Chapter Text
Why are we here? Akira asks himself, not for the first time.
It’s a question based on the fact that he could be in his shared apartment right now, raiding Ryuji’s snack collection while having a semi-productive and very casual study session with his two best friends. Instead, he’s being held captive in the library for an unforeseen number of hours while his ex-best friends and newly appointed kidnappers continue to very badly lower their voices as they bicker in this snackless hellhole.
It’s at the very least better than when Akira helped Ann and Ryuji study for their college entrance exams a while back, a feat that had involved waking up ungodly early in the morning to go running, or to go to the gym while quizzing them on questions. For every wrong answer they had to run another lap, or do another ten minutes on the elliptical—all punishments that Akira unwillingly got dragged into every time.
Akira thought that getting accepted into their university would make his friends take their classes a little more seriously. But inevitably, some things never change.
Midterms begin in only a few days, so the campus library is a bit more crowded than usual, most of the tables and computers having been taken by exhausted looking students. Still, despite the number of people in the building, it’s remarkably quiet. It just goes to show that they probably should have taken Akira’s suggestion and moved their group study session elsewhere, but of course he’d quickly been outvoted. Both Ann and Ryuji claimed that they’d get way too distracted unless they were somewhere they had no choice but to study.
Of course, judging by their current loudly whispered topic of conversation, that particular brand of logic doesn't seem to be working out for them either.
“I wish I had a hot girl who could help motivate me to study,” Ryuji laments, slumping low enough in his seat that Akira’s a little worried he’s going to fall out of it. It’s the posture of someone who has completely given up on ever passing college, a plight whose remedy consists of a certain blonde model kicking him under the table. It’s a common method of attack from Ann Takamaki and Akira’s own shins ache in sympathy.
“Hey!” Ann says, shooting Ryuji a glare. “I’m sitting right here you know.”
Straightening in his seat, Ryuji gives her a look and pointedly moves his legs out of kicking range. It’s a familiar enough sight, the two of them have bickered like siblings for as long as he’s known them. Or maybe it would be more apt to compare them to an old married couple, although Akira values his life too much to ever say that out loud.
“You don’t count,” Ryuji tells her before turning to address Akira again, a sly grin in place. “I mean, I saw this vid once where a chick removed a piece of clothing every time the guy got a question right.”
“That’s not really something I would admit to watching,” Akira says, amused.
“It wasn’t like that! It was a movie!”
“You’re so gross, Ryuji,” says Ann with such genuine disgust that it would make any aspiring actress seethe with envy.
“Shut up! I’m just saying, if I had Akira’s ability to pick up chicks, I’d be set, man.”
“Akira just dates anyone who asks him out,” Ann says, kicking Akira under the table this time. It’s a little unfair, Akira thinks, considering that as per usual, he’s been trying to maintain neutral ground between Carthage and Rome. But it seems even neutrality is eventually punished in times of war.
Akira frowns. “What’s the problem with that?”
Rolling her eyes, Ann says, “It’s like I told you after your last breakup. Before you date someone, you need to actually believe that you’d work well together. You know, chemistry and all that.”
Ryuji groans and slumps over the table, resting his head in his arms. “Please don’t mention chemistry. I’m so screwed for this midterm, studying has never been this hard.”
“You never study, Ryuji,” Akira says, which earns an immediate shove.
“Shut up!”
“Shh!” Ann shushes him, her disapproving gaze moving between them. “You guys are going to get us kicked out! It’s a miracle the librarian hasn’t come over here yet.”
Akira thinks that’s also a little unfair of her, considering she and Ryuji have been doing the equivalent of acting out a daytime TV drama in the middle of the campus library, while Akira silently sat and watched. But, either way, she does have a point.
Looking to see if the librarian in question has noticed them, Akira turns his gaze towards the front desk and—
And like a meteor falling towards orbit and tearing through the atmosphere, Akira’s entire world halts on its axis. It’s a sudden crash-collision, his world exploding into fireworks as he’s gifted by the image of the most stunning person he’s ever seen in his life. Never has Akira believed in love at first sight, and he wouldn’t define this under that blanket term, but he does face a sudden attraction unlike any he’s ever felt before. The desire to know the person before him, to become a part of his life somehow.
The guy in question stands behind the library counter, his pretty features pulled into a prominent scowl, looking as if he’d rather be anywhere but here as he flips through the textbook on the desk in front of him. His caramel hair looks soft to the touch, tied back in a short ponytail, while a pair of nerdy glasses sit on the bridge of his nose—accentuated by the even nerdier argyle blue sweater vest he’s wearing.
“Yo dude, what are you looking at—“ Ryuji’s voice cuts through the sudden rose-tinted fog in his mind. “Oh shit, is that Akechi?!” He hisses. “That asshole is in my Ethics class, he constantly sucks up to the professor and tries to make the rest of us look bad.”
“I’m sure you don’t need his help with that,” Akira says, tearing his gaze away from the angel sent from above to aim a teasing grin at his friend.
“Hey! I’m being serious here!” He leans in over the table and lowers his voice as if telling them a secret; although, because he’s Ryuji, he only ends up speaking about an octave lower than normal. “It’s like he thinks he’s some big shot. Probably came from a rich family or something. Not that that’s a bad thing, but he doesn’t have to act like he’s better than all of us because of it!” he says, flailing his arms a little, really starting to get into it. “You know Haru actually asked to be his partner on a project because the guy clearly doesn’t have any friends and she’s nice like that. Then that asshole turned her down because he ‘didn’t need her help and would rather do it by himself’. Who does that!? It’s like he can’t take a hint and realize that he needs to get the stick out of his ass before anyone will actually like him—“
“Ryuji!” Ann hisses, cutting him off as her gaze lands on something over his shoulder.
“What—“
“Sakamoto-kun,” says a voice from behind them, sweet as honey with a hint of melted caramel. Akira knows exactly who a voice like that must belong to, even before he turns around to see the boy of his dreams (as of approximately three minutes ago). “It’s unusual to see you here,” Akechi says to Ryuji with a saccharine smile. “You never did seem like the studying type.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?!”
“If you would please lower your voice, there are other people here who actually have something they’re striving toward.”
He’s such an asshole, Akira thinks with a fond smile. He might be a little bit in love, and not even the minor offense to his best friend can do anything to change that. Sorry, Ryuji, he thinks as he rewrites his internal motto as ‘hoes before bros’ in his mind.
“So what if I don’t spend all my time studyin’? At least I know how to have fun, unlike you—“
“Ryuji, enough,” Akira cuts him off, catching the surprised, caught-off-guard look on Akechi’s face moments before he masks it again. Sending an apologetic look Akechi’s way, he tells him; “Sorry, we’ll be sure to be quieter.”
“You’re taking his side?!” Ryuji squawks in betrayal.
To be fair, there’s really no ‘sides’ involved when it comes to stopping Ryuji from escalating a situation past salvaging. Not that it makes him feel any less guilty for sacrificing his best friend in the name of hot campus librarians. But he masks the guilt the best he can, maintaining a veneer of cool as he looks Akechi in the eye and slouches casually in his chair.
“No, but like Ann said, we were getting loud.” He offers a charming grin, trying not to be distracted by the pretty burgundy shade of Akechi’s eyes, now that he’s earned his full attention. “I’m Kurusu Akira and this is Takamaki Ann.”
“Hi,” Ann waves.
Akechi spares her a polite nod before returning his gaze to Akira. He seems to size him up for a moment, something that might be curiosity parsing his expression, before the emotion is once again replaced with polite distance.
“Akechi Goro,” he introduces himself, somewhat stiffly.
“You work here?”
“Is that a serious question?” Akechi asks with that same polite smile from before and Akira immediately feels like the world’s largest dumbass. Of course he works here. And now Akechi definitely thinks he’s an idiot.
“It’s just strange to see a student running the campus library themselves,” Akira quickly says in an attempt to save face. “I didn't see anyone else behind the counter.”
“They trust me to close in the evenings,” Akechi says with a vaguely suspicious look, as if not sure why Akira would be pointing that out. “I’m in the work study program, if you’re honestly curious. I don’t believe students can get jobs on campus otherwise. Although, I’m sure there are far better job opportunities elsewhere.”
Ryuji mutters something under his breath and Akira tries not to pay attention to it. He definitely owes Ryuji several dinners worth of ramen by now, maybe even a life supply.
“Not your first choice for a job?” Akira asks. “It doesn’t seem too bad.”
“It’s not that. It’s…well, nevermind.” Akechi gives a small shake of his head. “I should be heading back now. Although, I would suggest keeping you friend on a leash,” he finishes with a sharp glare pointed in Ryuji’s direction. The effect is instantaneous, with Ryuji’s predictable outraged outcry being quieted only by Ann’s attempts to shush him again.
“Noted,” Akira says, and notes the subtle twitch of Akechi’s lips, as if he’s struggling to hide a real smile. Then with that, he’s turning around and heading back towards the front desk, leaving Akira to deal with the consequences of his own actions.
“What the eff dude?!?” Ryuji blurts immediately, looking at Akira like he doesn’t even know him anymore.
“You did say some really mean things about him,” Akira says with an apologetic smile. He tries to channel with his eyes the depths of his sincerity as well as the amount of money he’s willing to spend on ramen. Ryuji might have a genuinely impressive appetite, but Akira’s willing to write it off as a necessary expense.
“Yeah, I say you kinda deserved it,” Ann says, sealing herself as Akira’s partner in crime… or possibly just as his friend who will never give up the chance to argue against Ryuji. The latter’s probably a little more likely, but still, Akira will take what he can get.
“You too?!?” Ryuji says with the utmost accusation before finally slumping in defeat. “Ugh, fine, whatever, let’s just get back to studying.”
Akira pats his back. Ramen, he channels through his mind, hoping the power of their friendship will transcend the physical boundaries of speech. I’ll buy you so much ramen.
He’d say it out loud, but then Ann would also want in on that, and really his pockets were only so deep. He was still a college student after all.
Once he’s confident that at least a portion of his message must have gotten across, Akira opens his book to get back to studying, but not before throwing one last glance towards the front of the building. There, behind the counter, Akechi is frowning to himself, expression pensive in a way he hadn’t been earlier. It’s as if he’s thinking hard about something, and Akira can’t help but wonder if he’s still thinking about what Ryuji said.
Akira will talk to him. Not today, because he had studying and an irritated blond friend to worry about…but maybe tomorrow.
***
Two days later, it’s about 7 o’clock in the evening, the same time that Akira had encountered the angelic librarian before. There’s no way of knowing if Akechi will be there, it’s not as if Akira has any idea what his work schedule is. And yet, he lucks out as he steps through the library doors to find the very person he’s looking for flipping through the pages of a book behind the counter.
Today Akechi Goro has traded his argyle blue sweater vest for a green plaid one, and his glasses and short-ponytail combo is just as cute as before. There are a few slightly murderous vibes that he’s giving off, particularly to the person who steps up to the counter before Akira has a chance to, prattling away about something or other while Akechi is forced to smile and listen. It’s not a particularly convincing smile, Akira thinks as he hovers off to the side, waiting for his turn to speak with the beautiful librarian.
Akechi might seem as if he doesn’t want to be bothered, but Akira’s sure that he can improve his mood. It’s not as if Akira is a regular library patron who’s going to take up his time with asinine questions he could figure out himself.
That’s why Akira’s not nervous at all as he approaches the counter once the other person steps away. Nope, he’s not nervous in the least, the sudden sweatiness of his palms is just a result of his unending confidence leaking through his skin.
Play it cool, play it cool.
“Hey, it’s Akechi, right?” Akira asks, the absolute epitome of coolness as he leans against the counter, giving Akechi his most charming smile as he does so. Of course, Akira couldn’t have actually forgotten his name if he tried, he’s been circling it around in his head for the past 48 hours like a lovesick teenager. But it’s probably for the best to keep that part a secret.
Rather unfortunately, Akechi doesn’t immediately blush or even brighten with recognition. Instead, he just continues staring blankly, as if trying to figure out why Akira is talking to him. It’s not the best reaction he could have hoped for, but he’s not giving up yet. Maybe Akechi just has a really bad memory. Soon he’ll recall the chemistry they had in their previous conversation and will fall straight into his arms.
“Ah, you’re Sakamoto’s friend, correct?” Akechi asks after another moment, his polite smile beginning to look a little pained.
In his mind’s eye, Akira pictures himself at one of those batting cages he used to visit back in Tokyo. He swings and completely misses the ball. Strike one.
“Yeah, Kurusu Akira,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck—an old habit brought on by nerves.
“Right. Well, can I help you with something?”
This is it. Akira knows that this can go several different ways. There’s the idealistic part of him that imagines himself valiantly asking Akechi out while he flushes scarlet and readily agrees, eager to start their life together. Then there’s the other more grounded part of him that imagines himself asking the question only to have Akechi laugh in his face and reiterate what Akira already knows, that Akechi is way out of his league.
“I wanted to ask if you’d like to go out for coffee,” Akira asks as casually as he can manage, deciding just to go for it. “I know a really nice place.”
“Why?”
Akira blinks.
He had known that this could go several different ways, and yet in none of his daydreams did Akechi ask why he was being asked out. The strangest thing is, it seems like he honestly means it—judging by the way his brows have crinked in clear confusion, a small frown gracing his pretty features.
“Why do I know a place or…?”
Akechi gives a slight shake of his head, his eyes narrowing.
“No, why are you asking me?”
Oh.
And so, there are a lot of ways Akira can answer this. He can tell him he’s beautiful, say that he’s never been entirely captivated by someone in the way that he’s been entranced by him. He can tell him that he wants to know more about him, that he seems like someone worth knowing. But instead, Akira finds himself thinking back to that conversation with Ryuji and Ann the other day, and he blurts;
“I think you and I would be good together.”
The words hang in the air between them, Akechi’s brow rising in open skepticism as one of the most tense and awkward silences Akira has ever experienced descends. He sends a silent prayer to whatever gods are up there to please open a sudden hole in the ground that he can fall through. He doesn’t even care where it leads, anywhere has to be better than here.
“Charming,” Akechi says finally, in a way that makes it clear he didn’t find it very charming at all. “Although, I’m afraid I’m not interested in dating.”
…One day a meteor will come crashing through the atmosphere, killing him instantly, and Akira will finally know peace.
Through the sudden sting of rejection, Akira becomes aware of two students coming up behind him, forming a line with books held in their hands. Knowing they probably overheard that, he cringes a little from the secondhand embarrassment. Nothing quite like getting flat out rejected with an audience.
Still, he’s not about to give up yet.
“As friends!” Akira quickly attempts to rectify with all the grace of a man crashing his ship and then desperately holding onto the last sinking piece of plywood. “We can just hang out.”
With that, Akira smiles and throws every last ounce of his charm into it. It’s a smile that he’s sure could break hearts if he used it properly. Although, this time he’s only met with a blank expression, sans a visible twitch of Akechi’s brow, as if he’s trying to withhold himself from murder.
Akira braces himself for what’s sure to be an incoming storm, an unavoidable hurricane, when Akechi suddenly plasters on a fake smile with the utmost expertise, as if a switch had just been flipped.
“You’re holding up the line,” he says pleasantly, a sudden chill emitting from the atmosphere and freezing Akira to the bone. “Is there anything else I can help you with?”
Akira slumps, thoroughly defeated.
“No…that’s all.”
With that, Akira turns and heads back toward the entrance of the library. As he leaves, he feels several gazes on his back that should probably fill him with mortification, but shame is the last thing on his mind. It takes a backseat to the cogs slowly turning in his head, his mind working to figure out the riddle on how to steal Akechi Goro’s heart.
Akechi might have rejected him this time, but maybe that was due to how he approached the situation. A guy like Akechi probably has people asking him out all the time, so it makes sense that he would immediately shoot Akira down without first knowing about how serious he really is about this.
No, Akira might have lost this round, but he’s not giving up without a fight.
He’s just going to need a different approach.
***
In times of intense hardship it’s vital to maintain a level head and keep moving forward…even when plagued by the desire to turn around and march back to your off-campus apartment where there’s blankets and ice-cream. Akira’s pretty sure it’s some overly sweet chocolate concoction, courtesy of Ann the last time she came over for movie night. Not his favorite, but he’d take what he could get.
Maybe it’d be best to walk away now and save himself the embarrassment of another rejection…but then again, Akira’s never been one to do things the easy or logical way. He’s always been resilient, supporting his friends and never backing away from dangerous situations. In fact, Akira loves a bit of risk, lives for a bit of danger and a thrill.
And so, he doesn’t hesitate as he walks through the library doors and heads straight towards the front desk. It’s once again quiet in the library, probably on account of it being Friday evening after exams. Akechi however, is apparently stuck working for the night, still completely alone behind the counter, the same as always. He has a book open in front of him again, and Akira has to wonder what kind of college student would be spending their free time at work reading instead of passing time on their phone. Especially since exams are over. It doesn’t exactly look like there’s anyone around who’d get him in trouble for texting.
Akechi glances up as he approaches, maroon eyes striking in the low light. Akira’s heart flutters relentlessly, but he pushes past the sudden attack of butterflies and offers a somewhat sheepish smile and a small wave.
“Hey.”
“Oh. It’s you again,” Akechi responds, expression somewhat bored as he looks back down at his book, flipping to another page. “If it’s a date you’re looking for, I’m afraid I’m once again going to have to decline.”
“Actually I’m here for book recommendations.”
At that, his gaze returns to Akira’s own.
“...Book recommendations,” he echoes.
“Yeah.”
It’s maybe not the best plan in the world, but if there’s one thing he understands about building relationships, is that there has to be some kind of connection first. A point of commonality, or shared interest. Akira might not know much about Akechi Goro yet, but if there’s one thing he does know, it’s that he reads.
He can work with that.
In fact, Akira once read a book on speed reading and gained two times the proficiency. If there was such a thing as a professional reader, Akira would probably be that guy…and if not the book said he could get his money back guaranteed.
Although, he probably should have looked into that more.
“Do you have a particular genre you’re interested in?” Akechi asks after a small eternity, his eyes sharp as if still waiting for the punchline.
“Not really,” Akira shrugs and rubs at the back of his neck. “I’d be fine with anything really. Unless you maybe have a favorite romance–””
“Here.”
In one smooth motion, Akechi slips a book out from under a pile next to him and shoves it toward Akira’s chest. He manages to grab it but still gets pushed back a little from the sheer force of the motion. Looking from Akechi’s face to the book now held in his hands, Akira reads the title aloud.
“Republic by….Plato.”
It’s very obviously a pretentious philosophy book that no college student in their right mind would have a fun time reading. If Akira hadn’t already labeled Akechi as a major asshole before, this definitely would have done the trick.
When he looks up, Akechi has that false pleasant smile plastered on again; although this time there’s a glimmer of real savage amusement written in the piercing shade of his eyes. A certain smugness in his posture.
“I could always point you in the young adult section if that’s more your speed,” Akechi says cheerily, “although I’m afraid I don’t have many frames of reference for those types of books.”
Oh, this bastard is enjoying this.
Immediately rising up to the silent challenge, Akira places the book back on the counter along with his student ID.
“I’ll take this one.”
***
Akira always considered himself an intelligent individual.
In fact, he’d been near the top of his class back in high school, even if his fellow student populace never believed it. He knows that every time they saw his test score near the top they would gossip about how he probably cheated, or how he probably threatened the teachers to change his grades. He knows because he overheard it. They were never exactly subtle.
But things are different now. No more baseless rumors, no more pressure over getting questions right in class out of fear that he might encourage the gossip. That doesn’t mean that he still doesn’t get that same anxiety now and again—the fear of getting low grades and getting thrown out of his high school while he was still on probation—even though he’s in college now.
Maybe that’s why trying to read an incredibly complex philosophy book in one sitting has turned into a private challenge instead of an increasingly impossible pursuit. He’s not even sure if Akechi is the only thing that’s grabbing him by the back of the neck and demanding that he spend the entire rest of the night reading…even though the thought of him is definitely a good motivator.
“Mroww.”
“But you’re always the best motivator, Mona,” Akira assures his favorite feline companion, scratching him behind the ears and earning a pleased purr.
Technically they weren’t allowed pets in this apartment complex, but they couldn’t exactly kick him out for something they didn’t know about. And Akira can be very stealthy when he wants to be, no matter what Ann might say on the contrary.
“Exams are over, you know?” Ryuji says as he sticks his head through the doorway to Akira’s room. “What are you still reading for? Come on, help me beat the slime king.”
For a moment, Akira once again knows weakness. He wavers at the sweet temptation of playing video games for the rest of the night and worrying about reading the rest of this godforsaken book tomorrow.
…And yet, with the amount he has left, there’s no guarantee that he’ll even be able to finish tomorrow, then Monday would come and he’d need to skip going to the library to see Akechi. The bastard would probably be so smug, thinking that he finally won, and Akira would not give him that satisfaction.
“Not tonight,” Akira says, resolute. “Why don’t you ask Futaba?”
“No way, dude. She’s gonna know I’m only askin’ because I need help, and she’ll never let me live it down. For the rest of my life it’s going to be; ‘Remember Ryuji, when you couldn’t even beat a pile of slime? How are you gonna win at anything else?’ I can’t live with that, man!” He frowns, peering down at the thick book sitting in Akira’s hands. “Shit, you can’t tell me that a professor seriously gave you homework the weekend after exams.”
“They didn’t. I’m doing this for fun.”
There’s a moment of silence as Ryuji processes what he really just said. And then;
“Dude.”
“Someone gave it to me to read and I don’t want them to think I’m not interested,” Akira quickly attempts to defend himself, only to realize how that must sound when Ryuji’s lips pull into a knowing grin. “…In the book.”
“The book, right.” Ryuji says, his grin widening. “I get it, man. How hot are we talking here?”
“Over a ten,” Akira answers truthfully, earning a low whistle.
“Damn, does she have a friend you can introduce me to?”
Akira imagines asking Akechi if he happens to have a friend who Ryuji could date, and then has to try very hard not to laugh. He considers telling Ryuji the truth, or at the very least telling him that his romantic interest is a he not a she, but ultimately decides not to do either. It’s probably very against bro-code to pursue someone your best bro hates, so that’s probably a topic suited for another time. A time when there is more forgiveness ramen involved. ….Or at least with several drinks and Ann for backup.
“I don’t think so,” Akira says instead and only feels a little bad about it.
“When will it be my turn?” Ryuji bemoans, visibly slumping where he stands. Akira would give him a good natured pat on the back if he were closer, but as it is, he just continues to sit there and silently watch Ryuji lament his eternal struggle with finding women. Thankfully, after a moment or two, Ryuji finally seems to shake off his dark cloud and straightens again. “Well, I’m gonna go play video games. Good luck, man.”
And with that, he’s gone. Off to defeat the slime king.
Akira prays for his safety in the journey ahead.
Preparing to return to his own arduous task, he looks down at his lap and is greeted with two bright blue eyes staring up at him, unblinking and full of feline judgment.
“What? There’s no way I’m telling him who it is.”
“Mrow.”
“I’ll tell him eventually.”
“Mrrrrow.”
“I do not have it bad,” Akira says to Mona, sure that his ex-favorite feline companion is insulting him in his cat language. “Maybe I just so happen to have an interest in Philosophy.”
Because sure Akechi might be incredibly attractive with an adorable prickliness, like an angry kitten. And maybe Akira is currently speed-reading an entire Philosophy book just to get a chance to talk to him, but it’s not like he’s in love with the guy. It’s a bit of a crush, that’s all. Akira could walk away from all this if he really wanted to.
Morgana just continues to stare at him with the utmost feline skepticism, and Akira promptly ignores him in favor of returning to his reading.
***
Monday nights in the library seem to be somewhat similar to how things are on Friday evenings—not overly crowded since most students tend to procrastinate their intense studying or homework sessions to later in the week. Akira knows how it is, he himself has a paper due on Friday and he’s probably not going to start it until Wednesday…at the earliest.
Of course, Akechi Goro appears to be as engaged in his work as ever. He doesn’t even seem to notice Akira as he approaches, and it takes Akira placing the book on the counter in front of him for Akechi to finally look up.
Up close, Akira can make out the faintest hint of dark circles under his eyes, a single flaw that he seems to have tried to hide under a thin layer of make-up. Just what else are you trying to hide? Akira can’t help but wonder as he looks at him, sure that there’s so much to Akechi Goro that no one ever gets to see. It’s just a hunch really, but Akira’s always been an expert at reading people.
“Ah, Kurusu,” Akechi greets, sounding surprised to see him. He straightens where he stands, fiddles a bit with the collar of his shirt, drawing attention to the tie he’s wearing over his white-button up, as well as the lack of sweater vest. It’s not that Akechi doesn’t always look nice, but he looks even nicer than usual, and the worst case scenario suddenly becomes a very real possibility.
Swallowing thickly, Akira offers a weak smile. “Hot date tonight?”
“Hm?” Akechi follows Akira’s gaze down to his choice of clothing, adjusting the knot of his tie. “Oh, this? No, I had a mock trial for one of my classes.”
It might be a little pathetic how much relief he gets from that one simple sentence, but Akira does his best not to show it, opting for a casual;
“How’d you do?”
Akechi’s expression turns smug. “I won, of course.”
Hot.
“So…no date then?” Akira leans against the counter. Turning on the charm, he allows his momentary relief to fuel his courage. “Does that mean you’re single?”
“Would it upset you if I wasn’t?” Akechi responds with a saccharine smile, proving himself to once again be immune to all of Akira’s best tactics. Still, Akira can’t help but be amused, finding himself adoring all these little quirks of Akechi’s more and more with every interaction.
“Now you’re just being mean.”
Akechi hums in answer. Tucking a strand of hair behind his ear and averting his eyes, Akechi focuses his attention on the book Akira had placed on the counter between them.
“I take it you’re returning this?”
“Yeah. There were a few good points, but I don’t really agree with most of them.”
With his hand freezing on the book, Akechi looks back up at him, the smug pride wiped clean from his face. He tilts his head curiously, a flash of honest intrigue clear in his eyes.
“Oh? How so?”
“I think Plato had a very black and white view of society,” Akira tells him, shoving his hands in his pockets and slouching with his hip propped against the counter. “There’s always going to be people who are only interested in their own gain, it’s impossible to make a perfect world unless you have some way of making every power hungry leader honest.”
“An interesting way of looking at it,” Akechi says, and sounds as if he honestly means it. “You’d change the potential leaders before attempting to make society wise enough to know when they’re being fooled.”
“It’d probably be easier. Even if you made it so all people were able to make informed decisions, that’s still not taking into account the nature of society itself. People will almost always side with whatever’s the most popular opinion.
“You’re suggesting there’s power in the collective unconscious,” Akechi deduces, raising a hand to his chin as he considers that. It’s a cute look on him, and Akira can’t help but feel proud of himself for making him think. “An interesting hypothesis,” Akechi continues after a moment. “Perhaps that’s what makes us so susceptible to tyranny. One person spews a few well worded lies, and if they convince enough people, society will hand them the power to rule without ever bothering to think past their surface-level understanding.”
“Sometimes you don’t even need a ring of invisibility to be invisible,” Akira shrugs. “Most of the time people just see what they want to anyway.”
“The Ring of Gyges,” Akechi says. “I’m impressed.”
“You didn’t think I’d read it.”
“Admittedly, you didn’t strike me as the type to have an interest in philosophy.”
Akira flashes a smug grin. “I’m full of surprises.”
Akechi looks at him for a moment, and then slowly, a small smile pulls at the corner of his lips. Something quiet. Something real. “So it seems,” he agrees while Akira tries to get the fluttering in his chest to calm down before he ends up having a physical reaction to it. But it’s hard to continue to act casual when he feels as if Akechi is truly looking at him for the first time, as if he’s successfully made the first step in earning his respect.
“Got any more recommendations for me?” Akira asks in the form of a playful challenge once he regains his ability to speak. With renewed confidence, he waits to see what Akechi’s next move will be.
Akechi doesn’t answer immediately, his gaze cast off to the side and his fingers playing a tuneless melody against the countertop, lost in thought. Then, without warning. he turns around and slips a book out from a nearby pile, just like he did last time. Akira’s heart picks up a renewed tempo in his chest as Akechi places it on the counter and pushes it towards him.
“I’m interested in hearing your views on our justice system.”
And…the excited butterflies immediately die, turning into a small pit in his stomach as he stares at what appears to be either a reference book or a small textbook. Looking back up at Akechi to see if he’s actually serious, he’s met with that same mildly amused little quirk of his lips, the smugness radiating off of him in waves. Akechi Goro certainly has no intention of making this easy for him.
But Akira understands the gesture for what it is. It’s a challenge, one that he wants to see if Akira will surpass. And even more importantly…
He knows that Akechi Goro wants to see him again.