2025-10-03: The Same Page
- Log: 2025-10-03 The Same Page
- Cast: Ren Amamiya, Goro Akechi
- Where: Cafe Leblanc, Yongen-Jaya, Tokyo
- OOC Date: October 03, 2025
- IC Date: Fri, July 20, 2012
- Summary: During the week before finals and after officially revealing himself to The Phantoms as a Persona User out to arrest them, Akechi stops by Leblanc to gauge the mood of their leader. They end up talking about connections--both of hate... and of love.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Next week is finals, something that weighs on Ren more and more with each passing day--and today is already Friday. They're not totally unprepared for it, thanks to a study session with Makoto and Yusuke (his actual smart friends), but even that session was cut with... other business. Umie has thankfully offered/agreed to tutor them tomorrow, which is good because Ren is caught up with helping out at Leblanc today.
It's been an unusually crowded day today. Not crowded crowded, Sojiro has made it clear he never wants that again, but several of the regulars came in just as Ren got home hankering for curry for some reason today. Ren has put on their customer service face--they get better and better at it with each shift at Triple Seven, Ore no Beko or Cafe Leblanc, to the point where they might just pick up a brand new part-time job soon--and has pleasantly taken orders, made orders (where the orders were coffee), delivered orders, and cleaned up tables and counter-tops. Sojiro has stepped out for an errand requiring a car, and the last of the customers have set down their money and are getting up to go. Ren's collected the cash first to take to the register and bring back change as necessary; they've brought back dirty dishes and wiped down the tables; and now, they're starting to wash a considerable pile of dishes that they haven't been able to touch until now because of a steady stream of customers.
Yes, it's been a hectic day already. As Ren pushes up his sleeves and gets to work, they hope this signals a quiet rest of his shift that they can use to sneak in some (blegh) school-related reading, and that there isn't another customer--just--outside--the door------
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
Next week is finals, something that Akechi barely thinks about at all. It's not as if they don't matter to Akechi. It's just, he knows the material so well already that even if he didn't study for a single minute between now and finals that he'd still be top of his class.
He doesn't feel any anxiety about that at all.
But that doesn't mean he doesn't have any anxiety. The opposite is true. So while Ren hopes that there will be no more customers today.
He doesn't know, some god or devil has a different proposition for him.
The dread bell chimes it's warning. And in walks Goro Akechi. His gait is more casual than he feels.
"Hello there." He places his briefcase on the counter, like usual. People try not to put their possessions on the floor in Japan after all.
"I must admit, I didn't expect to see you working today, not with finals around the corner." He says and for a moment, one might have hope he'd have the awareness to then go 'I could come back another time' but instead, he offers that fake affable smile and lifts a finger, "I'll take a Blend."
And, before he sits down, he grabs the crossword puzzle off the table, flips it to the last page anyone works on, and only then sits down at the counter, taking out an elegant pen to start working on-
"Is this your handwriting?" He says, as he taps the pen down, then begins writing in several solutions without missing a beat. "I'm not the type to ignore a mystery in front of me... especially one that you weren't able to finish solving."
He smiles a touch, "Even if it's a small one, like this."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Ren's hands still when he hears the door bell chime. God dammit, he thinks. He only repeats that thought, more emphatically, when it's followed up by the sound Goro Akechi's melodious, insufferable voice.
"There were a bunch of customers and the Boss had to step out," Ren says over their shoulder, carefully keeping their frustration out of their voice. It's just like Akechi to make himself as annoying as possible when Ren's in a bind, so naturally he puts in an order before picking up the nearby crossword puzzle and taking it to the counter.
Since Akechi seems to have found something with which to amuse himself, and Ren's hands are already soaked, they decide to counter-annoy him by continuing to wash dishes instead of starting to make his order. Maybe that's why--Is this your handwriting?--Ren looks over their shoulder to see Akechi proceed to fill out the rest of the crossword puzzle on his own.
Hey, I was working on that, Ren bites back--they were working on it yesterday instead of studying. (Is it their fault puzzles are more interesting than curriculum?) If Akechi has opted to finish it in their place, there's not really anything they can do about it now.
"I like crossword puzzles," they say instead, keeping their tone neutral as they soap up the sink and grab the sponge. "They're a good brain tease. Better than textbooks." As they bring that sponge across plate after plate, they sneak another glance over their shoulder at him.
As handsome as always, naturally. Not so much as a hair out of place that he didn't want out of place. Most notably, that sling is gone... He must've finished healing up--or at least healed up enough to not need something so obvious. After a moment of weighing next moves, they note, "Your arm's better, I see."
...and then wait to see if he tries to make something of it.
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
"Ah I see. How inconvenient for you, when I'm sure you'd rather be studying." Is Akechi's casual response, as Ren continues to work on the dish-washing, perhaps trying to ignore him.
He keeps working on it, about to start to try and annoy him out of the silent treatment, but Ren breaks the silence first when he sees him working on the puzzles he was doing before.
"Ah. That's just like you." He says as he looks up at him, "Honestly, I'm the same in that respect." Before his eyes move down again to one phrase in particular, "Hm, one for all..." This one actually causes him to stop, and think about it for a moment, "... that phrase is appearing a lot, lately." But then he scribbles something down at the top.
Proof of Justice
It may stand out, as something he wrote, independent of the solutions on page.
His hair is silky, and exactly as out of place as he wants it, but when Ren asks about his arm being better, Akechi smiles and looks up, "It is. I'm surprised you knew it was injured at all."
He's absolutely not surprised, "Perhaps you've been following my TV appearances quite closely as to have seen my recent interview... I'm honored you're becoming such a fan." He says in such a smug tone.
He knows Ren didn't, because Ren was on site for the attack that happened mid-interview. And Ren knows he didn't. Akechi's just calling him on the 'minor slip up' of asking at all.
"Thank you for asking on it. I told my other fans-" As if he were excluding Ren from the other fans and making him a special one, "-it was a sports injury from school." He scribbles another solution down, "But the truth is, I was shot while trying to arrest the Phantom Thieves... by a third party."
He says with a speculative tone, "It's given me a lot to think about."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
From here, Ren can't see what Goro's written on the crossword puzzle. (Is 'one for all' really appearing that much? Or is Akechi trying to provoke another reaction? Not sure, Ren holds their tongue on that mark.) They'll be sure to check it out later. Right now, they continue to wash dishes, pieces by piece. The plates are the easiest; next will be the cups; then finally, the silverware. They've gotten pretty good at it, so they go through the sink fairly quickly.
"Nope," Ren replies, unfazed by getting called out. I'm honored you're becoming such a fan-- "Definitely not." After all, they said that to see if Akechi would call them out. "I saw you in person, over at Aoba Park. I was there with a couple of friends to check out the art exbibit, and I spotted you swarmed by a bunch of reporters. I didn't think you'd be in the mood of company, so I didn't come say hi... and then the fires broke out, so we had to evacuate. But you know about that part already."
They continue to glance over their shoulder at him. He's writing in answers right his right hand... So his left shoulder is in fact not all the way healed. It must be painful... Ren makes an 'I'm listening' kind of noise when Akechi describes what he told his 'other fans'--but then he straight-up admits what actually happened.
Ren's hands still as he has to restrain himself from outright staring at him. As it stands, their eyes do widen. "You were shot?" they repeat, as if they didn't already know that. After all-- "Aren't you supposed to report gunshot wounds to the police?"
Ren of course knows perfectly well why Akechi didn't. But how much are the two of them pretending they don't know to each other, if he's going to be that direct? Not just about that, but... "Especially if it's by someone who stopped you from arresting the Phantom Thieves?"
...A little intentional incorrectness, to see how Akechi reacts to that. He made his true self known to them on purpose. How is he going to react to Ren not 'knowing' what really happened?
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
Ren notes he's definitely not a fan, and Akechi seems just as unfazed, "Oh you were there?" Akechi says with a smile, "On site, right before the Phantom Thieves made a rare public appearance. Will wonders never cease?"
He says as he plays the back and forth banter. "A shame you had to evacuate. Since few have ever seen them... it would have been truly thrilling for a fan like yourself."
Ren however feigns surprise at him being shot quite masterfully, he'd almost believe it was genuine. He praises Ren internally for having a story that someone normal without 'insider information' might offer.
"Ordinarily you'd be correct. However, I felt that if I did, I might lose what current leads I have on the man who shot me."
It doesn't even seem like a lie, really. Just a truth with a slight omission of being in the Metaverse.
"A minor being shot in the line of duty... I'd certainly be taken off the case for this 'third party'. And that's not acceptable to me. Besides... I believe the police are incapable of catching him."
He says, as if it were merely a boast, rather than matter of fact. Which, Ren knows as well. Police are ill equipped to hunt down a supernatural killer, "Are you surprised?" He says, lifting his eyes up from scribbling down another answer. "I thought I'd made it clear, that I don't trust most of the police, and they don't like me for how I've harmed their reputation. Even beyond the case of the man that shot me. There are certain elements... that would not hesitate to cite 'child safety' concerns to attempt to bar me from working with their department ever again."
He shakes his head as he goes back to working on it, "And I've worked too hard to obtain recognition as a Detective to simply be dismissed as some 'helpless child' by the detestable adults who'd let corruption flourish to line their pockets."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
"What are you talking about? Why would the Phantom Thieves be at a burning building? I didn't hear anything about that on the news, either," Ren replies mildly. "Just because I'm a fan of theirs doesn't give you carte blanche to mess with me about them."
It's easy to feign surprise. All Ren has to do is transfer their surprise at Akechi speaking frankly about what happened to the thing that happened. They keep looking at him for a moment longer while he answers, before turning back to their task.
I consider you only slightly above a regular cop, Ren considers but ultimately chooses not to say. Akechi is annoying, but that's just hurtful. (Even if it's true.) "You got shot," they reiterate instead. "I'd think you'd at least go to the hospital, and it'd be hard to hide once you were there." They move to drying dishes. "But... that makes sense. You take being a detective really seriously, huh."
Silently, Ren has to admit that they respect that about him. If they were in his shoes, he'd probably choose to do the same. Another visit to Dr. Takemi to avoid any untoward questions... and to continue to see through their own Justice, no matter how hurt they got in the process.
"So why tell me about it? Wanted to brag about how you almost brought them in?" they add mildly. They look over their shoulder again, frowning slightly. There's a certain look in their dark eyes that Akechi may or may not spot from there. "...Seriously, though. That sounds scary. Are you okay?"
Is that... genuine concern in their voice?
(It is.)
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
"Because it wasn't on the news. As for why- well, you know why." And Ren might think it's a direct accusation, before he states, "You've said it before- 'they save people'. They weren't there to Change a heart." He says, tapping the page, "The truth is more likely that they can't change the heart of the arsonist."
As he 'let's slip' one of his deductions about the limitations of the Change of Heart phenomenon.
"And thus they had to resort to different methods of confrontation."
That would be hurtful. However, Ren notes that he should go to a hospital, "Well I did see a physician, just not the type who'd have privileges at a hospital."
That's also something that Ren would know very well.
"I do." And indeed... while Ren had told him he just 'lost a fight' he knew the injuries were more serious than that. The two are alike in that respect.
Even if for different reasons.
Ren does ask the big question though, why share? Is it to brag? "It's more like... I enjoy sharing the truth with you, Amamiya-kun. I feel like I can divulge more than I can with you, than other people."
Is it strange that he sounds genuine, there?
"And well, I know you aren't the type who would 'turn me in' so to speak."
More like, Ren can't. As someone on probation, him being someone turning in a popular celebrity detective for his lie... he'd certainly be the one to get in trouble.
But he does actually seem to mean 'Even if you could, I don't think you would'.
He does ask though, that question, with a look over his shoulder, and Akechi stops working on the crossword to look his way. "It certainly wasn't... an experience I'm eager to repeat. That man did nearly kill me."
He admits it in this moment. How they both, in a sense had a near death experience.
(Though in a twist of fate, Akechi is the reason for both of them.)
"I haven't really... thought about it I suppose." He's had enough near death experiences when he was younger. People who beat him within an inch of his life. Those he thought might actually kill him.
The fire that night.
"It makes the mystery feel higher stakes this time, I suppose..." He trails off, as if abstracted somewhat. If he had been killed over something so stupid.
Then everything he'd done would be worthless. Just like he once was. And that's a disquieting thought.
"But, no matter what. I won't stop pursuing my Justice."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
It sure wasn't--and Ren does know why. But they want to hear what Akechi has to say about it.
And he has some very interesting things to say.
First: Akechi's admission that the Phantom Thieves save people. Second: Akechi's speculation that they can't change the Old Maid's heart, and so confronted him directly. Point #1 just gets a smile out of Ren. The second... well, he's not wrong, but that wasn't why they appeared there that day... Even if they did know his real name and code words, they'd have still joined the fight to stop him from killing someone.
"At least you saw someone, then," Ren says of the physician. They do know that quite well, and it's a little funny to them that Ren has someone like that too.
Maybe it just figures.
Ren blinks, though, at Akechi's response. It does sound strange. It's also... kind of touching, somehow. This might be part of a game they're playing, but it also feels like they're being real. That's part of the fun of it, they come to find more and more... It's not just a game of cat and mouse. They're actually... becoming close. Kind of. Sort of. Maybe.
Ren would like to believe he's being sincere, though--about this, if nothing else. If there isn't anything about Akechi that's real, that would be the biggest, bitterest betrayal of all.
"Well... thank you. I'm honored too," Ren replies. They smile a bit too about not being the type to turn him in. "I'm not," they agree affably--and never mind that they can't; that isn't the important thing to them. It's... nice, to have a bit of Akechi's trust.
They dry the last of the dishes and put them away. From this angle, it's a little easier to see Akechi as he stops filling in that crossword puzzle and admits he almost died. Ren remembers that moment well, too. They'd been so frightened that they moved without thinking... They were all in danger from that man, but Akechi was the one who almost got run through. The two of them had run away together... Ren wonders what he thinks of that now.
"That bad a fight, huh," Ren says softly. "Even if you've got a lot of experience fighting, I guess there's always someone out there who's stronger."
It can't help that he'd just been fighting the Phantom Thieves and gradually losing, either. Ren doesn't mention that part for obvious reasons.
They're putting away the last of the dishes when Akechi makes that declaration. No matter what, he won't stop... Ren stares up at the ceiling for a moment. His justice, huh... And yet, as several of their friends had pointed out, Akechi had been treating that confrontation with The Phantoms like a game... If he's just playing around, is that really pursuit of Justice? Or did the one in the black mask leave that big of an impression?
They turn to the coffee carafes, finally, finally starting in on making a cup of the house blend. They glance over at him again as they work. They're closer now... Not close enough, though. "So what's this 'third party' have to do with the Phantom Thieves, anyway? If he tried to kill you, it doesn't sound like he was working with them."
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
He'd perhaps quibble with some of the details there, but he does at least seem to admit at least that the Phantom Thieves were trying to stop a murder. There's no real escaping that. He'd have to be disingenuous to say otherwise. And besides... these gradual admissions in private have purpose.
It would be more accurate perhaps to say he's 'more real' with Ren than anyone else, but saying you're 'more truthful' means you're not truthful with anyone, including him.
So he says what he can - even if he omits a single word. He wants to share with Ren more, talk with him, learn about him.
A... proper rival would care to know these things. But... even he's aware enough that it's not just that. Ren did save him... but it's also not just that either.
"... Yes." He says, on someone else who is even stronger. Because he remembers the first time he encountered Takahisa Shinjo in the corridors of that NWO facility.
No one had ever been able to see him, until him.
And the way he feels, he was frightened. Truly frightened, for the first time in a long time.
He's certain he can't beat him... not yet at least.
"But I find it... motivating. A challenge to myself. And as you well know, I don't like to lose."
And he likes even less being intimidated out of being willing to fight at all.
What is his Justice, truly?
If it's not giving his all against the Phantom Thieves... then...
Ren snaps his attention back up, and he taps his pen down one, two, three as if considering it as Ren begins to brew his coffee. "I truly wish I knew. He seems the type who will go to any length to get what he wants. Utterly merciless..."
He says that at least, since Goro Akechi wouldn't know the Black Mask spared Ren Amamiya. Of course not. He did say he gave Joker a beating, but he didn't say he spared him.
"... perhaps the mere existence of the Phantom Thieves 'provoked' him. The question is, why?" He jots down another answer. "If their ability to Change Hearts is such a threat to him, he wouldn't have waited this long to come after them."
He does act far more puzzled by this than the crossword. "Perhaps... he desires the thrill of a fight against strong opponents. That's the only thing that makes sense at this time, but is that really all there is to him? And if that's the case, why try to assassinate me from the shadows? Perhaps he saw me as in the way of the fight he desired..."
He trails off as if he's getting lost in thought, before restarting a few seconds later, "... or more likely, he thought me too dangerous a witness to take any chances. A man like that almost certainly relies on keeping his identity a secret, so what I could add to a fight, is irrelevant compared to the threat he sees in his identity potentially being revealed."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
True. 'More real' and 'more truthful' is not the same as 'real' or 'truthful.' At least for the moment, Akechi has Ren fooled on that mark. They'd been suspicious of him for a long time after he could hear Morgana talk about delicious pancakes, but if he was a Persona User after all... if there are lots of Persona Users after all... then there's not so much cause to be suspicious, is there? Cautious, definitely. But not necessarily suspicious.
"Yup," Ren replies, of Akechi hating to lose. "That's very you." Ren, for their part, doesn't necessarily hate to lose--but they do have strong convictions, and they can get very stubborn about upholding them. They probably could have avoided a lot of trouble if they'd apologized to that creep like their father insisted they should, but that would've been wrong on so many levels. Suffering in the name of one's own Justice... It's a trait they both have in common.
"Hmmm," they murmur as the topic turns more properly to the one in the black mask. They continue the process of brewing--they've been getting better at it lately, and they were already getting compliments when looking after the cafe on their own--as they listen. Utterly merciless... Then that suggests that it wasn't out of a sense of mercy that he spared Joker. Of course, that much was already obvious. It was a sense of fascination.
/Interesting./
Ren still can't grasp what's so interesting about being told to fuck off. Akechi's thoughts on the matter are thus welcome. All of them make a lot of sense, and Ren mulls on them as the blend brews. "He sounds like the guy who beat me up," they remark. They turn an ironic half-smile his way. "Wouldn't that be a funny coincidence?"
Soon, they walk over with a saucer and cup, then set it down gently in front of Akechi. "Your house blend," they intone.
That last part Akechi says is food for thought, though. Akechi and the Black Mask are not the same; Ren accepts that now. However, the two of them are too similar to be completely unrelated. If the Black Mask thought that there was a threat of Akechi revealing his true identity, even underneath that horned mask and that intense ability to hide himself, then the two of them must be familiar enough with each other to let something like that happen...
...how to bring that up and question Akechi about potential suspects without tipping their hand, though? Ren slips one hand in their pocket and toys with a lock of their bangs with the other in thought.
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
Indeed so, though Akechi's suffering seems like it was mostly in the past... and Ren's is, ongoing, even though things are looking up. It's... strange, he didn't think he'd be so irritated that Ren has made so many companions. Not when he was trying to send him some.
But he is.
Even in the worst of circumstances, things are looking up and up. More than just... irritating, actually. All the same, he chuckles as Ren says it's very him, grinning his way. "Aha, I suppose it is... and well, I feel like we're not too dissimilar in that respect." Ren may not necessarily hate to lose, but Akechi thinks he'd definitely prefer to win.
Ren finally delivers his House Blend, "Ah, thank you." And he does smirk at him, "Ordinarily I'd complain on the wait, but you've been gracious enough to keep me entertained."
He brings the cup up to his mouth, and takes a sip. Then with a nod... "You're improving all the time. My compliments." Ren considers how to best extract a suspect list from him. A tricky thing, given that Black Mask is a supernatural villain, and Akechi is certainly playing coy enough in that regard with Ren the 'normal guy'.
Ren gets lost in thought over it and Akechi, watches him, the pen settling down, as he takes another sip of his coffee. He could annoy him out of whatever thoughts he's having, but he doesn't.
He just stares for a time, watching him play with that lock of hair, only interrupting the silence after a good twentyish seconds with a hand resting upon his chin. "My... trying to seduce me without any words, are you?" He says flirtatiously, as he winks his way, "A bold ploy, Amamiya-kun." A beat, "I never saw it coming."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
That is a strange thing to get irritated by, isn't it? Especially when Akechi's been pushing new companions their way.
Why is that, Akechi?
...but that's not a question Ren can know to ask, and it's doubtful that Akechi would give himself that answer. He is at least right about one thing: between losing and winning, Ren definitely prefers to win. The idea that they might be similar in that regard only gets a non-committal shrug.
But at least the smirk and the snark get an eyeroll--and when Akechi follows that up with an actual compliment, Ren gives him a slight smile and a nod. It doesn't last long, as they lose themself in thought over their next move, something they have space to do when Akechi preoccupies himself with his drink for a moment...
Ren doesn't want to tip their hand that they think the Black Mask and Akechi are similar enough to be connected in some way; that would beg the question of why 'normal guy' Ren Amamiya knows him that well. It's one thing to "joke" about "coincidences," something Ren noticed that Akechi didn't bother to acknowledge. Akechi's mentioned his family before--or at least his mother--and a rough childhood before... How can he segue into that naturally, without drawing suspicion to it?
Akechi offers a natural change in topic, at least. It's not at all the angle they would have used, and they stare at him for a second.
Then they shrug and say dryly, "If only you could've seduced that guy into not shooting you."
Man. Man. Akechi really wants them to seduce him, huh... It's something Ren already knew, but they can't help but stare at him now that he's reminded them of it. It's not just Akechi himself... It was only a few days ago that they were flirting with Minako in this very cafe. It feels a little weird to entertain that with Akechi now, when Minako's waiting on an answer to the question of if they'll go on a date with her.
Ren has zero intentions of telling Akechi about that. It does make them stare at his face extra-hard now, though. ... ... ...man, he really does have extremely pretty hair... Ren's had the privilege of touching it before, but only long enough to tousle it into non-recognition. It was very nice then, so think of how exquisite it would be to get to luxuriate in the feel of it...
...these really aren't thoughts they should be having while also thinking about Minako. And yet, here they are.
"Can I ask you something personal, Akechi?" they say, following that train of thought as they tuck their other hand into their pocket. Their intense stare is deadly serious as they continue, "Have you ever been in love before?"
...It's an attempted segue towards fishing for potential leads on the Black Mask... but it's also genuinely asked. Akechi said before that there was no way the two of them could ever have a relationship, but the way he keeps trying to flirt and encourage them to flirt back... Ren can't help but wonder what's with that.
Surely he's not falling in love with them. Even a joke in that direction got him so upset. Is this just his way of trying to explore his bisexuality in a safe way, with a (seeming) boy who knows what he is and doesn't mind it? Or is he actually...?
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
"Even I would have trouble seducing someone I didn't know was there." He says with a smirk at Ren's dry jest. Fortunately, he has no idea about Minako whatsoever. He cannot after all monitor Ren all the time, or even most of the time.
He has a good idea of his habits, and he has informants in certain places who know to alert him for certain 'events'.
But he doesn't know everything about him.
Ren then asks if he can ask something personal, and Akechi's cheek lifts off his palm, as he places his hand back down.
"Certainly." And then Ren asks deadly serious whether he's been in love before. "Perhaps I'm falling in love right now." He replies back just as seriously, one- two- three seconds pass, "Just kidding." He holds up a hand.
"I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself. You asked a serious question, and you deserve a serious answer."
He takes a sip of coffee, then mulls over the question. "I'm assuming Puppy Love is exempt..." There was a time he thought he had a crush on... no, he's not about to bring that up.
He takes a deep breath, then he closes his eyes, for a moment, ruminating on the answer, before he opens those brown eyes of his, to return his serious look, "To tell you the truth, not really. I've had many girls work themselves up to confessing that they're in love with me."
More than he'd actually like to admit. "And well, each time, I find myself asking them the same question. 'What do you like about me?'"
There's a sort of pensive look in his eyes, wherein he's asking himself the same question, perhaps. "I always hear out their answer... and then I try my best to be kind in how I turn them down after."
He lets out a chuckle, and puts on a smile, "I suppose it must sound kind of ridiculous... after all. Most people would just give them a chance, a real chance, not put them on the spot like that but I think... I'm looking for something in the answer I just haven't quite heard yet. Once I do hear it..."
He trails off again, then shakes his head, "... perhaps one day." He then looks Ren's way, "What about yourself? You've dated before, I suspect. Have you ever thought you'd fallen in love with someone?"
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
"Are you saying you couldn't pull off ambient sexiness? With that hair? I think you're underestimating yourself," Ren counters, smirking slightly back. "Maybe you need to wear tighter pants. Then you can steal someone's heart even from behind."
But as much as they were joking there... they do still wonder. When Akechi suggests he's faling in love with now, Ren only stares. Waiting. Waiting. Waiting... 'Just kidding.' There it is. They shake their head, but at least Akechi apologizes on his own.
A serious answer for a serious question. Ren listens without joking or smirking this time, expression grave and unsmiling. 'Not really,' huh... Their eyelashes droop at the description of the many girls who confess, only for him to ask them that one question, then turn them down later. Maybe if they'd done that the first time around...
"Nothing wrong with that," they muse quietly. "It's good to know what you want in a partner. At least you let them down gently afterwards." They reach up to mess with their bangs again. Have they been in love? "Once or twice." They slip their hand back in their pocket and shrug. "It didn't work out."
They've had a few partners over the years. Whether proper 'girlfriends' or mere make-out partners... in the end, they all just... wanted something from them.
Minako isn't like that though, is she? She seems to genuinely enjoy their company... and they enjoy hers too. It's... easy, being around her. Fun. Relaxing. Not like Akechi, who, even in moments like these where they're ostensibly being honest with each other, has every interaction with them come with the undercurrent of intrigue. If they say the wrong thing, or give away the wrong clue, he'll... arrest them, won't he? Send them straight back to jail. Make sure they lose everything again--permanently, this time. Because that's his Justice.
What kind of relationship is that?
Ren stares at Akechi a moment longer. What kind of relationship is that...?
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
"Haha... I think I'm a good deal better when it's directed. Though perhaps you're correct. I'll have to ask the leader of the Phantom Thieves what he thinks of my 'ambient sexiness' when I'm trying to arrest him."
As if he wasn't talking to him right now. But yes, yes he apologizes. It's the right thing to do after all, when you say something as outrageous as that as a joke.
"I suppose." He says to knowing what he wants, when he... feels like he doesn't know what he wants. He's hoping to find it, in the conversation, "Yes. I'm not looking to break anyone's heart. It takes a great deal of courage to put one's self out there as a girl our age... the last thing they need is someone who can't let them down gently."
It's weirdly kinder perhaps than Akechi often ever is, in any other situation? Assuming he's actually being a reliable narrator. But he sounds genuine at least.
I am not my father
Ren answers his own question in turn. And Akechi nods, "Well, it doesn't sound like you particularly regret that." He says mildly, not insisting upon it, just stating the fact of the matter.
It is true however, that Minako is fun, and easy - there's not this level of tension of cat and mouse like there is with Akechi. After all... perhaps he's just seeking an 'interesting rival' and once he catches him, Ren might no longer be interesting.
"Though it does beg the question of what you're looking for in a partner..."
The statement almost sounds rhetorical, the way he phrases it, perhaps he's not actually asking a question, and perhaps he is actually seeking an answer.
He puts a hand upon his chin, as if in thought on the question.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Ren snorts out a laugh at the absurdity of Akechi's retort. In this way, they laugh off the very concept of Akechi asking the leader of the Phantom Thieves anything about how sexy he is. And why not? They were suggesting that he try to seduce the Black Mask, not the Phantom Thieves. It's just like Akechi to try to turn that around on them, though.
And because they do end up laughing, they don't press the issue. If they're going to say something absurd, it's only fair they get absurdity in return.
Even if they note that he says 'trying to arrest him'...
"True," Ren muses, of how girls ought to be let down gently after putting themselves out there. "That's surprisingly nice of you, honestly." Their eyelashes droop again. "Maybe you're just nicer in general to" (people who look obviously like) "girls."
...Though the way he treated Makoto does put a hole in that theory. Maybe that can get blamed on whose sister she is, though Ren would've figured that'd at least merit her some courtesy.
Does he regret those old relationships? "No," they decide. "The experience was valuable, and it's not like they broke me." They meet Akechi's eyes. "...But there's something... I dunno. Kind of romantic about holding out for someone special. I don't think your way of doing things is bad, either."
It might beg the question--but begging isn't the same as actually asking. "Hmmm..." Ren looks up at the ceiling for a moment; then they look back down at him. "What about you? What's the answer you're looking for?"
They're not asking for their own reference, but they're likewise curious what Akechi seeks in a partner. What do you like about me? is a straightforward question, and yet, for all the girls who've apparently confessed to him, he's yet to hear an answer that sparks his desire. What would make him fall in love?
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
Akechi does watch Ren closely as he seems to muse over the comment, wondering what's behind that... somewhat sullen expression. He doesn't say right away.
Makoto though... well... that one would be complicated to explain why he treated her so horribly, even if he were inclined to answer.
"Hmmm. Perhaps so. After all... society treasures the idea of one's 'first love' quite highly."
Akechi says as he leans back in his seat, crossing his arms. "Far beyond where it perhaps should... but I also don't think your way of doing things is wrong either." He says softly, "A 'valuable experience'... one only becomes skilled at certain things with practice. I suppose relationships are one of those things."
There's many ways one could take that, but he doesn't sound like he's being weird or sexual about it. He means in a more definite 'relationship experience' sort of way.
Ren however turns that back on him, and he looks briefly startled, "Myself?" He does suppose he walked right into that one, Ren didn't actually answer, then turned it back on him.
"Honestly... I'm not certain." He says softly, "I suppose you would think it's unfair given that most people know me by my image... but, I think in more general terms, what I'd like is some indication they like who I am beneath the surface of how I present myself to the world."
He could say bitterly 'beyond this fake life I lead' but that would put the blame on Ren, since that's the way he put it.
And he knows the blame is only on himself.
How can someone learn what he truly is when he won't show anyone who Goro Akechi actually is? When he believes they'll despite him for the reality...
It's utterly unfair, but it's what he demands.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
"'Society' does, huh? Yeah, that's true. What about you?" Ren wonders. He might be right that society values the idea of one's firsts to a maybe unhealthy degree, but it's Akechi who's holding out for someone who can give him a satisfactory question, after all.
He doesn't take Akechi's answer as being weird or pervy, at least. He means it the same way Ren meant it: falling in love and dating someone are valuable experiences in and of themselves. The fact that they ended poorly doesn't erase the good times they had. ...even if the good times likewise don't erase those sour endings.
But Ren doesn't really want to talk about their past romances--at least, Akechi would need to press a lot harder for them to open up about that--and they'd rather hear Akechi's take anyway. They blink once when he reveals that they misunderstood, that it's not that he wants a specific answer--he just wants sincerity.
He wants to be seen for who he truly is inside.
"That is unfair," Ren agrees quietly. They at least don't call Akechi out again for leading a fake life--that hadn't been quite their intent when they'd originally said that anyway, though it sure as hell would be now. At the same time, they understand better now why he does that. They... understand the point, where they didn't back then. They could have--they clearly always had that potential--but they couldn't imagine it. Now, after learning more about Akechi, they can.
When you're terrified of people finding out you're not straight--when you grew up rejected and despised for being poor--then it only makes sense that you put on the polished image of a noble Detective Prince in the hopes that you'll be loved and accepted. And yet... it's Akechi himself who can't accept the love he gets by behaving that way.
To Ren, it's genuinely sad. It must be an incredibly lonely life he leads.
Dammit. No wonder he keeps flirting with them and encouraging them to flirt back. It's not that he wants anything deeper; he's just lonely, and this is an excuse to stave that off, at least for a little while.
Ren palms their forehead and shakes their head. How did they not see something so obvious before...?
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
Ren turns that back on him, asking what does he think. And Akechi is quiet for a time, taking another sip of the house blend. Bitter and smooth, with a light hint of acidity. Just like him on the surface.
Putting it down, he gives the question more thought.
"I'm not taken by the idea of dating people on the way to finding someone truly special." He muses - perhaps the thought of dating so many people repulses him because of Shido. How much easier would it become to cast someone aside, after one's first? "I can be patient, waiting for that person."
A sedate pause, as he looks down at the coffee, eyes shadowed in the dim lighting of the Leblanc.
"Perhaps, I'll never find them."
Who would ever love someone like me?
He smiles though, with a confident cheer, as Ren notes it's unfair, "Haha- I suppose I just have very high standards. Though I imagine that's hardly surprising, given my position."
The Second Detective Prince. And he demands a Princely Dowry from whoever would become that part of his life. An answer that satisfies that high bar he's set.
Is he lonely? He must be. Ren has never seen him hanging with anyone else. Even Kasumi was merely a 'friendly acquaintance'. He's never mentioned any friends either. His lifestyle must exact it's own price.
Perhaps the 'criminal' he's pursuing is the closest thing to a friend he's ever had, even if he'd never call it friendship.
"Unfortunately it means we can't exactly compete in that respect as other guys our age might." He says with an unserious smile, like he's not actually hoping for that, and knows Ren isn't either. "But I suspect neither of us would complain about that outcome. Unless you're of the mood to compare the number of love confessions we each receive in our shoe lockers?"
There's a grin, and a tilt of his head, he's definitely not serious about that, "Though I suspect that competition would be unfair as well." Indeed, Akechi seems to crave the teenage experience of having someone to share moments with, childish competitions and all.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
It makes sense that, for all that Akechi isn't necessarily enamored by the idea of his 'firsts,' he also isn't in a rush to try to date lots of people before he finds his one true love. It's not like Ren dates around for the fun of it, either. It's just... the reality of it, after your first. Your first love, your first crush, your first date... whatever you call it. If that doesn't work out, then you have to move on and find someone else, or else relegate yourself to being alone for the rest of your life. Ren isn't interested in sacrificing their whole romantic future because they gave that first girl a chance--but as they told Akechi either, they don't think his way of doing things is bad, either. Being extra cautious until he finds someone he truly clicks with... The idea of it makes Ren a little wistful.
Especially when Akechi admits that he might just never find someone to love that way. Ren stares at him anew, but he laughs it off. High standards? Maybe. Ren has a gut feeling there's more to it than that, but there's probably a lot of pain wrapped up in that too. It wouldn't be fair for them to demand whatever lurks behind that cheerful smile. Whether love or friendship... does Akechi have anyone? Or is he just focused on... them? The one he wants to be his rival?
That gives Ren a weird feeling they don't know quite how to decipher. Maybe a little flattered. Maybe a little fascinated. Maybe a little fearful.
It feels like this is the exact reason why they keep tolerating him forcing himself into their life, over and over again... even though neither of them would call it friendship, necessarily. What do they call this at all?
But Akechi then moves on to the idea that they can't 'compete' in terms of getting girlfriends that way. Ren makes a face at the very concept, which is answer enough. Fortunately, they don't get the sense like Akechi means that seriously. Competing in pool and in their double lives is one thing, but competing in who they can romance feels... bad.
If they accept Minako's offer for a date, it wouldn't be to prove to Akechi that they can get a girlfriend and he can't. That's just gross.
"You'd probably win there anyway, yeah," Ren replies. Maybe it's the fact that this isn't something that either of them are actually trying to compete in--maybe it's better understanding that loneliness under Akechi's surface, even a little bit--but something makes them add, "But I'd beat you in terms of how many I've accepted."
...They really are bad at talking about themself. Putting it like that to him... feels like the only way to bring it up. Assuming Akechi's even interested in the first place... (Ren can't help thinking that way, even though he was just trying to ask Ren about it.)
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
Indeed so, Akechi himself wouldn't want to compete that way. It would feel strikingly close to Shido, it's more that he's just open to joking about it as emblematic of his craving for the entire teen experience.
"Aha... I suppose you would at that." He says to the idea that he'd win on 'confessions' accepted, "It might a contest you win in perpetuity... as it feels far too close to 'body count' for my tastes."
Would Akechi accept confessions just to spite Ren competitively? ... No, but he'd CONSIDER IT, just that's one place he would have difficulty ever going "So fortunately neither of us are inclined to compete in that manner."
If he weren't interested at all in who Ren Amamiya is, he would continue merely to boast about himself, or talk about himself, correct? He'd never ask for details about himself.
Honestly, Akechi had a feeling most details he could ask about are far too painful for Ren to relate casually, it's certainly like that for himself.
However, leaning back he crosses his arms, regarding his expression with interest anew, "Though, now that you bring it up. I am curious... if you don't mind sharing, why didn't it work out?"
Which shows of course that he had in fact, been listening earlier when he said it didn't. Beyond even his immediate response.
"If you'd rather not though, I won't pry."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
The instant Akechi calls it 'body count,' or at least close enough to merit his disdain, Ren feels--and looks--like they just got slapped. That wasn't why they'd brought it up, and maybe Akechi didn't even mean to imply Ren was thinking of it like that, but the insinuation--intended or not--still hurts.
It's almost surprising how much it hurts. What's Akechi's opinion matter to them anyway? He already thinks they're criminal scum. This entire weird situationship they have going on is just a game of whose Justice beats out the other's. It shouldn't matter to them at all what Akechi thinks of them, any more than it matters what their parents or neighbors or classmates think of them.
And yet, somehow, they find it does.
They school their expression into a stony nothing and shove their hands in their pockets. "Right," they reply, clipped.
Akechi's follow-up interest doesn't make it better. What he wants to know about is their failure. How them accepting someone else's feelings ended in heartbreak. Maybe, again, he doesn't mean it like that, but it's not like it'd be the first time Akechi's negged them. Even his 'I won't pry' sounds to Ren right now like 'I'm not THAT invested.'
Their hands clench into fists in their pockets. For a moment, they say nothing, wrestling their emotions under control. If he meant it like that, he wants to see you get upset, and if he didn't, it's not fair to lash out. Take a second. Calm down.
And, after the moment has passed... they shrug. "She moved away. That was it."
That's what it boils down to, and that's probably as far as Akechi cares, anyway.
Anyway, Ren started this conversation trying to feel out if Akechi has anyone in his past or present who might be the Black Mask. Reminding themself of that, they add, "You probably care more about rivals than romance, anyway, as competitive as you are. Anyone like that stand out to you? Like the first Detective Prince, or..."
They trail off deliberately, hoping for Akechi to fill in the blanks on his own.
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
Akechi can tell he misstepped some by Ren's reaction, but he's not sure when, where? Part of him almost apologizes, but he decides to wait and see if he can figure it out.
Apologies are rarely as effective if you have to ask the other person how you offended them.
"Hm." Is his reply to 'she moved away'. "That hardly sounds like the only reason..." He says in a mild tone, because people engage in long distance relationships all the time, if they truly like each other that much.
Sometimes not, sometimes it's merely a practical decision. But he gets the impression it wasn't Ren that broke this one off. "...but if it's a sore subject for you, I won't press."
Ren however, indicates that he might care about rivals more than romance and Akechi's eyes light up a touch.
"Naoto Shirogane... of the famous Shirogane family. I'd certainly enjoy matching wits against them. Regrettably, we've never actually met. Shirogane-san has always been the type to avoid the public eye, as much as possible... and the police are loathe to call either of us, much less both of us."
Naoto for his youth. Akechi for... less that, and more how he's harmed their reputations and ruffled feathers.
In a sense, a 'Detective Prince' solving any case makes the police look bad because it turns the whole seniority system on it's head and shames them for their own inability.
"... So as it stands, I've never actually had a worthy rival. Until now perhaps... the Phantom Thieves, in particular their leader seem like they might very well be who I'm looking for."
Then there's a smirk of sorts, which becomes a cheerful smile, "Though perhaps you'll be in the running as well, once you work on your Billiards and Chess game... but that will certainly be lower stakes than opposing the Phantom Thieves of Hearts."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
It is the only reason--for that girl, anyway--and at the same time, it is indeed more complicated than that. Ren only shrugs again, and Akechi drops it--only to perk at the suggestion of rivals over romance. Bingo. It's kind of depressing how obvious that is.
Why is it depressing? You don't have that kind of relationship. He only flirts with you because he's lonely and exploring his attraction to guys and you go along with it, Ren tells themself. He'd stop if you shut him down. You don't even have to do anything. Just stonewall him and he'll lose interest.
But the prospect doesn't feel good. It makes them feel a little sick, actually.
Minako wouldn't make them feel like this. Minako doesn't make them feel like this.
Whatever. Whatever! Concentrate. Ren focuses on Akechi's cheerfully talking about how he'd love to match wits with his predecessor. It's funny to call Naoto a predecessor at all considering he's in middle school, but as Akechi says, he's from a famous family. Even Ren's heard of them--even without Ann being a big fan. More importantly, though...
"Never?" Ren echoes. Is he lying? He doesn't seem like he's lying, but he didn't seem like he was trying to tear him down earlier, either. If the Black Mask were anything to Akechi, it feels like he'd be a rival, but... Maybe they're thinking about this the wrong way.
Of course, then Akechi mentions that maybe the Phantom Thieves' leader could be his fated archrival--and/or Ren, in the next breath. Cute. In an annoying way. Ren pushes up their glasses to rub the bridge of their nose. Right. The game is what matters to Akechi--finding someone who can make it fun for him by giving him a challenge. That's probably why he relied on all those traps and didn't take the fight seriously the other day in Kobayakawa's Palace; it wasn't about taking them in or even beating them, just seeing how they'd do. Of course, he'd still want to win, thus why he got frustrated, and that's before the Black Mask dropped in and wrecked everything...
...how did either of them know The Phantoms would be there that day, anyway? Akechi said he'd been staking out the Palace, but if that were true, how did he have no idea about the Black Mask? Surely he had to have heard something about him, with how terrified Shadow Kobayakawa is of him... And if the Black Mask had been watching them, why did he wait until the middle of the fight, when Akechi was losing, to interfere? Akechi suggested that maybe he considers the possibility of him unmasking him a threat worth squashing, but that wouldn't have even been an issue in context.
Something about this feels off...
...though maybe that's just Ren themself.
"Maybe," they reply neutrally, tucking their hand back into their pocket. "Right now I have more important things to worry about. Like finals."
Right now he'll dig a little knife into Akechi. Just to see how much he really cares about this rivalry.
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
Indeed, so much about interacting with Akechi is a negative experience. One doesn't have to guess twice why he doesn't have any friends, or people he hangs out with.
But are the negatives all that are there?
"Unfortunately not. And I haven't had any occasion to travel to his prefecture. Sometimes who one consults for a case is merely a function of geography."
Indeed, that is how he knows he's risen to similar heights as Naoto, if indeed geography is the one distinction. However, Naoto not making public appearances ensures his appeal to the masses as a mystery- that one can project whatever they'd like upon.
Ren however gets that dig in, and that does annoy Akechi, who tries to act somewhat casual, even if he looks faintly irritated, "I would have thought finals would hardly be a concern for you. You did say that Crossword Puzzles are better than any textbook."
As he leans forward, smirking at Ren, "Isn't an evening with me more interesting than even these boring little puzzles?" He asks, coquettishly, his hair shifting just subtly from the angle, as if he were in control of where every single strand fell into place.
Except for that one time, when Ren marred the Mona Lisa that is his 'image'...
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
They aren't. That's why this is so difficult.
"Mm," Ren murmurs neutrally. It makes sense that geography has also interfered in Akechi and Shirogane meeting. A little like that one detective show where they have the High School Detective of the East and the High School Detective of the West. Who gets to be Kudou, though--Shirogane, or Akechi? Ren feels like it'd be Shirogane, and that sure would be one way to annoy Akechi...
But that much they don't say. The implication that Akechi, and beating him, isn't their top priority seems to have done the trick in irritating him back. Good.
"Just because crosswords are more fun than studying doesn't mean I want to fail," Ren replies coolly. They don't spell out the reasoning: if they fail their exams, they're liable to get expelled, and if they get expelled, they'll have nowhere to go. Sojiro's warmed up to them a bit, but that doesn't mean he'd want to keep a dropout around. It'd negatively affect Akechi, even--he won't get to have his precious rivalry if Ren is consumed with just trying to survive on the streets of Tokyo.
Akechi tries to flirt again, hair falling just so to frame his handsome face. Ren's eyes narrow. ...It doesn't help that the answer is 'yes,' but that arrogant assumption that everything else doesn't even matter--that Ren should be putting him at the center of their life--doesn't just grate; it galls.
So maybe it's spite. Maybe it's a desire to take him down a peg. But despite the fact that Ren was just thinking that they ought to stonewall him the next time he tries to flirt, they reach out and slip their long, dexterous fingers into those long strands of silky auburn hair. They don't muss them up--but it ought to be a clear reminder of that time they did as they curl a lock around one finger, smooth and quick as thinking.
"I could say the same to you," they reply, staring him down--just before pulling their hand slowly, sensually away, strands of hair falling from their skin.
...
His hair really does feel incredibly nice... God dammit. They played themself. Now they just want to touch it again.
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
"I doubt you're in any real danger of failing. Even if you didn't study at all over the weekend." His eyes match Ren's in this moment, "Am I wrong?"
It is flattering in a sense though, that he has such high regard for his intellectual abilities. But at the same time, it absolutely is galling the suggestion.
That he be more central than something this important. Something that could affect Ren's whole life.
And then - Ren does something he didn't expect, puts his fingertips up against his hair. His eyes move almost reflexively to that point of contact, but he doesn't recoil, before meeting Ren's eyes again.
And without missing a beat, Akechi takes his left hand, slides it under the cover of the crossword puzzle book without looking, and closes it.
"Well... perhaps you'd even be right." He says, with something that looks like only half a smirk, like his face can't quite get there, while making eye contact at this range, while Ren is touching his hair.
He tilts his head just slightly, towards that finger, like he's giving him permission, "Couldn't wait to get another feel?" He asks, as if he's ruled out internally that Ren's debating mussing up his hair again.
Well, he hopes that it's ruled out.
"I don't provide this kind of service to just anyone." He says, both flippant and flirtatious at once in his celebrity persona, like there are many fans in the world who would want to touch his hair.
But he's only letting Ren do it, despite Ren not even being a 'fan'.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Is he wrong?
In that moment, Ren finds themself embarrassed. As galling as Akechi's self-centeredness is, it does feel like he has faith in their ability to get good grades, studying or not. Frankly, they don't have nearly that certainty. There's been a lot going on, and while they usually complete their homework, it's usually done at the last second late at night after forgetting to do it all day, which is not conducive to getting the homework right. They might not fail, but they don't think they'll do well.
The way Akechi looks at them just now, though--the way they say that--makes them want to score well. Just to show him they can. Just to not... just to not disappoint him.
It's so frustrating they could cry, if their tears hadn't dried up years ago.
Dammit. Well, they're studying with Umie tomorrow, and there's still time tonight and Sunday. Maybe they can squeeze cram sessions in the afternoons after classes too for the final the next day. Supposedly last-minute cramming doesn't actually help, but dammit, if they can remember that information for even one day, it'll be worth it.
...Maybe Akechi is a little central to their life now. That feels like it bodes poorly for them and Minako. Why do they have to keep thinking of the two of them in the same context, anyway...
Then Akechi shuts the crossword puzzle and leans into their touch, reminding them why. Their heart beats faster as he teases them, staring them right back as he can't quite fully smirk. Ren pulls their hand away, and Akechi jokes about it--doesn't seem even slightly upset or put off, despite how the last time this happened went.
It occurs to Ren that maybe they've misread Akechi entirely. Maybe this isn't just a game to him--maybe that's only how he acts to protect his own heart. Maybe he actually...
I enjoy sharing the truth with you, Amamiya-kun. I feel like I can divulge more than I can with you, than other people.
What I'd like is some indication they like who I am beneath the surface of how I present myself to the world.
Maybe he does have feelings for them.
For a moment, Ren only stares at Akechi. They know they're not a perfect read of others; their old friends and classmates proved that thoroughly after their arrest. Still, they do think they're at least reasonably good at understanding others' inner lives. Akechi, though... Akechi keeps confusing them. Pulling them in different directions. Every new piece of information leads Ren to a new, different conclusion, it feels like. He might be the detective, but they feel like they're the one trying to solve a mystery.
"..."
They raise their hand again and once again run it through his hair. This time, they take their time, they let themself enjoy the feel, and they don't pull away.
"No," they murmur, eyes on his. "I couldn't."
How much 'service' will Akechi actually provide...?
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
It's true, it is difficult to make good grades while so much is going on. Which is why Akechi feels even more galling... compounded with the parts of his life that Ren doesn't know about. Top of his class at Seven Sisters. While consulting as a Detective, while working in the Metaverse, while almost never attending school.
And yet, he believes that Ren can still make excellent grades with minimal application. Perhaps he's wrong in that respect...
... but he's motivating, all the same.
Ren definitely seems central to Akechi's life, even if Ren suspects it's for the sad reason of being lonely, of working out his feelings of male attraction in a superficial way.
Is it superficial though, if you're so central all the same?
And just like that, the doubt that it's quite that superficial, that perhaps he has feelings creeps in.
The hedgehog's dilemma, getting close to him means being poked by quite sharp spines, but past that, and apparently there's silky soft hair... Ren withdraws his hand once.
And Akechi props up his cheek on a hand, patiently letting Ren take his time, with that smile on his face that looks like half a smirk - yet, more genuine than usual.
Ren brings his hand back though, touching his hair, "Why not? ... If I minded, I wouldn't be allowing this, now would I?"
He then asks quietly, but with emphasis as he looks through his glasses to stare into his eyes, "So was it everything you were hoping for?"
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
It is true. Akechi puts a lot of effort into looking effortlessly competent. There's an irony in that, but the truth remains that he gets results. If nothing else, Ren doesn't want him to look down on them. Maybe he does that no matter what--he's smirking again as they touch his hair anew--but he also looks... happy.
...his hair really is soft... Ren leans down, elbows on the counter, bringing their face dangerously close to his as he leans his cheek on one hand. His hair smells nice... Ren's noticed that before. Akechi must use a truly high-quality shampoo/conditioner combo to get it like this...
"No. You wouldn't," Ren replies quietly as they lean in, eyes fluttering shut, to press a lock of Akechi's hair curled around their finger to just above their lips. Their other hand snakes up and around Akechi's neck to brush upwards through those strands, combing through them in a gentle, idle motion. Akechi will apparently give them a lot of service, if he still won't stop them...
Was it everything you were hoping for?
Ren opens their eyes and stares back. Their faces are only a breath away.
I should be asking you that, they think, and is almost their kneejerk response. ...But it's a little unfair to do that. Akechi... might just want to hear what Ren's feelings are. They shouldn't just... reflect his question back at him instead of answering it properly like they did earlier.
The problem is... how does Ren feel about him? What was it--five, ten minutes ago that they were angry at him for implying they see girls as a 'body count'? Isn't he always irritating them with his holier-than-thou smugness, how he refuses to acknowledge The Phantoms' Justice? And now... they're like this.
... and isn't that also deeply unfair to Minako?
"..."
Ren lets their other hand fall from Akechi's hair, letting it drape across the counter as they consider that lock coiled again around their finger.
"...About that girl I was talking about earlier... She confessed to me in fifth grade, on Valentine's Day. Handed me a love letter with a honne chocolate and asked me to go out with her," they murmur, seemingly ignoring the question. "She was going to be moving away at the end of the school year in a month, and she saw that as her last chance, I guess. We were friendly, and I felt sorry for her, so I said yes. We dated for a few weeks, and then she had to go. She asked me to give her her first kiss. It made me kind of uncomfortable, but I couldn't think of a way to refuse, so I did. We went to the back of her house while her parents were loading up the car, and...
"That was also my first kiss.
"We waved goodbye to each other as her parents drove off with her in the care. She was crying, but I wasn't. I've always found it hard to cry." Ren rubs their thumb slowly cross that lock of Akechi's hair. "I've dated and kissed more girls since then. I've never dated any guys..." Slowly, they meet Akechi's eyes again from maybe an inch away, their stare intense and unflinching. "...but I have kissed some. For practice."
Their eyes lid. The lenses of their glasses provide a barrier, but there's nothing stopping their breath. They don't continue their story--if, indeed, there's a continuation meant. They simply wait to see Akechi's reaction to this revelation.
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
And has been for a long time. He's been taking meticulous care of his hair ever since he could get the pocket money to afford supplies for it.
Akechi doesn't move further, as he gives Ren full access to that hair, as he curls it into a finger so near his lips.
Akechi watches, with bated breath. As his hand snakes up around his neck to brush through some more... faces so close... he's still wondering...
...if...
... and then Ren lets that hand fall, one hand still curled in his hair, and he begins talking...
... about a girl?
Akechi seems subtly bewildered, before understanding he's giving him a more complete answer than earlier, and understanding enters those brown eyes of his.
He listens to it, only commenting quietly, "So you felt pressured into it..." He says, gently, "... after all, how could you disappoint her?"
Expectations which backed him into a corner of his first kiss being to indulge someone else's whims.
His commentary at least now feels more like, active listening. "Most would call you quite stoic." He says of Ren's difficulty crying, "But it isn't that. I suspect you feel things rather deeply, even if you don't let it show."
And yet, it's difficult for a man to cry. A man isn't allowed to show weakness to other people in Japan. Often not even to their own family. Sometimes especially so.
Then he notes he's kissed some guys before. And Akechi replies softly, "Have you now?" He seems contemplative, in that respect.
"For practice." He lets fall a few moments later, like he's still thinking on that matter. "Well, my belief I suppose is a first kiss is only a first kiss if you are truly in the moment... in that respect, I've yet to experience my first kiss."
Then after a pause of several seconds, he says even more softly than before.
"But I also haven't ever practiced in... anticipation... of it..."
Is he truly messing with him, or is he not? Or is it both at once? It's so frustrating with Akechi... a terribly contradictory individual... it could truly be both at once.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
From Akechi's perspective, it must be bewildering, huh. At the very least, it's a hell of a swerve, going from some intensely sensual vibes between two boys (more or less) to Ren talking about their first girlfriend. Fortunately, he's a smart guy, and he clocks in to what Ren's trying to do fairly quickly.
Pressured into it... Ren nods, eyes going distant for a moment. "It wasn't bad. The kiss, I mean. And I liked her as a friend. So I don't regret it. But it's not the way I would've chosen to have my first kiss go if I'd actually asserted what I wanted." They wouldn't describe it as a whim on her part, at least. It was clearly very important to her. Even so, it's as Akechi otherwise said: they were backed into a corner by her expectations.
"Mm." Akechi's right again, about them being inexpressive vs. stoic. Something in their eyes lightens, or perhaps softens. It feels like they're being... seen. It's kind of nice. Their family is absolutely the reason why crying is hard for them, though they don't go into that now. It's not like that particular circumstance is unusual.
They wait. Akechi is not especially perturbed by the revelation, at least not outwardly. He does take his time thinking about it, but his conclusion seems to ultimately be that he doesn't mind. That he hasn't had his first kiss--either for real, or in... 'anticipation.' Going back and forth, as Akechi so often does.
Ren is quiet for a moment. There is an electricity in the air between them.
They do not think he's messing around.
They do think he'd claim he was messing around if this goes poorly.
"...I'd bet you wouldn't. You're waiting for the right person--maybe for the rest of your life. What would you need to practice for?" they murmur. They turn their face away to look at the auburn hair still twisted around their fingers. "Those guys I kissed... None of them were interested in me--obviously. They just knew I'd kissed a girl before, and they wanted me to show them how it was done. Discreetly. So they could have that experience for themselves for when they got a girl.
"I didn't mind it. I like kissing. It feels good. But after a while, I started to feel a little... used. None of them liked me for me. Just for what I could do for them. And, of course, they swore me to secrecy afterwards, because god forbid anyone think they were gay."
Ren stands up straight then, fingers pulling back and away from Akechi's hair. It falls back where it was, and Ren does not reach out for it again. When they meet Akechi's eyes, it's with a carefully neutral lack of expression. "The next time I kiss someone," they say softly, "I want it to be because we like each other and we want to have a serious romance. I want it to be for love. Not to just satisfy someone else's curiosity."
Their eyebrows rise as they reach out and carefully sneak the closed crossword puzzle away from Akechi. They waggle it at him unsmiling, once, twice. "Aren't you the same way?"
...and then slip it under the counter, out of Akechi's reach.
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
The last time Akechi cried, he was a child. He hasn't let himself cry ever since, but he understands why that is so, at least.
He's at least... aware, of that side of himself, and why most people can't. His mother was the only person it was safe to cry around.
As Ren's expression softens, he seems to relax a little himself. He's not more... casual, in the moment, just relaxed.
"That is a good question." He replies back to Ren softly. "Why would I?" And it doesn't sound like he's necessarily being flippant, as Ren wends his fingers through those locks of hair.
But he also doesn't withdraw either. There isn't the impression that this is some 'test of courage' or 'game of chicken' either.
"Ah. So it was... like that." Akechi says gently, though there's something, beyond that look in his eyes.
Perhaps in his nearly starless mind.
The cold understanding yet again, that this side of him would be reviled, denied. That his image as the Detective Prince would wholly fall apart with one photograph, if a certain someone could not act quickly enough.
But also the knowledge that it hurt Ren... in that denial in their youth. Feeling used.
When Ren's hand drops, he reluctantly moves back, because, some part of him wonders what he's doing here? He knows he can't let that happen. He knows it. And furthermore, what kind of man would he be if he seduced him only to murder him?
Well... closer to Shido than he'd like.
There's a soft shiver that goes through him, as Ren explains, the coquettish look gone, instead replaced by a more neutral expression of his own.
"... You're quite right." He says, gently, "It wasn't my intention to-" He sees him waggling the Crossword Puzzle at him. And he goes cross-eyed, then starts to chuckle, rather than finish that thought, he settles back, with a grin.
"Haha- You're becoming quite skilled at that. Point to you, Amamiya-kun." He says, praising him while he's still chuckling. "As I was trying to say, it wasn't my intention to make you feel led on. Nor would I want you to feel... used... practicing before my first kiss."
His eyes lid low. "I would want it to be a serious moment, as well, with someone I am in love with... and am quite certain loves me back."
Which means it will never happen.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
'Safe to cry around,' huh...
What would it be like to have someone like that in one's childhood?
Why would he? Well... Ren's hit on a possible answer to that by now, certainly, so they leave that unsaid. Maybe Akechi does have real feelings for them, and Ren... can't say they're wholly unreciprocated. However, Akechi already made it clear he prizes his image over love and therefore could never be with another man. (And maybe Ren isn't just a man, but being with a genderfluid non-binary person would be just as scandalous and therefore just as unacceptable...)
They see that understanding in Akechi's eyes of not just Ren's position, but his own stated one. Ren moves back, and so does he.
After Ren sneaks the puzzle away? They weren't smiling before, but they smile now, if momentarily, at his laugh and compliment. They're relieved that they can still be friendly even after establishing their mutual boundaries. Akechi expresses what he wants out of his first kiss, and Ren nods. It feels clear that Akechi is disappointed, but... not crushed. Enough to end their weird situationship, maybe, but not enough to break all ties over it. Ren... doesn't want that.
They don't want him to go for good.
"Good. Glad we're on the same page." No pun intended. Trying to tease out other connections of Akechi's--possible hints of the Black Mask's true identity--didn't work out, but this was important to settle too. Now they can both move on from... whatever this has been. Ren slips their hands into their pockets and looks now to Akechi's cup of coffee. "Care for another?"
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
The same page. There is disappointment, but it is a sort of- resolved, and resigned disappointment.
And it does not show on his face, he's good at putting that faux affable look back on. Besides, why make this more complicated? He can enjoy this, be indulgent.
Until the day when he wins, and Ren loses.
"Don't mind if I do."