i couldn't help but fall for you || Takuto Maruki x Reader

the fall, the savior, and maruki's cheesy dancing

Given the hype surrounding Okumura, it was all but certain he'd be the next to undergo a change of heart. This reflected poorly not only on the CEO himself, but on his franchises as well. Namely, Big Bang Burger was emptier than usual, while the once tepid employees now seemed somewhat empowered; these were glaring differences which you and Takuto quickly heeded. Aside from the uneasy atmosphere within the Central Street restaurant itself, there was a sort of societal pressure to boycott Big Bang Burger and other Okumura Foods industries—your store even went as far as to pull all Okumura Foods products from our shelves. As such, you elected to tentatively move Mondays with Maruki to Leblanc for the time being. It took a heavy toll on your wallet, but your tummy was happy; live fast, die young (and broke).

Collectively, as a country, silently agreed Okumura was a corrupt man. He was supposedly planning to run for political office, though the odds of him winning an election were basically null. Not that he had much of a chance to begin with, even before he was singled out as the next target, since another politician, Masayoshi Shido, took up an overwhelming amount of airtime. No big surprise there: election season was coming up in just two months. However, that airtime was exceedingly positive as well, as if Shido could do no wrong in the eyes of the media. It was dubious, to be sure—anyone who was viewed as infallible by big media was almost sure to be in their pockets. The masses don't know this, of course. They're far too malleable and willing to listen to authority...their blind rejection and eventual support of the Phantom Thieves was but one example, even as a Phan yourself.

You became disillusioned with the vigilante group, only slightly, as a result of their recent actions. Did you believe Okumura is a dishonest, power-hungry, and unethical CEO? Yeah, of course—most of them are simply by nature. But to leave such a sensitive matter as changing someone's heart to the results of a poll by random people? And can people vote twice? Can the results be tampered with? What of those who were voted on but didn't 'win' (and you're using the term win very, very loosely here)? There was undoubtedly negative attention cast upon them, unfairly or not. It was extremely dangerous and juvenile, fully displaying how they let their fame get to their heads. You were still a supporter—just a skeptical supporter, a balance most people can't seem to strike.

Then, October 11th happened. You were in school when it all went down: a normal, clear October night, plagued by tragedy.

Even though it was cut from the air, everyone saw it. You saw it unwillingly while scrolling through social media on the train ride home: Okumura's rolled back, glazed-over eyes as he writhed in pain, black ooze dripping from every orifice on his face. It was like something out of a horror movie, such that it was cartoonishly terrifying. The black ooze—what the hell was that? Bright crimson blood would be far more horrifying in the moment, but in hindsight, it was the black liquid that never left your mind, no matter how hard you tried to wipe the image clean. Beyond the visuals, the noises he made as he was seizing up were nearly inhuman, and the last bit of human left within him was obviously crying out for help. You knew if you tried to explain that feeling you had, though, no one would understand. The entity that possessed his body forced this sort of reaction: it was most certainly not a cardiac arrest at the fault of his own heart.

Cardiac arrest was the official cause of death given by the coroner, but no cardiac arrest spills forth a black substance. At first, though, people were in a state of denial—or rather, more blind submission.

The Phantom Thieves' will is final.

Whatever. Okumura deserved to die anyway.

Who's next? I have a few people in mind who should go next.

Such were the repulsive reactions you heard among gossiping customers on the following Wednesday. The people were at fault for Okumura being the target, after all—was it an attempt to deflect the blame unto Okumura? Did he truly deserve to die, despite his crimes? This country still upheld capital punishment, so it was no surprise everyone was initially apathetic to his gruesome death anyhow.