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Chapter Text

The rich aroma of freshly ground coffee beans always settles his busy mind. Here, at LeBlanc, he can pretend for just a moment that his life isn't utter chaos.

School, his work as a detective, appearing on TV as the "Second Coming of the Detective Prince", and his *ahem* other extracurricular activities - all of his stressors melt away in the quiet of the tiny cafe. Sojiro Sakura, the proprietor of this delightful little shop, is behind the counter -very graciously- cooking up a pot of mild curry to suit his delicate taste buds. The cafe is almost completely silent except for the occasional clinking of the mixing spoon against the pot of simmering curry and the soft murmuring of the TV - some obscure game show that he doesn't care to watch. It had been on a news channel when he had entered the coffee shop, but Boss had kindly switched it to the mindless game show the moment he stepped through the door - the bell jingling softly to announce his arrival.

*DiNg*

The bell, in contrast to his quiet arrival, makes a dissonant clanking sound due to the force with which the door is swung open. Instinctively, he tenses and groans softly to himself - already dreading the coming encounter.

'So much for peace.' He rolls his eyes and sighs. 

"Akechi! You're already here?!" A loud, excitable voice calls out from the doorway, but not loud enough to cover the displeased groans and grumbles of his companions.

Schooling himself and plastering on his Detective Prince smile, he turns to the group - the group of teenagers he has vowed to put behind bars.

The Phantom Thieves.

"Ah, hello there. I hope you all don't mind that I'm early. I couldn't resist a cup of Boss' coffee before heading into Mementos. It's good for the soul." He replies pleasantly, picking up his mug and taking a delicate sip.

Kurusu sighs dramatically, but still keeps that irritating grin on his face. "C'mon, 'Kechi! No need to be so formal. Lighten up a bit!" The younger boy saunters over to the stool next to his and plops down onto it - his school bag swinging around carelessly.

"Watch it!" Morgana yowls from the bag, worming his way out of the confines of the backpack.

"Sorry, Mona," Kurusu says absentmindedly - his gaze never leaving Akechi's side profile. "I thought you'd be in a better mood. After all..." His expression changes for a split second - too fast for Goro to read. "After tomorrow, you'll never have to deal with us ever again."

"Yeah, and it can't come soon enough," Sakamoto mutters, thinking that he went unheard until Takamaki roughly elbows him in the ribs.

He suppresses a snort. It's always amusing when Sakamoto thinks that he can get under his skin with his petty jabs and comments. His schoolyard taunts are akin to a chihuahua yapping at a pit bull. Annoying, futile, and pathetic. 

No matter. After tomorrow, they will all get what's coming to them. They will all pay for what they've done. It might not happen all at once, but each of them will get their comeuppance.

"Ah, Akechi-kun, don't mind him." The younger Nijima laughs uncomfortably whilst trying to smooth over the situation. "H-He's always like this before a big heist. We're all just a little on edge - that's all."

He resists the urge to roll his eyes, reminding himself that he only has to play nice for one more day. Their attempts to placate him are pathetic. He can hardly believe that this group of idiots has managed to evade police detection for this long. Their acting abilities alone are dreadful, and subtlety isn't even in their vocabulary. Sakamoto doesn't even try to pretend to like him. To be fair, he is blackmailing them. But the comments he has made when he thinks Goro isn't listening...

Goro is fairly certain that Sakamoto would be glad if he were to "disappear". In truth, his honesty is a little bit refreshing compared to the rest of the Thieves. They all try to pretend that they're chummy with him while the tension in the air is so thick that it's almost like soup. Like they all wouldn't care to see him out of the way for good.

But alas, he must maintain his mask for a bit longer.

"Of course, I understand, Nijima. I'm quite nervous myself." His fake, pleasant grin turns fake and sheepish. "I feel slightly on edge as well. I just hope that everything goes smoothly tomorrow." He plans to end the interaction there and ignore his urge to snark back at the annoying blonde. Then, his father's voice echoes in his mind: 

'Teach other people how to treat you, Goro. Don't let them walk all over you.' 

His lips quirk upward for a fraction of a second - a fondness washing over him as he recalls his adoptive father's stern, yet kind words. 

So, he decides to not be the bigger person. 

"I must say, I am also quite eager for tomorrow." He smirks at the Thieves' collective confusion. "I'm quite looking forward to never having to associate with you all ever again." He says casually, taking a small sip of his coffee. He ignores Sakamoto's indignant squawk and continues. "Dealing with you all has been the most unpleasant experience of my life, and I'm thrilled that it will soon be over." 

From his peripheries, he catches a glimpse of Kurusu's crushed expression. He quickly focuses his gaze on the rest of the group, ignoring the tight feeling in his chest and offering them all a blinding, bright smile. He takes a moment to revel in their shock at his candor while also noting the awkwardness and tension increasing tenfold. 

'Huh. I didn't know Sakamoto's face could turn that color. What an interesting blend of purple and red.' He muses to himself, eyeing the group. 

Before anyone can say anything more, a small clinking sound breaks the awkward silence. Boss, immune to the tension, had set down his plate of curry onto the counter in front of him. 

"Eat up, kid. You're too thin." Sakura-san says, his voice perfectly level and betraying no emotion. He sheepishly smiles whilst searching the older man's face for any traces of anger or irritation at him for provoking the group of teenagers, but finds none. Instead, he sees a tired old man weighed down by the knowledge of his child and ward's crimes and wrongdoings. 

"Thank you, Boss. It smells delicious." He replies honestly. The older man simply grunts in response, but his eyes dart back and forth between him and the rest of the Phantom Thieves - seeming conflicted. Goro peeks at them out of the corner of his eyes. They're all muttering amongst themselves, practically huddled in the entryway. His eyes accidentally meet both Takamaki's and Kitagawa's, and they both immediately look away from him. He doesn't miss how Takamaki nervously bites at her, and her eyes dart around the room, looking at anything but him. Sakamoto, Nijima, and the younger Sakura, on the other hand, glare at him unabashedly. Sakura, usually the meek and shy one of the group, even looks a little smug. 

It unsettles him. 

He's not so arrogant that he thinks he is invincible. These past few months have proven that he is anything but that. The way that Sakura looks at him, as if she knows something he doesn't - as if the Thieves have already won...

A pit forms in his stomach. 

'Surely they don't know about my plan...I've been so careful. I haven't let them anywhere near my electronics since teaming up with them.' 

The self-reassurance makes him feel a bit more at ease, but he cannot fully relax. Not until his plan has come to fruition. 

He turns his attention back to his curry, intending to start devouring the delectable meal in front of him, and once again takes pause. Boss is staring at the group of teenagers crowding his doorway with an expression he has never seen on the kind, older man. His jaw is visibly clenched along with his fists. His gaze is hard and actually quite intimidating - not that the oblivious Phantom Thieves have taken notice. He glances over at Kurusu, who has been sitting on the stool to his left this entire time. For once, the dark-haired idiot isn't mooning over him and gazes upon his guardian with an unreadable expression. 

Once again, he is unsettled. 

Boss's eyes flicker over to him, and his gaze softens - which also makes Kurusu turn his attention back to him. The cafe owner opens his mouth to say something, but seems to reconsider it. Instead, he roughly pats him on the shoulder.

"Stay sharp, kid. Take care of yourself." Boss says quietly. Kurusu stills at his guardian's words, but continues to stay silent. 

Boss loudly clears his throat, gaining the attention of the other teens. They all seem to snap to attention.

"I'll close up so that you kids can talk upstairs." He turns to his adoptive daughter, gaze softening even more. "I'll be at home. Give me a call if you need anything."

Surprisingly, they all graciously thank the man. It's the very least that they owe him, but it still surprises Goro that these people are capable of any common decency anymore. He had honestly expected a dismissal or a rude roll of their eyes. He's glad for the show of respect, especially since the man allows them to conspire inside his business. 

"You all go upstairs. I want to talk to Akechi for a bit." Kurusu orders the rest of the group. Once again, he is surprised by them. They follow his orders - not without a bit of grumbling from Sakamoto, though. The group trudges up the stairs, the old wooden planks creaking as they do. 

As soon as they are all out of sight, Kurusu sidles up to him until they're pressed shoulder to shoulder. It's way too close for comfort, but he has long learned that the younger boy has little regard for his personal space. 

"I got you something," Kurusu says mischievously. 

"Another robot vacuum?" He asks blandly, taking a bit of his curry. Delicious. 

"No, dumbass. Why would you need two?" Kurusu playfully shoves his arms. It's an uncomfortably friendly gesture. He might not have minded as much before their duel, but now...

He stops that line of thinking before it goes too far. What happened during their duel was nothing. Just teenage hormones getting the better of his junior. 

Kurusu hops up from his chair and goes behind the counter. He bends over to pick something up, but hides it behind his back before standing fully upright. He pretends not to take interest, but he catches a glimpse of bright colors and can't deny to himself that he's curious. Outwardly, though, he continues to feign disinterest. 

Kurusu comes back from behind the counter, the gift still hidden behind his back. He stands next to Goro's stool, heels rocking back and forth nervously. 

"I, uh, wanted to get you something as an apology." The raven-haired boy begins.

He raises an unimpressed eyebrow. "For what, exactly? I believe there are many things you could be referring to." 

Kurusu glares at him, but there is little heat behind it. Instead, he just seems tired. "I'm getting to that. And I've apologized a million times for the other things. When are you going to let that go?"

A memory flashes through his mind. The sound of metal against metal. A warm spray of blood on his face. A young mother's hysterical screams. 

'Stop it.' He scolds himself, blinking rapidly as if that would force the memory from his mind. 

"Of course." He replies coldly. "My apologies." 

Kurusu rolls his eyes and pulls a bouquet out from behind his back. How he had managed to hide such a thing behind his lithe frame this entire time is a mystery, but he doesn't care to think about it too much. He's more focused and, admittedly, confused about this gift. 

"You got me flowers..." He asks, eyeing the assortment suspiciously. "Why?"

"I work at a flower shop-"

"I know that."

"Would you let me finish?!" Kurusu snaps, but then quickly schools his expression while muttering out a quick apology. "The manager of the shop taught me the language of flowers. This is an apology bouquet." 

The younger boy holds out the bouquet with both hands, nodding at him to take it. Gingerly, he takes the flowers while still staring incredulously at his rival. Red roses with small white flowers - possibly Lily of the Valley- and a single daffodil make up the bouquet. It's admittedly a very beautiful arrangement of flowers, minus the daffodil in the center of it all. It looks very out of place. Despite that, Kurusu - that annoyingly adept bastard - had still managed to make it look nice. 

"It's an apology for our duel the other night." Kurusu's face reddens, and he nervously fiddles with his bangs. "I...might have gone too far."

'You don't say?!' He screams in his mind, but keeps his face neutral. He's learned that he can't show any weakness around Kurusu anymore. Showing him that he had been affected by what had happened during their duel would be giving the leader of the Phantom Thieves exactly what he wanted - a reaction. 

"Why the apology? You didn't seem too sorry that night." He asks, carefully placing the bouquet onto the stool next to him so that he can return to eating his curry. 

Kurusu frowns. "You've been so cold and distant with me since then. I figured you were upset with me." 

'Why wouldn't I distance myself?! Are you daft?! I've let myself get way too attached to you, and it's gone on for long enough. This is my job. My livelihood. Unlike you and your lot, I don't see this as a game. Other people's lives are on the line here!' He wants to grab the younger boy by the shoulders and shake him. He's really not sure how much longer he can keep up this facade. 

Instead of voicing his thoughts, he forces a smile. "Well, I appreciate the apology." His voice drips with faux sincerity and kindness, but Kurusu thankfully does not call him on it. He takes more bites of his curry. "So, what do the flowers represent? I'll admit that I don't know the first thing about flower language. And why the single daffodil in the center?"

Kurusu's sour expression melts away - replaced with a smug smirk. "Wouldn't you like to know?" 

He blinks in confusion. "Well, yes. I would like to know...that's why I asked. But I suppose that Google is free." He pulls out his phone to look it up, but Kurusu grabs his wrist. 

"T-That'll have to wait! We have a ton of Mementos requests to fulfil. We wouldn't want to let our fans down, would we? And I'm sure you're eager to stand around and do nothing again." Kurusu taunts. 

This again. He stops himself from rolling his eyes. It's true. Whenever he accompanies the Thieves on their Mementos trips, he truly does stand around and watch. It pains him to do so, but he feels that as the lead detective on this case, it is his duty to bear witness to the crimes being committed. He can handle the taunts from Kurusu and Sakamoto, even though it is beginning to weigh on him heavily.

But he must endure. Just one more day. 

He doesn't take the bait. He's done arguing with the younger boy. They will never see eye to eye on this issue, and he has resigned himself to the knowledge that nothing he says or does will change his mind. He simply stands from his seat and quietly makes his way up to the attic to join the rest of the group. He doesn't miss Kurusu's gaze darkening- his scowl almost menacing. He pays him no mind. 

You cannot make someone grow a conscience, and Goro is tired of trying. 

- 

-Present Day, April 202X-

Goro is not a morning person, especially after having dreams about his damn past. 

His eyes fly open to the sound of his alarm blaring, and he's instantly in a bad mood. 

'Why did I dream of that, of all things?' He stares up at his ceiling, pondering the dream - well, more so a memory. He laughs bitterly to himself. 

"A single fucking daffodil." He mutters to himself. "What an annoying piece of shit." 

He has done his research on the flowers after the disastrous mission with the Phantom Thieves. It had indeed been an apology bouquet, but he had been mortified to learn that the flowers - red roses and lily of the valley- are typically given as an apology to a lover. And then that damn daffodil...

"Misfortune, huh?" He muses aloud to himself. "Well, I've certainly had my fair share of that. Maybe he accidentally cursed me. " 

He still wonders to this day why Kurusu bothered giving him that bouquet. What had he meant by it? Was it to mock him? To rub salt into the wound that his idiotic, merry band of thieves had managed to deceive him? He’ll never know the answer, because, to Kurusu and everyone else from his past, Goro Akechi is long dead. 

He continues staring up at his bedroom ceiling, still angry at being awoken at an unreasonable hour over a stupid dream. He glances at his window, covered with a cheap curtain that was advertised as being blackout. The sun hasn't risen yet, but trickles of light glow against the tall buildings of Shinjuku and are starting to fill out the mostly empty streets. Small rays of light illuminate his face, causing him to squint uncomfortably and turn his head away. He blindly searches for his phone on his bedside table - cursing as he almost knocks it off onto the floor. 

5:06 AM. 

He groans, throwing his arm over his eyes. It's too damn early. His alarm isn't set to go off until 6, and today feels like a good day to hit snooze until the last second before he has to get ready for work. He lies there, debating whether it is worth trying to get an extra 54 - well, now 53 minutes of sleep- before the universe decides for him. 

An 8-bit version of the opening song for Phoenix Rangers Featherman R cuts through the silence, startling Goro out of the light sleep he had drifted off into. He grits his teeth and picks up his phone again, scowling when he reads the name of the person daring to call him at this early hour. He begrudingly accepts the call.

“Narukami,” Goro says through clenched teeth,” I hope you have a good reason for calling me at this ungodly hour.”

“Fishing. Ichigaya. In an hour. I’ll bring breakfast. Be there...And I told you to call me Yu.” He states- no, demands before hanging up.

He glares at his phone and debates throwing it out of his window, but decides against it. Kirijo-san would be very unhappy with him and likely wouldn't supply him with another one. 

Feeling more awake and thoroughly irritated, Goro drags himself out of bed and into the bathroom. He goes through his morning routine- shower, brush his teeth, skin care, light makeup, colored contact lenses that irritate and dry out his eyes, and finally, his hair. Goro stares at his reflection, mourning the loss of his looks from his youth. Twenty-three-year-old Goro Akechi is mostly unrecognizable, which was the goal of his "makeover". His once coppery hair is now the color of black coffee. He had been given two options: chop off all of his hair or dye it a different color. 

He had fought Kirijo tooth and nail on the matter. His hair, as silly and vain as it may seem, is a great source of pride and comfort. Caring for his locks is a labor of love, and it was one of his defining features as the Detective Prince. Also, it had been a connection to his late mother - his last connection to her. 

-Approximately 5 Years Prior-

"For the thousandth time, no." He growls, crossing his arms petulantly. 

Kirijo-san sighs in frustration. "Akechi-san. It's just hair. You've had a week to make your decision, and we can't hold this off any longer. You need to choose, now." 

"Why can't I wear a fucking hat?" He snaps, glaring at her. "It worked for me in the past. It worked when Aigis snuck me out of the hospital a few months ago." 

"Aigis got very lucky," Kirijo replies calmly, refusing to snap back at the teenager. "What she did was reckless. We can't afford to be reckless with your safety again. You're supposed to be dead, Akechi. What if you run into someone you know? Your cover would be blown and your safety would be compromised." 

"Who am I going to run into on Tatsumi Port Island?! They're all in Tokyo! And Kurusu is probably back in his shitty hometown by now, which is even further away!" He argues back. "You're being paranoid."

She raises an unimpressed eyebrow at him. "Weren't you the one who warned us about Futaba Sakura's hacking prowess? If what you say about her is true, she has eyes everywhere. And you will be returning to Tokyo eventually. If she even catches a whiff of you, the leader of the Phantom Thieves will stop at nothing to locate you. We can't risk it." Her gaze softens. "I'm sorry, Akechi-kun. I know that this has been a lot to digest at once. We're asking a lot of you, and we gave you no choice in the matter. But now, it's my job to keep you safe. Please, let me do that. We cannot risk the wrong people finding out that you lived." 

He sighs in frustration and runs his fingers through his hair. He grasps a longer strand and stares at it, trying to memorize the color. Deep down, he knows that he's being ridiculous and stubborn. What Kirijo-san is asking of him isn't a big deal in the grand scheme of things. She's just trying to keep him safe. Dyeing his hair to evade detection from any of the many lingering Conspiracy members and the Phantom Thieves is necessary. But...

He feels a twinge in his chest. 

What if he forgets what she looks like? His memory of her is already spotty at best. It has been about eleven years since she died, after all. The only reason he remembers her face now is that Muhen had several photos of them from their college days. Now he no longer has access to those pictures. What if, in like, five years, he forgets her face entirely? If he keeps his hair the same, at least he'll have something to remember her by. 

He silently curses himself for not carrying around a photo of her in his wallet. He had always intended to put one in there, and his wallet had been the only belonging that he still had in his possession since his "relocation." 

And he doesn't want to keep it the same for sentimental reasons. He's just a person. And as a person, he's a bit vain. He likes his hair. It had been a major selling point of his when he was the Detective Prince. It made people pay attention to him and like him. While he didn't love some parts of being a minor celebrity - mainly having to deal with his more... dedicated fans (he still shudders when he thinks about the fan who had cut off a lock of his hair when he had dozed off on the train on his way to school one morning) - part of him relished the attention. It's all he ever wanted as a child. To be acknowledged. Loved. 

'It's just fucking hair.' He reassures himself. Despite that reassurance, he still finds himself hesitating. 

"I'll do it with you, if you want." A voice from behind him suddenly speaks up, causing him to jump in surprise. 

Goro and Kirijo turn to Narukami, both having forgotten that he is present. Narukami, as casual as ever - hands in his pockets and his posture abysmal - saunters over to the salon chair and plops down into it.

'His back must be killing him all the time with posture like that. He looks like a damn shrimp.' Goro thinks to himself, scrunching his nose at the man, watching as he spins around in the swivel chair a few times. 

Narukami stops spinning and meets his gaze expectantly. 

'What are you waiting for?' His gaze seems to say. 

Kujikawa-san, another Shadow Operative member whom Kirijo had asked to do their hair, squeals in excitement. It worsens Goro's stress headache. 

"Senpai! Finally, you're going to do something about this damn bowl cut!" Her eyes practically sparkle as she runs her hands through his hair. "Can I perm it? Please? Pleeeease let me style it once we dye it! I'll do anything! You've been rocking the bowl cut since high school!" 

The older man sighs. "No, Rise. I'm just dyeing it. That's all." He scrunches his nose in offense. "What's wrong with my bowl cut? Yosuke likes it."

"Yosuke would like you even if you were bald, had a bad spray tan, and were wearing a clown costume." Kujikawa snarks. 

"What can I say? I can pull off any look."

"Narukami," Kirijo says sharply. "What are you doing?" 

He shrugs. "If Goro-"

"Don't call me by my first name without asking!"

"If Goro is hesitant to dye his hair," He continues, ignoring Goro's protests," I'll do it with him. Show him that it's not a big deal." 

Goro narrows his eyes at him. Who the hell does this guy think he is? Acting like they're all chummy when they've only known each other for a month. His audacity pisses him off. 

"Don't treat me like a child." 

Narukami leans back in the salon chair and crosses one leg over the other. His gaze is disconcerting. Goro has no idea what he's thinking or feeling, and it bothers him that he can't read the other persona user. 

Kirijo looks back and forth between the two of them and rolls her eyes. “No one is treating you like a child, Akechi-san. We just want you to feel more comfortable.”

“Hair dye isn’t permanent, Akechi-san.” Narukami’s gaze softens ever so slightly. "Maybe one day, when it's safe, you can go back to your original color." 

'And now he feels bad for me? Fuck this guy. I don't want his pity.' 

"Why offer to do this? I'm a stranger to you, and you get nothing out of doing this." He points out. 

Narukami shrugs. “Like I said, hair dye is temporary. And…” He pauses and contemplates our next words. “I’d like us to be friends.”

“You’re technically my superior. My boss. Isn’t that inappropriate?” Goro challenges.

Narukami scoffs at that. “Yeah, because I’m the epitome of professionalism." Kujikawa giggles at that. "My entire team consists of my friends, and I lead them just fine.” He locks eyes with Akechi again. “Mark my words, Goro Akechi. We will be friends.”

A flash of another pair of silver eyes appears in Goro’s mind, but it is gone in an instant. Goro blinks at Narukami, slightly dumbfounded.

“Looks like I’m trading one joker for another.” He mutters to himself, chuckling bitterly. “Fine, Narukami. Try to befriend me. You’ll come to find I’m quite stubborn. I don’t anticipate you lasting a month before calling it quits.” He holds out his hand to shake the other's hand. 

Narukami’s expression doesn’t change much, but there’s a flash of…something in his eyes. He grabs Goro's hand and shakes it. 

"You're on." 

The world around them freezes. 

”I am thou…thou art I…

Thou hast acquired a new vow…

It shall become the wings of rebellion

that breaketh thy chain of captivity 

With the birth of the Hanged Man Persona 

I have obtained the wings of blessing 

that shall lead to freedom and new power.” 

Huh. He thought he was done with this stuff.

-

Present Day, 202X

'And Yu has been a thorn in my side ever since.'  He muses to himself. He turns off the hair dryer and attempts to tame his hair, his mind wandering as he does so. 

He'll never say it out loud, but Yu is truly one of the greatest friends he has ever had. He had been hesitant to let him in at first, wary of his "wildcard" status. After all, his past interactions with a wildcard had been...tumultuous...traumatic, even. At the beginning, he had been constantly waiting for him to show his true colors. He was almost positive that Yu would betray him in some way. After all, every persona user he had met until that point - minus Yoshizawa and Okumura, but he had been friends with them before they awakened to their powers - had done something to cause him harm. Yu, however, consistently surprised him with how genuine he was in his kindness. Eventually, Goro had to accept that Yu was trustworthy, because he had zero evidence that said otherwise. By extension, he grew to trust Yu's friends/teammates...even Hanamura. 

"Fuck this." He mutters, angrily glaring at his reflection. His hair is not going to cooperate today, it seems. He grabs a hair tie and throws it into a ponytail. It's far too early to do his regular primping. He doesn't even have time for any makeup - one of the few parts of his routine that he had carried over from his Detective Prince days. The routine is comfortable, and he looks damn good in winged eyeliner. 

He glances at his watch and curses. He's going to be about five to ten minutes late -something that Yu will definitely give him shit for. Despite his usually lax attitude, his older friend is all about punctuality. He'd better rush, otherwise he'll never hear the end of it. 

-

'Well, so much for only being five or ten minutes late.' He rolls his eyes to himself as he ducks behind a pillar in the train station - pretending as if his heart isn't beating out of his chest from panic. He quickly pokes his head out to confirm who he had just seen. A quick glance is all he needs. There stands Makoto Nijima in a police uniform. She stands, stiff as a board, eyes scanning the small crowd of early risers also boarding the train out of Shinjuku.

'I can't believe she actually became a cop.' Goro wrinkles his nose, the irony of the situation not lost on him. 'If I weren't so scared of her recognizing me, I'd probably laugh out loud at the absurdity of it.'

He needs to act naturally. Continuing to hide behind this pillar will make him look more suspicious. He steps out from behind the pillar and looks down at his phone, both to text Yu to let him know that he'll be late and to use his hair to cover his face. The sunglasses help too, but he feels better with the added layer of coverage.

Thankfully, at that moment, the train arrives, and he rushes on board - successfully evading the younger Nijima sister. 

Today 5:59 am

Goro Akechi: Apologies, I am running a few minutes behind. I am at the train station right now. I should arrive shortly.

Yu Narukami: how many times have i told u to stop typing like an old man

Yu Narukami: also

Yu Narukami: SHAME SHAME SHAME SHAME SHAME 

Yu Narukami: they say time is gold and UR WASTING MY MONEY

Yu Narukami: *tomato emoji* *tomato emoji* *tomato emoji* 

Goro Akechi: Who is "they"? Also, would it kill you to send everything in one message? Also, you’re 5 years my senior. You should be setting a good example for me by typing properly.

Goro Akechi: Stop throwing tomatoes at me. 

Yu Narukami: nah

Yu Narukami: r u accusing me of being a bad senpai ༼ ༎ຶ ෴ ༎ຶ༽

Yu Narukami: also ur a hypocrite!!!!

Yu Narukami: filthy double texter

Goro Akechi: Dear God, that emoticon is horrifying. Also, please stop referring to yourself as my senpai. I’ve told you that I refuse to call you that. I'm not Kujikawa. 

Yu Narukami: ༼ ༎ຶ ෴ ༎ຶ༽ my kohai is so mean to me :(

Yu Narukami: brb filing a grievance against u as we speak

Goro Akechi: It’s astounding that one of the most fearsome and powerful persona users I have ever met is such a man-child.

Yu Narukami is typing……

Goro huffs out a small laugh and shakes his head as he locks his phone. He briefly forgets about seeing Nijima and tries to push down any thoughts or memories that start popping up. The train should be stopping in Ichigaya soon. It’s only one stop over from where he lives in Shinjuku.

When Goro first started working as a Shadow Operative, he lived in the compound that the Kirijo Group had built to house their employees. Outfitted with well-furnished and decent-sized apartments, restaurants, stores, a park, and other necessities, Goro had little reason to ever leave the compound. Everything he ever needed was there within walking distance. He had been fine, living in his little bubble until his therapist burst it a few months ago.

‘Akechi-kun,’ she had said in her stupid, fake nice voice that she used before hitting you with an absolutely diabolical statement, ‘I fear that you’re becoming a shut-in. Avoiding the outside world won’t help you heal from your trauma. I think moving out of the compound will help with that. It's important that you're exposed to triggers in your day-to-day life. It's how you overcome the fear."

Of course, Goro didn’t have to listen to her suggestion. But as much as he hates to admit it, that woman hadn’t led him astray thus far. In fact, she has done so much to help him that he struggles to put it into words.

Goro contemplated her suggestion for a whole month. Every time she brought it up in their weekly sessions, he would brush her off or change the subject. Finally, he broached the topic himself. The next thing he knew, he was exposing himself to his triggers daily. “Prolonged Exposure Therapy” is what Kimura-san called the method. Goro had been very skeptical at first. Kimura-san spent many sessions rationalizing the approach to him and even sent him studies researching the efficacy of the method. She explained that avoidance of his triggers and memories reinforces his fears, which causes him to experience symptoms of trauma: hypervigilance, nightmares, anxiety, depression, anger issues, dissociation, distrust of others- the list goes on and on.

When Goro agreed to try the method, he quickly regretted it. Kimura-san asked him to describe “the incident” in excruciating detail. She called this “imaginal exposure.” She had him repeat it multiple times, asking questions the whole time. ‘What emotions were you experiencing? What thoughts were going through your head? How did Kurusu react? Can you remember any smells? What did the room look like?” They did this every session until something broke in him.

-5 months ago-

Tenko Kimura’s POV

“You’re doing very well, Akechi-kun. Can you describe in detail what you were feeling in that moment? What were you experiencing in your body? In your mind?" She asks calmly.

Tenko observes Akechi's body language. She has been working as a therapist for two years now, and she recently obtained her full license. In her two years of practicing, she has never had a client quite like Akechi-kun. Obviously, every client is different- but she can usually tell by the third session whether or not a client is going to stick around and put in the effort. Clients will either be ready and raring to go, taking her suggestions and utilizing the coping skills she teaches. Others will obviously not be ready to speak with her and will drop out after a few weeks.

With Akechi-kun, she has no idea where his head is. She couldn’t tell you how many sessions they have had at this point, but she has been seeing him for about 3 months. He is very closed off, and yet he keeps coming back to his sessions. In fact, he hasn’t missed a single one. It’s not unheard of for patients to have to cancel or reschedule, but Akechi is here every Wednesday at 2 pm like clockwork.

She has discussed his case at length with her superior. Being fully licensed, she doesn’t have to report to a supervisor. However, consultation with more experienced professionals is never frowned upon in this field. And in this case, she feels like she needs as much guidance as she can get. 

‘Be patient, Tenko-chan,’ her superior advised, giving her a warm smile,’ From what you’re telling me, he wants to be here but is hesitant about opening up. Give it time and keep building rapport with him.’

And so she has been waiting patiently, building rapport, and using self-disclosure when appropriate. Over time, Tenko has picked up on some things. One: Akechi has a bad habit of biting the inside of his mouth. Whenever he spaces out, she notices him making odd movements with his mouth. She was puzzled by it at first, and then she realized what he was doing. He compulsively bites on the inside of his cheeks. It is a body-focused repetitive behavior, similar to how people with OCD will compulsively pick at their skin or pull out their hair. She doesn't think he is aware that he's doing it at all, and has made note that he tends to do it when he seems stressed and uncomfortable. 

Two: Akechi tends to catch himself before revealing too much about himself. She has observed him stop himself mid-sentence, his eyes widening and cheeks flushing when he is close to disclosing something significant. He breaks eye contact and suddenly becomes very interested in whatever he can see outside of the window. If it weren't so frustrating, she would find it amusing. She's so eager for them to have a breakthrough, and sometimes she feels like she's on the edge of her seat right before he realizes that he's about to reveal "too much." It's like ending a book on a dramatic cliffhanger. 

Three: While he’s actively avoiding her gaze, she sees his vulnerability. It’s like he is bursting to talk about whatever is on his mind, but he won’t allow himself even a second to be vulnerable. In these moments, she sees him for who he is. A scared, traumatized young man who has been dealt a terrible hand in life. He tried very hard to portray himself as a well-adjusted and mature person, but as she gazes at his side profile, he looks incredibly young yet exhausted.

Their session today started normally. It’s a cold, overcast day in November. They had just finished discussing Akechi’s homework from last week. Along with the Imaginal Exposure, Akechi is assigned homework to do what is called “In-Vivo” Exposure (or real-life exposure), where he will purposefully expose himself to upsetting situations that remind him of the trauma.

The goal of his therapy is to reduce his overwhelming fear of firearms. When Akechi joined the Shadow Operatives, he had refused to even be in the same room as an Evoker. Unfortunately for him, that is the only way to summon a Persona as a Shadow Operative these days. So, Kirijo-san required him to attend therapy, much to his chagrin. He was very resistant at first, understandably angry that he was being forced into the sessions. However, there is a noticeable difference between the first round of Imaginal exposure and now. Akechi is a client who would be considered “under-engaged.” While recalling the traumatic event, he is typically very stoic, almost robotic. His facial expression doesn't change, and he seems almost bored. In this session, however, something has shifted.

Tenko has noticed how his eyes are darting around the room. His leg is bouncing erratically, and he's fidgeting with his hands. Specifically, he keeps glancing at her dry-erase board on the wall. She's not sure what has him so interested in it. All she has written on there is today's date, November 20th, and a quote:

"The valor that struggles is better than the weakness that endures". -Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel

Tenko lets the silence linger for a moment before saying,” Akechi-san, you are safe here. The memory cannot hurt you. You aren’t in the engine room. You are sitting across from me in my office on the Kirijo compound. Nobody can harm you here.”

Tenko notices his hands clench and unclench. She notices that he is trembling slightly. She hears him mutter something to himself, but she can’t make out what he said.

“Do you mind repeating that, Akechi-san? I couldn’t hear you.” She urges.

'Are we about to have a breakthrough? Is today the day?' She unconsciously leans forward in her seat, gripping her pen and pad of paper tightly in anticipation. 

“I’m...safe?” He says quietly, not looking up from his hands.

“Yes, Akechi-san. You are safe.” She smiles gently, encouraging the thought.

There is another moment of silence before something unexpected happens.

He starts laughing? Tenko stares at her client, watching as he almost doubles over in laughter.

'Well,' she thinks to herself,’ this is quite unexpected.’ She leans back in her chair, crossing one leg over the other. 

“Akechi-san? What’s so funny about what I said?” She inquires, notebook in lap- ready to start taking notes.

Her client takes a few deep breaths, trying to regain his composure before replying.

"I'm safe? I haven't been safe a single day of my fucking miserable life. What a goddamn joke." He says bitterly. 

She says nothing, waiting for him to continue. She does, however, take note of his red, watery eyes. 

Oh boy, does he continue. 

“My own mother didn’t want me. We both would’ve been better off if she had aborted me. Instead, we lived in poverty, and she brought home perverts every night. I know it was to pay the bills, but god-“ he rubs at his face with. “ I was so scared for her and myself. I had to wait in the bathhouse down the street from our apartment until they left. When I’d come home, she’d be passed out on the couch, and I’d have to take care of her because I was terrified she would die in her sleep. I had read that people could die by choking on their vomit while they're sleeping, so I would stay up all night to make sure she would wake up in the morning. Then she fucking-“ he choked for a second, squeezing his eyes shut, “ she fucking killed herself. I found her body in our damn bathtub after I got home from school. She abandoned me and left me to deal with the aftermath. She had to have known that I would be the one to find her body." The young man chokes slightly on his words. "Why did she do that to me?"

He continues, pressing the palms of his hands against his eyes. "And don't get me started on the fucking child welfare system. They're the biggest joke of them all. They don't give a shit about what happens to kids like me. All of the foster parents only wanted one thing - money. Money that was supposed to be used to take care of me, but they would use it on their own selfish desires."

She puts her notepad to the side, feeling as if trying to take notes would both inhibit her ability to listen and would also be in poor taste. 

"Were all of the foster homes bad?" She asks quietly. 

He snorts. "Yep. Every single one of them. I was treated like dirt. They'd withhold food, I'd be forced to clean until my skin was chapped, dry, and bleeding, and some of them would beat the shit out of me for breathing too loud." 

'We have gotten way off track, but I don't care one bit. This is the most emotion I've seen from him since we started.' 

"You didn't deserve that treatment, Akechi-kun. No child does. I'm so sorry that you had to go through that." She responds gently - knowing that her words will do little to soothe the storm inside the younger man. But all she has right now are words, and she needs him to keep talking. It's important that he gets all of these thoughts out of his head. It's the best way to begin processing what happened to him. 

His face goes blank, startling her. His neck and face are still quite red from anger, and his breathing is slightly labored - but his expression is now void of emotion. It's like a switch flipped. 

"Kimura-san...how confidential are these sessions?" He asks her, his voice low and his eyes flickering to her long forgotten notepad. 

"Completely confidential." She replies immediately. "Unless you express to me that you're going to hurt yourself or someone else. My notes are personal and are for my eyes only. I only inform Kirijo-san that you are regularly attending your sessions, as she is the one requiring your attendance." 

He nods shallowly. 

"There was one foster home that wasn't so bad." He continues, his voice softer. However, his hands begin to slightly shake in his lap. He curls them into fists in an attempt to stop the trembling. "The Fujimori’s were my 8th foster family. I was 12 years old at the time. Eight foster homes in the span of 3 years is quite the turnover rate, huh?” He continues, still blank in both voice and expression. “I never got beaten there. I always had food, clean clothes, and I only had to do basic chores. It was paradise compared to the previous placements. It felt too good to be true."

Something tells her that it was, indeed, too good to be true. 

“Mr. Fujimori and Mrs. Fujimori were quite nice to me. They were even considering adopting me. Mr. Fujimori was especially fond of me. Buying me presents, making my favorite foods, taking me to fun places like the arcade or movie theater… we spent a lot of time together.” Akechi’s eyes seem to glaze over the more he recalls his time with this foster family. 

Tenko observes the change in his eyes and feels a pit form in her stomach.

'I really hope this isn't going the way that I think it's going.' 

Her pleas go unanswered. 

“He liked me a little too much...if you know what I mean." 

Tenko feels her heart drop to her stomach, but she doesn’t stop him from continuing.

"I don't think I need to explain to you what he would do to me those nights, Kimura-san." He says bluntly. 

She nods slowly, processing the information that had just been thrown at her. 

'There is SO much to unpack here. This goes so much further than the engine room incident.' She studies the young man across from her. He had calmed down on his own, which makes her incredibly proud. Clearly, he has taken some of her suggestions to heart and has applied the calming skills she taught him. Now, he looks composed and poised, as if nothing had happened. 

'Is it a testament to the effectiveness of the calming skills, or can it be attributed to years of having to wear a mask of calm and indifference?' 

He suddenly shifts awkwardly in his seat, and she realizes that she's been staring at him for an uncomfortably long time. She chuckles nervously and fixes her slumped posture. 

"A-Apologies, Akechi-kun. I was taking all of the information in." She softens her expression. "Thank you, Akechi-kun."

He furrows his brow. "For what?"

"For trusting me!" She replies earnestly. 

His face turns an interesting shade of red, and he looks away from her - grumbling something unintelligible under his breath. Something about death? Rank 3? She blinks in confusion, and he seems to notice. 

"Ah...don't worry about it." He awkwardly reassures her, waving his hand dismissively. 

Present Day, 202X

The sound of the automated voice announcing the train’s arrival at Ichigaya snaps him out of his thoughts. Goro steps off the train and starts making his way towards the fishing spot.

'Therapy has actually been helpful...not that I'll ever admit that out loud. Don't want an "I told you so" from Kirijo.' Goro muses to himself. Eight months ago, even the thought of being on a train would send him into a panic attack. It's greatly improved his quality of life. Traveling everywhere via taxi had been very inconvenient. Don't get him started on how expensive it had been, either. 

He can smell the fishing spot before he can see it. Nothing like the rank smell of fish invading your nostrils to really wake you up in the early morning. He's not a fan of this activity at all. However, it's one of Yu's favorite spots in the city. He says it reminds him of home. Thankfully, Yu doesn't drag him here too often because Goro is terrible at fishing, and Yu likes to fish at the ass-crack of dawn. Yu usually has to make up for Goro’s bad time by bringing him breakfast and coffee. It’s a decent trade-off.

It's also one of Yu's favorite stress-relieving activities, which makes Goro worry about how their time together will go. It's no secret that their job is dangerous, but two people died yesterday while in the Metaverse. To his knowledge, no one from the Kirijo Group has died in the Metaverse for many years. 

Goro pays the admission fee to enter the fishing spot. Finding Yu isn’t hard. He’s the only person here besides an old man sitting at the other end of the dock. Yu is looking down at his phone, a strange expression on his face. He notices Goro walking towards him and hurries to put his phone in his pocket, schooling his expression.

“Hey! There’s my favorite kohai!” Yu says too loudly. The old man glares in their direction and mutters something to himself while shaking his head.

Goro rolls his eyes at his associates’ antics and then glares at him.

“It’s too early for you to have this much energy,” Goro grumbles, plopping down on the crate next to him.

Yu hands him his breakfast, two onigiri, and his coffee. Goro takes a sip of the coffee and makes an almost pleased sound.

“This… isn’t terrible.” Goro remarks, taken off guard. Most coffee he's had for the past 5 years hasn’t been up to his standards, but he chokes it down for the caffeine.

He doesn't miss Kurusu. He just misses his coffee. Really. 

“I’ve been learning how to brew it,” Yu says casually. He suddenly grins. “Not terrible, huh? That’s pretty high praise coming from you.” He jokes, elbowing Goro in a friendly manner.

“You made this?” Goro asks in surprise. The coffee is a bit weak, and the flavor profile is a bit bland, but with work, it could be really great. 

“Yeah. I got tired of watching you try to make decent coffee for yourself with that fancy setup you have. So I wanted to have a go at it.” Yu’s shit-eating grin softens. “I’m glad you like it.”

“It’s acceptable.”

“You’re such a prickly bitch.” Yu shoves his shoulder lightly, laughing all the while. “Now,” he says while cracking his knuckles, “let’s get fishin’! I bet I’ll catch more than you!”

“Shut it. We both know that you’ll catch more-"

He is cut off by Yu reeling in an Inaba Trout, looking quite proud of himself. 

What a show-off. 

Chapter Text

-One Day Prior-

Mitsuru’s POV

She already has a headache. 

Akihiko, Yukari, Junpei, and Fuuka had invited her out for lunch. Rarely does she ever get to indulge in something as mundane as having lunch with her friends. Her schedule is simply too busy. Meetings, paperwork, more meetings, public appearances, even more meetings...

She's quite tired, and she had really been looking forward to eating lunch with her friends. 

They had only been sitting at the table for about 10 minutes, chatting happily with each other and checking in when her ringtone cut through the niceties like a knife. All of them stiffened at the same time - their eyes darting back and forth between her cell phone and her face. 

She stares at the screen - Zenkichi Hasegawa. Her heart drops. 

'He rarely calls me.' She worries. 

Junpei, of course, breaks the silence first:

"You gonna answer that?" 

He asks the question warily, an undertone of "please don't answer that"  hidden beneath his words. 

Akihiko leans over and gazes down at her phone screen. He flinches. 

"Hasegawa-san, huh?" He reads the name of the caller aloud. The rest of them groan. 

Hasegawa is known to be rather independent. She cannot say this out loud, but he is one of her favorite employees because he never bothers her. He does his job, and he does it well. He needs little to no guidance or correction, and he only reports directly to her when necessary. 

For him to be calling her...

She sighs, picks up her phone, and answers the call. 

Immediately, chaos ensues. 

The background noise coming through her phone speaker is nearly deafening. She cringes and holds her phone a few inches away from her ear. The rest of the group watches on with unrestrained interest - eyes wide at the unpleasant sounds coming from her cell phone. 

The sounds of yelling, crying, things being slammed...it sounds like something she really doesn't want to deal with right now. 

"Kirijo-san! I'm sorry to bother you, but we really need you in the conference room!" She hears the sound of glass shattering in the background. His voice becomes even louder. "It's urgent! Please come quickly!" 

He abruptly hangs up - leaving her with what feels like whiplash. She gingerly sets her phone back down on the table, as if she's handling a bomb. 

"Well." She stands from her chair. "I suppose our lunch plans will have to wait."

"What do you think happened?" Yukari asks, wringing her hands nervously. 

"Nothin' good, that's for sure." Akihiko snorts, but gazes at her with concern. "You want me to come with you?"

"We can all go! I'm dyin' of curiosity over here!" Junpei exclaims, jumping up from his seat. 

She calmly holds up a hand. "That won't be necessary. You all stay here. Enjoy your lunch. We can try again another day."

Junpei groans in disappointment. "Maaaannn... I wanted the tea."

Aki furrows his brow. "Tea? What does tea have to do with what's going on in the conference room?"

Yukari chuckles. "Senpai, you're such an old man. It's slang for-"

She takes the opportunity to make her exit. She fast walked towards the main building, her heels clicking loudly against the sidewalk. A few other Shadow Operatives look as if they want to stop her for a quick chat, but perhaps her expression deters them from doing so. 

A flight of ideas runs through her head. 

'What in the world happened? Did someone die-' 

No.

She shakes her head, trying to shake the thought out of her head. She cannot think that way. They hadn't lost anyone since 2011, when the Shadow Operatives were still in their infancy. She's taken innumerable measures - created so many safeguards - to prevent any more deaths. They've been effective for years. They wouldn't, they can't, fail now. Not after everything she's worked for. She's worked so hard to make amends for her grandfather's sins. She has fought tooth and nail to rework and rebuild the Kirijo Group's reputation. Through her hard work, the company has flourished. 

Whatever crisis has occurred, she will take care of it. She has to take care of it. 

The elevator dings, and the doors open up to the third floor. Immediately, she can hear the ruckus from the conference room. She hurries down the hallway, almost running. Through the glass walls of the conference room, she takes in the chaos. The head of research and development, a usually very reserved and calm man, is red (and almost purple) in the face and yelling at Hasegawa. Many other members of R&D are either crying or pacing back and forth. Amagi sits at the glass table, staring blankly down at her lap, while Narukami attempts to calm a crying Kujikawa. Most members of the Board are present, also yelling at each other. She spots flowers surrounded by broken glass scattered across the floor - likely the source of the sound she heard on the phone earlier. 

'Is it too late to go home and go back to bed?' 

Instead of giving in to her desire to turn on her heel and walk away, she throws open the conference room door. 

The room goes silent upon her entrance. 

She suppresses a smirk. That never gets old. 

She keeps her expression stone cold. 

"Everyone, please have a seat. Let's discuss this like civilized individuals, shall we?" 

Everyone scrambles to their seats, effectively cowled by their Boss’s calm but cutting words. 

She saunters to the head of the table, every eye in the room on her. She doesn’t bother sitting down, knowing that she will likely have to stand anyway to avoid losing the room. 

“Hasegawa.” Her gaze lands on the older man,” Were you able to gain any insight on what could have possibly caused such hysteria?” 

The bespectacled man clears his throat awkwardly, “Ah, well… Kirijo-san. It appears a researcher was killed in the Metaverse.” 

Her blood runs cold. 

Oh. 

Oh no. 

The possibility had crossed her mind, but she had quickly dismissed the idea. Her blood, sweat, and tears have gone into ensuring that nothing like this would ever happen. 

But she had failed. All of her hard work. All of the years she poured into every regulation, every safeguard. It had all been for nothing. 

Unfortunately, she doesn’t have time to falter here. Dozens of eyes gaze upon her, anxiously awaiting her response. 

“Who was lost?” She asks quietly. 

The Head of R&D speaks. “Hana Matsumoto. Age 27.” 

Another woman - definitely another researcher, based on her uniform - sobs quietly into her hands. 

Her chest tightens, and her hands clench into fists. An older Board Member eyes her, clearly unimpressed with the minuscule show of emotion. 

“Does she have family that we need to contact?” 

“Her emergency contacts are her parents, Nanami Matsumoto and Hayate Matsumoto, ages 58 and 59, respectively. They don’t live in the compound.” 

Another Board Member, Minato Shimura, scoffs. “Why are we avoiding the elephant in the room? What happened on that mission?” 

She cuts her eyes at him. Shimura has been a thorn in her side for years. He’s rude, abrasive, terrible to work with, and worst of all - a bigot. If it were up to her, he would have been gone years ago. Unfortunately, she has little to no say over the selection of the Kirijo Group’s board. The nomination and selection process is left up to the shareholders and existing members of the board. She has voiced her opinions on the man multiple times to the board, and while a handful of them agree with her, the majority tend to vote against reprimanding the man or removing him from his duties. 

She cuts her eyes at her. “Shimura-san. A young woman had her life taken far too soon. Ensuring that she is honored to the fullest capacity is my priority at this time. It’s the least I can do as head of the Kirijo Group.” She turns to address the room. “I will visit her family personally to deliver the news of her passing. The Kirijo Group will pay for the entirety of whatever service they choose to have for her.” 

“They’ll have questions, Kirijo-san!” The Head of R&D exclaims, slamming his hands on the table. “How are you going to explain this to them? That their daughter died in a dangerous, alternate pocket dimension on a route mission? That her body wasn’t recovered because a shadow monster devoured it?” 

‘You ask me that as if I haven’t been contemplating the same thing.’

”The general public cannot be made aware of the existence of the Metaverse. I will be unable to give them all of the details of their daughter’s passing, and I am ready to face their ire for that.” She sighs. “Every employee who volunteers for a mission in the Metaverse signs a waiver acknowledging the danger they are putting themselves in, and, in the event of their death, we cannot give their loved ones details of the event. Matsumoto knew about and accepted this possibility, yes?” 

"B-But, Kirijo-san! No one has died in the Metaverse in years!" The tearful researcher chokes out between sobs, frantically wiping her tears. "No one expects to actually die on these missions!" 

"With all due respect," Narukami says before she can respond to the distraught woman. "The danger has always existed. There's a reason Kirijo-san has set up the 2:1 ratio for the escort missions. Two Shadow Operatives for every researcher available. The reason no one has died is because of these tight regulations. And let's not forget that we have a hospital on site for a reason. Just because no one has died doesn't mean that these missions aren't dangerous. They've always been dangerous. Everyone on my team has had a stint in the hospital more than once." 

"Don't talk down to me!" The researcher snaps at him. 

He blinks at her, clearly taken off guard. "I wasn't? I was just stating a fact." 

"You're implying that we don't take these things seriously." Another researcher speaks up. "As if Hana-chan deserved what happened to her."

Narukami's jaw drops. "Are you kidding me? When did I ever say that?"

"You operatives," A third researcher practically spits out the word, "think you're all so high and mighty. If they," he points at Kujikawa and Amagi, who both flinch at the attention, "had done their job, Hana-chan would still be here!"

"That's enough!" 

Every head in the room turns back to her. 

"These baseless accusations are completely inappropriate." She cuts her eyes at the three researchers. "If these were normal circumstances, I would have you three suspended without pay for a week." Their boss, the Head of R&D, opens his mouth to argue, but she holds up a patient hand to stop him. "However, as these are not normal circumstances, I am willing to chalk this behavior up to you all expressing your grief. So, I will only require that you three report to the Counseling Center sometime this week and issue a genuine apology to Narukami, Kujikawa, and Amagi-san. Am I understood?"

They all grumble some more under their breath, but hesitantly nod in agreement. 

"In times like these, we need to come together to support one another. If we're all divided, how are we to come to a solution? Now isn't the time for us versus them." She makes eye contact with each individual in the room. "We'll all band together to come up with a plan to prevent this from happening in the future." She turns her gaze to Amagi and Kujikawa. "Now, would either of you care to explain what went wrong on this mission? Please, leave out no details."

Kujikawa's eyes dart nervously around the room - still clearly spooked by whatever had occurred earlier today. 

"The truth is, Kirijo-san..." Amagi starts, "We don't really know what happened. It was so fast..." Her lip trembles, but she maintains her composure.

"Tell us what you can, Amagi-san. Every detail is important." 

She nods. "Everything was going smoothly. Matsumoto-san had collected the data she needed, and we were on our way back to the entrance. It was just a simple mission to escort her to gather data on Shadow Activity in that pocket of the Metaverse. I've been on these types of missions dozens of times and have never had any issues." 

"I-It came out of nowhere, Kirijo-san," Kujikawa interjects, her eyes wide. "Kouzeon didn't detect it at all until it was right on us." 

"We didn't even see it attack Matsumoto-san. One second, she was right behind us - flipping through her notes - and then she was just...gone." 

"Did you all get a good look at whatever it was? What about its reading once it was upon you?" She asks. 

"It was huge, Kirijo-san. As large as a building." Amagi says. "A-And it kept changing shape. I've never seen a shadow change shape like that before! It was so rapid that it was hard to keep track of it." 

"Its reading was weird." Kujikawa cuts in. "It felt like it kept flickering in and out of existence, but it remained right before our eyes."

"Are you sure it was a shadow?" A researcher asks, their interest piqued. 

Kujikawa nods hesitantly. "I...I think so? It definitely wasn't human. And it didn't feel like Izanami or any of the other gods we fought in the past." She fidgets, looking unsure of herself. "If I'm being totally honest, and I know this sounds odd, but it also kind of felt like a persona?" 

Once again, the room descends into chaos.

"A rogue persona user?"

"Right under our noses?"

"This is outrageous!"

"Could it be that group?" 

"Perposterous! They haven't set foot in the Metaverse since 2017! We've been keeping track!" 

"Quiet!" 

The room falls silent again. However, before she can even begin, she is cut off by Shimura.

"Kirijo-san, don't you think it's the perfect time to bring the Phantom Thieves into this operation?"

Several eyes zero in on him immediately. 

"Absolutely not." Narukami grits out between his teeth. Amagi, Kujikawa, and several others nod in agreement. 

"Things are getting out of hand, Kirijo-san!" The stubborn Board Member argues. "If we have a rogue persona user on our hands, wouldn't it be prudent to bring on more strong persona users to combat the issue? It would also allow us to monitor their activity, unlike the last time they were active."

Mitsuru sighs, “We have had this discussion countless times, Shimura-san. We are not bringing in the Phantom Thieves. Allowing them access to the Metaverse is not an option. They’re too unpredictable.”

'I cannot let them have access to the Metaverse. It's my duty to ensure that it never falls into the wrong hands ever again.' 

"Are you content with letting this monster roam free then? What about our employees working out of Base Kiko? They're in danger, and you're willing to let your pride and morals get in the way of their safety?" Another Board Member and one of Shimura's allies, Riku Hatake, accuses. 

Inwardly, she flinches. 

'I didn't even think about Base Kiko. They are absolutely right about that. Everyone there is in danger. We need to get them out immediately.'

"As soon as this meeting is over, we will make contact with Base Kiko and put in an evacuation order. I will be sending in a team to escort them out of that pocket of the Metaverse as soon as possible." She replies coolly, so as not to let them see that they had rattled her a bit. 

"That's all well and good," Hatake replies, "But it doesn't change the fact that there are nine young and healthy persona users right here in Tokyo that we could recruit, and you are refusing to do so!" 

"Everyone in this room knows why I am refusing to recruit the Phantom Thieves. Besides, there are other persona users all over the world. We do not need the Phantom Thieves. We have six arriving later this week from America.” She explains.

"Then why not recruit Haru Okumura or Sumire Yoshizawa?" Shimura asks. "They're perfectly capable and were not closely associated with the Phantom Thieves." 

"Because protecting the secret that Goro Akechi is alive is a high priority," Narukami answers for her. "And he has requested that they not be involved, and we intend to respect his wishes."

"His wishes," Hatake snorts. "You all have put too much value on what that kid says and wants. How can we be so sure that what he says about the Phantom Thieves is true? He's not what I would call trustworthy." 

Mitsuru resists the urge to pound her head against the table. She anticipated this argument from someone, but was hoping that it would not arise. While it is true that Akechi isn’t exactly a team player- preferring to act on his own, not following orders, and mouthing off to superiors- he did not lie in his reports about the Phantom Thieves. She is positive about this. 

"Oh shut up about Goro, Hatake. You've had it out for him ever since he turned you down for a coffee date when he first started - which was years ago, might I point out." Narukami says calmly, typing away at his laptop without even glancing up.

'Here we go.' She inwardly rolls her eyes. Narukami is incredibly protective of his team - especially the youngest member, Goro Akechi. Mitsuru suspects that he has feelings for the young man. Given how Amagi and Kujikawa glance slyly at each other, she suspects that she's right on the money. 

The younger board member turns an interesting shade of red and purple, sputtering indignantly. "H-How dare you! Kirijo-san, are you going to let him speak to me that way? Is this how you allow your team leaders to act?"

Narukami calmly closes his laptop to stare the other man in the eye. 

‘Hmm. Should I intervene?’ She ponders, sipping her coffee as she observes Narukami.

He presents himself as composed and quiet, but anyone who knows him well enough knows that he can be incredibly menacing when provoked. He is loyal to a fault, often getting in trouble with higher-ups for defending his teammates. Mitsuru recognizes the look in his eyes, and she knows he is about to tear Hatake a new one if she doesn’t stop him. Although his statement isn’t incorrect. Just because Mitsuru isn’t always present at the Tokyo compound doesn’t mean she isn’t aware of company gossip. Hatake hadn't been quiet in his complaints about Akechi after he had rejected him. He wasn't above name-calling or trying his best to have Akechi fired after that. Mitsuru had many conversations with the man about the incident, but he would never fully cease his inappropriate behavior. 

He is another board member whom she has been fighting to be removed for years. Unfortunately, at this moment, she has to be a professional instead of a person. 

“Narukami.” She cuts in. He directs his glare at her, but she is impervious to his ire. “That comment was uncalled for. You will be receiving a strike point.”

She turns her gaze towards Hatake, who looks extremely smug. "Hatake-san.” She says coolly, watching the man’s smug grin fall from his face. "I am becoming quite tired of having to talk to you about your behavior towards Akechi. You have ruined most, if not all, of your credibility when it comes to criticism about him due to your past actions. So I am sure you will not be surprised that I am not going to take your opinion into account on the matter." 

She hears Narukami cough, likely trying to hide a laugh.

She continues. “Goro Akechi is trustworthy. I believe with my whole heart that he was truthful in his reports about the Phantom Thieves of Heart.” She recalls that meeting quite well. The boy, only 18 at the time, told his story almost robotically with a distant look in his eye that could not be faked. What he had been through with them had changed him fundamentally. 

-Approximately 5 Years Ago-

"Thank you for agreeing to meet with us, Akechi-kun. We must have a complete understanding of what occurred this past year in the Metaverse, and you're the only person trustworthy enough to tell us."

She sits in a chair next to his hospital bed, her laptop at the ready to take notes. Akihiko sits in another chair next to her, also ready to take his own notes to ensure that she doesn't miss anything.

The boy is a far cry from the polished Detective Prince she had seen on TV. His hair had become matted while he was in his thirty-four-day-long coma. She can see where he has made efforts to demat it himself, but he'll likely need assistance to work on the back of his head. She makes a mental note to ask Yukari or Kujikawa to assist him. His eyes, donned with heavy bags and dark circles, are still quite dull, but she supposes that is to be expected after you're told that you will have to relearn how to walk. 

He had woken up about two weeks ago, very scared and confused. If he had been able to stand from his bed, it is quite likely that he would have harmed some of the doctors and nurses. The doctors had reassured her that such a reaction isn't anything to be concerned about. Apparently, it's normal for a disoriented coma patient to wake up and act aggressively due to the amount of new stimuli, fear, and confusion they're experiencing. 

And Akechi had been absolutely terrified. 

'Where am I? Who are you people? Where's my dad? I want my dad! Why can't I move? Where's Muhen? Stay away from me! Get back!' 

Somehow, he had managed to get hold of a syringe and had been using it as a weapon, threatening to stab anyone who had come too close. They had to call in Aigis, who had luckily been at the compound and not on a mission, to subdue him since she is immune to being pierced. It had taken about three days of convincing him that they meant him no harm before he calmed down enough to have an actual conversation with him. 

After explaining his situation - that he had been found bleeding out and soaking wet outside of the diet building, that he had died for a few minutes before being revived by Aigis, that he had been in a coma for about a month, that he's now at a hospital owned by the Kirijo Group, and that everyone he knows now thinks that he is dead - he had gone completely silent. She had expected tears - perhaps even outrage. However, really, all he's done since learning of his circumstances is stare blankly at the wall or ceiling of his hospital room. 

She's honestly shocked that he had mutely agreed to speak with her today. Will he finally break his two-week-long silence?

"Akechi-kun, you personally knew the Phantom Thieves, correct? What can you tell us about their methods? How did they kill their targets?” 

He snorts, but continues to stare at the wall. 

"Is something funny, Akechi?" Akihiko inquires with a raised eyebrow. 

"Yeah." He says in an almost whisper. "I know all about their methods."

"How do you know about them?" Akihiko presses, a touch too accusatory for her liking. She cuts her eyes at her friend, but he doesn't back down. 

"I observed them very closely." The boy replies, his voice even. "I pretended to join them back in October, and they dragged me on their missions. I saw everything." 

"And what did you see?" She asks. 

"They'd locate their target in Mementos-"

"What is 'Mementos'?" Akihiko interrupts. 

"It's the Palace of the general public." 

"Palace?" 

Akechi groans in frustration, the first time he's shown emotion since his breakdown immediately after waking up. 

"Aren't you all the experts on the Metaverse? Do I really have to explain all of this?"

She shakes her head patiently. "Every iteration of the Metaverse is wildly different. We are attempting to document every version of it we come across. This is new to us."

"You all didn't know about Mementos?"

"We knew about it," Akihiko answers for her. "We spent months trying to find a way in." 

"It's like something was blocking us from entering." She elaborates. "Then, the day you woke up, it was gone." 

"That's a hell of a coincidence." Akechi deadpans. 

"We were hoping you'd offer some insight." She says. 

He shrugs. "Your guess is as good as mine. I was asleep for a month, after all." 

"We're off track." She says. "Akechi-kun, please explain what a Palace is."

He almost clinically explains that a Palace is a person's manifestation of their distorted desires. Only a very distorted person develops a palace, and other, less distorted individuals will have a 'room' in Mementos. In both Palaces and Mementos, a person's shadow can be encountered. 

"The Phantom Thieves would kill their target's shadow." He explains, looking haunted. "I saw it happen multiple times."

"And killing the person's shadow would cause them to die in reality." She finishes for him. 

He nods blankly, his eyes looking a little glassy. 

"Did you ever partake?" She asks reluctantly. 

He shakes his head, and relief floods her system. 

"I'd just stand and watch. They'd try to goad me into it. Told me that the person deserved to die, and that I'd be doing the world a service. That I could carry out justice." He stares vacantly down at his hands, a very slight tremble in them. 

"Akechi-kun, what was your relationship with the Phantom Thieves?" Akihiko asks, more gently this time - sensing the boy's distress. 

The younger boy's hands twitch, and he looks stricken with grief for only a split second. If she had blinked, she would have missed it. 

"I became acquainted with them so I could more closely observe them." He answers robotically. "It was for my investigation. I needed to catch them. I was the only one who could."

"Why do you say that?" Akihiko asks. 

He blinks. “Until about two weeks ago, I thought myself, two of my friends, and the Phantom Thieves were the only persona users in the world. Who else was going to catch them if not me?” 

There’s a twinge of bitterness to his words, and she can’t say that she is too shocked. He likely feels that the Kirijo Group had left him to totally fend for himself against the Thieves. It’s a very reasonable conclusion for him to come to, given the information he has so far. 

‘This shouldn’t have been left up to him. Even if he has been a persona user for years, he was grossly outnumbered by them. No wonder he feels like we shirked our duties.’ 

“Akechi,” she begins, changing the topic, “it’s our understanding that you and Haru Okumura worked to counteract the Thieves. Can you tell us more about that?” 

“Haru and I would do our best to steal their requests from their website.” He explains. “If we thought the Thieves would target them, we’d steal their heart before they could murder them.” 

“How do you steal someone’s heart?” Akihiko asks. 

“For a regular shadow in Mementos, you don’t have to do much. Just their name being put up on the website made their treasure vulnerable to theft. It acted as the calling card. The Thieves were too stupid to realize this on their own, I suppose.” He muses bitterly. “If only they had paid more attention. They would have realized that they didn’t have to kill.”

"How did you learn to do this?"

His lips twitch upwards - the first sign of positive emotion since he's awoken. "I don't know if you'd believe me if I told you."

"Try us. We've seen our fair share of bizarre things in this line of work." She challenges. 

"A little boy named Jose told me. He drives a little car and collects flowers so that he can study humanity." 

She and Akihiko pause, unsure of how to respond. 

"Um, what-?"

”You seem to have a strong sense of justice, Akechi-kun.” She interrupts Akihiko to change the subject. “You’re very angry with The Phantom Thieves. Are you sure your relationship wasn’t more than just intel gathering? I get the sense that you were more involved with them than you're letting on.” 

He stares at the wall, his shoulders hunched up close to his ears.

”Does it really matter?” He asks quietly. 

“I suppose not.” She admits, but then speaks more gently. “It’s okay if you saw them as friends, Akechi. You’re not going to be lumped in with them or their crimes if you were. We want to understand everything that happened.” 

He’s silent for a long while. The young adult lies back onto his hospital bed and stares at the ceiling - his expression unreadable. She and Akihiko glance at each other, uneasy. 

‘A kid his age shouldn’t have that look in his eyes. He looks like someone who tries to hold the weight of the world on his shoulders.’ 

“I just wanted him- I mean, them, to be good people.” He finally whispers, his voice broken. 

She and Akihiko glance at each other. After years of friendship, they're able to communicate silently with just a glance. Both of them have the same resolve: 

’We're going to protect this kid, because it’s about time someone does.’ 

-Present Day-

"The team that will be assigned to evacuate Base Kiko will be led by Goro Akechi." She pauses, eyes scanning the room and silently challenging anyone to argue with her. When no one does, she continues. "Assigning him a team of his own has been on my agenda for a while, and this will be a good opportunity to assess his readiness. His teammates for the time being will be Yosuke Hanamura, Chie Satonaka, Hikaru Suzuki, and Rachel Lee, an American who recently transferred to the Tokyo branch. Their mission will be to assist in the evacuation of Base Kiko and also retrieve new technology that our researchers have been developing there."

She turns to the head of R&D. " Researchers, we will be allocating more funding to the special project you all are working on. You know what I speak of.” The man nods in acknowledgement. Next, she turns to Narukami and Hasegawa. "Please spread the word to other team leads that we will be restructuring teams to accommodate the recruits from other countries."