Unseen Yet Adored

by Wildcard_Rumi

Summary:

Goro Akechi has an online friend. They may not know anything about each other's true identities, but they're always there for each other when they need them.

However, when his friend is wronged and sent off to live in an entirely new area, Goro doesn't realise just how much this could change their relationship.

"Alright, that's a wrap for the shoot! Great work, Akechi-kun! Now, we're gonna take a half hour break and then move onto the interview section, is it okay with you?" The overly cheerful voice of the magazine representative explained as he motioned for the photographers to shift all of their equipment.

 

"Ah, of course, it's no trouble at all. Please take as much time as you need." Akechi pleasantly replied with a cute tilt of his head.

 

"Ahh, you're such an angel, Akechi-kun! Thank you for being so considerate!" The rep sighed blissfully as he walked towards the door, quickly turning back one last time just before he left. "Oh, and feel free to help yourself to the stuff in the mini fridge!"

 

"Mm-hm! Thank you for your generosity!" Akechi giggled happily, waving goodbye as the final few staff left through the room's only door.

 

…

 

Once he was the only person in the room, Akechi groaned out an exhausted sigh and dropped his smile. God, his cheeks hurt… He was a detective for crying out loud… Why the hell did he have to do all of these stupid, cutesy photo shoots?!

 

No… He knew why… He needed fame and reputation to get to him. And considering the situation he was in now, he had not choice but to keep up the charade. It sucked, it was annoying, he hated it… But it was the only option he had.

 

Although… At least he had one solace in this awfulness. He had his friend.

 

Granted, he's never actually met them and he didn't even know their real name but he really loved talking to them. They first met a few years ago on some forum discussing a series both of them enjoyed… Yes, it was Featherman. Shut up, it was peak entertainment for all ages. They initially started speaking by debating their takes on a certain character. It… did develop into an argument for a little while, but after some explanations, they could both understand the other's point of view and actually came to really appreciate their takes on the character.

 

After that, they followed each other and kept chatting with each other. Sharing cool art they found, sometimes Goro would beta read their fanfics before they posted them, they'd give each other recommendations for anime and video games… Sometimes they'd just talk about life and little things that caught their interest. It was honestly the highlight of Goro's day whenever he got to speak to them… Hell, they'd kept him company during one of the worst periods of his life.

 

They were his only genuine friend. And he loved them.

 

He pulled out his phone in the hopes that he could get some sort of reprieve during this break he'd been given.

 

… Yes! He was online! Without any hesitation, Goro clicked on his icon and began typing.

 

 

[FeatheredJustice: Hey, didn't expect you to be online at this time. You not got club today?

 

LostLotus: Hey hey

 

LostLotus: Yeah our teacher's sick and they couldn't find a replacement

 

LostLotus: So I'm just kinda messing around home

 

LostLotus: Mum said to do my homework but I've already done all of it so ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯

 

LostLotus: How about you, Red?

 

FeatheredJustice: Oh I'm at work

 

FeatheredJustice: Finally got a break and saw you online so I thought I'd come annoy you

 

LostLotus: Awww you're so sweet! <3

 

FeatheredJustice: Trust me, I know

 

FeatheredJustice: But please feel free to keep the praise coming

 

LostLotus: Lmao nah I'm good

 

LostLotus: But make sure you take care of yourself okay?

 

LostLotus: I feel like every time we talk now you're either at work or exhausted from work

 

LostLotus: Don't overdo it, okay?]

 

 

Goro's eyes widened upon reading those messages. Now that he thought about it, no one else seemed concerned about him overworking himself. They just seemed impressed by how much he got done and praised him whenever he pushed himself to his limits. He chuckled softly, glad to know that at least one person cared about his health.

 

 

[FeatheredJustice: Thanks

 

FeatheredJustice: And don't worry, I will

 

LostLotus: Good 👍

 

LostLotus: What exactly is it that you do anyway????

 

FeatheredJustice: Haha it'd take a while to explain

 

FeatheredJustice: Besides I can't tell you because that'd dox me

 

LostLotus: Oh damn really?

 

LostLotus: Sorry for prying

 

FeatheredJustice: It's fine

 

FeatheredJustice: I know you didn't mean it in a creepy way

 

FeatheredJustice: And I mean… You're the only person from online I'd be willing to meet in person

 

LostLotus: Wow really?

 

LostLotus: That's a hell of a compliment coming from you

 

FeatheredJustice: You make it sound as if I never compliment you…

 

LostLotus: Well, be fair, your compliments are pretty rare

 

FeatheredJustice: You make me sound like a bitch

 

LostLotus: Yep

 

FeatheredJustice: Wow

 

FeatheredJustice: Wow okay

 

LostLotus: omg drama queen

 

LostLotus: Yes, you're a bitch but like…

 

LostLotus: You're my favourite bitch

 

LostLotus: You're funny with your bitchiness

 

FeatheredJustice: … Thank you?

 

LostLotus: You're very welcome :3

 

FeatheredJustice: Oh whatever…

 

FeatheredJustice: Btw how's your preparation for your recital coming along?

 

LostLotus: It's coming along well!

 

LostLotus: Mostly…

 

LostLotus: I have been signed up for multiple by my instructor

 

LostLotus: I've got all my instrument ones settled and I'm happy with my ability to perform them

 

LostLotus: It's just… He wants me to sing as well… and he won't let me back out of it…

 

FeatheredJustice: You don't like singing?

 

LostLotus: No, I like it. I just don't like singing on stage.

 

FeatheredJustice: Why not? It's not much different from playing instruments on stage right?

 

LostLotus: No no it's way different

 

FeatheredJustice: How?

 

LostLotus: I mean…

 

LostLotus: Okay maybe this is just me but

 

LostLotus: I'm fine playing instruments because I'm just making them make the sounds they're designed to make

 

LostLotus: I'm basically using a tool, right?

 

LostLotus: But singing? That's all me.

 

LostLotus: You could say that my vocal chords are an instrument too but the difference is that they're inside my body, they're a part of me

 

LostLotus: So the fear of the audience hating my performance gets quintupled…

 

FeatheredJustice: … Okay, that makes sense

 

FeatheredJustice: It boils down to fear of rejection essentially

 

FeatheredJustice: But even just a few people in the audience appreciate your voice and your performance, isn't that enough?

 

FeatheredJustice: Like the art resonating with them or whatever it is people say

 

LostLotus: I mean I guess so but still…

 

FeatheredJustice: Or did you want everyone to love you?

 

FeatheredJustice: I never realised that you were so avaricious to desire an entire audience's adoration…

 

LostLotus: Omg 'avaricious'?????

 

LostLotus: Just say greedy you pretentious prick

 

FeatheredJustice: Well excuse me for being eloquent

 

FeatheredJustice: If that's how you feel, don't come running to me the next time you need synonyms for your fics because you used the same word too many times

 

LostLotus: Wait no

 

LostLotus: I'm sorry I didn't mean it!

 

LostLotus: I love you using long, needlessly fancy words!

 

LostLotus: I think it's amazing!

 

LostLotus: Spectacular! Sensational!

 

LostLotus: Awe-inspiring, even!

 

FeatheredJustice: Mm-hm…

 

LostLotus: I mean it!!!

 

LostLotus: How can I apologise properly?

 

FeatheredJustice: Hmmmmmm

 

FeatheredJustice: Neo Feathermen Ultra Battle

 

LostLotus: What about it?

 

FeatheredJustice: I know you've got copies of the New Year banner's Sparks Of Luck Red Hawk card

 

FeatheredJustice: Trade me one

 

LostLotus: But you can only trade ultra rare card with other ultra rare cards

 

FeatheredJustice: I know

 

FeatheredJustice: … You said you missed out on last year's Halloween banner, right?

 

LostLotus: Yeah I did 'cause I was at that stupid camp thing my parents sent me to

 

FeatheredJustice: I've got three copies of the Midnight Marauder Grey Pigeon card

 

LostLotus: You'd really trade that with me?!

 

FeatheredJustice: Yeah, for New Year's Red Hawk, that's what I just said

 

LostLotus: Holy shit you're the best!

 

LostLotus: Okay gimme just a minute

 

FeatheredJustice: Sure thing]

 

 

"Akechi-kun! We're ready for you now if you could just come this way, please!"

 

It took every muscle in his body to stop Goro from scowling at this man. Instead he forced his princely smile onto his face.

 

"Of course! Please just give me a second to wrap this up."

 

"Sure thing, Akechi-kun!"

 

 

[FeatheredJustice: Sorry, I have to head back to work now…

 

FeatheredJustice: Feel free to send your half of the trade now and I'll accept it when I get home later

 

LostLotus: Okay

 

LostLotus: Good luck with whatever it is you do

 

LostLotus: Take care! <3

 

FeatheredJustice: Will do

 

FeatheredJustice: I'll talk to you later

 

FeatheredJustice: <3]

 

 

Goro had to bite his lip to stop himself from grinning happily as the magazine rep was still staring at him. But he did really love speaking to Lotus…

 

"Pardon the delay… Now, where were we?"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The last few weeks had been pretty hectic for Goro.

 

So many TV appearances, studying for school, being asked to help with cases, and so, so many mental shutdowns and psychotic breakdowns…

 

It was getting harder and harder to keep his facade up in front of Shido. What he wouldn't give to just smash that man's face through the glass of his office window and send him tumbling down the side of the building… But no. He had to be a good boy. Or at least… Keep up the appearance of a good boy. After all… good boys didn't moonlight as makeshift assassins.

 

Just thinking back to the smug grin on Shido's face as he praised Goro for his work eliminating his latest target made him want to puke.

 

Shaking his head, Goro flopped down face first on his bed and loudly groaned with the comfort of knowing that his pillow would muffle it.

 

… He needs to eat something. But he didn't wanna move. Maybe he could order takeout? At least then he wouldn't have to move until his food arrived. Yeah, that sounded pretty good.

 

He pulled out his phone and placed his order from one of his go-to places. He loved ordering from this place because it was a small family run place that genuinely couldn't give less of a shit that he was famous. In their eyes he was just a teenage boy that was hungry so they would feed him, and that's honestly all Goro wanted.

 

Exiting from his takeout app, Goro decided to just mindlessly scroll through social media for a while - on his private account, of course. He really wasn't in the mood to read all of the comments from his overzealous fan girls, he just wanted to look at nerd stuff after a really rough day.

 

Let's see… Some cool fan art… A trailer for a new banner of a game he played that he already saw earlier today… Some more cool art… Some preview images of the next episode for an anime he liked… Someone complaining about the quality of some figures that had recently released… Oh!

 

Goro sat up as he noticed that Lotus had uploaded the fic he had beta-read for him a week ago. Nice! He looked down at the notes to discover that it hadn't gotten much engagement yet… Well, time to fix that!

 

He immediately tapped the like and reblog buttons, making sure to add a comment.

 

"Amazing work as always! Loved seeing you try writing a creepier story this time, you had me on the edge of my seat!"

 

And post.

 

Perfect. Hopefully that would direct some attention towards it. It was a really eerie story, after all. Lotus really had a talent, it was hard to believe that he just did this for a hobby.

 

As Goro continued scrolling, his phone buzzed and a notification popped in from the top of his screen. Surprise, surprise, it was a message from Lotus.

 

Goro chuckled as he eagerly opened the notification.

 

 

[LostLotus: Well hello there, good sir

 

LostLotus: How are you this fine evening?

 

LostLotus: Scrolling all by yourself, handsome?

 

FeatheredJustice: Hello to you too

 

FeatheredJustice: I'm fine just tired

 

FeatheredJustice: I was just checking what I had missed while I was gone

 

FeatheredJustice: And 'handsome'? You've never seen me, what makes you say that?

 

LostLotus: It's just a vibe I get from your messages

 

LostLotus: I bet you're like… annoyingly handsome

 

FeatheredJustice: Annoyingly handsome?

 

LostLotus: Yeah, like you always look perfect and everyone falls in love with you

 

LostLotus: Meanwhile my hair looks like a damn bird's nest when I wake up and just today someone told me I looked like a cryptid]

 

 

Goro snickered to himself after reading that message from Lotus. That certainly painted an interesting image.

 

 

[FeatheredJustice: While some people do consider me attractive, I can promise you it's not effortless

 

LostLotus: Omg are you humble bragging?

 

FeatheredJustice: I swear I'm not

 

LostLotus: Uh huh

 

FeatheredJustice: I mean it, I have to keep up appearances for my job so I put in a lot of work to look perfect

 

LostLotus: Oh…

 

LostLotus: I'm sorry, man…

 

LostLotus: I didn't mean to sound insensitive

 

FeatheredJustice: You didn't though?

 

LostLotus: Well I mean…

 

LostLotus: Sorry if this sounds weird but that sounds awful to me

 

LostLotus: Like having to always look beautiful for your job?

 

LostLotus: Kinda sounds like being more like a doll instead of human… It's kinda gross

 

LostLotus: Oh shit sorry I wasn't calling you gross!

 

LostLotus: Just forget I said anything!

 

FeatheredJustice: No

 

FeatheredJustice: No, you're absolutely right

 

FeatheredJustice: It is gross and I hate it

 

FeatheredJustice: But I have to put up with it to get closer to my goal

 

LostLotus: You've been saying that about a lot of things for the past couple of years…

 

LostLotus: This goal of yours

 

LostLotus: Is it really worth it if the path to it makes you miserable?]

 

 

Goro had to take a minute after reading that. His eyes scanned that question over and over. How exactly was he supposed to answer that? He'd never even given that any thought before. But… He did make a good point… Still though, Goro had to do this. If he didn't, who could? Besides… He needed to do this for her.

 

He was pulled out of that spiral by another message popping up.

 

 

[LostLotus: Sorry, I was being nosy again, wasn't I?

 

LostLotus: I'll drop it

 

FeatheredJustice: No, it's fine

 

FeatheredJustice: I suppose you have a point

 

FeatheredJustice: But this goal of mine… It's less of something I want to do and more something I need to do

 

FeatheredJustice: And for very personal reasons

 

FeatheredJustice: I can't quit now]

 

 

The chat went quiet for while as Lotus presumably pondered that response. Eventually he spoke up again.

 

 

[LostLotus: Okay, if you say so

 

LostLotus: Just please stop pushing yourself so hard

 

LostLotus: It sucks always hearing about how exhausted you are and not being able to help at all

 

FeatheredJustice: Lotus, you help me way more than you realise

 

FeatheredJustice: Talking to you after long, stressful days is such a healing experience

 

FeatheredJustice: I don't know what I'd do without you

 

FeatheredJustice: And I'm being serious here so don't you dare make a joke about me being cheesy!

 

LostLotus: Damn, dude!

 

LostLotus: Don't read me like that, you know genuine praise makes me nervous

 

LostLotus: But… Thanks

 

LostLotus: You do the same for me

 

FeatheredJustice: I'm glad to hear it

 

FeatheredJustice: Now backing up the conversation a bit…

 

FeatheredJustice: Why exactly did you get told you look like a cryptid?

 

LostLotus: Ohhhhhh my god that's what you had to bring up?

 

FeatheredJustice: Uh yes??? That's a pretty interesting way to describe someone

 

LostLotus: It's because I'm tall and lanky and they saw me in the corner of the gym storage room so I was hidden in the shadows

 

FeatheredJustice: HA!

 

FeatheredJustice: Did you scare them half to death?

 

LostLotus: Yes…

 

LostLotus: I was just putting the football cones away…

 

FeatheredJustice: There, there…

 

FeatheredJustice: I'm sure you're a very cute cryptid

 

LostLotus: Is that supposed to make me feel better?

 

FeatheredJustice: Did it work?

 

LostLotus: I don't… know?

 

FeatheredJustice: Well then, you're welcome

 

LostLotus: ತ⁠_⁠ತ

 

LostLotus: Oh hold on

 

LostLotus: Sorry I gotta go mum's calling me for dinner

 

FeatheredJustice: That's fine

 

FeatheredJustice: My food should be here soon anyway

 

LostLotus: Takeout again?!

 

LostLotus: I swear you only eat frozen dinners and takeout

 

LostLotus: Have you ever eaten a vegetable?

 

FeatheredJustice: Are you sure you should be lecturing me when your mother's waiting for you?

 

LostLotus: … You win this round, asshole

 

LostLotus: Later

 

FeatheredJustice: Enjoy your meal]

 

 

Goro couldn't help but giggle as he lowered his arm down onto his bed. It was fun just how easy it was to annoy Lotus. He could only imagine the faces he must make when reading his messages.

 

Ding! Dong!

 

The sound of his doorbell made Goro sit bolt upright and throw himself off his bed, quickly grabbing his wallet as he jogged over to his front door.

 

"Coming!"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Goro was anxious.

 

It had been just over two weeks and he hadn't heard a thing from Lotus.

 

Not just that, he hadn't been active on anything. No forums, no social media, no games… Complete radio silence.

 

That wasn't like him… Not at all… If he was going somewhere with no connection or was going to busy for a while, he always made sure to give Goro a heads-up beforehand.

 

But he hadn't done anything of the sort this time. He was just gone. Goro checked his phone again, just in case… But no. Still nothing. All he saw was his own messages checking in Lotus, slowly growing more and more worried as more time passed.

 

Something was wrong.

 

Of course, he knew that he didn't have the whole picture. They were online friends; they didn't know each other's names or faces so of course he wouldn't have a clue about what was going on in Lotus' personal life unless he told him. But for absolutely nothing for this long from someone who he usually texted daily… It was just… scary.

 

He tried distracting himself by simply continuing with his own daily life and his own tasks but his mind always wandered back to Lotus… He tried distancing himself from his phone too by having a much needed long soak in the bath. However, it didn't work because the first thing he did upon re-entering his bedroom was check his phone.

 

No new messages.

 

A stressed huff left his mouth as he roughly rubbed his hair dry with a towel. Was this starting to border on obsessive? Was he being a creep? Was Lotus avoiding him or something?

 

He huffed again, shaking his head to push those thoughts out of his brain. Perhaps he needed something to drink… Yeah… Yeah, a nice warm drink after a bath was just what he needed! A lovely cup of tea should help soothe his nerves!

 

Goro wandered out to his kitchen, dumping his damp towel into the laundry basket on his way there. He took his time while making his tea, focusing on each step to distract himself from his worries.

 

He filled his kettle with water. Turned it on. Fetched himself his favourite mug from the cupboard above his sink. Dropped a tea bag into the mug. Washed up the small handful of dishes and cutlery in the sink while waiting for the kettle to boil. Poured the boiling water into the mug. Fetched a teaspoon from the drawer next to his oven. Grabbed the milk from the fridge. Stirred the tea around his mug and gently squashed it against the side. Fished out the tea bag with the spoon. Dumped the tea bag into the food waste bin. Scooped two teaspoons of sugar into his tea. Stirred them in. Poured in a little milk. Stirred it in. Threw the tea spoon into the sink. Returned the milk to the fridge. Then picked up his finished cup of tea.

 

… Nope. Didn't work. His mind was still running wild… At least now he had a drink to sip on while he freaked out… Once it had cooled down a little bit.

 

Goro walked back into his bedroom with his tea, softly blowing on it to speed up the cooling process. Letting out a soft sigh as he placed the mug down on his bedside table, Goro rolled over and grabbed his phone.

 

He had a message!

 

It was from Lotus!

 

Goro practically sobbed out a sigh of relief, just so glad to know that Lotus was okay. He immediately began typing out a reply, not caring if he came across as desperate.

 

 

[LostLotus: sorry

 

FeatheredJustice: Hey!

 

FeatheredJustice: Omg I got so scared when you disappeared

 

LostLotus: sorry

 

LostLotus: a lot happened

 

FeatheredJustice: It's okay I'm just happy to hear from you

 

FeatheredJustice: Is everything alright?

 

LostLotus: it's nothing]

 

 

… This was wrong… Lotus was never this low energy… Goro couldn't help but worry again.

 

 

[FeatheredJustice: Are you sure?

 

FeatheredJustice: You seem different than usual

 

FeatheredJustice: I'm here if you need to talk to someone

 

LostLotus: you'd judge me

 

FeatheredJustice: ?

 

FeatheredJustice: I'm not sure what's bothering you, but I promise I won't judge you

 

LostLotus: I got arrested]

 

 

Goro froze.

 

What?

 

He re-read that sentence.

 

Seriously, what?

 

That made no sense! Lotus wasn't some kind of delinquent! He wasn't the type to cause problems or pick fights! He was a quiet music student who stayed at home and played video games for fun! What the hell could he have possibly done to warrant getting arrested?!

 

 

 

[FeatheredJustice: What?

 

FeatheredJustice: I'm sorry, I don't understand…

 

FeatheredJustice: What happened?

 

LostLotus: I got arrested and charged with physical assault

 

FeatheredJustice: That makes no sense

 

FeatheredJustice: What exactly happened?

 

FeatheredJustice: Please explain

 

LostLotus: was heading home from practise

 

LostLotus: saw some guy harassing a woman and trying to force her into a car

 

LostLotus: tried to get him to stop and he fell over

 

LostLotus: said he'd sue me and got the woman to tell the police I hit him

 

LostLotus: she did and I got arrested]

 

 

Goro kept rereading the entire story over and over, his blood boiling more and more with every do-over. He was framed! That's just wrong! He didn't do a damn thing wrong! Wait…

 

 

[FeatheredJustice: You said you got charged with physical assault

 

FeatheredJustice: There's no way those charges stuck, right?

 

LostLotus: they did

 

LostLotus: I have a criminal record now]

 

 

Goro felt like his jaw was about to snap in half from the way he grinded his teeth in frustration. This dickhead ruined his life just because he called him out on his shitty behaviour?! That piece of shit! He had no right!

 

 

[FeatheredJustice: That's bullshit!

 

FeatheredJustice: You're innocent!

 

FeatheredJustice: I'm so fucking sorry, are you okay?

 

LostLotus: no

 

LostLotus: got expelled too

 

FeatheredJustice: … You're joking, right?

 

LostLotus: no

 

LostLotus: completely lost my chance at earning a music scholarship

 

FeatheredJustice: Surely there's still something you can do!

 

FeatheredJustice: What about your parents? Can they do anything?

 

LostLotus: they're ashamed of me

 

LostLotus: I'm getting shipped off to some other area for probation

 

FeatheredJustice: What?

 

FeatheredJustice: Do you know where they're sending you?

 

LostLotus: not yet

 

FeatheredJustice: This is so fucked up…

 

LostLotus: Red

 

LostLotus: I don't know what to do]

 

 

Goro had to bite his lip to hold back reading that message. This clearly messed Lotus up really badly. He was usually so carefree, just sort of winging it through his daily routine and having fun as he did so… But now he was lost, he was confused, he was alone, he was scared… He'd been abandoned.

 

All Goro could do was frown worriedly at his phone as he tried to provide some comfort to his struggling friend.

 

 

[FeatheredJustice: I'm sorry, I don't really know what to do either…

 

FeatheredJustice: But if you ever need someone to talk to

 

FeatheredJustice: Or if you need to vent about everything going on

 

FeatheredJustice: Or if you just need a distraction from life

 

FeatheredJustice: I'm right here for you

 

FeatheredJustice: I'm not going anywhere]

 

 

 

The chat went silent for a good few minutes.

 

 

[LostLotus: you promise?

 

FeatheredJustice: Cross my heart and hope to die

 

LostLotus: okay

 

LostLotus: thank you

 

LostLotus: I should go

 

LostLotus: I have forms I need to fill out

 

FeatheredJustice: Okay

 

FeatheredJustice: Take care of yourself, yeah?

 

FeatheredJustice: I'm right here if you need me]

 

 

Goro dropped his phone onto his pillow with a stressed sigh. Just what the hell was this? Of all people, why him? He didn't do anything wrong!

 

Glancing up at his ceiling, Goro scowled. Was there anything he could do to help? He was a detective, after all. Although, he didn't know Lotus' real name or where he lived so he wouldn't be able to find anything… Besides, the victims of assault cases were always left anonymous in the reports…

 

Goro sighed again, stressfully running his fingers through his still slightly damp hair before reaching over and picking up his cup of tea.

 

… It had gone cold.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Goro's foot tapped impatiently as he waited for a message from Lotus.

 

He'd found out where he'd be staying and attending school for the year, sending a box full of his belongings up to the place in advance. And today? Today was the big day that he was heading there himself.

 

So, the two had agreed that Lotus would message Goro once he had arrived, just to let him know that he was safe.

 

However, it was now the evening… and Goro still hadn't received any messages from him. He was half tempted to message him but he didn't want to potentially cause him any extra stress on a day where he was already extremely stressed out.

 

This whole situation just frustrated Goro to no end. He was angry that some scumbag could ruin Lotus' life just because he didn't want to deal with the consequences of his own actions. He was angry that everyone Lotus leaned on had abandoned him when he needed them most. And most of all, he angry at his own inability to help him.

 

It just wasn't fair… Lotus was his only friend… Hell, he was the only genuine friend he'd had his entire life… When Goro first took on a task assigned by Shido and questioned everything about himself, Lotus helped him focus and find meaning in what he was doing even when he didn't have the full picture.

 

Although… Goro deliberately didn't give him the full picture. Partially because how the hell were you supposed to explain personas and palaces and the cognitive world to someone who had never experienced them?

 

… But mostly because he was scared. He knew he was in the wrong. He knew that what he was doing was despicable and ruining lives… But he needed to do it! He needed to lift Shido up to the peak he'd been aspiring for his whole life only to rip it all away from him at the last minute so he could understand just a fraction of the suffering he'd put his mother through. Goro knew he was turning himself into a villain to accomplish this and he was okay with that…

 

But he didn't want to lose Lotus. He was the only one who ever attempted to see the real him. He was the only one to understand his thought process. He was the only one who consistently made time for him. He was the only one he could be himself around… Goro didn't want to lose that. He didn't want him to hate him.

 

Vibrations coursed through Goro's hand as his phone finally buzzed, pulling him out of those anxiety filled thoughts.

 

 

[LostLotus: hey

 

LostLotus: sorry for the late message

 

LostLotus: I'm here

 

FeatheredJustice: Hey!

 

FeatheredJustice: How are you holding up? How was your journey?

 

LostLotus: tired

 

LostLotus: journey was really long

 

FeatheredJustice: I see

 

FeatheredJustice: Well, at least you can relax now

 

FeatheredJustice: How's the place you're staying?

 

LostLotus: I'm in an attic

 

FeatheredJustice: … An attic?

 

LostLotus: yeah

 

LostLotus: spent the whole afternoon cleaning it

 

FeatheredJustice: They didn't even clean it for you?!

 

LostLotus: I mean I'm already freeloading]

 

 

Goro gritted his teeth. No, no, no! This was wrong! This wasn't like his Lotus! Usually he'd get mad over something like this, maybe crack a sarcastic joke about how much it sucks... Why the hell was he just rolling over and taking it?!

 

What the hell happened to him after his arrest?

 

 

[FeatheredJustice: Hell no!

 

FeatheredJustice: Freeloading or not, the least they could do is give you a clean environment to stay in!

 

LostLotus: I've got a roof over my head

 

LostLotus: I can't complain

 

FeatheredJustice: … Fine…

 

FeatheredJustice: Have you eaten yet?

 

LostLotus: yeah I had some instant ramen

 

FeatheredJustice: Is that all you've eaten today?

 

LostLotus: yeah

 

FeatheredJustice: ?!

 

FeatheredJustice: Lotus, you've gotta eat something more!

 

LostLotus: it's fine I'm not hungry

 

FeatheredJustice: All the more reason to eat!

 

FeatheredJustice: What is this? Since when am I the one lecturing you about taking care of yourself?

 

FeatheredJustice: It's like some bizarre reverse world]

 

 

Goro had hoped that making a little joke would lighten the mood. It didn't work.

 

 

[LostLotus: yeah

 

FeatheredJustice: Anyway you're starting at your new school soon, right?

 

FeatheredJustice: You got your uniform?

 

LostLotus: yeah

 

FeatheredJustice: Does it fit alright?

 

LostLotus: yeah

 

FeatheredJustice: What about the area you're staying in? Think you'll settle in alright?

 

LostLotus: dunno

 

FeatheredJustice: Oh! I forgot to mention!

 

FeatheredJustice: They announced a new banner for Ultra Battle!

 

FeatheredJustice: The new Ultra Rare is for Feather Condor

 

FeatheredJustice: And the Super Rares are Feather Puffin and Feather Shoebill

 

LostLotus: okay

 

FeatheredJustice: Pretty weird line-up, right?

 

FeatheredJustice: I don't think those three have ever interacted with each other

 

LostLotus: mm

 

FeatheredJustice: Still though, I'm curious to see how they'll interact in the story

 

FeatheredJustice: And actually, I wonder if we'll get any news on an Easter banner soon?

 

FeatheredJustice: It is April, after all

 

FeatheredJustice: I just hope the designs lean more towards cute instead of fan service because last year's banner really sucked…

 

FeatheredJustice: What do you think?]

 

 

The chat was completely quiet. Goro didn't receive a reply.

 

 

[FeatheredJustice: Lotus?

 

FeatheredJustice: You there?]

 

 

Well… He'd had a really long day and he did say that he was tired earlier… It really wasn't much of a surprise if he did fall asleep while they were chatting. A soft chuckle rumbled through Goro's throat as he typed a final message for the night.

 

 

[FeatheredJustice: Sleep well.]

 

 

 

 

 

Goro sighed, keeping up his detective prince act despite being exhausted since he was still in public.

 

He was in the furthest booth of a small restaurant where he had been scheduled to meet with Sae. Unfortunately, a sudden meeting meant that Sae was going to be about an hour late. Although Goro had to admit that he didn't mind too much; after all, it gave him a chance to actually relax after everything that had happened the past few days.

 

Another load of TV interviews, then he had cause that mental shutdown in the train conductor, then he had to help Sae investigate the very incident he had caused, and on top of all of that he had to stay up to date on all of his school work and deal with being recognised everywhere he went.

 

He sighed again. At least now he had a moment of calm. Sitting in a lovely restaurant, far away from prying eyes, with a refreshing cup of green tea and some crackers to snack on… This was honestly quite healing right about now.

 

Come to think of it, he had been too busy to check in on Lotus for the past two or three days… He'd had his first days at his new school, right? Goro hoped things were going well for him.

 

 

[FeatheredJustice: Hey, sorry for going quiet for a few days…

 

FeatheredJustice: Things have been stupidly busy for me

 

FeatheredJustice: How are things going for you?

 

LostLotus: They're going, I guess

 

FeatheredJustice: How was your first day?

 

LostLotus: It was… weird

 

LostLotus: Something really weird happened

 

FeatheredJustice: How so? What happened?

 

LostLotus: I don't know

 

LostLotus: Sorry but I don't think I'd be able to explain

 

LostLotus: I still don't really understand what happened myself

 

FeatheredJustice: Alright

 

FeatheredJustice: So are you getting to school? You still walk or does your guardian give you a lift or…?

 

LostLotus: I have to get the train

 

FeatheredJustice: Oh okay

 

LostLotus: It's… a lot

 

FeatheredJustice: Do you not really have many train stations in your hometown?

 

LostLotus: Just the one in and out of town

 

LostLotus: So the stations here are pretty overwhelming

 

LostLotus: Like I got lost looking for my platform then I got swept up in the crowd and then I got crushed against the window once I was on the train

 

FeatheredJustice: Yeah, that all sounds pretty standard…

 

FeatheredJustice: You get used to it and just kind of tune out after a while

 

FeatheredJustice: But if you ever need pointers on navigating through the city, I'd be happy to give you some advice

 

LostLotus: Thanks, I might have to take you up on that offer

 

FeatheredJustice: Any time

 

FeatheredJustice: But going back to our original topic - How are things at school? Still settling in?]

 

 

Goro nibbled on the nearby crackers as he watched Lotus type and delete his reply multiple times. Eventually he got a simple reply.

 

 

[LostLotus: It's suffocating

 

FeatheredJustice: What do you mean?

 

LostLotus: I don't know how but my criminal record got leaked

 

FeatheredJustice: What?

 

LostLotus: Everyone knows about it

 

LostLotus: They keep whispering about me behind my back

 

FeatheredJustice: How the hell did that happen?

 

FeatheredJustice: Surely the teachers should be able to do something

 

LostLotus: They don't want to deal with me

 

FeatheredJustice: That's bullshit!

 

FeatheredJustice: Are you holding up okay?

 

LostLotus: I don't know

 

LostLotus: Red, I'm tired

 

LostLotus: I'm sick of everything

 

LostLotus: Even if I'm on my best behaviour, everyone only pays attention to my mistakes

 

LostLotus: Is there any point in actually trying anymore?

 

LostLotus: I can't tell]

 

 

Goro placed his gloved hand over his mouth as he read through Lotus' messages. He had never been so downbeat and lifeless before… It was scary to read… He wanted nothing more than to help his friend, but what exactly was he supposed to do? He'd never really had to deal with anything like this before… The last time was his mother when he was too young to really understand what happening.

 

His stomach churned as he thought back to his mother. To her despair and where that despair ultimately led her… He couldn't bear to lose someone else like that.

 

 

[FeatheredJustice: Lotus, please listen to me.

 

FeatheredJustice: I don't know how to help you or what to say to make you feel better

 

FeatheredJustice: But I want to at least try

 

FeatheredJustice: After all, you did the same for me

 

FeatheredJustice: Remember a couple of years ago when I had that spiral? And I started questioning the point of everything?

 

FeatheredJustice: You were there to talk me through everything and helped me find the path to take

 

FeatheredJustice: And now I want to do the same for you

 

FeatheredJustice: I might be clumsy because I have no idea what I'm doing

 

FeatheredJustice: But I'll try my best

 

FeatheredJustice: So I want you to try your best too

 

FeatheredJustice: Is that okay with you?]

 

 

Unsurprisingly, Lotus went silent for a little while. Did Goro come on too strong? Did he come across as patronising? He did say for Lotus to try his best at school… Did that make him sound like a parent trying to coax their toddler into going to preschool?

 

Luckily, Lotus replied before his thoughts could spiral any further.

 

 

[LostLotus: Okay

 

LostLotus: I'll try

 

LostLotus: Thank you, Red

 

LostLotus: I don't know what I'd do without you

 

FeatheredJustice: Same here

 

LostLotus: My guardian's calling for me

 

LostLotus: Sorry but I gotta go

 

FeatheredJustice: That's fine

 

FeatheredJustice: Take care of yourself]

 

 

Goro hummed thoughtfully as he stared down at the table, poking a nearby napkin as he tried to arrange his thoughts. There was one message in particular that kept bouncing around in his head.

 

"I don't know what I'd do without you."

 

He wasn't sure why, but that made him really happy. Sure he'd always wished to be wanted by someone, but this felt different somehow. Like… His chest felt warm when he thought about it… And the knowledge that it was Lotus who said it amplified that feeling tenfold… Why was that?

 

He wasn't entirely sure how long he'd been sat there pondering that question until Sae entered the booth and sat across from him.

 

"Sorry for the wait, Akechi-kun." She apologised as she carefully placed her handbag down next to her and waved a waitress over to order.

 

Goro flinched, having only been half paying attention to his surroundings. "O-Oh, no, it's quite alright, Sae-san. You were busy, after all."

 

"You looked serious. Is something the matter?" Sae asked, quickly looking away as she pointed out her choice of drinks and a meal for her and Goro to share to the waitress who had walked over.

 

Goro watched the waitress walk away before talking. "Oh, no, I just had something on my mind."

 

"Penny for your thoughts?"

 

"Hm? Oh! No, no, it has nothing to do with a case. It's a personal issue."

 

"But it's bothering you, right? Go ahead, I'm all ears." Sae insisted, helping herself to the few crackers left in the bowl on the table.

 

Goro looked up at her with a stunned expression. "… Are you sure?"

 

"I wouldn't have offered if I wasn't."

 

Goro looked back down at the table. Well, if there was anyone he knew offline that would actually give him the time of day, it would be Sae. He clenched his fists as he tried to figure out how to explain it. In the end, he took a deep breath and decided to just say whatever came to mind.

 

"It's nothing crazy, it's just… I have this friend, see? We've been friends for a few years; we share a lot of interests and we talk on an almost daily basis. But recently… He went through something really horrible… and there's not really anything I can do to help him… And it just feels awful because he's completely changed since this thing happened, like he's closed himself off."

 

Sae nodded solemnly. She could understand that feeling, she went through a similar change when she was younger after all.

 

"It's a rough situation, I'm sure. All I can really suggest is being there for him when he needs someone to talk to. After all, you'd be surprised how just having someone willing to listen to what you have to say helps."

 

"I see… Well, I can manage that at least."

 

Sae tilted her head, her earrings jingling as she stared at Goro with a curious gaze. "Is something else bothering you?"

 

Goro looked at her with wide eyes before quietly chuckling."Perceptive as always, Sae-san."

 

"Naturally. You want to talk about it?"

 

"I'm not entirely sure what it is, that's what I was trying to figure out."

 

"Alright… Then do you want a second opinion?"

 

"That… might actually prove useful."

 

Sae smiled, remaining silent and featuring for Goro to speak.

 

"So… This is about that friend I mentioned again. I've never really had any friends my age before so I'm not entirely sure if this is normal or if I'm just overthinking things… But he's honestly my favourite person to talk to - Uh, no offense meant, Sae-san."

 

Sae raised her hand and smirked. "None taken. There's a big difference between a casual friend and a work friend."

 

"Right… Well, it's just… All of this happening has me reflecting on our relationship. For example, the highlight of my day is usually when the two of us are able to talk. And whenever I'm free before he is, I find myself eagerly waiting for when he is available. And with these recent events, I've found myself to be almost irrationally angry at his family - resentful even - for abandoning him when he needed them…"

 

Goro let out a shaky huff as he was starting to get a little worked up. He pushed up his hair from his forehead while picking up his drink with his other hand.

 

"It's almost like I'm protective of him but… it's not like I have any right to feel that way; we've only spoken through text, after all… Makes no damn sense…"

 

Letting out another sigh at his illogical thought process, Goro took a much needed gulp of drink.

 

Sae hummed thoughtfully as she looked at Goro with a knowing gaze. Well… This was certainly unexpected, but it was honestly quite nice to see Goro acting his age for once in his life. Not to mention, it was a little adorable seeing someone so smart being unable to understand his own emotions.

 

She leaned her cheek into the palm of her hand and smiled at Goro. "Sounds to me like you've got a crush on this friend of yours."

 

Goro choked.

 

Tea came flying from his mouth.

 

His eyes shot wide open as he coughed and spluttered. He couldn't tell if the heat in his cheeks was him blushing from Sae's comment or his body going into panic mode over getting some tea lodged into his lungs.

 

"A-Are you alright, Sir?!" The waitress asked as she hurried over to the table with a washcloth.

 

"O-Oh yes! I'm qui- quite alright! It just went down the wrong hole… I just need a moment." Goro replied, wiping his mouth with a nearby napkin while keeping up his detective prince facade.

 

The waitress mopped up the splatters of green tea on the table and grabbed Goro's now empty cup. "Would you like a refill, Sir?"

 

"That would be lovely, thank you."

 

"And you, Ma'am?"

 

"Yes, please."

 

"Very well, I'll have those out in just a second."

 

Goro politely smiled at the waitress until she disappeared from sight, at which point he leaned over the table with an urgent glare.

 

"Sae-san, what on earth are you talking about?!"

 

Sae didn't seem particularly bothered by this sudden interrogation. "I was just giving you my opinion based on what you told me."

 

"But that's ridiculous!"

 

"Is it? This guy makes you happier than anyone else, you look forward to talking with him, it causes you distress when he suffers and you get angry on his behalf when others mistreat him. It's a reasonable conclusion to reach."

 

"But wouldn't I know if-"

 

"You, yourself, said that you don't really talk to anyone your age. It's no surprise that you're inexperienced."

 

"Says you, Sae-san…"

 

"Hey. Don't take it out on me just because you're embarrassed."

 

"I'm not embarrassed…"

 

"Mm-hm… Look, just give it some thought. For example, have you ever felt all giddy or warm and fuzzy while talking to him?"

 

"Sae-san, that's a bit of a childish outlook of th-"

 

Goro immediately stopped talking as his mind went back to just a little while earlier. The way his chest clenched and felt warmer than usual when Lotus told him that he didn't know what he'd do without him…

 

Oh.

 

Oh, that could explain it.

 

Goro quickly lifted his hand up in front of his face as he could feel himself turning bright red.

 

"You… might be onto something, Sae-san…"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A thoughtful hum left Goro's mouth as he sat in TV station's green room, reading the newspaper's headline story.

 

Supposedly a PE teacher, more specifically the former Olympic volleyball champion Suguru Kamoshida, suddenly confessed to mistreating the students at the school he taught at, Shujin Academy. And it was quite the laundry list of crimes he admitted to: Verbal abuse, blackmail, physical abuse, sexual harassment… He was even directly responsible for a student attempting to end her life.

 

And while he was a truly, truly vile excuse of a human being, Goro had to admit there was something else about this story that grabbed his attention more: The way he suddenly confessed to everything.

 

Could people regret their cruel actions? Absolutely. But this? After hearing about his actions and the way he practically ruled the school instead of the principal, he didn't seem like the type to reflect on how he affected his victims… And especially not so quickly… This drastic change in personality and suddenly gaining a conscience… The speed of it reminded Goro of the mental shutdowns.

 

But then… Did that mean there was someone else with the same power as him? And how the hell did they use it and have their target survive to confess everything themselves?! Had that always been an option?! He'd never heard about anything like that!

 

Goro shakily sighed as he folded up the newspaper and returned it to the nearby rack he had taken it from. This was all a bit much right now… He couldn't have his mind racing when he was going on live TV soon… Maybe he needed something to calm his nerves slightly…

 

Without even pondering his options, Goro pulled out his phone and messaged the usual person.

 

 

[FeatheredJustice: Hey, how are you doing?

 

FeatheredJustice: You've been at your new place for about a month now, right? You settled in yet?

 

LostLotus: Heyy

 

LostLotus: Yeah I'm doing pretty good

 

LostLotus: The local area's actually pretty nice

 

LostLotus: And the Boss is teaching me the trade!

 

FeatheredJustice: Boss?

 

LostLotus: Oh the guy taking care of me

 

LostLotus: He runs a cafe and I help out from time to time

 

LostLotus: He's teaching me how to brew coffee

 

LostLotus: Like proper coffee none of that instant stuff

 

FeatheredJustice: Oh that sounds pretty cool

 

FeatheredJustice: I'm glad to hear that things are looking up for you

 

LostLotus: Sure are!

 

LostLotus : Btw what's with the random message?

 

LostLotus: You bored or something?

 

FeatheredJustice: Yeah

 

FeatheredJustice: I've been stuck waiting around most of the day

 

FeatheredJustice: I keep seeing the same news story over and over

 

FeatheredJustice: You heard about it? That Kamoshida story?

 

LostLotus: You mean that creepy teacher that deserves to be castrated?

 

LostLotus: Yeah I've heard of him

 

FeatheredJustice: Wow tell me how you really feel about him!

 

FeatheredJustice: But you're not wrong

 

FeatheredJustice: Truly despicable, don't you think?

 

LostLotus: Makes me wanna puke

 

LostLotus: He deserves to spend the rest of his life behind bars

 

FeatheredJustice: I couldn't agree more

 

FeatheredJustice: Still though, it's bizarre how quickly he changed isn't it?

 

FeatheredJustice: Supposedly some kind of calling card was posted in the school

 

FeatheredJustice: And then all of a sudden he was confessing to everything he'd done

 

FeatheredJustice: You can't help but think that these two things are connected, right?

 

LostLotus: Yeah it is pretty weird

 

LostLotus: Sorry but I've gotta head out, I'm meeting up with some friends]

 

 

Goro blinked in surprise, re-reading that message a few times to make sure he read it correctly.

 

 

[FeatheredJustice: Friends?

 

LostLotus: Oh did I not tell you?

 

LostLotus: I managed to make a couple of friends at school

 

LostLotus: They're both really great people

 

FeatheredJustice: Oh I see

 

FeatheredJustice: I'm happy for you

 

LostLotus: Thanks! Honestly just having those two on my side makes it easier to breathe at school

 

LostLotus: Sorry but I really gotta go now

 

LostLotus: We're going out for a meal and I don't wanna miss my train

 

LostLotus: I'm not sure how long I'll be out but I'll talk to you later, okay?

 

FeatheredJustice: Yeah okay

 

LostLotus: Bye! Ttyl!

 

FeatheredJustice: Have fun]

 

 

Goro stared down at his phone screen in stunned silence. So… Lotus had made some friends, huh? That was great. He wasn't so cut off anymore. That was something to be happy about. So then what was this disgusting feeling swirling around in Goro's stomach? Why did he feel almost… annoyed to learn that Lotus had made some friends? That wasn't the normal response, right? That was weird, right? Whatever it was, he couldn't shake this feeling no matter how he tried.

 

"Akechi-kun? We're going live in ten so if you could head to the set now, that'd be fantastic!" The AD announced, poking his head around the doorframe while he was still knocking.

 

Oh crap… Now he had to go on live TV with all of this swirling around his head… He'd really have to put on his best best mask to cover all this up.

 

He forced his signature princely smile onto his face.

 

"Of course! I'll be right there!"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Goro hated this.

 

It felt so childish to admit but he really hated this.

 

It had started with that day where Lotus had to quickly leave so he could meet up with his friends… and then all of a sudden, it was like he was always busy. And every single time he had to quickly leave the conversation or didn't reply for hours on end, he gave the same excuses over and over.

 

"Oh sorry, I was hanging out with a friend of mine."

 

"Sorry, I was helping out at the café."

 

"Sorry, I was at a study group."

 

"Sorry, I was shopping."

 

"Sorry, I was helping my friend with something."

 

"Sorry, I was at a part time job."

 

"Sorry, I had some important business."

 

The number of reasons he couldn't speak to Goro just kept growing. Sure they still spoke, but their conversations kept getting shorter and shorter, not to mention fewer and further between.

 

It was so damn childish but Goro hated it. He hated it so fucking much. It made him feel like he was being replaced, like he was being abandoned.

 

Logically, he understood why this was happening. Hell, he knew he should be happy for Lotus, especially considering his state just a couple of months ago. He was healing and finding people he could rely on again.

 

Emotionally, however? Goro couldn't stand these friends of his. He hated them so, so much. And what made it worse was that Lotus wouldn't. Stop. Talking. About. Them.

 

Oh he used to do track? Yeah cool whatever why doesn't he do anymore? He give up or something?

 

Oh she models part time? Big fucking whoop, so did he.

 

Oh this guy made a website all by himself? Okay and? Loads of people do that.

 

Oh the other guy's a painter? Does he want a standing ovation or something? Why the fuck should I care?

 

It seriously sucked. Especially since Goro wasn't usually this petty, or at least he hoped he wasn't. But the thing that he hated is that he eventually figured out why he hated these people so much despite the fact that he knew next to nothing about them.

 

He was jealous.

 

Again, it was stupid and childish and he hated that he felt this way but he couldn't help it. He hated that they got to hang out with the real life Lotus while he couldn't. He hated that he couldn't just drop in to say hi or bump into him at the train station and wave before heading on his way or study with him... He was stuck waiting for messages that took longer and longer to appear.

 

It wasn't fair.

 

An irritated grunt left his mouth as he dejectedly poked about the food in his store bought bento. He was always getting praised for how mature he was… Why did something like this make him want to throw a temper tantrum?

 

Goro's elbow tingled as vibrations travelled through the table and against his skin after his phone buzzed. He picked it up to check what the notification was for. Oh, it was Lotus. So he actually had the time to message him, did he?

 

With a dismissive scoff, Goro opened the messaging app.

 

 

[LostLotus: Hey hey hey Red!

 

LostLotus: Sorry that I've barely been around lately…

 

LostLotus: But things should be calming down now!

 

LostLotus: So hopefully I'll be online more often!

 

FeatheredJustice: That so?

 

LostLotus: Yeah, it's been kinda crazy…

 

LostLotus: Oh, I need to catch up on Ultra Battle since I haven't had a chance to check it lately

 

FeatheredJustice: You missed six banners

 

LostLotus: Yeah… I think there's some re-runs in the general banner though, right?

 

LostLotus: You got any recommendations for cards I should try pulling for?

 

FeatheredJustice: Do you have enough currency to pull?

 

LostLotus: I mean… Not really… But I can earn some in the new missions, right?

 

FeatheredJustice: You won't be able to clear them with your current load out

 

LostLotus: Yeah I figured… That's why I asked you for card recommendations

 

FeatheredJustice: You don't have any that would work for those missions

 

LostLotus: Damn okay…

 

LostLotus: Then could you maybe trade me some?

 

FeatheredJustice: Fine

 

FeatheredJustice: Which cards do you have to offer?]

 

 

No reply came through. Goro clicked his tongue, growing more and more irritated the longer he had to wait. He tapped his chopsticks against the plastic packaging of his bento, the tempo continuously increasing as the number of minutes since he sent his message grew bigger.

 

 

[FeatheredJustice: You gonna answer the question? Or just ignore me?

 

LostLotus: Sorry! I had to feed my cat and noticed some dishes in the sink so I washed them while I was in the kitchen

 

LostLotus: But I have a few of Feather Swan that I could get rid of

 

LostLotus: You said you needed a few more of Feather Swan to level them up, right?

 

FeatheredJustice: You have a cat?

 

LostLotus: ?

 

LostLotus: Yeah I do

 

LostLotus : I took him in about a week after I moved up here

 

LostLotus: Did I not mention that?

 

FeatheredJustice: No, you didn't.

 

LostLotus: Oh my bad

 

LostLotus: He's really cute!

 

LostLotus: He's a black cat with white patches and these really pretty blue eyes

 

LostLotus: He's pretty cheeky and he loooooves sushi

 

LostLotus: Hold up let me send a picture

 

FeatheredJustice: No need

 

FeatheredJustice: I have work to do so I should be going now

 

LostLotus: Oh

 

LostLotus: Okay then

 

LostLotus: Good luck with your work]

 

 

Goro threw his phone to the side as soon as he'd left the chat and immediately buried his face into his hands. An ashamed groan left his mouth, muffled slightly by his hands. Lowering his hands so they only covered the bottom half of his face, Goro looked down at his half eaten bento with troubled eyes.

 

"What the hell am I doing...?"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pathetic.

 

That was the only word that could properly describe Goro's recent actions. After his little tantrum during their last conversation, he'd been completely ignoring Lotus.

 

He didn't answer any of his texts, he didn't interact with any of his posts, he didn't accept any gifts from him on games… He just completely ghosted him.

 

He knew he must look like he's sulking in Lotus' eyes, but the truth was that he was scared. He was scared that Lotus thought less of him now, or even worse, hated him.

 

Like he said, pretty pathetic.

 

He didn't know how to handle this, though… He'd never felt jealousy like this before, and it's not like he had any decent adult figures in his life to ask for advice. The only person who'd fit that description was Sae, but she'd been overworked and very stressed lately. He felt like if he asked her about that, she'd bite his head off for wasting her time with pointless questions.

 

What made it worse was that all of this time by himself gave Goro plenty of chances to think about how he felt… And he was fairly certain that Sae was right. He really, really liked Lotus. So when he felt like he enjoyed hanging out with other people more than him, he panicked.

 

But then, that made his reaction even more worrying to him. Did that mean he was one of those guys? The type of guy that claimed their partner as their property and didn't want to 'share' them with their friends? He hated those types of people, he didn't want to become one of them! But what the hell was he supposed to do?!

 

He grimaced in shame, shaking his head at his own inability to make sense of his own emotions. He just needed to focus on his next job right now… Just keep walking down the hallway and get to your next job, Goro…

 

"Well, we've got the rest of the afternoon off, why don't we go somewhere?"

 

"Ooh, I know! What about that pancake looking place we passed on the way here?"

 

Pancakes, huh? That sounded good… Come to think, when did he last have something to eat? It wasn't when he had breakfast this morning, was it? … Uh-oh… It might have been…

 

As he reached the intersection between hallways, he noticed a group of three students standing there and chatting. Huh… They were all wearing Shujin uniforms… That was the school where the Phantom Thieves first struck, wasn't it? Perhaps he could gather some intel from them.

 

He quickly plastered his princely smile onto his face and approached them, speaking in a friendly tone.

 

"Excuse me, I couldn't help but notice your uniforms. Are you students of Shujin Academy?"

 

As the trio turned around, Goro got a good look at all three of them. An aggressive looking boy with dyed blond hair, a girl with naturally blonde hair pulled into bunches, and a serene looking boy with fluffy black hair.

 

The blond boy spoke up first. "Yeah, whaddaya want?"

 

"Oh nothing in particular, it's just that we'll be filming together tomorrow so I thought it would be polite to introduce myself."

 

"Filming…?" The blonde girl repeated, thoughtfully twirling her hair around her finger as she stared deep into Goro's face.

 

"What, you some kinda celebrity or something?"

 

Goro giggled cutely, deciding it would probably be more appealing for him to downplay his fame and appear more modest.

 

"Only to the extent of appearing on TV a handful of times… Oh! But, where are my manners? My name is Goro Akechi."

 

"Akechi?" The girl of the group muttered as Goro quickly checked his phone. Oh dear, he really was running short on time…

 

"My apologies, I was just passing by. There's a briefing for tomorrows shoot and I really can't miss it." Goro smiled apologetically. But wouldn't it come across as rude to simply walk up, say he's famous and then quickly excuse himself? Maybe he should make some quick small talk before he left…

 

"So, are you all going to get cake now? I happened to miss lunch today, so I'm quite hungry myself."

 

To his surprise, all three of them shared confused glances.

 

"Huh? Cake? What are you talkin' about?"

 

"O-Oh, am I mistaken? I thought I heard someone mention delicious pancakes?"

 

"No…? We were actually talking about maybe heading to dome town." The fluffy haired boy finally spoke up, readjusting his glasses.

 

"Oh? How odd that I misheard pancakes from a conversation like that… Perhaps I should take that as a sign that I should eat something? Haha…"

 

"Yeah, you do that…"

 

"Well then, if you'll excuse me."

 

Goro politely bowed before continuing on his journey. As he briskly walked down the corridor, he could still hear those three conversing.

 

"… 'Kay, well, that was random."

 

"It was kinda nice of him that he stopped by to say hello."

 

"I mean, I guess…"

 

"You guys actually wanna go get pancakes now?"

 

"No! You guys said Dome Town, I wanna go to Dome Town!"

 

"Dude, it's just a theme park, chill!"

 

"And I've never been to a theme park!"

 

"Seriously?! Damn, your hometown must be like, rural rural."

 

"Yeah, it is. So, c'mon, let's go!"

 

"Whoa, okay, chill, dude! Quit pushing! We're going!"

 

"Aww! It's rare to see you this excited! Alright, c'mon, Ryuji, let's show him how great theme parks are!"

 

"Alright, alright. I pick out rides, you pick out food."

 

"Sounds like a plan!"

 

A bitter smile spread across Goro's face as the three faded out of earshot. Must be so nice… Being able to go to the theme park with your friends… So lucky…

 

He gently shook his head, trying to dissuade that type of thought process from happening again. Instead he thought back on their conversation. That was certainly odd… He could have sworn he heard someone mention pancakes…

 

His stomach growled loudly, pangs of pain shooting through his abdomen as it rumbled. Hm… Maybe Lotus had good reason to always lecture him about his eating habits…

 

Perhaps he'd buy himself some apples on the way home today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"-And joining us today is the gentlemanly highschool detective solving cases and stealing hearts all across Tokyo - Goro Akechi!"

 

Goro couldn't help but feel that was poor wording from the presenter, considering what these so called Phantom Thieves were doing. Either way, he smiled brightly and waved, making sure he gave both the live audience and the cameras some attention.

 

"Hello there."

 

"It's wonderful for you to join us again, Akechi-kun. Your popularity is positively mind-blowing!" The male presenter exclaimed with his TV smile.

 

"Trust me, I'm just as surprised by it as you are. If anything, I must admit that it's a little embarrassing." Goro shyly chuckled with a cute smile. The gasps and cheers from the girls in the audience told him that he was doing a good job.

 

"Moving along, We've heard that there's a certain case that you've currently got your eye on. Would you care to share, Detective?" The female presenter asked after noticing the prompt card held up by the AD.

 

"Ah yes. That would this current scandal centered around the master artist Madarame." Goro answered, electing not to bring up Kamoshida in front of the students of the school he tormented.

 

The male presenter clapped his hands together and grinned excitedly. "There it is! So you've been wrapped up in this Phantom Thieves excitement too! Allow me to jump straight to the question everyone wants to ask: What do you think about these justice oriented Phantom Thieves?"

 

Goro straightened his posture and smiled sweetly. "If they truly are heroes of justice, then I sincerely hope they exist."

 

"Ohhh, so you don't deny the possibility that they are real?"

 

"I may not look it but I sometimes wish that Santa Claus actually existed." Goro tilted his head and softly poked his cheek with his finger. "Of course, if he was real, I'd have to arrest him for breaking and entering."

 

The majority of the girls in the audience all laughed adoringly at Goro's joke while most of the guys and that group he ran into yesterday all cringed slightly. Oh well, you can't win them all.

 

Moving on, Goro crossed his legs and rested his hand on his chin. "But hypothetically speaking, if these Phantom Thieves are real… I believe they should be tried in a court of law."

 

The male presenter's eyebrows raised, probably thinking about what a great scoop this interview would be, and pressed Goro for details on his opinion. "That's quite the statement. Would you say that they're committing crimes?" Some people believe that the Phantom Thieves are actually helping their victims to abandon their evil ways."

 

Goro subtly clenched his fist, trying to swallow the anxiety he felt talking about these thieves when objectively, he was doing the same things as them only worse.

 

"There's no doubt that what Madarame did was a crime. However, what these Phantom Thieves are doing is taking the law into their own hands. Moreover, you should never forcefully change someone's heart."

 

Intrigued murmurings rippled through the audience at that statement. Some people believed his point of view, while others didn't seem particularly convinced.

 

"You have a point. After all, these people are running around calling themselves the Phantom Thieves. Amazing as always, Akechi-kun! I could listen to your deductions for days! You have the most radiant charisma!"

 

The overblown praise from the presenter made Goro's skin crawl. He wished nothing more than for this man to just shut his mouth already and quit spewing this garbage. However, that wasn't very princely of him so instead he just smiled and moved on.

 

"I must say though, it would be quite embarrassing for me if it turns out these Phantom Thieves don't actually exist. If that were the case, I would summarize it as a report for a school project."

 

That joke went over a lot better with the audience than the last one; lots of the girls still laughing brightly while the guys all gave approving scoffs and grinned. Although there was still a small handful of students who seemed unamused. Perhaps they were fans of the Phantom Thieves?

 

Motion out of the corner of Goro's eyes drew his attention away from the audience as the female presenter stood up with a handheld microphone.

 

"Now then, let's try asking some students the same age as Akechi-kun about their thoughts on the Phantom Thieves! First of all, please press your buttons now if you think the Phantom Thieves really exist."

 

Goro watched the nearby screen as it tallied up the number of responses, curious to hear the opinions of students from school of the Thieves' debut.

 

"About 30% or so… What are your thoughts on this, Akechi-kun?" The male presenter remarked.

 

"I must say I'm a little surprised. That's higher than I was expecting. I'd love to hear some more detailed opinions on the Phantom Thieves' actions." Goro commented, prompting the female presenter to move onto the second half of this segment.

 

She flashed him a quick smile before walking towards the audience with microphone in hand. She scanned her eyes across each student there, deciding against picking anyone that seemed a little too eager to appear on television. Instead she decided to go for someone who didn't seem interested at all.

 

"Alright, let's try asking this student here." She announced after zeroing in on one person in particular. Goro was quite surprised to see the fluffy haired boy he'd ran into yesterday. He had to admit he was a little curious about what he had to say, considering that he didn't really talk much during their previous encounter.

 

The presenter lowered the mic down to his face. "Hypothetically speaking, what do you think about these Phantom Thieves on the off chance they are real?"

 

The boy looked a little spooked to be chosen at first but looked off to the side as he gave it some thought. Although, Goro couldn't help but notice the dirty looks most of his classmates were giving him. That was odd…

 

Eventually the boy gave his answer. "They do more than the cops."

 

Goro laughed off that comment alongside the audience, but he unmistakably heard a hint of contempt in the boy's voice when he gave that answer.

 

"Your thoughts, Akechi-kun? That goes completely against your opinion that Thieves should be tried by law."

 

"Indeed. It is intriguing to hear such a strong acknowledgement. In that case, allow me to ask another question."

 

The boy's face scrunched up slightly, Goro could have sworn he saw him mutter about his use of big words. The female presenter quickly walked back over to him and hold the microphone out again.

 

"Let's say someone close to you had a sudden change of heart. Would you suspect the Phantom Thieves?"

 

The boy shook his head and answered with a shrug. "No, not really. People change all the time. That's part of life."

 

Goro raised an eyebrow and tilted his head, staring at this boy with curiosity. "Care to elaborate? If not the Phantom Thieves, then what could cause these sudden changes?"

 

"Just small everyday events. For example, you could have a favourite food but then one day you have a terrible experience at a restaurant and end up getting food poisoning; it's not exactly surprising if you end up avoiding that food after that. Or you have an interest and one day you share it with people only to end up being ridiculed for it, so it changes from something that brings you joy to something that brings you shame and embarrassment… Or if you want a more positive example, you happen to stumble across a new coffee shop one day and find out you really love their coffee so you change your daily route to pass by that shop just so you can get yourself a cup of coffee every morning."

 

Goro nodded, placing his hand on his chin again. "While that may be true, all of your examples are quite low scale. They're not quite indicative of such drastic changes within people. Would you really be able to say that they're comparable to these changes of heart?"

 

"Alright, if you want a more extreme example: What if there was someone who had a tendency to drive recklessly? They drove over the speed limit, ignored turns signals, cut people off, maybe even drove under the influence. But they always ignored everyone's warnings because they're so sure of themselves and their driving ability. And then one day, they get into a terrible crash. They're really badly injured, they're in the hospital for months, maybe they almost die… It wouldn't be much of a shock to anyone if they suddenly did a 180° and became a responsible driver who warned others about the dangers of driving recklessly."

 

"So, you're implying that it's similar to being scared straight? Similar to people who abuse substances then lose a loved one to said substances?"

 

"That's one way to interpret it. I'm simply saying that a lot of experiences can rewire the way someone's brain works. Isn't that essentially what happens when someone experiences trauma?"

 

"You make a compelling point, but the fact that you're comparing these changes of heart to trauma sort of vindicates my concerns over how exactly the Phantom Thieves cause these changes of hearts."

 

"You're trying to make the argument that the ends don't always justify the means - which I agree with - but while we can't say that their means are good, we don't exactly have any proof that they're bad either."

 

"That's fair… I suppose it's a similar quandary to Schrödinger's Cat since we don't have any evidence for either side of the argument… So let's look at this another way: Let's say that the ends does justify the means, would you still root for the Phantom Thieves?"

 

"Absolutely."

 

"And why is that? You could argue that they've ruined the lives of their victims."

 

"No, they ruined their own lives the moment they committed those atrocities. The truth would always come out eventually, the Phantom Thieves just sped up the process by making them confess themselves. Besides, I'd say that these changes of heart create a net positive effect."

 

"How so? Please explain your logic."

 

"Both of their targets had an insane amount of victims and, from what I've heard, both of them had victims that attempted to take their own lives because of them, hell some possibly succeeded. That alone is already a net positive from the sheer number of lives saved, but there's also the effect they have on the people watching their actions. Seeing them take of these monsters that tormented so many people and win against them gives regular people just that small boost of courage to fight back against their own oppressors. I'd argue that's something valuable, to them at the very least."

 

"Interesting. So you believe that since there were so many victims that were saved by these changes of heart, that makes them okay? Then what if they targeted someone who had wronged significantly fewer people? Would that still make it right?"

 

"They're still saving someone who is unable to fight back, so yes, I believe so."

 

"But who's to say that they won't begin to target just anyone? For example, what if they were to try targeting me?"

 

The boy rolled his head to the side and stared at Goro with a mischievous glint in his eye.

 

"Why? Are you feeling guilty of something?"

 

Goro couldn't help but chuckle as he smirked back at him.

 

Oh, this guy was fun.

 

"My, my! Such a spirited debate! My apologies, gentleman but we will have to cut you off there so we don't go over our allotted time." The male presenter's voice pulled Goro back into reality. Wow, he'd been enjoying that debate so much, he'd completely forgotten where they were…

 

He looked back over the audience while the female presenter returned to her usual seat. A lot of them were whispering amongst themselves, shooting quick glances over to the fluffy haired boy as they gossiped. The boy's friends both seemed quite impressed by his display, both smiling brightly while the blond boy shook his shoulder excitedly. The fluffy haired boy in question, however, simply lowered his head and played with his hair as his cheeks turned slightly pink.

 

Goro couldn't help but chuckle quietly to himself at that sight. What a relief to know that he wasn't the only one who had gotten completely engrossed in their debate. He had to admit he was intrigued by this guy. Such a shame that they had to finish recording this program… All the more reason to get it over and done with, he supposed.

 

"Alright, now moving onto our next segment-"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This was quite rare for his TV appearances, but Goro actually felt quite refreshed after this recording. Perhaps it was because he had so much fun thanks to that one gentleman in the crowd.

 

He kept his pleasant smile on his face as he said his goodbyes to the presenters and staff behind the show, thanking them for all their hard work. He did, quite predictably, get stopped by a few Shujin students asking for autographs and pictures. He begrudgingly complied, knowing it would probably tarnish his reputation if he refused.

 

It took a little while but eventually the crowd of fans dissipated and Goro could finally continue on his way home. Although, as he walked back through the set to reach the quickest route back down to the reception area, he noticed someone.

 

It was the fluffy haired boy and that blond friend of his. The girl of their group was nowhere in sight. The blond gestured to another area while talking the black haired boy who responded with a friendly smile. After that, the blond ran off while calling back to his friend, asking him to wait for him. The fluffy haired boy gave him a thumbs up and stayed put.

 

Goro's eyes sparkled. Yes! This was the perfect opportunity! Without even stopping to give it some thought, he immediately wandered over to the boy in the hopes of striking up a conversation.

 

"Oh, it's you...!" He exclaimed to catch the boy's attention. It worked, as he turned around and locked eyes with him. "I was hoping I'd be able to catch before you left. I wanted to thank you for that engaging debate we had earlier. After all to paraphrase Hegel, advancement cannot occur without thesis and antithesis…"

 

The fluffy haired boy tapped his foot against the floor as he looked at Goro with a sly smile. "Yes, I'm well aware of the concept of synthesis."

 

Goro's eyebrows raised in surprise. "Oh? So I see that you're quite well versed in these subjects as well!"

 

The boy vaguely shrugged. "I know some stuff here and there. I wouldn't exactly call myself an expert."

 

Goro daintily placed his hand over his mouth as he giggled. "I appreciate your honesty! Regardless, I must say that I found out discussion quite fruitful. Very few people are willing to speak their minds around me, you see."

 

"Mm… So you're surrounded by a bunch of yes-men?"

 

"Unfortunately. All of the adults around me want to keep me happy so they can use me as a tool, and everyone my age sees me as a celebrity more than they see the real me so they tend to say whatever they think will impress me… You honestly have no idea how refreshing your blunt arguments were."

 

The other boy scrunched up his nose slightly, pushing up his glasses as he let out a quiet hum.

 

"That's quite the face you're making. Care to share your thoughts?" Goro asked with a sweet tilt of his head.

 

The boy awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck, averting his gaze as he spoke. "Well… I didn't wanna say this to someone I just met but… You saying that you enjoyed having someone tear you down for once made you sound… Kinda masochistic, not gonna lie."

 

Goro let out a stunned scoff before bursting out laughing. He ended up laughing the hardest he had laughed in quite a while. This guy really was interesting!

 

"W-Well…! I suppose you're right! Ahh… You've certainly proved my point though. Your brutal honesty is truly appreciated. If you don't mind, would we be able to talk again? I believe you may help me consider a wider scope of perspectives." Goro replied, wiping tears from his eyes as his laughter finally calmed down.

 

The boy flashed him a carefree smile as he stood there with his hands still buried deep in his pockets. "Sure thing."

 

Goro gave a grateful giggle as he pulled his phone out of his pocket. The boy copied him, holding his phone out in front of his.

 

Bzzz!

 

Hm? That was odd. They did what they usually did to exchange contact information… Why exactly did it fail? Goro leaned down to read the error message on his phone.

 

[You already have this number stored on your device.]…?

 

What? That didn't make sense, when could he have possibly exchanged information with this guy he met yesterday?

 

At this point, both boys were investigating this strange occurrence on their respective phones. If he clicked on this message, would it redirect him to where this information was stored? It would! Fantastic, now to see…

 

Wait…

 

That… Profile picture….

 

Goro looked up at the boy with a dumbfounded expression.

 

The boy looked at him the same way.

 

"Wh-? L-Lotus…?"

 

"… Red…?"

 

The two stood there.

 

Staring at each other.

 

Too stunned to speak.

 

They both kept trying to speak, but no matter how hard they tried, they just couldn't form the words. There were too many things they wanted to say. They wanted to say how great it was to finally meet the other, to comment on their appearance, to remark about what an insane coincidence this was! … To ask why they were barely talking anymore… Or to apologise for running away…

 

"Yooo! Ren-Ren, thank for waiting!" The loud voice of Lotus' friend cut through the tense atmosphere like a knife. The blond came jogging over, his cheerful smile falling as he grew closer and noticed Goro standing there. Seemingly trying to get away from the detective, he nudged Lotus' arm. "C'mon, we should get moving. Ann'll be pissed if we keep her waitin' for too long."

 

"R-Right." Was all Lotus could manage to utter as his friend softly dragged him away.

 

All Goro could really do was stand there and watch him leave.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Goro was sat at the low table in front of his TV with his head in his hands. He had desperately been trying to make sense of the events of that afternoon.

 

What the hell was that?

 

That guy he had so much fun debating with was Lotus?! Thinking back on it, that made way too much sense, considering that they first started talking to each other online by having debates over fictional characters.

 

And the comment about thesis and antithesis combining to form synthesis? He taught him that! He told him all about it when he first started studying philosophy!

 

But still… there were so many other thoughts swarming around his head…

 

For example, the area Lotus had gotten shipped off was Tokyo?! The two of them had been within the same city since April?! He probably used Shibuya Station during this daily commute, they could have walked past each other any number of times without even realising it! Actually, come to think of it, didn't he walk past him and the blond friend of his on Central Street?!

 

And not only that, the school he was transferred into was Shujin?! The school where all of these godawful things had been happening?! The school with an abusive, perverted teacher?! The school with a principal who covered up the said abuse?! The school where a student attempted to jump to her death?! You were telling him that Lotus experienced all of those things since April?!

 

Come to think of it, Lotus did say that things were pretty hectic at his school… Wait! He also said that his criminal record got leaked and the whole school knew about it… Was this Kamoshida freak somehow behind that too?!

 

Goro groaned as he slammed his head down on the table, hoping that the sound was covered up by his TV so his neighbours wouldn't be concerned.

 

This was all just so confusing… Why did emotions and relationships have to be so damn difficult to make sense of?

 

Thinking back to the look on Lotus' face as he figured it out too… He looked a little nervous. And the idea of that made guilt wash over Goro like tidal wave. It was his fault, after all. All because he couldn't control his emotions and let jealousy consume him, their relationship has grown somewhat strained.

 

The worst part was that Lotus didn't even do anything wrong. He was just slowly getting his life back together and experiencing so much for the first time. And Goro knew that. And yet somehow, his brain still took it as a sign of rejection and lashed out.

 

Goro let out a long, shameful sigh as he lifted his head back up, the painful throbbing in his forehead letting him know that a bruise was forming.

 

He had to find the positives in this situation. At least now he actually knew Lotus… Somewhat. He had his contact information and he knew that they could actually meet up if they wanted to. That was the main thing he was focused on; after all his jealousy originally stemmed from only being able to text him… Meeting in person should help decrease that, right?

 

Either way, he had to do something to fix this. The idea of losing his only friend made him feel sick, after all.

 

Taking a deep, shaky breath, Goro picked up his phone with quivering hands and began typing.

 

 

[FeatheredJustice: Hey

 

FeatheredJustice: Would we be able to meet up somewhere?

 

FeatheredJustice: I need to talk to you

 

LostLotus: Yeah

 

LostLotus: I feel the same

 

FeatheredJustice: Okay

 

FeatheredJustice: Do you have a particular day where you're free?

 

LostLotus: I don't have too much going on this week.

 

FeatheredJustice: Okay

 

LostLotus: If you're free in the evening, you could come round the café I'm staying at after it closes?

 

FeatheredJustice: You stay in the café?

 

LostLotus: Yes, but I'll explain that later

 

LostLotus: Are you okay with that?

 

FeatheredJustice: Of course

 

FeatheredJustice: Where is it that you're staying?

 

LostLotus: Leblanc Coffee and Curry in Yongen-Jaya

 

FeatheredJustice: Okay then

 

FeatheredJustice: Does next Sunday evening work for you?

 

LostLotus: That's fine

 

FeatheredJustice: Alright

 

FeatheredJustice: Perfect

 

FeatheredJustice: I'll see you then

 

LostLotus: Yeah

 

LostLotus: See you then]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Goro's heart was pounding as he stepped off the train into Yongen-Jaya station.

 

He knew he needed to have this conversation. He knew he needed to clear the air between them. He knew he had to repair the damage he did before it was too late. But that didn't it any less nerve-wracking…

 

At the very least, he was grateful that this café was in a quiet area and it was in the late evening so there'd be slimmer chances of people recognising him.

 

Stepping out of the station, he was met with some rather relaxing backstreets. There were only a few people out and about. An old man closing up shop for the day, a pair of children being called back home for dinner by their mother, and office worker helping his drunk boss to the station, a middle aged woman walking home from the bathhouse with a rather blissful smile.

 

It was quite the cozy atmosphere, he had to admit. The type of area that he wouldn't mind living in. He smiled softly to himself before continuing on his way. Now if he remembered correctly, Lotus had said to take a right from the first turn from the station… and then walk for a short distance and… Ah! There it was!

 

Goro sped up to a light jog once he had noticed the sign and stopped in front of the door. Sure enough, the lights were still on despite the fact that the sign said 'Closed'.

 

He took one last deep breath to steel his nerves and then knocked on the door.

 

As he lowered his hand, he noticed a head poke out out of the kitchen. The person quickly stepped out from behind the counter, rubbing his hands with his apron before reaching out for the door and unlocking it. He politely stood to the side and pulled the door open with him, gesturing for Goro to come on in as the small bell jingled a friendly greeting.

 

"Hello." Goro spoke stiffly, his nerves getting the better of him.

 

"Hey." Was Lotus' equally awkward reply as he fiddled with his apron.

 

"So… Thanks for having me."

 

"Yeah… Um… Have you eaten yet?"

 

"No, no, it unfortunately slipped my mind."

 

"Then… Do you want a plate of curry? We have some leftover." Lotus gently offered, gesturing towards the large pot in the kitchen.

 

Goro smiled softly, grateful for his hospitality. "That sounds lovely, thank you."

 

"Okay, you want some coffee to go with it?"

 

"Oh, um, yes please."

 

Lotus smiled awkwardly before walking back into the kitchen. "Okay then… This won't take long, so feel free to head upstairs and wait for me."

 

"A-Are you sure?"

 

"Mm-hm. Go right ahead."

 

"Alright then…" Goro quietly conceded and slowly made his away upstairs into the café's attic.

 

Reaching the top of the stairs, he discovered a pretty typical storeroom with shelves lined with boxes and bags and a workbench in the far corner. Although, most of the spare furniture had been pushed behind the stairs and the rest of the room showed clear signs of someone living there. There was a bed in the corner with a shelf displaying little trinkets next to it. There was plant that seemed to be well tended to and quite healthy. There were an old CRT TV on a side table next to an old sofa and another table was placed in front of the sofa, although Goro was unsure whether that particular table was a permanent feature of the room.

 

Feeling a little awkward just standing in the middle of the room, Goro took a seat on the sofa and waited. Glancing over at the window, he noticed a Shujin uniform neatly hanging from coat hanger, ready to go for tomorrow morning. He also noticed some claw marks on the windowsill. Oh hey, yeah… He did mention that he had a cat, didn't he?

 

Goro scanned his eyes around the entire attic again, even looking up at the beams above his head. No signs of anything. Huh… Where was it?

 

The sound of footsteps drew Goro's attention back towards the stairs as Lotus entered the attic carrying a tray with two plates of curry and two cups of coffee. He carefully placed the tray down on the table and handed a plate and cup to Goro.

 

"Thank you."

 

"No problem."

 

The two fell silent as Lotus looked unsure of where to sit, glancing between the sofa and a nearby chair he could drag over. Goro shifted over slightly, opening up the seat next to him and gestured for his friend to sit down.

 

"Thanks."

 

"It's your room."

 

"Oh, yeah, right."

 

The two sat in awkward silence. On one hand, Goro was quite relieved to realise that he wasn't the only nervous one. On the other hand, however, that did make this a lot harder since no one had any idea what to say.

 

"So, uh, where's this cat of yours?" Goro asked, attempting to start any kind of conversation.

 

"Hm? Oh, Morgana? He likes to hang around the Izakayas in the area around this time because the drunks tend to share their dinners with him." Lotus explained, glancing over at the window where he last saw Morgana.

 

Goro snickered at that reveal. "Cats really are crafty creatures, aren't they?"

 

Ren giggled back. "Morgana sure is, at least."

 

Goro breathed out a quiet laugh before picking up his spoon and scooping up some curry and rice. It had been quite a while since he last ate after all, and he was pretty starving. The moment he placed the spoonful into his mouth, Goro's eyes shot wide open. The explosion of flavour left him positively dazzled and yet at the same time, it was quite a comforting taste.

 

"This is delicious…!" He gasped in delight.

 

"Boss made the curry, I just made the coffee… oh, and, um, I didn't know how you have your coffee so I just added some cream and no sugar… I hope that's okay?"

 

Goro gave him a reassuring smile. "That's perfectly fine, thank you."

 

He took that as a cue to try his coffee. Picking up his cup, he took a sniff first and found quite a rich, almost relaxing aroma. The smell alone made him eager to taste it, tilting the cup and taking a sip. Oh, that was interesting. It was still clearly coffee but there was this apparent underlying chocolatey taste, not to mention a slight hint of a nutty flavour too. He very happily took another large sip.

 

"Mm, this is lovely…"

 

"R-Really?"

 

"Yeah, honestly this might be the best coffee I've ever had. Although, I have only ever had instant coffee before so… Maybe I should broaden my horizons."

 

"I was the same. I never really thought much about coffee until Sojiro started teaching me. It kinda amazed me how complex the flavours can be and how particular the brewing process is."

 

Goro smiled at the sight of Lotus' eyes lighting up. "It sounds like you're enjoying these lessons."

 

"I really am. I honestly hope he teaches me how to make his signature curry soon."

 

"I can understand why, it's incredible."

 

"Right?"

 

Goro could feel the knots in his stomach slowly start to unravel. Thank god they'd been able to break the ice a little…

 

"Oh! Right, I just thought… You clearly know my name now, but I don't think I ever caught your name." Goro brought up that topic while it was on his mind.

 

"Oh, that's true. Well, Goro Akechi… My name is Ren Amamiya." The fluffy haired boy properly introduced himself with a charming, shy smile.

 

Goro blinked in surprise before laughing quietly and placing his hand against his forehead. "Of course… How the hell did I never figure that out? Lotus - Ren… So obvious!"

 

"H-Hey, I came up with that username when I was ten…! Besides, it can't be that obvious if you couldn't guess my name…" Ren protested with an embarrassed pout.

 

Goro lifted his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright, fair point! I'm sorry."

 

"Good."

 

Goro couldn't help but take a good, long look at Ren now that he knew he was the online friend he'd been so desperate to meet for years.

 

He was fairly skinny, but Goro couldn't help but wonder if that was because of the stress of everything he'd been through the past few months. His skin was quite pale, to the point that Goro also wondered if that was thanks to stress too. However there just something about the contrast between his complexion and the backdrop of the night sky through the window that made him look… almost ethereal. His hair was pitch black, not to mention very thick and fluffy, it honestly looked quite luxurious and soft… Goro would be lying if he said that he didn't want to try feeling it. And then there were his eyes… It really was a shame that he wore glasses because that meant his eyes were hidden behind those frames… Those beautiful deep grey eyes that reminded Goro of black pearls… There was something quite hypnotic about his gaze.

 

After Goro had been silent for quite a while, Ren noticed him staring.

 

"Is something wrong?"

 

"Oh, no, I just… It's just still kind of surreal actually seeing you and talking face to face."

 

Ren chuckled quietly. "I get it… I mean, after that day at the TV station, I kinda had a hard time believing that the Red I always talked to and the sparkly Detective Prince were the same person… But then I thought about our debate and I could kinda see it."

 

"Is that a good thing…?"

 

"Well, I mean we had a debate without you outright insulting me so I'd say it was good but it definitely felt weird."

 

"Oh, really? So you think I should call out people's stupidity? Their brains may be soup but even those idiots wouldn't fall for the whole Prince shtick if I went around calling everyone dumbasses, no matter how accurate that description may be." Goro scoffed, slipping into the more casual tone he used over text.

 

Ren beamed brightly at him. "There he is! There's my favourite bitch!"

 

Goro smirked back, feeling a lot more relaxed now that he knew he didn't have be so polite. "Is there really much competition for that position?"

 

"No, but even if there was, no one would come anywhere close to you."

 

"Thanks? I think?"

 

"You're very welcome!"

 

Goro rolled his eyes and nudged Ren's arm. "I see you're just as insufferable in person as you are through text."

 

"That's me~"

 

Goro shook his head with an amused chuckle as ate a few more mouthfuls of his curry, regaining more of his appetite the more at ease he felt.

 

"So, what are your thoughts?" Ren asked.

 

"Mm?" Goro squinted slightly, not entirely sure what Ren was talking about.

 

"How I look. Am I what you expected or do I look totally different from what you imagined?"

 

"Oh! Well…" Goro looked Ren up and down again before giving his answer. "You're honestly much prettier than I imagined because you always talked yourself down so much. You were really selling yourself short!"

 

Ren turned pink at the compliment. "Y-You're just saying that…"

 

"I'm really not! You're lovely. If anything, I should sue you for false advertising for downplaying your beauty so much."

 

Ren seemed to have a conflicted reaction to that joke. On one hand he did seem to find it funny, his bottom lip quivering as he held back giggles. But on the other hand, he did appear to be a little uncomfortable.

 

Goro decided that it would probably be best to quickly move on. "Alright, you've got my opinion on you… Let's hear your opinion on me."

 

Ren looked at him with wide eyes before scanning him from top to bottom. "Hmm… I think I was dead-on with my guess that you're annoyingly handsome."

 

Something about the way the conversation had really started to flow and the sudden compliment gave Goro a small boost in courage. He leaned his elbow on the table and rested his chin in the palm of his hand, gazing up at Ren with a sly smirk.

 

"You think I'm handsome?" He asked with a sultry drawl.

 

Ren turned pink once again, this time the colour spreading all the way to his ears. "I-Is that the only part you heard?"

 

"Oh, I heard the 'annoying' part, I'm just electing to ignore it~"

 

"Jackass…"

 

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry, I'll stop teasing now." Goro laughed, picking up his coffee and taking a sip.

 

"You better…" Ren muttered as he ate his curry, his cheeks still slightly flushed.

 

The two sat there and ate I silence, albeit this silence was much comfortable than the last.

 

"So, um… You said you had something you wanted to talk about? What was it?" Ren eventually spoke, voicing a question he'd had in the back of his mind since Goro had messaged him.

 

"Oh. Right. That. Um…" Goro tapped his spoon against his plate as struggled to find the words. In the end, he figured it would probably be for the best if he just kept it simple. "I wanted to apologise to you."

 

"… For?"

 

"For how I acted during our last conversation... And for ghosting you afterwards."

 

Ren eyes widened in complete shock. "O-Oh? I thought I had done something wrong."

 

"No, you didn't!" Goro anxiously snapped before leaning back away from Ren as he realised he was probably coming on quite strong. "You didn't do anything wrong… It was all my fault…"

 

Ren looked at him with curious eyes, not quite understanding what he meant. "… Why exactly?"

 

Goro sighed, staring down at the table as he lifted his hair up and tried to organise his thoughts.

 

"Okay… Well… After you moved here, I was really worried about you and I wanted to always make sure you were okay, but then you slowly started to make other friends and you'd talk to me less and less because you were hanging out with them… And because I don't really have any other friends, I didn't really take that well. I felt like I was being abandoned and I was jealous… and I ended up lashing out… I'm sorry for making that your problem."

 

Ren blinked a few times and glanced off to the side as processed Goro's explanation. Okay… that mostly made sense… but-

 

"Why were you jealous of me?"

 

Goro groaned quietly, covering his mouth with his hand as he averted his gaze. "It wasn't you I was jealous of, moron…"

 

"…Oh! You were jealous of my friends? Why, though?"

 

"Why do you think…? They got to hang with you while I couldn't, even though I'd known you way longer…" Goro muttered, making sure he was facing away from Ren as he spoke because he knew for a fact that his face was turning red.

 

The attic fell silent for a minute or so, until Ren started laughing with one of the most beautiful laughs Goro had ever heard.

 

"W-Whats so funny?" Goro huffed, turning around to find Ren grinning from ear-to-ear.

 

"O-Oh, no, it's nothing! I just thought it was kinda cute seeing the famous Detective Prince acting like a sulky little kid." He giggled, quite endeared by the image of Goro's red face.

 

"…'m not sulking… I'm being serious, you know…" Goro pouted.

 

"I know, I know, I'm sorry." Ren assured him before turning serious himself. "Thanks for explaining everything. To be honest, I got really worried when you started ignoring me… I thought I'd done something to offend you and ruin our friendship…"

 

Goro hung his head low in shame. "I'm sorry…"

 

Ren placed a comforting hand onto Goro's shoulder. "It's okay, you've already apologised."

 

Goro looked up at him with a cautious gaze. Ren smiled before leaning in closer and wrapping his arms around Goro, tightly squeezing him as he savoured the chance to finally hug his best friend.

 

Goro's hands hovered in the air for a while, unsure of what to do until he finally mirrored Ren's actions. He squeezed him softly, feeling the warmth of his body heat against his own. His eyes stung, tears beginning to well up as it suddenly hit him that he was giving his best friend… Or rather, something more at this point, the hug he had been desperate to give him for so long. He buried his face into Ren's shoulder to hide his puffy eyes, breathing in the comforting smell of coffee and spices and a hint a vanilla from Ren's shampoo. The smell made him feel like he was home.

 

"You have no idea how happy I am to have finally met you…"

 

"Oh trust me, I think I might."