me?” Haru asked as they walked out of the headquarters
“It’s not like I can find work doing anything else. Not after disappearing off the face of the planet for months.” Akechi replied
Akechi and Haru continued to go to work together. Akechi helped Haru with the public relations department, his time in the spotlight would help him clean up Big Bang Burger’s bad press. Helping give back to the community and their workers in order to smooth things over with the public. His pay was great and he had been fully healed for a long time at that point. After a long day at work Akechi asked to talk to Haru about something serious. He sat on the large black and brown couch, with Haru sitting next to him.
“What is it that you would like to talk about?” Haru asked, her voice laced with concern
“I think I’ve overstayed my welcome here. I’m fully healed and have a good paying job because of you. I should get going and find a new place.” Akechi explained
“You’re hardly a bother. I’ve grown accustomed to your company. It’s always nice on long days like today, where I have someone to relate to and talk to.”
“I understand.”
After saying that, Akechi felt lamentable. He wanted to leave Haru alone, so she wouldn’t be constantly reminded of her father’s murderer. He made up his mind to leave her alone, but a part of him wanted to believe Haru and stay with her. Yet he was dead set on leaving, but he had to wait for the perfect moment.
___
“I’ll be visiting Ren tomorrow.” Haru stated, before she sipped her tea
“Have fun.” Akechi replied
With that Akechi had the perfect opportunity. A few hours after Haru left, he grabbed most of the money he earned and before Haru got to the apartment he wrote a note addressed to her before leaving.
___
Haru slowly opened the door to her apartment and called out to her roommate, “Akechi!”
No response. She continued to call out to him but was met with the uncomfortable silence that filled most of her days in the mansion. Haru searched through the house looking for him calling out to him after every room she searched, but her cries were for naught as she found the note he had left.
Akechi received a phone call from Haru. He let it go to voicemail. He received more calls from Haru, but he let each one go to voicemail. Each vibration on his phone urged him to answer but he elected to turn off his phone. Before he was able to turn it off he noticed that he had one voicemail, but he didn’t bother listening to it, turning off his phone. He had one goal and that was to finally sever his connection to the Phantom Thieves and that was through their leader.