Chapter 18
Arriving home, Yu stretched on the sofa, about to lie down when he heard the gentle patter of rain outside.
It was raining again.
He got up and brought the laundry hanging on the balcony inside. It wasn’t dry yet, so he hung it up indoors. Sitting back down on the sofa, he opened his phone and saw several messages.
[Goro Akechi: Sorry about that. I didn’t expect my fans to track me down based on my post. I dragged you into that mess.]
[Yu Narukami: It’s fine. I’ve run from fans with a friend before. It was like reliving the past.]
[Goro Akechi: ?]
[Goro Akechi: …That’s good, then.]
Closing Akechi’s chat, Yu opened another.
[Ren Amamiya: Come to the cafe next time. I can make you coffee. Sojiro says I’m pretty good at it.]
[Yu Narukami: Great! I’d love to try your coffee.]
Ren, lying in bed, read the message, thinking calmly: Oh, he seems normal.
He typed a reply.
[Ren Amamiya: Also, drinking coffee in the Metaverse restores 200 SP.]
[Yu Narukami: !!! Make me ten cups!]
Ren chuckled. He knew no one could resist the allure of premium coffee that restored 200 SP in the Metaverse.
Morgana, nestled beside him, watched him chat with Yu. “That’s a huge loss, Ren.”
Ren looked at him. “A loss?”
“A huge loss! That white-haired kid didn’t join the Phantom Thieves, and neither did that red-haired girl. She said she wanted to focus on her studies and training. We missed out on two members! What a waste!”
Ren didn’t think so. Neither of them had been involved in his past life.
He ignored Morgana, continuing his conversation with Yu.
[Ren Amamiya: Want to go to Mementos later? The false god from the Velvet Room might be hiding deep within Mementos.]
[Yu Narukami: Is that thing really a god?]
[Ren Amamiya: It might just be a collection of cognitions, not a true deity. I don’t think gods exist.]
[Yu Narukami: They do. I’ve met one.]
Ren paused, staring at Yu’s message. Did gods really exist?
He had fought until the very end in his past life, but neither the false god nor Maruki were true deities. They had used the Metaverse to influence and manipulate others, not wielding any inherent divine power. But Yu claimed to have met a god.
Could it be… that Yu, as a guest of the Velvet Room, fought against gods?
Before Ren could ponder this further, evening arrived, and he received several messages on his phone.
His Confidants were inviting him out.
Ren scrolled through the messages, then tapped on Yu’s chat window. He would chat for a bit longer before heading out.
Morgana perched on Ren’s shoulder, lazily swishing his tail.
“Ren,” Morgana said. “You seem to really like that white-haired boy.”
Ren looked at him. “Do I?”
“Yes. You never used to initiate contact with anyone. It was always your friends who contacted you, like those messages you just received.” The cat rubbed against his shoulder, leaving a trail of black fur. “But you actively seek out Narukami and chat with him frequently.”
“If you like him so much, you should just recruit him into the Phantom Thieves!”
Ren calmly closed Yu’s chat. “He’s a secret weapon. We can’t expose him.”
He decided to go jogging with Ryuji tonight. His Confidant abilities were very useful in Mementos.
Afterward, Ren and the others became busy.
Yu had asked them about it, and they explained that a new layer had opened up in Mementos, and they were exploring it, so they would be busy after school for the next few days.
Yu didn’t join their grinding sessions, instead spending his time getting to know Akechi.
Due to his experiences in Inaba last year, Yu was very perceptive of people’s hidden sides. After all, he had witnessed countless individuals forced to confront their inner darkness. He sensed that Akechi’s true nature might not be as gentle and affable as he appeared.
But it didn’t matter. Everyone had their secrets. That’s what made people interesting.
So Yu often praised Akechi for being self-aware and courageous, a true role model!
Every time he offered such praise, Akechi’s lips would twitch, as if he wanted to flip a table but was desperately restraining himself.
He would then insincerely compliment Yu on his unique way with words.
It made him seem even more lively.
Perhaps Akechi had finally realized that no matter his approach, Yu’s reaction remained unchanged. He didn’t seem to care if someone was being fake. His gaze was always focused on the person before him, clear and reflective, like a mirror.
Akechi gradually let his guard down around Yu, complaining about his obliviousness and straightforwardness.
“Reading between the lines is the most troublesome thing in the world,” Yu replied seriously when Akechi teased him. “I’m happy to be considerate of my friends’ feelings, but wouldn’t it be too painful to always prioritize others? My friends will understand when it comes to such trivial matters.”
“Wouldn’t you agree, Akechi-kun?”
Akechi: …
Could he even say no?
After being rebuffed by Yu, Akechi would subtly provoke Ren during their interactions. Ren, sitting across from him, thought to himself that only someone as mentally resilient and genuinely good-natured as Yu could handle Akechi.
His grades were better, his personality kinder and more considerate, and he was popular with girls, even without being a celebrity. Most importantly, Akechi couldn’t outsmart him or defeat him in a fight.
A true nemesis.
After Akechi left the cafe, it was closing time. Ren sat down, opening his phone.
He sent Yu a message.
[Ren Amamiya: Want to come for coffee? Akechi just left.]
[Yu Narukami: ?]
[Yu Narukami: Why didn’t you invite me while he was still here?]
[Ren Amamiya: I was afraid he’d die of anger.]
[Yu Narukami: I doubt it. I was genuinely complimenting him.]
[Ren Amamiya: If you say so. So, are you coming?]
[Yu Narukami: Speak of the devil. I’m on the train to Leblanc right now. I even brought some freshly baked pastries. Do you prefer mango or strawberry? I brought both.]
Ren: …
The day had finally arrived. He was Yu Narukami’s dessert taste tester.
Ren wasn’t sure if he was bothered by the fact that his relationship with Yu seemed to be spiraling out of control. They had become close too quickly, too intensely. Just like Morgana had said, their level of communication surpassed that of his other friends.
But he was genuinely looking forward to Yu’s pastries.
As he was lost in thought, his phone chimed. He instinctively opened the chat window.
[Yu Narukami: I’m getting off the train. Be there soon.]
Ren exhaled softly, returning to the counter, preparing the coffee beans and setting out a clean cup.
He would start with coffee, as promised.
Just as he placed the beans in the grinder, the doorbell jingled. The boy with light gray hair entered, carrying a container of pastries, and smiled as their eyes met.
“Sorry to intrude. I’m here.”
“Yes,” Ren nodded. “Sit here. The cafe is closing.”
In this moment, he decided to ignore all his reservations and simply follow his heart.
Ren closed the cafe but stayed downstairs with Yu, enjoying coffee and pastries.
Morgana happily munched on a chocolate chip cookie.
“Can cats eat chocolate?” Yu asked, surprised.
“Idiot! I’m not a cat!” Morgana retorted angrily.
During their late-night snack, Ren told Yu about their recent progress in Mementos and the Phantom Thieves’ future plans.
Yu had gleaned some information from the group chat, but there were certain things they discussed during battles, which Yu, not participating in combat, wasn’t privy to.
After listening to Ren’s explanation, Yu finished his coffee.
Ren made excellent coffee, truly worthy of its 200 SP restoration in the Metaverse!
“So, you’re currently trying to figure out how to investigate that blackmailing incident?” Yu placed his cup on the table. “I think I’ve heard about that.”
Ren leaned back in his chair. “There are students being blackmailed at your school too?”
“Yes, I overheard it in the teachers’ office. A student was being blackmailed and was too scared, so they went to a teacher for help.”
“A smart choice.”
Ren then added, “We don’t have any leads right now. We’re just hoping to find something by chance on the streets.”
Although Ren knew who the mastermind was, he couldn’t explain how he knew. Sojiro was still keeping an eye on him. If he was linked to the infamous Kaneshiro, Sojiro would definitely give him a hard time.
So he had to patiently gather information on the streets.
What a hassle.
Yu looked at Ren, sensing his frustration.
He pushed the plate of pastries towards Ren. “Let’s ask Akechi for help.”
Ren paused, staring at Yu in surprise. “What did you say?”
“Ask Akechi to investigate,” Yu said seriously. “Isn’t he a detective? The Detective Prince, no less. Investigating a blackmailing incident should be a piece of cake for him. We’ll just say a friend of ours is being blackmailed. As our friend, Akechi wouldn’t ignore us.”
Ren: …
Yu didn’t know, but Ren did.
Kaneshiro was a mob boss backed by Masayoshi Shido, handling Shido’s dirty work. Akechi was currently Shido’s lapdog.
Asking Akechi to investigate his boss’s underling?
…It might actually work.
Ren nodded seriously, barely suppressing his amusement.
“You’re right.”
“I agree. Let’s ask Akechi tomorrow.”
