2025-07-05: Opening Statement

• Log: Opening Statement
• Cast: Goro Akechi, Ren Amamiya
• Where: Penguin Sniper, Kichijoji, Tokyo
• OOC Date: July 5, 2025
• IC Date: Tue, Jun 05, 2012
• Summary: Goro Akechi invites Ren Amamiya out for a game of billiards to get to know him better.

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<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.

They did exchange contact information in the past, with him saying that he thought Ren might be a worthwhile debate partner going forward. And then he promptly, did not call, or text for weeks.

Then one day on an early June day in the late afternoon, Ren's phone buzzes. And there it is...

@ >I find myself in possession of a rare night off.
@ >If you're in the neighborhood, perhaps you might consider another of our talks?

A pin is dropped, with the location of the Penguin Sniper in Kichijoji, a Darts and Billiards establishment.

@ >We can talk and play at the same time.
@ >How about it?

And true to his word, Akechi is waiting there, just outside of the establishment's staircase. He's in his summer uniform, of course. Tie jauntily loose. Even with the day's passage, his slacks still look immaculate on him... messy hair shining subtly in the indirect glow of Kichijoji's lighting.

He has his briefcase in one hand. He could set it down, but he isn't. It's held in his left hand right now, while his right is checking his smart phone. Every now and then he looks up, and about-

But clearly he is in fact, actually waiting for him.

<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.

Ren doesn't like that Goro Akechi, Detective Prince, has taken an interest in him. He doesn't like that he showed up at Leblanc with a copy of Arsène Lupin vs. Herlock Sholmes in hand, he doesn't like that he gave him his contact information when they barely know each other--

He really doesn't like that he heard something he should not have been able to hear.

Ren has been keeping that one to himself--well. Himself and Morgana, anyway.

But at the same time, this is not someone Ren can afford to ignore. Before coming to Tokyo, he'd never heard of Akechi before, beyond that his name is ridiculously similar to a famous novel detective; after, it's like he's everywhere, and his whole big thing is chasing after the Phantom Thieves. Annoying, but extremely relevant to his interests and also personal well-being.

And if Ren's being honest with himself, he didn't hate that Akechi said he was fascinating to talk to and wants to talk to him more. Even if it is, essentially, to tell him he's wrong. He kind of wants to be told he's wrong /back/, and that's... kind of intriguing, actually? So with Morgana's private input, he went along with it--shook his hand, even--and left the TV station, not knowing what either of their next moves would be.

Apparently, Akechi's gotten tired of waiting for him. Not only does he text him first, he drops him a pin letting him know exactly where he is and asks him to meet him there. Ren is not in the neighborhood when he gets that text, but he's not too terribly far away either.

@ >OK

...is all he texted back. Just enough to confirm he'd do it.

Just enough to give Akechi cause to wait.

It does take Ren some time to figure out the trains and the transfers to get to that pinned location. By the time he arrives at Kichijoji, he is actually genuinely worried that Akechi might have gotten tired or bored and left on his own. (Morgana he's left back a Leblanc; they've agreed that they should avoid having Akechi see him. Just in case.) He hurries through the streets of Kichijoji, smartphone held up to guide him, until he closes in on that pin--right where Akechi is clad in his summer uniform, clearly waiting for someone.

Oh. So he is still waiting.

Ren, clad in his own summer uniform with a short-sleeved polo shirt and Shujin's chevron emblem on his left breast, is a little out of breath by the time he jogs up to him. "Hey," he says as he slows to a stop in front of him, reaching his free hand up to run through his hair. "Sorry to keep you waiting. Are we good?"

He wasn't trying to keep him waiting, after all. He is genuinely sorry.

Even if Akechi did invite him out of nowhere and beckoned him like he had nothing better to do...

...he'll decide how he feels about that after he sees Akechi's reaction.

<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.

Indeed, Akechi himself got the impression that Ren seems bothered by him. That he doesn't like him. That's nothing new for him. He's used to that when meeting new people his own age.
 
However, despite that... he's interesting to him. So many people faun over his Detective Prince image, that the idea of 'antithesis' of this sort is itself - novelty. The word rivalry that he grew up with in all of his media becoming more and more succinct shorthand for how his mind parses his interest.
 
No, he doesn't just /want/ a rival. He needs one. What good is proving his justice to the masses, or to people who don't understand the first thing about him other than what he says on TV?
 
No, he needs this. And for it to be satisfying - he must cultivate someone... interesting... into being someone worthy... but first, he must be certain they can hold his interest.

Akechi sees Ren coming from a distance, of course he does. However, he keeps tapping on his phone for a few seconds longer, before locking the screen with a click, and putting it away.
 
"I was beginning to become a little worried you'd left me hanging." Akechi says, with that close-eyed affable smile, in greetings, "But now that you're here, I'm glad I asked. Though."
 
His eyes open, and now Ren gets the impression he's... checking him out? Inspecting him? Akechi's eyes trail from Ren's shoes up to his face. And a hand rubs his chin.
 
"What you're wearing..."
 
What's wrong with what Ren's wearing? He's in his school uniform, same as him!
 
"... well, I suppose it's fine."
 
His scrutinizing look becomes a smile again, as if he didn't become unnecessarily obnoxious over such a small thing, "We're unlikely to come across some of the more extreme elements of my fanbase here. I wouldn't want you to be harassed on social media because you don't meet their standards for someone 'hanging out' with me."
 
He asked him to come here, then pulls this /right away/. Great.
 
"Anyhow, shall we?"

<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.

There is that, certainly. Ren isn't snowed over by Akechi's sparkly exterior, but neither does he dismiss him just because he dislikes him. Maybe it's just that he's a... fan, we'll say, of the Phantom Thieves. But even then, most people probably wouldn't have the nerve to say as much--to say that the Phantom Thieves are justice--when the mood of the entire room is against them. When they'd have their opinion aired on TV, in front of a live studio audience.

It's understandable why Akechi would take an interest in Ren despite their opposing viewpoints. He even said so to him explicitly. It's literally the basis of their relationship, at least at present. It's just...

Ren almost smiles back when Akechi says he's glad he asked. Before that can happen, Akechi looks him over. It's actually startling, like he's checking him out. But that can't be what's happening here, right? ...Right? Ren blinks once, eyes wide behind his glasses.

"What?"

Akechi says what.

Ren stares at him a moment longer.

God, this guy is annoying!!

But as much of a power move as it would be to turn around and walk away at this point, Ren opts to tuck his own phone and hands away in his pockets, then nods once and follow him upstairs. It's warm out, but there's air conditioning inside. He won't be sweating long.

He also doesn't mention he doesn't have a social media presence at present. He deleted his accounts after he got found guilty in court. Now he just texts. But if Akechi doesn't already know about his criminal record, Ren sure as hell isn't going to be the one to tell him.

Once they're in Penguin Sniper proper, he looks around at the place. It seems interesting. Darts to one side, pool tables in the middle, eating tables to the other side... A nice view of town out the windows, thanks to them being on the second floor. Ren's gaze lingers that way for a moment, but it soon returns to Akechi.

He's already here. He wants to see what this smug asshole has in mind.

<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.

It /would/ be a power move to force Akechi to go 'There's no need to be like that.' And keep up the pursuit, but it is not necessarily a victory for him that Ren doesn't... but it might be as well, that he's hooked Ren's interest enough to bother to stay despite how utterly /obnoxious/ he's acting.
 
That is not common for him.
 
Akechi does know that Ren doesn't have a social media account, certainly. He's ran thorough searches, even for more anonymous - hidden accounts. That he didn't find one - well, he does respect his caution.
 
How many individuals has he arrested based on their lack of restraint on social media? Still, it didn't keep him from saying that comment either, to imply he must have one - rather than give away that he knows he doesn't.
 
Akechi walks up to the part-timer on duty. "Ah, Akechi-kun! Who's your friend?" He smiles at them, "Merely an acquaintance I wanted to have a little chat with over a game..."
 
A few words are exchanged, he does /not/ in fact introduce Ren to the employee, and pays for them both. It's not long before they're standing at a free billiards table together, as Akechi hands Ren a cue then casually inspects the other he selected for himself, like he's momentarily testing the weight - or some other quality of it.
 
It's only /after/ he's paid, and they're at the table that he asks, "This is actually an unusual experience for me. I'm not typically playing this game on what you'd call 'friendly' terms. Instead, my work with the Prosecutor's office often calls for me to play in more... questionable, establishments. People I'm questioning tend to be less cautious about divulging important details when they're distracted by a game."
 
Akechi then actually closes his right eye to wink at Ren, "Naturally, it isn't the same with you. You're not being interrogated after all. Just a casual conversation... I'd like to know more about the guy who's willing to stand up to me on television and say he supports the Phantom Thieves."
 
It's only now, that he's dropped that definitely not off-putting remark that /would never/ put someone on their guard that he asks... "Have you ever played before?"

<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.

How much Akechi want him to stay? How much does Akechi want him to play this game with him? Walking off might have tested that, but Ren doesn't particularly want to establish that Akechi can override his 'no' if he just cajoles hard enough, either. Better to save turning around and leaving for when he really means it.

Ren watches Akechi's exchange with the part-timer in silence, hands still tucked in his pockets. Akechi doesn't offer his name, and Ren doesn't give it, either. He does note that Akechi pays for him without asking. He's not sure how he feels about that. Is it a kindness, a courtesy, or a power move of his own?

Well. It's still not something to walk off over. He accepts the cue Akechi offers him, watching him inspect his own. He doesn't bother looking over his own. He hasn't played pool before--though he's long been interested, which is another good reason to stay and see how this interaction plays out--so it wouldn't help if he did or not. He doesn't know what he's looking for, after all.

He doesn't interrupt Akechi when he speaks. It's actually kind of cool, picturing Akechi facing off against criminals in a billiards parlor, playing high-stakes games as the framework for a battle of wits...

...

...oh.

Ren's expression remains stonily impassive when Akechi winks at him and assures him that's definitely not what's going on here.

"No," he replies. He looks down at the table. "...But I'm interested," he concedes.

Genuine as that might be, that's still as much concession as he'll give right here and now. Akechi claims this isn't an interrogation, but Ren's not going to volunteer any information about himself before being explicitly asked. He didn't do that for Miss Student Council President and he's sure as hell not doing that for an actual professional high school detective.

<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.

Perhaps it's merely what he feels fair, since he asked him here. Some unspoken rule of social etiquette. When he's at the Leblanc, Ren can't say 'no' really, when he's helping Sojiro to disengaging with Akechi. In fact, Akechi usually badgers him until he forces him to engage.
 
But that's weirdly flattering, perhaps. That Akechi is interested enough to persist, to pursue... even if he's annoying about it.
 
Indeed, it is a pretty cool image, which is part of why he brings it up - he wants Ren to think of him /as cool/ as... /aspirational/. A bar to measure himself against. After all... he's a criminal on probation, living in an attic. Akechi? He's a celebrity detective. It wouldn't do for Ren to have to look anywhere...
 
... but up.
 
Ren's ability to slip into stoic silence truly does impress Akechi in a strange way. Sometimes it makes him feel intensely awkward when Ren does it - like perhaps he went too far. But he's growing used to it simply being Ren's way of dealing with certain situations in that manner.
 
As he offers his interest, Akechi smiles actually warmly, "Is that so? Well then, I'd be happy to show you how it's done. First... the break. Ordinarily it's decided by both of us making a shot from behind the head string..."
 
His head cants towards a line marker, "... to rebound off the other side of the table. The shot that lands closest to the head string without going past it, decides the break. We'll skip that portion for now... so I can demonstrate... the first shot sets the tone for the rest of a match..."
 
The cue ball has already been on the table, from when the employees set it up after the last group came through.
 
It's to the left, definitely off center - but a legal position to start the game. Taking a step towards it, he sets up, hooking the index finger of his right hand near the tip of the cue's shaft, while holding the cue solidly with his left hand, leaning over to sight it down, and experimentally pulling the cue back - once, twice, subtly adjusting the cue's aim against the ball, as he sights the diamond of colored balls on the other end-
 
-the cue suddenly lashes forward like a snake on the attack, striking the white ball, a quick blur as it slams into the diamond, knocking the balls apart with a clatter as they rebound chaotically in several different directions.
 
One ball - two balls roll into various pockets... then...
 
... the nine ball that started in the center of that diamond slows down, just enough for Ren to follow that all-important target... on it's path, to where it rolls into the center pocket.
 
And while he knows Ren is distracted watching, he changes his hand placement, so that it's now his right hand holding the cue upright, where his left hand once was... Akechi offers a chuckle which... well, it /sounds/ mildly embarrassed. He is smiling, "Oh, my apologies. A break ace."
 
He doesn't actually immediately explain what that means, but the sound of it - it's like the tone of the match set by the first shot was 'I win. You don't even get a chance to play.'
 
A demonstration perhaps... of more than just his skill in this parlor game...

<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.

It is weirdly flattering.

It's also worrying. Akechi went out of his way to imply that he was just barely passable to hang out with him. If Ren doesn't meet some invisible standard for him, then the main reason he would have for approaching him over and over like this is because he suspects he is or is involved with the Phantom Thieves.

Not that this is a new revelation for Ren. It was kind of obvious the moment he showed up in Leblanc with that lawyer lady the first day with that particular book. And it became even more obvious after he brought up delicious pancakes...

Which is his one ace up his sleeve right now. However else Ren feels about it, and him, it's true that Akechi is on top across the board as far as society is concerned. He needs all the advantages he can get.

For right now, he nods once as Akechi begins the pool tutorial. He pays close, careful attention to the explanation--looks at the line marker--watches how Akechi holds his cue and lines up his opening shot--

watches as Akechi sinks several balls in that single opening shot, including the nine ball.

Ren has never played pool before. But he knows enough about it to have a pretty good idea of what just happened.

'Oh, my apologies. A break ace.'

He doesn't know that specific term, but--

"Is that your win?" he asks, looking back up at Akechi to confirm it. As much as it irritates him to see this--he has to (grudgingly) admit, that's an impressive level of skill. It's clear it was no accident, and to be able to do something like that on purpose... He knows what he's doing.

Which means he's definitely doing it to make a power move on him.

Also deeply irritating, but Ren's only counter-move at this point is to pretend like he didn't even notice. Akechi can't silently lord over his victory if Ren doesn't make it clear he knows this was anything more than the fluke he's trying outwardly to pretend it is.

<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.

And perhaps that standard is a moving goalpost, at that... food for thought, Ren.
 
Perhaps if you don't keep working hard to become the person he wants you to be, then... well, it's better not to dwell on that.
 
You're here, aren't you?
 
Ren's play is the correct one in their 'duel' of sorts. After all, it was a game, and a chat. If Ren can't best his overwhelming skill, then why not pretend you aren't irritated by the obvious... or didn't notice.
 
"Well... the victory conditions are met by the nine ball being sunk... and it already has been. Ordinarily... you can't aim for the nine ball right away, but if it happens during the break..."
 
Standing the pool cue up straight, he smiles at Ren so /very/ affably again, "But that was just a coincidence, of course, so we can start over. That won't count."
 
So gracious! So magnanimous!
 
... So fake.
 
Ren's already noticed, and Akechi /wanted/ him to notice.
 
After the diamond is set back up... Akechi positions the cue again, and tells Ren, "Why don't you give it a try and start us off this time with the break? I can use this opportunity to take a good look at your form... and if you'd like any pointers... well, I'd hardly mind."
 
Akechi waits to see how Ren responds, before...
 
"You do seem pretty interested in a game you've never played before." Akechi notes, and perhaps there's some praise in his voice at that. Indeed, at least so far - Ren was true to his word.
 
When faced by a superior opponent... he didn't run away, except - whoops. Ren certainly wouldn't be one of the Phantom Thieves, now would he?
 
"Is it the idea of a competition, a challenge that excites you? The thrill of pushing your limits, and seeing how far you can go?"
 
The Detective Prince does smile appreciatively at him, "You present yourself rather stoically, unobtrusively in your day to day... but I would swear even after meeting just a few times, that you truly don't mind standing out either. Perhaps that is why you were so willing to 'stand up' that day so to speak."

<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.

...Yeah.

Ren's expression remains stoic as Akechi explains why this is indeed his win. He had an idea already, but it's good to have it confirmed. To understand why he lost without even getting a chance to play. It doesn't lessen the frustration any, but Ren chose to come here, to stay here. He wants to know how to play this game--to play, and to win.

So he can shove it in this jerk's excruciatingly smug, handsome face.

He nods once when Akechi ~graciously~, ~magnanimously~ offers to start over, without letting that first one count. Ren understands it's fake. Winning or losing wasn't the point. Well--it was the point. But not in the sense of that individual game.

The point is the message: that Akechi is just way out of his league, and could crush him at any time he pleases.

Well, Ren will make him regret looking down on him. But that's a long-term goal. Right now, he just needs to figure out what the hell he's doing.

"Sure," he replies. It's tempting to refuse any pointers, but-- "Well, if you don't mind..."

He walks over to the other side of the table. He paid close attention to the way Akechi held his hands and splayed his fingers; he mimics it passably, if in mirror image. As he slides the cue between the cradle of his fingers testingly and finds he enjoys the sensation, he doesn't speak. He nonetheless does not tune Akechi out. Whether that's a good or bad thing is yet to be seen, because it certainly strikes a chord.

A competition... the thrill of pushing his limits. His eyes go briefly distant. Yeah... he had a phase like that. Or... mm. It's probably not right to call it a 'phase,' huh?

He didn't stop competing because he wanted to give up ice skating.

He shakes his head a little and focuses. Don't let him distract you. It's part of the game. "Maybe," he replies, knowing that Akechi's right.

He thrusts the cue forward and strikes the cue ball with a solid crack. The triangle of balls parts, going in every which direction--but not at random. It's all determined by physics. A set of laws they may not be visible, but that are nonetheless immutable.

Ren contemplates this as he watches them go for a moment. Then he lifts his chin and looks Akechi straight in the eye. Did he stand up that day because he doesn't mind standing out? Yes. That's part of it, to be sure. But also...

"I just don't see the point in living a fake life," he concludes.

Even from just his relatively brief experience, he knows extremely well how soul-crushing that is.

<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.

Indeed - it is a handsome face, and the way that messy hair frames it... it's like every silky strand is exactly where he wants it. The appearance of putting in so little effort to look like the boy next door.
 
The reality of controlling his image to the point of obsession. He is such a contradictory creature...
 
Ren radiates frustration, despite the way he presents himself. Akechi pretends not to notice. It is an enjoyable facet of this game of cat and mouse, this back and forth.
 
It is what he always wanted, in being a detective, really.
 
"Not at all." He says when it comes to pointers, and indeed...
 
He watches Ren, critically as he sets up his shot. Indeed, one might interpret watching him like a hawk as a means of psyching him out... distracting him, hoping he slips.
 
But that would be an /unsatisfying/ ending to this if he slipped that hard, now wouldn't it? No, he just wants him on edge...
 
Ren makes his shot, and states perhaps his philosophy... and Akechi's smile, it's subtle, but it's smoothed out along the edges ever so slightly. Perhaps Ren scored a point there after all...
 
"Oh? That's a fascinating opinion. ... Hold that pose." Akechi notes as he encircles the table, and then comes alongside Ren... then like a coach, begins to make little pointers, so very close.
 
"A steadier base." He notes of his feet, "Just a little closer together. Be careful not to lock your right leg." Then he adjusts his angle, "A slight bend in the left knee." And then, Akechi comes up behind him, bending down alongside him.
 
Despite having been out all day, there's something fresh - clean, about his scent. Perhaps it's the smell of his hair. What conditioner does he use? It's hard to identify...
 
Akechi puts his hand out, near Ren's left. "Straighten this arm a touch more... lock the elbow. But what is truly critical..." His hand then comes to rest upon Ren's right arm, his back hand, as he adjusts it himself, like a coach assisting him. "... draw a line from your elbow to wrist. Parallel to the floor."
 
Akechi is not a teacher, by his very nature. He is not one usually to divulge information to others - to guide them. Indeed, he's a very selfish learner. All these details greedily hoarded for his own benefit.
 
But today, he lets a few slip from his intellectual dragon's hoard of knowledge, for him.
 
... but not for free, as it is now, in this position of 'vulnerability' that he forced upon Ren, that he follows up. "And do you feel you always live up to that?" Akechi asks, softly, while still letting Ren get used to this pose, "In your day to day? Behind the counter at the cafe, with the manager watching... while in class?"
 
He lets that hang for a few moments, then smiles at him and straightens up. "So many people wish to live like that..." Akechi says, as he rounds the table, setting up near the new position for the cue. Indeed... when Ren looks, his form is perfect. Quite perfect, every minute detail that he focused upon with Ren is mirrored from what must have been countless hours perfecting it.
 
But there might be something about it that bothers him, nevertheless.
 
Akechi's right hand guides the cue forward, his pale assailant strikes - knocking one ball into a pocket, and rebounding to strike another against the other end of the table, rebounding at a geometric angle that sends it into the other pocket.
 
"... but every day make little sacrifices, for the sake of their goals. Don't you think?"
 
As Akechi straightens though, his cue is definitely in the position Ren saw him in after the Break Ace... held with the right hand back. What's wrong with it?

<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.

There's good reason to be ill at ease from having Akechi watch him so closely. But Ren did accept his offer... and as Akechi said, he doesn't mind being seen. On the contrary, he quite enjoys it. For someone as stoic and quiet as he is most of the time, he's a pretty contradictory creature too.

Maybe that's why they're both drawn to each other, whether they like each other or not.

There is something flattened about that smile. Ren can tell because he's watching him closely in return. It was at least a little bit of a jab, but it was on the whole a sincere statement. But Akechi seems to move on to the pointers aspect; even comes over to his side of the table to get a better look. He resumes his pool pose and holds it, listening to Akechi's notes and adjusting his stance accordingly--

oh that's him leaning over him and wow okay

Ren can't help but hold his breath as his pulse quickens. He might not like Akechi, but he has eyes, and-- Is this also on purpose? Is he trying to make him uncomfortable? Or is he just totally not understanding boundaries? He tenses, hands trembling, but he doesn't tell him to stop or try to force him away. He lets Akechi touch him--lets him adjust his body and give him tips with his fingertips.

He does smell nice. Ren absolutely cannot focus on that. He draws a line from his elbow to his wrist, parallel to the floor.

Akechi murmurs close to his ear. Ren says nothing.

yeah this is definitely on purpose

Eventually Akechi smiles and stands up straight. Ren takes a deep breath while trying not to make it obvious he's taking a deep breath and stands up too. Focus. Akechi did rattle him just now, but... while it was unnerving...

...damned if it wasn't also hot.

Ren wonders if Akechi meant for him to have that reaction.

"I think we do live in a society that encourages that," he replies, managing to keep his voice level. We live in a society where image is everything, someone he respected once told him. And he can't deny the truth of that, but also-- "It sucks."

He watches Akechi round the table and lower himself into his own pool posture. It is just like before: picture perfect. Except...

Ren furrows his brows as he watches him. It's not just right now. When they shook hands back at the TV station, the hand Akechi had offered him back then was...

<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.

He /definitely/ did that on purpose. However... whether he felt, knew that Ren would find it hot. Whether /he/ finds it hot. That's still such a maddening mystery there. Perhaps he just enjoys rattling a guy, throwing him off.
 
If it were a girl, she'd probably have been /quite/ put off by it, some might have even yelped, and pulled away immediately, startled unless it was well received. As a stoic guy like Ren even, it was a risk. There are so many ways to interpret that gesture.
 
"You'll find no argument here in that regard." Akechi says to the idea that it sucks, "The number of times I've been asked in if several high profile arrests I'm responsible for, whether I should have kept quiet... for the sake of an institution's, or a politician's reputation."
 
It's clear at least that he's disgusted by some aspects of society. "But I refuse to sacrifice my Justice for what some misguided fools consider the greater good." He does smile towards Ren again, "I will admit though, since we're not exactly being recorded right now, that sometimes it's necessary to put on a good show, in order to achieve anything of value."
 
Oh yeah, Ren's fake comment /definitely/ stung.
 
"I think even you could agree with that."
 
As Ren Amamiya...
 
... or the leader of the Phantom Thieves?
 
Which does he mean? Perhaps there is no distinction between the two within his own mind.
 
Akechi then casually leans over, and with one fluid motion, knocks another ball into the pocket. Then stands, lopes around the table like the world's most casual predator, and strikes another, it rebounding several times to knock another distant ball into the pocket.
 
Then on the next one... he tries to show off, but- well... he is playing with a handicap. His attempt to sink another two balls gets none... scratching the cue in a pocket, in a near miss.
 
"Oof... bad move on my part. I could in fact be in trouble here." He says with the casual ease of someone who isn't worried - even if Ren managed to surprise him and pulls a come from behind victory.
 
After all, he's already proven his skills to Ren so thoroughly that he's the undisputed winner here, even if he were to somehow lose.

<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.

Ren himself is not sure what he'd prefer Akechi's intentions to be. At least, not at first, not while he's still putting himself back together in as discreet a way as he can manage. He needs to figure out how he feels about it before he can figure out how he wants Akechi to feel about it.

First, he needs to be a little surprised that Akechi agrees with him about how rotten Japanese society is about saving face. For someone who's putting on a face of his own, it's an odd stance to take. But as he continues about how sometimes a show is necessary to get results, Ren avoids his smile to stare down at the pool table, where Akechi continues to dominate.

"Sometimes, yeah," he concedes. "But there's a difference between putting on a show and betraying your principles." He looks back at him. "Like, for example, if I'd told you back at the station I agreed with you, just to avoid the risk of getting harassed by your fans."

He mulls on this further as Akechi sinks ball after ball. He really is a very skilled player. It's kind of gauche, given that Ren told him he's never played before. But when he thinks of Akechi holding back just to give him a chance to win... that's an irritating thought, too.

"I guess I do understand why someone might live like that. There are people in the world who can't live freely, because if they do, they'll get hurt for it. Just for being who they are," he adds quietly, thinking again of his ex-coach. "But I still think there's a difference between not saying what you're about and pretending you're something else entirely. Keeping that up... would just be exhausting."

He watches Akechi miss a shot--trying to go for two, ending up with none. The corner of Ren's mouth quirks up briefly at the obvious analogy that he doesn't make out loud. Once again, Akechi is annoying by talking like he's in trouble when he clearly is not worried at all. Is he ever genuine about anything? He frowns a little, then inspects the table. There's an opportunity here he could take advantage of. ...He finds he wants to take advantage of it. This jerk might think he's above him, but Ren doesn't like the idea of just letting him have his way this whole time.

He moves into his own position and leans in--knee slightly bent, elbow locked, leg unlocked, arm parallel to the floor...

"By the way. Earlier, when you were adjusting my stance..."

And decides how he wants Akechi to feel about it.

"...if I were a girl, would you have done that the same way?"

Clack. He knocks the cue into the cue ball with force, and it strikes one of the balls Akechi had failed to sink with force in turn. ...It bounces off the corner, bounces back into the other corner, and flies away without going into the hole.

...

that's really very embarrassing actually.

Even so, Ren forces himself to look Akechi in the eye and see his reaction--and his response. It would've punctuated his question so well if he'd nailed that shot, but he wants an answer regardless.

<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.

It is odd, isn't it? Caring about his reputation and image, while being upset at people who care about theirs... how does someone justify that kind of hypocrisy?
 
Well... he doesn't exactly explain himself.
 
"They still might track you down." Akechi warns, so casually, as if there's humor in it to him. "I've had several stalkers who were quite /pleased/ to be arrested by me."
 
However, despite the light interjection - and possible anecdote, he is listening to him, and taking him seriously. "Perhaps there is." And there's something a little vicious in his smile, "I suppose it must be that way for these so-called Phantom Thieves as well. Going through their day to day, pretending they're just as normal and law-abiding as everyone else... while they change the hearts of people whose actions displease them."
 
He says as he stands quite still, holding the Cue as as easily as a soldier might a rifle, at attention, complete with bayonet
 
"I would posit that they are all just as /exhausted/ - despite whatever thrills they might get out of living this way. When they're in custody... I'll be sure to let you know the truth."
 
There's a back and forth there, verbally - an accusation of hypocrisy, a clarification - a distinction, met with a riposte to indicate he doesn't think the clarification applies to the Phantom Thieves.
 
Back and forth - he's falling into the rhythm of it, quite enjoying it even, despite the blows to his ego he's received. Is he ever genuine? No, but he at least can accuse the Phantom Thieves of that.
 
And Ren - Ren of course can only speak as a /supporter/ rather than someone with first hand knowledge.
 
Akechi stands at the ready still, watching Ren quite closely to see how he manages this dilemma, but then he asks, a question. And Akechi looks surprised for a moment, then he begins to chuckle lightly, "Aha... you truly are something else. Well. Of course if it were a girl, I would do my best to make /certain/ she were comfortable with my actions before approaching her like that... but seeing as it's just the two of us. Well, why don't you tell me?"
 
He says, his eyes offering something of a challenge, albeit perhaps - one that's somewhat teasing, "Did it make you 'uncomfortable' being advised that way by another guy?" Certainly, he doesn't commit one way or the other. As if implying to some degree, this is /normal/ for guys to advise each other this way in sports and other activities...
 
... after all there's no /sexual/ context between two guys touching like that. There's no reason to ask permission, or to expect another guy to be uncomfortable.
 
Perhaps this is another part of his image though... and because of his image, he's being maddeningly roundabout.
 
"It was a good try really... but just a little, off the mark..."
 
Does he mean Ren's shot, or is he saying that Ren's indirect implication is wrong? Ugh, why is he LIKE THIS...
 
Leaning over, and once again using his right hand to guide the stick back, he knocks the remainder of the balls in- one, two and-
 
The nine ball sinks in last. Somehow he even made '7-8-9' all fall in sequentially in a single shot. "I win. Though that was closer than I'd like for your first time playing. If you'd pulled it off... it would have been quite embarrassing, now wouldn't it? However, I am impressed..."
 
And now Akechi's faux affable smile does fade, to something far more real in the moment, "... you showed some real potential, in a very short time."
 
And that - is what's interesting to him about Ren Amamiya, among other things... his vast /potential/.

<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.

"Really?" Akechi could be bullshitting him about the stalkers thing--but Ren finds it just believable enough to think it could be true. "That must be tough for you." ...but not for him? (Well, Ren's only stalker at present is definitely not a criminal Akechi would have to arrest.)

But then Akechi ripostes, going after the Phantom Thieves. And as they both know, Ren can't say anything about that without giving himself away.

"...I doubt it."

Or can't he?

"After all, they're doing good in the world by going after criminals the law won't persecute."

Interesting choice of words, won't instead of can't. But plausibly deniable, too, considering Kamoshida and Madarame's long history of scandals before they were finally found out through their confessions.

"There's nothing about that to get exhausted by. If anything, they'd get exhausted by cops who criticize them while sitting on their rumps doing nothing about actual threats." He shrugs. "It's like you said. Some people care more about their reputations than about doing what's right."

Even a supporter can say that much without having any firsthand knowledge of The Phantoms. Right?

In the meantime, he watches Akechi for his reaction. That surprise on his face seems genuine--unrehearsed. So it hadn't even crossed his mind, huh? If it wasn't intentionally sexually charged, then... well, that's a good thing. It's a relief knowing that part was unintended. If it had been--if Akechi had been trying to assault him in a plausibly deniable way--

Then he really would have to walk out.

And he finds he kind of doesn't want to.

"Yeah, it did," Ren replies, deadpan, of if it made him uncomfortable. He holds that expression for a second; then he smirks with devilish humor. "At least buy me dinner first."

Just to let Akechi know he wasn't uncomfortable for no homo reasons.

"...More seriously, this is a crowded place." Grin fading, he nods around them at the various other patrons, who fortunately don't seem to be paying either of them any mind. "You never know who might see something like that, jump to the wrong conclusion, and start spreading weird rumors online. You ought to be more careful.

"Just saying. Since you seem to care about that."

At least he definitely means Ren's shot was off the mark. If he's talking about Ren's implications, well, he's just going to have to deal with him saying it directly. Let's see how he handles that.

...He handles the game itself with aplomb though. In short order, Ren has officially lost their "real" game of pool. He watches him sink the balls in numerical order, even. Yeah, he really messed up his chance with that. He could be resigned about that, but...

'That was closer than I'd like...'

Ren outright makes a face. That's a hell of a thing to say for someone who won the game in two goddamn turns, without his opponent having ever sunk a single ball. He's so GODDAMN annoying, it's almost incredible.

That face fades when Akechi... says he has potential, though. Ren searches his face. The way he actually looks like he means it, instead of hiding behind that pretty smile of his. Is he really impressed? Or is he just saying that?

...Ren finds he hopes he is.

It makes him want to impress him again, with something of substance. Something that feels meaningful. Even something small, if only to shove it in his face that he hasn't lost it all just yet--that Akechi might be incredibly skilled, but not every game they play will turn out like this.

His eyes drop to Akechi's hand--his right hand, in which he holds his cue. He frowns. Dammit.

"Aren't you left-handed?"

He probably was just saying that. That irritates him most of all.

<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.

"Why yes. It's actually more common than you'd think."
 
Believe it or not, Akechi is not in fact bullshitting. It's just his stalkers are quite... different, from the stereotypical guy stalking a celebrity woman. While he was bullshitting Ren about his fans harassing him for hanging out with him - it's not entirely unfounded on anything...
 
... it's just, Ren isn't... quite as in danger than if he were 'hanging out' with a girl his age.
 
Ren however, does his best to counter his point, and Akechi merely smiles, as if impressed by his tenacity. But also pleased. He hangs with Ren /specifically/ to be his antithesis after all.
 
If he conceded a point too quickly...
 
"... A valid point - I often criticize the police and prosecutor's office for their recalcitrance to move on certain suspects..."
 
He concedes as much himself, "... but what if I told you that there had been investigations opened into both Kamoshida and Madarame prior to their change of heart? Then it becomes less won't - but that they're moving too slow for your liking, wouldn't it?"
 
Here, it's actually a bluff on his part. And indeed, he doesn't actually truly disguise that so much. "That criticism has merit too... but eventually, you run into a dead end. Exercising their own justice without accountability or oversight..." And there is something quite serious in his expression when he tells Ren, "... with strange methods, that have yet to be clarified. A 'change of heart' is a potent implication. And yet, are you to tell me that I shouldn't criticize and simply have faith in their judgment, as you do?"
 
There's a small shake of his messy bangs, like he thinks that all angles Ren might go here are a dead end. Then again he's only /deducing/ that it's a dead end. That Ren will run up against the idea of 'belief' in the Phantom Thieves being necessary.
 
As Ren works through it, Akechi smiles at him again, at his 'At least buy me dinner' first. "Aha... Well now, first billiards, then dinner... you're going to turn this into quite the expensive outing for me."
 
He does smile subtly at that, because first off - Akechi asked REN here and second off - REN NEVER ASKED HIM TO PAY FOR TONIGHT. He can be /quite/ infuriating.
 
However, Ren's grin fades, as he points out the appearance of impropriety, "I'm well aware of that possibility for my actions to be... misinterpreted by observers. But then again..." He smiles, and his tone causes his voice to come across like a knife in this moment...
 
"... nothing happened. So it would be quite upsetting for someone to start baseless rumors online." Perhaps it's simply as Ren says then - that he's hardly going to have /that/ conversation here, or perhaps he doesn't trust him enough to have a more honest conversation yet /anywhere/. It's difficult to say in this moment at least.
 
Then Ren searches his face, and Akechi just looks somewhat smug in this moment, "Is something the matter?" Like he can read Ren's entire thought process on his face.
 
But...
 
"Huh." Akechi keeps his expression neutral for a few moments, as if to see if he can get more information from Ren's face, then a smile breaks through again, "I'm honestly impressed you noticed. That's right..." He extends his left hand, palm out. "... this one's my dominant hand. I switched hands as we played. It's not anything against you. Going all-out against a beginner just seems a bit... gauche."
 
And then switching hands to hold the cue with his left, "I'm rather dextrous with my right hand. I can even use chopsticks with it. Frankly, I didn't expect you to see through it."
 
He is /so/ goddamn frustrating, but then again...
 
If Akechi /wasn't/ impressed with Ren's skill truly before, he's at least impressed with /him/ now. And isn't that the true victory here?

<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.

Who knows? Maybe a yandere fan of Akechi's will come to Leblanc one day and vivisect Ren for the heinous crime of being near him. But he's pretty sure that won't happen--even if Akechi does apparently have overeager adorers of some stripe following him around.

It must be nice to be able to arrest your own stalkers, Ren reflects.

As Akechi argues back and presents a buff, Ren... frowns. Not because he thinks Akechi has a point--quite the opposite. Akechi might just see the spark of anger that ignites in his eyes... but while his hands might go defiantly to his sides, his tone remains cool and collected. "Maybe. But I don't think there were. You've been looking into these cases; you must know that a girl at Shujin attempted suicide over something Kamoshida did to her. I was there that day when she jumped. I saw ambulances, but I sure didn't see any cops. If they were really investigating him, that would've been the perfect pretext to move in on him, even if it turned out he had nothing to do with it. But they didn't." His eyes narrow. "How many people have to end up in the hospital before it's no longer 'too slow for my liking'?"

Strange methods, that have yet to be clarified. Well, Ren is willing to concede--privately--that someone who doesn't know The Phantoms might have cause to worry about the things they don't know. But he does know. "Why not?" he counters. "If you want me to believe that the cops were working on cases against Kamoshida and Madarame, why shouldn't you believe the Phantom Thieves' methods aren't unethical?"

This is not really the decisive counter that Ren thinks it is, considering he just said he didn't think Akechi was telling the truth about that, but as long as he's taking about having faith...

Akechi counter-jokes ("jokes"?) about what an expensive date he's turning out to be. Well... not in as many words. But close enough. Ren rolls his eyes anyway.

He does give him a piercing look as Akechi continues, an unexpected sharpness in his tone. Is he implying that he thinks Ren would spread those rumors himself? ...Does he think that's what Ren was trying to imply--that he was trying to threaten him? There's a lot Ren could say about that, but trying to explain the misunderstanding would, he thinks, only make it worse in this circumstance.

So he simply shrugs-- "I bet." ...and leaves it at that.

He doesn't say if anything's the matter. Akechi clearly already knows, the smug bastard. And anyway... it's much nicer to see him smile and admit he caught him. Ren looks down at his left hand, then up at his face. Gauche, huh... He'd been thinking that same thing not that long ago. He still thinks he's bullshitting him here... but it does feel kind of good that he does seem to have genuinely exceeded his expectations after all.

"Not like it helped me win any," Ren remarks, looking back at the pool table. There, his gaze lingers... until he clenches a fist and rivets a stare back into Akechi's eyes. "But it won't go so easy for you next time."

<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.

It is an interesting thought... being able to arrest away your troubles. Were it Akechi, in Ren's place that day, what might have happened?
 
Well, certainly not what Ren thinks might happen - he might think that Akechi is privileged to have had a chance there. A celebrity after all is someone that even a politician has difficulty waving away to Juvie Hall.
 
... If only he knew.
 
"Shiho Suzui..." Akechi repeats her name, to make certain Ren understands he is in fact, familiar with the cases. "... What Kamoshida did there is indisputably a grave and despicable crime."
 
He does not even argue the lack of cops, because it was meant to be a bluff - truly, to move through the criticism. "And indeed, it is reasonable to posit that the Phantom Thieves made their decision to target him after that event. But..."
 
He emphasizes, and indicates, slowly, "... you shouldn't mistake 'investigate' for 'constant surveillance'. Suzui-san was in a coma for nearly a month after that event. How then, would the Phantom Thieves know he was responsible?"
 
Akechi notes, and puts a hand to his chin, "Indeed - knowing he was responsible before Suzui could speak to his culpability... Knowing how they knew, would rather narrow down the list of suspects, don't you think? And if they didn't know for certain, and instead acted decisively in an emotionally charged situation..."
 
He does look pensive, for a time after that, as if contemplating the answer...
 
"... well that would be most troublesome. Why shouldn't I believe that the Phantom Thieves methods aren't unethical?" He finally repeats the question, "It is simple... because if I witnessed a murder happen in front of me... I could not, and should not be allowed to punish the murderer for the crime on the spot, and is not a 'change of heart' a type of punishment for a crime? What if after their methods were known and much debate, our society decided it was tantamount to an 'Execution of Personality' - and a cruel punishment to inflict upon any person, no matter how vile? Whether something is ethical - or unethical to a Just society cannot and should not just be decided by a handful of vigilantes."
 
Well it's not like Akechi expects Ren to agree with him here, but to him - one thing that's always fascinating to him is how passionate Ren gets on the subject, how... personal it is to him. This enforcement of justice.
 
This anger.
 
Akechi meanwhile, while he can rise to the bait - the debate to him, the emotions of it, seem almost more /the competition/ than his anger over injustice truly figuring into this particular subject... how strange.
 
Perhaps the problem is, he just seems so fake, even when he's arguing back. Even when he raises his voice subtly, and things shift back and forth.
 
But - instead, they are upon a misunderstanding, and Akechi seems to let the matter go soon enough... or did he truly? Well... perhaps they'll find out some day, in a less public setting...
 
... after all, it was Akechi's behavior that prompted it... would that not imply, something similar might happen again?
 
But Ren definitely seems a little sour over the outcome, and perhaps Akechi is pleased that he does feel that way. Maybe it will be aspirational...
 
"... Still I thought you were unlikely to catch it, given your need for glasses." He smiles subtly, "But perhaps they're just for the aesthetic."
 
Ren's comment on it not going so easy for him next time... he does chuckle softly, expression subtly smug, "Is that so? I think I'd like it if you could back up those words. After all... a match where I didn't hold anything back?"
 
His expression only changes subtly, and there's something... wistful? Yearning? It's hard to parse the expression in those brown eyes of his. "That would be a truly rare treat."

<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.

If only he knew--but alas, he doesn't.

And that's the point, isn't it, Akechi? That no one knows.

Something in Ren's eyes shifts when Akechi confirms that he does know what he's talking about--that he remembers Shiho's name, even. It's reassuring. Akechi has been a piece of shit this whole time, but it's genuinely reassuring to hear him say, in a way that Ren can reasonably believe, that he hates Kamoshida's behavior. If he were just giving lip service, he probably wouldn't bother to remember the victim's name, right?

But Akechi makes his counter, and Ren frowns. He unfortunately makes a lot of good points--not about the justice of it all, but about how the Phantom Thieves could have known Kamoshida was guilty. Though... if Akechi has a Persona of his own, he must have a pretty good idea of how. How much does he know about the Metaverse? How much does anyone know, really? Maybe he's trying to get him to slip up in that regard, too.

"I'd hope you'd at least arrest them. That's also a punishment," Ren says curtly, thinking briefly of his own. "Unless it was in self-defense--and if you were there to be able to witness it, I'd hope you'd have done something before it got that far."

...But while that's a sincere statement, Ren knows it's also a dodge on his part. An 'execution of personality'... Ren knows (believes) that's not what it is--if it were that goddamn easy, he and his friends wouldn't have to have a boss fight over it, and afterwards, they tell the Shadow their expectation and let them reintegrate with their other selves on their own--but that's definitely something he can't comment on directly. The best he can say is:

"And what if their methods were known, and after much debate, society decides it's like reform? That's already part of our justice system." He pauses a beat. "I get that part of your problem with them is you don't know their methods. That's fair. I understand it's your job to be suspicious. But you could stand to be a little more open-minded instead of just assuming it must be bad."

His eyes narrow. "...And you might think vigilantes shouldn't get to decide what justice is, but I'd prefer vigilante justice over no justice any day. I think the other victims who were saved by the Phantom Thieves would agree."

Because Ren is one of Kamoshida's victims too, isn't he? Not to the extent that Ryuji or Ann or especially Shiho were, but Kamoshida had his criminal record leaked, ruining his new school life before it had even begun. Whether Ren is a Phantom Thief or not, it's far too reasonable for him to support them when he too was saved by them.

Especially if he wasn't going to get justice from anyone else with the "proper" authorization to mete it out.

Maybe that's the big difference between the two of them. Ren understands how it feels because he was in that position too. Akechi... If he were ever in a position where he'd need to get saved by the Phantom Thieves--it's long since passed by now. Hasn't it?

As for Akechi's behavior... that is indeed something they'll have to discuss further another time. If either of them ever brings it up again.

Ren doesn't comment on his glasses. He's not sure if that's supposed to be a joke or if he's trying to be annoying again, but either way it falls flat for him. What reaches his heart more is that new look in Akechi's eyes--something different from before. Something more sincere? He can't quite tell, and what he says...

...is frankly just another kind of obnoxious.

"Look forward to it, then," he replies, eyes still locked on him defiantly. "I'll beat you soon."

Beat him, and absolutely rub his stupid sexy smug face in it.

"Just you wait."

<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.

Indeed, he does remember her name. Is he merely that detail oriented? Or does what happened to her truly bother him? It's reasonable to believe that he certainly /does/ hate Kamoshida's behavior.

If only he weren't so /fake/ all the time. If only he merely said what he meant more often that Ren wouldn't have to play this game of evaluating each statement for how truly he's speaking on the matter.

"Certainly." Akechi says of at least arresting a hypothetical murderer, but says nothing else. His point was not that he wouldn't arrest them, it's more that he wouldn't do more to them, because it's not his role. However, he knows Ren knows that, and awaits for him to speak more on the matter.

Indeed, perhaps the true test is in whether Ren believes it is, or isn't it. Akechi himself is /quite/ disturbed about the idea of changing someone's heart against their will. Everything he has done - everything he is - relies deeply on the belief in his mind that he is responsible for his actions... /and no one else/.

And so he must know how Ren thinks of this idea. It is not merely a debate about his Justice but it is also /very much/ a debate about that. An understanding of what his antithesis truly thinks of this.

Akechi allows Ren to finish before speaking, though he has more than enough room to interject. And the important part is he evaluates Ren does /not/ consider it that deep of a change to a person.

That's interesting to him.

"Because people are imperfect." Even now he can feel himself substituting that word within his own mind for many alternates.

Wretched
Disgusting
  Trash

"Our system convicts innocent people all the time... a dirty little truth, that most won't say." He does understand that he is preaching to the choir here, even if Ren hasn't shared. He does say it, and indeed... does mean it. "And while you may call it close-minded... but I refuse to believe they are indeed, more perfect arbiters of Justice. When their methods become known... I will evaluate them myself. And if my conclusions are different than society's..."

Well, he does indeed look less /smug/ and self-righteous in this moment, more... confident? Resolved? "... then I will still hold true to my Justice." And perhaps Ren might even believe that, that Akechi would indeed go against society to hold true to his beliefs. "No matter the cost."

Perhaps he gets the impression that while it's more true to Akechi than the usual, it's still - partially an obfuscation.

This debate isn't likely to be resolved today, and indeed, Akechi doesn't believe it will ever be resolved. Not really... if Ren Amamiya would cave to his perspective, then he would not be so /interesting/ an individual.

The look on his face before, while it's just as /obnoxious/... Ren might see it now as eagerness. "Heh." As if Ren were threatening him with a /good time/. "Then I'm certain... you'll be an interesting influence on me."

Either way, it's a sure bet for Ren Amamiya that if he can figure out little else about Goro Akechi... it's that he desires to spend more time with him.

<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.

If only he weren't so fake all the time. If only he weren't so damn annoying.
intriguing

Ultimately, Ren does believe in the changes of heart (naturally, as the leader of the Phantom Thieves). Not knowing Akechi's whole deal, only that he can't trust him, he can't know how genuinely disturbing he finds the very concept. Of course, Akechi also can't know that this same power can't be used on him, but that's beside the point for both of them. The point is that, to Akechi, it's like execution of personality, and to Ren, it's like reform, and now both of them understand this about the other.

Whether Akechi is being close-minded about Ren's point of view or not, at least they each have that.

People are imperfect. Ren might not necessarily agree with the other words Akechi substitutes in his own mind (or wouldn't if he knew what they were), but "imperfect" is certainly true. He bows his head a bit, eyelashes drooping to half mast, as Akechi points out that "dirty little truth." He doesn't say it, but Akechi certainly struck home there. People are imperfect, and so society is too--and since society is too, so is the justice system.

But he soon raises his chin, that unyielding look in his stormy grey eyes, as Akechi insists he'll evaluate them on his own--that he'll come to his own conclusions based on his own take on what is Justice.

"...Fine."

And Ren leaves it at that. Because he sure can't tell Akechi their methods... but that actually does sound fair to him. Not just fair, but respectable. Like maybe he's saying something he genuinely thinks for once. Like maybe he has actual convictions and can eventually be approached like a real person.

Hard to tell, still.

But he also does look at least a little excited now. Ren might dislike him, but... he doesn't dislike that. An interesting influence on him, huh... No, he doesn't dislike that at all. He holds Akechi's gaze for a moment as he responds to his challenge positively, a hint of a smile on his lips. Then he looks back at the pool table.

"One more game," he insists. "For today."

There'll be more for each of them to discuss in the future, especially with the dropped topic of Akechi putting his hands on him, but right now--he wants to ride this feeling while they both have it. Just a little while longer.