I thought it was going to be cold but it was pretty warm outside. I was on the curb of the parking lot and waited for Ryuji to leave the convenience store.
"I got the snacks," He announced, shaking the bag vigorously before sitting next to me.
"Brownies? They sell these things here?" I frowned as I tore the plastic and took a bite out of it.
It had too much chocolate. I struggled chewing it.
"They ain't that good but at least it's something," Ryuji took out an energy drink and took a sip.
"Yes, it is something..." I cleaned my fingers and covered the treat with its plastic wrapper.
He laughed and leaned back with his arms supporting his weight.
"Shit, today was rough..."
"How far are we in the palace?"
"Like two-thirds? Akira always spends the first days getting as far as possible."
"What do you do when you're done with the palace then?"
"We just hang tight until the deadline," Ryuji shrugged. "Without him, we wouldn't even be close to finishing Kaneshiro's palace..."
"And you are comfortable saying this out loud because...?"
"No one'll understand. Only we do because we've been in the metaverse. Hell, maybe if we say it louder, we might figure out who that dude with a black mask is."
"That's absurd. No one would be careless to give their identity away. You're the only one capapble of-"
"Gah! I know, I know! I'm way too obvious. Jeez, it's bad when the cat says it."
"Morgana often takes his insults too far on you, doesn't he?" I frowned at him as he scratched the back of his neck and nodded.
"Jeez, and he gets hurt when I try saying shit to him..."
"It's just how he is. I don't agree with his treatment towards you, but it makes things worse when you return an insult too."
"What else am I supposed to do? Ignore him?"
I nodded and smiled.
"It will be hard, but Morgana will eventually realize that his words don't mean anything anymore. That's how I avoided the media for so long. Their rumors were shut down and I didn't add anything to feed their fire."
"Y/N, I'm being bullied by an effin' cat."
That's a new sentence. I covered my mouth and tried to preserve the upcoming laugh ready to burst.
"Did you see how he looked at Ann when they both performed their showtime? He looked so ridiculous!"
"Oh yeah! And the look Ann gave her too! Priceless!" He threw his head back and laughed. "Dude, I gotta admit, that was awesome though."
"Indeed. I wonder what other duo attacks we'll have in the future," I took a deep breath and cleared my throat. "I don't really know if I want to do one though. I might screw up in my part."
"You screw up? Dude, you never fail at shit. You and Makoto have the same test scores and everything- Shit! I forgot to study for a test!"
"You forgot to study? Ryuji! Are you not focusing on your studies?!"
"It- It was only one time! Plus, the teacher didn't teach us anythin'!"
"The teachers do teach you something. It's just that you don't pay attention to them at all!"
"But they're so boring!"
"I don't recall class having to be fun."
"When am I ever going to use this though?"
"I..." I frowned and bit the inside of my cheek. "I don't know actually."
"See!"
"Still, you should be studying. Have you asked Akira for help?"
"No, I only study if it's a final or somethin'."
"You're such a mess!"
"Oh, and you're perfect?"
"No, but I know my priorities."
He stayed silent and chugged the last of his drink before drying his mouth with the sleeve of his sweater.
"You know... It feels good talking like this once in a while. Ann usually feels bad for me and Akira has been busy lately with some gymnast chick."
"What about Yusuke-"
"Dude, it's like talkin' to Shakespeare. He'll find something and criticise me. That's what almost everyone does to me."
"And you haven't stood up for yourself?"
He shook his head and sat up with his hands on his knees. His eyes stuck on the puddle underneath him as he continued.
"Nah, it hurts sometimes but, I know they're probably joking. I think you and Akira are the only ones who haven't said shit about me."
"But I did just a minute ago?"
He scoffed and shook his head.
"That's nothing compared to what Morgana tells me. 'You're pathetic, Skull.' I mean, c'mon, at least I don't faint and retreat like he does. He doesn't do shit!"
"Ryuji, you have to tell them to stop."
"But they'll prolly get mad or somethin'..."
"Morgana might. He doesn't like others talking shit about him. But everyone else will understand. You just assume they'll get mad because you're telling them to stop."
He stayed quiet and his shoulders slumped a bit. Before I could comfort him, I messed with his hair, making him smile despite the devastated look on his face.
I wrapped my arm around his shoulder and pulled him against my side.
"Come on. I'm here to help you. You're practically the only family I got. I used to think I had no one other than Goro. And even with him, I felt lonely. But when I found out we were related, I was scared. I never really had someone to call a brother or an actual friend until I met you and Akira. Ryuji, it pains me seeing you like this."
"Tch, what brother I am. Look what happened last time at the cafe," He scowled, crossing his arms and straighened himself. "I even left you alone back there."
"We had a moment. You didn't know what would happen and neither did I. Don't you think I feel terrible about what happened? The trauma that man caused me is no longer haunting me. I've come to terms with it ever since I was on the verge of dying..." My fingers ran up to the bandages on my arms and neck. I shuddered at the thought of his hands wrapped around my neck as he choked me for being too reckless with his dinner.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. He isn't here to bring me down. I am my own person. And I won't let myself fall into the darkness anymore.
"Y/N... I'm-"
"I'm sorry, Ryuji. I've decided to let go of the past. Hell, Ann and Makoto helped-"
I was cut off by the sudden movement. His arms wrapped around my body as he pulled me in a tight embrace. It took a second to process what was going on, but when I did, I smiled and ran my fingers through his bleached hair.
I felt safe in his arms. It was a pleasant feeling that soared through my mind. Mixed feelings came to place as we hugged.
Sadness.
Happiness.
Regret.
So many of them were overwhelming but I bit my lip to keep myself from crying.
His warmth spread to my body as his embrace tightened. I tried to push away as it was getting harder to breath but he only buried his face against my neck.
It was like this for a couple of minutes. The streetlights grew stronger as the night sky darkened.
He pulled away slowly before dragging his sleeve against his face.
"Shit, I really needed that," His voice was quiet for once. I smiled and rested my head on his body.
"Good. You hurt yourself by bottling up all your emotions," I punched his leg jokingly. He laughed and sniffed.
"What were you sayin' about Makoto and Ann?"
Pride swelled inside me as I perked up. My lips curled into a grin unwillingly as I sat up and held my hand on my chest.
"Oh! So you know how I recently solved a case? Well, Makoto and Ann made me realize that I work better alone. Goro has been getting all the credit for my hard work. And, to be honest, working alone made me feel a lot better than working with him. It's like a huge weight's being taken off my shoulders when I work alone."
"You think he's bringing you down?"
I hummed.
"In a way, yes. He tends to overshadow my accomplishments with his. The only time I've ever been mentioned is for the gossip about our relationship..."
"I'd say go for it. If working alone makes you feel better about yourself, then Akechi shouldn't be having a problem with it. I'll come over and beat his ass if he doesn't agree."
I grinned.
"Just like how you threatened him the last time you visited~"
His eyes widened.
"You heard it all?!" He exclaimed.
"You aren't the quietest person..."
"Damnit!"
"Thanks for worrying about me though. It makes me feel better knowing you have my back."
He scratched his cheek and nodded. His face turning slightly red under the bright streetlight.
"Yeah, no problem..."
"Hey... What if... What if we make our own attack? You know like how Ann and Morgana did back there. We can look way cooler than those two if we do."
"Our own attack, huh? It doesn't sound bad. But we'll have to choreograph and test it out during our spare time. It would be dreadful if we mess up in the middle of battle..."
"You're right. Alright! I'll ask Akira and see what he thinks. Oh man! It's going to be awesome!" He pumped his fist like an energetic child with a grin.
"Hell yeah. Show no mercy to those shadows," I smiled and slammed my fist against my palm. "Let's show them what we got!"