Archive of Our Own ^beta

It had been a long week, and Akechi was exhausted.

That wasn’t anything new, given the intensive nature of his graduate program — just because he had willingly, enthusiastically chosen it didn’t change that exhaustion seemed to be his permanent state of being for the moment. Thankfully, Akira’s job was just enough to support them both, so Akechi didn’t have to work on top of drowning in schoolwork.

Then again, Akira’s job was why his mood was so sour tonight.

If someone had told third-year high schooler Akechi that in six years he’d be in a perfectly happy, healthy, committed relationship, living with someone he loved, he would have been skeptical at best. If they’d told him that the moment his partner had to travel for work, he’d turn into little more than a sighing, lovelorn maiden from one of Makoto’s romance novels, he would have laughed.

And yet, here he was. Moping and sighing and counting the days until Akira came home.

This wasn’t the first time Akira had been called away for work, but it was the first time he’d had to travel internationally. International phone plans weren’t a luxury they could currently afford, and that meant a whole week of silence.

It had been less than 48 hours, and Akechi hated it. 

After everything they’d been through, not knowing if Akira was doing fine, or…the alternative Akechi refused to contemplate…made him anxious. Working for Interpol wasn’t the most dangerous job Akira could have, but it wasn’t the safest, either.

For their parts, their friends were going out of their way to keep the group chat busier than normal, in what Akechi assumed was an attempt to keep him from worrying. It wasn’t entirely successful, but he appreciated it nonetheless — sometimes he wondered why, as a teenager, he’d been so resistant to their repeated attempts to befriend him.

Then again, he’d done a lot of stupid things as a teenager that he preferred not to think about. Thankfully, even Ryuji and Futaba had stopped bringing any of that up a while ago, when they grew tired of Ann and Morgana constantly chiding them. 

For all his previous bluster and disparaging comments, Morgana in particular had become oddly protective of Akechi since he and Akira had moved in together. Akechi wasn’t entirely certain what had prompted it, whether it was a stern lecture from Akira, the amount of sushi Akechi brought home for Morgana, or something else entirely, but he much preferred Morgana’s friendship to enmity.

Shit. Speaking of enmity, he had forgotten to get the fatty tuna Morgana had begged for, and the cat was not going to be pleased.

Akechi glanced down at the stairs he’d just trudged up with an armful of groceries — the building’s elevator would be broken this week — and weighed Morgana’s wrath against the effort needed to avoid it before deciding Morgana was just going to have to deal with it.

He’d barely opened the door before there was the familiar jingling of a bell and a demand of, “Where’s my fatty tuna? I’m hungry!”

Morgana came bounding into the hallway, looking up at him with unfairly cute, wide-eyed anticipation as Akechi slid off his shoes. Akechi tended to consider himself unswayed by the cat’s annoying habit of looking cute to get what he wanted, but Akira was always quick to point out that the amount of money Akechi spent on fish for Morgana said otherwise.

Tonight, though, he was tired and annoyed, so he only felt the slightest twinge of guilt as he made his way into the kitchen and said simply, “I forgot. My apologies.”

“Oh, come on!” Morgana complained, jumping up on the counter and carefully placing himself precisely where Akechi was about to set the groceries. He pointedly ignored Akechi’s glare as he went on, “I only asked for one thing! How did you forget?”

“I’ve had a long day. Given that you don’t contribute to doing the household chores, I feel as though you’re only entitled to so much complaining,” Akechi scowled, setting the bags down behind Morgana and dropping the pile of mail next to him.

“I’m a cat, I can’t do chores!” Morgana protested. His face fell. “I just wanted some fatty tuna…”

Akechi sighed, the twinge of guilt turning into a sharp pang. “So long as you don’t tell Akira, I can be persuaded to share my sushi.”

“Yes!” Morgana exclaimed, beginning to purr. “What kind did you get? Tuna? Eel? Salmon roe??”

“Tempura.”

“Not my favorite, but I’ll allow it,” Morgana nodded.

“Your other option is your canned food,” Akechi reminded him, beginning to divvy up their portions.

“I’ll take the sushi!”

Morgana made to jump from the counter to the table as Akechi sat down, but slipped on the mail, ungracefully tumbling to the ground as the envelopes scattered around him. He whined, “Owwww…that hurt…”

“Are you alright?” Akechi asked, kneeling down to help Morgana right himself. 

“I’m fine,” Morgana nodded, beginning to groom himself in a thinly-veiled effort to regain his dignity. “Sorry about the mail…I kind of made a mess.”

Akechi sighed again, beginning to gather the envelopes littering the kitchen floor. Most of it looked like junk to throw away, but he dutifully picked everything up, dumping the pile onto the table so he could sort through it. As he sat back down, one piece of mail in the stack immediately caught his eye.

The striking red and black was reminiscent of the merchandise that had sprung up around the Phantom Thieves, making Akechi snort. That craze had — thankfully — died six years ago, so whatever idiot had designed this marketing campaign was a number of years late.

Akechi picked up the card, curious, and almost immediately dropped it.

It didn’t just evoke the Phantom Thieves’ calling cards.

It was one.

“What’s that?” Morgana asked, lowering the paw he was washing himself with. “It looks like one of our old calling cards.”

“Yes, it does,” Akechi nodded, stomach knotted with unease. “That’s what concerns me.”

“I mean, there were a lot of copycat cards made when there was the big merch craze,” Morgana said. “Maybe it’s just one of those?”

The logo on the side Akechi was looking at was identical to that of the former Phantom Thieves. Perhaps there was no cause for concern, perhaps one of his friends had found and sent it as a joke, perhaps…

He turned it over and felt his heart stop.

If this was a joke, it wasn’t funny.

“What’s it say?” Morgana demanded, jumping up onto the table.

“‘Sir Goro Akechi, the so-called detective of justice,’” Akechi read, mouth so dry he could barely get the words out. “‘You abandoned your duty to the law by stealing hearts alongside the Phantom Thieves. I...I will make you confess this crime with your own mouth.”

one week earlier

*hacker voice* i’m in: Yo, fives, listen up. A ten is speaking.

school’s out for...never: Ann is DEF a 10, but yeah, what’s up?

*hacker voice* i’m in: Our fearless leader has a request for us.

Fox in Socks: What do you require, Akira?

Secret Agent Man: Hold on, gotta start laundry and then I can explain.

✨ black like my soul ✨: Why isn’t Akechi in this chat?

*hacker voice* i’m in: Idk, I just do what Akira tells me to. He said no Akechi, so no Akechi.

✨ black like my soul ✨: How odd…I hope everything is alright!

FIST! OF! JUSTICE! v2.0: Futaba, what on earth is Haru’s name??

*hacker voice* i’m in: I literally haven’t slept in three days please give me a break.

Advanced Therapy™️: Are you alright??

*hacker voice* i’m in: I’m good I just have a lot of homework. Running low on HP…

what’s Gucci, fam?: Aren’t you studying cybersecurity? You’re like…already really good at hacking.

*hacker voice* i’m in: Damn right.

*hacker voice* i’m in: Still learning how to be really good at stopping other hackers though. So sleepy…

FIST! OF! JUSTICE! v2.0: Getting back to the original topic, Futaba, what are these names?

Advanced Therapy™️: Wasn’t the original topic helping senpai?

Fox in Socks: I admit I am curious about the nicknames as well. They are more nonsensical than any of the previous sets.

Secret Agent Man: …how many times have you guys been through this?

school’s out for...never: Uh…how many times do you think?

Secret Agent Man: Now I’m not sure I want to know.

FIST! OF! JUSTICE! v2.0: Probably for the best.

*hacker voice* i’m in: Haru’s is from like, ‘coffee black like my soul.’ You know, since she opened her cafe a couple months ago?

*hacker voice* i’m in: I’m out of brain cells. So that’s the best I could come up with. I’m just. Tired.

Fox in Socks: And mine?

*hacker voice* i’m in: You literally illustrate kid’s books on the side. You were Fox. Fox in Socks is a Dr. Seuss book.

*hacker voice* i’m: I now officially bequeath my question-answering duty to Ryuji. He’s a teacher, he can handle it.

school’s out for...never: Dude, I’m just a PE teacher. I’m not all-knowin’ or anything.

*hacker voice* i’m in: Fine, all questions go to Akira. Akira, you made me make this group chat, start talking.

Secret Agent Man: I actually just texted you one more logistic thing for the chat. Then I’ll start.

*hacker voice* i’m in: kk lemme check

…

*hacker voice* i’m in changed the group name to (Joker’s Gonna) Put a Ring on It

what’s Gucci, fam?: sdfms;;

FIST! OF! JUSTICE! v2.0: Ann, are you alright?

school’s out for…never: She damn near threw her phone across the room.

school’s out for…never: Tbh I’m surprised you guys can’t hear her screaming from across town.

Advanced Therapy™️: DOES THIS MEAN WHAT I THINK, SENPAI???

Advanced Therapy™️: Are you going to propose to Akechi-san?????

Secret Agent Man: I mean, why else would I have made a chat without him?

Secret Agent man: I’m DEFINITELY proposing.

what’s Gucci, fam?: ASDFKLFDS FUCKING FINALLY

what’s Gucci, fam?: I can’t fucking wait oh my god can I PLEASE help you plan the wedding????

Fox in Socks: I believe that requires Akechi accepting the proposal first.

FIST! OF! JUSTICE! v2.0: I highly doubt Akechi would say no.

Fox in Socks: A fair point.

✨ black like my soul ✨: So do you need help with that, Akira? I’m sure Makoto can give you some good advice! The way she proposed to me was so sweet.

Secret Agent Man: I could use a little help planning the proposal. I have an idea, but I’m not great at the details.

Advanced Therapy™️: Of course we’ll help!!!! This is so exciting!!!!

*hacker voice* i’m in: So what’s your idea?

Secret Agent Man: So I don’t want it to be like a typical cliché ‘nice dinner and a proposal’ thing. It’s gotta be bigger than that.

what’s Gucci, fam?: HUGE PROPOSAL YASSSSSSSSSSSS I’m so pumped!!!

school’s out for…never: Doesn’t he hate being the center of attention now that he ain’t on TV all the time?

what’s Gucci, fam?: Shut up! Don’t ruin this for them!!

Secret Agent Man: Nah, Ryuji’s right. It’s gonna be big in like, a lowkey way.

Fox in Socks: An intriguing dichotomy.

FIST! OF! JUSTICE! v2.0: Can you all stop interrupting? We can focus on details once we know the plan!

Secret Agent Man: I want to do some kind of scavenger hunt. You know, like have him stop by places that are important to us, and then I’ll be waiting at the end to propose!

Advanced Therapy™️: That’s so cute!!!!! And so sweet!! I love it!!!

*hacker voice* i’m in: There is absolutely no fucking way he’ll agree to that. Literally no fucking way.

✨ black like my soul ✨: Well, Akechi was a detective. I think he’d like following clues! And I agree with Sumire, it’s a very sweet idea!

Fox in Socks: Be that as it may, I think the difficulty would lie in getting him to start following the clues. I must agree with Futaba. I find it unlikely he would be inclined to go on a treasure hunt simply because he was told to.

*hacker voice* i’m in: Holy shit Inari agrees with me?? Maybe my point was bad…

Fox in Socks: Why do you still insist on antagonizing me?

*hacker voice* i’m in: You’re an easy target.

Secret Agent Man: I’m not just going to tell him to start running around Tokyo. That kind of takes the fun out of it. It’s supposed to be a surprise.

school’s out for…never: So how’re you gonna do it?

Secret Agent Man: Calling card.

school’s out for…never: Huh?

Secret Agent Man: I mean, we stole hearts with calling cards, right? It’s just…a different way of doing that.

Secret Agent Man: I’ll make one with some kind of clue on it. It’ll definitely pique his interest, so he’ll start investigating like, right away.

FIST! OF! JUSTICE! v2.0: Not to be a pessimist, but I can easily think of a number of ways that can go extremely poorly.

what’s Gucci, fam?: No I like it!!! Akechi and Akira met because Akechi was chasing the Phantom Thieves, and Akira TOTALLY already stole Akechi’s heart. It’s perfect!!

FIST! OF! JUSTICE! v2.0: I really think we should consider other options.

Advanced Therapy™️: How would we get the calling card to him, senpai?

Secret Agent Man: I figure someone could just drop it in the mailbox. He’s usually the one that checks the mail.

✨ black like my soul ✨: But if you were there when he found it, don’t you think that would make things a little harder? I think he would find it suspicious if a calling card turned up, and you hurried off not long after.

Fox in Socks: I imagine the simplest answer would be to arrange for Akira to not be present.

*hacker voice* i’m in: Okay but like, if they were inseparable in high school, they’re way worse now. That’s gonna be hard.

FIST! OF! JUSTICE! v2.0: Are we certain we don’t want to find another way to start this scavenger hunt?

school’s out for…never: What about Akira’s job?

Secret Agent Man: What about it?

school’s out for…never: I mean, can’t you just ‘have work stuff?’

Secret Agent Man: He’d probably still call me to tell me about it, and that doesn’t really get us anywhere either. I should probably be AWOL for most of it, or it’s gonna spoil it.

Advanced Therapy™️: I still think your job would work!

Advanced Therapy™️: Doesn’t the ‘inter’ part of Interpol stand for international? What if you said you were on a work trip to another country?

what’s Gucci, fam?: Ohhhhhh that’s a super good idea! And international phone plans are suuuuper expensive, so then it would make sense for him to not be able to talk to you!

what’s Gucci, fam?: Oh, but Akira would need a place to stay during this. Probably not any of our places, just to be safe.

Fox in Socks: I imagine Boss wouldn’t object to Akira staying either at his house or Leblanc for a day or so. Particularly given his fondness for both Akechi and Akira.

*hacker voice* i’m in: Yeah, I gotta agree with Inari again…Sojiro’s been expecting Akira to propose to Akechi for like…ever. Tbh he pretty much already considers Akechi ‘son #2’ so he’d be down to help.

Fox in Socks: I’m pleased we’re finally beginning to see eye-to-eye, Futaba.

*hacker voice* i’m in: Shut up! You’re just making weirdly good points. This isn’t a trend.

Secret Agent Man: I’ll text Sojiro once we have everything figured out. It’s that or a hotel, but I probably shouldn’t splurge on a hotel room if I’m not actually on a work trip.

FIST! OF! JUSTICE! v2.0: Not to sound like a broken record, but this is getting really out of hand very quickly.

FIST! OF! JUSTICE! v2.0: I know we’re all excited, but I don’t think a scheme involving a lie of that magnitude is a good idea.

✨ black like my soul ✨: But the whole idea is so thoughtful! Going to the places that matter to them, and honoring how they met…isn’t that like what you did for me?

FIST! OF! JUSTICE! v2.0: Even you too, Haru?

…

FIST! OF! JUSTICE! v2.0: I want to make it very clear I think this isn’t going to go as smoothly as we hope. But if this is what you really want to do, Akira…I’ll help.

Secret Agent Man: Lol, we did always unanimously decide before sending calling cards. Guess that means we can get started now!

“A copycat?” Morgana said, eyes wide. “The Metaverse is gone, but…if they know you worked with the Phantom Thieves, they’re probably the real deal…”

Akechi nodded, willing himself to breathe. This — whatever this was — was ominous at best, terrifying at worst, and panic was gripping his chest painfully tight.

He barely heard Morgana ask, “Does it say anything else?”

Akechi glanced at the card again, noticing a few more sentences at the bottom and somehow finding enough of his voice to manage to read, “‘But I am merciful. Retread the path that led to your crime, and perhaps a deal can be made. I look forward to it.’”

“Hey, are we sure we aren’t overreacting?” Morgana asked, seeing Akechi go even paler as he read the latter half of the card. “That kinda sounds like something one of our friends would say as a prank. Akira got Ryuji good the last time he pranked him…maybe Ryuji’s finally getting back?”

“Does any of that sound like something Ryuji would write?” Akechi demanded.

“Maybe Lady Ann helped him!” Morgana argued. “I don’t know, but I don’t think we need to jump right to panicking!”

“This is clearly not the work of any of them,” Akechi shook his head. “I…I need to start investigating. There was no stamp on this, which means it was hand-delivered. I believe there’s security cameras near the mailbox…I can call the landlord to ask…”

Morgana jumped into his lap and smacked him as hard as he could without using claws. “Just shut up and listen for a second! It’s too late to go anywhere tonight anyway, so you might as well just start by asking them. We can investigate as much as you want tomorrow, but if you don’t calm down and think about this, we’re going to be running in circles.”

Unfortunately, Morgana had a point. The trains would soon stop running, the landlord would be extremely unhappy to receive a call at this hour, and Akechi wasn’t certain he particularly wanted to be out and about this late at night after receiving a mysterious threat. He sighed, slumping back against the chair.

“Good, you actually listened,” Morgana purred, looking pleased. He jumped out of Akechi’s lap and back onto the table. “Well, hurry up and text everybody if it’ll make you feel better. My money’s still on Ryuji.”

As Akechi began to pull out his phone, Morgana quickly added, “And don’t forget to leave Akira out of the chat, or he’s gonna have a ton of notifications when he gets back to Japan.”

Akechi frowned. “Depending on what we find out, he may still wind up with a number of them regardless.”

Akechi: I have a rather urgent question for all of you.

Futaba: You could’ve at least pretended to care about how our days went, thanks for asking.

Akechi: I’m not in a particularly jesting mood tonight. Don’t start this.

Haru: Are you okay, Akechi? What’s wrong?

Akechi shared IMAGE1.jpeg

Makoto: Is that one of our old calling cards? I haven’t seen one in a long time.

Ann: Yeah, that def looks like the knockoff ones people were selling during the PThieves craze.

Akechi: Not exactly.

Akechi shared IMAGE2.jpeg

Ryuji: Oh fuck.

Yusuke: That is concerning indeed.

Akechi: So. Who would like to take responsibility?

Sumire: What do you mean, Akechi-san?

Akechi: I can only assume this is some kind of ill-conceived attempt at a prank.

Akechi: I’d really rather end this before anything devolves any further.

Futaba: Blame Ryuji. I bet he’s salty because Akira got him so hard with the ‘pink hair dye in the shampoo’ thing.

Ryuji: What the shit? Why’re you throwing me under the bus??

Ann: And besides…Akira was the one that did that, not Akechi. Ryuji wouldn’t drag Akechi into that.

Futaba: I see you, covering for him. We’re not fooled!

Makoto: Futaba…now’s not really the time.

Makoto: I can tell you that neither Haru nor I would do something like this. Particularly not with Akira out of town.

Sumire: I wouldn’t either!! I promise!

Akechi: The three of you were rather low on my list of suspects, but I do appreciate the candor.

Yusuke: I would never do such a thing. I crafted each calling card as a tool to defeat evildoers, not to play a childish joke.

Ryuji: I don’t think anybody really suspected you either, dude.

Ryuji: Ann and I sure as hell didn’t do it. She’s too smart for that. I ain’t smart, but I’m not THAT dumb.

Ann: Futaba, you should probably just fess up already…

Futaba: Why would I do this??? Akechi and Akira have my apartment’s spare key. Akechi could literally kill me in my sleep if he wanted to.

Akechi: Why on earth would I ever want to do that?

Futaba: Uh, idk, you got mad because I pranked you or something?

Akechi: I’m rather offended you think I would become that enraged over a joke.

Akechi: That said, I’m relieved to have found the culprit behind this calling card.

Futaba: I was talking in hypotheticals. I didn’t do it.

Futaba: Because if YOU wouldn’t kill me for it, Akira DEFINITELY would for freaking you out like this while he’s in a whole-ass other country.

Sumire: So…if none of us sent it…who did?

Makoto: The logical answer would be that someone is lying. At this point, I really do think honesty would be the best policy…

Ryuji: You’re just saying that because you’re a cop.

Makoto: It’s a logical assumption!

Sumire: I promise it wasn’t me!!! I’m telling the truth!!

Akechi: Your honesty was never in question, Sumire.

Ann: I really don’t think anyone’s lying. Haru and Makoto and Sumire def aren’t. Ryuji and I didn’t do it either. I don’t think Yusuke did, and Futaba’s not wrong about how mad Akira would be if he found out…

Yusuke: Which brings us back to the original question of who the culprit is.

Haru: Well, if it’s none of us…

Akechi: Then it’s someone else. Which escalates this from a poorly-thought out prank to an actual threat.

Ann: That’s kinda scary. We don’t even know what they want besides whatever ‘retread the path’ means…

Ann: And even that’s like, super vague and unhelpful.

Makoto: As much as I hate to admit it, it may be best to play along until we can get more information. This person did say that a deal can be made if Akechi does what they want.

Akechi: ‘We?’

Ryuji: Uh, yeah, dude. We’re your friends. We’re gonna help you out.

Akechi: I can manage this myself.

Yusuke: You must be joking if you think we’re just going to allow our friend to face a mysterious threat alone.

Akechi: I didn’t ask for help, nor do I need it.

Futaba: Now’s not really the time for the old-school ‘I’m too cool to ask for help’ Akechi to make a comeback.

Futaba: Remember how you literally almost DIED ‘cause of that?

Futaba: I can’t believe I’m admitting this to you, but I do actually like having you around. And so does Akira. So maybe pick the less-likely-to-cause-death option?

Haru: Please? I don’t want to see you get hurt, or have to explain to Akira what happened if something goes wrong…

Akechi: I have already said that I will be perfectly fine. I can handle this alone.

Makoto: Akechi, maybe think about this a little more…

Akechi has left the group

Sumire: Um…that didn’t go very well…

Ann: We should prooooobs tell Akira.

Akechi tossed his phone onto the table, rubbing his temples as he slowly let out a shaky breath. He’d foolishly let himself think for a while that the darkest parts of his past were behind him, but here they were, staring him down once more. If he were being honest with himself, he should have expected this — although it was odd that his foray into phantom thievery was what was being used against him, not the amount of murders he had committed in cold blood.

Regardless of the topic of the blackmail, staring at a calling card addressed to him was spine-chilling.

“What did they say?” Morgana asked, his voice mercifully pulling Akechi out of his thoughts.

“They all claim innocence, and I’m inclined to believe them,” Akechi replied. “Which renders my initial assumption correct. This isn't some kind of friendly prank.”

“So, are we all getting together tomorrow to figure stuff out?” Morgana asked. “Ooh! We could get sushi!”

“No.”

Morgana looked baffled. “No to the sushi, or…?”

“We’re not meeting up tomorrow,” Akechi shook his head. “I can handle this alone.”

“Oh, hell no!” Morgana yowled. “Now’s not the time for that ‘friendship is for losers’ bullshit again! You’re gonna need help.”

“You sound like Futaba,” Akechi scowled. “I’ve managed plenty of investigations on my own before. I’ll be fine.”

“Just because you can doesn’t mean you have to!” Morgana protested.

“I am also not obliged to pull everyone else into this,” Akechi snapped. “I’ll handle this on my own. If I may add, the lack of confidence in my abilities is not particularly comforting.”

Morgana’s expression soured. “It’s not lack of confidence, dumbass! It’s us caring about you!”

“If you truly care, you’ll let me handle this the way I see fit,” Akechi said simply.

The cat waited a moment, clearly taking calming breaths of his own, before snapping, “Fine. Pretend you’re too cool to need help. But I’m coming with you!”

Before Akechi could argue, Morgana went on, “Otherwise you’re going to get worked up and run around in circles, and I am going to be stuck here all day with no one to feed me.”

Unfortunately, once again, Morgana wasn’t wrong.

Akechi sighed and nodded, earning a pleased mew from the cat. “Good answer! I told Akira I’d make sure you took care of yourself, and a Phantom Thief never breaks his promises! Besides, I think I may know where to start.”

“Oh?”

“Well, it says you need to ‘retread the path’ that led to you working with the Phantom Thieves, right? I don’t think it’s hard to figure out where the starting point is,” Morgana said.

“Depending on this person’s interpretation of the start, it could be one of several places — where I first awakened my powers, where I first began investigating the Phantom Thieves…there are a number of options,” Akechi shook his head.

“Do those really count as directly leading to it, though?” Morgana asked. “Technically, your first real mission with us was Maruki’s Palace. But before that you were part of the group that infiltrated Niijima’s Palace, even if it was a setup. So what got you to that point? That’s when you first joined us.”

Akechi frowned in thought, willing the panic to abate just enough to let him think through that chain of events. “Sae-san’s Palace was a setup because I had already ascertained your identities as the Phantom Thieves. That was done through a combination of your carelessness and my familiarity with your group of friends. I first met you all when I ran into you in Shibuya…the group only stood out to me because it included both Makoto and Akira, who I already knew. Had either one of them not been there…I may very well not have realized what a convenient assortment of people it was.”

“I don’t think it’s Shibuya,” Morgana shook his head. “That’s way too big of an area. If this person’s trying to lead you somewhere, they probably have something a little more specific in mind.”

“I’ve known Makoto a long time, because of how often I worked with Sae-san,” Akechi said. “I don’t recall when I met her.”

“What about Akira?” Morgana asked.

“If my memory serves me correctly…it was at the TV station Sumire’s father works at,” Akechi said, after a moment of thought. “His class was on a trip, and I was filming a show that day.”

“Your memory’s definitely correct,” Morgana grinned. “That’s where I was thinking too! Let’s be honest, you didn’t really care about Makoto when you joined the Phantom Thieves. But you liked Akira! So I think the TV station is a better bet than wherever you met Makoto.”

Akechi flushed. “That’s a bit harsh, don’t you think?”

“Maybe, but it’s true. If Akira hadn’t been the leader of the Phantom Thieves, you probably wouldn’t have been as obsessed with us. And you definitely wouldn’t have rejoined us for Maruki’s Palace,” Morgana said. “So I think he’s probably the key to your starting point.”

“It always seems to come back to him, doesn’t it?” Akechi shook his head with a little laugh. “At the very least, this is a solid lead. And as much as it pains me to admit it, that’s likely all we’ll be able to do tonight.”

“We’ve got a lot of investigating ahead tomorrow, so let’s go to bed,” Morgana agreed. “I want Akira’s pillow!”

He jumped off the table and bounded down the hall to the bedroom, no doubt to stake his claim on the pillow. Akechi sighed. It was too trivial to prompt running after the cat, but he preferred using his partner’s pillow when Akira was out of town. It was fluffier, certainly, but the way it smelled faintly like Akira’s shampoo made him feel just a little less lonely.

With any luck, this nightmare would be over tomorrow, nothing more than an amusing story to tell Akira in a few days on the way home from the airport — not that he had particularly high hopes for that, given how often anything even tangentially related to the Phantom Thieves went sideways.

A wave of exhaustion washed over him once more, so he got up from his seat, trudging towards his room to fall into what he was certain would be a fitful sleep.

(Joker’s Gonna) Put a Ring On It

*hacker voice* i’m in: What, and I cannot stress this enough, the fuck.

school’s out for…never: Uhhh, who’s that directed at?

*hacker voice* i’m in: Akira.

Secret Agent Man: Yeah, what’s up?

FIST! OF! JUSTICE! v2.0: What was that calling card??? Why didn’t you show it to us before you put it in the mailbox???

Secret Agent Man: Pretty good, right?

what’s Gucci, fam?: Uh…not the word I think any of us were gonna use.

Secret Agent Man: Did he just ignore it?

Fox in Socks: In fact, quite the opposite.

Secret Agent Man: So it DID work. So…why are you saying it’s bad?

Advanced Therapy™️: I think you may have done too good a job writing it…

Secret Agent Man: Now I’m confused.

✨ black like my soul ✨: As a calling card, it was very well-written! That’s the good part. But, um…that’s also the bad part.

FIST! OF! JUSTICE! v2.0: Akechi is panicking. He thinks he’s actually being threatened by some mysterious person. He’s taking it completely seriously.

Secret Agent Man: Oh. Shit.

*hacker voice* i’m in: Yeahhhhhhh, after he texted everybody to see if any of us were pranking him, we were trying to help him calm down and he just straight up peaced out of the chat.

✨ black like my soul ✨: I’ve been trying to text him to see if he’s okay, but he won’t text me back…

what’s Gucci, fam?: Yeah, me too.

school’s out for…never: He’s doin’ the old-school ‘I don’t need that friendship BS’ thing again.

Advanced Therapy™️: I’ve noticed that he tends to revert back to his old antisocial behavior patterns when he gets really stressed…it’s a very natural instinct, but I’m worried about him!

Advanced Therapy™️: Since he’s so stressed already, social isolation can lead to some really self-destructive thinking…

✨ black like my soul ✨: Will he be okay??? Makoto and I have a spare key to their apartment. I’m happy to check on him!

Advanced Therapy™️: I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be so grim! I’m studying for one of my psychology classes and I went a little overboard. I’m so sorry! I’m sure he’ll be okay!!!

Fox in Socks: You are studying to be a counselor. I’m not certain your analysis is ‘going overboard.’

FIST! OF! JUSTICE! v2.0: Akira, are you still there?

Secret Agent Man: Yeah, sorry. Trying to figure out how to un-fuck up this. I can’t really just scrap all the plans, because that’ll probably make things worse.

school’s out for…never: Yeah, if we just turned around now and told him it was all fake, without you gettin’ to pop the question, I think he’d be real pissed. I know I sure as hell would be.

*hacker voice* i’m in: Well, he’s got Mona, so maybe that’ll help keep him from completely losing his shit.

✨ black like my soul ✨: What if we help him with the scavenger hunt? I’m certain he’ll feel better if he had help.

what’s Gucci, fam?: I mean, we tried to, but then he left the chat and now he’s not texting anybody back.

Secret Agent Man: Wait, hold on a sec. What if he doesn’t know you’re helping?

school’s out for…ever: Huh?

Secret Agent Man: We were planning on clues to get him from place to place. What if you guys were the clues?

Fox in Socks: How do you mean?

Secret Agent Man: Like, he’s starting at Sumire’s dad’s TV station. What if Sumire happens to be there visiting her dad and happens to give Akechi a clue when she stops to talk to him?

*hacker voice* i’m in: Yoooooooo, now you’re thinking with portals!

FIST! OF! JUSTICE! v2.0: What on earth does that mean?

*hacker voice* i’m in: Basically it means it’s a good idea.

✨ black like my soul ✨: I think it is as well! That way we can check on him and make sure he’s okay, and help him figure out the clues faster!

Advanced Therapy™️: Yes, that sounds perfect!

Fox in Socks: We will need to be deliberate with who is giving clues. If we all ‘happen’ to be present at each location and all ‘happen’ to have a clue, I believe he would catch on.

Secret Agent Man: Yeah, that’s a good point.

school’s out for…never: I mean, there’s a couple people we could probs get to help us. Like, Akira, you wanted him to wind up in Kichijoji, right? I bet the bartender at the darts place or the manager at that jazz club would help you out. Might have to tip ‘em, though.

what’s Gucci, fam?: And if he’s starting at Sumire’s dad’s studio, maybe Sumire’s dad could give him the first clue?

Advanced Therapy™️: I’m certain Father will help out! He’s very appreciative of everything senpai did to help me in high school.

*hacker voice* i’m in: Then let’s get to work. Akechi’s def starting the scavenger hunt tomorrow, and we all know he gets up disgustingly early.

Much to Morgana’s chagrin, it was barely dawn when Akechi woke up.

Akechi had only fallen asleep a few hours prior, but with how his thoughts immediately began to race the moment he awoke, he knew there was no chance he’d be able to go back to bed. Morgana complained loudly that it would be a while before the trains began to run and went back to sleep while Akechi went to make whatever small breakfast he’d be able to stomach.

It was habit for Akechi to start a pot of coffee when he woke up and read the paper until Akira eventually dragged himself out of bed to make breakfast — Akira was not nearly as fond of mornings as Akechi was, but he was certainly the better cook, and Akechi found his culinary skills to be worth the wait. It was a well-worn routine, but Akechi would never tire of having a few quiet moments with his partner before they rushed off to busy days.

He was nothing if not a creature of habit, and given how little sleep he’d gotten, coffee was a desperately needed pick-me-up.

Akechi was halfway through his fourth cup before realizing Akira wasn’t here to make breakfast, or keep him from drinking the entire pot. His hands were already trembling from the abundance of caffeine and absence of food.

Well. That wasn’t going to be good for his already-frayed nerves.

Morgana finally trotted out of the bedroom, complaining, “Why are we up so early?”

“We don’t have much time to waste,” Akechi said. “We had best get started.”

“But it’s so early,” Morgana whined.

“The sooner we start, the sooner this will be over,” Akechi reminded him. Morgana grumbled in reluctant agreement before beginning to eat his breakfast.

Akechi managed to eat half a protein bar and drink another cup of coffee by the time Morgana finally proclaimed, “Alright, let’s go! I think Akira’s old school bag is in the hall closet; that’s probably still the easiest thing to carry me around in.”

Akechi found the bag, Morgana jumped inside, and they left for what Akechi was desperately hoping was going to be a brief, uneventful investigation.

Thankfully the train was quiet, given how early it was on a Saturday morning — aside from the very odd look an older woman was giving him for having a cat in a bag, everyone left him alone.

Well, not quite everyone.

He glanced at his phone to check the time and instead found almost a dozen text notifications.

Makoto: Good morning, Akechi. I just wanted to check in on you today. We’re all rather worried about you.

Makoto: I’m getting ready for work, but please just text me back when you get this so I know you’re alright. I’ll be off work by the early afternoon, but Haru should be able to answer more quickly if you need anything.

Haru: Good morning, Akechi! I’m sure Mako already texted you, since she had to be up so early for work today. I hope you’re feeling a little better.

Haru: I’ll be at my cafe most of the morning, but please text or call me if you need anything or want to talk! I’ll keep my ringer on so I’ll be sure to hear it.

Futaba: I pulled an all-nighter for school last night and I wanted to text you before I went to bed. I know you’re being all angsty and shit but I’m legit worried about you.

Futaba: Please text me back?

Futaba: You’re my bro too, y’know. Just wanna make sure you’re okay.

Ryuji: I have no fuckin’ idea why I’m awake this early. But text like, literally anybody back. Ann’s freakin’ out, and so is everybody else. It’s gonna sound super lame but we do like you, dude.

Ryuji: So quit being a dick and text someone. I’m goin’ back to sleep.

Akechi sighed and tucked his phone back in his pocket. He didn’t need help with this — he wouldn’t risk his friends’ safety for this. The less they knew, the less they were involved, the better off they all would be.

If there was anyone he did want to text, it was Akira, even if he wouldn’t see it until he was back in the country. Akechi had half a mind to do it anyway, in the hope of whatever small comfort he could find in that, before deciding it was laughably childish and abandoning the thought.

The train’s intercom chimed and announced, “Akasaka Mitsuke. This is Akasaka Mitsuke.”

“Hey, isn’t that our station?” Morgana asked. “Let’s go!”

Akechi stood and shouldered the bag Morgana was in, frowning. “This is an investigation into an unknown threat, not a field trip. You sound far too excited.”

“There’s no point being so serious about it,” Morgana scowled. “We have to deal with this, whether we like it or not. Being pissed off the whole time isn’t gonna fix anything.”

Akechi refused to dignify that with an answer, walking the few blocks to the TV station in silence. It had been years since he’d last made this walk, but little had changed, even down to the cracks in the sidewalk desperately needing repair.

Well, perhaps saying ‘little had changed’ wasn’t quite correct. The building itself was the same, drab and unremarkable, but the small rush of affection Akechi felt while looking at it was certainly new.

In high school, he’d hated how often he was here for yet another inane television appearance and had come to detest even the sight of it. Now, though…it was almost overwhelming to consider how different his life would have been without a single chance meeting here.

“Hey, you okay?” Morgana asked. “You were just staring off into space.”

“It’s odd…I may be here rather against my will, but I can’t help but feel a little nostalgic,” Akechi replied. “Things would have turned out very differently for me if I hadn’t met Akira here. I most likely wouldn’t be alive.”

“It’s lucky for you then that Akira wound up on that field trip,” Morgana agreed. “He only went because Lady Ann had already decided to go on the TV station trip.”

“Meeting Akira was the best luck I’ve ever had,” Akechi nodded. “But unfortunately, I’m not here to reminisce. We had best get to work.”

“Where should we even start? Morgana asked. “This place is huge, and we don’t even know what we’re looking for.”

“I think it would be best to begin our search outside the building. The grounds aren’t particularly large and will be easier to access than the studio itself,” Akechi said. “The studio is large and cluttered, between equipment, props, and…”

He trailed off, a flash of red catching his eye. “Actually, I think I may have already found what we were meant to find.”

“That was fast,” Morgana said, impressed, as Akechi walked towards a clump of bushes a few feet from the studio door. “Maybe you still are an ace detective.”

“I’m not certain I’d go quite that far,” Akechi replied, picking up the calling card that had been hidden just-so in the bush. “I simply have an eye for detail and a determination to track down whoever believes they can threaten me into entertaining them.”

“Does this one have a clue? Or instructions?” Morgana asked, nearly falling out of the bag as he craned his neck to look at it.

“No,” Akechi frowned as he turned the card over. “It’s blank.”

He glared at the card. “This is proof we’re on the right track, although it’s rather useless otherwise. Perhaps they simply want to see us run aimlessly around Tokyo in search of what they may consider the next step in what led me to Phantom Thievery.”

“Are you really giving up that easily?” Morgana demanded.

“Hardly,” Akechi scowled. “The card itself is useless, but this is far from a desolate area. I imagine someone may have seen the person place this card, or perhaps the surveillance cameras picked them up.”

“The point is to find the person before they do whatever they’re planning on doing,” Morgana agreed. “It doesn’t mean we have to follow their clues.”

“Akechi-san!”

Akechi turned to see Sumire waving at him from near the entrance to the studio, a big smile on her face. Of all their friends, Sumire was the one he was closest to — he couldn’t bring himself to pretend not to see her.

Her smile grew even bigger as he headed towards her, and she ran to hug him. “I’m so happy to see you! I’ve been so worried about you. Are you doing okay?”

“I’ve had better weekends,” Akechi said simply.

Sumire frowned a little. “We’ll get this figured out for you! So, um…what brings you all the way out here?”

“The card said to retrace what led to him working with the Phantom Thieves, and that started when he met Akira here!” Morgana said.

“It was clearly the correct conclusion,” Akechi said, holding up the new calling card.

Sumire’s eyes widened. “Another calling card? Does that one have anything helpful on it?”

“No,” Akechi shook his head. “But I’m not particularly interested in their game — I’m more interested in them.”

“Could you get us into the studio?” Morgana asked before Akechi could go on. “Somebody probably saw something, and we want to ask around.”

“Oh, of course!” Sumire nodded. “I was just on my way in to visit my father. You can come with me! I’m certain he won’t mind you looking around, but I’ll ask for you.”

She led the way inside and through a maze of hallways to her father’s office. She knocked and opened the door, saying, “Dad? It’s Sumire. You forgot your lunch at home, so I have it for you.”

Her father smiled and got up to hug her as she walked into the office. “Thank you, Sumire. Sometimes I wonder if I take care of you, or the other way around!”

Sumire giggled. “Since I was already heading to practice, it was only a few extra stops to come here. And look who I ran into!”

She stepped to the side so her father could see Akechi. He asked, “Akechi-kun? It’s been a long time! How have you been? What brings you back here — is the Detective Prince making a comeback?”

“I’ve been well, thank you,” Akechi said. He put on his old television smile and joked, “Barring the return of the Phantom Thieves, I think my days of television fame are over. It was rather fun as a teenager, but I prefer to keep a lower profile these days.”

Sumire’s father laughed. “That’s fair enough. I don’t think I’d want to constantly be under public scrutiny, either.”

“I am actually here for…an investigation, of sorts,” Akechi said. “I’ll spare you all the details, but my investigation thus far has led me here. If it wouldn’t be too much trouble, I’d like to look through some of the studio’s surveillance footage.”

“Normally I’d say yes, but the security cameras have been down the last few days,” Sumire’s father frowned, making Akechi sigh. “What exactly are you looking for?”

“Unfortunately, I’m not entirely certain,” Akechi frowned. “It would be someone acting suspiciously, although I’m not certain who …that was what I hoped to glean from the footage.”

“Someone suspicious?” Sumire’s father echoed, brows furrowing in thought. “I can’t say I’ve seen anything strange. Then again, I’ve been in my office all day every day this past week. Maybe some of the other producers would be more helpful?”

Akechi frowned. He was about to take a breath to thank the man anyway, when Sumire’s father went on, “Wait…now that I’m thinking about it, Sato-kun did mention something the other day.”

“What did he say?” Akechi asked, heart beginning to race. This could be his first real, tangible lead, if either Sumire’s father or this Sato person were observant enough…

“We just had students from Shujin here for their social studies trip, since that’s become something of a tradition,” Sumire’s father said. “I wasn’t there, but Sato is one of our cameramen, and he was helping the teachers herd the students around. He said one kid was acting strangely and slipped off more than once.”

“A Shujin student?” Sumire asked, eyes wide. She turned to Akechi. “Akechi-san, do you think a high school student could really be involved in this?”

“It seems unlikely, but at this point, I believe anything is possible. Is Sato here today?” Akechi said.

“No, he’s out sick,” Sumire’s father shook his head. “And he didn’t tell me what the kid looked like. Sorry I can’t be any more help than that.”

“No, your insight has been rather valuable,” Akechi said. “Thank you. I truly appreciate it. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think I had best be going.”

“Good luck with your investigation,” Sumire’s father replied.

“You can do it, Akechi-san!” Sumire agreed. “Let me know if I can help with anything!”

“I’m certain I can manage this alone, but thank you, Sumire,” Akechi said.

He bowed to them and quickly left for the train station. Once they were out of the studio, Morgana complained, “Ugh, Shujin. I’ve seen way too much of that school. I was hoping I’d never have to see it again.”

“Unfortunately, we don’t get to choose where our investigation takes us,” Akechi frowned. “The school day will be about to begin when we arrive. We’ll need to be careful not to attract the attention of any students.”

“If I learned anything from spending a whole school year with the Phantom Thieves, it’s that high schoolers are way too self-absorbed to pay attention to stuff like that. We’ll be fine,” Morgana said. “But let’s hurry up! If we find something big by lunch, I want to stop for sushi!”

Akechi had to admit, Morgana’s point was tempting. If he found something of importance by lunch, perhaps the knots in his stomach would ease enough to finally allow him to eat.

By this point, he was hungry enough to even entertain the idea of stopping for the overly-processed grease that was Big Bang Burger, so he simply hummed in agreement and began to walk faster.

(Joker’s Gonna) Put a Ring On It

Advanced Therapy™️: I think everything went really well! Father did a really wonderful job playing his part for us!

✨ black like my soul ✨: Oh, good!

what’s Gucci, fam?: How’s Akechi doing? Has he chilled out?

Advanced Therapy™️: He still seemed very anxious and on-edge, but I think having a solid ‘clue’ to work with was a big relief for him.

Advanced Therapy™️: And he did talk to me when I said hello, so that’s a positive too!

*hacker voice* i’m in: Even Akechi’s not enough of a jerk to ignore you, Sumire, no matter how stressed out he is. That’s like…kicking-puppies level of being a jerk.

Secret Agent Man: Hey!

*hacker voice* i’m in: What?? I said he’s NOT enough of a jerk to do that.

Secret Agent Man: That’s still calling him a jerk.

*hacker voice* i’m in: Yeah but it’s from a place of love.

Fox in Socks: I do not find that terribly convincing.

*hacker voice* i’m in: It’s always criticism from you, Inari. >:[

FIST! OF! JUSTICE! v2.0: Moving on, I don’t think we have much time before Akechi will arrive at Shujin. Sumire, what did you and your father tell him? We should make sure our clues align well.

what’s Gucci, fam?: Oh, yeah. Ryuji and I are up next and we def don’t wanna mess this up.

Advanced Therapy™️: Oh, yes! Dad told Akechi-san that the annual Shujin class trip to the TV studio had happened a few days ago. He said there had been a student acting oddly, who left the group a few times.

Advanced Therapy™️: That’s close to what senpai told me actually happened when he met Akechi-san, so we thought it would be a nice touch. :)

Secret Agent Man: I love it. Thanks, Sumire.

Advanced Therapy™️: Of course!! I’m just glad Dad and I were able to help.

school’s out for…never: So we should keep that story goin’, yeah? Easy enough.

✨ black like my soul ✨: I was actually thinking that it may be a good idea to have slightly different stories?

✨ black like my soul ✨: I know Mako said we should make sure our clues align, but I don’t know if they should align quite that well.

*hacker voice* i’m in: Huh?

Fox in Socks: I believe I understand Haru’s concern. If our clues are too specific and cohesive, we may accidentally put Akechi on the trail of a real person, and he may stray from the clues we have in favor of investigating that person.

Fox in Socks: If the clues are more vague, he is more likely to focus on the trail we intend for him to follow, as that will be the closest thing he has to a clear path.

✨ black like my soul ✨: Yes, that was my thought exactly!

FIST! OF! JUSTICE! v2.0: That’s a good point. I wouldn’t have expected anything else from you, Haru. :)

✨ black like my soul ✨: ♥️ :)

what’s Gucci, fam?: So we need something kinda like it. Like, instead of a student, maybe it was just someone we saw near Shujin?

school’s out for…never: Piece of cake. We got this.

Secret Agent Man: Speaking of food, can you make sure he’s eating?? He usually forgets to when he’s stressed, unless I remind him.

school’s out for…never: Dude. He’s a grown-ass adult. He can take care of himself.

*hacker voice* i’m in: No, Akira’s got a point. Akechi literally almost burned down their apartment the last time he tried to cook something that wasn’t a microwave meal.

*hacker voice* i’m in: Like, legit melted a cutting board AND a pot to the stove.

school’s out for…never: Lmao, for real??

*hacker voice* i’m in: Ngl the fire was pretty impressive. The smoke smelled terrible though.

Secret Agent Man: First of all, he has enough leftovers to get through the weekend without having to cook.

Secret Agent Man: Second of all, that’s not the point and you know it.

*hacker voice* i’m in: Do I?

Secret Agent Man: I hope so, or I’m going to have to borrow the A key from all your keyboards.

FIST! OF! JUSTICE! v2.0: Well, I think that may win most unusual threat I’ve ever heard.

Fox in Socks: A rather impressive feat, given this group.

*hacker voice* i’m in: Akira, I hate you.

*hacker voice* i’m in: But fiiiine, you win. We’ll all make sure the dork isn’t starving.

what’s Gucci, fam?: Yeah, we’ve got you, Akira. Anyway, I should probably make sure I’m where I need to be before he gets here. ttyl!

“Of all the places your investigation could’ve taken us, it just had to be this dump,” Morgana complained, yet again, as Akechi rounded the corner, bringing Shujin Academy into view. “Ugh.”

“There are certainly worse places we could have ended up,” Akechi reminded him; Morgana grumbled indistinctly in reply.

Akechi looked up at the stark, uninviting building, and was surprised to find what felt like a little spark of nostalgia for this place as well. Morgana heard him hum in thought and asked, “Did you find something?”

“Nothing terribly important, no,” Akechi shook his head. “This school is where I joined the Phantom Thieves. Just as with the TV station, I find myself contemplating how different things would have been, had you all not tried to press me for information at the festival. It’s…rather overwhelming to consider.”

He couldn’t help but laugh. “Apparently I’ve grown quite sentimental over the last few years.”

“I bet you got that from Akira,” Morgana said. He scowled. “He might have been a dazzling Phantom Thief, but now he’s just a big softie. He’s kept so much crap he collected that year. I think he’s even still got your glove around somewhere.”

“That’s news to me,” Akechi replied, raising an eyebrow. “He’s certainly hidden it well, if that’s the case.”

“It’s probably just buried in the rest of his junk. He sure has enough of it,” Morgana said. “C’mon, can we get this Shujin crap over with? Then we can get lunch! I’m hungry.”

Akechi was about to respond when someone bumped into him from behind, sending him lurching forward as Morgana let out a yowl of alarm.

“Ohmygosh, I’m so sorry!”

Akechi turned to assure the woman that it was no trouble before belatedly recognizing the voice as Ann’s. She looked surprised to see him for just a moment before beaming and saying, “Oh, hey, Akechi! Sorry for walking into you…I was looking at my phone.”

Her face fell. “Just got a big work email.”

“You don’t seem to be particularly enthused about it,” Akechi observed.

“Long story short, I gotta decide whether it’s worth it to work on this fashion show,” Ann sighed. “The guy running it is a creep, but it’ll be good to get my designs out there…Ryuji and I need to talk about it a little bit more.”

Morgana grumbled something under his breath — Akechi could only faintly hear something about ‘Lady Ann’ and ‘her dignity’ — before Ann brightened and said, “Hey, c’mon. Let’s walk and talk a little bit. You wouldn’t text me back so I’m gonna make sure you’re okay while I’ve got you right in front of me!”

Akechi nodded, falling into step beside her as they walked towards Shujin. Morgana asked, “Why are you here at Shujin, Lady Ann? I know I’d avoid visiting it if I had a choice…”

Ann laughed. “The track team has practice after school. It’s supposed to rain this afternoon but Ryuji was running late and forgot his jacket…so I’m bringing it to him before I go to work.”

She turned to Akechi. “So why are you two here?”

“Currently, the investigation has led here,” Akechi said simply.

“I guess that makes sense,” Ann shrugged. “You’re going back through what led to you being a Phantom Thief, and that kinda happened here.”

“Babe!”

Ann and Akechi turned to see Ryuji running down the school’s front steps. He hugged Ann and pressed a kiss to her forehead before saying, “Oh, babe, you’re a lifesaver. Practice was gonna suck if I was soaking wet the whole time.”

Ann laughed. “It wasn’t a big deal. Hey, can you grab me a crêpe on the way home? I need to get to work, so I can’t get one now, but I reeeeaaaaallllyyyy —”

“Wait, hold the fuck up. Akechi?” Ryuji belatedly realized, earning a grumble from Morgana as he cut Ann off. “I thought you were investigating!”

“I am,” Akechi replied. He took a breath to elaborate as Ryuji went on with, “Dude, what the hell? I told you to text us back! We’ve been freakin’ out about you, and if you’re chill enough to hang out with somebody, you’re chill enough to let us know you’re okay!”

“My apologies?” Akechi half-asked, caught off-guard by Ryuji’s aggressive concern for him. “I only just ran into Ann.”

Ann glared at Ryuji, making him let out a heavy sigh. “Sorry, dude. Got carried away. Anyway, how the hell did your snoopin’ around lead you here?”

“I mean, the calling card did tell him to go back through how he wound up as a Phantom Thief,” Ann said. “That pretty much started at the school festival.”

“Ohhhh, yeah!” Ryuji nodded. “So, d’ya need to look around? All the kids should be in class right now, so you’re probs good to do that. I wonder where you gotta go next — you got any ideas?”

“I’m less interested in this person’s scavenger hunt than I am in the person themself,” Akechi replied. “At the TV station, Sumire’s father mentioned a student acting suspiciously. Do you know of any students that may fit that description, Ryuji?”

“Nah, I didn’t have to chaperone that trip,” Ryuji shook his head. “And I haven’t seen any students acting sketch since then. None of the other teachers have mentioned anything either.”

“Have you seen anybody acting weird?” Morgana asked. “Even if it wasn’t a student?”

“Actually, yeah,” Ann nodded. “I usually come pick Ryuji up after practice. When I was waiting for him yesterday, I saw a suuuper creepy guy in one of the alleys nearby.”

“What was he doing?” Akechi asked.

“He was just kinda...lurking,” Ann said. “Like he was trying to not get noticed. I didn’t really see him doing anything, but he really gave me the creeps.”

“Oh, yeah, that guy!” Ryuji agreed. “He dipped out when Ann pointed him out to me.”

“Do you recall what he looked like?” Akechi demanded. Even if this person didn’t seem to be the student Sumire’s father had mentioned, this could be another promising lead.

“Not really, sorry,” Ann sighed. “He was super tall and skinny, and he had black hair, but I couldn’t really see his face.”

Akechi frowned — that was barely better than nothing to go on. Then Ryuji went on, “Hey, wait. He had on some flashy t-shirt, didn’t he? I’m tryin’ to remember what it said.”

“It was for a music group, or something like that,” Ann nodded. “I remember it had music notes on it.”

“Somethin’ Gin, I think?” Ryuji said, frowning in thought.

There was only one thing Akechi knew of that seemed to match that description, so he demanded, “Jazz Jin, perhaps?”

“Yeah, I think that sounds right,” Ryuji nodded. “I think.”

“Sorry we aren’t more helpful,” Ann sighed. “We’re not really the detail people like you and Akira and Makoto.”

“You’re perfect just how you are, Lady Ann!” Morgana insisted, his outburst earning him sour looks from both Ryuji and Akechi.

“Out of curiosity,” Akechi said, nudging Morgana back into the bag, “which alley was it? I’d like to see if he left anything behind.”

“I think it was that one?” Ann said, pointing.

A bell rang and Ryuji exclaimed, “Oh, fuck, I gotta go. Can’t be late to my own class. Seeya!”

He bolted up the stairs, making Ann sigh. “Maybe he’ll eventually get good at being on time…not that I can really talk. Are you gonna be okay if I head to work? I might be able to stay a little longer if you need it. I can just apologize to my boss.”

“No, I think I’ll be quite alright,” Akechi shook his head. “I should be going as well. You’ve given me an idea as to where to search next.”

“Yay!” Ann exclaimed, giving Akechi a hug. “I’m glad I helped! Just text me if you need anything, ‘kay?”

Akechi nodded, so Ann began to walk towards the station, humming something to herself. Morgana emerged from the bag again and sighed wistfully, “She’s so kind…”

Akechi sighed, not willing to venture into that sensitive topic — he had learned years ago that saying anything less than fawningly worshipful of Ann, or pointing out that Morgana was a cat, only ended badly for everyone involved — and instead made his way down the street to the alley Ann had indicated.

“Gross,” Morgana complained, turning up his nose at the smell from the nearby dumpster. “Hurry up and find what you need.”

A familiar scarlet card floating in a small puddle caught his eye, and he couldn’t help but smile — he could feel the trail of his mysterious enemy begin to heat up.

“I believe I just did.”

(Joker’s Gonna) Put a Ring on It

what’s Gucci, fam?: Clue #2 was a huge hit!

Secret Agent Man: It went well?

school’s out for…never: Hell yeah, man. We knocked it out of the park.

*hacker voice* i’m in: Count me both surprised and impressed!

school’s out for…never: Fuck off, Futaba. I don’t see you giving any clues. It’s fuckin’ stressful!

what’s Gucci, fam?: Yeah…Akechi’s one of our best friends, and lying to him is still super scary.

FIST! OF! JUSTICE! v2.0: He is very observant.

✨ black like my soul ✨: I knew you could do it!

what’s Gucci, fam?: Thanks Haru! ♥️

✨ black like my soul ✨: Although…Ryuji, don’t you have a class right now?

school’s out for…never: Technically, yeah, but I’m just babysitting at an assembly. There’s enough other people actually paying attention.

FIST! OF! JUSTICE! v2.0: …I’m going to refrain from commenting on that.   

Advanced Therapy™️: Anyway! Does he seem to feel a little better? He seemed to be calming down when I talked to him, but he was still very stressed.

what’s Gucci, fam?: Yeah, I think so! He let me hug him when we said bye, and I don’t think he would’ve if he was still as stressed out as when he left the group chat yesterday.

school’s out for…never: Tbh, he seemed like regular Akechi, just a little grumpier than normal.

*hacker voice* i’m in: I’m not even in the same room as Akira and I can practically hear him starting to type some passionate argument that Akechi’s not normally grumpy.

…

*hacker voice* i’m in: Lmao, nailed it.

Secret Agent Man: Look.

*hacker voice* i’m in: Nooope, we don’t have time to have this argument. We gotta keep planning!

Secret Agent Man: We literally have an hour before he’s going to get to Kichijoji, if the trains are even running on time.

FIST! OF! JUSTICE! v2.0: And besides, Futaba, we already have everything planned.

*hacker voice* i’m in: Makoto I’m begging you please don’t let him start this.

*hacker voice* i’m in: The last time I called Akechi grumpy I had to listen to Akira talk for A WHOLE FUCKING HOUR about how great Captain Snark is.

✨ black like my soul ✨: Um…more importantly, where is Yusuke?

✨ black like my soul ✨: Isn’t he going to be keeping an eye on things in Kichijoji? I haven’t seen him say anything yet…

school’s out for…never: He probably wandered off and bought, idk, a squid or somethin’. Wouldn’t be weirder than when he bought those lobsters.

Fox in Socks: Squid are not nearly as aesthetically pleasing as lobsters.

Secret Agent Man: Not exactly what I expected would summon Yusuke, but hey, if it works?

*hacker voice* i’m in: My Persona was an actual fucking UFO and sometimes I think Inari is the real alien.

Fox in Socks: I do not see what is so alien about appreciating beauty.

what’s Gucci, fam?: Aaaaaaaaaanyway, Akechi just left Shujin, Yusuke. So he should be in Kichijoji in like, idk, an hour?

Fox in Socks: Perfect. That should leave me plenty of time to examine the Kichijoji shrine in the meantime.

school’s out for…never: Dude, what the hell? You need to be focused!

*hacker voice* i’m in: I swear to god Inari, if you fuck this up for them, I’m gonna smite you.

Secret Agent Man: Awww, you do care.

*hacker voice* i’m in: Shut up! I just don’t wanna listen to you whine if this doesn’t work.

Secret Agent Man: Suuuuuure.

Fox in Socks: I am offended you think I take my role in this so lightly.

Fox in Socks: As I understand it, I am here to ensure the clue is successfully given, and that Akechi seems relatively at ease, without being seen. Thus I am taking care to maintain my distance.

✨ black like my soul ✨: Yes, that’s the plan! That way he doesn’t think it’s suspicious we all are around to help find clues.

Advanced Therapy™️: The manager at the jazz club is giving him this clue, right, senpai? Do you think he remembers what he’s supposed to do, or should we try to contact him?

Secret Agent Man: For how much money I gave him, he better remember.

*hacker voice* i’m in: I’m almost positive Sojiro gave you the money for that.

Secret Agent Man: I’m gay and broke, you can only expect so much from me.

*hacker voice* i’m in: Valid.

school’s out for…never: Anyway, Yusuke, try not to get caught like you did when you were stalking Ann.

Fox in Socks: Stalking?!

Fox in Socks: I would never! I was simply entranced by her beauty.

school’s out for…never: Stiiiiilllll stalking, dude.

what’s Gucci, fam?: Akechi’s probably gonna notice someone following him even faster than I did, so just be careful.

Fox in Socks: I will exercise the utmost caution.

Fox in Socks: Now, if you will excuse me, I must take in the sights of the shrine while I find myself here.

Fox in Socks is offline

Advanced Therapy™️: Not that I don’t trust him, but I’m a little worried…

FIST! OF! JUSTICE! v2.0: I’m going to call him shortly before Akechi’s train should arrive to make sure he remembers. Just in case.

✨ black like my soul ✨: Yes, I think that’s probably a good idea…

“It’s been forever since I’ve been in Kichijoji,” Morgana remarked as they stepped out of the station and onto the main promenade. “I don’t even remember the last time I saw it during the day.”

“You’ll find little has changed,” Akechi replied simply. “I prefer the atmosphere of Kichijoji at night. It’s rather less crowded.”

“Speaking of night, are we even gonna be able to find anything at the club?” Morgana asked. “It’s only open at night, right?”

“With any luck, perhaps they left something outside the club,” Akechi said. “We’ll make do.”

Akechi made his way through the maze of streets leading to the club with the ease of what was, if he was being honest, far too much practice. He was about to turn the last corner when something in the corner of his eye caught his attention, making him whirl around.

“Hey, be careful!” Morgana snapped. “You can’t just toss me around like that!”

“I thought I saw someone familiar,” Akechi replied instead, frowning at the people milling about. He was certain he’d seen a familiar figure, but now that he looked more closely, nothing seemed to catch his eye.

“Maybe it’s an adoring fangirl,” Morgana teased. “You probably have a couple left these days. Probably better you didn’t see them.”

Despite his sour mood, Akechi couldn’t help but laugh. “Yes, certainly. Particularly given that I don’t have Akira here to disguise me.”

He glanced at the crowd one more time before heading down the narrow alley that held the Jazz Jin. The other places he’d investigated thus far held a certain amount of nostalgia, but none compared to the rundown, hole-in-the-wall club.

Even before they were together, he and Akira had frequented the club — Akechi had all but confessed his feelings here. Their first date had been here, the first moment of pure, contented bliss Akechi could ever remember having, the first day of the best six years of his life. Even now they often came here for celebrations, or just to escape the tedium of work and school.

The building itself had certainly seen better days, but he couldn’t help but hope it would go on to see many more.

“Akechi?”

He jumped, startled from his thoughts. Tanaka, the club’s proprietor, was standing in the club’s doorway, looking puzzled. Akechi managed to gather himself enough to put on a smile and say, “Good morning.”

“Is it still morning?” Tanaka asked. He glanced at his watch. “Technically, yeah. Anyway, what’re you doing here? I know you know the club doesn’t open for hours.”

“I could ask you the same question,” Akechi replied. “You’re at work rather early.”

Tanaka sighed. “There was a, uh, incident last night — a guy bothering one of the waitresses. Had to call the cops and everything. The cops wanted to look around while it was light out, so I had to come let them in. They just left, so I’m outta here too.”

“I certainly hope it wasn’t any of your regulars,” Akechi frowned. “None of them strike me as the type to do such a thing.”

“No, some new guy,” Tanaka shook his head. “Fuckin’ weirdo. Hope he doesn’t come back.”

“Do you think it might’ve been the same weird guy Ryuji and Lady Ann saw?” Morgana asked.

“Possibly,” Akechi replied under his breath. He looked back to Tanaka. “What was so unusual about him?”

“I’m not a detective like you, so don’t expect too much from me,” Tanaka laughed. “I don’t know, he just kept talking about the weirdest stuff. I tuned most of it out. All I can remember is him mentioning the aquarium over in Shinagawa like, a thousand times. Of all the places to go on about, right?”

Akechi frowned. “Yes, that is rather bizarre. I’m quite fond of it myself, but I wouldn’t say it’s worth rambling about, particularly in a setting such as this.”

“Anyway, you never told me what you’re doing all the way out here,” Tanaka said. “Especially without Akira — I can’t even remember the last time you came here without him. You two didn’t have a fight, did ya?”

Akechi laughed, offering an ingratiating smile. “No, nothing like that. I’m here on an investigation of sorts.”

Tanaka sighed in relief. “Good. Everybody here loves you guys. Miku especially would’ve been devastated.”

“Wow, I didn’t think you were this popular anymore!” Morgana chimed in, earning a glare from Akechi.

“So what’re you investigating?”

“It’s a rather boring case,” Akechi lied easily. “I’ll save you all the tedious details. Although…I would be interested in more details about the man involved in the incident last night, if you can recall any.”

“I told you pretty much everything I got,” Tanaka shrugged. “He was pretty normal-looking, had glasses and a hoodie. Didn’t have anybody with him. Probably why he bothered the waitresses so much. Besides that and the whole aquarium thing, I really can’t remember anything else.”

Akechi hummed in thought before Tanaka went on, “Oh, yeah! I found this on his table. The cops thought it was trash…if you’re trying to find this guy, maybe this’ll help?”

Tanaka pulled a folded piece of red paper from his pocket and before he could even offer it, Akechi knew exactly what it was. He couldn’t help but smile as he accepted the crumpled calling card and asked, “You said he referenced the aquarium, yes?”

“Huh? Yeah,” Tanaka nodded. “Think you figured something out for your case?”

“I’m certain of it,” Akechi said. “Thank you. Akira and I will have to stop in sometime soon — it’s been too long since we’ve been able to enjoy a quiet night of music.”

“I’ll hold you to it,” Tanaka smiled. “Tell Akira I say hi.”

Akechi nodded before turning to all but run back to the train station. Morgana said, “You seem awfully excited. What’re you so happy for?”

“We’re catching up,” Akechi replied simply.

“We don’t even know who we’re trying to catch!” Morgana argued.

“Perhaps not,” Akechi said. “Be that as it may, there have been a few strings connecting what we’ve learned. The first, of course, is the calling cards. This person’s description is possibly consistent as well.”

“How’s that catching up?” Morgana asked. “Don’t get me wrong, it’s good we have more information, but we’re still way behind this guy.”

“Not quite,” Akechi shook his head. “When we spoke to Yoshizawa-san, he said his cameraman had noticed the suspicious student the other day. Ann and Ryuji mentioned seeing him yesterday afternoon, but Tanaka saw him late last night. At this rate, we may be able to catch up to him, and catch him red-handed.”

“Sounds like we’re off to the aquarium!” Morgana agreed with a grin. After a moment, his smirk faded to a puzzled expression. “Although...I’m not sure exactly how that’s related to the Phantom Thieves. Then again, I guess the guy behind this has gotta be a little crazy in the first place…”

“We’ll just have to ask him when we apprehend him, then.”

(Joker’s Gonna) Put a Ring on It

Fox in Socks: Your bartender friend seems to have been worth the sum you paid him, Akira.

Secret Agent Man: Oh thank god.

✨ black like my soul ✨: How much could you hear, Yusuke?

Fox in Socks: Very little, as I was attempting to escape detection.

Fox in Socks: But Akechi seemed very intent on their conversation. He was smiling as he departed for the train station. He was in quite a hurry.

*hacker voice* i’m in: Are we talking like, the dorky happy smile or the insufferably smug smile?

Fox in Socks: I wasn’t aware there was a distinction among his smiles.

school’s out for…never: Ain’t you supposed to be the one good at like, ‘depicting emotion’ or whatever?

Advanced Therapy™️: Either way, smiling is a good thing! He’s clearly feeling more comfortable.

Secret Agent Man: I told you guys I know what I’m doing. He loves puzzles.

FIST! OF! JUSTICE! v2.0: I think it’s best if we don’t get into that right now.

Secret Agent Man: Yeah, that’s fair.

what’s Gucci, fam?: Anyway, who’s next up?

✨ black like my soul ✨: Mako and I!

*hacker voice* i’m in: I dunno, are we sure about this one? Isn’t this like, a little too similar to how you dorks actually got together?

school’s out for…never: Idk, even if it is, we ain’t got a whole lot of time to figure something else out.

Advanced Therapy™️: I think it may be less suspicious this way! If any of the rest of us were to be at the aquarium, it would probably be odd.

what’s Gucci, fam?: Yeah, it’s pretty boring…Ryuji and I def wouldn’t be there. Plus, he’s talked to us already.

FIST! OF! JUSTICE! v2.0: It’s peaceful and relaxing.

*hacker voice* i’m in: That’s code for boring.

Fox in Socks: And once again, we find ourselves back to this debate.

Secret Agent Man: Can we argue about this after I get engaged? Please?

what’s Gucci, fam?: aaaaAAAAHHH! Too cute!

school’s out for…never: Babe. We’ve been talking about him getting engaged for like…a week. Why’re you still flipping out?

what’s Gucci, fam?: Saying it like that is still too cute!!!! And it’s still exciting! Be happy for them!!!

school’s out for…never: I am!!

✨ black like my soul ✨: We’re all so excited for them! Mako and I just got to the aquarium. We’re rather early, but we both want to make sure this goes perfectly!

FIST! OF! JUSTICE! v2.0: Leave it to us.

*hacker voice* i’m in: There’s our Queen!

Advanced Therapy™️: Let us know how it goes! We’re close to the end, and it’s so exciting!

“I don’t understand the point of keeping so many fish just…in tanks,” Morgana observed as the aquarium came into view. “Think of all the sushi…”

“Some of the sea creatures here are endangered species, you know,” Akechi chided him. “It would be a shame for an entire species to go extinct because you were hungry.”

“Hey, I’m technically an endangered species, too! I’m the only talking cat in the world!” Morgana yowled. “Why do they get special treatment, and I don’t?”

“I would hardly consider your living arrangements anything less than special treatment,” Akechi replied simply, earning another annoyed yowl. “Most cats would be ecstatic to eat as much fresh fish as you do.”

Morgana huffed angrily but seemed to have no retort, making Akechi chuckle despite himself.

The little plaza outside the aquarium was far busier than Akechi expected — then again, it was a lovely spring afternoon, just after schools ended for the day, and based on the colorful banners all around, yet another new exhibit had opened.

In some ways, he wished it had been such a pleasant day when he came here with Akira for the first time. It had been bitter cold, and there was nothing he hated more. Even now, Akira loved to tease him for how pathetic he was when he was cold, before holding him close for warmth.

Then again…if it hadn’t been so truly miserable that day, he likely wouldn’t have received what was still one of the greatest gifts he’d ever been given.

He still had Akira’s scarf tucked away somewhere — sentiment refused to let him part with it, though it was ragged and threadbare from years of use. He would never admit it, not even to Akira, but that tattered strip of cloth was, even still, one of his most valued possessions.

To Akira, offering it had been a simple act of charity, but to Akechi…it was the first time he could ever remember having someone actually care about him.

It had been over half a decade, and remembering it still made his chest feel tight. He was quiet for a while, regarding the aquarium and the buzz of activity around it, before Morgana asked, “Hey, are you okay?”

Akechi nodded. “Yes, thank you. I’m not certain what this person hopes to get from sending us all over Tokyo, but I, for one, find myself reflecting on rather pleasant memories.”

“I mean, they did say you’re supposed to be thinking back on what led you to become a Phantom Thief,” Morgana agreed. “Maybe that’s exactly what they had in mind.”

“Akechi?”

He turned to see Haru waving at him, Makoto close by her side as always. He offered an awkward wave of his own, prompting Haru to run over and hug him. “Akechi! We’ve been so worried about you!”

“My apologies,” Akechi managed, trying to disentangle himself from Haru. “I didn’t intend to worry you. I merely…preferred to handle this myself.”

“That’s okay!” Haru smiled, letting him go. “You’re okay, and that’s the important thing!”

“Have you found any leads?” Makoto asked, the serious frown on her face a stark contrast to the cheer on her fiancée’s.

“We’ve been running all over Tokyo chasing them,” Morgana complained. “We still haven’t found the guy.”

“I believe we may be closing in,” Akechi said. “Although I confess, I was not expecting the trail to lead here, of all places.”

“You think the person threatening you is here?” Makoto asked skeptically. “Are you feeling alright?”

“Each place we’ve investigated thus far has produced a calling card and a vague description of someone acting suspiciously. We investigated the Jazz Jin in Kichijoji, and it was no different. The manager gave us a calling card he had found and told us about a strange man who was constantly referring to the aquarium. Thus, here we are,” Akechi explained.

“How strange…” Haru said, looking puzzled. “What has everyone said he looked like?”

“Sumire’s dad didn’t see what he looked like. Lady Ann and Ryuji saw someone tall and skinny, with black hair,” Morgana said. “All the manager at the jazz bar said about the guy he saw was that he had glasses and a hoodie. Not exactly super helpful.”

“Yes, both of those descriptions unfortunately fit a large portion of the population,” Makoto agreed, brow creasing in thought.

“I don’t suppose you’ve seen anyone suspicious while you’ve been here?” Akechi asked. If there was anyone bound to remember what the stranger looked like, it would be Makoto.

“No, no one in particular stood out to me as odd,” Makoto shook her head. “Not that odd, anyway.”

“I…may remember someone?” Haru half-asked. “I’m not as good at details as Mako is, though…”

“What do you recall?” Akechi demanded. Morgana and Makoto both glared at him, so he cleared his throat and asked more gently, “If you don’t mind.”

“We were in one of the little presentation rooms, where they have the short films,” Haru said. “Mako was very focused on the movie. I found it a little dull, so I was looking around. There was a man in the back acting a little strangely. I’m not certain exactly how to explain it…he was very fidgety, and he looked anxious.” 

“What did he look like?” Morgana asked.

“A little like you described. He was rather thin, but he didn’t have glasses or a hoodie. He was dressed rather nicely, actually. I’m not certain if he was tall, since he was sitting down,” Haru said. “I don’t remember his face, since it was rather dark in there. I’m sorry…”

Akechi frowned. “I’m having difficulty discerning whether this is one person, or multiple. It’s likely best that I prepare myself for the worse option.”

“I wish I could be more useful,” Haru sighed, looking downcast. “You would think after living with Mako for so long, I would be better at detective work.”

“It’s okay,” Makoto assured her, taking one of Haru’s hands in one of hers and giving it a gentle squeeze. “Even a little information is better than having nothing to go on.”

“Wait!” Haru exclaimed suddenly. “I do remember one more thing! I don’t know how I forgot!”

“What is it?” Morgana demanded.

“He had a coffee cup, one of the disposable kinds,” Haru said. “I’m certain it was from Leblanc! Yusuke helped Sojiro-san design the cups, and they’re so eye-catching. I’m positive it was from there!”

“We’ll make a detective out of you yet,” Makoto smiled fondly, making Haru giggle a little.

“Could you show me where you saw him?” Akechi asked.

“Huh?” Haru asked, looking a little confused. “I’m certain he’s long gone by now. It was almost an hour ago.”

“Even still, perhaps he dropped something,” Akechi said. “We’ve found a calling card every time we’ve been told about someone acting strangely. I want to be sure we’re following the right trail.”

“Good thinking,” Makoto nodded.

“Oh, of course!” Haru agreed. “It was fairly close to the front of the aquarium, so it should only take a moment to get back there.”

She led the group to the room she had mentioned, which was still dimly lit but currently devoid of patrons. Haru looked at the little rows of seats, frowning as she thought aloud. “Mako and I were sitting…there, which means that he was sitting…right there.”

Akechi walked to the area Haru pointed to, a particularly dimly-lit corner. No flashes of red immediately caught his eye, but before he could stoop to look more closely, Morgana leapt from the bag. He disappeared under one of the seats, and a moment later, emerged with a familiar red card in his mouth. He proclaimed as best he could around the card, “Ha! My keen intuition is unmatched!”

“Well, we seem to be continuing on the right track,” Akechi nodded, taking the card and slipping it into his pocket alongside the others. “You said this was less than an hour ago, Haru?”

“I think so, yes!” Haru nodded.

“Then we had best be going,” Akechi said, kneeling down so Morgana could jump back into the bag. “At this rate, we may well catch up to them soon.”

“What’re you going to do if you catch them?” Makoto asked warily. “Be careful.”

“My reaction is wholly determined by theirs,” Akechi replied. “But there’s no need to worry. I’m nothing if not careful.”

“C’mon, let’s go!” Morgana urged. “We gotta hurry if we want to catch them.”

“Let us know what you find!” Haru said. “Good luck!”

Akechi nodded before quickly hurrying off. He was within an hour of his mysterious adversary — with just enough careful haste, he could end this soon.

(Joker’s Gonna) Put a Ring on It

✨ black like my soul ✨: Akechi’s on his way to Leblanc!

what’s Gucci, fam?: Wooo! We’re in the final stretch!

FIST! OF! JUSTICE! v2.0: He seemed rather excited that he’s ‘catching up’ to this person. He’s determined to apprehend them.

Secret Agent Man: Well, that is the point.

Advanced Therapy™️: Oh, I can’t wait! Senpai, you have to let us know how it goes!

Secret Agent Man: You guys will def be the first ones to know.

*hacker voice* i’m in: Oh, shit. If he’s heading to Leblanc, I need to make sure Sojiro’s ready. He better not mess this up!

Fox in Socks: I am offended on Boss’s behalf that you have so little faith in him.

*hacker voice* i’m in: He’s old so he forgets stuff. And he’s like, way too invested in these two losers. Hopefully that doesn’t make him slip up.

school’s out for…never: If Ann can lie right to Akechi’s face and be believable, Boss def can.

what’s Gucci, fam?: Ryuji!!!!

school’s out for…never: Love you, babe, but acting ain’t your strongest skill.

what’s Gucci, fam?: :(

school’s out for…never: Everybody’s gotta have a weakness! That’s like, your only one.

what’s Gucci, fam?: Yeah, sure.

*hacker voice* i’m in: Oooooooooooooooooh Ryuji, you fucked up.

school’s out for…never: You wanna fight??

Advanced Therapy™️: Um, so, senpai, what’s your plan for when he finally finds you? How are you going to ask him???

Secret Agent Man: Secret. ;)

✨ black like my soul ✨: I hope you’ll tell us afterwards! I’m so excited for you both.

FIST! OF! JUSTICE! v2.0: If you won’t tell us, you know we’ll try to pry the details from Akechi.

Fox in Socks: I’m certain it is a plan of nothing less than masterful artistry.

Secret Agent Man: I mean, I think so. I did put a ton of work into this.

*hacker voice* i’m in: You haven’t done shit! You’ve been hiding at Sojiro’s house playing Animal Passage this whole time.

Secret Agent Man: Because him seeing me ruins this whole thing!

Secret Agent Man: Besides, it’s not like you’re even giving him a clue. Sojiro is.

*hacker voice* i’m in: Excuses.

*hacker voice* i’m in: Well I’m gonna go make sure Sojiro knows his lines. See ya, losers.

Akechi had abandoned any sense of self-restraint on the long, anxious train ride to Yongen-Jaya; he all but ran off the train and jogged most of the way to Leblanc. If he was as close to catching up to his quarry as he thought, he didn’t have time to pretend to be cool and composed. He had to catch up.

Of all the places this wild goose chase had taken him, Leblanc was by far the most important to him. He and Akira had confessed their feelings here, shared their first kiss here…shared so many more firsts here. Akechi couldn’t begin to count how many days he had spent here — it had become a second home to him in high school, when he didn’t want to face another lonely evening in his own apartment.

It deserved far more than the moment of appreciation he could spare it right now, but if this case was successfully closed today…he would have plenty of time to appreciate it later.  

He practically slammed the door to Leblanc open, startling Sojiro and Futaba. To his relief, the cafe was empty besides the two of them; the only occupied booths were the ones Futaba had scattered her schoolwork and computers between.

“Akechi?” Sojiro asked, baffled. “Are you okay? You don’t look so good.”

“It’s been a rather trying day,” Akechi said, barely finding the energy for a false smile. “I’ve been investigating a case, and chasing the culprit all over Tokyo. A lead I’ve found seems to indicate they may have stopped by here today. I don’t suppose you’ve seen anyone beyond the usual lot?”

“You should know the answer to that by now,” Sojiro chuckled. “I hardly see anyone here, besides you all.”

“Not true!” Futaba argued, looking up from her computer just long enough to interject. “There was that one guy earlier!”

“Oh, yeah,” Sojiro nodded. “Almost forgot about him, since he was in and out in a flash. Didn’t want to stay, just wanted a to-go cup. Must’ve liked it though, since he came back in for a second one. You just missed him.”

“Do you remember anything about him?” Akechi demanded, far more aggressively than he intended. If this was who he thought, he ‘just missed’ him. He was close, he was closing in, he could end this before things spiraled any further…

“Man, you’re full of questions today,” Sojiro said. “He didn’t stand out a whole lot. Pretty average looking guy — you know I only pay attention if it’s a pretty lady.”

When Akechi didn’t laugh, Sojiro sighed. “Okay, fine, no more kidding around. He was honestly pretty forgettable. I made some small talk with him, but he didn’t say much. All I remember is that he said something about stopping by a friend’s place up in Arakawa, so he grabbed two cups to go. He was complaining that the elevator was out, and he sure wasn’t very excited about having to go up six flights of stairs.”

Akechi felt his heart stop.

An apartment in Arakawa…on the seventh floor…in a building with a broken elevator. There was only one place that could be.

Home.

“I-if you’ll excuse me,” Akechi managed to choke out, turning and leaving over the surprised confusion of Sojiro and Futaba.

(Joker’s Gonna) Put a Ring on It

*hacker voice* i’m in: That went way faster than expected. It’s all you now, Akira.

Secret Agent Man: Shit. Now I’m nervous.

✨ black like my soul ✨: You can do it, Akira!

Advanced Therapy™️: I believe in you, senpai!!

school’s out for…never: You got it, dude. Just be cool and don’t fuck it up.

what’s Gucci, fam?: That’s not super encouraging, Ryuji…

what’s Gucci, fam?: You’re gonna be great, Akira!

Fox in Socks: I am certain it will be a masterful performance.

FIST! OF! JUSTICE! v2.0: Just say how you feel without worrying about how poetic it is. It’ll be far easier if you just be yourself.

FIST! OF! JUSTICE! v2.0: Believe me, I know.

*hacker voice* i’m in: I honestly cannot actually believe I’m admitting this, especially in the group chat, but…

*hacker voice* i’m in: I really want you two dumbasses to be happy. We set you up great, so now you just gotta finish it off. Don’t mess it up, or I’m gonna be mad at you!!

Secret Agent Man: Thanks, guys. It means a lot.

Secret Agent Man: Guess I’ll talk to everybody on the other side!

Akechi could barely breathe as he bolted up the stairs to his apartment. On the one hand, he knew charging into this situation was a terrible idea…on the other, a person who clearly wished him ill had found where he lived, and no amount of subtlety could fix that.

He was certain Morgana was chiding him to be more cautious, but he couldn’t hear the cat over the pounding of his heart in his ears. He’d looked death in the face several times, but none of those experiences came even close to the fear he felt now. Back then, he’d been an impulsive teenager who felt he had nothing to lose; now, he knew he stood to lose more than he could bring himself to consider.

He hesitated at the apartment door, hand trembling as he reached for the doorknob. There was no telling what waited for him on the other side, not even a guess at what to expect. If worst came to worst, he was confident Akira had a decorative dagger somewhere…if only he could remember where.

Akechi took a deep breath and pushed the door open — it was unlocked, which was terrifying in its own right — before quietly making his way through the entrance hallway to the apartment’s main room. He steeled himself and peered around the corner, bracing himself for whatever he may find.

A person stood in the living room, facing away from him, and Akechi felt a chill shoot down his spine. His mysterious adversary had been waiting for him, just as he’d both expected and feared.

A moment later, realization dawned on him.

“Akira?”

The person turned, and to Akechi’s great surprise, confusion, and relief, he found himself looking at the smiling face of his partner. As Akechi walked towards him, Akira said simply, “Hi, honey.”

“Wh-what?” Akechi tried to demand, his voice cracking. “You…you’re supposed to be in London right now.”

“Uh…surprise?” Akira half-asked.

Akechi seemed incapable of speech, so Akira said, “I, uh…I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the two of us. A lot. I’ve always known I’m lucky to have someone like you, but lately I’ve just been…really realizing just how lucky I really am. You’re so loving, and passionate, and smart, and witty, and loyal, and I just…am so lucky to have you. I love you more than anything.”

Akechi stared at him in bewilderment before Akira went on, “So, I…um. I love you, so much. And…I…I just…”

Akira took a deep breath, pulling something from his pocket as he knelt down on one knee. He opened the little box, revealing a shiny black-and-white banded ring, and managed, “I…I want to marry you, Goro, more than anything. So…will you marry me?”

Akechi blinked back at him, desperately trying to find a single coherent thought to cling onto. His mind was whirling so fast he was dizzy, his heart was racing, his whole body trembling, but after a long silence, he was finally able to find his voice.

“Are you fucking joking?”

Based on Akira’s reaction, that was not the answer he had expected.

Akira opened his mouth to say something but Akechi closed his eyes, rubbing his temples with trembling hands and gritting out, “This calling card nonsense…this mysterious threat against me…it was all you?”

“I…” Akira mumbled. At the ferocious glare Akechi gave him, he admitted, “...yeah.”

Akechi felt a white-hot flash of fury shoot through his body. “I have spent the last 24 hours believing someone had discovered the skeletons in my closet. I was convinced that at best, my career would be ripped out from under me before it began. At worst…I feared I was going to lose you and everything we’ve built together. And you’re telling me it was all a joke?”

“It wasn’t a joke,” Akira argued.

“Then you had best start explaining what it was,” Akechi snapped.

“I told you. I’ve been thinking a lot about us,” Akira insisted. “I…I’ve been trying to figure out how to propose to you for a long time. And I went back and revisited some of the places that’ve been important to us…and I kinda wanted you to do that too.”

Before Akechi could take a breath to retort, Akira quickly went on, “Going back and visiting all those spots made me really, really remember just how lucky I am to have you. Everything we’ve been through together, all the good and bad…it made me think about all of it. And it made me really sure that I want to be yours, forever. So I was hoping…doing that would make you realize the same thing.”

Akechi took a deep breath, willing the adrenaline-fueled rage to dissipate. “And the first calling card? It spoke of stealing hearts and confessions and making deals. None of it had a particularly romantic connotation — on the contrary.”

“I need some way to get you to start looking around, and I thought a calling card fit. Since, well…you stole my heart a long time ago,” Akira said, a warm, lovestruck smile on his face. “So I figured…if you ‘confess’ that you love me as much as I love you, and if you accept my proposal, we’ve made a ‘deal’ with each other…”

His reasoning was almost laughable. It was something Akechi would’ve expected from Akira at the beginning of their relationship — something that seemed far more in line how Akira used to doodle their names in the margins of his homework, rather than how Akira these days worked so tirelessly to support them while Akechi was in grad school.

It was almost laughable.

But not quite.

“I thought I was the one whose job it was to secure confessions and plea bargains?” Akechi replied, raising an eyebrow. “You were the Phantom Thief, and I was the detective.”

“I don’t see you offering anything to encourage a deal,” Akira said, a very Joker-like smirk spreading across his face. Even still, after so many years, it was infuriating and irresistible, a challenge and an affectionate gesture all in one.

“Yes, you’re correct,” Akechi conceded. “So, you wish to strike a deal?”

The nervousness returned to Akira’s eyes as he nodded, making Akechi feel a little twinge of guilt, so he smiled and said, “Your terms are rather agreeable. Let’s hear you plead your case once more, and perhaps I can be persuaded.”

This brought a big smile to Akira’s face as he finally stood back up. He pulled Akechi close, resting his forehead against his, and said softly, “You’re the greatest thing to ever happen to me. You make me want to be a better person, and you make me want to work even harder so we can build the life we want. You make me feel so important, and you’re so loving, and so smart, and so thoughtful and faithful and funny. I…I love you more than anything, Goro. So…I really hope I haven’t fucked this all up…and I really hope you’ll marry me.”

“You can be rather persuasive when you want to be,” Akechi teased. He leaned forward to kiss Akira before adding softly, “Of course I will. Nothing could make me happier.”

Akira hugged him tightly, hands clutching Akechi’s shirt to hold him even closer. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too,” Akechi replied gently, before returning the embrace just as fiercely.

When Akira let Akechi go, he quickly brushed away a few tears before managing, “Oh. Um. I…this is for you. If you want it.”

He held out the little velvet box holding the narrow black-and-white ring, looking rather sheepish. Akechi raised an eyebrow and simply said, “I believe it’s traditional for you to do the honors?”

Akira laughed. “Yeah. You’re right. Like always.”

He slid the ring onto Akechi’s finger, holding his hand for a moment to take in the sight. “Now you’re officially mine.”

“I always have been,” Akechi replied, bringing another lovestruck smile, along with a few tears, to Akira’s face. “Although…if you’ll excuse me for a moment.”

Akira waited with bated breath as Akechi disappeared into their room for just a moment before returning. Before Akira could ask what he meant, Akechi said, “Your calling card said I would confess my crime, yes? My crime of stealing hearts?”

“Huh?” was all Akira could say.

Akechi held up a little velvet box of his own, and Akira’s heart felt like it was going to explode.

“Then I must confess, I’ve been planning one final theft for the last few months,” Akechi said, and Akira was positive he was going to faint. “I was intending to wait until I finished this semester, but you have always been rather less patient than me.”

“I…” Akira tried. He cleared his throat and managed, “Are you…saying what I think?”

“In terms of expressing your emotions, you are by far the more eloquent one,” Akechi said. “But that doesn’t mean I’m any less in love. You…were the first person to ever truly care about me, to truly believe I was important, and in return…you became important to me. I struggle sometimes to comprehend just how important. There is nothing I wouldn’t do or give up for you. I hardly think I deserve a…fiancé like you, but I will work every day to be worthy of you.”

His face was crimson as he added, “So…I thought perhaps you would enjoy a tangible sign of that as well.”

Akechi opened the little box, revealing a ring identical to the one Akira had chosen for him. Akira couldn’t help but laugh. “You have good taste.”

“Yes, I think so,” Akechi smirked. “Great minds do seem to think alike, after all.”

“Aren’t you supposed to do the honors?” Akira teased when Akechi offered the box to him. Akechi frowned, earning another laugh from Akira, even as he dutifully took the ring and slid it on Akira’s finger.

“And now you’re officially mine,” Akechi said softly.

“I always have been,” Akira smiled. “For better or for worse.”

“Regarding ‘for worse,’” Akechi went on, the sudden sharp edge to his voice making Akira’s heart stop. “If you ever consider some absurd scheme of this nature again, I will hold you to our original deal.”

“Original deal?” Akira echoed, confused.

“The duel we never finished,” Akechi said, his gaze fierce. “And rest assured I will win.”

“Oh,” Akira said. He managed a weak laugh. “Good thing I only need to propose once, right?”

“Clearly it is,” Akechi nodded.

Despite the intense look in Akechi’s eyes, Akira couldn’t resist adding, “But I picked good spots, right? Don’t pretend like you didn’t like getting to think about all the stuff that got us where we are.”

“You’re remarkably bold for someone on such thin ice,” Akechi said lightly. After a moment, though, he smiled. “But yes, I did enjoy reminiscing on the early days of our relationship…even if I was rather afraid for my safety the entire time.”

This made Akira smile too. “I’m glad.” He paused and quickly added, “Wait. I’m glad about the first half of that. I’m sorry about the second half.”

“Well, now that this whole affair is behind us, I propose a celebration,” Akechi said. “Just the two of us. Given that I’m certain the others were complicit in your plan, we can celebrate with them another day.”

“Just the two of us?” Akira purred. “I like the sound of that.”

Akechi frowned. “I was referring to dinner. I’d like sushi.”

“We can save that for another time,” Akira countered. “I can think of other ways I’d like to celebrate.”

“Do you recall my comment a moment ago about thin ice?” Akechi warned, earning a sigh and a nod. “I don’t believe you’re in a position to be making demands.”

“Dinner it is then,” Akira conceded. He followed Akechi out of the apartment, unable to resist adding, “But about after dinner…”

“For someone so smart, Akira’s such an idiot,” Morgana sighed as Futaba closed her laptop.

“Akechi’s not any better,” Futaba agreed. “He didn’t even notice you ditched him to stay at Leblanc.”

“That was super fuckin’ close,” Ryuji said, letting out a heavy sigh of his own. “I was pretty damn sure there for a minute that we were gonna end up eavesdropping on either a murder or a breakup.”

“What’s important is that it all worked out!” Sumire exclaimed, a big smile on her face. “They’re engaged now, and I’m certain Akechi-san will forgive senpai quickly.”

“He’s not exactly the forgiving type,” Ann raised an eyebrow. “He’s not like, mean about it anymore, but he definitely doesn’t forget stuff.”

“Akira has always seemed to be an exception to that rule,” Yusuke pointed out.

“Anyway, we’ll have to congratulate them tonight!” Haru said. “We should give them a little while to enjoy their dinner together, though.”

“We need to wait for them to tell us,” Makoto shook her head. “I think, for all our sakes, we can agree we never heard any of this?”

The others nodded as one, save Futaba, who had reopened her laptop and was fiddling with something on it. Makoto smiled. “Good.”

Ryuji stretched before offering everyone a big grin. “Well, those two losers are gettin’ dinner to celebrate. Whaddya say we do that too? We helped two of our best friends get engaged, that’s kinda a big deal.”

“Sushi!” Morgana agreed immediately.

“We’re not certain where they plan to go for sushi,” Yusuke said. “I think it may be best if we avoid that.”

Everyone began to file out of Leblanc, debating where to go, while Futaba remained in the booth, still intent on her computer. Morgana stopped by the door and scowled, “Are you coming?”

Futaba clicked one final thing on her computer before giggling ominously. Morgana, concerned, asked, “What’re you plotting?”

“Gonna edit this later. Their wedding video is gonna be comedy gold.”