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Mishima Yuuki - Phantom Thieves’ Return from the Depths -
@shujinyuukim
The past few years have seen tough times for the Phantom Thieves, as they dive from controversy to controversy. Having their whole lives in the limelight can have dire consequences and this new age group has seen it all.
However, at their latest show at the Metaverse Stadium, light shone on the group and while their popularity is soaring, whether the public has forgotten their past scenes and lack of accountability as a group is another question entirely.
It’s no secret the Phantom Thieves bring a new age to mainstream music, with their varying genres and added vulnerability creates a mood to attract almost anyone.
The main singer and centre of the group, Akira Kurusu, has been seeing a rush of interest on social media, with his and synthesizer, Makoto Niijima’s names both trending on platforms worldwide.
Comments: 34.6k
“UHM, AM I THE ONLY ONE SEEING THIS PHANTOM THIEVES COMEBACK?? HELLO?” -g0ros_jersey
“makoto slayed tbh, carried the entire thing” -sssadie56
“Akechi gives me major gender envy at the newest metaverse performance? like sir - give me all the gender” -freyabussy
“Ryuji is all i wanted in PT and more tbh” -xxlovemeryujixx
‘Holy shit’.
The familiar rush of adrenaline hit the group all at once, together, as the audience clapped their hands in fast synchronized motions. Lights blazed directly in their eyes, a swell of nostalgia filling their ever-so-parted breaths. After a particularly difficult show, it can be comforting to see a positive reception from the onlookers.
Especially in the Phantom Thieves’ case, in which this so-called ‘recovery’ is challenging due to two members dawning a public scene over the course of a few months. The air may be tough, but so are they, and they constantly push to better themselves and discard all relationships and personal issues to one side.
With exchanged glances, the Thieves come to identify their strengths as a group, and their discernable harmonization. However, Akechi cannot shake the feeling of guilt stretching out, and the fact he is unable to focus in such an environment
He was never one to get easily distracted, but when rumours and comments about his past mistakes resurface, he lets his control of himself slip away, becoming more and more vigorous as time goes on, the drum sticks fraying as he slams on the crash cymbal and snare drum repeatedly.
As their bass guitarist, Yusuke Kitagawa, stated before the show, playing at the Metaverse is a highly liberating experience, and Akechi cannot afford to falter due to his “irreplaceable artistic tendencies”. Akechi is sure he speaks his own language, he would certainly not call what he does “art” at this point in time, he only ever suffers through the grilling anger, especially when he hears lyrics he spent irreversible time on, from the mouth of the one he loathes the most.
Soon settling into a light strum and letting Ryuji take the lead in an unmissable guitar solo, Akechi laments the factors with the singer that the fans faint over.
“Oi, Crow! You better learn that interlude by Friday or else!” Ryuji spluttered over his guitar, whilst fine-tuning it for slightly too long.
“Yeah, I got it don’t worry.” Akechi chided, nudging his head towards Ryuji’s guitar, “You know, if you keep playing around with those tuners, they might get stuck.” This caused Ryuji to give the former a short glare, in which Akechi shrugged off, and continued stacking his pages on the table nearby the studio.
The once loud electronic music heard by the duo before suddenly ceased and the culprit of said noise sticks her head around the door.
“Would you guys mind keeping the noise down, I’m trying to record a segment with Ann before Akira turns up. I can’t concentrate with your arguing.” Makoto lectures to Akechi and (the very bored) Ryuji.
“Ah, Akira!” Ryuji pauses, “Oh yeah, Akechi ain't met him yet, he’s that guy who we all went to high school with, he basically put us together then ran away to London or sum.” Ryuji quickly mumbled, “Gotta lecture him for that when he gets in.”
“I’m sure he will like Akira; he seems to have that effect on people.”
Akechi has heard about a newbie joining the group, yet he was unaware it would be this soon and shifted slightly. “I trust all your judgements, as you all speak so highly of him, and I doubt you would all befriend him if he was such a bad person.”
Trust was a filled work for Akechi, and even then, he wasn’t particularly sure if he believed the words he said. He could easily say he trusted someone, but deep down he never meant it, it was just words anyway. Fake words, a string of letters together, how could they hurt someone so much?
“You said you trusted me Goro, you said and you promised!”
Makoto had already turned on her heels by the time he finished his sentence, leaving Ryuji expressing a harsh sigh and started warming up his fingers for playing. Akechi walked to the recording studio to listen to Makoto, Ann and Haru.
Through the recording studio door (dawning an infamous bright red “RECORDING” neon sign), Haru had a tablet in front of her keyboard, balancing it precariously, while staying on the beat to Ann’s slow and elegant vocals, a contrast to Akechi’s uncareful drumming, where; the more force, the better.
The sleek chairs greeted him, as he vividly remembers cleaning them just the night before, and took a seat next to Haru, resulting in a jump and a barely audible gasp.
“Akechi, don’t scare me like that!” Haru places her headphones on the chair. “Waiting for Kurusu are we?” She prods.
“Sort of, Ryuji is playing in the other room, and as I am not needed there, I thought to come and wait in here while observing the recording,” Akechi explained, he was waffling; much to his dismay.
“That is fair enough. In that case, could you help me figure out this sequence?” Haru inquired, fingers idly dancing on the keyboard.
“Of course, Haru. I do not mind, what exactly are you struggling with?”
Akira was nearing the end of the song, which upset the audience, but sent a wave of relief into him, as if he heard Akira’s voice any longer, he might just scream. Nobody knows he wrote this song while laid out on Akira’s couch, while the mentioned sat next to him, intently listening to every word he spoke and wrote.
The song reached the climax, Akechi violently strumming his last chords, while Makoto fully stopped, letting the practical instruments take control for the last moments of their first day.
The audience roared and the curve lights shifted to highlight Akira and Ann, positioned at the very front, blocking Akechi, ironically. He lives to know he is the fan favourite nevertheless, looks do go a long way, even if you have an “ugly personality” (and ugly tastes in partners, he’d say).
Muffled crude and lude comments crumbled through the mosh of screams, causing the parties mentioned to noticeably cringe, Akechi included. Akira adjusted his microphone to wish him “sincere thanks” to the audience for “an amazing experience and an enraptured community”.
“We never thought we would make it this far, and we owe it all to you to make this all possible, and it means a lot to all of us!” Akira boomed, metaphorically shaking the stadium. What a fucking liar, Akechi thought. He knew exactly what he was doing and how to entice everyone around his saviour-complex finger.
The stage soon started to shift, Akechi’s cue to begin subtly packing up his equipment for the night, as his takes the longest; due to complicated drum components.
Akira finishes his speech, after Yusuke and Ryuji butting in more than Akechi would like, as it leads to a messy sentence structure, and can be difficult to follow. This is the setting he signed up for, and however much he hated to admit it, it was still extremely thrilling to him.
Akechi had no need to say anything, he dares to speak if not spoken to on stage. Akira would tell him he should get out of that habit, but if anything he said back then was a lie, it was certainly that. It had caused too many problems Akechi does not wish to repeat.
Rustling could be heard from Makoto, as she tied her hair and unplugged her equipment, as the curtains drew to the Metaverse, to prepare for the next band to come on stage.
Akechi sighed as he silently slipped out of the Thieves’ view and into the blind spot backstage. He immediately took off his hand supports and undid the ridiculous haircut Ann had insisted on just the night before.
He took a quick glance at Akira, curls as unruly as ever with a long, arm’s length black leather jacket (for all the emo’s out there, he had said, whilst on a date) trailing behind him, to keep up the persona of the “Joker”, talking to Phantom Thieves journalist, Ichiko Ohya, in which Akechi is less than familiar with. Kissing up to authority, as usual.
“Meet Akira Kurusu, well, mainly Akechi.” Sae, the “manager” had said, practically shoving the boy into the middle of the group.
“A-yo, Akira, it’s been a hot one since I’ve seen you, you know, in the flesh.” Ryuji walked up to him, giving him a high five.
Akira Kurusu looked like an average Japanese man, yet something stood out, possibly the charismatic aura emitted, without even saying a word, Akechi could tell he was going to be annoyingly nice, and Akechi was not about to complain. His attire looked straight out of 1980s London, with a large navy-blue varsity jacket, and a set of loose-cut jeans, paired with short curly hair in a casual side part. The part which irked Akechi out the most was his glasses, which each of the Phantom Thieves’ names engraved, (including Sae, and others he had not heard of, Sojiro, Futaba and Morgana, the group cat, for some reason) into the plastic.
“Ryuji, nice to see you again, it's not the same over text message, I agree.” Akira states. This is the first time Akechi is hearing his voice, outside of old audio recordings and unsurprisingly, its nothing special, but with a hint of nostalgia to traditional accents.
Some of the Thieves lean in for a group hug, or collective high five, Akechi isn’t sure, but he feels obliged to go in and at least introduce himself, first impressions are vital. A first impression takes 3 seconds, but 3 years to change.
“Goro Akechi, or Crow, in the Phantom Thieves, nice to be working with you, Kurusu.” Akechi puts out his hand.
Akira stares with a blank slate face for a split second, and hesitantly takes it, with a breathy “Nice to meet you, Akechi, I’ve heard quite a bit, you really are as beautiful as they say. No need to be so formal, by the way.”
The other Phantom Thieves had reverted to idle chatter, most likely to continue their “reunion” elsewhere, without Akechi.
Akechi wonders what Akira had heard from his “sources” to deduct beautiful, but he plays along, not wanting to seem too distant. “Beautiful is hardly true, but I appreciate the sentiment, you aren’t too bad yourself.”
“How flattering, I look forward to working with you all the same. Now, I must go to actually catch up on whatever I missed.” Akira sighs, “That’s going to be a trip, especially if Ryuji and Futaba are involved.”
Futaba. There’s that name again.
Akira continues, “Unless you want to tag along, you know, get to know each other and all.”
It took Akechi shorter than it should have taken him to reply, but he had no reason not to, he had only heard good things after all, however, it could not hurt to be careful around Kurusu. Akechi cannot help but feel he may be slightly left out,
“I don’t see why not, I wasn’t doing anything either way.”
“Sounds good. Put a coat on, I’ll meet you outside with the others in 5, yeah?”
But, c’est la vie.
--
Ichiko Ohya - Exclusive Interview with Phantom Thieves’ Akira Kurusu
@OhyaPress
After the first day of the “Metaverse Monthly”, the great return of the Phantom Thieves, who reached their peak in 20XX, shook the general public, and we were reminded of their unique playing styles, and their impeccable cooperation with each other, despite many months of the band’s career spent in an indefinite hiatus.
The lyrics to their songs surely hit hard, however, people who tuned into the show on national TV, and on social media, were nothing far from disappointed that drummer, Goro Akechi, or Crow, did not perform his solo song, [reboot] at last night’s live show, however it is theorized that the band didn’t want the song to be under the brand name, and more so, Crow’s name, as a solo artist, which is understandable.
Having said that, after the show, I had Akira Kurusu or widely known as Joker, answer some of the fans’ questions and speculations after the show;
O: “Akira Kurusu, it must be quite a bombshell after suddenly coming into the mainstream media after so long, how do you hope to continue your career with this in mind?”
K: “Ohya, it’s a pleasure to see you again. It is an eye-opening experience to be in the media’s eyes again, if anything it reminds me to stay professional. It makes me extremely happy to see such a positive reception, and if anything, it will boost my plans for PT to become a worldwide sensation, or at least create music that we enjoy for a wide range of people around the globe.”
O: “That’s fantastic to hear! Due to your long hiatus, have any relationships with fellow Phantom Thieves diminished, or grown at all?
K: “Actually, I feel that as a group we have definitely grown closer, as we haven’t necessarily been under the pressure of constantly creating new media, and I feel like it also helps that we weren’t around each other all the time. We tend to bicker a~lot.”
O: “Great. Now for some fan questions; who do you think is the most annoying from the group, and who developed an interest in music first”
K: “Damn, those are pretty good questions, I’ll probably have to think about this one for a bit… For the ‘most annoying’ question, please don’t come for me for this, but I would have to say, Ryuji. I can hear him in my head lecturing me for saying that! He’s great and all, but sometimes his pranks are ruthless, and the number of times he has made noise while in a recording session is too much to count. Well, for the ‘music’ question, we all got into music around the same time, as most of us went to the same high school, that is, except Akechi. However, Ann, her girlfriend, Shiho, Ryuji and I were like, the originals, if you know what I mean, everyone else joined soon enough in high school. Then, Akechi joined just after I announced my study leave.
Comments: 140.8k
“joker calling crow, ‘akechi’ hurts my jokercrow heart, guess it’s really over…” -kyokosramen
“BYE NOT RYUJI MESSING UP ALL THE RECORDINGS BCS HE CANT SIT STILL, we stan an ADHD king in this house” -meisdrag0n
“ANNSHIHO NATION WE GOT CRUMBS FROM AKIRA!!!!!!!!” -REEEAPD
“Akira totally dodged the relationships question to avoid talking about crow… doesnt stop the fanfiction tho!” -taylorswiftmybeloved
“Hey, Akira!… Wait up!”
Akira whips his head around to see Ann frantically chasing after him, having no sense of her volume and the fact she is creating a scene.
“Ann, hello, what’s up?”
Akira hoped she wouldn't notice his melancholy tone, as it would be ‘ungrateful’ to feel a pang of sadness. As a big figure, Akira has always had to hide away his feelings, causing him to often push people away, and not make any meaningful connections, with fear of the relationship appearing one-sided, so when he waits patiently for Ann’s reply, his leg begins to bounce, however, with no bad intentions.
“Oh, what’s with the long face? Uhm well, I don't know, you just seemed to walk off without telling anyone, then you kind of just disappeared.” She stammers, “I don’t really know where I’m going with this, but I’ll get to the point. The rest of us, and Shiho, are going for dinner in a couple..”
“Ann, listen to me.” Akira grabs Ann’s shoulders, causing her to flinch slightly, “I know I may have been off the rails during the hiatus, getting hella drunk and shit, I wasn’t in my mind. But, man, fuck, it doesn’t mean that I don’t want to be a part of Phantom Thieves you know if it means getting on with Goro, I mean, so be it, we aren’t like, we aren’t enemies you know, at least in my eyes, I still, I love where I am, I’m just..” Akira lets go, “Going through a lot, you know, the adrenaline is hitting me again, and I realise how much I fucking love where I am.” Akira finishes when he sinks slightly and said “Sorry, that was a lot.”
Ann just stood there, a shaken expression softening, “Of course, I apologise for you know, assuming that you are a bomb, ready to pop. Now coming to think of it, I should have asked Goro after, because you know, he’s kind of like that. But, I don’t know if you both realise, if you don’t sort what you have out, it’s gonna impact all of us, as a group. You did it once, so just, be careful. Whether you guys, can just stand each other or become friends again, I don’t care. It’s not you, I can say that, Goro is difficult, he’s extremely difficult and stubborn, but if you do nothing, nor will he.”
Akira slums down even further, however, he feels better after talking to Ann, and understands the weight of all his actions as a creator.
“Yeah, I’ll make sure I stay civil, I’ll try my hardest.”
Ann replies “Good, I expect positive results”, and struts off on the harsh wooden floor, leaving clacking and the wisping of her ponytail behind her.
Akira thinks about returning to his dressing room, to change out of his token ‘Joker’ attire, which was since damp with sweat and creased to hell.
However, fate had other plans.
“Hello, Akira.”
Akira faintly jumps, composes himself, and musters up a response of one word, “Uhm, Akechi.”
Akira wonders if he is here for personal matters, but quickly shuts that train of thought down with a ‘No, that ship has sailed, Akira, get over yourself’
“I assume you have heard the news about Ann’s organized dinner, I will be attending, and I don’t usually meddle in work-related businesses, but when it includes my friends, I feel the need to pull a few strings, if you may.”
Akechi is rambling, Akira knows that is a habit he does when he is nervous, and frankly, he doesn’t know what to do with that information. He will be forced to get used to this goddamn feeling of nostalgia, and knowing something he shouldn’t.
Akira straightenes, mimicking Akechi’s posture, “I have heard, what about it, if you’re here to tell me not to go I won’t-”
“No, I won’t force you to do anything, I just came here to say, I will not be attempting to ‘pull’ anything, and nor should you.”
Akira sighs, he’s fed up with the same thing being said, “For fucks sake, it’s always me! Yeah, I won’t, I know my place.”
Akechi does not stutter, “Good.”
He brushes past Akira, their shoulders lightly grazing, and Akira curls his hands, digging his nails into his palms.
“Karaoke, let’s fucking go!! Akira, you choose the best places, you all are gonna swear by my singin’ voice!”
“I doubt that Ryuji, my ears will bleed.”
“Nah, Ann, I’m tellin you, you ain’t heard nothin’ yet.”
“Okay everyone, calm down, we are here, and no getting drunk, I know I’m driving, but keep the drinks to a limit.”
“Yes Monsieur Kitagawa” All but Akechi chorus.
Akira claps, almost on cue, “It’s alright, it’s on me today.”
“Akira, that’s very nice of you!”
“Nah, it’s the least he can do after betraying us and leaving us for 8 months, you traitor!”
“Futaba, you’re not even in the band! You jus’ got sister privileges.”
“Yeah? What if I did, still better than you.” Futaba stuck her tongue out and leant over Akira, who pushes her away.
“That’s enough, you two! You’re scaring the new guy.”
The Thieves all got out of the car, ironically, in alphabetical order, and walked across to the receptionist. Ann begins to talk to the receptionist and log in, while Haru pipes up.
“Well~ Technically, you’re the new guy, because, Goro joined before you in the timeline of the Phantom Thieves being an actual thing.”
“Yes Haru, the specifics don’t matter.” Akira waved his hand, soon enough, which hit Goro in the face, causing him to cover his nose with his hands.
Akira twisted around to look directly at Goro and stifled a snort.
“Oh shit, Uhm, Akechi, was it? Are you okay?” Akira laughs “I didn’t mean to, uhm- stop looking at me like that.”
“Looking at you like what?”
“Like- you know what, never mind, I’m not sorry anymore!” Akira pouts and looks the other way.
“That’s quite rude, I’ll have you know, taking back an apology on the first meet doesn’t set a good first impression.”
Lucky for Akira, Goro had already made his first impression, and it was one he didn’t make often. Ann ushers them to their booth for the night, before Akira gets to rebuttal Akechi’s sentence, but Akira does reply with a smirk in Akechi’s direction.
Yusuke’s deep, brooding voice reverberated throughout the booth, and Akira whisper-shouted to Ann, “I didn’t know Yusuke could actually sing!” he folds his arms, “I almost feel betrayed.”
Ann took this to her advantage to shout,
“Yusuke, Akira says he’s surprised you can sing and you have such a beautiful and luscious voice!”
“Ann! That is just not true.” Akira turns away “But, you can keep going.”
“Thank you, Akira. In that case, I will dedicate my next song to you.”
Yusuke sang “Never gonna give you up”, which ended in fits of laughter from almost all the Thieves, and Akira brushed his fingers over his face to imitate crying, with a dejected expression.
After Yusuke, it was Futaba, then Akira. As Yusuke was almost finished, Akira was prompted to choose a song. He was a singer, but that wasn’t what he was worried about, his main problem lay in which song to choose. He didn’t want a song that is too serious but didn’t want a song that was too dramatic. He’s never cared so much about what song to pick for a karaoke performance, so Akira began to stare at the light-beaten walls directly next to Yusuke.
He took a deep breath and chose a safe option, that would get a reaction.
Futaba may seem like a secluded introvert at first glance, but when surrounded by the people she is comfortable around, she was able to loosen up, and put on a performance of a Billie Eilish song, that clearly everyone but Akira knew. He assumed Futaba did a good job by the reactions of the rest of the Thieves.
“Futaba ‘got bars, what the fuck!”
“Told ya I’m pretty good.”
“It sounded slightly squeaky and off tune, but it sufficed in terms of accuracy.”
Futaba scowled at Makoto, “Okay, there’s no need to analyse me! I’m not a test subject.”
All had gotten distracted by Futaba’s surprisingly good (on her terms) performance, except Akechi, who had sat through the entire song with a bemused facial expression. Akira furrowed his eyebrows at him, questioning if Akechi was a member of the Phantom Thieves, he seemed distant and detached, opting out of singing at all.
“Akechi, uhm, so, before anything else, I really want to y’know, apologize for earlier, didn’t mean t’hurt you. You seem slightly on edge, have you never been to karaoke before?”
Akechi looks stunned for a second, before stiffening up, “There’s no need for you to be apologizing over and over again, it is such a waste. It is perfectly fine, however, I failed to speak up before in that I have never met Sakura before, so I can’t help but feel misplaced.”
“Ah right, well, in that case, here’s some background info,” Akira picked on the hem of his shirt, “Well, she’s my sister, not a member of the Phantom Thieves, but she has lived in Yongen-Jaya for well, longer than I have. She pretty much stays inside most of the time, thus why you never see her, she’s around though, in the walls. I mean that literally, she has the whole place bugged, for someone who is a recluse, she sure has a genius IQ in coding and programming.”
That startled Akechi suddenly, and was not relieved of the nervousness he felt, clearly Futaba wasn’t the problem, “She has the studio bugged, I feel sorry for her, the number of things she must have heard in there must be worth a lifetime.”
“Oh yeah, you bet, and I heard all about it,” Akira mimicked a shivering motion, “Just thinking about it makes my skin crawl.”
Akechi slightly chuckled at Akira’s reaction, his eyes curled up slightly, softening the overall shape of his face. Akira, amused, smiled at the fact he could make Akechi smile.
He enjoyed this feeling, however, this caused him to forget to savour the moment, and he would curse himself for it later.
He looks back and tears well at the thought of making the one he longs for the most smile, but it is in the past now.
“Akira, please stop flirting with Goro, it’s your turn now.” Haru objurgated
Akira huffed, and picked up the microphone, earning booing from Ryuji and Ann.
“Yeah yeah, we get it.”
Ann laughed “It's not my fault you are just here to show off, we all know you’re good at singing!”
“Hey! I don't even know anymore, I haven't sung like this since I left, you know.”
Ryuji huffed, “And knowing you, you’ll be just as perfect. Show us how it's done, leader.”
“As you wish.” Akira flipped the microphone back into his hand.
The lyrics to “Set Fire to the Rain” began scrolling down the screen behind Akira, so the rest of the thieves could see.
Akira took a breath, to level out his breathing pattern, and began to perform the song with a slow, melancholy tone, to match the melody in the background.
I let it fall, my heart
And as it fell, you rose to claim it
The backing track sped up into a rock number, which sparked a few surprised looks from the majority of the Phantom Thieves, but gets an eye roll from Ryuji, Ann, (to who Akira sent a wink) and surprisingly, Akechi.
My hands, they were strong
But my knees were far too weak
To stand in your arms
Without falling to your feet
“I don't know why you make me feel like this Goro, and I don't know if you feel the same. At this point, I'm not faking it, I have failed myself.”
“Failed yourself?”
“I, Look, I don't know, but I know one thing for certain,”
But there's a side to you
That I never knew, never knew
All the things you'd say
They were never true, never true
And the games you'd play
You would always win, always win
“I really like you, Goro. I enjoyed all the time we spent together, since the beginning, maybe more than I should've. Fuck, Goro, I loved it, and I loathed it when you'd just, just, I felt like you were leading me on, with y’know, how you would act with girls. Like, were we just dancing around eachother, with the three-layered games. It's just, it's stupid, but I just led myself on, then we, y’know, I just couldn't,”
Goro took a long breath, “Akira. You never did anything wrong, I promise you, but I have a feeling you don't know what you're getting into with this. I enjoyed our time too, and I hated it just as much that I did. I admit that much.”
“What does that mean?”
But I set fire to the rain
Watched it pour as I touched your face
Well, it burned while I cried
'Cause I heard it screaming out your name, your name
When I lay with you
I could stay there
Close my eyes
Feel you here forever
You and me together
Nothing is better
“This means, that I undeniably feel the same way. I like you a lot as well.”
“I don't understand, but, the Metaverse… I mean, I'm, I'm happy that you do, I thought that you weren't interested.”
I set fire to the rain
And I threw us into the flames
When it fell, something died
'Cause I knew that that was the last time, the last time
Sometimes I wake up by the door
That heart you caught must be waiting for you
Even now, when we're already over
I can't help myself from looking for you
“It’s not too complicated to decipher, Akira. I was protecting myself from the fear that… that you wouldn’t feel the same.”
“What…? So you really… what the fuck.”
I set fire to the rain
And I threw us into the flames
When it fell, something died
'Cause I knew that that was the last time, the last time, oh
“Yes, I really do like you, I want you to like me too.”
Oh, no
Let it burn, oh
Let it burn
Let it burn
“Akira, that was incredible! The switch to a rock number was quite unpredictable, but somehow fits with your character really well.” Haru replies
See, a safe option.
A small amount of clapping was heard from all the Thieves, as they did after each performance.
“Yeah, I sang along too! At least you didn’t go for that obscure indie shit nobody listens to.” Futaba exclaimed.
“It is not obscure, you can’t say anything, all you listen to is anime soundtracks-”
“I enjoyed the performance Kurusu, I see why the rest of the Thieves seem to take a liking to you,” Akechi commented
“I tend to have that effect on people I’ll have you know!”
“Akira!” Makoto chided.
“It is perfectly fine, Makoto, Akira is only saying true statements after all.”
“Wha-”
Akechi quickly spoke before Akira was able to get any words out.
“I believe he only means well.”
Makoto sighs, illustrating that she has fully given up, “If you say so.”
Futaba comes into focus, shaking her head, “He’s too far gone already!”
“Shut up, Futaba!” The Thieves chorus.
“Damn, you guys are no fun!” She dramatically flails her arms to her sides.
“Sorry to ruin a key bonding moment, however, our time in the booth is almost up. Yusuke adjourned.
“Ugh, and there wasn’t even enough time to get wasted!”
The Thieves began to pick up their stuff, in which they had little, and Ann had left a generous amount of money on the table of the booth, as an apology for the mess of food and alcohol they had left behind, most of which belonged to Ann, Akira and Ryuji.
“A pity.” Akechi lipped, dripping in sarcasm against Ann’s prior statement.
“Indeed. Oh-so-sad, I’m so sad I’m able to show no sad emotions!”
“You don’t show any emotions, Futaba!”
“I do!”
“I know we don’t often do toasts at the end of day 1, but I feel that today has been a great milestone, and the overly positive feedback has proved that. Our performance today was incredible, and I would not change anything about it, despite a few slip-ups, we managed to pick ourselves up again. So I would like to toast to an aspiring future, is there any objections?”
Akira and Akechi exchange glances relaying Yes, him.
“Great!”
“To an aspiring future!” The Phantom Thieves synchronically brought their glasses to the middle of the table, earning a clamorous clink, and the rose-tinted liquid all over Akira’s blazer sleeve.
He audibly sighed, tonight could only go one way, that is straight down into the six-foot ditch he made for himself.
“So what do y’all want to eat? I haven’t been to a place this fancy since high school y’know!” That was clear enough, as Ryuji refused to button up his shirt fully, leaving the front button undone, and a tie loosely hung around his neck. His blazer was cropped up to his forearms, and the buttons on his sleeve were left untouched.
Akira has even less of an idea of what to order, so he opted for a classic cuisine, Tonkatsu, which he knows he likes.
After everyone has ordered their meals, Akira settles into his seat, taking off his blazer and placing it on the back of his chair, next to Ryuji and Makoto.
“I would be lying if I said I wasn’t exhausted after today, I don’t know if I can afford to stomach anything.” Akechi spluttered.
“I’ll second you on that one, honestly, I can’t stop thinking about how my guitar was tuned ever so slightly wrong throughout the whole performance.” Yusuke places a hand on his forehead, showing his distress, “I attempted to fix it, but I suppose I just made it worse…”
“Same! Except I did a completely different key during the chorus, I mean, a whole key, can you believe it?”
Ok, maybe Ann was underestimating the number of mistakes they made when she said ‘despite a few slip-ups’, it was slightly more than a few. A lot more than a few.
The air was tense and thick as if time unhurriedly ticked by wasn’t already enough. Conversation was small but worthwhile in the end, particularly discussions about personal life, relationships and common problems caught Akira’s attention, as he never gave up an opportunity to open up to the people he loved the most. He had often shut them out, the door of feelings slamming shut and sealed with the crystals of time, the slobbery, moist figment of time, melted by the sun. While he never abused substances, it did not stop his bandmates from insinuating that Akira had very much gone insane.
“I still feel like we all did extremely well, I mean, have you seen the press?” Akira swiftly dragged his phone to the middle of the table, displaying rows of positive comments from varying social media.
“my man don't do shit unless you got that drip” -ababababy
“Yusuke’s performance was just…. sent tears to my eyes” -aerosolscandie
“I’m glad the public thinks so highly of me, I truly do put my heart and soul into my art.” Yusuke presses a hand to his chest, crumpling his necktie.
Akechi dips his head up from the phone, eyebrows raised, “Did you really screenshot these?”
Looking presently at Akechi, Akira tilts his head, shellshocked at Akechi’s condescending tone, sending more chills down his spine, “No, not all of them, I only screenshotted the best ones.”
Akechi twirls his fork in between his index finger and middle finger, releasing twangs of anger to Akira. Akechi mumbles something under his breath, and Akira’s hair sticks up in agitation.
What is he even doing?
“Sorry, I didn’t hear you properly? Can you say that again?” Akira didn’t mean to provoke Akechi, but clearly, this action set off a chemical reaction between the two, lightning boiling through their glares.
“I said, wouldn’t that waste your storage?”
That is certainly not what Akira heard, and as he was already in the heat of the moment, decided to press. Akechi’s voice was filled with venom and vile liquids. They were the only ones in the room as far as they knew.
It’s said they lived in their own dimension most of the time, especially during periods of serious commitments, they would never notice anyone else, only each other, as that’s all they needed, and they never suppressed that.
“I swear you did not say that.”
Akechi’s posture stiffened, “I most certainly did.”
“Oh, come off it,” Akira’s waves his hand to the side, “You can stop lying and putting on that princely persona.”
“I’m not- what on Earth are you talking about? If you're assuming I would take jabs at you, I’m over that angsty period of my life.”
I’m in too deep now.
“Oh? I’m sure you would adore ‘taking jabs’ at me, would you not?”
Akechi laughs, “Oh, you’re really up into your head now, not everything is about you, Joker.”
Stop saying my name like that.
“If only. I’m sure I’m in your head, even late at night, when you just can’t keep it in your pants.”
That was slightly far, even Akira could admit, that was uncalled for, but he is in the moment now, and cannot afford to lose this chess game. Not anymore.
Akechi slits his eyes, “ You should take that back.”
“Akechi-”
“In your dreams. Oh wait, I’m probably in them.”
“Guys-”
At this point they blocked out any background noise, glares sharper than razor edges. Akira has almost gotten checkmate in his mind, just push a bit more.
“Your wrong, and you know your wrong.” The ‘know’ was emphasized, raising his voice with every word.
“Am I though?”
“Guys! You’re attracting so much attention!”
Shit I'm in a room.
Customers at the restaurant fell silent, and being major public icons, devices fell naturally in their hands, and flashes blinded and blared directly into Akira's lenses (albeit fake lenses). The Thieves paused, still untrained on how to deal with public press, despite being the center of it for months.
From their current knowledge, they knew they had to retreat as soon as possible, they could not risk any more press coverage. This one scandal will leave the media full for weeks.
The world moved in slow motion in that moment. Pillars morphed into sinister monsters, different personas, with inhumane structures, all laughing, with cameras, to capture Akira's eyes only.
They screamed instructions, how to act, how to dress, how to talk. It was never up to him, and it always ended like this.
Can they stop recording for one second, can barely think straight?
Sleek, and black. Akira was frenzied to say the least, barely being able to compute the events and change in demeanor from the rest of the Thieves. They were doing the work in this moment, pushing some of the questions away, and covering phone cameras.
One moment Akira was playing a chess game in his head, tactically picking his next move,and the next, he was dragged out across thin ice, the door now being barged shut with deep nails and bars of wood.
I've really fucked up this time.