2025-08-06: Fair-Weather Fans
- Log: 2025-08-06 Fair-Weather Fans
- Cast: Goro Akechi, Ren Amamiya
- Where: Kichijoji, Japan
- OOC Date: August 06, 2025
- IC Date: June 22, 2012
- Summary: Akechi invites Ren to join him to a cafe in Kichijoji to try a trendy new cake. When he's recognized by fair-weather fans, Ren tries something a little daring.
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
It's just after school in the late afternoon that Ren would receive a text message.
@>My consultation ended early today with another case closed.
@>Would you happen to have a 'sweet tooth' so to speak?
@>I was looking to try a local cafe in Kichijoji that happened to pique my interest.
@>If you're not too busy at the moment, why not join me?
There's a pin placed for a cafe in Kichijoji. The cafe 'Gigi'. It's a chic, upscale place, highly rated for it's coffee, sweets, and the pleasant atmosphere.
Akechi is there already, sitting upon the covered patio's outdoor seating, his briefcase upon a chair beside him. It's not crowded at this hour between the lunch rush and dinner time. Mostly a few scattered people who are enjoying a cup of coffee while 'working' as ceiling fans list in lazy circles.
He's in his school uniform right now, the blue tie loose, the uniform maddeningly impeccable despite the time of day, with only a few creases showing wear.
He has an espresso cup in front of him on a saucer, as he looks at his phone. He's on a social media feed, checking out the current 'fads' by foodies... pop up cafes, and other locations throughout Tokyo.
One might call it idle scrolling, save that his mind truly is absorbing most of it. But he has his phone on the table rather than in his hand, as if he does not care about the expectation of privacy in this regard.
Or perhaps he just wants to see if someone notices.
It's not a careless act of course. He has notifications off... and his text messages are password protected should someone happen to pick it up.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Kichijoji again, Ren thinks when he looks at the texts and the associated pin. He really likes that town, huh.
"Are you gonna go?" Morgana wonders, peeking at the phone from his perch on his shoulder.
"Yeah," Ren replies, already sending a simple 'Be there soon.' Without a trace of heat, he adds, "I wonder what that stupid jerk wants now."
Morgana laughs. "I'll hang out in the area. Just let me know when you're done."
~ * ~
And so it soon comes to pass that Ren arrives at the cafe called Gigi. It looks nice; the patio seating seems comfortable. Ren wouldn't say he has a particularly sweet tooth, but he does like the occasional treat, so he's not going out of his way beyond the fact that he's accepting a last-second invite of Akechi's yet again. He's been lucky; so far, Ren's had either no particular plans or plans that could be saved for later each time he's called. He wonders how Akechi will react when inevitably he invites him on a day Ren doesn't have time for his games.
He, too, is in his summer uniform, hands tucked in his pockets as he approaches Gigi. Kichijoji is not that far from Yongen-Jaya, but it's still more expedient to go straight there from school. As he approaches, he notes Akechi looking at his phone, which is flat on his table rather than in his hand. Odd. Curiosity prompts Ren, when he walks up the steps and approaches from behind, to lean over and see if he can't get a peek of what's on the screen.
"Hey," he says as he does. He doubts he'll surprise Akechi, but he's willing to give it a small try.
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
It would seem that way, wouldn't it? He's asked Ren to Kichijoji twice now. Perhaps there's a reason for it in his mindset. Perhaps he truly does enjoy the atmosphere... or maybe Kichijoji itself is the current fad. One thing's for certain, it's definitely a place he keeps coming back to.
It is a good question though, how will Akechi react when Ren doesn't have time for him? Well, I suppose one day he'll find out. There is after all the implicit threat his presence represents. The 'Herlock Sholmes' to Ren's 'Arsene Lupin'. Even if Lupin always gets away cleanly from the police... is not Herlock Sholmes hot on his trail?
What happens if Ren should refuse him?
Akechi doesn't seem like he notices Ren as he approaches, instead engrossed in his phone, but as Ren leans over and greets him, he tap- taps once, twice, then looks up, and takes his hand off his phone.
"Why hello there." Akechi tells him, with that same faux affable smile as always, though perhaps something a touch more genuine does creep into it, "I'm glad you were available to accept my invitation. I know it was quite last minute..."
His phone screen does not show any cases he's working on, any information, Ren would see a short on current day by day fashion trends in Harajuku. Some announcements about pop-up cafes in Akihabara, and if he looks down - there's reviews by food critics of vending machine soft drinks.
What a peculiar assortment of subjects he's following on his social media feed.
It's only now that he looks like he noticed Ren looking. "-Oh are you interested in what I'm looking at? You didn't strike me as someone who concerns himself too much with what's on social media." He turns his phone around even before Ren has time to answer. "As someone who's interviewed from time to time, I try to keep myself up to speed on what's popular."
Apparently what that stupid jerk wants is information on the latest trends and fads... but maybe also Ren's company.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
It might be worth it to find out what Akechi's reaction would be.
But not today. Today, Ren has some spending money, some free time, and ample curiosity for his annoying but handsome detective acquaintance. (Because he can't really call him a friend, now can he?)
"It was," Ren agrees mildly. One of the many annoying things about Akechi is indeed that faux affable smile, so it's interesting to see a little light shine in his eyes when he taps his phone and looks up at him. Ren even smiles back. Keep that up and I might start to think you're happy to see me, he thinks, though he knows this is unfair. So far, every interaction they've had is one that Akechi has initiated. If anything, Akechi's the one who needs to wonder if Ren's happy to see him.
His eyes flick to the phone screen. It really doesn't seem like anything all that deep. He'd never think this was a detective's phone by looking that feed of trends, cafes, and vending machine drinks. Honestly, it seems kind of shallow. Akechi doesn't seem like a shallow person, though. Not to mention, he's straight-up letting Ren look at his phone. Is this, too, part of a game?
Of course, that's when Akechi talks like he just noticed Ren's interest. (Of course, he doesn't stop to wait for an answer before giving an explanation.) Ren nods once, considering him thoughtfully; then he circles the table and takes the seat opposite him.
He doesn't answer about whether he was interested or not, or if he concerns himself with social media. The fact that he was looking is answer enough to the first, and the second wasn't a question.
"So what about this place is so interesting to you?" he asks instead. "I haven't been here before, so I don't know what's good." Maybe that's why he was looking up trends on his phone, even if Ren didn't spot anything specifically about this place. It's probably not that straightforward, though. The fact that there's nothing straight about Akechi is part of what makes him so interesting.
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
Indeed - it is a touch unfair, but that's not to say Akechi isn't used to being a part of unfair relationship dynamics. Usually it's unfair because he tipped it in his favor. But caution is hardly unfair either... he's the one who inserted tension in their first meeting.
Through the implicit threat that he's onto him.
Ren asks what about this place is interesting to him, as Akechi turns his phone around, and clicks it shut with a side button, locking it.
After all it'd be rude to just be on his phone the entire time when he asked him to come here. "Mostly, I saw the reviews online. The cake here is fairly popular, so I've been wanting to try it myself."
Ren might of course wonder if Akechi is the one with the sweet tooth, given his recent ads declaring that a detective needs sugar for brainpower.
Akechi doesn't even check the menu, though Ren might need to as the server swings by. "A refill of the same if you could. And a slice of the House's Signature Strawberry Shortcake Tiramisu."
He orders, and the server gives Ren time if he needs before ordering himself.
... A refill of Espresso, and a Tiramisu.
Exactly how much caffeine does Goro Akechi consume in a single day?
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
The idea that Akechi has a sweet tooth doesn't enter Ren's mind as a question. He gets Akechi asking him that; he's inviting him to join him at a cafe, trying to... find common ground, maybe, even if that common ground is a stage for their next game. For all that he's suspicious of Akechi and his motives, it doesn't occur to Ren that he or anyone might outright lie about what kind of food they like for the sake of their image.
Who would do that? That's just weird.
He thus takes Akechi's response at face value with a single nod. It does stand out to him that, for all that Akechi claims he wanted to give this place a try, he doesn't look at a menu before placing an order. Ren does, and he ultimately picks a cafe mocha (he gets plenty of black coffee over at Leblanc) and what's listed on the menu as a Black Tie Mousse cake--layered chocolate and vanilla cake with a mousse base and topped with berries. It sounds tasty. The strawberry shortcake tiramisu also sounds tasty, but between that and Akechi's espresso refill...
"Are you sure you should have that much caffeine this late in the day?" Ren wonders, tone dubious, once the waiter has taken their orders and left. It's not his business, he knows, but that is a LOT of caffeine to be ingesting in the mid-afternoon. "I thought you said you already finished up your consultation for today."
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
I know right? What a weirdo...
"I hear that's a good choice as well." He says of Ren's selection, before he smiles at Ren's questioning about the wisdom of so much caffeine, "Oh? Are you concerned for my sleeping habits? Do you ask that of every late evening patron at the Leblanc who orders coffee or just me?"
It's a light tease there at the end, before he answers more seriously, "I've always been someone who gets by on very little sleep, so I tend to stay up rather late burning the midnight oil as I review my case files and finish up whatever assignments are due at school."
He continues to speak on the matter with an even warmer smile, like he's enjoying the opportunity to talk about this, "So too is it true that as a detective, some work can only be done late at night. Many suspects and informants are only active in the evening hours at the earliest... so sometimes it can take me into the early morning."
Leaning back, he crosses his arms, "What about yourself? Are you one to stay up late? An early riser? I imagine as someone training to be a barista, you're not one to hold back yourself when it comes to assessing the quality of your product."
It does seem at least like he's not interrogating him for information, but more like he's genuinely curious as to their common ground.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
"Just you," Ren replies, straight-faced.
It occurs to him after he says it that it's not even a joke; it's just true. He's never questioned any of Leblanc's patrons on their drinking habits. Of course, they're clients and not people he's casually hanging out with, but... Maybe it's the fact that Akechi is his own age and not an adult, as Leblanc's regulars tend to be.
But Akechi tells him he doesn't get much sleep in general. Ren says nothing. Maybe he ought to ingest less caffeine, then... but he's got a point about when the criminal element tends to be active, so Ren doesn't argue with him on the matter.
He seems oddly happy about it, anyway. Or maybe it's not that odd.
"I'm an early riser," he replies, which is true. He gets up early to work out in his attic, brew himself a cup of coffee (the best way for him to practice), and when Sojiro shows up for the day, have a plate of curry for breakfast. That doesn't mean he doesn't also stay up late sometimes, but frankly, Morgana keeps him from making a habit of it.
Kind of weird for a so-called criminal, but that's how it is.
He does laugh a little--well, it's more like a faint smile--when Akechi comments on 'assessing the quality' of the store's coffee. He's not really training to become a barista, merely working part-time there so he's not such a freeloader, but he doesn't clear up that assumption and/or misunderstanding. "I do make myself a cup each morning. It's a good way to practice," he admits; it'd just been on his mind. "You must be really dedicated to being a detective if you don't mind habitually losing sleep over it."
He pauses then, eyes bright and curious behind the thick frames of his glasses. "What got you into it?" Aside, of course, from the inherent cosmic pressure of being named after a famous fictional detective. That thought prompts him to add, "An actual high school detective sounds like something out of a story."
...Never mind that the original Detective Prince is only in middle school, and was active even before that. That's the privilege of coming from a wealthy family of detectives.
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
"Ahaha..." Akechi chuckles, with a wry smirk appearing on his expression, "... My, I suppose I feel honored that you care so much about my health."
And even though he's smirking, he does seem a little surprised by it. Especially since he's a peer, not an adult trying to lecture him about good habits.
Especially while being hypocritical about it, "You did strike me as one." On being an early riser, "Me too, to tell you the truth."
It's easy to be one when you don't get much sleep to begin with! Life~hack~
"It's a good way to do it, especially living in a cafe with it so readily available, I usually go with a nice strong cup of black tea to start the day myself."
As for his dedication, "Well it's as I said before... the value of a detective to society is by no means certain. One has to be quite dedicated to the task."
That's an... interesting way to put it, perhaps even a little sad. It's certainly not denying that he's dedicated, but it's also stating a little low key that he has to remain relevant.
"People come to me with mysteries they believe only I can solve... because they've tried other avenues without success and I enjoy throwing myself into being the one who can."
In a way, it's not too different from the Phantom Thieves, isn't it? He's their last stop, because others have failed to help them. But it also indicates he desires that 'special status'.
His question of how he got into it? He does consider that, eyes growing abstracted, "Well. I suppose it might seem that way, but - it's truthfully not so interesting a story really... growing up, the only books I had to read really were my mother's collection of detective novels. I suppose I admired the men within them... charming sleuths who could solve any mystery put before them, even seemingly impossible ones."
He does allow a subdued, albeit genuine smile to creep onto his face, "Eccentric geniuses who were envied at times... vilified at others... but always sought after. I enjoyed reading about their exploits and how they were able to bring even those who seemed above the law to Justice."
He leans back again as he regards Ren, "In my interviews they like to portray me as some genius who can solve cases effortlessly, but the truth is - I had to work hard to become someone who can. And then one day several years ago, I witnessed an injustice that I refused to turn a blind eye to. That's how I got my start... by exposing corruption in the police."
The server returns, with a new cup of espresso for Akechi, taking away his old cup - a cafe mocha for Ren, before setting down Akechi's cake, and Ren's. "Ah here we go. This cake was highly recommended."
Taking off a small bite with the tiny dessert fork, he takes a bite and... well, his expression is blessedly neutral. Like he doesn't have much of an opinion on it.
You'd think if he came here to enjoy the sweets, he'd enjoy sweets right? But he definitely doesn't look like he's finding any real joy in this.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
"It wouldn't feel good to beat you at pool if I only managed it because you were sleep-deprived," Ren replies, again straight-faced. This time, it's with the knowledge that while he's giving him a little bit of shit, he's also just saying what he honestly feels. On the matter of him being an early riser? "I figured, if you don't get much sleep in general."
It's kind of amazing how good he looks in light of that. He doesn't have bags under his eyes, doesn't seem tired or strung out. Ren kind of wants to know his secret... It would help him out a lot if he could get away with going to bed late and getting up early.
Rather than ask him about that, though, Ren listens. He's asked him a different question, and the answer is relevant to his own pursuit of Justice. He did say that before, about the value of a detective of society. It hits differently now that he knows a little more about Akechi as a person, as opposed to him being some rando who walked into the cafe where he lives and all but said, 'I know you're a Phantom Thief and I'm out to get you.'
Listening to him... it does feel like they're similar. Two sides of the same coin. Akechi, walking a proud path in the light... and Amamiya, doing what needs doing in the dark. And... it does feel good to be the one who can get that Justice for people who have no other recourse. Ren was genuinely glad to hear that Fuuka had been saved even without the Phantom Thieves doing anything, but that doesn't mean he got no satisfaction from saving Yusuke or getting retribution for Shiho. There's more to it than that, though.
'Growing up, the only books I had to read were my mother's collection...' Translation: he grew up poor and unprivileged.
'Eccentric geniuses who were envied at times... vilified at others... but always sought after.' Translation: he admires those who live freely and are so valuable to society that they're desired even when they live outside the bounds of what's considered 'normal.'
And, most importantly:
'I saw an injustice before my eyes that I refused to turn a blind eye to.'
Translation: for all their disagreements on what Justice looks like, they really are very similar people.
Except that for Akechi, it sounds like it was the start of his illustrious career as the Detective Prince, and for Ren, it was the cause of his arrest, conviction, exile, and probation. Funny, how it went in such completely opposite directions. If Ren knew more about meta-physics, he might even call it the first law of thermodynamics.
"That sounds very cool," he says, though Akechi might not be pleased about his own neutral tone as he says it. It sounds cool, so why doesn't he sound more impressed? ...It's hard to pin down exactly why for Ren, too. Something just feels a little off.
Ren takes a bite of his cake, and it's delicious; he takes a moment to savor it, chasing it down with a sip of coffee. But when he looks at Akechi eating his own cake, it doesn't look like he thinks much of it. If he's here because he likes sweets, shouldn't he look a little more like he's enjoying it? ...Maybe it's bad? Or at least, the flavor profile doesn't work for him. Ren isn't exactly a foodie, though the curry and coffee of Leblanc are gradually turning him around on that.
"Does it live up to the hype?" he wonders, trying to discern the meaning of that lack of expression, before taking another bite of his own.
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
Akechi's eyes light up a little as Ren says that, chuckling, "Aha-Is that so? Well once you're skilled enough that that becomes a concern, I'll be sure to sleep in for the next time we play."
He's an arrogant asshole... but it does show at least that he does look forward to that, if he's promising something he won't even do for his most important cases as a detective.
Indeed, they are quite similar. Two sides of the same coin. Who could even say if Akechi might not be in the same situation as Ren - were the situations exactly the same?
Perhaps he might even have a worse result. But the world conspired so that the woman had perished from the injustice before his eyes...
... whereas in Ren's, she was quite alive.
Just a few small details perhaps are what separate them in these respects. The celebrity detective - and the Juvenile criminal with a record.
If things were a little different, would Ren's father instead be celebrating his son, rather than handing him over on a silver platter?
It is food for thought...
... but the first law of thermodynamics tips in the other direction, for the things Ren doesn't know.
Ren calling it cool may sound a little too neutral, and Akechi does catch it, "Sorry if I rambled a little too much there... but I suppose I did warn you it wasn't that interesting."
He sounds apologetic, but perhaps... a little upset too? After all he was sharing, more than he usually does.
At least he seems to brush it off some as the orders come.
After his bite, Akechi takes a sip of espresso and... "Not especially." Akechi says with a smile, "It's too sweet, and I'm not exactly partial to them... even if I wouldn't say I hate them either. Oh don't get me wrong - I actually do enjoy it more than I thought I would."
As he puts the cup down, he confides, "But fads tend to be fairly similar, so I'm generally more curious about the popularity than the taste."
Several girls pass by on the street, and some chatter reveals their topic as they go, "-a Light Dragon... and I found out he's a Red Dragon, so I told him that... I really don't think-"
As he then leans back contemplating that, he looks towards Ren, "As an example... take Wang Long Fortune Telling. It grew quite popular very quickly, enough to eclipse other forms of Astrology and Fortune Telling in the public eye. I don't really believe there's any real substance to it but if you only knew how many times I'm asked about my Guardian Dragon in interviews in recent months."
A beat.
"I'm a Navy Blue Dragon by the way... but what is your impression of it?" He asks him, seeming curious, "I'm interested on your perspective."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
He *is* an arrogant asshole. Even so, Ren quirks a half-smile and chuckles back. "Good."
He understands that implication, after all. He doesn't know how much Akechi means it, but it makes him feel good anyway. That's why, when he sees Akechi catch his own neutral tone and seem disappointed by it, he sits up straighter.
"No, that wasn't it," Ren reassures him. It was genuinely interesting, and he did... "enjoy" is probably not the word for it, but he'd want Akechi to share more again if he were so inclined. He still can't really pin down what he thought was off, so he doesn't offer an excuse, but... "I wanted to hear about it."
And that much he means. He stares at Akechi extra-intense, as if he could convey through his eyeballs alone that he means it.
There is at least one thing he can think of to offer as an explanation, so he adds, "It struck home a little, is all."
...though he doesn't explain how or why. Either Akechi already knows and it isn't worth wasting his time, or he doesn't care and it isn't worth Ren wasting his own time. It's not the whole of the reason for that neutrality--there's something about Akechi himself that's bothering him about it--but wasn't he just thinking about how differently things panned out for each of them?
His dad would probably never celebrate him, though. Not unless stopping some scumbag in the road somehow led to his approval rating going up. That's something Ren definitely won't bring up--if Akechi really did grow up poor, then Ren really doesn't want to give him cause to resent him for growing up well-to-do.
When the topic moves on to cake and drinks, though, Ren blinks in surprise at Akechi's dismissive response. It's more about the fad than the cake itself? ...There's visible confusion on his face for a moment. It's clear he doesn't quite get what he's saying; Akechi's own excuses convolute it further. But the long and short is that it's too sweet for him, despite him claiming (on TV) he loves sweets.
Girls passing on the street chatter about Dragons. Ren glances their way in passing, and maybe that's why Akechi shifts gears to other fads, like Wang Long. It's here that Ren thinks he gets it, finally. This was always meant to be the theme of today's interaction. It was right there on his phone, wasn't it? This settles in his brain as 'it's not that Akechi dislikes sweets, he was just checking out this particular trendy sweet and found it lacking.'
"I don't know much about it," he admits. "I've heard a little since I came to Tokyo, but I'm not that interested in fortune-telling." He considers this for a moment, then continues, "I guess if I knew it was accurate, it'd be one thing." After all, there are actual genuine supernatural beings and powers out there, and people who can tap into them even without a Persona. Ren knows one personally, even. "I hear that Wang Long Chizuru's fortunes are almost always on the mark, so if she were doing a reading for me, sure, I'd listen. But just because her readings are accurate doesn't mean everyone's readings are accurate." Chihaya's tarot readings have genuine power behind them, but that doesn't mean just anyone with a pack of cards could tell the future--and the future can be changed, besides. "There's a lot of charlatons out there who take advantage of people's belief, too." ...even if they *do* have genuine power, Chihaya.
"But if people are just doing it for fun, I don't see the harm. They print horoscopes in the newspaper. Why not let people do Wang Long fortunes for themselves?" Ren shrugs. Then he adds, "So what's it mean that you're a 'Navy Blue Dragon'? And how *is* that different from your horoscope?"
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
"Hm." Akechi hums, as Ren confirms that he did want to hear about it after all - with a glance at his eyes. It's hard to say whether he relaxes or not as Ren says it struck home, but it might give the impression he's deescalating some.
"...I see. Perhaps I shouldn't be surprised it struck a chord with you."
As if to say 'we are quite similar after all' without actually saying it. They are thoughts they both have, just in different directions.
Akechi doesn't clarify his sweet's response at first at least, instead taking Ren's confusion in stride. Instead moving on to another example.
"Well... proponents claim it's quite accurate. My own opinion is that it's a form of self-fulfilling prophecy. If you believe it's true, then it will shape your actions accordingly to make it true."
Is that merely it? When the power of Rumors is behind it, and he knows that? Well... does not a Rumor depend on the people believing it?
"Indeed so." He agrees on the idea of charlatans, "It unfortunately happens all the time. Some people take advantage of someone's desire to believe that such things can be read within them. That there is some 'grand design' for their life at work. Soon enough - even false predictions can be justified in their minds."
He nods thoughtfully on the idea there might not be harm when it's just for fun, before as Ren asks on the system he answers, "It's a system wherein each birth month determines which Guardian Dragon governs their fate - each with intrinsic personality characteristics and romantic 'compatibility' with other people's ruling Dragon. It's rooted in Chinese mythology, but takes ideas from the Western Zodiac."
Akechi takes another bite of his cake, chewing for a time and swallowing, "For instance the Navy Dragon of June gives rise to 'liberation' indicating that I am both lively and witty... and that I'm romantically compatible with those governed by the 'Blue Dragon' of February."
After another sip of coffee, he smiles at him. "While I don't believe in any of it, understanding that people are motivated by trends that don't necessarily make sense to you is useful in detective work. But it's more than simply that..."
And as he sits back up, his expression is neutral, "...All adults enjoy dictating their sincerely held beliefs to the people around them, in particular the youth, so being able to hold a conversation with them on a wide range of topics is an easy way to gain their confidence. The same goes for being able to recommend say... a popular cafe - or dessert in an informed way. Even if you don't particularly enjoy them yourself."
It might sink in very quickly now why he follows popular fads and trends after all, "... You mentioned earlier that being a 'teenage detective' sounds like something out of a story... well, I won't say you're wrong. The reality is that you have to remain useful, and keep proving yourself useful."
A pause.
"It's the price one has to pay... to pursue one's own Justice."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Good, Ren doesn't say again. It might come across on his face as Akechi settles all the same. He might find Akechi annoying and be willing to say so to his face, but for some reason, it's important to him that Akechi not misunderstand him.
Ren's eyes flicker as he settles on his seat. 'Perhaps I shouldn't be surprised,' he says. ...Akechi's really very good at saying things just ambiguously enough that you can't be totally sure of what they mean. Even when Ren's translating what he says into what he means, that uncertainty means he can't let down his guard, even in simple things like this.
He hears out Akechi's opinion on Wang Long. Ren silently muses that of course proponents say it's accurate; either they're invested in other people believing so, or they're being tricked into believing the same. That might be a cynical thought for him to have, but it's not too far off from what Akechi's saying either. "Like a placebo effect," he says, drawing on some trivia he read in a book once.
But just because something can be used for evil doesn't mean it's evil in and of itself. That's Ren's point, at least. Akechi doesn't argue with him on that mark, and he goes on to explain Wang Long in more detail. He frowns. "Wait a minute. Doesn't that mean you just had a birthday? Or are just about to." Wait-- "Don't tell me it's today?"
Is that why he asked him out for cake?! (It's not the only reason, of course; Ren understands that much. But if somehow he asked him out to celebrate his birthday without telling him, and just waiting for the most circuitous way possible of bringing it up--how INCREDIBLY annoying could he get?!)
At least Ren smiles when the part about his romantic compatibility comes up. "Good dating prospects around Valentine's Day, huh? Or is that just what the 'princesses' around you want to think?" No mention of any princes, of course. That's something Akechi told him in strict confidence.
Still... huh. Researching trends to understand how people at large think--being able to dictate one's tastes to others--earning others' confidence by understanding what they like, even if one doesn't like it too. ...It *is* very sad. Ren's eyebrows furrow as he frowns in concern. More importantly, though... he thinks he gets now why something felt off.
Akechi talks about pursuing one's own Justice, but he's so concerned with how others think that he's boxed in by their perceptions. He says he got his start by exposing corruption in the police, but he can't even let himself love freely for fear that he'll lose the regard of the people he's trying to serve. He says it explicitly just now, even: he has to remain useful and continuously prove he's useful. If his Justice is shaped by trying to please others, is that really Justice? Is it even really his own Justice?
"Is that really worth it?" he wonders slowly. "That sounds... exhausting."
Constantly trying to live up to a false image of himself to prove to those around him that he's worth keeping around... Ren can't imagine living like that. It genuinely sounds awful to him.
...He's starting to understand why Akechi got so offended that day at Penguin Sniper, though.
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
And indeed, Akechi doesn't want to be misunderstood. Ren is one of the few people he wants to understand... some. Unfortunately, the way he speaks however is rife for misunderstanding, since he holds back so much of the truth of himself.
"Precisely." He says, nodding as if he were praising Ren's instant logical connection to another real world phenomena to Akechi's opinion on the matter.
When Ren asks on his birthday though, Akechi seems surprised, "Oh, it was earlier this month - on the second." He chuckles, "I promise, me inviting you today wasn't some mystery I was intending you to solve to realize that it was my birthday or anything of the like."
He grins smugly, like that were something he might actually do but just didn't as he leans back, crossing one leg over another, in a casual pose. "I just never find myself bored, offering you some of my time."
He laughs at being told there are good dating prospects around Valentine's Day, "Aha... well, I never lack for chocolate around that day." He winks at him from that pose, "Perhaps because most everyone believes I have a sweet tooth."
Most everyone, perhaps - but him. He might as well have said, but is that true? Well at least he sounds like it's true.
The reality is Akechi avoided attending that day during the last semester of his second year. The thing is, the attention no longer becomes fun when you're turning down girls who have worked themselves up to love confession after love confession...
... only to reject them as gently and seriously as possible.
But still, he can tease Ren some on it right now, and that's what truly matters.
Ren however finally gets that something is off because Akechi reveals well... why he does what he does. Indeed, he was curious in part because he wanted Ren to understand more of why he lives a 'fake' life.
He really can't stand being looked down upon... even if pity would be worse.
But, he doesn't detect that in Ren's voice, as he looks at him, the smile fading as he regards him with a serious expression, "Well I won't claim it can't be." Exhausting that is, "... but it is to me. You see-"
And that's when, the angle he's turned himself in exposes his face to the people on the street, two younger women in their late teens are staring straight at him as one says, "Hey, look! Isn't that him!?"
"Huh? You really think so? Ohhhh you mean the guy on TV again... what was his name?"
"Akechi-kun! I can't believe you don't know it! He's the next-generation Detective Prince!"
Akechi's posture shifts, until he's just staring at the table, apparently a little perturbed by the interruption.
Now it's four other women approaching who'd been hanging out on break across the street, "You think we can ask him for his autograph?"
"Even if he turns you down - it's still worth bragging about!"
Turning his face further away from Ren, but more importantly, the street. He says, softer, "Uh-oh. Looks like I've been spotted. ... We might have to cut this short-"
"Is someone important here!?" a guy shouts from the distance, at the people gathering in front of the cafe.
"I really don't want to cause trouble for the staff here," Akechi says apologetically to Ren, like he's about to just - get up and leave. "A shame I don't have glasses like yours. Maybe I would have been able to use them to get out of this situation."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
In all fairness: it's just like Akechi to want something (Ren's understanding) and then make it as difficult as possible for it to come to be (by being incredibly obtuse).
At least, even among all these contradictions, he's internally consistent about being contradictory...?
"Oh. Well, good to know, then," Ren says both of Akechi's birthday and that this wasn't a mystery he was meant to unravel. It's still annoying but it's less annoying than it could have been? ...Oh, nope, he's being smug about it, still annoying. ...And then complimenting him by saying he's always fun to be around. Ren gives him a briefly exasperated look, but he can't quite hold back a smile, either.
...Most everyone 'believes' he has a sweet tooth? That's... a weird way of putting it. Is he trying to mess with him again? Ren decides to leave it alone. "Yeah, I bet you're swimming in them around then," he replies. But... while Akechi doesn't say it, if he gets lots of chocolates, but isn't dating anyone currently, that would mean he'd have to have turned down at least some girls' confessions, right? He's tempted to ask about it; as someone whose first girlfriend was someone who confessed to him on Valentine's Day and he couldn't bring himself to turn her down, he kind of wants to hear about what it was like the other way around.
He doesn't. He doesn't want to come across like he's bragging about something that... was an okay experience--he still liked her as a friend, that was why he didn't want to hurt her feelings, so it wasn't like it was awful--but ultimately was not the way he wanted his first romance and his first kiss to go.
Besides, he and Akechi are having a serious conversation. Ren continues to focus on him, listening as he's about to explain himself further--until a couple of teen girls start gasping over him. Ren looks their way; he looks back at Akechi, now staring down at the table, soon away from the street. Apologizing and getting ready to leave so he doesn't cause the staff any trouble.
"..."
Is it really worth it? To give up pieces of himself so he can pursue his own Justice? To appear on television and smile prettily for his fans--fans he's not even happy to see when they spot him on the street? They were sitting here, having a conversation, and now it's already over because of random people whose only apparent interest in Akechi is getting to interact with a famous person. Ren's offended on his behalf, even.
His lips thin in a tense frown. Until...
'A shame I don't have glasses like yours. Maybe I would have been able to use them to get out of this situation.'
...a light bulb goes off.
"I've got an idea," he murmurs, pushing his chair back as he rises to his feet. There's a glint of mischief in his eyes and his growing cat-like smile. "C'mere."
If Akechi really tries to stop him, he'll refrain--but if not, Ren drags him off to the bathrooms, and once they're out of sight of everyone else, uses his body to block off casual sight of Akechi from the street. At that point, he'll mercilessly tousle up his beautiful hair. That artistic muss? Now an ACTUAL muss. Soft brown hairs just flying every which way. ...They really are soft. That wasn't the point of it when Ren ran the fingers of both his hands up Akechi's neck, across his scalp, and into his hair, but they don't just look silky. It's a weirdly, deeply pleasant sensation. And it still smells very nice...
...
...okay, let's not get weird about this. That *wasn't the point*, he tells himself.
The point is: at the very end, Ren pulls his glasses from his face and slips them onto Akechi's. He considers him for a moment; then he tilts them down his nose just enough so that the overhead light reflects off the lenses, hiding the Detective Prince's eyes from view. He grins, then returns to their table with him. When he seats himself anew, he crosses his legs, folds his arms, and absolutely radiates smugness.
"You look great," he wisecracks.
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
"Well, I don't exactly have an empty pool to put it all in, but..."
Okay now he's just bragging, smugly, in response to Ren holding back talking about his first girlfriend on Valentine's.
Of course he doesn't know that, but it's still probably a little annoying.
Is it really worth it though? Is it?
Well, he believes it is, and it's really difficult to say he's lying on the matter. But what Justice is worth going so far for?
To alter the entire course of one's life, and how one lives it, to put on a show... spinning so many plates, only adding more.
Praying that none ever fall.
But for now, it's the crisis of the many fans, and Ren has an idea, "Huh?" And as he approaches, Akechi at first agrees to go out of mere curiosity as to what he has in mind.
It's only once he starts to reach for his hair that he says, "Hey, what are you-!?" The deed is done though, and Akechi does not try to stop him. The moment that several of those locks shifted his fate was sealed.
Of course, Akechi can't know what he's thinking about how his hair feels. It is perhaps even silkier than Ren might have imagined in his wildest dreams, smoother.
Few girls would be able to match the texture of Akechi's damnable hair in this moment, and he makes it look like he puts no effort into the the way it sits messily on his head.
Ren though... Ren proves himself wrong.
When Akechi walks back to the table, it's like a scene of a death row inmate, walking to his execution, with his head down, the lighting causes Ren's glasses to flash opaque on his face.
It matters little that his theory was confirmed.
Because with the tousled mop on his head, and those glasses as he sits back down...
... Akechi looks like the grumpiest cat that ever lived. He could be an internet meme unto himself if someone snapped a picture that would last for ages to come.
"Oh he's back!" One of the women says, "This time, I'll get his autograph for..."
She pauses, as her companion notes, "Hey, now that we're up close... is that really him? It looks nothing like him."
One from the other group kinda cranes her neck to get a better look but, shrugs her shoulders, "I'm not sure? Maybe you all were just mistaken... great, and here I was on break thinking an actual celebrity was eating here."
"I swear he looked different... but I guess not."
The man shakes his head and walks away in disgust, "Women... always getting excited over nothing."
"Awww... if he was the real thing, I'd have been able to brag to everyone..."
They start dispersing, as Akechi hasn't shifted posture ever since he sat down.
He waits, and waits, and waits - frozen like a man waiting for the moment of execution... despite Ren actually saying he looks great.
And then...
"I...can't believe you actually did that." He says, reluctantly breaking the silence, torn between both being impressed and mortified and all but trembling in fury in every which way as one contradictory mess.
He'll go to the bathroom again soon to fix it - he's already positioning himself like he's going to make a break for the bathroom again, but for now he's making sure they're all definitively gone and no longer watching first.
"I suppose I'd better learn to watch what I say around you."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
It's a little annoying, yeah. But Ren doesn't hold it against Akechi to talk about the thing they were already discussing without knowing that Ren is holding back on talking about something similar. He might be a detective, but he's not a mind-reader; when he talks about an empty pool, he's just responding to the thing Ren said aloud.
The annoyingness is just, you know. Akechi's general vibe.
"Just a bathtub, then," Ren thus says dryly back.
But that's then and this is now. It's sort of gratifying that Akechi follows him despite not knowing what he has in mind; it's even more gratifying that he lets him mess up his stupid perfect gorgeous silky-soft hair. The *most* gratifying thing is the look on his face when they return to the table. It's extremely funny and it's an active effort for Ren not to outright laugh at that death-row shuffle.
His grin absolutely expands at Akechi's silent grumpy-cat look, though. That mischievous glint from before is now more like the glitter of a sea of stars. You know. If stars could pull sweet pranks. ...They're all the more visible without those glasses on, too. If Akechi takes the time to look, it might seem strange how innocent those glasses make him seem compared to what he's like in this moment. Right now... he really gives a different impression. Like the difference between an unassuming saint and a devilish imp.
The results are all worth it, too. The girls who'd spotted him decide it must be the wrong guy after all, and so too do everyone else, including that obnoxious guy who decides to use this moment to be unnecessarily sexist. Even that can't spoil Ren's mood, though; he simply sits across from Akechi until the rainy-day fans are all gone, and at last the Detective Pauper speaks.
(It's just as well that Akechi's too frozen to speak at first. Ren was definitely making fun of him when he said he looks great.)
"*I* can't believe they just walked off like that. As your so-called fans, they're missing out on your new look," Ren replies, still grinning. "It's somewhere between 'slob' and 'hapless nerd.'" He winks, like an asshole. "It's real cute~."
Should Akechi watch what he says around him? Probably! But Ren's enjoying it quite thoroughly right now, and isn't that what matters?
Isn't it, Goro Akechi?
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
Akechi has to thread the needle every morning of careful routine to tailor his image precisely to being the 'Genius Detective Prince' and the 'Boy Next Door' in one.
He puts in so much effort in order that people will want him around - that he'll remain relevant.
Someone that people will come to, someone they'll invite on TV show after TV show.
If Ren had walked into Leonardo Da Vinci displaying the Mona Lisa's smile for the first time, and Ren had smudged it - that's NEARLY the equivalent in Akechi's eyes to what he has done right now.
And he's grinning at him.
But isn't that what a rival supposed to be!? Akechi's so angry - but also just so impressed in one that Ren so effortlessly took down and deconstructed the image he made.
That there was no hesitation whatsoever to do this to him. And God as mad as he is, he'd be hard-pressed not to think that it wasn't scorchingly hot too, in a respect.
Including calling it cute.
Because despite his anger over it, it means his image really doesn't matter so much to him... after all, he's still here.
"..."
A beat passes, then two, then three. "... Amamiya-kun." Akechi says finally, "You're absolutely..."
Another moment...
"...incorrigible." It's a contradictory mix of emotions in this moment, that causes him to say it like they're characters in one of his detective novels.
As if Ren were the mischievous rogue - or perhaps the femme fatale. Perhaps even both! But with one final confirming glance that everyone truly has left, he gets up suddenly.
"I'll be right back..."
Akechi's so flustered that this is literally the only time in his entire life that he's forgotten to bring the briefcase with him. He leaves it right there as he gets up and flees for the bathroom.
-=-=-
When he returns, he looks exactly the same as he normally would, Ren would swear there's not a single bang out of place. As Akechi hands the glasses back cheerfully.
"Well, I suppose since you're the one that stayed... that makes you my one true fan, don't you think?"
But before Ren could object, he sits, and says seemingly in even better humor about it than before, now that it's fixed. "After all, who else but you could make a peasant of the Detective Prince?"
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
'... Amamiya-kun.'
"Yes?" Ren prompts sweetly.
'You're absolutely...'
"Yeeeeees?"
'...incorrigible.'
Ren breaks out laughing--not so loud as to be disruptive, but certainly the longest and loudest he's laughed in a good long while. "I'll take that as a compliment," he replies, eyes and nose crinkled in genuine mirth. That sparkle in his eyes is fully still there too.
But it's a little different now. Before, he was at least a little laughing at Akechi's expense. Now... he's just happy, like he just played a thoroughly fulfilling round of pool with him. When he finally gets skilled enough to defeat him, will it feel this good, too?
Akechi excuses himself. Ren watches him retreat back to the bathroom with fondness in his grin.
He of course notices that he's left his briefcase behind. Akechi's briefcase is so big and noticeable that it's literally impossible to miss. Ren doesn't even look at it, though. As deep and plentiful as his suspicions of Akechi are, it's his personal property. He might not respect his stupid silky hair, but he does respect his privacy. ...for now. Who knows what will become necessary over the course of their matches?
When Akechi returns some time later, he'll be able to see that his briefcase is exactly where he left it, too. Ren did end up glancing at it a time or two, but he never touched it. For his part, Akechi looks like Ren never touched him. It's genuinely impressive. Even assuming he's got a comb or something on him, it's like the desecration never was.
Ren takes him in thoughtfully, chin on one hand, legs still folded. His smile is more subdued now as he accepts his glasses, though he doesn't immediately put them back on. Instead, he deftly twirls them around a single finger. One loop... two... three... pause; and then he starts to twirl them the other way. One loop... two... three... pause.
"We could call you the Detective Pauper," he replies, only a slight tug of the corner of his lips a reminder of that broad smile from earlier. "But sure. I'll take that title."
Even if it's incredibly sad for Akechi. But... Ren kind of likes it, even so. Every day they spend time with each other, he understands him a little better. And just as Akechi seems in better humor, after a moment to sit in the moment, Ren finds... he really did have fun with him just now.
"Oh--by the way, Akechi..."
One loop... two... three... pause.
"Happy belated birthday. I hope you enjoyed your gift..."
He slips his glasses back on, reasserting the mask he shows the world to protect himself from it. Even so, when he lowers his hand, his smile is no less genuine--and rather more tender than before--until it sharpens into a smirk.
"...the gift of getting to dodge shitty fans."
The gift of not having to lay in the hole he dug for himself.
The gift of getting to stay with someone who actually cares about him, instead of forcing himself to smile for people who literally don't care who he is, only that he's famous.
"Maybe next year, I'll get you some glasses you can keep for yourself," he jokes, some of that fondness returning.
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
"Haha-!" His little chuckle in response becomes a even a small cackle at both Pauper and taking the Title.
Despite how upset he was, it truly was weirdly fun wasn't it? Ren Amamiya does have a twisted sense of fun but, you know... if he were completely normal, he wouldn't be half as interesting to be around.
Certainly not a worthy rival either.
Watching him twirl his glasses round and round, "Well well... it seems you revealed your own ruse as well." He winks at him, "For the aesthetic indeed..."
As he moves back into a casual pose, 'Oh-- by the way, Akechi...'
"Hmm?"
He looks across at him spinning those glasses smugly, catlike, as he tells him Happy Birthday, "Huh. I can't say I expected that. Even your way of celebrating birthdays and giving gifts can be a bit twisted..."
Is Akechi's response at first, though it's not a function of irritation, like the last time he told him that he had a twisted sense of humor.
No it seems even a little affectionate this time.
After all, no one actually told him Happy Birthday face to face this year. Oh sure, his fandom sent him infinite Happy Birthday messages online, when someone posted it was his birthday.
(Him, on another account)
It's not the same though, not as this.
"... but it was rather enjoyable, too. I think I learned a valuable lesson here today." And the affable smile is back, but at the same time, Ren got to see a lot of weirdly genuine sides to him today too - including in the simplicity of the two words that follow, "Thank you."
>You can sense Akechi's gratitude towards you.