#ren x sae

[may-lutlone]

what do you mean sae palace wasn't like this fjdndmmxmx

[akechisstinkyfoot]

reunion with a ghost

[icespur]

Incorrect Quotes Akeshu #104

Sae: Why don’t you go talk to him? Akechi, sarcastically: Oh. Yeah, sure. Sae: What? So you go tell him he’s cute, what’s the worst that could happen? Akechi: He could hear me.

[meiko333]

Pride Icons of my Favorite P5 Ships

Like and/or reblog if you save/use

[samasmith23]

A Study in Justice & Romance: Defending Makoto Niijima's Confidant Line

Regarding the romance options with Persona 5 Royal's confidant lines, I personally decided to have the protagonist, Joker, enter a relationship with Makoto Niijima during my initial playthrough.

In addition to Makoto & Joker having earnest & adorable chemistry together, but I chose to have the protagonist date Makoto because the latter ended up being my favorite character in the game overall due to her phenomenal arc as an intelligent socially awkward honors student who actively chooses to help victims of injustice as she gains the courage to stand up against the corrupt adults in her life who expect her to unquestioningly conform to societal norms. Developments that are greatly reflected through Makoto’s confidant line, or social link subplot.

While I’m aware that Makoto’s confidant line is not as well regarded by a sizable portion of P5’s fan base despite the character’s overwhelming popularity in general, I personally believe that Makoto’s confidant arc is criminally underrated! I loved seeing Joker spend free time with Makoto as she attempts to be more interactive & helpful to her peers as Student Council President. In particular, Joker assists Makoto’s efforts to help her new friend Eiko Takao escape an abusive relationship with a sleazy club host named Tsukasa. Essentially, Makoto’s confidant subplot functions as a great extension of her character development in the game’s main plot, since it further forces Makoto to reconcile with her past naivety to the interests & concerns of her fellow students despite her obvious book-smarts.

These developments come to a head during the Rank 9 scene of Makoto’s social link, wherein she confronts Eiko after she investigates her boyfriend and learns that Tsukasa has a reputation within the Tokyo underworld for forcing vulnerable girls into debt to exploit them both financially & sexually. Things come to a head though when a desperate Makoto literally tries to slap the lonely & confused Eiko back to reality while trying to convince the latter that her "boyfriend" is just a criminal trafficker. Heck, Makoto even almost attempts to directly physically challenge Tsukasa before Joker intervenes to protect his friend.

This scene is emblematic of both Makoto’s strong desire to bring about justice for victims of horrific crimes, as well as her own shortcomings derived from her social naivety & brash impulsiveness. Makoto later acknowledges to Joker that her slapping Eiko & trying to physically challenge Tsukasa is reflective of her tendency to not always consider the potential risks or consequences behind her actions in social situations before immediately acting on them. Character flaws that Makoto is determined to overcome after having spent the past several years of her teenage life suppressing her emotions to misguidedly appease authority figures in both her school & family life.

In essence, the Eiko situation is not the first time that Makoto is portrayed as acting so recklessly. Specifically, during the Kaneshiro arc of the game Makoto allowed herself to be captured to discover the location by the aforementioned money-grubbing Mafia boss when he began extorting students at Shujin Academy. Makoto was determined to prove her worth to others after being dismissed as "good girl type of pushover" and "useless" by individuals like Goro Akechi & Sae Niijima respectively, but Kaneshiro exploited Makoto's desperation by blackmailing both her and the Phantom Thieves into financial debt. While the game makes it clear that both Eiko's abusive "boyfriend" and the mobster Kaneshiro are fully to blame for their abhorrent actions, Makoto recognizes in both situations that she can act overly reckless due to having previously bottled up all her emotions to maintain a composed exterior because that’s what Japanese society expected from her as the traditional honors student who obediently followed the orders of authority figures, whether it be Shujin Academy's corrupt principal or her own older sister Sae (plus, I also personally headcanon Makoto’s lack of proper socialization skills and sometimes inappropriate reactions as her potentially being on the autism spectrum, similar to how her teammate Futaba Sakura is heavily autistic coded).

Additionally, the player learns throughout Makoto's confidant arc that her personal sense of justice is heavily inspired by her late father, who in addition to being a single parent who raised Makoto & Sae all by himself following their mother's passing, was a law enforcer who was tragically assassinated while attempting to shut down a human trafficking ring in Tokyo's red-light district. Makoto grew up with an idealistic perception of her father, seeing him as someone who worked tirelessly to protect the victims of horrific crimes exactly like those that Makoto's friend Eiko is at risk of falling prey to in the present day. However, Makoto briefly lost sight of her justice due to the increasing societal pressures that both she and her sister faced following their father's passing. In addition to Sae being forced to stressfully work up the ranks as a legal prosecutor for Japan's Special Investigation Team (SIU) in a sexist male-dominated industry (and her own sense of justice becoming heavily distorted in the process), Makoto herself misguidedly believed that like she had to be the unquestioningly obedient honor's student to not dishonor her older sister's status (which would only increase Sae's stress).

It's only upon awakening her persona, Johana, during the Kaneshiro arc and discovering her inner resolve as a member of the rebellious Phantom Thieves, that Makoto begins reevaluating her passion for studying. Remembering her father's advice, "The most important part of your life is how you choose to live it," Makoto's confidant line is about rediscovering her idea of justice by actively choosing to become more socially involved with the interests and needs of her fellow classmates. Furthermore, it is Makoto's experiences with Eiko in particular that inspire her to want to continue studying not simply because it’s what is expected of her in a patriarchal capitalist society, but because she wants to utilize her knowledge & intellect to protect her fellow students from the world's injustices. This is a goal that Makoto understands that she can’t achieve if she’s all alone, which leads her to actively choose to have Joker help her become more socially interactive and on the level of her peers. 

If I did have one criticism of Makoto’s confidant line, however, its her ultimate decision to academically pursue a career of becoming a police commissioner. While I do understand that Makoto simply wants to continue what she views as her father’s legacy of bringing justice to the victims of some of Japan’s most underreported crimes like sexual assault & human trafficking (which is sadly accurate IRL as well…), her wanting to become a police commissioner to achieve that goal does feel somewhat at odds with P5 Royal’s in-depth condemnations of systemic corruption throughout society, INCLUDING law enforcement. Police corruption is reflected in various examples throughout the game, including Makoto’s older sister Sae having a palace in the Metaverse after her heart became distorted when she actively enabled Japan’s infamous 99% criminal conviction rate to advance her own career as an SIU prosecutor, as well as both the Japanese police and SIU being under the direct payroll of one of the game’s main antagonists, the ultra-nationalist fascist politician Masayoshi Shido,

Despite my objections, I do strongly disagree with critics who argue that this single uncomfortable oversight in Makoto’s otherwise phenomenal confidant arc automatically “regresses/undoes all of her character growth.” As overly naive and idealistic Makoto's career goals & perception of her late father are, they do still make sense from both a narrative and character perspective. The core theme Persona 5 Royal is about reforming society through finding the willpower to stand up against & change the hearts of corrupt authority figures & systems. This is something that Makoto repeatedly demonstrates through her actions as a Phantom Thief, whether it be through emulating her late father’s sacrifice when she rescues Eiko from a human trafficker, her changing Sae’s distorted heart when the latter’s sense of justice is negatively influenced by corrupt bureaucracy, to her opposing the aforementioned Shido’s vast political conspiracy. In this regard, I choose to adopt a more charitable reading of Makoto’s future career dreams by interpreting her as continuing to be a Phantom Thief while eventually growing up into a figure like Batman’s Commissioner James Gordon, who is similarly portrayed as actively fighting against systemic corruption within both Gotham City’s police department & its other bureaucratic institutions (in contrast to a negative example like Harry Potter, who never even tries to reform the Wizarding World’s corrupt status quo and ultimately becomes a slave-owning wizard cop after Voldemort’s defeat). After all, Makoto herself freely acknowledges right before the base game’s final boss battle with Yaldaboth (a false god that serves as the physical embodiment of the corrupt status quo itself), that:

“Victory against a single criminal is meaningless… the true enemy is society itself. Regardless, this isn’t a solution with a straightforward answer. But even if there is no clear solution, I’ll just have to make one… with my own two hands. Before [the Phantom Thieves] came along, my life was defined by rules, set on a path of someone else’s choosing… but only a true loser would live such a rigid life! I… I will win… even if it means going up against the entire world!”

In large measure, it was Makoto's actively willingness to actively strive for positive change within both herself and society as a whole, combined with her keen intellect & altruistic passion for justice despite her social awkwardness & naivety, that ultimately factored into my decision to select the romance option with Makoto’s confidant line. In my playthrough of P5 Royal, I had Joker offer to to become Makoto’s “study partner” when she questions if she’ll ever truly understand romance after a heartbroken Eiko accused Makoto of being doomed to “flunk a test about love.”

The romance option between Joker & Makoto just felt like a natural progression & culmination of the unique bond that the two formed during Makoto’s Confidant Line after joining the Phantom Thieves. Spending time with Joker whilst fighting against systemic corruption and "those rotten adults" in both the Metaverse and the real world helps Makoto realize her own personal sense of justice that is derived from her passion for studying, rather than distinct from it. Additionally, both Joker & Makoto have natural chemistry with each other as intelligent & capable leaders who possess a strong sense of justice (heck… Makoto rarely left my party during combat missions due to her strategic intellect in identifying enemies’ weaknesses as well as her balanced offensive & defensive abilities). Plus, their romantic dialogue & “studying” euphimisms are just hilariously adorable! It was a welcome change of pace to see Makoto be the one to take initiative and ask for consent in the relationship instead of Joker, since most media sadly still downplays or denies the reality that women have their own agency & desires regarding their sexuality.

But yeah, I definitely ship Makoto & Joker as my personal canon couple in Persona 5 Royal due to the former's rich character development & heartwarming chemistry with the main protagonist! While Makoto may have started the game as the "pushover good girl type" who blindly obeys the whims & expectations of the adults in her life simply because it is what society expects from her, she quickly evolves into the Phantom Thieves' strong-minded battle-strategist who is motivated by the unselfish desire to provide justice for the victims of society's injustices. Those elements, combined with Makoto's continual willingness to learn & improve upon her personal shortcomings, as well as her social awkwardness despite her book-smarts (which I heavily related to as someone on the autism spectrum who consistently earned all A's & B's back in high school and college), that made her the breakout character P5 Royal for me!

Overall, it was through completing Makoto's confidant line that I was able to gain a deeper understanding & appreciation of the ideals which define her signature "fist of justice," while also having my heartstrings tugged at as she chose to study areas in life that she lacked experience in such as romance.

[frickingnerd]

Persona Masterlist

Persona 5

➤ Phantom Thieves

➤ Confidants

Persona 4

➤ Investigation Team

➤ Social Links

Persona 3

➤ S.E.E.S. Members

➤ Social Links

➤ Strega & Velvet Room

Persona Spin-Offs

➤ Masterlist

[smellbringer]

Romancing Makoto in Persona 5 is the funniest shit if you imagine it from Sae's perspective. Sae finally catches a notorious criminal and, as he's pleading his case about how he was framed to her, just randomly goes off on a long tangent about how he's banging her sister.

The definition of awkward.

[vexieeeee]

Persona 5 Masterlist

(f) - fluff, (a) - angst, (af) - angst + fluff, (s) - smut

Ren Amamiya:

Nothing yet...

Ryuji Sakamoto:

Nothing yet...

Ann Takamaki:

Nothing yet...

Yusuke Kitagawa:

Nothing yet...

Makoto Niijima:

Nothing yet...

Futaba Sakura:

Nothing yet...

Haru Okumura:

Nothing yet...

Goro Akechi:

Nothing yet...

Sumire Yoshizawa:

Nothing yet...

Sae Niijima:

Nothing yet...

[fangirlingpuggle]

Very very dumb Akeshu AU idea where soulmates share each others pain or Persona users share pain via their persona’s.

Just the interrogation happens but Sae leaves and see’s Akechi and he’s leaning against the wall and seems to be fucked up on the same drugs they gave Akira so plan is fucked. Sae now has to get both idiots out while dealing with the two realising they are soulmates and there really weird relationship. Like she cannot tell is they’re threating each other or fliting or if they’re trying make out of murder each other.

Sae:YOU TWO DO REALISE TRYING TO KILL EACH OTHER IS NOT FLIRTING RIGHT?

It’s the longest car ride of her life and she shows up at LeBlanc just throws the two of them at Sojiro ‘You deal with them now! They’re a package deal now please tell me you have alcohol I NEED a drink’

Bonus the personas share the pain instead so Interrogation scene happens and Akechi is trying to repress any feelings about killing Akira and tries to talk to his personas who are both high... like they’ve been drugged... and neither felt a pin in their head and....

Akira is trying to calm down when Akechi barges back into the room after the plan was over and he should be freaking out but Akechi is trying to rescue him now? He’s not sure but he hasn’t been shot yet.

[blackhakumen]

Mini Fanfic #1122: Worrisome Phone Call (Persona 5 X SSBU)

8:54 p.m. at Niijima Apartment.......

Makoto: (Finishes her Assignment While Sitting on her Couch) ('Sigh') Okay. There's a three more questions to answer left. ('Starts Yawning a Bit') Might be more trickier than the last, but-

'Cellphone Ringtone of Makoto's Theme Song'

Makoto: (Picks her Phone Up From the Coffee and Answers the Call) Hello?

???: (Calling From the Other Line) Makoto?

Makoto: (Immediately Recognizes the Voice) Oh hi sis. How's it going? (Smirks a Tad Bit Playfully) Is your date night with Dr. Takemi-san going well so far?~

Sae: ('Sigh') It went as well as we hoped. (Rolls her Eyes) 'Till a certain Ren-Ren came by the café, covered in bruises.

Makoto: (Eyes Widened in Complete Shock as She Quickly Gets Up From her Seat) WHAT!? HOW!? WHY!? W-WHAT HAPPENED!!?

Sae: He got himself into a bar fight. Apparently some..he.. big demon guy came in and punched him out of nowhere.

Ren: (Voice is Heard on the Other Line) Don't forget he has horns!

Sae: ('Sigh') Big demon guy with horns, punched him.

Makoto: ('Sighs in a Bit of Relief') I take it he's doing okay right now, huh?

Sae: Yep. His injuries will take a little while to heal properly though. Wanna talk to him?

Makoto: Yes, please.

Sae: (Gives Ren her Phone) Ren, here. And please refrain yourself from making my little sister worry more than she already is right now.

Ren: When have I ever made your sister more worried about me?

Sae: .........................

Ren: N-Nevermind. I see your point. (Starts Speaking to Makoto Thru the Phone) Hey, honey. How are you tonight?

Makoto: (Sits Back Down on the Couch) Worried about you as always. Was what sis told me just now is true?

Ren: ('Sigh') Yeah, I got my ass handed to me earlie-AHHAHA! (Suddenly Winces in Pain)

Tae: (Speaking on the Other Line) I can't treat your wounds properly if you gonna keep jumping around like that, Guinea Pig.

Ren: Well, maybe WARN me before you start rubbing that on my cheeks! It stings like hell!

Tae: Well, using 91% of Rubbing Alcohol could do that to ya. Best you can do is wise up and take it like a man. (Continues Rubbing a Alcohol Filled Cotton onto Ren's Bruised Cheeks as She Snickers a Bit at the Sound of his Pain Enduced Pain) You baby.

Makoto: Best to listen to the doctor, Ren. You can do it~

Ren: You're laughing at my misery too, aren't you?

Makoto: (Trying Her Hardest Not to Expose Herself in her Laughing) N-No! No, of course not, I would never. ('Clears Throat') I'm just happy hear you speaking.

Ren: (Smiles Softly) Good. I'm sorry I made you worried for like the hundreth time now.

Makoto: Actually, you've made me worried one hundred and thirty seventh time in the row thus far.

Ren: (Sounds Surprised) Oh god. It's THAT many?

Makoto: (Snickers Again) No, I just made those numbers up. But it is close to that. But in all seriousness though, for real this time, how are you feeling right now?

Ren: Well, other than exhaustion and stingy amount of- PAIN! (Felt an Alcohol Filled Cotton Touched his Cheek Again)

Tae: Sorry. Forgot to warn that time.

Ren: (Let's Out a Heavy Sigh) I'm just glad to be home right now.......

Makoto: ('Sigh') You and me both. I always figured going to college would be an advanced challenge, but I didn't imagine it would be this tiring....

Ren: Yeah, it tends to do that to your psyche. But don't give in just yet. I know you have what it takes to make it big one day.

Makoto: (Happily Nodded to Ren's Words) I never planned on it. Do you....still want to work at the bar after what happened earlier?

Ren: Yeah, I think so. The bar fight sucked, but I'm not gonna let it get to me forever. I'm more worried for Uncle Rodin if anything.

Makoto: Oh right, Mr. Rodin! How is he? Is he okay?

Ren: Last time I saw him, he was pulverizing the big, horns guy to a pulp hard enough to transform into his Devil form. No way in hell I'm getting near that crossfire.

Omega: Ren, your mothers are calling you on your portable phone. Shall I answer and give them the update of the current situation?

Ren: No! Omega, whatever you do, don't answer that call! Just let it ring.

Makoto: (Eyes Begins to Widened Again) What!?

Sae: Ren Amimaya, are you planning on keeping this under wraps from your own mothers?

Ren: Not forever! Just for tonight. And maybe in the morning too.....

Makoto: (Sighs While Pinching the Bridge of her Nose) Oh my god, Ren.....

Sae: ('Sigh') Dear lord......

Tae: Wait, time out. You have moms now, Guinea Pig?

Ren: Yep. A witch and a goddess. My actual parents disowned me long while ago, so they decided to adopt me as their own. You should need 'em sometime they're great

Makoto: How about meeting them right now, Doctor?

Ren: ('Sigh') Makoto-

Makoto: Nonono. Don't you "Makoto" me, mister. You know as well as I do that not telling them will only lead to more problems.

Ren: I know that! But they're on their anniversary date right now and the last I want to do is ruin it by making them worry. And possibly killing Uncle Rodin.

Omega: Phone is still calling!

Ren: Keep letting it ring, big guy! They'll quit eventually.

Makoto: Highly doubt it.

Sae: You realize you're delaying inevitable, right?

Ren: The inevitability for me to fall asleep?

Sae: ..........You know what I'm talking about.

Tae: You are really poking a hornet's nest here, aren't you, Guinea Pig?

Ren: Just being cautious here. It's not like they're gonna drop everything and come over-

Futuba: (Downstairs) OH REN!~ YOU GOT SOME COMPANY!~

Ren: ......It's.....probably Ryuji or-

Bayonetta: RENNYYYYYYYYYYYY!~

Palutena: WHERE ARE YOUUUUUUUUU!?~

Sae: You were saying?~

Ren: ('Sighs in Defeat') Already standing corrected. Omega, tell them I'm upstairs, will ya?

Omega: Affirmative.

Omega's footsteps echoes through Makoto's phone a bit.

Makoto: (Smirks Playfully) I'm guessing it's time for you see to see your mommies now, hm?~

Ren ('Sigh') Seems like it.....Congrats, Doc, it looks like you'll be meeting them after al- AH! SERIOUSLY!?

Tae: Apologies. The excitement got best of me there.

Ren: LIAR!

Sae: Ren Amimaya, are you accusing my girlfriend of lying!?

Ren: YES I-

Sae: ........................

Ren: No! Nope....I-I'm not accusing anyone.

Sae: You better not.

Makoto: (Giggles Softly at Her Love One's Banters Between One Another) As much as I would love to hear more of your banters, I really have to get back and finish up my assignments for the night. But I'll come by and visit you first thing tomorrow morning, okay?

Ren: Sure thing. Make you get some sleep afterwards, alright?

Makoto: (Giggles Softly) Worrying about me now, aren't we?~

Ren: Can't have you looking out for my well being and not do the same, you know?

Makoto: I suppose not. I love you so much, Ren-Ren~

Ren: I love you too, my queen~

'Ahem'

Makoto: ('Sigh') And I love you as well, sis. Thank you so much for looking out for my boyfriend this evening.

Sae: Don't mention it. Your Ren-Ren has been a pain in a neck as always-

Ren: Hey!

Sae: But he's still a good boy regardless.

Tae: You forgot the reckless part, 'hon.

Sae: Ah, yes sorry. He's a good, reckless boy, I mean.

Ren: I hate you two so- AH!

Tae: Okay, that one was actually on purpose this time~

Ren: (Gritting his Teeth) I can see that, Doc.......

Makoto: (Syarts Giggling Once More) Okay~ I see you three are clearly busy now, so I'll leave you be then. Have a goodnight!~

As the phone call finally ends, Makoto begins to let out a huge sigh of relief before going back to her assignment studies for the rest of the nest.

@keyenuta

@princekirijo

@cyber-wildcat

@albion-93

@caleb13frede

[blackfliesinbluesugar]

I literally don't even know why i ship ShuYuu it's just cute ig lmao

[narrators-journal]

The perfect method of stress relief

After such a tedious day of dealing with criminals and judges and perverted lawyers or cops, Sae Nijima needed to blow off steam. Something better than a simple bubble bath, or a trip to the gym to practice her martial arts. On days like those, she had one last method to relax. A last ditch method to blow off the steam of her work.

The main issue? It required the help of her baby sister’s old school friend, Akira Kurusu.

Yet, with how his mouth teased the soft flesh of her breasts, the moral issues of his connection to her sister felt so far away. And with each following kiss and lovebite he left on her skin, it simply got further and further away.

”Don’t stop.” She ordered while her fingers gripped Akira’s shaggy, coal-dark hair to keep his face buried in her chest. The ex-phantom thief only capable of grunting in acknowledgment of her words while he sucked a hickey onto her sternum. Yet, he was allowed to pull away enough to readjust his position and instead take a pert nipple into his mouth. Moans, meanwhile, slipped from her lips at each fresh spark of warmth that flitted down to her core.

That was exactly why Sae always overlooked Akira’s status as Makoto’s old friend, or even his old crime record from his time as Joker. His lips were simply too good, and his hands were strong, yet gentle as they massaged and pinched the mound that wasn’t currently under the attention of his tongue. Besides, while Makoto and Akira were still friends, they’d grown more distant in the years that had trickled by. So, surely her baby sister wouldn’t be too mad if she knew of their little exchanges.

So, the silver-haired woman simply relaxed into her bed and let Akira get a brief breath before she drug his mouth back to her skin with a dark look. And, that was all it took to get the man back to what he was doing. All while Sae laid beneath him, letting out soft moans and hums at each new bolt of warmth, her hold on his fluffy hair loosened to a more affectionate grip as she arched her back and further pressed her full breasts into the man’s face.

Whether or not he could really breathe didn’t matter in that moment, the silver-haired prosecutor only cared about the selfish enjoyment she got from each swipe of his hot tongue over her nipple, or lovebite to the sensitive skin of her breast. Which, she could admit was a bit selfish, but this was her method of stress relief. She could make it up to Akira afterwards.

[smokedhamu]

P5 X AITSF I am back with more crossover brain rot, this time with Akechi & Ren being Psyncers. Also Sae as Boss, I am feeding myself at this point-

[meiko333]

Happy Valentine's Day!

Like and/or reblog if you save/use

[prbni]

"Had she initiated a peck, he would have turned it into an intense lip lock" pairings in KDramas

Ku San Young(Kim Tae Ri) and Lee Hong Sae(Hong Kyung) in Revenant

Cha Se Eum(Kim Young Ae) and Yoo Jeong Jae(Lee Moon Sang) in Maestra: Strings of Truth

Lee Gang Hyeon( Park Ji Hyun) and Jin Yi Soo(Ahn Bo Hyun) in Flex x Cop

Lim Jukyung(Moon Gayoung) and Han Seojun(Hwang Inyeop) in True Beauty

Oh In Joo (Kim Go Eun) and Choi Do il(Wi Ha Joon) in Little Women(2022)

Kang Nam Soon (Lee Yoomi) and Ryu Shi Oh (Byun Woo Seok) in Strong Woman Kang Nam Soon

Kang Sol A(Ryu Hye Young) and Han Joon Hwi(Kim Bum) in Law School

Bonus: Japanese Drama Couple

Didn't get a better GIF for them

Kokuryu Kirika(Mio Imada) and Tennoji Haru (Meguro Ren) in Trillion Game

[sharkdenwrites]

Hello, Hello! (⁠人⁠*⁠´⁠∀⁠｀⁠)⁠｡⁠*ﾟ⁠+

May I request "Can I call you tonight" w Goro Akechi with a female Reader ?

A/N - oml, sorry this took me so long to get out, I was in China to see my grandparents until today and wrote this is a haze in between naps on my 13 hour flight on the way back. It wasn't what I was originally planning to go with, but I like this version better :3

CAN I CALL YOU TONIGHT - AKECHI x FEM!READER (Request 1)

cw: none rating: G

Akechi was screwed. He really messed up this time.

His finger hovered over your name in his phone. Instantly falling for you was a mistake, a gross miscalculation that had his mind and heart in conflict. He knew it was a bad idea, letting his emotions get the better of him. That didn't change the fact that he had added a little heart to your contact info.

You reminded him of Robin Hood with your pure heart and good intentions.

He felt so bad lying to you.

Previously, before meeting you, he hadn't found a good reason to live. Sure, he was playing Shido's game, but things had only grown more complicated with the development in Sae Niijima's Palace. In that wretched casino, he'd seen the worst of his senior colleague's psyche, the manifestation of her desires led astray. Between that and meeting that bastard Ren Amamiya, he'd begin to question whether what he was doing was actually worth it.

Then you'd bumped into him at his favorite jazz club. You had a gig lined up as a guest singer with Lyn, the usual vocalist. He discovered that you were a vocal student, one of the most promising soprano singers in Tokyo at the moment. He was entranced by your voice, like a songbird with an innocent twinkle in your words.

What was he supposed to do? You were everything he wasn't, what with your flowing ensemble of multilayered skirts and sleeveless blouse. You were even decorated with little hummingbirds, which helped project your picture of freedom and purity. Your hair was done up in a half-up-half-down bun with two hair sticks that twisted around themselves and ended in pearls. Everything about you screamed "good."

He was enamored, but kept his distance that night. Just his luck that you'd run straight into him as he was slinking out of the club.

"Oh, I'm sorry, sir! I wasn't watching where I was going, my apologies." You had bowed deeply before meeting his inquisitive gaze, voice ringing sweetly through the empty hallway. Akechi held his breath, expecting you to recognize him and start bothering him for an autograph.

"You're Goro Akechi, right? Fancy meeting you here! What a funny circumstance." Giggling, you had straightened up and offered a hand out in a gesture of goodwill. "I thought a great detective like you would be busy solving Japan's next biggest case, but I'm honored you had time to come to my show!"

"Actually, it really is a funny circumstance. I usually come here on Fridays to wind down after a hard week. I had no idea there'd be a different performer this time!" He turned up the charm, not wanting to let down someone so humble. "I can't say I was disappointed, though!"

There was that laugh again, carrying through the quiet space around the two of you. It sounded like starlight looked, bright yet gentle.

Akechi winked, much like he did for his fangirls, but it felt less disingenuous somehow.

"Who do I owe this pleasure and an amazing performance to?"

You gave him your name. Your last name caught his ear, foreign yet beautiful.

Finch. You certainly lived up to your surname.

"Well, Ms. Finch, that was certainly the most enjoyable evening I've had in a while."

You laughed, melodic and soft, hardly more than a breath, and gave him a stunning smile. Akechi noticed that you had a beauty mark to the right of your lower lip.

"Thank you so much! It was actually my first gig, so I was nervous. Glad I didn't disappoint, though!" You blushed lightly and averted your eyes.

Oh, you were too cute. Akechi could almost forget that he was a criminal with how innocently you smiled at him.

"If I may be so forward, I'd love to get to know you more. Could I be so bold as to ask for your number?" Lord, his heart never fluttered like this before. It was almost like your presence could take away his pain, if just for a moment.

You had agreed in the end, but not before flushing a bright red and stammering out an enthusiastic reply.

Now, here he was, the Detective Prince, reduced to a yearning mess. That interaction had been two nights ago. It was Monday now, which meant that he had failed to work up the nerve to text first for a whole 72 hours. He was pathetic.

Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and hit sent on the message he had been typing and re-typing for nearly half an hour at this point.

Hello, this is Goro Akechi. Apologies for waiting so long to text you. Would I be able to call you tonight?

If falling in love with you was his biggest mistake, then so be it.