2026-10-08: Ran and Kogoro
- Log: 2026-10-08 Ran and Kogoro
- Cast: Ren Amamiya, Goro Akechi
- Where: Red Light District - Crossroads Bar
- OOC Date: October 08, 2026
- IC Date: January 21, 2013
- Summary: Akechi comes by Bar Crossroads to see Ren at work as invited. The two have fun flirting while pretending not to know each other.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Having seen Morgana prowling the school grounds earlier that day, Ren decided that their afterschool activities for the day would be something to take up as much of their attention and focus as possible. For early afternoon, it was thus saxophone practice in Inokashira Park, and for the evening...
For the evening, they make sure to notify Goro that she's going to be working a shift at Bar Crossroads.
By the time he arrives, she's already made up and dressed elegantly in her kimono. (Even a simple look takes a long time to prepare, but Lala the ever-supportive always helps her out with getting the kimono on.) Goro no doubt associates the colors black and red with Ren Amamiya, and for good reason; Ran Umemura, however, is dressed in a forest green kimono held in place by a flower-strewn black obi. The kimono itself, a hand-me-down from a friend of Lala's, is patterned on the sleeves and towards the bottom with white flowers shading into different verdant hues. A white flower hairpin, stark against Ran's silky black curls (smoothed out somewhat with hair spray and a vigorous combing), matches it, as do her white tabi socks and black geta sandals. Her complexion is flawless, her eyeshadow is dark and smoky, and her eyeliner is sharp as daggers. When she serves non-alcoholic drinks and snacks, she displays her slightly long, white-painted fingernails and a smile painted bloodred.
No glasses here. What's there to hide?
She's in the middle of chatting up a customer at the bar--one Ichiko Ohya, in fact, who's drunkenly gushing over how cute she looks--when the door opens to admit Goro Akechi, however he's come. Ran glances up enough to see if it's him or not, as she has since she started her shift, but aside from a knowing smile, she doesn't greet him just yet. She wants to see how he reacts to her like this first.
(She did, however, give a heads-up to Lala while she'd been helping her get dolled up. "Someone very important to me is coming by tonight," she'd told her, "and I want to make sure he's impressed..." "Oh, honey. Say no more," Lala had replied. Lala's thus been keeping an eye of her own on tonight's incoming clientele.)
https://myjapanclothes.com/cdn/shop/files/traditional-green-kimono-for-women-tanigawa_1_1024x.jpg?v=1700579340
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
Sae Niijima was not the most pleased that he left early that night because he received a 'lead' in another 'case'. Of course she knew what it really must be. She seemed to detect it without fail.
It really made him wonder why she could read that off him, but not much greater lies...
Still, a short train ride to Shinjuku station, and a walk wherein he- took a more circuitous, back alley route to avoid being spotted by various touts and denizens of the Red Light District, he finds himself at the door to the Crossroads.
Taking a quick look in his phone camera to double check his appearance after a day's work, he steps into the bar, wearing his tan winter coat and checkered scarf, with black gloves of course.
"Why hello." He says cheerfully, stepping into the bar, as he stops- and stares for one increasingly long moment at 'Ran Umemura' in well- more than just aesthetic appreciation of herself in her kimono, no he may in fact be stunned speechless.
Beauty - BSSM S - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xx178XZ7_gA
After he clears his throat, he forces himself to keep going, "I was told the bar here tonight would be kept by a great beauty, so I thought I'd come to investigate this with my own eyes..." A beat, as his gaze lingers. "... it would seem that some things do not require more than the briefest glance to know that they are true."
His briefcase finds its way onto the bar, followed by him having a seat. As while privacy might serve them both better- well. Perhaps the fickle part of him can't resist the prospect of taking her attention away from other customers.
"When you have a moment, I'd love to know what the lady recommends."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
It's probably because Goro signals being genuinely happy and excited. How rare must that be?
Just as rare is Goro Akechi getting stunned speechless. Ran all but radiates flowers in pleasure at the sight and lack of sound. When finally he manages to pull himself together and offer a stare and a compliment, she giggles softly into the back of a hand.
Yes. This is exactly the reaction she was hoping for. Every single second of preparation was well worth it.
"Oh my, you're quite the flatterer, aren't you, sir?" she murmurs, winking one eye shut as he seats himself at the bar. Privacy might serve them both better, but there's a thrill involved in everyone getting to see, isn't there?
One such observer is Ichiko Ohya. "Ohhh? Ran-chan, you've already got a new fan!" she says cheerfully, a drunken blush ruddying her cheeks. "Heehee, I'm telling you, it's all 'cuz of how cute you are! Lala-chan really snapped up a treasure when she hired you~!"
...Thankfully, she's drunk enough to not immediately recognize Akechi. On the other side of the bar, Lala sighs.
"I'll handle this mess," she tells Ran, nodding to Ohya. With a subtle wink, she adds, "Why don't you make our new customer comfortable?"
Ran bows to her, smile lingering on her lips. (How could it do anything else?) Then she steps over to where Goro's seated, favoring him with a sparkle in her eye and the backs of her fingers on her chin. "You look a little young for a bar, sir," she teases. "Fortunately, there's plenty of non-alcoholic drinks here, along with snacks. Might I recommend a cup of amazake?"
Though it's a type of sake, it's so low-alcohol that even toddlers can safely have an occasional drink of it. It has an interesting texture, too--thick, even chunky, and milky. It's sweet too, but he doesn't have a strong preference for one flavor or another, as she well knows. What matters is that it's her recommendation.
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
"Haha..." He chuckles at her calling him a flatterer, "... well, if it were a crime- then I'd certainly be guilty." He says, with a charming grin, as he has no intention of stopping.
Unfortunately being stunned speechless has a side effect, that being that he did not sweep the room of the rest of the crowd before sitting down.
He looks across the room at Ichiko Ohya-
-and remembers the state he left her ex-partner Kayo in. Mindless- broken.
He looks away a moment later, his reaction easily mistakable for him simply responding to her form of 'exuberance'. Or that he simply spotted a member of the press sitting down, drunk- while his private life is often considered 'newsworthy'.
Well, no need to provoke her. If she doesn't look twice, he'll pretend he never saw her once. Fortunately Lala seems inclined to 'take over'.
And so he busies himself with being 'distracted' by Ran's recommendations. "I won't insult you by claiming otherwise." He replies, with a hint of mirth at being called being a little young for the bar. "Though, I would say you seem a little young yourself for offering recommendations of any other kind of drink that isn't non-alcoholic."
He leans forward, elbow on the bar, a gloved hand on his chin, grinning, "Still, I believe I'll defer to your taste and expertise... I'll take the Lady's recommendation."
A beat.
"Kogoro, by the way. Kogoro Kobayashi." As he comes up with a pseudonym for himself on the spot, choosing a family name, of a character in the Kogoro Akechi novels rather than anything obvious that someone might overhear.
"And yourself? Though, I may be getting ahead of myself. Perhaps you'll stay anonymous, and leave another mystery for me to solve..."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Ran does spot the way Goro glances at Ohya, then looks away. She fully misunderstands why. Knowing well what Ohya does for a living and how he might be affected if she does recognize him and decide to report on it--well, Ran doesn't think she will, and can even bargain with her to make sure of it, but Goro wouldn't know that--she not only lets Lala attend to Ohya, but sets herself up to ensure Goro faces away from her while talking to Ran to minimize risk of getting spotted and recognized.
"And I didn't recommend anything alcoholic, did I?" Ran banters, lips parting into a grin of her own. She bows again as he leans in. "Coming at once, sir."
She turns, only for 'Kogoro' to introduce himself. She looks back over her shoulder. Perhaps he did that on purpose, just to make her do that? Once upon a time, she'd have found that annoying; now, her smile is knowing all the same. It's a very obvious pseudonym--not that she minds.
"Kogoro-sama, is it? Such a cool and manly name... It suits you." Another soft chuckle at his suggestion. "Hmmm~... now you tempt me, good sir. I would love to see how you unravel such a mystery." At the very least, he's already overheard half her current name.
Still, she winks as she glides over to the bottles. The alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks are thankfully clearly separated. No law-breaking here! It takes some time for her to heat it up, but she returns with a lacquered mug and sets it gently steaming in front of Goro. When she straightens, she watches him with a fondness in her now-softened smile. After being out in the cold, this--both Ran and the drink--are just the things to warm him up.
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
He couldn't know, could he? After all... she's only a member of the press to him. Not even a meddling reporter.
Her editor is being paid well to stifle her ability to investigate.
Still, there's not much fun looking at something that makes you feel bad when there's someone who makes you feel good right in front of you.
"Haha..." He says with that hand against his chin, head tilted naturally by the position he's in, "... and such good humor as well, to indulge me."
Hisfter all, Ran can't serve alcoholic beverages- or recommend them, and 'Kogoro' can't purchase them.
"I'm rather fond of it." He says, when told his name is cool and manly, he says, "Perhaps I was so named because it was considered aspirational... since you say it suits me, well, I'd say that means I've met those lofty expectations."
He says with a light grin that hides the bittersweet feelings beneath saying such. Both of them know who named him after all.
Perhaps he can only say that because today he is playing the role of 'Kogoro Kobayashi' rather than 'Goro Akechi'. A projection which takes the edge off of those feelings.
"Then perhaps we should make a game of it- should I manage to discover your name by the end of your shift- then may I ask for your number, as your prize?"
It's actually fun, being together, he can play this flirtatious game, pretending to be strangers without the odd mixture of feelings he gets when an actual stranger flirts with him getting in the way.
"Naturally, being a gentleman- if you'd prefer to not offer it to anyone while you're working- then I'll respect it as the policy of a young maiden."
He says with a hand over his chest, as a theatrical gesture emphasizing the promise, "But... I would admit to a certain disappointment, if that were to be so."
As the drink is brought to him, he takes it, and lifts it to his lips, not breaking eye contact from Ran.
Then, setting it back down he remarks, "Ah. What a refreshing way to end a long day... your recommendation was quite on the mark."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
So, so very good--and all Goro has to do is not think about how he plans to eventually betray and murder her. Right?
Ran's smile turns indulgent when he speaks of her good humor. "For such a charming, handsome man? How could I not?" Her eyes shut as he speaks of how his name is aspirational, but her smile remains, at least. It must be bittersweet to him, she knows well, but... "I'm glad you feel so."
She's the one who decided, despite all the warning signs, she wanted him to come to like himself in time. He may be playing a role right now--they both are, to a certain extent--but that doesn't mean their feelings aren't real; they would never flirt with a stranger like this normally. There is something about pretending, isn't there? It adds a certain zest, a spice, to their already lively relationship.
"Oh my," she utters, openly amused, when he suggests a game--or rather, the terms thereof. It's not much of a game, considering he not only already knows her name but already has her phone number, but the play's the thing here. "Hmmm... What to do, what to do..." she pretends to muse, bringing a hand back up to her chin as she half-turns away.
However, when he makes that oh-so-heartfelt gesture, she grins anew, clasping her hands before her as she faces him. "My! I would so hate to disappoint a gentleman. Very well, I'll play along. You seem trustworthy--" She winks. "And if you aren't, you seem like you'll still make it fun~."
It's already so much fun, being together. She wasn't anticipating this when she invited him here, but now that the two of them are playing, it feels like only the most natural thing to have occurred.
He praises her recommendation. She'd curtsy, except there's really no way to curtsy in a kimono. "It's just the thing on a cold winter night--even if some would say it's best after a hearty meal. But perhaps you already had a chance to eat dinner, Kogoro-sama?"
For all that she keeps her deep voice light, there's some concern there in her expression as she asks that. After all, knowing him, chances are good that he hasn't eaten. That's part of who he is, but she'd still like him to keep his health and energy up.
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
Well, obviously. Murder plans do put a damper on a date. He'll just consider the upcoming murder tomorrow.
'Compartmentalize It!' - The Goro Akechi story.
Indeed, that's exactly that- they can both feel quite secure in their relationship with each other, but have fun in these games.
Part of him almost hopes someone drunk would say something inappropriate to her, so he could defend Ran's honor.
That would be a particularly spicy night, wouldn't it? And besides- it would establish the two as so very similar in another way.
Even if it were only to be on the surface.
"Haha... you're quite the flatterer yourself." He says with a smile, "Though is it only because of your job tending bar... I wonder..."
The fingertips rub against the side of his sake cup, "To smile at a man is expected in a job such as yours, to make them feel like the most important person in their world."
He does chuckle at that, "Well, it would be impolite to ask of a lady on shift the truth of their smile. Besides, I don't mind a touch of mystery to a beautiful woman's motivations... it only enhances an evening. Perhaps one day- I'll solve the mystery of whether that smile is only for myself."
What to do, what to do. He leans back at this point, taking a sip while Ran considers the prospect, then as she says she'd hate to disappoint him, "Magnificent... then I shall use all of my wiles to discern the truth of the matter. And well, I'm told I have that kind of face."
A trustworthy one. After all, it's what he sells to so many people on television.
Taking out his phone, he begins to tap along, letting something load, as she asks him about whether he's eaten. It would be easy to simply brush it off, but- "Admittedly- not as well as I'd like." He confides, "My supervisor, well, she can be quite an exacting woman... which means skipping meals is par for the course. Often I find myself having to eat on the go."
He taps his briefcase with a finger, as if to imply where he keeps such snacks. "Would this bar happen to serve anything that might be a heartier repast?"
Something loads, his fingers tap again, while barely looking. If Ran looks, he's on some kind of social media feed, but- he's hardly paying attention to it. Like it's the most minute part of his brainpower...
... when everything else is focused on her.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Just put it in a box and set it aside. It's not like he needs to murder her right now. Right now can be exactly what it does and doesn't appear to be.
Ran's smile dims somewhat as 'Kogoro' reflects on how it's part of her job to smile at a man and make him feel special. Hmm... Is that some of his insecurity peeking through...? He knows well that, for all that she loves him romantically, he's not the only person she loves, period. Could this be an oblique remark on the inherent divide between him and her friends?
But then he says he doesn't plan on asking confirmation, and she nods her head with a slight revival of her smile, conceding the point. That mystery, she won't remark upon further.
After all, there's another one he's to solve right now. "I shall expect to be duly impressed, Kogoro-sama," she murmurs with a bow. When she rises, her smile has turned coquettish. "Impress me enough, and perhaps I'll reward you with something... extra~."
She'll leave it to his imagination just what that could be.
He admits he hasn't eaten very well. Her lips thin, but she nods once in understanding. That's about what she'd expected, given his job... to say nothing of his 'supervisor.' That'd be Sae Niijima, wouldn't it...? Makoto's painted a very exacting picture of her, too.
"I'm afraid we haven't any full meals, but we do have something to take off the edge. Might I recommend an order of yakitori and edamame?" she suggests. Amazake has glucose already, so... "Protein and extra fiber, to help keep you full."
There are a few calls further down the bar and elsewhere within the establishment; Ran glances up at orders coming in. She bows again to Goro. "I'll bring that for you as soon as I can, then," she concludes without waiting for him to confirm it. She already knows he'll accept.
As she turns away, she smiles again at him over her shoulder. "Do forgive me for leaving you, but... all the more time for you to unravel this mystery."
She is technically still on the clock, for all that Lala's being very forgiving with her. Said proprietress will join her to handle serving the alcoholic stuff, too.
Ran will glance at Goro every so often until she returns. Just to see if he's still focused almost everything on her.
There's such a pleasure in being seen when you want to be seen.
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
A little (a lot) of insecurity. And a little social commentary. But the truth is that he said it to be part of the game, rather than any particular insecurity that Ran loves him.
It's just, even when it's a game, sometimes his feelings just creep right in, like he left the door open. How dare they...
"Haha..." He grins merrily at her promise of an incentive, "... well now, with that sort of incentive to motivate me... how could I ever fail?"
An easy confidence now, a contrast from the insecurity. Goro Akechi again in a nutshell. Invincibility and Invulnerability. Stability and Instability.
He continues his little tapping on the phone, and indeed- he could paint a far worse picture than Sae if he wanted to. Tonight, he painted what he feels is, at the very least 'the most accurate' descriptor. No one would ever disagree with him, least of all Sae's own sister.
"Well well..." A meal recommendation now, "... seeing that deferring to you already has been quite the rewarding experience- I think I'll do so again. One order of each, if you please." And as she implies she has other customers to take care of, he says, "Of course- I'll await your return with bated breath..."
And busy himself with deductions. Of course he knows Ran Umemura's name, but now he won't be satisfied unless he can discover it independent of any knowledge he has of her.
All the same, Ran finds that Kogoro Kobayashi's eyes are never off of her, and more often than not, he's nursing his drink, while doing so.
Furtive glances across a bar... all the makings of a lovely romance story.
It's only once he finds something on his phone, his eyes light up. Then, he follows a link. Then another...
And eventually...
He places his phone on the bar, turning it around, waiting for Ran to come back.
In it, is a picture of Ran Umemura, on shift at the Crossroads, chatting up a customer. And beneath it? A comment's section...
Being served by Ran-chan is a dream come true~
Whoa, what a beauty. Where was this taken at?
I recognize that place! It's the Crossroads Bar in Shinjuku's Red Light District.
Have her full name? Don't hold out on us now!
Ran Umemura. The new part-timer. She's so great at listening to a man's woes.
"The magic of social media." He murmurs to himself...
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
And it's those very contrasts that Ran finds so alluring about him. If he were just one or the other, he wouldn't have ever stolen her heart like he has. Maybe he's the true phantom thief here?
Either way, whenever she glances his way and finds him watching her, she can't ever fail to smile at him. If she puts an extra sway into her hips the times she's otherwise faced away from him, isn't that just a little bit of extra service for such a diligent and attentive client?
Fortunately or unfortunately, no one is so drunk tonight as to say or do anything rude to Ran. This is Lala's bar, and she's well-known in this area to not put up with that kind of nonsense. Anyone who wants to keep patronizing Bar Crossroads will keep their hands to themselves and their comments--and staring--respectful.
Before too much longer, Ran returns with Goro's order. This not being a restaurant, the yakitori and edamame were both heated up in the microwave, as the amazake was, but it's still tasty repast. As she sets down his order from the tray she carries, she glances over at the phone pointed towards her side of the bar and sees...
"...."
Daintily holding the tray to her chest, she clucks her tongue. "Ohya-san was right. That picture really did net me more fans," she murmurs in low-key amusement. She meets Goro's eyes and explains, "Some time ago, a customer complimented me on my kimono and asked if he could take my picture while I was working. I said yes. It didn't occur to me he'd post it online."
Her smile fades as she touches a hand to her hair, now a bit self-conscious. "I'll have to be more careful in the future."
As flattering as that comments section is, and as proud as she is of herself for it, it's also a little unnerving. Still having no social media of her own, she had no idea about this until now.
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
He definitely looks. Of course he does- while he wouldn't disrespect anyone else by looking at them in any way they were uncomfortable with...
... the two are play-acting, and in this show, he can pretend to be the 'interested' man. Knowing full well that Ran consents to the gaze of their boyfriend in this way.
He came here to enjoy their company- but he's not about to interfere in her working more than he needs to.
He's at least okay in one sense of witnessing nobody treat Ran that way. While it is a little disappointing in the sense of self-gratification... well, it means it's a good working environment in general for her.
He knows she can take care of herself. But the roles of gender can be fun when they're affirming rather than caging.
As Ran returns with his microwaved meal, he nods, with a smile, "Why thank you... this is much more enjoyable to sit down for, before any long train ride home."
He hasn't ruled out well- other evening ideas, but he's not going to assume that. As he tries the Yakitori, which- despite being microwaved is still tasty stuff.
He looks down at the picture, then back up at her. "I see. It is quite the flattering picture. I can understand why any man would want to take it. Well- while you didn't explicitly forbid it- it still wasn't really appropriate for them to post it without your permission."
He clucks his tongue, as if in condemnation of the customer. "I think it's reasonable for a young woman at work to be careful about such things. Social media can be... quite the jungle."
He takes his phone back, then looks up at Ran, "While most would think I'm exaggerating..."
His eyes linger on them, then there's something grim within them, "I don't think it's inaccurate to say that left unchecked... it could be the ruin of society as we know it."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Ran wouldn't mind Goro galloping to her rescue like a prince astride a white horse--but she would definitely rather it not be at her favorite workplace, yes.
For now, he can look all he wants. If he didn't look, she'd be genuinely disappointed.
As for other evening ideas... Ran certainly wouldn't mind a late-night walk with Goro once her shift is over, but it is a school night for both of them. She knows Sevens lets him get away with skipping class for the sake of his detective work, but she doesn't want to encourage him to take advantage of that just to spend time with her.
...or does she? He is about to graduate anyway, and she knows full well he was already accepted into his college of choice... hmm....
That's something else for them to talk about it more detail when they have the time--if it means Goro's going to move to Tokyo. Right now, Ran's been busy trying not to think of where she's going to be in the spring. She's at least managed to ask Sojiro if he could talk to their parents about it, and he agreed, which was a relief. If he's the one doing the asking, it probably won't devolve into a one-sided argument.
"Mm. Yes," she murmurs of the picture getting posted without her consent. She isn't going to assume malice on that customer's part--he might have been so online-brained that he assumed that consenting to having her picture taken was also consenting to having it posted--but it's still an overreach.
Oddly gender-affirming, though. Ran can't bring herself to be fully glad about that.
She meets Goro's eyes as he issues his dire warning. The 'ruin' of society, huh... She's sure it's just a coincidence, but it's funny that he puts it like that. "I'll have to take your word for it. I don't do any social media these days," she replies. She's content to let Mishima handle that on The Phantoms' behalf. (Technically not even on The Phantoms' behalf, considering the Phan-Site is literally a fan-site. He loves to think he's doing this for the Phantom Thieves, and while Ren has never confirmed that and has even played dumb at times, he hasn't exactly dashed his dreams, either.)
"You seem like you spend quite a bit of time online, though, if your go-to method of solving this mystery was to look it up on your phone," she continues, her smile faintly returning. "Whatever were you going to do if that picture had never been posted?"
Not that it matters at this point. "Still, you did win this game fair and square. Indeed, my name is Ran Umemura," she says as she fetches her phone from under the bar counter. Her smile warms as she meets his eyes anew. "Do try not to make anyone too jealous you won my phone number, won't you, Kogoro-sama?"
To say nothing of that extra, unspecified service she mentioned...
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
Rest assured at least. If he did ride to Ran's rescue, it would be to toss someone that Lala-chan very much wanted out.
He might even leave them in mostly, one piece!
Indeed, Akechi would be very much willing to skip school to spend time with them, having caught a distinct bout of 'Senioritis'. It's not as if he won't get the work done anyway and maintain his perfect grades.
Still, he'd only do it if Ran wanted it, and he'd set terms that- fit what Ran knows of him. After all, it wouldn't be the greatest if he was caught skipping school with no viable excuse. He's certain he could talk his way out of it but...
Akechi doesn't assume malice either- or well, no more malice than a man being willfully ignorant of the implications of posting a woman's picture online and spreading her place of work. He perhaps thought it would be good for the business even...
... but the road to hell is certainly paved with good intentions, he knows that well...
He nods as Ran tells him he hasn't done any social media these days. "That is definitely for the best." While it would be quite convenient for his plans if Ran did use social media, he's not about to encourage it.
After all, he has more than enough access to them...
However, he can only imagine the debacle that would result if Ryuji was terminally online and a Phantom Thief both.
Nope, encouraging them not to start is for the best.
Still, Ran asks him how he might have solved the mystery without going online.
Leaning back, he continues working on the Yakitori and Edamame, only eventually after swallowing, "Well... the short answer is, that I would have looked for context clues around this establishment. Often, more is left in plain view than anyone realizes... failing that, I would have approached another customer for a friendly conversation."
As he cants his head towards where the drunken Ohya was led away by Lala, "Often, a simple enough bargain might be struck in exchange. But... let us presume even that turned up short."
With that, he takes another sip, as he looks lost in thought, then finally...
"... I would have recruited an accomplice." Holding up his cup, he waggles it in an idle back and forth, "I doubt I would need to look longer than a minute just outside this establishment to find someone willing for the right price. They would then put on an act that we discussed in advance. It would then come down to their ability to deceive you, or Lala-chan. Which is... taking a gamble, certainly, but one that might pay off."
He smiles as he is told he won, and raises a glass, "To victory... and most of all, to you, Ran-chan. As for making others too jealous..."
He meets her eyes, and allows a little mirth to enter them, as he winks at her, "... I make no such promises."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Maybe Goro could even come back to Ren's place, spend a cozy night next to the space heater...
But no. Ran really isn't going to suggest that on a school night. She's 90% sure he'd take her up on it, and then he'd be the one tempting her to skip school.
Not just her picture and her place of work, but her full name, too. It's just good for Ran that "Ran Umemura" is a pseudonym. Ren isn't too afraid that anyone will recognize them from that picture either--anyone who isn't already in the know, anyway--but that kind of thoughtlessness really is a hazard.
He details how he would've gone about "discovering" her name had her picture not happened to be online. She listens, and here her base personality re-emerges: she's silent as she absorbs that information, her eyes and attention focused in on him. There certainly are a few options there. That's a high school detective for you--soon to be a college detective.
"Hmmm... Then we ought to be grateful social media wasn't your ruin this time around." She smiles back. "After all, it means you get to spend more time in here with me."
His cheeky wink only gets a grin right back. Yes, the rest of this shift will be great fun.
~ * ~
Eventually that shift does end, though--and not too late. Lala knows both that Ran needs time to return home as well as to change clothes and remove her make-up. In between the first and the second, though, she makes a certain suggestion to her. And so, at the end of her shift, Ran approaches Goro...
"I'm off for the night," she tells him. Another fond smile. "Would you mind walking me to the station, Kogoro-sama? Or perhaps a bit farther than that..."
Bar Crossroads has a back door. Ran can always slip in there to get changed after she's had a stroll on the arm of her man. And once the two of them are out in the frosty night, she hugs his arm quite close indeed.
"Thanks for coming by. I loved seeing you tonight," she murmurs, leaning close as the two of them walk through the neighborhood. Shinjuku isn't exactly safe at this time of night, but this is where Goro grew up. She trusts him to keep them both secure. "Bar Crossroads is my favorite part-time job. The pay is great--" She flashes him a devilish grin. "--and I get to look my absolute hottest~."
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
There are more options besides on how he might go about it and besides. It's just, making use of them would truly feel like it was taking all the fun out of it. Why ruin a friendly contest? Why not enjoy it for all its worth? Furthermore... it's best to keep a few tricks up his sleeve for when they matter.
"Then perhaps I should thank you for being such fine incentive for keeping my attention offline..." He says with an even cheekier grin as he looks her up and down her kimono again, "... quite fine, if I do say so myself...."
-=-=-
Indeed, Goro waits for Ran's shift to be finished, and as she approaches- he blinks as a startled cat might at the offer, then smiles, "I'd be delighted, Ran-chan..." And it's not long before an arm is offered.
A stroll at night, through Shinjuku's Red Light District. The very fact she's with a man may not stop harassment though... once they're on their way.
In fact, he's very much on the look out for that, he's seen it many times when a tout tried to separate a girl from someone to take them into a bar or a host club.
"And here I was thinking I should be thanking you." He allows himself to smile, "You turned an otherwise dreary day into one I'll be remembering for quite some time."
He catches someone looking at Ran, and indeed, he looks their way for a moment without breaking stride to warn them away, before-
"Your absolute hottest?" He queries, with a hint of mischief, "In a sense- it sounds like you challenged yourself, to top even this." He murmurs, "I'll certainly be eager to see the results... any time, Ran-chan."
A moment passes, before he adds, "I'm glad you found this place. There aren't many where you have this way of expressing yourself... not to mention getting paid so well for it."
He allows another smile to grace his expression, "I'd be happy to come back any time... perhaps you've found Lala-chan another regular..."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Quite fine indeed. Ran's scythe-like grin is her most devilish yet.
~ * ~
Ran's walked around the red light district during the day, so it's not like she's completely unfamiliar with the area. Night really is another beast, though. She has had the sense to make sure she's fully Ren again by the time she leaves her shift before now. And now...
Now she's got her Prince, doesn't she? If not a prince astride a white horse, then perhaps a prince of (f)lies... Not that she has any reason to think he's lying now. She's quite comfortable with the Looks he shoots those leering at her as they pass by, and indeed, flagrantly pays the leerer no mind so she can instead gaze at Goro with another fond smile. No, there's no space here for anyone else to crawl in.
"I'm glad to hear it," she says of the memorable day. "I've been wanting you to see me like that for a while now." She flashes him a mischievous smile and teases, "Your reaction didn't disappoint. For someone who's been saving himself for true love, you sure know how to make a girl feel good about herself, Goro."
But then she smirks. "My absolute hottest... for now. Because you're right; I can still get even more charming. And won't you be in danger when that happens?" She leans in to whisper into his ear, "You already couldn't take your eyes off me tonight..."
The moment that passes is a comfortable one, though. "Me too," they murmur softly. "Lala-san's good people. Ohya-san, too--she's the one who introduced me to the place. Don't worry about her too much, by the way. She's a bit of a lush, but she's no paparazzi."
Talk of becoming a regular gets a low chuckle. "Hmmm... I don't know if she'd be happy or exasperated about that, after how much of my attention you took up tonight. I'd be happy to have you come back anytime too, either way."
The two circle around the block, heading through a back street down towards Bar Crossroads' back door. This alley's deserted for now at least--the cold weather helps there. When they've arrived, Ran stops next to the door and slips their arm off of Goro's.
"Well, this is me," she says wistfully. "I'd love to have you stay longer, but we've both got school tomorrow." The side of their mouth tugs upwards. "Though, come to think of it, I haven't given you that 'something extra' I promised yet, have I?"
Technically, that was only if Goro impressed her enough--oh, who's anyone kidding? They were planning on this all along. Ren steps closer, one hand slipping up Goro's chest, along his neck, stroking his cheek and threading through his hair to cup the back of his head...
He holds his gaze for just long enough, dark eyes burning with the intensity of Antares, before his eyelashes sink shut as he leans in close.
It's been a while since Goro had his hot snacks and drink. This kiss will keep him hot for a good, long while longer. When it's over, Ren rakes their teeth along his lower lip as they pull away, eyes right back on his.
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
Devilishly delightful, Ran-chan...
-=-=-
He'd be the first to admit to a certain amount of jealousy, though in this case it's mostly protective. Even if he knows that anyone who actually tried anything on Ran would get far more than they bargained for.
Ran's comment causes a sheepish smile, because of course he realizes how it must have seemed but, "If I hadn't been startled... then I could hardly call myself a man. For what true man could be anything but stunned before such a vision of femininity?"
He can't help but lean into it, into the flattery in this case, it's fun. Usually he'd resent being embarrassed, but in this case- he doesn't mind so much.
"For now." He echoes, at Ran's comment, seeming pleased by what he's provoked. Won't he be in danger. "My dearest Ran-chan..." He says with a glance her way, "... that is a risk that I'm certainly willing to take... I'm quite the daredevil, I'll have you know."
Understatement of the year perhaps, given his activities in the Metaverse, even as 'the Prince' - Ran well knows he often works alone.
"She is." He agrees of Lala, "As for... Ohya-san, I'm familiar with her work. She once strolled up to me out of nowhere and asked some rather blunt questions about a corruption case I was working... that wasn't actually public knowledge."
That part is not in fact, a lie. However, what he says next is a little, by dint of omission, "I was more afraid of her perhaps deciding to monopolize my time by asking about the Phantom Thieves case."
He makes a theatrical sigh at that, "How can anyone expect me to appreciate my girlfriend-" He chooses it in this circumstance as he feels it'll be more affirming than anything, "-if they won't allow me to have an evening off from work?"
A complaint which he kinda does to himself, doesn't he? But it is true that even a celebrity deserves privacy and a personal life outside of his public appearances.
It is a concern perhaps of 'distracting' Ren away from work, "Hahaha... well, I'm certain I can talk her into it, if need be." He grins at Ran, "I can be quite persuasive, you know. But- it also is the case that I can simply cherish the moments we get together- and appreciate the view otherwise."
He's not certain how long he can keep his jealousy and need for attention under wraps but- he can but try.
As they circle back around the block, and down the alley, Akechi takes stock of how quickly he could in fact, draw his firearm if need be... after all, it would be a perfect place for an ambush.
Such thoughts simply occur to a professional assassin, who expects one day betrayal might come. Or comeuppance, so it might be.
Even if he does not think so now.
As Ran slips her arm off of his, he faces her and nods, "A shame, truly... but it is the responsible thing to do..." But he perks up all of a sudden when she says she didn't give him 'something extra'. "Oh?"
His deductive capabilities do catch up before long as his eyes say the equivalent of 'I see', as he slides an arm around Ran Umemura, holding her gaze for a time as the two work their way up to the moment.
His lips touch to Ran's gently with a hot sensation that contrasts against the winter's chill, he osculates across them just a touch, as he appreciates his prize of 'something extra' for all the time that he has.
What a prize it is...
His breath is surprisingly quite fresh as well, perhaps when Ran went to the back, after he'd finished, he utilized some product.
After all, a celebrity has to care about such things... especially when they're with their girlfriend.
When they do part, he gives Ran a happy look, "'Something extra' you said...?" His voice drops to being low, and a little husky, "Mmm, I'm in danger I think of being in a good mood for the rest of the week."
Words he thought he would never say, and mean them. And while perhaps that's impossible... because of how he lives... in the moment at least, he believes it could be true.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
"You really are a flatterer," Ran says. Judging by the sparkle in her eye, she doesn't seem at all displeased by it. "If only Fukami-san's Shadow could see us now, hmm?"
See them a witness a true man and a true woman. ...some of the time.
She only grins again when he informs her he's quite a daredevil. "Oh, are you? I'll have to make sure our next date is even more thrilling, then--unless you want the honors of picking the next time and place." After all, he did come out here to see her during a work shift, all because Ran wanted to see how he reacted to her kimono form. It's only fair to let Goro have a chance to let her be stunned next time.
That grin shifts into a wry smile when Goro reveals he actually knows her already, as well as how. "That sounds like her." They cluck their tongue and shake their head at his theatrics. She certainly doesn't mind being called his 'girlfriend,' though. "Girlfriend? Oh my, Kogoro-sama, weren't we just meeting for the first time tonight?" she teases all the same.
He /can/ be very persuasive. Ran knows that well. "Hmmm~... Sounds like a win/win to me, then." She leans into him a little more. "And if you end the night unsatisfied... I can always pay you a little special attention afterwards, just like this."
Just like this... considering what happens next, that's excellent incentive for Goro to be patient during any future shifts he shows up for. No need to linger on ambush points or any other assassinly concerns either--not when both of them are having such a good time.
Ren's breath is fresh, too. She'd planned for this moment all along, after all; of course she'd be prepared for it.
The way his voice drops into something huskier, though--that startles her a little. Not... in a bad way, she thinks. It's actually sexy. It just wasn't expected. It makes him sound like...
...
She slips her other arm around him and leans into a hug. "That sounds like a risk I'm willing to take," they murmur back.