Chapter Text
Akira Kurusu knew something was up with that 'Detective Prince' the moment he laid eyes on him.
From the way his charming smile didn't quite reach his crimson eyes, to how he would endlessly go on about justice but never seem so confident in what he was saying. Yes, Akira knew what he and the others were doing wasn't ideal justice per se, but he also knew they were not close to how bad the detective had made them seem—and it looked like Akechi knew it too.
The TV studio was filled to the brim with Shujin students all fawning over the detective, but somehow only Akira was able to notice these small things that were cracks in the detective's shell. Humans were peculiar in that way. Getting too caught up in looks or other celebrity-like features, but failing to notice the ones that make them the same as the rest of the world; failing to see them as human. They all fail to notice how troubled one could be, or how much pain one could be in. As long as they plaster on another smile, nobody suspects one thing; not even ace detectives. Unless, that is, if the ace detective is the one doing the hiding. In that case, people like Akira could apparently be able to see these fractures. There was too much wrong with how Akechi acted and spoke that surely nobody could be fooled, especially the lead thief himself.
And there was also the fact Akechi was able to hear Morgana the previous day...
He felt a light tap on his shoulder, jerking him out of his thoughts, and the delinquent boy next to him began to speak. "Gaaah, how much more shit can this guy say about us?" He whispered, frustrated. "If he says one more time that he's gonna lock us up, I'm gonna run right outta here."
"Shh, you're going to get caught. They're asking the audience about the Phantom Thieves," Akira responded, laughing under his breath. "If they ask you, I swear, Ryuji, do not say anything stupid."
"C'mon, I know when to shut my mouth! Geez, Akira, have more confidence in your best friend. Ann and I are the only ones willing to be around you," he joked.
"You two are the only people who'd hang out with a criminal, so maybe I'm right not to trust you speaking..."
"Hey!"
Akira snorted a laugh and turned back to whatever Akechi was talking about. Surprise, surprise, the subject hadn't changed.
"I'd love to hear some more detailed opinions on the Phantom Thieves' actions," Akira caught him say as he resumed listening, and soon enough one the announcers started beelining straight for his side of the audience. Ryuji was really, seriously going to be picked. They were screwed.
Instead of Ryuji, thankfully, she looked at him. "All right, let's try asking this student here. Hypothetically speaking, what are your thoughts on these Phantom Thieves, if they were real?" She asked.
"They do more than the cops," he said blankly. Akechi chuckled from his seat.
"This completely goes against the opinion you had about then being tried by law, Akechi-kun," The other announcer said, prompting the other to give an opinion.
Akechi smirked down at the thief as he spoke in his calm manner again, seemingly not fazed by the fact Akira had just insulted him and the police force he worked with. "Indeed. It's rather intriguing to hear such a strong acknowledgment. In that case, there's one more question I'd like to ask," The detective paused for what he could only assume was for dramatic effect. "If someone close to you, for example your friend next to you—" Akira felt a nudge from his right, "—if his heart suddenly changed, wouldn't you think it was the work of the Phantom Thieves?"
"What would you think, detective?" Akira asked back, as innocently as possible.
Akechi chuckled softly in response, putting on a look as if he hadn't expected him to say that. "Ah, throwing the question right back at me, eh? Well, I would believe there was no doubt he was targeted by them. After all, there is no way somebody's heart can change so quickly," he answered, putting his hand to his chin and looking down in thought. "Whether the Thieves' actions are good or not, though, I feel there is a more important issue at hand."
Akira didn't care to listen to the rest. He knew, as one of the true thieves, that none of his hypothetical situations would happen—and that Akechi most likely believed that they wouldn't be committing any crimes, either. Although, he didn't expect the second Detective Prince to come striding up to him after they were dismissed, let alone be interested in him after just a few words had been exchanged.
Ryuji headed to the bathroom and Ann went to follow the group, leaving Akira and Morgana alone to fend for themselves. As he went to pull out his phone, a voice piped up from a few feet away.
"Oh, it's you!"
And there Akechi Goro came strolling over; or rather, strutting would be the right word for it. He really did have an odd walking pattern.
"I'm glad I found you. I wanted to thank you in person. To paraphrase Hegel, advancement cannot occur without both thesis and antithesis..." he said, instantly confusing the other. He wasn't a genius, and he certainly did not know what Akechi was trying to reference.
Akira cocked his head and furrowed his brows. "...What?"
Akechi smiled apologetically. "Haha, my apologies. What I mean is that our discussion was quite meaningful. Few people around me are so willing to speak their minds as freely as you did earlier."
"Oh, uh, you're welcome... I guess?" What do you respond to that? Akira sure as hell didn't know. He was suspecting the detective, and then he comes and thanks him for simply talking to him? That was far from any of the situations he had thought would happen afterward. "I was just being honest."
Akechi pulled his gloves on tighter, as if unsure of what to do with the rest of his body. "I thank you for that. Really, I appreciated your open speech. Would you mind if I asked to speak with you again?" He requested, with a pseudo-smile but genuine curiosity in his face.
Akira pondered his options for a short moment, and then reached into his pocket. "Well, I'm busy, but if you'd like, I can give you my number. I don't mind if you don't."
The fake smile on Akechi's face fell for less than a second, hardly enough for any normal person to realize, as if he wasn't expecting a response like that. Was he expecting Akira just to say sure and then leave? What was he expecting, exactly? Whatever it was, he obviously had planned for it to never come up. "Oh, uh... As long as you don't give it out, I'd like that," he paused, clearing his throat and smiling, no longer a dishonest one. "But I digress. Tell me your number and I'll send a message from my own."
Akira could feel Morgana moving around in his bag, as if trying to tell him to not do it without speaking and risking being heard meowing. Ignoring him, he pulled out his phone and read his contact aloud to him, all while having an odd feeling in him. It felt like... he had done this before? It was as if this exact situation had played out, but something was different this time.
His phone buzzed with a text from Akechi, just saying, 'Hello!', and he pocketed his again.
"I'm usually not too busy on Sundays and on nights later on in the week. If you are able to talk, feel free to message me," Akechi explained, and he nodded in acknowledgment. "Now then, I must get going. I have another interview later today, but it was nice meeting you..."
"Akira Kurusu."
Akechi closed his eyes and nodded, as if absorbing the information to not forget it. "It was nice meeting you, Kurusu-san. You already know, but my name is Goro Akechi. I hope to see you again soon."
With that, he disappeared into the back of the studio.
Akira felt Morgana poke his head back out of the bag. "Is he gone? ...Geez, talk about a problematic guy to get involved with, Akira. Although, you might be able to learn from him..."
He didn't care if the cat thought he was problematic. He was going to talk to him regardless.
In some deep part of his mind, he could've sworn he heard a voice saying he had awoken to the Justice, but he felt that there was more to the detective than just that. Than just justice. Only time could tell, though.
"Sorry for takin' so long!" Ryuji shouted, running up to them. "...Wait, was that Akechi? God, I can't stand that high and mighty attitude of his! Just breathin' the same air as him makes me sick," he grumbled, mock-gagging.
"He's not that bad of a person, Ryuji. Give him a chance."
Ryuji shrugged. "Whatever you say, man. But c'mon, let's go. We'll lose Ann at this rate."
Although that was the end of a first meeting, Akira knew it would be the first of many. It was simply the beginning in a change of time, of a butterfly effect. One simple butterfly flapping it's wings can cause a tornado years later, and maybe one Akira Kurusu being kind to a certain brown-haired boy could cause fate to change.