The Jester Fathers the Fool (Chapter 2: The Respite of Revolution)
Summary:
Akira Kurusu has always been sure about his home life, even if it wasn't the best.
But after meeting the Inaba T.V. Killer, he's no longer sure.
And... also he's the leader of the Phantom Thieves.
Updates Every Two Weeks (hopefully)
Chapter Summary:
The Phantom Thieves see Kamoshida's change of heart.
Akira also realizes that peace is something out of his reach.
You can read it on AO3 here.
5/2, Monday:
Akira awoke to the sound of his phone going off rapidly. After rubbing his eyes, he grabbed at where he guessed his phone would be.
Unsurprisingly, it was the group chat with Ann and Ryuji. Akira had figured he would hear from them soon into the day.
ryuji: this isnt good
ryuji: guys?
ryuji: is anyone up
ryuji: hello?
ryuji: it isnt only my life on the line here!
ryuji: wake up
ryuji: wake up
ryuji: wake up
ann: WILL YOU SHUT UP?
ann: so today’s the big day huh?
ryuji: ann i dont want to get expelled
ann: please shut up
ann: it’s too early.
ryuji: guys we are so effin dead
ryuji: we are so so dead
akira: no we aren’t.
ann: yeah we’ll be fine
ryuji: its easy for you to say that
ryuji: youre not the one getting expelled today
akira: none of us are getting expelled ryuji.
ann: we’ve done everything according to plan
ann: there’s no way this can fail!
akira: yeah, we’ll be fine.
ryuji: but we cant be sure
akira: we’ll.
akira: be.
akira: fine.
ann: yep!
Akira frowned as he shut off his phone, rubbing his eyes once again. Ryuji’s fears weren’t unfounded. In fact, it was probably the most normal thing about their situation.
“Are you ready?” Morgana asked, staring at Akira worriedly. “Today’s the day, y’know.”
“I’m fine,” Akira said. “It’s a bit scary to just wait, but everything is going to fine.”
It just has to be, Akira thought. If it doesn’t… well that’s it, isn’t it?
“You don’t seem too sure,” Morgana said, tilting his head.
“I am,” Akira countered, turning to change. “Just tired, that’s all.”
Morgana sighed loudly but didn’t say anything more on the matter.
Some lies weren’t worth the trouble of uncovering them. Not that Akira would complain about Morgana’s newfound policy.
After getting dressed, Akira went downstairs with Morgana in tow. Sojiro had apparently just arrived.
“You hungry, kid?” Sojiro asked, staring at Akira. “You’ll have enough time for breakfast if you eat now.”
“No,” Akira said quickly. “I’m not really that hungry.”
Sojiro frowned. “Are you sure?”
Akira nodded.
“Make sure you flip the sign to open on your way out,” Sojiro said, turning away.
Akira turned away, making his way towards Leblanc’s door.
He didn’t understand why Sojiro seemed so disappointed in how he had skipped breakfast.
His only guess was quickly brushed off as he turned the sign, marking the cafe as open.
If his own parents hadn’t cared enough, he doubted that Sojiro would, no matter what kind of person Sojiro was.
It just wouldn’t make sense.
Going through the motions of the school day was nerve-wracking, although Akira barely showed it.
Or at least he hoped that he seemed calm.
He was grateful when it was finally time for the assembly, as he had figured that was the do or die moment.
Who thought that the most important thing in my academic career would be a school assembly and not an exam… Akira thought, trying to find humor. I guess life isn’t easy to predict.
Akira and Ann found each other in the hallway while their class walked to the assembly, both looking a little grim.
“This is a bit scary,” Ann whispered. “Especially since we have no clue what this is going to be about.”
“We can guess, can’t we?” Akira asked, gripping his backpack a bit tighter.
“If it was just about Kamoshida I doubt the school would call an assembly,” Ann said shaking her head. “They like to sweep his behavior under a rug.”
Akira nodded, frowning as they finally reached their destination. “Out of the frying pan into the fire, it seems.”
“Hopefully it isn’t anything like that,” Ann said before going in.
Akira and Ann separated, with Ann going towards the front and Akira lingering towards the back.
Principal Kobayakawa stood awkwardly on the platform, adjusting his shirt every few seconds.
Whatever he was about to say, Akira was sure he didn’t want to say it.
After a few minutes of waiting it seemed that the assembly was finally about to begin. Akira tried to ignore the fear that clawed up his chest.
“Hello everyone,” Kobayakawa began. “As you all may know our school has recently been victim to a tragedy.”
“However despite the circumstances, we have been informed that the student in question will make a full recovery over time.”
“We will move forward from this tragedy by putting our best foot forward.”
Kobayakawa paused for a second, most likely to continue his speech on morale, but he never got the chance.
The door closest to Akira opened with a bang, revealing Kamoshida behind it.
The man had looked different, Akira realized. As if he had seemed sorry instead of smug. The thought was a little jarring, but Akira simply tried to ignore it.
“I have been reborn,” Kamoshida began, a bit out of breath. “I have… a lot to confess to you all.”
Kamoshida slowly shambled to the stage, the walk a bit lackluster for a former Olympic medalist.
“I have done things unspeakable as a teacher,” Kamoshida said. “I viewed this school as my castle and I was right to do anything I saw fit.”
“I treated the volleyball team terribly,” Kamoshida continued. “I would continuously abuse them until they gave me the results I wanted.”
“Mister Kamoshida,” Kobayakawa said hurriedly. “Please get off the stage!”
“And to the female students I was no better,” Kamoshida said, ignoring Kobayakawa’s attempts to get him off the stage. “I sexually harassed them despite their repeated attempts to tell me no.”
“I am the reason that Suzui attempted to kill herself,” Kamoshida said. “And when students attempted to call me out on it I saw it fit to have them expelled.”
“I will of course rescind the request of their expulsion,” Kamoshida finished.
Kamoshida then went on his knees and started sobbing, confusing the student body even more.
“I am a shameful person,” Kamoshida said, barely comprehensible. “I am the scum of this very earth.”
“There’s no punishment worthy of me,” Kamoshida continued. “The only way I could ever think of repenting is by killing myself.”
“Yes, that’s the only punishment that would be fair!” Kamoshida cried out. “I will die in order to repent for my sins!”
“What, are you a coward or something?!” Ann yelled out, surprising everyone around her. “Shiho didn’t have a choice about whether or not to jump but you do.”
“You need to live to serve out a sentence,” Ann continued. “Otherwise you’ll just be running away from your crimes!”
“You’re right,” Kamoshida muttered. “I need to live to see this through. Only then will I receive proper punishment.”
“Could it be the rumors were true?” a student near Akira whispered. “He really was doing all that stuff…?”
“Doesn’t that mean that the Phantom Thieves are also real…?” another student whispered. “Because there’s no way he’d just confess to that stuff right?”
“Don’t be stupid, he probably was just caught,” a student hissed. “There’s no way something like ‘stealing hearts’ could really happen.”
“I guess you’re right…”
“Please everyone, calm down!” Kobayakawa yelled, trying to regain control. “And can someone get Mister Kamoshida out of here?!”
“Jesus,” Ryuji muttered, shaking his head. “That really happened, didn’t it?”
“I guess it worked,” Akira said.
“That’s a relief, isn’t it?” Ann asked. “His heart really changed so we don’t have to worry!”
“Yeah, I guess,” Akira said.
Did we really do the ‘right’ thing…? Akira thought. It’s not like he would’ve confessed on his own.
“I mean, I’m glad it worked and everything,” Ryuji said. “But still to believe he would’ve never confessed without us intervenin’ is effed up.”
“We were forced,” Ann said. “And it’s not like that asshole deserved any better.”
Before Akira or Ryuji could say anything else, Mishima and a few other students came up to the group.
“We’re sorry, Ann-chan for believing the rumors so easily,” the girl behind Mishima said. “Please forgive us!”
“Huh…?” Ann said.
“The rumors about you willingly being with Mister Kamoshida,” another girl explained. “Please forgive us!”
“It’s fine…” Ann said hesitantly. “It’s all in the past, right?”
“No matter what we do now, it’s already happened,” Ann finished. “It’s best not to worry too much about it.”
“Thank you, Ann-chan!” The group said, smiling brightly before walking off.
“Mishima, you’re not leaving yet?” Ryuji asked.
“I really owe you guys one, don’t I?” Mishima asked. “I mean, you had no reason to help someone like me…”
“What are you talking about?” Ryuji asked.
“I revealed Kurusu’s criminal record!” Mishima yelled. “And yet you guys still decided to help me…”
“I won’t forget that I promise.”
“I’m a bit confused,” Akira said. “But, if you’re feeling guilty about the record thing, don’t be.”
“I doubt that Kamoshida gave you much of a choice.”
“Yeah, Mishima, don’t worry about it too much,” Ryuji said. “We’re all good now, so it’s no sweat.”
Mishima apologized a bit more before leaving the group alone once again.
“That was… weird,” Ann said, twirling her hair. “I never knew he could be like that.”
“Enough about him,” Morgana said, popping out of Akira’s bag. “Is there anywhere private we can meet up to freely discuss?”
“Woah, I forgot you were even here,” Ryuji said.
“Hey! I’m an integral part of the team!”
“Maybe we should discuss this at the rooftop…?” Ann asked. “Unless Ryuji wants to look like an idiot arguing with a cat.”
“Lady Ann! I’m not a cat!”
“To the rooftop it is, then,” Akira said, pushing Morgana into his bag.
Once the group had arrived back onto the rooftop, the fighting between Morgana and Ryuji continued.
“I seriously don’t understand how you could just forget about me!” Morgana yelled, glaring at Ryuji. “I’m really important, y’know.”
‘Yeah yeah,” Ryuji said looking away. “But dude, you’re also a cat.”
“No, I’m not!”
“Yes, you are!”
“Guys guys we get it already,” Ann said, rolling her eyes. “But we can talk about something important now?”
“As soon as this idiot admits I’m not a cat!” Morgana said.
“Well, that’s not going to happen,” Ryuji said. “Because you totally are.”
“Guys,” Akira said. “This is nice and all, but I don’t think now is the time.”
“You guys can fight later,” Ann agreed. “But we have to talk about what happened with Kamoshida.”
“Well from what we’ve just witnessed, as long as the shadow isn’t destroyed by us then taking the treasure holds no risk to them,” Morgana said. “As long as we’re careful, everything should go fine.”
“So you mean we could get people to confess?” Ryuji asked. “Without killing ‘em?”
“In theory yes,” Morgana said. “It worked well for Kamoshida, didn’t it?”
“Guys, I’m glad you aren’t fighting, but maybe keep it down?” Ann said. “We’re still in a public place.”
“Sorry,” Ryuji whined. “But it’s not like anyone ever comes up here in the first place!”
“They could with how much noise you’re making!” Ann rebuffed.
“Anyways,” Akira said. “Is it true that Shiho’s going to make a full recovery?”
“Apparently,” Ann said, twisting her hair. “I mean, we can’t be sure just yet, but it’s Shiho so she’s going to be fine!”
“But…” Ann said, trailing off for a moment. “She’s not conscious for too long, but anything’s better than nothing, right?”
“Yeah,” Akira agreed. “She’ll improve in no time.”
“Well, didja get to talk to her?” Ryuji asked. “To find out why she… y’know…”
“Jeez, can’t you have any tact?!” Ann complained. “But yeah, I did.”
“What a pair of idiots we made,” Ann continued. “She found out about my ‘deal’ with Kamoshida… and I guess she just had enough of it.”
“So you were both trying to protect each other, huh,” Akira said. “You’re both good for each other, it seems.”
“Yeah,” Ann agreed. “Still, if we had only just… I don’t know…”
“It’s tough, yeah, but you can’t blame yourself for Suzui’s actions,” Ryuji said. “If anyone’s to blame it’s that bastard Kamoshida.”
“Yeah, it isn’t your fault Lady Ann!��� Morgana added. “You did everything you could’ve!”
“And you know what’s even worse?” Ann asked. “Shiho’s mom is thinking about transferring her to a new school.”
“Damn,” Ryuji said. “That’s… got to be rough.”
“But it’s probably for the best,” Ann said. “Considering the reputation she has over here.”
“She’ll be fine,” Akira said, smiling slightly. “She has you to back her up, doesn’t she?”
“Of course she does,” Ann said. “It still just… sucks.”
“It’ll get better, Ann,” Akira said. “You’ve just got to be patient now.”
“Speaking of getting better,” Morgana said. “We’ve still got the treasure, don’t we?”
“Ohh yeah, we do!” Ryuji said. “What are we gonna do with it?”
Akira pulled out the olympic medal and placed it on the table. “We should probably sell it, shouldn’t we?”
“But how are we deciding shares?” Ryuji asked. “We all played an equal part, right?”
“We should split it, but…” Ann began. “I get to have Ryuji’s share.”
“Huh?!” Ryuji yelled. “What gives you the right?!”
“You owe me, that’s what.”
“What?! How?!”
“I lent you money,” Ann said, twirling her hair once again. “You never paid it back, so…”
“It’s got to be worth lots in interest at this point, right?”
“That ain’t fair!” Ryuji yelled. “You’ve already paid yourself back by now!”
“That doesn’t count,” Ann said. “You’ve got to pay back what you owe, y’know.”
“I think it’s best if we decide it later…” Morgana said. “I’ve got to take Akira to where we’ll sell it first.”
“I’m selling it?” Akira asked.
“Yeah,” Morgana said, stretching slightly. “It doesn’t look like those two are going to be done arguing anytime soon.”
Akira sighed, grabbing the medal once more.
It seemed they weren’t done with the drama of Kamoshida just yet.
This isn’t too bad at least, Akira thought. Although who knows where Morgana wants to sell this medal.
Akira and Morgana awkwardly defused themselves from the argument between Ann and Ryuji, quickly making their way back to Leblanc.
Once Akira was in the safety of the cafe, he texted the group chat, a little too curious about what Ryuji had even borrowed money from Ann for.
akira: so guys, how was dying today?
akira: i liked the part where the change of heart happened and we didn’t die.
ryuji: hey!
ryuji: it couldve not worked
ryuji: my fears were valid
ann: um… the fact that it did work
ann: proves your fears werent valid???
akira: anyways, i want to know what ryuji owes ann so much money for.
akira: did you buy a house or something.
ryuji: i bought something for my mom
ryuji: on a field trip
ann: not my fault that you didn’t have enough money!
ryuji: it was only 500 yen
ann: yeah but think of the interest…
ann: i could’ve bought so much candy with that.
ann: so really im doing you a favor
akira: maybe i’ll just keep the money.
akira: split it with morgana if i’m feeling generous.
ann: you can’t do that!
ryuji: thats unfair!
akira: i’m joking.
akira: we’ll figure out something.
“You look happy today,” Sojiro said once Akira turned off his phone. “Anything interesting happen?”
“Nope,” Akira said, shrugging. “A normal day, all things considered.”
“Alright then,” Sojiro said, not looking the slightest bit convinced. “Whatever you say.”
“You really believe that a delinquent student can’t live a normal life?” Akira asked, letting Morgana out of his bag when he saw there were no customers.
“Considering that it’s you we’re talking about?” Sojiro asked, smiling slightly. “You’ll have to forgive my skepticism.”
Akira smiled. “I don’t think I’m getting a fair chance here.”
“Maybe not,” Sojiro agreed. “But it’s not like you have any other choice.”
“Guess not,” Akira said. “You don’t mind if this ‘delinquent’ studies, do you?”
“As long as you close up,” Sojiro said. “You’re free to do whatever you want as long as you don’t burn down the cafe.”
“I’ll try my hardest,” Akira promised.
Sojiro just sighed.
Maybe he had looked the tiniest bit fond.
Once Sojiro left, Akira pulled out a textbook ready to study earnestly.
After a particularly hard problem, Akira had paused, chewing on his pen slightly. “So, where are you dragging me to sell the medal, Morgana?” “You know that fake gun store that Ryuji dragged us to?” Morgana asked. “We’re going there.”
“Untouchable?” Akira asked. “You think he’ll buy the medal?”
“He gives off that sort of vibe,” Morgana said. “I’m sure it’ll be fine.”
“You can’t just start judging people based on what ‘vibe’ they give off,” Akira said, turning his attention back to studying. “You give off a cat vibe, yet you claim to not be a cat.”
“I’m not a cat!”
“Sure.”
5/3, Tuesday:
When Akira woke up the next morning, all he could feel was relief. He hadn’t noticed before, but the weight of expulsion had worn heavily on him. Now that Kamoshida was gone for good, Akira could breathe again.
“You look different,” Morgana grumbled. “Have a good dream or something?”
“Something like that,” Akira said. “Didn’t mean to wake you up.”
“It’s fine,” Morgana said. “I probably wouldn’t have slept for much longer.”
“But be more careful next time!”
“I’ll try.”
After Akira changed into his daily clothes, he went downstairs to see Sojiro waiting for him.
“Kid, just the person I was hoping to see,” Sojiro said, staring Akira down. “I’m going to need you to do some chores around here.”
“Huh?” Morgana asked from the bag. “You can’t be doing chores, you have to sell the medal!”
“Can I do them when I get back?” Akira asked.
“No can do,” Sojiro said. “You’ll be helping me for the day.”
Akira sighed. “Alright, then.”
“Don’t look too sad about it, kid.”
After changing into an apron, Akira had begun to help Sojiro. He didn’t make any coffee, but he cleaned the dishes.
Morgana was stuck upstairs, thankfully silent, leaving Akira alone with his thoughts and the occasional small talk from Sojiro.
Before long, the T.V. blared to life, bringing with it apparent breaking news. Akira had tuned in just enough to hear about Kamoshida.
I wondered if he was turned in or if he turned himself in… Akira thought. Both are possible with the way he was acting.
“That’s from your school isn’t it?” Sojiro asked, staring at the T.V. worriedly.
“I guess so,” Akira said. “I’m not really paying attention to it.”
Sojiro frowned. “Get back to work.”
Akira nodded, continuing to wash dishes.
I guess if I wanted any more confirmation that’s as good as anything, Akira thought. That’s the final nail in the coffin.
After a bit longer of doing work in the cafe, it had seemed that Sojiro had finally taken pity on him.
Or at least he’d taken pity on Morgana.
“You can’t just leave your cat alone for so long,” Sojiro sighed. “At least not when you’re right here.”
“I’m sure he’s fine,” Akira said, putting away a recently cleaned dish. “He’s spent longer on his own.”
“It still isn’t good to just leave him!” Sojiro said. “Jeez kid, you should really care more about your cat.”
Akira smiled slightly. “I’m sure he’d be touched that you care so much about him.”
Sojiro frowned, crossing his arms slightly.
Akira wasn’t exactly sure what Sojiro was trying to get across.
“Do… you want me to go check on him?” Akira asked. “Don’t you need help around here?”
“I’m sure I’ll manage without your help,” Sojiro said. “Go check up on your damn cat already.”
Akira wasn’t one to question a break when he was given it, so he had quickly gotten out of his apron and went up into the attic.
Unsurprisingly, Akira found Morgana on the bed, sleeping peacefully.
Like I said, he didn’t mind even the slightest bit, Akira thought. At least Boss was worried about him…
Huh, if anyone here has gained Boss’s favor it’s Morgana, Akira thought. Must have a weakness for cute things.
“Hey Mona,” Akira said softly, shaking the cat. “It’s time to wake up.”
Morgana groaned, mumbling something about five more minutes. Akira just rolled his eyes. If he was going to spend time with Morgana he’d rather if the cat was awake.
“You’ve been sleeping the whole day,” Akira continued. “Are you sure you aren’t a cat after all?”
“Huh…?” Morgana mumbled. “What are you talking about… of course I’m a human…!”
Akira found that Morgana’s protests weren’t as effective under a layer of sleep, but at least he kept to his story about not being a cat.
“I don’t know… usually only cats sleep this long,” Akira said. “Are you really so sure?”
“Of course I’m sure!” Morgana said, more alert. “How could you ever think I’m a cat?”
He… can’t be serious, can he? Akira thought.
“I don’t know,” Akira decided to say. “Just a strange guess, I suppose.”
“Well you can be sure of it now!” Morgana said. “Especially since we’ll be phantom thieving with each other from now on!”
“We’re continuing?” Akira asked. “Are you really sure?”
And also… is that a word?
“Huh?” Morgana said. “Why wouldn’t we be?”
“I mean, just don’t you think it’s a bit weird for us to be planning another heist?” Akira said. “We didn’t really have a choice for Kamoshida, but it isn’t everyday you run into someone like him.”
“Yeah, but like I’ve been saying, not everyone has a palace,” Morgana said. “It’s only the people who have distorted desires…”
“And at that point we might even be doing them a favor!”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Akira said, going to pet Morgana. “But we should probably ask the others before we do anything.”
“I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t want to go against anything like Kamoshida with just the two of us,” Akira said. “I don’t think that’d bode well.”
“I’m sure Lady Ann and Ryuji will want to join us,” Morgana said. “They seemed pretty excited about Kamoshida’s change of heart.”
“But that can’t be the only thing on your mind,” Morgana continued. “You seemed a bit hesitant about the change of heart before…”
“But, now that’s it over with, do you still have any issues?”
“I’m not sure,” Akira admitted. “On one hand we did what we had to do, but still, forcibly changing someone like that…”
“Kamoshida wouldn’t have changed, and the situation wouldn’t have as well,” Akira finished. “But even so, it just puts a sour taste in my mouth.”
“Kamoshida wasn’t a good person,” Morgana said. “Most people who have palaces won’t be either.”
“Sometimes there’s only so much a person can do without resorting to something more drastic,” Morgana continued. “But I guess it’s good to have doubts, even if they were a bit annoying at first.”
“People with palaces won’t change on their own, and the change we bring should be for the better,” Morgana finished. “So you can’t just back out now, alright?”
“I wasn’t thinking about it,” Akira said. “I’ll learn to live with it.”
“Plus it isn’t so bad,” Akira admitted. “We’ll be making a change, won’t we?”
“Hopefully, yeah,” Morgana agreed.
“Then I’ll be fine,” Akira said. “Doing this is better than doing nothing.”
“That’s the spirit,” Morgana said. “Which is good for you too, because we still have a deal!”
“Mona, you’re part of the team, isn’t that enough?” Akira teased.
“Hey! You have to help me become human again,” Morgana yelled. “It wouldn’t be fair otherwise, y’know!”
“Human… again,” Akira repeated. “Denial is hard to get over, isn’t it?”
“You’re not funny!”
“I think I’m hilarious.”
After a few more minutes of aimless bickering, Akira heard the chime of Leblanc’s door ring one final time.
Akira faintly heard what he believed to be a sigh of relief before he heard his name called. “You and your cat can come down now.”
Both Akira and Morgana went downstairs, with Morgana in his usual spot in Akira’s bag.
“So, was he lonely?” Sojiro asked, staring at Morgana.
“I don’t know,” Akira said. “I did spend my time talking to him, so I sure hope not.”
“You talked to him… that entire time,” Sojiro said, staring at Akira blankly.
“Yep,” Akira said. “We had an interesting conversation.”
“Well kid, you should probably look for another career,” Sojiro said, turning his attention to a dirty cup. “Comedy is not your strong suit.”
I don’t think telling him I’m being serious would do me any favors… Akira thought. Sorry Morgana, looks like to Sojiro you’re just a normal cat after all.
“Hey, you should probably tell the others that you weren’t able to sell the medal today,” Morgana said. “No need for them to be excited over nothing.”
“They might just get more worked up,” Akira said. “But I’ll let them know, just in case.”
“You’re really talking to your cat, huh,” Sojiro said.
akira: hey guys, wasn’t able to sell the medal today.
akira: had chores.
akira: don’t be too angry.
ann: when are you going to sell it?
ann: i think i have an idea on what to do with the money
ryuji: if its just taking my share
ryuji: im not interested
ann: your share is my share
ann: and it’s nothing like that!
ann: we’ll all be getting equal benefit out of this!
ann: hopefully.
akira: i’ll be selling it tomorrow.
akira: hopefully.
akira: and as long as it’s just ryuji’s share going to ann, that’s fine.
ryuji: dude!
ryuji: what the eff
akira: sorry ryuji, but there’s not much i can do.
akira: you are in debt.
ryuji: it doesnt count!
“Of course he would say something like that,” Morgana huffed. “Doesn’t he know that any money he owes to Lady Ann should be paid as soon as possible?”
“I think in general it’s a good rule to pay off any debts,” Akira said. “Not just to Ann.”
“But especially to Lady Ann!”
akira: morgana says to pay off your debts soon, ryuji.
ryuji: apparently i dont get an effing choice
ryuji: dumb cat
“When will that idiot learn that I’m not a cat!” Morgana complained.
“Probably never,” Akira admitted, turning off his phone. “But that’s why we love him, right?”
“Speak for yourself.”
“Anyways,” Akira said. “You can probably lock up now, Boss.”
“Oh? You’re not planning on doing anything?” Sojiro asked. “I’m surprised.”
“The most I’ll be doing is studying,” Akira said. “Have to be a good student and all, right?”
“Somehow, when you say that it isn’t comforting in the slightest,” Sojiro said. “But I’ll leave this place to you.”
Akira grabbed his books, sitting in the middle booth with Morgana watching.
“Don’t go to bed too late now,” Sojiro said, going towards the door. “I’m not going to wake you up if you sleep the day away.”
“Alright, I won’t, “ Akira promised, beginning to get ready to work on the material.
Once Morgana was sure that Sojiro was gone, he began to complain in earnest. “Jeez, all you do is study.”
“Is there really anything else to do?” Akira asked, looking away from the book. “There isn’t exactly much near Leblanc.”
“I’ll show you tomorrow what you can do,” Morgana said. “Might as well study now since you started.”
Akira nodded, finally beginning to study.
There’s a lot planned… even now, Akira thought. I suppose that I should get used to it…
It isn’t so bad to be constantly busy, Akira thought. At least I’m never bored…?
Eh, I’ll think of something eventually.
5/4, Wednesday:
“Wake up,” a voice hissed into Akira’s ear. “You can’t spend the whole day sleeping, we have things to do!”
Akira groaned, furthering himself into his pillow. “Can’t I have five more minutes?”
“You’ve been asking for five more minutes the past four times!” the voice responded. “Enough is enough!”
“...Have I?” Akira asked. “I don’t remember.”
“That doesn’t matter!” the voice said. “You need to wake up now!”
Akira sighed, slowly opening his eyes. “Morgana, there’s got to be an easier way to do that.”
“Well maybe I would’ve been kinder if you had actually woken up the first time,” Morgana said. “Jeez, it’s bad when I wake up before you.”
“Well, what’s the big rush for today?” Akira said, rubbing at his eyes. “Is something big happening?”
“Well, you promised to sell the medal today, didn’t you?” Morgana asked. “We should probably at least try to get it done.”
“Yeah,” Akira agreed. “But why’d you wake me up so early?”
“It’s not early!” Morgana said. “It’s a normal time to wake up, actually.”
“Sure,” Akira sighed, grabbing at his phone. “I’ll let the group know that it seems I’ll be selling the medal today.”
akira: getting abused by morgana.
akira: woke me up just to tell me to sell the medal.
akira: a cruel world we do live in.
ann: that sucks
ann: maybe you could take a nap if you’re still tired?
ann: idk you probably should’ve been up by now tho.
akira: yeah, but it still sucks to be woken up.
akira: could’ve been having a good dream.
akira: now it’s gone.
ryuji: if youre having such a problem with the cat
ryuji: just throw him out
ann: ryuji wtf.
“Hey!” Morgana said, staring at the phone. “You can’t just let him get away with that!”
“Get away with what…?”
“Trying to get you to throw me out!” Morgana said. “How would he like it?!”
ann: you cant just be mean to mona!
ryuji: what is that cat going to do right now?
ryuji: he cant exactly text
akira: he can complain.
akira: i’m supposed to be fighting for him.
ryuji: dude whats he gonna do to you?
ryuji: hes a cat
akira: cats. have. claws.
akira: not a pleasant experience, ryuji.
ryuji: get him declawed man
ryuji: then he wont be able to do anything
akira: that’s something you do to cats.
ryuji: yeah
akira: i feel like i don’t have to tell you where this is going.
ann: that’d be really messed up.
“Gah, that idiot is such an asshole!” Morgana said. “Why does he think he can get away with saying stuff like that?!”
“Probably because you can’t text back,” Akira said. “I can send a message for you.”
“Tell him to watch out,” Morgana said. “Next time I see him he’ll be sure to regret it.”
akira: morgana said: watch out.
akira: he’s going to kill you.
ryuji: im so scared
ann: you say that now but you will be scared when mona comes at you.
ann: good luck!
akira: yeah, you’re on your own ryuji.
ryuji: its not like he can do anything to me anyways
akira: thats what he wants you to think.
ryuji: whos side are you on anyways?
akira: the winning one.
“Well, seems like you and Ryuji are getting along just fine,” Akira said, turning off his phone. “Some real comradery.”
“He started it!”
“I don’t think you’re exactly a saint in this situation, no matter who started it.”
“Well you should side with the victim!” Morgana said. “And it’s obviously me!”
Akira stared blankly at Morgana.
“Hey! Don’t give me that look.”
“Let’s just get ready to go to Untouchable,” Akira said. “The sooner the better, right.”
“Hey, don’t avoid picking a side!”
Akira changed quickly into his everyday wear, ignoring Morgana’s questions about whose side Akira was on.
Being honest with the cat wouldn’t have went well, as Akira could see that both of them were in the wrong.
He doesn’t really want to know where I stand, he just wants me to agree with him… Akira thought. I really don’t need to get into a fight with him over this.
When Akira went downstairs with Morgana in his back, still questioning him, Sojiro sent him an odd look.
“Get into a fight with your cat?” Sojiro asked.
“Something like that,” Akira said.
“Answer the question!” Morgana yowled. “Who’s in the wrong here, Ryuji or me?!”
Akira shook his head. “I’ll be back later, Boss, I have to go do some errands.”
“What errands could you possibly have?” Sojiro asked, looking a bit suspicious.
Before Akira could respond, a gray haired woman entered the cafe. From the way she carried herself, Akira couldn’t help but be the slightest bit intimidated.
It seemed Morgana felt similar as he had finally quieted down.
Or maybe he had just gotten tired.
“Am I interrupting something?” the woman asked, staring down at both Sojiro and Akira.
“Not at all,” Sojiro answered. “Take a seat.”
The woman sat down, frowning slightly. “The recent cases, mental shutdowns are really something, aren’t they?”
“Someone losing control and harming people,” the woman continued. “That’s certainly concerning, isn’t it?”
She’s… talking about the mental shutdowns? Akira thought. She can’t possibly be here for just coffee, can she?
“Ignoring that,” Sojiro said. “What can I get you to drink?”
“I’ll have the house blend, please,” the woman said after a short pause.
Akira felt frozen in place. Leaving now would seem a bit odd, and he also felt that he could get information out of her.
“Anyways, you’re a part timer, aren’t you?” the woman asked. “Which is shocking, I didn’t think this place could afford one.”
“I’m not exactly a part timer,” Akira said awkwardly. “Sakura-san is my guardian for this year.”
“Oh, that would make more sense,” the woman said. “I suppose you would attend a school around this area?”
“Yes,” Akira said. “Shujin Academy.”
“Oh? I know someone that goes there,” the woman said. “I believe there was another strange incident there recently.”
“Kamoshida… or someone by that name went through a strange ‘change of heart’, was it not?”
“That’s correct.”
“Ah, well I’m sure it’ll all be solved soon,” the woman said. “Is my drink finished yet?”
“Coming right up,” Sojiro said quickly.
The atmosphere was tense. If Akira was going to make his escape, he'd have to make it now.
Perhaps he felt a little guilty leaving Sojiro to be questioned by the woman, but he didn’t want any unneeded attention on himself.
After quickly leaving Leblanc, Akira sighed in relief.
“That woman,” Morgana said. “She sure asked a lot of questions, didn’t she?”
“Yeah,” Akira agreed. “She sure seemed to be on a mission of some sort.”
“I wonder why she came to Leblanc,” Morgana said. “Maybe she suspects Boss of something?”
“I don’t know if we want to find out,” Akira said. “We have enough on our plate for today, anyway.”
Yet somehow, even if I try to actively avoid her… I get the feeling I’ll be seeing a lot of her soon. Akira thought. There’s really never a dull moment around here, is there?
“You’re right!” Morgana said. “Let’s sell the medal and reap the reward!”
“That’s the spirit,” Akira smiled. “Let’s see how much crime pays.”
When Akira arrived at Untouchable, he suddenly realized he didn’t have much of a plan.
How exactly was he supposed to realistically sell an olympic medal? The only way he would’ve been able to acquire it was stealing.
Which, Akira supposed, wasn’t too far from the actual truth.
Faking confidence would be key, Akira decided. So he decided just to approach the owner head on, deciding that he didn’t have much to lose.
“I’d like to sell something,” Akira began, sliding the medal onto the counter. “How much will you take for this?”
The owner took one look at the medal before staring at Akira quizzically, “We don’t take fakes here, kid.”
“It’s not fake,” Akira insisted. “Please, just look at it?”
There goes the confidence.
The man looked at the medal a bit longer, eyes widening. “Where did you get this?”
Before Akira could answer, the man spoke again, “Nevermind, it’s probably best I don’t ask. I’ll pay 30,000 yen for this, though.”
“Works for me,” Akira said, taking the yen with ease.
“As a thanks for letting me buy this from ya,” the man continued. “Take this.”
Akira was handed a nondescript bag, which considering the circumstances wasn’t the most suspicious thing about the business deal.
“It’s probably best you don’t open that one, kid,” the man finished. “But be sure to bring it back here next time you come.”
That’s… not a good sign, is it? Akira thought. Really, anyone who would accept an olympic medal from a teenager probably isn’t the cleanest person to do deals with.
Oh well, really can’t complain.
“Alright,” Akira said, nodding as he adjusted his grip on the bag.
Before Akira could question anything more about the situation, two men came in. Similar to the woman, Akira could sense some sort of malicious intent from them.
The owner hadn’t looked the slightest bit surprised about their arrival and all Akira could do was question his impeccable bad timing.
“Munehisa Iwai,” the man closest to Akira began. “We would like to discuss some matters with you today.”
Oh no, Akira thought. This isn’t going to go well.
The men walked closer to the counter, while Akira walked past them to the door. Deciding to linger a bit, Akira listened into the conversation.
The other man began to speak. “You do know why we’re here today, correct?”
“I’m afraid, Detective-san,” the owner, now known as Munehisa, said, “that I don’t have a clue why you’re here.”
“Then you wouldn’t mind if we searched around here a little bit would you?” the original detective asked. “If you really have no clue.”
“An upstanding citizen is supposed to respect the law, correct?” Munehisa asked. “But I assure you I have nothing to hide, so you’re free to search as you wish.”
“Are you really sure the lead was legitimate?” the other detective said. “Because he seems pretty calm to me.”
“There’s got to be something here!” the original detective said, turning to face Akira. “You.”
Oh.
Akira stared blankly at the detective.
“What’s in that bag?” the detective asked.
It isn’t lying… if you’re not sure, is it? Akira thought. Really, how do I keep getting into these situations…?
“I’m not sure that’s any of your business,” Akira said.
“Kid’s right,” Munehisa said. “He’s a regular around here, I just bagged one of his purchases for him.”
The original detective glared at Akira.
“Well, there’s no use in questioning that,” the other detective said.
Akira nodded, “If there isn’t anything else, I’ll be leaving now.”
“Come back soon,” Munehisa said.
I’m not sure I want to be involved in this… Akira thought. But, this is the only source of weapons…
Akira left quickly, making some distance from Untouchable in just a few seconds.
“Jeez,” Morgana said, popping out of his bag. “I wonder what that was about.”
“Seems like we’re just running into trouble today,” Akira sighed. “Really, we can’t catch a break, can we?”
“Huh, but maybe something can come out of this,” Morgana said. “You should open the bag and see what the detectives were after!”
“That’s… a bad idea,” Akira said. “We’ll be returning this to him, and if this is what the detectives were after… well…”
“Ugh, I guess you’re right,” Morgana said. “But we should open it at some point!”
“I’ll think about it,” Akira said. “We should probably get back to Leblanc soon, don’t want Sojiro to be too worried.”
“You think he was fine with that woman?” Morgana asked.
“Probably,” Akira said, putting the strange bag into his bag. “He doesn’t have anything to hide.”
“What if he’s also a persona user…?”
“Wouldn’t he have been able to hear you?”
“You never know!”
When Akira arrived at Leblanc, it was thankfully clear of any customers. Akira had had enough of strangers for one day.
“Ah, you’re back,” Sojiro said, pausing his cleaning. “Did you get your errands done today?”
“Yep,” Akira said. “Was a pretty productive day, all things considered.”
“Hm,” Sojiro said. “You’ve been pretty comfortable so far, but you shouldn’t forget your situation.”
“It won’t be easy for you,” Sojiro continued. “But you should try to keep yourself out of trouble.”
“I will, Sakura-san,” Akira said. “You don’t need to worry about me too much.”
“Oh, back to being formal?” Sojiro asked. “Boss is fine, kid.”
Akira nodded. “Alright, Boss.”
“Anyways, I don’t mean to hold you up,” Sojiro said. “Go do whatever you usually do around here.”
“Hey,” Morgana said. “If you’re not planning on leaving Leblanc then you should probably make some infiltration tools.”
“You never know when you’ll need them,” Morgana finished. “Would be a good use of time.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Akira said. “As soon as you’re ready to leave, you can lock up, I won’t be going out tonight.”
“Alright,” Sojiro said. “Have fun talking to your cat, or whatever it is you do.”
“I’ll try,” Akira said, making his way up to the attic.
Huh, I should probably tell Ann and Ryuji that we’ve finally got the money.
akira: we’re 30,000 yen richer and one olympic medal poorer.
ann: oh? you sold it
ryuji: finally man
ryuji: but how we gonna split it?
ryuji: ann cant be seriously taking my share
ryuji: is she?
ann: don’t worry!
ann: you guys just need to trust me…
ann: i’ve got the perfect place to spend it
ann: we’ll be doing it tmrw
ann: so uh just wait until then
akira: sounds fine.
akira: hopefully it’ll live up to the suspense.
ann: duh
ryuji: i do get a fair share right
ann: of course!!!
ann: dont doubt me !
ryuji: sheesh just making sure
Once Akira turned off his phone, he went to his work desk where Morgana was patiently sitting.
“What are you going to try to make?” Morgana asked, licking at his paw.
“Probably a lockpick,” Akira said. “Those locked chests always seem to hold something good.”
“Good idea,” Morgana said. “You could probably make two with the time we have.”
Akira nodded, beginning the process of making the lockpicks.
“So,” Morgana said in an effort to break the silence. “What do you think is going to happen?”
“Huh?” Akira said, focusing on the almost complete lockpick in his hand. “What do you mean?”
“I mean.. do you think we’ll continue going to palaces?” Morgana asked.
“We have to, don’t we?” Akira asked. “A deal’s a deal.”
“But, it’s probably best if we stay low for a little bit,” Akira said. “We need to be patient about what we do.”
“Hm,” Morgana said. “I guess that’s the right course of action… I just don’t know how to feel.”
“A little stir crazy, huh?” Akira joked, finishing the lockpick. “It’s best if we don’t think about it too much.”
“Take the peace for what it is,” Akira said. “Who knows how much of it we have left.”
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