Asphyxia // PERSONA 5 FF [ under editing ]

CH 10 │Masked Lies

“If only, if only I knew that I would end up being a sinner than I already am…”

“I would've gotten rid of my petty feelings for a man that will never be mine.”

Part 1

"Yeah, I see… don't worry, I'll get this covered. And once we close the case, how about I make you some pancakes~?" 

It was one of those normal days, events such as this becoming more and more frequent than before. There was barely a day when Kyoko Mochizuki didn't talk with that close friend of hers, especially when she began to work with him.

Spring had just begun after months of winter, the trees blooming so beautifully attracted her eye. Taking the weather into consideration, Kyoko wore warm attire that suited her tastes. She wore a white unbuttoned frock coat with faux fur collar, over a black long-sleeved turtleneck and a pair of white gloves. A black pair of fitted pants were worn by her, emphasizing her curvaceous body, and beige high-heeled shoes.

Far from the crowd, Kyoko took her call from Goro Akechi, not too long ago. Every time she talked to him, she found herself smiling to herself in excitement. For some reason, Goro Akechi's presence always reminded her of her new job, and that alone is a big reason to feel ecstatic.

As she ended her sentence, a sweet chuckle escaped her lips. She knew how much the Detective Prince loved pancakes, and it wouldn't be so bad to tease him a bit since, for some reason, he was embarrassed to admit that fact. 

"Let's see… how about I buy you a tub of chocolate ice cream?" Akechi teased back, stating the perfect payback.

"Oh, damn you. Isn't the dark chocolate you gave me last Valentine's Day enough?" Kyoko pouted. "I said I want white chocolate!"

"Haha, I felt like you needed a taste of bitter dark chocolate." Akechi reasoned, and obviously, from his tone, he was entertained.

An amused chuckle this time escaped her lips once his reply came from the other line. "And what is your reason for giving me chocolates, young man~?"

"A congratulatory gift, of course." Akechi answered. "For being officially a high school detective,"

A gracious smile formed in Kyoko's lips, remembering those sweet moments. The moment her dad acknowledged her, she conditioned herself and made necessary preparations to make a step towards her dream and goal in life. It was such a satisfying moment, plus the fact that she got to celebrate it with the most important people in her life—Emiko, Ren, Akechi, and her father—made it much more special.

"I'll buy that for now, detective." Kyoko teased once more. "Gotta get going, see ya later~"

Hanging up the call, Kyoko took a deep breath while closing her eyes, allowing the wind to play with her lavender-colored locks however it wanted.

It had already been a few months ever since the school festival at Shujin, and things were brightening up for the two girls, well… for Emiko mostly. It was indeed such a nice breather to set their minds off a lot of things that happened with them, but it was also a reminder to many unpleasant events… for Kyoko, that was.

Pushing some locks behind her ear, Kyoko made her way back to the bench she left a moment earlier, a few dry leaves crumbling under her feet in the process. Once she was back, the smallest smile made her way on her lips when she saw Emiko the same way she left her a little while ago; sitting on the bench and texting on her phone while grinning like a complete idiot, stroking Maxi's head who sat next to her every now and then. Her best friend also wore a winter attire that suited her perfectly; a beige sweater beneath an olive green-colored jacket, black pants, a scarf that matched her sweater, knee-length brown boots, and brown ear warmers.