Sunday, February 12. Evening.
Tempering the chocolate was probably the most difficult task of your chocolate-making endeavor. You had researched and watched videos on how to make chocolate truffles, opting for a homemade effort over a store-bought one. You made caramel, strawberry, and chocolate fillings, hoping the effort would surely impress your boyfriend.
You tapped on your smartphone. It was the newest, fastest model money could buy, wrapped in a cute phone case to keep it secure. Akechi had made sure you were set up with communication before he left, since Shido had destroyed your old one several months prior.
You had only just said goodbye to him that morning. You had been so busy with the chaos of everything, you had forgotten to even think of Valentines Day. You had quickly rushed to the store after heading home from the station, gathering ingredients to make him chocolates. If you hurried, you could perhaps send him some in an overnight shipment.
You didn't know the address of where he was going to be staying. This was to protect you, so you wouldn't get caught up in any legal troubles. The person who did know was the secretary Akechi had set up for you. You had only briefly met her, but you had her contact information.
You deliberated texting her for several minutes before opening your chat app.
You
Do you think it's possible I could send--
You stopped. You weren't sure how you were supposed to refer to Akechi now. Was he "Shido-san" to his employees? Was he still going by Akechi? You didn't know the intricacies of this. You decided to just stick with Akechi, since that's what he was known as to the general public, at least.
You
--a Valentine's Day package to Akechi?
You swallowed your anxiety and resumed your chocolate making. It wasn't until you had finished filling the silicone molds did you get a response.
The secretary agreed to assist you, as told you to drop off the package at her office tomorrow morning before school. You thanked her, and started putting together boxes to give out.
You made the biggest box of chocolates with the most beautiful truffles for Akechi. In smaller boxes you placed the rest, for Ren, Yusuke, and Ryuji. Cats couldn't have chocolate, so you were going to give some dried tuna to Morgana instead. You placed the boxes in the fridge, and started working on a box to ship to Akechi.
You entered his office. He had taken none of his featherman merchandise with him. He had seemed reluctant to go, treating his departure as some sort of prison. You wanted him to be as comfortable as possible, and decided to send him something small from his collection.
You had texted Futaba for advice, and she recommended a couple of figurines and a keychain that could handle being shipped. You wrapped them gently and placed them in the box.
Once that was done, you entered your bedroom. Had he forgotten anything? You started rifling through his drawers, looking for anything important you could put in the box. He seemed to have taken everything, including his best clothing. The only thing you found was a half used box of condoms. It made you smile for a moment. You really did trust him, even if you were going to be separated for an unknown amount of time. He didn't take them, because he simply didn't need them.
You closed the drawer. He was as efficient as ever. You looked in the bathroom, and saw some unopened jars of bath salts. He certainly didn't take any of these, so you decided to pack one into the box.
You decided to write him a card. In it you told him how great he was, and how much you loved him. You told him to eat well, and to take care of himself since you weren't going to be there to do it for him. You started to trail off about your feelings, so much so that you had filled the entire card and the back of it with small handwriting. At the end, you signed it with a tiny drawing of a cat face.
You placed the card into the box. Your stomach growled, and you realized you hadn't gotten anything for dinner. You had been so focused on the chocolates that you had forgotten groceries!
You sighed and went to prepare to leave. You grabbed your purse, your wallet, and the various cards contained within and set out of your apartment for the main lobby.
The thing that by far was taking the most to get used to was the 24/7 security detail. You were now the girlfriend of an extremely wealthy young man with celebrity status. You could not go into public without a bodyguard, as your risk of abduction was insanely high. Not to mention, Shido had made a lot of enemies with his confessions, so who knew what kind of people were out for revenge.
The bodyguards had the same uniform and were usually stationed at the same spot. You hadn't traveled with them by yourself much, that day when they took you to the store being the first. They had sat in the corner outside the shopping center, keeping a close eye on you so you could shop. You knew this luxury of going shopping yourself wouldn't last long, and you'd have to adjust your life to this new one soon. For now, though, it seemed everyone just wanted you to have a sense of normalcy, and seemed to go along with your whims.
"Groceries? Again?" Asked one of the bodyguards.
You turned bright red in embarrassment. "Listen...I don't know much about this whole being rich stuff, okay?"
"It's fine," said the guard. "We've been discussing how to adapt to your lifestyle, L/N-san. Akechi-san is a much different boss than Shido-san...and he just wanted you to be happy."
You felt warm from the sentiment. "I'm sorry if I haven't memorized your names yet."
"Don't worry about it, there's a bunch of us," said another guard.
You felt slightly better as you walked with one of your guards to the grocery store. He was a tall young man with obvious muscles, clearly suited for this sort of job. He didn't attempt to say anything to you as you walked, and you wondered if this was just a part of his job or if Akechi had threatened him. It probably was a mix of both...
You arrived at the grocery store. The guard stood casually outside, as he didn't want to cause a disruption in the store. You were still not recognizable to the general public, so your interactions in stores were still normal.
You bought enough groceries to last you a while, and it filled several bags. Your guard helped carry them. The bags weren't that heavy, so you decided to walk around for a bit to see what the shops had in display in the windows. You had been so busy, you hadn't really done so in a while.
Your heart skipped a beat. You stopped in front of a window when you caught sight of a poster of Akechi. He was in costume, displayed on merchandise alongside his co-star. It was surreal, seeing your boyfriend on merchandise like that of an idol group, and you stood there staring.
"Ah yes, Akechi-san," said the guard.
You blinked, and your eyes trailed down to a certain piece of merchandise on display. There were several round, fat bean shaped plushies lying in their stomachs with cute chibi faces. The one that caught your eye was the one made of Akechi's character in his likeness.
You immediately handed the bags you were carrying to your bodyguard and rushed inside the store. You made a beeline for the pile of plushies. The pile of Akechi plushes was nearly empty, but you managed to grab one. The moment you picked up its fat little body and stared into its embroidered eyes you were filled with glee. It was so stupid looking, so round, and had four tiny little feet sewn into it. It resembled a pill bug, and you adored him.
You bought him and held him tightly in your arms. The guard with you seemed to be trying not to laugh at you, but you ignored him.
You arrived back at your apartment. You informed the guards you had no intention of going out again, so they left for the day, leaving your safety to the apartment security. You normally had a curfew, and could only go out while the security was there with you.
After dinner, you headed to bed. You climbed under the covers, the Akechi plush clutched in your arms. It wasn't big enough to properly hug, but having it there gave you a sense of comfort. Your bed felt so big and empty, and you knew it would be that way for a long time.
You rolled over and stared at the ceiling. You wondered if Akechi had gotten safely to his location. You hoped he wasn't stuffing himself with junk food and desserts, even though you knew he most certainly was. Was he comfortable? Were the officers kind to him?
Your phone started buzzed.
You sat up and immediately grabbed your phone.
Goro
New home.
He attached a picture of a rather bare bones apartment in a traditional Japanese style. The curtains were closed so you couldn't get any context clues for his location.
You
Are you even supposed to be texting me?
Goro
What are they gonna do? Arrest me?
You rolled your eyes so far back you saw the ceiling.
You
I don't want you to get into more trouble than you're already in.
Goro
It's encrypted. You'd have to hack for my location, and Futaba's got great defenses.
You sighed.
You
Just don't do anything dangerous.
Goro
Who, me? Never.
You
Good night, my Prince.
Goro
Oh~ Good night, my good little kitten.
You placed your phone down and snuggled back under the blankets. The bed still felt empty, but at least your heart was a little bit filled.
Monday, February 13. Morning.
You no longer too public transport to school. Your guards escorted you and dropped you off at your gate. The stares you got from your classmates were even worse than usual. The news of Akechi being Shido's son, despite efforts to keep it private, had spread like wildfire. His fame, and now his wealth, had caused an uproar at your school. The school itself almost didn't want you to attend, but they made an exception since you would be graduating in a month.
You had successfully dropped off Akechi's package with the secretary, then headed to school. Your normally horrible teachers didn't mistreat you anymore. It seemed your social and political status had scared them, and they treated you either with indifference or way too much respect. You tried to ignore the situation and focus on studying. Akechi wanted you to go to college, so you needed top grades to do so.
You were surprised your mother hadn't tried to contact you. You knew her heart had been changed, but billions of yen was enough to tempt anyone to try to get back into your life. Was she still respecting you and keeping her distance out of guilt? You didn't know. All you knew is she was as good as gone, and had been since she kidnapped you.
It was a relief, at least.
You stopped gazing out the window, thinking of your familial problems, and caught a glimpse of the boy sitting a few rows ahead of you. Mamori was the same as ever, but he had completely avoided you like the plague since Akechi's..."status" upgrade. He sometimes looked at you with disgust. Maybe he really was a bullet dodged...and it took a reality reset to do it.
You hoped he'd find happiness. Maybe he needed to focus on himself for a bit.
After School
You stood out in the courtyard, waiting for your guards to come get you. Yusuke and Hifumi came to find you to shield you from anyone trying to talk to you about Akechi or try try get close to you for your money.
"How are you faring?" Yusuke asked gently.
"He's only been gone one day," Hifumi sighed.
"Oh...I'm fine. I miss him already," you smiled. "He got to his new home safely, so I'm not too worried." The Thieves had been sworn to secrecy about Akechi's circumstances. (Even Ryuji was taking it seriously, considering Akechi's actions a sacrifice for the good of everyone.) You changed the subject. "So...are you doing anything tomorrow for Valentine's day?"
Hifumi blushed. "Um...well..."
You suddenly realized how awkward of a question that was. She probably didn't want to say anything because she knew your first Valentine's Day with Akechi would be spent alone. "Oh, don't worry about us, Hifumi. I sent Goro chocolates already. We've already been living together for a while, missing one date won't matter in the grand scheme of things."
"I know, but it's your first one!" Hifumi lamented. "It's so sad it's ended up like this..."
You shook your head. "We've never had a normal relationship. And speaking of first ones, this is your first Valentine's Day with Ren!"
Yusuke was silent, but it was probably wise for him to not butt into this conversation.
"Well...I'm planning on giving him chocolates tomorrow night..." Hifumi blushed.
You smiled. "Ren's lucky to have a girlfriend like you."
"Oh...stop," Hifumi blushed as she put her hands on her cheeks.
You had to bid your friends goodbye the moment the guards came back. You didn't really want to go out with your friends, having guards constantly follow you around. Maybe another time when you felt more comfortable, but right now? All you felt was anxious.
Tuesday, February 14. Evening--Goro Akechi
Akechi collapsed on his bed, not bothering to remove his coat. Everything was exhausting. He had only been there for a few days, but the court proceedings were a nightmare. All he was doing was giving testimonies, looking over evidence, and speaking with government agents. He had already grabbed takeout, which was sitting on the kotatsu in the living room.
A knock on the door. Akechi rolled out of his bed (he was grateful it was a bed frame and a mattress, not a futon, despite the main room being more Japanese-style) and wearily made his way to the front door.
"Delivery for Shido-san?"
Akechi groaned and rubbed his face. His employees insisted on referring to him as Shido. He didn't mind it for this circumstance, since the name Akechi had become so famous he would lose anonymity.
"Yes," Akechi grumbled. He took the package and closed his door behind him. The package was sent from one of Shido's offices in Tokyo. What was in there? Papers?
Akechi brought the package and a pair of scissors to the kitchen counter and opened it. It was marked for overnight delivery, so the contents must have been urgent.
He was taken aback by the amount of pink inside the box. There was a Valentine's Day card lying on the top of the contents, and he immediately remembered what day it was. This was from Y/N!
Akechi picked up the card and opened it. He stood there, motionless in his kitchen, while he read the thoughtful words his girlfriend had written him. He blushed and couldn't help but smile. This was such a silly thing for her to do, especially since he had only just left her a couple of days before!
He pulled out the rest of the contents. She was always thinking of him, as per usual. He opened the box of chocolates and popped one in his mouth. He was tempted to just sit down and consume the entire thing, but keeping with some constraint he placed them gently in the fridge next to his bottles of sugar-filled milk teas and coffees.
He immediately wished she was there. He sat down at the kotatsu and opened his container of takeout. Since he was in the countryside, there were significantly less convenience stores, which probably was a good thing for his health. He had tried to find something containing vegetables, as he knew Y/N would scold him if he didn't. As he was eating, his mind kept wandering to Y/N. Was she all right? Was she comfortable with guards taking her everywhere? Were the guards treating her with respect?
Her life situation was his fault. He shoved food into his mouth while lamenting this. She had money, but at what cost? She didn't ask to be famous. He was worried someone would try to take advantage of her. She wasn't famous for her own merit, she was simply his girlfriend. She wasn't even his wife! The scandals and rumors constantly floating around about her...
Akechi sighed and finished his dinner. He cleaned up and returned to his room, undressing for the night. It was a school day...was Y/N still awake? He didn't want to bother her with a call if she was asleep...
Akechi sent her a text.
Goro
I got your package.
Evening
You were so nervous. You hadn't heard from Akechi all day. Did he get his present? Was he okay? Were they overworking him?
You were preparing for a bath when your phone went off. You saw it was from Akechi, and immediately responded.
You
Oh good!
Your phone rang. Akechi had called you the moment he saw your reply.
"Goro!" You said happily.
"Oh my kitten," Akechi sighed. "I havent heard your voice in forever."
"Goro, it's only been a couple of days."
"Too long." His voice dropped.
You whimpered and nearly collapsed to the floor. Just the sound of his voice still had a tight grip on you.
"Oh did my kitten meow for me?" Akechi teased.
"Sh-shut up," you said. "I'm trying to take a bath!"
"No video?"
You debated for a minute, then propped up your phone by the mirror. You turned on the camera. "Like this?"
"You're still in clothes," said Akechi. He hadn't turned on his camera.
You pulled your shirt over your head. "I was in the middle of getting ready when you called. Be patient~" The rest of your clothes soon fell to the floor.
"What did you do with the hard drive of uh...my videos and pictures by the way?" You asked nervously.
"Oh that? I took it with me."
"What if they seize your electronics or something?" You whined.
"They're not going to do anything like that," said Akechi. "Especially not to my personal computer or phone. All the Shido stuff has been surrendered already." His voice became less serious. "The little wooden shelf in the corner near the bathtub should be a good spot to prop the camera up on."
You did as you were told and got into the shower. The shower was visible from the shelf, but it was a bit far away.
"You're making me jealous!" Akechi whined. "If I was there, I'd--"
"Oh please, you're the one who asked to watch," you scoffed. You turned off the shower after rinsing off the soap and climbed into the bathtub. "Not gonna turn on your camera?" You asked.
"I could..." Akechi said cryptically.
"Why not?" You demanded. "No shower stream? No bath stream? I can't get in the mood without some eye candy for me!"
Akechi burst out laughing. "In the mood ? What, does my kitten want phone sex?"
"N-no!" You lied.
"Well...I suppose we'll have to figure out ways to deal with our distance, right?" Akechi said. "I...really didn't take you into consideration. I thought my Y/N collection would be enough to get me through, but you...you need attention too. I can't have you becoming so desperate you start giving other men a second glance, can I?"
"Rude! I wouldn't do that!"
"I know, I know, I just like to rile you up a little," said Akechi. "God...you're so beautiful..."
You blushed and covered your chest.
"No, no...don't do that," said Akechi.
You blushed and looked away from the camera which mirrored your own body. "This is so awkward...I don't know how to...do this. You're not coming home to me..."
Akechi sighed. "I know, I know..."
You submerged into the water, only your head above it. "I miss you."
"Oh...Y/N, I miss you too."
"The bed is so empty."
"So is mine, kitten." Akechi finally turned on his camera, revealing him in pajamas sitting on his bed.
"There's your handsome face!" You beamed.
Akechi blushed. There were dark circles under his eyes. Whatever he had been doing for the past few days had done a number on his stress levels.
"You look tired," you said.
Akechi shrugged. "Listen, the fact I get to sleep through the night now without having to wake up at one in the morning to go and kill someone is a blessing."
"Goro...why don't you go to sleep?"
"Not before you," said Akechi wearily.
"Goro--"
"Y/N," he said sternly. "Stop worrying about me. This is the time for you to take care of yourself. The worst tribulation I'm going through right now is being bored to death by the court. You're in far more danger."
You stood up out of the tub. Akechi protested the end of your hot tub stream, but you wanted to force him to go to sleep. You wrapped your body in a towel, then a soft robe, and took your phone into the bedroom with you.
"Pink," said Akechi quickly.
You rolled your eyes. "You're lucky I have clean pink ones," you said as you slid on your panties.
"It's Valentine's day!" He said.
You slid a nightgown over your head and finished getting ready for bed. You placed your phone on Akechi's pillow.
Akechi laid down on his side, holding his phone out in front of his face. "Well...close enough."
"I love you, Goro," you said softly.
"I love you, Y/N," Akechi replies, equally as softly.
You blushed. You still were not accustomed to Akechi, in this reality, flat out telling you he loved you. You had come so far, and you were excited to see where it would go.
"Good night my prince," You said gently.
Akechi chuckled. "Why do you keep saying that?"
"No one else is going to call you Prince now," you pointed out. "I think your acting fame far outweighs the cases...and you're retiring policework."
"True...but am I really a prince?" Akechi mused.
"You're mine," you smiled. "You saved me like a fairy tale."
"Me? Saved you?" Akechi laughed. "Based on that...other timeline, by all means you saved me. "
You pouted. "Let me shower you with praise."
Akechi laughed again. "Okay, Y/N, you're the one who needs to sleep now. Goodnight my precious kitten. Sleep well, and thank you for your delicious gift. It's almost as sweet as you."