VIII. J U S T I C E

    “ I doubt that it would be anything so horrible that I would think less of you, Akechi-Kun. ”

                  Hifumi liked to think of herself as an open person – one who people didn’t have to worry about talking to. ( Even IF her “celebrity status” made it more difficult sometimes. ) So to hear that he was this worried about it all… Well, it only made her more anxious to hear what he was going to ask her. She felt her heart skip another beat thinking about it all. 

  “ So, you don’t need to worry about anything… What is it that you wanted to ask me ?? ”

Proceeding to clear his throat, Akechi thought that waiting any longer could spell ill for the atmosphere. He often found Hifumi rather approachable, and that they’re similar forays into public attention gave them ground to empathize with one another upon. That’s why, with a concern like his current one, Akechi found Hifumi the dependable sort for him to turn to. Despite this view, Akechi all in the same found that he actually a touch anxious to open up about it.

Several questions proceed to flood Akechi’s mind regarding this matter, such as is he reluctant to open up due to a semblance of fondness for Hifumi, or for reasons pertaining to himself? These questions proceed and persist, seemingly without end, until finally Akechi snaps himself free all on his own. Overthink any further and he’s likely to make a fool of himself before his admission could.

“ Yes, well, it’s not necessarily so horrible. Rather, I must confess that, in despite of my many talents, I’m actually of poor knowing pertaining to the depths of shogi. ”

And, there it was. It was a confession not wholly extravagant, rather it was a meek admission that, compared to his peer who was a queen of the game, Akechi paled greatly. Chess was more akin to his specialty, and while with shogi he understood the general basics, that’s about as far as his knowledge extended.

                CONVERSATIONS WITH THE ACE DETECTIVE were always interesting, to say the least. Kasumi never knew what way they would turn out – would SHE get the upper hand on him in them ?? Or would HE get the upper hand on her ?? This time, things seemed to be going in her favor. She had read through the lines of his question with ease.

“ Is it really that common for people our age to lie ?? ”

Whether he took it as her assuming he lied A LOT, or just that she was in shock that teenagers as a whole have to lie about things to feel better about themselves would be up to him. ( It was the latter, but she wouldn’t say anything to give THAT away. ) While she expected teenagers to lie about simple things — like where they were really going when they told their parents they were going out. She didn’t realize just how many people would LIE to themselves to keep moving forward.

“ REGARDLESS !! You should still be careful with all those lies, they might end up catching up to you !! ”

At least, that’s what keeps Kasumi from doing it. She’d be caught dead before even THINKING about doing anything that could tarnish her record. She may have been guilty of telling a few white lies in the past – but nothing more major than coming up with an excuse to not go out with someone, or saying she didn’t have that crepe when did in fact eat that crepe.

“ I mean, especially with your face always being in the public eye – yaknow ?? Wouldn’t want any sort of nasty articles to come out about you or anything because of some lie you may have said in the past. ”

In a way, Akechi’s defense had been a faulty one, and that was something he couldn’t deny. He had taken to the idea that youths similarly their age kept motivated through the spinning of lie after lie, but how could he honestly know such a thing? Akechi’s world, so to speak, was separate from that of the worlds of those his age. A separation, a schism, call it what you will, Akechi knew he didn’t stand equal to those surrounding him. No, no, they were THEM, and he was just HIM.

“ I would like to think it’s more common than not; be it for idle white lies, or greater, darker lies. ”

Clearing his throat briefly, Akechi raised a gloved hand to his chin, gaze lifted as if his brain had drifted into reflective thought. His expression was all too innocent; completely forgetful of the hollow tone it had taken for a few short moments, with practically doe-eyed curiosity stricken again. He would wind up perking free of this appearance as he caught the sound of Kasumi’s concerns. Her worry seemed aimed towards the HIM that often showed on television, the character he had fashioned, a false him, a faux idol to the people. Something about THAT bothered him, yet he hadn’t quite pinpointed what that something was, no, not yet.

What about him was fiction, and what about him was nonfiction? The thin red line was drawn in the desert sand, and Akechi knew full well the beginning and the end. Nigh everything to the charming detective that he portrayed himself as was a falsehood, to which Kasumi’s concerns bore a great, grand irony she had no idea of. Still, it isn’t as if her worries are unwarranted, nor does she possess any less of a point that she intended. It was only that, in a way, Akechi lied constantly for the mask he wore, and in turn it would be in being truthful that problems would arise. How cruel, yet how oh so hilarious to him.

“ I appreciate your concerns, Yoshizawa-san, but I ensure my public image is WELL taken care of. After all, I wouldn’t want to inconvenience you OR Amamiya. ”

Conversing with Kasumi often proved quite the experience, as she seemed to boast this mysteriousness of hers that proved reminiscent of Ren. One might say that conversation with Kasumi carried laces of captivation, the sort that pulled your attention to her. Was it an effect that she purposely intended, or was it merely the work of one’s charisma? Akechi pondered such thoughts on occasion, though not to such an extent that he’d think cross of her for it. His observations were merely that, not anything of the sort to bare ill intention, no, not at all. After all, there’s been no reason, no need, for the cogs of his brain to turn in such a way.

Why oh why would he endanger such an enthralling dynamic? A dynamic that only strengthened as the comment that slipped from him prior had gone turned right back to him. He suggested that in order to thrive in this corrupt society of theirs, one must feed their self full on lies and half-truths so that they could cope. Yet, in all of her insight, Kasumi had read between the lines and questioned just how many lies Akechi had told himself.

His gaze runs glassy for but a few moments, with momentary reflection stealing Akechi’s focus. Oh how many lies had he spun in these last few years... So, so many, why even the personality he portrayed now was just another lie: a character he carefully crafted so that he could appease the public. All so that Akechi could warrant from them the public their attention, their affection, and their admiration of him.

“ I’m sure I’ve told no more or no less than anyone else my age. ”

Harsh noise screeched in Akechi’s mind, like warning sirens that drowned out all else. The sensation of Haru’s grip on his wrist felt searing to him, as his eyes widened, with a look of surprise that betrayed all semblance of composure. Her words conveyed a want, a desire, to help him through this, to stand with him. Haru goes as far as to smile at him, even reinforcing her grip on his wrist with a squeeze. Yet, as Akechi is nigh dumbfounded by these gestures, the only thing that can break through the noise in his mind is a repetition of the word WHY, shouting out over and over.

This made no sense, absolutely none! Akechi’s stare loses intensity, replaced with an utterly pitiable sadness. Flashes of memory race through his mind, as does terrible imagery of dark acts and spilled blood. This isn’t normal; this isn’t what anyone with their right mind intact would do, had she forgotten? No, of course not, how could she, how could anyone? That wound was still fresh, still bleeding…

“ Okumura-san… Are you saying all of this because you feel SORRY for me? ”

Naoto is Questioning @truthesque … 

           ❝ It is a simple curiosity… ❞      She said, looking down at the papers scattered in front of them before reaching for her coffee mug.            ❝ I know I do not always tell the public my real thoughts, as do most in our field. So I am simply curious. ❞       She shrugged slightly, brushing her hair back over her shoulder as she grabbed a report and leaned back against the couch.            ❝ My curiosity is simply piqued Akechi-san. I will not be telling this information to anybody. ❞

     Naoto shot a glance to the other detective as she crossed her legs, sipping at her drink.            ❝ It is not like my view of you will change based on your answer. ❞    

With Naoto Shirogane, his one and superior predecessor to the title of Detective Prince, there was a sort of kinship between them. An understanding that was joined with a sense of safety, albeit not a true one when it came to ALL the gears that turned in Akechi’s head. He could confide in her about things he could not confide in with others, but not ALL things. There was, most unfortunately enough, a certain line drawn in the sand, drawn in such a way for Akechi to remain, in the utmost, most absolute form of it: SAFE.

“ I... see. No, for curiosity’s sake I cannot fault you in the slightest, Shirogane-san. ”

Akechi closes one such dossier, setting it aside as his gaze weighed the slightest bit weary. He looks to her, attempting to maintain some semblance of a proper smile as the matter of the topic remained at large. Perhaps he ought to be a little more honest with himself and, in turn, her?

“ I understand that the Phantom Thieves act with good intentions, however I deny their practice as true justice. Justice is a system of which is upheld by our nation’s people, systematic in its execution. But the Thieves, what they do? It’s a medium that cannot be replicated save by them. That in itself, I feel, presents flaws... Weaknesses. ”

Hearing the sudden, sunny tones of Minako’s voice, Akechi would turn his head with a slight look of surprise. She seemed to enter like a storm, carrying clouds of energy with her, excitedly clapping his shoulder with her free hand all the while. She goes as far as to praise him in such a way, thinking their enemies to be, well, insignificant in terms of posing a threat to their combat duet. It wasn’t that he disagreed at all; it was just so sudden of her. Then again, what wasn’t?

“ Ah! I cannot disagree with you, Arisato-san. However, I’m not the only one worthy of praise, you did JUST as well. ”

Nodding his head, he grabbed his own cup of coffee before looking down at the cup and he stared at the liquid that was inside of it. After a few seconds, he chose to keep his coffee black and with that lifted the cup to take a sip out of it. A small smirk grew on his lips, this coffee was good enough to take into the metaverse to keep the group going that’s for sure. Placing the cup down on his side of the bar he gave a small nod to Akechi’s question.

“Yeah, which is nice but sometimes I enjoy a few customers here and there. Even more when there’s nothing really interesting going on any TV stations. So it’s easier, but boring.”

“ Yes, I suppose I can’t argue against that. Something that’s too easy, too trivial, couldn’t possibly whet one’s attention for long. ”

Akechi found humor in Ren’s answer, admitting to the bore there was in things being so much easier. He couldn’t imagine a life of stagnancy, that allowed boredom, because to Akechi his activity had been constant and without pause these last few years. It was regrettable, being young but not being permitted to stand still for even a few moments, but that’s simply how it was meant for him. Was it pitiable? Perhaps, just perhaps it was, however lamenting over the littler things wouldn’t take Akechi any farther forward.

He simply had to deal with his station for what it was, no matter how his feelings might stand.

               A CONFESSION ?? Akechi’s statement catches her off guard, from the way he almost sounded embarrassed, to the expression he wore on her face. Just… Just what sort of confession was he planning on making !? The thought alone was enough to make her heart skip a beat. She blinks at him thrice, taking a deep breath. Perhaps she was just misunderstanding the situation – though his wording really wasn’t helping. 

                                 “ I wouldn’t laugh at you, Akechi-Kun. ”

Admittedly, Akechi’s confession at hand was nothing the sort of which Hifumi feared. It was something rather silly before the grand scheme of things, yet Akechi had always been hesitant in admitting. From the way the public media thought to portray Akechi, his character was one of great talent and ability, having few to no flaws. In reality, there was just as many short-comings to Akechi as there would be to the average person, he was, after all, still human.

The question was sudden, silence shattering as Naoto voiced it at last, a sound curiosity to have. It only made sense; there were many who often doubted the portrayals of media as genuine interpretations of a person or party’s feelings. This case was no different, and Akechi was by no means an exception to be made. Looking up from one such dossier of which had been scanned article by article by Akechi, his expression twisted with doe-eyed innocence, as his brow arching was barely noticeable thanks to his hair.

“ Hm? I’m sorry, did I do or say something to betray my public statements, Shirogane-san? ”

          ❝ The Persona Cthulhu has a DICK! Cthulhu FUCKS! ❞